THE BLIND CALIFORNIAN
Quarterly Magazine of the
California Council of the Blind
Spring 2025
Volume 69, No. 2

Published in Email (bc+subscribe@ccblists.groups.io) and online in readable and downloadable text and audio media.

Sarah Harris President, Fresno CA
president@ccbnet.org

Executive Office
California Council of the Blind
8880 Cal Center Dr. Suite 400
Sacramento, CA 95826
916-441-2100 voice; 916-441-2188 fax; 1-800-221-6359 Toll Free
Email: ccotb@ccbnet.org
Website: www.ccbnet.org

Governmental Affairs Committee
Joshua Sanders and Alice Turner, Co-Chairs
800-221-6359 Toll Free
governmentalaffairs@ccbnet.org

Webmaster
webmaster@ccbnet.org

Mike Keithley, Editor
650-714-5971
editor@ccbnet.org
Susan Glass, Associate Editor
408-257-1034
editor@ccbnet.org
Deb Runyan, proofing and large print production.

Andrea DeKlotz, CCB Courier Editor
Email submissions for the CCB Courier to:
submit.courier@ccbnet.org
The CCB Courier is a weekly news service provided:
By phone: at 800-221-6359 Monday through Friday after 5 PM and all day on weekends and holidays.
By email subscription: send a blank message to:
courier+subscribe@ccblists.groups.io
Or on the web at:
www.ccbnet.org

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 people who are blind or have low vision. Recommended length is 900 words, 1800 max.

Article deadlines for the Blind Californian are:
Winter: November 15 of previous year
Spring: February 15 current year
Summer: May 15 current year
Fall: August 15 current year

Non-members are requested and members are invited to pay a yearly subscription fee of $10 toward the production and support of The Blind Californian.

Please send all address changes to the Executive Office.

***
Table of Contents

Editor's Corner, King Keithley

The Odyssey of Organizing Legislation, Regina Marie Brink

Your Local Government Isn't Ready to Evacuate Disabled People

Real ID Deadline Just Months Away

A Strange Conversation, Bev Clifford

ACB Launches Accessibility & Training Services Program

Telling Your Story, Christy Crespin

World Braille Day 2025

Dreams, Frank Welte

Upcoming ACB Conventions

To Be of Use, Susan Glass

CCB Officers and Board Members

***
Editor's Corner
By King Keithley

With exuberant wags I introduce you to the Spring Blind Californian. I really enjoy the rising quality of spring, warming afternoons say "run," and longer evenings say "stay out longer." And after daylight saving starts, everyone I know thinks about the approaching summer. What's even better is that those lengthening afternoons and evenings give you more time to read your BC. Great, and don't forget to feed me!

We learn the ins and outs of getting a bill passed in the legislature, how you can reconcile yourself to your hard-working fingers, and how braille is making a comeback, at least in England. And there's sauce too!

Enjoy!

***
The Odyssey of Organizing Legislation
By Regina Marie Brink

Some of you may be familiar with the Greek epic poem, The Odyssey, written by Homer around 750 BCE. Incidentally, some historians believe he was a poet who was blind. The Odyssey's story goes something like this: After a 10-year long war, Odysseus and his men are heading home. A voyage that should take them a short time causes them to wander for 10 years. The story begins during the last eventful 6 weeks of their odyssey. They encounter lotus eaters trying to get them intoxicated, a king that tries to capture them, a sorceress that tries to put spells on them, angry winds that get them terribly turned around, monsters who threaten to eat them, sirens who try to lure them astray, and many other calamities that keep them from going home.

This story reminds me of the process of shepherding legislation through our state legislature. When I first got involved in advocacy, I figured passion and moral convictions were all that was needed to pass smart legislation to solve problems. I thought if lawmakers heard from regular people like me, their hearts would be moved and they would pass practical and effective legislation. I thought they just hadn't heard from someone like me. I was so wrong!

The Governmental Affairs Committee often asks you to assist us to pass effective local legislation and policies to improve our community. However, if you don't know how it works, you may become very discouraged. This is why I want to share with you the odyssey of getting a real bill passed.

CCB had a bill concerning E-scooters and E-bikes and pedestrian safety, especially as it pertained to people who are blind or have low vision. We were finding people were falling over these devices because they were improperly parked, resulting in serious injuries. Inebriated drivers were running down pedestrians, and the ride-share companies like Uber and Lyft were doing very little to protect pedestrians of all abilities. This magnified the danger for people with vision loss.

Step 1: Identify the problem
We determined the ride-share companies needed to be held accountable for pedestrian safety and existing laws needed to be enforced.

Step 2: Evaluate the current political climate
We determined the regulation would cost the state very little, and traffic safety was a top priority in the legislature.

