[Nd-talk] FW: [State-affiliate-leadership-list] Fall NFBMD Newlsetter

[Jesse Shirek]

Thank you for sharing Milton, I enjoy hearing what other Affiliates do
across the country.

Looking forward to seeing everyone tomorrow!

Jesse

On Fri, Oct 26, 2018 at 11:36 AM Milton Ota via Nd-talk <nd-talk at nfbnet.org>
wrote:

>
>
>
>
> *From:* State-Affiliate-Leadership-List <
> state-affiliate-leadership-list-bounces at nfbnet.org> *On Behalf Of *nfbmd
> via State-Affiliate-Leadership-List
> *Sent:* Friday, October 26, 2018 11:06 AM
> *To:* 'State Affiliate Leadership List' <
> state-affiliate-leadership-list at nfbnet.org>
> *Cc:* nfbmd <nfbmd at earthlink.net>
> *Subject:* [State-affiliate-leadership-list] Fall NFBMD Newlsetter
>
>
>
> Hello All,
>
> Below is the fall newsletter for NFBMD. Happy Reading.
>
>
>
> *THE BRAILLE SPECTATOR, FALL 2018.*
>
> *A semi-annual publication of the National Federation of the Blind of
> Maryland.*
>
> *Judy Rasmussen, editor.*
>
> *Published on **www.nfbmd.org <http://www.nfbmd.org>** and on NFB
> Newsline by The National Federation of the Blind of Maryland.*
>
> *Sharon Maneki, President.*
>
> *Comments and questions should be sent to nfbmd at earthlink.net
> <nfbmd at earthlink.net>.*
>
> In this issue:
>
> Ocean City: A Paradoxical Convention.
>
> The Bells Continue Ringing in Maryland!
>
> MSB Appoints New School Leader.
>
> Going Grocery Shopping with Aira.
>
> Perspectives on the National Convention.
>
> Baltimore Orioles and NFB: A Winning Partnership.
>
> Spectator Specs.
>
>
>
> *Ocean City: A Paradoxical Convention.*
>
> *By Sharon Maneki.*
>
>
>
> Every state convention is paradoxical because we celebrate our
> accomplishments from previous years but also plan for the future. The 52nd
> Annual State Convention, which takes place from November 9-11, will have
> more of an emphasis on planning for the future because we will be electing
> a new President.
>
> The convention takes place at the Carousel Hotel, which provides many
> paradoxical opportunities. At the Carousel, you can go ice skating, and
> also walk on the beach. It is great to listen to the ocean, smell the salt
> water, but you will not be doing it in your shorts or bathing suit. You
> probably will be in a winter coat.
>
> The convention activities offer interesting paradoxes. On Friday
> afternoon, you will have the opportunity to learn about the NFB philosophy
> on blindness by discussing stories from our Kernel book series. On a
> lighter note, you will have an opportunity to play bingo. We will also
> offer a workshop on how to keep more of your money for the good things of
> life by taking advantage of changes to the Maryland Income Tax, and by
> setting up an ABLE account. There will be lots of opportunities to spend
> money in the exhibit hall and throughout the convention. You will also have
> the opportunity to learn about GPS apps and hardware which will enhance
> your ability to either find places you need or find uncharted territory.
>
> Friday evening also offers interesting paradoxes. Where else can you have
> a picnic dinner, as you would in the summer, while getting in the Christmas
> spirit? That is what will happen if you come to our picnic and a play. The
> Braille is Beautiful Players will perform “Santa Rides Again,” an original
> play written by Jerry Whittle. Come to Spirit Night. Wear your NFB hats,
> shirts, etc. You may win a prize for the most creative costume, learn new
> cheers, while enjoying food and fellowship with NFB friends. You can be a
> couch potato or take a hockey lesson with the Washington Wheelers. The
> Washington Wheelers, a blind hockey club, will demonstrate  their audible
> hockey puck and other equipment. Experience the fun of ice skating with the
> pros. You can rent ice skates at the hotel for a special rate of $4.
