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THE BLIND CALIFORNIAN
Quarterly Magazine
of the CALIFORNIA COUNCIL OF THE BLIND

Spring, 2006, Volume 50, No. 2
Published in Braille, Large Print, Cassette, Diskette, online, or Email subscription

Jeff Thom, President
7414 Mooncrest Way
Sacramento, CA 95831
916-995-3967 cell
jsthom@comcast.net

Executive Office:
1510 J. Street
Suite 125
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 441-2100
Toll-Free in CA: (800) 221-6359
Fax (916) 441-2188
ccotb@ccbnet.org
www.ccbnet.org


Los Angeles Area Office:
Mitch Pomerantz
1115 Cordova Street
Pasadena, CA 91106
626-844-4388
mpomerantz@mailbox.lacity.org
Sacramento Area Office:
Dan Kysor
225 15th St.
West Sacramento, CA 95691
916-371-1514
Fax 916-371-7630
dan@ccbnet.org

Please send all address changes to the Executive Office in Hayward.

Editor: Mike Keithley
191 East El Camino Real #150
Mountain View, CA 94040
650-694-7771
mkeithley@pobox.com

Call the CALIFORNIA CONNECTION at 800-221-6359 for an update on legislation and CCB events Monday through Friday after 4 p.m. and all day on weekends. You may listen to either English or Spanish versions.
Nonmembers are requested and members are invited to pay a yearly subscription fee of $10 toward the printing of THE BLIND CALIFORNIAN.
If you or a friend would like to remember the California Council of the Blind in your will, you can do so by employing the following language:
"I give, devise, and bequeath unto the California Council of the Blind, a nonprofit charitable organization in California, the sum of $____ (or ____) to be used for its worthy purposes on behalf of blind persons."
If your wishes are more complex, you may have your attorney communicate with the Hayward office for other suggested forms. Thank you.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

From the Editor by Mike Keithley
President's Page by Jeff Thom
Flying Blind and Deaf but not Alone by Anandynna Bhattachary
CCB Storms the Nation's Capitol Part One by Frank Welte
Briefing Sessions at the Legislative Seminar by Ardis Bazyn
CCB Storms the Nation's Capitol by Frank Welte Part Two
Summary of Board Teleconference November 28, 2005 by Ardis Bazyn
Night Skiing by Frank Welte
Out of the Doghouse: Compiled by Mike Keithley
Career Connections by Dr. Catherin-Schmidt Whittaker
The Telephone: From Pots to Pans by Bernice Kandarian
The Recruitment and Retention of Committed Volunteers Part Two by Toni and Ed Eames The Recruitment and Retention of Committed Volunteers Part Two by Toni and Ed Eames
On the Lighter Side by Evelyn Drewry
Review of Luis Braille: A Touch of Genius by Winifred Downing
My Unfinished Story by Sylvia Lopez
Studying Spacial Abilities within the Blind Community by Thomas Samulsky
Breakthroughs in Treating Macular Degeneration: An Interview with Thomas Ciulla, M.D.,
Bulletin Board by Keith Black and Mike Keithley
CCB Board, Officers and Publications Committee Rosters by Bernice Kandarian In accepting material for THE BLIND CALIFORNIAN, priority will be given to articles concerning the activities and policies of the California Council of the Blind and to the experiences and concerns of blind persons. Recommended length is under three pages; if space constraints make it necessary to divide an article, every effort will be made to discuss the matter with the author before publication.
Please send all address changes to the Executive Office in Hayward.
FROM THE EDITOR
by Mike Keithley

As announced on the California Connection, the search for a BC editor has ended; and I now serve as your new editor. I look forward to many years in this job and hope you won't hesitate to send material. While the Internet is full of interesting information, articles from you are what makes the BC valuable.
So, let me introduce myself. I was born in San Francisco in 1945 on September 15 at what was then called the Stanford Hospital. I've heard that the Presbyterian Hospital now stands on this site. My mom was very sick at the time and I was put in an incubator whose environment took the vision in both eyes. Although my mom insists I could see for a few days, I say I was born blind. My brother, Hans, is three and a half years older than me and is sighted.
We lived in San Francisco for three years until my father, who worked for Pan American Airlines, was assigned to the Tokyo, Japan, station. We lived in Japan for seven years; but, after trying to accommodate me in local schools (they say I was always frustrated, screaming and throwing things around), my parents decided to send me to the Overbrook School for the Blind in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I started there in 1952, living there through the school year and traveling home for summer vacation. I'd fly alone across the U.S. and my mom and I traveled the rest of the way. I don't remember ever being frightened, perhaps because no one said I should be.
Somehow I was ready for the life-change as I thrived at Overbrook and didn't have the depression many kids did, although the odors of cigarette smoke and ironed clothes wafting from an open suitcase often made me sad.
We were exposed to braille in kindergarten and were reading and writing, using pocket slate and stylus, in the first grade. Braillers were rare and we weren't encouraged to use them. We lived in "cottages" and a very fond memory is of our house-mother reading to us kids between 5 and 6 in the evening before supper.
During my fourth-grade year, I had a very bad cold which damaged my hearing in both ears. This wasn't apparent until a year or so later when I couldn't hear my teachers (one got quite angry with me for "being in a fog)". By junior high, I was wearing hearing aids (the old body type) for both ears and they let me always sit in the front row so I had a good chance of hearing my teachers. Even so, some were always hard to hear and, in high school, my choice of language classes was determined by this.
Being hearing-impaired wasn't that bad. True, I had problems hearing my peers, and was teased relentlessly, but I found the library (which was great fun) and other interesting things to do by myself.
My family came back to California in 1959 and settled in Burlingame. I was offered the opportunity to go to local schools but turned it down because I liked Overbrook and had friends there. Who knows what would have happened had I accepted.
In high school I was grouped with the college-bound students and lost contact with friends I'd made in elementary and junior high. But I made new ones, got interested in amateur radio (my call was wb6joa), and electronics (where I built a working VOM and my first receiver and transmitter using vacuum tubes).
I did well academically but didn't learn much social grace since my hearing impairment discouraged natural conversation and the faculty didn't do anything because I wasn't making any noise. Boys and girls were kept apart, but there were dances which I actively avoided because they were so noisy and confusing.
I remember some faculty fondly: my science teacher often told spell-binding stories of what it was like to work in coal mines and how the country felt; many teachers didn't mind talking and reading; and, of course, my house-parents read mail and helped me reply.
I graduated from Overbrook in 1967 and enrolled in the College of San Mateo that fall. I opened a case with Rehab for reading services, and they also paid for my mobility training. The instructor came from the Peninsula Center for the Blind (now Vista Center).
AT CSM, I majored in Electronic Technology and came away with an AA degree in 1970. I lived in an apartment and took the bus every day to and from the college. It was a period of walking a lot and sometimes getting lost, and downtown San Mateo became quite familiar. Fortunately, my hearing, though poor, was balanced between left and right ears so I didn't have much trouble with traffic.
In 1971 I started at the University of Santa Clara with a psychology major. I was there for two years (under the same Rehab case but with a new counselor) and graduated with my BS in 1973. I lived on-campus the first year but moved off-campus the second after getting my first guide dog, Kola.
My counselor then insisted it was time to look for work. While I did this, in my spare time I tutored at CSM and ventured into dating. Since electronics was still my major interest, I decided to look for work at an electronics company. My counselor helped me write a resume and gave me a list of some 80 firms in the San Mateo/Santa Clara county area. I'd pick a company (often at random), go there on my own (after planning with my counselor), submit my resume, and hope for the best. Those were the days when you could ride the Greyhound from San Francisco to San Jose, without transferring, so transportation was easy provided your target was near the El Camino.
Some firms flatly said blind people were not welcomed and others sported run-arounds so blatant that I knew I was wasting time.
My counselor would say, "Don't worry about it, you've got plenty of work to do."
About 20 firms down the list, I went to Hewlett-Packard in Palo Alto only to find I'd come to Varian Associates; but since HP was across the street, someone took me there and I got the chance to talk to them, too. In 1973, I was hired at HP's Santa Clara division in production assembly/testing and continued there (advancing to computer support and working in the stock room) until 1999. I married in 1975 and we had an apartment close enough to work that I could walk to the bus and be there in 45 minutes.
In the late 70's, I lost virtually all hearing in the left ear and the prognosis was that the right ear would follow soon. So, in 1980, I got another Rehab case opened to go to the Helen Keller National Center to learn sign language and deaf-blind communication techniques. I continued to work with my third dog Lancer, but only on quiet streets since my ability to discern direction was minimal. I also continued working at HP as I was still able to communicate satisfactorily.
Fortunately, hearing in the right ear has remained though it's steadily dimming, a lingering bye bye! Two years ago, I was able to get a cochlear implant in the left ear and this has helped immensely. While the CI experience isn't like natural hearing, it's a great relief to have and not desperately depend on a weakening ear.
I married a second time in 1992 and settled down in Mountain View, taking Outreach rides to work but, in a pinch, rode buses. I joined the Silicon Valley Council of the Blind in 1991 and edited its newsletter from 1998 until 2003.
I left HP in 1999, after our division had become part of Agilent Technology, and I decided that my hearing loss was posing too much of a communication barrier in a fast-changing environment. Looking back on my work career, I managed to do what I wanted. With some convincing, I was allowed to experiment with techniques I felt would improve performance.
So now I'm retired, getting up early to do various projects (I'm best in the morning), have breakfast and a walk with my wife, work on more projects, lunch and a nap, reading (usually talking books but sometimes to each other) and out to dinner and a walk, and more projects. We've been on the Weight Watchers program for several years and I am very near my goal.
So there you have it! I hope to meet you at upcoming conventions and feel free to email.
Getting back to my editorial duties, I need to tell you the following:
Unfortunately, Al Gil was accidentally omitted from the Awards Committee roster in the Winter, 2006, BC. Awards Committee members are: Cathy Skivers (chair), Al Gil, Roger Petersen, Gussie Morgan, Bernice Kandarian, Joe Smith, Chris Gray and Don Queen.
The deadline to submit articles for the summer BC is June 1.

