NEWSLINE
June 2009 Issue
Opportunity, Equality, Independence
Founded 1935
1-800-255-1147
Denise Colley, President
(360) 438-0072
dmc0124@comcast.net
Lacey, WA
Denise Colley, President/Editor
Those much-needed contributions, which
are TAX-deductible, can be sent to the Washington Council of the Blind
treasurer Eric Hunter at, PO Box 1085, Tracyton, WA 98393-1085.
To
remember the Washington Council of the Blind in your Last Will and Testament, you
may include a special paragraph for that purpose in your Will or Trust. If your
wishes are complex, please contact the WCB at (800) 255-1147.
The WCB is a 501C-3 organization.
For other ways to support the
Washington Council of the Blind, visit our Fund Raising page found at http://www.wcbinfo.org
The 2009 Legislative Session – Victories and
Defeats
2009 WCB
Scholarships are now available
Deserving
People Will Receive Awards at the 2009 WCB Convention in Pasco
Get Back to the Tri-Cities in November
Update from the Washington Talking Book and
Braille Library
Washington State School for the Blind Update
South sound
Woman Would Have Turned 110 Years Old Today
Calendar of Deadlines and Events
By Denise Colley
When last we chatted the winter cold
was still making its presence known, and we were looking forward to things to
come. Spring has seemed to slip by without much fanfare, and we are being
thrust into summer without much warning.
Just as we delight in the busy and
fun-filled days of spring and summer, so, too, do we continue to anticipate the
busy and fun-filled activities that are WCB.
In March we turned in membership
information for 413 members to the ACB national office, and, at the time of
this writing, we are at 421. While our membership count is lower this year, I
believe that there are a lot of Washingtonians out there who are just waiting
to be invited to join such a vital and hard-working organization, and I
challenge each of us to reach out and invite one person we know to join. Just
think what could happen, if all 421 of us brought in one new member?
About eighteen WCB members will be
making their way to Orlando, Florida to attend this year’s national convention,
to learn more about and become more involved in American Council of the Blind
business. Convention dates are July 4-11. While our Washington delegation may
not be as large this year, we certainly plan to make sure everyone knows we’re
there. I will be attending national convention as our state delegate and Cindy
Van Winkle will be attending as alternate delegate. Congratulation goes to Malissa
Hudson who has been selected as this year’s WCB First Timer to attend the
convention. Malissa is an active member of the United Blind of Seattle and a
graduate of the 2008 leadership seminar. She is very enthusiastic, and
I’msure will be an asset on the local
or state level. For those of you, who can’t join us this year, don’t forget
that the convention will be streamed live on ACB radio. I will also be checking
in with you all daily as I leave updates on our WCB phone system on the
National Convention menu.
Our WCB website has a new and improved
look. If you haven’t checked it out recently go to www.wcbinfo.org. A big thank you goes to our
website oversight committee, Joleen Ferguson, Frank Cuta and Gary Lieberg, and
to our new website designer, Keana Gray, who is from British Columbia Canada.
We’d love to hear from you all about what you think.
Once again, this has been an active legislative
session. Significant cuts to our state’s economy resulted in our legislators
having to make some difficult decisions. Since we knew these cuts could have a
negative impact on the budgets of the Department of Services for the Blind, the
Washington State School for the Blind and the Washington Talking Book and
Braille Library, the WCB Legislative Committee stayed vigilant about monitoring
how these organizations were being affected as budgets came out from the
Governor and both houses of the legislature. Overall, services for blind
children and adults will, for the most part, continue as we know them. For more
information on the legislative session see the article later in this issue.
By the time most of you read this, WCB
will have held its ninth Leadership training, followed by our mid-year board
meeting. Both are being held at the Oxford Suites in Silverdale, and both are
shaping up to be packed with good information. It’s always exciting to see who
our newest group of leadership training graduates will be and to have them
participate in a WCB state board meeting.
Are you beginning to make your plans
to attend this year’s WCB state convention? The dates are November 5-7, and the
location is the Pasco Red Lion. Let’s make this the biggest and best state
convention yet. (See the convention article later in this issue for more
details.)
This is shaping up to be a good year
for WCB. But now is not the time to let down and just coast. Without strong
chapters, and a committed membership, we cannot meet whatever challenges may
face us in the future. It is all of us doing our part, no matter how large or
how small, that makes us who and what we are.
By Berl Colley
ARE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED PEOPLE
Receiving the Healthcare Information They Need?
Have you visited the doctor’s office
and had the receptionist tell you that you need to fill out forms for medical
history purposes?
Have you been diagnosed as having a
life-changing disease, and when you attempted to gather more information, you
found that accessible literature on the subject was very limited?
At any time you are asked to complete
a medical form in a doctor’s office setting, you have the same right of privacy
as patience who see. Therefore, you need not accept any situation wherein your
responses to medical questions can be overheard by others. You have the right
to ask to fill out the form in private. Questions about previous medical
problems like drinking, social diseases, pregnancy, impotency, etc., are not
things you should have to broadcast to strangers.
Sadly, by comparison to the
availability of printed information, there is precious little information
published in accessible formats involving conditions such as cancer, diabetes,
Alzheimer’s and other serious medical conditions. We should have the right to
find out as much as we can when we are confronted with a major life threatening
diagnoses. Well known organizations like the American Cancer Society, the
American Diabetes Association and the American Association of Retired People,
generally respond to requests for literature in an accessible format, by saying
that it costs too much or, that they do not provide materials in accessible
formats for blind or visually impaired people.
What can we do?
Two efforts within the American
council of the blind are starting to address our concerns. Sue ammeter chairs a
Health Concerns committee which is working to get organizations like those
mentioned above to produce materials in usable formats. Marlaina Lieberg is the
officer liaison to the women’s concerns committee which also is addressing the
lack of accessible literature.
We should support the two ACB efforts
and we should become as knowledgeable as we can regarding our medical care
rights.
Our benefits may be, a little less
embarrassment in the doctor’s office and more access to materials to make us
better informed about major diseases.
By Denise Colley
As is usually the case, this year was
another busy year for the Washington State legislature and for your WCB
legislative committee. We began the session by monitoring three pieces of
legislation.
SB5103 essentially would
have extended the civil rights protections afforded by the White Cane Law to
service animals in training. WCB has always opposed such legislation, since the
right to be protected against discrimination is given to the guide dog handler,
not the service animal itself. We were unable to testify at the hearing, but we
did send a letter to committee members expressing our opposition. This bill did
not pass out of the Senate Rules Committee.
SSB5176
would have created a two-state partnership between Portland State University and
Washington State University to address Washington’s need for the training of
teachers of children with visual impairments. On February 27th a
hearing was held in the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, at which I provided
testimony in support of the legislation on behalf of WCB. The bill was amended
twice and sent on to Rules, but ultimately did not pass out of this committee.
SSB
5902 was a bill promoting accessible communities for persons with disabilities.
If passed, the bill would have taken the accessible community advisory
committee concept, implemented as a part of the Accessible voting legislation,
and extended it to promoting greater awareness of disability issues overall.
Grant funding would be made available to local communities submitting proposals
for projects promoting greater accessibility and awareness. The companion bill
to this was HB1739. WCB sent a letter of support to the House Human Services
Committee when there seemed to be momentum for the House version to move
forward. While both bills had a lot of support, and came close to passing,
again neither made it out of committee. We expect to see at least a couple of
these bills resurface again next legislative session.
The
impact of the current economic climate on the budgets and budget requests of
the Department of Services for the Blind, the Washington Talking Book and
Braille Library, and the Washington State School for the Blind were also of
great concern.