>
> As usual we will work with our partners to ensure better services for the
> blind. The convention will be a time to have fun and grow, a time to meet
> new friends and renew old friendships, and a time of inspiration and
> enthusiasm. Come to the convention to experience the love, hope and
> determination we need to make our dreams a reality.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> *The Bells Continue Ringing in Maryland!*
>
> *By Judy Rasmussen.*
>
>
>
> The BELL (Braille Enrichment for Literacy and Learning) Academy is one of
> the most important programs held across the country by affiliates of the
> National Federation of the Blind. Since Maryland was the first affiliate to
> host the BELL program, we have a high tradition to uphold. In true
> Federation fashion, we continued to make a difference in the lives of young
> students across the state in 2018. A total of 25 students (nine of whom
> were new) participated in our three BELL Academies.
>
> The theme for BELL Academies across the country was "Banking On Blindness
> skills." Wells Fargo has been a financial partner with the NFB for the past
> several years. In an effort to get staff of Wells Fargo banks where BELL
> Academies are held to understand more about the program, the Baltimore and
> Glenn Dale Academies were invited to visit a bank near the site of their
> location. It was an education both for the bank staff and for our students.
>
> One activity both programs participated in was a coin sorting contest.
> Students, bank managers, adult volunteers, and some tellers were asked to
> sort pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters into four bowls. All were under
> learning shades, and were given 60 seconds to complete the task. I am proud
> to say that our students usually beat the bank staff. You may think that of
> course, the blind staff would win. The trick was to remember which bowls
> you had designated to receive which coins. One bank manager stated that she
> planned to use this activity as part of her training for new tellers.
> Students also had the opportunity to visit the bank vault. How many adults
> have been allowed to do that? The doors are very heavy, and the cabinets
> where the money is kept were big. Alas, we were given lollipops and potato
> chips, but no money!
>
> The three Maryland BELL Academy sites were Salisbury, Baltimore and Glenn
> Dale. Each program was held for two weeks.
>
> *Salisbury BELL.*
>
> The Salisbury program focused on "What's In our Community?" Every day the
> students went to the mailbox and each found a Braille letter from someone
> they were going to visit. Students took field trips to the Post Office, the
> Mayor's office, the sheriff's office, a police department, and a bank. A
> paramedic came and showed students items they use to help save lives.
>
> A blind mobility instructor helped kids improve their cane technique and
> everyone had lots of fun walking on a big trail that runs around the
> location of the BELL Academy site.
>
> The Salisbury students had a lemonade stand where they made and sold
> lemonade and cookies to the workers at Blind Industries and Services of
> Maryland. This activity reemphasized money skills, and instilled confidence
> that a blind person could sell items to the public.
>
> We appreciate Mindy Demaris, who is a certified teacher and gave of her
> time to teach Braille reading and writing to the Salisbury students. Amy
> Kraus, Danielle Earl, Heather Guy, and many other volunteers made the
> Salisbury program a success.
>
> *Baltimore BELL.*
>
> We were pleased that Treva Olivero returned to be the teacher of the
> Baltimore BELL Academy again this year. She is very creative and knew many
> of the students from previous years.
>
> Expanding on the "Banking On Blindness skills" theme, the Baltimore
> program focused on blindness skills needed to achieve your dreams. After
> choosing a career, students traced their bodies. The skills needed to
> achieve the career were written in Braille and placed on various body
> parts. One requirement was that all participants must have a cane in their
> hand.
>
> Students could earn dream bucks by completing required assignments. The
> dream bucks could then be used to buy cool prizes. Earning dream bucks gave
> students an opportunity to be rewarded for their efforts in reading and
> writing Braille.
>
> One day was designated science day. Students made a diet coke geyser,
> paper cup telephones, had a water balloon fight, and swung a bucket in a
> circle as fast as they could. The idea is that if they swung the bucket
> fast enough, the water stays inside. Engineering and magic days were also a
> big hit.
>
> Making yummy Carmel nut sticky buns, dipping vegetables, fruits and
> pretzels in chocolate, and playing goal ball were other highlights of the
> Baltimore BELL Academy.
>
> In addition to all the fun, serious time was spent doing a wide variety of
> Braille activities. On the first day of the program, one student was heard
> to comment, "When are we going to start reading?"
>
> *Glenn Dale BELL.*
>
> Rene Donalvo, who had been a volunteer with the Glenn Dale program for the
> past several years and is a certified teacher of blind students, agreed to
> be the teacher this year. Rene has been a Braille reader all her life, so
> she was excited to impart her knowledge and experience to a younger
> generation of blind students.
