[il-talk] Illinois Independent, Spring 2016

[Deborah Kent Stein]

ILLINOIS INDEPENDENT

SPRING 2016

 

Editors: Deborah Kent Stein and Robert Gardner

 

National Federation of the Blind of Illinois

President: Denise R. Avant, (773) 991-8050  <mailto:DAvant1958 at gmail.com>
DAvant1958 at gmail.com

Deborah Kent Stein: (773) 2030-1394  <mailto:DKent5817 at att.net>
DKent5817 at att.net

Robert Gardner: (309) 236-6606  <mailto:RGardner at gmail.com>
RGardner at gmail.com

Formatting: Glenn Moore and Janna Harvey

NFB Newsline Edition: David Meyer: (708) 209-1767
<mailto:DateMeyer at sbcglobal.net> DateMeyer at sbcglobal.net

Print and Braille Editions: Bill Reif: (217) 801-2996
<mailto:BillReif at ameritech.net> BillReif at ameritech.net

Website: Byron Lee: (773) 633-4799  <mailto:Byron at ByronLee.com>
Byron at ByronLee.com

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

>From the President's Desk, by Denise R. Avant

A Matter of Attitude, by Glenn Moore

The Power of Persistence, by Dave Meyer

I'm Hot; I'm Cold; I Don't Know What I Am, by Sue Tillet

Building Confidence at National Convention, by Gina Falvo

LOL Squared: Literacy Times Learning, by Deborah Kent Stein and Janna Harvey

Thank You from ISVI, by Serena Preston

Announcement: ISVI Sixty-third Biennial Reunion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FROM the PRESIDENT'S DESK

By Denise R. Avant

 

I am looking forward to summer and the seventy-sixth annual convention of
the National Federation of the Blind. This year's convention will take place
from June 30 to July 5 at the Rosen Shingle Creek Hotel in Orlando, Florida.
For me, attending an NFB convention is awesome and inspiring. Our convention
is the largest gathering of blind people in the United States. It's a time
to meet new Federationists and reconnect with old ones. It's a time to
connect with people who do not let blindness hold them back and are living
the lives they want. It's a time to talk about all that we have accomplished
as an organization advocating on behalf of blind people, and to plan what we
hope to accomplish in the upcoming year.

 

Illinois has particular reasons to look forward to the 2016 national
convention. Matthew Miller, a former participant in our Freedom Link
program, has been selected as a 2016 NFB National Scholarship finalist. Matt
will be a freshman at Michigan State University in the fall. Several new
members will be joining our Illinois delegation. All of our 2015 NFBI
scholarship winners will be in attendance. They are Jhaliyah Anderson, Diego
Espino, Barbara Feltz, and Marina Salman. 

 

You can preregister for convention and get the convention hotel rate if you
act by May 31, 2016. For more information, go to  <http://www.NFB.org>
www.NFB.org.

 

Our NFBI Scholarship Committee is hard at work. This year we had twenty-four
scholarship applicants. Our scholarship applicant class is highly
competitive this year, and the committee will have a difficult time
determining who will get the available scholarships. 

 

Last summer, the NFBI board decided to make some changes in our internship
program. We now have a rolling deadline for our internship applications. At
any time during the year, a blind student can seek an internship in an area
of interest. Interns find volunteer work and receive a stipend of up to
$1,500 from the affiliate. So far the committee has selected two interns for
2016.

 

We remain active as an affiliate, with an emphasis on programming for blind
youth and their families. On April 15-16 we held our annual spring seminar
for teachers of the visually impaired, parents of blind children, and blind
students. Our keynote speaker was Carlton Walker, who presented on
integrating blind and multiply impaired students in the school community.
Other speakers included Rachel Brady, a staff attorney with Equip for
Equality; Pam Winters of the Hadley Institute for the Visually Impaired; and
Jennifer Dunnam, coordinator of Braille transcription and proofreading at
the Library of Congress. Our students were the highlight of the seminar on
both days. Jhaliyah Anderson led a panel discussion on extracurricular
activities with presenters Javon Baker, Victoria Clark, and Emma Meyer. The
panelists spoke about their participation in activities that included
cheerleading, music, track, and swimming.

 

Twenty students attended the seminar of the Illinois Association of Blind
Students (IABS). Topics included financing one's education and using a guide
dog on campus, and there was even a yoga demonstration. IABS President Katie
Leinum described the seminar as "a very interactive experience." Julia
Chang's and Sarah Patel's presentation on participating in internships was
one of the most popular events of the day.

