[Tall-Corn] FEDERATION FOCUS May-June 2017

Mon May 22 22:42:40 UTC 2017

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FEDERATION FOCUS

A Bimonthly eNewsletter of the National Federation of the Blind of Iowa

Vol. 1               May-June 2017                No. 3

Affiliate President:  Jerad Nylin

Editor-in-Chief:  Sandi Ryan

Editors:  April L. Enderton; Cindy Ray

>From the President

Greetings fellow Federationists,

I hope you are all enjoying this pre-national convention season. For this
Federation Focus, I wanted to share with you a story of a more personal
nature. As your affiliate president, I am dedicated to living the life I
want. 

As a young boy, I dreamed of becoming a police officer when I grew up. I
wanted to help people, not to mention my fascination with all of the cool
gadgets and exciting unpredictability. I loved watching the TV show Cops
every Saturday night on Fox. My school district had a partnership with the
Cedar Rapids Police Department, which allowed a police officer to come into
our classroom once a year and talk about the job. 

I am an adult now, and obviously not a cop, but that has not stopped me from
carrying a fascination and a respect for what cops do everyday. I have
always wanted to do a ride-along with an officer, and to learn more about
what the job entails. One day I was attending a meeting and spoke with
Sergeant Cristy Hamblin with the Cedar Rapids Police Department about the
possibility of doing a ride-along. She suggested I attend the upcoming
10-week Citizen's Police Academy where I would be able to participate in a
ride-along, among other things. 

On Tuesday March 28, 2017 I arrived at the Cedar Rapids Police Station at 4
o'clock to go on my first-ever police ride-along. I wanted to make sure that
the officer felt comfortable taking a blind person in his car, so I had
arranged to meet with him before the start of the ride-along. I wanted to
have an enriching experience, in which he could describe things if
appropriate, and in which both he and I felt comfortable.

I rode with Officer Shawn Burke who has worked for the Cedar Rapids Police
Department for 10 years, and who loves his job! Throughout the evening we
went on many calls that were both educational and exhilarating. I got to
watch Officer Burke do an investigation at a local clothing store, which
showed more of the technical side of the job. A lot of questioning goes into
creating a theft report. I had never thought about the time it takes to
conduct an investigation and complete the report. On our next call we
transported a man to Jail, where I was aloud a tour of the facility. The
jail is one place I would prefer not to live.

Perhaps the biggest adrenaline rush of the evening was when we had a medical
call. Because of the urgency of the situation, we had to travel at high
speed with lights on and Sirens blaring. It was an amazing experience to see
the first responders at work at a critical time.   

I spent the evening asking questions, observing and watching what it is like
to be a police officer in my community. Just by being there, I was educating
Officer Burke, the public, and other officers about blindness. I made sure
to talk about it, and to answer any questions. I even handed out NFB
literature and showed Officer Burke how to write his and his children's
names in Braille using a slate and stylus. His sun has expressed interest in
learning Braille, so our Braille alphabet cards were a great gift for him.

I am interested in doing another ride-along or two to see what other types
of police officers do. Next I will ride along with the Linn county sheriff’s
office, and then possibly with an officer from another City to get a variety
of experiences in this career that interests me very much. Although Sergeant
Hamblin would not let me drive a City police car, I have loved sitting in
the front seat of one for the past 10 weeks.   

Until cars that the blind can drive are a reality, or I can pass the fitness
exam,    I will not be a full-fledged police officer, but I am so grateful
to have had this opportunity to experience aspects of the job. My blindness
has not held me back. A dream of mine has come true, and it has enriched my
life. I believe I have educated the Cedar Rapids Police Department about
blindness and have opened up opportunities for us. 

Live the life you want every day, taking opportunities for experiences you
would not otherwise have. I am always eager to hear about how our members
live the lives they want. Please share your stories of success and joy with
me.

Your  Affiliate President, 

Jerad S. Nylin

President, National Federation of the Blind of Iowa

E-Mail:  <mailto:jerad.nfbi at gmail.com> jerad.nfbi at gmail.com

Cell: (319)535-3723

Website:  <http://www.nfbi.org> www.nfbi.org

News Right Now!

