December, 2008
Table of Contents
Back to the Chronicle Archives
By Denny Huff
Greetings,
I hope that this finds everyone doing well.
This is my first report as your new President, and since I am writing this on my first day of office, November 1, 2008, I don't have a lot of news to report.
Let me first say thanks to everyone that has supported me in my election as President. I sincerely appreciate your support, and I pray that I can be a leader in this great organization and be instrumental in making positive changes that we so desperately need.
Although we have not had our first board meeting at the time of this writing, I hope that by the time you read this some of the changes I want to implement will have taken place. There are several priorities that I am working on and one of those is communication.
I hope that a conference call will be sponsored by MCB that will allow anyone who is interested to participate. This will be a toll free number that anyone can call in to on the third Sunday of each month at 2:00. This will be a time for you to ask questions of the leadership, or to express any concerns you may have or to offer suggestions. I will announce that toll-free number as soon as it has been approved by the board.
I am also wanting to set up what is called a call blast. What this basically is, is a pre-recorded message that I will send out periodically with information I feel you would be interested in. I am sure most all of you have received political messages of this sort and this is the same type of service. If you want to be included in the call blast, please call the MCB office and give them the phone number that you want to be called.
I have contacted Rehab Services for the Blind and we do have a meeting set up with them at the MCB office on December 16. This meeting will include Mark Laird, the Deputy Director of RSB along with a few of his associates. I am also inviting our Executive Director, Bev Armstrong, my First Vice, James Hollins, and my Second Vice, Franklin Johnson. I have also asked Chip Hailey, who is our Education and Welfare chair, to participate in this meeting. The meeting will be the first step in reestablishing a good relationship with RSB.
Mark Laird has also asked MCB to participate in a Federal service survey. I am not entirely sure what our involvement will be, but I will keep you posted as I receive more information.
Another priority I have is our income. As you probably know, we have lost the support of the thrift stores, so our income has been drastically reduced. I have selected a person that I believe will be very helpful in searching for and acquiring additional financial support for us to be our Resource and Development chair. Any suggestions or ideas that you might have as to how we can get additional financial support for the programs we have would be appreciated.
I am excited about serving you as President and am encouraged by the phone calls, e-mails messages and personal comments I have received from many of the members. It is going to take all of us working together, pulling in one direction to accomplish our mission which is to serve the blind community of Missouri. I welcome your phone calls and e-mail messages. I want to be available to each one of you to hear your input. If you have questions or comments, don't hesitate to call or write me.
I'll surely have more to report in the next edition of the Chronicle. Until that time, I hope that you have a blessed holiday season and be safe.
God Bless,
Denny Huff
Toll-free: (888) 362-1383
(636) 262-1383
DHuff@MoBlind.Org
By Bev Armstrong
The 2008 MCB convention seemed to be well attended with 220 members registered and four guests.
The pre-convention board meeting was an active one with all board members present and many interested guests.
Among the business issues approved by the board was a six-months contract with Bev Armstrong to be the executive director. The contract is written as such that the contract may be renewed by mutual agreement by both parties.
The second major issue is a representation agreement between MCB and Deborah Greider to be MCB’s general counsel. The board is faced with a number of issues which caused the board to believe the MCB does need a general counsel.
Friday morning began with the Guide Dog Users breakfast. Besides electing new leadership for the special interest affiliate, this group had the responsibility and joy of determining how to use a large sum of money which had been bequeathed to them.
Then came Education and Welfare at which time Education and Welfare chairman presented to Deb Greider a memento of assorted MCB items for her diligent work on the blind pension lawsuit.
The meeting wasn’t the usual reporting on legislation but rather some interesting information on how a bill becomes a law and a little song which was of the finger-snapping, toe-tapping variety.
Amendments and Resolutions meeting fostered a lot of discussion as it usually does. The committee voted to recommend adoption of several of the amendments as well as the resolution. The convention, however, adopted two amendments and the resolution.
One of the approved amendments states that all affiliates, as well as members at large, must have the membership lists as well as their dues into the MCB office by September first. The other amendment creates a standing personnel committee. The resolution, submitted by Gregg Hollins and Linda Coccovizzo, was to request that the national ACB convention be held in Kansas City, Missouri in 2011. That will be the 50th anniversary of ACB which was given birth in Kansas City in 1961 at what was then the Muehlbach Hotel. No definite decision has yet been made by the ACB Convention committee.
Following the Presidents’ luncheon the opening session of the 2008 MCB convention began at 1:30 p.m.
Something a little different was done on Friday afternoon. The convention attendees had the opportunity to hear from each of the people running for president. I believe the attendees did appreciate this.
Friday evening was filled with special interest affiliate meetings, youth activities and the MCB hospitality meal. It’s my understanding that if one missed the youth activities and good food, you missed out on a lot of fun. The youth activities included a sock hop. People attending were asked to bring new pairs of socks to be given to kids at the Missouri School for the Blind who are in need. The response was tremendous!
Saturday morning began early with the Library Users breakfast and with Dr. Richard Smith, executive director of Wolfner Library, as their special guest.
The second general session of the convention opened with prayer. Committee reports were interspersed throughout the convention.
Worship services continue to be an important part of our convention.
The banquet had a number of highlights. There were a number of awards given to very deserving people. The Darrel Lauer award was given to James Hollins and Linda Gerken for their outstanding work with the youth. The Ellis Forshee award was given to Carson Elliff, an attorney in Springfield, who gave us pro bono time in working with the thrift stores. The Nathaniel Johnson award was presented to Eldon Cox who has served as the Convention Chairman for the past four years. Finally, the President’s Award was given to a most deserving person, Christina Coyle, who was the glue that held the MCB office together during times of being short staffed. The evening was culminated with a “This Is Your Life” type of presentation honoring John Weidlich. The presentation came as quite a surprise to John, but was much enjoyed by all who attended.
Sunday morning! Nominations for president had been held on Saturday afternoon. Those nominated for president were: Denny Huff, Gregg Hollins and Jack Lenk. So, the first order of business for the final general session of the convention was the election of president. Denny Huff was elected by a narrow margin of 93 to 90. Other new officers are: James Hollins, first vice-president; Franklin Johnson, second vice-president. Linda Coccovizzo was elected secretary. Because a director’s seat was vacated by the election of Denny Huff for president, an election had to be held for a director. Gregg Hollins was nominated and elected by acclamation. Congratulations to these new officers!