>
> This year, the Glenn Dale students took a field trip to NASA where they
> got to feel parts of a space suit, tried on space gloves and helmets,
> played with robots, heard planet sounds, bounced gravity balls, and made
> ice towers out of Legos. They ate space ice cream (it isn't that good) and
> learned many things about planets based on Braille materials provided to
> them.
>
> The students drew bells with their Perkins Braillers, made shakers and
> tamberines, as well as bird callers. The Glenn Dale bell band made loud,
> joyous music.
>
> The Glenn Dale students enjoyed singing their new Braille song to the tune
> of "I Want To Be an Oscar Meyer Wiener."
>
> One student, who had become blind just prior to last year's BELL academy
> and therefore knew no Braille at that time, this year read a story to the
> other kids during story hour.
>
> *Parent Activities.*
>
> Every BELL program ends with a parents seminar and student graduation
> ceremony. The last day is always a fun time for parents and students to
> come together. This year the parents got to practice some of the skills
> their children were learning during the program. All parents were under
> learning shades. They practiced making popcorn for the students' snack,
> pouring liquids and making sandwiches. Parents appreciated the experience
> of doing it together. Some felt clumsy at performing tasks at first but
> gained confidence as they continued practicing, just as their students did.
>
> *Thank you.*
>
> None of the BELL Academy programs would have been possible without the
> dedication of the many wonderful volunteers who put in countless hours to
> ensure that things were prepared ahead of time and were flexible when
> changes had to be made on the fly. All of our teachers deserve a hearty
> thanks for their dedication and persistence.
>
> Contributions received from the Baltimore Orioles, Friends of the Library
> for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, the Central Maryland, Greater
> Baltimore, National Harbor, TLC and Sligo Creek Chapters were very much
> appreciated. The BELL Academies are the most expensive program our
> affiliate runs. However, we will not stop doing it because investment in
> the future generation of leaders is essential to ensure that blind children
> grow up to work, serve others, and teach the next generation the skills
> they learned.
>
>
>
> *MSB Appoints New School Leader. *
>
>
>
> (Editor’s note:  The following press release, issued by the Maryland
> School for the Blind, gives background on the school’s new superintendent.
> Congratulations to Mr. Rob Hair.)
>
>
>
> The Board of Directors of the Maryland School for the Blind (MSB) has
> announced that W. Robert Hair will assume leadership of the school
> effective September 1, 2018.
>
>
>
> Since 2016 Mr. Hair has been the Superintendent of Student Services at
> MSB.  Prior to coming to MSB, he served as the Lower School Principal and
> later as the Deafblind Program Principal at the Perkins School for the
> Blind in Watertown, Massachusetts.  Previously he was the Principal and
> music teacher at the South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind.
>
>
>
> Mr. Hair will replace Dr. Michael J. Bina, who has served as MSB’s
> President since 2008. Under Dr. Bina’s leadership the school has seen
> tremendous growth and improvements in both programming and facilities.  In
> 2016, Bina received the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) Migel Medal
> Award, the highest honor in the blindness field.
>
>
>
> Marion Mullauer, Board of Directors Chair stated, “Dr. Bina has been a
> transformational leader for MSB.  During his tenure, he led the campus
> master plan to fruition and the students now have buildings, cottages, and
> resources appropriate to their needs.  In addition, educational and
> functional programs have been greatly enhanced to enable improved student
> independence and achievement.  We thank Dr. Bina for his many contributions
> and wish him and his family much happiness in his future.  We are confident
> that Mr. Hair, as the new Superintendent, will continue to build upon the
> terrific work of the past 10 years.”
>
>
>
> Mr. Hair stated, “I am honored to have the privilege to serve Maryland’s
> students with visual impairments as MSB’s new Superintendent. My
> predecessor, Dr. Bina, built a legacy of high expectations for student
> academics and independence, beautiful new learning facilities and excellent
> itinerant services for students in local schools around the state.  I look
> forward to building on MSB’s rich history, to help our school continue to
> thrive well into the future.”
>
> The title of the new leader was changed from President to Superintendent
> to align more closely with similar positions in the State of Maryland.
>
>
>
> Founded in 1853, The Maryland School for the Blind is a private, statewide
> resource center providing outreach, educational and residential programs to
> children and youth from infancy to age 21 who are blind or visually
> impaired, including those with multiple disabilities.  Annually the school
> serves 56 percent of the 1,700 students identified in Maryland who are
> blind or visually impaired through its on-campus and outreach programs.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> *Going Grocery Shopping with Aira.*
>
> (Editor’s note:  We are reprinting the following article because it
> describes new uses for Aira.)