 

For the second summer the NFBI will host two Braille Enrichment for Literacy
and Learning (BELL) Academies. The BELL Academy is a fun way to introduce
Braille and other blindness skills to blind children in kindergarten through
eighth grade. In addition to having Braille-centered activities in the
classroom, the children take field trips and do other activities using
non-visual techniques. The children are mentored by blind adults. Our
purpose in providing mentors for BELL, and our other programs is to show
blind children that they can have high expectations for themselves and grow
up to live the lives they want. The first BELL Academy will be a week-long
residential program in Springfield, Illinois, from July 11 through July 15,
2016. The second program runs from July 25 to August 5. It will be held at
the Chicago Lighthouse for People Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired. For
more information, go to  <http://www.NFBofIllinois.org>
www.NFBofIllinois.org or contact Patti Chang at
<mailto:PattiSChang at gmail.com> PattiSChang at gmail.com.

 

We are now beginning to plan for our state convention, which will take place
October 28-30, 2016, at the Chicago Naperville Marriott Hotel in Naperville,
Illinois. If you have ideas for convention topics, please contact me at
<mailto:DAvant1958 at gmail.com> DAvant1958 at gmail.com or (773) 991-8050.

 

The NFBI sponsors many programs throughout the year in Illinois. Through the
giving and volunteer spirit of our members, we show in word and deed that
blind people are more than capable of competing on terms of equality with
our sighted peers. As president of NFBI, I want to thank all of you for
supporting our affiliate.

 

 

A MATTER of ATTITUDE

By Glenn Moore

 

It started last February, when a Federationist posed a simple question on
the IL-Talk listserv. "How do you react when someone says that you spend a
lot of time proving you can do things in spite of your blindness?" The
question sparked a lively discussion. I suppose any answer to this question
depends on what the comment meant in the first place. It also depends upon
one's own disposition, attitude, and philosophy about blindness and living. 

 

 

What Does the Comment Mean?

 

I think one first wonders, "What was meant by that type of comment?" I find
that usually people accuse me of trying to prove myself when I insist on
doing something that makes them uncomfortable. I think this is often the
case when people call attention to a blind person who is doing day-to-day
things. Sometimes the person making the comment seems to think the blind
person needs help but won't acknowledge it. I wonder if this belief comes
from a subjective tendency to focus on the familiar. 

 

At an NFBI convention a couple of years ago, Parnell Diggs related an
encounter with a law professor. The professor told him he had no trouble
imagining what it is like to be blind; he simply closed his eyes. Why do
many blind people find such a remark to be offensive? The professor defined
the experience of blindness literally, based strictly upon his own
experience of vision. He understood blindness in negative terms, as merely
the absence of sight, and he reduced the blind person to a person lacking
sight. 

 

I think a lot of sighted bias against blindness is based upon the idea that
blindness is an absence of sighted experience. People who think this way
focus on the fact that blind people do not gain experience through vision,
the sense most sighted people rely on and assume is needed to gain knowledge
of the world. The truth is that, while sighted people have plenty of
experience with being sighted, blindness is not an absence of experience and
knowledge. It's a parallel experience of its own. 

 

If I speak French in a country of English speakers, at times I'll miss
something and will want to have it explained to me. However, it would feel
insulting to be treated as though I have no language of my own, let alone
the ability to comprehend the concepts that can be explained in either
language. Blindness has a life and functionality just as sight does. For
example, Braille is not an absence of writing; it's a writing system that is
not visual. 

 

A common reply to the query about proving oneself was that sighted people
sometimes imply, or flatly accuse, a blind person of having an attitude.
Some members of the sighted public certainly have attitudes, so why wouldn't
some of the blind public have attitudes, too? However, what sighted people
tend to perceive as an attitude in the blind may simply be the refusal to
fall into expected roles. One lister commented, "There's a basic expectation
that we should be grateful for any and all assistance, and that we should
not be assertive." Another lister noted, "Some of us seem to be more passive
than is needed."

