[Nfb-editors] Oklahoma - NFB OK Today - Winter 2013
Robert Leslie Newman
newmanrl at cox.net
Wed Mar 13 15:40:30 UTC 2013
NFB Ok Today
Winter 2013
Glenda Farnum, Editor
Audrey Farnum, Co-editor
Published by e-mail, on the Web and through Newsline by
The National Federation of the Blind of Oklahoma
<http://www.nfbok.org> www.nfbok.org
Jeannie Massay, President
National Federation of the Blind of Oklahoma
457 N Blackwelder, Edmond, OK 73034
E-mail: <mailto:president at nfbok.org> president at nfbok.org
Letters to the President, address changes, subscription requests, letters to
the Editor and articles for NFB OK Today should be sent to the editor by
e-mail to <mailto:gfarnum at cox.net> gfarnum at cox.net. The editorial staff
reserves the right to edit all articles for space and/or clarity
considerations.
Please Note: The deadline for the Spring issue is May 1, 2013.
NFB OK Today subscriptions cost the Federation about six dollars per year.
Members are invited and non-members are requested to cover the subscription
cost. Donations should be sent to the
National Federation of the Blind of Oklahoma
457 N Blackwelder, Edmond, OK 73034.
NFB OK Today will be provided upon request in print. To subscribe to
Newsline, contact Oklahoma Library for the Blind at 405.521.3514 or
800.523.0288.
If you or a friend would like to remember the National Federation of the
Blind of Oklahoma in your will, you can do so by employing the following
language:
"I give, devise and bequeath unto the National Federation of the Blind of
Oklahoma, 457 N Blackwelder, Edmond, OK 73034, a non-profit corporation,
the sum of $__ (or "__ percent of my net estate" or "The following stocks
and bonds: __") to be used for its worthy purposes on behalf of blind
persons."
Donations to the Oklahoma Affiliate of the national Federation of the Blind
may be made online at www.nfbok.org , or mailed to the following address:
National Federation of the Blind
of Oklahoma
Attn: Jeannie Massay
457 N. Blackwelder
Edmond, OK 73034
Table of Contents
A Message from the President by Jeannie Massay
How Braille Turned Me into a Purse Junkie by Audrey T. Farnum
Common Ground by Glenda Farnum
Washington Seminar by Glenda Farnum
OABM Update by Rob Brown
BELL Update by Tamala Young
Fun in the Sun by Steve Crawford and Selena Sundling
Central Oklahoma Chapter Update by Audrey Farnum
>From the Kitchen by Mark and Nedra Ruth
Upcoming Events
A Message from the President
Jeannie Massay, President, NFB of Oklahoma
Welcome to the first issue of the New Year! NFBOK today has gone thru some
growing pains along with a brand new look and format. We all hope you enjoy
it. Thanks to Glenda Farnum for her work in facilitating and managing, the
editorial duties associated with our awesome newsletter.
It is difficult to know where to start on this issues Message from the
President article. We have so much going on! This is not a terrible
problem to have, I must say! We are continuing momentum of growth in some
key areas; new chapters and divisions; Lawton and a 2nd Tulsa Chapter, a
Parents of Blind Children Division, an Oklahoma Association of Blind
Merchants, a BELL (Braille Enrichment for Literacy and Learning) program
coming up this summer for children ages 4-14 who have not yet been exposed
to Braille, our 2013 state convention and much, much, more. Whew!
These projects are the results of our Strategic Planning meeting, which
occurred in the fall of 2012. A number of affiliate leaders from across the
state came together to make plans in preparation for the future of the
National Federation of the Blind in Oklahoma. The possibilities of what we
can accomplish when we plan for the future and hold ourselves to the
expectations that we have set and follow through on those plans, are
limitless. We are a membership organization. This means that the members
are the driving force of everything, really, everything that we do. We have
some excellent leaders, some new leaders who are learning the ropes, old
members, new members, those who are not yet members and the children who are
our future members along with their parents. It will take all of us working
together to continue our growth and the fulfillment of what our mission as
an organization is.
What is our mission, you say? The mission of the National Federation of the
Blind is to achieve widespread emotional acceptance and intellectual
understanding that the real problem of blindness is not the loss of eyesight
but the misconceptions and lack of information, which are pervasive in our
society. We believe this to be the true problem associated with blindness.
Not the capacity or capability of the blind. We know that we have
capability. We know that we have capacity. We seek equality in our society
because we know that we are equal. We seek reform and improvement in
education across levels and in rehabilitation for the blind because we know
that it is necessary and we are willing to stand up for our blind children,
our blind brothers and sisters and for each other.
We must stand up together to achieve the goals that our mission sets forth.