The 2009 MCB Convention will be held next October in Independence, and will be jointly hosted by Allied Workers and the Progressive Council.
Following the adjournment of the convention, a post convention board meeting was held to do a few leftover business items.
Despite the perils of the Holiday Inn Select people seemed to enjoy fellowship with one another—meeting new friends and seeing their long time friends.
By Daniel Wheeler
MCB had an interesting convention this year. And for me, it was an eye opening experience, but not in a way that might be expected. It was a real revelation when editor Bill Benson reported Chronicle circulation as 92 Braille, 250 tape, 425 large print and 50 email. That is a total circulation of 817. Earlier, our internet list serve moderator, and incoming MCB president (congratulations Denny), had reported the Missouri L list as having 128 members with the less moderated chat list having 76. As an engineer and long term computer user, I have put faith in the computer based communications and it was a bit of a shock to discover that use of the conventional method dwarfs the newer technology. Thus, my first attempt at a Chronicle report will probably be reaching many more people than did my report at the convention.
At the convention, I reported on our forced experiment with having our accounting firm write MCB's checks. After a month or so, the accountants managed to get payroll checks in on time, but many of MCB's routine checks continued to be written after their due dates until the very end. Fortunately, the MCB office is fully functional again and MCB is now paying its bills on time. As a former boss of mine once said, "Isn't it wonderful to have staff!" While we did not choose to have the office almost empty and need to outsource the check writing, this was informative. In the past, it has been suggested that MCB could save money by having the accounting firm perform this function. We now know that paying $600 or so, depending on the number of checks written per month, is not enough to get MCB the priority it needs to have the accountant keep up with the varied due dates of our utilities and suppliers. Being a chronic late payer is not the image MCB wishes to present to the business community.
MCB has an even bigger problem in that the management company operating the MCB thrift stores as stopped paying its share of gross receipts as required by its contract with MCB. Current estimates are that MCB is owed about $280,000 for shortages beginning in 2007 through March, 2008. We have had no sales information since March, but the management company is piling up its debt to MCB at about $20,000 to $30,000 per month. MCB has no outside income at this time but has budgeted for litigation costs and intends to recover all of these shortages and resolve the situation with the management company.
And, then there is the stock market. MCB's investment accounts lost about nine percent of their value during the fiscal year ending August 31. Then the banking crisis hit. Based on the broad based Standard and Poor 500 index, stocks have lost an additional 26 percent since then. MCB's investment portfolio is still substantial and is not down quite that much, since a portion is in fixed income investments rather than stocks. However, with no income MCB's value is not only not growing, MCB will have to draw on it from operating expenses.
That brings us to the budget. Reading the budget has been a little confusing this past year due to an unusual event. MCB, in particular the Guide Dog Users, was remembered by a very kind lady named Alice Gahn. In the distribution from the Alice Gahn Trust, MCB received, and passed on to the Guide Dog Users, over $126,000. The accounting is interesting because the second installment of over $86,000 was received in August and passed on to the Guide Dog Users in September, which is after the turn of our fiscal year. That has the effect of making last year look $86,000 better and this year $86,000 worse. On the other hand, bookkeeping aside, it looks like several good years for the Guide Dog Users.
While we are discussing donations, MCB also gratefully acknowledges the very generous donation from the Ballmann Family Private Foundation.
For the fiscal year ending August 31, 2008, MCB had total budgeted expenses of $595,775 and actually expended $490,250, excepting the in and out of the Guide Dog Users bequest.
For the fiscal year which began September 1 and ends August 31, 2009, MCB is budgeting a total of $675,159.89, of which $86,229.89 has already been passed through to the Guide Dog Users and $586,930 will be used to support MCB programs and operations. This is approximately $9,000 below last year's budget due to some reductions being taken to reflect actual expenses v versus some few increases that appear unavoidable. Due to the thrift store situation, MCB will take whatever opportunities it can to reduce expenses throughout the year.
On the income side, in fiscal year 2008 MCB received over $570,000, of which $146,000 was the bequest for the Guide Dog Users and $181,000 was paid by the thrift store management company. Neither of those can be expected this year. In addition, it was necessary to withdraw the $140,000 investment income from the investment accounts to cover expenses.
For the current fiscal year, the income estimate is $193,000. The remaining more than $480,000 needed to pay for programs and operations will have to come from reserves, unless the thrift store situation can be resolved within this year.
So, that is where things stand at the beginning of fiscal year 2009. I will be reporting whatever progress there is in future issues of the Chronicle.
During our Education and Welfare Committee meeting on Friday morning of our State Convention, we decided to make it a fun time for all of those who were in attendance. We had given out a small gift as a token of our appreciation to all of the affiliate legislative reps and their guides for the wonderful work they did this past legislative year.
Rather than going over the legislative issues we had discussed with our legislators, we decided to play the skit that Marlaina Lieberg, ACB secretary from the great state of Washington, and Michael Byington, CEO and office manager of the Kansas Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired, had performed during the 2008 ACB Legislative Seminar. The 30 minute skit was called, "How a Bill Becomes Law", and not only was it hilarious but many felt that it was very educational.
Next, we played a catchy little jingle from the blinddollars.org website called, "blinddollars.org", and everyone seemed to enjoy it. You can still visit the blinddollars.org web site to send a message to your Representatives and Senators, using the links on the web page to urge government officials that it's NOW TIME for our currency to be identifiable by TOUCH. We then played a 10 minute clip by Mary McVicker Scroggs, a woman who lost her sight because of being run over by a drunk driver at 11:20 on July 18th 1994 on the sidewalk in front of CAT world headquarters, and who is a spokesperson for making our currency accessible and identifiable by touch.
We concluded the meeting by presenting Deborah Greider, our attorney on the Blind Pension lawsuit, with a small gift of our appreciation for all of the hard work she has done. To learn about the oral argument regarding the Blind Pension lawsuit that was held on October 3, 2008, in the Western Appellate Court in Kansas City, you can check the Convention minutes where Deb Greider gave a Blind Pension lawsuit update.
