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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>QUE PASA<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>September 2017<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Quarterly newsletter of the National Federation of the Blind of New Mexico<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>(Published in March, June, September, and December)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Adelmo Vigil, President<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>E-mail: Avigil74@gmail.com<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>(575) 921-5422<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>James Babb, Editor<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>E-mail: jim.babb@mysero.net<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>(505) 291-3112<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Tonia Trapp, Assistant Editor<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>E-mail: tltrapp.7.467@gmail.com <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>(505) 856-5346<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>ARTICLE SUBMISSIONS<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>To submit an article or recipe for possible inclusion in this newsletter, please email it to jim.babb@mysero.net. </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>By submitting your article or other material, you are agreeing to the following:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>*You assert that your article does not violate any confidentiality, copyright, or other laws, and that it is not intended to slander, defame, or mislead. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>*The NFB of New Mexico (NFBNM) has the discretion to publish and distribute the article either in whole or in part.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>*NFBNM is authorized to edit the article for formatting, length and content. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>*NFBNM reserves the right to not publish submissions for any reason.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><w:Sdt SdtDocPart="t" DocPartType="Table of Contents" DocPartUnique="t" ID="178563690"><p class=MsoTocHeading>Table of Contents<o:p></o:p><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;color:windowtext;font-weight:normal'><w:sdtPr></w:sdtPr></span></p><p class=MsoToc1><a href="#_Toc492156206"><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>PREAMBLE</span><span style='color:windowtext;display:none;text-decoration:none'>.. </span><span style='color:windowtext;display:none;text-decoration:none'>3</span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoToc1><a href="#_Toc492156207"><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>EDITOR’S NOTE</span><span style='color:windowtext;display:none;text-decoration:none'>.. </span><span style='color:windowtext;display:none;text-decoration:none'>3</span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoToc1><a href="#_Toc492156208"><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE</span><span style='color:windowtext;display:none;text-decoration:none'>.. </span><span style='color:windowtext;display:none;text-decoration:none'>4</span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoToc1><a href="#_Toc492156209">NON-24 AND SO MUCH MORE SEMINAR<span style='color:windowtext;display:none;text-decoration:none'>. </span><span style='color:windowtext;display:none;text-decoration:none'>5</span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoToc1><a href="#_Toc492156210">A NEW WAY TO ENJOY NATIONAL CONVENTION<span style='color:windowtext;display:none;text-decoration:none'>.. </span><span style='color:windowtext;display:none;text-decoration:none'>6</span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoToc1><a href="#_Toc492156211">I SERVE ON THE NATIONAL LIBRARY'S COLLECTIONS DEVELOPMENT <span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>COMMITTEE</span><span style='color:windowtext;display:none;text-decoration:none'>.. </span><span style='color:windowtext;display:none;text-decoration:none'>7</span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoToc1><a href="#_Toc492156212">THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE TALKING BOOK, WRITTEN BY MATTHEW RUBERY<span style='color:windowtext;display:none;text-decoration:none'>. </span><span style='color:windowtext;display:none;text-decoration:none'>8</span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoToc1><a href="#_Toc492156213">A TEACHER RETIRES<span style='color:windowtext;display:none;text-decoration:none'>. </span><span style='color:windowtext;display:none;text-decoration:none'>9</span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoToc1><a href="#_Toc492156214">REPRESENTATIVE JIMMIE HALL<span style='color:windowtext;display:none;text-decoration:none'>. </span><span style='color:windowtext;display:none;text-decoration:none'>10</span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoToc1><a href="#_Toc492156215">THE NEED TO USE MORE THAN ONE WEB BROWSER IN WINDOWS<span style='color:windowtext;display:none;text-decoration:none'>. </span><span style='color:windowtext;display:none;text-decoration:none'>12</span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoToc1><a href="#_Toc492156216">HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS, EVEN IF YOU CAN’T REMEMBER WHICH BOX YOU PACKED IT IN<span style='color:windowtext;display:none;text-decoration:none'>.. </span><span style='color:windowtext;display:none;text-decoration:none'>14</span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoToc1><a href="#_Toc492156217">CONTROL EQUALS CONFIDENCE: MEDICINE, MEDICATION AND THE BLIND<span style='color:windowtext;display:none;text-decoration:none'>.. </span><span style='color:windowtext;display:none;text-decoration:none'>16</span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoToc1><a href="#_Toc492156218"><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>GOOD EATING</span><span style='color:windowtext;display:none;text-decoration:none'>.. </span><span style='color:windowtext;display:none;text-decoration:none'>21</span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoToc2><a href="#_Toc492156219">HOMEMADE NEW MEXICO SOPAPILLAS<span style='color:windowtext;display:none;text-decoration:none'>. </span><span style='color:windowtext;display:none;text-decoration:none'>21</span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoToc1><a href="#_Toc492156220"><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>USEFUL WEBSITES, APPS, AND TELEPHONE NUMBERS</span><span style='color:windowtext;display:none;text-decoration:none'>. </span><span style='color:windowtext;display:none;text-decoration:none'>22</span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoToc1><a href="#_Toc492156221"><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>MEETINGS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS</span><span style='color:windowtext;display:none;text-decoration:none'>. </span><span style='color:windowtext;display:none;text-decoration:none'>22</span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></w:Sdt><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><h1><a name="_Toc492156206"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>PREAMBLE</span></a><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></h1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>The National Federation of the Blind of New Mexico (NFBNM) is a 501(c)(3) consumer organization comprised of blind and sighted people committed to changing what it means to be blind. Though blindness is still all too often a tragedy to those who face it, we know from our own personal experience that with training and opportunity, it can be reduced to the level of a physical nuisance. We work to see that blind people receive services and training to which they are entitled and that parents of blind children receive the advice and support they need to help their youngsters grow up to be happy, productive adults. We believe that first-class citizenship means that people have both rights and responsibilities, and we are determined to see that blind people become first-class citizens of these United States, enjoying their rights and fulfilling their responsibilities. The most serious problems we face have less to do with our lack of vision than with discrimination based on the public’s ignorance and misinformation about blindness. Join us in educating New Mexicans about the abilities and aspirations of New Mexico’s blind citizens.