We cannot accomplish these things alone. With the will to prepare, with
hard work with love and understanding that we are the experts about
blindness, that we are capable, we are a part of our society, and that, we
can speak for ourselves, by working together within our local chapters, our
affiliate and within our national organization. There is nothing that can
hold us back!
What part will you choose to play in our mission? A great one, I hope.
Please contact me if you are interested in learning more about the National
Federation of the Blind and any of the above projects at the contact
information below.
In this issue, you will learn about our national legislative agenda, our
plans for new chapters, our upcoming state convention, the BELL program,
national convention and much more!
Read on, Join in and Enjoy!
Warmest regards,
Jeannie
Jeannie Massay, President
National Federation of the Blind of Oklahoma
<mailto:jeannie.massay at nfbok.org> jeannie.massay at nfbok.org
405-600-0695
How Braille Turned Me into a Purse Junkie
Audrey T. Farnum
January 4, 2013, was what would have been Louis Braille's 204th birthday.
As I read many comments on Twitter and FaceBook about the occasion, I
started thinking about how much Braille has impacted my life over the past
few years. Although I have been legally blind since birth, I was a very
high partial who mainstreamed in public schools and got by with reading
print. I occasionally relied on large print, and as I got older and my
reading load increased, I turned to audio books to help me keep up with my
sighted peers. No one ever suggested that it might be beneficial for me to
learn Braille, and to be honest, had it ever been suggested to me, I
probably would have fought against it with every fiber of my being. I was
young, insecure and trying to hide my blindness so I could fit in. I have
no doubt that I would have been horrified by the idea of using Braille at
school. Looking back on it, I probably would have received more acceptance
in school had I embraced my blindness. At least then, my peers would have
understood the reasons for the behaviors for which I was frequently
ridiculed. Instead, I largely kept to myself and clung to a small group of
friends who accepted me without question or need for an explanation. I
always felt awkward and out of place and ashamed because I was different
but, I survived and made it through school. I went on to college then law
school. While the pressure to fit in decreased with age, I still did
everything I could to cover up my blindness.
Then, in 1999, my retina in my left eye detached and I lost all my vision in
that eye. I was 25 at the time and fresh out of law school looking for my
first job as an attorney. When I lost the eye, I remember thinking that I
was probably on borrowed time with my remaining eye and learning Braille
would be wise. But after the initial shock wore off and I got used to
working with my one eye, I reverted to my old ways and stuck to print and
some audio. Finally, February 2006 rolled around and I had just had a
second vitrectomy on my right eye to try to repair a detached retina. I
went to the doctor the day after surgery to have my bandage removed and get
some post surgery follow up. This second vitrectomy involved putting some
silicon oil in my eye to hold the retina in place, so there was no waiting
for a gas bubble to disappear with the hope of my vision returning to
pre-detachment quality. When the patch came off, I knew that was the best
things were going to get. I thought I was ready for it, but when I opened
my eye for the first time and all I could see was distorted wavy shapes,
light and colors that were all wrong, I came to the terrifying realization
that I was no longer going to be able to glide through life acting like I
was sighted. I was blind, and a lot of things were about to change.
Of all the things that I could no longer do, the thing that was most
upsetting to me was the inability to read. I could no longer read print and
I had never learned Braille. With all my education and the fancy degrees
hanging on my wall at work, I was functionally illiterate. It was a soul
crushing development for me. While I knew that the other blindness skills I
was learning in rehabilitation were important and essential to independence,
I needed Braille most of all to restore my self worth.
I was scheduled to go to a rehabilitation center for 12 weeks of training to
learn Braille, among other skills. When I went to this center for a 2 week
evaluation in June of 2006, I was told all the usual nonsense about how hard
it is to learn Braille as an adult and not to expect too much from myself.
Basically, the vibe I got from this place was that I should focus on
learning to use audio for all my reading needs. Fortunately, the best way
to get me to do something is to tell me it can't be done. So, I went home
and resolved to get a head start on Braille. I was told it would take the
whole 12 week training program to learn uncontracted, grade 1 Braille. That
wasn't good enough for me. If that's all they wanted to teach me, then I
decided I'd learn uncontracted Braille before I went back to the center in
September so I could force them to teach me more. I found a Braille teacher
in Oklahoma City who got me started and in 4 weeks, I was reading
uncontracted Braille. I couldn't read fast, but it was an encouraging start
and it was proof to me that the rubbish that had been fed to me during my
evaluation was wrong.
I went back to the center in September 2006, for my 12 weeks of training.
One of the biggest highlights of the experience for me was sitting down for
my first Braille lesson. I was paired up with one other student who had no
Braille experience and a bad attitude to boot. As the teacher was handing
us uncontracted Braille lesson books, I spoke up and told her that I had
learned that over the Summer and wanted to move on to contracted Braille.
