[nfbmi-talk] The Braille Examiner

[Larry Posont]

THE BRAILLE EXAMINER
Post-State Convention 2012
Editor: Connie J. Davis
Co-Editor: Debbie Stein
President: Patti Chang

CONTACT INFORMATION
President: Patti Chang, (773) 307-6440, pattichang at att.net
Editor:  Connie Davis, (773) 338-6922, connie.davis at rcn.com
Co- Editor:  Deborah Kent Stein, (773) 203-1394,dkent5817 at att.net
Formatting & Electronic Distribution: Connie Davis, (773) 338-6922,
connie.davis at rcn.com
Newsline® Edition:  David Meyer, (708) 209-1767, datemeyer@ sbcglobal.net
Limited Print Edition:  Bill & Roberta Reif, billreif at ameritech.net
Braille Edition:  Leslie Hamric, lhamric390 at comcast.net
Proofreaders: Meg Dowell & Glenn Moore,
Website:  Byron Lee, webmaster, www.nfbofillinois.org,
webmaster at nfbofillinois.org


ANNOUNCEMENTS

Articles and calendar postings should be submitted to Connie Davis at
connie.davis at rcn.com. The Newsletter Committee will meet prior
to the publication of each issue of the newsletter. Meetings will be
announced on our e-mail listservs, posted to the NFBI calendar
and on our website. Our meetings are open and new members are welcome.
This newsletter is available in electronic format on our
listservs, via e-mail, and on our website. It is also available on
Newsline®. It is published in Braille and limited print edition
for our donors as well.

Postal mail, e-mail address and format changes should be sent to
Connie Davis, connie.davis at rcn.com. Question or comments may be
addressed with Connie, Debbie or Patti.



BRAILLE READERS ARE LEADERS CONTEST
(This is a post that appeared on NFBnet.net Members List, posted by
David Andrews.)

It's time to start reading! The reading period for the annual Braille
Readers Are Leaders contest for adults begins November 1. Registration
for the contest is now open! You can register at
www.nfb.org/BRAL now through the end of the contest, January 4, 2013.

The contest is for adults who read Braille. There are categories for
all levels of Braille readers, from beginners to experts.
Participants read
for  prizes, practice, and pleasure. Whether you love the competition
or are spurred on simply because it's a great way to promote
and refine your Braille skills, this contest is for you.

For more information, you can check the Web site, www.nfb.org/BRAL.
There you will find all the forms and reading logs you will need
to participate. If you still have questions, please contact the
Braille Readers Are Leaders team at (410) 659-9314, extension 2312,
or BrailleReadersAreLeaders at nfb.org.

 Put your fingers to the paper and start recording what you are
reading today! Braille Rocks,

The Braille Readers Are Leaders Team

MANNA CERTIFICATES ORDER DETAILS & DEADLINE
by David Meyer

The deadline for placing an order for our Manna Gift Certificates
Fundraiser is December 2nd. The order will be placed on December
3rd. If you would like to place an order for certificates, please
contact Dave Meyer by calling 708-606-7091 or by e-mailing
datemeyer at sbcglobal.net.

A complete certificate list has been posted to both of our listservs
and on Newsline®.




POST-CONVENTION 2012 PRESIDENTIAL REPORT
by Patti Gregory-Chang

As I write from Washington State, I think with excitement about the
convention I am about to attend and review our recent convention
in Illinois with pride.

I begin with the numbers. We registered 149 people, almost one-third
of them people, under the age of thirty. This involvement of
young people bodes well for our future.

Most of this newsletter will be devoted to convention, but I would
like to note a couple of very important things here. First, our
At Large Chapter has been issued a charter. We were all so busy during
the convention that we forgot to present the charter at our
banquet! Be assured that it was issued by our national office. Second,
our Vendors Chapter met at convention. By all indications, a
new charter will be issued soon for our Illinois Association of Blind Merchants.

Now that convention is over, we can begin to work on our first
Illinois BELL Program. We plan to conduct a Braille Enrichment for
Literacy Program in Chicago next summer. If you wish to serve on the
BELL Committee, please let me know.

