[il-talk] Braille Examiner

[Hilda Sandifer]

Sent from my iPhone

On Nov 15, 2012, at 7:51 AM, "Connie Davis" <connie.davis at rcn.com> wrote:

> Below is a copy of the Braille Examiner. And for those of you who like it
> nicely formatted, I have attached MS Word and text formats. Unfortunately,
> when I copy and paste some aspects of the formatting change.
> Thank you to everyone who helped with this!!!!
> 
> THE BRAILLE EXAMINER
> Post-State Convention 2012
> Editor: Connie J. Davis
> Co-Editor: Debbie Stein 
> President: Patti Chang
> 
> CONTACT INFORMATION
> President: Patti Chang, (773) 307-6440, pattichang at att.net 
> Editor:  Connie Davis, (773) 338-6922, connie.davis at rcn.com
> Co- Editor:  Deborah Kent Stein, (773) 203-1394,dkent5817 at att.net
> <http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/il-talk_nfbnet.org>  
> Formatting & Electronic Distribution: Connie Davis, (773) 338-6922,
> connie.davis at rcn.com <mailto:connie.davis at rcn.com,> 
> Newsline® Edition:  David Meyer, (708) 209-1767,
> <http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/il-talk_nfbnet.org> datemeyer@
> sbcglobal.net
> Limited Print Edition:  Bill & Roberta Reif, billreif at ameritech.net 
> Braille Edition:  Leslie Hamric, lhamric390 at comcast.net 
> Proofreaders: Meg Dowell & Glenn Moore, 
> Website:  Byron Lee, webmaster, www.nfbofillinois.org,
> webmaster at nfbofillinois.org
> 
> 
> ANNOUNCEMENTS
> 
> Articles and calendar postings should be submitted to Connie Davis at
> connie.davis at rcn.com. The Newsletter Committee will meet prior to the
> publication of each issue of the newsletter. Meetings will be announced on
> our e-mail listservs, posted to the NFBI calendar and on our website. Our
> meetings are open and new members are welcome. This newsletter is available
> in electronic format on our listservs, via e-mail, and on our website. It is
> also available on Newsline®. It is published in Braille and limited print
> edition for our donors as well.
> 
> Postal mail, e-mail address and format changes should be sent to Connie
> Davis, connie.davis at rcn.com. Question or comments may be addressed with
> Connie, Debbie or Patti.   
> 
> 
> 
> BRAILLE READERS ARE LEADERS CONTEST
> (This is a post that appeared on NFBnet.net Members List, posted by David
> Andrews.)
> 
> It's time to start reading! The reading period for the annual Braille
> Readers Are Leaders contest for adults begins November 1. Registration for
> the contest is now open! You can register at www.nfb.org/BRAL now through
> the end of the contest, January 4, 2013.
> 
> The contest is for adults who read Braille. There are categories for all
> levels of Braille readers, from beginners to experts. Participants read
> for  prizes, practice, and pleasure. Whether you love the competition or are
> spurred on simply because it's a great way to promote and refine your
> Braille skills, this contest is for you.
> 
> For more information, you can check the Web site, www.nfb.org/BRAL. There
> you will find all the forms and reading logs you will need to participate.
> If you still have questions, please contact the Braille Readers Are Leaders
> team at (410) 659-9314, extension 2312, or BrailleReadersAreLeaders at nfb.org.
> <http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/il-talk_nfbnet.org> 
> 
> Put your fingers to the paper and start recording what you are reading
> today! Braille Rocks,
> 
> The Braille Readers Are Leaders Team
> 
> MANNA CERTIFICATES ORDER DETAILS & DEADLINE
> by David Meyer
> 
> The deadline for placing an order for our Manna Gift Certificates Fundraiser
> is December 2nd. The order will be placed on December 3rd. If you would like
> to place an order for certificates, please contact Dave Meyer by calling
> 708-606-7091 or by e-mailing datemeyer at sbcglobal.net. 
> 
> A complete certificate list has been posted to both of our listservs and on
> Newsline®. 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> POST-CONVENTION 2012 PRESIDENTIAL REPORT
> by Patti Gregory-Chang
> 
> As I write from Washington State, I think with excitement about the
> convention I am about to attend and review our recent convention in Illinois
> with pride.
> 
> I begin with the numbers. We registered 149 people, almost one-third of them
> people, under the age of thirty. This involvement of young people bodes well
> for our future. 
> 
> Most of this newsletter will be devoted to convention, but I would like to
> note a couple of very important things here. First, our At Large Chapter has
> been issued a charter. We were all so busy during the convention that we
> forgot to present the charter at our banquet! Be assured that it was issued
> by our national office. Second, our Vendors Chapter met at convention. By
> all indications, a new charter will be issued soon for our Illinois
> Association of Blind Merchants. 
> 
> Now that convention is over, we can begin to work on our first Illinois BELL
> Program. We plan to conduct a Braille Enrichment for Literacy Program in
> Chicago next summer. If you wish to serve on the BELL Committee, please let
> me know.