Through
ongoing discussions with DSB director, Lou Oma Durand, we were initially led to
believe that, while budget cuts were inevitable, DSB was going to be able to
withstand them with some creative budgeting. At the end of February, however,
we learned that one of the proposed budget cuts was to close the residential
program (apartments) of the orientation and training center. The training
program would remain intact, but, essentially would become a day training
program. At the request of the WCB Board, I sent a letter to DSB which
stated that WCB was “categorically opposed to cutting the residential function
of the orientation and training program”, and charging DSB to examine other programmatic/administrative
functions that could be cut. At the state rehabilitation council meeting on
March 7, we packed the meeting room and made our concerns known during the
public comment session. As WCB president I joined the meeting by telephone, as
did several others, and once again stated the position of WCB and its
membership. Our advocacy efforts paid off and all of the apartments have been retained.
The Legislature's budget for DSB ended up to be, far better than we expected. They
were only cut by $75,000 per year in state funds.
In April, when the House budget came
out, we were informed that the Office of the Secretary of State was slated to
take a significant budget cut in state funds. This cut to their budget could
have had the potential of severely impacting the Washington State Library and
the Washington Talking Book and Braille Library. However, neither WTBBL, nor
the Washington State Library faired as badly in the final budget process as we
once had feared, and, for the present, library services will continue as we
know them.
The Washington State School for the
Blind took the greatest budgetary hit of approximately 4.8% (around $621,000). This
reduction will have the following impact on WSSB: elimination of the Eastside
Regional Project: the TBVI position is being transferred to outreach contracted
services; elimination of one teacher aide position; reduction in contracted
mental health services; and elimination of all summer school programs:
including Summer School, YES I, Sports Camp, etc.
However, Dr. Stenehjem will be looking
for grant funding in order to try and offset these cuts.
WCB scholarships are now available for
the 2009-2010 academic school year. Both the cover letter and the application
can be found on the Washington Council of the Blind website at www.wcbinfo.org. The application and all
supporting documents need to be submitted electronically. The deadline date for
submission of applications is July 31, 2009.
To be eligible to receive a WCB
scholarship an applicant must:
1)
be legally blind
2)
be enrolled or planning to enroll in
an accredited vocational school, college or university
3)
be a resident of Washington State. (A
resident of Washington State is defined as an individual whose physical
residence has been in Washington State for a period of twelve (12) consecutive
months at the time of application.)
For additional questions about the
scholarships or the application process, you may contact Julie Brannon,
scholarship chair, by e-mail at jbrannon0612@comcast.net or by calling us at
(800) 255-1147.
By Alan Bentson,
Committee Chair
The awards committee was developed as
an ad hoc committee, at the suggestion of then President Cindy Van Winkle, at
the March 2004 board meeting. Marlaina Lieberg and her committee members, along
with input from other WCB members, developed an all-inclusive array of both
internal and external awards, and those attending WCB convention banquets have
witnessed the joy and appreciation from those much-deserving recipients.
It's time to contact the awards
committee with your ideas about deserving persons. This year, as in years past,
we will continue to give:
1.
Certificates of appreciation to those who have completed their board/officer
tenure within the year
2.
A certificate to chapters honoring ongoing growth with 10 percent or more
membership increase in the past year
3.
Honorable mention to chapters who have submitted a chapter update quarterly for
the past year in the WCB Newsline.
Internal awards will consist of:
1.
Certificate for outstanding service to WCB
2.
Chapter of the year award (to a chapter that has demonstrated actions of
outstanding community outreach)
3.
Outstanding advocacy award
4.
Newsline editor's award (to a writer who has written an outstanding article for
Newsline within the last year on some aspect of blindness)
Some or all of these external awards
will be presented:
1.
Employer of the year award (going to an employer who has employed
blind/visually impaired persons along with allowing for access and upward
mobility, who isn't in the rehab/blindness field)
2.
Business of the year award (given to a business that has provided outstanding
customer service to blind/visually impaired persons)
3.
One world award (given to a person or entity who has assisted in minimizing the
impact of blindness in some way)
If you would like further explanation
regarding the criteria for each award, feel free to write me at a.bentson@comcast.net or ask me for a copy of the
Newsline article from June, 2005, written by Marlaina Lieberg outlining
detailed explanations of each award. There will be more information posted on
the WCB website, and/or ListServe, including a letter you can send out to your
families, friends and organizations for their suggestions for possible
recipients for the external awards.
Your submission for award
considerations must not exceed 350 words, and contact information for both the
recipient and yourself must be included. Please send your nominations to a.bentson@comcast.net.
The deadline for the receipt of your award nominations is August 31, 2009.
The awards committee, Joann Hunter,
Kevin LaRose and I, look forward to considering the nominations and recognizing
those who have helped WCB and the blindness community this year.
By Frank Cuta, WCB
Secretary
It’s get back time. Time to get back
to our major “get-together happening of the year”, the Washington Council of
the Blind state convention. Think ahead to cold wet November. Now think of a
trip to the sunny desert. Get back to old friends, get back to spirited
hospitality, get back to tables and tables of exhibits, get back to the annual
talent show, get back to amazing scholarship winners, get back to riveting special
interest seminars, get back to WCB Jeopardy, and of course, get back to work.
Because this is not only the major social get together of the year, but also your
opportunity to learn new skills, to get up to date on service changes and to
make your contribution to the running of our organization.
Some things to note as you make your
plans for this year’s state convention. The get back dates are November 5-7,
2009. Get back convention registration for all 3 days, including 5 meals, costs
$90.
Alternate registration with no meals
is $10 and with only the banquet is $45. By the time the next Newsline reaches
you the registration form will be available on our accessible website at www.wcbinfo.org. Register before October 15 if you
want the complete $90 package deal. Also, those who register early will have a
chance to sign up for a special Friday afternoon hands on tour of the science
history oriented Chrest Museum--only 22 tickets are available at $5 each.
Our get back place is the Red Lion in
Pasco. It’s one of the oddest shaped buildings you will ever see, but written
and audio descriptions will be available in advance. We actually have a
detailed large tactile map, but you won't be able to see that until you arrive.
Hotel room rates are $89 for singles & doubles and $99 for triples &
quads.
Contact the Red Lion by October 15 to
make your reservations at 509-547-0701.
This year there will be two get back
buses from the west side, one loading in Bremerton with stops in Tacoma and
Federal Way, and one loading in Seattle with a probable stop in Yakima. If you
can't take advantage of the buses, and live outside of Benton-Franklin counties,
you may qualify for a WCB travel stipend of $40. Contact Shirley Taylor at 206-362-3118
before October 15 to either reserve a bus seat or make your stipend request.
Members who have never attended a WCB
state convention, who have joined WCB prior to May 5, 2009, and who have a
strong interest should consider applying for our full ride First timer's award.
Applications are due August 31, and letters should be emailed to
mekawh@gmail.com.
The convention program is nearly
complete and we have locked in several exceptional items for you to get back
to. This fall we will have as our honored guest Mitch Pomerantz, current
president of our parent organization, the American Council of the Blind, who
will discuss with us the effects of the new occupants in the white house, and
the depressed economic situation on services to persons who are blind.
Special breakout sessions on Friday
afternoon will cover organizing extracurricular activities for your chapter,
how to obtain and play the new digital talking books, being effective on public
transit issues, being proactive on employment retention issues and getting up
to date on issues relating to diabetes and blindness. And in case you feel an
urge to take a break from the presentations you might sneak into exhibits -- they
will only be open between 10 A.M. and 4 P.M. on Friday.