>
> The Baltimore Sun, September 12, 2018, by Lorraine Mirabella.
>
> “Visually Impaired Customers can use App to Grocery Shop at Wegmans.”
>
> Paul Schroeder strode through the aisles at Wegmans in Columbia, tapping a
> walking cane in front of him and reaching for the iPhone in his shirt
> pocket. The 55-year-old Silver Spring resident, who has been completely
> blind since infancy, was shopping for cherries, cereal and some frozen
> dinners, and had just discovered the store was selling sugar melons, a type
> of cantaloupe. He typically shops with his wife, who is sighted, or, when
> alone, asks store employees to help. But that’s not always ideal. “What
> that takes away is that sort of serendipitous fun of just kind of wandering
> and browsing and looking,” Schroeder said.
>
> Wegmans offers Schroeder another option, free access to a new mobile app
> that helps visually impaired people live more independently. Aira, the
> brainchild of San Diego-based tech entrepreneurs, uses smartphones or smart
> glasses to connect people using the app to trained agents, who can see what
> the blind or low-vision person cannot. Agents offer round-the-clock
> assistance using live camera streams, GPS, maps and web-based information.
>
> Agents guide Aira users through shopping, traveling, cooking, reading mail
> or documents or countless other activities or tasks. Aira sells the service
> as a subscription with plans ranging from 100 minutes for $89 a month to
> unlimited for $329 a month.
>
> Wegmans, which has eight stores in Maryland, is the first U.S. grocer to
> offer free access to Aira.
>
> Any customer, with or without a monthly subscription to Aira, can access
> the service for free in all 97 Wegmans stores in six states, said Linda
> Lovejoy, a spokeswoman for the Rochester, N.Y.-based grocer.
>
> The access complements other services Wegmans offers customers with
> disabilities, Lovejoy said. The chain installed hearing loops in stores
> three years ago, enabling people using hearing aids to hear more clearly at
> the store pharmacy and at checkout.
>
> “Anytime you provide more access for people who have disabilities, they
> realize it and they want to go use that place, whether it’s a park or a
> mall or a grocery store,” Lovejoy said. “It creates more access for people
> to enjoy their lives. … This opens another tool for those who are blind or
> low vision to have a great experience in our stores.”
>
> Schroeder and other Aira “explorers,” as subscribing customers are called,
> describe the app as life-changing. Schroeder has called on Aira agents to
> read menus at restaurants, help with computer problems, read labels on
> canned food in his pantry, find exhibits at conferences, direct him to a
> precise building or just describe the shops he passes walking down a block.
>
> When he first used Aira, “it just blew me away,” he said.
>
> Schroeder, who used to work for the American Foundation for the Blind,
> recently became employed by Aira, where he develops programs and policies
> to make the app more accessible.
>
> Aira was launched about three years ago by Suman Kanuganti, an
> entrepreneur looking into augmented reality applications that could help a
> friend who was losing vision. He teamed with tech entrepreneur Larry Bock,
> and they launched Aira in 2017. It has grown from 200 beta testers to
> thousands of users in the United States, Australia and Canada.
>
> The service has nearly 60 access partners like Wegmans, including
> universities, airports, municipalities, tourist destinations and individual
> employers. In Maryland, the Baltimore-based National Federation of the
> Blind is also a partner. Aira is in talks with Baltimore-Washington
> International Thurgood Marshall Airport to offer access there.
>
> In such partnerships, the business or organization agrees to pay for Aira
> services within a certain geographic area. The company employs several
> hundred agents in all 50 states. Agents start at $15 an hour and work in
> scheduled shifts from their homes.
>
> “We’re about building an accessible world,” said Amy Bernal, Aira’s vice
> president of customer experience. “Our goal would be that we work to make
> every place accessible for everyone, providing that instant access to
> visual information.”
>
> The app does compete with other service, including the free Be My Eyes,
> which connects users via video calls with volunteers.
>
> Ronza Othman, an attorney at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
> Services in Woodlawn who has had limited vision since birth, has been using
> Aira for about two years. The Baltimore resident recently has relied on it
> more after losing some of the useful vision she’d had for much of her life.
>
> “Aira in general has absolutely changed my life and has made it much
> easier for me to interact with the world and independently access things
> that people who are not blind can access with ease and take for granted,
> like shopping,” Othman said.
