From listmaster at ccbnet.org Sat Feb 4 21:24:30 2012 From: listmaster at ccbnet.org (List Master) Date: Sat, 4 Feb 2012 18:24:30 -0800 (Pacific Standard Time) Subject: [The Blind Californian] The Blind Californian, Fall, 2011, Volume 55, No. 4 (re-send) Message-ID: Dear Subscribers, The Fall 2011 issue was originally emailed during CCB's server transition back in October. We have heard from many people that their Fall 2011 edition never arrived. Please find the fall edition below. Apologies to anyone for whom this is a duplicate. ----- THE BLIND CALIFORNIAN Quarterly Magazine of the CALIFORNIA COUNCIL OF THE BLIND Fall, 2011, Volume 55, No. 4 Published in Braille, Large Print, Cassette, Email (bc-subscribe at ccbnet.org), and Online in readable and downloadable text and audio media Donna Pomerantz, President 1115 Cordova Street #402 Pasadena, CA 91106-3036 626-844-4388 donna.pomerantz at ccbnet.org Executive Office: California Council of the Blind 1510 J Street, Suite 125 Sacramento, CA 95814-2098 800-221-6359 toll free 916-441-2100 voice 916-441-2188 fax Email: ccotb at ccbnet.org Website: www.ccbnet.org San Francisco Bay Area Office: Catherine Skivers 836 Resota Street Hayward, CA 94545-2120 510-357-1986 cathie.skivers at ccbnet.org Los Angeles Area Office: Donna Pomerantz 1115 Cordova Street #402 Pasadena, CA 91106-3036 626-844-4388 donna.pomerantz at ccbnet.org Jeff Thom, Director Advocacy and Governmental Affairs 800-221-6359 toll free 916-995-3967 cell governmentalaffairs at ccbnet.org Webmaster: webmaster at ccbnet.org Judy Wilkinson, Editor 1550 Bancroft Avenue #113 San Leandro, CA 94577-5264 510-357-1844 editor at ccbnet.org The CALIFORNIA CONNECTION is a weekly news service provided: by phone, in English and Spanish at 800-221-6359 Monday through Friday after 4 p.m. and all day on weekends and holidays; by email subscription, send a blank message to connection-subscribe at ccbnet.org; or on the web at www.ccbnet.org Submissions for the California Connection can be emailed to ca.connection at ccbnet.org. Non-members are requested and members are invited to pay a yearly subscription fee of $10 toward the production 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 Executive Office for other suggested forms. Thank you. 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 or 1800 words. The deadline to submit material for the Winter, 2012 issue of THE BLIND CALIFORNIAN is noon, December 1, 2011. Please send all address changes to the Executive Office. Table of Contents Editor's Page Judy Wilkinson ................................... 2 Reflections Of Our Past Eight Months Donna Pomerantz ................................................................... 6 Legislative Update Jeff Thom ................................... 9 Court Rules In Favor of JetBlue Reprinted from: http://lflegal.com/2011/08/jetblue-order/ ...... 14 Mother Of Blind Man Killed On Los Angeles County Metro Blue Line Awarded $17 Million Compiled and Edited by Judy Wilkinson ............... 18 CCB Membership Committee Report David Jackson, Chair and Ardis Bazyn, Vice-Chair ......... 27 Winning Poem: The Yellow Bus Jo Carpignano ... 30 Shopping Accessibility: Old Problems and New Challenges Steven Mendelsohn ............................. 31 The 2011 Annual Conference and Convention Of The American Council Of The Blind Donna Pomerantz and Roger Petersen ............................. 37 Frequent Flyer Frustration Jo Carpignano ............ 44 CCB Officers and Board of Directors 2011 ............ 53 2 Editor's Page Judy Wilkinson I had been president of CLUA (California Library Users of America) for only a couple of months when in mid February, I received an urgent email forwarded by President Donna Pomerantz concerning possible cuts to services for the Braille and Talkingbook Library. (See article Spring BC). Well clearly it was time to rally the membership: hundreds of us right? Wrong! I was chagrined to discover that CLUA could boast a membership total of only around 30! (Mike Marlin, Braille and Talkingbook Librarian in Sacramento, assures me that more than 30 folks use library services in Northern California, and of course, many additional hundreds use services through the Braille Institute of America.) Thankfully we did get out some letters to legislators, and at his luncheon presentation to BRLC and CLUA at the spring convention, Mr. Marlin assured us that for the moment, our library services are safe. But for how long? At some point in the next few years, we will need to rally support for the services so important to all visually-impaired library users, services most of us take for granted to such an extent that it hardly occurs to us to actually join an organization of visually-impaired library users. Which brings me in rather a roundabout way to my purpose: to remind us of the important role played by our statewide affiliates. Whether talking with local business people in soliciting donations or testifying at a city council hearing, the legislature or Congress, the more members you represent the more attention your organization will receive. Some of us belong to local chapters, some hold membership in statewide affiliates: I am urging more of us to join chapters at both levels. Your statewide 3 affiliates need your dues to promote the affiliate's interests; (yes I know; multiple dues checks add up). But they need to know you care enough so that you can be counted when important issues relevant to that affiliate are dealt with. Just consider recent activities involving some of our statewide affiliates. Guide Dog Users of California (GDUC) supported the successful passage of SB 543, which extends the sunset of the California State Board of Guide Dogs. Randolph Shepard Vendors of California (RSVC) successfully opposed AB 727, concerning increasing the percentage of nutritious content in vending machines 4 located on state property. CCCLV sponsored resolution 2011A-5, passed at our spring CCB convention and subsequently adopted at this summer's ACB convention, calling for the continued sale of incandescent light bulbs. Two spring convention resolutions concern The Blind Students of California, (BSC). Resolution 2011A-2 urged the Department of Rehabilitation and the Department of General Services to guarantee That department clients and state employees can obtain fully functioning computer systems; resolution 2011A-10 directs CCB to call upon the state Department of Education and the Department of General Services to ensure that high quality textbooks will continue to be produced in a timely manner for elementary school students using large print or braille. (See Resolutions by Frank Welte, Summer BC.) Orientation Center for the blind Alumni (OCB) desire input into curriculum changes at the center in Albany and await with interest the selection of its new director and braille/typing teacher. You can see how active the statewide affiliates have been on behalf of their membership. At first glance, (at least for some affiliates) it seems clear who should join: vendors, guide dog users, students, braille users, graduates of the Orientation Center. But wait a minute: you may not be a braille user but realize how important braille issues are for teaching blind children. You may not now be a student but possibly were once and might be again; some issues (such as accessible textbooks) seem to be perpetual topics for generations of students. What concerns our vendors concerns all, as we know how important jobs are to today's and tomorrow's job seekers. CCCLV serves my friends with low-vision but will probably benefit my siblings down the line. (See the Membership Committee Report elsewhere in this issue which also discusses the importance of 5 statewide affiliates. Multicultural issues affect all of us, and I submit that almost every member of the organization reads. I'm looking forward to the day when a member of CLUA can proudly state at a legislative hearing, "Yes Chairperson, we represent x hundreds of members." Below for your convenience taken from our web site is contact information for all our statewide affiliates. Association for Multicultural Concerns (AMC) Lillian Scaife, president: 562-494-4306; email: amc_ccb at verizon.net. Blind Students of California (BSC) Leena Bandy president: 818- 6 987-4325; email: leena.bandy at ccbnet. org. Braille Revival League of California (BRLC) Stephen Fort president: 510-521-4386; email: stevefort at att.net. California Council of Citizens with Low Vision (CCCLV) Bernice Kandarian president: 650-969-3155; email: bernice at tsoft.net. California Library Users of America (CLUA) Judy Wilkinson president: 510-357-1844; email: editor at ccbnet.org. Guide Dog Users of California (GDUC) Mary Beth Randall president: 559-224-7999 creature_girl at comcast.net. Orientation Center for the Blind Alumni (OCB) Albert Contreras president: 626-445-7295; cell 626-512-1797. Randolph Shepard Vendors of California (RSVC) David Hanlon president: 858-610-0825; d_hanlon at san.rr.com. -------------------- Reflections Of Our Past Eight Months Donna Pomerantz It seems like just yesterday that we began the month of January; now it is 8 months later, early September as I write this. CCB has continued to move forward with some bumps in the road, exploring new ideas, as well as some celebrated victories! All of this is because of you who have chosen to get involved in one form or another. For that I thank you! We are on the road to our Fall Conference and Convention which would not happen if it weren't for the strong, dedicated support of a core group of our CCB Family. They are constantly working on the Conference and Convention program to keep it fresh and interesting for our members and friends. The Fall Conference and Convention theme is "CCB: Making A Difference, Advocacy In Action." You will see a few new, innovative 7 activities at the convention as well as many familiar favorites. This is due to the willingness of statewide special-interest affiliates and committees to "take a chance" and work hard while being mindful of each other, space considerations, and the deadlines CCB has to operate under. I look forward to seeing many of you there. Please come over and say hello. I must say to my predecessors, my hat is off to you now that I walk in your shoes. The first thing that comes to mind is even though you have given me the title of President, it takes everyone's many talents to make CCB a strong, healthy, diverse 8 organization. My ability to produce depends on the tools that you offer me. To those who have shared your talents and gifts, thank you. To those who have not yet chosen to take a step forward, we need you to actively share your gifts. Currently we have limited resources and the Board of Directors chose to take a chance and fund the first Annual Mutt Strut. It is my hope that for this first-time statewide event, we will do you proud! There is a tremendous infrastructure that has been built, again due to the labor that came from a core group of people. We are building momentum and my hope is for a successful fundraiser. A huge hurray to those who are directly supporting the event in one form or another. We are continuing to work with the California State Department of Rehabilitation as directed by various resolutions. There is so much going on; now that I serve on the Blind Advisory Committee, I have attended a strategic planning workshop and training for organizations who serve Older Individuals who are Blind. We are also in continued meetings regarding the State Price Schedule and we continue to advocate for a strong Blind Field Services Division within the Department as well as encouraging them to provide assistance to those who wish to benefit from the tools available for those seeking to gain viable 9 employment. Until next time, take care. -------------------- Legislative Update Jeff Thom We live in a world of constant change, but one thing always remains the same: there's always plenty of legislative advocacy work for those of us in CCB to do. In the next BC, I'll be able to give you a year-end wrap-up. The problem with some information in this column is that it may be out-of-date before you read it. That said, let's get to it. This has the makings of a reasonably good year for CCB at the State Capitol. We are sponsoring two bills and have a solid chance of having them both become law. AB390, (Assembly- member Portentino) would require that the Department of Motor Vehicles continue to send out notification for renewal of state identification cards within 60 days of the renewal date. The department started to send out such notifications at the beginning of the year, but given the difficult fiscal times, without a 10 statutory requirement in place, the state could decide to cut costs by ceasing to send out these notifications. I am pleased to report that the bill passed the Legislature without opposition and is awaiting the Governor's signature, the last hurdle before becoming law. Our other bill, AB410 (Assemblymember Swanson) would require that upon request, a narrative description readable by screen-reading software be provided by certain state agencies when they propose adoption of regulations implementing state law. We had to limit the scope of the bill to certain types of regulations, including Medi-Cal, rehabilitation, special education, and regulations that must come before the State Building Standards Commission. The bill is currently on the Assembly floor, awaiting final passage. We are less certain of how the Governor will react, but so far his office has not indicated any opposition. By the time you read this, it is likely that we will know the fate of both bills, and if any advocacy were needed to impact the Governor's decisions, you would have received a call to action during September. Business Enterprise Program vendors, with the assistance of the CCB, won a big victory this year. Existing law contains requirements applicable only to blind vendors concerning the need to maintain a prescribed percentage of the items in vending machines as foods deemed nutritious. Because these requirements don't apply to other types of facilities, the result is declines in sales for these vendors. AB727 would not only have increased this percentage, but also enacted other restrictions applicable only to blind vendors. CCB, working with its affiliate Randolph Sheppard Vendors of California, other blind vendors not affiliated with CCB, and other groups, prevented the bill from passing the Senate Appropriations Committee. Although unlikely, the bill could be brought back next 11 year, but possibly, another bill will be introduced on this topic. So the fight is not over, but the blind vendors of this state, with CCB's assistance, have shown that they are a force to be reckoned with, and that their goal is to be treated with fairness. I'd like to touch upon two federal legislative matters. As many of you may know, part of the debt ceiling deal was the formation of a so-called Super Committee, composed equally of Democrats and Republicans from the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. That body must submit to Congress by late November, for a straight up or down vote, a plan to reduce 12 the federal deficit. If no plan can be agreed upon or Congress doesn't pass it, across the board cuts will commence in 2013. There are programs that are vital to the daily lives of persons who are blind or have low vision, including Medicaid and Medicare, Social Security, rehabilitation funding, special education and more. We must do our part to ensure that deficit reduction is not accomplished by slashing programs vital to the health and well-being of persons who are blind or have low vision. California has two members on this panel, Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Kevin McCarthy. We need to make these members understand the need to protect programs so essential to the daily lives of persons with vision loss. Over the past five years, CCB, like many nonprofits, has seen large revenue reductions due to misguided federal legislation that has dramatically diminished vehicle donations to charities. In order to turn this deplorable situation around, CCB, as part of the efforts of the American Council of the Blind (along with many other not-for-profit organizations) is working for the passage of HR 860. As of this writing, the bill has 126 co-sponsors, of which 17 are from California, and I am certain that there will be more by the time you read this. If you don't know whether your Congressman is a co-sponsor or you want to help in any way to ensure that this vitally important piece of legislation is enacted, do not hesitate to contact me