National Convention Reminder

By the end of May, be sure to reserve your hotel room and preregister for
national convention, July 10-15.  <http://www.nfb.org/convention> Get
details on the convention page. 

Uber and Lyft Settlement Compliance Testing Begins

By Scott Van Gorp, Secretary, National Federation of the Blind of Iowa

The National Federation of the Blind recently entered into landmark
settlement agreements with the two most prominent  rideshare companies in
the United States, Uber and Lyft, with regards to treatment of riders with
service animals. As part of these agreements, the National Federation of the
Blind has begun a three- to five-year testing program to assess how well the
two companies are complying with the terms of their respective settlements. 

Starting on May 8, 2017, riders with service animals are encouraged to begin
submitting feedback on their experiences using these services. All of our
affiliates are encouraged to participate since these settlements are
nationwide.  If you would like more information, or if you would like to
take part in the compliance testing program, the links below provide the
resources you need to get started.

 <https://nfb.org/rideshare> https://nfb.org/rideshare

 <https://nfb.org/rideshare-faq> https://nfb.org/rideshare-faq.

The testing point of contact for Iowa is Cindy Ray. She can be reached by
email at  <mailto:cindyray at gmail.com> cindyray at gmail.com or by phone at
(515) 334-7231. 

We will distribute more information as it becomes available. Let’s help make
this program successful!

The Newsletter

Because of the busy summer in all our chapters, we will not publish a
Federation Focus eNewsletter for July-August. Look for our September-October
issue at the beginning of August. It will include a round-up of national
convention highlights and specific information about state convention
registration and sessions. Meantime, have a great summer!

REMEMBER!

To stay in touch with the National Federation of the Blind of Iowa at all
times:

<https://www.facebook.com/National-Federation-Of-the-Blind-Of-Iowa-372681823
082570/posts> Like the National Federation of the Blind of Iowa on Facebook.

 <https://twitter.com/nfb_iowa> Follow us on Twitter @NFB_Iowa.

Sign up for  <http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/tall-corn_nfbnet.org> the
tall corn list serve.

Personal Report

Des Moines Chapter Community Service April Project

By Gloria Graves and Janae Burgmeier

On Wednesday, April 5th 2017, thirteen members of the National Federation of
the Blind of Iowa’s Des Moines Chapter volunteered with the local Meals from
the Heartland, an organization which works with hundreds of enthusiastic
volunteers from businesses, schools, churches, community organizations and
individuals  to package meals for delivery to malnourished people in Iowa,
across the United States and around the world.

On arrival at the Meals from the Heartland location, NFB Des Moines Chapter
members were received warmly by the staff hosting the volunteer event, and
there was discussion about what reasonable accommodations would need to be
made for packaging meals. The staff was willing to do anything to assist
with this process and to ensure that we had a productive experience.

Set-up was assembly-line style, which allowed each volunteer to choose a
specific task to complete. It was decided that the 13 NFB Des Moines chapter
members would be divided into three groups at different tables, and other
volunteers from the community scattered among us. Sighted individuals
weighed the meals once packaged, since the scales were not accessible to
blind volunteers. Each group of blind and sighted volunteers determined who
would be in charge of each meal-packaging task. 

This event was a great success! Blindness was not made a big issue by the
individuals hosting the event or the other volunteers who participated. The
event illustrated that blind persons can be contributing members of society.
It also showed what can be accomplished using alternative techniques and the
importance of looking more at a person’s capabilities than focusing on their
disability. We had plenty of opportunities to discuss the NFB with sighted
members of the Des Moines community. This multi-faceted experience allowed
us to give back to the community and to network with sighted peers. All
participants learned something that night and were able to walk away knowing
they did something that changed the lives of many others.

Volunteering in this way was such a wonderful experience that discussion is
continuing with Meals from the Heartland about obtaining a talking scale so
blind individuals can weigh the meals, if they choose, making the entire
process accessible.

image2

Photo description: Jim Rechkemmer and Gloria

                                       Graves smile for the camera as they
work

Member Spotlight

NOTE: Each issue of this newsletter will introduce one of our affiliate
members. Enjoy getting to know others who share our Federation spirit and
philosophy, and live the lives they want. Our featured member this issue is
Tom Davis.