You'll want to get it while you can --
this once a year injection of awesome WCB vitality. Don't be a loner; make
plans now to join us in Pasco in November and "Get Back Jo Jo, Get
Back."
By Alco Canfield
I threaded my way through the
chattering children to the school office. The smell of chalk and pencils sent
me back briefly to my long-ago days in elementary school.
The necessary forms completed, I
returned home to wait for the results of the background check. I had signed up
to be a "Reading Buddy" for a girl in the fourth-grade. I hadn't
tutored since my high school days when I worked with a third grader, and I was
a bit apprehensive; hoping my "Buddy" would like me, hoping she would
learn.
When I tutored before, I had no way to
check the accuracy of my student's reading since the book was not available to
me in Braille. Things would be different this time.
I received the book my student had
chosen, and began to scan it in preparation for our meeting. As I did so, I
marveled at the technological changes which have made it possible for blind
people to access print materials.
I have been working for several weeks
with my student, and it has been a most enjoyable experience. The novelty of my
Braille reading has worn off, and she is used to my device announcing the name
of the book we are reading. She also knows that I have an exact copy in Braille
of what she is reading in print, so she no longer invents words, but sounds
them out.
In this, the two hundredth anniversary
of Louis Braille's birth, I will be speaking to the classes in this school
about the everyday uses of Braille and its importance in the lives of people
who are blind. I will bring technology to show as well, but my emphasis will be
on the practical uses of Braille and its necessity for literacy and competitive
employment.
While commemorative coins may have
their place, it is critical that people see Braille being competently used and
integrated into daily life. Braille then moves from an inspirational
abstraction to a concrete and viable alternative to print.
The children to whom I will be
speaking are the Mr. and Mrs. Employers of the future. Hopefully, they will
remember my remarks, should a qualified candidate who is blind apply for a job
with them.
Postscript: I made my presentation
about Braille, and the children's questions were very intelligent. Armed with
National Library Service materials provided by Joyce Van Tuyle of the
Washington Talking Book and Braille Library, I had a wide array of Braille to
show.
The teacher told me later that one
girl said, "I would like to be blind. It sounds like so much fun."
Well, I wouldn't call it "fun", but it can be a great adventure. Misconceptions
notwithstanding, I would rather have someone err on the side of the positive,
rather than the usual negative, limiting perceptions that often derail dreams
and lower expectations.
I left a slate and stylus with the
class, and the children have been writing me messages. One child drew a raised
line picture and wrote, "This is a unicorn." There was only one
mistake. She was so pleased with herself when I read what she had written. She
is learning that Braille is not so daunting after all, but just another way to
read.
It all works together. B is for
"Buddy", B is for Braille.
Introduction by Alco
Canfield
Claire Anderson has been blind for
several years. Her guide dog, DaVida has made a tremendous difference in her
life. Claire continues to be a contributing member of society, as the article
below illustrates. Both she and DaVida have touched the lives of many people.
DaVida, my guide dog, and I went to
the jail to participate in a Toastmasters Club meeting for inmates. It is a
maximum security facility. I went for a 4 hour orientation with a group of
other volunteers. Most of them were from churches or from AA. All I can
remember is that I was not allowed to wear anything that shows skin such as
sleeveless shirts or plunging necklines. We're not allowed to wear sandals with
bare feet but sandals with socks are acceptable. But certainly not haute
couture! We are not allowed to bring in anything except our drivers license and
keys to the car and an asthma inhaler, if needed. We were extremely discouraged
from giving anything to inmates such as cigarettes or ballpoint pens or money.
It's a big project to go there. I was
picked up at 10:15 and didn't get home until four. There was an hour drive and
then we stopped to eat. We were expected at 12:20, and you can't get there
early or late. We parked and went into the first room where we turned over our
driver’s license for a badge with a picture. We waited in this room with about
40 or 50 other people, mostly relatives of inmates, and when we were called, we
went through security. I went through the metal detector with no problem but
DaVida set off the alarm, as usual, with her harness and leash and metal
collar. The guard asked me if she could pat down the dog. I told her the dog
would love it. As she is patting down the dog she says, "Is it a female
because if it is a male I will have to call a same-sex guard." I said,
"If you are patting her down you should be able to tell whether she's a
male or female." All the guards thought that was hysterical. It seems that
this was the first guide dog that ever came in to the prison that the security
guards remembered. So then we went down the hall and into a room that was like
an elevator. There were sliding doors behind us, and then when those doors
closed the other doors opened, and then down the hall we went. Another room
with sliding doors and then we went out of the building and across the yard
with barbed wire on both sides, and into another building, past the security
guards, down the hall and into a classroom. That was the dedicated Toastmasters
room with a podium and lots of awards. The Toastmasters club had been meeting
at the penitentiary for many years and had won many awards. Then the inmates
started to drift in. I was surprised that they were wearing chinos and T-shirts
or blue jeans. I guess I had been expecting prison outfits. But street clothes
looked better. They of course started to pet the dog with my permission. One
fellow said that he hadn't petted a dog in 10 years. That made me so sad. The dog
was the hit of the day. She got so much attention and petting and affection,
and it was so good for the guys and her. There were about 20 inmates and they
basically gave motivational speeches and seemed to be working on improving
their lives. I was very impressed.
Several important things came out of
this meeting for me. I went there in curiosity and interest in a new
experience. But I came away with humility and a great feeling that I could
bring some pleasure by bringing my dog to these incarcerated guys, some of whom
will never get out of there. They talked about release dates for those who will
be released but some are in for life. So, quite the experience for me.
Claire Anderson and DaVida
By Berl Colley, Chair,
WCB History Committee
Shortly after returning from ACB’s
Midyear meetings in Greensboro North Carolina, President Sharon Keeran
conducted the WCB winter board meeting, on March 4, in Seattle. At that meeting
the board established an Environmental Access committee to monitor the
accessibility of new intersections and appliances. Tim Schneebeck was appointed
Chair.
Three days later, on March 7, Denise
Colley testified on behalf of WCB at the confirmation hearing of Shirley Smith
as director of the Department of Services for the Blind.
The Braille Access Center at the
Washington State School for the blind received national recognition through an
award for its work from its inception in 1993 through 1994. A parallel program
to the Braille Access Center was created when the state Department of General
Administration and Edmonds Community College contracted to start the State
Access Service, SAS, establishing a statewide taping service in Edmonds. This
was the year when Washington Talking Book and Braille Library users could, for
the first time, access and request their books on line through a new system
called OPAC. WTBBL also announced that it would be discontinuing their Braille on
Request program, leaving over $800 from a WCB grant to be returned to the organization.
The returned money was designated for use in WCB’s legislative activities.
Eighteen WCB members, led by President
Keeran and Alternate delegate Peggy Shoel, attended the national ACB convention,
July 1-8, in Greensboro North Carolina. Some members took advantage of the $600
convention loan amount established by the board at the March winter meeting.
Cynthia Towers, WCB’s Scholarship committee chair, became the first ACB officer
elected from WCB. She joined Sue Ammeter on the ACB board.
WCB’s summer board meeting was held on
July 29, at the 6th Avenue Hotel, in Seattle. Sharon Keeran
volunteered to head up a committee to rewrite a new brochure for the
organization. Also, the board voted to conduct a statewide candy sale
fundraiser in 1996. Debbie Cook volunteered to coordinate this activity. The
candy sale was a recommendation from the fundraising committee. The board voted
to send $100 to the Oklahoma Council of the Blind. The money was to be used to
help blind victims of the Oklahoma City Bombing.