>
> Aira doesn’t replace in-person assistance, she has found, but “it does
> make the shopping much easier and expands the options for me when I need to
> be able to get things like a gallon of milk or a head of lettuce,” she said.
>
> Before Aira, she said, “routine things people who did not have
> disabilities would not think twice about would be a tremendous challenge.”
>
> Besides helping her buy groceries, Aira agents read mail or documents,find
> the proper size clothing at stores and navigate airports. Agents have
> guided her to airport departure gates and to empty seats at the gates. In
> the past she would have asked someone around her.
>
> “The problem is you don’t always know if people are willing to help or can
> help you appropriately,” she said. “You’re interrupting people in their
> lives. … This way, I can get assistance without being disruptive to other
> people.”
>
> For grocery shopping, Wegmans has become an attractive option because, she
> said, “Wegmans has invested in my using Aira at their business.”
>
> During Schroeder’s trip to Wegmans, he used the VoiceOver accessibility
> tool on his iPhone to open the Aira app and was connected with agent Joanne
> McIntyre. He has gotten to know McIntyre, who lives in Bangor, Maine,
> through the app.
>
> “She is calm and doesn't get ruffled by what’s going on,” he said.
>
> Starting in the produce department, McIntyre described the cherries’color
> and packaging.
>
> “Take two steps to your right,” she said, leading Schroeder next to
> bananas and helping him choose a bunch that were not overripe. She then
> directed him to the cereal aisle, describing a multi-grain variety with
> oats and honey. “There’s whole grain that’s right in front of you. If you
> reach your left hand out.”
>
> In frozen foods, Schroeder used his phone camera to capture an image of
> frozen lasagna. McIntyre could study it more closely that way and read
> ingredients. The agent said she has worked for Aira for more than a year.
>
> “My friends ask me what I do and what kind of calls I take, and I say, ‘I
> don’t know, what did you do today? Think of everything you did today and I
> could have helped somebody with that,’ ” she said. “We do a lot of mail. We
> do a lot of travel — trains, buses, airports. I do a lot of grocery
> shopping.”
>
> Schroeder said the partnership between users and agents is one of his
> favorite aspects of Aira.
>
> “It’s not about a sighted person telling a blind person everything that’s
> around them,” he said. “It’s about the blind person saying, ‘This is what I
> need information about.’ ”
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> *Perspectives on the National Convention.*
>
> *By Judy Rasmussen.*
>
>
>
> Attending your first national convention can seem a little overwhelming
> when you first arrive. The cacophony of so many canes and maybe a dog
> brushing your leg makes you feel both afraid and excited at the same time.
> The hotel seems endless, you wonder how you will find your way around, and
> you don't really know what to expect, no matter how much people try and
> tell you ahead of time.
>
> Over 25 Marylanders attended the 2018 convention in Orlando for the first
> time. Each first timer was assigned a mentor to ensure that, especially at
> the beginning of the week, people didn't feel so lost. It is always
> encouraging to see the number of people who return again and again to
> conventions because they know how essential it is to keep learning and
> growing. Below are the impressions of three people from different
> backgrounds and ages who attended the 2018 convention for the first time.
>
> Suzanne Penn was diagnosed with rod/cone dystrophy at the age of five.
> Growing up, she did not know any other people with a visual impairment. She
> began losing her color vision when she was 21. Not deterred by her extreme
> near-sightedness and worsening vision, She pursued a nursing degree at
> Johns Hopkins Hospital. She worked as a registered nurse at a psychiatric
> hospital for several years. She worked her way up until she became a
> supervisor over five departments.
>
> After leaving the hospital, she began selling Beauty Counter products
> online. She is also a faith-based yoga instructor, and teaches a Revelation
> Wellness exercise class.
>
> Suzanne says she has always been a researcher. She had a desire to meet
> other people with visual impairments, so she began searching for
> information about blindness. She found an article by Chris Nusbaum, who is
> a member of the Carroll County chapter of the NFB of Maryland. She went to
> her first meeting and has been going ever since.
>
> Regarding attending her first convention, Suzanne said she enjoyed the
> diverse culture of the federation. She was very impressed with the number
> of exhibits to view in the exhibit hall. She joined the Sports and
> Recreation Division, enjoyed the fund raising seminar she attended, and
> appreciated the fact that people were trying new things. She especially
> enjoyed seeing how the resolutions process worked. She looks forward to
> continuing the work of educating others about the capabilities of blind
> people.
