[Iabs-talk] Examiner Winter 2011

[Connie Davis]

THE BRAILLE EXAMINER
Winter 2011
Editor:  Connie Davis
Co-editor:  Debbie Stein
President:  Patti Gregory-Chang
 
CONTACT INFORMATION
President: Patti Gregory-Chang, (773) 307-6440, pattichang at att.net 
Editor: Connie Davis, (773) 338-6922,  <mailto:condav8950@>
condav8950 at att.net
Co-Editor:  Deborah Kent Stein, (773) 631-1093,  <mailto:dkent5817 at .att.net>
dkent5817 at .att.net
Limited Print Edition Duplication: Carolyn Nelson, Springfield
Proofreaders: Steve Hastalis, Glenn Moore
Website:  Byron Lee, webmaster, www.nfbofillinois.org; 
 
 
PRESIDENT'S REPORT
By Patti S. Gregory-Chang Esq.
 
Another year has begun. Already we are planning several exciting events.
Before we look ahead to 2011, let's review our most recent NFB of Illinois
convention, truly a major highlight of 2010. 
 
The 2010 NFBI convention was a striking success. It was held from October
8-10 at the Abraham Lincoln Hotel and Conference Center in Springfield. We
registered 102 people and were honored to host our NFB president, Dr. Marc
Maurer, as our national representative.  For the first time we had breakout
sessions on Saturday afternoon, allocating time and space for teens and
significant others. Our parents hosted two events, a parents' breakfast and
a more formal meeting with a speaker from the Illinois State Board of
Education. The Illinois Association of Blind Students (IABS) created fun and
funding with the annual IABS Idol on Friday evening. General sessions were
well attended. 
 
Naturally, the centerpiece of our state convention was the annual banquet.
Dr. Maurer delivered a stirring banquet speech, and awards and scholarships
were presented. Pam Gillmore led a moving memorial to Carmen Dennis entitled
"Carmen Is in the House." 
 
During the first week of February our Illinois delegates attended the 2011
Washington Seminar. Delegates from around the state spoke with our
representatives in Congress about issues affecting the blind. Last year we
worked toward passage of the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act, sometimes
known as the Quiet Cars Bill. Our efforts definitely paid off! President
Barack Obama signed the bill into law on January 4, 2011. 
 
The NFBI board has decided to conduct two seminars this spring, both at the
Holiday Inn O'Hare in Chicago. The first is a membership-building seminar,
which is scheduled for March 12. Experts from the Affiliate Action staff at
the National Center for the Blind in Baltimore will teach us techniques for
building the membership of our state organization. This seminar will launch
our work in this area for 2011. Denise Avant is coordinating the
preparations for and content of this seminar. Contact her with ideas or
questions at dravant at ameritech.net.  
 
We will host a seminar for parents and teachers of blind children on April
9.  This year's seminar will be entitled "Spring into Action: Home, School
and Beyond." The seminar will actually encompass three simultaneous
programs: 1. Kids Kamp, with fun and educational activities for children age
eleven and under; 2. The Teen Scene, which helps teens understand their
blindness and our philosophy; and 3. the main 'seminar for parents and
teachers, with a variety of presentations, discussions, and opportunities
for hands-on learning. If you would like to get involved, please contact
Debbie Stein at dkent5817 at att.net or 773-631-1093.  
 
We are also gearing up for our 2011 NFB National Convention. This year's
convention will be a big one! It will take place in Orlando, Florida, from
July 3 through 8. Thousands of blind people from around the world will
gather to learn from one another and to enjoy our Federation fellowship.
Please plan to join us. If you need financial assistance, you may apply for
help from the NFBI Chappell Fund by May 1, 2011.
 
Illinois had a wonderful turnout for the 2010-2011 Braille Readers Are
Leaders contest. We had two adult teams: LIFE and ABLE. Our LIFE Team well
exceeded its goals. Congratulations to all of the LIFE Team members: Kelly
Doty, Syed Yousufuddin, Lois Montgomery, Bob Gardner, and Denise Avant.
Altogether Illinois had fifty-one contestants registered this year.
 