Rhonda Nelson was appointed to chair
the 1995 Nominating committee and Dan Tonge was appointed to chair the
Resolutions committee. Later, at the fall convention, WCB members passed three
policy resolutions. They were resolutions regarding rent disincentives, access
to the Department of Information Services Kiosk and raising the amount, to
$5,000, on equipment that DSB could purchase for clients.
The primary legislative effort during
this year focused on passage of the Braille Bill. Governor Mike Lowry announced
that he had included the Braille Bill in his bill package that he was sending
to the 1995-96 Washington Legislature. The Legislature authorized $7,000 to
conduct a study on Braille Literacy.
The Governor gave the Carolyn Blaire
Brown marble plaque, to Sue ammeter, at the annual Governor’s Committee on
Disability Issues dinner, for her long time service to disabled citizens of
Washington.
WCB members saw Governor Lowry again
when he spoke to its state convention, thanks to the efforts of the state of
Washington’s ADA coordinator, Mary McKnew. The fall convention was hosted by
the Capital City Council of the Blind in Olympia, at the Holiday Inn Select, on
November
2-4. Berl Colley, the 95’ convention
coordinator, said that the Olympia convention had a couple of firsts. The
Friday afternoon lunch had remote exhibitor presentations, Friday night there
was a hands on tour of the states Capitol and a majority of the convention’s
general sessions were televised on TV Washington. At the Saturday evening
banquet, Denise Colley was the MC and Pam Shaw, from Pennsylvania, was the main
Speaker. Pam was also the ACB representative to the 95’ convention. Cynthia
towers, WCB’s Scholarship chair gave out five scholarships totaling $8,500. The
five scholarship winners were, Shirley Ing, Robert Lawson, Juanita Garcia, Tamara
Wilkins and Darleen Swane.
The officers, board members and
delegates for WCB, going in to 1996 were:
President, Sue Ammeter, United Blind
of Seattle; First Vice-President, Peggy Shoel, United Blind of Seattle; Second Vice-President,
Shirley Taylor, United Blind of Seattle;
Secretary, Rhonda Nelson, King County Council;
Treasurer, Joleen Ferguson, United Blind of Walla Walla; Immediate Past
President, Sharon Keeran, King County Council
Board
Terry Atwater, Capital City Council of
the Blind; Berl Colley, Capital City Council of the Blind; Debbie Cook, United
Blind of Seattle; Frank Cuta, United Blind of the Tri-Cities; Charlene Hunt,
Pierce County Association of the Blind; Cindy Wearstler, Peninsula Council of
the Blind;
Delegates
Sue Ammeter, delegate and Shirley
Taylor, alternate delegate
By Vicki Farrell,
Tri-Cities Court Club
(This article is reprinted with permission)
Fear and uncertainty exists in all of us. For many newcomers the
atmosphere of a health club is scary. Many individuals wonder ware to start,
how to use the equipment or “Who’s looking at me?” The Tri-City Court Club has
a special place where those fears can be put to rest.
Club Max was introduced to the Tri-City Court Club in 1995. It’s
original blueprint included a circuit of weights and cardio equipment to
provide a pre-designed, full body, interval workout that allowed each
participant to work at their designated intensity while following the acclaimed
red and green lights. It worked like a well oiled machine and its popularity
soared with enough demand from our members to require two complete circuits. 14
years later Club Max is still the interval circuit designed to give the
participants a full body workout. The red and green lights still flash on the
wall instructing individuals when to move to the next station. But today’s
members of Club Max not only include the exercisers that move with the lights
and strive to work at their maximum heart rate, it also includes many senior
citizens that have found the benefits of exercising and a number of physically
challenged members that have discovered the comfort and non-intimidating
environment that Club Max provides.
All our members are special, but we would like to introduce to you
Nigel Turner, Steve Vandecar, and Bill Hoage, all of who are visually impaired.
They all agree that coming to a health club to exercise was not on the top of
their “TO DO” list. They were skeptical of the unknown, uncertain about
receiving the help they would need to be safe and to avoid interfering with the
other members and their workouts. Boy, were they wrong! These three gentlemen
all acknowledge that the staff in Club Max helped them acquire the comfort and
confidence to belong to our health club. In addition, they endorse the fact
that our members and the club staff have all been a huge influence through
their kindness and assistance.
Nigel, a 15 year old teen, has been working out in Club Max for
the past year and receives physical education credits that are applied at New
Horizons Alternative school where he attends. Yes, he is an avid skateboarder
but is finding out that exercising at the club has helped him to stay in shape
and lose extra weight.
Steve, 59, apprehensively attended a Club Max orientation in June
of 2008 succeeding a year of encouragement from his wife, Marlene. After the
initial learning period Steve has become an experienced circuit user. With his
new found fortitude Steve is now using less asthma medication and he has lost
over 30 pounds and 8 inches around the waist.
Bill made his appearance to Club Max in December 2008. He’d heard
about the reassuring experience that his friend Steve Vandecar encountered six
months prior, and with encouragement from his wife, Kitty, and his friendly
doctor, he finally made the decision to put Club Max to the test. Bill’s
biggest fear as a blind person is being stranded in the middle of a new
location and not given the time to become familiar with his surroundings. The
staff was becoming more proficient at helping the blind work the circuit, and
with tips from Steve it wasn’t long before Bill gained his independence. Bill’s
only regret is that he didn’t join the club years ago. Both Steve and Bill use
audio players with recording of their machine settings, thus providing them
with the liberty of moving around the circuit on their own with an occasional
hitting the head on a machine arm or ramming a stomach into a protruding
handle.
No, Club Max has not gone to the dogs; the dogs have come to Club
Max. Nemo and Dondi, Steve and Bill’s guide dogs, who both came from “Guide Dogs
for the Blind” in Boring, Oregon, have become our new mascots. They are truly
the center of attention, and while Steve and Bill are working out Nemo and
Dondi are getting their share of affection from members and staff.
With their new found assurance as club members Steve and Bill are
climbing the walls. That’s right; they have included wall climbing in their
workout. With a slight hesitance the two men started this activity out of
curiosity, but the successes of reaching the top of the wall and squeezing the
chicken has exhilarated them into becoming regulars during the Tuesday, 12:00
pm adult climbing hour.
So, if you are looking for that special, non-intimidating place to
work out, or a fun filled atmosphere with good music, or just a great place to
meet new people, come and join us in Club Max. The staff will guide you through
an orientation to help you learn how to use the equipment, and last but not
least, there is no extra cost.
The
following contribution to The Senior Side comes from Shirley Musick,
member of our Walla Walla Chapter
Aging is like standing
near a windmill
By Shirley Musick
Getting old can be tough: add blindness
and it gets tougher yet.
Aging is like standing near a windmill,
as soon as you recover from the whack of one blade, here comes another.
According to Wikipedia, the online
encyclopedia, the aging process can be divided into three categories: the young
old (65 to 74), the middle old (75 to 84) and the oldest old (85 and up). (I
feel better already! I’m not old I’m young old.)
Unfortunately, the aging process can
also include coping with vision loss. According to the Archives of
Ophthalmology, 1.75 million citizens in the U.S. have Age-related Macular
Degeneration; add to that number those with Glaucoma, Diabetic Retinopathy,
Retinal detachment, Cataracts, Retinitis Pigmatosis and other eye diseases, the
numbers go into the millions. We are fortunate to live during an age of high
technology! There are so many tools available to help you continue to do the
things you love to do. Granted you may need to find different ways to do them.
This is why it is so important to take advantage of support groups and
organizations of the blind such as the Department of Services for the Blind.
Through the Independent Living Program, they will send people to your home to
do such things as marking electrical appliances and teaching you coping
mechanisms.