 

Though a comment from the public may actually be on target, it also reflects
something about the speaker, who may react for lack of knowledge about
blindness. "We blind often expect the sighted to somehow intuitively know
what help or non-help to provide," one lister wrote. "We get upset when we
feel aggrieved by the ignorant sighted. In the absence of actual knowledge,
people invent knowledge in its place." Another commented, "They see a blind
person and somehow the idea that the situation calls for new rules and
exceptional behaviors kicks in." These comments make me consider that it's
important to engage people with things they don't understand. If the unique
and uncommon become rare and mystical, the word "attitude" may mysteriously
appear. 

 

The speaker who claims you're busy proving something may have yet another
meaning, and it's not a very flattering one to himself or herself. Suppose
the blind person is doing something appropriate, and the sighted person
offers intervention that clearly is not helpful, wanted, or needed. The
reason the sighted person finds fault may, in fact, have to do with his or
her own convenience or agenda. 

 

Recently a friend of mine was waiting to board a bus with her guide dog. A
woman next to her complimented the dog and asked the dog if she could pet
it. My friend politely refused, saying that the dog was working. "Well," the
woman replied, "I'm gonna pet you anyway," and so she did. 

 

By addressing the dog while ignoring the owner and dismissing the dog's
purpose for being there, I believe the woman expressed her contempt for what
she saw as my friend's unacceptable privilege to have a dog in a public
place. Her interference with the dog's work was a way to defeat that
privilege and passive-aggressively claim her own privilege instead. Though
this behavior was not an offer of help, it is not unlike accusing a blind
person of copping an attitude for not accepting help that is "for your own
good."  

 

Sometimes a person who says you spend (or waste) time proving yourself
because of blindness really expects to be inconvenienced if you are left on
your own. The person offers help for his or her own convenience, and then
claims you have an attitude for refusing. 

 

What Does Proving Blindness Mean?

Besides exploring what may lie behind certain comments made to blind people,
I also want to consider what it means to prove oneself as a blind person.
Some of our listserv members expressed that they were not trying to prove
anything or gain attention, but they felt that they were always being
observed. One post reads, "Whatever we do in our lives, we are proving
ourselves ... as blind people. That's just life." Another list member wrote,
"I feel I'm proving that I can do things all the time ... Maybe I have an
attitude. I think it's a healthy attitude for a blind person." Others
agreed. "It is a positive attitude that I have. And it is an attitude that
keeps me going on a daily basis," said one. Another commented, "It's that
attitude that has got me where I am today." These quotes tell me that
proving oneself as a blind person is not an attempt to affect others
negatively, but rather a lifelong determination to be unaffected by
obstacles.

Most of the varied listserv responses fit under the umbrella of the
philosophy belonging to the organized blind movement. Most posts
acknowledged that there are times during interactions when blind and sighted
people, all of us with our own shortcomings, just don't get it right. "One
should endeavor to never lose one's temper," one lister wrote, "but I also
think we have to forgive ourselves if we are imperfect." This comment fits
well with another lister's observation that "if we spend time worrying about
others' perception of us and try to please others ... we would never be able
to live the lives we want. Life is too short." 

 

One safe and winning bet that helps hedge uncertain situations is respect. A
sighted person, or anyone offering advice or help, should be honest about
why she or he is reaching out. Certain behaviors, such as putting the hands
on someone, are never appropriate unless it's necessary to protect a person
from real danger. There is more to know about blindness than what law
professors imagine when they close their eyes. Many sighted people may feel
frustrated or unsure about what is best to say or do when a situation seems
not to be going as it should. As blind people we can teach them, as long as
they're respectful. At the same time, they may know things about a given
situation that will be useful to us. It's worth being  open-minded, without
needing to give up being strong-minded.

 

 

THE POWER of PERSISTENCE

By Dave Meyer

 

I once worked at a school in Roselle, Illinois. Among the challenges I faced
on a daily basis was navigating a portion of my commute. The facility was
located approximately two blocks from the Roselle Metra station. An easy
commute, right? Not necessarily. 

 

The trip from the Metra station to my workplace was made challenging by a
difficult street crossing. The street I had to cross was Irving Park Road, a
major, very wide thoroughfare with heavy traffic. The intersection featured
a stoplight that was traffic sensitive. That is, the busier the traffic, the
less time the stoplight turned red to allow cross traffic to flow. And
therefore the less time I had to get from one side of Irving Park Road to
the other. In addition, there was not always a lot of parallel traffic when
Irving Park was okay to cross. It was a difficult light to judge. 

