Braille Monitor November 2007
News from the Federation Family
Correction:
We regret to report that in the convention issue we omitted the name of Christine
Brown from the list of March for Independence Medallion winners. Everyone who
worked to raise $1,000 or more should most certainly have been given credit,
and we regret the oversight.
First Call for Washington Seminar:
Circle the dates of the 2008 Washington Seminar, Monday, January 28, to Thursday,
January 31. Once again this year we will be headquartered at the Holiday Inn
Capitol, 550 C Street SW. The great gathering in will take place at 5:00 p.m.
Monday, and we will conduct briefings Tuesday and Wednesday evenings to share
information and ask questions. As usual, several divisions will undoubtedly
conduct meetings and seminars in conjunction with the Washington Seminar, but
we do not yet have the details of these.
We do have
the information for making room reservations. The room rate for one to four
in a room is $144 a night plus 14.5 percent tax. Reservations should be made
before December 27 with Diane McGeorge, who is again in charge of seminar arrangements.
You can reach her by calling (303) 778-1130, ext. 219. You can also make reservations
by emailing her at <[email protected]> or Lisa Bonderson at <[email protected]>.
If you wish to make arrangements for any group activity at the hotel during
the Washington Seminar, email Lisa for a copy of the form you must complete
and submit by December 27. Consult the NFB Website and later issues of the Braille
Monitor for further seminar details as the fall unfolds.
Hymns Plus Volume 2 Now Available:
Dr. J. Webster Smith is first vice president of the National Federation of the
Blind of Ohio. His new CD, entitled �Hymns Plus, Volume 2,� is now available
featuring thirteen songs, including "Precious Lord," "Lord I
Want to Be a Christian," "Yes, God Is Real," and "Peace
in the Valley." These are just a few of the thirteen vocal selections and
one instrumental arrangement of "Go Tell It on the Mountain." The
CD also includes four oratorical pieces highlighted by "The Art of Storytelling"
and "The Ultimate Love Letter." Fans of J.W.�s previous work will
be interested to know that he considers these eighty minutes of inspiration
and contemplation to be the best work he has yet done.
This CD sells
for $10, including shipping and handling, and can be ordered by sending Dr.
Smith a money order to Lasher Hall, 43 West Union, Athens, Ohio 45701. No personal
checks please.
Elected:
The New Lakes Region Chapter of the NFB of New Hampshire conducted elections
on September 23, 2007. The new officers are Ed Meskys, president; John Parker,
vice president; and Jane Flanders, secretary. Sandy Meskys remains treasurer.
In
Brief
Notices and information in this section may be of interest to Monitor
readers. We are not
responsible for the accuracy of the information; we have edited only for space
and clarity.
Ski
for Light 2008:
Do you cross country ski? Do you want to learn? If you are a visually impaired
adult who would like to spend a week skiing or learning to ski, join us in Bend,
Oregon, for the thirty-third annual Ski for Light International Week, February
10 to 17, 2008.
Each year nearly three hundred skiers and guides gather together for a week of recreational skiing, fun, friendship, and fellowship. Skiers and guides come from all over the U.S. and various other countries and from a wide variety of occupations and interests. Visually and mobility-impaired skiers are matched with sighted guides and ski together for the week, working to develop skills and techniques.
In 2008 we will stay at the Riverhouse Hotel in Bend, Oregon, a small but vibrant city near Redmond, Oregon, and we will ski on nearby Mount Bachelor. The center there has fifty-six kilometers of Nordic trails and an alpine ski area. Last season there were 398 inches of snow, so we expect to have fantastic ski conditions.
Visit the
Ski for Light Webpage at <www.sfl.org> for more information. The cost
for the week is $775 double occupancy and includes meals, ski passes, and transportation
to the ski area. For more information contact Dave Thomas at (303) 298-0672
or <[email protected]>, or Lynda Boose, VIP applications coordinator at (906)
370-7541 or <[email protected]>.
Telephone Voice Service Available:
Jim Black is the owner of the Ultimate System, which he explains is set up to
allow blind people to communicate by voice in a community forum. Several other
systems on the market do the same thing; however, the monitoring and control
of the system set this one apart. Mr. Black closely monitors the content of
the Ultimate System and maintains some simple ground rules for control and order
so that everyone can enjoy the services. Other features include voicemail; community
bulletin boards; news, weather, and information; live radio stations; conference
chatrooms; and much more. The partner carrier also provides local access numbers
throughout the U.S. and Canada which are included in the service fee. This system
also allows members to take advantage of contests that earn prizes. The cost
of the service is $5 a month for all the features mentioned. The owner is not
making money with this service. To sign up or to ask questions or tour the system,
call (603) 580-9403.
Brailler Repair:
The Selective Doctor, Inc. is a repair service for all IBM typewriters and Perkins
Braillewriters. Located in Baltimore, the service has done work for the Maryland
School for the Blind and a number of other organizations in Maryland. They accept
Perkins Braillers sent to them from around the country.
The cost to repair a manual Perkins Brailler is $55 for labor (flat rate), plus parts. Because of technical complexity the cost to repair an electric Perkins Brailler is $60 for labor (flat rate), plus parts. The Brailler will be shipped back to you by U.S. mail, Free Matter for the Blind and insured for $400. The cost of this insurance ($5.50) will be added to your invoice. This listed insurance charge may fluctuate due to rate changes by the postal service.
