[Nfb-editors] Arizona - march 2014 News and Views

[Robert Leslie Newman]

National Federation of the Blind of Arizona

News and Views

Issue #2

March 1, 2014

 

In This Issue

Navigation

 

Greetings from Our President

 

Word on the Street

 

Guess Who Just Took another Trip around the Sun

 

Read Across America Reminder

 

NFB Applauds Settlement with PARCC, Inc. 

 

Uncle Whozit Needs You - Become an Imaginator

 

A Combat Wounded Warrior Turns His Disability into a Way to Help Others 

 

Your SHIP Has Come In - Tips for Choosing Prescription Coverage

 

Parnell Diggs to Run for Attorney General of South Carolina

 

Lives of 3 Blind Brothers Changed when "Dad" Came Knocking

 

Flick, Swipe, and Tap - Facetime

 

Dog Gone It - The Feeling of Freedom

 

Healthy Choice, Healthy Living - The Importance of Water 

 

Geek Gossip - Mobile Phone Tricks 

 

10 More Helpful Apps

 

Why I Changed My Mind about the NFB

 

The Bookshelf - 2 Selections

 

East Valley Energy

 

West Valley Chapter News

 

How To Create a Signature Block

 

The Recipe Box 

 

Blockbuster Buzz

 

Dear Betty Blunt

 

Hot Links

 

Think Tank

 

A Round of Applause

 

Debi's List

 

Stay Connected

 

Grins and Groans - The Usual Endings

 

 

Navigation

To navigate quickly to the different articles in this newsletter using JAWS,

System Access, or Window Eyes, press the letter H to move through the

headings.  For MAC users, press Control Option Command plus the letter H.  

 

 

Greetings from Our President

 

Hello, Fellow Federationists, 

 

Are you an NFBA member who is looking to volunteer on affiliate efforts and

projects?  We have several committees you may fit into.  Here is the list of

committees and the chairs of each:  

 

 

Convention arrangements - Mark Feliz 

 

Membership recruitment and engagement- Amy Murillo 

 

Technology - Somaya Tarin 

 

Fundraising - Deborah Smith 

 

Legislative - Donald Porterfield 

 

Transportation fund - Bob Kresmer 

 

Deaf / Blind - Mary Hartle - Smith 

 

Dog Guide Users - Eve Sanchez 

 

Scholarship - Marc Schmidt 

 

Newsletter / Newsline - Debi Chatfield 

 

Please find phone numbers and email addresses in the attached NFBA roster. 

 

 

* At their February chapter meeting, The East Valley chapter voted to become

the host for our NFBA state convention.  Convention will take place the

weekend of September 12 through 14.  The name and location of the hotel will

be announced soon! 

 

 

* If you are, or know, a blind student who can benefit from a scholarship

from the NFB, please advise him or her to go to the site: 

 

www.nfb.org/scholarships 

 

and to call me on our toll free number 

 

888 899-6322. 

 

The deadline of March 31 will sneak up and there are requirements in the

application form that may require some lead time. 

 

 

* If you have not yet been to an NFB national convention and a little

shortage of funds is the reason, please call me to learn how to apply for a

Jernigan grant for first - timers! 

 

 

*  We are launching our affiliate annual fundraising raffle, a stay at

Arizona's premier dude ranch!  The package is valued at $6,000.00 and

consists of:  

 

 

A 5 day 4 night stay at the Tanque Verde Guest Ranch for four people

includes three meals per day, horseback riding and lessons, hiking, biking,

tennis, fishing and a nature program.

 

The raffle prize has a value of $6,000.00, or choose a $1,000.00 cash

alternative.  

 

www.tanqueverderanch.com

 

Raffle tickets are $10.00 each, and should be less difficult to sell since

state residents do not have to come up with airfare, as in past raffles.  

 

The drawing will be at our NFBA state convention on September 13, 2014.  We

have lots of time to remind family and friends who live in the cold states

who are experiencing a brutally cold winter that it is great to be at a dude

ranch in the Arizona winter.   

 

 

Each chapter and division will receive raffle tickets to distribute to our

members to sell to family, friends, acquaintances, etc.  Our fundraising

chair, Deborah Smith, will be keeping us up to date on our fundraiser.  

 

 

* From Desert Schools (Maricopa County) Federal Credit Union:  

 

We are offering $60,000.00 in scholarships to high school seniors and

college freshmen.  

 

If you make a difference in the lives of others, 

we'd like to make a difference in yours.

 

Desert Schools is awarding $60,000 in college scholarships to extraordinary

students who give back to their community through ongoing volunteer service.

 

 

If you or someone you know is a graduating high school senior or college

freshman, find out more about our Community Service Scholarships.

 

Graduating High School Senior Scholarships

 

One $10,000 scholarship

 

One $5,000 scholarship

 

Six $2,500 scholarships

 

College Freshman Scholarships

 

 

One $10,000 scholarship

 

One $5,000 scholarship

 

Six $2,500 scholarships

 

Applications must be postmarked by 3/4/14. Learn more about the specific

requirements for each of the scholarship categories or download the

application below.

 

desertschools.org 

 

 

* From Marc Schmidt, West Valley chapter 

 

After a long struggle with blood cancer and recent lung problems, Ann

Johnson passed away on February 12th.

 

An acrostic that can be used to describe Ann well is:

 

A for always ready to help,

 

N for never complaining, and

 

N for nice to everyone.

 

These are just a few characteristics of Ann.

 

She was always ready to take on new challenges, even while struggling with

her health.

 

She was also a great person to have along at an event table, because her

varied experiences allowed for a variety of topics for conversation.

 

She will be sorely missed, because ever since she joined the west valley

chapter after our Red Lobster social two years ago she volunteered for the

chapter in many ways, including taking on vice presidency and then the

treasurer's position with great enthusiasm.

 

 

There are no scheduled memorial services.  

 

 

* From Donald Porterfield, NFBA legislative director:  

 

The legislative issues presented to our Congressmen at the 2014 Washington

Seminar are: 

 

 

.        The Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act (HR 831)

 

Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act allows employers to pay

workers with disabilities less than the minimum wage because of the false

assumption that they are less productive than non-disabled workers. This

antiquated provision breeds low expectations and discourages disabled

Americans from reaching their full potential. HR 831 responsibly phases out

the use of the 14(c) Special Wage Certificates, ending the era of

segregated, subminimum wage work.

 

 

.        The Technology, Education and Accessibility in College and Higher

Education Act (TEACH) (HR 3505)

 

Electronic instructional materials have replaced traditional methods of

learning in postsecondary education, but the overwhelming majority of

e-books, courseware, web content, and other technology are inaccessible to

students with print disabilities. The law mandates equal access in the

classroom, but fails to provide a prescription to schools for how that

applies to technology. The TEACH Act creates accessibility guidelines for

electronic instructional materials that will guide the market, give clarity

to schools, and protect blind students' rights to critical course material.

 

 

 

.        The Air Carrier Access Amendment (S 556)

 

Passenger interaction with technology is a central component of air travel.

The Air Carrier Access Act was written before the emergence of electronic

purchasing systems on aircraft, and mobile apps. These tools are all

inaccessible to blind travelers despite readily-available solutions,

resulting in segregation and substandard service. The Air Carrier Access

Amendment calls for the technology on passenger aircraft used to make

inflight purchases, and the mobile applications used with smart-phones and

tablets to be accessible to blind and deaf passengers. 

 

 

If you have any questions, or need additional information about these

issues, please do not hesitate to contact Donald Porterfield via email at:

 

donaldpfield at gmail.com or by phone at 520-850-2180.

 

 

* Hadley School for the Blind offers simple to follow, very understandable

free seminars on many topics.  Especially useful is their series of seminars

designed for new users of the iPhone, and iPad. 

 

www.hadley.edu/seminarsAtHadley.asp 

 

 

* If you are interested in learning more about guide dogs, you will learn

more through the podcast interviewing Jim Kutsch, the president and CEO of

Seeing Eye and the only current president of a dog training school who is

himself blind.  

 

http://serotalk.com/2014/02/19/spn-special-an-interview-with-jim-kutsch/From

the 

 

 

* National Association of Guide Dog Users: 

 

 

Dear All,

                The Federal Aviation Administration is seeking advice and

input from service animal stakeholders, such as consumers and trainers,

concerning Service Animal Relief Areas (SARAs) in airport terminals. On

behalf of the National Association of Guide dog Users and the National

Federation of the Blind, Merry Schoch and I will be participating in a SARA

forum at the FAA headquarters in Washington, d.C. on Monday, March 3. In

order to best represent your ideas and needs, I would like to have your

input concerning the elements you believe should be incorporated in such a

relief area. Keep in mind that this forum is an opportunity to offer

suggestions on the ground floor before they are designed and implemented, so

it is better to put such things in place in this stage than to make changes

after the fact.