either by email at jsthom at comcast.net or by phone at 916-995-3967. Finally, there are a number of new requirements that are, or will be impacting programs important to persons who are blind or have low vision, including In-Home Supportive Services, Medi-Cal, and others. Although I do not have time to mention these changes, I invite you to 13 contact me if you have questions or concerns. Moreover, if you have ideas that you think CCB should pursue, do not hesitate to let me know. In closing, I'd like to thank our president Donna Pomerantz for all her hard work, as well as the Governmental Affairs Committee. Most especially, I'd like to thank our former Director of Advocacy and Governmental Affairs, Frank Welte for his hard work and the opportunity I had to work with him. Remember, working together, we can't be stopped. -------------------- 14 Court Rules in Favor of JetBlue Reprinted from: http://lflegal.com/2011/08/jetblue-order/ [Editor's Note: As always, the latest developments about ongoing cases can be found at lflegal.com and Lainey Feingold can be reached at lf at lflegal.com or by phone at 510-548-5062.] In a blow to the rights of people with disabilities in California and across the country, a second United States federal judge has ruled that state anti-discrimination laws do not apply to airline websites and kiosks. In a closely watched case against JetBlue Airways, Judge Joseph Spero ruled on August 3, 2011 that regulations issued by the United States Department of Transportation--no matter how weak and ineffective--strip away the rights of California residents with visual impairments to access and use JetBlue's website and airport kiosks. The Judge threw the case out of court on the airline's motion to dismiss. In doing so, he followed in the footsteps of another federal District Court Judge in California who ruled in April that because of the federal Department of Transportation's actions, United Airlines was free to have airline check-in kiosks that cannot be used by people with disabilities. Both decisions have now been appealed. The rulings in the JetBlue and United cases are based solely on very specific regulations and laws governing airlines, and will not affect claims for website or kiosk accessibility in any other public or private sector settings. The rulings do, however, effectively slam the door on the rights of people with disabilities to full inclusion in services or programs offered by airlines. The United States Department of Transportation has failed the country's citizens with visual impairments, and its failure has now been given the stamp of 15 approval by two federal district courts. Federal Department of Transportation Shirks Responsibility, Claims Control, and Deprives Blind Citizens of Their Rights. The federal law of preemption when it comes to airline accessibility is arcane and complex, but boils down to a simple question: Has the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) issued regulations that are "pervasive"? If no, people with disabilities are free to pursue rights under state law. If yes, then people with disabilities are not protected by state law and only have whatever rights the DOT has put in the regulations. 16 In the JetBlue and United cases, the judges ruled that DOT regulations about websites and kiosks were "pervasive" even though they are weak and don't require accessible websites or kiosks! In the United case, the federal DOT actually wrote to the court agreeing with United's position that the case should be dismissed. DOT Airline Kiosk Regulations Do Not Require Accessible Kiosks The Courts in both the JetBlue and United cases found that the U.S. Department of Transportation had issued pervasive regulations on airline kiosk accessibility, yet those regulations do not require access! Instead, the regulations simply tell airlines that if their kiosks are not accessible, they must provide assistance to customers with disabilities. No details of what that assistance consists of is included in the so-called pervasive regulations. The Courts' ruling on airline kiosks, and the DOT's failure to act, is particularly disappointing because accessible airline kiosks are available for purchase. And kiosks that are accessible to and usable by people with disabilities - from Talking ATMs to self-service postal kiosks deployed in post offices around the country - have been installed for many years. Advocacy on the ground has resulted in accessible kiosks in a variety of settings, and the Department of Transportation regulations have simply not kept pace with current technology. DOT Airline Website Regulations Do Not Require Accessible Websites As with airline kiosks, the federal Department of Transportation has thus far refused to require accessible websites, bowing to industry pressure to delay effective regulations. According to the Judge's ruling in JetBlue, in 2008, the DOT "considered a proposal that would require air carriers to make their websites accessible to the visually impaired, but 17 comments from air carriers and air carrier organizations that such a rule would be too difficult and expensive led the DOT to 'defer final action' on the proposal and seek additional comments on the matter." Instead of requiring websites that people with disabilities can use, the DOT issued a weak regulation "in the interim" requiring that web-only fares be offered on the telephone to people with disabilities who could not access the website. We are now half way through 2011 and there are still no regulations requiring airline websites to be accessible to people with disabilities, although supposedly the DOT is going to 18 issue something soon. Still, the Judge in the JetBlue case found that DOT's actions, however limited and ineffective, were enough to "preempt" the rights of people with disabilities under state civil rights laws claims. The DOT has refused to protect the country's blind citizens from airline discrimination, and now those citizens are unable to seek that protection under state laws. -------------------- Mother Of Blind Man Killed On Los Angeles County Metro Blue Line Awarded $17 Million Compiled and Edited by Judy Wilkinson The following article was compiled from posts to the ccb-l listserve. You can subscribe to this list (where members post anything of interest or importance to CCB members) by filling out the form at this link: http://ccbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/ccb-l. CCB President Donna Pomerantz prefaced a recent post as follows: "The news we all have been waiting for! But our work is not over. There are around 15 systems throughout the states who are doing nothing! This jury made a statement today that it is the law that all systems be safe for those of us who are Blind or Visually Impaired!" Source: Beverly Hills Courier Posted Friday July 29, 2011 -- 4:25pm The mother of a blind Compton man who was killed when he mistook a gap between Metro Blue Line trains for a door was awarded $17 million today in her wrongful death lawsuit against the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Mary Cuthbertson's 48-year-old son died in 2009 when the train lurched forward after he had stepped between the rail cars, and she says the lack of barriers on the train platform was to blame. "The MTA has a debt to this family, and we're here to get that debt 19 paid," Cuthbertson's attorney, Brian Panish, told the Los Angeles Superior Court jury in his closing argument. Metro attorney James Reiss maintained during the trial that the transit agency was not bound by a federal Americans With Disabilities Act section enacted shortly after the Blue Line began operating in 1990, which would have required it to put chains, fencing or other obstacles between cars to keep the blind from mistaking the openings for doors. He also contended Cameron Cuthbertson contributed to his death by not properly using his cane to guide himself. The accident occurred about 9 A.M. Jan. 28, 20 2009, as Cameron Cuthbertson was preparing to board a southbound Blue Line train at the Del Amo Station, located in an unincorporated area just north of Carson. According to Panish, the MTA installed bollards on Blue Line platforms the day after Cuthbertson's death so that when trains stop, the openings between cars are lined with them. Panish said the corrective action came 19 years too late for Cuthbertson. "Cameron is killed, and all of a sudden something is done," Panish said. Panish argued that the MTA discriminated against visually impaired riders of the Blue Line at the time because its Gold, Green and Red lines all had some form of barrier between cars, whether they were simple chains like those placed between Red Line cars or more solid obstacles such as those used on the Gold Line. End of excerpt from the Courier Source: Transportation News And Views . . . The January 2009 accidental death of Cameron Cuthbertson on the Metro Blue Line was a great tragedy and we again extend our sympathy to his family, however, Metro disagrees with the jury verdict and will appeal. Metro maintains it was not negligent or otherwise responsible for Mr. Cuthbertson's death, and there are strong grounds for appeal. The accidental death of Mr. Cuthbertson, a blind man with learning disabilities, who walked off the platform at the Del Amo Station between two rail cars, is the only fatal incident involving a sight impaired passenger on any Metro Rail line in two decades of operation. Each year an estimated 96 million passengers board the Metro Rail system. End of statement Source: Expert Witness In MTA Suit Testifies That Blind Man Used His Cane Properly by Bill Hetherman Copley News Service Posted: 06/27/2011 03:25:02 PM PDT . . . Janet Barlow, an orientation mobility expert, took the stand 21 in Los Angeles Superior Court as a plaintiff's witness in the trial of Mary Cuthbertson's suit against the MTA. . . . The MTA maintains Cuthbertson was not using his cane properly. But Barlow, basing her opinions in part on MTA surveillance video of the accident shown to jurors, disagreed. "I observed Mr. Cuthbertson to be using his cane in an appropriate manner," Barlow said. "He was using his cane as he should have been in that situation." Barlow said MTA officials lacked the background to make their conclusions about Cuthbertson. "I don't believe their safety staff had enough training to make that judgment," Barlow 22 said. Barlow also said she believes MTA officials were well aware of the hazard of the gap between cars to blind people, who can mistake the light shining through for an open door, as Cuthbertson apparently did. "My opinion is that they talked about it a lot and did not resolve the problem," Barlow said. "There were discussions and more discussions. They had certainly talked about it in many meetings." Barlow said there are no statistics kept nationwide on how many accidents similar to Cuthbertson's have occurred. She said she knew of a 25-year-old woman who fell between cars on Atlanta's Metropolitan Area Rapid Transit Authority and survived, but that many such incidents are not reported by the victims. End of excerpt Though some of the material in this next excerpt has been mentioned, I think you'll find the following more in-depth statement by the plaintiffs' attorney insightful and illuminating. Source: Bill Hetherman Copley News Service Posted: 06/23/2011 07:13:13 PM PDT The MTA ignored decades of safety warnings and discriminated against blind riders of its Metro Blue Line, ultimately causing the death of a man who thought he was walking through a door when he stepped from a platform between two train cars near Carson, an attorney told jurors Thursday. In his opening statement in the trial . . . lawyer Brian Panish said the accident was preventable had the Metropolitan Transportation Authority placed barriers between cars and had train operator Rosie Haynes been more diligent. "They chose to do nothing and they did nothing," Panish said of MTA officials. "A man lost his life and a mother lost her son." . . . Jurors were shown a grainy surveillance video in which 23 Cuthbertson can be seen trying to board after most of the other passengers had already gotten onto the train. Panish said it is typical for blind passengers to board first or last so as not to interfere with other riders. In the video, Cuthbertson suddenly drops between the cars, then tries to climb back onto the platform as the train starts moving. Haynes has testified in depositions that she did not know anyone had fallen between the second and third cars. Panish said the MTA's decision to leave it up to operators like Haynes to "mind the gap" and watch to make sure no passengers were in danger before the train moved put too much responsibility on them 24 and did not compensate for other safety measures that could have been taken. "They put her in an untenable situation and unfortunately she made mistakes," Panish said. Despite the MTA's contention that it is exempt from the 1990 ADA requirement for blind passengers, the agency complied with every other aspect of the act's provisions except for the installation of barriers, Panish said. Only after Cuthbertson was killed did the MTA finally start using barriers on the Blue Line, he said. The attorney charged that the MTA discriminates against visually impaired riders of the Blue Line because its other three lines all have some form of barrier between cars, whether they be simple chains like those placed between Red Line cars or more solid obstacles such as those used on the Gold Line. Mary Cuthbertson, who is in her mid-70's and has two other grown children, was in the courtroom for Panish's opening statement, but left as the video was being played. Her son, who lost his sight in his 20's from glaucoma, lived with her all his life, Panish said. Despite his disability, Cuthbertson had a car wash business and maintained a strong bond with his mother, Panish said. The lawyer said that along with compensation for her losses, Mary Cuthbertson hopes her case will help fight alleged discrimination against blind passengers by public transportation agencies and "make a better place for everyone." End of excerpt Perhaps the most heart-rending account of all comes from an eyewitness. Source: Passenger Gives Emotional Account Of Blind Man's Death In Metro Blue Line Accident by WIRE SERVICES Story Created: June 24, 2011 at 2:56 PM PDT In emotionally charged testimony . . . a passenger on the train told a Los Angeles jury Friday that she first heard the tapping of a cane, then cries and screams. 