Social Security Announces 5.8 Percent Benefit Increase for 2009 Monthly Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits for more than 55 million Americans will increase 5.8 percent in 2009, the Social Security Administration announced on October 16, 2008. The 5.8 percent increase is the largest since 1982. Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits increase automatically each year based on the rise in the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers. The 5.8 percent Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) will begin with benefits that over 50 million Social Security beneficiaries receive in January 2009. Increased payments to more than 7 million Supplemental Security Income beneficiaries will begin on December 31.
The 2009 Substantial Gainful Activity Income Limit for individuals who are blind is $1640 per month. People getting Social Security disability benefits can continue to receive their benefits when they work as long as their earnings are not more than an amount set by law. If you are receiving Social Security disability benefits and you are legally blind, you can earn as much as $1,640 a month in 2009. The earnings limits change each year. Additionally, if you are blind and self-employed, the Social Security Administration does not evaluate the time you spend working in your business as it does for people who are not blind. This means you can be doing a lot of work for your business, but still receive disability benefits, as long as your net profit averages $1,640 or less a month in 2009.
The Americans with Disabilities (ADA) Amendments Act was passed in September 2008, and will be effective January 1, 2009. This Act will expand the interpretation of the ADA's coverage, which has been "watered down" by a string of U.S. Supreme Court decisions dating back to 1999. The ADA was enacted to protect qualified employees and applicants with disabilities from discrimination by employers. It requires employers to make reasonable accommodations to allow an individual with a disability to perform the essential functions of his or her job. In order for an individual to be protected under the ADA, the worker must demonstrate that they have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities and they must establish that even with the disability, they can perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodations. Changes to the ADA made by the ADA Amendments Act: Provides a list of tasks that constitute "major life activities," including things such as walking, standing, lifting, learning, reading and thinking. It Expands the definition of "substantially limits"
based on a list of requirements that are less demanding than the current standards; Expands the definition of a "major life activity";
Notes that an impairment that substantially limits one major life activity doesn't have to limit other major life activities to be considered a disability; clarifies that impairments that are episodic or in remission are considered a disability if they
would substantially limit activity when active; provides that an individual doesn't have to establish that his or her impairment limits or is perceived to limit a major life activity to be "regarded as disabled." If you have any questions regarding this or any legislation, please contact me at (417) 659-8086 or (417) 781-6728, or chiphailey@cableone.net.
Now for the 2009 MCB Legislative Days: MCB Legislative Days will be February 17-18, 2009, again at the Hotel DeVille, in Jefferson City. The legislative meeting will begin at 2:00 p.m. on February 17, 2009. We would love to see as many of you as possible at this vital event. Without your much needed participation, we will be unable to have the kind of necessary impact on our legislative representatives. So please make every effort to join us in Jefferson City on the dates mentioned and together let's make a difference for all blind Missourians.
Should you need to contact me, please feel free to do so either by phone or by e-mail. My home telephone number is (417) 781-6728, my work number is (417) 659-8086, and my cell number is (417) 540-9703. My e-mail address is chiphailey@cableone.net
Additional information regarding MCB Legislative Days is available either by contacting me or the MCB office. Here is the contact information for the Hotel DeVille: www.devillehotel.com 319 W Miller St, Jefferson City, MO 65101 (573) 636-5231. The Hotel DeVille is a hotel of eclectic charm. Conveniently located in the Downtown area, it is 2 blocks from the State Capitol Building and other nearby attractions such as the Truman and Broadway State Office Buildings, Supreme Court Building, Governor's Mansion, Missouri State Penitentiary, Lincoln University, and the Veterans Memorial.
I would now like to leave you with these words from the Gospel of Luke. “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”--Luke 2:11-14 KJV
Merry Christmas everyone, and have a joyous and happy New Year.
Respectfully submitted,
Chip Hailey
MCB Education and Welfare Chairman
By Judith Hawley
Elizabeth Lang is now employed as our Wolfner Youth Services Librarian. Her previous job as Special Services Librarian is now open for applications.
Elizabeth reported on the Summer Youth Reading Program. The theme was Bugs. The summer program lasted for six weeks, ending on July 26th. One hundred two students signed up for the summer program. Six schools registered with 10 students between them participating. The students were encouraged to read any book of their choice and then they had small goals they were encouraged to meet. For each small goal the children received small prizes. Thus even if they did not read a large amount of time, they were rewarded for reading even a small amount. Youngest group (Read To Me Group), 22 signed up. Sixteen reported reading for some amount of time. Beginning Readers' group, 30 signed up. Thirteen reported reading some of the time. Independent Reading, 28 signed up. Nineteen reported reading some of the time. Teen group 24 registered. Eighteen reported their reading times. Those were numbers as of August 15th. Children who read more books got to put more strips with their names on them in the prize drawing. Congratulations to all the prize winners. The Grande Prize Winner received a Victor Stream Reader.
Deborah Stroup, Co coordinator of Volunteers, reported that a new Tech 2has been hired. His name is Jeremy Proctor. He will be working on catching up on a lot of the backlog recordings. Several volunteers are leaving, so this new employee is going to be a tremendous help. One volunteer narrator has moved to Washington State. Another is moving within the state.
New books to come out soon.
- Arrow Rock The story of a Missouri village.
- Missouri Curiosity About the odd things you find in Missouri.
- Black Storm Coming ( Fiction) about a boy who became a Pony Express rider.
- Walking Preacher of the Ozarks About an itinerant preacher who walked about the Ozarks preaching.
- The Journal of Seasons on an Ozark Farm by Leonard Hall About life in the Ozarks.
- Nobody's Fool a St. Louis Slave Narrative (Fiction) about a boy who was a slave in St. Louis just before the Civil War.
And many others. Call Deborah Stroup to find out more of these titles.
Richard Smith reported we have one opening for a council member and one replacement of a council member. Those interested Please send a letter of interest to Dr. Richard Smith, Director of the Wolfner Library.
Dr. Richard Smith reported that the staff is working together to recommend digital talking books that will go up on our Talking Book Topic List next year at some time. He further states if all goes as planned the new digital talking book machines will be ready for distribution this December. First, the machines will be given to the veterans. Remember it will take at least four years to change all cassette players over to the digital machines. The new machines will be much easier to operate.