                We would like to hear from you about any and every detail of

this project from where the SARA should be located, what materials should be

used, and any other considerations you believe would make it most usable to

guide dog users. This is your opportunity to make a difference and all

suggestions will be presented to the FAA and its engineers. Please send all

comments, suggestions, and input to me no later than Saturday, March 1 by

4:00 p.m. You may email me at:

President at NAGDU.ORG

 

 

                If you would like to make a tax-deductible gift to the

National Association of Guide Dog Users to support our advocacy efforts, you

may do so by going to:

http://nagdu.org/donation

 

 

Your input and support are greatly appreciated.

 

Fraternally yours,

 

Marion Gwizdala, President

National Association of Guide Dog Users Inc.

National Federation of the Blind

813-626-2789

Hotline: 888-NAGDU411 (888-624-3841)) 

http://nagdu.org

 

 

 

 

* I am attaching our most recent NFBA roster file in both RTF and a text

formats.  

 

 

As we move into Spring, I urge all of us to get outside to garden, hike,

barbecue, or other outdoor activity that helps us get up and use our

muscles, 

 

 

Bob Kresmer, 

 

Toll - free 888 899-6322 

 

   

 

Word on the Street

 

**  Congratulations to Donald Porterfield for becoming licensed to practice

law here in the state of Arizona.  Way to go! 

 

 

**  Good news!  Vocational Rehab services for Category 1 are still open and

are not in jeopardy of losing funds this fiscal year. This means that

services will continue to be offered on an uninterrupted basis for this

year.  Woo hoo!  

 

Got any news for us?  We would love to hear what is going on in your world,

so please keep us up to date and write to:

 

news at az.nfb.org 

 

We look forward to sharing your news with our extended family here within

the NFB of Arizona. 

 

 

Guess Who Just Took another Trip around the Sun?

 

Help us celebrate our March birthdays.

 

March 10, Tony Sohl, from Chandler.

 

Please help us build our birthday list, by sending your first and last name,

date of birth, (year optional), and the city you live in to:

 

news at az.nfb.org 

 

 

Read Across America Reminder

Reprinted from NFBNet

 

 

The countdown to Read Across America Day continues. March 3rd is drawing

closer! As the day approaches, we want to remind you that we need your help

in spreading the word of the importance of Braille literacy for the

education and employment of Blind people. We need you to send us a picture

or video of a person reading Braille. We'd be especially thrilled to see you

reading near a famous landmark so we can really show the public that all

across the country, Blind people's lives are being enhanced by reading

Braille. We've received a few submissions already, but we're looking for

more!

 

We also would like to remind you that as part of our Read Across America Day

celebration, we are doing a Dr. Seuss-themed Braille book giveaway! Don't

forget to fill out the entry form for your chance to win!

 

If you have any questions, please contact Liz Spann at espann at nfb.org or by

phone at 410-659-9314, extension 2418.

 

 

NFB Applauds Settlement with PARCC, Inc.

Submitted by Donald Porterfield

 

 

Settlement Will Make K-12 Assessments Accessible to Blind Students

 

New Milford, New Jersey (February 24, 2014): The National Federation of the

Blind (NFB) today applauded a settlement agreement reached among itself, its

affiliate organizations the NFB of New Jersey and the National Organization

of Parents of Blind Children (NOPBC), the parents of a blind high school

student in New Milford (named in the suit as S.H.) and  PARCC, Inc., a

nonprofit corporation that was established in 2013 by the Partnership for

Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, a consortium currently made

up of eighteen states, including New Jersey and the District of Columbia.

The settlement resolves a suit filed in late January by the NFB, its

affiliates, and the parents of the student because assessment tests created

by PARCC, Inc. that will be field tested at S.H.'s high school and other

locations this spring were not accessible to students who are blind.  Under

the terms of the settlement, PARCC will make its practice tests accessible

to blind students by the time the tests are deployed in Spring 2014, and

will consult with the NFB to ensure that all subsequent practice tests and

assessments will be available at the time of deployment in accessible

formats used by blind test takers, including Braille files for embossing in

hard-copy Braille or via electronic access methods such as refreshable

Braille displays and text-to-speech screen reader software. 

 

 

Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said:

"Blind students are far too often forced to wait for equal access to

educational materials, and as a result end up lagging far behind their

sighted peers in academics.  This important settlement will address that

problem by ensuring that PARCC's assessments and practice tests are

accessible to blind students at the same time that they are deployed to all

students.  We applaud PARCC's commitment to working with us to ensure that

blind students are not left behind in the academic assessment process and

will be able to receive timely and accurate measurement of their academic

performance."

 

 

The NFB, NFB of New Jersey, NOPBC, and the parents of S.H. were represented

in this matter by Jayne Wesler of the New Jersey firm Sussan, Greenwald &

Wesler; Scott LaBarre of the Denver firm LaBarre Law Offices; and Dan

Goldstein, Sharon Krevor-Weisbaum, and Trevor Coe of the Baltimore firm

Brown, Goldstein & Levy.

 

 

Uncle Whozit Needs You - Become and Imaginator

By Anil Lewis, Chairperson

 

Imagination Fund Committee

 

 

Uncle Whozit needs you!

 

We are currently recruiting Imaginators to voluntarily serve in our army of

fundraisers for the National Federation of the Blind.

Many of you are already soldiers in our effort to fund our movement as

monthly contributors through the NFB Pre-Authorized Contribution (PAC) Plan.

The NFB Imagination Fund is an opportunity for you to raise your rank in the

movement by engaging others and encouraging them to assist us to fund our

Jernigan Institute and our affiliate programs.  Half of the funds raised

through the Imagination Fund Campaign support the development of

groundbreaking programs at our NFB Jernigan Institute.  The other half will

be used to support the innovative projects of our state affiliates and other

partners. 

 

Our Jernigan Institute programs, like The NFB BELL, Early Explorers, and

STEM programs, are creating opportunities for blind youth to participate in

their education in new and exciting ways that will allow them to achieve

goals they have yet to imagine.  We must continue to use our imaginations to

dream of additional innovative strategies and programs that challenge the

systems currently being used to educate, rehabilitate, and employ blind

people.  In order for us to effectively transform these dreams into reality,

we must continue to raise the funds required to develop, implement, and

replicate the strategies and programs across the country.  

 

There are countless individuals that would love to be a part of the social

change we create, but they have not been educated about what we do.  This is

why we need an army of Imaginators to help us spread the word about the NFB

and ASK potential partners to fund our movement. 

 

We will be launching a three-month long Imagination Fund Campaign starting

March1 and running through May 31, 2014, to achieve a fundraising goal of

$300,000.  We will have a variety of incentives that Imaginators can use to

encourage people to donate to the NFB Imagination Fund.  We will be working

together to meet this goal by using our personal relationships, our

professional networks, and a variety of social media tools.  

 

Are you a #TrueBlue Imaginator? Make an online contribution and become

eligible for two round trip tickets on @JetBlue by donating to #NFBIF at:

https://nfb.org/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1
<https://nfb.org/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=5> &id=5

To kick things off, we have two round trip tickets to anywhere Jet Blue

flies.  (Note: The round trip travel must be taken before July 1, 2014, and

travel is subject to blackout dates.)  The name of the individual that will

be awarded these tickets will be drawn from the names of individuals that

donate to the NFB Imagination Fund during the month of March 2014. 

 

Individuals that would like to actively participate as Imaginators for this

campaign should email Anil Lewis at imaginationfund at nfb.org .  You will then

need to complete a form with information that will be used to set up your

personal Mobile Giving page.  An inaugural telephone conference call of

registered Imaginators will take place on Monday, February 24, and we will

have subsequent Imaginator phone calls throughout the campaign. 

 

Imagine the future full of opportunities we will create together.

 

 

A Combat Wounded Warrior Turns His Disability into a Way to Help Others

By Mike Malarsie

 

 

My name is Mike Malarsie, and, all things considered, I am still a pretty

new member of the blind commmunity. I am about to turn 27 in October,

married with three kids, run a website and podcast, and since losing my

vision have become quite the nerd.