>
> Brian Holly is a most interesting and determined individual. Many of us
> learned about Brian at our 2017 state convention when he won the Anna Cable
> award. The Anna Cable award is given to someone who learns Braille at an
> older age. Anna was a spunky lady who lived to be 108.
> She learned to read and write Braille in her late 60's and was very proud
> that she did it.
>
> To remember Anna, the affiliate gives a Braille award in her honor each
> year. Brian was most surprised and pleased that he won the award.
>
> Brian was a truck driver for Entenmann's Bakery for nearly 30 years. He
> enjoyed his job and would have continued to drive, had not a rare eye
> disease caused him to lose all his vision in 2010. He did not want to
> retire, so he asked Entenmann's staff to place him in their warehouse. He
> was sure he could do many jobs there. However, the Human Resources
> Department wasn't so sure. For two years, they kept giving him various
> tests. Brian passed all eight tests, and therefore was allowed to return to
> work in the warehouse, where he remained for the next five years. He won
> several safety awards, and proved that with determination and persistence,
> he could live the life he wanted.
>
> Brian retired in 2016. He said his wife told him he had better learn some
> more independent living skills, because she wanted him to take care of the
> house while she continued working.
>
> Brian did just that. He began receiving intensive independent living
> skills training at the Senior Adult Independent Living program sponsored by
> Blind Industries and Services of Maryland, where he recently completed all
> of his graduation requirements.
>
> Serving others is an important part of Brian's life. He continues to
> operate the sound board at his church, and volunteers for other charities.
>
> Brian said that some of the things he enjoyed most about convention were
> the roll call of states, seeing the 30 students receive their scholarships,
> attending some of the technology and money management seminars, but most of
> all, meeting so many people from everywhere. He said that age should not
> make a difference when considering whether to attend a convention.
>
> TeQuisha Francois is a busy mother of two. Three years ago, she was doing
> normal activities with her children, and thinking about blindness was not
> on her radar.
>
> Then her daughter was diagnosed with retinal blastoma, or cancer of the
> eyes. One eye was removed, and the other had very little sight left.
> TeQuisha knew that her daughter would need help if she was to succeed in
> school. Being resourceful, she went looking for information about blindness
> on the Internet. She found the National Federation of the Blind, and
> learned about the BELL Academy. She was very excited for her daughter to
> attend.
>
> For the past two years, we have watched Zanyiah blossom as she learned to
> read and write Braille and use a white cane.
>
> Regarding her first convention experience, TeQuisha said she enjoyed
> meeting parents of students of all ages. She said she enjoyed getting to
> know young adults in their 20's who were helping parents. She especially
> enjoyed meeting Conchita Hernandez, who grew up as a blind student in the
> DC school system, and is now a teacher of blind students. TeQuisha stated
> she really enjoyed attending the Google and Amazon seminars, as well as the
> banquet. She said her daughter made many friends as well, and is still
> texting them.
>
> Whether you are a teenager or grandparent or somewhere in between, the
> national convention has something to offer for everyone.
>
>
>
>
>
> *Baltimore Orioles and NFB: A Winning Partnership.*
>
>
>
> (Editor’s note: On June 29, 2018 President Sharon Maneki was recognized
> for community advocacy by the Baltimore Orioles through its Birdland Hero
> program.  The Orioles also donated $2500 to the NFB of Maryland, which we
> used for our BELL Academy programs. But there was more to come!
>
> On Tuesday, September 18, The Baltimore Orioles held NFB night at the
> stadium.  The publicity for this event was terrific.  Read the article from
> the Baltimore Sun, which describes the planning for this event, followed by
> Jim Hunter’s description of President Riccobono throwing out the first
> pitch, then an article the day after the even from the Washington Post
> outlining the special activities held that evening.)
>
>
>
> From the Baltimore Sun, September 5, 2018, by Mike Klingaman.
>
> “Sight to behold: Orioles to wear Braille lettering on jerseys on National
> Federation of the Blind Night.”
>
> Merle Caples has followed the Orioles for nearly 60 years — first with her
> eyes, and now with her ears. Caples, 95, is blind. Yet the Orioles remain
> her team, sight unseen.
>
> “It doesn’t stop you from rooting for them,” she said of her disability.