 

I finally adopted the strategy of listening for the lack of cross traffic
rather than the start of parallel traffic for my cue to cross. I would
listen for traffic to stop moving on Irving Park, then count to three. If I
still did not hear any traffic moving on Irving Park, I would cross.
Although I thought this was not the ideal way to handle the situation, it
seemed to work well enough for me. I cannot recall ever hearing someone
coming to an abrupt stop in order to avoid me.

 

Though I found navigating this intersection quite scary at first, I
eventually got to the point where I was almost comfortable with it.
Apparently, however, those who watched me on a daily basis did not feel the
same way. One day I was paged to a classroom where I had to face a Roselle
police officer. He was very concerned about me crossing that hectic
intersection. 

 

I told him when Irving Park Road was especially busy, there was not
sufficient time for anyone to cross it before the light turned. He seemed
unwilling to acknowledge my point until both the teacher and the program
assistant in that room agreed with me. He then asked if there was anything
the police department could do. 

 

I suggested they adjust the light so there was more time for pedestrians to
cross, particularly in rush hour traffic. The officer said that was a state
road under the control of the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT),
and Roselle had no jurisdiction to do what I suggested. I asked him if he
had a contact number I could call at IDOT. The officer gave me that
information, wished me luck, then left. 

 

I called IDOT and pleaded my case. The gentleman I spoke to did not see
things the way I did. He told me that there was ample time to cross that
road and that he saw no reason to make a change.  

 

Sensing I could not do much without assistance from others, I began to talk
to coworkers about this situation, asking them to call IDOT on my behalf.
Both the teacher and program assistant who supported me in my discussion
with the police officer called and complained. Additionally, at least one
other staff member called to do the same. That particular staff member also
had three adult children. They each decided to call separately and ask that
things be changed at the intersection.

 

While all of this was taking place, I ran into an acquaintance from the
train who offered to assist me across Irving Park Road. I accepted his help.
As we were talking, I mentioned the difficulty I was having with IDOT about
the traffic lights there. Approaching the intersection, he offered to time
the light so I would have some solid data to support my argument. Doing
that, my acquaintance told me the light lasted only seven seconds. I must
admit even I was surprised at how little time there was to cross safely. 

 

He asked me if there was anything else he could do. I encouraged him to
complain to IDOT about the brevity of the traffic light. I gave him the name
of the appropriate person to speak to and we parted company.

 

Following this incident, I found Irving Park Road to be easier to cross. It
appeared the light had been adjusted to permit pedestrians more time to
navigate the intersection. Several days later, my train acquaintance
approached me again. He asked me if things had improved on Irving Park Road,
and I told him I thought so. He then proceeded to relate to me his
conversation with the IDOT official, and why things had possibly changed. 

 

He told me his original intention was simply to call IDOT and discuss the
situation, asking whether anything could be done. When the official acted
annoyed, complaining that he had never known so many people to call and
complain about a single intersection, my acquaintance quickly became more
serious.  

 

To make his point, my acquaintance stated that he had a grandmother who had
to cross this intersection in order to mail letters and bills, something she
did several times a week. He went on to say that if anything ever happened
to her at this intersection, he would sue IDOT for a very substantial sum.
My acquaintance must have sounded convincing, for shortly after that phone
call the timing of the traffic light was altered.

 

It is my belief that crossing Irving Park Road was not only made easier for
me, but for the public at large. Beyond that, I learned a valuable lesson:
if one can rally enough support from others, one can change a situation one
may not be able to affect alone.  

 

 

I’M HOT; I’M COLD; I DON’T KNOW WHAT I AM!

By Sue Tillett

 

[Editor’s Note: This piece appeared, in a somewhat different form, in the
Winter 2016 issue of The Sounding Board, the newsletter of the NFB of New
Jersey.]

 

Two years ago when I fell in love with my current house and moved in, I
didn't fully explore its appliances, all of which had touch screens. After
studying the situation with a friend, then marking the touch screens with
locator dots and Braille Dymo tape labels, I was able to use all of the
appliances to some extent. However, I found most of their features were off
limits to me. 

 

So you would think, by the ripe old age of sixty-eight, I would have learned
to be wary. Just because something talks, it is not necessarily totally
accessible. Such was the case with the new thermostat I’d had installed. In
an attempt to solve my dilemma, I searched for contact information, then
Emailed the following message to the Honeywell Corporation early last
January.

