[NFB-Seniors] A fine affiliate newsletter! - The Blind Missourian - June 2019
Robert Leslie Newman
robertleslienewman at gmail.com
Thu Jun 27 12:54:14 UTC 2019
Hi You All
Read and learn what our Missouri branch of the Federation family is up to!
The Blind Missourian
June 2019
Table of Contents
Presidential Report 2019 by President Shelia Wright 1
Resolutions, Constitutional Amendments and By-laws 5
Big Opportunities in a Small Town: Thinking Outside
the Box by Dennis Miller
7
The 2019 Kansas City Membership Seminar: A Brief Introduction
to the National Federation of the Blind by Daniel Garcia 12
Keeping Busy in Columbia by Eugene Coulter 14
Memories of the Moynihan Family by Susie Stanzel 15
Saying Goodbye or Saying Thank You: Coming to See
It Really Is A Choice by Gary Wunder
17
Pledge of the National Federation of the Blind
20
Presidential Report - 2019
By President Shelia Wright
Since our last convention the National Federation of the Blind of Missouri
has been very busy. The work we do cannot be accomplished by a handful of
members, and I am proud that more and more members are stepping up to take
on assignments or initiate new ideas. This report will cover some of the
highlights and is certainly not a complete listing.
The National Federation of the Blind of Missouri is committed to Braille
literacy and continues to work to assure that blind children have the
opportunity to learn Braille at an early age. Many of us know from firsthand
experience the harmful consequences that occur when young people do not have
the opportunity to learn Braille at an early age. We address this issue on
all fronts here in Missouri.
Last summer we conducted our fifth Braille Enrichment for Literacy and
Learning Program - BELL Academy in St. Louis and our first BELL Academy in
Kansas City. We had a combined total of fourteen children in these two
programs. The BELL Academy is a two-week program which focuses on Braille
activities to promote literacy. Our Missouri statewide and Kansas City
Coordinator was Debbie Wunder and the St. Louis Coordinator was Jenny
Carmack. Let's give a special thank you to Debbie and Jenny for their
leadership in this program. Later today you will hear more about our 2018
BELL Academies and what is planned for the summer of 2019 BELL Programs.
This past year our Kansas Affiliate partnered with us and I'd like to
express our appreciation to them. Finally, if you helped to staff our 2018
BELL Academy, please stand and say Braille Rocks!
The NFB of Missouri registered for our Nationwide Braille Readers Are
Leaders Contest which provided an opportunity for K-12 students across
Missouri to participate. Although our number of children was lower this
year, we are proud of Holly Connor, an 8th grader from Clayton, MO, who was
the top reader having read a total of 4,001 pages. Congratulations Holly!
Advocacy on behalf of both blind youth and adults is a big part of our work.
Often our first contact with parents is when Braille or adequate Braille
services are being denied or minimalized by the IEP team. Over the past
year, the National Federation of the Blind has been represented in IEPs and
follow-up meetings for three students in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area.
To our parents we want you to know the National Federation of the Blind is a
valuable resource. In addition to advocacy, our youth programs are designed
to challenge participants to explore areas where blind youth have not been
permitted to engage in activities with their peers in school because of low
expectations. These programs also provide mentoring with highly successful
adults. The National Federation of the Blind of Missouri is working to
rebuild our Parents Division and expand opportunities for you and your
children through the NFB National Organization of Parents of Blind Children.
Requiring an accurate researched based assessment such as the National
Reading Media Assessment, is still our top legislative priority. We were
very disappointed when this was removed from SB 680 and HB2535 last year. An
additional setback occurred when the senator who has introduced the bill was
not re-elected. We have been working this year to find a new sponsor for the
bill as we intend to put a stop to blind students being denied Braille
instruction in Missouri.
Tomorrow morning you will hear more from our Governmental Affairs Committee
Chair about our Jefferson City Seminar and appointments with key
governmental officials. For now, I ask you to help me thank Roger Crome who
chairs our GA Committee. I want to ask our Governmental Affairs committee
members and other Jeff City seminar participants to stand so we all can
thank them for their hard work. This is a group of dedicated members that
truly work as a committee.
The emphasis on transition is one of the major changes in the passing and
implementation of the Workforce Investment Opportunity Act, WIOA. In fact,
every VR agency must dedicate a portion of its budget to providing
transition services to youth.
Last year, there were two 17-year-old blind clients in Missouri who had
planned with the support of RSB to attend the summer program at the Colorado
Center for the Blind. One family had been planning for over a year for their
teen to participate in the program. The other teen would turn 18 shortly
after the program began. Less than a month before time for their summer
program was scheduled to begin, both families were notified that it was
against state policy for a minor to go to an out-of-state program. Their
summer planning seemed to have come to an abrupt halt.
To his credit, Keith Rodderick, the deputy director with Rehabilitation
Services for the Blind was willing to talk with the National Federation of
the Blind of Missouri, the parents of both clients, and multiple times with
the state attorneys and in short time resolved the issue by offering
language that satisfied the lawyers and permits young Missourians to
participate in youth programs that provide skills training, pre-employment
skills, and work experiences. Parents will need to transport the students to
and from the center in order for RSB to cover the cost of the program. Both
teens were present for the first day of the program at the Colorado Center
for the Blind. It is refreshing when everyone can work together for the
good of the client, and we are fortunate to have an agency director who is
responsive to the blind of Missouri.