Step 3: Write the bill
We researched similar legislation and decided to write a bill requiring accessible labels on E-scooters and E-bikes so people with visual impairments could identify violating vehicles and report them so scooter and e-bike drivers could be held accountable. We also found that one city, Cincinnati, Ohio, had written an insurance policy for ride-share vehicles. In California, the law did require insurance for the scooter user's injuries, but not for a pedestrian. We decided to require that the ride-share companies make insurance mandatory for these vehicles to cover the cost of pedestrian injuries, thus motivating them to crack down on repeat offenders and stop renting to them.
To date, other parking enforcement laws on the books were not working because the local authorities required pictures of vehicles that were violating, and the rideshare companies were exempt from paying for injuries to pedestrians caused by their vehicles.
From the time we recognized the problem to the time the bill was decided upon and written; it took around 4 years with about 2 years of concentrated work.

Step 4: Find an author
This took a while, but we finally found an assembly member to carry the bill.

Step 5: Get it passed through the assembly
This was relatively easy once we found an author. The only major hurdle was that the scooter industry tried to say that they wouldn't be able to get insurance policies written, and that the cost would put them out of business. The Cincinnati insurance policy helped us here, although it took time to find it. We were also able to overcome the argument about putting them out of business, which has proven to be far from the truth.

Step 6: Get it passed through the Senate
This meant more committees, more opposition, more time. However, our author, Assembly Member Reginald Jones-Sawyer, whose brother is blind, stuck with us.

Step 7: Offer and accept amendments to the bill
This was a wrangling process. We had to accept several amendments. The amount of the insurance requirement was reduced. E-bikes were finally written out of the bill. We learned that someone in San Diego died from being struck by an inebriated scooter driver. Still, we faced opposition and had to give some ground. Our strongest opposition came from the Bike Coalition. We weren't too surprised by this as their interests are sometimes counter to ours. Eventually, they got bikes exempted. This seemed like a big thing then, but it turns out that ride-share companies have gotten much more involved with renting scooters because they are more cost-effective and easier to maintain. Bike-share services are much less common, so our bill is working as intended concerning this provision.

Step 8: Get the Governor to sign it
Not as easy as it seems. This was one of the main reasons we dropped the E-bike requirement. The Governor was lobbied hard.
How long do you think it took for our Scooter bill to be passed into law? If you guessed 5 years or less, you are optimistic. It actually took 6 years to get this bill through.

I am not writing this to discourage anyone. Some people tell their stories to us and we use them in a statement, or they come to the legislative meetings and just say "My name is such-and-such and I support this bill." Some people spend hours writing legislation or going to meetings to advocate for it. I have written this article to encourage CCB members to get involved. Even doing something small can make big things happen!

***
Your Local Government Isn't Ready to Evacuate Disabled People
From Access information News, Julia Métraux

Photo: A sign that says "Two Palms Nursing Center" with a bunch of wheelchairs outside, in front of it. The sky is red due to a wildfire.

On January 8, after multiple wildfires erupted in Los Angeles, a father who was an amputee, and his son, who had cerebral palsy—both wheelchair users—died while waiting for assistance to leave their home. Two days later, on January 10, a woman described as bedridden also died from smoke inhalation and thermal injuries. They were three of many.

Research has shown that disabled people are two to four times more likely to die in climate disasters, including wildfires; among other factors, disabled and aging people are less likely to have access to cars, which leaves them vulnerable when large fires strike. In the 2023 Hawaii wildfires, which devastated the community of Lahaina, two-thirds of the 102 people who died were 60 and older. The average age of the 85 people who died in California's 2018 Camp Fire was 72.

These deaths are not inevitable: they're the result of gaps left by local governments and emergency services; gaps communities can play a large role in filling. "Bystander intervention is always important, especially in emergencies," Gabrielle Peters, a disabled policy analyst and writer, told Mother Jones. "The public needs to understand that whatever planning and services are in place that do exist have almost certainly not considered a myriad of disabled people's needs."

"The assumption is always that the disabled person lacks knowledge. They may have all the knowledge and then some."

A 2019 audit of California's natural disaster planning acknowledged major failures in both county-level evacuation efforts and in the state's limited oversight of such plans. In fact, unlike other large states like Texas and Florida, California didn't even "establish standards for and periodically review local jurisdictions' emergency management plans"; despite then-recent, serious wildfires in all three counties audited, none went on to "assess the resources needed to assist people with access and functional needs during a natural disaster, such as accessible transportation and shelter resources," and "did not involve community representatives" who could have helped.

In 2020, in response to that audit, the California legislature required its Office of Emergency Services to review a minimum of 10 local emergency plans a year. As of 2020, Los Angeles County's emergency manager has been expected to work with local, state, and federal partners to "support planning" and "coordinate assistance." Beyond a guide meant to help disabled people prepare for emergencies, the county maintains no readily available public information on how it will help people evacuate, instead it encourages people to find potential rides in advance. That's where neighbors are left to step in.

Marcalee Alexander, a physician and the president of Sustain Our Abilities, a nonprofit that focuses on climate change and disability, developed the Day for Tomorrow, an annual event involving community gatherings where neighbors get to know each other and their needs.

"If you know the people in your community, then you're going to know the lady next door is ninety-five," Alexander said, "and she needs help because her children aren't visiting her all the time."