25 Stephanie Chan testified that she was on her way to work in Long Beach when the train stopped at the Del Amo Station, just one stop north of her normal departure point at the Wardlow Station. "I remember seeing a black man tapping on the side of the car," the 24-year-old witness said. "He moved off to the right and out of my field of vision. Then I heard him trying to yell 'Stop' and he starts screaming and crying. I, along with the whole car, am panicking." . . . The woman said she knew the trauma of what she experienced would remain with her for a long time. "I think about hearing him die," she said. "I 26 think about being the last person to see him alive.". . . The witness struggled to maintain her composure while answering questions and also while reading from the witness stand an account of the accident she wrote at work about an hour afterward. Chan's emotional presentation had an effect on others in the courtroom. Mary Cuthbertson began crying, as did some jurors. . . . Chan told jurors that when she and the other passengers heard Cuthbertson and felt the car shaking, she got up and pressed the emergency button to talk to Haynes. "She was completely clueless," Chan testified. Meanwhile, a young male passenger went to the front of the car, then returned, Chan said. "The guy came back and said he saw the body next to the track," she said. The witness said sheriff's deputies on board the train seemed preoccupied with checking if passengers had tickets showing proof they paid their fare, so when the train reached the Wardlow Station she and another passenger approached Haynes in the front car. Chan said that after she began telling Haynes what happened, the operator covered her face with her hands. "She was obviously freaked out," Chan said. The witness said that when she reached work, she tried calling MTA officials by Googling the agency's name and looking for telephone numbers. She said someone from the agency called her back one to two days later. Chan said she always brought her 27 bicycle with her everyday aboard the train, then rode the two-wheeler from the station to her workplace. But the day of the accident, she said she rode her bike all the way home from Long Beach to Los Angeles after work and did not take the Blue Line again for about two months. -------------------- CCB Membership Committee Report David Jackson, Chair and Ardis Bazyn, Vice-Chair At the spring convention this year, the CCB Membership Committee hosted a breakfast seminar called: "Chapters and Statewide Special Interest Affiliates Working Together to Create Membership Opportunities." The discussion included what members thought about the question, "What can chapters do to assist affiliates?" Many thought that chapters should ask members to share what special-interest 28 affiliates have meant to them and how they have been involved. Also, some felt that special-interest affiliates and local chapters could plan joint fundraisers. Local chapters could recommend special-interest affiliates to members who have guide dogs or those who have interests that would indicate they might want to learn more about a particular affiliate. Likewise, special-interest affiliates could tell their members about local chapters throughout California. Then, the discussion led to various ways both local chapters and special-interest affiliates could get media exposure and share their events within the community. If your chapter is having any membership related issues or wishes to discuss how to build membership, please contact David Jackson, CCB Membership Chair. CCB Membership Awards The Chapter of the Year Award is presented by the CCB Membership Committee at each Spring CCB Convention. This award is presented to the CCB chapter that conducts a group effort to make a significant difference in the life of an individual and/or the community. The Chapter of the Year award is given to the chapter with the best overall chapter project for the previous year. We will be accepting letters from chapters for projects developed and completed in 2011. Please submit letters to the CCB state office by February 15, 2012. In the letter, please explain the group chapter project, who benefited from the effort, and the time-line of the project. We would like to be able to present this award at the 2012 Spring CCB Convention, provided we receive letters from chapters. We did not have any letters submitted for the 2010 Award. We want to congratulate the winners of the 2011 CCB Membership Incentive Awards! These awards are presented at every CCB Spring Convention to 29 the CCB chapters or affiliates having the highest membership increase between the previous Spring and the current Spring CCB Convention. One award is for the highest number of members increased during the previous year and the second award is for the largest percentage increase in membership. We hope all chapters and affiliates will work on building their membership count. The 2011 winner of the highest percentage increase was the San Gabriel Valley Chapter and the winner of the highest actual number increase was the California Council of Citizens with Low Vision. Each chapter and 30 affiliate should have at least one of your members signed up for the CCB Membership email list. Articles of interest on building membership and publicizing your events are shared. This also is a good forum to ask questions related to these topics. Please email your request to join the list to Ardis Bazyn: abazyn at bazyncommunications.com. -------------------- Winning Poem: The Yellow Bus Jo Carpignano [Editor's Note: While talking with Jo (a member of the San Mateo Chapter) about her other article in this issue "Frequent Flyer Frustration" she happened to mention that she had been declared "Senior Poet Laureate of 2011" for California by an organization called "Angels Without Wings". Not only that, the state entries went on to the national level where Jo was the runner-up. By the way, there were over 900 submissions. Congratulations Jo! She rides the yellow bus each week Goes off to school, comes home again She hears and sees but cannot speak The driver is a cunning sneak Assumes a friendly caring pose She rides the yellow bus each week >From school one day at traffic's peak She is the last to leave the bus She hears and sees but cannot speak He stops on some deserted street Then hurriedly subdues and thrusts She rides the yellow 31 bus each week Her pushing, thrashing, much too weak Mouth opens wide in voiceless scream She hears and sees but cannot speak Comes home late, dress slightly torn Her mother wonders why so worn She rides the yellow bus each week She hears and sees but cannot speak -------------------- Shopping Accessibility: Old Problems and New Challenges Steven Mendelsohn The following has been adapted from a letter I wrote to the Equal Rights Center in response to their nationwide inquiry about shopping accessibility issues faced by people with disabilities. Over the past few years, the attention of civil rights advocates in 32 our community has been focused on e-commerce. Tremendous strides have been made in enhancing the accessibility of online shopping for persons with visual impairments. This emphasis on technology has influenced the in-person shopping experience as well, including through the greater accessibility of point of sale (POS) and other debit card machines. But relatively less attention has been devoted to traditional brick-and-mortar shopping venues and to the accessibility issues that continue to surround them, as well as to new issues that in some cases are making restaurants and stores less accessible than ever before. While physical and architectural barriers remain by far the starkest and most severe barriers to accessibility for people with all disabilities, the barriers posed by policies and procedures, and created by public accommodations' failure to provide "effective communications" or "auxiliary aids and services" represent the greatest issue for people with visual impairments. By law, public accommodations are required to provide equal access. This means they must remove physical barriers to access, but it also means that where barrier removal is not practical or is not enough, they must provide auxiliary aids and services and assure effective communications with and for customers. But while physical barriers are obvious and measurable, barriers arising from the failure to have policies in place for conveying necessary information (such as what products are on sale, or what brands of ice cream are in stock) or barriers arising from the failure of retailers to implement their accessibility policies (such as when clerks are assigned who have no knowledge of the merchandise or its location in the store or who make mistakes on prices, sizes and the 33 like) represent a moving target. Unlike narrow doorways or aisles (which can be measured) such failings are hard to document, difficult to replicate, and if brought into question, typically result in a "he said, she said" argument. Although technology and preparation can help to improve the in-store shopping experience, people who are blind are dependent upon store personnel to locate items, provide price information, and read enough label information to enable customers to make key comparisons. Many stores are resistant to providing such assistance, or indifferent to its quality when provided, and the law (Title III of the 34 ADA in particular) while clear as to the obligation to provide reasonable assistance in these areas, is unfortunately not very clear about exactly what level of effort, timeliness and accuracy will constitute compliance, and as to how much time and information the consumer has a right to expect. Similarly, for the customer with a visual impairment shopping in an appliance store, the key need is often to be able to examine the item sufficiently to determine whether it is usable. Relying on store clerks for definitive or accurate information is perilous, and numerous instances have been encountered where customers were told that devices had buttons, only to learn upon returning home and removing the packaging, that they were on-screen buttons with no tactile features. Some appliance stores have acknowledged the problem but argued that the option to return an item if it proves unsatisfactory, provides adequate access. However this argument fails to take into account the practice of charging a restocking fee, as most of the stores that rely on such return policies also do. Stores would quickly be found in violation of the law if they blocked the aisles or otherwise prevented customers from "looking at" their high-tech wares, but that is viable only for people who can obtain the necessary information visually. Bearing in mind that small stores may well find it economically burdensome to keep demonstrator or floor models out for reasonable, hands-on inspection by customers, we can and should insist that large stores and chain outlets provide access to all, or at least waive restocking fees where accessibility emerges as an issue. At the same time as these long-standing problems remain to be solved, new ones are coming to the fore. In an effort to save on labor costs, stores of all kinds are cutting down on personnel and 35 service. For example, restaurants that used to offer table service or at least had people behind the counter dispensing the food now increasingly rely on separate stations for different parts of the meal--the roll here, the butter somewhere else--or on self-service steam tables or refrigerator cases, with no staff willing or available to help dish out the food, locate the cutlery, indicate the availability of tables, or otherwise reduce the stresses of the dining experience. In clothing stores one can search in vain for someone to locate particular sizes or styles. Recently in a major concert hall, while ushers were on duty at the beginning of the evening to help locate seats, no one 36 could be found at the concert's close to indicate where restrooms or exits were. Customers with hearing impairments face parallel difficulties around communication with store personnel regarding the features or pricing of products, the policies of the store, and any number of other issues. Most stores will not undertake to communicate effectively and on an individualized basis with such customers, and once again, apart from issues of TTY or relay service communication, and apart from the fairly narrow legal category of "communications barriers" (which basically involve physical barriers to reach or to line of sight interactions) the DOJ has provided little guidance on when and how in-store compliance with "effective communications" requirements is to be achieved. Finally, customers with expressive communication disabilities of speech, face their own set of frustrations and problems in attempting to communicate with retail store personnel, and to achieve the level of service and consumer choice that others routinely expect. Especially in light of the redirection of so much advocacy and enforcement attention to Internet accessibility efforts, these neglected issues of old-fashioned, face-to-face shopping accessibility cry out for attention and action. To the degree that for the foreseeable future in-person retail shopping will remain the primary means by which consumers buy food, clothing and even appliances in our country, the accessibility issues associated with such shopping, going far 37 beyond literal physical access, need to become a focus of vigorous and focused advocacy efforts. Those efforts must begin with the effort to develop some consensus on the current state of affairs, on what the law requires and on what we as paying customers have the right to expect. -------------------- The 2011 Annual Conference And Convention Of The American Council Of The Blind Donna Pomerantz and Roger Petersen The Fiftieth Anniversary Conference and Convention of the American Council of the Blind was held at the world-famous John Ascuaga's Nugget Resort and Casino in Sparks, Nevada, immediately adjacent to Reno. This facility prides itself as a family-owned hotel with long-term loyal employees, and we saw evidence of that--including a surprise appearance of Mr. 38 Ascuaga himself on the platform during the general session to welcome us. He pointed out that, while his daughter is CEO and his son COO, he still signs the checks. As usual, the convention began rather slowly, with registration opening on Thursday, July 7 and tours and some meetings starting on Friday, the eighth. By Saturday, July 9, we were really underway, with board meetings, the workshop of the Information Access Committee (on which both of us serve) and a welcoming party in the evening. the official opening occurred Sunday evening with the opening general session. Once underway, the convention continued at a feverish pace until the next Saturday, July 16. It would take more than this whole issue of the BC to do justice to all the general sessions, special workshops, special-interest group meetings and entertainment features; so we won't try to do that. We will just give you a taste of what went on, perhaps with a California slant and recommend that you read about it in the Braille Forum, listen to the archives on ACB Radio and resolve to go to the next convention next July in Louisville, Kentucky. Each General Session had a theme or emphasis. The Sunday evening session was the welcoming session, with remarks by the Mayor of Sparks and the president of the Nevada Council of the Blind, Rick Kuhlmey. The ACB President, our own Mitch Pomerantz, gave his annual welcome and report in which he introduced Steven Obremski as the new ACB Development Director. Steve is a person who is blind and a guide dog user. Mitch initiated the history theme by thanking our many long-term partners, noting that this is the sixteenth anniversary of our working with Lainey Feingold and Linda Dardarian as our legal advocates. To begin the series of remarks by prior presidents, a recording was played of comments by Reese Robrahn, ACB president from 1966 to 1972 39 (deceased). The complementary future theme was introduced by presenting a charter of Affiliation to Derrin Cheney, president of the newly-reorganized Idaho affiliate. He was also a Durward K. McDaniel First Timer. During the rollcall of affiliates, California responded with the announcement of Donna Pomerantz as Delegate and Roger Petersen as Alternate Delegate and representative to the Nominating Committee and that we needed sixty chairs for our delegation. The Monday morning session was the history session, with presentations by M.J. Schmitt, a charter member of ACB, Dr. Phyllis Burson, widow 40 of Dr. S. Bradley Burson who was a charter member and leader, and Michael Byington, whose parents were there at the beginning, and so was Michael, as a kid. They all told us of the very divisive atmosphere in the National Federation of the Blind leading up to the separation, with children forbidden to play with other children. We got a taste of Nevada history too, with Chris Driggs from the State Archives telling what a trial it was to get the state constitution transmitted to Washington, DC so that Nevada could be admitted as a state. They sent one copy by sea and one overland and ended up telegraphing it. Also, some awards were presented on Monday. The Board of Publications presented its three awards, one of which went to Major League Baseball for their strides in web accessibility and the two membership growth awards went to the Nevada and Utah affiliates. And so, the week continued. Tuesday was scholarship day when we met many of the recipients of ACB scholarships, none alas from California this year, along with the three recipients of Fred Scheigert scholarships from the Council of Citizens with Low Vision International. Our regular report from the Library of Congress was presented by Ruth Scovill, Acting Director, and Michael Katzmann, Chief, Materials Development Division, National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Washington, DC. Emphasis was on the new digital talking book player and the BARD system for downloading books from the library. The library theme continued on Wednesday, with our usual visit from a talking book narrator, this year, Kristin Allison. An important piece of business was enacted on Wednesday. We passed a Constitutional amendment and a Bylaws amendment which together change 41 the record vote on the convention floor from a rollcall of delegates and a standing vote for all members present to a rollcall of delegates and a secret ballot for all members present. Thursday was not without its Library of Congress connection. We had Michele Woods from the Copy Right office, part of the Library of Congress, to talk about the international efforts to change