The Washington Seminar is always a highlight in our Federation year. There
are always other events that precede our Great Gathering in. This year Carla
Keirns was able to participate in the Parent Leadership Program (PLP) at our
national center before joining the rest of our Missouri delegation at the
Holiday Inn Capitol in Washington. Those representing us this year were
Robin House, Christopher Tisdal, Carla Keirns, Gary Wunder, and Shelia
Wright. This team worked on the Hill two days visiting our eight
Congressional Members and both Senators to introduce our legislative
priorities for 2019. This was a strong team that had prepared well for their
presentations. Please join me in thanking them for giving of their time,
energy, and financial resources to represent all of us.
Now every member can help move forward our legislative concerns by writing
or calling both of our Missouri senators and your member of congress to ask
them to support legislation. We will provide information throughout the
session to keep you abreast of developments. When the call for help goes
out, please act by making that call or sending an email message. Never
hesitate to ask questions you have. It is our joint action that gets results
and your involvement can make the difference.
* The Access Technology Affordability Act (ATAA)
The cost of critically needed access technology is out of reach for most
blind Americans. By providing a refundable tax credit for qualifying
purchases, Congress will stimulate individual procurement of this technology
and promote affordability of these tools.
* The Greater Accessibility and Independence through Nonvisual Access
Technology (GAIN) Act
Advanced digital interfaces create barriers that prevent blind individuals
from independently operating essential devices that enhance quality of life.
Congress must end the digital divide that threatens the independence of
blind Americans by developing minimum accessibility requirements for such
devices.
* The Disability Employment Act (DEA)
An outdated approach to employment fails to adequately equip workers with
disabilities for the challenges of the twenty-first century. The Disability
Employment Act will spur innovation that will increase and enhance modern
employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
This report could not be complete without talking a little about
the work of our Sports and Recreation Committee. In 2017 the Old Drum
Chapter hosted a rafting trip and invited other members across the state who
were interested to join them. It was such a success that The Old Drum
Chapter President asked if our state affiliate would be willing to help plan
a 2018 rafting trip. Amy and Bill Wilson visited several sites and thought
that everyone would like Bass River Resort in Steelville, Missouri.
The planning commenced, and we had eleven happy campers who
enjoyed a beautiful day on the river and a great weekend disconnected from
the internet and engaged with one another. It was delightful that no one at
Bass River Resort seemed to question our abilities to navigate the camp
facilities or the river.
The National Federation of the Blind of Missouri was asked to
participate for the second time in the 2018-2019 Anthem Blue Cross Blue
Shield/USABA National Fitness Challenge, and with the support of our NFB of
Missouri State Board of Directors we accepted the challenge. We had 43
Missourians who signed up this year and 40 that show-up on the leader board
as participants. Because we plan a number of events and need thousands of
impressions, it is the best advertised program our affiliate has ever
engaged in. All of our affiliate chapters have participants and are on the
move. Come join us in our meet-ups, which will be popping up now that it is
spring. We also will have a team participating in the Kansas City Trolley
Run on April 28, which raises funds for the Children's Center for the
Visually Impaired, and we will be hosting a Blind Sports Day at the Missouri
School for the Blind on May 5th. Let's all thank our Sports and Recreation
Chair, Robin House. To give you all a few seconds to get some steps in, if
you have been involved in the National Fitness Challenge, please stand and
say our motto: Every step counts - Go Team Go. I'm confident the Sports and
Recreation Committee will find new projects and hope that even more of our
members will engage in our efforts to get more active.
Our Communication Team is made up of Public Relations, Social
Media, our web presence, and the Blind Missourian. Each area has its
committees and proofers that make sure all of our programs and activities
are tools which help get our message out to the public, to our members, and
prospective members. Lets' thank Daniel Garcia - Public Relations, Randy
Carmack - NFBMO Webpage, Amy Wilson - Social Media, and Carol Coulter Editor
of the Blind Missourian. Thank you too to the Committees and proofers that
work behind the scenes.
Our membership outreach is one of our most important areas and the
Membership Committee works hard to find more ways to reach out to those that
don't know about the NFB. However, this work needs to extend beyond the
Committee. All of us can help us reach out to blind Missourians who can
benefit from being a part of the National Federation of the Blind. Think
about what the Federation has done for you. Think of why you are here today.
Think of the hundreds of blind people who do not have the love, hope, and
determination that comes to us through the Federation. Nothing is as
powerful as to have friends who believe in you and when you falter who can
pick you up. We need to reach out to those that do not know us yet. Take
pride in being a member of the National Federation of the Blind of Missouri
and make a difference by telling our stories and inviting new members in.
If you have not discovered where you want to serve, talk with me
and other leaders in our affiliate about your interest. The Federation is a
great place to stretch yourself and grow. While doing so, you can help the
National Federation of the Blind of Missouri to grow. 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. Blindness is not what
holds us back. You can live the life you want. Let's go build the National
Federation of the Blind of Missouri!
Resolutions, Constitution Amendments and By-Laws
passed at the 2019 state convention.