The NFBI board also approved a TVI/Parent seminar for next spring.
This should feed students into the more intensive BELL program.
We need people to work on this event as well. Even if you can't work
during the days of the seminar, you can help with the planning
and publicity. I will call on many of you. Please feel free to
volunteer by calling me at (773) 307-6440 or e-mailing at
pattichang at att.net.

We want a good contingent of Illinois Federationists to attend
Washington Seminar, which will be held February 2-4, 2013.
Applications for Washington Seminar are now available. The 2013 NFB
National Convention will take place July 1-6. Please mark your
calendars. Convention will be held at the Rosen Center in Orlando,
Florida. Please join us.



WELCOME ILLINOIS VENDORS!!!
by Mary Lou Grunwald

On October 17th, The Illinois Association of Blind Merchants voted
unanimously to become a chapter of NFBI. This has been a dream of
mine for 35 years. That dream has finally come true. Many of my vendor
colleagues have been attending state and national events over
the past year, and I have had the honor and privilege of sharing all
the exciting aspects of our organization with them. I have
heard many positive responses. I am looking forward to seeing what new
talents and abilities they will bring to NFBI.

Welcome fellow vendors!!!!


HOW TO KEEP YOUR NEWSLINE® SUBSCRIPTION
by David Meyer

Several weeks ago, our state president, Patti Chang, received a
communiqué from Sharon Ruda of the Illinois Talking Book and Braille
Service. The message detailed the process the library has undertaken
to identify those who wish to keep or cancel their NewsLine®
subscriptions. Since our convention I have learned that not all
NewsLine® subscribers have received a survey or any other
communications regarding their subscription. We are publishing Ms.
Ruda's letter to inform Newsline subscribers before any decision
is made on their behalf.

 If you wish to keep your NewsLine ® subscription, please call the
Illinois Talking Book and Braille Service at 800-665-5576. Press
5 to get to the Talking Book and Braille Service, then ask for Debra
Hurley. She will be glad to talk to you about this matter.

Here is Sharon Ruda's letter to President Chang.

Patti,

Below is information you can share with NewsLine® subscribers. I think
I have included all the information you requested. Please
call if you have additional questions.

Starting in November of 2011, the Illinois State Library Talking Book
and Braille Service began to survey individuals who are
subscribers to the NFB NewsLine®, a service sponsored and
administrated [sic] by the Illinois State Library. Although this
survey
was approved by our Consumer Advisory Committee, we have learned that
some people have questions regarding this project. This is a
project we do every two or three years. We do this in conjunction with
the annual review of Talking Book and Braille Service
readers. Every year, according to National Library Service procedures,
we review our Talking Book clients to remove from our program
database anyone who is deceased, from whom we have received returned
mail/location unknown, people who called and told us to cancel
their service for a number of reasons, etc. We follow through and make
changes regarding each situation. It is our administrative
responsibility to keep our records as up-to-date as possible.

Five attempts have been made to contact subscribers who have not
responded to the survey.

 1. A large print letter was sent to 1351 subscribers in November,
2011. We received 334 responses.
  A follow-up mailing was sent in March to those who did not respond.
  Beginning in July, staff at the Chicago office of the Illinois state
library have been making calls to 689 subscribers who did not
respond to the 2nd mailing. A response was required if the patron
wished NewsLine ®. A voice message was left with instructions to
call an 800 number if the individual wished to continue the subscription.
4. If phone numbers given to us by subscribers from our database were
discontinued, additional sources including the national
NewsLine ®) database record phone number, whitepages.com, personal
contact numbers, etc. were used to attempt to reach the
subscriber.
5. If we were unable to reach subscribers through the above process,
the final attempt was through email. We are receiving responses
from the email. If we are unable to communicate with people, after
trying numerous times, they will be removed from the database.
I'm sure you know, being deleted from the NewsLine list is not a
problem. If someone is inadvertently deleted, a simple call gets
him/her reinstated and at the same time allows us to update his/her
record. Updating changes in address or telephone number is
critical for any entity that administers a subscription program. It is
the responsibility of the subscribers to keep their record
up-to-date. If you move or get a cell phone and drop your land line,
the ISLTBBC needs that information.