copyright laws so that books in accessible formats for blind people can be shared across international boundaries. Judy Dixon, who works at the Library of Congress and is Chair of the Braille Authority of North America (BANA) brought us up-to-date 42 in the area of braille around the world. At this point, there was a subtle change from external program items to internal business, with the executive director's and treasurer's reports and the presentation by Carla Ruschival, the outgoing convention coordinator. These reports were informationally very dense, but let us just mention a few items. Melanie Brunson, Executive Director, gave us updates on a couple of our court victories. On the Currency Case, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing was at the convention, getting input from us. Their efforts are ongoing, with plans to add a tactile feature to each new bill and a high contrast numeral. They will implement a money reader program and give us scanners for however long it takes to get currency accessible. On our Social Security case, SSA is proceeding to provide materials to SS Beneficiaries. Attorneys are still accepting complaints. The ACB Office can put us in touch with DREDF. In the Convention Report, Carla announced that we are going to Louisville next year, Columbus, OH in 2013 and Las Vegas in 2014. On Friday, we really got down to business with resolutions and elections. Resolution topics ranged from the inaccessibility of Netflix, to support for detectable warnings, to gathering data on pedestrian fatalities, to voting access and braille on product packaging. This was a year to elect officers and all incumbents were returned to office except treasurer Mike Godino, who has served the permitted three consecutive terms and was not eligible. Carla Ruschival was elected treasurer. (As a result of the California caucus and other input from members of our delegation at the convention, California voted 16 votes for Carla and 9 for John McCann from Virginia.) Beyond the general sessions, there were all sorts of attractions. We had a number of international attendees and, as usual, we kept 43 them busy with the Braille Revival League Breakfast, where they talked about braille in their countries and the International Relations Committee's "Voices Around the World" reception and program. Our official international guest was Dr. Francisco Lima, a college professor from Brazil. We also heard from Peter Grass from Berlin and Susan Thompson from Australia, who has been to many of our conventions. And there were others. Tuesday evening brought the usual Friends-In-Art Showcase of the Performing Arts, this year in a real nightclub setting. And you haven't lived until you have heard Carl 44 Augusto, CEO of the American Foundation for the Blind, sing "Does the Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavor on The Bed Post Overnight". Finally, there was the banquet, where more awards were presented, a sweepstakes drawing occurred and we played ACB History Jeopardy, which Roger Petersen won! He defeated three other contestants including past president Paul Edwards. This convention report is far from a complete accounting of the ACB Conference and Convention, but it gives you a snapshot of all the goings on at this massive gathering of the largest grass roots democratic organization in the United States of America, the American Council of the Blind! You may obtain additional information from us, the Braille Forum and the recorded archives. And there is nothing like being there. Plan to go. Try it; you'll like it! --------------------- Frequent Flyer Frustration Jo Carpignano Reading Steven Mendelsohn's excellent article "Update on Civil Rights in Air Travel" (Spring BC) inspired me to write about my own experience with making arrangements for air travel Bureaucratic woes plus challenges for a person with low vision added up to a tangled nightmare. Recently an opportunity arose to use frequent flyer miles for an upgrade when a friend and I decided to vacation in Hawaii. (I thought my long legs and temperamental artificial knees deserved this added luxury.) Regarding problems related to limited vision as discussed in Steven Mendelsohn's article, I've finally become comfortable with asking for assistance from strangers when trying to read departure screens, and United employees have 45 been consistently prompt and courteous when I request assistance in obtaining boarding passes. I no longer complain about not being able to see in-flight movies (screens will never be large enough or close enough). For the current trip, my flight plan was originally scheduled from San Francisco to Los Angeles, and from there to the island of Kauai. I had requested upgrades only for the long flights between Los Angeles and Kauai, which entailed a nonrefundable charge of almost $200. Almost immediately I regretted the impulse and wished I had not decided to be self indulgent. At the end of February when United Airlines changed my flight schedule to 46 add a side trip to Las Vegas and included a seating upgrade (which I had not requested) I decided to protest. The morning of March 10, I set aside two hours for the process of requesting a refund for the unasked-for upgrade. My first challenge was finding my way to the right department. I first dialed the wrong 800 number: "Select numbers one or eight for information on Go Cheap." "Find out more about Go Cheap by selecting . " Had I known this error was a portend of events to occur the next six hours, I would not have proceeded any further. My next dialing attempt got the message "Due to unexpectedly large volume in phone traffic there will be a short delay. Please wait, and your call will be answered in the order received. Or, you may wish to call at a later time." No way I would call later just to get another "wait in line" directive, and after a relatively short time, came the recorded message: "Thank you for choosing United Airlines; please select from one of the following four options: Departures and arrivals; Reservations; Request upgrade; Mileage plus or More options." Since I was calling about reservations already made with "mileage plus," I wondered which option to select: okay, "Mileage Plus." The next list of recorded selections included "New reservations; Upgrades; Enroll in Mileage Plus; or Manage my account." I wanted a refund on an upgrade; I didn't want to make a new reservation and was already enrolled in Mileage Plus, so I selected "Manage my account." Oops, that was another mistake, because all the options provided next were completely foreign to anything I wanted to do. Back to the beginning: this time I selected "Reservations" hoping for the right department. This time, pleased at having selected the correct option, I obtained a live 47 agent by selecting "Help." (Why wasn't that option available from the start?) I felt I was beginning to make progress until I was told that upgrades were not refundable (as if I didn't know). I explained that since I was being charged for an upgrade on a flight I had not requested, I should get a refund for that flight. As the agent reviewed my itinerary, she mentioned that my upgrade was for all flights between San Francisco and Kauai. I was stunned. "Not true," I insisted. "I requested upgrades only on the long flights between Los Angeles and Kauai. I never agreed to those other upgrades either." The agent hesitated, 48 then said (you knew this was coming right?) I could only obtain a refund on the computer. "I have limited vision and have trouble accessing small print on the computer." The agent informed me that if I needed special help I should speak to someone in the "special assistance" office; the agent further suggested that when I made the call, my computer should be available. At last, I am on my way, I thought. WRONG! Calling the number I'd been given, I spoke with a young lady who repeated the airline policy of "no refunds for upgrades." Once again I stated that United had added upgrade status to additional flights without my permission. She excused herself and left me holding the phone for almost ten minutes while checking my records. When she returned, she had a receipt number for me which I was to enter in the "Application for Refund" form. When I asked how to obtain that form, she said, "You go to United Airlines website and fill out the Refund Request Form," and then provided me with the website address. I began to feel uncomfortable. Why did I need to fill out a form? I had provided all the information needed for them to make corrections in their records, using their computers to correct their mistake, not mine. Setting aside my resentment, I located the website, and with a magnifier, began the process of searching for words that would lead to a refund form. It is not possible to enlarge internet print on my computer; using my magnifier was awkward, and though I tried for another hour to find the proper form, I remained unsuccessful. Mind you, I had been at this process since 10 a.m., and I was approaching my physical and mental limits. However, having come this far, and now in possession of a "receipt number", I refused to give up. I called the "special assistance" number again, and did something I always 49 hate to do. I played the handicapped card--all the way. "I'm sorry to call back again, but I'm over eighty years old; I don't hear very well, and I can't see hardly anything without a magnifier, and the computer screen has such small print, I can't find where to file for a refund." The young man at the other end of the line had a kind voice, and I decided to tell him the whole story--indicating my regret at asking for any upgrade, having the airlines add a flight to Las Vegas, their charging for upgrades I'd not requested, and referring me to a website so confusing I couldn't follow it. Unfortunately, I was so convincing that I started to feel sorry for 50 myself and found my voice trembling. The young man was sympathetic and asked how he could help. I told him I had a receipt number for an upgrade refund, but could not find my way to the application form on the airline's website. He reassured me that he would get someone to help me, "And then you won't be so stressed out," he concluded. He transferred my call, and once again I apologized for the repeated calls. I thought the young lady who responded was the same one who had earlier provided the "receipt number," but I didn't ask. I once again presented my problem about finding the proper form; she did indeed recall my name, and assured me that she would talk me through the application process. "Could you really do that?" I asked, incredulous that I would finally be able to complete this agonizing process. And sure enough, step by step she led me to the application form. The journey wasn't over yet, but there was light at the end of the tunnel, and I regained some of my lost confidence. The young lady patiently guided me to enter my receipt number. This form required two pages of information already available in my file with United: name, phone number, mileage plus number, email address, flight number and dates of departure and return. After entering the receipt number, my telephone guide left me to complete the rest of the required details on my own. This I can do, I told myself. Not quite! The format provided an interesting method for recording dates. Above the calendar for June, was a space for "departure date"; to the right of the box were the characters "MM/DD/YYYY. How quaint, I thought, they want the month, date and year in this space above the calendar. Why not just ask for it directly? I shrugged and typed in "April 8, 201" and could go no further. Strange that it would not accept the last digit in 2011. Surely the computer is 51 stuck, I thought. So I started all over again; no doubt you're ahead of me here: same problem. After more fruitless effort, it finally dawned on me that all the information should be entered in numerals: hence the MM/DD/YYYY. Whew! I completed the "date of departure"; now what? The next section was designed to record the departure and arrival airports for my flight. To the left on the screen was the instruction box for identifying airport codes. You can guess where this is going: another labor intensive effort to find how to scroll and select LAX and LIH, but I finally got it together. (You may have noticed that in the struggle to get 52 information interpreted and recorded, I had lost track of which flights I wanted a refund for.) When I clicked the "Send request" icon, it was just past 4:30, and I was a mess. I sat back and let the tears come. Not until I began to record this experience, did I realize that my refund for upgrade request should have been for different flights. Would I receive any refund? Did I accidentally cancel my flight? At this point, thoroughly exasperated, I reluctantly acknowledged defeat. The computer obstacles won the battle, and I surrendered. Hopefully, the receipt number issued to me would contain the correct refund details. I only knew I refused to return to that morass of obscure, irrelevant detail to make any corrections. I would know on April 8, if my valiant efforts to correct a small error was a tragedy or a success. Well I did get the refund for my upgrade fee, but on the morning of April 8, Higher Powers must have been smiling down on me. The bad news was our plane had a faulty part, the good news? The replacement aircraft was configured so all of us got comfy seating! -------------------- 53 CCB OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS 2011 [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, Donna Pomerantz (10-12 1st term) Pasadena, CA 91106 626 844-4388 h donna.pomerantz@ ccbnet.org 1st Vice President, Eugene Lozano, Jr. (*10-12 2nd term) Sacramento, CA 95841 eugene.lozano at ccbnet.org 2nd Vice President, Roger Petersen (*10-11 partial term) Mountain View, CA 94040 650 969-1688 h roger.petersen at ccbnet.org 54 Secretary, Gabe Griffith (*09-11 2nd term) Concord, CA 94521 916 505-8780 gabe.griffith at ccbnet. org Treasurer, Peter Pardini (10-12 1st term) Mill Valley, CA 94941 415 990-9202 c peter.pardini at ccbnet. org Immediate Past President, Jeff Thom (11-??) Sacramento, CA 95831 916-995-3967 C jeff.thom at ccbnet.org BOARD OF DIRECTORS Jerry Arakawa (09-11 4th term) Culver City, CA 90230 jerry.arakawa at ccbnet.org Leena Bandy (*10-12 1st term) Monrovia, CA 91016 818 987-4325 c leena.bandy at ccbnet. org Ardis Bazyn (*10-11 partial term) Burbank, CA 91504 ardis.bazyn at ccbnet.org Foster Brown (09-11 1st term) San Francisco, CA 94127 951 907-5872 c foster.brown at ccbnet. org Vincent Calderon (*10-12 2nd term) Pasadena, CA 91106 626 429-4539 c vince.calderon at ccbnet.org David Hanlon (10-12 1st term) San Diego, CA 92117 858 610-0825 c dave.hanlon at ccbnet. org David Jackson (10-12 3rd term) San Francisco, CA 94127 415 239-1873 david.jackson at ccbnet. org Dan Kysor (09-11 1st term) Sacramento, CA 95814 916 444-7753 h dan.kysor at ccbnet.org Linda Porelle (09-11 1st term) San Francisco, CA 94112 415 577-8437 c linda.porelle at ccbnet. org 55 PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE Bernice Kandarian, Chair Mountain View, CA 94040 650-969-3155 bernice.kandarian@ ccbnet.org Judy Wilkinson, Editor San Leandro, CA 94577 510 357-1844 h editor at ccbnet.org Winifred Downing San Francisco, CA 94122 winifred.downing@ ccbnet.org Evelyn Drewry Ramona, CA 92065 evelyn.drewry at ccbnet.org 56 Roger Petersen Mountain View, CA 94040 650 969-1688 roger.petersen at ccbnet.org Bonnie Rennie Santa Ana, CA 92705 bonnie.rennie at ccbnet. org Donna Sanchez San Jose, CA 95128 donna.sanchez at ccbnet.org Peter Schellin San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 peter.schellin at ccbnet. org Catherine Schmitt Whitaker Diamond Bar, CA 91765 catherine.schmitt@ ccbnet.org Susan Schulter Saratoga, CA 95070 susan.schulter at ccbnet.org Lynne Laird, Large Print Layout Berkeley, CA 94705 lynne.laird at ccbnet.org Technical Operations Group webmaster at ccbnet.org Greg Fowler John Glass Jeremy Johansen Facebook and Twitter Tom Randall From listmaster at ccbnet.org Mon Feb 6 01:53:38 2012 From: listmaster at ccbnet.org (List Master) Date: Sun, 5 Feb 2012 22:53:38 -0800 (Pacific Standard Time) Subject: [The Blind Californian] The Blind Californian, Winter 2012, Volume 56, No. 1 Message-ID: THE BLIND CALIFORNIAN Quarterly Magazine of the CALIFORNIA COUNCIL OF THE BLIND Winter, 2012 Volume 56, No. 1 Published in Braille, Large Print, Cassette, Email (bc-subscribe at ccbnet.org), and Online in readable and downloadable text and audio media Donna Pomerantz, President 1115 Cordova Street #402 Pasadena, CA 91106-3036 626-844-4388 donna.pomerantz at ccbnet.org Executive Office: California Council of the Blind 1510 J Street, Suite 125 Sacramento, CA 95814-2098 800-221-6359 toll free 916-441-2100 voice 916-441-2188 fax Email: ccotb at ccbnet.org Website: www.ccbnet.org San Francisco Bay Area Office: Catherine Skivers 836 Resota Street Hayward, CA 94545-2120 510-357-1986 cathie.skivers at ccbnet.org Los Angeles Area Office: Donna Pomerantz 1115 Cordova Street #402 Pasadena, CA 91106-3036 626-844-4388 donna.pomerantz at ccbnet.org Jeff Thom, Director Advocacy and Governmental Affairs 800-221-6359 toll free 916-995-3967 cell governmentalaffairs at ccbnet.org Webmaster: webmaster at ccbnet.org Judy Wilkinson, Editor: 1550 Bancroft Avenue #113 San Leandro, CA 94577-5264 510-357-1844 editor at ccbnet.org The CALIFORNIA CONNECTION is a weekly news service provided: by phone, in English and Spanish at 800-221-6359 Monday through Friday after 4 p.m. and all day on weekends and holidays; by email subscription, send a blank message to connection-subscribe at ccbnet.org; or on the web at www.ccbnet.org Submissions for the California Connection can be emailed to ca.connection at ccbnet.org. Non-members are requested and members are invited to pay a yearly subscription fee of $10 toward the production 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 Executive Office for other suggested forms. Thank you. 