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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoPlainText>Hi You All<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>RE: Affiliate newsletters; the good publications that we the NFB produce<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Recently, I sent to this list a copy of the newsletter from New Mexico. Well, I also sent a copy to the listserv for our national, senior division; you could also join this/that list, too; much of what you will get on this Nebraska Senior Division’s list, but some additional notices relating to the larger senior and NFB groups.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Below is what the President in the New Jersey Senior Division responded with:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Hello All Seniors<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Taking the lead from our dear Robert Lesley Newman, I am including our New Jersey state publication entitled “The Sounding Board”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>We publish this twice a year and this one is our fall newsletter.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Enjoy all and happy sharing.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Love this list friends.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>A happy and healthy holiday season to all.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>FALL 2016<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>The Sounding Board<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>The Publication of the National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>In This Issue<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>NATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS DEANNA GRECO & LAURA ETORI<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Reflect on the 2016 National Convention<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>MARY JO PARTYKA<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Recaps this summer’s BELL Program<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>DAN FACCHINI & ED SROCZYNSKI<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Remember Tara Carty<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>BRIAN MACKEY<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Describes the Leadership Building Seminar<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>JOHN FERRY<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Announces the Ferry Memorial Scholarship<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Live the Life You Want<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>THE SOUNDING BOARD<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Fall 2016<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Katherine Gabry, Editor<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Jerilyn Higgins, Mary Jo Partyka & Barbara Shalit, Co-editors<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Published by e-mail and on the Web through Newsline and AudioVision by<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>The National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><a href="http://www.nfbnj.org">www.nfbnj.org</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Joseph Ruffalo, President<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>State Affiliate Office 254 Spruce Street Bloomfield, NJ 07003<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>E-mail: <a href="mailto:nfbnj1@verizon.net">nfbnj1@verizon.net</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Letters to the President, address changes, subscription requests, letters to <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>the Editor and articles should be sent to the State Affiliate Office or <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>e-mailed to <a href="mailto:choirnfb@gmail.com">choirnfb@gmail.com</a>. The editorial staff reserves the right to edit <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>all articles for space and/or clarity considerations.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Please Note: The deadline for the Spring issue is March 15, 2017.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Donations should be made payable to the<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>and sent to the State Affiliate office.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>To subscribe via Newsline: Jane Degenshein 973-736-5785 or <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><a href="mailto:Jdegen16@comcast.net">Jdegen16@comcast.net</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>JACOBUS TENBROEK LEGACY SOCIETY<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Help build a future full of opportunity for the blind by becoming a member of <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>the Jacobus tenBroek Legacy Society. Your legacy gift to the National <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Federation of the Blind can be made in the form of a will or a living trust, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>an income-generating gift, or by naming the NFB as a beneficiary of a <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>retirement plan or life insurance policy. You can also become a member of the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Jacobus tenBroek Legacy Society by making a legacy gift to your state <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>affiliate. By committing to support an NFB affiliate, your gift will benefit <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>both local and national programs, since all bequests made to affiliates are <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>split evenly with the NFB national treasury. In addition to having the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>satisfaction of contributing to the future success of the NFB's mission, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>tenBroek Legacy Society members also receive a specially designed thank you <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>gift and other benefits. For additional information, please contact Lou Ann <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Blake at the NFB Jernigan Institute by e-mail at <a href="mailto:lblake@nfb.org">lblake@nfb.org</a>, or by <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>telephone at 410-659-9314, extension 2221.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Mission Statement<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>The National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey, Inc. is an organization of <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>blind and interested sighted people who plan and carry out programs; work to <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>improve the quality of life of the blind; provide a means of collective action <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>for parents of blind children; promote the vocational, cultural and social <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>advancement of the blind; achieve the integration of the blind into society on <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>a basis of equality with the sighted; and take action that will improve the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>overall condition and standard of living of the blind.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>expectations of blind people because low expectations create obstacles between <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want; blindness is not <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>what holds you back.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>The National Federation of the Blind Pledge<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>I pledge to participate actively in the efforts of the National Federation of <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>the Blind to achieve equality, opportunity and security for the blind; to <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>support the programs and policies of the Federation; and to abide by its <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>constitution.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>The Sounding Board<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>The Sounding Board is the magazine of the National Federation of the Blind of <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>New Jersey. We publish The Sounding Board twice a year. Our hope is that <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>through The Sounding Board, our members can keep current with local, state and <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>national news and issues of concern. We also aspire to provide a source of <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>hope, inspiration, pride and camaraderie through the personal stories in our <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>publication.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Hundreds of readers receive our publication via e-mail and Newsline. We’re <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>pleased that the New Jersey Talking Book and Braille Center airs excerpts from <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>The Sounding Board on AudioVision. The Sounding Board is also available for <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>download in its entirety from our website at <a href="http://www.nfbnj.org">www.nfbnj.org</a>. We encourage our <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>readers to share The Sounding Board with family members, teachers, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>professionals, neighbors, friends and any other interested parties. We <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>estimate our circulation to be in the thousands, as readers from across the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>country regularly report that The Sounding Board influences their lives. We <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>hope you enjoy this issue.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>You are cordially invited to the<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>National Federation of the Blind of NJ’s 8th Annual<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>After the Holidays Party<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Saturday, January 7, 2017<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>1 pm to 5 pm<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Knights of Columbus Hall<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>94 Bridge Street, Belleville, NJ<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Access Link accessible Cross Street: Belleville Avenue<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>$23 per adult; $13 for children 6- 12 years; free for children younger than 6<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Please include a separate sheet with attendees’ names & phone numbers.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>All payment must be received no later than December 31, 2016.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Make check payable to NFBNJ and mail to:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Joe Ruffalo, NFBNJ President<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>254 Spruce Street<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Bloomfield, NJ 07003<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>For additional information call Joe at 973-743-0075.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>We’ll have door prizes, a sing–along & a special appearance by jolly old <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Santa!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Special note: If you would like an attendee to receive a gift from Santa, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>please bring a wrapped gift labeled with the name of the recipient.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>MISTLETOE MAGIC MENU<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Holiday Tossed Garden Salad with Vinaigrette Dressing<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Chicken Savoy, Eggplant Rollatini, Meatballs, Pasta with Vodka Sauce<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Assorted Cold Cuts and Potato Salad<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Chicken Fingers<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Rolls and Butter<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Homemade Holiday Desserts<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Coffee, Tea and Assorted Soft Drinks<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Cash bar will be available<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Please join us in celebrating the holiday season!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>We look forward to seeing all of our members, family and friends!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>TABLE OF CONTENTS<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Presidential Message, by Joe Ruffalo 1<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>From the Editor’s Desk: Road Trip Serves as a Reminder that Educating the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Public Never Ends, by Katherine Gabry 3<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Please Consider This as We Celebrate Blindness Awareness Month & Disability <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Employment Month, submitted by Pam Gaston 5<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>LowViz Navigation App to be Available at State Convention 6<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>National Convention Reflections from National Scholarship Winners Deanna Greco <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>& Laura Etori 7<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>BELL Rings for the Third Time, by Mary Jo Partyka 11<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Winning Isn’t Everything, by Staci Mannella 13<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>NFBNJ Website Demolition & Reconstruction, by Brian Mackey 15<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Runner Refuses to be Held Back by Blindness, by Bob Both 16<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Greendrop Donation Location Added in Springfield, by Samantha Kresz 17<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Local Author & NFB Member Gives Half Book Proceeds to NFB, by Ed Lotaro 18<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Book Review: Blind Ambition, By Ever Lee Hairston, by Katherine Gabry 18<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Remembering Tara, by Dan Facchini 19<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Tara Carty, by Ed Sroczynski 21<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Tom and Gail Ferry: A Tribute – Memorial Scholarship Established, by John <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Ferry 23<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Learning to be a Leader from Leaders: NFB Leadership Building Seminar, by <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Brian Mackey 24<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Surf’s Up! by Amanda Oglesby 26<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Tech Tips 27<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Did You Know 27<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>From the Kitchens of Your President and Vice President 28<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>NFBNJ Contact Info 30PRESIDENTIAL MESSAGE<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Greetings Fellow Federationists!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>On May 1, 1976, the National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey was <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>established. Over the past 40 years, we’ve worked to raise expectations and to <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>live the life we want. Our affiliate has grown to eight chapters, nine <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>divisions, and numerous committees, programs and projects. We have also <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>witnessed the growth of our members as, together, we’ve strived to master the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>skills and techniques, and to develop the positive attitudes necessary to <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>achieve our goals. We have the time, we have the talent, we have the desire, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>and we need the opportunity to demonstrate that blindness does not hold us <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>back.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>The history of the National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey will be <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>celebrated during our State Convention, Raising Expectations, this November. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>We will also share our philosophy and highlight our goals for the next 40 <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>years. Here are some notes regarding the State Convention:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>The dates are Thursday, November 10 through Sunday, November 13.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Hotel rooms are going fast! Please make your room reservation directly with <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>the Holiday Inn, 151 Route 72 East, Manahawkin, by calling 609-481-6100; use <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>code NFB. The room rate is $89 per night, plus tax, and includes breakfast for <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>each registered person in the room.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>The pre-registration form has been forwarded to all on our distribution list. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>It can also be found on our website – <a href="http://www.nfbnj.org">www.nfbnj.org</a> – and on Newsline.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>The convention will be streamed, and information on how to access the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>streaming will be distributed to our mailing list and will be posted on our <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>website.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Additional information pertaining to our affiliate and the State Convention <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>can also be found on the website.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>See you in Manahawkin!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>A Request to Our Crafters<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Crafters, please take special note: During the State Convention, we would like <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>to demonstrate another way that we are Raising Expectations. The Board of the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>NFBNJ is asking you, our crafters, to consider the following:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Providing a homemade piece of your art or craft for display at the State <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Convention. This could be, for example, ceramics, pottery, paintings, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>professional photographs, wood making, knitting, leather works – whatever your <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>craft is.