President's Page
by Jeff Thom
Let me begin this article by welcoming our new editor, Mike Keithley. Nobody should have to follow an act like Winifred Downing's, who was as good, and I think better than, any editor in the ACB. Just taking on that challenge speaks volumes for Mike and he is eager to work with all of you to continue the great magazine that we have all come to love.
Sad to say, my memory isn't sharp enough to recall exactly why I originally became part of the organized blind movement; but I can tell you that my first local chapter meetings were during law school and a possible scholarship certainly played a part. As time went on, however, I realized that my primary reason for staying in the movement was that I had a lot in common with blind and visually impaired people and wanted to make life better for everyone.
Like many of you, I am a dreamer. I dream of the time when daily obstacles, such as reading mail and figuring out how to get from one place to another (using a woefully inadequate transportation system, even with the advent of paratransit services) are behind me. I dream of a time when, as a job seeker, my most challenging problem will be to show that I'm the best prospect without having to overcome the attitudinal hurdles against my blindness.
I dream of the time when blind and low vision children will have equal educational opportunities including socialization, physical education, transition activities, vocational (non-college) tracks for those so inclined, and summer activities. I even dream of the time when attitudinal changes and increased services will mean that it's the rule, rather than the exception, for seniors, losing their vision, to recapture the dignity and productivity of life prior to vision loss.
As wonderful and motivating as these dreams are to me and possibly to many of you, the thrust of this article is not the far-off future but the here and now, and this is where we transition from dreams to information.
I've heard it said that we've gone from the Space Age to the Age of Knowledge, and that "knowledge is power." The more data one has (and data is just a new-fangled way of referring to information), the more knowledge you have. There are many things that can be done with knowledge. You may be asking, where is this leading or if it is leading somewhere, can he just get to it? Well, I am about to try to give you your wish.
My mind, or what is left of it, started along this track when I was involved in a discussion about seeking grants. Our grant developer informed us of the need to amass data on the services we provide and the characteristics of those to whom we provide them. This was not an earthshaking revelation, but being aware of something and acting on it are two different matters. This kind of data is immensely important to those providing grants to nonprofit organizations like CCB. For this reason, we are beginning to compile data about the types of services we provide over the phone, including items such as the county where the consumer lives. Thus, if we have a grant application that involves Los Angeles County, we can indicate that we served a certain number of persons there.
Obviously, there are limitations to what we can do. We aren't a big service provider with a staff large enough to take the time to extensively log and compile data. Our priority is chasing those dreams we just talked about. On the other hand, acquiring data should be seen as far more than just a way of raising money. I doubt I'll ever be a statistician, but I know that properly analyzed statistics tell a story that may never be told without them. For example: How many seniors are we serving? How many people, including family members and friends, inquire about problems related to recent vision loss? How many employment discrimination complaints do we encounter? The list could be endless.
So, if your chapter has some kind of program where quantifiable data has been collected or if it just makes a good narration on an important topic such as pedestrian safety or public education, e-mail or write something about it to the office. We can keep this data on file, and you never know when it might come in handy.
In the meantime, we must not let data collection interfere with the pursuit of our dreams, for that's what makes CCB great.
With an eye on the future, I'd like to know what topics you'd like me to write about. If I am going to ramble on about who knows what, let it be on a subject you asked for rather than one I choose unilaterally. In addition, don't be afraid to comment on my articles. I am here to serve you and not to further my personal agenda, so let's make this column reflect what you want me to discuss. I hope to see you all at the spring convention, and talk to many of you who won't be able to attend.
FLYING BLIND AND DEAF BUT NOT ALONE
by Anindya Bhattacharyy, The New York Times
When you are deaf-blind, technology is an ever-present companion. I travel with a laptop for e-mail and phone and Internet access and use a GPS-equipped BrailleNote note-taker to get information about my surroundings. To communicate with others, I have a face-to-face Communicator with two sides, one in braille, which I read; the other an LCD screen with a keyboard, for someone who is sighted. My other traveling companion is my guide dog Dinah, a yellow female Labrador Retriever.
However, there is no substitute for the human touch. For example, printing letters on my palm is sometimes faster and easier than the face-to-face Communicator; and I still have to rely on other people—everyone from flight attendants, hotel clerks and cab drivers, to the airline escort through security. Occasionally, I turn to other travelers as well.
One of my most memorable experiences with a Good Samaritan happened a few years ago when my flight from Atlanta to New York had been canceled. The next flight was supposed to leave at 9 PM; but by 8:45, we still hadn't boarded. Someone finally came to tell me the flight was now scheduled for 11 PM and that it would be a different flight, going to John F. Kennedy Airport instead of La Guardia. Eleven came and went, and I still didn't know what was going on.
I started waving my arms to attract someone's attention, and a man came to talk to me. I showed him my communication card and how to print on my palm.
His name was Allen, and he told me we were delayed until midnight. He said he would sit with me on the plane. We finally boarded; and when we sat down, I realized we were in first class because the seats were leathery and the arm-rests were wider.
I was so exhausted that I napped often during the flight. Allen became my interpreter, making sure I got any food or drink I wanted.
I figured we must have upgraded because of the delay as I sometimes get bumped up if there are open seats because airlines don't have much room for Dinah. I always try to get the bulkhead seat, but there have been times when my canine companion ended up sitting in the aisle.
When we landed, Allen helped me find my bag and a cab to the Helen Keller National Center. I asked him how much it would cost me to get back to the office; and he traced on my palm with his forefinger, "Don't worry about it."
A few days later, the executive director of the center, Joe McNulty, visited me. "Remember that guy Allen you met on the airline?", he asked. "He called me to find out if you made it back here OK. Do you know who he is?"
"No," I said.
"He was Allen Brill, the chief executive of Rolex USA."

CCB STORMS THE NATION'S CAPITOL, PART ONE
by Frank Welte
Once again, the California Council of the Blind sent a strong team of advocates to the Legislative Seminar of the American Council of the Blind, which took place at the Doubletree Hotel in Washington, DC from February 5 to February 7, 2006.
Four first-time seminar participants David Jackson, Dan Kysor, Lourdes Martinez and Louis Preston were joined by returning advocates Gabe Griffith, Lee Morton and Frank Welte. Vince Calderon, who had actively participated in our team's preparations for the seminar, was forced to stay home by a last-minute ailment. We were joined by Ardis Bazyn and Legislative Seminar rookie Dave Hanlon, both representing the Randolph- Sheppard Vendors of California. Ardis and Dave were an integral part of our group before and during our trip to the nation's capitol.
We had a simple mission. We were to gain an understanding of ACB's positions on the blindness-related bills currently before the legislators; and then, in person, share this information with staffers in the offices of both of our U.S. senators and the 52 California members of the House of Representatives. In the four weeks prior to the Washington trip, there were two conference calls where we decided which of us would visit which legislative offices and worked out a method to coordinating our efforts.
California's congressional delegation is, by far, the largest of any state's. Our Representatives are scattered among three large office buildings: a quarter in the Cannon building, another quarter in the Longworth building, and half in a maze of offices and corridors known as the Rayburn building.
We split into five pairs, each consisting of an experienced Washington visitor and a seminar newcomer. Each pair was to visit offices in one of the House office buildings and their assigned representatives. Vince and Louis were assigned to the Cannon building, Lee and Dan took on Longworth, and Gabe, Lourdes, Dave Jackson and Frank ventured into the Rayburn maze. Some of us worked in more than one building in order to even out our assignments, 12 offices for each team. Ardis and Dave Hanlon were also assigned offices, which lightened the load for the rest of us. The wisdom of this strategy became apparent when Vince's illness called for last-minute assignment changes. Ardis and Dave Hanlon were able to pick up the slack without missing a step.
Although visiting a congressional office is easier than one might think, getting the appointment can be quite a chore. We spent the four weeks prior to the seminar sending faxes and making repeated phone calls to schedule meetings. In the end, we were able to visit about three-fourths of our California representatives' offices; dropped off information-packets at the remainder; and also visited the offices of both of our senators, in yet another building. As if all this wasn't enough, and Dan attended a meeting on accessible voting machines with Day Al-Mohamed, ACB's Director of Governmental Affairs, and Bruce McPherson, California's Secretary of State (who happened to be in Washington).
All of this planning culminated in the seminar itself, a day and a half of briefings held on February fifth and sixth; and our actual visits to Capitol Hill, most of which took place on February 7.
During the briefing sessions, we were thoroughly updated on ACB's current legislative priorities. For a detailed review of these issues, see Ardis Bazyn's article, "ACB Legislative Priorities" elsewhere in this issue. Speakers at the seminar also updated us on the status of legislation addressed at the 2005 seminar, discussed both strategies on strengthening relationships with our legislators and the press back home and obtaining funding for accessible pedestrian signals, and shared practical advice on preparing for emergencies.