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>(Adapted from NFB of Ohio newsletter.) <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><h1><a name="_Toc492156207"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>EDITOR’S NOTE</span></a><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></h1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>by Jim Babb, Editor<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Hello fellow Federationists and friends,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Thanks to all of you who have submitted articles, announcements, and recipes. Without these, we would have no newsletter. Thanks to Assistant Editor Tonia Trapp, who assembles the articles, edits for grammar and spelling, etc., and also reads Que Pasa onto New Mexico Newsline. We have some great articles in this newsletter and great events happening soon, such as the New Mexico State Fair Parade, White Cane Luncheon, and the Non-24 and Much More seminar<a name="_GoBack"></a>. Read on for further details.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><h1><a name="_Toc492156208"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE</span></a><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></h1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>by Adelmo Vigil, President, NFB of New Mexico<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal;text-autospace:none'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>G</span><span lang=BG style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>reetings </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>F</span><span lang=BG style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>ederation </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>family,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal;text-autospace:none'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Once again, t</span><span lang=BG style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>he National Convention in Orlando was a great success. President Riccobono</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>'s</span><span lang=BG style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'> presentations were awesome, </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>and </span><span lang=BG style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>if you have not had the opportunity to hear them</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>,</span><span lang=BG style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'> I suggest that you download them from our NFB website. All </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>the </span><span lang=BG style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>speakers contributed to the success of an awesome convention. The agenda was again packed with great information and direction for the future of our organization. Our thanks to Peggy Chong and everyone who worked the table during exhibit hall hours. This year we had 39 New Mexicans registered at our national convention.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal;text-autospace:none'><span lang=BG style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal;text-autospace:none'><span lang=BG style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>We are planning for our annual leadership training on Friday and Saturday, November 3 and 4</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>,</span><span lang=BG style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'> in Albuquerque</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>,</span><span lang=BG style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'> for all NFBNM board members </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>and all c</span><span lang=BG style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>hapter and </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>d</span><span lang=BG style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>ivision presidents </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>and </span><span lang=BG style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>board members. An NFBNM board of directors meeting will be held on Friday, November 3, at 7:00 </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>p.m.</span><span lang=BG style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'> I will be sending out hotel details later by email.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal;text-autospace:none'><span lang=BG style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal;text-autospace:none'><span lang=BG style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>The National Federation of the Blind of New Mexico and the New Mexico Commission for the Blind have joined in a partnership to provide training to blind and visually impaired students and adults in different areas of New Mexico. Our first seminar was held in Farmington</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>,</span><span lang=BG style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'> New Mexico on August 18 and 19, 2017</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>, and it was a great success</span><span lang=BG style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>. Together with love, hope and determination, we can transform dreams into reality. </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Blind s</span><span lang=BG style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>tudents and children can live the life they want, if they receive proper instruction in the blindness skills necessary for them to read, write, and travel independently.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal;text-autospace:none'><span lang=BG style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal;text-autospace:none'><span lang=BG style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>It is not to</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>o</span><span lang=BG style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'> early to </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>begin </span><span lang=BG style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>planning for our state convention in 2018. The convention will be held at the Sheraton Albuquerque Uptown </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Hotel </span><span lang=BG style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>on April 19 through April 21, 2018.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal;text-autospace:none'><span lang=BG style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal;text-autospace:none'><span lang=BG style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Meet the </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>B</span><span lang=BG style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>lind </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>M</span><span lang=BG style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>onth is coming up in October</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>, so </span><span lang=BG style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>I encourage chapter</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>s</span><span lang=BG style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'> and divisions to plan activities that will help get our message out to those that do not know who we are. Again we will continue to call on members of each local chapter and division to help move forward and grow as an affiliate. We can change what it means to be blind for children, youth and adults of all ages in New Mexico. Let us go build the Federation.