[Nfbwv-talk] FEDERATIONIST OF THE YEAR ON FRONT PAGE OF HOMETOWN PAPER

[Ed McDonald]

Here is the story from the MINERAL DAILY NEWS TRIBUNE, Keyser, WV, Monday, 
November 10, 2014.


NOTE: Photo





For the News Tribune

KEYSER - Keyser resident Karen McDonald has been recognized by the National 
Federation of the Blind of West Virginia (NFBWV) as Federationist of the 
Year for 2014.

The award was presented during the organization's recent state convention in 
Bridgeport.

NFBWV treasurer Marcus Soulsby of Charleston - the 2010 recipient of the 
award - praised McDonald's work and presented her with a plaque during the 
convention banquet.

"This year's recipient has done so much on not only a local and affiliate 
level, but also a national level over so much time," Soulsby said, 
withholding the recipient's name in order to build suspense. "This person is 
currently serving her third two-year term as affiliate secretary, where she 
has done a thorough and comprehensive job of documenting the work of the 
organization.

"As a passionate Braille reader and advocate for Braille, she has breathed 
new life into the organization's Braille Literacy Division," Soulsby added.

McDonald is a long-time leader of the federation's Members at Large Chapter, 
a group of members throughout the state who live outside areas served by 
local chapters.

She also serves on the Agency Partnership Committee.  This group meets 
regularly with representatives of state and private agencies in an effort to 
improve the quality and delivery of information, education, and 
rehabilitation services to blind and visually impaired West Virginians.

Blind since birth, McDonald is a 1969 graduate of the West Virginia School 
for the Blind in Romney.  She began playing piano as a young child and 
earned degrees in piano performance from Potomac State College and Fairmont 
State University.

Although she has a talent for "playing by ear," she says it's essential for 
aspiring blind musicians to learn to read music in Braille.

In recent years she has embraced a variety of adaptive technologies used by 
blind persons - "talking" computers, Braille notetakers, mobile devices, 
etc. As a result, she gets frequent calls from friends and colleagues around 
the state seeking answers to their technology questions.

Karen and her husband, Ed McDonald, own and operate EIO Productions in 
Keyser, a company that produces and distributes radio shows.

"I dragged her into the National Federation of the Blind back in the early 
1990s when I was president of the West Virginia affiliate," Ed said.

"Those were the days of budding romance, and she may have joined at first 
just to please me," he added, "but it didn't take her long to find her own 
place in the organization."

"The National Federation of the Blind is a vehicle that can improve the 
lives of blind people," Karen McDonald said.  "We can work together for 
things like better education for blind children and greater employment 
opportunities for blind adults," she added, "but we're also like a big 
family.  Through the Federation I have made friends all over the country 
that I can turn to for answers to questions and even for emotional support 
in times of need," she said.

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.