Granny Ruth Robertson, who organizes with San Francisco Bay Area Raging Grannies, says that knocking on doors to form relationships, especially during power outages that can be deadly for disabled people and older adults, lays the groundwork for better support when climate disasters hit. "We'd like to see people check in with elders in their neighborhoods," Robertson says; many elders of the Silent Generation, she explains, were raised with the expectation that they would keep problems to themselves.

What individuals in disaster-struck areas like Los Angeles can do that counties and states can't, or won't, do is figure out their communities' access needs and incorporate them into evacuation plans. Peters emphasized that disabled people disproportionately live in poverty and that popular advice like stashing a go-bag with spare supplies in advance is not feasible for many.

Approaching conversations from an access standpoint can be useful: "When you're focused on the barrier, and you're offering to help remove that barrier," said Sheri Byrne-Haber, a California-based disability advocate and digital accessibility expert, "it's not going to 'other' people with disabilities or make them feel bad or make them feel needy."

Peters also recommends a "reach in" approach: not to assume a disabled person has no plan, but to ask about any plans they've already considered; and about practical considerations like their medical requirements and typical daily needs, especially under conditions like poor air quality.

"The assumption is always that the disabled person lacks knowledge," Peters said. "They may have all the knowledge and then some, and they may have knowledge that will save you and will help you and your disaster planning. You are there to listen, learn and problem-solve together."

To do so, Peters says, means being "ready also to be creative with how you communicate." When working with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and others with symptoms like brain fog, that can mean relying on simple language. Peters says disaster preparation can take many forms—like checklists, photos, illustrated how-to's, and non-visual plans, such as audio, for people who are Blind.

Above all, according to Peters, in life-or-death situations, harm reduction is key: "Depending on the level of danger, you make different decisions."

"If the choice is you're going to throw me into the back of your truck that's going to cause me potentially to fracture some bone, or leave me to die, you fracture my bones," Peters says.

***
Real ID Deadline Just Months Away: What to Know in CA
As seen on the ccbl email list

The Real ID Act of 2005 was originally supposed to take effect in 2008, but has been delayed for multiple reasons, including those associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. As the law stands, California residents who are 18 and older must show a Real ID, a passport or other federally approved identification to board domestic flights or enter certain federal buildings beginning May 7, 2025.

The anti-terrorism law requiring the "gold star ID," as it's sometimes called, was originally supposed to take effect in 2008, but has been delayed so often that it has become a running joke. Will the Real ID Act really take effect this year? Technically, yes. The current May 7, 2025, deadline still stands, but the Transportation Security Administration has asked for flexibility to implement enforcement in phases, with progressive enforcement ending in 2027. But that doesn't mean you should wait until then to make an application. Here's what you need to know about getting a Real ID or compliant identification card in California:

To apply for a REAL ID, Californians should visit
REALID.dmv.ca.gov,
fill out the online application and upload their documents. Residents must visit a DMV office and bring their uploaded documents to complete the application. By starting the process online, it should only take about 15 minutes in the office, according to the DMV.

Residents need to provide proof of identity, two documents proving California residency, and a Social Security number. Visit
REALID.dmv.ca.gov
for a complete list of acceptable documents and a link to the online application.

The Real ID Act of 2005 was originally supposed to take effect in 2008 but has been delayed for multiple reasons, including those associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. States' lack of urgency is also to blame, according to testimony at a late December 2023 Homeland Security Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security hearing that warned of "utter mayhem at our airports" on May 7, 2025, if the deadline is vigorously enforced. The Department of Homeland Security estimates that only about 70 percent of state-issued identifications would be Real ID-complaint by the deadline.

TSA agents screen about 2.5 million passengers a day, and if just 1 percent of them were to present non-Real ID-compliant driver's licenses, 25,000 passengers could be turned away in a single day. In a week, 175,000 passengers would be prohibited from flying, 750,000 would be stopped in a month and 2.25 million would be denied in three months. Under the proposed rule, people are strongly encouraged to get their Real IDs by the May 7 enforcement date, and they may face delays at airport security checkpoints if they don't have it. Instead of stopping them from boarding aircraft, non-compliant travelers would be issued warnings to get their paperwork in order by May 5, 2027.

"TSA is engaging with the public, licensing jurisdictions and states to facilitate a smooth transition to REAL ID enforcement beginning May 7, 2025," TSA Administrator David Pekoske said in a statement. "REAL ID provides an important security enhancement, and this rule allows us to plan for a range of scenarios to help minimize the potential impact to travelers, industry stakeholders and states during implementation."

Plans for the gradual rollout are still in progress. The TSA could use a three-strike rule, warning travelers multiple times to acquire their Real IDs before turning them away. The Real ID law, passed in 2005 in response to the Sept 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, strengthens national security standards for state-issued driver's licenses and identification cards.

***
A Strange Conversation
By Bev Clifford

There are things I want to say to my fingers,
Thoughts I have never expressed—
But how do I start?
I guess, just this way:

"Fingers of mine, I want to talk to you."
But will they talk to me?