I wish to express how much I have enjoyed serving on the Wolfner Advisory Council. It has been rewarding more than words can say. New friendships have been formed from associations with those on the council and staff members at Wolfner. I am resigning from the council as of August 15, 2008 due to health problems my husband is experiencing. I wish to thank the MCB officers and members for allowing me to serve you these past few years in this capacity. I will miss this work very much.
Respectfully yours,
Judith Hawley
MCB Wolfner Advisory Council Representative
No Shoes, Plenty of Socks
In early spring the youth services committee decided they wanted to help the Missouri School for the Blind. The first way to do this was to somehow donate socks for the athletic department at the school. Youth Services put their minds to work and decided to have a sock hop. When the idea was first announced the committee had no idea just how many members would come through, but come through they did.
At the hospitality held on Friday night by the committee attendees were asked to bring a pair of socks for ages infant to 21 years of age. The socks would also score some cash for the members as Youth Services decided to turn it in to a raffle. Members began to pile in to the hospitality and the socks began to fill the basket on hand. At the end of the evening the foot wear was a success! It is not clear as too how many pairs were provided, but it went above and beyond what the committee expected.
Thank you to all who participated in this project. Shortly after all the socks were delivered the committee received an update on how well the socks went over at the school. The athletic department reported they could not have been happier and more appreciative to have receive so many packages of new socks. You just don't know how much the kids appreciate being able to have fresh socks to change in to between sporting events. From Youth Services, a very heart felt thank you to all, we could not have done it with out you. The support was something I had not seen inn a while, so look forward to next year as we are already putting together some ideas on what to give next. Oh, in case we forgot to mention it, thank you from Youth Services and on behalf of the students at the Missouri School for the Blind.
You are the future of MCB.
By Matt Campbell and Debra Skodack
Union Station's next big exhibit is nothing to look at. The station announced today that it is offering an opportunity for sighted people to experience what it is like to be blind:
To go to a park when you can't see the grass.
To cross a street when you can't see the cars.
To pay for something when you can't see your money - or what you're buying.
It's called "Dialog in the Dark," and it runs Oct. 17 through Feb. 8.
For more than an hour, visitors will be immersed in darkness and led through a series of everyday activities in which
they will depend on guides who really are blind or visually impaired.
"You gain respect for that person and begin a dialogue with them that expands your perceptions of the world of the disabled," said Cheryl Mure, education director for Premier Exhibitions, which is bringing the exhibit to Union Station.
Though it has been experienced by millions of people abroad, it is new to the United States. A version opens in Atlanta next week; Kansas City will be only the second U.S. city to offer it.
Union Station officials acknowledge it will be a challenge to promote an exhibit that has no images to post on a billboard or in an ad. In fact, there will be no photographs allowed of the layout of the exhibit. The point is that visitors should have little or no mental picture in advance of what they will experience.
As a result, Union Station will rely heavily on word of mouth to promote the exhibit.
"One of the challenges is helping people to understand what the exhibition is all about because it's so innovative," Mure said. "Most people are used to going to museums and looking at objects and listening to audio tours and viewing things, and this is complete darkness."
Visitors will have to place their cell phones, BlackBerrys and similar devices in a locker before entering. Even wristwatches with glowing displays will be forbidden. Definitely no sneakers with blinkers.
What else to expect: Tickets will be sold for specific dates and times. Groups will be limited to 10 people, but there will be four identical sets of galleries, so 40 people can enter every 12 minutes.
Upon entering, you will get a cane and meet your guide, who will be your anchor. On your journey, you will use all your senses other than sight. You will walk on grass or gravel. You will hear animal sounds, smell flowers, taste a drink.
"The plants will be live; the water will be real," said Linda Segebrecht, Union Station education director. But the visitor will not experience anything unpleasant or dangerous.
The exhibit is designed to give people empathy for the sightless and a better understanding of how they navigate their lives. It can be a powerful connector for people with a sightless parent, child or sibling.
"I think the first thing people will walk away with from this exhibit is that the everyday acts that you and I do, blind people also do every day and do it so very effectively," said Reinhard Mabry, president and chief executive officer for Alphapointe Association for the Blind, a Kansas City
nonprofit that offers visual rehabilitation services. Mabry said about 10,000 people in the Kansas City area are legally blind, and an additional 50,000 have such severe visual impairments that they cannot read normal print even with corrective lenses. He said the numbers are expected to rise as more people lose eyesight because of diabetes or aging.
"Of all of the disabilities that exist, blindness is the one people are most fearful of," Mabry said.
Mabry hopes the exhibit will bring awareness of the abilities of the those living with blindness, who struggle with high rates of poverty and unemployment.
Union Station assembled a local advisory group to help ensure the exhibit was presented with sensitivity. Members include Mabry's group, the National Federation of the Blind, the Whole Person Inc. and the Children's Center for the Visually Impaired. The exhibit will employ 40-60 local people who are visually impaired to work as guides. Premier Exhibitions works with Manpower, an employment service that will help the guides find sustainable local jobs after the exhibit is over. Employment applications for guides will be available beginning today on the station's Web site,
www.unionstation.org.
"Dialog in the Dark" will be the second
exhibit to be housed in the Bank of America Gallery in Union Station's subbasement. It will use all 15,000 square feet of finished space and some unfinished space as well.
"Bodies Revealed" was the first to use the space. It closes Labor Day.
Station officials hope "Dialog in the Dark" will be profitable for the station as well as enriching for visitors.
"This may not be a blockbuster exhibit like the Dead Sea Scrolls," said station CEO Andi Udris. "But in terms of offering an exhibit completely new and different that most people in the United States have never experienced, we are on the cutting edge, as we were with the scrolls."
Union Station will offer an educational guide for grades 4 and up that teachers can use in their classrooms in conjunction with the exhibit. Rachel Toledo-Miller, Union Station marketing manager, said the exhibit would be Also well-suited to corporate team-building exercises.
About "Dialog in the Dark": Runs October 17, 2008 through Feburary 8, 2009. Tickets available October 1, 2008 at the station, at 816-460-2020 or at www.unionstation.org. Prices: Adults $22; children 4-12, $18; group rates available
Kansas Citizens will be able to experience what it is like to be blind even before the exhibit opens. Alphapointe Association for the Blind will hold a fundraiser called "Dining in the Dark" on Oct. 2 at Union Station. The meal will be served to 144 guests in total darkness by blind servers. To help organizers decide on a menu, there will be a tasting of items by a committee that will be blindfolded.