NFBI Scholarship and externship applications are now available. Any Illinois
student who applies for a national scholarship from the NFB will
automatically be considered for a state scholarship as well. All
applications are due by March 31, 2011. The application for the 2011 NFBI
summer externship program must be completed separately. Externship
applications are also due on March 31. For information about the program or
for an externship application, contact Debbie Stein.
 
Our NFBI committees work hard throughout the year. If you are not serving on
a committee yet, please call me and we can decide where you're best suited
to help. You can make a difference. Help us change what it means to be
blind. 
 
         
NFBI SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS 2010
by Debbie Kent Stein
 
At our 2010 NFBI convention in Springfield, the NFBI honored six blind
college and graduate students as winners of National Federation of the Blind
of Illinois Scholarships. The winners received their awards before an
audience of well-wishers at the convention banquet on the evening of
Saturday, October 9.
 
This year three students received Kenneth Jernigan Scholarships in the
amount of $1250 apiece. The Jernigan Scholarship winners were Danielle Keys,
a psychology major at Northern Illinois University; Ryan Kwaak, who majors
in broadcast media at Trinity Christian College; and Michal Nowicki, who
studies foreign languages at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
 
Mary McDill Knapheide Scholarships of $1500 were awarded to two of this
year's winners. One Knapheide Scholarship went to Vandana Chaudhry, who is
completing her doctoral dissertation at the University of Illinois at
Chicago School of Social Work. Sheila Schneider, who is entering a graduate
program in design at the University of Illinois in Urbana, was the other
Knapheide Scholarship recipient.
 
The Peter Grunwald Memorial Scholarship for $2000 was awarded this year to
Rose Sloan. Rose is a sophomore at Northwestern University and plans to
study government policy.
 
Congratulations to all of these outstanding winners of the 2010 NFBI
Scholarships!
 
 
CHICAGO CHAPTER NEWS
by David Meyer
 
The Chicago Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of Illinois
continues to be busy with internal matters and community outreach.  On
November 6, 2010, twenty-one members and guests took part in Games Night, a
fundraiser held at Exchequer Pub and Restaurant in Chicago.  Those who
attended enjoyed stimulating conversation along with a delicious spread of
pizza, salad, and soft drinks. They played a number of card games and such
board games as checkers, Scrabble, and Sorry. A good time was had by all.
 
On November 15, three Chicago Chapters members took part as exhibitors at
the Harold Washington College Health Fair, passing out Kernel Books and
educating the public about Federationism. On November 16, five members of
the Chicago Chapter witnessed or gave testimony at Access Board hearings
conducted by the Department of Justice at Access Living.
 
During the December chapter meeting, we raised more than $1300 at our annual
holiday auction.  A big thank you goes to all of the members who donated or
purchased auction items. A special thank you goes to Denise Avant, who
served as our auctioneer.
 
The Chicago Chapter was well represented at this year's Washington Seminar.
Six chapter members served on the Illinois delegation at this important
event.
 
In the coming months, the Chicago Chapter will be working on revisions to
its constitution. We will also feature a number of educational and
informative programs at future meetings.
 
The Chicago Chapter meets on the second Saturday of the month at the
Exchequer Pub and Restaurant, 226 S. Wabash, Chicago. For more details,
please contact chapter president David Meyer at (312) 675-2541.
 
 
BRAILLE READERS ARE LEADERS IN ILLINOIS
by Denise Avant
 
In November 2010, the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) launched the
2010-2011 Braille Readers Are Leaders Contest (BRAL). Braille readers from
all across the country participated as individuals, and some formed teams
with up to five contestants.
The newest team in Illinois was the LIFE group. LIFE stands for "Literacy Is
for Everyone." The members of the team are Robert Gardner and Lois
Montgomery of the Blackhawk Chapter and Chicago Chapter members Kelly Doty,
Syed Yousufuddin, and Denise Avant. Lois Montgomery came up with the name
for the team. "So often people think literacy only applies to sighted
people," she explains. "Blind people want to be literate, too."
 