An invaluable part of this survey is that David Meyer, our NewsLine®
mentor, is getting lots of referrals to people who need his
assistance and training. This is beneficial to those who answered our
survey, noting that they found NewsLine® too hard to use or
didn't know anything about it.

The Illinois State Library Talking Book and Braille Service
understands how important NewsLine is to our patrons, and we are
pleased
that NewsLine will continue to enhance the lives of those who use the service.

Sharon Ruda
Associate Director Illinois State Library


THE NFBI SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS OF 2012
by Deborah Kent Stein

Last May the NFBI Scholarship Committee tackled the difficult task of
selecting the 2012 scholarship winners from a pool of highly
qualified candidates. Shortly after the winners were notified, the
NFBI board voted to invite them to attend the NFB national
convention. With only three weeks notice, three of the winners managed
to arrange their busy schedules in order to spend a week in
Dallas. Months before they received their awards, they began to learn
about available resources, to bond with one another, and to
absorb the NFB philosophy.

Seven outstanding students were awarded NFBI scholarships at the NFB
of Illinois convention banquet on October 6. Kenneth Jernigan
schlarships of $1,250 went to Anthony Overhiser, a freshman at Loyola
University planning to go to medical school; Ryan Parrey, a
doctoral candidate in disability studies at the University of Chicago;
Adrian Rodriguez, a pre-law freshman at Stanford University;
and Gaia Iaccarino, who studies screenwriting and film at Scott
Community College in Bettendorf, Iowa. Mary MadDill Knapheide
Scholarships of $1,500 were awarded to Katie Leinum, a freshman at
Southern Illinois University/Carbondale who plans to study
architecture; and Brianna Lillyman, a freshman at Loyola University
who hopes to attend law school. The Peter Grunwald Memorial
Scholarship in the amount of $2,000 went to Megan Dowell. Meg is a
junior at Olivet Nazarene University. She has a double major in
English and Dietetics.

As the winner of the Grunwald Scholarship, Meg Dowell had the
opportunity to address the banquet. "I first want to say thank you so
much to everyone who is here. I am so, so grateful," she said.  "I
would like to tell a story. I am a dietetics major, and I'm
learning that it requires a lot of tasks I never thought I could push
myself to do. One of my classes this semester is food science.
It includes a lab that requires cooking--lots of cooking! That is
something I do not have a lot of experience with. There are six
kitchens in the lab, and in your kitchen you're part of a group of
three. Each person has tasks to do during the lab to get the food
prepared.

"After the first lab I went to my instructor and said, 'I can't do
this. I can't cook this food. I don't know what I'm doing.' And
she said, 'We're going to let you do this by yourself so you can
learn.' So this past Wednesday I was back in the lab. Part of the
lab was to boil green beans. That's not hard, right? You put the pan
on the stove and you turn the stove on. Well, I burned my green
beans! As I was burning my green beans I turned on the fan and opened
all the windows in the kitchen, and I took the beans and
dumped them in a strainer in the sink. I thought, what am I doing?
Then my instructor walked in and she said, 'What happened in
here?' I said to her, 'I am never going to be a dietetics major! I
burned my green beans! I can't even boil vegetables! I'm never
going to be able to do this! I'm going to fail!' And she said, 'Meg,
you can do anything. You just don't know it yet.'

"With every green bean I'll ever burn, I will think of NFBI and what
you all have blessed me with. You believed in me even before I
was here. Thank you so much."


