[nfbmi-talk] {Spam?} Opportunities Unlimited for the Blind The Blind Planet

Larry Posont president.nfb.mi at gmail.com
Mon Feb 17 21:47:50 UTC 2014


The Blind Planet
February 2014
OUB is a charitable nonprofit organization under Section 501c3.  We
gladly accept your generous donations!
Opportunities Unlimited for the Blind's mission is to enrich the
quality of life of people who are blind and visually impaired through
lifelong education and recreation.

Breaking News!
Opportunities Unlimited for the Blind is now partnering with four
organizations to provide great experiences for children, youth and
adults with blindness or visual impairment!  Our new camp home is
Indian Trails Camp in Grand Rapids, and we are working with Michigan
Parents of Children with Visual Impairments, the Association for the
Blind and Visually Impaired in Grand Rapids, and Running Blind, who is
sponsoring our fabulous Adventure Trip!  See inside for more details!


						
>From your Executive Director, Gwen Botting
Happy February, everyone!  Who knew that we were going to have record
weather all over the country this winter?
If you are having trouble coping with this season's challenges, it
might help to imagine our Spring and Summer events and camps, coming
very soon!  All of our camps in 2014 are being offered through some
great partnerships with Indian Trails Camp (our new camp home),
Michigan Parents of Children with Visual Impairments (MPVI), the
Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ABVI), and Running
Blind.
Our Spring Fling will be a lovely weekend at ITC spent in nature,
enjoying each other and the music of our feathered friends and blind
and visually impaired campers!  So find your dancing shoes and come on
out for a great time!  Also coming soon is our Michigan Parents of
Children with Visual Impairments (MPVI) Family Camp weekend, where one
of our activities will be to install our new garden - requiring
woodworking as well as gardening, and we want everyone to have a
chance with a hammer and a shovel!  Previous experience not required!
We also have a completely new camp, Blindness Immersion, that is a
2-week camp, or you can come to just the first week or just the second
- whatever fits your life and your schedule.  Blindness Immersion is
just that - all things blind!  Music, art, cooking, daily living
skills, sports, nature - everything will be offered both weeks of
camp.  If you are 14 or older and want to take part in the Association
for the Blind and Visually Impaired's Summer in the City program,
never fear!  We are currently working things out with ABVI so that you
can attend BOTH programs, and making transportation easier for your
family!  It's going to be an awesome opportunity!  We end the season
with two fantastic camps:  Survivor Art Camp, focusing on survival
skills at Camp Optimist and on exploring the art community in Grand
Rapids, and our Running Blind Adventure Camp, sponsored by Running
Blind, an organization dedicated to fostering athletic endeavors for
blind and visually impaired persons.  THIS IS GOING TO BE THE MOST
AWESOME ADVENTURE TRIP EVER!  Sign up soon, because, for only $200 per
camper, this trip is available to ONLY the first 15 campers to
register!
There is a lot coming up, and you can help and have fun by attending
our fundraiser, Bowling Blast!  This event will be held this coming
Sunday, February 16. See flyer inside for more details!  You can also
check out Indian Trails camp this weekend - see flyer for their Snow
Ball Dance!
Looking forward to seeing YOU at camp!

Gwen




Winter Bowling Blast
Please mark your calendars for this exciting event:
Sunday, February 16
2:00pm
Park Center Lanes, 2222 28th St SW Wyoming, Michigan
For $20 you get to bowl three games, includes shoes, 2 slices of pizza
and a pop. If you are not a bowler, join us for the Silent Auction
 	Sponsored by: Opportunities Unlimited for the Blind
	








2014 Camp and Event Schedule
Locations:  Indian Trails Camp, 1859 Lake Michigan Drive, Grand Rapids, MI
	         Camp Optimist, 10324 Lovers Lane NW, Grand Rapids, MI
	         Camp-in-a-Box, Beaver Island and Lake Charlevoix, MI
Date			Event						Location
Jan 17-19		Snow Much Fun (family event)		Indian Trails
April 4-6		Spring Fling (family event)			Indian Trails
May 16-18		MPVI Family Camp/Open House		Indian Trails and Camp O
May 27- June 1	Staff Training with ITC staff		ITC and Camp O
June 4 - 8		Specialized Staff Training for OUB staff	ITC and Camp O
June 8 - 14		Tech Camp (Adults 18 and over)		ITC and Camp O
June 15 - 22		Blindness Immersion (Ages 7-HS)*	ITC and Camp O
June 22 - 28		Blindness Immersion (Ages 7-HS)*	ITC and Camp O
June 29 -  5 		------off------no camp
July 6 - 12		Survivor Art Camp (Ages 12-HS)**	Camp O only
July 13-23		Running Blind Adventure Camp (Ages 12- HS)**		Beaver Is,
Lake Charlevoix
October 24-26	Harvest Festival (family event)		ITC and Camp O
*campers may attend either or both weeks of Blindness Immersion Camp.
Campers do not need to return home over the weekend between the two
weeks of camp.
**participants in Survivor Art may stay with us for the Adventure Trip
without returning home in between camps - but they will be expected to
help us pack!!!
Join us for a great experience - fun and learning and friendships
all-in-one package:
OUB Camps!