BRIEFING SESSIONS AT THE LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR
by Ardis Bazyn
Frank Welte's article "CCB Storms the Capitol" describes how the CCB delegation participated in the 2006 ACB Legislative Seminar. Now I want to describe the informational meetings that took place before we ventured onto Capitol Hill and visits to our legislators.
The following were discussed: modernizing the Randolph-Sheppard Program, re-establishing the FCC rules for Descriptive Video, pedestrian safety, emergency preparedness, and the Braille coin bill initiated by NFB. ACB has position papers and recommendations on these issues and you can contact Day Al-Mohamed, Director of Advocacy and Governmental Affairs, at dalmohamed@acb.org or 202-467-5081 for detailed information.
Randolph-Sheppard Program: Last year, the Senate Committee on Health Education Labor and Pensions held an oversight hearing where concerns were raised that the Randolph-Sheppard and Javits-Wagner-O'Day programs provided opportunities for too few people, and that they do not provide enough incentive for individuals to advance into employment or management of businesses outside of the programs.
RSVA and ACB, as well as other blindness organizations, are encouraging Congress to adopt legislation which addresses these and other concerns expressed by members of congress and the blind community. For specifics, contact ACB as above.
The Randolph-Sheppard and Javits-Wagner-O'Day programs continue to provide valuable opportunities to blind people. They were established to meet the unique needs of distinct groups of people with a variety of employment goals. Both programs should be preserved and positive measures have been identified which would modernize them and increase their capacity to provide meaningful employment opportunities. Please urge your congressional representatives to sponsor, co-sponsor or support legislation that enhances the Randolph-Sheppard and JWOD programs.
Descriptive Video: In contrast to older programming that was more dialogue-oriented, modern television increasingly relies on visual scenes and effects, with little or no sound, to convey important information. Unfortunately, this means that many blind and visually impaired people cannot access television in a meaningful way.
In 2002, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) required the major networks and cable channels to present at least four hours of described programming per week. This was challenged in court and the ruling was that the FCC had exceeded its authority.
Currently, there are two companion bills (S900 and HR951) seeking to restore the FCC's video description rules and provide audio description of emergency information. Again, contact Day Al-Mohamed for specifics.
Ask your representatives to support S900 or HR951. For the nation's 8 to 12 million visually impaired people, video description is the equivalent of closed captioning for the deaf. As of January 1, 2006, 100% of all programming must have closed captioning but there is no such requirement for video description. Vital information such as weather alerts, public service announcements, emergency information, and contact phone numbers are lost to visually impaired people as they are often flashed on-screen without sound. The disasters in 2005 underline the need for emergency-related information to be made accessible. The infrastructure to support video description has been in place since the FCC mandate. Furthermore, the cost of the service is between $2,000 and $4,000 for an hour of programming, a relatively inexpensive price tag within the broadcast industry.
Emergency Preparedness: As many of you know, people with disabilities were more impacted than others by the damage caused by hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Many were not allowed to keep their guide dogs, or other equipment, and were not given the assistance they needed. We need to make sure that visually impaired people are informed, aware and prepared should a disaster or emergency occur. Preparations can be as simple as creating a personal "Emergency Kit", helping spread awareness and preparedness messages, demanding that information and materials are available in alternative and accessible formats, or assisting local emergency-management agencies in their planning process.
Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) has introduced S 2124, The Emergency Preparedness and Response for Individuals with Disabilities Act of 2005. The purpose of this bill is to address the needs of individuals with disabilities in emergency planning requirements and relief efforts in the event of a major disaster, and to increase the accessibility of replacement housing built with federal funds following Hurricane Katrina and other major disasters.
Ask your representatives to support the integration of people with disabilities into all emergency planning and organization in cogent, tangible ways. This could be done through S2124, which calls for the creation of a Disability Coordinator in the Office of Homeland Security, but also through individual congress-member support of specific issues such as video description of emergency information, or that of appliances and controls in temporary housing that are not accessible to blind and visually impaired people. Consider that without funding, the potential impact of this legislation is weakened, and lives may be at stake.
Pedestrian Safety: Statistics tell us that an average of 5,000 pedestrians die per year on our nation's streets and 70,000 are injured. Blind and visually impaired individuals are struck and killed by vehicles at an alarming rate, and it is on the rise as our nation's streets and intersections become more complex and the blind population increases.
The passage of Congressional resolutions H. Con. Res. 235 and S. Con. Res. 71 will play a pivotal role in reducing the number of deaths and injuries from pedestrian accidents. These resolutions encourage states to require that those seeking a driver's license demonstrate, as a condition for obtaining a license, the ability to exercise increased caution when driving in the proximity of an individual who uses a white cane or guide dog. This legislation is supported not only by leading national blindness organizations in the U.S., such as the Blinded Veterans Association and the American Foundation for the Blind, but also by the Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators.
H. Con Res. 235 was introduced by Rep. Lane Evans (D-IL) and S. Con. Res. 71 was introduced by Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI). Last year, the House passed their resolution in the 108th Congress but it was simply overlooked and not included in the highway bill that was signed into law in 2005.
These resolutions are not going to cost the federal government money. Please ask your representatives to pass H. Con. Res. 235 and S. Con. Res. 71.
The NFB's Braille Coin Bill: We were encouraged to let legislators know that we agree with the idea of recognizing the importance of braille by honoring Louis Braille with the production of a commerative coin. However, we think that producers of most of the braille in this country should benefit from the sale of this coin rather than just NFB.
All these issues were brought to Capitol Hill on Tuesday, February 7. Please contact your congressional representatives regarding these issues. Victory in a particular area is seldom won through just one contact.
CCB STORMS THE CAPITOL, PART TWO
by Frank Welte
In part one, I described the work done by CCB participants in the 2006 ACB Legislative Seminar. However, the event had more to offer than just politics. Before and during the seminar, we Californians worked quite well as a team, and had a lot of fun, too. We gathered for breakfast most mornings, and sat together in the briefing meetings preparing for our Tuesday Hill visits. We even had ourselves a Sunday evening Super Bowl party!
On Monday night we separated to do different things. Dan Kysor and Dave Jackson went to dinner at a Holiday Inn next door to our hotel. Ardis Bazyn, Gabe Griffith and Dave Hanlon participated in a focus group to provide information about certain products for blind people. Lourdes Martinez and Louis Preston nearly walked their legs off on a twilight tour of Washington's most famous monuments. Lourdes took lots of pictures, not only on the tour but all through the weekend. Louis' knees may never forget climbing all those steps on the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials. Lee Morton, demonstrating superior wisdom, relaxed over a quiet room-service dinner. At least we weren't as reckless as some ACB'ers who ventured to a famous pub featuring 800 brands of beer, an activity not designed to prepare one for a long day of congressional meetings.
I went, with 17 other folks from ACB, to the Marrakech Restaurant. They serve Moroccan food there, if you hadn't guessed it from the name. We enjoyed a seven-course meal that we ate with our hands. We sat on long benches that were like well-cushioned sofas and rested our backs on plush cushions. In front of the sofas were small, round wooden tables, each about the height of a coffee table, and big enough for one large dish of food which was shared by the three people closest to it.
The meal commenced when the waiters gave us a thick towel to place in our laps, probably the most essential utensil. They then washed our hands by instructing us to hold them over a small, flat metal basin while they poured warm water over them.
The first course was a spicy salad containing small bits of cucumber. We were each given a large piece of bread which we were supposed to use to dip into the salad. I never figured out the technique, so I just used my fingers to snatch pieces of cucumber, right out of the salad! It appeared I was not unique in this respect.
The second course was a chicken pie; and we're not talking about your trusty old Swanson's Hungry Man Chicken Pie, either. This thing consisted of pieces of chicken meat, eggs and nuts (almonds, it appeared) all inside a filo dough pastry covered with powdered sugar. Since this was one big pastry, each of us tore off pieces with our hands; and, as we did this, the thing basically disintegrated. In no time flat the pie became a pile of sugar, dough, eggs, nuts and chicken. Our hands held balls of disorganized crumbs and the whole thing just tasted wonderful. Now can you see why that lap-towel was so important?
It got even better! The third course was a chicken; that's right, A CHICKEN: one big piece of bones and meat, and us, having nothing to attack it with but our sticky hands. The meat was tender, moist, spicy, and delicious. Now our hands were both sticky and greasy, too.
Course four was kabobs and potatoes. There was a choice of lamb or beef kabobs. Not being a mutton lover, I successfully argued for the beef, perhaps my most successful lobbying of the entire trip.
Between course four and five we experienced two miracles. First, the waiters gave us a hot, wet washcloth. My hands still thank them for this. Then, believe it or not, they gave us, gasp!, spoons. We used them for the fifth course, couscous with vegetables.
Lo and behold, we got yet another implement for the sixth course, a nut cracker. That's because this dish contained a large quantity of walnuts, oranges, bananas, apple, and perhaps some kiwi slices.
Finally, the seventh course was baklava pastry. There was also mint tea which I didn't try. The cool thing about the mint tea is that the waiters pour the tea into the cup, held by the diner, from several feet away without missing the cup!
After dinner the restaurant staff turned down the lights, and there was a belly dancing floor show. For me it was a good time to take a nap since I couldn't see the dancing in the dim light.
The ACB Legislative Seminar offered an experience of growth, both political and social, to its participants. Your CCB delegation thanks you for giving them the opportunity to advocate for you in our nation's capitol, and we are grateful for our organization's financial support for our seminar participants. All blind Californians also owe thanks to other Californians who attend the seminar on their own initiative, easing the load for the rest of our advocates. We encourage you to consider participating in the life-changing experience of a future ACB Legislative Seminar and to become more active in political affairs in your home town.
SUMMARY OF BOARD TELECONFERENCE: NOVEMBER 28, 2005
by Ardis Bazyn
Jeff Thom called the teleconference board meeting to order. Al Biegler was absent. Minutes for the preconvention board meeting were approved.
A motion was defeated on a five to seven roll-call vote that CCB would send ACB a list of donors from the Car Donation program provided they could be easily gleaned from payment information sent to CCB. (For: Mitch Pomerantz, Gabe Griffith, Jerry Arakawa, Ardis Bazyn, and Louis Preston. Against: Cathie Skivers, Rhonda King, Jane Kardas, Peter Pardini, Barbara Rhodes, Ken Metz, and Richard Rueda. Gene Lozano abstained.)
Motions to accept a fund-raising contract with Pat Borrison as well as sign onto the accessible voting lawsuit (since CCB would not be responsible for funding) passed unanimously.
The meeting adjourned.
NIGHT SKIING
by Frank Welte
I prepared the following speech for presentation at my Toastmasters club meeting.
Madam Toastmaster, fellow toastmasters and guests: January can be a dark, damp, drab, dreary, depressing month; and make you wish you could just get away and have some fun. Let's take a few moments to do that right now. Join me as we travel ahead in time 52 hours; as we transport ourselves 7,000 feet, and a couple hundred miles, up into the Sierra Nevada Mountains. (I close my eyes.)
The temperature is cold, but 30 minutes of cross country skiing has left us feeling warm; and our circulation and breathing are strong. The fresh snowfall has been groomed perfectly, and the tracks we ski in are deep and firm. We feel as if our skis were running on smooth steel rails instead of snow. It's a lovely Saturday morning. The sun warms backs and shoulders while a brisk, bracing winter breeze blows past faces and ears; each sharp breath filling us with new energy.
We draw in deep gulps of the cold, clean mountain air, tasting its freshness and the sweet aroma of pine trees passed on the trail. Our skis hiss as they glide along a gentle decline; and our bindings creak with each thrust of our legs; and the poles squeak as we plant them in the snow behind for added propulsion. As we cross an icy patch, crystals crunch under our feet; and the hiss of skis becomes a grinding roar for just a moment.
Over my left shoulder I hear the young, strong, female voice of my ski guide calling out directions. "Slow down; you're coming up to the big turn; get out of the tracks and into your snow-plow! Okay, that's good; now turn left. ... Okay, now straight. ... Slow down! Step right. ... Track right! Tips left! Your right ski's in the track! Now your left ski!"
I slow to a stop and a well-deserved drink of cool, refreshing water. The sun now warms my face; and I'm exhilarated because I've just negotiated a 150 degree downhill hairpin turn, remaining on my skis!