"So," my fingers ask,
As they idly play with the fringes of a placemat,
"What do you need to say to us?"

I think, "No, not need—want"—
But I keep that thought to myself.
After all, not often do fingers actually speak—
They caress, clasp, fist, wiggle, even poke, but
Speak?

"Ungrateful girl! We speak in our own way, words are not necessary for us,
But still, you seem to need communication, so..."

"But I am not ungrateful," I sputter, practically spitting with indignation; "You are everything!"

"Prove it," the fingers clasp on the placemat, daring me to answer.
"How are we to believe the person who bit our nails
Down to the bloody quick, for years?
How are we to trust your word:
You, who thrust us into hot dishwater,
And cut us with knives."

Exasperated, I reply, "But dishes had to be washed,
And did I cut you on purpose? —
No!" That, with a resounding foot stomp,
"And I broke my biting habit—the work of years!
Fingers, I respect you, cherish you, because—
Oh, for so many reasons!"

But the litany of grievances continues: "Bashed us against walls, doors, appliances, furniture..."
They leave the placemat, try to curl into fists,

"And I, your Right Middle Finger, would like to point out
That I can no longer bend,
No thanks to the band aid covering the gash
Inflicted upon me when someone sat on me.
And there's the botched hand-stand in the eighth grade—
Broke me, that did—
Causing me excruciating pain,
My joint swelling as I was cramped around a stylus
So you could write a report on UNESCO!
Never quite recovered, don'tcha know—
Had to heal on my own, never got set..."

"And me," interrupts my Left Ring Finger,
"I'm the one wearing your rings, engagement and wedding,
Remember that summer night—
Your dog barking furiously, your attempted leash correction,
And your dog's leash wrapping around me and wrenching me
So that I fractured and enlarged?
Took months for me to relearn bending."

The two index fingers unbend and point at me malevolently:
"And don't forget about us!
How many times have we been scalded on hot frying pans,
Scraped by unforgiving graters,
Poked with sewing needles,
Pinched by closing doors...
Oh, we could go on and on!"

"All accidental," I cry, and then I beg,
"Please listen!
I love you! I can't live without you!"

"Hmmph," snort the fingers, "Just empty words,"
And they loosen their clasp,
Lay themselves resignedly upon my braille keyboard, muttering.

"You're on my keyboard," I point out;
"Without you, I can neither write nor read. I would never have read my first full sentence:
See baby go."

"True, true," the fingers reply smugly,
"That's one for us—no, two!"

And I have to concede. "Yes, two for you,
But, as the infomercials say: there's more!"

"What more?" the fingers inquire, lifting from the keyboard, wriggling, stretching themselves—
(even they need to get their exercise).
They turn toward each other, wondering,
All bending to listen—
All but Right Middle Finger, who tries—
Unsuccessfully—
To join them, but can't, due to the band aid.

"You pet dogs and cats, and give scratches," I add,
"Giving comfort to them and to me;
You manipulate fidgets, magnets, cards, clay,
Play Dough, puzzle pieces—
All helpful for entertaining and connecting with grandchildren;
You travel the pathways of finger labyrinths for meditation;
You are gentle when rubbing a distressed daughter's back."

"Do tell," crow the fingers, "We're getting less annoyed."

So I continue the good-fingers list:
"Without you, I could never pick up a baby, a pitcher of milk,
An earring back, anything on the floor..."

"Wow!" exclaim the fingers; "We're starting to believe you!"

"You touch a cheek in tenderness;
You delicately examine fragile shells, intricate beads;
You tell me when something is too hot or too cold;
You rumple the curly hair of my beloveds."

The fingers begin a dance, weaving around and through each other
Like a maypole dance, but without the ribbons.
"Say more! Say more!" they chortle.

"You pluck and strum the strings of my musical instruments;
You rub yourselves together when my hands are cold,
And you help those hands to clap when the spirit moves me;
You detect the grain of a tabletop, the glassiness of a marble,
The variations in tree bark, the veins in a leaf;
Your fingernails cause a crystal glass to ring,
Or prize a nut from its
Shell."

The fingers shout, "Encore! We love this! Kudos to us! Vivan los dedos!"

But here I interject,
"Yes, long live you all!
But I do have more to say, only not what you expect.
Here is my encore:

Please accept my abject apologies
For the biting, the bashing, the gashing,
The knifing, the hand-standing, the hand-sitting,
The cramping, the wrenching,
The scalding, the scraping,
The poking, the pinching...
(But no apology is forthcoming for the hot dishwater!)
Have I forgotten anything?"

The fingers commune,
And shyly, the two pinkies lift their tiny tips and murmur,
"Indeed, you have forgotten something—
Something simple, something we need;
Put on your thinking cap, why don't you?"
(I swear, if those pinkies possessed eyes,
I believe they would wink at me now.)

So I don that cap, sit quietly, open my mind...
And the thought arises, clear and strong,
Bursting to be verbalized:
"Thank you," I say humbly; "Thank you for everything!"