My declaration was met with stunned silence. After a few moments passed,
she flipped open the book to a lesson at the back and told me to read it. I
oozed arrogance and confidence as I accepted her challenge and read the
passage she indicated. It was all I could do to keep myself from doing a
victory dance on the table. My fellow classmate with the bad attitude
dropped out of the program the next day and I conveniently found myself in a
one on one Contracted Braille class. I was the only client at the center
who learned contracted Braille during my time there.
About 10 weeks into the program, my Braille teacher gave me my first Braille
book to read, "Horton Hears a Who". She was very excited about my progress
and told me that in her years at the center, she had never had the
opportunity to teach contracted Braille to someone. She had done some touch
up with people who had learned Braille in school but were rusty from
non-use, but she had never taught a newly blind adult. I was stunned by
this and questioned her more about it. She said that most of her students
never even finished uncontracted Braille because they thought it was too
difficult and preferred relying on speech. I found this revelation to be
disheartening and depressing and I couldn't imagine why, barring some other
condition or medical complication, someone would choose to not read Braille.
It seemed to me that the expectations for newly blind adults were very low
and it made me sad. It would be a couple of years later before I would find
the NFB and discover that there were people with higher expectations and
people who truly believed in the capacity of the blind. I left that rehab
center with the false belief that what I had accomplished in my Braille
training was unusual. I later learned from my NFB family that it was not
and that I could do more.
So, I learned Braille and read a children's book. Big deal. I couldn't
read very fast and it was useless to me except for labeling and writing
short notes to myself. It was a start, but not enough. I wasn't using it
at work. I was devouring audio books but I wasn't really reading Braille.
At my first NFB National Convention in 2009, there was a panel discussion
about Braille literacy. Anil Lewis talked about his experience with
learning Braille and how he came to the realization that he needed to learn
it. He read his remarks in Braille and commented that he had been inspired
to learn Braille after stumbling through a speech a year earlier. Much of
what he described sounded eerily familiar to me. Suddenly it dawned on me
that memorizing a code does not make me literate. I couldn't read Braille
enough for it to be useful and I couldn't write more than a label or quick
note. I was still functionally illiterate and that center I went to did me
no favors by giving me the false belief that I was somehow special. I
resolved then and there that I would make more of an effort to read Braille.
I went home and ordered myself a Braille book. I tried to read for at least
an hour a day. Because of working full time and other stuff going on in my
life, I didn't always make that goal, but I kept reading and getting faster.
I finished that book, and another one after that, while my speed gradually
improved. Eventually, I decided to get a refreshable Braille display to use
with my iPod Touch. I found the experience of reading refreshable Braille
to be more satisfying since it removed the extra distraction of trying to
keep my place on a page. I turned off the speech on my Read2Go Bookshare
app. and read. Later, I discovered that reading newspaper articles with the
NFB Newsline app was a great way to practice since I could read a short
article and feel like I was accomplishing something every time I finished an
article. I would also read Twitter updates as a way to make myself read but
keep things short so I could manage my frustration level. My efforts paid
off and I started to feel comfortable reading. I was reading well enough
that I could now go into a restaurant and read a Braille menu in a
reasonable amount of time. This was encouraging and I was starting to feel
better about my skills.
I was in store for yet another humbling experience when I attended a
Leadership Seminar at the NFB Jernigan Institute in the Fall of 2012. I was
asked to write a brief assignment and my work could be hand written or
written in Braille. I have no confidence in my hand writing anymore, so it
was Braille or nothing for me. I had the option to have someone braille the
assignment for me, but I'm stubborn and decided it would be a good
experience to do it myself. I started out with a slate and stylus, but it
was taking forever and I knew I'd never get any sleep if I kept that up. I
had used a Perkins Brailler a couple of times during my rehab training, but
I didn't even remember how to load the paper correctly. Fortunately, my NFB
family is a helpful and encouraging bunch and one of my fellow seminarians
gave me a refresher course on the Brailler basics. Then I began the process
of laboriously typing my essay. I discovered that while I could read
contracted Braille, I apparently had been picking up a lot of what I was
reading from context. When I actually had to type in contracted Braille, I
couldn't remember about half the contractions I needed. I felt like an
idiot. With help from my new friend who patiently sat with me during the
whole process to tell me contractions I couldn't remember, I finally
finished my six sentence essay. It's an exaggeration to even call it six
sentences. A third of the way through, I gave up and broke my thoughts down
into a list so I wouldn't have to write so much. The whole thing barely
filled half a page and it took about an hour to write that little
masterpiece with the Brailler. And that's not counting the hour and a half
I spent composing my rough draft on my computer and the numerous attempts I
made to write the assignment with a slate. It was embarrassing to observe
how deficient my writing skills were and I can't imagine the patience it
took for my friend to sit with me while I struggled through my incompetence.