Well, did you like our little vacation? I hope you enjoyed the picture I painted for you. I say picture, but that's not quite true. You see, I told you how it tasted, smelled, sounded, and felt; but I didn't tell you how it looked. That's because I was skiing with my eyes closed. Didn't you notice? (I open my eyes.)
Our western culture has become increasingly visually oriented to the detriment of the rest of our senses. Computer screens and web pages are becoming graphical, movies and television programs replace dialogue with special effects, and commercials have no dialogue at all.
Just as political systems are harmed by single party governments, economic systems damaged by monopolies, and ecosystems hurt by farming mono-cultures, our lives are handicapped by an over-reliance on vision to the detriment of touch, hearing, taste and smell, as well as the inner consciousness of fear, sorrow, excitement, wisdom, truth, joy and love, not to mention the sublime sensations of spirituality.
Are you as fully aware of all of your senses as you could be? If not, perhaps you should join me in the mountains for a bit of night skiing.
OUT OF THE DOGHOUSE
compiled by Mike Keithley
Instructor of the Year Award, by Ann Kysor, GDUC President
It gives me great pleasure to announce that Guide Dog Users of California have selected Mike Del Ross as their Instructor of the Year!
"Each year, Guide Dog Users of California requests nominations for the purpose of selecting a recipient for the award, which is presented to the honoree during Guide Dog Day at the State Capitol in the spring of each year."
Criteria for Nomination: "Nominees shall have no less than five years licensed experience working in the field with guide dog handlers. The individual must be actively employed as a guide dog instructor currently licensed in the state of California. A recipient of the California Guide Dog Instructor of the Year award must be someone who has demonstrated exemplary awareness and sensitivity to blindness issues; and one who has gone beyond the call of duty in his or her efforts to support the needs of working teams."
Prior to joining Guide Dogs for the Blind in 1982, Mike was a professional dog trainer with Master K-9 in Southern California, where most of his efforts were directed towards providing patrol and narcotic detector service dogs to local police departments. He attained his Instructor State License in 1986, served as Manager of the Instructor Assistant program and currently is Training/Class Supervisor.
As Mike approaches his 25th year of service at Guide Dogs for the Blind, the timing of this award certainly seems appropriate. Throughout his career at GDB, he has been a staunch advocate for those served by the school and a devoted supporter of the dogs in its program, earning him respect and admiration, not only among his peers but also within the guide dog industry as well.
On a personal level, I have vivid memories of working with Mike and often reflect on those times with great fondness. His passionate, calm, methodical approach, artful "touch" with dogs, and ability to impart knowledge to students in class are just a few attributes that have left lasting impressions.
I want to take this opportunity to recognize and acknowledge his significant accomplishments and contributions throughout a quarter of a century serving Guide Dogs for the Blind. Please join me in congratulating Mike Del Ross for his well-deserved Instructor of the Year award.
A Refreshing Attitude, by Sharlene Wills
Every guide dog user has heard over and over, in spite of the ADA and guide dog laws: "No dog, no dog." "Can't bring that dog in here." "This hotel allows no pets." etc. We have all had the often unpleasant, sometimes fruitless experience of having to explain about our dogs. So, when I read a response given to my friend, who will be dog-sitting for me in a couple of weeks, regarding his request to bring Shyla to the worship service at the Quaker meeting house he attends, I was more than uplifted. I smile every time I remember it, and maybe you will, too. I am quoting the response, except for names:
Hi Mark: It seems to me that any animal could come to Meeting for Worship. If it turns out that they interfere with worship through noise or smell or whatever else, the owner would have the responsibility to take them out of Meeting for Worship. In a sense just like a parent does with a child, e.g. Karen D. with baby Billy or, recently, Emily Smith with her daughter. Some dogs lose a lot of hair. If Shyla does, perhaps you can bring a blanket for her to sit on. Finally, one never knows what God wants to say to us. Perhaps God has always wanted to bark at us, so Shyla can help God out.
How nice to know that some people are really sensible and doggone great!
CAREER CONNECTION
by Dr. Catherine Schmitt Whitaker
Strong references and letters of recommendation are important components of employment and scholarship applications. Read further to learn how to optimize your reference and letter of recommendation, or how to provide them.
It is common practice on an employment or scholarship application to submit a number of references or letters of recommendation, typically three to five. It is often assumed that references will be "professional" rather than "personal" in nature. A professional reference refers to an employer, a colleague in the work setting, a college club or organization advisor, chair of a civic committee or your college professor for a relevant course. For example, the chair of a CCB committee you serve on could serve as a professional reference. A personal reference is your best friend who has known you for years. A co-worker may speak more objectively to your skills and abilities and may be considered a more credible reference than your friend. A colleague at work who is also a friend can provide a strong reference.
There are several factors to consider when identifying who you will ask to serve as a reference or write a letter of recommendation. You want your reference to: 1) accurately describe your skills, abilities and knowledge; 2) be experienced or knowledgeable in the area of relevance to your application; 3) be a strong communicator (orally and/or in writing as appropriate); 4) be a positive reference.
Remember, the reference checker is seeking to find out if there is consistency between the perception of your skills and abilities, and those of your reference, and if you will be a good fit with the organization. For these reasons, it is important to prepare your reference. Here are a few suggestions as to how to do this:
Ask your reference if he/she would be a positive reference for you with X organization. If the individual will provide a positive reference, the person will say that immediately. If there is a question about your assets, it is better to discuss the concern at this point rather than to have the person provide a "cool" reference (nothing negative or positive is stated).
Share a description of the organization's position-description or scholarship requirements, your resume and any specific information that you want to have conveyed. The more information you share about the opportunity and how you match the characteristics being sought, the stronger the reference. If your reference is writing a letter of recommendation, it is ideal to give him/her a three-week time period to write. Keep your reference up-to-date on the status of your application process. It does not serve you well when your reference is caught off guard by an unexpected inquiry.
If you are asked to provide a reference or write a letter of recommendation, it would be helpful to the requestor to explain how you will respond. If you have a concern, it may be helpful to share this information and ask if the person would still like you to serve as a reference; it is best not to say anything that can be perceived as negative. It may be appropriate to say, "I would rather not comment on that question, do you have any other questions?"
Your strong reference should: 1) describe specific examples that support the individual's assets; 2) use active, descriptive words, such as "dependable," "strong follow-through on projects" and "listens to and grows from feedback;" 3) address the connection between the position-description or scholarship criteria characteristics and the assets possessed by the applicant; 4) explain how your knowledge and experience is relevant to the employment or scholarship discipline, thus enhancing your ability to speak to the individual's potential for success. Your role is to explain concisely why you are qualified to present a strong recommendation for the individual.
Strong references and letters of recommendation can be positive components of the job and scholarship application processes. Choose your references wisely to highlight strengths. Prepare your references strategically. References can make a difference. Good luck!
THE TELEPHONE: FROM POTS TO PANS
by Bernice Kandarian
Congratulations to CCB member Annette Carter, who was appointed in October, 2005, to a four-year term on the Telecommunications Access Deaf and Disabled Administrative Committee (TADDAC).
As many of us know, the Deaf and Disabled Trust is a program conducted by the Public Utilities Commission of the State of California and funded by a small surcharge on everybody's phone bill. It provides relay services for people who have hearing or speech challenges and makes available special telephone equipment for people with disabilities. People receive TTYs, speaker phones, big button phones and other such gadgets from this program. So Annette will now have something to say about what is purchased for us.
What, I hear you asking, does all this have to do with pots and pans? Well, in the "phone biz" the term "pots" is used to mean "plain old telephone service." And some folks on the PUC think that the trust fund should buy only equipment that makes "pots" accessible to people with disabilities. "Pans" in contrast, means "pretty awesome new stuff." Pans might include internet access, video phones or talking cellular phones. Some of us argue that pans rapidly becomes pots and that we need access to this new telephone service. In fact, CCB has a bill in the legislature and has argued before the PUC to make cell phones available under the trust program.
Annette would like comments from persons who are blind, low vision, or deaf-blind regarding what the trust program should be providing. You can reach her at 559-355-4095 or annette.carter@pacbell.net.
THE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION OF COMMITTED VOLUNTEERS, PART TWO
by Toni and Ed Eames
In the Winter, 2006, edition of the BC, we described our need for, and process of, obtaining volunteers. In this article, we will described our retention approaches.
Recruiting readers is only the first step. Keeping them coming back and enjoying the experience becomes the basis for establishing long-term commitments and relationships. Every attempt is made to have our readers feel welcome in our home. Coffee is always available, and our cats and guide dogs go out of their way to interact with these welcome guests. At least a part of each reading session is set aside for socializing and catching up on the lives of our weekly visitors. We ask about their grandchildren, the Elder Hostel they recently attended and the activities of their pets. We describe our travels and advocacy efforts so they can glimpse the fullness of our lives.
All of our readers having e-mail receive our monthly updates, holiday letters and published articles. When our book, "Partners in Independence: A Success Story of Dogs and the Disabled," appeared, each reader was given a signed and inscribed copy.
Since volunteer readers are an integral part of our lives, we go through periods of ebb and flow. New ones enter our lives, old ones leave. Some move away, some become too ill to continue and others can no longer drive.
Several years ago we decided to provide a group thank-you to our devoted corps of volunteers. "New Wrinkles" is a popular vaudeville/cabaret form of entertainment put on by seniors (many are professional comedy, dance and music performers) and the three-week-long spring performance schedule is always sold out. Knowing the director, we have been purchasing 30 seats for a Saturday matinee performance and combining this with lunch at a Chinese restaurant. Not only does this give us the chance to say thank you in a public setting, it permits our volunteers to meet each other.
A volunteer's commitment to the job is demonstrated by punctuality, willingness to make up reading time due to sickness or vacation, or rescheduling an appointment when the usual time is preempted by medical needs or meetings. It is further shown by the disappointment at having to cancel a session. When Joe, the retired telephone executive, was diagnosed with terminal cancer, we stayed in touch and assured him that his slot on Thursday at 10 was still open. When we spoke with his wife after Joe's death, she said one of the things that kept him going was the desire to come back to read to Ed.
Recruiting drivers
When we were deciding to rent our Fresno townhouse, the availability of public transportation was a major factor. Three bus stops are within a four-block radius and buses going to frequently-visited places stop at these locations. One route stops at Fresno State, Fresno City College, two of the major malls, and the downtown area. For a while, we were dependent on these buses, supplemented by taxis, to keep medical appointments. However, weekly grocery shopping required another approach, the recruitment of volunteer drivers.
Shortly after moving, we were guest speakers at the North Fresno Lions Club and mentioned the need for volunteer drivers. By the end of the meeting, the shopping niche was filled. One result of this early relationship was that Ed joined the club, and is now first vice president. Currently, two fellow Lions Club members volunteer as drivers to take Ed shopping and both of us to medical and other appointments.
As inveterate theater-goers, we have developed an arrangement with friends in which we purchase their tickets to a show in return for chauffeuring service. These arrangements cross the line between completely volunteer driving and paid services, but it certainly is less expensive than taxis and provides us with a sighted describer of the performance.
Other forms of volunteer support
As computer incompetents, we found it important to develop a volunteer computer support system. Dave, a blind psychology professor at Fresno State, has been willing to help whenever we have problems. He uses the same configuration of computer equipment and screen reader as we do but possesses the knowledge we don't have to get out of trouble. He has also been involved in upgrading our system whenever we have taken that step into the abyss.
Another friend, Howard, is our electronics genius. He helps rehabilitate those APH machines, talking pedometers, etc. He loves a cup of coffee and we always make sure we have plenty when he comes to do his chores for us.
Sources of reciprocity