Camp Descriptions - Everything you want to know!*
*if we missed something, please call, email, or check out our website,
www.oubmichigan.org
Snow Much Fun January 17-19 - This was our first event at Indian
Trails Camp and it was SO MUCH FUN!  We "got lost" on a nature walk,
made cardboard sleds, creatures out of vegetables and gingerbread
houses, played games, ate s'mores and had hot chocolate, sat by the
fire and had a great time!  Indian Trails is a great camp for us!
Spring Fling April 4-6 - Don't miss this fun family event with nature
exploration, music, crafts, dancing, an auction and so much more!
Held at Indian Trails Camp.  Cost: $75 per family of 4, $20 each extra
person.
MPVI Family Camp/ Open House May 16-18 - We love Family Camp!  MPVI
co-sponsors this camp which will give families a great opportunity to
explore both ITC and Camp Optimist, help put in our new garden at Camp
O, and just relax and have fun together, play games, do special crafts
designed just for you, and learn from each other. Held at ITC and Camp
O. Cost: $75 per family of 4, $20 each extra person.
Staff Training May 27-June 1 and June 4-8 - for those of you who are
considering applying to work as a camp counselor this summer, consider
working for OUB!  Staff training will be held with ITC staff May 27 -
June 1 and with OUB staff only from June 4-8.  Held at ITC and Camp O.
Tech Camp June 8 - 14 - for adults only (18 and over).  This camp is
for adults of any age who enjoy meeting others with blindness or
visual impairment, like to have fun, and want to learn more about the
latest in technical improvements and help with those they already own.
 Brush up on your cooking and life skills, too!  Experts in the field
will lead classes, and fun activities will be planned for the
evenings.  All meals included.	 Held at ITC and Camp O.   Cost: $500
per person.  Hint: talk with your BSBP counselor about helping you
attend this camp!
Blindness Immersion June 15-28 (ages 7 - HS)  or June 15-21 or June
22-28.  This camp includes - well - EVERYTHING!  Music, drama, art,
cooking, like skills, sports, field trips (even a baseball game!),
campfires, swimming (in a pool!), boating, singing silly songs - all
things blind, all the time!  Come to one week or both. SPECIAL
ARRANGEMENT: for those students who are 14 and over who would like to
attend the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired's Summer in
the City Program, we are currently working out details to make it
possible to do BOTH - OUB will provide transportation to and from this
great program in Grandville, and participants can then come back to
Indian Trails to participate in our evening and weekend activities,
including overnight accommodations and meals.  For more information on
Blindness Immersion or the Special Arrangement, please call Gwen at
989-855-2430. For information about Summer in the City, contact Amy
Schreiner at the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired at
616-458-1187 extension 332. Held at ITC and Camp O.  Cost: $1200 per
week or $2000 for 2-week camp.  Reduced rates based on ability to pay.
 Scholarships available.  Blindness Immersion/Summer in the City
rates: $300 per week or $500 for two weeks.
Survivor Art Camp July 6-12 (ages 12-HS)  In this exciting reboot of
our wild and crazy new camp of 2013, Survivor Art Camp will be held at
Camp Optimist, learning survival skills, sleeping in tents,
participating in crazy challenges, cooking all of our own meals but
also taking field trips to explore and do extremely cool 3-dimensional
art with experienced artists in the Grand Rapids community. Held at
Camp O.  Cost: $1200.  Reduced rates available based on ability to
pay. Scholarships available.  Special Rate: for participants in
Survivor Art and Running Blind Adventure Camp, two-camp (2 1/2 weeks)
special rate is $600!  What a deal!
Running Blind Adventure Camp July 13-23 (ages 12-HS)  THE ADVENTURE OF
A LIFETIME!  5 days on Beaver Island and 5 days at Lake Charlevoix,
all sponsored by Running Blind!  Hop on one of our camp vans on July
13 for the ferry to Beaver Island, spend 5 days there exploring and
camping, swimming and whatever else we can cook up, and then go back
to the mainland for 5 days of adventures including Fort Mackinaw, zip
lining, canoeing, track and field challenges, backyard barbeques and
even parasailing!  (That is, being lifted up on a giant kite over the
water behind a boat!  All events are with professional organizations
and are inspected and safe!)  You will NOT want to miss this!  With
the financial and organizational support of Running Blind, we can
offer this camp for only $200!  Limited to first 15 participants.
Held at Beaver Island and Camp Whiting and various locations in NW MI
Lower peninsula.  Cost: $200 Special Rate: for participants in
Survivor Art and Running Blind Adventure Camp, two-camp (2 1/2 weeks)
special rate is $600!  What a deal!
Harvest Festival  October 24-26	 It might be hard to think of the fall
of 2014 right now, but plan on taking part in our Harvest Festival
family event at ITC and Camp O.  See what our new garden produced for
us over the summer!  Held at ITC and Camp O.  Cost: $75 per family of
4, $20 each extra person.