 




Dear Honeywell Development Staff: 

 

I recently switched from oil to gas heat in my house and had to have a new
thermostat installed. I am blind and needed to find one that I could
operate. Imagine my delight when the heating contractor told me they could
provide me with a talking thermostat, one manufactured by your corporation.
I was pleased to be able to raise and lower the temperature, but the menu
settings turned out to be totally off limits to me. Apparently, it is
designed for the lazy person who doesn't want to get off the couch; it is
not an accessible thermostat for someone who is visually impaired. 

 

I had a friend set the thermostat presets to 64º during the day and 58º at
night, figuring I could raise the temperature when I was home. That turns
out to be a partial solution. Sometimes the thermostat would say, "I cannot
fulfill your request at this time. Try again later." Or, "Cannot connect to
Wi-Fi; call tech support." Or I was instructed to go to the touch screen,
which is totally inaccessible to me. Next I downloaded your app onto my
iPhone, thinking I could control the thermostat from my phone, but the app
isn't very accessible either. 

 

You have a good start on a product that could easily be made totally
accessible. Having speech already build into the unit should make it
possible to allow it to control all the different menu settings. I am
certain the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute would be
willing to work with you on such a project. The Apple Corporation has made
their products very accessible, and they may also be willing to advise you.
The app is probably a simple fix, voice labeling some of the buttons and
perhaps reordering them. 

 

As our population continues to age, we are more than ever in need of
products that are extremely intuitive for everyone to use, including being
accessible to people who are blind or visually impaired. I would urge you to
use people who are blind as your beta testers, and I for one would be more
than happy to help you. I look forward to hearing from you about this
matter. 

 

Thank you, 

Sue Tillet

 




After reading my message, a friend said she didn't think I would get
anywhere with email and I would have to go further up the food chain at
Honeywell. She sleuthed out the contact information for a CEO and I sent him
a snail-mail copy of my email message. Sure enough, I got a canned response
to my email, basically blowing me off. A week later, though, I received a
phone call from a high Honeywell muckety-muck. 

 

I tried to explain the inaccessible features of both the thermostat and the
app to him. He didn't understand what I was telling him about the iPhone
app, so I showed him how to turn VoiceOver on on his phone and had him open
the thermostat app. He was fascinated with the talking iPhone and
immediately saw the problem with their app. He asked if he could send a
developer from their headquarters in Minnesota to my house in New Jersey so
we could work on making the thermostat more accessible. He wanted to know
which aspects of it would be the most important to work on. I told him that
we needed to go for complete accessibility, full inclusion. I then called
the NFB national office and asked Anil Lewis if his committee, the
Technology and Development Committee, would be interested in getting
involved in this issue. 

 

A month after writing my email, a Honeywell product manager and Anil Lewis
came to my house. Also accompanying Anil from the national office was Carl
Belanger, a self-proclaimed geek. Together, we went over every aspect of the
thermostat. 

 

Anil, Carl, and I made suggestions as to how Honeywell could make the
thermostat and the iPhone app fully accessible. We also pointed out that
Honeywell needs to make all of its products accessible and intuitive for our
aging population. The Honeywell representative was completely engaged and
enthusiastic, and took thorough notes. 

 

Judging from a follow-up conference call in March, though, I think change is
going to happen slowly. While Honeywell may make its app more accessible, I
don't think there will be much change to my current thermostat. However, I
do believe we will find future Honeywell products to be much more accessible
and user-friendly. 

 

It was wonderful how the national office was willing to get involved. While
I got the ball rolling, they now understand the issue and can hold
Honeywell's feet to the fire. If the only thing I had wanted out of this was
a working thermostat, I would have written quite a different letter. Each of
us needs to be working for the collective good of all. 

 

 

 

BUILDING CONFIDENCE at NATIONAL CONVENTION

By Gina Falvo

 

The experience of attending a national convention is a big part of being in
the National Federation of the Blind. When I first went to convention in
2010, I truly gained my independence. I have attended two more conventions
since 2010. 

 

The experience began when I walked out the door of my home on my way to the
convention hotel. Everyone at convention gets a schedule of the seminars and
other events, from the Mock Trial to the Science Fiction Club. In 2015 I
joined the Blind Cancer Survivors. At our first meeting we shared our cancer
experiences and supported one another. Since I chair our state Membership
and Renewal Committee, I attended the membership meeting. We discussed ideas
for making chapter meetings more interesting and for getting and keeping new
members. 