Shortly after my writing fiasco, the cell phone I had been using for years
finally kicked the bucket and I ended up with an iPhone. While I was
already a seasoned VoiceOver user with my iPod Touch, I had resisted getting
an iPhone because I preferred the text entry method on my Nokia N86 and
wanted to stick with it as long as possible for texting and Twitter. I love
VoiceOver on the iPhone, but I do find the process of typing with a touch
screen to be tedious at best. After several unsatisfying experiments with
different QWERTY Bluetooth keyboards, and with my writing failure fresh in
my mind, I decided it was time to learn how to type with the Braille
keyboard on my Braille display. It was slow going at first. I recall
spending about 30 minutes typing a short status update on FaceBook. But
after a week or two, I was typing at an acceptable speed with the Braille
keyboard and wondering why I hadn't tried that sooner. I can now type
faster with my Braille display than I could if my iPhone had a physical
keyboard instead of a touch screen. A fun side effect of learning to type
with my Braille display was that it helped me to read better and made me
faster with a slate and stylus.
I am now addicted to that Braille display as much as I am to my iPhone. The
two items are inseparable in my opinion and I don't go anywhere without
them. I felt so strongly about wanting my Braille display with me at all
times, that I actually went out and bought a purse specifically to carry it.
Not just any purse, mind you. I ended up with a $300 Coach purse. I
rationalized this expenditure by telling myself that my newly treasured
Braille display deserved to be carried around in style. This may not sound
like a big deal until you realize that in my 39 years of life, I have rarely
carried a purse. I'm a low maintenance kind of girl who values comfort and
convenience over fashion and social conventions. I have never felt the need
to lug around a bunch of extra stuff. I was of the opinion that if I
couldn't fit what I needed in my pockets, I didn't need to take it with me.
I thought women who spent hundreds of dollars on purses were idiots. Now,
because of the Braille display, I not only carry a purse, but I spent a
ridiculous amount of money on a Coach and had a blast doing it. I now have
multiple purses to suit different occasions and carrying needs and can't
resist cruising by the purse department every time I go to the mall. .
Everyone who knows me well is shocked by my sudden purse addiction. This
really is a major development in my life and it is all because Braille has
become an essential part of my daily existence.
Not only is typing on my iPhone now a pleasant experience, I also appreciate
the Braille display for giving me a way to use my phone in noisy
environments. Sometimes, at concerts or noisy sporting events, I might as
well not even have a phone because it is too loud to hear VoiceOver over
background noise. With Braille, background noise is no longer a problem.
The first time I made a FaceBook post completely with Braille and with no
help from VoiceOver, I honestly got a little teary. I suppose it's a little
silly, but using Braille at a noisy football game so I could use Twitter and
FaceBook during the game made me feel normal. It was ironic to me, that
after spending the majority of my life trying to hide my blindness and feel
normal that I suddenly achieved the feeling of normalcy by using Braille.
After observing how Braille has improved my quality of life and changed the
way that I think about myself and my blindness, I often wonder how my life
might have been better had I learned Braille as a child. It was assumed by
teachers, my parents and even by me that since I could read print, that was
the best option for me. But looking back on it, I think about all the eye
strain, the neck and back pain from hunching over my books and the extra
hours it took me to read because my low vision made reading slower for me.
I also think about the shame and embarrassment I felt when I had to give
presentations and would have to hold my notes a few inches in front of my
face. I was always self-conscious of the fact that my audience was seeing
the back of my notes and not my face. I'm not pointing fingers or placing
blame. I do believe that I had enough vision to warrant learning print and
it was a tool that I needed. But Braille would have been a nice extra
weapon to have in my arsenal of skills. I have no doubt that had I started
as a child, I would have ended up reading Braille as fast as my sighted
peers read print.