> 
> The NFBI board also approved a TVI/Parent seminar for next spring. This
> should feed students into the more intensive BELL program. We need people to
> work on this event as well. Even if you can't work during the days of the
> seminar, you can help with the planning and publicity. I will call on many
> of you. Please feel free to volunteer by calling me at (773) 307-6440 or
> e-mailing at pattichang at att.net.
> 
> We want a good contingent of Illinois Federationists to attend Washington
> Seminar, which will be held February 2-4, 2013. Applications for Washington
> Seminar are now available. The 2013 NFB National Convention will take place
> July 1-6. Please mark your calendars. Convention will be held at the Rosen
> Center in Orlando, Florida. Please join us.  
> 
> 
> 
> WELCOME ILLINOIS VENDORS!!!
> by Mary Lou Grunwald
> 
> On October 17th, The Illinois Association of Blind Merchants voted
> unanimously to become a chapter of NFBI. This has been a dream of mine for
> 35 years. That dream has finally come true. Many of my vendor colleagues
> have been attending state and national events over the past year, and I have
> had the honor and privilege of sharing all the exciting aspects of our
> organization with them. I have heard many positive responses. I am looking
> forward to seeing what new talents and abilities they will bring to NFBI.
> 
> Welcome fellow vendors!!!!
> 
> 
> HOW TO KEEP YOUR NEWSLINE® SUBSCRIPTION
> by David Meyer
> 
> Several weeks ago, our state president, Patti Chang, received a communiqué
> from Sharon Ruda of the Illinois Talking Book and Braille Service. The
> message detailed the process the library has undertaken to identify those
> who wish to keep or cancel their NewsLine® subscriptions. Since our
> convention I have learned that not all NewsLine® subscribers have received a
> survey or any other communications regarding their subscription. We are
> publishing Ms. Ruda's letter to inform Newsline subscribers before any
> decision is made on their behalf.
> 
> If you wish to keep your NewsLine ® subscription, please call the Illinois
> Talking Book and Braille Service at 800-665-5576. Press 5 to get to the
> Talking Book and Braille Service, then ask for Debra Hurley. She will be
> glad to talk to you about this matter.
> 
> Here is Sharon Ruda's letter to President Chang.
> 
> Patti,
> 
> Below is information you can share with NewsLine® subscribers. I think I
> have included all the information you requested. Please call if you have
> additional questions.
> 
> Starting in November of 2011, the Illinois State Library Talking Book and
> Braille Service began to survey individuals who are subscribers to the NFB
> NewsLine®, a service sponsored and administrated [sic] by the Illinois State
> Library. Although this survey was approved by our Consumer Advisory
> Committee, we have learned that some people have questions regarding this
> project. This is a project we do every two or three years. We do this in
> conjunction with the annual review of Talking Book and Braille Service
> readers. Every year, according to National Library Service procedures, we
> review our Talking Book clients to remove from our program database anyone
> who is deceased, from whom we have received returned mail/location unknown,
> people who called and told us to cancel their service for a number of
> reasons, etc. We follow through and make changes regarding each situation.
> It is our administrative responsibility to keep our records as up-to-date as
> possible.
> 
> Five attempts have been made to contact subscribers who have not responded
> to the survey. 
> 
>                1. A large print letter was sent to 1351 subscribers in
> November,               2011. We received 334 responses.
>     A follow-up mailing was sent in March to those who did not respond.
>     Beginning in July, staff at the Chicago office of the Illinois state
> library have been making calls to 689 subscribers who did not respond to the
> 2nd mailing. A response was required if the patron wished NewsLine ®. A
> voice message was left with instructions to call an 800 number if the
> individual wished to continue the subscription.  
> 4. If phone numbers given to us by subscribers from our database were
> discontinued, additional sources including the national NewsLine ®) database
> record phone number, whitepages.com, personal contact numbers, etc. were
> used to attempt to reach the subscriber. 
> 5. If we were unable to reach subscribers through the above process, the
> final attempt was through email. We are receiving responses from the email.
> If we are unable to communicate with people, after trying numerous times,
> they will be removed from the database. I'm sure you know, being deleted
> from the NewsLine list is not a problem. If someone is inadvertently
> deleted, a simple call gets him/her reinstated and at the same time allows
> us to update his/her record. Updating changes in address or telephone number
> is critical for any entity that administers a subscription program. It is
> the responsibility of the subscribers to keep their record up-to-date. If
> you move or get a cell phone and drop your land line, the ISLTBBC needs that
> information.
> 
> An invaluable part of this survey is that David Meyer, our NewsLine® mentor,
> is getting lots of referrals to people who need his assistance and training.
> This is beneficial to those who answered our survey, noting that they found
> NewsLine® too hard to use or didn't know anything about it.
> 
> The Illinois State Library Talking Book and Braille Service understands how
> important NewsLine is to our patrons, and we are pleased that NewsLine will
> continue to enhance the lives of those who use the service.