Pricing our camps - why so many options?
We are trying a new pricing structure this summer.  $1200 per week
might sound like a lot, but we run small camps with a lot of staff to
get a nearly one-to-one ratio of campers to staff.  We find our kids
learn best this way.  We also have to pay a little more to hold camps
at Indian Trails than in our previous location.  $1200 is what it
actually costs us to produce camps for your kids.  We know that, for
some families, paying $1200 may be what they can choose to do.  But
for most, that much is out of the question.  So we are offering a $600
half price option, and we are offering that rate for those of you who
get scholarships from the State of Michigan Department of Education
Trust Fund.  That will allow you who qualify for those scholarships to
come to at least two camps for free.  For those who DO NOT qualify for
MDE-LIO scholarships, but cannot afford $600, we have a third option.
We will accept $200 from you, but we ask that you try to get
scholarship money from other sources to make up the difference.  All
you have to do is write letters to local service organizations in your
area, and send me a copy to show me that you asked for assistance.  A
sample letter is included in this newsletter!  BUT HERE'S THE CATCH!!!
A lot of service groups like Lions Clubs don't meet in the summer!  If
you plan to ask for scholarship assistance, you need to do it NOW!
Better yet, ask your child to help you with the letter, so that they
begin to understand the process of politely asking for help from
groups that like to help others.  It always helps if you are willing
to share your child's story with the group you are asking for funds
from.  DO NOT PROCRASTINATE!
SPECIAL DEAL #1: Partnerships are allowing us to offer some camps for
extraordinarily low rates!  If you live in the Grand Rapids Area and
your child is 14 or older, you may have heard of the STEPS program
offered by the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired and the
Bureau of Services for Blind Persons, or their two-week (Monday
through Thursday) summer program called Summer in the City.  This
program offers lots of experiences with cooking, managing money,
taking public transportation and other important skills under the
watchful eye of Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialists and
Certified Vision Rehabilitation Therapists.  This is a really great
program with a terrific track record.  The only problem is, for some
families, that parents often have to provide transportation both to
and from this program 4 days a week for two weeks.  HERE'S THE SPECIAL
DEAL:  Your blind or visually impaired teenager can come to Blindness
Immersion Camp at Indian Trails AND to Summer in the City.  Your
student can stay with us overnight, have breakfast at Indian Trails,
then we will provide transportation to the SITC program, pick them up
in the afternoon, and they can stay with us and participate in all of
our evening activities.  They can also stay THROUGH THE WEEKEND, June
20-22.  The cost is only $300 for one week or $500 if participating in
both weeks.  WE hope you like this new option that will help more kids
participate in both SITC and OUB CAMPS!
SPECIAL DEAL #2:  Running Blind, and organization dedicated to
fostering athletic endeavors with people who are blind or visually
impaired, is sponsoring our RUNNING BLIND ADVENTURE TRIP.  This is a
totally awesome combination - our great staff and programming ideas
partnered with Hal Wolf and his ability to organize and fund events
that he is passionate about.  Entirely due to this passion and
generosity, the cost to any camper attending this 11-day camp is only
$200.  Again, DO NOT DELAY.  Open only to the first 15 registrants!
This camp will fill fast!
SPECIAL DEAL #3: For those of you 12 and older who are REALLY into
Adventure, you can attend BOTH Survivor Art Camp AND the Running Blind
Adventure Camp for one low price of $600!  You can stay with OUB staff
for the entire 2 1/2 weeks, but you can also expect to be asked to help
us pack and unpack between camps!  Call Gwen Botting at 989-855-2430
for more information on any of our camps or financial arrangements,
help with scholarships or letters to community organizations.