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Providing a description of the piece in both Braille and print, hopefully on <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>the same page.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Considering donating the piece so that it can be used as an auction item.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Please address any questions to Joe Ruffalo at <a href="mailto:nfbnj1@verizon.net">nfbnj1@verizon.net</a> or call <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>973-743 -0075.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Upcoming Important Dates<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>October: Meet The Blind Month, various activities sponsored by our chapters<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>October 29: Taste of Technology, Montclair State University, sponsored by the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>DeafBlind Community Access Network of New Jersey and Sprint<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>November 1: National scholarship applications available<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>November 10 – 13: NFBNJ’s 40th State Convention, Raising Expectations<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>December: Numerous holiday events sponsored by our chapters<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>January 7, 2017: After the Holidays party (see the flyer in this issue)<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>January: Annual Washington Seminar<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>We hope that you find this issue of The Sounding Board inspiring and <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>motivating. You’ll read about the importance of continuing to educate <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>ourselves so that we all can continue to educate the public on the truth about <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>blindness, and the hopes and determination that can transform our dreams into <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>reality. You’ll also read about our two national scholarship winners, the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>lives of Tom Ferry and Tara Carty, the determination to think “outside the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>box,” and the efforts to challenge ourselves to define a goal and to conquer <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>our fears. Our new website is also highlighted. Special thanks to Brian <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Mackey, webmaster, and the committee that provided feedback during the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>reconstruction. We encourage you to share this issue with your friends, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>family, teachers, professionals in the social services fields and everyone you <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>know who is interested in furthering our mission.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>In closing, I want to thank all who provide their time, effort and interest in <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>changing what it means to be blind. Thank you for all the good work you have <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>done, are doing and continue to do to live the life you want. Let’s Go And <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Build The Federation!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>With best wishes,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Joe Ruffalo, President<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>ROAD TRIP SERVES AS REMINDER THAT EDUCATING THE PUBLIC NEVER ENDS<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>By Katherine Gabry<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>My son and I have always taken road trips. My fondness for this regular summer <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>activity stems from my childhood, when my parents would pack us all into the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>pink Rambler station wagon and take off for parts unknown - quite literally, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>since my father never made reservations. Good thing we could pitch the tent <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>almost anywhere.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>I started the road trip tradition with my son Jon when he was about 7, and I <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>have a nostalgic spot in my heart for all the time we’ve spent together in the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>car over the past 20 years. This year, we drove 3,343 miles and through 10 <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>states. We took in the International DeafBlind Expo in Orlando, as well as a <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>beach vacation on the Gulf Coast, and spent time with a friend, who, like my <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>son, is DeafBlind.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Our first destination on this mega road trip was our friend’s place in <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Atlanta. Heading south from New Jersey, we made a pit stop on Route 95, north <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>of Richmond. Inside the facility, I spotted a woman waving her arms and <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>calling, “Ma’am! Ma’am! Here! This way!”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>When I realized she was talking to me, Jon and I headed her way. Jon was using <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>his white cane and had a light touch on my arm. As we got closer to her, she <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>opened a locked door to a spanking bright and sparkling clean restroom. As any <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>traveler can relate, I was close to nirvana, but Jon understood what she was <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>getting at immediately and signed, “I’ll use the men’s restroom.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>“She just unlocked it for us, and it’s CLEAN!” I signed back.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>He sighed, gave a little hesitation, and then grudgingly went through the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>door. She continued to hold it open.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>“Go on in,” the woman said to me.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Huh?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>“He knows how to use the bathroom himself,” I said, probably more than a <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>little bit defensively.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Obviously doubting the capabilities of my son, she said, “You can help him.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>And with that, once again, I realized we were in a position to educate <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>well-meaning members of the hearing and sighted community: YES, someone who is <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>DeafBlind is able to take care of his personal needs by himself.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>I understand that people who are not exposed to different abilities don’t get <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>it, and I realize that I have a responsibility to educate them. Over 27 years, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>I’ve accepted this role, but for some reason, on this trip, the evidence for <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>more education – much more than I, alone, can provide – was screaming out to <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>me almost everywhere:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>At every hotel, the staff immediately assumed we needed wheelchair <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>accessibility. True, we were using sign language, but no one was using a <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>wheelchair.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>My son and our friend were trying on clothes in a department store when a <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>salesperson asked if I wanted to go into the dressing room with them and help.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Restaurant staff consistently asked me if Jon or our friend wanted a drink <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>refill or dessert.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>At the pool, folks typically commented, “Oh, he can swim?” Yes, Jon learned at <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>age 2, and is like a fish in water.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>I lost count of the number of rest areas where I would show Jon where both the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>men’s and ladies’ restrooms were, we’d make a plan on where to meet when <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>finished, and someone would approach me and ask if Jon needed help. Sometimes <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>this was just creepy, and if I saw the person follow him, I’d forego my own <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>needs and stand, waiting for him, outside the men’s room.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>More countless times, people would comment on how handsome our friend’s <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>service dog is. “Hold on a sec, and I’ll tell him,” I’d say, and then they’d <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>be astonished that we could communicate using sign language. When my friend <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>would respond by speaking with his voice, they would typically smile in <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>amazement, remark Wow! and then I would facilitate a very pleasant <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>conversation.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>A group of us were out to dinner one night, and when my friend asked why he <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>wasn’t charged for his dessert, the waitress replied that the dessert came <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>with the meal; hmm only HIS meal. And on the last night of our travels, Jon <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>could have gotten a free meal, if not for my asking the waitress to accurately <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>list what we ordered.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>As described by these vignettes, so much educating still needs to be done. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>With that goal in mind, I’d like to invite you to join me in making October – <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Blindness Awareness Month – the perfect time for us collectively to make the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>effort to enlighten the larger community about the capabilities of blind and <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>DeafBlind persons. Certainly there’s humor in my stories, but there’s also an <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>opportunity at every encounter. Without a doubt, people who are blind or <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>DeafBlind need to take the lead in this educational effort, but I also believe <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>that, as family members, friends, co-workers, interpreters and SSPs (support <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>service providers for DeafBlind), there’s a place for us, as well. Perhaps it’s <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>communication facilitation, stepping in with an understanding explanation, or <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>just patience and a genuine, open smile, and the realization that the general <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>public may have never before met a person who is blind or DeafBlind, and the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>concepts of pride and independence just blow their minds. I hope that you’ll <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>take me up on my invitation. The road may be long and slow, but if each of us <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>makes the choice to speak up, I’m confident of a positive outcome. We will <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>change perceptions and expectations.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>PLEASE CONSIDER THIS AS WE CELEBRATE<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>BLINDNESS AWARENESS MONTH & DISABILITY EMPLOYMENT MONTH<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Submitted by Pam Gaston<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Throughout history, people with disabilities have been abandoned at birth, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>banished from society, used as court jesters, drowned and burned during The <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Inquisition, gassed in Nazi Germany, and still continue to be segregated, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>institutionalized, tortured, abused, exploited, euthanized and murdered all <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>around the world.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Now, here in the United States of America, people with disabilities are taking <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>their rightful place as fully contributing citizens. The danger is that we <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>will respond with remediation and benevolence, rather than equity and respect. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>And so, we offer you:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>A CREDO FOR SUPPORT<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>By Norman Kunc and Emma VanderKlift<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Do not see my disability as the problem.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Recognize that my disability is an attribute.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Do not see my disability as a deficit.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>It is you who see me as helpless or as invalid.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Do not try to fix me because I am not broken. I don’t need your pity.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>With equal opportunities, I can make my contribution to the community in my <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>own way.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Do not help me, even if it does make you feel good.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Ask me if I need your help. Let me show you how you can best assist me.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Do not admire me. A desire to live a full life does not warrant adoration.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Respect me, for respect presumes equity.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Do not think of me as a charity case.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Be my ally against those who exploit me by collecting money for their own <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>gratification.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Do not tell, correct and lead. Listen, support and follow.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Do Not work on me. Work with me.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Do not see me as your client. I am your fellow citizen.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>See me as your neighbor. Remember, none of us can be completely <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>self-sufficient.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Do not try to change me, you have no right.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Help me learn what I want and need to know.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Do not hide your uncertainty behind “professional” distance.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Be a person who listens, and does not take my struggle away from me by trying <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>to make it all better.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Do not use theories and strategies on me.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Be with me. And when we struggle with each other, let that give rise to <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>self-reflection.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Do not try to control me. I have a right to my power as a person.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>What you call non-compliance or manipulation may actually be the only way I <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>can exert some control over my life.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Do not speak for me. I have a voice.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Be still and listen. Like you, I have the right to express my thoughts, issues <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>and my individuality<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Do not teach or expect me to be obedient, submissive and polite.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>I need to feel entitled to say No if I am to protect myself.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Do not try to be my friend. I deserve more than that.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Get to know me. We may become friends.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Do not try to modify my behavior to suit your needs. I am different, not <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>deviant.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>What you define as odd may be my attempt to live a full and productive life in <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>the only way I can.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>LOWVIZ NAVIGATION APP TO BE AVAILABLE AT STATE CONVENTION<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>The National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey is pleased to announce that <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>we will be featuring LowViz Guide, a new indoor navigation app for the blind <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>and low vision community, at our State Convention. The app was developed in <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>2015 as a free community service by Macular Degeneration Support. Since then, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>it’s been provided at more than a dozen state and national conventions. The <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>app is available for use on the iPad and iPhone.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>At the State Convention, LowViz will provide step-by-step user instructions in <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>large print, audio and Braille, and a representative will be on site to offer <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>personal support in using the app. For more information about LowViz Guide, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>including an audio-visual demonstration, testimonials and media broadcasts, go <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>to <a href="http://www.mdsupport.org/audioguide">http://www.mdsupport.org/audioguide</a>.