Our volunteers give to us without any notion of reciprocity. However, there are built-in reciprocal relationships based on our volunteer efforts in the community. Several times a year we have been in the newspaper, on radio and television discussing disability and general community issues. As one volunteer noted, she didn't have to keep in touch by phone to find out what we were doing; all she had to do was read the newspaper or watch television. In some ways, our volunteer activities validate those of our readers, drivers and other helpers.
Many of our volunteers are truly interested in our lives and community activities. Whenever we travel abroad, we share our diaries with these caring folks and make sure a memento from some far-off place is given on our return. Since Fresno is the fruit basket of our country, volunteers will frequently bring grapefruit, oranges, tangerines, peaches and nuts. Usually, more is brought into the house than the two of us can consume, so we re-distribute the produce by passing it on to those volunteers who do not have fruit and nut trees in their backyards.
Conclusion
The issues of independence, mutual dependence and total dependence on others have been themes permeating many aspects of our lives, thoughts and values. Like most people, our views on these fundamental elements of blindness have changed over time. A constant theme, however, has been the need to rely, at least in part, on help provided by others who are sighted. Within this world of needed help, we have tried to develop an approach that is mutually beneficial to us and to those providing support. Readers, drivers and other volunteers who have been part of our lives for long periods of time must derive some benefit from this relationship. Our goal is to develop patterns of interaction that can be perceived by sighted individuals as being worthwhile. They must not only be willing, but want, to come back to read, drive, and help in other ways.
In summing up our two-part series: 1) Advertise in local and neighborhood publications rather than city-wide, large circulation, newspapers. 2) Since religious organizations are great sources of volunteers, put notices in church and synagogue newsletters. 3) Senior-volunteering is a widespread phenomenon so join organizations geared toward seniors. 4) Solicit volunteer help from service clubs like the Lions and Kiwanis as many of these organizations not only raise funds to help others, but provide direct service as well. 5) Develop niche readers for various jobs such as reading mail, doing bills or checking clothing colors. 6) Network! This is essential to recruit volunteers to substitute for those who move away, stop coming or face health problems. 7) Incorporate volunteers into your life as much as possible; set aside some time during reading sessions to share your life. 8) Devise special group and individual ways of saying "thank you" such as an annual lunch-out, a local show or fund-raising event for your favorite blindness-related organization. 9) Provide token gifts during holidays, birthdays and after you have traveled. 10) For volunteer drivers, offer to pay for gas, parking fees and tolls.
Toni and Ed Eames can be contacted at 3376 North Wishon, Fresno, CA 93704-4832; 559-224-0544; e-mail eeames@csufresno.edu.
ON THE LIGHTER SIDE: WHAT'S COOKING
by Evelyn Drewry
I'd like to thank Patricia LaFrance for sharing a couple of her cooking adventures. They certainly brought a smile to my face and I'm sure they'll do the same for you. Enjoy!
Pat writes:
I was making a big batch of chocolate chip cookies. As I'd made thousands of these before, I really did not measure the ingredients, just sort of threw them together as required. While I was doing this, my husband came in the room and asked a question. I just kept on throwing things in. Later, after I'd made 12 dozen cookies, my husband said, "Pat, there are little black marks in the cookies and they're very spicy." I was horrified, thinking I had made all these cookies with fly-infested flour. After closer examination, we discovered I had put in pepper instead of salt! My husband would not eat them, but our neighbor loved them, saying they tasted like ginger!
Another misadventure happened when I was making stuffed green peppers. I mixed meat, salt, onions and rice together, stuffed the peppers and put them in the crock pot. Later that afternoon, I asked my daughter to look at them to make sure the rice was cooking okay. She looked and stammered, "What did you put in them that is yellow?" Well, it turned out I grabbed the wrong container and used popcorn!
REVIEW OF "LOUIS BRAILLE: A TOUCH OF GENIUS" by C. Michael Mellor
by Winifred Downing
[Editor's note: Several words in this review had accent marks which were not preserved as there was concern that they would not be reproduced properly in the various formats of the BC. These words are: Hauy (umlaut on "u"; Abbe, Becheret (acute accent on the first "e"), Simon-Rene (acute accent on the last “e”). and Francois (cedilla on "c"). Rest assured that these words will be produced properly written in the format you choose when buying the book.]
It has been several years since readers of THE MATILDA ZIEGLER MAGAZINE (itself of historical importance) learned that Michael Mellor, the former editor, intended to produce letters written by Louis Braille that had never been translated. Now, in 2006, a full-length biography including the letters is being published. In the Preface, the succession of events leading to the collaboration of Mellor and National Braille Press are set forth, an inspiring blend of talents, meticulous research, and the obvious affection and devotion of everyone associated with the project. Reading it is a never-to-be-forgotten experience.
Having a tiny boy born in a rural village in France who experienced what the family viewed as a tragedy become the single individual who has contributed most to the advancement of opportunities for blind people all over the world is an astonishing event. Mellor, however, adds to this widely known occurrence details that greatly enhance our appreciation of the person involved: "... allowing Louis Braille to speak for himself through his letters and other writings—by examining in more detail the often unhealthy environment in which he performed his pioneering work, the awful sadness he faced, and his chronic poor health, but also his friendships, his extraordinary musical talent, his doggedness in the face of prejudice against his code, even traces of wry humor—then we will at last have had a glimpse of the real man."
The structure of the book is unusual and reveals the great care expended in its preparation. It begins with a discussion of the life of Louis Braille and then goes back to furnish additional material on various aspects of that life, the people and places associated with Louis Braille, the early developments of work for the blind, the birth of the braille code, and the emergence of blind persons' determination to control their own destiny.
Page numbers occur at the top of the page for print pages and also at the bottom in the braille edition. "Endnotes," providing scholarly details of the research conducted, are placed after the text in each volume with each group headed with the name of the section they concern. The print page number, the number of the note itself, and the braille line number on which it occurs assist the reader who may wish more information on the source of the note. The careful details furnished make it possible for anyone to seek further information, especially anyone with a knowledge of French. The inclusion of a bibliography and an index add to the stature of the work.
Of particular interest are the many pictures in the book which add much to our knowledge of the people and events involved. Those who read it in braille may well want a print copy to share with family and friends just for the pictures. Because of the importance of these pictures, National Braille Press has exerted every effort to bring the information they contain to braille readers. Allusions are made to the pictures where they occur in the print text, and a brief description occurs there after the words "Picture caption"; but, since many of the representations contain much more detail than could be included at that point, many make reference to a "figure" which is numbered and can be found after the Endnotes. After each figure is introduced, the print page involved is given so that readers can easily associate what they learn from the figure with the text.
Since Boston has been the city of origin for so much of the art of audio description, it was to these describers that NBP went to find expertise. The fact that a textbook has been written to train people in this art indicates that description is a real skill supported by training and experience, clearly obvious in the figures. Here, for example, is a figure describing Helen Keller's hands as she read in 1952 at a ceremony when Braille's body was transferred from Coupvray to the Pantheon in Paris: "This close-up photograph shows a page of braille, Helen Keller's hands, and the cuff of her sleeve at her wrist. Her aged hands have thickened knuckles with soft wrinkled creases. Her wrists hover above the page as her fingertips touch the raised dots." Mellor tells us that it was reported that she spoke in "faultlessly grammatical" French but then in an endnote explains that Keller could say only a few intelligible words and regarded her inability to speak clearly as her most serious handicap.
Also described are many postage stamps from all over the world celebrating Louis Braille and other persons of note mentioned in the book. The stamps have been magnified to make it possible to observe their details.
For those who are able to visit Coupvray, the experience is similar to that of persons who can go to the shrine of a much-loved saint. That reaction is reflected in the Epilogue, where Geraldine Lawhorn, a well-known deaf-blind person and long-time teacher at the Hadley School for the Blind, expresses her reverence when she touched the baptismal font where Louis Braille was baptized.
Mellor takes the reader with him to Coupvray as he describes Braille's home: the room on the second floor with a bed similar to the one in which Braille was born, the stone sink, utensils, table, baking oven, and, beside it, a warm place for processing brie cheese. Details are also given of the workshop on the first floor where Braille's father plied his trade as a harness maker and where Louis, at the age of three, injured his eye, leading to his total blindness. In an economy based on the horse, Simon-Rene Braille, who achieved distinction as a master harness maker, was a valued member of the community. Mellor explains that the skills required for that trade were quite different from those necessary for saddle makers, and Braille's harnesses were often decorated with fringe. His son early realized the importance of excellence in work.
Early, too, the Braille family determined that Louis would receive whatever education was available and would not be a mendicant or a town crier, bell ringer, or water carrier, tasks often done by blind persons. Abbe Palluy, the parish priest, became his first teacher and when the boy was seven years old, obtained agreement from the new teacher, Antoine Becheret, to accept him in the village school. Three years later, he entered the National Institute for Blind Youth in Paris. A fascinating account speaks of his arrival, of the school building, and of the life of the children there.
Inspiring accounts are given of the lives of a number of people who sacrificed their own personal convenience and monetary gain to force advancements in opportunities for blind children so that their adult expectations would be improved. Chief among these persons was Valentin Hauy, who opened the first school for blind children. There is nothing known that would establish that Louis Braille ever met him, but Braille was present at a benefit given for Hauy at the Paris school to relieve his poverty.
The ideas which governed education for the students differ markedly from more recent emphases, for the entire effort was to teach students to write so that sighted persons could read what they had to say. Hauy realized, however, the importance of reading and achieved, with the help of one of his students, Francois le Sueur, a way of embossing print so that very sensitive fingers could feel the letters produced in relief. Those were the books that Louis first read.
The next significant figure affecting education was Charles Barbier, a military engineer who produced a method of using dots that could be read at night by soldiers in the field. He used a 12-dot cell and a grid of 36 dots producing characters that expressed, not single letters or words, but sounds in the French language. Barbier showed this method to the students at the school, thus suggesting dots as the means for touch reading. Since his system did not have letters, though, it could not support spelling and had, therefore, no grammar either. Braille, not yet 16 years old, saw that a 12-dot cell produced characters too large to be recognized by a fingertip, so he modified Barbier's slate of six lines to produce two groups of three lines and set about composing the braille system. Letters, punctuation signs, numbers, and, finally, the entire music code were produced and eagerly absorbed by the students so that, when in 1840 a new director was assigned who opposed and forbade the use of braille, the students continued employing it. Its acceptance by sighted educators in France was most influenced by a public contest held as part of the ceremony inaugurating the new home for the school for the blind in February, 1844. Guadet, a deputy of the director Dufau, sketched the history of dot reading and then had one student write verses in the new code and another write some music phrases. Students who had not been present when the writing occurred were asked to read the material and did so perfectly. Louis's mother and brother were in the audience on this great occasion.
Throughout these years, Braille gave a great deal of his time and attention to the development of a Raphigraphe, a printing machine that produced print letters composed of dots, the principle of the dot matrix printers of our own time. Using it permitted blind persons to write in print, thus fulfilling the original expectations of directors and teachers.
Louis Braille's letters, the impetus for this book, are placed where they relate to the subject being discussed. Some are written in his own handwriting, some he wrote with the Raphigraphe, and some were dictated to a scribe. With rare exceptions his handwriting is completely legible and only occasionally in lines that slant rather than being straight, whereas the ones done by the scribes are full of misspellings, words run together, and anything but straight lines. Many of them relate to Braille's affection for Coupvray, especially when he went there more often to rest as his illness worsened. The familiarity of the surroundings and the rural character of the village were balm to his soul. In the letters written to directors, teachers, and others of a more official nature, the formality Braille used may seem strained by present standards as in this closing of a letter to Pignier, the director of the school for most of Louis's years there: "Please accept the wishes that my family and I address to you and Mademoiselle your sister." In his letters to Pignier, he always referred to his sister, of whom he was very fond.