Resolution 2019-01
A Resolution Commending Bob Watson for Helping Raise Public Awareness of the
National Federation of the Blind of Missouri
Whereas, the National Federation of the Blind of Missouri is one of
fifty-two nationwide affiliates of the National Federation of the Blind, the
nation's oldest, largest, and most effective civil rights and self-advocacy
organization of the blind; and
Whereas, the National Federation of the Blind of Missouri routinely engages
in public relations efforts aimed at raising public awareness of our
programs and issues affecting blind Missourians; and
Whereas, Bob Watson is a reporter for the Jefferson City News Tribune who
has worked collaboratively for many years with members of the Jefferson City
Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of Missouri; and
Whereas, thanks to Bob Watson's work with the Jefferson City News Tribune
for at least two decades published multiple articles about National
Federation of the Blind events and legislative priorities; Now, therefore:
BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind of Missouri in
Convention assembled this 23rd day of March, 2019, in the City of Columbia,
Missouri, that we commend Bob Watson for his valuable role in increasing
public understanding of our organization and issues that affect blind
Missourians.
Wording between asterisks denotes the change in the amendments.
Article III Membership
Section A, Requirements:
At least a majority of the active members of this organization must be
blind. Active membership shall be of two (2) classifications: active
members who are affiliated with local chapters, and active members who are
not affiliated with local chapters. To become a member, all persons shall be
voted into the Federation family by a majority vote of their chapter,
division, or a majority vote of the affiliate board if not affiliated with a
chapter or division.
Article IV Local Chapters and Divisions
Section B, Divisions:
Any organized group of special interests wishing to become a division of the
National Federation of the Blind of Missouri may form a special interest
group and after meeting regularly for two years may apply to become a
division by applying for a charter by submitting to the President of the
National Federation of the Blind of Missouri a copy of its constitution and
a list of the names and addresses of its members and elected officers. When
the National Federation of the Blind of Missouri either in convention
assembled or by action of its Board of Directors shall have approved the
application, it shall issue to the division a Certificate of Charter.
Annually, within fifteen days of the end of the State Affiliate Convention,
each division shall provide to the Recording Secretary and to the Treasurer
of the National Federation of the Blind of Missouri a current list of its
members and their addresses. On or before February 1 of each year, each
division shall forward to the State Treasurer a detailed financial report of
its activities for the preceding fiscal year. The fiscal year of this
organization shall be the calendar year. As new members enter a division,
their names and addresses shall be sent, without delay, to the Recording
Secretary of the state organization. The President of the National
Federation of the Blind of Missouri shall be an ex-officio member of each
division. In the event of the dissolution of a division, or if (for whatever
reason) a division ceases to be a part of this organization, its assets
shall become the property of the National Federation of the Blind of
Missouri. Divisions shall not pay affiliate dues for their members, except
in the case where a person has not already had dues paid by themselves or a
local chapter. In such a case, dues must be paid at our annual state
convention and immediately forwarded to the State Affiliate Treasurer. The
affiliate shall have the power to dissolve any division that is not
regularly meeting or fails to meet at any state convention.
Changes to the NFB of Missouri Bylaws
Adopted March, 2018
6.04 The nomination deadline for the Jernigan Award, tenBroek Award, and
Gary L. Wunder Award shall be February 1.
Big Opportunities in a Small Town: Thinking Outside the Box
By Dennis Miller
>From the Editor in collaboration with Gary Wunder: Missouri is a rural state
with a lot of farmland and many small towns separated by a considerable
distance. In most of these there is no bus service, no taxicabs, and no
rideshare; there simply are no rides to be had. Many people who are blind
have the idea that the only way for us to be independent is to move to a
place large enough to meet our basic transportation needs.
Although for many this is a choice, for some it is not. Perhaps they are
unwilling to part from the family support which is the primary focus of
their lives. Some blind people are themselves the support for their loved
ones as they take care of older parents or siblings who cannot take care of
themselves. So what do you do when you've gone through school, have gotten
rehabilitation money to get a college degree, and find yourself in a small
town here in Missouri?
The answer to this question can be found in part in the presentation made to
the convention of the National Federation of the Blind of Missouri on March
23, 2019, by Dennis Miller, a member of the Missouri affiliate who is blind
and significantly hard of hearing. In these remarks he provides concrete
examples of how he has managed to get work and some uncomfortable examples
of why we sometimes fall short of the goal he has achieved. Here is what
Dennis said about finding employment where he wants to live as a part of
living the life he wants:
Thank you, President Wright. What an honor it is for me to be here among you
folks today. This is only my second National Federation of the Blind
convention, and I'm very much enjoying it.
I've known Shelia Wright for almost thirty years now, and when we first met
it was at an agency called Blind Focus. While I was a student there, and I
was going through a lot of difficult adjustments, this lady was kind enough
to shepherd me through all of it. Ever since that point, when she has asked
me to do something, I've asked three questions: when, where, and how much am
I getting paid? After a few years I realized that the answer to the third
question wasn't going to change, so now I just ask when and where.
I want to talk briefly today about my experience living in a small town and
being employed. The residents of my small town may not like some of the
things I say, but so be it. Actually, Kirksville is a very small community
of 17,000 people. It's ninety miles to the north of Columbia, and some of
you in your lifetime have probably had the misfortune of traveling through
it on your way to somewhere else. Kirksville is one of these towns where
once you've gone to the Walmart supercenter, you've about seen everything.