CONVENTION FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF FIRST-TIMERS

A First Timers Perspective
By:  Ed Birmingham

Usually the first weekend in October means high school and college
football along with the beginning of baseball playoffs.  However,
this year would be different.  Approximately twenty Randolph-Sheppard
Vendors, along with spouses and grandkids, attended our first
ever National Federation of the Blind of Illinois Convention.
President Patti Gregory-Chang was kind enough to include the Vendors
in the Convention agenda.
John Gordon, who is the Chairman of the Illinois Committee of Blind
Vendors and I were asked to speak briefly at the student
luncheon.  We also took part in a panel discussion on the
Randolph-Sheppard Program with our colleagues, Jesse Rogers and
National
Association of Blind Merchants President, Nicky Gacos.  Raven Pulliam,
Administrator for the Business Enterprise Program for the
Blind, rounded out the panel.  We discussed many issues concerning
blind entrepreneurs.

The highlight of the weekend for me, personally, was getting the
opportunity to listen and learn from all of those involved in the
Student Division.  I cannot put into words how impressed I was with
these young men and women.

I also enjoyed National Representative Carl Jacobsen's keynote address
at the banquet Saturday night.  I thought Carl delivered a
very inspiring message as did so many others before him.

As President of the Illinois Association of Blind Merchants, I would
like to speak for our entire membership when I tell you that we
are ecstatic to be a Division of the National Federation of the Blind
of Illinois and a proud Affiliate of the National Association
of Blind Merchants.  We look forward to working collaboratively on
issues that affect us all.

A FIRST TIMER'S PERSPECTIVE
by Linda Hendle

As a first-time attendee, I found convention to be very exciting,
informative, and fun. Not only did I catch a much-needed getaway,
but I also listened to many inspiring speakers such as Carl Jacobsen.
He spoke about how he overcame his struggles as a blind person
and became a national Rep for NFB.

There were the phenomenal high school and college students, who spoke
of their efforts and triumphs as blind people. I was inspired
by their confidence. I attended both the IABS luncheon and breakfast.
I especially liked Karen Anderson's story of how she thought
she had it all figured out about mobility and discovered in her last
year of college that she needed travel training. I also liked
Meg Dowell's story of how she was not discouraged by burning the green
beans in cooking class. Her teacher told her not to worry,
that she could do anything she wanted, she just didn't know it yet.
Then there were the high school students from Freedom
Link--Hannah, Dijana, Alexa, and Josh. They spoke of how far they had
come since joining the program.

I loved Braille Is Beautiful. It really encouraged me. I like and use
Braille more since I joined the LIFE group with Bob Gardner.
The banquet was an amazing experience, too.

When I lost my sight eight and a half years ago, after having glaucoma
for thirty-five years, I was devastated. I didn't know my
life could change for the better, but it has. I have met wonderful
people in the NFB, and especially at this convention. People
cared and wanted to help me become more independent. I was very
nervous about going to convention, because I had not been away from
home since I completely lost my sight. However, as convention got
closer, the nervousness turned into excitement, and I couldn't
wait to get there.

After the banquet a good friend encouraged me to travel back to my
room alone. After having done it with someone several times, I
said, "Why not?" I was reluctant, but I did find my way. I'm so glad I did it!

Since I do not live geographically close to a chapter, I belong to the
At Large Chapter. It is so easy to attend meetings! I just
pick up the phone. I have also renewed friendships with some people I
went to school with because they belong to the NFB. Now I have
old and new friends in the same organization.

I know I still have a long way to go, but attending convention helped
boost my confidence. As Megan's teacher said, "You can do
anything you want. You just don't know it yet." Thank you, NFB!








INNOVATION
by Michael Pickerill
Presented at the Parents' Breakfast, October 6, 2012

Good morning. My name is Michael Pickerill. I am eleven years old, and
I live in Mount Olive, Illinois. I am in the sixth grade at
Mount Olive Grade School. My blindness is the result of Septual Optic Dysplasia.

I applied and was accepted as one of thirty students to attend Project
Innovation. Twenty Junior Innovators, age seven to thirteen,
and ten Senior Innovators, age fourteen through twenty, were given the
task of exploring, designing, and experimenting on subjects
of their interest in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math.