The two thumbs give a "thumbs-up,"
And the fingers relax upon the woven placemat
Where minutes ago, they were playing with the fringes.
Together, they jiggle up and down,
And in chorus they chime,
"We accept your apology.
But now, a treat for us?
How about some scented hand cream?"

***
ACB Launches Accessibility & Training Services Program

Dear ACB Members,

We are excited to share news of a new initiative that will strengthen our collective impact: the launch of ACB's Accessibility and Training Services program. This new program is designed to promote equal access and greater inclusion for people who are blind or have low vision across all aspects of life, including workplaces, websites, applications, products, services, and more. Your involvement will be key to our success and growth. As ACB members, you bring invaluable real-world experience and insights that will help shape the accessibility solutions we provide. We can work together to ensure that accessibility is not just a requirement, but a fundamental standard. The program is also designed to help overcome accessibility challenges on an individual level. If you are experiencing an accessibility issue, such as not being able to equitably use a website, application, product, or service, we want to hear from you.

To get in touch, contact Accessibility and Training Services Coordinator, Kolby Garrison, at:
accessibility@acb.org
You can also learn more on our webpage at:
https://www.acb.org/accessibility

Thank you for your support of this exciting new program area!
Scott Thornhill ACB Executive Director

***
Telling Your Story
By Christy Crespin

This article has been percolating for a few months. It's appropriate that I write today, February 15, 2025. It is the 49th anniversary of my first trip to International Guiding Eyes in 1976 where I received Heidi, my first guide dog. I was quite young, 23 years old, with very little experience handling dogs, and with a little over one and a half years of marriage under my belt.

I was scared to go, and had to eat my words, "I'll never get a guide dog. You don't have to feed a cane or take it to relieve." I was so adamant that my friend who planned to meet me chickened out because she was intimidated by my attitude. I can't say as I blame her.

A little over a year later, I gave birth to our first child, a boy, who we lovingly call Michael. Bringing Heidi home and working with her gave me confidence to move forward in my experience to realize I actually could take care of a baby. After all, I said repeatedly, "I'm never going to have children."

Just under five years later we adopted Paula, our hand-picked, 12-week-old baby girl. After Michael was six years old, I thought we would not have the ability to care for another baby. My biological clock ticked by at age 29, and my heart cried out to be a mother again.

Years flew by. I had the strong urge, after being out of school for thirteen years, to get my master's degree and find a job. It was tough, fraught with many struggles, and I succeeded, with God's grace and the love of my family. However, "I'm not working with kids," I said, and "I'm not working with people who hear voices."

We make plans and God laughs. My first job was working with children and their families, some of whom heard voices, and some of whom were on probation. Guess what: our son decided to act out and was on probation at the same time. How embarrassing! We were still receiving SSI, and I was assigned to work with children through the county department of social services. How embarrassing to walk in, confident and capable social worker, and then the next week to walk in as a client.

As a state worker, I traversed the state hospital campus, only to be hopelessly lost on my way home. Guess who rescued me more than once? None other than the state hospital executive director. How embarrassing! It almost felt like a big joke. Yes, God does have a funny sense of humor. Oh yeah, and guess who I was treating foremost of my career; patients who heard voices.

If you did not know my story, you might wonder about the things I say and do. If we don't tell our story, others miss out on our richness, our gold, our humor, our talents, the things that have touched and influenced us, the essence of who we are.

I learned by working with my patients how different they were after they experienced the modern miracle of medication. In getting to know them, I found them to be wonderful men and women, incredibly talented and likeable, and our relationship changed. I could empathize with them and often told them, "There but for the grace of God go I."

When we tell our story we open ourselves up for getting hurt, true. But we also open ourselves up to have some of the most wonderful friends, family of choice, and recognize the beauty within ourselves, and of those who surround us. When the world gets tough, when life seems rough, tell your story and recognize that you are simply and wonderfully enough.

***
World Braille Day 2025: A Retrospective Look Back and Reasons to Be Cheerful

https://tinyurl.com/braille-day-2025

What's This About?

World Braille Day, celebrated globally and annually on 4th January; A French boy who changed everything for blind people, including the author of this Blog, when he set the stage 200 years ago, and a UK first World Braille Day Conference organised by blind people for blind people.

Most people will know, or at least have some idea of the story of Louis Braille, but may be less familiar with World Braille Day, which has only been officially celebrated since 2019.

For those of us who utilise braille, attempting to describe, in relatively concise terms, the life changing impact this code of dots has on us can be difficult. Join me over the next few paragraphs for a personal perspective and find out what I was doing on this truly momentous day that saw me, gathered with around 50 other likeminded enthusiasts at New College in the historic city of Worcester, England.

[Image of Paul with Pyrgo Holding a Vintage Braille Measuring Device at The Braillests World Braille Day Conference 2025 At New College Worcester]

What's the Back Story?