But Kirksville is my home. It is where I was born and raised. It is where I
went to school as a totally blind person and graduated from the university
there. When I graduated from Truman State University, the district
supervisor for Rehabilitation Services for the Blind (who has since been put
out to pasture) told me that if I ever wanted to be employed, I had to leave
Kirksville. He said there was absolutely nothing for me in Kirksville. For a
while I thought he might be right.
I graduated with a degree in broadcast communications and minored in
political science. I spent several years living out my dream in radio, but I
left radio because there was very little money in it, and unfortunately
there's very little need for humans anymore. It's become almost totally
automated.
I worked several years in the independent living industry, and I wanted to
do something different. I really liked the idea of thinking outside the box,
maybe doing some things on my own. And I think this may be the major focus
of my talk today.
Sometimes when you live in a small community, opportunities come down and
hit you on the head. If you are there, and if you're willing, you can take
advantage of them. The first opportunity I was given was to spend six years
as a contract Braille instructor for an entity over in Milan, Missouri,
which is even smaller than our town of Kirksville. Milan is about
thirty-five miles to the west. Some of you may remember the young man I
helped, because he won an NFB scholarship and took that on to Northwest
Missouri State University where he graduated with honors. He's now married
and very happy and very gainfully employed. So I was given an opportunity
that required my being in the right place at the right time and being
willing to think outside the box, being willing to do something that I
couldn't imagine myself doing. I never thought of being a teacher. I hated
school. But being a teacher was what I've been in one form or another since
2000.
My experience with the Braille instructor position led to a contract with
TAPI [the Telecommunications Program for Internet], a wonderful program
operated by the Missouri Assistive Technology Project that provides
equipment and instruction to help blind people get on the internet. But
after you do so much training in a small town like Kirksville, you run out
of people who need it.
The next question I asked myself was where am I going from here? In the
summer of 2006, I happened to overhear a conversation among parents who had
blind children who were being homeschooled. The state of Missouri had
already passed a law that requires all graduating seniors to have a working
knowledge of the state and the United States constitutions. That applies to
everyone, whether you are in a public school or being educated in a private
or homeschool. These parents were commiserating among themselves, saying,
"We don't think we know enough to be able to teach this. We don't have the
skills. What are we going to do? We barely understand the Constitution
ourselves. How are we going to teach these crucial documents to our
children?"
One of the parents said, "I think Dennis has a background in political
science."
That piqued their interest, and they turned to me and said, "Would you be
interested in teaching a civics class for children who are homeschooled,
both middle school and high school students?"
My first thought was that I had never taught a group before, but almost
immediately my second was that I would certainly give it a try. They also
said, "While you're teaching that, would you mind teaching a public speaking
course?" So that's how my experience in teaching large groups of kids went,
teaching civics and public speaking. I developed my own way of teaching
civics because there was no set formula. I wasn't in a public classroom; I
was in a private setting where I could kind of do my own thing. I decided
that instead of using a textbook, I would teach directly from the documents
themselves. This means that I taught directly from the Declaration of
Independence, the United States Constitution, and the Missouri Constitution.
I had a lot of success with that. The kids seemed to like that it was very
interactive. They were encouraged to ask questions and to venture answers.
We came to Jefferson City every year to meet with their senators and
representatives. One year we had a particular representative who took a
strong interest in our class. I can't remember the issue (I suspect it was
not a major one), but it was up for a vote. Our representative walked over
to the kids and said, "How should I vote on this?" They listened to the
debate, they told him, and then they were able to see him go vote in the way
they had suggested. That may have been how he was going to vote anyway, but
it was a different way of doing things that said to them that what they
thought mattered.
This year is actually the first year I have not taught that civics class
because, through my teaching of that, I have built a reputation as a good
teacher. So when the city of Kirksville got a grant for this teaching of
English as a second language, they turned to me, and I accepted. We have two
manufacturing plants, one in Milan and one in Kirksville. Many of their
employees are from African speaking nations as well as some Latin American
nations. We have people from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Togo, the
Ivory Coast, Thailand, Indonesia, Mexico, South Korea, Venezuela, Panama,
and Puerto Rico. There are a wide variety of people, but it works.
I happen to go to church with the lady who is responsible for that grant,
and I asked her "How do you do that?" She said, "What we really need are
volunteers who are willing to talk to the adults. Dennis, you would be
perfect at that because you have such a strong curiosity and interest. I
think it is something that you would really enjoy, and they would enjoy
you."
I promised her that I would give it a try. For those of you who don't know,
I do have some hearing difficulties. I have a cochlear implant which I got a
couple years ago, but I wasn't quite sure how it would work out. I said,
"Okay, I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to do this, but I will give it a
try." I started the job in January of 2018, and they kept asking me to
increase my hours. I started out doing this just one day a week, and that
went until the end of the school year. They then wrote my position into the
grant so that I could teach more hours and actually get paid. The request to
increase my hours has continued, and it has been the most rewarding thing
that I have ever done in my life. I love every second of it. I would not
trade it for the world.