Eight weeks before we met at the NFB Center in Baltimore, Maryland, I
began to have weekly assignments that I had to record in an
investigation journal. I decided to use the Evernote App to record
audio notes to share with the NFB staff and the other innovators.

For the first four weeks I investigated designing a goalball app for
the iPhone. I wanted the app to have a goalball game that users
could play and to have the rules and history of goalball. I also
wanted to link to the 2012 Paralympics in London, where goalball is
an international event. I soon found out that I did not have the
necessary skills to write computer code, and for me to get those
skills would take more time than was allowed.

I went on a website called sciencebuddies.org and did an interest
inventory. I decided to build a hovercraft, based on the results.
I found that Sir Christopher Cockerell invented the hovercraft in the
1950s. I found a design and instructions online. The
hovercraft had a skirt, and some of the air from the skirt goes
directly under it to give more lift. Hovercraft are used in
emergencies around water. I downloaded the materials list to the NFB
staff so I would be able to build when I got to Baltimore.

We drove to Baltimore and the NFB provided our meals. We stayed in
dorms on site. It took three tries to succeed with my project.
First we popped the inner tube with the skirt, and the craft couldn't
be lifted into the air.

In Baltimore we got to use some talking science equipment, and we even
went rock climbing. We got to sit in the Blind Challenge car
with Mark Riccobono, the driver. The parents had a workshop and wore
eye shields. Mom thought that was scary! The parents learned a
lot of cool little things. We went to the Innovation Fair and saw
projects from different fields.

Thank you for letting me talk about Project Innovation.


BRAILLE IS BEAUTIFUL
by Deborah Kent Stein

"Let's think of a way to demonstrate what fluent Braille reading is
really like." The suggestion came from Annette Grove at an NFBI
board meeting in 2003. Brainstorming around Annette's idea led to the
first Braille Is Beautiful event, a dramatic reading using
Braille scripts, at an NFB of Illinois convention. We wanted to show
that reading Braille need not be a dreary and laborious
exercise. Year after year, the Braille Is Beautiful cast has proven
that Braille can be read with flair and for sheer pleasure.

Braille Is Beautiful started on a small scale. That first year I
carried a bundle of scripts onto the train bound for Springfield,
where our convention was to take place. I walked from car to car and
invited every Braille-reading Federationist I met to read in
that night's performance. Seven readers accepted the challenge.
Completely unrehearsed, that first intrepid cast gave a public
reading of James Thurber's humorous short story, "File and Forget."

Like many convention features, Braille Is Beautiful grew and evolved
over the years. In 2005 the reading of Robert MacBrearty's
story "First Day," about a new employee's harrowing initiation to the
workplace, became available online as part of the convention
audio archive. In the next year or two, music and sound effects began
to enhance the performances. Since 2007 casting has been done
weeks in advance, and two rehearsals have been held via teleconference
prior to the reading at convention.

In the first years, Braille Is Beautiful showcased our most fluent
readers, most of them people who learned Braille in early
childhood. In recent years, however, newer Braille readers also have
taken part. Braille Is Beautiful gives readers at any level the
opportunity to show off their accomplishments as they help bring a
play to life before an audience. It is true family entertainment,
a venue where adults, teens, and children participate together.

Material for Braille Is Beautiful has come from many literary
traditions. Selections have included The Marriage Proposal by Anton
Chekhov, "The Stolen White Elephant" by Mark Twain, Nikolai Gogol's
The Inspector General, and O. Henry's Short Stories, "The Ransom
of Red Chief." In 2009, to celebrate the two hundredth birthday of
Louis Braille, Braille Is Beautiful was granted a premier spot on
the convention agenda. Twelve readers performed an original script
based on James Thurber's fantasy, The Thirteen Clocks. The
reading at the 2012 convention was The Imaginary Invalid by the
seventeenth-century French playwright Molière.

If you have a suggestion for a Braille Is Beautiful play, or if you
would like to read at convention in 2013, please contact me at
dkent5817 at att.net or (773) 203-1394.