How to ask for camp scholarships from your community!
Looking for more ways to get scholarship money to attend camp?  When
parents, and sometimes kids, look at websites and try to find a camp
to go to in the summer, COST is often the deciding factor.  Most
people don't realize that is isn't hard to ask community organizations
for financial help to go to the camp of your choice - and your dreams!
 Send your request to several organizations.
Michigan Department of Education Low Incidence Outreach Funds
MDE-LIO has been the source of scholarships for camps, parent events
and other activities for children whose families receive Bridge Cards
or who qualify for free or reduced lunch.  You can easily find the
application for these scholarships on the MDE-LIO website under
Scholarships.  You can also call the Low Incidence Outreach office for
assistance.  You can e-mail Ann Langley at langleyA at michigan.gov.  The
phone number to reach them is: 1-888-760-2206.
Letter of Inquiry
A letter of inquiry is written to someone who may have funds to help
you attend OUB events and summer camps.  The first place to start is
your local Lions Club.  Their primary mission is to serve people in
need, but early in their history Helen Keller encouraged them to be
the "Knights for the Blind".
Other philanthropic organizations that might be willing to help you are:
Your church or house of worship
Knights of Columbus
Kiwanis
Rotary
Optimist Clubs
Banks (banks have Community Reinvestment Act funds that they must
disperse every year, so it helps if you mention CRA Funds)
Michigan Parents of Children with Visual Impairments
There may be other philanthropic organizations in your area.
You can find all Lions Club in Michigan on this website:
http://lions.silverthorn.biz/state/clinks.html
You can find all the banks in Michigan on this website:
http://www.thelocalbanker.com/michigan_banks.html

Here is how to start your letter:

Date

Name of the person you are writing to, if you know someone, or have a
name to send your letter to
Company, organization or bank name
Address
Address

Dear Sir or Madam (or the person's name, if you have one),

My name is______________, and I am a blind (or visually impaired)
student at ____________School.   I am working hard at school to learn
the special skills I need to be an adult in the world today, but it's
hard to get the time I need to learn everything, like cooking and how
to organize my things.  I also need time with others who are like me.
There is a special camp in Grand Rapids, Michigan that can help me and
others who are blind or visually impaired.  It's called Opportunities
Unlimited for the Blind.  They offer some really great events and
camps during the summer, when I have more time to spend on learning
how to do things as a blind person.  They have a lot of staff persons
there who are also blind or visually impaired, and that helps me feel
like I can learn new things and be successful.
I would really like to attend ________________________________camp
this summer, but it costs a lot of money to go to this camp.  The
price is_______________.  My family (can or cannot) help pay for this,
but they cannot pay for all of it.  My family can pay_______________.
Attending camp at Opportunities Unlimited for the Blind is really
important to me, and it will help me be successful in the future.
Please help me go to camp.  I would be happy to come to a meeting of
your organization to talk about my camp experience and what I learned.
For more information about OUB CAMPS, please look at the website,
www.oubmichigan.org, or call Gwen Botting, Executive Director, at
989-855-2430.  You can contact me at:

Your name
Your address
Your phone
Your email

Sincerely,

Your name

Good Luck!

OUB Board and Staff Members Available for Presentations
We are so excited about our upcoming camp season, we want to share
what we are doing with everyone!  OUB Board Members and Staff are
available to do presentations for business organizations, community
groups, civic or service organizations, Scout meetings, church
education programs, teen groups or any other group you can think of.
We can focus on our mission or on topics such as disability awareness.
 Please contact Gwen Botting, OUB Executive Director at 989-855-2430
or gwen at oubmichigan.org to make an appointment or for more
information.

