[Nfbofsc] Positive Note 1642

[David Houck]

January 31, 2018 

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

From:  Frank Coppel, President

Positive Note 1642

Greetings Fellow Federationists:

 

              Hello from our Nation's capital where I along with more than
five hundred Federationists representing 52 affiliates of the NFB gathered
this week for the purpose of descending on Capitol Hill to discuss with
their congressional delegation the legislative agenda of the nation's blind.
The 2018 Washington Seminar officially began Monday, January 29, at 5:00
p.m. with the "Great Gathering In" meeting.  President Riccobono conducted
the meeting and there were other Federation officials present informing
participants on various NFB activities which will be occurring during 2018.
Tuesday, January 30, was a very busy day for the South Carolina delegation
as we met with our congressional delegation at various times throughout the
day.  Tuesday evening a reception hosted by the National Federation of the
Blind was held from 6:00 to 8:00 at the Newseum which celebrated our
partnership with John Olson, cofounder of 3D Photo Works, to promote greater
accessibility in museums and to honor the sacrifices of the Marines that
fought in the Tet Offensive which occurred during the Vietnam War.  I was
extremely proud to have fifteen members of our affiliate who attend this
year's Washington Seminar.  The delegation consisted of Frank and Shelley
Coppel, Lenora Robertson, Ellen Taylor, Debra Canty, Dianne Singleton, Linda
Dizzley, and six individuals from our Successful Transitions program (Taivon
Hardy, Wallace Stuckey, Matthew Duffle Hoffman, Chase Hanna, Pam Schexnider,
Wayne Smith, and Jennifer Bazer).  The work we did on Capitol Hill This week
lays the ground work for passage of the four legislative initiatives which
are outlined below.  All of us need to continue to contact our Congressmen
and Senators throughout the year to ensure passage of these four legislative
initiatives.  

1.           The Accessible Instructional Materials in Higher Education (Aim
High) Act

Electronic instructional materials have replaced traditional methods of
learning in postsecondary education, but the overwhelming majority of
ebooks, courseware, web content, and other technologies are inaccessible to
students with print disabilities. The law requires equal access in the
classroom but fails to provide direction to schools for the way it applies
to technology. The Aim High Act creates voluntary accessibility guidelines
for educational technology to stimulate the market, improve blind students'
access to course materials, and reduce litigation for schools.

2.           The Access Technology Affordability Act (ATAA)

Currently, blind Americans rely on scarce sources of funding to acquire
access technology. By providing a refundable tax credit for qualifying
access technology purchases, Congress will stimulate individual procurement
of access technology and promote affordability of these tools for blind
Americans.

3.           Opposition to the "ADA Education and Reform Act of 2017" (H.R.
620)

The ADA Education and Reform Act of 2017 would undermine the ADA by
significantly eroding equal access protections and progress made over nearly
three decades.

4.           The Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works
for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired, or Otherwise Print Disabled

Despite the ability to convert print books into accessible formats like
Braille, large print, audio, and digital copies, millions of blind and
otherwise print-disabled Americans are excluded from accessing 95 percent of
published works. The Marrakesh Treaty will enable the cross-border exchange
of accessible format copies, thereby vastly expanding the availability of
accessible foreign language literature to blind and otherwise print disabled
Americans.

              Do not forget to purchase your tickets to attend the third
annual Sweetheart dance sponsored by the NFB of SC which will be held on
Saturday, February 17, 2018 at the Federation Center of the Blind from 5:00
p.m. to 9 p.m.  The evening promises to be a fun and enjoyable experience
with a professionally catered dinner, door prizes, music and dancing.
Tickets to this event will only be $25 for an individual and $45 per couple.
Please make checks payable to NFB of SC and mail to:  NFB of SC, C/O David
Houck, 119 S. Kilbourne Road, Columbia, SC 29205.

              Please note the memo line for Sweethearts Dance. Please
include an address so that tickets can be mailed once payment has been
received. Deadline to purchase tickets is Tuesday, February 6, 2018.  Please
contact Jennifer Bazer at 803-661-6622 or jhipp25 at sc.rr.com if you would
like to contribute a door prize.   If you have any questions regarding this
fundraising event, please contact Debra Canty, NFB of SC Fundraising
Chairperson, at 803-775-5792 or via email at debra.canty at frontier.com. 

              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.  

               In this week's spotlight we are featuring the only remaining
charter member of the NFB of SC who was present when it was established in
1944 which is Ruth Weeks of Spartanburg.  Although she is currently 98, we
did feature her back in early 2009.  For the benefit of Positive Note
readers we are reprinting the 2009 spotlight:

              "A very special lady, Ruth Weeks of Spartanburg, truly
deserves to be in the "spotlight."  Ruth will celebrate her 90th birthday in
July.  Born in Kershaw, most of her life was spent in Spartanburg.  At age
seven in 1926, Ruth enrolled in the School for the Blind.  Herbert Hoover
was President and she remembers the 1929 Great Depression.  At School Ruth
was recognized for her singing talents.  To the best of my knowledge Ruth is
the only living charter member of the Federation, then known as the Aurora
Club.  She was present in 1944 when our founder, Dr. Sam Lawton arranged for
the first gathering of the blind in Spartanburg.  In the 1920's and 1930's
when Ruth was in School, there were no televisions, computers, cell phones,
microwave ovens, or stereo technology but there was one very valuable
program featuring Braille literacy.  When Ruth entered the School in 1926,
there were not many automobiles on the road except for the Model T Ford
which many of us remember.  Having been a member of the federation for 65
years (1944 - 2009), Ruth only missed a few meetings of the Spartanburg
Chapter.  She has attended most of the state conventions and was honored for
her years of service in August of 2000 receiving the NFB of SC Presidential
Citation and was further honored with a standing ovation from the Banquet
audience.  As previously stated, there were very few jobs available to Ruth
during her long career but she did assist in jury selections in the
courthouse as all prospective jurors were drawn by Ruth.  Ruth is an avid
reader and fully utilized Braille when she started School in 1926.  One of
Ruth's favorite activities is attending Senior Blind Week at RBRCCB.  She
let me know that she wants to attend Senior Camp this year as well.
Congratulations to Ruth Weeks who has been blessed in living a very long
life, making many hundreds of friends both in the federation and in other
places."  

              To bring you up to date, Ruth is still living and has attended
the most recent Spartanburg Chapter meeting.  Spartanburg Chapter member
Betty Phillips reports that she still looks to be in good health.  I am told
that she used to like singing Christmas carols and especially loved to song
"O Holy Night."  At the conclusion of the SC School for the Deaf and the
Blind's anniversary celebration in 2005, she sang "How Great Thou Art."
She wrote a lot of music for Marshall Tucker as well.  We celebrate Ruth
Weeks who dedicated her life to improving the quality of life for
generations of blind South Carolinians.

 

Final Thought:  "We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He
who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love."  -
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

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