FOCUS ON PARENTS
by Deborah Kent Stein

Over the past few years, activities for parents, children, and teens
have become an integral part of the NFB of Illinois convention.
Nine families of blind children attended the 2012 NFBI convention. The
first event geared for parents was the Parents' Breakfast on
Saturday morning. Breakfast was served at seven AM. Undaunted by the
early hour, a group of parents gathered to listen to the
program as they enjoyed eggs and coffee. After President Patti
Gregory-Chang delivered a warm welcome, Mindy Jacobsen from New York
spoke about the ways her parents helped her grow up to be a confident,
successful blind adult. Eleven-year-old Michael Pickerill
described his experiences with Project Innovation (his presentation
appears elsewhere in this issue). Thirteen-year-old Zach Carr, a
winner of the National Writers Division Poetry Contest, spoke about
his life as a blind middle-school student.

Most of the parents attended the first hour of the Student Luncheon so
they could hear several of the presentations, including the
introductions by the 2012 scholarship winners. Then the parents
crossed the hall for the Parents' Luncheon. The luncheon program
featured a talk by Stephanie Provence, a Braille teacher at the
Illinois School for the Visually Impaired (ISVI). More than twenty
of Ms. Provence's students entered the 2011-2012 Braille Readers Are
Leaders Contest. Two Braille Readers Are Leaders contestants,
Chris Mankowski and Shelley McGrath-Myers, spoke about their
participation and how it encouraged them to read more Braille.

The final segment of the luncheon program was a discussion based on
the Pop-up IEP. The Pop-up IEP is an online resource developed
by the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children (NOPBC) and
the National Center for Low Incidence Disabilities (NCLID) at
the University of Northern Colorado. It consists of a series of
problematic statements often made by school personnel during IEP
meetings, such as, "You can't expect the teacher to describe
everything to your child" and "Your child is too young to use a cane."
Each statement is followed by possible responses, based on disability
law. My co-leader for this segment was Sariah Mattinson, the
mother of a blind four-year-old. We selected several statements and
used them to spark an exchange of ideas.

Many features of the general sessions and the banquet also were of
high interest to parents. These included a talk by Senior
Innovator Katie Leinum of Project Innovation; the presentation of two
Excellence in Teaching Blind Students Awards by the Illinois
Association of Blind Students (IABS); and talks by four members of
Freedom Link, NFBI's transitions program for blind teens. But for
parents, as for so many conventioneers, the most important aspect of
convention is meeting and networking with other people. As one
parent commented, "I'm finding out how much there is for me to learn,
and how much the NFB can teach me. I know I'll be back."


AT LARGE EVENTS
by Leslie Hamric
On Friday night of convention, the NFBI At Large Chapter hosted a
dinner for all of our members in attendance. Six people in total
attended the meal. We ordered subs and drinks from the Village Pizza.
A wonderful time was had by all.

Just like any other chapter in the state, the At Large Chapter holds
regular monthly meetings. We meet on the first Sunday of the
month at 7:00 PM via teleconference. Meetings last an hour and a half.
During the meeting, we play the National Presidential
Release, read and approve minutes, and have a program. If you want to
know more about our chapter or our programs, please join us on
the first Sunday of the month at 7:00 PM. The phone number is
218-936-1200. We use the pass code 6324, which stands for NFBI. All
are welcome, and we look forward to meeting you. Together, we can
change what it means to be blind.

HAVING A BALL AT KIDS KAMP
by Francisco Chang, RN, BSN, AACC, CCRN, CVRN

Everybody had a ball at Kids Kamp. In fact, Let's Have a Ball was this
year's theme. Most of the activities were focused on
baseball.

Kids Kamp this year served four children, three blind and one sighted.
There were two boys, ages ten and eleven, and two girls, ages
five and ten.

As a crafts project the kids made pennants. Later they watched an
audio-described movie about Arthur making the team and hopped to
baseball theme songs led by Dave Meyer and Cathy Randall. Bill Reif
read a story called "Babe Ruth Saves Baseball."