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 or 1800 words. The deadline to submit material for the Spring, 2012 issue of THE BLIND CALIFORNIAN is noon, March 1, 2012. Please send all address changes to the Executive Office. Table of Contents Editor's Page by Judy Wilkinson ............................. 1 President's Message by Donna Pomerantz ............. 3 Awards, Awards, Awards! by Roger Petersen, Awards Committee Chair ........................................ 7 A New Journey by Nichole Weakland .................... 11 CCB Fall Conference and Convention, October 26-30, 2011 by Susan Hyatt and Roger Petersen 15 CCB Membership Committee Report by David Jackson, Chair and Ardis Bazyn, Vice-Chair .......... 23 >From Low Vision to Blindness: Life Goes On by Connie Bateman ................................................... 26 Governmental Affairs Report by Jeff Thom ........... 34 Sierra Regional Ski For Light Celebrates Its Twentieth Anniversary by Margie Donovan ........... 40 Summary of Fall 2011 CCB Conference and Convention Resolutions by Jeff Thom ................... 41 Summaries of Conference Calls of The CCB Board of Directors by Gabe Griffith ................................. 43 CCB Officers and Directors 2012 ..................................... 51 1 Editor's Page Judy Wilkinson I've been thinking a lot about the word "giving" lately--it is the season after all. Thinking especially about the almost trite expression "the gift of giving". Such phrases don't become trite for nothing; they are truisms after all. Such a paradox: we give a gift but receive gifts as well. What a win-win situation! When we give to the CCB, almost the first "gift" we get back is friendship. We need only look at all the listings of holiday events among our chapters where the purpose for once is not fundraising; not advocating for a cause; not drumming up support but solely to join and visit with those who, through our joint work for the organization, have become our friends. Some of us are in a position to give money. My husband Steve and I have the pleasure of contributing the wine for Bayview Chapter's recent fundraising lasagna dinner. By the way, every cent of the cost of putting on that fundraiser was donated by someone. But the most precious gift we give each other is our time. That doesn't cost a penny. But even here when we "put in" we get back. Another win-win situation. Take our CCB president 2 for example. Few put in as much time as she does. But as we all have witnessed directly or understood from her messages to us, she and Mitch have been given the gift of love and prayer in abundance as they have coped with Mitch's recent health issues. Didn't cost a penny! I recently participated in the first annual mutt strut. I thought I was "giving". After all, I registered and paid for 3 participants and Steve and I incurred transportation costs to and from Sacramento. But what gifts I got back! Messages on my Mutt Strut page like "You go girl!" Or "I put in this odd amount to even up the total." Or, "We're glad to help such a good friend." And on that brisk sunny September day, I walked with 4 people around me in "Team charismatic Carly": my husband, nephew and 2 good friends, not forgetting my aforementioned faithful and loving guide dog Carly. To know that I have such support was a gift I hadn't counted on. At the recent conference and convention, members of CLUA of which I am president, were supportive and enthusiastic as we discussed affiliate expansion and fundraising ideas: what a gift! BRLC shared its exhibit hall table with us so members knew where to come to pay dues: a good deed of one group to another. Jews have a word for such a good deed a "mitzva". Those voting at the convention gave me the gift of electing me to the Board of Directors, allowing me another opportunity to give back to the organization. Elsewhere in this issue, Jeff Thom pleads with us to give our efforts to 3 legislative and advocacy issues in those economically troubled times. Donna keeps reminding us that we all have something we can give, something which costs nothing but our time and effort. Those gifts will be returned to you many times over. --------------- President's Message Donna Pomerantz As I write, 2011 is coming to an end. I have learned a great deal in this first year of my administration. Thanks to those who have expressed interest in serving on committees. It is never too late! We are still rebuilding some committees; they need you, and they are only as active and strong as you, the membership, choose to make them. I will put a portion of my president's report here in the BC; as those who attended know, I was unable to deliver it at the convention because I had to leave on Friday afternoon to rush Mitch to the emergency room after the doctor saw the results of an MRI given 4 to him earlier in the week. This was the result of an infection he had been fighting for over a month, which decided to settle in 2 disks and a vertebra in his neck. After a 6 day hospital stay, he came home and has been gaining strength--I wish I could tie him to his easy chair--but the pain in his neck and shoulders still remains when he coughs, sneezes or moves wrong. We went to the surgeon On December 5, and at this time, surgery will not be required, as the antibiotics are having an impact on the infection. The situation will be reassessed at the end of January. What I am learning and living from this (and hope to share with you) is things can change at a moment's notice from one extreme to another. It is very easy to be lulled into a false sense of comfort. We need to "be prepared", as the Boy Scouts of America say, for anything and ready to stand strong in the face of adversity and uncertainty. Believe me, that is not easy to do whether with the personal, in advocacy, with our professional and personal relationships, or working on projects that sometimes take more time than we expected. "Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." Confucius. Our ability to do this comes from several avenues. Some from within, and some from those who surround us who give us the support so that we may rise when we have fallen. Thank you to those who have been of great support and will continue to do so for me, for Mitch, and yes, for the California Council of the Blind! Our Conference and Convention theme this past fall was "CCB, Making A Difference; Advocacy In Action!" During these difficult times, we are making a difference because of you! We need to keep moving full speed ahead, making our collective voices heard if we want to continue having the quality of life we do now. I know things are not perfect; in fact there is much room for improvement, but it is critical at this time for us to roll up our sleeves and work the ground that is ours 5 together. "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." Martin Luther King Jr. Yes, many powerful quotes have been coming to mind this year and the above from Dr. King is one we must all remember. We must not be silent. We've had a number of "firsts" this year which took a large amount of work from a dedicated CCB core. If you have not heard, we were successful in our first ever, statewide, 2011 Mutt Strut 2K/5K FunRun/Walk which took place in Sacramento and Los Angeles. We made a profit and are hoping to do another one in 2012. Stay tuned for the announcement if approved by our Board! 6 We may be adding a third region if all goes as planned. I began my service representing CCB on the Blind Advisory Committee (BAC). We advise the Department of Rehabilitation on issues related to Blind Field Services and programs. The BAC has met twice since my appointment and meetings have been lively. I hope that you will call in or attend in person as observers, and you can also make public comment as well. I am serving as your representative, so please let me know what concerns you about Blind Field Services, or better yet, come and speak to the BAC during public comment directly representing yourself. We also have representation on other fronts: I have asked Jeff Thom to serve in the California Collaborative Group that is dealing with large scale systemic access in the areas of CMS Medicare- Medicaid (dual eligible's) and much more relating to healthcare, IHSS and other programs. He represents CCB well as an active part of this group. At our Fall Conference and Convention, we were fortunate, through the leadership of our Technology Committee, to have our first classroom set up to facilitate computer training and interaction. I'm looking forward to more in the future! We also had, through the efforts of GDUC, an Animal First Aid class that was very well received. I am pleased to say that we were successful in getting our "regulations" bill passed this year and so much more during a time when things in our state are problematic to put it mildly. You will read in future updates on structured negotiation and on what CCB has 7 been involved with on the legal front; yes we have been active there as well. Looking toward 2012, I see much movement and visibility for the Council, and I look forward to more "firsts" because of you! Wishing you a Happy New Year from the Pomerantz household in Pasadena! Be well and be good to one another. --------------- Awards, Awards, Awards! Roger Petersen, Awards Committee Chair CCB presents several awards to deserving individuals and groups at our spring conference and convention, and it is time for us to start preparing for these presentations. Some are presented by the Awards Committee and some are given by others. An awards overview follows, but first I want to tell you about an award we gave at the fall conference and convention, out of the normal sequence. 8 There is a couple who have functioned as the hospitality providers for the East Los Angeles Chapter of CCB for more than thirty years. Since we knew they could not attend the spring conference and convention in Northern California, we presented to them the Humanitarian Award at the fall Conference and Convention. Their plaque reads as follows: [smoked glass 8 By 10, silver underplate and silver lettering on black plate, landscape mode] California Council of the Blind Humanitarian Award to Virginia and Philip Garcia for their decades of service to the California Council of the Blind, primarily through its East Los Angeles Chapter; opening their home to chapter meetings, social and fundraising events and other functions; preparing and serving literally thousands of meals along with their warm welcome; giving those events the reputation as occasions not to be missed among CCB members in Southern California and beyond; and adding immeasurably to our esprit de corps. Presented this Twenty-ninth Day of October, 2011, in the City of Los Angeles, California. The Garcias were there with family and friends and were thrilled to receive this award. It's always more fun when the recipients are there! Now, back to the future, so to speak, besides the awards that the Awards Committee presents, the Publications Committee and the Membership Committee give awards. The Membership Committee's awards are described in the Membership article in this issue of the Blind Californian. The Publications Committee presents writing awards, which are usually based on articles written for the BC and chosen by vote of the committee. The only part the general membership might play in this process would be to recommend an article for consideration that appeared in some other publication. You do, however, have a part to play in the presentation of awards by the Awards Committee. We need you to submit letters to 9 the CCB office nominating people for these awards, so we will be presenting them to the most deserving people possible. These letters are due by February 15, 2012. Here are the awards and their criteria. The CCB Hall of Fame: up to five persons per year who have made significant contributions and sustained effort to advance the goals of CCB over a period of years, may be nominated. The CCB Community Service Award: presented annually to a blind or visually-impaired individual who, through his or her association and activities, has demonstrated integration into and 10 interaction with the life of the community. The CCB Distinguished Service Award: given periodically to an outstanding blind or visually-impaired person who has contributed significantly to the betterment of blind people in general. The recipient of this award need not be a member of CCB. The CCB Legislator of the Year Award: bestowed periodically on a state or federal legislator who has introduced and successfully directed enactment of legislation in behalf of persons who are blind or visually- impaired. The Humanitarian Award: granted to an individual or organization that has assisted blind people in general or CCB and its affiliates in particular to an extraordinary degree. The recipient may be blind or sighted. The CCB Merit Award (Formerly the Certificate of Merit): given to any individual who provides outstanding volunteer service to CCB, its chapters or affiliates. In closing, let me thank the members of the Awards Committee who have made the difficult decisions we must make: Susan Hyatt, Mary Beth Randall, Catherine Skivers and Michael Williams. --------------- 11 A New Journey Nichole Weakland [Editor's Note: In this issue, we present two accounts of adjusting to blindness. No matter how many times we learn of someone adjusting to vision loss, the story remains moving and inspiring. Notice how similar the themes are in both Nichole's and Connie's accounts: the personal struggle of dealing with the loss; combatting the negative attitudes of others; developing a support network, among others. Nichole is a CCB member-at-large and often attends meetings of the Inland Empire Chapter. I met her when she attended her first CCB convention this past fall. It is no accident that several of the people who aided Nichole are members of the CCB. And through our work we continually try to educate the public about negative attitudes toward blindness: especially ophthalmologists.] At age seventeen, I was entering my junior year of high school with an energetic spirit and a promising future in the field of art. I was a water colorist and mixed-media painter. Little did I know that my life would one day change drastically. That same year I was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), a degenerative retinal 12 disease causing the dying off of the retinas, eventually leading to blindness. The ophthalmologist was quite frank and told me that I should never have children. He then proceeded to say what a shame it was that I was losing my vision because I was such a pretty girl. I did not know what to think of his comments then; however I now think he was rather rude with poor bedside manners. Well luckily for me, my vision stayed strong up until my late twenties. So I remained pretty much in denial through my teenage years. I rationalized that there was no cure so why worry. That reasoning ceased after my vision worsened. In December 2009, I was contemplating my future. I had been home schooling my children, Zack and Nicolas for seven years and with Zack completing his schooling and Nick in sixth grade, I needed a new plan. My vision