When I think of all the times Braille could have helped me, the first
situation that comes to mind is an experience I had during law school. I
had to do an oral argument in front of a mock appellate court. I spent the
whole semester preparing my case and the trial would determine my grade for
the class. I showed up to the oral argument in a spiffy new suit thinking I
was prepared and ready to wow the judges with my brilliance. I thought I
had planned ahead to deal with my note reading issues. I knew I would be
too nervous to rely solely on memory, so I put all my notes in large print
on index cards and was certain I would be able to look down at the podium to
read them. I don't know if it was nerves, different lighting from my
practice runs or both, but when I looked down, my notes were a blur. I
didn't want to hold the cards in front of my face so I tried to go from
memory. Ultimately, my oral argument was a complete disaster. I got
trounced by my opponent and looked like a stammering idiot. I got a C minus
in the class, the lowest grade I would receive in law school. It was one of
the 3 low points of my law school career, all of which had direct ties to my
blindness. It was also the exact moment I decided I did not want to be a
trial attorney. In hindsight, I understand how valuable Braille would have
been to me in my oral argument. My Braille notes could have rested
comfortably on the podium while I read them, likely unnoticed by the judges
or anyone else in the courtroom who witnessed my debacle. I would have
appeared more normal by embracing a blindness skill instead of trying to
rely on vision as the only answer and I know I would have received a higher
grade.
On more than one occasion, I have heard statements like, "Don't make that
child look blind and force him to read Braille. Print is more normal". My
experience is a classic demonstration that this belief is wrong and harmful.
It teaches a blind child to be ashamed of blindness and is a sure fire way
to cripple confidence. Braille should not be thought of as something that
only totally blind people use. It is not an inferior alternative to print
that should only be taught if there is no other option. Braille is a tool
to attain literacy and independence. We should teach our blind children to
be proud of Braille and see the value of literacy. Studies have shown that
there is a strong correlation between Braille literacy and employment.
Blind children have enough obstacles to deal with as it is. We shouldn't
rob them of an additional tool to overcome educational and employment
barriers just because they can read large print by straining and taking
extra rest periods. While a low vision child is resting his eyes so he can
start reading again, his peers are leaving him behind.
My journey with Braille is still in its infancy. I have made tremendous
progress over the past couple of years, but I know that I can still do
better. I still find myself regularly falling back to audio alternatives
because I am in a hurry and want to get things done faster. There are going
to be plenty of times when audio is simply more efficient for me and it will
always be a part of my life. However, I have found ways to make Braille
useful to me by using it in practical situations that are interesting and
meaningful to me. I will likely never be a fast Braille reader, but I
cherish Braille. I am so thankful that it is a daily part of my life. I
still need to practice but I am glad that I made the choice to learn and put
forth the effort. I am thankful to my NFB family who humbled me and
encouraged me to embrace Braille. And mostly, I am thankful to Louis
Braille, who as a teenager, created this life changing code because he
rightly believed that literacy and knowledge were essential to independence
for the blind.
Common Ground
Glenda Farnum
Legislative Director
NFB OK
In early February, I had the opportunity to visit the National Center for
the first time. My purpose for going to the center was to attend a
Legislative Directors seminar. Jeannie Massay and I arrived at the center
on Saturday afternoon. We were given our room assignments and I found
myself in a room with three other ladies from Mississippi, South Carolina
and New Mexico. Following a nice dinner where I met more people, we had our
first meeting to get acquainted and to receive an overview of the 2013 NFB
legislative agenda. Following the meeting, I was with a group who went to a
nearby pizza place for a little relaxation and socializing. I met more
people. I had the opportunity to be in the presence of NFB leaders and to
learn about NFB history from them.
On Sunday, we spent a full day learning about our legislative issues,
communicating with Congressional offices, and a lot of other topics designed
to prepare us for Washington Seminar. Following our Sunday session, we had
a nice dinner that included Super Bowl worthy dishes such as pizza and
wings. Then those of us who were interested listened to the game. Since we
were in Baltimore, there were a large number of Ravens fans present. We had
a great time joking around with a few 49er fans. Again, I met more people
from across the country. One guy I met knows my daughter, Audrey, so I
enjoyed getting to know him.
On Monday, we participated in mock meetings to discuss our issues. We
wrapped up the Legislative Seminar by grabbing a boxed lunch and getting on
a bus to head to Washington, DC for Washington Seminar. On the bus, I met
more people.
The seminar and trip to National Center allowed me to grow my NFB family. I
was able to learn of our NFB history and achievements. Because of this
experience, I better understand NFB philosophy, which will make me a better
leader at the State and local levels. I learned that if I got lost or
turned around someone was there to give me directions to where I needed to
go. Everyone was supportive, helpful, encouraging and accepting of me. I
met many new people from many walks of life and experiences. We are all
blind and as part of the NFB we are changing what it means to be blind.
Washington Seminar
Glenda Farnum
Legislative Director
NFB OK
Each year 500 blind members of NFB from all 50 states come to Washington, DC
to meet with our Congressional leaders. We are armed with our white canes, a
nifty button and the current NFB legislative agenda. This year's button has
Whozit and says "NFB in DC" on a black background in the upper half of the
button. The lower half of the button says "separate but equal" with a red
slash through it on a white background. The buttons message is significant
for me because the separate but equal mentality remains pervasive in our
society. For example it is legal to pay people with severe disabilities less
than minimum wage; it is acceptable for children who are blind to not
receive appropriate braille instruction; it is acceptable for Amazon to
manufacture and sale products that are not accessible to the blind; it is
acceptable for information on the internet to not be accessible to the blind
and it is acceptable for the unemployment rate of blind working age people
to be greater than 70 percent. This is not acceptable to me and many other
blind people.