"We probably won't have barbecue; we won't have broccoli and cheese soup or spaghetti," said Reinhard Mabry, Alphapointe president. Dinner will be served on china, but wine will be poured into stemless glasses. To assist diners, there will be voiceover help from David Westbrook, chief executive officer and president of Corporate Communications, who is being honored that night for his support of Alphapointe.
Tickets cost $250 and are available by calling Pat Papenfuhs at 816-237-2026.
The following comes to us from Children's Comments About Angels
“I only know the names of two angels. Hark and Harold.” -- Gregory, age 5.
“Angels don't eat, but they drink milk from holy cows.” -- Jack, age 6.
Over, around and across Missouri. Let's find out what's
happening where.
By Trudy Blood, Recording Secretary
Hello to everyone from Sedalia,
The MCB convention was a big success, and we wish Allied Workers and Progressive Council the very best as they prepare to host our next year’s convention.
We had our Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner on Thursday, Dec. 4. It was catered by the Country Bumpkin again this year. We had: Turkey, dressing, ham, corn, seasoned green beans, seven layer salad, mashed potatoes and gravy, hot rolls, assorted desserts, coffee and tea. WE had a Christmas gift exchange for those who wanted to participate. It was done like it has been in the past, guys bought for guys, girls for girls; or you could get something that would go for either.
On December 6, some of our members rang bells for the Salvation Army. It is a very good way to help them with their many programs.
As you read this the holiday season will almost be here; We hope that everyone has had a very good year.
Until next time, keep your smile, and a song in your heart, and if you can't be good, be good at it.
By Bill Boyd
Greetings from Joplin,
The Service Club continues to enjoy weekly lunches and activities. We are so fortunate to have a volunteer cook, Tom Fortson, who is so dedicated to preparing such wonderful meals each week. Thank You, Tom!!
In September we had "Elvis" come to entertain us again at one of our Tuesday lunches. Everyone really enjoyed him so much they wanted him to come again.
We have several members who, due to illness, have not been able to come for awhile to our lunches. Valva York has not been feeling well for quite sometime, and Helen Green had to have a stint put in her heart, and is still not up to par yet. May Wright is still in the nursing home but doing better. We hope and pray that by next report they will all be back with us.
Our August monthly evening dinner was hosted by First United Methodist Church, they cooked hamburgers and brats out on the grill, with all of the trimmings. The entertainment was provided by Freddy Marcos, a blind high school student who played many tunes on his keyboard. Freddy plans to go to college on a music scholarship. We wish Freddy the best at whatever he does!
Our Sept. dinner was hosted by St. Paul's United Methodist Church. For our entertainment they brought the "Bell Choir" from their church, and, oh, what a treat that was!
Calvin Churchwell, who is a certified Orientation & Mobility instructor, and works with the blind children in various school districts, also provides various activities for the kids. In Sept. they went to the local Harley Davidson Store, and members took the kids on cycle rides. They really look forward to this every year. He provides a Beeper Easter Egg hunt in the Spring for the children. This summer some of the kids attended a summer camp at Camp Barnabas for a week. We really appreciate Calvin for investing his time and energies so the children can experience life, as others do who are not blind.
Our new President is Sandy Goettel, and Bill Boyd is our new Vice-Pres.
We had a great time at the Convention this year. It was really great to see all of you again! We felt especially blessed to get to see Sophie Straine, one of our past members, who now lives in St. Ann, Mo. Sophie, it was wonderful to see you again!
Until next time,
Bill Boyd
By Bunny Maginnis
Happy Autumn to you all, although by the time you read this it will be winter again.
We had nine members attending the convention this year. We wish to congratulate all the new officers on their elections. We wish them well.
We have two new members. They are both blind. We welcome you, Robert Sears and Ona Hardy. You are an asset to our organization.
We held our election of officers in October just before the convention. They are: Blanche Burrell, president; Bunny Maginnis, first vice-president; Angelo Trapasso, second vice-president; Bob Sears, secretary; and Rose Ledford, treasurer. Tim McClure is our director.
Our Christmas party will be held at Aris restaurant again this year on December 20th.
We canceled our annual hayride this year because of highway construction. We plan to continue it next year.
We wish all of you a very safe and happy holliday season. See you again in March.
By Chip Hailey
“A true friend knows your weaknesses but shows you your strengths; feels your fears but fortifies your faith; sees your anxieties but frees your spirit; recognizes your disabilities but emphasizes your possibilities.”--William Arthur Ward
The Friendship Council would like to join the many others in thanking the St. Charles Council for hosting this year's State Convention in St. Peters. We really appreciated all of the time and effort you all did in hosting the Convention and making everyone's stay an enjoyable one. We will be looking forward to seeing everyone again at our next year's Convention in Independence.
We would also like to extend our congratulations to all of the newly elected officers and newly appointed committee chairs. We are very excited about the new installment of MCB officers and would like to wish them the very best.
In our own local affiliate, we held our elections this past October with the following results: Rita Galbraith, president; Cathie Brauner, first vice president; Harold Poiry, treasurer; Margaret Forcum, secretary; and Chip Hailey, as PR.
The Friendship Council meets on the first Tuesday night of every month at the Webb City Senior Citizens building at 7:00. We also have a dinner on the third Monday night of every month to have fun and good conversation. Most of the time we meet at different local restaurants in the area but occasionally we may have a potluck at the Senior Citizens building. We welcome anyone living in the Joplin, Webb City, and Carthage area to attend any of our meetings. For additional information regarding the time and dates when we meet, please feel free to contact Rita Galbraith at 417-673-8559.
We have received our 2009 MCB large print calendars and hope to distribute them throughout our local area in hopes of drawing attention to MCB, and hopefully, recruiting new members to the organization. MCB is a great organization and we are very proud to be members.
In conclusion, we would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. May all of your hopes and dreams come true this upcoming new year, and may your hearts continue to be filled with love and laughter. Stay well everyone and we hope to see many of you again throughout the 2009 new year.
Warmest regards,
Chip Hailey
By Janelle Edwards, Secretary
In August, we conducted our officer elections, which occur every two years. The following officers were elected: Lisa Filroy, President; Marti Watson, Vice-President; Janelle Edwards, Secretary; and Donna Giger Treasurer.