 

 

I am originally from New Mexico and while growing up planned only on joining

the military and serving with the best men and women this country can

produce. I have four sisters and spent my life being the very opposite of

them. I was outside all the time being a typical rowdy youth. I loved

exploring, being a little dangerous, and anything extreme or hazardous was a

passion. Typical boy.

 

 

This all led me to join the United States Air Force as a member of the

Tactical Air Control Party or just TACP. In a nutshell a TACP works as a

member of a two man team embedded with Army ground maneuver units who call

in airstrikes on enemy targets from the front lines. They call this close

air support or CAS.

 

This job was a perfect fit for me and one of the hardest things I have ever

done in my life. I breezed through Air Force basic training in six and a

half weeks and found myself at Hurlburt Fielt in Florida to go through the

TACP technical training. This was four months of the hardest and most

difficult training I had ever endured. Weapons training, small unit tactics,

foot and vehicle navigation, radio communications, and every aspect of close

air support. It was intense, non stop, and out of a class of 44 only 10

graduated.

 

 

>From there I went to Washington state to go through survival school then got

assigned to the 10th Air Support Operations Squadron at Fort Riley Kansas.

 

            over the next two years I would go through countless field

training exercises, spend hours at bombing ranges, parachute out of

airplanes, rappel out of helicopters, and direct air strikes. It was all a

dream come true.

 

 

In December of 2009 Senior Airman Brad Smith and I deployed to Afghanistan

to support the 4th Infantry Division out of Fort Carson Colorado. Within a

few days we were going out on about 10 foot patrols every week. We met

locals, ate their food, learned their culture, and exchanged fire with the

Taliban and other insurgents. On January 3rd, 2010, Brad and I went out with

11 soldiers from 3rd Platoon to investigate some suspicious activity in a

small town a few kilometers away from our strongpoint.

 

I was third in the formation, and when crossing a small bridge into the

town, the soldier leading the patrol stepped on an improvised explosive

device, (IED) buried in the road. The IED detonated, killing the two

soldiers in front of me immediately. The blast hit me directly in the face

and neck and threw me off the small bridge into the water below.

 

 

I was looking over my left shoulder and was turning my head back to the

front when the IED detonated. The next thing I knew I was in total darkness

and under water. I struggled to get myself out. I was disoriented and could

not tell which was way up or down. I very clearly remember making my peace

thinking I was going to drown.

 

 

Immediately after, I felt a hand grab the back of my body armor and pull me

out. The next  thing I was aware of, was the medic leaning over me telling

me to lie still while he patched up the worst of my wounds. My eyes were

destroyed, jaw shattered, perforated eardrum, skull fractures, traumatic

brain injury, and a lot of shrapnel damage to my face and neck. He told me

they had a helicopter on the way to pull me out and told me to lie still.

 

 

I was in and out of consciousness but I clearly remember the yelling and

heavy exchange of fire. We had walked right into an ambush and were now

taking enemy fire from three directions. I tried to find my M4 to return

fire but the IED had blown it out of my hands.  Still trying to help I

started handing out my full magazines to the others as they ran out of their

own ammo. I would later be awarded the Bronze Star with Valor, which

personally I do not think I deserve. All I was trying to do was help my

guys. Nobody does those sort of things for medals, It is only the love of

the guy next to you, and a medal is the last thing that would come to mind.

 

 

The next thing I remember was a second explosion. This one was farther away

but i felt the concussion and debris land around me. I blacked out right

after and the last thing I remember was a strap being pulled tight over my

chest on the helicopter. I would wake up about a week later in Walter Reed

Army Medical Hospital, in Washington DC, and the first clear memory I have

was the doctor kneeling in front of my bed, telling me that I was going to

be permanently blind. Shrapnel from the blast had destroyed my left eye, and

the concussion had torn the retina on my right eye.

 

 

Immediately after, my dad told me that the IED that blinded me had killed

Sergeant Joshua Lengstorf and Private John Dion. Josh was the soldier who

stepped on the first IED and it threw him forward into the town we had been

approaching.

 

 

After the medic, Specialist Brian Bowman, pulled me out of the water, he and

my teammate Brad went forward into the town, under enemy fire, to retrieve

Joshs body. As they brought him back across the bridge, a trigger man

remotely detonated a second IED that killed them both immediately. When it

all died down we had lost four men and had a total of six wounded. Brad had

called in air support from nearby Kandahar, and a few years later his widow

and daughter, Chloe, would be presented with the Silver Star with Valor for

his actions. Chloe was only a month and a half old when Brad was killed. 

 

 

As I absorbed all of this news, I knew that I would not let being blind slow

me down or stop me from reaching my goals. Those four names, Brad, Brian,

Josh, and John became my new reason to live. I wanted to honor them through

my life, that they had saved, and I have never use my blindness as an excuse

not to try something since. It did not take me long to realize that

blindness is only a disability if we let it be one.

 

 

I blew threw blind rehab in California, where I started to learn the power

that technology can give someone who is blind. I absorbed it like a sponge

and loved it. Mobility, living skills, computers, and everything else I

learned were all steps to freedom that I took enthusiastically.

 

 

I met a young lady named Jesse during my recovery. She was the widow of

Joshua Lengstorf, the soldier who stepped on the IED that blinded me. She,

and 15 month old daughter Kadence, had come to visit with Brads wife

Tiffany. In just a few days I knew there was something special about her

that caught my attention and I invited her to come back and visit again

after their week long visit. I never believed in love at first sight,

especially for a blind person, until it happened to me. I went out on a limb

with the invitation. Fortunately for me, she was experiencing the same

feelings. As the months passed the relationship grew, and we have now been

married for three years and have three amazing children.

 

 

Over the next four years, new family in tow, I would go through countless

surgeries and appointments before I would retire. It was during this time,

with mostly nothing but waiting at home, that I decided to turn my new love

of technology into a resource for others. I had purchased a mac computer,

and struggled to learn it. I could not find help anywhere, and after getting

a handle on it I started my own website. that is when, How to be Blind was

born.

 

 

It grew from a few videos on YouTube, to its own website and podcast. It

started off as something to pass the time, and turned into the hobby that

kept me sane. It grew from just me using the built in microphone, to a whole

panel of hosts and hundreds of dollars worth of gear. We have a roundtable

show, now called All in Access that we publish every other week. There are a

lot of tutorials for Mac and iOS on the s site and those led to a second

show called To the Point, which are short instructional recordings aimed to

help people get the most out of their assistive technology. The shows are

partly sponsored by Audible, but mostly paid for out of my pocket. How to be

Blind became a way to share what I learned, as well as what our listeners

know. The interaction from our readers and listeners has made every minute

and dollar worth it. I know people are learning new things and enjoy the

work we do. I have loved every minute of being able to help others

accomplish their goals through technology.

 

 

I have learned to embrace my blindness. It has opened doors that never would

have opened any other way. I have been snowboarding, scuba diving, public

speaking, helping charities, meeting politicians, and was even given a

mortgage free home by an organization called Operation Finally Home. All of

these things have been talked about on the website and podcast. We love

talking about opportunities that are out there and love to encourage people

to get out and try new things.

 

 

How to be Blind is a small way for the other hosts and I to share our

knowledge and passions with others. it is a small way to give back and help

others and we are grateful for our listeners, readers, and other

organizations that help us make every show better and reach more people. If

you are interested in checking out what we have been doing, you can visit

www.htb2.com, and follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/howtobeblind. We

are always growing and using the feedback from our audience to pack every

show with useful information, the best applications, and great stories from

the blind and visually impaired community. When you check us out we

encourage you to share your thoughts and comments for others to learn from

and enjoy.

 

 

Your SHIP Has Come In - Tips on Choosing Prescription Coverage 

By John Chatfield

 

 

Are You Paying Too Much For Medicare Prescription Drugs? Most people are

paying too much!  In a recent study published by the University of

Pittsburgh, only slightly more than 5 percent of people selected the least

expensive prescription drug plan available! The majority spent on average

more than $365 than needed for their Medicare Part D coverage each year.

"People need assistance in choosing the least expensive plan for their

medical needs", said lead author Chao Zhou, Ph.D., a post-doctoral associate

at Pitt Public Health. "Educational programs that help people navigate the

dozens of plans available would make it easier to select plans that best

meet their health care needs without overspending".  This University study

investigated the difference in a patient's total spending (premiums plus

out-of-pocket costs) between the plan the patient selected and the least

expensive option in that geographical area that would satisfy the patient's

medication needs. The study looked at data for 412,712 people.