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>NATIONAL CONVENTION REFLECTIONS<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>FROM NATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS DEANNA GRECO & LAURA ETORI<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Deanna Greco just started her freshman year at The Catholic University of <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>America. She is a biology premedical student. Here is her story:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Imagine a place where there are 2,500 people using white canes and guide dogs, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>a place where the sighted person in the room is in the minority. A place where <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>you feel accepted, loved and supported. I found this place at the National <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Federation of the Blind’s National Convention. I was fortunate enough to be <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>one of the NFB’s 2016 Scholarship Winners.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>My past year has been similar to that of other students who are in the process <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>of transitioning from high school to college. By January 2016, I was exhausted <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>from writing countless college application essays, going to college interviews <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>and working on maintaining my grade point average (4.5 GPA). Just like <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>everyone else, I realized that college would be expensive, and therefore, I <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>decided to apply for scholarships. While looking online, I came across the NFB’s <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>scholarship program. From the time I was diagnosed with cone rod dystrophy at <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>age 8, my mother always encouraged me to join the NFB. We attended a few <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>meetings with the New Jersey chapter, but I never had the desire to be an <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>active member. I didn’t think that I needed the NFB. I honestly did not <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>consider myself a part of the blind community. However, I decided that since I <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>liked a challenge, I would apply for the NFB scholarship.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>In early May, I received a call from one of the scholarship committee members <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>informing me that I was a scholarship finalist. During this conversation, I <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>learned that I would be required to go to the NFB National Convention, and <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>this filled me with both excitement and nervousness.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>I wasn’t anxious about meeting new people; I enjoy that. However, I never <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>traveled out of state. The idea of getting on a plane and finding <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>transportation to the hotel intimidated me. However, there are some things in <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>life you have to do, and I knew that independent travel was one of those <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>things. When I stepped into the hotel lobby, I became filled with a sense of <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>accomplishment and relief. As I stood there, taking it all in, I heard the tap <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>tap tap of hundreds of white canes. At first, this was extremely overwhelming. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Yet, when I returned home a week later, it was strange not hearing all those <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>canes. Looking back, I know that winning the scholarship was a blessing in <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>disguise because it led me to this outstanding group of people.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Convention was a blast! From the moment I entered the hotel, to the second I <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>left, I was participating in exhilarating activities. Regardless of whether I <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>was at General Session or out to lunch with one of my mentors, I was having a <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>delightful time. I knew that successful blind people existed, but I never <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>witnessed such a large gathering of blind people in my life. The members of <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>the NFB are determined, intelligent and, most importantly, compassionate. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Before convention, I was unaware of the inequality that the blind community <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>faces in all aspects of life. The fact that people are getting paid less <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>simply because they are blind, or having their children taken away because <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>close-minded individuals say, “How could blind people raise children?” is <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>absurd. These issues need to be eradicated, and there is no doubt in my mind <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>that the NFB will do exactly that.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>This fall, I will be starting at The Catholic University of America as a <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>biology premedical student. Having low vision, I know that I will encounter <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>hurdles caused by my lack of vision in laboratory settings. Prior to <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>convention, I did not know any blind people employed in the science fields <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>that I could turn to when I face sight-related difficulties. This changed when <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>I attended the Science and Engineering Division meeting at the National <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Convention. At this gathering, I met several blind people involved in fields <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>such as chemistry and biology. I gained priceless knowledge about the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>accommodations that could help me achieve success at Catholic University. I <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>also formed friendships that will last a lifetime. I do not use the word <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>friendship lightly. There is a reason I did not use the word “networking.” The <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>reason is that the people I met at convention are not business contacts, but <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>rather they are family members that I know will always have my back.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Before I knew it, it was the last night of convention. I was sitting at the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>banquet surrounded by my new family. Between listening to President Riccobono’s <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>compelling speech and laughing with the members of the New Jersey affiliate at <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>my table, the four-hour banquet flew by. As the night came to a close, it was <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>time for the scholarship ceremony. All of the scholarship winners received a <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>beautiful print/braille plaque, a certificate for a KNFB Reader App, and a <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>$1,000 grant from Dr. Kurzweil. We also received a ChromeBook and $1,000 from <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Google, and a certificate for an accessible science tool known as Talking Lab <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Quest from Independence Science. In addition to the generous awards listed <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>above, each winner received varying scholarship awards. I received a $3,000 <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>scholarship. I sincerely appreciate every award that I received that night. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Yet, I would not be doing any justice to myself or the NFB if I did not share <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>which award is closest to my heart. The special award that I cherish is my <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Federation family. So regardless of whether you are a blind individual looking <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>for blind friends or a sighted parent searching for information on how to get <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>the necessary accommodations for your blind child, join the NFB. I assure you <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>that the National Federation of the Blind will embrace you with open arms, you <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>will not be disappointed, nor will you ever feel alone.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>LAURA ETORI is attending Rutgers University and pursuing degrees in both <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>actuarial science and finance. Here is her story:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>I love swimming, cooking and baking. I love my family; they are my biggest <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>fans. I love being happy and most of all, I love the Lord and I am grateful to <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Him for everything in my life.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>I am a Kenyan currently living and studying in New Jersey. I lost my sight <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>four years ago due to a secondary effect of idiopathic intracranial <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>hypertension.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>I came to New Jersey for school. On the day of my arrival, someone stepped on <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>my white cane and broke it. Soon after, at my aunt’s house, my cousin and I <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>immediately investigated where to get a white cane. The first thing that <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>popped up was “get a free white cane from the NFB.” Well, who doesn’t like <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>free things, so I ordered one. My cane arrived soon, and I was back in <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>business. A week later I received voicemail from NFBNJ Northeast Chapter <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>member Alwin Glasgow asking how I liked the cane. In a later call, he told me <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>all about NFB. Having read about NFB years ago, I always wondered if such an <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>organization could be real. Alwin told me that, if needed, he would help me <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>the best he could. We continued to correspond, and this past March I attended <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>my first Northeast Chapter meeting. Then I applied for the scholarship, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>beating the deadline by a few days, and soon found myself in Florida for the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>convention.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>From the age of 12, I have always wanted to become an actuary, leading people <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>to ask whether I loved math. Well, it’s not about loving math; it’s about <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>having passion for what I love and for what I want to become. And, yes I love <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>math. It’s all about commitment and having a vision.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Then I had a familiar feeling, like the one I had when I lost my sight, the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>same feeling I had when I left Kenya, and the same feeling I got when I <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>realized I was a national scholarship finalist: Uncertainty, along with <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>determination that there is something I am meant to do. On July 6, the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>convention was over, and all I could remember was the last night’s ringing <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>speech by President Riccobono about fear. The voice in my head told me, “Fear <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>will hold you back.” So I thought of the many things I had feared and how much <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>I feared uncertainty, which was ironic since my life was filled with <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>uncertainties. Four years ago I had not planned to be in Florida at that day <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>and time; I certainly had never thought I would ever be blind. But now that <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>life had developed that way, it surely was the best thing to ever happen to <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>me.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Walking into the convention resort proved a big eye-opener. Where in the world <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>would I ever have had the chance to be welcomed by the noise of a swarm of <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>bees. Oh boy! Was I in for a surprise. It wasn’t actually bees, but rather the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>noise of thousands of white canes rolling or tapping the tiled floor of the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>hotel. I felt a bit flustered. This was my first time I had been around so <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>many blind and visually impaired people, and I had mixed feelings.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>As for orientation to the hotel, let’s just say that experience is the best <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>teacher. I read and re-read the text description of the hotel and nothing <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>stuck in my mind. I eventually learned my way around. I met so many people <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>from different walks of life and with different stories. The other scholarship <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>finalists were so impressive. They were happy and classy people. They had done <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>and were doing really amazing things. I was most grateful for my mentors. From <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Sharon Maneki I learned that one must have a plan of action: “You cannot just <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>be flowing with what everyone is doing; have your own goals and have a plan of <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>action.” Ever Lee Hairston taught me how to be a believer: “If you decide to <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>do or get something, believe in yourself and go for it.” John Halverson <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>counseled that with time we accrue experience and get good at what we do; we <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>only have to persist and be consistent. Cassie McKinney taught me the virtue <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>of humility. At the Imagination Fund table, I watched her listen to and assist <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>every single person who came to her, even if they just wanted to talk. She was <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>happy and graceful throughout. Cindy Bennett taught me to always be at the top <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>of my game: “Be your best and be the best. Know what you need to know and know <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>even a little bit more and never fear to look good and fabulous; just be <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>humble about it and keep it real.” Finally, Brian Miller taught me it’s never <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>bad to know something extra. It’s good to be a diversified person and to <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>improve yourself with different kinds of knowledge and to stay happy.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>I thought about all these things and pondered how to use these insights to <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>encourage change in people’s lives. Honestly, I felt a bit panicky, but I <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>remembered that fear will stop me. I decided to rethink the concept of <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>bravery. I realized it meant accepting people’s differences and individual <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>challenges. Historically, I had felt like I did not want to experience <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>anything different and that I had experienced enough. Now I realized I needed <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>to grow in order to effect change and to have an impact on people’s lives. I <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>do not know how I will help others; I guess that is one of my many challenges <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>to figure out as I determine what I am really good at and how best to help <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>others develop their own positive changes.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Now, each time I meet someone and am asked, “How did you find convention?” I <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>talk about the importance of continuing to learn, because I believe that was <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>the whole point of my attending the NFB 2016 convention. I hope we can all <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>embrace change and let ourselves feel the shifting and evolving of our <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>mindsets and lives.