The Braille Monitor January, 2001 Edition
Monitor Miniatures
In the October issue we reported on a
labor disagreement at the American Printing House for the Blind between narrators
and management. We have recently been told by both sides that there is still no
agreement. Officially the APH's offer remains what it was last April‑-characterized
by narrators as a reduction in pay rate from the present one, no benefits
(other than a 401K), and no union security. Management says that a letter has
been sent assuring narrators that they have no intention of reducing pay and
that a pay increase is in the cards.
Narrators say that the union
bargaining committee requested a strike authorization from the full membership
in November and was authorized to call a strike if and when deemed necessary.
The vote margin was two to one, with all but two members voting. After the
first of the year the narrators say they will probably request a last‑ditch
meeting with APH to see if this authorization will persuade management to
modify its position. If not, a strike is likely.
APH has contracted with NLS for 500
books plus ten magazines. Narrators question whether APH can fulfill this
contract with no new narrators and with some of the present ones considering
reducing their studio time because of advancing years. A strike, narrators say,
would severely affect APH's ability to fulfill its contract, especially since,
if there is a strike, it is likely to be a lengthy one. Management says that
NLS will certainly see that all publications are recorded even if APH has
problems.
Attention
Blind and Sighted People Interested in Being O&M Instructors:
Due to the high demand for graduates
from the orientation and mobility program at Louisiana Tech University, we are
seeking blind and sighted students for our one-year master's degree program.
Scholarships are available for all students who meet the application
requirements. Applicants completing the course of study earn a master's degree
in educational psychology with a concentration in orientation and mobility.
Louisiana Tech University, one of
Louisiana's major universities, is within three blocks of the Louisiana Center
for the Blind (LCB), which serves as host for internships; practica; seminars;
and liberal doses of down-home, southern fun and friendship with students and
staff. One of the nation's premier training centers for the blind, Louisiana
Center for the Blind is known for its highly successful rehabilitation and
education programs for blind adults and children. O and M coursework
incorporates theory and best practices of traditional university-based programs
with progressive agency-training, grounded in the discovery-learning method.
For more information or to learn more
about our program, e-mail Dr. Ruby Ryles <rlesr@lcb-ruston.com> or call
(318) 251-2891. Come join us as we begin a new era in the field of orientation
and mobility.
Tuition
Assistance for DC Residents:
We have been asked to carry the
following announcement:
Are you a resident of Washington,
D.C.? Do you need money for college? If you are, you may qualify for a grant-‑not
a loan--to attend public colleges and universities nationwide. This grant pays
the difference between in‑state and out‑of‑state tuition.
This means you pay the low in‑state rate or get $2,500 a year to go to
private colleges and universities in the Washington metropolitan area. To be
eligible, students must have graduated from high school or received a GED on or
after January 1, 1998.
For more information phone (202) 727‑2824
or toll‑free (877) 485‑6751, TTY :(202) 727‑1675, Para
información en español llame al teléfono (202) 727‑8450,
<www.tuitiongrant.washingtondc.gov>. We're
located at 441 4th Street, NW, Room 1040, Washington, D.C. 20001.
Price
Cuts at Sighted Electronics:
We have been asked to carry the
following announcement:
As of January 1, 2001, Sighted
Electronics is lowering prices for the following products:
Index
Basic S $2,495
Index
Basic D $3,195
Index
Everest $3,695
Index
4x4 Professional 17" $5,995
Index
4x4 Professional 23" $6,495
Everest
Acoustic Hood $695
Basic
Acoustic Cabinet, $ 795
Index
Stapler for 4x4 17" $265
Stapler
for 4x4 23" $ call
Optical
Braille Recognition $895
Braillex
EL2D- 80 $14,075
Braillex
EL2D-66 $9,900
Braillex
EL2D-40 $6,880
Braillex
EL80 $10,500
Braillex
EL40 desktop $5,650
Braillex
EL40P portable $5,650
Braillex
Tiny (40 cell) $4,500
Braille
In Keyboard $795
The increased sales volumes for these
products in the United States combined with the values of currencies overseas
have allowed us to pass these price benefits on to you, the consumer. Contact
David Pillischer, 69 Woodland Avenue, Westwood, New Jersey 07675,
<www.sighted.com>, (800) 666-4883. Sighted Electronics thanks all of you
for the support we have received over the past years.