Six of us attended the MCB convention in St. Charles. At our October meeting, we summarized the experience for some members who could not attend.
Best wishes for the coming year to MCB, and its new officers as well as MCB members and affiliates.
By Aaron Lane
There’s been a lot of excitement lately in the St Charles chapter. We’ve welcomed several new members in the last few months, and we had a convention to plan and carry out. I think the convention turned out great. Even though it was a lot of work, the SCCCB appreciated the opportunity to host MCB members from all over the state for this year’s convention. I want to thank all those who helped with the planning, both in the St Charles county chapter, and those from other affiliates. Also, we would like to congratulate all the new MCB officers, and thank those outgoing officers for their service to the MCB.
Sincerely,
Aaron Lane
by Paul Edwards
As our guest editorial for this issue, we have an article written by Paul Edwards a past president of ACB, and I think you’ll find it very interesting.
Not Just Words
I recently spent a number of early mornings listening to the proceedings of the seventh general assembly of the World Blind Union. I had the honor to represent ACB and the North American Region at two such assemblies. I would recommend to all of you that you take the time to listen to the archives of the assembly if you were not able to tune in when it was on live. There were a large number of issues that I could write about and it is probably arguable that the
one I am actually going to talk about is not the most significant or the most serious issue that was discussed. However,
the fact that the issue came up at all is an indication of how far the assembly and the World Blind Union have come. It is also interesting that the subject has been debated by ACB in the past. It is also one of those issues that have not been settled.
At the WBU, people with low vision gave a report on their activities and also wrote resolutions which both asked the
same thing. Essentially what they asked was that the issues faced by people with low vision be given equal consideration with those issues faced by people who are blind. When put this way, it seems eminently reasonable that those of us who have no vision ought to be concerned about the welfare of brothers and sisters who have some vision but are still "blind." ACB is fortunate to have the Council of Citizens with Low Vision International (CCLVI). It is able to act as the affiliate which can bring forward to our convention resolutions and issues on which ACB can agree to act.
I think that, for the most part, ACB has been prepared to provide support for issues that are brought to us. I am not sure that we do a good job of going much further, though. That, my friends, is the real point.
Let us pause for a moment and put a few cards on the table, cards that we do not often look at. For every person with no vision, it would appear that there are nine people with some vision who are legally blind. We don't keep records
in ACB and I do not think we should start now which measure the visual acuity or visual fields of our members. However, I would suggest to you that we don't come close to the nine partials to one total ratio. This, in itself, is a matter of concern to me. We are not doing a good job of attracting or retaining people with partial vision. Perhaps our membership committee should take a good, hard look at this issue. Why is it that low- vision folks don't join?
I think that some of the reasons are beyond our control. I think that many low-vision folks are uncomfortable acknowledging themselves as blind. They may well also feel that becoming a part of ACB would represent a final admission of blindness, which many low-vision folks are not prepared to do.
I do not think that is the whole story, though. I do not think we in ACB do nearly enough to highlight low-vision issues. Here are a few examples. Clearly people who are partially sighted would benefit from having more large-print books in libraries or bookstores. Clearly low-vision folks could benefit from many more signs that are truly easy to read.
We talk a lot about accessible home appliances. How often do we include large displays or controls that can be visually recognized by a person who does not see well but who is legally blind?
People with low vision, a long time ago, wanted ACB to change its name to the American Council of the Visually Impaired. What a huge change such a name change might have wrought. No, I do not support that proposal for reasons I will offer later. However, I certainly believe that there is nothing inherently more correct about ACB than ACVI. All of us who are blind are visually impaired. All of our members who are legally blind are blind.
We may well have lost members because of our insistence on retaining the word "blind," a core identifying characteristic.
I think that we must retain the word "blind" because it is a word that is better understood by the larger society in
which our organization must function. It also evokes more empathy or even sympathy than any of the euphemisms we
use to describe people who retain some vision. However, just because I don't support the name change, it does not mean I do not recognize that we must do more in ACB to make people with low vision feel more welcome and to make more of our issues resonate with them.
There are a few things I think we can all do and I, for one, pledge to do what I can. I promise to think about
what impact anything I propose will have on partially sighted people. I pledge to actively encourage partially sighted people to bring us their issues and to help us become their advocates. I pledge to write visually impaired and blind at
least as often as I write blind and visually impaired. Last, I promise to work to make ACB more inclusive. I cannot
comment on all states but I would suggest to you that on our national board, we do not have a lot of people with low vision. I would suggest that the same thing is true at the state and local levels and in our special-interest affiliates, with
one exception. I am not sure that we will be able to change this, but surely we can reach out to people with low vision
and tell them we care about their issues. Surely we can work as hard on some of the identified needs of partially sighted people. Surely we can be sure that we are an organization of vision as well as an organization of the blind. Shall we try? I hope so!
A dentist I know named John and a manicurist named Gail tried hard but never could get along.
They’d always fight tooth and nail!
Hello again, and welcome to winter.
Before we begin pulling stuff out of the drawer we best remind you that mention of an item or service in no way constitutes an endorsement. They are listed here solely for their interest value. Okay, let’s see what we have.
Free From NBP: The National Braille Press is offering the following booklet in Braille or on Portabook free of charge, After Diagnosis: Prostate Cancer Understanding Your Treatment Options By The American Cancer Society. This booklet gives you general information about prostate cancer, the tests your doctor may order, treatment options, and common side effects as well as other resources. To order a copy call (800) 548-7323 or (617) 266-6160 ext 20, or e-mail orders@nbp.org.
The Federal Communications Commission recently published a pamphlet on video descriptions and the digital television transition for consumers. Entitled __FCC Consumer Advisory: Video Descriptions and the Digital Television Transition,__ this three-page large-print pamphlet is available online at: www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/dtvvideodescription.html and www.dtv.gov/wilmington/factsheets/dtvvideodescription.pdf. It is also available free upon request in audio, Braille, and electronic text. Bulk copies are also available. To request a copy, contact:
Federal Communications Commission
Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau
445 12th Street SW
Washington, DC 20554
(888) 225-5322
e-mail: fccinfo@fcc.gov
fccinfo@fcc.gov
fcc504@fcc.gov (for copies in alternate formats)
Staying Safe: The following comes from one of our MCB members, Scott Vroegindewey. “As some of you know, I was brutally attacked by three thugs, hoping to rob me if my wallet. They did not succeed; however, I did get a severe black eye that is slowly healing. Because we are blind or have low vision, we are vulnerable to such violence, and here are some techniques to use if you are accosted: Maintain a confront zone that nobody can enter except those you want to. Keep people literally at arm's length away from you.