To mail Braillers
using the U.S. Postal Service, send your Brailler(s) to the Selective Doctor,
P.O. Box 28432, Baltimore, Maryland 21234-8432. If you care to use UPS or Federal
Express, please send Braillers to the Selective Doctor, 3014 Linwood Avenue,
Baltimore, Maryland 21234-5821. With your Brailler(s) please include your name
and organization (if applicable), shipping and billing addresses, telephone
number, and a brief description of your Brailler's needs. Should you require
additional information, please call (410) 668-1143, or email <[email protected]>.
Hadley School for the Blind Launches New Program for Blindness Professionals:
In January 2008 The Hadley School for the Blind will launch the Hadley School
for Professional Studies (HSPS). The program consists of twenty-four distance
education courses, twenty of which offer continuing education units. A modest
tuition ranging from $99 to $139 will be charged for most courses. The tuition,
a new policy for Hadley, will cover a portion of the cost of each course and
allow the school to continue to meet the needs of its professional students.
Courses for visually impaired students and their families will continue to be
offered free of charge.
Since 1997
the number of Hadley professional students has grown from three hundred to three
thousand served annually. This growth is due in part to the dwindling number
of continuing education courses for professionals in the field and recertification
requirements.
Enrollment in HSPS begins January 7 and will be conducted online only at <www.hadley.edu/hsps>.
Students currently enrolled in Hadley�s professional education program may complete
their current courses tuition-free but will need to complete a new application
for courses they enroll in after December 20, 2007. Tuition may be paid by VISA,
MasterCard, or money order in U.S. funds. For information on HSPS policies and
procedures, visit <www.hadley.edu/hsps>, email <[email protected]>,
or call (800) 323-4238 (U.S., Puerto Rico, Canada) or (847) 446-8111.
Invitation to Participate in a Research Study:
Blind people are invited to participate in a survey on built environments� influences
on people�s activities.
Funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, U.S. Department of Education, a research team from the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Universal Design and the Built Environment at the State University of New York at Buffalo is conducting online surveys examining how designed environments affect individuals� activities. The environments being studied are public buildings, streets, and residences. Although the study is interested in everyone�s experiences, it is especially interested in the experiences of individuals with various sight conditions. Their participation is very important to the goal of this study to identify environmental design features that are usable by everyone.
If you think
you might be interested in participating or would just like additional information,
go to the research study�s Website at <http://www.udeworld.com/research/index.php>.
The surveys will be available online through January 2008.
Change What It Means to Be Blind:
The Institute on Blindness at Louisiana Tech University is looking for people
seeking a meaningful and rewarding career in the field of blindness. We offer
competitive scholarships to qualified applicants for the MA in educational psychology
with concentration in orientation and mobility (O&M), the MA in teaching
blind students (TBS), and the MS in curriculum and instruction with cognate
in teaching blind students.
Are you looking
for an exciting opportunity? We invite anyone who would like to teach cane travel
or Braille to blind children or adults to apply for our programs. Contact us
today to find out more: Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness,
(318) 257-4554, <[email protected]>, a partnership with
the Louisiana Center for the Blind.
Assistance for Macedonian Students Needed:
I am a teacher of English working in a school for the blind in Macedonia. Because
teaching and learning resources here are not easy to come by, I would welcome
any books, magazines, games, or other items designed to help teachers and students
of English. I would also welcome any blindness items in good condition, such
as white canes or anything else that is no longer needed but that others could
use. To send these items, you can use Free Matter for the Blind, but please
consult with the post office first about the requirements for sending such items
abroad. My address is Adrijana Prokopenko, bul. Jane Sandanski, 43 5 / 6, 1000-Skopje,
Macedonia. Thank you.
Monitor
Mart
The notice in this section has been edited for clarity, but we can pass along
only the information we were given. We are not responsible for the accuracy
of the statements made or the quality of the product for sale.
For
Sale:
Braille Note mPower BT-32, Version 7.2, with SMA upgrades. Unit has Braille
keyboard with 32-cell display. Comes with all accessories and manuals in original
packing plus wireless network card, wired Ethernet card, RJ-45, and storage
cards. Service contract expires January 31, 2008. Asking $4,000 or best offer.
Contact Harold Snider at <[email protected]> or at (301) 460-4142.
NFB
Pledge
I pledge to participate actively in the efforts of the National Federation of
the Blind to achieve equality, opportunity, and security for the blind; to support
the policies and programs of the Federation; and to abide by its constitution.
The
Quiet Car Song
Written by Sandy Halverson
To the tune of �Found a Peanut�
I was walking down the sidewalk
Thinking of what I would eat
When I got up to the restaurant
And the friends I was to meet.
I was so close I could smell it.
Didn't have to go that far
When my life was quickly altered
By that sneaky quiet car.
I approached my destination
When my cane broke at my feet.
Never heard the car approaching--
I was lying in the street.
Heard the siren of the ambulance
As it carried me away.
Lost my hunger in the ER.
Guess we'll meet another day.