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>BELLS RING FOR THE THIRD TIME<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>By Mary Jo Partyka<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>New Jersey’s BELL (Braille Enrichment through Literacy and Learning) program <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>was held July 11 - July 22, 2016 once again at the Puerto Rican Association <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>for Human Development (PRAHD) in Perth Amboy. The following six students <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>attended this year’s program: Ethan Rieger (aged 9, grade 4, Toms River), <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Ryan Abbott (aged 8, grade 3, Piscataway), Ghedalia Goldman (aged 7, grade 3, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Teaneck), Schmuel Bodek (aged 9, grade 4, Monsey, NY), Nate Stephens (aged 7, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>grade 1, Ridgewood) and Aaditya Walavalkar (aged 8, grade 3, Edison).<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>The person who spent the greatest amount of time planning before and during <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>this year’s program was Barbara Shalit (a teacher of the visually impaired <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>formerly employed by the New Jersey Commission for the Blind), who managed the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>scheduling and planning of lessons for each child, organized and ordered <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>needed materials and supplies, set up field trips, maintained ongoing <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>communications with the children’s parents and teachers of the visually <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>impaired, supervised the performance of the volunteers, and held the program <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>together. Other members of the BELL team included: Joe Ruffalo, president of <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>the National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey; Jerilyn Higgins, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>instructor of activities of daily living; Holly Miller, a member of Parents of <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Blind Children-NJ; and Mary Jo Partyka, coordinator of the BELL program and <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>president of the New Jersey Association to Promote Braille.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>As part of his employment experience with the EDGE (Employment, Development, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Guidance and Engagement) program, high school student Hank Miller supervised <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>the children in the gym and built a runner where they could practice walking <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>correctly with their canes. Hank also assisted the children in using the Cosmo <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>E-Brailler and kept them in line.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>A unique feature of the BELL program is the inclusion of blind and sighted <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>volunteers who serve as mentors and role models for the students. The <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>volunteers in this year’s program included: Peggy Kane, Barbara Grames, Linda <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Melendez, Rosa Santiago, Christina Brino, Rebecca Bryant, Andrew Chin, Hannah <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Canuto and Quoc Anh Tren.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>The major goals of BELL are to teach the students Braille and daily living <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>skills such as cutting, spreading and pouring liquids. In addition, the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>children experienced some new things this year. As a group and with each child <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>contributing at least one sentence, we dictated a story about a little girl <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>who wouldn’t use her long white cane. An adult Brailled the story, a blind <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>child read it back, and this led to a discussion about cane use, along with <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>insights about how the children regarded canes.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>The BELL team also wanted to provide exposure to science, technology, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>engineering and math (STEM) concepts. To support this goal, we asked a retired <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>science professor to speak to the children about electricity. He provided a <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>home-made circuit board for each child and taught them about the conduction of <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>electricity through a variety of materials, such as wood and metal. We also <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>engaged the services of an organization called Bricks4Kidz, which teaches STEM <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>concepts by providing the children with LEGO® blocks so that they can build a <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>variety of models. The children built models of a windmill, a paper crinkler <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>and a tornado, and were greatly interested in the science behind windmills and <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>tornados. The facilitator, who had never worked with blind children before, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>seemed very comfortable with the children, and it was an enjoyable experience <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>for everyone.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>The BELL students met with some of the students from PRAHD’s summer program <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>and introduced them to the Braille writer and showed them how it works. Each <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>BELL student wrote the name of a PRAHD student on an index card, which they <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>could take home and show their families.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>As you can see from this article, the BELL program is a great resource for the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>children. As a team, we were able to see the children grow from the beginning <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>to the end of the program, and they also learned to work with each other. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>However, it takes time, resources, commitment and money to make this program <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>work. The BELL team is extremely grateful for the contributions we received <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>from friends, families, and members of our chapters and divisions within the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>New Jersey affiliate. We would also like to express special thanks to Ava’s <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Voice (<a href="http://www.avasvoice.org">www.avasvoice.org</a>) for their generous donation. Ava’s Voice provides <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>financial assistance and support to families affected by hearing and/or vision <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>loss, works to advance the understanding of hearing and vision loss by funding <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>research, and provides resources to educate the public about hearing and <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>vision loss. Thanks also go to the Chester, Bloomfield and West Orange Lions <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>clubs, and to Mrs. Perez for their donations. Without this generosity, BELL <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>would not be possible, and the children would be the ones who miss out on some <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>valuable learning.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>We would like to thank our teacher, Barbara Shalit, who has worked with us and <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>taught the students for the past three years. We couldn’t have done this <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>program without her. Although she is stepping down from her role as teacher, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>she will continue to be a resource to our new teacher, Barbara Grames, who <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>will lead the program next year. Mrs. Grames works for the Morris Plains Board <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>of Education and has worked with a blind student for 14 years; she is also a <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>certified Braille transcriber. We welcome her to our team.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>For more information about the BELL program, please visit our website at <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><a href="http://www.nfbnj.org">www.nfbnj.org</a> or the national BELL website at <a href="http://www.nfb.org/bell-academy">www.nfb.org/bell-academy</a>.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Winning Isn’t Everything<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>By Staci Mannella<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Editor’s Note: New Jersey native Staci Mannella is a sophomore at Dartmouth <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>College and planning a career as a large-animal veterinarian. She is also a <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Paralympic skier and an accomplished equestrian; she rides for Dartmouth’s <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>equestrian team. Staci is visually impaired. In this article, she reveals her <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>perspective on being a Paralympic athlete.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>With the Olympics coming to a close, it’s hard for me not to think about how <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>the athletes are feeling now that it’s time to come home. I recently read an <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>article (The Dark Side of Going for Gold at theatlantic.com) that talks about <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>life for athletes and the challenges they face in building a new identity once <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>the games are over.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Immediately following my return to school after competing in the 2014 Sochi <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Paralympic Games, I vividly remember one of my high school teachers talking <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>with me about my experiences and asking me how I felt about “having peaked <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>before leaving high school.” I know she didn’t mean any harm, but to be <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>honest, at the time, this comment was kind of a slap in the face. I had just <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>been accepted at Dartmouth, and I was ready for the next chapter of my life to <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>be just as exciting as the last one.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Prepping for the Olympic or Paralympic games is a long, uphill battle, and it’s <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>incredibly easy to become hyper focused. Once the games are over, it’s <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>understandable that many athletes find it challenging to create an identity <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>for themselves that doesn’t center on their athletic careers. Luckily for me, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>starting school at Dartmouth just months after competing in my first <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Paralympics forced me to build my identity around things other than skiing. In <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>some ways this realization was actually a little refreshing. For the first <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>time in my life, I wasn’t just the skier who always seemed to miss school. My <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>peers got to know me because of the classes I was taking, the extracurricular <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>activities I was involved in, and probably because I’m the only legally blind <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>student at Dartmouth.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Shortly after coming to Dartmouth, I decided I wanted to continue competing. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>This decision forced me to reestablish myself as an elite athlete while still <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>carefully balancing my life as a full-time Dartmouth student. I often feel <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>like I’m living two completely separate lives, and I find myself having to <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>choose between one and the other. I chose to come to Dartmouth because I felt <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>as though the D-plan – where students can take off from school at various <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>points throughout the year – would be a great opportunity to allow me to <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>commit 100% to skiing over the winter and 100% to school the rest of the time. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Every athlete knows that there is always more work to be done, and <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>unfortunately every Ivy League pre-med student also knows the same. When is it <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>appropriate to spend the extra hour in the gym instead of studying for my <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>organic chemistry final? It is impossible to prioritize one of my two <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>completely separate lives over the other.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Like any athlete, the ultimate goal is to be the best in the world. Every day <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>I try to do everything I possibly can to make that a realistic goal. However, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>I also know that I cannot ski race forever. Sometimes I find it disappointing <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>that I can’t fully commit to my ski career like most of the athletes I am <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>competing against, and I have to remind myself of the bigger picture. It’s <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>easy to get caught up in that one big moment and blame yourself for things <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>that might have gone differently.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>For me, my first Paralympics made me realize that skiing is so much more than <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>the medals I win. In athletics, competition tends to be presented as a single <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>destination. It is very easy to forget that what's truly important are the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>obstacles that lead up to that destination, and how those experiences play a <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>role in shaping an athlete's character. Skiing has shaped my character in ways <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>that are reflected in all aspects of my life. I have learned to be <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>independent, manage my time well, forgive myself when I fall short of my own <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>expectations, and, above all, strive to be better than I was yesterday.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>It is so important for athletes to enjoy their moment and to take in <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>everything that competing at an elite level has to offer. However, it is <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>arguably more important for athletes to understand that those moments are <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>fleeting. Win or lose, medals are forgotten, but acting honorably at times <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>when it would be easy to get caught in the hyper-competitive nature that every <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>world class athlete shares is what really separates respectable athletes from <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>respectable people.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Every athlete is a person first. There are core character traits that come <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>along with being an elite athlete, and those traits are evident in all aspects <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>of an athlete’s life, even after they are done competing. Character is a <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>culmination of all of someone's life experiences both on and off the playing <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>field. When I compete in the next Paralympics in 2018, I will not be the exact <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>same “me” who competed in the 2014 Paralympic Games, but I will be the best <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>“me” that I can be in that given moment. And as for peaking, I’m usually <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>pretty comfortable hurling myself downhill, but for some reason I kind of feel <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>like it’s only up from here.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>NFBNJ Website Demolition & Reconstruction<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>By Brian Mackey<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Editor’s Note: Brian is an active member of the NFBNJ, serving as treasurer <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>and webmaster for the state affiliate, secretary/treasurer for the At Large <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Chapter, secretary of the Garden State Chapter, and chair of New Jersey’s <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Pre-Authorized Contribution (PAC) Plan, among others. Brian is the owner of <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Mackey Enterprises, LLC which assists individuals and businesses in data entry <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>and bookkeeping projects. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working out at the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>gym and playing golf.