So why do I bring all this up? I bring it up because when I came to my first
convention in 2006, I didn't know I could've imagined my doing any of those
things. I was not a teacher. I knew nothing about teaching. I didn't even
like books unless I was reading them for myself for pleasure. The point that
I have come here to make is that we need to be willing to think outside the
box. When an opportunity comes your way, don't be afraid to say, hey, I'd
like to try that. A lot of times what happens is that we go to school, we
get a degree, and we don't find a job within a certain amount of time in the
area in which we got our degree. We then give up. Yes, the unemployment rate
among blind people and people with disabilities in general is extremely
high. Some of that is because we are not given the opportunities that we
deserve, but, in my opinion, some of that is that we don't take advantage of
all the opportunities that are out there. [applause] You know, if someone
said, "Dennis, do you want to collect trash out of the street?" I would have
to admit that that is not a job that I would really want to do, but keep in
mind that somebody has to do it.
When I started as a civics teacher, it was as a volunteer. The same is true
for the ESL class. As I said, they then rolled me into the grant so that I
can get paid. Now maybe I didn't want to start out as a volunteer, but they
needed the work done, and I wanted the challenge. Had I not taken that
opportunity, someone else would've. That somebody else would now be written
into their grant, and I would not be working every week.
So my real point in all of this is that when you are looking for a job, be
willing to explore-be willing to explore, be willing to experiment, be
willing to try something different. If I had an advanced bachelor's degree
in chemistry and I couldn't find a job in chemistry, I'd probably be upset,
but it really comes down to do you want to work or do you want to stay at
home? Sometimes I think we limit ourselves because we're not willing to
think outside the box. We too often tell ourselves that we are above this
job, or this job isn't what I want. I know that when I graduated from
college, if you would have come to me and asked if I wanted to teach
immigrants English, I would've said absolutely not. No way! But as I said,
this has become the most rewarding thing I've ever done in my life, and it
is now something I would not trade for the world.
I leave you with this plea and challenge: be willing to try, be willing to
expand your horizons, be willing to dream, be willing to go into an area
that is outside your comfort zone. I had never been around immigrants
before; I told you I live in Kirksville, Missouri. I didn't even know we had
immigrants. I just assumed somebody else did all of those factory jobs. But
these people have become some of my best friends. I am extremely comfortable
around them, and they are very comfortable around me. They look at me
outside of the classroom as somebody they can rely on to help them if they
get in a difficult position. But again, that is an opportunity that, had I
not been willing to take that chance and take that risk, would've gone to
somebody else. Don't limit yourself. Never think that something isn't right
for you until you have taken the opportunity to try it. It's okay to try it
and not like it. I did not particularly enjoy working in the independent
living center-it wasn't my thing. I did it because it was a job, and I
needed to work. How do you know if you don't like something until you try
it?
Some of you in here may remember a man named Casey Kasem. He's probably too
old for some of you. Back when I was a small boy, Casey Kasem had a weekly
show on the radio called America's Top Forty. He always ended the show with
the same signature line, and I'm going to end my presentation in the same
way. "Keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars."
The 2019 Kansas City Membership Seminar: A Brief Introduction to the
National Federation of the Blind
By Daniel Garcia
>From October of 2018 through January of 2019 the Kansas City Chapter of the
National Federation of the Blind of Missouri gained nine new members. This
explosive growth in membership is due to the work of the state affiliate
Membership Committee as well as chapter members telling our story and asking
blind and sighted people to join our ranks. To properly introduce these new
members to the National Federation of the Blind, the chapter decided that we
ought to have a membership seminar. Immediately after this decision had been
made, I started working with chapter members Linda Black-White, Ruby Polk,
and Willa Patterson to put together this seminar. Several telephone
conference calls later all the details of the seminar had been carefully
worked out, and we were ready and eager to execute the plan.
The 2019 National Federation of the Blind of Missouri Kansas City Chapter
Membership Seminar was held at the Macedonia Baptist Church on Saturday,
February 23, 2019. There were twenty-seven people in attendance including
the chapter board, six of the nine new members, and a few potential new
members. We all recited the NFB pledge and then everyone introduced
themselves. The first speaker was our state affiliate President Shelia
Wright who gave a brief presentation on our history. President Wright
explained that we were founded in 1940, and that though there was dissention
in the ranks in the late 1950's and early 1960's, our organization came
through those turbulent times stronger than ever. She then outlined the NFB
of Missouri's advocacy, legislative, and legal work to defend the rights of
blind people. There was then a brief question and answer period during which
Sam Jones, one of our new members who is a guide dog user, stated that a car
rental company wanted him to pay a $150 surcharge on account of his service
animal. After a brief discussion on the subject, I suggested to Sam that he
contact our National Association of Guide Dog Users.
It was then my turn to speak and my topic was NFB philosophy. In my
presentation I outlined and explained some of the core principles of our
philosophy: the NFB is an organization speaking for the blind; we reject the
hierarchy of the sighted; it is respectable to be blind; Braille is the only
means of literacy for the blind; the long white cane is both a tool and a
symbol of independence for the blind; with the proper training and
opportunity, blindness can be reduced to the level of a nuisance; and the
problem of blindness is not blindness itself, but people's negative
reactions and misconceptions about the capabilities of the blind. The next
speaker was Ruby Polk, who serves on the board of directors of the Kansas
City Chapter as Immediate Past President. Ruby talked about the Kansas City
Chapter and about the role of chapters in general. It is at the chapter
level where most members are first introduced to the NFB and where people
get the encouragement and support that builds their confidence and allows
them to go forth and live the lives they want. She also emphasized the
importance of chapters being the building blocks of the Federation.