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal;text-autospace:none'><span lang=BG style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal;text-autospace:none'><span lang=BG style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>The National Federation of the Blind of New Mexico knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. We can live the life we want; blindness is not what holds us back.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><h1><a name="_Toc492156209">NON-24 AND SO MUCH MORE SEMINAR</a><o:p></o:p></h1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Greetings and salutations:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>The Albuquerque Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of New Mexico is pleased to invite you to an event which we are calling <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Non-24 And So Much More! There is no cost for you to attend.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:1.0in;text-indent:-1.0in'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>When: Saturday, October 14, 2017 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:1.0in;text-indent:-1.0in'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Where: Albuquerque Main Public Library<br>Lower Level Auditorium<br>501 Copper Ave. NW,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:2.0in;text-indent:-1.0in'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Albuquerque, NM 87102<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:2.0in;text-indent:-1.0in'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Phone: (505) 768-5170<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Non-24 is not a sleep disorder. It is a serious, chronic circadian rhythm disorder. Symptoms include:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>• trouble falling asleep or staying asleep<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>• waking up groggy or not feeling as if you've gotten enough rest<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.5in'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>• an overwhelming urge to sleep during the day or falling asleep unexpectedly<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>• difficulties in managing school or work<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>• problems with concentration<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Come and learn about Non-24, which is a little-known condition which seems to affect people who are blind to a greater extent than the rest of the general population. If this doesn't interest you, there is so much more information you can get by coming to this event. Hear about the strategies and techniques that are used by people who are blind to carry out normal daily living activities such as identifying medication without sight, or moving to and becoming familiar with a new city. You might appreciate knowing how the Veterans Administration serves veterans who are blind.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Please RSVP </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>by October 9, 2017, </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>by contacting Tara Chavez, President, National Federation of the Blind of New Mexico, Albuquerque Chapter.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:1.0in;text-indent:-1.0in'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Address: 4000 Hendrix Rd. NE<br>Albuquerque, NM 87110<br>Phone: (505) 872-2044<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:1.0in;text-indent:-1.0in'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Email: nfb.abqchapter@gmail.com<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>We look forward to seeing you at our Non-24 And So Much More event.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Sincerely,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Tara Chavez, President<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>National Federation of the Blind of New Mexico<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Albuquerque Chapter<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><h1><a name="_Toc492156210">A NEW WAY TO ENJOY NATIONAL CONVENTION</a><o:p></o:p></h1><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>by Art Schreiber<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>As I approach my 90th birthday next month, I have spent time reflecting on this year's National Convention at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort. I maintain that it's time for me to learn to stream future conventions from the comfort of my apartment at the old folks home where I live. There is too much walking for these arthritic knees. And you are hearing this from one who works out five days a week and competes in the Duke City 10K walk every October. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>However, my biggest disappointment is my poor hearing. I have been attending national conventions since 1984. I always looked forward to getting to the convention hall very early. I enjoyed talking with friends, especially those whom I hadn't talked with for a long time. I also loved the Ohio delegation because members sold M&M's, which I love. Over the years I donated a lot of dollars to the Ohio delegation! And, of course, I enjoyed hearing the interesting speakers. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>This year, that all changed for me. I still got to the hall early. But now, loud--and I mean loud--music filled the hall. It was very difficult for me to talk to anyone, even the one sitting next to me. The music has replaced members shouting out their wares. No M&M's, but it was probably my hearing. Even at the banquet, I couldn't hear. I know the sound system wasn't the best, and there were problems with it, but my loss of hearing, in spite of very expensive hearing aids, didn't help. I really appreciated Marc Maurer adding memorable stories of the NFB past, but I couldn't hear him. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>It's time I resigned from my First VP position in the Senior Division and time to say to all of you young 'uns, Millennials, and newly-crowned seniors ... I'll see you on the Stream!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><h1><a name="_Toc492156211">I SERVE ON THE NATIONAL LIBRARY'S COLLECTIONS DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE</a><o:p></o:p></h1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>by Peggy Chong<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>In May, I had the privilege of traveling to Washington, D. C. to represent the Southwest part of our country as a member of the National Library Service (NLS) Collections Development Advisory Group (CDAG) from May 23 through May 26, 2017. The CDAG is made up of twelve members: four reader representatives, four librarians, one children's librarian, and three representatives from national blind consumer groups. The NFB, the ACB and the Blinded Veterans were all part of the committee. Some of the group members had served previously, while others like myself were brand new.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Our mission was to gather data from others who use the NLS service in our area, and to bring those comments, concerns and suggestions to the CDAG meeting. Thanks to some of you, I had a raft of emails and letters to bring in and share. Each member presented their comments, and then the work began. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>During the three-day meeting, we compiled all of the comments and then examined them to determine if the suggestions were both reasonable and achievable. We accomplished this by analyzing information from the presentations and asking questions of the NLS staff. We looked at what had been done in the past two years, what was being done currently, and plans for the future. Our suggestions were then placed into a document that we used to frame our report to the NLS staff on the last day.