 

 

If you have a Medicare Advantage Plan rather than Original Medicare, your

prescription coverage is usually included in the plan. In this situation,

your entire health plan needs to be considered as well as the prescription

component. You can change your drug plan (or Medicare Advantage Plan) every

year during the Open Enrollment Period in November and early December. It's

always a good idea to check on your plan for the coming year during this

period. You may also qualify for a Special Enrollment Period, which allows

you to make changes to your Medicare plans anytime during the year. There

are several ways this can happen.  A SHIP counselor can also help you find

out about your particular situation. By the way, make sure to check whether

you are eligible for the Extra Help program for prescription drugs.  This is

based on certain income and resource limits.

 

 

A SHIP counselor can help you check your costs! SHIP stands for State Health

Insurance Program. You can contact SHIP using the toll free number

1-800-432-4040. Or email me, John Chatfield, at jchatfie at gmail.com, to

assist you to find a SHIP counselor near you.

 

If you have suggestions or questions regarding Medicare or Medicaid that you

would like the newsletter to address, please contact me, John Chatfield at

the above email address. 

 

 

Parnell Diggs to Run for Attorney General of South Carolina

Reprinted from www.nfb.org 

 

 

This is great news around the Federation. Good luck to Parnell!  

 

Parnell Diggs was among the initial generation of Braille-reading students

to enter first grade in the public schools of Charlotte, North Carolina. It

was 1975, and the president of the United States had just signed into law

what is known today as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

(IDEA), guaranteeing disabled students the right to a public education.

Diggs had been born blind because of detached retinas. School officials were

reluctant to admit him into a classroom with sighted students; but they had

no choice if the school system was to qualify for federal funding, and Bill

and Nancy Diggs refused to accept the limitations for their son that society

ordinarily placed on blind children.

 

Young Diggs unequivocally demonstrated that he could acquire an education

alongside his sighted peers. But he always looked forward to the end of the

school day. In the yards, woods, and streets of his childhood, he climbed

trees, rode bikes, and played quarterback on the neighborhood Pop Warner

football team after his family relocated to Columbia, South Carolina.

 

He taught his younger brother Holland how to play baseball and how to

wrestle. Holland was sighted, and he taught "Parnelli," (a family nickname),

the things most children learn by watching others, such as how to dance,

shrug his shoulders, and give the thumbs-up sign. They remained close until

Holland's untimely death in 2005.

 

In high school Diggs participated on the varsity wrestling team and made the

South Carolina Honors All-State Chorus, and, while his friends were earning

spending cash bagging groceries, he was earning good money singing and

playing the guitar in Columbia area restaurants.

 

In 1989 Diggs met Kenneth Jernigan and Donald Capps, two leaders who had

dedicated their lives to helping their blind brothers and sisters. They

shared a message of promise and achievement for the blind and talked about

how the blind could accomplish more through collective action. Diggs quickly

embraced their reasoning and passion.

 

Before long Diggs recognized that the full integration of blind people into

society would be his life's work; and though he was busy double majoring in

political science and religious studies, working, and maintaining a social

calendar, he believed that the best way to help himself as a blind person

was to become a member of the National Federation of the Blind.

 

In 1991 Diggs participated in an NFB leadership seminar, where he received

intensive instruction from NFB President Marc Maurer, whose leadership style

has strongly influenced Diggs to this day. That year, he attended his first

NFB national convention. Before arriving in New Orleans that summer, he had

read Dr. Floyd Matson's eleven-hundred-page history of the first fifty years

of the National Federation of the Blind, Walking Alone and Marching

Together, in its entirety, as well as other NFB literature.

 

By the summer of 1992 Diggs had completed his first year of law school and

was working as a law clerk at the South Carolina Office of Appellate

Defense, the state agency responsible for handling criminal appeals for

indigent defendants. There he acquired the skills of legal research and oral

argument and learned to interact with clients in the facilities of the South

Carolina Department of Corrections.

 

Diggs accepted a position as a law clerk in a private firm in 1993 and

continued to hold this position after he was hired as a page in the South

Carolina Senate. At one point in 1994, Diggs, a newlywed, was juggling his

final semester of law school with two part-time jobs. He had married

Kimberly Dawn Gossett (his high school sweetheart) on May 22, 1993. The

couple relocated to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, in 1995 when he accepted a

full-time position with the South Carolina Commission for the Blind

administering rehabilitation programs in a four-county area. In 1997 he

opened a private law practice in Myrtle Beach, where he remains in practice

today.

 

Diggs was first elected to the National Federation of the Blind of South

Carolina board of directors in 1992, and he has been reelected every two

years since. He was appointed by Governor Jim Hodges to the governing board

of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind in 1999 and again in 2002 and

was twice confirmed by the state Senate. This appointment made him the only

person ever to have been a client, an employee, and a member of the

governing board of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind.

 

In 2000 Donald Capps announced that he would not seek reelection as

president of the National Federation of the Blind of South Carolina and

recommended that Diggs be elected in his stead. Diggs was elected

unanimously and has held the presidency ever since. In 2007 the nation's

blind elected him unanimously to the board of directors of the National

Federation of the Blind.

 

As a private practitioner Diggs has argued before the United States Court of

Appeals in the 4th and 8th Circuits and has represented some three hundred

clients in federal administrative proceedings. Music continues to be an

important part of his life. Diggs sang first tenor and soloed with the

Carolina Master Chorale in Europe in June of 2012 and performs regularly as

a singer and guitarist as a member of Surfside United Methodist Church.

 

The Diggses have one son, Jordan, born on January 12, 2000. As he pondered

his son's future, Diggs made the following observation, "Jordan will be told

that he is less fortunate than other children are because his dad is blind,

but thanks to the National Federation of the Blind, he won't believe it.

Blindness is not a tragedy. I am determined that this is the message about

blindness that my son will hear most."

 

 

Lives of 3 Blind Brothers Changed When "Dad" Came Knocking

Reprinted from NPR, Morning Edition

 

 

Leo, Nick and Steven Argel are 14-year-old triplets, and they've all been

blind since birth. Growing up in Arlington, Va., their single mother had a

hard time caring for them. "Every day was like: Wake up, go to school, come

back home, and then you stay there for the rest of the day," Leo recalls in

a visit to StoryCorps. "There were certain things that I wish I could do,

like I wish I could go out and play in the snow like everyone else, 'Cause

I've heard kids through the window - we could hear that they were having

fun. The only thing I remember, when I was 7, we went to McDonald's and we

went to the park. We rarely went outside." Nick says it got so bad he wanted

to die. "But it was one of the decisions I'm glad I did not make because I

would have missed out on everything."

 

 

That all changed when they were 10. Ollie Cantos, a blind man in their

community, got word of their situation and knocked on their door. He's now

in the process of formally adopting the brothers. At first, the brothers

didn't believe Cantos was blind, so he demonstrated that he could read

braille. "It just made me feel like I had a person that I could trust," Nick

says. "Because I didn't trust anyone." Cantos, like the brothers, had a hard

time growing up. He says he didn't have any friends, and people made fun of

him. He taught the brothers how to use their canes better by taking them to

the corner store. One day, the store clerk asked Cantos if Leo was his son.

Before Cantos could answer, Leo put his arm around him and said, "Yeah,

that's my dad." As Cantos remembers it, Leo said, "Well, you take us places,

you protect us, you help us with our homework and make us happy. Sounds like

a dad to me." "Whenever I hear you call me 'Dad,' " Cantos tells the three

brothers, "it's the highest compliment to me. You three used to be in the

same situation that I was, and to see you come out of that and to be the way

you guys are now, it's impossible to describe how grateful I am that I get

to be your dad."

 

 

Flick, Swipe, and Tap - Facetime

By Kate Dolosa

 

 

Have you ever seen this feature on your iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch and did

not have any clue about what it is, and how to use it?  Facetime is a

built-in video calling feature that comes with your iDevices.  You have the

ability to video call anybody in the world who has an iPad, iPhone, or iPod

touch with just a double tap.  Facetime does not use your cellular minutes

if you are using an iPhone.  It uses your WiFi connection and data if WiFi

is not available.  

 

 

Now, you are probably asking why should you be interested in video calling

when you cannot see the people on the other end?  I have asked  that

question myself too, but I saw the potential of Facetime when I heard some

awesome stories from other facetime  users.  