Chapters of the Washington Council of
the Blind, located throughout the state, allow you to give and receive moral
support and share so many helpful tips with one another. Here are a few such
tips.
Do you have trouble telling the salt
and pepper shakers apart? Simply place a rubber band around the pepper and you
won’t mix them up again. Do you love to read? Tapes and CD’s are available for
the blind and visually impaired. There is one thing you must do if you are
losing your vision! Admit it when you no longer see well enough to drive a car
safely. Look into alternatives: most cities have Dial-A-Ride or public
transportation. If you enjoy walking, find a like-minded friend to walk with
you, or if you are walking alone use a white cane for safety. There are a lot
of products available that talk, such as: clocks, watches, bathroom scales,
diabetic testing meters, prescription bottles, voice activated computer programs
and many, many more. Catalogs can be obtained from Independent Living Aids,
Maxi Aids, or visit a low vision clinic.
Whatever your vision
loss is attributed to, get out there and enjoy life as you learn different ways
to make life easier, and maybe you can avoid some of those whacks from the
windmill.
By Don Alvishere,
Assistant Director
I have such a sense of excitement this
is my first Newsline submission, and I am also excited because I get the chance
to describe a change DSB is undergoing that we anticipate will lead to better
services for our customers. The last year at DSB has seen some changes and
potential changes in our external environment that created some angst and the
need to look at how we provide services.
What started out as an exercise in
dealing with imposed budget cuts and preparing for possible drastic cuts became
an opportunity to focus on how we could provide services better. One of the
first steps for us was to provide independent living services to customers who
are under 55, ourselves, and not contracting out would be very beneficial. This
allows us to provide a better assessment of who is employment ready and
provides us the chance to avoid any extra unnecessary steps for our customers.
We also realized that much of our Child and Family work could be provided as
Independent Living services. These changes and others will allow us to create
staffing on our teams that provide a better level of consistent services
between different components of DSB.
DSB ultimately fared very well in the
budget that came out, but we are going forward with these changes anyway,
because they are not just about saving dollars but providing services better.
This is also an exciting time at DSB
because we have been given the opportunity to receive federal dollars under the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. These funds are to be spent within the
same guidelines of our usual vocational rehabilitation grant, but to have an
impact on getting more people employed and creating infrastructure in place to
help more people become employed in the future. The space is too limited here
to go into all the specifics of our Recovery Act funds but you can find more
information at our website www.dsb.wa.gov.
By Eric Brotman
Students and teachers from the Louis
Braille School couldn't have picked a better day than last May 28, for their
field trip of sailing from Edmonds to Kingston on the ferry Puyallup.
Nature was glorious in its aspects of
blue sky and gray-white clouds, bright sun and invigorating wind.
"The kids loved being
outside," said teacher Dianne.
"It was a perfect day," said
teacher Beckie.
The Louis Braille School is just two
miles from the ferry terminal in Edmonds. That fact, coupled with a school
discount available from Washington State Ferries to students and chaperones on
educational related field trips, made the idea of a ferry ride easy and
attractive.
The students were impressed by the
size of the Puyallup, which is 460 feet long and capable of carrying 2500
passengers and more than 200 cars. The vessel weighs nearly 4,000 tons.
The ferry is named after a Native
American tribe. Puyallup means "generous people."
One student concentrated on hearing
the ferry's different sounds. He listened to cars as they boarded and later
departed the ferry. He noted there are commercial video games onboard and that
lots of kids play them.
Prior to boarding the vessel, "He
seemed to find the echo in the terminal fascinating," said teacher Dianne.
Teacher Beckie kept looking for signs
of marine life. She didn't spot anything large, "But we saw a nice-sized
crab running through the water," she said.
Throughout the year, teachers
regularly acknowledge learning from students. Riding the ferry may have helped
them remember a few things, too.
Adults often forget the complete
absorption in Nature they felt as children. Being around the Louis Braille
School, students offered a reminder of the magic in sunshine, wind, and water.
One of the ferry officers walked over
to greet everyone and then spoke about the ship, saying it could hold 70,000
gallons of fuel that lasted for two weeks of sailing. He also explained about
the code of horn blasts. When arriving, the horn sounds two long blasts,
followed by one short. Five shorts warn other boats of their unacceptably close
proximity to the ferry.
Later, the officer took questions, and
the students asked some very good ones. How many of us would have thought to
ask, "How do you start the engines?"
In Kingston, everybody headed to the
park just beyond the pedestrian ramp. They settled at a picnic table for lunch
a short time before the park's sprinkler system unexpectedly activated.
"There was one [sprinkler] really
close to us, but it was broken and didn't come on," she said.
"Otherwise we would have gotten really wet." Picnicking in the park
ended with a delicious dessert of rainbow sherbet purchased at a shop on
Kingston's main street.
Then it was time to head back to the
Edmonds ferry terminal, 5.2 miles across Puget Sound, and from there to return
to the Louis Braille School.
"I enjoyed the fresh air and the
sunshine," said teacher Dianne. "It was very invigorating. It's
always wonderful to be on the water and listen to the seagulls."
One of the students was asked if he
wanted to ride the ferry again, in the future.
"Yes, I do!" he shouted.
"Yes, I do!"
By Danielle King
This spring has WTBBL feeling digital!
We have many digital initiatives underway including digital downloads of
locally produced audio books, downloads of Evergreen Radio Reading Service Talk
Shows and Literary News interviews, and two shiny new digital talking book
machines.
Your own Washington Talking Book &
Braille Library is the first regional library in the country to have locally
produced digital talking books on our website. We are so proud of this
accomplishment and it is in thanks to the tremendous effort, persistence, and
commitment of our Audio Book Production Supervisor, Theresa Connolly. We
currently have 62 books available for download and have already had almost 300
downloads! The books include fiction, non-fiction, adult, and young adult books
and the quality of the narration are superb. These books are password protected
and encrypted using NLS encryption. If you need a login and password, please
contact wtbbl@secstate.wa.gov or 1-800-542-0866 to request one. To listen to
these books you will need a computer, a high speed internet connection, and one
of the three NLS approved devices: VictorReader Stream, Levelstar Icon, or the
Braille Plus. We will continue adding books and you can find them on our
website at www.wtbbl.org. Happy downloading!
We’ve also been busy adding program
files to our website for previously aired Evergreen Radio Reading Service Talk
Shows and Literary News interviews. This way, if you miss a Talk Show, or just
want to hear it again, or want to listen to an author interview, you can do so
anytime. The Wednesday night call-in Talk Show is one of our most popular radio
programs and we have outstanding guests and hosts you’ll want to hear. The program
files are available from our website and each file is accompanied by a
description of the program so you can select the mp3 file you are interested in
listening to.
The two demonstration digital talking
book machines have arrived! We have one standard machine (DS1) and one advanced
machine (DA1). The digital talking book machines are wonderful and we are so
excited to share them with you. We should be getting our first allocation of
machines for patrons in August and they first go to Veterans, then to centenarians,
then to interested patrons via a lottery. You need to contact us in order to be
put on the list for a digital talking book machine. The machines are smaller
and lighter than the cassette players and the sound quality is amazing. One of
the greatest features is the cartridge that holds the book; there is one book
on one cartridge, no more shuffling through multiple cassettes! You can also
download books from the NLS site or the WTBBL site onto a standard flash drive
and play them with the USB port on the right side of the machine. I really
think you will be pleased with the new machines and encourage you to sign up to
be in the lottery.