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Some of you asked questions about the current practices of NLS this past winter and spring, and I was not able to answer all of your questions. So when I returned home, I responded to your emails to answer those questions based on new information I obtained from the CDAG.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Some of you will be pleased to know that the BARD lists of new books, which are posted on Fridays, will soon be getting shorter. NLS is almost through digitizing the old books that are still in good condition in terms of the quality of the recordings. Once this is completed, the Friday new-book list should be a bit more manageable to get through. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Our group will meet once a year, and I will serve for another three years. We will have a meeting via phone next summer, so it will not be as extensive as the one I just attended. We will meet again in-person in the spring of 2019. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><h1><a name="_Toc492156212">THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE TALKING BOOK, WRITTEN BY MATTHEW RUBERY</a><o:p></o:p></h1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>This fabulous book, published in 2016, tells the story of how audio books began and developed over a long period of time into the kinds of audio books that we read today. The concept of the audio book was kicked off by Thomas Edison’s invention of the phonograph in 1877. We think of the phonograph as primarily for music, but the first sound out of Edison’s invention was spoken words: "Mary had a little lamb." The real talking books for the blind got started in the mid 1930’s with phonograph records, progressing to cassettes in the 70’s, CD’s in the late 80’s, and ultimately to the digital format we have today. You can download this great book from BARD, or call the NM Library for the Blind at 1-800-456-5515. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><h1><a name="_Toc492156213">A TEACHER RETIRES</a><o:p></o:p></h1><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>by Nancy Burns<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The weather was perfect for an outside luncheon on the afternoon of July 15, 2017. Over 30 friends, coworkers, and family members gathered to honor retiring teacher Caroline Benavidez. Those present chatted amicably while enjoying a delicious Southwest luncheon.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Caroline, who happens to be blind, began her 23-year-long teaching career in Hesperia, California in a regular education classroom. She was asked to create a V.I. program and taught blind students for four years. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>In 2004 Caroline moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico and worked at the New Mexico Commission for the Blind. In 2006 she began teaching at Zia Elementary School where she again taught blind students. After teaching in the Albuquerque Public School system for eight years, she retired in 2017. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>As the luncheon concluded and dessert was being enjoyed, Caroline stood to make some comments to the group. She credited two other blind teachers, Pat Munson and Mary Willows, with her success. This kind of support is the backbone of the National Federation of the Blind. In previous decades, the road to a teaching career was strewn with obstacles such as vision requirements and discrimination. Today blind teachers no longer need to battle such hurtles because of the efforts of the National Federation of the Blind.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>When asked what she planned to do as a retiree, Caroline stated that she wanted to continue utilizing her teaching skills. She also enjoys gardening, crocheting, and reading. Caroline volunteers at her church and currently serves as Second Vice President of the NFB of New Mexico.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><h1><a name="_Toc492156214">REPRESENTATIVE JIMMIE HALL</a><o:p></o:p></h1><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>by Peggy Chong<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>"I choose to have a full life," said Representative Jimmie Hall in a conversation we had this summer. Jimmie is not legally blind, but Macular Degeneration has made an impact on his life and caused him to change the way he approaches a few things. Jimmie has not slowed down in the least or stepped back from the things he enjoys doing.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>In 2002, Jimmie learned that, just as his parents had learned from their eye doctor about themselves approximately thirty years before, Jimmie had Dry Macular Degeneration (MD), an eye condition that can take away the vision of many older Americans. It was a diagnosis he was expecting. Almost all of his close-up vision is gone. His distance vision is still OK, but decreasing slowly over time.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>While in their sixties, both his parents were diagnosed with MD, his father with dry like himself and his mother, wet. Mom lost all of her sight, while Dad lost almost all of his sight. His parents were role models for him in how they handled their loss of vision, both emotionally and philosophically. Today, his dad, at age 93, still cares for his livestock and does many chores around the ranch that younger men with full vision have given up doing.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Jimmie Charles Hall was born into a ranching family almost seventy years ago in McCamey, Texas. He was a Second Lieutenant in the Army in the 1970's. He earned his BS and MA degrees in Animal Science from West Texas State University, now West Texas A and M. In 1977, he went into the banking business at the Farm Credit Bank of Texas, excelling at all levels until he took the position of President of the Production Credit Association of New Mexico. He held that position from 1989-2001, and then he decided to get into politics.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>The diagnosis of MD was not a factor in his decision to leave the bank. The bank was being merged, and it was just the right time for him to leave. He decided to run for the District 28 House seat for the 2004 election year. In making this decision, the only consideration that he gave his vision loss was that he knew he would need to select the right tools for the job.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Jimmie does not advertise his vision loss, nor does he hide it. When he needs to read something, he asks for the document to be sent to him via email so he can use magnification to read it. He has been able to get almost 90% of the documents, reports, files and presentations on-line, making it easy for him to carry out his duties as a State Representative. If someone asks about his vision loss, he tells them, but that is not why he is up there in Santa Fe.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>When it comes to adaptive technologies, he has gone in search of tools that work for him. The first place he looked for magnification was at Holman's, a technology company in Albuquerque that specializes in surveying and mapping services. There he purchased a $10 magnifier and a $40 magnifier that he took home to use for reading print. He has researched and tried a few other magnification devices since then. Some work, many just go back in their box and in a drawer. When he finds something that is portable and small, he stays with it, not looking to buy the newest model with bells and whistles he does not need. The magnifiers come in handy when tying knots in the fishing lines when he is out fishing with his granddaughters.