Next on the agenda was Willa Patterson, who has been a member of the NFB for
forty-seven years. Willa explained the role of the state convention and some
of the programs of the NFB of Missouri like the BELL Academy. She then went
on to talk about the Baby Mikaela Case (a Kansas City newborn who had been
taken from her parents in 2010 solely because they were blind) to illustrate
how low expectations of the blind can truly hurt people and the NFB of
Missouri's strong advocacy in this area. The topic of the national
organization and role of the National Office was covered by Linda
Black-White who was the Second Vice President of the District of Columbia
affiliate from 1993 to 1995 and the President of the Greater Washington,
D.C. Chapter from 1995 to 2011. Since Baltimore is nearby, she was
privileged to often take her chapter members to our National Center for the
Blind. To remind us that it takes funds to run the programs of the NFB and
to maintain its headquarters, Linda then lead the audience in singing the
PAC Plan Song.
There was then a 20-minute break which gave new and long-time members a
chance to socialize. After I got everyone's attention again to resume the
seminar, I requested that there be active audience participation. I asked
everyone in attendance why they were Federationists. What followed was a
very enthusiastic response. New and long-time members alike shared with us
why they joined and why they stay in the Federation. The reasons for joining
as well as the manner in which they joined might be different, but we are
all united in the idea that we want to help ourselves and other blind people
live the lives we want.
Keeping Busy in Columbia
By Eugene Coulter
"Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sport" was part of
the introduction to what long-running TV series on ABC? This is just one of
the questions contestants had to answer at the Columbia Chapter's annual
Trivia Night on November 3. The crowd was lively and a lot of funds were
raised. Not only were folks' brains tested, but their hunger was satisfied,
and there were lots of chances to bid on great prize packages. The Trivia
Night was just the first event in what has been a very busy six months for
the Columbia Chapter with the highlight being hosting the state convention.
We contacted our newly elected county clerk, Brianna Lennon, right after the
November election to invite her to our January meeting. We spoke at length
with her about the county's efforts to secure new accessible voting
machines. The upshot was a commitment from her that we would be involved in
the process. True to her word, we were able to appoint Gary Wunder to be a
member of the selection committee. In early May we also were able to check
out the three possible machines for ourselves and give our opinions.
In April we participated in the Earth Day event, and some of us would have
also been participants at the Trolley Run in Kansas City except for the
unfortunate accident of the Coulter family who were not only to participate,
but provide the transportation.
In May we also met at length with a representative from the city bus service
to learn about the changes coming on June 3 to both fixed route and
paratransit service. On Memorial Day we walked in the Columbia Memorial Day
Parade for our thirtieth year led, as always, by our most decorated veteran,
Tom Stevens. These activities were in addition to our regular business and
of course our annual picnic and Christmas Party.
So, can you answer the question at the beginning of this article? The answer
is, "ABC's Wide World of Sports."
Memories of the Moynihan Family
By Susie Stanzel
My history with the Moynihans actually began with the Simms family. Bill and
Jama Simms were Jana's parents. Jana said we met when we were children. I
actually don't remember that. I believe I first met Jana in 1968 when
efforts were being made to reorganize the Kansas affiliate. I was eighteen
years old and didn't really understand what discrimination was. I left
Kansas in 1971 when I was hired as a computer programmer for the City of
Kansas City, Missouri. Jana kept inviting me to chapter meetings. Finally,
when Patty Shreck was in Kansas City after the 1974 national convention, she
contacted me and asked why I was not a member of the Federation. She asked
if I had really given it consideration. Patty was the person at the Kansas
School for the Blind I really wanted to emulate. With her gentle push, I
joined and never looked back.
The Stanzels and the Moynihans were friends through thick and very thin. My
middle daughter, Ginny, who now goes by Virginia, coined her phrase "our
twin family". It really does describe our relationship with the Moynihans.
We really were twin families. The dates of our marriages were July 26th. The
only difference was that Dean and I were married in 1975, and Jana and Jim
were married in 1980. I was six weeks from delivering Lori, who now goes by
Loretta, therefore I had the easy job of sitting and tending Jana and Jim's
guest book.
My children were born between 1980 and 1986. During these years Jana and Jim
had two children: J.C., who now goes by James, and their daughter Jeanene.
Those of you who have friends who had children of similar ages know how much
easier it is to get together. Each house has toys. Each house has a good
chance of being cluttered, especially if the children are young. Neither
family was ashamed of how the house looked. All the adults wanted to do was
to relax and allow the children to play. Loretta's favorite memory is
playing Atari and eating pizza.
The adults went out for dinner on our anniversaries and for birthdays. We
loved to go to the Peppercorn Duck club. Jim always had duck. I thought it
was the greasiest thing I ever came in contact with.
The absolutely funniest thing that ever happened was when Jim went to The
Seeing Eye and got another dog. You absolutely will not believe what his
name was. It was "Dean". As many of you will remember, that was my husband's
name.
When J.C. was old enough to drive, they got a car, but when they most needed
it happened to be in the shop. Jana's father was in the hospital. My father
had recently passed away. They were unable to rent a car because J.C. was
under eighteen, and Jim and Jana were both blind. We loaned them our van.