Finally, in keeping with our Summer
Reading Program theme, “Be Creative at your Library,” WTBBL is going to have an
art show in October. The art show is open to patrons of the Library who create
tactile art. If you are interested in showing your art, please contact me by
August 1 for guidelines and more information. I wish you all a wonderful
spring. As always, if you have any comments or questions, feel free to contact
me at 206-615-1588 or dking@secstate.wa.gov.
By
Dr. Dean O. Stenehjem, Superintendent
The legislature has adjourned and as
Paul Harvey would say: “Now the Rest of the Story!” We had hoped for a better
outcome during the session, but the economy has also had its negative effect on
the Washington State School for the Blind (WSSB). I guess as part of the big
picture things could have been worse, but below is the list of services that
will either be eliminated or reduced due to a biennium budget reduction for
WSSB of $621,000, which represents about 5% of our budget.
Our first goal was to determine where
we could take cuts without impacting students. However, when you operate
services to children that are statewide and with parts of these services being
24-hours in nature, it doesn’t take much of a reduction to start impacting
services to children. Below is a list of reductions:
§
Elimination of the one
unfilled position in WSSB’s Business Office
§
Elimination of the
Eastside Regional Program (TBVI position is being transferred to outreach –
contracted services)
§
Elimination of the
one-on-one interpreter position
§
Elimination of one teacher
aide position
§
Elimination of all summer
school programs: Summer School, YES I, Sports Camp, etc.
§
Reduction in contracted
mental health services
§
Reductions in goods and
services, equipment, and travel
§
Reduction of one education
reform day, however one additional prep day was added for teachers without a
funding source; somewhat neutral for teachers, but additional cost to the
school without appropriation
We will also be exploring
any possible options for additional revenue. Unfortunately, WSSB does not
qualify for much in the way of federal stimulus funds that will be flowing to
local districts, which would have helped take the sting out of these
reductions. Some very good services will be going away during these difficult
times. We hope that as the economy improves some of the services that were in
place for years will once again be made available. In the meantime, WSSB will
be working harder to strengthen partnerships in an attempt to help fill voids
through as many creative measures as possible. If you have additional ideas on
saving dollars and programs, please let me know.
Please note that we were
able to save summer school programs this year by moving them into the current
fiscal year, which means moving the programs from July into June. This will
help for one year, but come the summer of 2010 there will not be summer school
programs unless WSSB can come up with approximately $50,000 needed to operate
these important programs.
On a brighter note, WSSB
dedicated the new Kennedy Fitness Center on May 21. This event was attended by
over 100 people. Thanks to the support of the legislature, blind and visually
impaired children have a wonderful new facility that will help with program
needs for years to come.
We have also had a
wonderful year for students. I am pulling a few excerpts from Craig Meador’s
newsletter to parents: “We began the year with a focus on school Pride. WSSB
students are: Positive, Respectful/Responsible, Independent, Dependable and
Engaged in learning PRIDE.” A few things that students did during the year:
§
October – students participated in National Cane Day Rally
§
December – students held a “penny drive” for Heifer International
(program to help provide livestock to those in need in third world countries)
§
January – five students attended the Presidential Inauguration as
part of Close Up
§
February – student council assembled packages for local servicemen
and women
§
March – participated in national Braille Challenge
§
April – involved in outdoor school “NW Science Camp” (Camp
Magruder)
§
May – Tri- state track and field/career day
As you can tell we have
been busy and will continue to be creative in how we serve children. Above I
just had time to address the budget and a few notes about on-campus programs.
In my next article, I will discuss outreach services which continue to grow,
online learning, Braille production, and the continued expansion of our
Instructional Resource Center. “Stay tuned” and remember this is your school!
For more information go to: www.wssb.wa.gov.
Born June 3, 1899: Daisy
Murphy protested at state Capitol in 2007
CHRISTIAN HILL; The
Olympian | • Published June 03, 2009
(Reprinted with permission)
Longtime area resident Daisy Murphy
died Sunday morning, three days shy of her 110th birthday.
Murphy, whose life spanned three
centuries and huge leaps in technology, from horse-and-buggies to space flight,
from the invention of the telephone to the Internet, died peacefully at an
adult family home in Seattle, where she moved in December, said her son, Don
Murphy.
“I am so pleased she lived such a
great life,” said Murphy, 76, of Olympia. “Very few of us are able to see what
she saw.”
U.S. Census data show it’s rare to
approach, much less become, a super centenarian. The federal government counted
281 million Americans in the last decennial census. Of those, 3,521 were
between the ages of 105 and 109. Those ages 110 and up numbered 1,388. There
were 84,331 American at least 100 years of age in November 2007, according to
an agency fact sheet, but the U.S. Census Bureau only breaks out of the ages of
centenarians during the count every decade.
Murphy was born June 3, 1899, one of
10 children of I.G. Wikstrom, who immigrated from his native Sweden, and his
wife, Alice. Wikstrom owned a lumber mill in Oregon.
Murphy earned her degree and teaching
certificate at what is now Western Oregon University in Monmouth. She married
her husband, Archie Murphy, on Christmas Day of 1926, and the family, including
their three children, moved to Olympia before he served in World War II as an
Army officer in the European theater.
After the war, Archie Murphy became
director of education at McChord Air Force Base, and his wife tutored soldiers
stationed at Fort Lewis.
The family lived for a time on Conger
Street and sold their home to the Olympia School District as the future home of
Jefferson Middle School. After his retirement in the 1960s, the couple moved to
Land Yacht Harbor, located east of Lacey.
He died in 1979.
Murphy was a voracious reader. Her
vocabulary impressed seasoned crossword puzzle enthusiasts, her son said. The
onset of blindness couldn’t deter her love of reading. She switched to audiotapes.
And when state lawmakers didn’t
provide the level of funding to the visually impaired library to the liking of
her and other blind “readers,” there she was atop the Capitol steps during a
2007 rally, holding a sign that read, “107 and Still Reading.”
Five years earlier, Murphy had moved
into the Colonial Inn assisted-living home in Olympia. Before her eyesight
failed, she crocheted hundreds of blankets for her church, Lacey Chapel, to
send on missionary trips.
Her son said her positive attitude and
eating habits – never being a heavy eater and always eating breakfast – might
have contributed to her longevity.
But when asked, Murphy never divulged
the secret to her long life, if there was any advice to reveal. She did offer
one pearl of wisdom at one point.
“Everybody should learn American
history,” during a 2007 interview with The Olympian. “But history to me is a
little earlier than with most people.”
Murphy is survived by her son, a
daughter, Dea, five grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great
grandchildren.
CAPITAL
CITY COUNCIL OF THE BLIND CHAPTER UPDATE
By Berl Colley
It has been a pretty quiet three
months for members of CCCB. Carl Corbin, the manager of the Lions Low Vision
Center spoke to the club in March. The Low Vision Center, which is located in
Lacey, is an outgrowth of the Lions low vision fairs that were held in 2008.
Our special guest at the April meeting
was Emily Bergkamp. She is the new manager of Paratransit in Thurston County.
Transit is looking at new phone technology to notify scheduled riders 5-10
minutes before their van arrives.
The weekend of May 16-17, was busy for
CCCB. Some of our members were working with the Lacey Lions writing kids names
in Braille at the Lacey Fun Fair. We still had 15 members show up at our May
meeting to enjoy a presentation from Washington Talking Book & Braille
Library Program Manager/Librarian, Danielle King. She talked to us about WTBBL
and brought two of the new digital players which were passed around for members
to look at.
More from the state capitol in
September.