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>He uses magnification in his office at the Roundhouse, at home, and at work here in Albuquerque to handle all of his reading. When wanting to know the votes of his colleagues on the floor of the House, he pulls out his binoculars to read the board. He has found that paying a lot of money for some tool to address his vision loss is not necessary. What is important is to look at everything with an open mind and ask questions: What does this mainstream product do well, and what does it not do well? How can I adapt it for my needs? A while back, he saw yellow tinted clip-on sunglasses in a catalogue, and he got a pair. They cut the glare for him very well when outside, so he ordered a dozen more.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Most legislators know that if an issue or legislation regarding the deaf or blind arises, Jimmie already knows about it or is a part of it. One of his particular interests is helping deaf children get a Cochlear Implant to be able to hear. He also monitors similar technologies for the blind, but they are not really here yet. Jimmie has championed legislation for the School for the Blind in Alamogordo. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>He no longer drives at night at the suggestion of his doctor. When he is up in Santa Fe, this is not a big deal, as he stays at the La Fonda Hotel and walks the three blocks to the Roundhouse each day. If there is a night function or one that will run late into the dark hours, no problem. Jimmie calls Uber.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Jimmie may lose all of his sight, or he may not. If it happens, then it happens. There will come a time when he will have to give up his restricted driver's license, and that may be soon. He is hoping that by then, the self-driving car will be on the market so he can buy one and get around the city that way. His granddaughters are also motivation for him to keep active. He wants to be a "participating grandparent" in their lives and wants them to remember him that way, just as he himself is encouraged by his highly-active father at 93. He wants to take them fishing with grandpa. Jimmie still hunts, although he has gotten stronger scopes. He still swims, rides ATV's, and much more.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>So, if Jimmie Hall becomes legally blind, unless we remember to ask him, we may never know. He will still be up there in Santa Fe, working on issues such as education, Drought Relief, animal protection, cyber security, public safety and more.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Oh, and in case you are left with the opinion that Jimmie is just a legislator, think again. At almost 70, he is still working. Currently, he serves as the Executive Director of the Youth Development Foundation for 4-H. Vision loss is a characteristic of Jimmie Hall, one he has embraced, but it does not define him as a man or a legislator. Nor does his age, it would seem.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><h1><a name="_Toc492156215">THE NEED TO USE MORE THAN ONE WEB BROWSER IN WINDOWS</a><br><br><o:p></o:p></h1><p class=MsoNormal>by Curtis Chong<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Anyone who does anything with computers these days has at least heard about the Worldwide Web. In fact, if we expect to conduct any online business (Amazon online shopping being perhaps the most well-known example), we will be using the Worldwide Web whether we know it or not. Any site whose address starts with the ubiquitous three w's (www) essentially points to what we call a website.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>We generally can reach websites using a program called a web browser. When I first started using Windows on a daily basis some twenty years ago, the only truly usable Windows web browsing program for the blind was Microsoft's Internet Explorer. All of our access to the web centered around the use of this program. If we could use a website with Internet Explorer with our screen reading software, we considered the site to be accessible. (There was a program at that time called Netscape, but none of our screen reading programs worked with it, so this program was essentially not one we needed or wanted to use.)<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Today, I find myself using two different web browsing programs on my work and home computers: Mozilla Firefox and Microsoft Internet Explorer. I have found that these are the two best programs to use with screen reading software. Yes, you may have heard about Google Chrome and/or Microsoft Edge (Microsoft's web browser for Windows 10), but be forewarned that these two programs are not as usable with screen reading software as Internet Explorer and Firefox.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I suspect that if we conducted a poll of nonvisual computer users, most of them would say that they use only one browser, and it would be Internet Explorer. As I hope to demonstrate in this article, we would all be well-advised to have at least two browsing programs at our disposal, and if I were the one making the recommendation, I would recommend that as of right now, the two browsing programs you should have are Microsoft Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox. Each browser has its own set of pluses and minuses.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>On the plus side, Internet Explorer (the most current version is 11) has what I call a status line which can be turned on to show you what is happening when an unexpected delay occurs with the Internet. Since Internet Explorer has been around for a very long time, more blind people are familiar with and feel more comfortable using it.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>On the minus side, Microsoft has clearly sent the message that Internet Explorer will no longer be improved over time. The only updates to Internet Explorer that Microsoft will distribute are those that are essential for security. Microsoft has made the decision to roll out all of its browser enhancements in its newer Edge product, which continues to be less than fully functional for blind users but which is promised to work better with screen reading technology before the end of the year.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Mozilla Firefox is a web browsing program that continues to be actively supported and updated. It seems to have become the gold standard for testers who want to ensure that their web applications meet accessibility guidelines. It seems to work with our screen reading software as well as Internet Explorer does. At this time, Firefox does not have a status line that I can read should there be a delay on the Internet.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The informed and proactive blind user should, in my opinion, have both of these browsing programs available to be used on a computer. Here are some reasons why.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.5in'>1. For websites such as www.lyft.com or www.paypal.com, I have found that information that you can read with Firefox is not detectable with Internet Explorer. For example, on PayPal, I cannot see the Reports link with Internet Explorer.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.5in'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.5in'>2. The State of New Mexico will only accept job applications through the Government Jobs website, www.governmentjobs.com. This site is not as usable with Internet Explorer as it is with Firefox; so, if you are a user of Internet Explorer, you would be well-advised to switch to Firefox if you want to apply for a job with the State.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.5in'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.5in'>3. On the other hand, if you like to be notified that something is about to be downloaded on your computer when you click on a link, you may prefer to use the Internet Explorer Notification Bar, which you can reach by pressing the Alt key and the letter n. Firefox can be configured to provide a similar notification, but this is not something that just happens automatically.