Tom Davis: Life Enthusiast

By April L. Enderton, Editor

"I love life!" Tom Davis, a member of the At Large Chapter, proclaims. Tom
is an avid outdoorsman. He loves to fish and hunt, and has a lifetime
hunting license. Two years ago, he participated in the disability deer hunt.
He also hunts with his nephew. Although he has yet to tag a deer, Tom has
hit a lot of bull's-eyes in target practice. Football is Tom's all-time
favorite spectator sport. His favorite team is the Iowa Hawkeyes.

"Cooking out is one of the highlights of my life," Tom says, proudly showing
off his brand new grill. 

Tom follows the weather by listening to storm static on his radio. "I know
my weather," he says. This is not an idle boast. Tom's forecasts are so
accurate that friends often rely on him over the meteorologists when
planning weather-related activities.

Indoors, Tom enjoys using his computer and his Victor Reader Stream. He
likes country music and "good old rock." He loves old movies, especially
John Wayne westerns. 

Tom lives with Lin, his wife of 35 years, his nine-year-old yellow lab guide
dog, Daisy and Lin's guide dog Cole. He has two children, nine grandchildren
and three great grandchildren. Tom celebrates his 70th birthday June 1.

Chapter Focus

NOTE:  Each issue of this newsletter will examine one of our chapters or
divisions in depth to help you learn what fellow Federationists around the
state are doing.

Southeast Chapter, NFBI:

Where Fun Spells Fund-Raising

by April L. Enderton, Editor

The Southeast Iowa Chapter which serves the Burlington, Iowa area, held its
annual election in January. Officers and board members are as follows:

*	Christie Steele, president
*	Jerry Jackson, vice president
*	Nora Jackson, secretary
*	Richard Webb, treasurer
*	Janet Russel, board member
*	Jim McElderry, board member

Chapter members are currently preparing for a fundraiser. On June 4, the
chapter will host a trivia night at the Paddlewheel Lounge in Burlington.
Participants will pay an entry fee to compete. There will also be a 5050
drawing and raffles. The fun begins at 4 PM. Proceeds raised from this event
will help send members to conventions and Washington seminar.

The Southeast Iowa chapter has 14 regular meeting attendees. The chapter
plans to increase their online presence. Two newer members have agreed to be
admins of a Facebook page.

Christie Steele is serving her first term as chapter president. Christie is
part of the distance learning program through Western Governor's University
in Utah. She is a member of KDP National Honor Society for Educators. Her
goal is to teach elementary school special ed.  She plans to student teach
in the fall.

Chapter and Division Highlights

At Large: (April Enderton,  <mailto:alenderton at gmail.com>
alenderton at gmail.com) Our chapter continues to grow as we welcome two new
members.  Bill Foss lives in Hampton, Iowa. Kristen Steele is from Underwood
which is near Council Bluffs.  Kristen will attend her first national
convention this summer.

We have a few of our Braille cookbooks still available. The cookbook is a
single-volume compilation of favorite recipes from our members. This
cookbook sells for ten dollars. You won't want to miss Tee Jae Bracy's
recipe for Strawberry-Banana Frozen Pie, a refreshing dessert for those hot,
summer days ahead. To purchase your copy, contact me at 515-282-0049 or
alenderton at gmail.com.

Cedar Rapids: (Sam Claassen,  <mailto:blindsoul93 at gmail.com>
blindsoul93 at gmail.com) This summer will be a fun one in our chapter. We have
a few events on the horizon. This is the first year that the Cedar Rapids
chapter Will participate in the imagination Square, Put on by the cedar
Rapids freedom Festival on July 1, from 9-3pm outside Nubo City market.

We are also finalizing plans for a couple of screenings of the film “Do You
Dream in Color?” 

Des Moines: (Cindy Ray,  <mailto:cindyray at gmail.com> cindyray at gmail.com)
(See Community Service article above).

Old Capital (Iowa City): (Darrel Kirby,  <mailto:kirbydarrel at gmail.com>
kirbydarrel at gmail.com) During August we will plan on holding our annual Old
Capitol Chapter Priscilla McKinley Memorial Picnic. We do not have a date or
location, but invite all federationists and guest to the event. We are
fund-raising and planning for the Bell Academy, to be held from July 31 to
August 11.