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>You Want Me to Do What? After learning that our current webmaster, Kevin <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Sisco, would be stepping down, Joe Ruffalo asked me to revamp the NFBNJ <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>website and serve as the new affiliate webmaster. A Website Review Committee <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>was assembled: Jane Degenshein, Linda DeBerardinis, Mary Fernandez, Ryan <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Stevens, Rick Fox, Carol Castellano, Kathy Gabry and our five affiliate board <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>officers.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Research and Cleaning Up The first challenge was finding a web host. David <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Andrews, from the NFB Webmasters Committee, revealed that the web server <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>NFBNet.org would be able to host the affiliate website for FREE, and that this <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>server supported the publishing program I planned to use. With Kevin’s backup <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>files, I removed outdated information, made corrections and added lots of new <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>material.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Trial Runs and Revisions Revisions flew back and forth as the Website Review <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Committee did their work. After I made the first set of revisions, I asked for <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>more review, and oh! Wait! Joe had new material for additional pages! Write, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>resubmit and wait for feedback. Our original transition date of May 2 was <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>moved to June, and the official switch to NFBNet occurred on June 13. WOO HOO!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Our goal was to have the website up prior to the national convention, but that <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>deadline caused us to temporarily limit the content to our highest priority <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>pages: Home, Chapters & Divisions, Projects & Programs, State Convention, The <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Sounding Board and our newly created BELL Academy page. Miraculously, our <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>NFBNJ website was ready for action a couple of days before the 2016 National <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Convention.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Yay, Success! This was definitely a team effort. Thank you to all the Website <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Review Committee members. Their eyes and reviews caught the things I missed. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Thank you to all the affiliate members for their compliments on our new <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>website.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>I hope you will enjoy the new website design (<a href="http://www.nfbnj.org">www.nfbnj.org</a>). Remember that <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>this is YOUR website – please contribute! Visit and review it. Inform either <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Joe Ruffalo at <a href="mailto:nfbnj1@verizon.net">nfbnj1@verizon.net</a> or me at <a href="mailto:bmackey88@gmail.com">bmackey88@gmail.com</a> of possible <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>additions or changes. We want to add pictures and videos of our members in <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>action. We want our website visitors to see that we are living the life we <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>want.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Runner refuses to be held back by blindness<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>By Bob Both<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Editor’s Note: Linda is a member of the Central Jersey and At Large Chapters, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>as well as the Senior and Technology Divisions. This article is reprinted with <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>permission from examiner.com. The original article – <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><a href="http://www.examiner.com/article/runner-refuses-to-be-held-back-by-blindness">http://www.examiner.com/article/runner-refuses-to-be-held-back-by-blindness</a> – <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>was published March 20, 2016.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Linda Melendez of Keyport, NJ may not win any races, she may not be the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>fastest runner, but she is a true winner. Linda, you see, is legally blind, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>and she does not let that disability slow her down. Linda started running <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>about a year ago. Linda lost 125 pounds from November 2013 to February 2014. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>She was committed to not gaining back any of her lost weight, so she decided <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>to get active. Linda signed up for a Beginner’s Running Class at RunCollege <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>and was immediately hooked on running as a way to maintain her fitness and her <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>weight.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>After the six-week class, she did her home town Keyport 5K and did the race in <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>34 minutes. She continued to run and now has her sights set on the Asbury Park <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Half Marathon on April 16, 2016. She is again training with a group of runners <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>under the tutelage of coaches at RunCollege to include Karen Charles of Wall <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Township and Tyler King of Howell. She is well on her way already having <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>completed a 10-mile training run. According to Linda, “Since losing all this <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>weight and keeping it off, I have become a participant in my life instead of a <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>spectator.” She made a bucket list for 2016 which included running three half <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>marathons in 2016. She has the ultimate goal of running a full 26.2 mile <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>marathon in the near future.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Running is a challenge, but she still loves it. Being legally blind and an <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>asthmatic presents obstacles which many of us don’t even think of. Linda, when <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>she was younger, had bleeding in the eyes which caused her to lose central <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>detailed vision. It's a form of macular degeneration. One of the challenges <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>she faces is not being able to tell what is directly in front of her. For <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>example, curbs, cracks, obstacles and the things we take for granted are major <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>challenges. She does not know when to turn left or right until she is almost <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>on top of the turn. Sometimes she has sheer panic because she is moving faster <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>than what her limited vision can process. As an asthmatic, the first half-mile <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>of every run can be challenging until she can get her breathing rhythm.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Linda refuses to be held back by her blindness. She says she “wants to live <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>the life I want and not let my limited vision decide what life I should live.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Her motivation is to remind herself how she feels at the end of each run. She <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>feels accomplished and empowered. Her inspiration for running is her son. He <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>was her motivation to lose 125 pounds and continues to be her motivation and <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>inspiration in life. Linda started the journey and her new lifestyle after the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>death of her mom while she was in the deepest darkest place she could ever <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>possibly be. The running has helped her tremendously in overcoming that <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>darkness.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Linda makes time to get outside and run at least three times a week and in bad <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>weather runs on a treadmill at a local health club. She prefers running <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>outdoors. She enjoys company on the run and manages to make her way to local <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>group runs by getting a ride from friends or taking public transportation. She <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>regularly takes the train to Asbury Park for group runs there.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>According to Linda, “I would be going from being morbidly obese to being a <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>marathon runner in all smiles.” Good luck to Linda in running her first half <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>marathon in Asbury Park on April, 16, 2016. Look for her out there. She can be <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>easily spotted generally wearing a bright neon yellow vest.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>GREENDROP DONATION LOCATION ADDED IN SPRINGFIELD<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>By Samantha Kresz, Community Marketing Coordinator, GreenDrop<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>In addition to free home pickup service, GreenDrop donors in the Garden State <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>now have the option of donating their gently used clothing and household goods <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>at three safe, drive-up donation centers, the newest being in Springfield. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>When you’re ready to donate, call GreenDrop for a home pickup or bring your <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>items to one of these locations where an attendant will unload your car and <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>provide a tax receipt from the NFB:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Cherry Hill: 1060 Maple Ave. Cherry Hill, NJ 08002<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Metuchen: 359 Amboy Ave. Metuchen, NJ 08840<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Springfield: 831 South Springfield Ave. Springfield, NJ 07081<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>GreenDrop is pleased to help turn your donations into cash resources to <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>support the NFB’s extraordinary initiatives that shatter the misconceptions <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>about blindness. GreenDrop handles all the logistics so your donation <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>experience is fast and easy. All you have to do is label your bags and boxes <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>with “NFB” (for the National Federation of the Blind) and the organization <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>will receive credit for your donations!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>To locate a site near you or to schedule a home pickup call 1-888-944-DROP or <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>visit www.gogreendrop.com. The website lists all the accepted and unaccepted <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>items.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>LOCAL AUTHOR & NFB MEMBER GIVES HALF BOOK PROCEEDS TO NFB<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>By Ed Lataro<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Editor’s Note: Ed is a member of the Central Jersey Chapter of the NFB where <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>he has volunteered for the LEAD and BELL programs, often serving as a driver, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>set-up person and mobility guide. He was employed as a vocational <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>rehabilitation counselor at the New Jersey Commission for the Blind and <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Visually Impaired. In addition to this book, Ed has written several plays <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>which have been produced in New York City.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>I’ve written a fantasy eBook titled In the Guise of a Child. The book puts <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>you on a cosmic roller coaster where Roger Sanders travels back in time to <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>save his soul mate's life. His plan is complicated when he becomes trapped in <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>the body of a 7-year-old. If he doesn’t rescue his soul mate in 90 days, he <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>will lose any hope of becoming an adult again. Half of the money raised from <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>the sale of the book will go to the NFB. The book is available on <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>barnesandnobles.com, amazon.com and kobo.com.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>BOOK REVIEW: BLIND AMBITION, BY EVER LEE HAIRSTON<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>By Katherine Gabry<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>I ran into former New Jersey resident Ever Lee Hairston at the NFB of Alabama’s <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>State Convention last spring, and she mentioned her new book Blind Ambition – <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>One Woman’s Journey to Greatness Despite Her Blindness. Whenever I’ve heard <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Ever Lee speak, I been moved by her abilities as a witty wordsmith, as well as <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>her sincerity, strength of character and clever sense of humor. I couldn’t <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>wait to read her book, and I wasn’t disappointed. As I sat on the beach <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>reading it this summer, I laughed, cried, examined my own tenets and even <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>relived some of my own heartbreaks.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Born on a plantation in North Carolina where her parents were sharecroppers, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Ever Lee was one of seven children, two of whom had Retinitis Pigmentosa. She <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>was an active and involved youngster, curious about the bigger world beyond <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>the plantation where she grew up. In the 1960s, she joined the civil rights <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>movement, standing behind Martin Luther King Jr and experiencing life lessons <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>that surely influenced her character, integrity, ambitions and faith in <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>herself.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Throughout her life, despite hard times, disappointments and bad luck, Ever <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Lee never gave up. Her story is not about the limits of being blind, but <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>rather the celebration of believing in yourself, keeping your goals in mind <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>and following your dreams. Read the book and you’ll understand why this woman <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>is an inspiration to all.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Blind Ambition is available at amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Remembering Tara<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>By Dan Facchini<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Editor’s Note: It is with much sadness that we report the untimely death of <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Tara Carty on July 11, 2016. An NFB national and state scholarship winner, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Tara was an active member of the NFBNJ. Tara was an inspiration to all who <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>knew her. She will be missed. The following two articles tell of Tara’s many <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>challenges, her indomitable spirit, her life philosophy and her kindness.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>A Note from the Author: My wife Tara was like any other woman of the world: <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>She loved to go shopping and get her nails done, and she enjoyed going to the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>malls with her grandmother. Her home was very important to her. She loved to <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>decorate for the holidays, especially Christmas, and one of her favorite <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>things to do was to have friends and family over for holidays, backyard <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>parties and just having a good time. One of Tara’s lifelong dreams was to <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>complete college after leaving Boston College in her second semester when she <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>was diagnosed with renal failure as a complication of diabetes. This dream <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>came true when she graduated from Caldwell College in 2013 with a 4.0 GPA. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Another of Tara’s dreams was to go to Disneyworld as an adult. This dream came <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>true in 2016. We went to the National Convention, and we also went to Disney. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Like they always say, “All your dreams come true in Disney.” This year’s <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>convention will be the most memorable for me because another of Tara’s dreams <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>came true. I felt her life was complete, and she was finally happy and at <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>peace.