World Braille Day, or WBD, as it has become affectionately known, honours the Frenchman, Louis Braille, who invented the braille system in 1824 at the age of just 15. Blinded in an accident as a child, he developed his tactile writing system to empower visually impaired individuals with access to education, literacy, and independence. The day commemorates the legacy and evolution of the braille system which continues to provide access and inclusion to millions of people everywhere.

[Image of a page of braille]

The Braille Trail?

I was introduced to the braille code when I was 5 or 6 at the specialist school I attended. For various reasons including my feeling as though I'd be judged as negatively different if I was seen reading these horrid dot things as I described them at the time, I didn't take to braille at first and the school, wisely in my view, took a relaxed approach to my learning it, and when the pressure was off, I found it for myself. I expect this is some kind of teacher methodology. No matter, it worked a treat.

From memory, I learned to read my first book which was in a series called Wide Range with the story being about dripping jam. My imagination, which has always been vivid, was set ablaze and I developed my own sense of what the sounds, smells and tastes around me might be like if I were really there.

I use braille for everything. Learning at school and taking and passing a handful of exams; writing to my friends and sweethearts when on Holidays where we'd braille letters to each other, roll them up with a couple of elastic bands at each end and post them under Articles for the Blind for free! Then in further education where I read braille technical manuals on the theories of pianos and piano tuning, and in my current role where I am literally surrounded by braille.

I've always been truly thankful for my dedicated braille teachers for persevering with me including my most recent teacher, who was instrumental in enabling me to attain my braille Diploma. So, not for the first time, I take the opportunity again to salute you all now!

Professional Dot Maker... Its Personal!

In 1996 one of my work colleagues and I established All Formats. It is a not-for-profit company, owned by Queen Alexandra Charity with roots tracing back through Birmingham Royal Institute for the Blind, which itself was established in 1848 with the opening of a school for blind and partially sighted children and the continuous teaching of braille to the present day.

With humble beginnings with a very old braille embosser which is now apparently a museum piece, All Formats has grown substantially and has been producing braille, large print, audio and accessible digital information for nearly 30 years. Our clients include major banks, commercial printers, insurance companies, utilities, charities and sector related organisations who rely on our quality and timely services to effectively and efficiently communicate with their vision impaired customers.

Braille, Braille, Everywhere. But Not as Much as We'd Like!

While not being ubiquitous in everyday life, braille can certainly be found in more places than you'd think, including: food packaging, thank you Co-op; Medicine, thank you pharma industry and some cosmetic products, thank you Loccitane. Additionally: restaurants, hotels, lift buttons, signage, bleach bottles and toilet cubicles on trains all play host to the code which has quite literally set us free.

Reasons to Be Cheerful

There has been a widespread and damaging belief in the UK at least, that nobody reads braille any more. There are factors which have contributed to this view; However, I firmly believe the tide is turning and braille has been regaining popularity with a particular resurgence this year as we celebrate Braille200.

I'd be writing for many more words than you'd be likely to read if I highlighted all that has been happening in a single Blog post. We'll be publishing more braille related content throughout 2025.

So: Why were we in Worcester on World Braille Day 2025?

[Image of Paul, Pyrgo and Manisha smiling for a photo holding braille equipment]

All Formats was delighted to be at the first world Braille conference hosted by New College Worcester, Secondary College for children who are blind or visually impaired and organised by The Braillists Foundation
www.braillists.org/
a grass-roots community with an elegant mission...of More braille!

We were proud to be among a handful of a number of sector related companies and organisations who sponsored the event. Additionally, Queen Alexandra Charity was represented with others in the heritage trail where delegates were able to get hands on with old braille related equipment such as: a short hand machine; Stainsby Braille Writer; Various Perkins Braillers and a selection of braille writing frames.

The Braille Bar, was a dedicated space to connect with braille experts face-to-face; Exhibitors displayed the latest braille technology innovations; We were treated to perspectives from keynote speaker Eleanor Stollery, a remarkable 13-year-old advocate for braille literacy and were able to take part in a breakout session cleverly entitled "A Touching Experience", exploring practical, tangible ways to hone in on sense of touch. The day was designed with plenty of time to spend in the company of braille passionados which left us buzzing for days and with a renewed sense of excitement for braille and its future.

Braille Proliferation in the Nation

The battle for braille was hard won. From its birth where our hero Louis faced uphill struggles to have his work recognised, even in the school for the blind in Paris at which he attended, to the current day in which braille, along with other accessible means of communication are still lagging far behind mainstream media channels in their availability. It doesn't need to be this way and there are many solid reasons for joining the revolution and ensuring your communication is accessible to blind and partially sighted people and people with other reading disabilities. Here are just a few from the websites, We Are Purple UK
https://wearepurple.org.uk
and Purple Tuesday
https://purpletuesday.co

Businesses in the UK lose approximately £2 billion monthly because they ignore the needs of disabled people.

Building Societies £935 million

Businesses which embrace accessibility and are inclusive by design reap advantages on key levels, benefiting all customers including people with disabilities.

Accessible design often results in clearer and more intuitive user interfaces.