Siouxland: (Karen Clayton,  <mailto:Karen at simpco.org> Karen at simpco.org)
Contact Karen to find out about the location of this summer’s meetings.

Southeast Iowa: (Christie Steele,  <mailto:steele.christiane at gmail.com>
steele.christiane at gmail.com) We are currently preparing for our upcoming
fund-raiser, a trivia night called “Who wants to be smarter than your
smartphone?” The event will be held June 4, starting at 4:00 p.m. at the
Paddlewheel Lounge in Burlington. We plan to award prizes and hold raffles
and drawings during the event. We are hoping for a large number of team
entries and a good turnout from the community.

Bell Academy: (Donna Prime,  <mailto:dprime27 at gmail.com> dprime27 at gmail.com)
Thanks to all who attended the BELL Academy fund-raiser at Panera on March
30. The location of the 2017 BELL Academy has changed. It will now be held
at the Old Brick Church in Iowa City.

Iowa Diabetes Action Network: (Michael Barber,
<mailto:m.barber817 at gmail.com> m.barber817 at gmail.com) We have had two very
interesting speakers at our past two meetings. In April, Bernadette Jacobs,
President of the Diabetes Action Network of the NFB since Mike Freeman’s
untimely death, spoke with our group about her plans for the DAN and
answered questions from our members. We are hoping to get to know her better
this summer at the National Federation of the Blind convention in Orlando.

Jerry Munden, Vice-President of Sales for Advance Diabetes Solutions was our
special guest in May. Jerry received the coveted Bolotin Award at the 2011
NFB convention, and is noted for his work with blind diabetics and for
helping with development of the Prodigy Voice, the only totally accessible
glucose meter for blind diabetics. If you need a new glucose monitor, ask
your pharmacist to order the Prodigy Voice.  They may offer you the Prodigy
AutoCode, but that is the wrong meter. The Prodigy Voice is the only meter a
blind person can set up independently. Our group is committed to seeing that
all equipment used by diabetics  is made accessible, and we are hoping Jerry
will be a major conduit through which we can work to make this happen.

Please plan to attend the Iowa Diabetes Action Network meeting at 1:00 p.m.
on Friday, September 29 at state convention. Our guest speakers always
provide valuable information to our group. I encourage you to attend and
participate in our meeting this year.

Student Committee: (Katy Olsen, olsenk1. at central.edu) At the beginning of
this month, we had a great student panel talk about their experiences at
national convention. A few of our students will be attending the convention
this July and are very excited. We are also preparing for state convention
where we will be hosting the hospitality activities the first night. Our
next meeting will be May 30 at 7:00 p.m.

News Briefs

2017 State Convention

The National Federation of the Blind of Iowa 2017 state convention will be
held September 29-October 1, 2017, at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Des
Moines Northwest (4800 Merle Hay Road, Des Moines, Iowa 50322. Our
convention room rate this year is $82 per night plus tax.

To reserve your room: Call the Hotel directly at 515-278-4755 and ask for
the group block for the National Federation of the Blind of Iowa; or call
the national reservations number, 800-465-4329, and ask for the group block
for the National Federation of the Blind of Iowa. You can also make
reservations online at:   <http://www.holidayinn.com/desmoinesia>
www.holidayinn.com/desmoinesia and use the 3-letter code “NFB.” The
Reservations Deadline is September 7, 2017

If you have questions about hotel reservations, contact Michael Barber at:
<mailto:m.barber817 at gmail.com> m.barber817 at gmail.com or by phone at:
515-284-1569. 

Information about registration and convention programming will be shared as
it is available 

Recipe Corner

NOTE: In each issue we will feature a couple of recipes from our members. If
you have recipes to share in this section, please e-mail them to Sandi Ryan,
Editor-in-Chief, at  <mailto:sjryan2 at gmail.com> sjryan2 at gmail.com. This
issue’s recipes are from Cindy Lou Ray, Federation Focus Editor and Des
Moines Chapter President.