Jeannie Massay, Audrey Farnum and I visited all of our Congressmen's and
Senator's offices. We were able to share our legislative concerns and answer
any questions the member or staff person asked. We provided each office with
an informational packet focused NFB at the State and National levels.
Our 2013 legislative agenda focuses on 3 issues:
The Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act: This legislation phases
out Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act, which allows employers to
pay disabled workers subminimum wages. By ending this exploitative,
discriminatory practice, disabled Americans will receive equal protection
under the law to earn at least the federal minimum wage and reach their full
employment potential.
Legislation for the Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act (HR 831)
has been introduced in the House by Congressman Harper of Mississippi.
Congressman Tom Cole has signed on as a cosponsor for this legislation. We
continue to work on obtaining additional cosponsors.
The Technology, Education and Accessibility in College and Higher Education
(TEACH) Act: Electronic instructional materials and related technology have
replaced traditional methods of learning in postsecondary settings.
Although it would be inexpensive to create e-books, courseware,
applications, and other educational devices and materials in accessible
formats, the overwhelming majority of these materials are inaccessible to
disabled students. This bill calls for minimum accessibility standards for
instructional materials, ending the "separate but equal" approach to
learning.
At this time this legislation does not have a sponsor. NFB legislative staff
is diligently working to get a sponsor.
Equal Access to Air Travel for Service-Disabled Veterans (HR 164):
The Space Available Program allows active-duty military, Red Cross
employees, and retired members of the armed services to travel on military
aircraft if there is space available. HR 164 reverses the exclusion of 100
percent service-disabled veterans who were discharged before retirement and
entitles them to the program's privileges.
HR 164 currently has 57 cosponsors and we are working on getting cosponsors
from Oklahoma. Congressman Markwayne Mullin's office has been in contact
with us and may be interested is cosponsoring the bill. Currently there are
68 cosponsors. A Senate version of this legislation has been introduced by
Senator Tester of Montana (S 346). The Senate bill currently has 9
cosponsors.
The NFB OK Legislative Committee will continue to work with the Oklahoma
Congressional delegation to provide information regarding legislative issues
and serve as a resource on blindness issues. as members of the NFB and as
residents of the State of Oklahoma, we need your help in achieving our
legislative agenda for 2013. Please contact your Senator and Congressman
and let them know that you, as their constituent, want them to support the
issues that we have presented to them.
If you are interested in additional information about NFB legislative
activities visit <http://www.nfb.org> www.nfb.org. If you have a
legislative issue at the State or local level contact me at
<mailto:gfarnum at cox.net> gfarnum at cox.net.
OABM Update
Rob Brown, OABM President
One of the newer Division to the OKNFB, the Oklahoma Association of Blind
Merchants (OABM) has hit the ground running. President, Rob Brown has
established 8 committees and has appointed chairs to the committees. The
committees are as follows:
By-Laws, Legislative, Policies, Credentials, Fundraising, Awards &
Recognition, Nominating, Flowers
Each committee chair will be calling a meeting and giving an update at their
annual conference to be held Saturday, April 6, 2013 during a breakout
session of the state NFB convention. Also, at that convention, on Friday
night, the OABM will be hosting a "meet and greet" at the hotel of the
convention. This will be an opportunity for the new members of this chapter
to meet the rest of the NFB membership that will be attending the state
convention.
The Division has already engaged the Business Enterprise Program leaders in
efforts to improve the program with a series of votes and two non-binding
requests presented to the state and/or the Elected Committee of Blind
Licensed Managers advocating for blind licensed managers. Also, the
Legislative Committee attended a Legislative Reception sponsored by the
Oklahoma Restaurant Association, allowing for some networking among state
senators and representatives
BELL Update
Tamala Young, NFB OK BELL Program Coordinator
Callie and Sandy Chappell and I went to Austin, Texas January 3rd and 4th to
meet with Richie Flores and the Texas Bell Ringers. This trip was very
exciting and informative and most importantly, Richie gave us a lot of
comfort in knowing that he and his team were there for us to help if we need
them.just a phone call away!
The first BELL program in Oklahoma will be held at the Oklahoma Library for
the Blind the weeks of June 10-14 and 17-21. The program is for blind
children ages 4 through 14 to provide exposure to braille for literacy and
learning.