Frequently Asked Question:  What is Indian Trails Camp Like?
Indian Trails is our new location for most of our events.  Yes, we
loved Camp Tuhsmeheta, but the time had come for a change, and Indian
Trails wanted to work with us to form a new kind of partnership!  ITC
is a 15-acre camp located within Aman Park, a Grand Rapids City Park.
The Park is quite big and is mostly wilderness, with several different
kinds of terrain, including ravines and a creek running at the bottom
and miles of trails for us to explore, local history, and more.  ITC
has a small lake for boating and fishing and an indoor pool.  We will
be sharing space during most of our camps with their camps for
children and/or adults with other disabilities.  Everything at ITC is
wheelchair accessible, including the sliding doors on the dining room
- as Gala, Ozzie's guide dog, discovered gave her instant access to
the great outdoors!  They have cabins that sleep 12 each, a large
dining hall with an attached rec room/program area, a screened in
porch for plays and other stage events, and several smaller buildings
that have other purposes.
ITC has another camp that they operate that is about 3 miles away
called Camp Optimist.  This camp has a lodge with a large open kitchen
that is perfect for group cooking classes, an outdoor pool, a craft
building, recreation field, campfire ring/amphitheater, and more.
This camp does NOT have cabins at the present time, but showers and
restrooms are available there in the lodge and the pool building.
What they do have is 120 acres of natural area with widely variant
ecosystems ripe for exploring.  This is where we will be establishing
our camp garden and where we will be holding Survivor Art Camp - more
on that in this newsletter!
The staff at ITC are great and they want us to have a great
experience.  We are looking forward to this remarkable sharing of
resources that will benefit all!
Tips
By Osman Koroma

Conversing with Others
You may find that others are at first uncertain about how to speak
with you. They may address their comments to your sighted companions
rather than speak directly to you. Or they may speak more loudly that
usual. Let them know that if they wish to get your attention, they
should simply address you by name.

If you would like to share tips or want us to put your news in our
newsletter or write a story for our newsletter please e-mail Osman
Koroma: osman at oubmichigan.org


Microsoft Announces Scholarship for Students with Disabilities
Microsoft is pleased to announce the launch of the Microsoft
DisAbility Scholarship intended to empower and enable high school
students with disabilities to (a) go to college, (b) realize the
impact technology has on the world, and (c) target a career in the
technology industry.
The scholarship launched Friday, January 17, 2014 and includes a goal
to increase enrollment of persons living with a disability in higher
education and, in the long term, decrease the unemployment bias for
disabled persons.
This new program was started by, and is supported by, Microsoft
employees who will select promising high school seniors who require
financial assistance in order to enter and successfully complete a
vocational or academic college program.  This non-renewable $5000
scholarship will be paid to the recipient's Financial Aid Office by
the Seattle Foundation on behalf of the DisAbility Employee Resource
Group (ERG) at Microsoft.
Eligibility
All candidates must be high school students living with a disability
who plan to attend a 2 to 4 year University or College program,
maintain a cumulative 3.0 CPA or equivalent and have declared a major
from the approved list (see scholarship guidelines on application).
 Requirements
To apply for the Microsoft DisAbility Scholarship, the student must
meet the following guidelines:
1.     Be a current high school senior with living with a disability
(as defined by WHO), whether that be visual, hearing, mobility,
cognitive or speech.
2.     Plan to attend an undergraduate program in a 2 or 4-year
University/College or Technical College in the fall of the academic
year following high-school graduation.  Schools must be in the USA or
have a USA-Affiliate for financial transactions (contact Seattle
Foundation to verify non-USA school's eligibility).
3.     Declare a major in engineering, computer science, computer
information systems, legal or in business that are approved (i.e.
paralegal, pre-law, finance, business administration, or marketing).
4.     Demonstrate a passion for technology.
5.     Demonstrate leadership at school and/or in the community.
6.     Have a high school cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
7.     Require financial assistance to attend college.
8.     Enrollment status must be full-time or half time
Contact:
DisAbility Employee Resource Group
Microsoft Corporation
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/diversity/programs/microsoftdisabilityscholarship.aspx
Email: Disability Scholarship Fund

Now Available on Blindscience.org:   Blindmath Gems

For almost 10 years, the NFB has maintained the Blindmath listserve, a
lively exchange of worldwide postings on all topics mathematical. The
Blindmath archives are now ginormous.  For math tools or to join the
list or  learn more go to this website
www.blindscience.org/blindmath-gems-home.