Eldorado Casserole

1 large onion

2 pounds hamburger

1 15 oz. can of tomato sauce

1 small can chopped olives

1 4 oz. can chopped mild green chiles

1 cup cottage cheese (small curd)

1 cup sour cream

1 10 oz. bag corn chips

8 oz. shredded Monterey jack cheese

Chop the onion and sautée in oil. Add 2 pounds of hamburbger and brown. Then
add a 15 ounce can of tomato sauce and let simmer. 

While simmering, butter a 3 quart casserole and crumble the corn chips into
it, saving some for the top. 

Combine sour cream, cottage cheese, chiles and olives. Layer ingredients
beginning with meat, sour cream mixture, cheese, meat, sour cream mixture,
cheese and ending with chips on top.

Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Easy Peach Cobbler

1 large can peach slices

1-2 cups sugar

1 package of 2 refrigerated pie crusts

Seasonings such as cinnamon or nutmeg to taste.

Cinnamon and sugar for top

Combine one pie crust in a large saucepan with the peaches and choice of
seasoning, cook until thick. Pour into casserole dish. Roll out the other
half of the crust and cut

into strips, laying it over the top. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.

Bake at 375 degrees until the top is brown, about 35 minutes.

Upcoming Events

May 30, 2017: 7:00 PM, NFBI Student Committee (712-432-8812, 87458#)

June 3, 2017: 9:00 a.m., Affiliate Board Meeting (Holiday Inn, 4800 Merle
Hay Road, Des Moines)

June 10, 2017: 11:00 AM, Old Capital chapter meeting, (Iowa City Public
Library).

June 10, 2017: 12:00 PM, Southeast Iowa Chapter meeting (St. Paul United
Church of Christ,

                         303 W Mt. Pleasant St, West Burlington).

June 10, 2017: 2:00 PM, Des Moines Chapter meeting (Iowa Department for the
Blind).

June 15, 2017: 7:00 PM, At Large Chapter meeting (712-432-8812, 87458#)

June 17, 2017: 11:00 AM, Siouxland Chapter meeting (TBD)

June 17, 2017: 11:00 AM, Cedar Rapids Chapter meeting, (Scottish Rite
Temple, 616 A Ave NE)

June 26, 2017: 7:00 PM, NFBI Student Committee (712-432-8812, 87458#)

July 1, 2017: 1:00 PM, Iowa Diabetes Action Network Meeting (712-432-8812,
87458#).

July 8, 2017: 11:00 AM, Old Capital chapter meeting, (Iowa City Public
Library).

July 8, 2017: 12:00 PM, Southeast Iowa Chapter meeting (St. Paul United
Church of Christ,

                         303 W Mt. Pleasant St, West Burlington).

July 10-15, 2017: National Convention (Rosen Shingle Creek Resort, Orlando,
FL)

July 15, 2017: 11:00 AM, Siouxland Chapter meeting (TBD)

July 20, 2017: 7:00 PM, At Large Chapter meeting (712-432-8812, 87458#)

July 21-29, 2017:  <http://www.blindscience.org/nfb-youth-slam> Youth Slam,
Towson University, (Towson, MD)

July 31-august 11, 2017: National Federation of the Blind of Iowa BELL
academy (Iowa City)

August 1, 2017: 7:00 PM, NFBI Student Committee (712-432-8812, 87458#)

August 5, 2017: 1:00 PM, Iowa Diabetes Action Network Meeting (712-432-8812,
87458#).

August 12, 2017: 11:00 AM, Old Capital chapter meeting, (Iowa City Public
Library).

August 12, 2017: 12:00 PM, Southeast Iowa Chapter meeting (St. Paul United
Church of Christ,

                         303 W Mt. Pleasant St, West Burlington).

August 12, 2017: 2:00 PM, Des Moines Chapter meeting (Iowa Department for
the Blind).

August 17, 2017: 7:00 PM, At Large Chapter meeting (712-432-8812, 87458#)

August 19, 2017: 11:00 AM, Siouxland Chapter meeting (TBD)

August 19, 2017: 11:00 AM, Cedar Rapids Chapter meeting, (Scottish Rite
Temple, 616 A Ave NE)

September 29-October 1, 2017: NFBI State Convention (Holiday Inn Northwest,
4800 Merle Hay Road, Des Moines)

The National Federation of the Blind of Iowa 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.

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