We have a commitment from Linda Raleigh, TVI to be our TVI for the two weeks
of BELL program and welcome anyone else who is able to volunteer some time
during those weeks to help make this program a success. We could also use
help leading up to those weeks if anyone is able to volunteer to help
prepare materials and/or help in the fundraising efforts.
Sandy, Callie and Jeannie spoke with Sandy's Rotary club and made a
presentation requesting a donation and we received a donation of $1,000.00.
Thanks Ladies!
Linda Raleigh and I will be traveling to National in Maryland February 22-24
and look forward to obtaining lots of good information to come back to share
with the committee and the chapter.
Committee Members
Sandy Chappell
Eric Holland
Linda Raleigh
Tanya Skelly
Audrey Farnum
Rex Schuttler
Editor's note: Tamela and Linda attended the NFB BELL Workshop in Baltimore
on February 2nd through the 24th. They came back armed with knowledge and
plans to conduct an incredible NFB BELL Camp for our kids in Oklahoma!
Additional updates will become available on the NFB OK website and in the
spring issue of NFB OK today.
Fun in the Sun
Steve Crawford and Selena Sundling
Northeast Oklahoma Chapter
Do you need a vacation? Would you like to spend some time in the sun? If the
answer is yes then the Northeast Oklahoma Chapter has an offer you can't
refuse. They will be raffling a trip to Mexico. The details are below.
We are raffling off a seven night stay from which the winner may choose from
the following: The Grand Mayan in the Riviera Maya (Cancun), Acapulco, Nuevo
Vallarta, or Los Cabos. Look at all three properties at the following
website: <http://www.thegrandmayan.com> www.thegrandmayan.com. The winner
will book the trip through us for any Fri-Fri, Sat-Sat, or Sun-Sun through
Dec 31st 2014. The drawing is Oct 31st.
They can book anywhere from 45 days to 6 months in advance, based on
availability. We have personally stayed at the Cancun one for a total of 5
weeks. We still haven't done everything and I always plan an itinerary that
keeps us busy from early morning to late evening. The room has a Jacuzzi.
The hotel's pool is the second largest in Latin America with palm trees and
swim up bars. This pool is shared by the guests from the Mayan Palace and
the Grand Mayan. There is another pool that is only for the Grand Mayan
guests. The resort is so large that they have golf carts drive you around
to the pool, the restaurants, the store, the spa, the gym, the golf course,
and the front gate. The hotel is on the ocean. The Riviera Maya is a small
city so there are several things to do around the hotel such as ride a horse
next to and into the ocean and swim/walk through cenotes (caves, caverns).
The best part about this hotel for me though is location, location,
location. Many tours will pick you up in front of the hotel. Also, in
front of it you can catch the bus 30 minutes to Cancun. A crossed the
street, you can catch the bus 25 minutes to Playa Del Carmen where there are
many things to do and then from there you can catch the ferry 45 minutes to
Cozumel. Another ferry goes from Playa or Cozumel to Isla Mayjors. We also
took a ferry to Holbox Island which is where you go to swim with the whale
sharks. <http://www.cancun-discounts.com> www.cancun-discounts.com is an
excellent website to see all there is to do and they have great prices on
tours. This hotel rents to nonmembers for $2,173 per week. The room will
sleep two adults (at least 1 must be 21 or older) and two children under 12.
The tickets are $5 for 1 or $10 for 3.
The winner of the trip will need to have a passport. For more information
about the trip or to purchase tickets contact Steve Crawford at
<mailto:fire242 at sbcglobal.net> fire242 at sbcglobal.net.
Central Oklahoma Chapter Update
Audrey Farnum, President
The Central Oklahoma Chapter hosted its third annual Elmer Wright Memorial
Chili Supper on Saturday, February 23, 2013 at the First Presbyterian Church
of Edmond. We raised over $3000.00 that will be divided equally between our
scholarship fund and the chapter. We held a silent auction that included
hand crafted jewelry and woodwork items made by blind craftsmen, OKC Thunder
tickets and much more.
The Central Oklahoma Chapter is pleased to announce that our 2013 Elmer
Wright Memorial Scholarship winner is Callie Chappell. Callie is a recent
graduate of the Louisiana Center for the Blind in Ruston Louisiana where she
underwent intensive blindness skills training in order to acquire the skills
necessary for independence. Since going through the training, we have
watched Callie evolve into a confident and independent young woman who now
has the skills necessary to achieve her goal of becoming a chef. Callie will
be studying culinary arts at Francis Tuttle. We are proud of Callie and all
the progress she has made since coming to the Chapter a few short years ago.
Congratulations, Callie!