Keep thinking. Be aware of your surroundings.
- Keep moving.
- Think about your escape. Do not dwell on your fear.
- Evaluate your attacker. What does he want? Does he want to harm you? Fight back. Punch, bite, scratch, kick -- then run like hell.
- Surprise your attacker. Be proactive and be the first one to attack.
- Be mean and nasty. Be badder than the other person. Do not attempt to reason or negotiate or beg.
- Strike immediately if you are grabbed.
- Make noise. Yell and scream for help. Draw attention to yourself.
- Attempt to force the brawl into a visible area so others might be able to assist you.
- Use your cane as weapon. Hit and run.
- Use your other senses besides sight. They have served you well before and will again when you are attacked. Some of the above information is taken from the brochure "Counter Attacks: Be Aware and Be Prepared."
Stay safe!
Scott D. Vroegindewey
Are you familiar with Leading the Way yet? If not, you should be. This
groundbreaking program was developed in partnership with world famous adventurer Erik Weihenmayer and Global Explorers, a nonprofit organization. It pairs students who are blind, visually impaired and sighted together for extraordinary journeys. The Leading the Way program breaks barriers, shatters expectations and empowers high school and college aged students to
make a difference in their communities. As a member of the blind community, they're asking for your help to share the inspiration of Leading the Way with as many people as they possibly can. Here's what you can do:
1. Nominate a student who is blind, visually impaired or sighted to participate in our 2009 Leading the Way Grand Canyon Expedition.
2. Pass this message along to anyone you might know who can help spread the message.
3. Contribute a financial donation to Global Explorers to help make Leading the Way more accessible to students of all backgrounds. Go to www.globalexplorers.org and click on "Leading the Way" under workshops to learn more about the program, nominate a student, download an application or contribute to the program. This is your opportunity to contribute to a program that has continued to earn the national recognition of outlets such as ABC World News Tonight, ABC Nightline, the Travel Channel, and most recently in 2008, CBS Sunday Morning. For more information you can call (877) 627-1425 or go to their website:
www.globalexplorers.org
AUDIO RESOURCE FOR DIABETICS: Pocket Reference Journals, Inc. recently released its first CD entitled "My Pocket Doctor, A Reference Guide." It is a helpful tool for educating the newly diagnosed diabetic. The CD includes information on blood glucose testing, insulin facts, pills, new medications, dining out, illness complications, as well as such other important topics as traveling, leisure and exercise, and smoking and alcohol. The ABC's of diabetes, a diabetes food plan, telephone and web resources are included. Running time is one hour in a conversational tone. The CD costs $12.50. Braille labels and a full Braille version are also available. To hear an audio sample, go to
www.pocketreferencejournals.com. Downloadable versions are available on Audible.com.
EMPLOYMENT WEB SITE: JobEnable.com is an employment web site designed specifically for people with disabilities. The goal of the site is to enhance the opportunities for people with disabilities to find employment by providing a vehicle where they can showcase their qualifications and talents to an audience of prospective employers. Job seekers can post their resumes and search the database for available positions. Employers are able to post jobs and search resumes, recruiting qualified candidates who are the best fit for their organizations.
A recent study found that the average American walks about 900 miles a year. Another study found that Americans drink, on average, 22 gallons of alcohol a year. That means that, on average, Americans get about 41 miles to the gallon! Makes you proud to be an American!
A Tip From Peter Altshul: “I'm passing along what seems like a decent resource. I've been subscribed to this site's offerings for several weeks now. They seem, dare I say, legit. They've had
constantly workable job listings. At VirtualVocations.com. There are the more typical telecommuting jobs such as transcriptionists and medical coders and customer service reps needed. But there are also some interesting ones such as a couple for telecommuting attorneys needed, too”:, http://www.virtualvocations.com
Newsworthy, Inc. has just released www.NewsworthyAudio.com, a personal audio newspaper site they hope will be of assistance to the visually impaired. Subscribers say the types of news stories they are interested in. The Site will find the full-length newspaper stories that match those interests and deliver them as high-quality personalized pod casts to each subscriber. Subscribers can personalize over a dozen categories of news, pick from hundreds of pre-built news pod casts or create their own custom pod casts. Subscribers can also listen to
full-length newspaper stories online. All free!! To subscribe, go to www.newsworthyaudio.com or call (703) 272-8163.
ACB Has Thermostats: Approximately four months ago American Council of the Blind concluded an agreement to market the VIP Series of talking thermostats. Three types are now available for purchase through the ACB Store. The VIP series is the first digital thermostat with audio playback of day, time, indoor temperature, temperature setting and programming instructions so blind and visually impaired users can precisely and easily manage their indoor comfort. When you press the day/time, weekend or weekday schedule buttons, you are voice prompted to enter the correct settings. Press the REPORT button to hear "day of the week, time, indoor temperature and the thermostat setting". Press the UP or DOWN arrow buttons to raise or lower the temperature and hear the new temperature setting". Press the HELP button to "obtain a telephone number to call for service or help with your thermostat". To order a Talking Thermostat, or to obtain more information, visit the ACB online store at www.acb.org.
Forward March: I remember back around 50 years ago when the band from the Missouri School for the Blind went to Chicago to march in the International Lions’ parade. At that time we thought MSB may have been
the first school for the blind to have a marching band. Recently we heard that the Ohio School for the Blind band has received an invitation to march in next year’s Rose Parade in Pasadena, California on New Year’s Day of 2010. The band was formed in 2005 and played its first full season with about 20 members in 2006. Twenty-one
bands from across the country have been booked for the Rose Parade, said music committee chairwoman Stacy Houser. "A blind marching band is such an incredibly unique thing," she said. "We're hoping it'll be an inspiration
throughout the country." Bands are chosen using several criteria, including marching and musical ability, uniqueness and overall talent.