New Show Features Blind Dad
A new TV show will be starting in February about a family whose two
children are dealing with the divorce of their parents, like many
families. However, Dad is blind with a guide dog. It's based on true
happenings of the executive producer, growing up with his blind
father. It is humorous and heatfelt. They are using a lot of "creative
license"...because it's for TV - so don't take it too seriously. Lorri
Bernson from Guide Dogs of America is a consultant for the program on
blindness issues - but not dog guide use.
The show will premiere after the Olympics Closing Ceremony on Sunday,
February 23rd at 10:30pm (ET/PT) and then in its regular slot on
Tuesdays (beginning February 25th) at 9:30pm (ET/PT) on NBC.

New Website!
In case you missed it, we have a new website and new email addresses:
www.oubmichigan.org, gwen at oubmichigan.org, melinda at oubmichigan.org and
osman at oubmichigan.org.

Indian Trails Camp
invites you to join our respite campers in attending our winter
Snow Ball Dance
Saturday, February 15, 2014
>From 6:00pm to 8:00pm at the
Indian Trails Camp Lodge
Dancing, Games, and Snacks
Please RSVP to Amy DeMott at 616.677.5251 or
email info at indiantrailscamp.org.


* Individuals needing support are required to have a person accompanying them.




Looking for GREAT EMPLOYEES!
OUB is looking for great employees to join its summer staff at our new
location at Indian Trails Camp, only a few miles from the Allendale
campus of Grand Valley State University.  OUB hires young adults who
are totally blind, visually impaired or sighted.  If you or someone
you know is looking for a job experience that will be exciting and
fulfilling, check out our website, www.oubmichigan.org, soon for an
application.  Applications are expected to be available before the end
of 2013.  Don't miss out - apply today!

OUB Board Meetings
The Opportunities Unlimited for the Blind Board meets, generally, on
the 4th Monday of each month by conference call, and once or twice per
year in person in an all day retreat.  There is opportunity for public
comment at each of these meetings.  For more information about OUB
Board meetings, please contact Board Chair Casey Dutmer at
casey354 at comcast.net.  We are currently looking for people who are
interested in what OUB does and want to be part of the great work we
do.  If you are interested in board membership, please contact Casey.

OUB Youth Advisory Council - and thank you, Austin and MPVI!
OUB recently began a Youth Advisory Council made up of 7 teens and
young adults who love our camps!  Austin Shepherd, Yang Heppe, Kristen
Kellen, Leah Richter, Taylor Arndt, Dustin Pogue and Emmie Lo have
been busy thinking up cool new events, challenges and fund raisers!
Austin Shepherd came up with the idea to hold a live auction of
donated items at MPVI's Challenge Mountain Weekend in January.
Austin's mom, Amy, publicized the event and asked families to bring
items to auction.  Austin was fabulous as the auctioneer, using his
"radio announcer voice"!  Families were very generous, and all of the
money collected was given to OUB for camp scholarships!  Well done,
Austin!

Thanks to our supporters!
Our list of financial supporters continues to grow!  Here are some of
the highlights:
Kalamazoo Community Foundation
Michigan Parents of Children with Visual Impairments
Greenville Community Foundation
Running Blind
Grand Rapids Community Foundation
Visually Impaired Persons for Progress
Many Lions Clubs from all over the state!
Anonymous (private donors - over $1000 so far!)

The Braille Monster
We are very sorry to report that the Braille Monster, also known as
the nefarious, Theodous Drosophilus Mysterious, has EATEN this month's
story, and he did it in a particularly ingenious way!  Apparently,
from all the evidence we have been able to gather, the Braille Monster
entered Ozzie's house in the dead of night through a mouse hole,
walked right under Gala's ear, and took a snowball (which was, we are
thinking, close to zero degrees due to the FRIGHTFULLY COLD weather we
have been having), and stuck the snowball in Ozzie ear!  Of course,
Ozzie woke up and was pretty, well, shall we say, in shock, and while
Ozzie was concerned about how in the world a zero degree snowball
ended up in his ear, the nefarious Braille Monster calmly made his way
to Ozzie's computer, found the thumbdrive on which all the Braille
Monster stories are stored, and ATE IT.  How do we know all this took
place?  Well, there was a line of very tiny snowy footprints from the
mousehole to where Gala was sleeping, and one of her ears - and this
is very, very odd - was standing straight up for almost three days.
Now Gala is a Labrador, and Labs don't have ears that stand up, and
she was thoroughly  embarrassed - but there was nothing that Gala,
Ozzie or anyone else could do about it.  Her ear was just sticking up
like a German Shepherd's!  And how do we know the Braille Monster ATE
the thumbdrive?  Well, you see, that was the only thumbdrive that
Ozzie had that he had typed in BRAILLE, and we all know how the
Braille Monster LOVES Braille.  Ozzie thought it would be safe since
it was electronic Braille, but no, apparently the Braille Monster has
discovered a love of all things Braille!  But this just might be his
undoing.........stay tuned for the next installment of The Braille Monster!