By Wes Derby
This month, the Greater Everett Area
Council of the Blind is involved in a See’s Candy sale. We are selling the
large candy bars for $2 each or three for $5. Our president, John Common, has
sold several boxes. I believe his count was nine when I talked to him before I
went on vacation.
Our next meeting has been moved up to
June 6, due to the fact that the Leadership Training takes place during the
second weekend in June. The second Saturday is our normal meeting day, but a
few from our chapter will be in Silverdale.
Other than that, nothing else to
report. Hopefully, I’ll have more news in the coming months.
By Joleen Ferguson
Since our last update,
we have filed for non-profit status in the state of Washington. Upon receiving
this, our next step was to file for 501(c)(3) status with the IRS. We are
currently awaiting official notification of non-profit status. President,
Vivian Conger is working with Treasurer, Byron Kaczmarski on this project.
This year, we have decided to combine
forces with Guide Dog Users of Oregon instead of having our Spring Fling on the
same weekend as the WCB Leadership Seminar. There are a few reasons for this
change. WCB changed the leadership weekend to June and scheduled it at a
location that could not accommodate all of us. Many of our members through the
years have had to make a choice between attending the Leadership training and
attending our Spring Fling.
We have been considering a change for
some time and chose, this year, to combine forces with GDUO as they celebrate
15 years of their Romp. They are also moving locations from Lewis and Clark
College to Portland State University. Together, June 26-28, we expect to have
twice the fun and double the attendance at the already excellent program
opportunities.
Each group will have exhibits and
merchandise for sale. Each of us will have its own business meeting. We will be
celebrating 80 years of guide dog teams in the United States initiated by The
Seeing Eye, as well as celebrating 15 years of the Oregon Romp. Together, we
will enjoy presentations from representatives from several of the guide dog
schools and others about the schools as well as other topics of interest.
Chelsie White, The Seeing Eye; Lukas
Franck, The Seeing Eye; Technology and Transit; Becky Barnes-GDUI President,
Guiding Eyes for the Blind; Bob Wendler, Guide Dogs of the Desert; Malinda
Carlson-Guide Dogs For the Blind, Part II Animal Communication; Chuck Jorden,
Guide Dogs of America; Janine Prindle, Work with dogs in obedience training,
puppy raising, as guide dog handler, and in obedience training with her current
guide.
Other activities will include: 15th
Anniversary Skit, Group activities--CGC test, organized walk and memorial
service/blessing of the animals. There are even more activities in the planning
process.
We are excited about this event and
expect to have great news of it in the next issue of “Newsline”.
By Rhonda Nelson, President
The
Washington Talking Book and Braille Library has figured prominently in the
recent events of the King County Chapter. In March we were honored to have
Danielle King, Program Manager/Librarian, as our guest speaker. Danielle gave
us an excellent overview of the library's programs. She then described the new
digital talking book player and distributed thermaform and large print diagrams
of the unit. We very much appreciated all the information she shared, along
with her obvious enthusiasm for the library.
Our
library theme continued on the morning of May 9, when eleven of us volunteered
to inspect returned cassette books. For those of you who haven't done this, it
involves making sure cassettes are rewound properly, the cassettes in the
container match the title on the container, and there are no notes or other
indications of problems with a book. Along with inspecting almost three bins of
books, we enjoyed a delicious lunch, thanks to the Schneebecks. And, speaking
of that digital talking book player, the library had just that week received
the actual demonstration units, so we were given the opportunity to examine
them. I think the digital player will prove to be quite easy to use. The
ability to navigate quickly between sections and chapters of a book will be
very helpful, and the fact that an entire book can be fit on one cartridge will
certainly save space.
During
our April meeting, when our expected speaker didn't show up, we had fun going
around the room giving each person a couple of minutes to tell the group
something about him or herself that we might not otherwise have known. Did you
know, for example, that Connie Gil once met Walt Disney? Or, it's hard to
imagine that both Malissa Hudson and Jeanne Jacobs would win a radio contest on
the same station, but they did.
In
May Marilyn Donnelly helped us play "remember when", passing around
and asking us to identify trinkets from the past. Nobody figured out a
typewriter ribbon can or pencil sharpener, but two people correctly identified
a toothpick holder. As part of our business meeting discussion, we
congratulated Malissa Hudson on her selection as WCB's first timer to the
American Council of the Blind national convention.
By Michelle Denzer and
Meka White
The winter weather has left us behind
and the golden days of spring have finally arrived. And as usual, The Peninsula
Council of the Blind has been incredibly busy!
We'll start off by mentioning that on
one of the weekends in March, Tim and Cindy Van Winkle took a trip to Honolulu,
Hawaii to speak at the Hawaii Association of the Blind’s state convention. They
had a wonderful time and told our chapter of the experiences that they had.
They even brought back fresh pineapples!
The All Ears Book club is continuing
to meet with great success. We meet at a local coffee house. So far, we’ve read
‘The Secret Life of Bees’ by Sue Monk Kidd, ‘A Walk through the Woods’ by Bill
Bryson, and ‘The Ox-bow Incident’ by Walter Van Tilburg Clark. We have talked
about other books that we are reading and give each other recommendations.
Lively discussion is generated and it is a fantastic time of learning and
sharing our love of reading.
Some of our members attended the
auction to support the Louis Braille School during the last week of March.
In April, we held our annual Easter
Brunch at Claire and David Bourgeois's home, enjoying lots of delicious food
along with having an Easter egg hunt for the children in their backyard. We
also enjoyed the coconut syrup that Tim and Cindy brought back from Hawaii.
We’ve been pretty busy socializing as
well, with fun trips to Lynn’s Teriyaki and Applebee’s.
On the fourth of May, two of our
members, Jeff and Sarah Schweizer welcomed in their fourth baby, Danielle
Grace, weighing in at seven pounds and seven ounces. PCB members Meka White and
Kim Moberg were in attendance for this special home birthing experience. Many
of our members made dinners for the family so that they had an easier
transition with their new addition to the family.
Our support group is still thriving
and becoming closer than ever. With monthly meetings where members take turns
bringing refreshments, we are able to talk about blindness and the way that it
affects our lives, whether personally or professionally. In May, we all went
out for lunch after our group meeting, and it was a good time of food and
fellowship.
As we approach summer, we have several
activities planned, but you’re going to have to wait until the next edition of
the Newsline to find out exactly what we’ve been doing. Have a fabulous, fun
and sun-filled summer!
By John McConnell
Hello WCB friends: SKB is alive and
active.
First, for the upcoming Leadership
Seminar, we have three, that's right, three members going: Jan White, our
Vice-President, Carol McConnell, our brand new Secretary, and John McConnell,
our President.
We are all excited about what we will
learn, and the friends we will be rubbing elbows with.
The Leadership Seminar will be June
12-14, in Silverdale, Washington. Not only will they be attending the Seminar,
but also the WCB Board of Directors meeting.
Our membership has grown by three
people, since last writing. We have Dan Porter, who works at the Seattle
Lighthouse for the Blind. He works in the Boeing Production Department, setting
up machinery for the various projects that need to be run. We also have added
Marlaina and Gary Lieberg. Marlaina is a real go-getter. She is already helping
us figure out ways in which we can grow. She and Gary have both been around WCB
and the American Council of the Blind for a while; and we are very glad to have
their vim and vigor.
We, along with United Blind of
Seattle, and King County Chapter, are in the planning stages of the Super
Picnic, which will be on the 8th of August, a Saturday. I'm sure
that another person from that chapter will be giving more details in this
regard. Don't want to steal their thunder!
