[Nfbofsc] Positive Note 1527

[David Houck]

November 18, 2015

Memo To:  Executive Officers, Board Members, Chapter & Division Presidents & Others

From:  Frank Coppel, President

Positive Note 1527

Greetings Fellow Federationists:

 

              I am certain many of us throughout the years have experienced receiving services from the South Carolina Commission for the Blind.  Well, here is an opportunity for you to inform the agency as to whether your experience has either been positive or negative.  Here, is an announcement from the Commission for the Blind regarding this matter.  “The South Carolina Commission for the Blind in partnership with San Diego State University is in the process of completing a comprehensive statewide needs assessment (CSNA). The purpose of the CSNA is to identify the needs of individuals with vision loss. We will be seeking input from individuals with blindness and vision impairments as part of the process. Please take a few minutes and complete the below survey (link below). Your input is highly valued! Your participation in the survey will assist SCCB in targeting areas for improvement and therefore better serve South Carolinians with vision loss as it relates to employment. Your answers will be anonymous and we hope you will share your opinion! For your convenience, the survey can be accessed from your computer or smartphone web browser! If you have any questions regarding this survey or if you would prefer to complete this survey in an alternate format, please contact Chaz Compton at San Diego State University at the following e-mail address: ccompton at interwork.sdsu.edu.  https://sdsueducation.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1zG0VJ85HOI7KBv

Congratulations to Ed Bible, who along with his lovely wife, Julie, flew to New York City last Wednesday for the purpose of being interviewed by the Fox News Network regarding his involvement as a board member of a company called 3DPhotoWorks.  Ed at this time is uncertain as to when the interview will air, but he will let us know when this information becomes available.  3DPhotoWorks is a company with support from the National Federation of the Blind, has developed a 3D Tactile Fine Art Printing process that allows blind people to “see” fine art, diagrams, and other images.  3DPhotoWorks is currently conducting a poll for the blind to decide which piece of fine art will be displayed at the Jernigan Institute in Baltimore, MD.  Here is an announcement regarding this matter.  

“Greetings, Federation friends. I am John Olson, founder and CEO of 3DPhotoWorks.  Blind People Speak Up. Let your voice be heard.  Tell us the one World Famous Painting you would like to see.  The time has come for the world's blind population to enjoy art and photography. We want to know, what is the very first famous work of art you would like to see.

The world is full of fine art ready to be converted and printed in 3D for you to enjoy. There are 35,000 museums in the U.S. ready to share their collections.  If we receive 10,000 votes by December 1st, then the most popular artwork will be installed at the National Federation of the Blind's Headquarters in Baltimore, MD for all to see.

Let your voice be heard, vote now, invite 5 blind friends to vote. Let's get 10,000 blind voters to speak up. Let everyone know that the world€™s blind population is ready to “see” and enjoy fine art.

Write in your choice or, choose from our list of the top 24 Most Famous Paintings of all time. Each painting in our list offers a brief description of the art. To learn more about the painting, click the icon within the box.  This "Vote" is open to everyone, worldwide. Please note you may vote more than once.  http://wshe.es/ztcXnulY

The National Federation of the Blind 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.  You can live the life you want:  blindness is not what holds you back.  Joining me for comments in this Positive Note is the President Emeritus of the NFB of SC.  Here is Dr. Capps.  

              I feel certain that most of you across the state know that Monday, November 16 was the 75th anniversary of the National Federation of the Blind.  Representatives from seven states met in Wilkes-Barre, PA 75 years ago and founded the NFB.  It would be 16 years – 1956 – before the NFB of SC would be a part of the NFB.  With 75 years having passed its likely that only a few persons are still alive.  I’m one of those few members, having been 12 years old in 1940.  I was a student at the SC School for the Blind on November 16, 1940 and of course I had never heard of the NFB.  1940 was a very important year as World War II had commenced a year earlier in 1939.  One year later from our founding in 1940 in the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor and America was forced into World War II.  Thus, those were perilous times with millions of people losing their lives.  

              Dr. Jacobus tenBroek was only 29 years old when he participated in the November 16, 1940 initial meeting.  I first met Dr. tenBroek 16 years later in 1956 at the San Francisco NFB Convention.  I would have the privilege of serving with Dr. tenBroek on the NFB board between 1959   and 1968 at the time of his death.  I visited in Dr. tenBroek’s house in Berkeley, CA and got to know him on a first name basis.  As the years went by we traveled a great deal to many NFB meetings.  Beginning in the late 1970’s, we began to have board meetings during the Thanksgiving season.  Under Dr. Jernigan’s leadership in the late 1970’s he negotiated the purchase of the building which was extensively refurbished and became the National Center for the Blind.  As we approach the Thanksgiving season I certainly have been blessed in my participation in the federation.  I have met with blind Americans in all 50 states.  Additionally, I was blessed to participate in three World Blind Union meetings in Madrid, Cairo and Melbourne, Australia.  Next week I will attempt to describe the characteristics of a few of my NFB colleagues as I served on the NFB board from 1959 to 2011.

 

Final Thought:  “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.” - Melody Beattie

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nfbofsc_nfbnet.org/attachments/20151118/4808c4d8/attachment.html>