> Caples listens to every game on the radio from her home in Ambler, Pa. She
> hangs on every pitch — and on every word of announcers Joe Angel and Jim
> Hunter.
>
> “They are my eyes; they paint a picture for me,” Caples said. “It’s like
> I’m sitting behind home plate.”
>
> In tribute to Caples and others like her, the Orioles will host National
> Federation of the Blind Night on Sept. 18, when they play the Toronto Blue
> Jays at Camden Yards. That night, Orioles players and coaches will wear
> first-of-their kind big league jerseys with their names spelled in Braille,
> and the first 15,000 fans will receive Braille alphabet cards. Carlos Ibay,
> a blind singer/pianist, will perform the national anthem and Mark
> Riccobono, president of the NFB who is also blind, will throw out the first
> pitch. Established in 1940, the National Federation of the Blind is
> celebrating its 40th year based in Baltimore. It’s the nation’s oldest and
> largest organization run by the blind, with about 50,000 members.
>
> The club broached the NFB last winter about paying homage to the visually
> impaired, said Greg Bader, Orioles vice president of communications and
> marketing.
>
> “We’ve made a conscious effort to create an environment where everyone
> feels welcome at the ballpark,” Bader said. “We take our role as
> entertainer very seriously, but we also want to serve as an escape for some
> people, and as a platform to highlight the causes and morals that we feel
> strongly about. A ‘blindness awareness night’ puts it into perspective that
> there’s more going on out there than just wins and losses.”
>
> After the game, the Orioles’ jerseys will be autographed, authenticated
> and auctioned off online at orioles.com/auctions. All proceeds will
> benefit the NFB.
>
> “It’s a great idea,” said Chris Danielson, public relations director for
> the association, which will have about 25 members handing out the Braille
> cards to sighted fans before the game.
>
> Danielson, who has been blind since birth, has a partial Orioles
> season-ticket plan himself. While neither he nor the Orioles know how many
> such followers the team has, he said, “We appreciate their spirit in
> reaching out to our community and letting the public know that blind people
> are sports fans, too — and that Braille is a simple yet elegant way for
> them to learn to read.”
>
> Time and again, Angel said, he’ll hear from sightless listeners, including
> Caples, and invite them into the radio booth “for an inning or two” when
> they attend games.
>
> “I’m just grateful that they feel what I’m doing is important to them,”
> Angel said. “When they say how much you mean to them, it’s like a wake-up
> call. It makes my focus that much sharper.”
>
> Their words also keep him going in this, perhaps the Orioles’ most dismal
> season.
>
> “Though the losses pile up, every game is still worthwhile to the blind,”
> Angel said.
>
> In truth, he conceded, “I assume that *anyone* listening doesn’t have the
> ability to see the game, and that it’s my job to put them in the ballpark.
> As a 10-year-old kid in Chicago, I remember listening to Cubs games while
> lying in bed with a transistor radio and my eyes closed. In fact, I was
> blind, and just pretending I was there. Do that, and your imagination runs
> wild.”
>
> That’s what Merle Caples does, night after night, listening to the Orioles
> through earbuds in her room at the assisted living facility where she lives.
>
> “If [the nursing staff] sees your lights on after 11 o’clock, they are at
> your door to make sure you haven’t died,” she said. “I tell them, ‘I’m OK,
> I’m just listening to the ballgame.’ ”
>
> A Marine who served during World War II, Caples contracted macular
> degeneration and lost much of her vision 10 years ago. Fiercely loyal, the
> longtime Westminster resident could name every Oriole until the roster
> expanded.
>
> On July 3, Caples’ family took her to Citizens Bank Park in nearby
> Philadelphia, to see the Orioles play the Phillies. Beforehand, she met
> manager Buck Showalter, players Adam Jones and Caleb Joseph, and Angel, who
> gave her his floppy Orioles hat and a big kiss. Though she is legally
> blind, Caples’ eyes glistened.
>
> The Orioles lost the game.
>
> “Yes, the team is doing terrible, but you know what?” she said. “I’m still
> a fan and you can’t change an old gal like me.”
>
>
>
> President Riccobono threw out the first pitch.  Here is the link to the
> youtube.com video as described by Orioles announcer Jim Hunter.
>
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JW6fHfK0E5M
>
>
>
> From the Washington Post Wednesday, September 19, 2018, by Des Bieler.
>
> “Orioles become first U.S. pro team to incorporate Braille on uniforms.”