For more than 20 years, Braille suffered from tuberculosis. Mellor includes writings from others who had that disease and give graphic details of their sufferings so that readers have some understanding of Braille's final days. Serious illness brought him close to death in December, 1851, and he requested the Church's last rites. The next day, however, he rallied and spoke to his friend about his life and faith in words the reader will always remember. In succeeding days, he forgave the debts owed to him, made arrangements for the care of his family, and carefully disposed of his possessions among friends and those who had been kind to him. He died on January 6, 1852, just two days after his 43rd birthday.
Near the end of the book, Mellor writes of modern developments regarding braille and summarizes some of the efforts toward changing it. "These questions reflect the inquiries voiced by leaders in the blindness field over 100 years ago. Perhaps the answer is that now with modern braille transcription technologies braille can be what it needs to be for all its readers. But ultimately, braille belongs to its readers, and their voices must be heard and abided by in the crusade for unification."
The 4-volume braille edition of LOUIS BRAILLE: A TOUCH OF GENIUS costs $25; the full-color hardcover print book is $35; and the hardcover braille book intended for libraries is $50. Order at 1-800-548-7323 or online at the Website www.nbp.org.
MY UNFINISHED STORY
by Sylvia C. Lopez
I have a very special story to share with those who find themselves alone in a world of darkness and feel like there is no hope or light at the end of that long, narrow tunnel. I'm here to let you know that there is life after becoming blind. With the proper training, faith, perseverance, and inner strength, you too can accomplish what's in your heart and mind. It just takes some work, patience, determination, a lot of discipline and a positive attitude.
My name is Sylvia Lopez. My life drastically changed in 1984, at age 12, when I was diagnosed with diabetes; then again in 1995, when I married my husband Daniel, lost my sight, became pregnant and lost my baby; and again, two years later, when I got new kidneys and a pancreas. I've gone, and am still going through, many changes and I'm constantly having my inner strength and faith put to the test. I believe my story will show how I managed a difficult life and hope it can help you get through the difficult process of getting used to blindness and still live actively.
I come from a loving and supportive Christian home. My parents are pastors and I have three siblings. Being a PK (pastor's kid) was tough, but I am grateful that my parents grounded me in Christian living when I was a little girl. My family has been my support system during the many times I've come close to death, but it's my faith and support from loved ones that has helped me pull out of these rough times.
I was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes shortly after my twelfth birthday and I've struggled with it for all of my life. I was considered a "brittle" diabetic, taking up to 10 injections of insulin daily just to keep my blood sugar at a reasonable level. I was first diagnosed at US Medical Center in L.A. and continued at Loma Linda, which I considered my second home for the next few years.
Though I was every doctor's "perfect diabetic," following my diet to a tee and doing what I was told to do, I could never keep my blood sugar at normal levels, and it was more convenient for the hospital to use the cheaper type of insulin. There were countless times I went through ketone acidosis, where there is so much sugar in the system that your body just can't handle it and lapses into coma. Technically, I should have died at the age of 15.
The years went by, and, still struggling with diabetes, I never gave up; I fought it all the way! I had home schooling through almost all of my high school years, but I was determined to walk with my class to graduation. The doctors told me that it was safer to just accept my diploma and stay home, or in the hospital. I received my diploma with my class in 1989.
In August of the that year, I enrolled at Vanguard University and majored in psychology, but could not finish due to diabetes. Yes, once again, I had fallen out of control and there was nothing that could have been done to get back into the swing of things. I tried to treat myself at my dorm but couldn't do it; I went back into ketone acidosis. So I went back to the hospital, my home away from home, fell behind and had to drop out.
In 1995 my life changed again with a double blessing sent from above: my husband Daniel and our step-daughter Stephanie. I felt even more blessed because both my father and uncle married us.
In 1997, I started to notice changes in my vision. I continued to work and drive until I couldn't see the lines on the freeway; most of the time I just played "follow the leader" and prayed that the car in front of me knew where it was going. I couldn't believe what was happening, didn't know what was going on. I had been in good control for some time now! Little did I know what I was going to face.
One day, as I was sitting in front of the computer at work, I couldn't see the numbers. I wore my reading glasses, tried a magnifying glass, and still my nose was right up to the books and computer-screen. This scared me so I called Daniel, and we went to see a specialist. I was told that a little laser work might clear it up. Well, after a couple of laser procedures, my sight was taken from me. I didn't want to be a burden to anyone or to have a husband out of obligation.
As I lost my sight, I was scared and felt alone. I didn't know what to expect from myself anymore, and I thought that there wasn't anyone who knew what it felt like to have their sight taken from them. Even though I never went through a deep depression, this didn't mean I wasn't hurting and missed all the things that I once did when I had my sight. I realized I had to get out of my slump and get into motion. I realized that I could still do many things I used to do before, but now I had to learn how to live a different life in a different way.
In 1998, I had another eye surgery done and I was nauseous for weeks. When I was asked if I could be pregnant, I just giggled, and said "no." I told the nurse that I couldn't get pregnant; she just kissed my hand and told me that there's a plan for me. The nausea continued so I called my eye doctor and she gave me some pills to help, but they didn't. She sent me to the ER, and it was there, while waiting in the lobby to go home, that I was told I was indeed expecting. I couldn't believe the news. Here I was a blind woman, who was learning to take care of herself all over again, and now was going to have to take care of a baby!
When I told my eye doctor about my gift, she laughed because here we thought that the reason why I couldn't stop vomiting was because I was still trying to rid myself of the anesthesia from the surgery.
In my sixth month of pregnancy, I developed chronic renal failure, due to complications of diabetes, and soon would need to be on dialysis. I, of course, didn't agree; I was feeling fine, physically. I refused the treatment.
A month later, having weathered constant urgings to abort my fetus, I had an emergency Caesarian but the baby died. Though God let me clearly see a healthy son, Daniel said he'd "gone to sleep."
I refused dialysis for three years. I received some training at a local facility where blind and visually impaired people are trained to live independently. I learned some mobility, braille and computer skills, doing most of my work at home by myself. I was determined to make it work; I wanted to regain my independence, again. I pushed myself as far as I could go and learned all I needed to learn to start over.
By 2001, my kidney disease had progressed to the point where I had to be on dialysis. Still I stubbornly refused, hoping for a donor. My Uncle Tony called one Sunday night and asked what he could do to help. We told him that I needed a donor, quickly! The next morning we were in Riverside Community Hospital, getting blood tests to see if we were a good match; and, in December 2001, we were on our way for a kidney transplant.
My next step was to receive a pancreas which happened two years later on Mother's Day. There were many trials and scary moments, like the possibility of having liver cancer. Now I am free of diabetes, kidney disease and God still has a plan for me!
Through my trials as a blind person, I've learned that, for every bad thing, there is its good; and that attitude defines how we perceive this life and who we are. I am, and have been, active in the community. I'm Past President of the Inland Empire Chapter for the California Council of the Blind, and very proud of it; I've sat on the Advisory Committee of Disability Issues, I am a member of California Disabled Rights, and have sat on the board of directors for Community Access Center for the City of Riverside.
If you feel there is no life after becoming blind, I want you to know that there is; if I can do it, so can you. You will reach your goal as long as you do your best, strive with determination and remember that you'll need help along the way; you can't do it all alone. Find a good support group such as your family, as mine is; or a center in town. Most importantly, don't let anyone underestimate you and your abilities; you know what your limits are. Always trust in God and believe in yourself to make it through rough times. Picture the many good things you can bring to others by your attitude and perseverance, and be an example to others who may be in a more serious situation. Look forward to another day and know that tomorrow can only get better. It's never easy; what is? Learn to deal with what life has placed in front of you, it all depends on what you do with it. Everything will fall into place sooner or later. Don't give up!
In Loving Memory of Daniel Edward Lopez Jr.
STUDYING SPATIAL ABILITIES WITHIN THE BLINDNESS COMMUNITY
by Thomas Samulski
Linda Flores and I, Thomas Samulski, are graduate students at the School of Human Services of Springfield College in San Diego. Linda is congenitally blind and has worked in the blindness community as an activist, advocate and a Rehab instructor for 25 years. I have been legally blind for over a year and have taught within the disabled community for seven years.
We have developed an exciting potential spatial assessment tool, which holds much promise if it is accurately designed. It could help instructors and service providers identify both strengths and hidden learning disabilities within the blindness community.
Slight audio-dyslexia (impairment of someone's ability to process sound) in a sighted individual might be only a mild irritant that could be overcome with more visual cues, such as spending more time in the library. In an individual who is blind, even minor audio-dyslexic impairment would be significant and potentially devastating. The consequences of common learning disabilities within the blindness community are most likely far more severe than in the sighted community. If we refuse to develop tools to accurately assess individuals who are blind for common secondary disabilities, we are neglecting to assess and address potentially profound barriers.
Currently, federal regulations require that an individual must be given both an IQ test and an achievement test in order to be assessed for a learning disability. A significant gap must exist between the individual's IQ and achievement level to be diagnosed as having a learning disability. Individuals can only receive accommodations and funding for disabilities that can be documented.
Individuals who are blind are unable to fully participate in IQ tests simply because they include tasks that require functional vision. No IQ test is fully accessible to individuals who are blind. As a result, they rarely get accurately assessed for other disabilities and almost never get the specific accommodations needed for them.
Many researchers suggest that the rate of learning disabilities within the sighted community may be as high as 20%. It would seem reasonable to expect a similar rate within the blindness community as well. This topic has not been fully addressed.
For our Masters thesis at Springfield College, we have decided to attempt the development of an Adaptive Spatial Memory Assessment and an Adapted Spatial Cognition Assessment. These are two characteristics measured by IQ tests for the sighted, and we hope to calibrate a useful version to use within the blindness community.
The potential benefits of a well-developed and calibrated assessment tool are many. It may be helpful for use with activities of daily living, sensory awareness or mobility courses to assess spatial aptitude. It may help instructors better understand the strengths and challenges of students, which is vital to their success.
We plan to begin a study to determine the initial scoring parameters sometime in late spring or early summer of 2006. These will then be used to prepare for a larger calibration effort on a national scale, hopefully in mid 2007. The first study will require 50 individuals who are either congenitally or adventitiously blind, 25 people in each group. We will be looking for individuals who have at least 90% vision loss and with no history of brain trauma.
We will be traveling throughout the Southern California region and conducting assessments in each city where clusters of volunteers are living. If we are unable to find sufficient participants in Southern California, we will seriously consider traveling to all of the state, as much as our limited funding will allow.
Each participant will be asked to complete a 45 minute demographic interview. This information will be strictly confidential and stringent precautions will be taken to ensure protection of anonymity. We will collect this data for non-judgmental purposes and use it to help us understand a community's unique characteristics, such as whether military experience or successful completion of mobility training have any connection to a person's spatial cognition. After the interview, each participant will be given the assessment, involving arranging geometric blocks. This should not take more than an hour to complete.
We do not know what trends or relationships will appear in the final data. We do know that humans and intelligence are extremely diverse and incredibly interesting; and that the blind community is just as interesting as, and more engaging than, many others. There are far too few studies exploring the reality and experience of blindness.
If you would be interested in participating, providing a room for testing, or have any questions regarding our study, please contact us at: lkl@tns.net, 619-992-7505 or: Thomas Samulski or Linda Flores, Springfield College, 5348 University Ave., San Diego, CA 92105.
BREAKTHROUGHS IN TREATING MACULAR DEGENERATION:
AN INTERVIEW WITH THOMAS CIULLA, M.D.