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.5in'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.5in'>4. Internet Explorer makes it possible to save a web page (and all of its associated files) into a single Web Archive file. Firefox doesn't have this feature yet.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.5in'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.5in'>5. Finally, if you have been using Internet Explorer for a long time, you may not feel comfortable switching to Firefox and completely abandoning Internet Explorer. The keyboard commands for Firefox are very similar to the commands in Internet Explorer, but some of the differences might prove intimidating for some people.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The bottom line here is this: If you have both Internet Explorer and Firefox installed on your Windows computer, you, the user, can decide when to use either program. In the end, isn't informed user choice what this is all about?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><h1><a name="_Toc492156216">HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS, EVEN IF YOU CAN’T REMEMBER WHICH BOX YOU PACKED IT IN</a><o:p></o:p></h1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>by Mary Willows <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>When you decide that you have reached the point in your life that it is time to downsize and start a new chapter, that is the easy part. Things get tricky and stressful when every room in your 1800-square-foot home is stacked with boxes: little boxes, medium-size boxes, and very large wardrobe boxes--most of which will not be moving with you. So how does a blind person keep track of the boxes and their contents so that you can find your pajamas and toothbrush when you reach your destination? This article is about my attempt to turn chaos into organized chaos. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>The first thing to do is eliminate everything that you have not used in at least one year. If your garage looks like mine did, you will find that the secondhand donation stores can help immensely with this task. I cleared a space in the middle of the garage so that when the donation truck arrived, I could tell them that everything in the middle of the garage should be put on the truck. Sometimes you have to put items out on the driveway or front porch, which helps control which items are going. I put a colored sticky on the items that were going, so that I could tell the pickup guys which items to load on the truck. One load was blue, the next load was yellow, a third load was green and a final load was white. I found some colored 3-by-5 index cards in my desk that also needed to go, so I taped them to the boxes or furniture scheduled for pickup.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Then you are left with the boxes that are still in the house and hold some items of sentimental value. For a blind person, pictures are the hardest to deal with. I had my sons sort through them and take the ones they wanted, and I went to the Dollar Store to buy frames for the ones I wanted to keep. The really important ones are in a small trunk I found at the consignment store: these included my wedding pictures, baby pictures, graduations, and kids' wedding pictures. All were carefully wrapped and placed in the trunk. I wrote “important pictures” in print and Braille and tapped the card to the trunk. Every box had a print/Braille label taped to it so that I knew what was inside that box.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>I sold or gave away almost all of my furniture. I decided that there was no point in paying for the movers to bring big pieces of furniture, since I did not know what would fit in my one-bedroom apartment. I kept a bed, a love seat and armchair, a nightstand, a television, and a desk. That was it. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>I found a website for people who are moving that listed all of the items that should be packed in a suitcase, things like a set of sheets, a pair of pajamas, toothbrush and toothpaste, medicine, and a clean set of underwear. If the movers got lost, I could at least take care of my immediate needs wherever I ended up.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>The final moving tip, which I insisted upon having in print and Braille, is to put a number on each box. Then I created an inventory list in Braille so that all I had to do at this end (meaning New Mexico) was to tell the movers where to put the boxes in the new apartment. For example, boxes labeled K-1 through K-5 were to go in the kitchen, boxes labeled B-1 through B-7 were to go in the bedroom, and so on. I couldn’t believe how smoothly emptying the moving truck went as a result. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>The last thing to do was to empty boxes and find a home for all my worldly belongings. There are now companies which, for a price, will come in and empty boxes for you after a move. It is not cheap, but it sure saves your back muscles. However, you must be organized right from the start, or you will spend a lot of time and money just trying to figure out what is in each box and where you want it to go.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>I hope these tips and ideas might save readers from some of the stress of moving. I can’t say that it was a breeze, but I can tell you that it was survivable.</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><h1><a name="_Toc492156217">CONTROL EQUALS CONFIDENCE: MEDICINE, MEDICATION AND THE BLIND</a><o:p></o:p></h1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>by Peggy Chong<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>September 9-15, 2017 is Medication Safety Awareness Week. Many and varied agencies, consumer groups, hospitals, pharmacies and medical manufacturers are doing much to promote safety in the use of medications in our country. The Blind History Lady weighs in on this important topic from a historical perspective, looking at the attitudes of the sighted and blind from decades past and how those attitudes impacted a blind person’s ability to take control of their own health with confidence. With companies such as En-Vision America, the makers of ScripTalk, we are working to make opportunities to lead a full life better for the blind. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Through the decades and centuries, have we as blind people made more medication errors than our sighted peers, or have we been better at taking the correct medication because we are more careful? Did we mark our medication bottles accurately and tactilely to ensure correct identification? Has the increasing number of prescriptions written to all Americans in this century made it harder for us as blind people to ensure that we are taking the correct meds? To the best of my knowledge, no statistics or reports regarding the blind and medication mix-ups have ever been kept. Biennial reports from many schools for the blind to their state’s governor and state legislative body dating back over 150 years are a great source of hidden blindness statistics for children and adults. These reports rarely note the health of a blind student or “inmate” that was compromised by the blind person themselves through incorrect medication. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>As The Blind History Lady, I have run across documentation and many old news articles that tell of medication mishaps that have resulted in blindness to young children who were then sent to the state school for the blind. Traveling doctors gave medications to parents living in rural areas without instructing them about how to use the medications or what doses to give. This misinformation resulted in the loss of sight for their children. The same was true with regard to eye injuries to the young and old alike: medications were left with families and incorrect amounts were administered to the newly-blinded individual, causing permanent damage to the eye. Sighted doctors and nurses had unknowingly given medication to patients that resulted in blindness even in a hospital setting.