None of the LIFE team members learned Braille in elementary school. I
learned Braille when I was in high school, and used it to take notes and
proofread my writing. If I had not learned Braille, I doubt that I ever
could have become an attorney. But until the BRAL contest I had never read a
Braille book, fiction or nonfiction, from cover to cover.
As a child Lois Montgomery did not have any access to large print or
Braille. She could read regular print, but because she had to hold the book
so close to her face, she often had headaches. "I didn't learn Braille until
I was in my forties," she says. "I went years without reading anything, and
now I am just hungry to read!" 
 
Bob Gardner did not learn to read Braille until after he retired. Initially
he learned uncontracted Braille and used it to label things in his kitchen.
When he took rehabilitation training at BLIND, Inc., in Minnesota, he had to
learn contracted Braille. "I felt embarrassed because I was slow, and there
were people reading 100 to 200 words per minute," Gardner says. "But I just
kept doing it." 
 
The purpose of the BRAL contest is "to promote the joy of reading for
pleasure, to promote a pride in Braille as a viable literacy medium equal to
print, and to demonstrate the importance of independent reading in the
development of Braille literacy skills." The contest was open to children
from kindergarten through twelfth grade and also to adult Braille readers.
The participants read as many Braille pages as possible during the contest
period, November 1, 2010 to January 4, 2011, Louis Braille's birthdate.
Adult participants could enter the contest at one of four levels: beginner,
meaning a reading speed of less than 80 words per minute (wpm) in
uncontracted or contracted Braille; intermediate, meaning a reading speed of
80-160 wpm in contracted Braille; advanced, meaning a reading speed of
160-220 wpm; and expert, meaning a reading speed of 220 wpm and above.
 
As Blackhawk Chapter president, Bob Gardner established the ABLE team last
year in an effort to promote Braille within his chapter. Bob Gardner and
Lois Montgomery were members of the group. The group met once a week at a
community college to read face-to-face. Some younger members of the group
had acquired Braille skills but had let them lapse. Their participation in
the ABLE group helped them rebuild their skills. "I just like the idea of
promoting Braille," Gardner says. "It needs to be done."
 
The ABLE group formed a team and entered the 2009-2010 BRAL contest. ABLE
placed first among the adult teams and received special recognition from the
NFB for its unique approach. 
 
Excited by the team's success, Gardner wanted to promote Braille statewide.
He came up with the idea of forming a group that would meet by telephone
conference call. The LIFE team voted to call the conference line at eight
o'clock on Sunday nights and read for about an hour and a half. 
 
The team actually started reading together before the BRAL contest began.
Thus far the group has read two Kernel Books, "Like Cats And Dogs" and
"Wall-To-Wall Thanksgiving." Currently it is in the midst of reading Ford
County Stories by John Grisham.
 
We have found that there are several benefits to reading out loud to one
another. We can catch mistakes and help each other figure out the letters
and contractions. As part of a group members are motivated to do the reading
Gardner assigns. As he points out, "You don't want to let down your other
team members." 
 
Syed Yousufuddin says he would like to continue reading with the group
beyond the contest period. "It's good for practicing and building up your
speed," he says. "It helps you build your confidence."
To be a member of a team, one had to participate individually. Kelly Doty
says she was not sure she was going to participate in the contest, but did
so after becoming part of the LIFE group. "I always thought the contest was
for kids," Doty says. Two of the group members, Lois Montgomery and Denise
Avant, entered at the intermediate level. Lois read 4,249 pages and Denise
read 2,839 pages. Kelly Doty (1704 pages), Bob Gardner (311 pages), and Syed
Yousufuddin (280 pages) competed in the beginner category. 
 