 

The last three days of convention are devoted to the general sessions. The
first session starts with a roll call of the states and a salute to our
veterans. Then there are presentations on topics to help blind people in
everyday society.

 

The banquet is the final event that wraps up the convention. I sat with the
cancer survivors at the banquet. Scholarships are awarded to college
students pursuing many careers, and the national president gives a stirring
speech. It's quite an experience to be in a big room with thousands of blind
people from all over the world. The key is becoming more independent so we
can live the lives we want. 

 

 

L.O.L. SQUARED: LITERACY TIMES LEARNING

By Deborah Kent Stein and Janna Harvey

 

In 2014 and 2015 the National Federation of the Blind of Illinois sponsored
iBRAL, or Illinois Braille Readers Are Leaders, a Braille reading
competition for students in grades K-12. Under the leadership of Bob
Gardner, the Braille Literacy Committee organized the contest, tallied the
pages read by the participants, and sent out the prizes. The success of
iBRAL prompted the committee to expand the 2016 contest. This year Illinois
teamed with Minnesota to hold a joint competition, christened LOL Squared
for Land of Lincoln and Land of Lakes. 

 

The Braille Literacy Committee supported the contest as a means to encourage
blind children to practice their Braille skills. The top three winners in
each grade category won cash prizes, and every participant received a packet
of small gifts. 

 

In the following letter, TVI Janna Harvey explains how one of her students
benefited from taking part in the contest this year.  

 

            The NFB's LOL Squared contest not only promotes Braille literacy
for students; it            also provides the participants with a number of
learning opportunities in the area of daily living skills. This school year
one of my students placed in his grade     category and won a cash prize
along with several gifts.

 

            After a few weeks of excited waiting, my student's packet of
prizes arrived. It       contained a Braille calendar, a check for twenty
dollars, a gift certificate for a free        book from Seedlings Braille
Books for Children, and even a slate and stylus.            Essentially,
every single item in the prize packet allowed for practice of daily
living skills. Here are a few highlights. 

 

            This was the first time my student had ever received a check
made out to him. He and I talked about the process of cashing a check and
how he could fold the bills         once they were given to him at the bank.
I explained that he would have to                     endorse the back of
the check. The check gave him a great reason to practice his signature,
using the signature guide from the gift packet. 

 

            The gift certificate from Seedlings provided the greatest number
of real life                        learning opportunities. First, my
student used VoiceOver on his iPad to browse the list of Braille books on
the Seedlings website. Then he wrote down the title,
author, and item number of the book he wanted, as well as the gift card
code. 

 

            Finally it was time for him to place his order over the phone.
He had never                         ordered anything via phone before, so
we role-played how the conversation might   unfold. He practiced giving the
shipping address, phone number, and email               address, all of
which he had written out in Braille. Using Braille in this way was
fairly challenging for him, as he is still developing his Braille reading
skills. 

 

            My student made the phone call and placed his order
independently. The               saleswoman at Seedlings could tell that he
was a student and that he was a bit       nervous. She was very patient with
him and helped him feel at ease. 

 

            Not only did my student practice valuable life skills as a
result of receiving a prize             packet. The whole experience of
taking part in the contest provided a great                    confidence
boost. I am very grateful for all of the benefits the LOL Squared
Contest has offered my student: improved Braille literacy, a greater love of
learning, and increased independence in activities of daily living. 

 

Here is a list of the 2016 LOL Squared winners in each grade category.
(Note: We had no participants in the category for grades 2-3 this year).

 

K-1

First Place: Preston Rose, Eagan, MN

 

 

Grades 4-5

First Place: Andrea Cataquiz, Glendale Heights, IL

Second Place: Maia Armstrong, Skokie, IL

Third Place: Adrian Sanchez, Chicago, IL

 

Grades 6-8

First Place: Matthew Leinart, Downers Grove, IL

Second Place: Anthony (LT) Spears, Mattoon, IL

Third Place: Valerie Williams, Chicago, IL

 

Grades 9-12

First Place: Seth Howard, North Wataga, IL

Second Place: Arturo Almaraz, 

Posen, IL

Third Place: Kevin Dwyer, Edwards, IL

 

 

THANK YOU, from I.S.V.I.