> 
> Sharon Ruda 
> Associate Director Illinois State Library
> 
> 
> THE NFBI SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS OF 2012
> by Deborah Kent Stein
> 
> Last May the NFBI Scholarship Committee tackled the difficult task of
> selecting the 2012 scholarship winners from a pool of highly qualified
> candidates. Shortly after the winners were notified, the NFBI board voted to
> invite them to attend the NFB national convention. With only three weeks
> notice, three of the winners managed to arrange their busy schedules in
> order to spend a week in Dallas. Months before they received their awards,
> they began to learn about available resources, to bond with one another, and
> to absorb the NFB philosophy.
> 
> Seven outstanding students were awarded NFBI scholarships at the NFB of
> Illinois convention banquet on October 6. Kenneth Jernigan schlarships of
> $1,250 went to Anthony Overhiser, a freshman at Loyola University planning
> to go to medical school; Ryan Parrey, a doctoral candidate in disability
> studies at the University of Chicago; Adrian Rodriguez, a pre-law freshman
> at Stanford University; and Gaia Iaccarino, who studies screenwriting and
> film at Scott Community College in Bettendorf, Iowa. Mary MadDill Knapheide
> Scholarships of $1,500 were awarded to Katie Leinum, a freshman at Southern
> Illinois University/Carbondale who plans to study architecture; and Brianna
> Lillyman, a freshman at Loyola University who hopes to attend law school.
> The Peter Grunwald Memorial Scholarship in the amount of $2,000 went to
> Megan Dowell. Meg is a junior at Olivet Nazarene University. She has a
> double major in English and Dietetics.
> 
> As the winner of the Grunwald Scholarship, Meg Dowell had the opportunity to
> address the banquet. "I first want to say thank you so much to everyone who
> is here. I am so, so grateful," she said.  "I would like to tell a story. I
> am a dietetics major, and I'm learning that it requires a lot of tasks I
> never thought I could push myself to do. One of my classes this semester is
> food science. It includes a lab that requires cooking--lots of cooking! That
> is something I do not have a lot of experience with. There are six kitchens
> in the lab, and in your kitchen you're part of a group of three. Each person
> has tasks to do during the lab to get the food prepared.
> 
> "After the first lab I went to my instructor and said, 'I can't do this. I
> can't cook this food. I don't know what I'm doing.' And she said, 'We're
> going to let you do this by yourself so you can learn.' So this past
> Wednesday I was back in the lab. Part of the lab was to boil green beans.
> That's not hard, right? You put the pan on the stove and you turn the stove
> on. Well, I burned my green beans! As I was burning my green beans I turned
> on the fan and opened all the windows in the kitchen, and I took the beans
> and dumped them in a strainer in the sink. I thought, what am I doing? Then
> my instructor walked in and she said, 'What happened in here?' I said to
> her, 'I am never going to be a dietetics major! I burned my green beans! I
> can't even boil vegetables! I'm never going to be able to do this! I'm going
> to fail!' And she said, 'Meg, you can do anything. You just don't know it
> yet.'
> 
> "With every green bean I'll ever burn, I will think of NFBI and what you all
> have blessed me with. You believed in me even before I was here. Thank you
> so much."
> 
> 
> CONVENTION FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF FIRST-TIMERS
> 
> A First Timers Perspective
> By:  Ed Birmingham
> 
> Usually the first weekend in October means high school and college football
> along with the beginning of baseball playoffs.  However, this year would be
> different.  Approximately twenty Randolph-Sheppard Vendors, along with
> spouses and grandkids, attended our first ever National Federation of the
> Blind of Illinois Convention.  President Patti Gregory-Chang was kind enough
> to include the Vendors in the Convention agenda.
> John Gordon, who is the Chairman of the Illinois Committee of Blind Vendors
> and I were asked to speak briefly at the student luncheon.  We also took
> part in a panel discussion on the Randolph–Sheppard Program with our
> colleagues, Jesse Rogers and National Association of Blind Merchants
> President, Nicky Gacos.  Raven Pulliam, Administrator for the Business
> Enterprise Program for the Blind, rounded out the panel.  We discussed many
> issues concerning blind entrepreneurs.
> 
> The highlight of the weekend for me, personally, was getting the opportunity
> to listen and learn from all of those involved in the Student Division.  I
> cannot put into words how impressed I was with these young men and women.  
> 
> I also enjoyed National Representative Carl Jacobsen’s keynote address at
> the banquet Saturday night.  I thought Carl delivered a very inspiring
> message as did so many others before him.
> 
> As President of the Illinois Association of Blind Merchants, I would like to
> speak for our entire membership when I tell you that we are ecstatic to be a
> Division of the National Federation of the Blind of Illinois and a proud
> Affiliate of the National Association of Blind Merchants.  We look forward
> to working collaboratively on issues that affect us all.
> 
> A FIRST TIMER'S PERSPECTIVE
> by Linda Hendle
> 
> As a first-time attendee, I found convention to be very exciting,
> informative, and fun. N
> <Braille Examiner Post State Convention 2012.doc>
> <Braille Examiner Post State Convention 2012.txt>
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Awesome!!! I can't for the upcoming national convention 
I am so glad that I am a member of Nfb
Hilda Sandifer