Participants had no lack of reading material. In addition to the group
selections, all of the team members read from the Kernel Book series
published by the NFB. The individuals read anything from chapter newsletters
to novels and biographies.
 
Now that we have participated as members of a team and as individuals, all
of the LIFE team members have vowed to continue reading Braille on their
own. Kelly, who is also able to read print books, says that she has not
taken out another print book since the contest started. She will read more
books in Braille in addition to the audio books she reads.
 
As members of the LIFE team, we recognize that we are not the fastest
Braille readers around. But Lois sums it up this way, "I don't think it's
important how fast you read or how many pages you read. The important thing
is that we can read, and we are literate. That's what we focus on." She
adds, "I love reading. It has changed my life." The goals of the BRAL
contest have been achieved with the LIFE team. 
 
 
YOUTH LEADERSHIP PROGRAM 2010 
by Katie Leinum and Brianna Lillyman 
 
Presented at the NFB of Illinois Convention, October 9, 2010
 
Introduction by Patti Gregory-Chang: The Federation has made tremendous
progress, but we know that to continue our momentum we have to bring young
people into the movement.  The Youth Leadership Program is one of the ways
we are working to get young people involved.  This morning we'll hear from
two young women who attended this year's Youth Leadership conference in
Baltimore.
 
Katie Leinum: I'm a junior at Robbins High School. Last February I went to
the Youth Leadership Conference.  Brianna and I went together, and it was
really fun. We were supposed to fly to Baltimore but it was really windy
there, so we had a long detour and a two-hour layover.  Finally we landed in
Virginia. Then we had to get to Baltimore, which cost a hundred and fifty
dollars! But it was a great experience getting through the airports by
ourselves.
 
Both of us had gone to Youth Slam in the summer.  There were a lot fewer
kids at the Leadership Program, so we had the chance to meet everyone at the
National Center.  We also saw a lot of counselors and kids we knew from
Youth Slam.  We had some really good sessions on what we thought and felt
about being blind or not being able to see very well.
 
For me the most exciting activity was learning to use a chainsaw
blindfolded! A lot of us were really freaking out. I didn't want to be
blindfolded! I can see some, and I was really scared that I was going to
chop off my hand! I did really well, though. I chopped part of a tree, and I
didn't cut off any pieces of me.
 
I had a really good time, and I would love to go back. I think everyone
should go.
 
Brianna Lillyman: I'm sixteen and a junior in high school. When people hear
that I'm sixteen, they typically ask, "Do you have your driver's license
yet?" I have to answer no. But now, thanks to the NFB, I have the confidence
to say, "Not yet." [Laughter and applause]
 
Because of the NFB I have had opportunities to travel and have met some
incredible people.  The most important thing that the NFB has done for me is
to instill the belief that I am capable of doing anything I want, despite my
blindness. I had my first experience with the NFB when I was eleven years
old and attended a summer camp. Since that time I have attended several
other NFB camps and programs, the most recent being the Youth Leadership
Program at NFB headquarters in Baltimore last February. This is my second
state convention.
 
The summer camp I attended when I was eleven was the first time I ever met
other blind people.  It had been a hard year for me because I had just lost
a significant amount of my vision.  I didn't expect the camp leaders,
speakers, and mentors to be blind. I was inspired by their confidence and
competence, and by the competence of the other campers my age. I was
extremely jealous of their ability to read Braille. I realized right away
that Braille would be an asset for me. I would be able to read without
getting headaches or having to rely on other people to read to me.
 
I requested Braille instruction at my first IEP meeting when I was a
freshman in high school.  It was a battle, but after two years I finally
began Braille lessons early this year. [Applause] I've put a lot of effort
into learning it. I'm still not very fluent, but I like to show off my
skills.
 