By considering the needs of people with disabilities, products and services can reach a broader audience, including those who may not associate themselves with having an access requirement but, will feel permitted to ask for what they need if they witness your inclusive approach to those who do.

The UK has regulations under the Equality Act 2010, requiring access to goods and services which means that making your offer accessible is not only ethical but, legally prudent.

I'm Interested in Discovering More About Making My Products and Services More Inclusive and Accessible: What Should I Do Next?

I'm truly honoured to have spent the majority of my professional life, working alongside a dedicated and passionate team, producing accessible information with braille at the heart of what we do. I know braille has been, and continues to be, a communication lifeline for me and the many thousands of braille consumers for which it is created.

All Formats specialises in creating, transcribing and producing information from standard print to braille, large print, audio and accessible digital formats on behalf of businesses for their end users who are either blind and partially sighted or have other reading disabilities.

We are well connected to the vision impaired community and related stakeholders meaning we can effectively raise awareness of businesses and organisations who choose to work with us around the accessible services they provide.

At All Formats, the journey starts with a conversation. Talk to us today via our contact details to find out how we can help you connect and communicate with a significant minority community to which we are proud to belong.

***
Dreams
By Frank Welte

I have a dream, that one day all visually impaired California school children will be taught to read and write braille to the extent that they can benefit from such instruction.

I have a dream that all blind and visually impaired adults in California will receive proper vision rehabilitation training, including braille instruction to the extent to which they can benefit therefrom.

I have a dream that government agencies, businesses, educational institutions and other applicable organizations shall provide braille as a reasonable accommodation insofar as such accommodation does not present an undue burden to those organizations.

Finally, I have a dream that the members of the California Council of the blind will take active steps to realize these dreams.

The Braille Revival League of California is committed to promoting braille in the golden state. Here are some ways that BRLC can support this goal.

1. Supporting existing braille instruction programs through volunteering and financial contributions.

2. Partnering with libraries, blindness service agencies, schools and other relevant entities to increase public awareness about braille and its relevance in the modern world.

3. Organizing a training and mentoring program to help more Californians to acquire proficiency in reading and writing braille and in using braille technology.

4. Conducting programs to encourage young people to learn and enjoy braille, along the lines of the NFB's "Readers are Leaders" contest and their BELL Academy.

5. Advocating for the enactment and enforcement of legislation and regulations to promote the use of braille in California.

6. Advocating with businesses, educational institutions, government agencies and other organizations to include braille in their available accommodations for people with disabilities.

7. Selling braille materials and related products in support of our goals.

Over the years, BRLC has engaged in activities in several of the areas listed above. With renewed commitment and enthusiastic effort, we can resume past projects and initiate new ones

Here are some things we can do in the coming months to generate progress toward achieving the goal of making California the golden state of braille.

We can each start by joining BRLC or renewing our BRLC membership. You can do so by paying your membership dues right away. You can pay by credit card by calling me at
510-541-1442.
I can also accept payments by Zelle, Apple Pay, and possibly by Venmo. If you prefer to pay by check, you can send the check payable to BRLC to our Treasurer,
Mike Keithley
191 E. El Camino Real, #150
Mountain View, CA 94040.

Next, we will hold a business meeting in March to elect officers, adopt a business calendar for 2025, plan projects, set up committees and possibly revise our Constitution and Bylaws.

Also please contact me if you wish to help with specific BRLC projects or tasks.

Regards,
Frank Welte, President
Braille Revival League of California
105 Harlan Street
San Leandro, CA 94577
Phone: 510-541-1442
Email: Frank.A.Welte@gmail.com

You can help make this dream come true, whether you read braille or not.

***
Upcoming ACB Conventions

As you may have heard, we now have contracts for American Council of the Blind Conventions through 2028. Several people have asked me about locations and dates.

2026
Hyatt Regency St Louis Arch
315 Chestnut Street
St Louis, MO, 63102
Friday July 24 to Friday July 31
Room rate $104

2027
Hyatt Regency Jacksonville
25 E Coast1line Drive
Jacksonville, FL
Friday July 23 to Friday July 30
Room rate $119

2028
Hyatt Regency Atlanta
265 Peachtree Street, N.E.
Atlanta, GA, 30303
Friday June 30 to Friday July 7
Room rate $125

2025 Hotel Details

Room rates at the Hyatt are $99 per night (single or double occupancy), $124 (triple occupancy) and $149 (quadruple occupancy), plus, tax, which is currently 17.2%

To make reservations online go to
https://tinyurl.com/2025hyatt

If you prefer to make reservations by phone call:
214-651-1234
and use group code G-AMCB. If asked, the Hyatt is located at 300 Reunion Blvd. The cut-off date to make reservations is Monday, June 9, but don't delay, make your reservations today!