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Had ScripTalk been around for the sighted doctors, nurses and family members to use back then, maybe a large percentage of blindness could have been avoided. When beginning my research for this topic, I marveled at why this product is not marketed and used by the sighted, not just the blind. Remember the medication mix-up in the 1946 holiday film ”It’s a Wonderful Life?"<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Looking at history, I have realized that the most important value to those of us who have a ScripTalk in our home is not the identification of the medications themselves, but rather the control and confidence it gives us--and more importantly, the confidence it gives our family and medical teams--which allows us to have control over our medications, thus control of our lives. Or as one ScripTalk user put it, to get the sighted off our backs. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Let’s take a quick look back at the history of the blind in our country. For the most part, blindness was considered a condition that must be cured. The blind who were not able to have their sight restored were seen as broken and needing to be put aside. Religion played a major part in how blindness was looked at in the home and the community. How many of us have heard that “The sins of the Father…?" Deuteronomy 5:9 says, "You shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me." This message was repeated in many Old Testament books and preached from the pulpits, tree stumps and street corners for centuries. It is no wonder that blinded family members were shut off in back rooms or sent away. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>As time passed and New Testament readings brought the message of God’s forgiveness to the forefront of religions, the blanket of shame on an entire family of the one who became or was born blind was lifted slowly, over the decades. An example of one of these passages is <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>John 9:1-3, which reads as follows:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him." <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Yet even today, I talk to parents who tell me that when finding out their child is blind, their first thought is, “What did I do wrong?”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>For centuries, blind individuals have been locked away in alms houses and asylums, because it was thought to be best for the blind person. The prevailing belief was that someone at an asylum could take care of the blind family member much better than the family could at home. Yet many of those who worked in the asylums had little experience and were just shy of entering an alms house themselves. Inmates had no control over their lives including the ability or freedom to leave. The story of the early years of Anne Sullivan and her brother illustrate the horrors of the old asylums of the past and how those institutions impacted blind people.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>When schools for the blind first opened in our country, many families who loved their little blind children very much refused to send them to a school for the blind, no matter how well the new institution presented. These families feared that if their young blind child was sent off to the asylum, they would lose control and never see their child again, or at least, not as a whole person. On the other hand, some families were eager to relinquish custody of their child to the state where they could be better cared for and understood, and in too many cases, out of sight and out of mind. It is important to note that transportation back then, even just 50 miles, was a day’s trip or more. This meant that farmers could not afford to visit their child at the institution, nor could they afford to have their blind child brought home for a weekend. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>At many of the state-sponsored schools for the blind, medical eye care was provided free of charge to the families. This was done for several reasons: (1) the state was the guardian for these young people, and it would not be fiscally or morally sound to ignore their health needs; (2) this was an opportunity to “cure” the blind child so they would not be a burden on their home community or the state’s welfare funds later when they returned home; and (3) it was also a great opportunity for the medical profession to perform experimental procedures on or provide medication to a control group of the blind, allowing them to produce results much faster and with a higher rate of success and assuredness. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>For hundreds of students across America, this was certainly the case. The school for the blind was typically in a larger community, and the state paid for a doctor to look after the children. Some of these children became guinea pigs for new experimental medical procedures to prevent blindness. Not all procedures or surgeries were successful, though biennial reports do tell of several of the blind children brought under the state’s care who did return to their home schools with their vision restored. But no matter the results, families were grateful for the efforts made on behalf of their blind, helpless children, because either medical treatment in their home community did not exist, or the families just could not afford the doctor’s fees.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>During the 19th and much of the 20th century, no one expected the blind child or inmate to be responsible for their medication. No patient, sighted or blind, child or adult, had control over their medication in a hospital or medical setting. Far fewer people took medications back then, as they were expensive and also not as easy to come by, unless one lived in a larger community. For our blind ancestors who handled medications just as well or poorly as the sighted, attributes such as smells, size, and texture of pills or powders helped them identify the medication. They marked bottles in Braille, and different sizes and shapes of bottles and packaging were frequently used to keep medications separate. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Blind doctors such as Jacob Bolotin or Robert H. Babcock (1851-1930), a renowned blind heart specialist from Illinois, controlled their careers through the confidence they had in themselves. During Babcock’s career as a physician from 1877 until the 1920’s, he handled medications all the time. He also drew with chalk or a crayon on the bodies of his patients to illustrate to the sighted doctors where organs lay or where to make the incisions before surgery. For more than 40 years, he actively practiced medicine in the Chicago area and consulted across the country on cases involving the heart and lungs. According to the Washington, D.C. Evening Star of June 11, 1901, there were already eight or ten blind physicians with active medical practices in the United States at that time. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Blind pharmacists such as Sam Jones, a blind man of moderate travel skills, had difficulty convincing the community that he was up to the task, and after a few years, he sold his drugstore in Iowa. But in Wisconsin, pharmacist and drug manufacturer Willard Tubbs (1869-1931), a poised blind man with excellent travel skills, not only manufactured medications, but also demonstrated his wares throughout the Midwest with confidence. In his later years, he found it necessary to stay back in Wisconsin to manage his large factory, write books and pamphlets, and travel more frequently to conferences and conventions rather than hitting the road as a salesman. His clients had confidence in him and shared their trust with others who asked about the reputation of Mr. Tubbs. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Blind people are a part of the general population with all of the same fears, worries and confidences as the sighted. When we have confidence in ourselves, identifying the content of a couple of medication bottles is no big deal. Just ask Dr. Babcock or Mr. Tubbs. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Today, a greater percentage of Americans are living longer and much more independently than before. Senior living facilities are allowing more and more older Americans to live on their own, and greater numbers of community services allow more older Americans to remain in their own homes. However, with these targeted housing initiatives and community-based senior services, there can often be a formalization of old stereotypes as supposedly-legitimate criteria that need to be addressed in their guidelines, in case of a lawsuit. “For your safety” is a phrase that some of the older blind individuals I have talked with say they hear far too often from potential senior companion or service groups today. As a condition of receiving some community services, the older blind person must declare that they cannot do, or must give up doing, certain activities or services, which are usually unrelated to the help they had requested. For instance, if the competent blind person continues to cook their own meals or walk to the nearby store for milk, other non-related services will be dropped. In one case, if the blind senior wishes to take care of their own medications, then they will not be able to have a senior companion rake their yard or drive them to the pharmacy. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Most would agree that on the whole, the level of confidence in the abilities of blind people on the part of the medical profession, the general population, and indeed the blind themselves, is not much better now than it was in 1800. Many people still feel that control of medication is best left in the hands of the sighted. Blind individuals pursuing a medical degree are met with every roadblock possible. Rarely do we hear of a blind pharmacist earning a living, either in a hospital or with one of the many large drugstore chains who claim to be proactive in employing people with disabilities. Yet, today we still hear about sighted people overdosing or taking the wrong medications. The common theory is that if the sighted--who can read the bottles--are still making mistakes with medications, then the blind surely will also, and to a greater degree.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>ScripTalk provides a product that promotes control, confidence, and greater trust on the part of the sighted that the blind and low vision population can handle medications with ease and accuracy. Those who are losing their vision often have no confidence in their abilities. ScripTalk is available to help restore their independence. With the confidence they gain from the ability to take control of their medication, they can adjust to their new circumstances and move ahead with their healthcare, at home, building on the success that ScripTalk provided. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Follow the Blind History Lady at www.theblindhistorylady.com. Read more from the Blind History Lady at <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/622573">https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/622573</a>. You can also reach The Blind History Lady at peggychong@earthlink.net.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><h1><a name="_Toc492156218"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>GOOD EATING</span></a><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></h1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><h2><a name="_Toc492156219">HOMEMADE NEW MEXICO SOPAPILLAS</a><o:p></o:p></h2><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>by Ernest Esquibel<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>This is a New Mexico favorite. I've made them for my family, and they were a big hit.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>(Makes 12 sopapillas)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>2 cups flour<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>1 tsp baking powder<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>1/2 tsp salt<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>3 tbsp butter, melted<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>3/4 cup water<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>oil for frying<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>In a medium-sized bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add in melted butter and water, and mix until dough is smooth.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>If the dough is too dry, you can add a tablespoon of water at a time to moisten it. If it gets too wet, you can sprinkle in a little flour to fix it.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Cover bowl with a clean towel, and let sit for 20 minutes.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Heat oil in a deep-fryer or sturdy pot until it reaches 375 degrees. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Roll dough out onto lightly-floured surface until 1/4-inch thick. Cut into desired size (I recommend 3-inch squares, but you can get creative with your shapes if you’re feeling up to it). Fry sopapillas in oil until they puff up and start to get lightly-brown, which is about 60 seconds. Remove and transfer to a paper towel-lined bowl.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><h1><a name="_Toc492156220"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>USEFUL WEBSITES, APPS, AND TELEPHONE NUMBERS</span></a><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></h1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>A few tips on what not to post on social media such as Facebook:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst style='text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Your current location and the fact that you are away from home. This could expose you to burglary of your apartment or home.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpLast style='text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Your own or your family member's date of birth, social security number, or mother’s maiden name; this can help a criminal commit identity theft. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><a href="http://www.clarkdeals.com">www.clarkdeals.com</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Great daily deals on a large variety of items, from technology to seasonal items like lawn furniture. This site was developed by radio/television personality Clark Howard, whose motto is "spend less, save more, and don’t get ripped off."<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><a href="http://www.hiya.com">http://www.hiya.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Download this app to your cell phone. It is free and stops those annoying robo-calls; highly recommended by tech folks. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><h1><a name="_Toc492156221"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>MEETINGS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS</span></a><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></h1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Saturday, September 9: New Mexico State Fair Parade, Albuquerque <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Saturday, October 7: White Cane Banquet, to be held at El Patron Restaurant, 10551 Montgomery Blvd. NE, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Saturday, October 14, 1:00-4:00 p.m.: Non-24 and So Much More Seminar, Albuquerque Public Library, lower level auditorium, 501 Copper Ave. NW; Phone: 505-768-5170<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>