[Nfb-editors] Kansas Autumn-Winter "Tap Tracks"

Sat Nov 12 23:05:37 UTC 2011

Here is Kansas's most recent newsletter, enjoy: 

National Federation of the Blind of Kansas Newsletter

TAP TRACKS

Autumn / Winter 2011

Editorial Staff: 

Susan Tabor, Editor-in-Chief 

Susie Stanzel and Tom Page, Associate Editors

Materials for the next issue of TAP TRACKS which will be in spring of 2012
should be submitted by January 31, 2012. Send or email your contributions
to:

Susan Tabor

1234 Tennessee Street

Lawrence, Kansas 66044-3226

Phone (home): 785-841-3875

Cell: 785-865-9949

E-mail: souljourner at sbcglobal.net

Thank you! 

>From the Desk of the President 

By Donna Wood, President,

National Federation of the Blind of Kansas 

It is now the second half of 2011 and the first half was very busy for us in
the National Federation of the Blind of Kansas.  Four of our members went to
Daytona Florida at the end of January to be present for our history-making
Blind Driver Challenge.  At the Daytona Rolex 24 Mark Riccobono demonstrated
the car that can be driven by a blind person.  Several members attended the
Washington seminar in February, where they met with legislators and aides to
discuss the issues most impacting the blind.  

At the end of March, the NFB of Kansas held a leadership development seminar
in Lawrence, Kansas.  Ron Gardner facilitated this two day seminar.  In July
approximately 20 members of the NFB of Kansas attended the national
convention in Orlando, Florida.  A grand time was had by all!

A significant issue came to our attention at the convention that would
impact many blind Americans.  We were made aware of section 511 in the
workforce investment act that was to be voted on by the Health, Environment,
Labor and Pension (HELP) committee.  Section 511 stated that subminimum
wages could be paid to employees that were disabled.  As an organization we
found this to be unacceptable and discriminatory to the disabled.  At
convention we called the Senators on the HELP committee and passed around
and signed a petition to either take this section out or vote down the
workforce investment act.  Through our efforts we were able to cause the
committee to put off the vote.

[For comments from Dr. Frederic Schroeder check:
http://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/documents/word/FKS_Subminimum_Wage_Speech.doc 

and from former NY governor David Patterson check:
http://www.nfb.org/NewsBot.asp?ID=828&MODE=VIEW

Ed.]

After the convention we came home and continued to work hard on this issue.
On Tuesday, July 26, 2011 almost 30 blind and disabled individuals held an
information rally in front of Senator Pat Roberts' office in Wichita.  The
rallies were held nationwide in each state that had a senator on the HELP
committee.  As a result of the petitions and rallies and other advocacy, we
were able again to put the vote off until September.  

[For press on the rally check:

http://blogs.kansas.com/gov/2011/07/26/blind-workers-picket-for-equal-salary
-rights-outside-wichita-senate-office/ 

Or for a video check:

http://www.ksn.com/news/local/story/Blind-persons-protest-proposed-employmen
t-bill/_FicKsgv4E6XlqfI0EGCUA.cspx 

Ed.]

It is now coming up on the fall, and that brings us to our state convention.
The National Federation of the Blind of Kansas will be holding our state
convention in Wichita at the Airport Hilton, located at 2098 Airport Road
Wichita, KS 67209.  For reservations call (316) 945-5272.  Deadline for room
reservations is October 7, 2011.  Room rates are $72 per night. 

Pre-registration for the Convention is $5 and registration for the
convention at the door is $10.  Tickets for the luncheon on Saturday are $10
each and banquet tickets for Saturday evening are $20 each.  This year's
National Representative is Pam Allen (please see her bio later in this
newsletter).

We will also be presenting a seminar on Friday October 21 from 1:00 p.m. to
5:00 p.m.  The workshop is entitled, COLLABORATIVE STRATEGIES FOR EMPLOYMENT
SUCCESS.  Buna Dahal, formerly on the staff at the Colorado Center for the
Blind and now a private consultant, will be presenting this seminar (please
see her bio in this newsletter). If you are a member of the National
Federation of the Blind of Kansas, you may attend Buna's seminar free of
charge. For those who are not members of NFBKS and want to attend Buna's
seminar, there will be a $75 fee charged.

On Saturday October 22, general sessions will focus on the job search,
employment, technology and the skills you need to be a confident blind
person.  We will be giving away Apple gift certificates for accessible Apple
products.  We will also be giving away a HIMS Book Sense reader.  So come
and join us and register to get your name in the drawing for one of these
great prizes!!!  