My trip to Baltimore this past February was the first time I ever traveled
by myself without a parent. I hate flying, and I was really nervous! It was
worse still when we were told that our flight had been canceled, and the
only way for us to get to Baltimore would be to take a flight to Florida and
catch another flight from there to Dulles Airport in Washington, D.C. From
Dulles, Katie and I would have to be responsible for getting a cab to
Baltimore.
 
It was a very stressful experience, and there were moments when I thought we
would never get there. The worst point came when the cab driver asked me to
program his GPS. I told him I couldn't because I couldn't see it! You'd have
thought my cane would tip him off, but I guess he just didn't expect two
blind people to be traveling by themselves. He spent an extra thirty minutes
driving in circles trying to find the Center. Overall, I'm proud of the way
I handled that trip. I knew it would have been easier to stay home, but we
finally got where we wanted to go.
 
Through the NFB I have done a lot of things that have been both challenging
and exciting, things I never thought I could do. I have witnessed other
blind people doing things I always assumed couldn't be done without vision.
Involvement in the NFB has helped me overcome stigma about blindness.  So
this past spring, when I went on a trip for blind youth sponsored by a
non-NFB group, I was shocked. The sighted chaperones guided my peers around,
not requiring them to use their canes. They did not treat them with the
respect I believe a blind person, or any person, deserves. All of the kids
on the trip were great people, but because of the way they have been
educated, they are not independent or confident in themselves.  During that
trip I kept hearing, "I can't, because I'm blind." The other kids were
shocked when I talked about the things I had done. They were surprised that
I have been involved in theater and school plays, but to me it's not a big
deal. They couldn't believe that I figure skate. I wonder what their
reaction will be when they hear that I'm learning to synchronize skate!
 
The attitudes of those kids make me sad. I know they just haven't heard
about all the opportunities that are out there. After being involved in the
NFB over the years I have come to take that message for granted. I expected
all blind people to strive for independence and to demand respect. But the
fact is, many blind people view themselves as incapable, and lots of sighted
people, a huge number, are ignorant of blind people's capabilities.
 
On that trip I realized how important it is to get other blind people
involved with the NFB.  I know that the NFB can be the greatest ally for
someone who is struggling with the loss of vision as I was.  I am so
grateful for the opportunities I have had and the things I have learned.
Some day I hope I can pay it forward.
 
 
BLIND DRIVER CHALLENGE: SEEING IT FIRSTHAND 
By George Villa
 
Linda and I spent two exciting days with the NFB in Daytona. The meeting on
Friday night was filled with anticipation. It felt like a pep rally and
really fired up the NFB members in attendance. The speakers left us with a
feeling of confidence and expectation for the coming day's history-making
event. For the first time a blind person would enter a car as a driver and
not a passenger. Mark Riccobono, the driver, would control the speed of the
vehicle, make turns and avoid obstacles. Just think how that would feel. At
the end of the evening we were all given purple and white shirts to wear on
Saturday.
 
On Saturday morning buses lined up to take us to the racetrack. Though Linda
and I have been coming to Daytona for many years, we had never been to the
track, so this was a first for us.   
 
A lot of behind-the-scenes work was done between the NFB and the track
management, and it showed. A seating area was reserved for us as a group.
 
NFB members sang and danced as we waited for the Blind Driver Challenge to
begin. In the moments leading up to the drive, Kevin Worley made an
announcement from the audio booth and cheers went up. Kevin did a great job
of keeping us informed of each step of the race. He told us when Mark was
handed the keys, when he started the vehicle, and, finally, when the drive
began. It seemed like a lifetime, but then there he was, turning the corner
right in front of us. The excitement as he passed the NFB grandstand was
electrifying. 
 
After the drive we went to the media center. There was standing room only.
We heard from Dr. Marc Maurer, Kevin Worley, one of the technicians from
Virginia Tech, and of course our driver Mark Riccobono himself. Many other
people spoke and worked hard to make this event possible.  (I'm sure I left
out some important names.) 
 