By Serena Preston

 

[Editor’s Note: At the close of 2015 the National Federation of the Blind of
Illinois presented the Illinois School for the Visually Impaired with the
gift of a brand-new, state-of-the-art Braille printer. The NFBI was able to
make this gift through the ongoing fundraising efforts of our members and  a
generous grant  from Richard Lansden and the Leona Stanford Vollintine
Charitable Trust. The following letter from ISVI Superintendent Serena
Preston expresses the school's appreciation for our gift.]

 

Dear Friends at NFBI,

I want to take this opportunity to thank you for the generous donation of
the Phoenix embosser to the Illinois School for the Visually Impaired
(ISVI). We've had time now for the IT department to install it, learn about
it, and do some test runs. Some of the sample projects we've tried thus far
include science and math diagrams and exercises, maps, and graphs. We're
planning time during an upcoming faculty meeting to do a demonstration and
provide training for teachers. 

 

The IT staff found that the Phoenix weighs about twenty pounds and is very
user-friendly. There are only three buttons to control the device. The
software is easy to understand and utilize with a minimum amount of time to
familiarizing oneself. When embossing images or graphics, you send the file
to the Phoenix and it embosses the actual image, using differing depths,
density, spacing, and sharpness of dots. They call it high resolution
embossing for a reason!   

 

The Phoenix will be so helpful to ISVI staff in preparing instructional
materials. ISVI students will benefit greatly from this technology.

Thank you for your thoughtfulness and generosity.

Serena 

 

Serena Preston, MddS.Ed.

Superintendent Illinois School for the Visually Impaired

Interim Superintendent Illinois School for the Deaf

658 E. State St. Jacksonville, IL 62650

217-479-4400

 

 

ANNOUNCEMENT: I.S.V.I. SIXTY-THIRD BIENNIAL REUNION 

 

[Editor’s Note: We have been asked to carry the following announcement from
the alumni of the Illinois School for the Visually Impaired (ISVI).]

 

Come join us for ISVI's sixty-third biennial reunion, to be held Thursday,
June 2 through Saturday, June 4.

 

The alumni reunion will be held at the Hilton Garden Hotel, 3100 South
Dirksen Parkway, Springfield, IL 62703. To make reservations, call (217)
529-7171. The room rate for the reunion is $89.00 plus tax per night. Use
the code ISVI to get that rate. Alumni dues are twenty dollars, and the
banquet costs twenty-five dollars.

 

Breakfast is provided in the meeting room on Friday morning. You will be
responsible for the cost of your hotel room and of other meals. There is an
in-house restaurant, and some twenty-four-hour food and beverage service is
available.

 

Taxis can be used for transportation to and from the train or bus stations.
Call Lincoln Cab at (217) 523-4545. Uber is also available. Access
Springfield for door-to-door service can be reached at (217) 522-8594.

 

All meetings and entertainment will be held in the Function Room, located
off the hotel lobby. Room numbers and other signs are accessible.

 

A reception will be held from seven to eight p.m. on Thursday, June 2. A
memorial service and business meeting are scheduled for Friday morning.
Friday afternoon will include our auction, talent show, and ISVI History in
Review. A banquet, followed by bingo and a dance, will be held on Friday
evening. Door prizes will be given away during each meeting and activity.
Prizes include gift cards for discounts off rooms and meals in the hotel's
restaurant, and who knows what else! Of course, you need to be present to
win a prize.

 

Don't forget to bring your new, gently used, or homemade items for the
auction. The Fundraising Committee requests that new or gently used items
have a value of at least fifteen dollars. If you wish to send your auction
items ahead, a kind gentleman, Larry Turnbull, has agreed to accept the
packages until the auction. His address is: Larry Turnbull, 205 S. Durkin
Dr., Apt. 1, Springfield, IL 62704.

 

If you have resolutions or amendments to the constitution, visit with the
committees between eight and eight-thirty on Thursday evening in the
Function Room.

 

You may request a schedule of events at the hotel's check-in desk.

 

NOTE: Anyone needing special equipment or assistance must provide their own.
The ISVI Alumni Association cannot be responsible for providing these
services.

 

If you have any questions, contact Dan Thompson at (217) 473-4434 or (217)
243-6781.  You can reach him by email at  <mailto:DThompson5 at mchsi.com>
DThompson5 at mchsi.com. 

 

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