MEET PAM ALLEN

Pam Dubel was born in 1970 and grew up in Lancaster, New York. She became
blind when she was approximately two years old as a result of retinal
blastoma, a type of cancer. Although her parents were shocked by her loss of
sight, they fortunately realized that she was still the same child except
that she could no longer see. Through love and high expectations, they
instilled in Pam a sense of pride and confidence in her ability to succeed.
Growing up as the youngest of six children also helped her learn to be
independent. Since she was the youngest, nobody, especially the brother a
year older than she, let her get away with anything. Pam attended a private
Catholic school, where she was the only blind student. Her itinerant teacher
provided a sound foundation in Braille, which helped her excel in academics.
Her parents expected her to do her best and to engage in activities that
would make her a well-rounded person. She participated in horseback riding,
skiing, and cheerleading during elementary school. During high school her
interests shifted to performing in chorus, doing community service, and
having fun with her friends.

While growing up, Pam had limited contact with other blind people her age.
In general she had no desire to associate with other blind people. She
understood that every high school senior experiences some trepidation about
the transition to adulthood and independence. However, as high school
graduation approached, she began to grapple with questions that her sighted
peers couldn't answer. She planned to attend college, and she hoped that she
would eventually find a job, but she secretly wondered if she would truly be
able to obtain employment. After all, she had had difficulty finding
part-time work during high school. She had also never lived on her own, and
she wondered how successful she would be at that.

Although she entered college with some apprehension, she was determined to
achieve her best. Her small liberal arts college provided an exciting
environment in which to learn and grow. But those unanswered questions
continued to nag at her. If people were amazed that she could accomplish the
most insignificant tasks, would they ever treat her as an equal? She
realized that she had to meet other blind people with more experience than
she who could serve as role models.

Her search exposed her to a wide variety of groups and organizations of and
for the blind. However, not until she attended a student seminar hosted by
the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio did she begin to find the
answers for which she had been searching. Although she didn't realize it at
the time, the seminar marked the beginning of a new chapter of her life. At
the seminar she met Barbara Pierce, president of the NFB of Ohio, who told
Pam about the Louisiana Center for the Blind. More than that, she spoke with
Joanne Wilson, the director, and arranged for Pam to complete an internship
at the center the following May. As soon as that was completed, Joanne
invited her to work as a counselor in the children's summer program that
year. 

Pam was a 1991 National Federation of the Blind scholarship winner when she
was a senior at Denison University, where she majored in psychology and
minored in women's studies. She served as vice president of the Ohio
Association of Blind Students and a board member of the National Association
of Blind Students, and throughout college she worked summers for Joanne
Wilson at the Louisiana Center for the Blind with the Children's Program. 

After graduation from college Pam decided to become a student at the
Louisiana Center for the Blind. She recognized that she still needed to gain
some confidence in her skills and in her ability to be a successful blind
person.

Today Pam Allen is the director of the Louisiana Center for the Blind after
having been the director of youth services there for many years. In that
position she worked with blind infants and toddlers and their parents and
also supervised the training of classroom aides to teach Braille throughout
Louisiana. She coordinated summer camps and developed programs for blind
children and teenagers.

People often ask her what makes the Louisiana Center for the Blind such a
special place. She responds, "What sets our alumni apart from those of other
kinds of rehabilitation facilities? The answer is that, by attending our
center and the other centers conducted by Federationists, students are
exposed to the National Federation of the Blind and its philosophy. The NFB
is more than an organization; it is a loving family. Regardless of where you
are, you can find members of the NFB who can give you support and
encouragement when you need it. The NFB also provides a constant supply of
role models who challenge you to set goals for yourself."

Allen recalls that she used to believe that she did not need other blind
people. She thought that being independent meant succeeding without the help
of others. Her involvement with the National Federation of the Blind has
taught her that this is not true. She has learned that she needs
reinforcement from her blind colleagues and friends.

Pam lives in Ruston, Louisiana, with her husband Roland Allen, an
orientation and mobility instructor at Louisiana Tech University, whom she
met at the Louisiana Center for the Blind. She is currently the president of
the NFB of Louisiana and secretary of the National Association of Blind
Rehabilitation Professionals. In July of 2002 she was elected to the
National Federation of the Blind board of directors. Four years later, in
2006, she was elected to serve as treasurer of the National Federation of
the Blind. Allen is also involved in a variety of community and professional
organizations. She says, "Being elected to the national board has allowed me
to give back and to spread the message of our movement."

[For more info on the Louisiana Center for the Blind check:
http://lcb-ruston.com Ed.]

MEET BUNA DAHAL!

"The powerful personality generates positive energy and creativity." -- Buna
Dahal  

A dynamic Leadership Strategist, Buna Dahal is an expert in teaching people
how to think out of the box. She has demonstrated this ability by inspiring
her clients to discover new, innovative, creative and empowering
experiences. 