impairment was increasing, and it seemed more difficult to complete my daily tasks effectively. I was concerned about teaching with such hindrances. After carefully thinking, I decided it would be best to enroll Nicolas in a public school until I could receive the training that I needed to properly handle my condition. I knew this would benefit both my family and me. The road ahead seemed daunting. I was unaware of the accommodations that were available for the blind and visually impaired. I had heard of The Braille Institute and gave them a call, getting there from my home was too far for me to travel. My next choice, well only other choice, was The Lighthouse for the Blind in San Bernardino. It was there I began to learn braille from a wonderful and intelligent blind instructor, Joyce Miller. I also learned some basic computer skills from Steve Northup, who was very knowledgeable. It was also there that I was informed about the Department of Rehabilitation where I began a program set up by a dedicated and supportive counselor, Ed Crespin. I refined my 13 braille and computer skills with an excellent teacher, Andrea Pitsenbarger. I also received one-on-one orientation mobility training with an extremely talented and skilled trainer, Angie Ayala with Blind Support Services of Riverside. I am currently still training with both instructors for now. Presently I am attending college to complete my schooling to begin a new journey with a promising career. I am also being trained to receive a dog guide for my new life. For now I use a variety of colored canes to detect objects and locate my destination. The best thing I could do for myself and those who I love and care about was to embrace the changes 14 developing in my life. I see it as a gift from God. It may seem strange, but I actually have more opportunities ahead of me than before. It was and is difficult at times to deal with the fact that I will go blind some day; however I am more confident and secure in handling my fate more than ever. I must and want to acknowledge the tremendous encouragement and support system I have. My loving husband is very reliable and helpful with my needs. My two children are very understanding as well. My oldest son Zack is very caring and helps me around his already busy schedule. And Nicolas is a very good guide person. He told me one day that he was born to help me. There are many other individuals in my life that give me strength to march on as well. Having a church family is the best. The Department of Rehabilitation was one of the most important resources I discovered in my new journey. I am elated and sometimes overwhelmed in a good way with all of the wonderful things occurring to me now. I am forever grateful to all who encourage and inspire me to be the best person I can be. I appreciate this opportunity and many others that come my way. Perhaps you can say I see more clearly now than I ever did due to all of the preparation allotted to me. --------------- 15 CCB Fall Conference and Convention, October 26-30, 2011 Susan Hyatt and Roger Petersen This year the CCB 2011 fall conference and convention was held in Los Angeles, CA from October 26-30, 2011 at the Crowne Plaza LAX Hotel. We arrived the day before to prepare for the conference and convention, along with several others from The Silicon Valley Council of the Blind SVCB. On Thursday morning, a number of guide dog users (and a cat fancier) participated in a red-cross course on first aid for our four-footed friends. On Thursday afternoon, we attended the program by the Technology Committee. The first speaker was Mike Keithley who spoke on assistive technology for those people who have severe hearing and visual impairment. He shared with the audience some assistive technology devices he uses, including a neck loop connected backwards so as to "hear" magnetic noises in the environment. This was followed by a fascinating demonstration on low tech assistive technology items that can be found around the house, presented by Louis and Marie Herrera. The program ended with an open forum where questions on technology could be asked, and 16 hopefully answered. Next was a program presented by CCCLV. Leslie Burkhardt of the Braille Institute reported on the latest technology items for people with low vision. That evening featured the CCB board of directors meeting, during which convention goers get to see how our board conducts its business. The meeting is public, but the Board is under no obligation to provide the members present with information it has received. So sometimes, votes were taken on information packets in the members' possession but not known to those of us in the room. However any material such as the Treasurer's report or the report of the Publications Committee can be requested in your format of choice from the CCB office. Friday morning we went to the CCB credentials committee meeting, at which the committee does its best to find out just which chapters and statewide affiliates have delegates present at the convention. We were disappointed to learn that twelve affiliated organizations were absent. We were then confronted by concurrent sessions. The Braille Revival League of California (BRLC) had its business meeting, followed by a talk by Tom Treher, who is a blind freelance braille transcriber, applying braille translation software and then tweaking the resulting document to correct errors made by the software. He said he is compiling a list of funny translation errors such as putting the dot-5-o sign for "one" in the word "pioneer". After a short break, the California Library Users of America (CLUA) held its business meeting. Elections were held: Gloria Broderick was elected vice president; Connie Bateman was re-elected to her board position, and Judy Wilkinson was confirmed as delegate. CLUA will have a fundraising CLUA Crafts table at the spring convention. At the same time, there was the combined program presented by the Committee on 17 Access and Transportation (CAT) and the California Council of Citizens with Low Vision (CCCLV). Two workshops were presented by the Disability Rights Legal Center. The first workshop was on access to housing and basic rights for tenants with disabilities. These included how to make a request for modifications, reasonable accommodations, and a checklist of available resources. The second workshop was on access to healthcare, and rights as a consumer, Including modifications, checklist of available resources, and request to reasonable accommodations. Also in this session there was a presentation by Lawrence J. Rolon, 18 Coordinator for Disability Services, Los Angeles World Airports concerning the rights of disabled air travelers. He stressed that the airlines must have on site at all times a dispute resolution officer and you should ask for that person if you have problems with airline personnel. One issue which is being addressed now is putting service dog relief areas inside the security perimeters, so you don't have to go out and back into the security to relieve your dog. We attended a joint luncheon of the Braille Revival League of California (BRLC) and California Library Users of America (CLUA). The two speakers at the luncheon, Bonnie Grimm and Tracy Gaines, talked on the Braille transcribing services at the Braille Institute of America. The Friday afternoon general session, featured speakers from the Disability Rights Legal Center, Southern California Gas, the Department of Rehabilitation, Sacramento California, and Vanda Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the "sleep study" folks. After the general session, there were several concurrent committee meetings, followed by the Presidents dinner, during which we brainstormed about where CCB should be in five years. The Friday evening general session began with remembering CCB members who had passed away since the CCB spring conference and convention. Members observed a minute of silence for those we had lost. This was followed by Rob Turner's Credentials committee report; Dr. David Liao who gave a report on Understanding Clinical Trials; a final report on the First annual Mutt Strut. Chair Ken Metz and co-chairs Melissa Hudson and Jeff Thom, reported on this fundraiser for CCB that was held in Southern and Northern California. Over $3,200 was raised in this event, about $1,500 of which was profit. Jeff Thom then gave the Governmental Affairs 19 Report. He reported on the highlights of the victories and defeats of bills of interest to CCB that the state legislature had worked on. Michael Garrett gave a report on ACB. This includes federal legislation, as well as other activities of interest to the visually impaired. The most important business concluded the evening; the election of officers and directors. Rob Turner gave the Nominating Committee report followed by elections. Nominated for Second Vice President was Roger Petersen, who was elected by acclamation. Nominated for secretary by the Nominating Committee was Judy Wilkinson and from the floor, Gabe 20 Griffith. Gabe Griffith was elected. Nominated for directors and elected by acclamation were Ardis Bazyn, Linda Porelle, Erik Smiley, and Robert Wendt. One incumbent director who was nominated by the committee, Foster Brown, was defeated by Judy Wilkinson, running from the floor. Saturday morning we attended the joint program of Seniors with Vision Loss Committee and CCCLV. Part 1 was presented by the Seniors with Vision Loss Committee. Speakers from the Dayle McIntosh Center in Garden Grove gave information on Title VII chapter 2 services statewide and locally. One salient point was a comparison between agencies for the blind and visually impaired and independent living centers as providers of these programs. Part 2 was presented by CCCLV. Michael Silacci, AT&T regional Vice President reported on telephone services that AT&T has for consumers who are visually impaired. He then took questions from the floor. Following its business meeting in the morning, Guide Dog Users of California (GDUC) had a luncheon on Saturday, where Robert Wendt gave a monologue of the life of a guide dog from the dog's viewpoint. The Saturday afternoon general session offered some very entertaining and thought provoking speakers. First was Christopher Moody, Airport operations superintendent, Los Angeles World Airports, who gave an entertaining report on LAX, the Air City. LAX is the worksite for one tenth of all Los Angeles city employees and a major source of income for the city. The second speaker was Deborah Chang, attorney from Panish Shea & Boyle LLP. This firm handled the case of Cuthbertson v Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The case was about a man who fell off a light rail platform between cars, apparently mistaking the gap for a door into the car and was killed. A civil jury in this case awarded the family seventeen million dollars for wrongful death. [See a complete article on this subject "Mother Of Blind Man 21 Killed On Los Angeles County Metro Blue Line Awarded $17 Million" in the fall issue of the BC.] Ms. Chang gave a call to action for CCB members to make sure their public transit systems are safe for blind users. This was followed by an emotional speech by the brother of the man who was killed. The third speaker was Mark Jones, services for guests with disabilities, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. He reported on the new audio description technologies for those with hearing and vision loss at the Disneyland Parks. He then gave a demonstration of these devices. The final speaker was Peggy Garrett, chair of ACB Multicultural Affairs 22 Committee, who spoke to us about maintaining a multi-cultural perspective in advocating for our rights. After this general session, there was another period of concurrent committee meetings. The highlight of the conference and convention was the banquet. Reverend Michael Garrett was the guest speaker. Chapters donated money for the scholarship fund. Scholarship winners were also announced. An award was given to Phil and Virginia Garcia for their decades-long hosting the East Los Angeles chapter meetings in their home, along with cooking for the chapter meetings and social events. On Sunday, after the devotional services, the general session was devoted to the business of CCB. First up was Gabe Griffith who read the minutes of the CCB spring conference and convention. Peter Pardini then read the treasurer's report, which was approved by the membership. Jeff Thom gave the resolutions committee report. Nine resolutions were presented. [See summary elsewhere in this issue.] Some committee reports were given, followed by old and new business, announcements, and adjournment of the meeting. Such a report as this can never do justice to the CCB Conference and Convention. We didn't talk about the exhibits, or some special training workshops on accessing the web with WindowEyes and others. The only way to really experience the Conference and Convention is to attend it. Try it, you'll like it! 23 Get your chapter to raise funds and send you next time, in April in Burlingame. Next best is to listen online as we stream it on ACB Radio, and don't forget, you can always listen to or download the convention archives from the CCB website or request the cassette version from the office. --------------- CCB Membership Committee Report David Jackson, Chair and Ardis Bazyn, Vice-Chair At the fall convention, the CCB Membership Committee hosted an interesting breakfast seminar. We discussed the topic of social networking. Tom Randall told us about using FaceBook. He explained how once you have joined FaceBook, you can use the easier to use site: m.facebook.com to read messages and some other functions. Melissa Hudson told us how easy Twitter is to use and encouraged chapters and affiliates to try it. Some participants shared how they are using FaceBook and LinkedIn to contact 24 friends and colleagues in the blindness field. Many CCB members are on FaceBook and we encourage chapters to place a page on FaceBook or try Twitter. You can also read the article from the ACB Membership Focus call on Social networking: How it works in the Braille Forum. If your chapter is having any membership related issues or wishes to discuss how to build membership, please contact David Jackson, CCB Membership Chair, at (415) 239-1873 or email: david.jackson at ccbnet.org. For articles about building membership, feel free to contact Ardis at (818) 238-9321 or email: abazyn at bazyncommunications.com. Each chapter and affiliate should have at least one of your members subscribed to the CCB Membership email list. Articles of interest on building membership and publicizing your events are shared. This also is a good forum to ask questions on topics or issues related to membership. Please email your request to join the list to Ardis Bazyn at the above email address. CCB Membership Awards The Chapter of the Year Award is presented by the CCB Membership Committee at each Spring CCB Convention. This award is presented to the CCB chapter that conducts a group effort to make a significant difference in the life of an individual and/or the community. The Chapter of the Year award is given to the chapter with the best overall chapter project for the previous year. We will be accepting letters from chapters for projects developed and completed in 2011. Please submit letters to the CCB state office by February 15, 2012. In the letter, please explain the group chapter project, who benefited from the effort, and the time-line of the project. We would like to be able to present this award at the 2012 Spring CCB Convention, provided we receive letters. Unfortunately, we did not have any letters submitted for the 2010 Award. 