>
>
>
> The Orioles are having a season that local fans will try their hardest to
> forget, but on Tuesday the team commemorated a Baltimore event in
> history-making fashion. The O’s became the first U.S. professional team,
> they claimed, to use Braille lettering on their game-day uniforms.
>
> During a game against the Blue Jays at Camden Yards, Braille dots spelled
> out the word “Orioles” on the fronts of players’ jerseys, and the lettering
> was used to denote their names on the backs. In addition, Braille alphabet
> cards were handed out to fans at the ballpark.
>
> The occasion was the 40th anniversary of the move to Baltimore of the
> National Federation of the Blind’s headquarters. According to an account on
> the team’s website, the O’s had initially discussed honoring the NFB on
> July 26, to mark the 28th anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities
> Act, but when they learned of the upcoming date, they came up with a new,
> and unprecedented, approach.
>
> In addition to the uniforms and Braille lettering in the O’s lineup
> graphic, the team invited a blind concert pianist, Carlos Ibay, to sing the
> national anthem, and NFB President Mark Riccobono threw out the first
> pitch. Riccobono described throwing out the first pitch as “a little bit
> nerve-racking,” but he said it helped that he’d “done a lot of
> nerve-racking stuff” in his life.
>
> “It really means a lot that the Baltimore Orioles are acknowledging [the
> anniversary], and not just in a way that says, ‘It’s nice to have you,’ but
> in a real way that’s authentic to blind people, by including Braille, which
> is the means that blind people use for literacy all across the
> world,” Riccobono said before the game.
>
> He added that when the team said it could use the lettering on its
> uniforms, he and others at his organization thought it was “a fantastic
> idea” and suggested distributing the alphabet cards to help fans learn
> “what Braille is, and how to recognize the characters.”
>
> “We enjoy visiting the parks,” said Chris Danielsen, the NFB’s director of
> public relations (via MLB.com). “For a totally blind person like myself,
> there are different things to enjoy about the ballpark other than the
> visuals of it.
>
> Of course, it’s important that baseball and all sports were broadcast on
> radio before they were broadcast on television, and both blind and sighted
> fans have always enjoyed baseball games on the radio when they could not
> come to the ballpark.”
>
> “They’re acknowledging that you’re there,” Erik Rodriguez, a visually
> impaired baseball player, told ABC News before the game. “Sometimes that’s
> the biggest step.”
>
> Unfortunately for all the O’s fans in attendance Tuesday, the team could
> not avoid notching its 108th loss of the season, the most in the club’s
> 65-year history in Baltimore, breaking a dubious mark set in 1988. In its
> previous incarnation as the St. Louis Browns, the franchise lost 111 games
> in 1939 and 108 in 1937.
>
> The Braille-adorned jerseys are set to be auctioned off, with the proceeds
> benefiting the NFB, while one of the jerseys will go to the Baseball Hall
> of Fame.
>
>
>
>
>
> *SPECTATOR SPECS.*
>
> *DEATHS*:  We are sorry to report the death of Renee Douglas.  Renee lost
> her battle with the complications of diabetes in July.  Although she was a
> relatively new member of the Greater Baltimore Chapter she had great
> enthusiasm and interest in learning about blindness.  May she rest in
> peace.
>
>
>
> *GRADUATIONS:*  Brian Keseling, president of the Greater Carroll County
> Chapter, received his AA degree from Carroll Community College.  He plans
> to become an entrepreneur after obtaining his bachelor’s degree in business.
>
>
>
> *ACHIEVEMENTS:*  Sherria Young published her first book entitled, “God
> Ain’t Done with Me Yet Uniquely blessed!”  Contact Sherria directly if you
> wish to purchase this book.
>
> Congratulations to Meredith Day and Khloe DeLeon, who were finalists in
> the National Braille Challenge contest.  In June 2018, they went to Los
> Angeles, California to compete with students across the nation in Braille
> reading and writing.  Khloe was in the Apprentice level (1st and 2nd
> graders), and Meredith was in the Freshman level (3rd and 4th graders).
> Keep up the good work!
>
>
>
>
>
> *Sharon Maneki, *President
>
> National Federation of the Blind of Maryland
>
> 410-715-9596
>
>
>
> The National Federation of the Blind of Maryland knows that blindness is
> not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise
> the expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles
> between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want;
> blindness is not what holds you back.
>
>
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