The highlight of the day was the game of string ball, in which the
players pitch and bat a ball back and forth. It took a little
while for the kids to get the hang of it, but toward the end they were
clamoring for more.

Another popular activity was face painting, directed by Teacher of
Tomorrow Brian Moles. One boy elected to have his face painted as
a clown, and one chose to be a scary zombie. One of the girls wanted
to be a butterfly princess.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who helped
make Kids Camp safe, successful and fun, for both adults and
children.


IABS IN REVIEW
by Rose Sloan
October was a busy month for the Illinois Association of Blind
Students! It all started off on Friday, October 5, at the NFBI state
convention in Chicago. IABS hosted the annual IABS Idol event, at
which Gaia Iaccarino was crowned the champion. Special thanks go
out to Anil Lewis, Jason Meddaugh and Nicky Gacos for being wonderful
judges. Among the highlights was a performance of a song
called "NFB," sung to the tune of the Beatles song "Let It Be" by
affiliate president Patti Chang; Director of BLIND, Inc., Shawn
Mayo; and IABS board members Rose Sloan and Julia Chang. Chicago
Chapter President Dave Meyer managed to upset Chicago Cubs fans by
singing a parody, "The Cubs Have Lost a Hundred Games, Hooray,
Hooray." The baseball theme was continued by the Four Rivers Chapter,
which happily sang a Cardinals rendition of "Take Me Out to the Ball
Game." Finally, the At Large Chapter was crowned winner of the
Battle of the Chapters with its fantastic rendition of "Sixteen Tons."
Everyone is looking forward to seeing what At Large will pick
as the theme for IABS Idol 2013.

IABS also hosted its annual Student Luncheon at the state convention.
Highlights of the luncheon included NABS Vice-President Karen
Anderson, giving the keynote speech; the chairman of the Illinois
Committee on Blind Vendors, John Gordon and President of the
Illinois Association of Blind Merchants, Ed Birmingham, giving a
presentation about the importance of internships. Finally, the
members of the NFB of Illinois scholarship class introduced
themselves. Congratulations go out to Meg Dowell, Katie Leinum, Bri
Lillyman, Anthony Overhiser, Adrian Rodriguez, Ryan Parrey, and Gaia
Iaccarino. Later that day, at the banquet, IABS proudly
awarded Kelly Gagen and Summer Porter with Excellence in Teaching
Blind Students Awards. Ronza Othman was stunned to be awarded the
IABS Service Award.

On the final day of state convention, IABS held its annual
face-to-face business meeting. At the meeting, members elected the
board
for the 2012-2014 term. Congratulations go out to President Rose
Sloan, First Vice-President Chris Jeckel, Second Vice-President Bri
Lillyman, Secretary Julia Chang, Treasurer Meg Dowell, and board
members Debbie Stein, Katie Leinum, James Dickman, and Ryan Parrey.

Finally, IABS had its first meeting of the new term. The Membership
and Outreach Committee and the Mentoring committee were formed.
James Dickman will chair the Membership and Outreach Committee and Bri
Lillyman will chair the Mentoring Committee.

IABS  participated in the Disability Resource Fair at Loyola
University in Chicago on Monday, November 5th. Members staffed  a
table, and  recruited some new members!  If you are interested in
IABS, you are invited to attend the next meeting on Sunday, Nov.
11th at 7 PM Central. Call 218-936-1200 and input code IABS (4227).


CONVENTION RESOLUTIONS 2012
by Steve Hastalis

This year, the National Federation of the Blind of Illinois
unanimously adopted two resolutions at its state convention.  The
first
commends Equip for Equality for their continuing effort to ensure a
smooth voting process for those who wish to vote independently.
 The second calls upon the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) to
continue the tradition of non-visual access in all
transactions related to managing and using fare media of Chicago area
transit systems. It additionally calls upon the RTA and its
Service Boards to consult with the National Federation of the Blind of
Illinois, to ensure that these "Open Standards Fare Media,"
including Ventra, and related equipment -- ticket vending machines,
turnstiles and fare boxes -- be independently accessible to and
usable by blind and visually impaired persons.