That is the only time in my life I really thought God friended me. Dean did
not even object. In those days we didn't have anything but taxies, and you
never knew when you would ever get one. I had made more than one emergency
trip to the hospital and couldn't imagine not being able to get there. I
didn't want Jana to be in the situation of needing to go to the hospital and
not being able to get there, so we lent our car. Sometimes saying you care
isn't enough-you have to show it.
When I say we were friends through thick and thin, I really do mean that at
times it was thin. In 2006 Dean was diagnosed with kidney cancer. Jana had
been diagnosed with breast cancer several years earlier. Jim and his Barber
Shop quartet came to our home and sang to Dean on Valentine's Day in 2007.
Dean subsequently passed away on June 21st of that year.
When you need help packing boxes to move, you really find out who your
friends are. When Jana and Jim were packing to move to St. Louis, my girls
and I helped pack boxes with the Pen Friend. This is a device that lets you
place a tag on a box and then record a message that is played when the
device sees that tag. I reminded Jeanene about that when she called me and
told me about Jim's death. Jeanene was very thankful for all the work we did
with the Pen Friend. Her mother could not really do any of the unpacking.
Jana only lived a few weeks after moving.
Yes, we were friends through thick and thin from 1968 or earlier until April
4th. I think of them often. Our families were each made better because our
love and unity was multiplied by two. It is hard to be without Dean, Jim,
and Jana, but there is a song by Mary Black called "The Thorn Upon the Rose"
that contains these lines that sum up how I feel:
"Win or lose it's just the same -
tears of joy tears of pain:
they're hand in hand, they come as one
you'll never see the moon without the promise of the sun!
for all the bruises for all the blows -
I'd rather feel the thorn than to never see the rose!
So when you pick the handsome flower
don't forget the thorn upon the rose!
it's cut is deep and it's scar lasts forever
It follows love wherever love goes."
Saying Goodbye or Saying Thank You: Coming to See It Really Is A Choice
By Gary Wunder
Each of us comes to a time in our lives when we find ourselves saying an
uncomfortable number of goodbyes to people who are close to our age. It is
one thing to say goodbye to great grandma and grandpa who were, after all,
nearly sixty years our senior, but it is quite another thing when you hear
that someone has died and no one remarks on what a young age he was when he
left us.
On April 6 as Debbie and I sat on our deck, the phone rang, and the caller
was announced as JC Moynihan. His call was to convey the sad news that our
longtime friend Jim had died two days earlier. We were shocked. We knew that
Jim was in a nursing home suffering from some kind of dementia which
significantly altered certain parts of his personality, but we had no idea
that he was close to death.
When I think of Jim Moynihan, I think of a man who was firm in his
principles and quite concrete in his understanding of things. You were
either a Republican or a Democrat, a conservative or a liberal, and if you
couldn't tell the difference, you were either indecisive, deluded, or, as he
politely said to me, too nuanced. When his wife Jana was alive, we would
have great fun sitting at the dinner table with Jim and ganging up on him.
As far as he was concerned, both Jana and I were liberals, but in our minds
we were simply Midwestern moderates, the reasonable and only moral place to
occupy on the political spectrum. He was, to us, staunchly and unreasonably
conservative.
I think I first met Jim at Jim and Jana's wedding. We were surprised that
Jana had her heart stolen by a New Yorker. So when Jim came, a number of us
had reservations about this fellow from the east. You know how Midwesterners
can be: we believe that we represent normality, stability, and the right way
of thinking. The other coasts have their value, but those of us in the
center are really the fulcrum of the country, and either end could fall off
like a broken teeter totter and we'd survive. But Jim did not appear to be
from one coast or the other, save his accent which was clearly that of a New
Yorker.
Jim came to Kansas City with a job as a federal investigator for the Office
for Civil Rights. This seemed a wonderful fit since Jim always had a ton of
questions. Sometimes he reminded me of the television character Columbo: he
would ask you a question, move off to a different topic, and then come back
to the same question. Was it some idiosyncratic behavior of his, or was
there an investigators method behind this apparent madness? I never figured
it out, but it is one of the characteristics that at times amused me,
challenged me, and made me love Jim all the more.
At one point in Jim's career he was convinced that the office in which he
worked had unfairly denied him a promotion. He asked for help from the
National Federation of the Blind, and I was the one who went to help him.
The concern was that there was no anonymity in the testing that was supposed
to result in offers of promotion, and Jim was able to prove that anonymity
was compromised. As the boss was deciding who would get promotions in the
second round, she was trying to explain at Jim's hearing exactly how she had
arrived at a process to ensure that the second round would be anonymous. She
said something like this: "I was driving down the road, and suddenly I had
this idea. I called up my secretary from my car and said, 'I want you to get
the envelopes of all of those who are up for promotion.' I looked out my
window for license numbers, and on each envelope I had her right one of
them. I would not know the order, and those doing the grading would have
nothing but the number. So I just use those license numbers and that is how
I came up with the anonymous code."
At this point Jim interrupted her to say, "what kind of nonsense is this?
You are using license numbers, and you know I don't even have a car." The
room erupted in laughter, because even though it was an adversarial meeting,
everyone there could appreciate a good joke and the reduction in the tension
that had filled the room. The problem was that Jim wasn't really making a
joke; he truly thought this was more nonsensical discrimination.