25 Win one of the CCB Membership Incentive Awards! These awards are presented at every CCB Spring Convention to the CCB chapters or affiliates having the highest membership increase between the previous Spring CCB Convention and the current Spring CCB Convention. One award is for the highest number of members increased during the previous year and the second award is for the largest percentage increase in membership between the previous spring CCB Convention and the current Spring CCB Convention. We hope all chapters and affiliates will work on building their membership count. --------------- 26 >From Low Vision to Blindness: Life Goes On Connie Bateman For most of my life, a person with low vision, I was able to read regular print with a hand held or video magnifier, or I could read large print. I could see some signs and traffic lights using a low vision device. For many years, I traveled without a white cane, but I got tired of bus drivers yelling at me when I asked them what the bus numbers were and informed them that I couldn't see the numbers. I was blessed with functional vision for many years. Born with retinopathy of prematurity, I was not getting enough oxygen at birth, so the doctors and nurses put me in an incubator and turned up the oxygen too high causing scars in the retina. Since the retina is located in back of the eye, my vision could not be corrected with glasses. During my childhood years, I gradually lost all the sight in my right eye due to a cataract and glaucoma. Later in my adult life, I developed a cataract and glaucoma in my left eye. About three years ago, the vision in that left eye began to get blurry, becoming so bad that I would stumble off of curbs as I was traveling to work on the buses. It got to the point that I couldn't even see the school building where I work. I didnt know how to use a white cane correctly because for several years, I used the travel vision in my left eye, using the cane primarily on my right side to compensate for my blind right eye. Well, traveling to work was getting dangerous and scary, so I reopened my case with the State Department of Rehabilitation so I could get some instruction from an orientation and mobility specialist to learn how to use the cane properly and instruction from a living skills instructor so I could feel comfortable around the stove and oven again and learn techniques for labeling and identifying items in my home. I'm writing this article to help those of you who are currently experiencing vision loss or who have already lost 27 a significant amount of vision. I will share some of the strategies I used for coping with this loss. I want you to know that although this is a tremendous loss, your life is not over. You can live a rich and productive life if you choose to do so. The first thing I did in coping with blindness was to go through the typical stages of loss. Initially, I went through a period of denial. I purchased a video magnifier with color options hoping this would help me to see print better and hoping that my remaining vision would not get worse. I even went through a low vision evaluation and tried a portable video magnifier reading one huge word at a time. I told the eye 28 doctor who was doing the evaluation that I had a cataract in my left eye. He checked it and said it actually wasnt that bad. However, he said my pressure was very high and that I needed to see my ophthalmologist that day! It took a few minutes for this to sink in. What I finally realized he was saying was that the pressure was up in my good eye. I went to see my ophthalmologist right after the low vision evaluation. That's when the roller coaster journey began. My ophthalmologist said the fluid was not draining properly in that eye. She would need to do laser surgery to poke a hole in the iris so the fluid could drain properly and then the pressure would go down. She eventually sent me to a colleague at the UC Davis Medical Center to do additional laser surgeries because they had more sophisticated equipment. I had about four laser surgeries. The pressure in that eye eventually went down, but I finally lost the remaining vision in that eye. On top of all this, I had developed a neurological condition wherein the brain kicks into hallucination mode due to an empty visual pathway. After a period of denial, I went through periods of anger, frustration and depression. I was afraid to go out of my house. Well, I'm not the type of person who engages in a pity party for very long. I realized that isolating myself was the worst thing I could do in coping with this loss. I needed to stay connected with my family, friends, the blind community, and my church family. I continued to travel to work with the help of an orientation and mobility specialist, and I continued to sing in the choir at my church. I alerted my friends and family about what was going on with my vision loss. As I was going through these stages of grief, I got a team of experts to help me deal with the loss. This team included: a Department of Rehabilitation counselor, an orientation and mobility specialist, a living skills instructor, a computer technology trainer, an ophthalmologist, and a clinical psychologist. 29 Yes, I saw a psychologist. I dont care how many skills you acquire. If you don't deal with the psychological and emotional aspects of blindness, you're only dealing with part of the problem. The rehabilitation counselor worked with me to develop a plan for employment retention. The orientation and mobility specialist instructed me on how to travel safely and efficiently to work and around my community and workplace. The living skills instructor instructed me on how to label and identify items at home and at work and how to operate equipment safely while cooking in the kitchen. The computer technology trainer installed a talking 30 screen reader program on my desktop computer and taught me how to use the computer as well as an electronic Braille note taker and a digital recorder/player for downloading books and recording notes. The ophthalmologist monitored my eye health. The clinical psychologist helped me to deal with my mental and emotional wellbeing. To enhance my skills even more, the Department of Rehabilitation sent me to the Orientation Center for the Blind in Albany. The director allowed me to attend the center for only two months in the summer because he knew I had to return to work in late August. The wonderful thing about attending a center like this was that everyone was dealing with sight loss. The classes I took were computer class, pre-vocational skills, (the gadget class) home repair, orientation and mobility, cooking, and living skills. I didn't need to take the Braille class because I learned the Braille code when I was a young adult. I tutored a few of the students in the Braille class, which made me feel good, knowing I was helping a few of the other students. After I completed the program at the Orientation Center for the Blind, the Department of Rehabilitation was able to close my case because I reached my goal of employment retention. I was able to keep my job as a teacher of English to speakers of other languages in an adult education school. The first reason I have been able to remain employed is that I have acquired the skills I need to do the job. These skills include: Braille reading and writing skills, computer technology skills, organizational skills, orientation and mobility, and living skills. The other reason I have been able to keep my job is that the administrators and resource specialists at my school are very supportive and encouraging. I was permitted to have my computer technology trainer install a talking screen reader program on my work computer, and the school purchased a scanner so 31 I can read regular printed documents. In addition to these accommodations, I have been provided with a para-educator who assists me in the classroom by monitoring the students work, operating audio visual equipment, writing things on the board, correcting papers, and doing online attendance. She also assists me after school by writing down my lesson plans and organizing and preparing materials. In spite of my sight loss, I still lead an active life. I belong to the CCB Capital Chapter. Shortly after I lost my sight, I served as the recording secretary for the chapter. I recorded the meetings on my Victor Reader Stream and took notes on the meetings 32 using my Perkins Braille writer. I also read the minutes in Braille. I'm currently serving as a board member in the chapter and for the affiliate of the California Library Users (CLUA). I still sing in my church choir. I transcribe the words in braille and learn the music by ear. I attend a support and networking group for visually-impaired people. I'm bringing this up because I want to emphasize the importance of getting connected with other blind and visually-impaired people. This is a great way to get support and encouragement and to network and exchange resources with others. Finally I would like to make a comment about travel skills. When I was younger and had functional vision, my definition of orientation and mobility was to have the ability to travel on my own with no help from others. Now that I'm functionally blind, my definition has changed. I currently define it as doing whatever it takes to get me from one point to another. My husband is retired, so he drives me to and from work now. I take buses with friends. I occasionally use paratransit services and taxis. I'm not ashamed that I don't use buses exclusively because I have done my time on the bus. There's nothing wrong with asking others for help. Just remember to reciprocate by doing things such as offering to pay for gas or taking them out for lunch and letting them know you appreciate their help. I travel with friends because it's more fun and safer than traveling alone. When I first lost my sight, a few well-meaning sighted people asked me if I was planning to get a guide dog. Notice they didn't ask me if I was planning to use a white cane. I had to patiently explain to them that before considering the possibility of getting a guide dog, I had to work on my orientation and mobility skills. They didn't understand this. They seemed very sure that having a guide dog would help me. It never occurred to them that I knew best what would help me and that this is a personal choice. The white cane is just as legitimate a tool as a 33 guide dog. Whatever method you choose for traveling, do whatever you need to do to get out of your house and get connected with other people. As you can see, even if you lose your sight, you don't need to lose your life. Stay connected to your friends and family members; get connected with the blind community; get a team of experts to help you cope with your vision loss; get the skills you need to continue doing what you enjoy doing, and you will find that your blindness doesn't need to be an obstacle. Just remember that dealing with blindness is a process and a journey. There will always be new things to learn, and there will always be wonderful people who 34 are willing to help you learn them. If you have lost your sight, I hope this article has been a source of hope and encouragement. --------------- Governmental Affairs Report Jeff Thom This will end up being more of a column or blog, which, although that word pertains to the internet, is the phrase that may someday totally replace the term column. However, before getting onto my soap box, I wanted to report on a significant victory for CCB and for all Californians with severe vision loss. Assembly Bill 410, which requires certain state agencies, upon request, to put proposed regulations in a narrative description that can be interpreted by screenreaders, was signed into law by the Governor. We are very grateful to Assemblymember Swanson for sponsoring this bill. We would have liked the bill to apply to all state agencies, but sometimes you need to take what you can get and then go back for more. I'd like to express my profound appreciation to those of you who wrote or called on behalf of this bill and those involved in Capitol Day. Your efforts did bear fruit, and perhaps that victory is an excellent segue to the rest of this report. I can't count the number of times Ive heard people say that I can't help with advocacy efforts because I don't know how to do it or because were doing well anyway so why bother or maybe it's just because I am too busy with everything going on in my life. Well, things aren't so good anymore, and those other excuses are just fine if you don't mind heading down a slope that may impact someone else today, but you tomorrow. To illustrate my point, let's take some examples, first from Sacramento and then from Washington, DC. In January 2012, almost certainly, large funding reductions for the In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) 35 Program and in funding for persons with developmental disabilities will occur. This is because the state budget required these cuts if prescribed revenue projections were not met, and as of this writing, everyone believes that will not happen. Moreover, although less certain, it is also possible that large cuts in education funding will occur. These cuts, if they occur, will adversely impact both kindergarten-12th grade students and those in community college. Certainly students with visual impairments will suffer just as will their sighted peers. These funding reductions come in the wake of severe Medi-Cal and other programmatic budget cuts that have already 36 been adopted and are being put into effect. Furthermore, revenue projections indicate additional state budget deficits, thus potentially requiring even deeper cuts. Turning to Washington, the outlook is similarly bleak. As most of you know, the so-called Super Committee was established as part of the summer's debt ceiling deal. Just before Thanksgiving, it was supposed to present Congress with a plan to reduce the budget deficit in future years. If the committee could not reach an agreement, then automatic across-the-board reductions in federal programs are supposed to occur commencing with the 2013 federal fiscal year, which begins October 1, 2012. As you probably know, that committee failed in its efforts. Now, Congress has to either figure out how to cut the budget beginning with the 2013 federal fiscal year or come up with another deal combining cuts and revenue increases. Whatever happens, the signs are ominous. Even the Democrats on the Super Committee, who were seeking revenue increases opposed by Republicans, offered very large cuts in a variety of federal programs, including both Medicare and Medicaid, which partially funds and governs California's Medi-Cal program. So far, federal funding for rehabilitation services has gone largely untouched, but across-the-board cuts may totally change that dynamic. Since federal funds comprise almost 90% of California's rehabilitation program funding, such cuts could be disastrous, even if they are only say 5%. Moreover, we could also see cuts in state funding for rehabilitation as well. Just as state funding for public transit has already taken hits, federal funding for that purpose will also be under attack because of the Super Committee's inaction. I could go on and on about other programs that impact each and every one of us and the potential for reductions in state or federal funding or both. So where does all this doom and gloom get us? 37 It means that, regardless of whether we like the idea of fighting both taxpayer groups and other interests that want competing programs, we need to fight harder than we have in more than half a century if we are to even maintain what we have and hopefully win some small victories along the way toward expanding programs in ways that benefit us. For example, notwithstanding potential Medicare reductions, the American Council of the Blind is working for coverage of low-vision aids, and this is a battle that we can't afford to give up on. With regard to our advocacy efforts, I'd first like to tell you what CCB is doing, and then 38 suggest what you can do. As I informed those attending our recent Fall Conference and Convention, at the outset of her term, President Pomerantz told me that we needed to become a far more active and visible presence in Sacramento. We have worked diligently to implement this directive, in addition to continuing to work on our more traditional issues, such as those impacting rehabilitation consumers and blind vendors. For example, we have become active in a coalition for the In-Home Supportive Services Program, and another coalition composed of advocacy organizations, health care provider organizations, and health plans relating to long-term care (whether in facilities of various types or at home). We have begun working with the California Transcribers and Educators of the Blind and Visually Impaired on concerns surrounding state contracts for the preparation of large print and braille textbooks. We are trying to send out more information to you on programs of importance. Most importantly, we know that we have only begun to scratch the surface of working on the issues that impact us. So what can you do? First, if you were ever complacent about the programs that help us in our daily lives, you had better realize that the time for complacency is long gone. It is very true that the squeaky wheels get the grease, and we can't afford to sit around and hope for the best. When we seek your help with emails, phone calls, or letters, or perhaps even petitions, we need you to mobilize. Get