The rest of the afternoon was spent at the track. We met NFB members from
around the country, sampled some great chili from the chili cook-off, and
enjoyed the great weather. 
 
On Saturday evening we shared more NFB fellowship at a pizza party with all
in attendance. We sat at tables for ten, and who happened to sit next to us
but Chicago Chapter member Ronza Othman, who now lives in Baltimore. We had
a nice visit with her. Everyone was a-buzz from the day's history-making
event.
Saturday's events proved that with technology, appropriate training, and
education the blind are capable of many things. We can expand our
productivity and participation in society. It was a great day for the NFB
and for blind people as a whole. 
 
 
A SATURDAY IN DAYTONA
by Ronza Othman
 
The Blind Driver Challenge was a lot of fun. It was such a pleasant surprise
to look up and see Linda Villa waving at me and shouting my name as I walked
past the NFB Grandstand. It was awesome hanging out with everyone at the
pizza party as well.
 
I got some fun pictures of the car, including one of those supermodel poses
where I'm leaning over the hood. The NFB had a booth where people wearing
sleepshades could change a tire. Some people did it in less than thirty
seconds. I overheard someone say that anyone working in the pit at a race
should be required to get training from us on how to change tires blind, as
it would reduce the time cars have to spend off the track.
 
An unintended aspect of the Blind Driver Challenge, I believe, was that
people got to brush up on their mobility skills.  The Daytona Racetrack is
3.5 miles long, and the fairgrounds are in the center.  There seems to be no
rhyme or reason to where anything is. Our booth and grandstand were at
opposite ends in the Sprint Fan Zone. The problem was that there was a
Sprint Fan Deck, Sprint Fan Fair, a Sprint Fan Patio, and on and on. Nearly
everyone who worked the event was driving an official car or golf cart
inside the fairgrounds, sharing space with the 35,000 race attendees who
were  on foot. Many of the vehicles were actual racecars, which made using
audio cues for mobility quite a challenge. None of the park staff  seemed to
know where anything was, including our grandstand, our booth, and the
parking lot where our buses and cars were. They knew where our car was,
though! 
 
We all wandered around a lot. Everyone had a story about getting lost or
misdirected, or just outright being confused. I'm  convinced that when we go
to Orlando in July, we'll be able to go to Daytona and pick up
Federationists who are still wandering around the racetrack.
 
At any rate, the event was a lot of fun, and it was incredible to witness
such an important moment in our organization's history.
 
  
 
 
ABLE
By Patrick Olson
 
Though I may be blind,
I have a great mind,
Though I am disabled,
I am still quite able,
Though I cannot see,
Things are very clear to me,
I am just as able,
As the nondisabled,
Though I do not drive,
I am just hitting my strive,
 
A person with a disability,
Is judged to have an incapability,
Though only my sight has an effect,
People think it includes my intellect,
No matter what one may say,
Nothing is getting in my pathway,
 
Able are we,
The disabled as you see,
Working within our limitations,
Breaking through the [public''s] expectations,
So open the gates to all that are able,
This is not a fable,
Trust in the words of one blind man,
That the enabled are taking a stand,
We have the right,
So treat us for our might,
No disability will stand in our way,
For we live in the U.S.A.
 
 
 
NFBI CALENDAR
March
1--Chappell Applications due for Parents' Seminar
12--Blackhawk Chapter Meeting, the South Moline Township Center at 637 17th
Avenue in East Moline, 1:30 PM
19--Chicago Chapter meeting, Exchequer Pub, 226 S. Wabash, 1 PM
April
6--Fundraising Day, Chicago Chapter, Beggar's Pizza, 310 S. Clinton,
Chicago, IL, 11 AM--11 PM
9--Parents' Seminar, Holiday Inn O'Hare, 5516 W. Cumberland, Chicago, IL 8
AM--5 PM
16--Chicago Chapter Meeting, Exchequer Pub, 226 S. Wabash, Chicago, IL 1 PM
 
 
 
 
Connie 
 
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