>From the Kitchen
Mark and Nedra Ruth
Omelet in a bag
First you need a quart size freezer bag. Then you throw in 2 or 3 eggs, a
little butter, a tad of milk or cream, like maybe a tablespoon, cheese if
you wish, onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, ham, bacon, etc. Zip or smash the
bag closed after letting all the air out and use your hand to mix all the
stuff in the bag. This will break the egg yolks and mash all the rest. Get
you a 6 quart pot and fill it half way with water. Place on burner and let
come to a boil. Drop your omelet bag in with the top sticking up and leaning
over to the side of the pot. Let boil for fifteen to twenty minutes. The
amount of cooking time depends on how done you desire your eggs. After you
do it a few times, you can put more than one omelet bag in the same pot.
This way you and your buddy or family can all have a personal omelet and eat
at the same time. I really don't measure anything. Just use your judgment
and play around with it until you can make it just the way you like it. I
would cook the bacon or sausage first before adding to the omelet bag. The
omelet will slide right out of the bag in one piece most of the time. Add
salt and pepper to the bag or add later when done. The pot doesn't need a
lid and doesn't need to be on a hard boil. Low or medium boil will work
fine. Let me know how it works for you and maybe you can tell me a new way
you found to make it better.
Upcoming Events
Glenda Farnum
A seminar for educators, rehabilitation professionals, parents and other
interested individuals will be held on April 5th at the Sheraton Downtown in
Oklahoma City from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Registration fee is $100.00 for
Professionals and $60.00 for Students. Registration includes a box lunch.
To register for this event visit our website at <http://www.nfok.org>
www.nfok.org or e-mail Glenda Farnum, Program Chair at
<mailto:gfarnum at cox.net> gfarnum at cox.net.
Our state convention will be held Friday evening April 5th, Saturday, April
6th and Sunday April 7th at the Sheraton Downtown in Oklahoma City. Our
guest speaker from NFB is our president, Marc Maurer. Registration for the
convention is $20.00 which includes breakfast on Sunday morning. Saturday
lunch is available for a cost of $15.00. We will have our banquet Saturday
evening. Cost of banquet tickets is $40.00.
A block of rooms has been reserved at the convention hotel at a rate of
$119.00 plus tax per night for up to 4 people per room. HOTEL RESERVATIONS
MUST BE MADE ON OR BEFORE MARCH 14TH TO RECEIVE THIS RATE.
To register for convention and to reserve your hotel room go to our website
at <http://www.nfbok.org> www.nfbok.org or contact Glenda Farnum at
<mailto:gfarnum at cox.net> gfarnum at cox.net or
405-255-6482.
April 27^th South Central Chapter Fund Raiser:
All The Pancakes You Can Eat! Breakfast
Donation: $10Adults
$5 Children 12 and under
Date: April 27, 2013
Time: 8 AM - 11:30 AM
Location: Ardmore Garden Center
500 Stanley
Ardmore, OK 73401
National Federation of the Blind 2013 Annual Convention will be held in
Orlando Florida July 1st through 6th. For more information visit the NFB
website at <http://www.nfb.org./national-convention>
www.nfb.org./national-convention
Chapter Meeting Dates:
Central Oklahoma Chapter
Every 2nd Friday
Edmond Community Center
28 E Main Street
Edmond, OK
April 12
May 10
June 14
July 12
August 9
September 13
October 11
November 8
December 13
Contact:
Audrey Farnum, President
<mailto:atfarnum at gmail.com> atfarnum at gmail.com
405-590-6116
South-Central Chapter
Every 3rd Saturday
Ardmore Public Library
320 E Street NW
Ardmore, OK
1:30PM
April 20
May 18
June 15
July 20
August 17
September 21
October 19
November 16
December Holiday Party Date to be decided
Contact:
Dorothy Robinson 580-223-7881
Beth Randolph 580-226-2913
Northeast Oklahoma Chapter
Every 2nd Saturday
Furr's Family Dining
6560 E 51st St
Tulsa, OK 74145
April 12
May 10
June 14
July 12
August 9
September 13
October 11
November 8
December 13
For more information contact Steve Crawford at
<mailto:fire242 at sbcglobal.net> fire242 at sbcglobal.net.
Brady District Chapter
Future location to be the Downtown Tulsa Library, which is currently under
construction for remodeling. If you are interested in a chapter meeting in
this area of Tulsa, please contact Jedi Moerke at
<mailto:loneblindjedi at samoblie.netm> loneblindjedi at samoblie.net , or by
phone at 318-533-8424.
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Robert Leslie Newman
Personal Website-
Adjustment To Blindness And Visual impairment
http//www.thoughtprovoker.info
NFB Writers' Division, president
http://www.nfb-writers-division.net
Chair of the NFB Communications Committee
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