others involved as well, whether it be fellow CCB members, others from the blindness community, or family and friends. Don't be afraid to get to know your member of Congress and your state legislators. Get on their mailing lists and be on their conference calls. Attend events where you can meet them, because next time you may need to call upon them to support or oppose something. If you don't know who they are or where their local offices are, then 39 ask a chapter leader or contact me for assistance. If you are knowledgeable about certain programs and want to assist us, let me or President Pomerantz know. We can always use more of our members on advisory committees. Finally, if there are issues that you think we are not adequately addressing, let us know what you think we need to be doing and if you don't get action right away, just keep after us. If you are concerned about your ability to help advocate, ask your chapter leaders or me for assistance. In this case, the worst thing you can do is nothing. CCB is, far and away, the most effective advocacy organization of Californians who are 40 blind or visually impaired. However, in these beleaguered times, the stakes are quite high and our success will depend in large part on whether we have the will to redouble our efforts. One thing is certain; we cannot afford to do less. --------------- Sierra Regional Ski For Light Celebrates Its Twentieth Anniversary Margie Donovan The Sierra Regional Ski For Light (SRSFL) invites you to participate in one or more of our three on-the-snow events in 2012. We will have two single-day ski and/or snowshoe events: the first on January 21 and the second on February 11. Both of these events take place at Tahoe Cross Country, Tahoe City, California. For further information on the single-day events, contact Betsy Rowell at 916-362-5557 or email her at montbets at pacbell.net. Our three-day event will take place March 10-12 at Tahoe Donner Cross Country in Truckee, California. At this event we will be celebrating our 20th anniversary! For further information on the three-day event contact Cindy Quintana at 510-483-2948 or at CindyQ12345 at sbcglobal.net. Although the deadline for signing up for these events is January 1, 2012, we realize some of you may not read this until after that date. Please contact Betsy or Cindy immediately to make arrangements if you plan to attend. No previous experience with cross country skiing or snow shoeing is required to participate in any of our events. SRSFL has great guides 41 and instructors. For further information on SRSFL, or to get the downloadable application, visit our website at www.SRSFL.org. If the phone works better for you, contact one of the above coordinators. We look forward to seeing many new faces on the snow this season. --------------- Summary of Fall 2011 CCB Conference and Convention Resolutions Jeff Thom The following nine resolutions were adopted by the membership at our Fall 2011 Conference and Convention. 2011B-01 strongly urges the board of directors of the Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, as well as its executive director, to reaffirm the provision of recreational opportunities as the primary mission of Enchanted Hills Camp, and to continue administering the camp in accordance with that mission. 42 2011B-02 Directs the president of this organization to immediately appoint a taskforce charged with drafting legislation, in accordance with specified requirements, that seeks to ensure the Department of Rehabilitation will be better able to select a qualified person for the position of Orientation Center for the Blind (OCB) Administrator, with such legislation to be introduced at the earliest possible time. 2011B-03 expresses the organization's profound appreciation to the Crowne Plaza LAX Hotel staff for their outstanding efforts at the CCB Fall 2011 Conference and Convention. 2011B-04 expresses the organization's profound appreciation for the outstanding efforts of each and every volunteer at the CCB Fall 2011 Conference and Convention. 2011B-05 adds to those detectable warning specifications for which this organization advocates a requirement that detectable warning surfaces be in an in-line grid pattern with a vertical and horizontal center-to-center truncated dome spacing of 2.4 inches. 2011B-06 insists that the Department of Rehabilitation uphold its legal obligation to provide training materials in accessible formats, whether or not those materials are produced by the department itself or by an outside entity. 2011B-07 strongly urges the California Department of Transportation to rescind the fee structure to be imposed on roadside rest area vendors and to involve stakeholders, including the California Vendor Policy Committee and the CCB, in determining the design for any fee structure. 2011B-08 strongly urges the Legislature and the Governor to enact no further reductions in funding for the IHSS program and, instead, 43 delay or otherwise limit the reductions that will go into effect on January 1, 2012 should specified state revenue projections not be met. 2011B-9 strongly urges the Department of Rehabilitation to rescind its current policy on payment of the community college rate for consumers attending four-year institutions and, instead, provide for payment of the applicable four-year public institution rate for consumers completing their lower division coursework. --------------- Summaries of Conference Calls of The CCB Board of Directors Gabe Griffith May 12 2011, pre-convention CCB board meeting minutes 44 President Pomerantz called the meeting to order. Present were President Donna Pomerantz 1st VP Gene Lozano, 2nd VP Roger Petersen, Secretary Gabe Griffith, Treasurer Peter Pardini, Immediate Past President Jeff Thom, Board members Jerry Arakawa, Leena Bandy, Ardis Bazyn, Foster Brown, Vince Calderon, David Hanlon, David Jackson, Dan Kysor, and Linda Porelle. The microphone was then passed around and those guests in attendance introduced themselves. There was then a motion passed to adopt the agenda. The board next approved the January 27 2011 minutes. Peter Pardini then went over several financial reports including: account balance: balance sheet as of March 31 2011: statement of income and expenses (total income less expenses is $23,579): comparison of expenses for the first three months of this year compared to 2010: report of the funds provided to CCB by the Newel Perry endowment (almost half remains): convention audio equipment (a motion was passed to make funds available for new equipment): proposed 2011 budget (Total proposed income is $286,420. Total proposed expenses are $351,001. Budget income less expenses is negative $64,581.), the board adopted the budget: and an update on the 2010 budget. Jeff next read the Newel Perry trust fund report submitted by Cathie Skivers. The fund had $180,054.57 on May 10. The board accepted this report. Next, Jeff read the Ellen Murphy trust fund submitted by Cathie Skivers. As of May 10, this fund had a total of $256,872.00. Included in the report was a notice that an anonymous person had donated $5,000 to this fund. The board accepted the report. After an evening recess Jeff read the mutt strut report submitted by Ken Metz. The mutt strut will be held on September 10 in Sacramento and Los Angeles locations and registration is $25. The event is not just for guide dogs. Donna 45 thanked Ken, Jeff, and Melissa Hudson for all of their work on this event. Bernice Kandarian gave the publications report. Email subscriptions of the Blind Californian are up by more than 50 subscribers. It was decided to approve the publications committee request for funds to print more copies of the Courtesy Guidelines brochure. There is a technical operations group working on the CCB website and email lists. The CCB FaceBook and twitter pages should be live soon. It was decided for the president to set up an ad hoc committee to investigate a candidates' forum and how it could work. A motion was passed for the president to set up an ad hoc committee to 46 decide criteria for how a person or group could receive a certificate of appreciation. There was a discussion on the progress of bids for future spring conventions. The board will be discussing these at a future conference call and Donna will be sure the information is published for CCB members to be able to attend. Next the board approved a donor privacy policy. One had not previously existed. At this point it was announced that Frank Welte would be leaving his position as governmental affairs director with CCB. Jeff will be filling this position on a volunteer basis but CCB will pay any expenses he incurs in this capacity. After few public comments the board meeting was adjourned at 9:07 PM. May 23 2011 conference call The meeting was called to order at 7:37 PM. Present were President Donna Pomerantz, 1st VP Gene Lozano, 2nd VP Roger Petersen, Secretary Gabe Griffith, Treasurer Peter Pardini, Immediate Past President Jeff Thom, Board members Jerry Arakawa, Leena Bandy, Vince Calderon, David Hanlon, David Jackson, Linda Porelle. Absent were Ardis Bazyn, Foster Brown, and Dan Kysor. The only item on the agenda in this meeting was the acceptance of an independent contractor position. This discussion was held in executive session. The result of the executive session was that it was decided to approve the independent contractor position. The meeting was adjourned at 9:36 PM. August 30,2011 The meeting was called to order at 7:37 PM. Present were: President Donna Pomerantz, 1st VP Gene Lozano, 2nd VP Roger Peterson, Secretary Gabe Griffith, Treasurer Peter Pardini, Immediate Past President Jeff Thom, Board members: Jerry Arakawa, Leena Bandy, Ardis Bazyn, Foster 47 Brown, Vince Calderon, David Hanlon, David Jackson, Dan Kysor, and Linda Porelle. The board first approved the meeting minutes from May 12 and May 23 2011. Vehicle donations have been improving. The board moved to take advantage of television advertising on KCBW TV in the bay area. The ad had been created using text from a PSA Jeff created in 2010. There was a discussion of how important it is to have capitol day be run in conjunction with the convention. It was pointed out that many more people from the southern part of the state are able to participate in capitol day when it is with the 48 convention. As such, the board passed a motion to give more importance to hotel bids in Sacramento for spring conventions. The board passed a motion to transfer $30,000 from savings to the operating funds to cover expenses. CCB needs to have a better policy for checks that do not get cashed. Peter went over a proposed policy. After a couple of minor amendments the policy was adopted. The board entered executive session to discuss personnel matters. There was no action taken. There has been an application submitted for a new chapter charter. Gabe discussed that the Contra Costa chapter has submitted its constitution and roster as well as paid dues for its members to the CCB office. The charter application was approved. The meeting was adjourned at 10:53 PM. September 21, 2011 The meeting was called to order at 7:31 PM. In attendance were President Donna Pomerantz, 1st VP Gene Lozano, 2nd VP Roger Peterson, Secretary Gabe Griffith, Immediate Past President Jeff Thom, Board Members Jerry Arakawa, Ardis Bazyn, Vince Calderon, David Hanlon, David Jackson, Dan Kysor, and Linda Porelle. Absent were Treasurer Peter Pardini, Board Members Leena Bandy, and Foster Brown. There were also several guests in attendance. The first item on the agenda was the 2010 audit and it was decided to table this until the next board meeting. There was then a discussion and several motions regarding convention meal prices. It was voted to rescind motion 2010-14 which increased meal prices by $5. The board then voted on the prices for the fall 2011 convention. The next item the board discussed was the site for the spring conventions in 2013 and 2014. There were three 49 bids presented. These were for the Hyatt in Santa Clara, the Doubletree in San Jose, and the Arden West Hilton hotel in Sacramento. After input from both board members and guests it was decided on the bid from the Arden West Hilton Hotel in Sacramento for both years. The meeting adjourned at 8:54 PM. September 28, 2011 The meeting was called to order at 7:08 PM. Present were President Donna Pomerantz, 1st VP Gene Lozano, 2nd VP Roger Petersen, Secretary Gabe Griffith, Treasurer Peter Pardini, Immediate Past President Jeff Thom. 50 Board members Jerry Arakawa, Foster Brown, Vince Calderon, David Hanlon, David Jackson, Dan Kysor, and Linda Porelle. Absent were Leena Bandy, and Ardis Bazyn. The board entered executive session. In the executive session it was decided to enter in to structured negotiations with Kaiser, to sign on as the main plaintiff in a lawsuit against Lane Bryant, and the health package to use for the CCB admin assistant. The board then left executive session. The board then approved the minutes from the August 30 and September 21 2011 meetings. The board then discussed the 2010 audit. Peter stated that CCB is improving the accounting procedures and looks good. Gene pointed out that the auditors wanted to see an objective financial return strategy and a spending policy for CCB. The board moved to approve the 2010 draft audit. There was then a discussion of the convention announcements. Some versions were ready for mailing while others were not. It was decided to mail the ones that were available for sending and to mail the rest when they were ready. The convention committee is going to discuss some ideas for chapters and affiliates getting information in to the office in a timelier manner so the announcements can be ready earlier. The credentials committee and CCB president would like to 51 see chapters getting their credential forms in earlier. Some chapters have been dragging in getting this done. The meeting adjourned at 10:50 PM. --------------- CCB OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS 2012 [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, Donna Pomerantz (10-12 1st term) Pasadena, CA 91106 626 844-4388 h donna.pomerantz at ccbnet.org 1st Vice President, Eugene Lozano, Jr. (*10-12 2nd term) Sacramento, CA 95841 eugene.lozano at ccbnet.org 52 2nd Vice President, Roger Petersen (*11-13 1st term) Mountain View, CA 94040 650 969-1688 h roger.petersen at ccbnet.org Secretary, Gabe Griffith (*11-13 3rd term) Concord, CA 94521 925 768-8195 c gabe.griffith at ccbnet.org Treasurer, Peter Pardini (10-12 1st term) Mill Valley, CA 94941 415 990-9202 c peter.pardini at ccbnet.org Immediate Past President, Jeff Thom (11-??) Sacramento, CA 95831 916-995-3967 C jeff.thom at ccbnet.org BOARD OF DIRECTORS Leena Bandy (*10-12 1st term) Monrovia, CA 91016 818 987-4325 c leena.bandy at ccbnet.org Ardis Bazyn (*11-13 1st term) Burbank, CA 91504 ardis.bazyn at ccbnet.org Vincent Calderon (*10-12 2nd term) Montclair, CA 91763 626 429-4539 c vince.calderon at ccbnet.org David Hanlon (10-12 1st term) San Diego, CA 92117 858 610-0825 c dave.hanlon at ccbnet.org David Jackson (10-12 3rd term) San Francisco, CA 94127 415 239-1873 h david.jackson at ccbnet.org Linda Porelle (11-13 2nd term) San Francisco, CA 94112 415 577-8437 c linda.porelle at ccbnet.org Erik Smiley (11-13 1st term) Santa Rosa, CA 95401 707 536-7965 c erik.smiley at ccbnet.org Robert Wendt (11-13 1st term) Long Beach, CA 90814 562 438-7100 h robert.wendt at ccbnet.org Judy Wilkinson (11-13 1st term) San Leandro, CA 94577 510 357-1844 h judy.wilkinson at ccbnet.org 53 PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE Bernice Kandarian, Chair Mountain View, CA 94040 650 969-3155 bernice.kandarian at ccbnet.org Judy Wilkinson, Editor San Leandro, CA 94577 510 357-1844 h editor at ccbnet.org Annette Carter Clovis, CA 93611 annette.carter at ccbnet.org Winifred Downing San Francisco, CA 94122 winifred.downing at ccbnet.org Evelyn Drewry Ramona, CA 92065 evelyn.drewry at ccbnet.org 54 Susan (Schulter) Glass Saratoga, CA 95070 susan.glass at ccbnet.org Roger Petersen Mountain View, CA 94040 650 969-1688 roger.petersen at ccbnet.org Bonnie Rennie Santa Ana, CA 92705 bonnie.rennie at ccbnet.org Donna Sanchez San Jose, CA 95128 donna.sanchez at ccbnet.org Peter Schellin San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 peter.schellin at ccbnet.org Catherine Schmitt Whitaker Diamond Bar, CA 91765 catherine.schmitt at ccbnet.org Lynne Laird, Large Print Layout Berkeley, CA 94705 lynne.laird at ccbnet.org Technical Operations Group webmaster at ccbnet.org Hizuru Cruz Greg Fowler John Glass Jeremy Johansen Phill Obregon Facebook and Twitter Tom Randall