A Very Special Birthday: Were he still alive, Louis Braille would be 200 years old on January 4th. There will undoubtedly be celebrations and commemorations of his life all year long. The National Braille Press sent a message about some items they have to help us call attention to this special birthday. “We commissioned artist
Judith Krimski to design a new image of Louis that would respect his place in history and illuminate the vitality of his vision today. Her stunning Louis icon appears on almost every Bicentennial commemorative item listed below. Next, we designed a half-dozen, low-cost items that you can use to spread the word about Louis's Bicentennial --starting today and throughout 2009! All of these items can be purchased from us: Louis Lapel Pins. Our goal is to have everyone who cares about Louis wearing his lapel pin this January 4th-and every other day!
It even has teeny-tiny Braille letters across the bottom. Get your whole company to participate! $5 each, plus shipping. Louis Note Cards. Keep in touch with friends and family with these gorgeous 4.25" x 5" note cards. Includes 10 cards and envelopes in a sturdy card box: $7.99, plus shipping. Bicentennial Wall Poster.
Perfect for any classroom, this beautifully illustrated 12.25" x 17" poster celebrates the life and achievements of Louis Braille with images from France. Free-you pay for shipping only. Print/Braille Bookmarks. Perfect for the classroom, library or the office, these colorful bookmarks feature our Louis image and facts about his life.
In packages of 30 for $8, or 50 for $12, plus shipping. Braille Key Chains. These unique gold-plated coin key chains measure 1.5" in diameter. On one side, the words "Louis Braille 1809" appear in Braille, and the reverse side shows hands reading Braille and the words "Braille Opens Doors" Designed and produced by Paul and Bernie Dressell: $5, plus shipping. Tactile Louis. Commemorate the 200th birthday of Louis with this signed and numbered, limited edition, ivory-colored, cast resin plaque, sculpted by tactile artist Ann Cunningham. Hang it on a wall or display it on the wire stand that comes with it: $45, plus shipping. Whatever you do, celebrate Braille. These make great holiday gifts! All these mementos are available at www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/louis/gift_shop.html To order, send payment to: NBP, 88 St. Stephen Street, Boston, MA 02115-4302 Or call and charge it: toll-free (800) 548-7323 or (617) 266-6160 ext. 20.
Can You Prove It: Chip Hailey, our education and welfare committee chairman, tells us that “Starting today recipients of Blind Pension must prove they are United States Citizens or Lawful Permanent Residents. Supplemental Aid to the Blind recipients have had to do this for two and a half years under Federal Law. Now Blind Pension recipients have been added to this requirement under state law. Blind Pension recipients who currently are on Medicare, Old Age Social Security, or Social Security Disability Insurance automatically meet this requirement as Social Security has already verified your citizenship. However, you must be a Current recipient of these programs to be automatically considered a citizen. At your next annual renewal for Blind Pension you will be requested to provide verification of citizenship. To prove citizenship the most common documentation is a birth certificate and currently valid Missouri Driver's License or current Non-Driver's License. Note that I said current Non-Driver's license not expired . So, if your ID is expired you need to get it renewed. And, you CANNOT submit a photocopy of your Birth Certificate it must be the original issued by the county or state. This likely means a trip to your FSD office so they can copy it for you so it doesn't get lost. let you know so you have time to get a new original birth certificate and/or ID. If by some chance, you have a U.S. passport that will work all by itself to verify citizenship.”
As part of the historic agreement negotiated by ACB, The California Council of the Blind (CCB) and several blind
individuals, free annual credit reports are available through www.annualcreditreport.com are now designed to be accessible to blind consumers. Each person is entitled to one free report each year from each of three different companies. By the end of this coming December, these companies will also be providing the free reports in Braille, Large Print, and Audio formats. ACB and CCB used Structured Negotiations to reach the landmark agreement with the Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. To access your free on-line credit report, go to www.annualcreditreport.com . After selecting your state and requesting your report, you will be taken to a form that must be filled out. At the end of the form there is a security feature (known as a Captcha) as well as an alternative request page for blind and visually impaired consumers who cannot see the characters that need to be entered into the box. Unlike some on-line audio Captchas that are difficult to understand, the security feature on the credit report site includes a phone number to call that will clearly provide you with the code you need to enter into the site. These security features are designed to help companies make sure that you are a real person, and not a computer. The credit reporting companies have worked hard over the past several months to make the Captcha on this site an accessible one. When you have completed the form and the security feature, you will be asked to select which of the three companies you want to receive your report from. There will be a small number of people who will be unable to obtain their report on-line because of the need for additional authentication. This happens with sighted people also and has nothing to do with visual impairment. If this happens to you, and you are unable to get your report, please contact our lawyers using the information below. If you have any difficulties obtaining your report, please contact them as well. The companies are working closely with ACB and its lawyers to make sure the reports are accessible and the process is as usable as possible. If problems occur we will try to resolve them as soon as possible. Feedback can be sent to our lawyers, Lainey Feingold and Linda Dardarian, by emailing LF@LFLegal.com, or calling (510) 548-5062. Please keep this information for future reference and share it with other blind or visually impaired people .
Melanie Brunson, Executive Director
American Council of the Blind
How You Can Learn to Play Chess:
"The Gymnastics of the Brain" or "The Martial Arts of the Mind" feel the "Thrill of Victory and the Agony of Defeat" or just have fun. a great hobby, wonderful recreation, playing Blind or sighted people alike. A great way to meet others, take this games of Kings to whatever level you like!!! please visit the Web site of the United States Braille Chess Association, A group of Blind or Visually Impaired Chess enthusiasts who enjoy playing Tournaments or just Friendly Games with those of their own strength and knowledge of this wonderful sport!
The U.S. Braille Chess Association has a listserv. To subscribe, send a blank e-mail message to:
usbcachess-subscribe@topica.com To join, or for more information, contact: Alan Dicey, President
United States Braille Chess Association - USBCA adicey@bellsouth.net
Visit a Website for the Blind:
Here’s a site where anyone that wants to find something pertaining to vision or vision loss, can come to interact and learn. Check it out! EverythingBlind.com
Here’s wishing you and yours a wonderful Christmas; maybe like one of those fondly remembered from the past.
Stay well, and we’ll visit again in the spring.
Back to the Chronicle Archives