ANNOUNCING WMU/MBAA
 SPORTS EDUCATION CAMPS for Students with VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS 2014!

Location: Campus of Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI

Eligibility: Applicants must have visual impairments of 20/70 or greater.
Students with mild secondary disabilities will also be considered.  However,
the SEC attempts to fill a niche between the services offered by the public
schools and those of Special Olympics.  As such, students whose cognitive
disabilities, cognitive delays, or developmental disabilities are
sufficiently severe as to require technical expertise should be referred to
Special Olympics.  Additionally, those whose physical or sensory
disabilities are severe enough to require specific technical expertise will
be considered only if support staff from the local ISD or another local
agency can assist at Camp.  If clarification of this statement is needed,
either contact us in one of the ways listed below or complete the
application and describe the student's need for technical expertise and we
will contact you.

Age:    Junior Camp:  9-12 years
Senior Camp:  13-17 years
Michigan State Games:  age 13-19 years old who have previously
attended Senior Camp and
are still in high school.


Dates:    Junior Camp:  Sunday, May 4th to Tuesday, May 6th, 2014
Senior Camp:  Wednesday, May 7th to Saturday, May 10th, 2014
Michigan State Games:  Friday, May 9th to Saturday, May 10th, 2014

Application Deadline: Applications are needed by March 1, 2014,
for all athletes who wish to attend the Junior Camp, Senior Camp, or the
Michigan State Games.

Dear vision teacher/parent/professional:
We are sending this notice to you in the hope that you will distribute it to
the parents and students within your area.  You are the only link to
students, since privacy laws forbid the Department of Education from
distributing mailing lists.
We would like to notify you of three major events occurring during the week
of May 4th to May 10th, 2014, which will be of interest to students with
visual impairments.  The first event is the Junior Camp, a series of clinics
designed to teach younger students fundamental athletic skills.  The second
event is the Senior Camp, a series of clinics designed to teach middle and
senior high school students intermediate athletic skills. The final event is
the Michigan State Games, which offers an opportunity for students to
compete as individuals and on teams.
The camps are designed to introduce students with visual impairments to
sports and recreational activities and to provide continued training to
those demonstrating athletic potential.  Typical Junior Camp activities
include: introductory running, throwing, jumping, kicking, swimming,
and gymnastics, and wrestling, rock climbing wall, judo, and goalball.
 Senior Camp
activities will likely include: track and field (athletics), swimming,
wrestling, goalball, tandem cycling, ERG rowing, weight training, rock climbing
wall, and judo.
Athletes who attend these Camps have the unique opportunity to interact with
others who have the same difficulties in physical education as they do.
However, applicants need to understand that the primary focus of these camps
is sports education.  As such, it requires nearly nonstop active
participation, and is designed specifically for those who show interest in
physical activities.
Unfortunately, we cannot accept all who apply to the Wednesday thru Friday
clinic part of Senior Sports Camp.  Virtually all new applicants are
accepted, but a few returnees may not be, due to limited slots available.
However, they will, along with everyone, who participates in Senior Camp, be
invited to compete in the Michigan State Games on Friday and Saturday.
Because we are limited to 60 athletes who can attend camp, it will be
necessary to take applications, review them, and determine which camp a
student will be invited to attend.  The following applicants will be given
priority in this process:  (a) those with the most severely limited vision,
(b) those in the age group 10-16, (c) those whose applications indicate a
strong desire to participate in sports, (d) those who have attended previous
camps and demonstrated interest and sports potential, and (e) 1st time
applicants.
Please complete the application that can be found at
https://mbaa-mi.com/Sports_Camp_HNNF.html we appreciate your time and
effort.  If
you have any questions please contact Scott or Leanne Ford at
michigansec at gmail.com or 231-715-1732.

**Applications must be received by March 1, 2014.  Athletes
will be notified of acceptance by the end of March. **



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