Knitted
Baby Afghans For Sale:
We have been asked to carry the
following announcement:
For many years I have been selling
knitted items such as mittens. I have recently gotten a pattern for a baby
afghan. This is a unique item because it can be personalized with a name in the
pattern. Great for a blind child. The afghan is very tactile. I would like to
offer this for $20. Orders can be sent to Sylvia Connor at e-mail address
<rocnon@esslink.com>.
Elected:
At the November meeting of the
Richmond Area Federation of the Blind of Virginia, the following officers were
elected: Marshall Jordan, President; Debbie Gardner, First Vice President; Bert
Shankle, Second Vice President; Amelia Miller, Secretary; Anna Arrington,
Treasurer; and Deb DeLorey, Ann Cutshall, and Dorothy Moore, Board Members.
For
Sale:
We have been asked to carry the
following announcement:
IBM-compatible 386 computer with Artic
Speech synthesizer, modem, and monitor for sale. Asking $125.
Perkins Braillewriter, completely
rebuilt, asking $325.
Braille Lite 2000. Freshly serviced by
Blazie Engineering with a new battery pack. Not under service contract, but eligible
for one since it was just inspected. Comes complete with power adaptor,
carrying case, and PC connectors. Asking $1,750.
Payment plans may be negotiated for
any of these items. Contact Nino Pacini, 5237 Hillcrest Street, Detroit,
Michigan 48236-2103, (313) 885-7330, <pacinin@itsd.ci.detroit.mi.us>.
Elected:
At the 2000 convention of the National
Federation of the Blind of Illinois, the following officers and board members
were elected: Steve Benson, President; Debbie Kent Stein, First Vice President;
Cathy Randall, Second Vice President; Patti Gregory Chang, Secretary; Pam
Provost, Treasurer; and Kelly Doty and Lois Montgomery, Board Members.
Summer
Music Institute and Resources for Blind Musicians:
We have been asked to carry the
following announcement:
Students nationwide, tenth grade and
older, are invited to request applications for the sixth Summer Institute for
Blind College-Bound Musicians to be held in Bridgeport, Connecticut, in July.
This three-week residential program is
for Braille users who have been taking music lessons at home and are serious
about gaining skills necessary for the study of music in college. Areas taught
include Braille music, computer notation and arranging skills, theory,
keyboard, and ensemble.
Held on a college campus, the
Institute offers students opportunities to live and work in a true-to-life
situation, while also sharing the fun of summer outings, performing, and
mingling with others of similar abilities and interests.
Enrollment is limited to ten students
who will be accepted based on their applications and telephone interviews. A
primary consideration for acceptance is the motivation to work on Braille music
and a genuine need for the skills taught in order to get further in music study.
Cost of the program is $2,000. Partial scholarships are available. Applications
must be completed and returned by April 15. Students under the age of sixteen
or in need of significant financial help should apply early.
The National Resource Center for Blind
Musicians helps students, parents, teachers, and professional musicians with
questions regarding Braille music and accessible music technology. Often it can
put people in touch with a teacher or blind musician with expertise in a
particular aspect of the field. The Resource Center has received a grant from
the National Endowment for the Arts to provide workshops for teachers at its
headquarters and in various parts of the country and is available to help
people of all ages explore options for Braille music and technology training.
For an application to the Summer
Institute or to reach the National Resource Center, contact David Goldstein,
Director, National Resource Center for Blind Musicians, Music and Arts Center
for Humanity, 600 University Avenue, Bridgeport, Connecticut 06601, phone (203)
366-3300, or e-mail <102730.163@compuserve.com>.
Elected:
The National Federation of the Blind
of Indiana recently elected new officers. They are Ron Brown, President; Pam
Schnurr, First Vice President; Paul Howard, Second Vice President; Diane
Graves, Secretary; Diane Griffith, Treasurer; and Tammy Hollingsworth, Mike
Neese, Connie Bernard, and Toni Danapus, Board Members.
Information
on Federal Student Aid Programs:
We have been asked to carry the
following announcement:
Learn about student loans, grants, and
work-study programs from the following resources:
The Student Aid Audio Guide is
available to anyone who wants it. It can be played on any audio CD player, and
it contains information on federal student aid programs, application
procedures, eligibility criteria, loan-repayment options, deferment and
cancellation provisions, and non-federal resources as well. It lasts for
approximately forty-five minutes. You may request individual copies from the
Federal Student Aid Information Center, toll-free (800) 433-3243, open from
8:00 a.m. until midnight (Eastern Time) seven days a week. The Center's
information specialists will answer questions about federal student aid in
general or specific applications.