by Patrick Perry
[Segment from the Saturday Evening Post, January-February 2005. The full story may be found at www.satevepost.org/issues/2005/0102/737017.shtml?page=1.
Many patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) are enrolled in ongoing trials of emerging and promising new treatments. An unpredictable disease that destroys the macula, AMD affects more than 13 million adults and remains the leading cause of blindness in the United States. Until recently, few effective treatments were available.
To learn more about promising treatment options under investigation, the Post spoke with ophthalmologist Dr. Thomas A. Ciulla, an investigator in the ongoing trials and a highly regarded expert and author on AMD.
Post: What is the difference between normal aging of the eyes, with progressive difficulty in reading, and AMD?
Dr. Ciulla: Macular degeneration is a very specific condition in which we see the formation of yellow deposits, called drusen, under the retina, and changes in the pigment cells that nourish the retina. Patients with aging eyes may not see well for many reasons, including cataracts. While AMD obviously can occur as we age, growing older does not automatically mean that one will develop AMD.
Post: What breakthroughs do you see that will offer hope to people with AMD?
Dr. Ciulla: We're on the cusp of many exciting breakthroughs with a host of new drugs on the horizon. Previously, we used treatments that were "destructive." For example, we would laser a patient's retina to stop wet macular degeneration from progressing to the center of the retina. Laser is a fancy way of cauterizing or destroying tissue. Often, laser causes a blinding scar, and in at least half the patients it didn't work; blood vessels would continue to grow, sometimes more vigorously. Recently we've learned that certain growth factors, such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), are responsible for new blood vessels under the retina. We're now developing several drugs that inhibit VEGF and prevent blood vessels from growing or expanding. Within the next few years, several drugs will hopefully be approved and available for general use, including three new drugs currently in phase III trials as well as other drugs that are in earlier phases of trial.
One drug in phase III trials, made by Genentec, is called Lucentis (ranibizumab), an antibody fragment injected in the eye that is designed to bind to and inhibit VEGF. Another medication in phase III trials is Macugen from Eyetech and Pfizer. Macugen is an anti-VEGF compound that binds to and inhibits the activity of VEGF when injected in the eye. Finally, Retaane (Anecortave Acetate) made by Alcon, also in phase III trials, is a novel steroid derivative that is injected around the eye.
In addition to these exciting drugs, we continue to study the role of radiation to potentially decrease the growth of abnormal blood vessels. I suspect new medications, including Lucentis, Macugen, and Retaane, will be approved within the next two years.
Currently, if patients have blood vessels already in or very close to the center of the retina, we use a treatment called photodynamic therapy (PDT), which involves a drug called Visudyne (Vertoporfin). In a retina specialist's office, Visudyne is infused much like intravenous therapy. Several minutes after infusion, the drug is activated in the eye using a low-energy laser. The activated dye will then close leaky blood vessels. Many patients will need to be re-treated every three months or so. From studies we know that patients on average will need three treatments during the first year, two in the second and one in the third year. Again, the treatment does not restore vision, but it slows progression of wet AMD.
Today, a drug called Triamcinolone Acetonide is available. Although not yet approved for the eye, this steroid is the same drug that orthopedic surgeons inject into patients with joint inflammation. We have learned that we can inject the drug into the eye, and it will stop or delay the progression of AMD. Several studies are looking at Triamcinolone injected in the eye as an adjunctive treatment to PDT with Visudyne. I currently offer the treatment to my patients, and it works fairly well. Although no large randomized trial has been conducted, one will take place shortly.
Post: Have other patients in clinical trials reported positive results?
Dr. Ciulla: We are involved in several clinical trials with these new drugs that usually involve injection in or around the eye. The studies are double blind, so I do not know who is receiving the active drug agent. Several patients experienced incredible improvement in or stabilization of vision; and I'm hopeful these patients are getting the active agent. Some have come into my office ecstatic, thanking me profusely for the benefits. Several of these patients have lost vision in one eye from wet AMD so they have already experienced vision loss. Obviously they are frightened because if AMD affects their good eye, they lose virtually all independence.
Post: How can people enroll in trials?
Dr. Ciulla: If interested in learning about the trials, visit www.clinicaltrials.gov or these company websites: Alcon (alconlabs.com) for Retaane, Genentec (genentech.com) for Lucentis and Eyetech (eyetech.com) for Macugen.
Post: Can these new drugs be used to treat other eye disorders, such as retinal vein occlusions?
Dr. Ciulla: VEGF is potentially the key growth factor in macular degeneration because it mediates the growth of abnormal blood vessels. Many other eye diseases involve abnormal blood vessel growth in and under the retina. Diabetic retinopathy, for example, involves the growth of blood vessels not under the retina, as is the case in AMD, but on its surface and into the vitreous cavity. When blood vessels are pulled, they can tear. As they tear, blood is released into the vitreous cavity, and many diabetics will have hemorrhage into the eye. These drugs may be beneficial for diabetic retinopathy.
Post: Could you discuss novel methods of drug delivery?
Dr. Ciulla: Many drugs are delivered locally, either in or around the eye. This is a very important advance in ophthalmology for retinal diseases because many drugs have a variety of toxicities. Steroids, for example, pose many side effects. By injecting steroids in or around the eye, we avoid many potential systemic side effects. Also under investigation is a sustained-release delivery device implanted in the eye that will release a drug over many months and, potentially, years. If successful, patients with AMD may only need to undergo one or two procedures during their lifetime.
Post: Are injections in and around the eye painful?
Dr. Ciulla: Injections are minimally painful, if at all. Every precaution is taken to insure that the eye is appropriately sterilized and anesthetized prior to the procedure.
Post: What is the benefit to the early detection of AMD?
Dr. Ciulla: Previously, early diagnosis may not have mattered much because we had such a limited number of treatments which did not work well. Now we have a number of new treatments, and it's very important to diagnose and treat patients before central scarring occurs. Scarring may lead to irreversible central loss of vision. We can potentially use laser treatments, photodynamic therapy or consider patients for enrollment into one of our ongoing trials. In addition, we want to diagnose patients with non-exudative, or dry, AMD early to educate them on how to modify risk factors such as smoking, hypertension, obesity, light exposure, and so forth.
Post: Does AMD tend to occur in both eyes?
Dr. Ciulla: Macular degeneration is generally a bilateral condition. Patients may develop drusen in both eyes initially, but one eye may be worse than the other. Subsequently, one eye can progress to the wet form of the disease. Years later, the other eye can perhaps progress to the wet form of the disease as well.
Post: Is this an exciting time for you as a specialist in macular degeneration?
Dr. Ciulla: This is a very exciting time for retinal research. When I started eight years ago, retinal and vitreous diseases were largely surgical disorders. Many of these diseases had poor prognoses, and many patients lost vision regardless of what we did. Now we're on the horizon of a very exciting time with many novel drugs to potentially treat AMD, diabetic retinopathy, and venous occlusions, which are among the leading irreversible causes of blindness.