For any convention-related questions, please contact Janet Dickelman, convention chair, at:
651-428-5059
or via e-mail at:
janet.dickelman@gmail.com

***
To Be of Use
By Susan Glass

I borrowed the title of this article from a poem by Marge Piercy in which she celebrates the dignity, community, and humanity to be found in work. As blind and low vision people, we know all too well the dreary statistics regarding our underemployment and unemployment status. But such statistics rarely tell our real story. On Saturday, February 15, members of my CCB chapter (SVCB) each shared stories of our employment history. That history included volunteer experiences, short-term jobs, and career opportunities. We laughed together at our embarrassing moments, lamented the more painful ones, and celebrated our successes. For me it was a joyful experience. It affirmed us as hard-working, capable people. Here without comment, is the list of work that our chapter members have done. I recommend that you try a similar activity in your chapter. I think you'll be heartened by the results.

Here's the list:

Baby sitter; Carls Jr. cashier; Physical therapist's assistant; Pre-school intern teacher; Care giver; Computer programmer at Hewlett Packard; Store gift wrapper; Fourth grade teacher; Off-site and on-site trainer for Sensory Access Foundation; Longs employee; Burger King employee; Great America employee; Teacher's aide for mentally challenged children; Library receptionist; Nurse's aide; Cooking instructor at the Silicon Valley Independent Living Center; Yardstick Customer Service Employee (draperies); Home maker; Parent; English professor; Florist's assistant; Outreach administrator for See's Candies; Flute instructor; Customer Support Manager at Bookshare; Word Processing Operator at the San Francisco Environmental Protection Agency; Transcriptionist for Travelers Insurance Agency in Boston MA; Student Teacher at East Highschool in Madison Wisconsin; Beta tester for Telebraille at Telesensory Inc; Court reporter for San Jose municipal courts; Magazine editor; Textbook author; Jazz singer; Published poet.

I apologize if I forgot anyone's contribution or incorrectly stated a contribution.

Here, in its entirety, is the Marge Piercy poem:

To Be Of Use

The people I love the best
jump into work head first
without dallying in the shallows
and swim off with sure strokes almost out of sight.
They seem to become natives of that element,
the black sleek heads of seals
bouncing like half-submerged balls.

I love people who harness themselves, an ox to a heavy cart,
who pull like water buffalo, with massive patience,
who strain in the mud and the muck to move things forward,
who do what has to be done, again and again.

I want to be with people who submerge
in the task, who go into the fields to harvest
and work in a row and pass the bags along,
who are not parlor generals and field deserters
but move in a common rhythm
when the food must come in or the fire be put out.

The work of the world is common as mud.
Botched, it smears the hands, crumbles to dust.
But the thing worth doing well done
has a shape that satisfies, clean and evident.
Greek amphoras for wine or oil,
Hopi vases that held corn, are put in museums
but you know they were made to be used.
The pitcher cries for water to carry
and a person for work that is real.

***
Officers and Board Members
July 1, 2024

Officers

President: Sarah Harris (2024-2026, 1st term), Fresno, CA
559-816-1507, Sarah.Harris@ccbnet.org

1st Vice President: Guillermo Robles (2024-2025, partial term), Culver City, CA
323-490-5753, Guillermo.Robles@ccbnet.org

2nd Vice President: Rob Turner (2024-2026, 3rd term), Sunnyvale, CA
408-203-9300, Rob.Turner@ccbnet.org

Secretary: Steve Bauer (2023-2025, 1st term), Culver City, CA
310-558-4500, Steve.Bauer@ccbnet.org

Treasurer: Lisa Presley-Thomas (2024-2026, 3rd term), Fresno, CA
559-250-6760, Lisa.Thomas@ccbnet.org

Immediate Past President: Gabe Griffith (2024-2026), Concord, CA
925-222-5762, Gabe.Griffith@ccbnet.org

Board Members

Regina Brink (2024-2026, 2nd term), Sacramento, CA
916-393-0662, Regina.Brink@ccbnet.org

Christy Crespin (2023-2025, 3rd term), Highland, CA
909-800-7189, Christy.Crespin@ccbnet.org

Andrea DeKlotz (2024-2026, 2nd term), Orange, CA
714-921-0289, Andrea.DeKlotz@ccbnet.org

Larry Gassman (2024-2026, 3rd term), Fullerton, CA
562-706-7710, Larry.Gassman@ccbnet.org

Joe Green (2023-2025, 1st term), Sacramento, CA
916-317-7957, Joe.Green@ccbnet.org

Daveed Mandell (2023-2025, 1st term), Berkeley, CA
510-504-3211, Daveed.Mandell@ccbnet.org

Pamela Metz (2023-2025, 1st term), Chatsworth, CA
818-388-4995, Pam.Metz@ccbnet.org

Nelly Emerson (2024-2026, 1st term), Santa Maria, CA
951-237-2960, norconelly11@gmail.com

Penny Valdovinos (2023-2025, 3rd term), Bakersfield, CA
661-378-8282, Penny.Valdovinos@ccbnet.org

Publications Committee

Mike Keithley, BC Editor, 650-714-5971, editor@ccbnet.org

Susan Glass, Associate BC Editor, editor@ccbnet.org

Susan Glass and Andrea DeKlotz co-chairs

Lynne Nishihara

Daveed Mandell

Steve Bauer