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>My introduction to the NFB dates back about 20 years. That was my first state <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>convention, and it was there and then that I was introduced to a whole new <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>world. I no longer felt I was powerless against this blindness. Ever since <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>that day, the NFB has changed my way of thinking about most everything. I was <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>no longer an angry man with no direction. It led me to a good job, and I again <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>had purpose. I became a member, and then became a chapter president, and now I <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>sit on the board of the NFBNJ. I share with others that being blind doesn't <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>mean we have to stop doing the things we love. We can do anything if we put <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>our minds to it. A blind person can do just fine in a sighted world. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Independence and success are ours for the taking.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>The biggest change in my life came in November of 2009, at our State <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Convention. It was there that I met the most amazing young lady, Tara Carty. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Tara was a national and state scholarship winner that year. So, on Friday, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>November 6, 2009, in Clark, New Jersey, at the state dinner, things changed in <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>my life forever. After I heard Tara speak, I just knew I had to meet her and <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>get to know more about her.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Now here was a person who had just recently lost her sight, and had other <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>major health issues due to diabetes, but she still had the most amazing <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>outlook on life. You could tell whenever Tara spoke that she had the biggest <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>smile on her face, and she was glowing. Between her smile and her attitude, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>she would just light up the room, and that very night, she lit up my heart as <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>well. I remember going up to her to introduce myself, and I was so nervous. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>That night we just talked and got to know more about one another, and the more <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>she spoke, the more I fell in love.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>For those members throughout the state who thought they knew me and thought I <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>was a little rough around the edges and not the one for Tara because we came <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>from two different sides of the tracks: I want you to know you had nothing to <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>worry about. Tara saw me for who I really was.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Tara was one of the few people I ever met who saw with her heart and not with <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>her eyes. She could talk to a person and listen to them and decide what kind <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>of a person they really were.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>In Tara’s scholarship application, she wrote that she sees with her heart, and <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>she sees people for their personalities, not for what they look like. Well, it <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>was a good thing for me that she did not judge me by what I looked like!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>That year at the State Convention, we had a “Kiss the Frog” fundraiser. It was <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>between Joe Ruffalo and me, and at the last minute Tara took her last 10 <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>dollars and put it on Joe. She said she did not want me kissing anyone else <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>but her. Well truth be told, neither did I!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>As two blind people, we were able to teach one another so many things. I can <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>honestly say that Tara made me a better person and taught me how to experience <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>life more fully.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>There were so many things we did in the short time we had together, and when I <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>was with her, I was never afraid to do anything. I don’t think I could have <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>learned or done more in a lifetime with anyone else. We enjoyed traveling. Of <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>course, we went to NFB National Conventions, and we also went to Saint Croix <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>on a wonderful vacation, and there were so many weekend getaways for when we <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>just wanted to be alone and forget about everything else in the world.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>The happiest day of my life was when I took her hand at our fairy tale <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>wedding, and we vowed to spend each and every day together, from that day <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>forward, for as long as we lived.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>The reason I’m sharing the story of my life with Tara is because I think <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>sometimes people think of the NFB as a place only for business, and to get <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>things done in the state, or in Washington on behalf of the blind and their <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>issues. That is part of what they do, and thank God for how well they do it, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>but it isn’t the only thing the NFB does.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>The NFB is a place where people come as strangers who share a disability, but <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>leave as part of a family that will always be there, offering support and <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>advice. Personally, emotionally, or yes, the practical necessities, too.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>So I will leave you with this testimony: I went from being a rough, tough <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>exterior guy, mad at the universe for taking my sight, to a successful <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>businessman in the Blind Merchants Division of the NFB. This enabled me to buy <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>a perfect home for my lovely Tara, support the both of us in a way I could not <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>have done if the NFB wasn’t there to guide me, but more than even that, it <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>gave me a home and a family in the organization. These folks were there the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>day I met my Tara, and they were there holding me up the day I had to say my <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>goodbyes to her.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>My life is richer because of Tara, along with the list of friends and fellow <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Federationists that fill my life. Those people are the greatest gift of all.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>A friend shared this quote with me, and I’d like to end with it, since it sort <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>of says what I’ve been trying to convey about the less discussed side of the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>NFB: “The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>we are and not be questioned.” - Maya Angelou<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>TARA CARTY<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>By Ed Sroczynski, Vocational Rehabilitation Supervisor, NJ CBVI<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>A Note from the Author: This morning I learned of the passing of Tara Carty. I <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>began working with Tara in 2006, and I immediately recognize her potential to <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>transform her life. Tara and I spoke recently, and I was moved by not only the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>strides she had made, but also how her confidence and personality were <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>transformed. I am equally moved by her passing and further inspired to forge <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>on to do the good work for those served by CBVI. I wrote the following success <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>story about Tara which was part of the CBVI Annual Report.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>At age 5, Tara Carty was diagnosed with diabetes which was precipitated by a <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>chicken pox virus that infected her pancreas. Her diabetic condition <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>eventually resulted in total blindness, kidney failure and a <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>below-the-right-knee amputation.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Tara first applied for CBVI services in the fall of 2006. At that time, she <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>lived in a small house in Highland Lakes with her mother and aunt. When the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>CBVI vocational rehabilitation counselor arrived, there were broken concrete <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>steps, no neighborhood sidewalks and no access to public transportation. These <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>conditions, coupled with medical limitations and limited access to resources, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>caused Tara to be confined to the house.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>When she was asked about her goals, Tara requested adaptive devices for sewing <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>tasks and access to adaptable reading devices. The counselor explored Tara’s <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>options for developing a plan for employment. Tara offered, “Maybe, I could <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>work as a greeter at Walmart.” The counselor recognized that Tara had more to <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>offer and more choices available for her than she realized. Tara was guided to <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>explore her options and practical steps that would expand her world and enable <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>her to establish a realistic career path.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Shortly after the visit, Tara enrolled in a program where she learned to <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>access the computer with adaptive technology. Her facility with computer <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>skills was immediate, and this became her lifeline to the world. CBVI provided <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>her with a loaner computer and arranged for additional training to build her <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>proficiency with adaptive technology skills.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Tara was encouraged to consider the option of attending college as a step <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>toward establishing her career path. At first glance, this prospect was <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>daunting given the necessity of regular dialysis treatments, moving out of the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>house to live on campus and separating from her family. After much <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>consideration, Tara applied to Caldwell College in nearby Caldwell.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Prior to beginning college, Tara applied for and was awarded a scholarship <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>offered through the National Federation of the Blind. She traveled to Detroit <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>to attend the National Convention, where she met a number of motivated blind <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>and visually impaired professionals. Tara recalled that the experience served <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>as a wake-up call and solidified her commitment to forge ahead with college <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>studies and establish her career path. Upon her return home, she was awarded <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>an additional scholarship through the NFBNJ affiliate. Tara attended the State <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Convention where she continued to widen her network of friends and where she <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>met her future husband.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Tara began her first semester at Caldwell College in the fall of 2009. Her <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>adjustment to college life was challenging at first, but her steadfast <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>determination enabled her to make the adjustment fairly quickly. She learned <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>that living on a college campus afforded her access to an additional social <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>network, increased mobility and the opportunity to develop her career path. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Tara chose to major in English based on her strong interest in reading and <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>writing. Tara accessed all of the tools and resources at her disposal and <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>diligently pursued her degree. She graduated with a grade point average of 4.0 <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>in the spring of 2013.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Tara currently resides with her husband in Rutherford. She reflects on her <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>journey and extends her heart-felt gratitude to CBVI for assisting her to open <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>up the opportunity to significantly transform her life.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Tom and Gail Ferry: a Tribute<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP ESTABLISHED<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> By John Ferry<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Editor’s Note: With Tom Ferry’s passing in March 2016, the Ferry family has <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>established the Tom and Gail Ferry Memorial Scholarship, which will be awarded <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>at the State Convention in November. John is a graduate of the Colorado <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Center for the Blind. He and his wife Abby reside in Colorado.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>As far back as I can remember, my parents, Gail and Tom Ferry, were involved <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>in the National Federation of the Blind. When I was around 3 years old, they, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>along with several other families formed Parents of Blind Children – New <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Jersey. I remember many of the early meetings and workshops. For me, it was a <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>chance to meet other blind children. For them, it was a chance to get educated <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>on all of the different opportunities available to a blind child.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>My parents were people who always looked for solutions to seemingly <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>insurmountable things. For example, when I was young, my father wanted to get <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>me up on skis. People had told him that something like that would be <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>impossible. That wasn’t good enough for Tom Ferry. It was in 1996, at our <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>first National Convention, that he met several people who were blind and also <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>skied. They explained how it could be done, and the next winter, he and I were <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>out on the slopes learning together.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Along with the five National Conventions we attended, we were also regulars at <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>the New Jersey State Conventions. At these meetings, we became close to many <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>members of the affiliate. Over time, the people we met became more than just <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>acquaintances; they became close personal friends.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>In 2005, my dad became the treasurer of the New Jersey affiliate. About nine <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>years later, I asked him why he was still doing it. He replied, “This <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>organization has helped you in so many ways that I feel this is the least I <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>can do.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>When my mother passed away in 2013, my father established a scholarship in her <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>name to benefit college students. Now with his passing, this scholarship will <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>become the Tom and Gail Ferry Memorial Scholarship. I can’t think of a better <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>tribute to my parents. They were always looking for ways to help people, and <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>now their legacy will continue to live on.