 

 

Here are some of the possibilities with this amazing app:

 

Dropped something on the floor and no matter what you do, you cannot find

it?  Facetime someone who is sighted like a friend, a relative, or a

significant other and use the front camera of the phone so they can help you

look for it. 

Having trouble with those frustrating CAPTTTCHAs on websites?  Facetime

someone and ask them to read the letters back to you. 

Do you have friends in other countries that you want to call but you do not

want to pay for those long distance calls?  Facetime them instead.  It is

free when using your WiFi connection.  

 

 

These are only a few of the possibilities on how you can use the Facetime

app on your iDevices.  Let's all take the adventure in discovering other

useful ways we can utilize this app.  

 

 

Dog Gone It - The Feeling of Freedom

By Charles Rivard

Last month, I described how a dog is selected to work with a blind traveler.

Let's now go through the experience of meeting and starting to work with

your, 4 on the floor, instead of using a stick shift!

 

 

You are a good cane traveler.  That swing to the right as you step with your

left foot has always been there to alert you of something you might run into

or encounter, such as a curb, pole, grass, or whatever might be there.  The

cane has been your eyes.  Now, that cane is going to no longer be there.

You will be trusting your protection to an affectionate new family member.

A sighted guide who is not human!  Sound scary?  It might be, at first, but

if this works for you, you will never want to go back to that stick anymore!

 

 

First off, let me say that my experiences have only been with Guide Dogs for

the Blind, Inc., and there are differences if you attend other dog guide

schools.  I will refer to the school from now on as GDB.

 

 

So, you arrive at the airport near the school, and an instructor will meet

you and get you and your luggage to a small bus that can hold up to 9

passengers and their guides, but there are not any guides yet.  You might

meet others who are in the same class.  Some, like you, are there for their

first guide, while others are getting a dog for the second time, or later.

You ride to the school and arrive in time for dinner, which is a good thing,

because the food is excellent!!  You will sit with 3 other students in the

dining room, and will be eating with these 3 throughout the training.  An

instructor might join you, or, during lunch, one of the other GDB staff

members.  You will probably meet quite a few of them in this way, in a

informal and relaxed atmosphere.  Come to think of it, the whole time you

are there is that way.  The staff treats you as an adult, and they do not

have the preconceived notions of how blind people are expected to be, nor do

they demand that you be one of those blind people who they mold into what

they think you should be.  You are there to get a Guide Dog, not to raise

money for the organization or not to showcase the fact that you can do

something.  The GDB staff does not treat you like a rehab councilor might.

Your goal and theirs is the same: for you to leave the school as part of a

working team of human and dog, able to independently and successfully travel

with confidence.

 

 

Shortly after arriving at GDB, you will, as a group, be given a tour of the

dorm in which you will be living.  A new dorm has been built since I was at

the school getting my fifth Guide Dog, so I can't tell you about the dorm.

 

 

For the next few days, the instructors will be watching you as you travel

through the dorm and around the campus with them.  You will begin learning

the obedience commands you will be giving your dog and how to give them.  An

instructor will take you for walks asking you about how hard of a pull you

like, what pace is comfortable for you, trying to find the right feel as you

travel.  This helps them choose the dog that will work with you the best.

You do not want a dog that is too big or small, too short or tall, runs or

lags behind you.  You want a dog that pretty much matches your normal

walking speed, and you want a dog that you can handle, rather than a dog

that can handle you!  Accurate feedback from you will ensure success with

your dog once you start working together.

 

 

The first Wednesday you are there is always an exciting day.  This is "dog

day".  It seems to have taken forever, but today is the day!  All of the

students wait in their room, and the instructors bring your dog to you on a

leash!  You are introduced to each other, probably hand to nose!  You

finally get to pet Your! Puppy!!  For the rest of that first afternoon, you

get to relax with your new guide.  Keep in mind that this is a new

experience for the dog, too.  Other than for short periods of time during

the training, and from now on, you and your dog will be with each other all

the time.  You learn to feed them and care for them.  This hairy bundle of

love will now be an inseparable member of your family.  You and your dog

will form a bond that neither will want to break.  You will trust your life

to this dog, and this dog just might save your life some day by preventing

you from being hit by a car, or the dog might guide you out of, or through a

dangerous situation, and then, or when this happens, you will form an even

stronger bond with this new sighted guide.  But for now, just spend some

relaxing time with your dog, getting to know each other.  There is a

comfortable rug for the dog to lay on, and there is a cable bolted to the

wall that you connect the dog's collar to.  This does give the dog enough

room to maneuver, but ensures that your dog, who might be excited or might

be nervous, does not run away from you.  The instructors are who your dog

knows right now, as they have been working with your dog for the last few

months on a regular basis.  Now, the dog will be your guide, not theirs, and

the dog might be confused at first.  They wonder why their humans are not

paying attention to them anymore like they were, and who is this new person,

anyway?  So you have to let the dog know that everything is cool, you are

their friend, they are going to be living in the dorm instead of in the

kennel, and you are there for them.  The dog really will want to please you

by working for you and with you.  You will learn how to tell them when they

do something right and when they are doing something wrong and you will

learn how to correct them.  You are the master, but you also will learn when

to let the dog take the initiative and make the safe decisions.  It sounds

like a lot, and the schedule is rigorous, but you and your dog will get

through it, and you are about to embark on an awesome journey down the path

to freedom.  Freedom you ask?  Absolutely!  You will find out tomorrow.

 

 

Thursday!  Your first walk together!  When using a cane, have you ever

stepped off of a curb because the cane did not give you enough of a warning

that it was there?  I will bet that you have not noticed that you have

actually adjusted your pace to the length of your cane.  Unless you use a

very long cane, you have slowed your pace to the point at which you will

have enough time to react to feedback from the cane's tip. When using a dog

guide, this problem is eliminated.  The dog can see what is ahead for at

least a block, and the dog makes the decision as to which is the best way to

avoid an object before you get to it.  You might not even know that you went

around that sign post or mailbox or trash dumpster that someone left in your

path.  Your dog took you right around it without even breaking stride!

Think of it this way:  A dog guide is a sighted guide that woofs.  Ever

notice that you can get from point A to point B more quickly if using a

sighted guide than if you use your cane?  Well, you have now met your new

sighted guide.  Your puppy!  That first walk with your Guide Dog is a

feeling of freedom!  You may feel like you are blasting down a sidewalk,

running like crazy!  To me, it was like water skiing!  You sure did get

there quick!  You may feel unprotected on the right side; because you don't

get any feedback as to what's ahead of you, and you are traveling so fast

that you think you would not have time to react.  But when you make that

first successful walk with your dog, it is such a smooth feeling with the

wind in your hair, the dog pulling in the harness, and your instructor right

there with you, encouraging you as you go, it just blows you away!  And the

dog knows a job well done, too, because you give your dog praise for doing

right.  This is a free and easy feeling that you just cannot get anywhere

else!  Once you know that you can stride along without worrying about

running into something, and that you can trust your dog's guiding, you

realize just how slowly you have been walking without realizing it.  And it

only gets better from this point on!  

 

 

See you next month!

 

Healthy Choice, Healthy Living - The Importance of Water 

By Lawrence MacLellan

 

 

Hello, everyone!  This month I will talk a little bit more about the

importance of water. It is often a topic that stirs up a lot of controversy,

because some people say they drink enough water, or explain that they get

enough water through drinking coffee, soda, or alcohol. Some research shows

that water is in these products, but many of these studies are sponsored by

the particular beverage companies involved. The bottom line is, that you

have to check how you, yourself are doing. Do you find yourself being

dehydrated at times?    

 

 

Now, the type of dehydration I am talking about with water, is on a cellular

level. You have 50 plus trillion cells in your body, and those cells die off

and new ones are produced. These cells also give off toxins, and have to be

eliminated from the body.  When you can hydrate a cell, you can return that

cell to a normal function. Your cells make up who you are.  Every body part,

organs, glands, joints, etc., so when you are dehydrated, it shows up in

different parts of the body. So, for instance, in a joint, it may show up as

inflammation or arthritis.  Or, it could manifest as an organ or gland

function problem.  A system of the body may be disturbed as well, or a

person may experience headaches.  It is difficult to measure on a cellular

level whether or not you are hydrated, so a good rule of thumb is to drink

half your body weight in ounces of water per day.  Remember, if you are on

medication that restricts fluids, please consult your doctor.