The Web sites are designed for
text-only access, which makes them accessible for use with screen readers. The
Federal Student Financial Aid home page address is
<http://www.ed.gov/studentaid> and <students.gov>.
Students and parents can also request
Braille copies of a student aid information publication by calling Federal
Student Aid Information Center at (800) 433-3243. The publication is Funding
Your Education, a booklet covering the essentials of the federal student
financial aid programs, application procedures, eligibility criteria, etc. It
is targeted to high school students.
Elected:
The results of elections held by the
NFB of California at its November 5, 2000, state convention are Nancy Burns,
President; Nick Medina, First Vice President; Paul Carver, Second Vice
President; Jana Littrell, Secretary; and Ellen Paxson Clegg, Treasurer. Members
elected to two-year board terms are Bryan Bashin, Geraldine Croom, and Jim
Willows.
For
Sale:
We have been asked to carry the
following announcement:
Telesensory CCTV 15-inch video
magnifier, including receipts and all papers, never used, original cost $3,000,
for $1,000 plus any shipping charges. Contact Martha Bebee, 5030 14th Street,
W., Bradenton, Florida 34207.
The
Baptist Hymnal Available in Braille and Large Print:
We have been asked to carry the
following announcement:
A Braille edition of the 1991 Baptist
Hymnal is now available in a two-volume set of three-inch three-ring
polyurethane binders for easy access and removal of pages. The binders are dark
crimson and have extended handles with snap closure for easy carrying. The set
includes hymns and responsive readings. The price is $195 per set, plus
shipping charges.
The Baptist Hymnal is also
available in large print. It is an exact replica of the 1991 edition but in
large print. It comes in two sturdy dark crimson, 11-inch-by-17-inch volumes
with print enlarged to 18-, 20-, 22-, or 24-point text. The price is $145 per
set, plus shipping charges.
To order, contact Blind-Sight
Ministries, 1919 Oxmoor Road, #306, Birmingham, Alabama 35209, phone/fax: (205)
324-4339, cell phone: (205) 532-0553, e-mail: <lijgscott@bellsouth.net>.
New
Chapter:
On September 30, 2000, the Kitsap
County Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of Washington was
formed. The officers are Ivan Weich, President; Sharon Maalis, Vice President;
and Jessamyn Ladby, Secretary/Treasurer. We welcome this new chapter into the
Federation family.
Braille
and Large-Print Billing Available:
We have been asked to carry the
following announcement:
SBC Communications now offers Braille
and large-print billing to customers in all of the company's subsidiaries,
including Ameritech, Nevada Bell, Pacific Bell, and Southwestern Bell. For more
information or to receive Braille or large-print bills, subscribers may contact
their local customer service representatives.
Elected:
The National Association of Guide Dog
Users (NAGDU) held its meeting on July 2, 2000, in Atlanta. During that meeting
the following officers were elected for two-year terms: Suzanne Whalen,
President; Dana Ard, Vice President; Priscilla Ferris, Treasurer; and Eugenia
Firth, Secretary.
In
Memoriam:
With deep personal sadness I must
report the death on December 11 of Barry Feazell, President of the Jacksonville
Chapter, Treasurer of the Florida Association of Blind Merchants, and member of
the NFB of Florida Board of Directors. Barry was active through the years in the
Illinois, Ohio, and Florida affiliates. He was one of those Federationists who
could be depended on to get the things done that he said he would do. Often
just mentioning a problem in Barry's hearing was all a leader needed to do to
have it disappear.
Barry is survived by his wife Carol
and their eight children. Daughters Anne and Mary Beth, now twelve, both
visited Congressional offices with their parents during Washington Seminars
when they were small, and Susan and Peggie are now chapter leaders in their own
right in Florida and Ohio.
Barry did not suffer fools gladly, but
his heart was as large as they come. We never have enough members and friends
like him, and he will be deeply missed. The entire Federation family has been
diminished by Barry's death, and we extend our sympathy and comfort to Carol
and their children.
New
Chapter:
On August 22, 2000, the Hilton Head
Island Chapter became the fifty-ninth chapter of the National Federation of the
Blind of South Carolina with thirty-five charter members. The officers are Bob
Martin, President; Jenny Haney, Secretary; John Eagan, Vice President; and
Charles Ford, Treasurer.
NFB
PLEDGE
I pledge to participate actively in
the effort of the National Federation of the Blind to achieve equality,
opportunity, and security for the blind; to support the policies and programs
of the Federation; and to abide by its constitution.