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Learning to Be a Leader from Leaders: NFB Leadership Building Seminar<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>By Brian Mackey<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Editor’s Note: Brian is an active member of the NFBNJ, serving as treasurer <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>and webmaster for the state affiliate, secretary/treasurer for the At Large <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Chapter, secretary of the Garden State Chapter, and chair of New Jersey’s <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Pre-Authorized Contribution (PAC) Plan, among others. Brian is the owner of <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Mackey Enterprises, LLC which assists individuals and businesses in data entry <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>and bookkeeping projects. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working out at the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>gym and playing golf.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>What makes a good leader? Look around the NFB; embrace and be inspired by the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>talents of strong, passionate and dedicated leaders. My leadership idols <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>include Dr. Maurer, Pam Allen, Ever Lee Hairston, Joe Ruffalo, Mark Riccobono, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Anil Lewis, Carol Castellano and Linda DeBerardinis. At NFB’s 2011 National <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Convention, Joe Ruffalo mentioned the upcoming Leadership Building Seminar, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>which spiked my interest. The leadership seminar develops Federation leaders <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>to expand local chapters, recruit new members and promote the Federation <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>philosophy. I didn’t hesitate to contact Joe about attending this program.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Along with several eager participants, I arrived in Baltimore on a Friday <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>afternoon, depleted from the stifling hot bus ride. Jason Ewell and Joanne <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Wilson warmly welcomed us and showed us to our rooms. Dr. Maurer announced <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>dinner and we refreshed our energy with lively conversations and expectations.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>On Saturday morning, Dr. Maurer began the seminar and affirmed what it means <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>to be an NFB leader. Leadership, he said, requires oodles of imagination, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>heaps of goodwill and bunches of hard work, along with an ample amount of good <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>times while successfully completing the job. Hint: if you don’t want to do the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>work and enjoy it, don’t take the position! We learned that leadership is the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>capacity to imagine how things could improve, to inspire others to join the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>team and to accomplish a task that improves the lives of others. To enhance <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>the lives of others, leaders need to cultivate new approaches, new ways of <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>thinking and new ways to deal with old situations. To enrich our chapters and <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>divisions, we need to encourage new members to join and to get involved in <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>various committees, projects or an office.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>After Dr. Maurer’s powerful and motivational speech, we broke into groups for <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>an ice-breaker. Together we discovered why we each became a Federationist, why <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>we’re members and why we want to become NFB leaders. I’m a Federationist <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>because it encourages and nurtures me to be more self-confident and <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>independent as a blind individual. Within the NFB, I can associate with other <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>blind individuals, share what we’ve learned and promote blindness awareness. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Our groups discussed where to locate other blind people and how to bond with <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>them. Other blind persons could be found at eye doctors’ offices, college <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>disability services offices, churches, senior centers, transportation services <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>(such as buses, trains, planes and taxis), Facebook, Twitter, and through <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>friends’ referrals. How can we bond with other blind individuals? We all can <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>easily speak about our different eye conditions, for example. We discussed <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>resources available through the NFB: NEWSLINE, the Independence Market, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>International Braille and Technology Center, the free white cane program, the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>NFB and affiliate divisions, mentoring programs, training centers (Louisiana <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Center for the Blind, Colorado Center for the Blind and Blind Learning In New <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Dimensions [Blind Inc.] in Minnesota), listservs, Bookshare, Learning Ally, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>NLS BARD, the NFB website and publications, state and national conventions, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>word of mouth, Washington Seminar and many others. And that was just the first <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>part of our day!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Later we toured the IBTC and the Independence Market. The IBTC fascinated me <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>with the hundreds of devices available to the blind, many made in the U.S. I <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>checked out Braille embossers, Apple products and the KNFB reader, among <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>others. Onward we went to the Independence Market that supplies a wide variety <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>of merchandise for the blind/visually impaired along with free pamphlets about <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>the NFB.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Our afternoon session focused on how to make phone calls to established and <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>potential NFB members and how to discuss the free white cane program, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>NEWSLINE, and the digital talking book player. We learned how to handle <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>negative responses. Even though this activity took me out of my comfort zone, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>I slowly became more confident, more empowered and a stronger Federationist.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>After dinner, we took part in some challenges: driving the Blind Driver <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Challenge interface simulator, using a “real” chain saw to cut wood, and <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>testing our knowledge about NEWSLINE.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Sunday morning, we brainstormed several “what-if” scenarios for possible <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>solutions. Then our leadership training ended, and we headed back home.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>What a great experience! I learned that I have inner strength, and with NFB <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>encouragement, I can promote my self-confidence and build my leadership <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>qualities. I learned that a leader is loving, enthusiastic, able, determined, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>ethical and responsible. Together, we learn, we support, we encourage others, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>and we promote the fact that blind individuals are capable of full <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>participation in society. As Joe Ruffalo says, “When we all do, it becomes <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>doable. The more we try, the more we succeed. Everything is impossible until <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>you do it. Keep believing. Keep dreaming. Keep learning. Let's work together. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Let's make a difference!”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Thank you, Joe and NFB for a great learning experience. I would never have <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>imagined how this experience would shape me into the leader I am today. I am <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>proud to be a leader within NFBNJ at the affiliate, chapter, division, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>committee and personal levels.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>SURF’S UP!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>By Amanda Oglesby<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Editor’s Note: This article is condensed from the original published by the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Asbury Park Press 8/22/16. The article is available in its entirety with video <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>and photos at <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>http://www.app.com/story/news/local/communitychange/2016/08/22/watch-surfing-blind-vision-rich-life/88452304/<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>ASBURY PARK — Charles Patterson McKenna rested his hand on the arm of Andrew <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Gioulis as the two walked from the beach in Asbury Park into the frothy surf, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>on Sunday, August 21. This was 42-year-old McKenna's first time surfing, and <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>he would be doing it blind with the help of Gioulis, a volunteer with <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Christian Surfers, a Manasquan-based religious missionary organization, along <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>with the Neptune Lions Club, which provided free eye screenings during the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>event. “I've never surfed before and I’m thrilled for the opportunity today,” <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>he said.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>McKenna, of Highland Park, has been blind since the age of 5, but this has not <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>stopped him from leading a full life. An attorney, married with a 3-year-old <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>son, McKenna also helps run the EDGE (Employment Development Guidance and <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Engagement) program for teenagers who have vision loss, preparing them for <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>work through job shadowing, skills building, and learning adaptive technology <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>and independent travel.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>With McKenna at the front of the surfboard and Gioulis, 36, of Neptune at the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>back, the two paddled into the waves before turning and catching one <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>white-capped swell toward shore.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Surfing for Vision was the first event of its kind for the Visual Experience <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Foundation, an organization founded by Michael Benson of Belmar. Benson, 55, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>born with glaucoma, has undergone many eye surgeries and says he has spent <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>much time memorizing the sights and faces around him for the day he may lose <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>his sight. Grateful for the vision he has retained, his foundation has <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>provided “sight visits” to Niagara Falls, the Grand Canyon, and even a <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>helicopter ride over New York City — all to help people make lasting memories. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>“I teach people to burn visual memories,” Benson said. “That's what we do as a <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>foundation.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Medford resident Brian Mackey, 28, diagnosed at age 12 with a degenerative eye <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>condition that eventually took his sight, hopped onto a surfboard and rode the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>rough and bouncing waves.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>NFBNJ president Joe Ruffalo also tried surfing. “The surf won,” said <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>67-year-old Ruffalo. “It's really a tremendous experience.” Though he lost his <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>eyesight, Ruffalo said he never lost his vision for a life full of hope and <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>rich experiences, and he hopes that others who are losing or have lost their <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>sight will embrace the same positive philosophy. “Blindness does not have to <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>hold us back,” he said.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>TECH TIPS & INFORMATION<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Share tips to stay safe on the web – Kevin’s Consulting has started a mailing <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>list for sharing tips and tricks to keep safe when using your computer and for <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>computing in general. Ask questions, help each other out, enjoy a safe <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>environment, and take advantage of some great security tools designed by Kevin <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>himself! Sign up by e-mail kevinsconsulting+subscribe@groups.io or visit <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>https://groups.io/g/kevinsconsulting.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>AFB Announces Free NVDA Online Tutorial – The American Foundation for the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Blind has announced the availability of Learn NVDA, a series of FREE online <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>video tutorials designed to help people who are blind/visually impaired learn <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>to use the computer and/or improve their computer skills. The tutorials <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>include installing and using NVDA (Non Visual Desktop Access), a free screen <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>reader. Each tutorial contains step-by step instructions with audio. To learn <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>more, go to www.afb.org/learnnvda.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>New iOS 10 Tutorial Available – Apple calls the new system software “more <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>personal, more powerful and more playful.” Much has been redesigned, and many <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>enhancements and changes have been made. Go directly to the tutorial:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>http://www.thetechjuggernaut.com/2016/09/13/ios-10-is-here-tutorial-and-demo-with-voiceover/<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>DID YOU KNOW …<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Art insight – The Museum of Modern Art offers a free program for the blind and <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>partially sighted community. Tours are led by specially trained educators who <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>highlight specific themes, artists and exhibitions through verbal description <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>and touch. For more information, call 212-408-6619 or e- mail <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>accessprograms@moma.org<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>NASA internships for Summer 2017 – This is for high school students and older: <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Submit your application by March 1, 2017 to http://intern.nasa.gov/. Apply to <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>specific internships to get a mentor. Contact Information: Voice: <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>301-286-9281, Fax: 301-286-1655, E-mail: kenneth.a.silberman@nasa.gov<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>NFB Songs Available on CD – The collection of new NFB songs that was released <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>in 2015 as “The Rhythm of the Movement” is available from the NFB Independence <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Market. Call the Independence Market at 410-659-9314, extension 2216. Many of <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>the older songs can be found on the NFB website at https://nfb.org/nfb-songs<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Free Federation E-Book Available – Get the new free e-book “Building The Lives <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>We Want: The Seventy-Fifth Anniversary History of the National Federation of <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>the Blind” through this link: https://nfb.org/pubs/building-the-lives-we-want. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Multiple access options are available for reading.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>FROM THE KITCHENS OF YOUR PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>These recipes are reprinted from the March 2003 issue of The Braille Monitor. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>They are as delicious today as they were then! Enjoy!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>RUFF’S PUFFS<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Submitted by Joe Ruffalo<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Editor’s Note: Joe enjoys baking, and for 10 years, baked for local <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>establishments, friends and family.