 

 

  What will happen when you begin getting enough water is, you start getting

some things back, such as your thirst mechanism, pain signal, fatigue

signal, and your energy level will improve as well.  If there is a short

period of time where you do not drink enough, this will not cause a major

problem.  But, over time, the dehydration will add up.  The signals of

dehydration begin to fade when your body does not get enough water for long

periods of time.  When you are drinking enough water, you will notice

results! That is why I always start with hydration and taking in enough

water as the first area to look at when correcting some problems you may be

experiencing.  As a side note, I would like to mention, that when you are

drinking enough water, do not avoid salt completely. This is normally not an

issue as most of us get plenty of salt, or even too much salt each day. But,

if you are eating really clean and on a low sodium diet, be careful to make

sure your body is getting enough salt, as salt helps you to hydrate.  Your

body must retain a certain amount of salt so that your cells, on a cellular

level, can get the hydration they need.          

 

 

To begin drinking enough water each day, drink a few glasses, and then,

increase that by one glass, each one or two days until you reach your goal.

Make drinking enough water a habit each day!  You will notice that you feel

better, your skin is clearer and you have better digestion, less pain, and

more energy as well.  For all of these reasons and more, I choose hydration

as the first topic to become educated about when making a change to live a

healthier lifestyle.  To coincide with this, I would suggest reading the

book titled, "Your Body's Many Cries for Water", , by Fereydoon

Batmanghelidj. He has also written other books on hydration, which are also

very enlightening.  So, with that, I wish you good luck! Make a concerted

effort to increase your intake of water each day, and give it some time.  In

a week or two, you will notice some improvements in how you feel.  Your

health is your responsibility, so take on this challenge today, and start

making a difference in your life, one healthy choice at a time! 

 

 

Geek Gossip - Mobile Phone Tricks

Submitted by Kate Dolosa

 

 

Do you own one of the most popular gadgets nowadays called a mobile phone?

I bet you do!  Well, here are some tricks you probably did not know your

mobile phones can do.  There are a few things that can be done in times of

emergencies, and your mobile phone can actually be a life saver or an

emergency tool for survival.  Check out the things that you can do with it.

 

 

1. Emergency Number.

 

The Emergency Number worldwide for all Mobile Phones is 112. If you find

yourself out of the coverage area of your mobile network and there is an

emergency, dial 112 and your mobile will search any existing network in your

area to establish the emergency number for you, and interestingly this

number 112 can be dialed even if the keypad is locked. This works on all

phones worldwide and is free. It is the equivalent of 000.

 

 

2. Does your car have remote keyless entry? 

 

This may come in handy someday. Good reason to own a cell phone: If you lock

your keys in the car, and the spare keys are at home, call someone at home

on their mobile phone from your cell phone. Hold your cell phone about a

foot from your car door and have the person at your home press the unlock

button, holding it near the mobile phone on their end, and your car will

unlock. This saves someone from having to drive your keys to you. Distance

is no object. You could be thousands of miles away, and if you can reach

someone who has the other remote for your car, you can unlock the doors (or

the trunk).  

 

 

3. Hidden Battery Power. 

 

Here is something you can do when your phone is almost dead:  press the keys

*3370# (remember the asterisk).  Your mobile will restart in a special way

with a new reserve and the instrument will show a 50 percent increase in

battery life. This reserve will get recharged when you charge your mobile

next time. This secret is in the fine print in most phone manuals.  Most

people however skip this information without realizing it.

 

 

4. How to disable a STOLEN mobile phone.

 

To check your Mobile phone's serial number, key in the following digits on

your phone: * # 0 6 # Ensure you put an asterisk BEFORE the #06# sequence.

A 15 digit code will appear on the screen. This number is unique to your

handset. Write it down and keep it somewhere safe. If your phone ever gets

stolen, you can phone your service provider and give them this code. They

will then be able to block your handset.  So even if the thief changes the

SIM card, your phone will be totally useless. You probably won't get your

phone back, but at least you know that whoever stole it cannot use or sell

it either. If everybody would do this, there would be no point in people

stealing mobile phones.

 

This secret is also in the fine print of most mobile phone manuals.  It was

created for the very purpose of trying to prevent phones from being stolen.

 

 

Although this last one does not have anything to do with mobile phones, it

is very good information to remember just in case.  

 

 

5. ATM PIN Number Reversal. 

 

If you should ever be forced by a robber to withdraw money from an ATM

machine, you can notify the police by entering your PIN # in reverse. For

example, if your pin number is 1234, then you would put in 4321. The ATM

system recognizes that your PIN number is backwards from the ATM card you

placed in the machine. The machine will still give you the money you

requested, but unknown to the robber, the police will be immediately

dispatched to the location. All ATM's carry this emergency sequencer by law.

This information was recently broadcast on by Crime Stoppers.  However, it

is seldom used because people just do not know about it.

 

 

10 More Helpful Apps

Submitted by Debi Chatfield

 

By Andrew Leibs, About.com Guide

 

 

AppsApple TV commercials are so visually stunning they make the company's

advancements in assistive technology all the more impressive. Products such

as the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch are becoming increasingly accessible to

blind and visually impaired users through screen-access technology

(VoiceOver) and a magnification program (Zoom) built into the iOS operating

system and a growing number of accessible apps.  Here are 10 mobile apps

designed specifically to help the blind and visually impaired.

 

1. LookTel Money Reader

Apple iTunes The LookTel Money Reader ($1.99) recognizes US currency in

standard denominations ($1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100 bills) enabling

blind and visually impaired people to quickly identify and count bills.

Point the iPhone camera at any US bill and LookTel's object recognition

technology via VoiceOver tells users the denomination in real time. Best to

organize bills before hitting the nightclub; the app does not work as well

in low light.

 

2. SayText

Apple iTunes StoreSayText (free), developed by Norfello Oy, scans text

within any image, such as a medical form or restaurant menu, and reads it

aloud. Center the document under the iPhone camera and double-tap the quote

Take Picture end quote, button. Then raise it slowly. A beep indicates that

the entire document is in the phone's frame. The app's Optical Character

Recognition utility then scans the text. Tap the screen for status updates.

When it is scanned,

swipe right on the screen to hear the document.

 

 

3. Color Identifier

Apple iTunesGreenGar Studios' Color Identifier ($1.99) uses the iPhone

camera to identify and speak color names aloud. Shades identified are

specific to the point of annoyance (Paris Daisy, Moon Mist) for some users.

The company makes a free app called Color ID Free that sticks to basic

colors. Blind people will never wear mix matched socks or the wrong shirt

again. An interesting offshoot is using the app to distinguish shades of

sky, enabling one to experience sunsets, or gauge possible weather changes.

 

4. TalkingTag LV

Apple iTunesTalkingTagT LV ($9.99) from TalkingTag enables blind people to

label everyday items with special coded stickers. Users scan each sticker

with the iPhone camera and record and replay via Voiceover up to a 1-minute

audio message identifying what is being labeled. The app is ideal for

organizing a DVD collection, locating boxes during a move, or picking the

right jelly jar from the refrigerator. Stickers can be erased and recorded

over.

 

5. Learning Ally

Apple iTunes The Learning Ally app ($19.99) provides access to Learning

Ally's library of more than 70,000 audiobooks is considered the best source

for K-12 and college-level textbooks. Users can download and play on all iOS

devices. A Learning Ally membership is required and costs $99. Persons with

visual and learning disabilities can seek reimbursement from their school.

Readers navigate DAISY books by page number and chapter, can adjust playback

speed, and place electronic bookmarks throughout the text.  Recording for

the Blind & Dyslexic became Learning Ally in April 2011.

 

6. Visible Braille

Apple iTunesVisible Braille ($3.99) from Mindwarrior is a tutorial for

self-paced Braille instruction. It translates English letters and words into

the six-dot cells of the characters comprising the braille alphabet.  Users

can store the side-by-side images. The app teaches letters, words, and

contractions and has built-in quizzes and a Help section to reinforce

learning.

 

7. Navigon MobileNavigator North America

Apple iTunesNAVIGON's MobileNavigator North America ($44.99) transforms the

iPhone into a fully functional mobile navigation system that uses the latest

NAVTEQ map material. The app offers text-to-speech voice guidance, enhanced

pedestrian navigation, a turn-by-turn RouteList, location sharing via email,

and a Take Me Home function. It also provides direct access and navigation

to iPhone address book contacts.  Navigation is automatically resumed after

an incoming phone call.