BULLETIN BOARD

compiled by Keith Black and Mike Keithley

Each section of Bulletin Board will be terminated by a line of asterisks. After the first item from a magazine is listed, subsequent items will be marked with a single asterisk at the beginning of the paragraph.
From "Matilda Ziegler Magazine", December 2005: Audio Restoration. Vintage Audio Restoration (VAR) restores and preserves favorite audio recordings. The company transfers to CD all types of records (LPs, 45 or 78 RPM, radio transcription records and Edison Diamond Disks) and all tape formats including reel-to-reel, cassettes and digital audio tapes. The company also can remove bothersome background noises. Prices range from $20 to transfer a cassette in good condition to CD without restoration, track markers or list of song titles; to $35 for a single 33-1/3 RPM record (LP) in good condition with minimal restoration, track markers and list of song titles. Restoration services for tapes or records in poor condition cost $50 per hour with a half-hour minimum. The customer pays for shipping and shipping insurance. Contact Vincent Wojtusik, Vintage Audio Restoration, 45 Colton St., Windsor, CT 06095. Phone: 860-683-2665, email: wojtusikw@vintageaudiorestoration.com, www.vintageaudiorestoration.com.
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From "Matilda Ziegler Magazine", January 2006: The Technical Braille Center produces books in braille, large print and special electronic formats for scientists, engineers, and mathematicians who are blind, dyslexic or paralyzed, and also provides textbooks for students preparing for careers in the technical professions. The Center emphasizes fast turnaround times, constantly improving technology to cut costs. The editors who prepare the books are knowledgeable in math and science, familiar with mathematical notation and trained in the production of tactile graphics. The Center's founder and executive director, John Boyer, is a deaf-blind computer scientist. The Technical Braille Center is administered by Computers to Help People, Inc., a nonprofit corporation whose mission is to use computer technology to increase disabled peoples' employability and productivity. Call John Boyer, 608-257-5917, or send e-mail to director@chpi.org.
* From "Dialogue Magazine", November-December 2005: The National Braille Press has announced that books and magazines can now be purchased and downloaded instantly from www.nbp.org. Simply log into the website and make your purchase. Choose "PortaBook (Download)" from the format menu. After you've completed the purchase, your books will be available immediately on a new "My Downloads" page. When you subscribe to "Our Special" or "Syndicated Columnists Weekly", you have the option to receive the magazines as downloads. Each time a new issue is available, you will receive an e-mail alert. Depending on your preference, the e-mail will either have the issue attached to it or will give you a link you can use to download the issue. For more information, contact the National Braille Press at 800-548-7323 or visit www.nbp.org.
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Speak To Me: We are pleased to announce our new, easily navigated and solar/battery powered, talking bible (King James or American Standard) which fits in the palm of your hand and speaks in a real, human voice. Call 800-248-9965 or order online at speaktomecatalog.com.
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Scholarships: CCB scholarship applications for academic year 2006-2007 are now available. To obtain an application you may send an email message to ccotb@ccbnet.org, call the CCB Hayward office at 800-221-6359 or go to www.ccbnet.org or www.fastweb.com to download the application. Completed applications and other required documents are due in the CCB Hayward office no later than June 15, 2006.
* Guide Dog Users of California is offering a scholarship to new guide dog users or someone who has never attended a GDUC meeting or event. The amount is $100 toward expenses at CCB conventions. To be eligible, first-time guide dog users must have received their dog within the last two years, be 18 years or older and a resident of California. To apply, contact Mary Beth Randall by e-mail, kf6dst@comcast.net or by phone, 559-224-7999.
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From ACB: If you have Blue Cross insurance and have been unable to obtain information in an alternative format (braille, large print, audio or electronic), or have been unable to access information on the Blue Cross website, please let our attorneys (Lainey Feingold and Linda Dardarian) know. They are investigating this issue and can be reached at lfeingold@earthlink.net or 800-332-6177 (please leave a message).
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Transition Website: The Northern California Transition Council, a collaboration of state and private agencies working to promote career awareness and employment resources for blind and visually impaired teens and young adults, is proud to announce the launch of a web resource that centralizes accessible career tools and leads needed to succeed in the working world. Please visit www.transition2employment.org.
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New FHWA Guide: We are pleased to announce that the FHWA guide entitled "How to Develop a Pedestrian Safety Action Plan" is now finished and has been accepted by FHWA for release and is now available. This 152-page guide can be found on the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC) web site at www.walkinginfo.org/pp/howtoguide2006.htm. Please contact Charlie Zegeer by phone at 919-962-7801 with questions or comments.
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Cell Numbers Going Public: Starting Feb. 6, cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies and you will start receiving sales calls and be charged for them. Call the following number from your cell phone: 888-382-1222, the National Do Not Call list. Your cell number will be blocked for five years. You can also register your cell number online at www.donotcall.gov.
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Email List: The newly formed Sight Exchange group is open to all who want to donate or share or recycle items that serve the needs of the visually impaired.
Whether it's a computer or small assistive-technology device, feel free to post it; or maybe you're looking to acquire something yourself. Nonprofit groups are also welcome to participate. One main rule, everything posted must be free. This group is part of Sight Exchange Network, a grassroots organization of people interested in keeping good stuff out of landfills and directed into the hands of people who can use it. To join the list, send a blank message to sightexchange-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.
* CCB's Email Lists: CCB has three email lists. CCB-L is our discussion group where you can discuss items of interest. California-Connection is an announcement-only list where the California Connection is posted every Friday. The Blind-Californian list is CCB's email subscription to the Blind Californian.
These email lists are independent of each other and require separate subscriptions. To subscribe to one or more of them, please email your subscription request to CCB.Moderator@gmail.com; and, in the body of your message, indicate which list you are interested in.
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Mortgages for the Disabled: Fannie Mae, the Federal National Mortgage Association, has launched a program to enable people with disabilities to buy their own home. The Community Home-Choice program is designed for low- to moderate-income borrowers with a disability, or who have a family member with a disability.
The program makes it possible to buy a home with a down payment of $500 from the borrower's own funds and the remainder from flexible sources, and get a mortgage at a low interest rate. Borrowers can count public benefits they receive as income.
Also, Fannie Mae offers Community Living mortgage loans to provide financing for small, community-based group homes for individuals who are unable to live independently. The group homes, which can serve any disabled group, provide long-term housing and support services in a home-like setting for a small number of residents, typically three to six people.
Banks, real estate agents or mortgage brokers can provide details and help with the application process. Visit www.fanniemae.com/housingcommdev/solutions/loansdisabilities.jhtml.
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Blind Field Services Summer Job Pilot Project: In 2006, the Department of Rehabilitation's Blind Field Services division will be initiating a pilot summer job program for blind or visually impaired high school students ages 16 and up. By partnering with our Business Enterprises Program (BEP) vendors, eligible students will be provided with an opportunity to apply, interview and work alongside blind vendors who are successfully managing various vending food locations.
Because this is our first year in implementing this program, the project will be limited to the cities of Sacramento and Los Angeles, and a very limited number of eligible students. Students need to have a case open with the Department of Rehabilitation and a Rehabilitation Counselor.
If you are a blind or visually impaired student, at least 16 years old and live in or very near the cities of Sacramento or Los Angeles, please contact Richard Rueda at 510-622-3083 or email rarueda@dor.ca.gov. For purposes of this announcement only, phone calls are preferred.
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Target Suit: As many of you know, the NFB is suing Target over lack of website access. Because the suit is a class action, any outcome binds all of us, unlike the actions that we take through structured negotiations where others are not bound by our agreements. Thus, our attorneys, Linda Dardarian and Lainey Feingold, are closely monitoring the case to ensure that the outcome is advantageous for blind and visually impaired persons. If you have any questions you may certainly e-mail Lainey at lfeingold@earthlink.net or call 510-548-5062.
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Rafting Trip: The San Mateo Council of the Blind is planning its fourth annual white water raft trip on the North Fork of the American River on Saturday, August 12. Contact Frank Welte at fwelte@sbcglobal.net or 650-508-8329.

CCB OFFICERS, BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND PUBLICATION ROSTERS

by Bernice Kandarian
[Editor's note: We are indebted to Bernice Kandarian who updates and corrects the list of CCB officers and board members, including the number of the term each is presently serving, the year elected to that term and the year next up for election. Terms actually begin on January 1 following election. We shall publish the list this way at least in issues just preceding and following elections and routinely if members wish. The presence of an asterisk means that the individual served a partial term before the first full term.

President, Jeff Thom (04-06, 2nd term)
7414 Mooncrest Way
Sacramento, CA 95831-4046
916-995-3967 C
jsthom@comcast.net

1st Vice President, Mitch Pomerantz (04-06, 2nd term)
1115 Cordova Street, #402
Pasadena, CA 91106-3036
626-844-4388 H
213-847-9124 W
mitch.pomerantz@lacity.org

2nd Vice President, Eugene Lozano, Jr. (05-07, 1st term)
4537 Sycamore Avenue
Sacramento, CA 95841-4509
916-485-8307 H
916-278-6988 W
lozanoe@csus.edu

Secretary, Rhonda King (05-07, 1st term)
4541 Cyclamen Way
Sacramento, CA 95841-3506
916-349-9960 H
imjoking@earthlink.net

Treasurer, Peter Pardini (*04-06, 3rd term)
267 Cardinal Road
Mill Valley, CA 94941-3618
415-381-9211 H
866-570-5335
peterpar@pacbell.net

Immediate Past President, Catherine Skivers (2002-??)
836 Resota Street
Hayward, CA 94545-2120
510-357-1986 H
ccotb@ccbnet.org

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jerry Arakawa (05-07, 2nd term)
11180 Orville St.
Culver City, CA 90230-5380
310-398-7004 H
jarakawa@comcast.net

Ardis Bazyn (*05-06, partial term)
500 South 3rd Street, # H
Burbank, CA 91502-1476
818-238-9321 H
abazyn@bazyncommunications.com

Al Biegler (05-07, 4th term)
819 Colusa Street
Chico, CA 95928-4116
530-893-8840 H
aljobiegler@juno.com

Gabe Griffith (04-06, 1st term)
9101 Newhall Dr #48
Sacramento, CA 95826-5345
916-505-8780 C
gabe@griffith.net

Jane Kardas (*05-07, 4th term)
810 Maple Avenue
Ukiah, CA 95482-3723
707-468-5510 H/Fax
janecalvert35@yahoo.com

Ann Kysor (05-07, 1st term)
225 - 15th Street
West Sacramento, CA 95691-3723
916-372-9869 H
ann@kysor.net

Louis Preston (04-06, 1st term)
17129 Antonio Avenue
Cerritos, CA 90703-1006
562-404-7935 H/Fax
lpreston@csulb.edu

Barbara Rhodes (04-06, 3rd term)
6396 Tamalpais Avenue
San Jose, CA 95120-1838
408-268-2110 H
brhodes@pacbell.net

Richard Rueda (05-07, 3rd term)
1501 Decoto Road, #169
Union City, CA 94587-3548
510-324-0418 H
510-622-3083 W
richardrueda@sbcglobal.net

PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE
Bernice Kandarian, Chair
2211 Latham Street #120
Mountain View, CA 94040-1652
650-969-3155 H
bernice@tsoft.net

Mike Keithley, Editor
191 East El Camino Real #150
Mountain View, CA 94040-2714
650-694-7771 H
mkeithley@pobox.com

Cecile Betts
552 Avenida Carmel Unit A
Laguna Woods, CA 92637-3467
949-586-2957 H
cecebetts@fea.net

Julie Cantrell
3079 West Cheryllyn Lane
Anaheim, CA 92804-3168
714-952-1453 H
714-290-0367 c
jcandassoc@adelphia.net

Winifred Downing
1587 38th Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94122-3011
415-564-5798 H
wmdowning@mindspring.com

Evelyn Drewry
mixed.up@cox.net

Brian Hall
5722 Abraham Avenue
Westminster, CA 92683-2858
714-894-3497 H
brianlhall@earthlink.net

Daveed Mandell
1921 Francisco Street #7-A
Berkeley, CA 94709-2105
510-665-9260 H
daveedm@sbcglobal.net

Louis Preston
17129 Antonio Avenue
Cerritos, CA 90703-1006
562-404-7935 H/Fax
lpreston@csulb.edu

Bonnie Rennie
2540 Forest Lake
Santa Ana, CA 92705-6921
714-771-2397 H
eal727200@aol.com

Richard Rueda, Moderator, CCB-L and BC Email Edition
1501 Decoto Road, #169
Union City, CA 94587-3548
510-324-0418 H
richardrueda@sbcglobal.net

Catherine Schmitt Whitaker
604 Camaritas Drive
Diamond Bar, CA 91765-1911
909-861-2931 H
clschmitt@csupomona.edu

Dan Kysor, Webmaster
225 - 15th Street
West Sacramento, CA 95691-3723
916-372-9869 H
dan@kysor.net

Please send all address changes to the Executive Office in Hayward.



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