TECH TIP

Improving the Speech Response of Your Screen Reader
by Bob Gardner

Does the speech on your PC's screen reader seem to drag a little?
Does the speech seem to lag behind your typing?  Although this is
not a problem on all computers, I have seen it on some.  To make the
speech response of your sound card to be the best it can be, do
the following:

1.  Go to the control panel, then to "sounds," and click on that.
2. You should end up on "speakers."  Then hit the applications key on
your computer or the right mouse key to get a context menu.
3. Go to "properties" on the context menu and click on that.
4. Go through the resulting tabs 'till you get to "enhancements" tab.
5. Tab till you get to "disable all enhancements." Check that.
6. Tab to "okay," then continue tabbing to get a second "okay,"
hitting the enter key both times.

The speech coming out of your screen reader now should be real snappy,
easily keeping up with your typing.  Note that making the
above change will probably result in a lower volume, so you will have
to readjust that.


POEM

"Misunderstood"
By Patrick Olson

Face the fury of haters,

They are the instigators,

Regardless what they say,

Be positive anyway,



So people believe you are unintelligent,

They are unknowing and ignorant,

Show them how you really are,

Being rude will not show your true caliber,



So the world thinks less of you,

No matter what, be you and stay true,

Being depressed or oppressed will make you lose sight,

Find strength and keep your might,



Whatever people say about you,

Reacting in the same manner is beneath you,

You are worthwhile,

So don't ruin your personality or style,

 Regardless how you have been mistreated,

Never decide to be defeated,

Expect more from who you are,

And you will go far,



Let go what other people think,

Their opinion shall not put you on the brink,

Do not start insults, violence, or frown,

Stay cool and calm down,



No matter race, class, gender, disability, sexuality, situation, or
neighborhood,

We have all been misunderstood,

It's important to build humanity,

NFBI CALENDAR NOVEMBER--FEBRUARY

November

December
1--7:00-8:30--At Large Chapter Meeting, Via Conference Call,
218-936-1200, code 6324
1--All Day--Deadline for applying for Chappell Fund Assistance to
Washington Seminar
8--11:00-2:00--Four Rivers Chapter Christmas Party, Vito's Italian
Restaurant, Belleville, Illinois
     11:30-4:30--Chicago Chapter Meeting and Christmas Auction,
Exchequer Pub, 226 S. Wabash, Chicago, IL
      5:00-7:00--Blackhawk Chapter Christmas Party, Christ United
Methodist Church, 3801 7th Street in East Moline

January
5--10:00-12:00--Heartland Kankakee Chapter Meeting, Bourbonnais Public
Library, 250 W. John Casey Drive, Bourbonnais
6--At Large Chapter Meeting, Via Conference Call, 218-936-1200, code 6324
12--11:30-1:00--Four Rivers Chapter Meeting, Belleville Public
Library, 3414 W. Main Street Belleville, Illinois
       1:00-3:30-- Chicago Chapter Meeting, Exchequer Pub, 226 S.
Wabash, Chicago, IL
       1:30-3:30--Blackhawk Chapter Meeting, South Moline Township
Center at 637 17th. Avenue in East Moline

February
1--Heartland Kankakee Chapter Meeting, Bourbonnais Public Library, 250
W. John Casey Drive, Bourbonnais
2--7:00-8:30--At Large Chapter Meeting, Via Conference Call,
218-936-1200, code 6324
4-7 Washington Seminar, Holiday Inn Capitol Hotel, Washington DC
8---11:30-1:00--Four Rivers Chapter Meeting, Belleville Public
Library, 3414 W. Main Street Belleville, Illinois
      1:00-3:30-- Chicago Chapter Meeting, Exchequer Pub, 226 S.
Wabash, Chicago, IL
       1:30-3:30--Blackhawk Chapter Meeting, South Moline Township
Center at 637 17th. Avenue in East Moline