 

8. Big Clock

The Coding Monkeys' Big Clock HD app ($0.99) is a must for visually impaired

travelers. Just double tap to rotate iPad orientation to landscape view and

set it atop a hotel room TV or table.  You will be able to read it with a

glance while lying in bed. The clock displays time and date in the region

format and language the device is set to. The app prevents devices from

auto-locking when displaying the time.

 

9. The Talking Calculator

Adam CroserThis easy-to-read app calculator ($0.99) speaks button names,

numbers, and answers aloud through a customizable built-in directory that

lets users record their own voice. Button names are spoken as your finger

moves over the screen. Double tapping activates enters buttons. The

calculator also has a high-contrast display mode to enhance visibility.

Developer Adam Croser also makes the Talking Scientific Calculator app.

 

10. iBlink Radio

Apple iTunesSerotek Corporation's iBlink Radio was the first application

promoting the digital lifestyle among the visually impaired, providing

access to community web radio stations with formats spanning every genre.

The iBlink network also offers radio reading services (USA Today, the New

York Times, among hundreds), and podcasts covering assistive technology,

independent living, travel, and more. The app's latest player toolbars

simplifies navigation.

 

 

Why I Changed My Mind about the NFB

By Megan Homrighausen

 

East Valley Chapter Board Member

 

 

When I first heard about the NFB it didn't impress me too much. I thought

there were too many rules and regulations and I just felt like I didn't fit

in. Mind you, I was a lot younger back then and when you're young like I

was, the last thing you want to do is follow another rule. I tried to like

the NFB because all of my friends had joined and so I went to my first state

convention back in 2005. I had fun staying at a hotel and I took in all the

information that I could. I went to all the meetings  and the banquet and

had a lot of fun but I still was skeptical. I wasn't quite ready to be

independent yet because I didn't really believe that I could be. 

 

 

Years later, as I got older, I thought to myself, I should go to state

convention again, I have the money right now. It literally changed my life

and my world. I found out that the NFB wasn't just a bunch of rules, but a

way of life. 

 

 

Because of the NFB, I am feeling more independent than I ever have even

though I've lost more eye sight recently. My friends in the NFB teach me the

NFB way by example every day. I get the encouragement that I need from the

NFB and  I've found that I can do more things myself than I ever imagined

possible.

 

 

I encourage you to do some research on all the things that the NFB has

changed over the years. You would be truly amazed.

 

 

The Bookshelf - 2 Selections

 

Do you love to curl up with a good book?  Been meaning to read that best

seller?  Here are two book selections that you may wish to read!  If you

have a book that you absolutely loved and want to share your thoughts about

it with us, please send in your write up to:

 

news at az.nfb.org  

 

Happy reading!

 

 

Book #1 - Catch Me if You Can 

The Amazing True Story of the Youngest and Most Daring Con Man in the

History of Fun and Profit

 

DB 55517

Authors Frank Abagnale and Stan Redding 

 

Reading time: 8 hours, 44 minutes.

Read by Jack Fox.

Biography

Humor

True Crime

Lighthearted autobiography of a high-school dropout from the Bronx who

became a master counterfeiter and a millionaire by the age of twenty-one.

Describes his successful impersonations throughout the 1960s of an airline

pilot, a doctor, a lawyer, and a college professor, before being

apprehended.

 

Some strong language. 1980. 

Download Catch me if you can: the amazing true story of the youngest and

most daring con man in the history of fun and profit 

 

    

 

 

Book #2 - Unbroken

The World War II story of survival, resilience, and redemption

 

DB72129 

 

Author Laura Hillenbrand

 

Reading time 16 hours, 32 minutes.

 

Read by Faith Potts.

 

Biography

 

War and the Military

 

Author of Seabiscuit.

 

Details the life of Louis Zamperini, born in 1917.  An Olympic runner and

World War II Bombardier, who survived a plane crash and 47 days adrift at

sea, only to become a POW in Japan.  Relates Louis's later religious

awakening under Billy Graham's ministry.

 

Violence.  Best seller, 2010. 

 

Download Unbroken: a World War II story of survival, resilience, and

redemption 

 

 

East Valley Energy

By Allison Hilliker

 

 

I was humbled and honored to be elected president of our NFBA East Valley

chapter this past November. The NFB has enriched my life in so many ways

that I'm thankful that I can give back by helping lead this vibrant group. 

 

 

In November we also elected other new board members. Debra Smith: 1st vice

president, Patrick Hamblin: 2nd vice president, Somaya Tarin: secretary,

Carol Scharlat: treasurer, board member 1: Mark Feliz, and board member 2:

Megan Homrighausen. I really love this group and am thrilled to be working

with individuals who are so talented and enthusiastic.

 

 

We are putting the finishing touches on our NFB East Valley cookbook. We've

compiled 170 delicious recipes onto a CD that we will be selling as a fund

raiser. The recipes will be in accessible file formats so that anyone, blind

or sighted, will be able to read them. The CDs will be launched within the

next month and we'll be selling them for $10 apiece. Please consider buying

one and helping support our chapter.

 

 

East Valley is also busy with member outreach. We have completely revised

our roster and contact lists and put them into an easily searchable

electronic archive. In addition, we are running a new member contest in

which anyone who brings a new NFB member to a chapter meeting will qualify

for a free Bookshare membership or subscription renewal. 

 

 

We started off 2014 with some unique chapter meeting activities. In January,

Mark Feliz and Darrell Shandrow did a skit called A Man Who Had No Eyes.

This skit, adapted from a short story by MacKinlay Kantor, demonstrated that

we all have choices about how we want to live as blind people and how these

choices can shape our success. Both actors did a terrific job and the skit

generated some lively discussion among meeting attendees. In February, We

had a panel about employment where we heard from a blind teacher, blind

restaurant owner, and a blind technical support specialist. All speakers

demonstrated how a combination of alternative techniques, positive view of

blindness, NFB involvement, and personal confidence helped them achieve

vocational success.

 

 

The future looks bright for the NFBA East Valley chapter and we hope you'll

attend our next meeting. We meet on the 3rd Saturday of the month so please

join us on March 15, from 1:00PM to 3:30PM at Fiesta Mall - 1445 W Southern

Ave in Mesa. 

 

 

If you'd like to learn more about the NFBA East Valley chapter, please call

(623) 221-1026 or e-mail: eastvalley at az.nfb.org.

 

 

West Valley Chapter News

By Marcus Schmidt

 

 

West Valley Chapter's board member elections have been postponed until the

next chapter meeting, which will be held on Wednesday, March 26th from 6:30

to 8:00 PM, at Don Reuben's Mexican restaurant, located at 4323 West Cactus

Road in Glendale, (though also accessible by Phoenix Dial-a-Ride). People

interested in attending should plan to arrive between 5:30 and 6:00 PM, in

order to have time to order their dinner. Members should plan to bring 3

Dollars cash for dues if they want to be eligible to vote.  For future

meeting times, please watch for upcoming announcements.  

 

 

How To Create a Signature Block

By Debi Chatfield

 

 

Join Us:

 

National Federation of the Blind of Arizona

 

www.az.nfb.org 

 

Voice of the Nation's Blind

 

 

The above Signature is an example of how we can spread the word about our

organization to all of our family and friends through our email!  Any time

you compose an email, forward and email, or reply to an email, a message

like the one above can be seen by the people receiving your emails.

 

Why not send  a message about the information and resources we offer through

your email Signature to promote our affiliate?  I personally went through my

entire Outlook Express address book, and sent emails to everyone I could to

spread the word.  It is also helpful to put information about our

organization onto

 

any listservs or announcement lists you might have access to as well.

 

Creating a Signature is very easy, so why not give this simple promotion a

try, and let's do all we can to continue to grow and change what it means to

be blind. 

 

 

Here are the instructions for creating a signature block at the end of an

email using Windows XP and Outlook Express.  If you are not using Windows XP

or Outlook Express, look around in your email program, and you will most

likely have a similar capability for the look of your emails.

 

 

1.  Open up your Outlook Express email program

 

2.  Press the alt key

 

3.  Right arrow to Tools

 

4.  Press enter on Tools.

 

5.  Arrow up to Options.

 

6.  Press enter on Options.

 

7.  Control Tab to the Signatures Page. 

 

8.  Tab to the New button.

 

9.  Press enter.

 

10.  Type the message that you would like, in order to promote our

affiliate.

 

An example is the one I created above. 

 

11.  Tab to the Apply button

 

12.  Press the space bar to check the box to add Signatures to all outgoing

messages.           