Buna is highly skilled in marketing persons with different abilities to the
business world. In a staffing market where over 70% of the working-age blind
and visually impaired remain unemployed, she has maintained an annual
placement rate of over 85%. Buna has consistently achieved 100% placement
with her work-experience and intern clients annually. While working as the
Employment Specialist for the Colorado Center for the Blind she cultivated
an average of 48 employer relations per year since 2000. She has
successfully planned, organized and delivered a wide range of training
sessions, workshops, seminars and job fairs both locally and nationally.
Throughout her years of creating job-readiness curricula, networking events,
and staff development programs, Buna has always focused on developing
long-term relationships with the hiring authorities and prospective
employers. She has well established relationships with Workforce Investment
One-Stop Centers. 

Born and raised in Nepal, Buna has been blind since birth. At 18 she was
awarded a scholarship to study in the United States. 

At an early age Buna realized that she had a dream. not just to survive but
to live. She had a desire to spread her wings because she knew there is much
more in life than just existing. Today she fully lives her life with
confidence and competence by inspiring others across the globe. 

The national and international media has published numerous articles and
interviews touching upon her personal and professional success. In this
respect her story was recently featured in CBS-Channel 4 Colorado, Morning
News. Buna was invited to present an empowering speech at the United Nations
in 2007. In 2006, when Buna went home to visit her family for the first time
in 16 years, Nepal Television and Kantipoor Television interviewed her. For
promoting literacy she was recognized as a community leader by the City of
Littleton, Colorado during the 2004 National Library of the Month
celebration. MSNBC hailed Buna Dahal as a "Young Inspirational Leader" in a
nationally broadcast interview in 2000.

Buna believes, "Retaining the job requires more creativity than obtaining a
job."  

[For more check: http://www.dynamicbuna.com Ed.]

CALL FOR RESOLUTIONS!

By Susan Tabor, Editor

Each year at our state convention, members bring resolutions concerning
changes they'd like to see in services for the blind, both public and
private and for changes they'd like to see from entities who are not
complying with accessibility laws.

This year is no different! Dianne Hemphill is our resolutions committee
chair this year.  It would be best if she has your resolutions that you are
proposing prior to the convention.  You may email them to her at:
diannehemphill at cox.net or you may snail-mail them to her at:

Dianne Hemphill

600 N. Bel Rue

Derby, KS.  67037

If you have questions, you may call Dianne at 316-201-1323.

The resolutions committee will meet Friday evening; check your agenda when
you get to the convention for location information of the meeting, which
will take place at 8-00 p.m. Resolutions that pass during a vote of the
entire membership on Sunday morning will then be sent on to the appropriate
entities.

BOARD MEETING?

By Susan Tabor

Sometimes our NFB State Board has a full general board meeting at the
Convention. This year, there will be no board meeting during the Convention
unless an emergency meeting is called.  The board will meet shortly after
the convention.  

As always check http://www.nfbks.org for ongoing updates.  Also to stay in
touch register for the home-on-the-range listserv by sending an email with
the word subscribe in the subject line to
home-on-the-range-request at nfbnet.org 

Contact us at:

National Federation of the Blind of Kansas

President, Donna J. Wood 

11405 W. Grant

Wichita KS 67209

http://www.nfbks.org

Registration for the 

NFBKS State Convention 

October 21-23,, 2011 

Please send registration form and payment to Bob Fuller at 1746 Mississippi
St., Lawrence, KS 66044. Please make checks payable to the National
Federation of the Blind of Kansas. 

If you are registering multiple attendees, please include all names of those
you are registering. 

Name:  

Address:_____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

Telephone:

E-mail:

Pre-registration:  $5.00 

Registration at the door:  $10.00 

Luncheon: $10.00 

Banquet:  $20.00 

Do you plan to attend the seminar entitled STRATEGIES FOR EMPLOYMENT SUCCESS
to be held on Friday, October 21 from 1-00 to 5-00 p.m.?   If you are a
member of the National Federation of the Blind of Kansas, you may attend the
seminar free of charge.  Otherwise, there will be a $75 fee for attending
Friday's seminar. 

The convention will be held at the Airport Hilton which is located at 2098
Airport Road; Wichita, KS 67209. Call for room reservations at 316-945-5272.
Room rates are $72 per night. The hotel is holding a block of rooms until
October 7, after which time any unreserved rooms will be released. Please
come and join us in changing what it means to be blind in Kansas! 

NFB of KS                             FREE MATTER FOR THE BLIND

1451 Fairview

Wichita KS 67203

Robert Leslie Newman

President, Omaha Chapter NFB

President, NFB Writers' Division

Division Website

 <http://www.nfb-writers-division.> http://www.nfb-writers-division.net

Chair, Newsletter Publication committee

Personal Website-

 <http://www.thoughtprovoker.info/> http://www.thoughtprovoker.info