I had very few rights as Jim's advocate in this hearing, but I exercise the
one
that I had: to recess the meeting and to take Jim outside. I said, "Jim, do
you know what just happened there?" "Yes I do. She was doing something that
was clearly illegal. She was trying to use license numbers, and she knows
darned well that I can't get a license to drive."
I explained that she was not actually using a license number in order to
invalidate his test results but was giving an example of how she was
attempting to anonymize the test answers each applicant had submitted.
"Oh, I guess I messed up then. I'm sorry." I assured him that he had not
messed up, but that in fact most people thought that he had made a very
funny remark in what could have been a tense situation, thereby
demonstrating that he wasn't angry, but in fact had every confidence that
the hearing would be fair. "Oh, so they think I was trying to be funny, and
I am okay, right?" He said. I assured him that he was, and we went back into
the room.
Jim won that case and was granted his promotion, and I think it made those
of us in the Federation feel really good to be able to help him. It
reaffirmed for him the reason why he was involved, though I doubt he ever
once questioned the why of his being a Federationist.
I don't know how many of you remember that there was a time when the
Missouri affiliate was flat broke. We were sitting at a board meeting trying
to figure out options about how to take action, but none of the options
seemed to have any viability. Jim observed that all of our proposals
required money, and he offered to loan the affiliate $1000. We accepted, he
agreed that we would pay when we could, and we went on to make some program
decisions that day. Jim got his money back, and he felt very good about
having saved the affiliate from oblivion.
Our friend was an English major and was a prolific writer of letters. If we
needed some kind of assistance legislatively, Jim would take to his
typewriter and generate something for us. Technology was not something that
came easy to him. He was always enthused about the latest and greatest
computer that would make him more productive, but grasping that skill set
was not easy for him. He eventually learned the Braille n Speak and marveled
at its ability to do word processing, but he had a harder time with the word
processors that came on the IBM PC, and he was quite challenged but
enthusiastic when he learned to competently use Outlook express. Having
email and email lists gave him a great forum not only to tell people what he
thought about blindness but what he thought about conservatism, about being
a good Republican, and about not selling out to the foolish liberal
Democratic line. But, of course, he loved us anyway.
Lately I have attended far too many funerals and have been asked to
contribute to too many obituaries. I want to believe in the hereafter, and
so I will close my part by saying some words to Jim. Jim, it was an honor to
get to know you, to value you as a friend, and to know that our relationship
was one of great closeness and trust. I hope that in heaven they still have
libraries and that there is always a tension between philosophies and
political factions. I hope that you still have a chance to exercise that
great mind of yours, to follow the direction of your sweet and kind soul,
and that even in heaven one still strives to be the very best that he can
be, for that occupied a great deal of your life.
Right now, my goal is to move beyond the grief that comes in knowing that
you are gone and to move to the place where I am grateful for the fact that
you played such a part in my life. I'm not ready to go, but the thought of
going is made a bit easier by hoping and believing that you will be there to
greet me.
Pledge of the
National Federation of the Blind
I pledge to participate actively in the efforts of the National Federation
of the Blind to achieve equality, opportunity, and security for the blind;
to support the policies and programs of the Federation; and to abide by its
Constitution.
Board of Directors
National Federation of the Blind of Missouri
Officers:
Shelia Wright, President Melissa Kane, First
Vice President
Jenny Carmack, Second Vice President Becky Boyer, Recording
Secretary
Daniel Garcia, Corresponding Secretary Carol Coulter, Treasurer
Board Members:
Eugene Coulter Roger Crome Robin
House
Amy Wilson Chris Tisdal
Dacia Cole
Jeff Giffen President Emeritus, Gary Wunder
Chapter Presidents
Columbia Chapter, Eugene Coulter, 573-474-3226
Old Drum Chapter, Amy Wilson, 660-441-1907
Jefferson City Chapter, Melissa Kane, 573-473-8584
Springfield Chapter, Ben Vercellone, 417-755-5285
Kansas City Chapter, Daniel Garcia, 816-505-5520
Lewis and Clark Chapter, Chris Tisdal, 314-440-1684
Mineral Area Chapter, Roger Crome, 573-701-8409
Show-Me State Chapter, Dan Keller, 417-667-6208
Blind Missourian Editor Carol Coulter
Proof Readers Helen Stevens, Shelia Wright, and Gary Wunder
Read by Elisabeth Coulter
NFB of Missouri
1504 Furlong Dr.
Columbia, MO 65202
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image001.png
Type: image/png
Size: 4249 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nfb-seniors_nfbnet.org/attachments/20190627/174647c7/attachment.png>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image005.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 19273 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nfb-seniors_nfbnet.org/attachments/20190627/174647c7/attachment.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image006.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 13919 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nfb-seniors_nfbnet.org/attachments/20190627/174647c7/attachment-0001.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image007.emz
Type: application/octet-stream
Size: 1287 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nfb-seniors_nfbnet.org/attachments/20190627/174647c7/attachment.obj>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image008.png
Type: image/png
Size: 3986 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nfb-seniors_nfbnet.org/attachments/20190627/174647c7/attachment-0001.png>
More information about the NFB-Seniors
mailing list