 

13.  Tab once and Press the space bar if you would like to have your message

 

included with forwards and replies.  This is optional.

 

14.  Tab to apply., and press enter.

 

15.  Tab to okay, and press enter. 

 

16.  Double check you have correctly done this process by sending yourself a

test email message.

 

 

The Recipe Box - Dirt Dessert 

By Debi Chatfield

 

 

Ingredients:

 

1 stick (1/4 lb.) butter, softened

 

1 brick (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

 

1 cup Confectioner's sugar (powdered sugar)

 

1 teaspoon vanilla

 

3 1/2 cups milk

 

2 small packages instant vanilla, white, or milk chocolate pudding

 

8 ounces Cool Whip

 

1 package of original Oreos

 

Gummy worms

 

 

Method:

 

Crush Oreos by placing them in a plastic Ziploc bag, (About 20 at a time),

and roll a can over the bag.  Then, set aside in a separate bowl.  Mix

softened butter and cream cheese with a wire wisk. Add Confectioner's sugar

and vanilla and set mixture aside.  In larger, separate bowl, mix milk and

pudding.  Stir until thickened.  Fold in Cool Whip.  Then, fold in butter

mixture.  In glass dessert dish, or gardening pot, (see below), layer,

starting with mixture, then add the cookies and continuing until everything

is gone, (ending with crushed cookies on top).  Refrigerate overnight.

 

 

** To make this extra special, place dessert in an actual gardening pot.

You can purchase     either a plastic or pretty ceramic pot just to use for

this recipe. Don't forget to plug the holes!  Gummy worms can be added

before the last layer of cookie crumbs, and extend out onto the top layer,

but not necessary!  You can also put an artificial flower in the middle of

the pot for added effect.  It really looks like dirt, especially when it is

in a gardening container.  It is a big hit when brought to the picnics and

pot lucks!  But, most importantly, it is really yummy!  Enjoy!  Best Dishes!

 

 

Blockbuster Buzz

Submitted by Debi Chatfield

 

 

Upcoming movie releases with description:

 

300:  Rise of an Empire, from Warner Bros., scheduled for March 7.

 

Mr. Peabody and Sherman, from Fox Searchlight Pictures, scheduled for March

7.

 

 

Dear Betty Blunt

 

Please note: 

This submission is not to be taken seriously. It is just for fun! If you

would like to submit a question for Miss Betty Blunt to answer, please write

to:

 

news at az.nfb.org  

She may or may not answer your question seriously, and she may or may not

give you the answer you were hoping for, but one thing is for sure, you will

get a good laugh out of her witty, bold, and blunt advice. She will often

make comments that we all wish we could say, but are just too afraid to

make. So, send in your questions, and let us see if she can help you with

your relationship issues. If you wish, your real name and city will be

altered to conceal your identity.

 

 

Dear Betty Blunt, 

 

 

 

 

Any advice on how to start an online dating profile? 

 

Curiously Optomistic,

 

 

D. J.

 

Tempe, AZ

 

 

Dear Curiously Optomistic,  

 

 

Yes!  It's so easy these days.  There are many free and low cost sites out

there, narrowing one down is the only hard part.  But. once you do, the next

step is simple.  BE HONEST.  If you are looking for something casual and not

serious, just say that on your profile.  Others will appreciate that!  Then,

create a mini bio that includes your hobbies, your interests, and a

description of yourself.  Can't think of how to brag about yourself?  That's

easy too!  How would your peers describe you and your personality?  Add that

to your profile and you're almost done.  Last step, check back every couple

of days and see who's interested in you.  You'll know this when you receive

an email, a wink, a flirt, or a nudge from someone.  Each site is different.

Be sure to reply back to the one's that interest you and get to know them.

Review their profile, get a sense for what they're looking for and see if

your personalities gel.  Take it slow, no need to meet, IRL, (meet in real

life), the minute you join.  In no time, you'll be a pro at online dating!  

 

 

Insincerely,

 

Betty Blunt

 

 

Hot Links

Submitted by Debi Chatfield

 

 

1.  Braille Bookstore 

 

www.braillebookstore.com 

 

 

2.  Cooking in the Dark Podcasts 

 

ww.cookinginthedark.libsyn.com 

 

 

3.  Matilda Ziegler Magazine for the Blind 

 

www.matildaziegler.com 

 

 

4.  Mind's Eye Travel 

 

www.mindseyetravel.com 

 

 

5.  National Braille Factory 

 

www.braillefactory.com 

 

Each month, we will showcase 5 blindness related websites that we hope will

be useful to you.  If you have any suggestions for this section, please

write to:

 

news at az.nfb.org 

 

 

Think Tank

Submitted by Debi Chatfield

 

 

Thank you to everyone who submitted answers to last month's brain teasers.

Many of you were very close, but only one of you was right on the money!  A

big congratulations goes out to Allison Hilliker for correctly answering

both brain teasers!

 

 

In case you missed them, here are the February brain teasers and their

answers: 

 

 

1.  Say my name and I disappear.  What am I?

 

 

Answer:  Silence

 

 

What five letter word becomes shorter when you add two letters to it? 

 

 

Answer:  Short

 

 

Now, for our super duper March brain teasers!  Can you solve these?  Let's

see who has their thinking cap on!

 

 

1.  You are running in a street marathon, and you overtake the person in

second place.  What place are you now?    

 

 

2.  Forward I am heavy, but backwards I'm not.  What am I?

 

 

Please submit the answers to these brain teasers to:

 

news at az.nfb.org  

 

We will let you know if you are correct, and if so, we will publish your

name in the April newsletter. Have fun trying to solve these puzzles! 

 

 

A Round of Applause

 

Thanks goes out to you, our extended family here in the National Federation

of the Blind! You participate and spend time attending monthly meetings,

raise necessary funds to support our valuable programs, reach out to others

needing the information and resources we offer, and get to know and give

support to one another, so that we may continue to learn and grow. Our goal

is to be independent, productive members of society, and through your

efforts and working together, we are truly changing what it means to be

blind! So, a big thank you to you all, and keep up the good work!  

 

 

Debi's List

 

No, this is not Craig's List, but it is the next best thing!  If you have

something to sell, or announce, send us your ad, and we will post it, as

long as there is space available in the newsletter.  Send your ads to:

 

news at az.nfb.org

 

 

**  Wanna hear some great music?  Join Darrell and I every Sunday for the

Cactus Revolution! Tune in each Sunday to see what songs we'll play. Listen

at:

 

http://mintfm.net:8000/broadband.m3u.

 

Again, that's each Sunday, at 5pm MST, 7PM EST. Feel free to talk to us

during the show by tweeting, @AlliTalk, Emailing Darrell at darrell@mintfm.net,

or dropping us a text. Hope you'll listen!

 

 

**  Join a Free Voice Chat Site Community on the Web!

 

Would you like to meet other  blind or visually impaired  individuals from

across the country and around the world? Do you like challenging interactive

games, old time radio,learning about adapted cooking techniques, a monthly

book club, product presentations, chess instruction, computer tech help, a

blindness support group, a weekly talent show, iPhone discussions, and much

more?     Join our free chat community at:

 

www.Out-Of-Sight.net.  

 

 

Stay Connected

 

If you have any changes in your contact info for the state roster, chapters,

or divisions, please write to:

 

news at az.nfb.org 

 

We will send your info to the appropriate people and make the necessary

corrections.

 

 

Contact our President, Bob Kresmer at:

 

888.899.6322

 

krezguy at cox.net 

 

 

If you would like to submit an announcement or article for publication in

this monthly newsletter, please send your submission to:

 

news at az.nfb.org 

 

 

Grins and Groans - The Usual Endings

Submitted by Bob Kresmer

 

 

**  To write with a broken pencil is pointless.

 

 

**  Why was the computer tired when it got home?  It had a hard drive. 

 

 

Debi Chatfield

Editor

 

Bob Kresmer, president NFBA 

Toll free (888) 899-6322      

 

Vehicle Donations Take the Blind Further, and may qualify you for a tax

deduction.  Donate your unwanted car to the National Federation of the Blind

today!

For more information, please visit:

www.carshelpingtheblind.org<http://www.carshelpingtheblind.org> or call

1-855-659-9314

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Leslie Newman

Personal Website-

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

NFB Writers' Division, President

Division Website-

http://writers.nfb.org

Chair, NFB Communications Committee

Nebraska Senior Division, vice President