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Ingredients – makes 12 large cream puffs<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>1 cup all-purpose flour 1 box of instant pudding<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>1 stick butter or margarine 1-1/2 cups milk<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>4 large eggs 1/2 cup sour cream<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>1 cup of water<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Directions: In a one-quart saucepan combine one cup water and one stick <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>butter. Place saucepan on low heat, bringing the water and butter to a rolling <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>boil. Turn off heat and add one cup flour, stirring with wooden spoon until <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>the mixture is thick and there are no lumps (approximately three to five <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>minutes). When the batter is perfect, the wooden spoon will stand straight up <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>in it. Place batter in a large mixing bowl. Add four large eggs, one at a <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>time, stirring constantly to insure that the batter remains stiff. When all <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>four eggs have been worked in and you are satisfied with the stiffness of the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>batter, you are ready to make the Ruff's puff shells.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>You may want to grease the cookie sheets you use for baking the puffs if they <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>do not have a nonstick surface or are not already well seasoned. Use a <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>quarter-cup to measure the batter. Be sure to pack the batter into the cup so <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>that you have no air pockets. Smooth the surface of the batter with the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>reverse side of a butter knife, allowing excess batter to fall back into the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>mixing bowl. Place the batter on the cookie sheet by sliding the butter knife <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>around the inside of the measuring cup to loosen it. If the resulting puff is <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>not round, shape it with your hands. Leave one to two inches of space around <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>each puff. Place sheet in preheated 375-degree oven for thirty-five to forty <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>minutes or until the smell of the puffs tells you that they are golden brown. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Halfway through the cooking process, rotate the cookie sheet 180 degrees to <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>insure even baking. Be very certain that the puffs are done; they will fall <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>when removed from the pans if they are not thoroughly done and a bit crisp to <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>the touch.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>When done, gently remove puffs from cookie sheet and allow to cool on a rack <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>or plate. Do not cut puffs until they are room temperature. While puffs are <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>cooling, in a large metal mixing bowl make the cream filling. Use one package <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>vanilla or chocolate instant pudding. Once the instant pudding is in the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>mixing bowl, add one and a half cups milk, any kind – whole milk adds a <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>calorie or two but makes the filling noticeably richer. Then add 1/2 cup of <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>sour cream. Using an electric mixer on low speed, mix filling for <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>approximately two minutes, then increase speed to high for about thirty <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>seconds. Allow to stand at room temperature for approximately ten minutes. If <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>you prefer to mix the cream by hand, use an egg beater for about three to five <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>minutes or until the cream thickens.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Use a sharp knife to cut puffs before filling them. I cut puffs horizontally <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>about three-quarters of the way through, approximately in the middle. This <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>should expose a hollow space in the center. If not, pull out enough of the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>soft center to make your own hollow for filling. Using a tablespoon, begin <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>filling the puffs with the cream and then close them again. Place in the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>refrigerator and enjoy the cleanup. Double the recipe, and you will double the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>calories. Enjoy the Ruff's Puffs and watch your waistline grow.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>CAPPUCCINO CHEESECAKE<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Submitted by Jerilyn Higgins<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Editor’s Note: Jerilyn is the Godmother of the Kitchen, where she continues to <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>assist with growing your waistline.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Ingredients<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>2 8-ounce packages cream cheese<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>3 eggs<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>3 cups sour cream<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>¼ cup coffee<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>1-2 cups sugar<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>2 teaspoons vanilla<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>4 ounces melted chocolate chips<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Oreo cookie crumb crust mix<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Directions<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Preheat oven to 350 degrees<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>With electric mixer, combine sugar and cream cheese<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Add eggs, one at a time, then add sour cream<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Dissolve 1 tablespoon of instant coffee in ¼ cup hot water and add to mixture<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Melt chocolate chips in microwave for 1 minute, add to mixture, beat well<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Add vanilla<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Prepare Oreo crumb crust in Springform pan, following package directions<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Pour the mixture into pan<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Pour water into a larger pan to make a bath for the cheesecake<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Turn off oven and leave cake in closed oven for one hour<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Garnish with whipped cream or Cool Whip and chocolate-covered coffee beans<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>NFBNJ CONTACT INFORMATION<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>NFB National Center<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> President<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> Mark Riccobono 410-659-9314<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>NFB State Affiliate<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> President<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> Joseph Ruffalo 973-743-0075<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> First Vice President<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> Jerilyn Higgins 973-239-8874<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> Second Vice President<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> Mary Jo Partyka 609-888-5459<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> Secretary<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> Alice Eaddy 856-765-0601<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> Treasurer<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> Brian Mackey 609-953-6988<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> Board Members<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> Rebecca Bryant 973-732-6559<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> Linda DeBerardinis 856-735-5559<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> Jane Degenshein 973-736-5785<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> Dan Facchini 201-906-8655<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> Mary Fernandez 732-857-7004<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> Anthony Lanzilotti 267-414-4010<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>NFBNJ Chapters<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>At-Large Chapter<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> Conference call last Thurs. of the<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> month, 8 p.m., except July & Nov.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> 712-432-0180, enter code 460994<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> Joe Ruffalo 973-743-0075<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Capital Chapter<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Third Sat., Hamilton Twp Public Library, 10 a.m. - noon<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Mary Jo Partyka 609-888-5459<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> choirnfb@gmail.com<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Central Jersey Chapter<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Second Sat., JKTC, New Brunswick, 10 a.m. - noon<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Jerilyn Higgins 973-239-8874<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> jdhiggins3@verizon.net<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Garden State Chapter<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Third Sat., Kennedy Memorial Hospital auditorium, Cherry Hill 10 a.m.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> Ryan Stevens 856-520-0016<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> rysteve@comcast.net<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Glasstown Chapter<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>First Sat., Inspira Fitness Center,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>1430 W Sherman, Vineland 9:45 a.m.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Lydia Keller 856-696-3518<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> lydiakeller@comcast.net<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Northeast Chapter<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Third Sat., St. Mathew’s Church, Secaucus 10 a.m.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> Dan Facchini 201-906-8655<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> danfb@verizon.net<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Northern Chapter<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Third Sat., Free Public Library, 3rd Floor, Newark, 10 a.m. – noon, Braille <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>classes immediately following<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> Rebecca Bryant 973-732-6559<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> rirvin14@optonline.net<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>South Jersey Shore Chapter<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Second Sat., Lions Blind Center, Absecon, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Anthony Lanzilotti 267-414-4010<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> Tti777@gmail.com<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>NFB of NJ Divisions<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Blind Merchants<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> Dan Facchini 201-906-8655<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> danfb@verizon.net<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Braille Division<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Mary Jo Partyka 609-888-5459<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>choirnfb@gmail.com<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Deaf-Blind Division<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Alice Eaddy 856-765-0601<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>cheiro_alice@aol.com<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Diabetes Division<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> Rebecca Bryant 973-732-6559<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> rirvin14@optonline.net<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Guide Dog Users<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> Dan Facchini 201-906-8655<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> danfb@verizon.net<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Parents of Blind Children<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> Carol Castellano 973-377-0976<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>blindchildren@verizon.net<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Senior Blind<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> Jane Degenshein 973-736-5785<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> Jdegen16@comcast.net<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Students<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> Vee Gaspa 434-989-1868<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> Veronica.gaspa@student.shu.edu<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Technology Division<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> Jane Degenshein 973-736-5785<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> Jdegen16@comcast.net<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Programs, Projects & Committees<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Adopt Adaptive Equipment<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> Joe Ruffalo 973.743.0075<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> nfbnj1@verizon.net<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> Ed Godfrey 856-848-6372<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> egodfrey137@gmail.com<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>BELL Program<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> Mary Jo Partyka 609-888-5459<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> choirnfb@gmail.com<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> Holly Miller 732-610-5478<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> pobcnj@gmail.com<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Blind Children’s Resource Center<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> Carol Castellano 973-377-0976<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> www.blindchildren.org<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> blindchildren@verizon.net<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Braille Mentoring Program<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> Mary Jo Partyka 609-888-5459<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> choirnfb@gmail.com<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Building Chapters & Membership<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> Rick Fox 973-743-6107<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> richardfox1@comcast.net<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>GreenDrop<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> Linda DeBerardinis 856-735-5559<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> ljdeber3@comcast.net<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Legislative Coordinator<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> Ryan Stevens 856-520-0016<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> rysteve@comcast.net<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>NFB Newsline<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> Jane Degenshein 973-736-5785<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> Jdegen16@comcast.net<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Public Relations/Press Releases<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> Joe Ruffalo 973-743-0075<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> nfbnj1@verizon.net<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Resolutions<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> Ryan Stevens 856-520-0016<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> rysteve@comcast.net<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Scholarship<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> Jerilyn Higgins 973-239-8874<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> jdhiggins3@verizon.net<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Vehicle Donation Program<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Anthony Lanzilotti 267-414-4010<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText> tti777@gmail.com<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>CHAPTER AND DIVISION UPDATES CAN BE FOUND ON THE NFBNJ WEBSITE<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Deadline for the Spring 2017 issue is March 15, 2017.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>CHECK US OUT ON THE WEB AT<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>www.nfbnj.org www.blindchildren.org<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>To receive The Sounding Board and other information via e-mail,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>please contact Alice Eaddy at nfbnj.secretary@aol.com<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Keep Smiling,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Janie Degenshein<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>"Happiness isn't having what you want, but wanting what you already have"<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Facilitator of ECHO<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>(Eyes Closed Hearts Open)<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>President, National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey Senior Division<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>President, National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey Technology Division<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>NFBNJ newsline coordinator<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>jdegen16@comcast.net <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>_______________________________________________<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>NFB-Seniors mailing list<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>NFB-Seniors@nfbnet.org<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-seniors_nfbnet.org<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Division website: http://seniors.nfb.org<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NFB-Seniors:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfb-seniors_nfbnet.org/newmanrl%40cox.net<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></body></html>