We are also planning to have an
October Fest, without the beer. We are using that event to help attract more
people from the South King County area. We will also have Miss Danielle King-Program
Manager/Librarian of the Washington Talking Book and Braille Library. The event
will take place on Saturday, October 10th. There will also be other vendors to
show accessible equipment. If anyone knows someone who lives in the south end,
and wants to attend, please contact: John or Carol McConnell at (253) 813-5780.
or email them at: djmcconnell4753@comcast.net.
They would be more than happy to fill you in on the particulars of where we
meet, and the time, and date(s).
Next issue, we will have the attendees
of our Chapter let you know what they brought home from the Leadership Seminar,
among other upcoming news. Thank you for reading this article.
In closing, we heard this in a church
a long time ago. "Show up to grow up." That could be said of WCB. If
we want to find something exciting to do, we should attend our chapters, and
get involved.
By: Ursula C. McCully
(member)
At long last, spring is here and
members of UBS are starting to come out of hibernation. Here is how: We started
March with our Spring Fling which replaced our holiday gathering at the Marie
Calendar Restaurant. The weather was very pleasant. Kelly O’Brian joined our
chapter. We had our 50/50 raffle & Quincy Daniels won. Mike and Kathe
O’Neil entertained us with stories about their new grandchild.
We had our monthly meeting at the
Bayview Manor. Our guest speaker was not able to come but with quick thinking
of Julie, Al Gil effortlessly volunteered to talk about his personal
experiences facing diabetes. He also informed us about the support group that
Peggy Shoel started and is chairing the group.
As usual, we had our 50/50 raffle
& Julie won for the very first time.
After the meeting some members went to
the Louis Braille Auction that was held on the last Saturday of March.
We started April with a bang. Our Fund
Raising Committee organized a Nelly’s chicken barbecue which was held at the
Cedar House Apts. The weather cooperated with us as we were able to barbecue
outside. Nelly Barnett sold the most tickets. Marie Calendar’s pies were
raffled off. The committee rose over $300 towards sending a UBS first timer to
the state convention. Diane Ferro joined our chapter.
In April we had our last monthly
meeting at the Bayview Manor, as this location is not working out. Danielle
King, Program Manager/Librarian of WTBBL was our guest speaker. She is an
eloquent speaker. Danielle gave us a concise informative report about the
library changes since the transition to the state, services, and their
wonderful network of volunteers. Several of our members are very much involved
in that program.
We had our 50/50 raffle and this time,
yours truly won. After our meeting, we had lunch.
Our May monthly meeting was at the
Rock Bottom Restaurant located in the heart of downtown Seattle. The
establishment gave us a room for our meeting which was great. Clint Reiding,
our Vice-President presided over the meeting. After the business report, we had
a round table discussion facilitated by Glenn McCully about Access
transportation issues. He informed us about the federal regulations for the
service. The membership participation was lively. The Outreach Committee made a
commitment to have it as a project to find more relevant information and solution
to the challenges that members are facing with the Para-transit services in
King County.
Cara Ware came after her long absence
due to her medical condition. Membership was grateful for her recovery and we’re
happy to see her with us.
Maria and Craig McCully were among the
guests and they joined our chapter.
Membership will go back to the drawing
board to check out the places suggested at the meeting for our new meeting
place, Rock Bottom is still on the top yet Membership is mindful of the other members
who have difficulties in accessing the restaurant.
Our Friends’ Day will be held at the
WTBBL on June 20, 2009. Come and join us!
I will end here, Folks but I will be
back for the next UBS update, see you all then.
By Dorothy Carroll
United Blind of Spokane
meets on the 3rd Tuesday of each month at Lilac Services for the Blind, 1210 N
Howard from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM. We each bring a sack lunch. We had a guest
speaker this month from the Better Business Bureau who spoke on Identity theft.
One of our members is having this problem. It made us more aware of things
going on around us and what to be aware of.
A committee headed by
Clair Warren and committee members Deborah Jenkins, Dorothy and Bob Carroll worked
on our Constitution and Bylaws, getting them up dated and changed to fit our
chapter. A copy will be sent to WCB. A committee met to put our heads together
and come up with a pamphlet to give to prospective members. Beri Federspiel
pulled it all together to do the design and format, and those that brainstormed
with her were Claire Warren, Frank Federspiel and Dorothy and Bob Carroll. Our
chapter had 500 printed up. The pamphlet has Braille on it. It turned out
wonderfully.
Eleven of our members
attended a complimentary performance at the Civic Theater. The play was, ‘No No
Nannette’. We all loved it. We were singing the music for days after that.
George Davis, one of our
chapter members, won a scholarship to the 23rd National Disabled Veterans
Winter Sports Clinic in Aspen Colorado. Three couples and Veteran Supervisor,
Sussan Bennet, their coach, flew to Aspen, Colorado the week of May 22 to May 29th.
They had jackets alike that read Washington Warriors Veterans for World War II,
Vietnam, Korea, and Iraq participated. They came from all over the United
States. George did a Rocky training to get himself in shape to compete. He
entered the Cross Country and Down Hill Skiing on Miracle Mountain. George said
it really inspired him to see all the Vets competing. We are very proud of
George and the medal he won.
We are having a Picnic BBQ
on June 27, 2009 at the home of Bob and Dorothy Carroll.
By Janice Squires
As we say in the UBTC chapter, if you
feed them they will come! Our membership rep, Marlene Vandecar organized a
Saturday morning breakfast meeting at the Pasco IHOP and we could not believe
how many people came for the meeting and to enjoy the delicious food. A chapter
needs to try to find a good location where a meeting can be conducted in an
orderly fashion and where the food and service are good.
Two of our members, Steve Vandecar and
Bill Hoage have made front page news in the Tri-City Herald. Both men are very
active at exercising, rock climbing and doing water aerobics at our local
Tri-City Court club. We are very proud of both of them and they are looking
good and feeling great.
Our monthly lunches are still drawing
great crowds and thanks to people like Diana Softich and Marlene Vandecar for
taking on the task of organizing these dining experiences. The last narrated
play of the season entitled, “Sylvia” will be held at the Richland Player’s on
the Sunday matinee on May 31. We will continue with this very unique program
for the 2009 – 2010 Player’s season. Thanks to Frank Cuta and Brenda Vinther
for taking the time to organize this very enjoyable program.
The book and card groups are still in
full swing and we certainly encourage any chapter to try groups such as these.
The book group has read, "No End in sight" about the woman who is a
blind musher. The next four books will be: "The Purl", "#1
Ladies Detective Agency,", “Girl in Hyacinth Blue”, and “Girl with a Pearl
Earring”.
The Red Hat group will be going to the
Kennewick Senior center for High Tea on May 21 and we know they all will have a
wonderful time. The Edith Bishel center has planned a bus tour of the old time
Pataha Flour mill in Pomeroy, Washington. Many of us take advantage of the bus
tours offered by the center and we are very grateful to be able to participate
in them.
Of course our main focus this year
will be to plan and organize the 2009 WCB convention, of which we will be
co-hosting with the United Blind of Walla Walla. It will be held on November 5,
6 and 7 at the Pasco Red Lion Inn. We certainly hope to see each and every one
of you there. A sneak preview of one of the breakout sessions will be a tour to
our local Columbia River Exhibition of History, Science and Technology museum.
Lots and lots more are in the planning stages, so mark your calendars and save
the date!
By
Vivian Conger
At our March meeting, we welcomed guests Barbara Clark,
Walla Walla City Council Member, and Neil Chabre, Walla Walla City Engineer, as
our speakers. The focus of the discussion was on current and future accessible
pedestrian signals.
Neil Chabre attended our April meeting too. Randall
Morua, Walla Walla City Engineer was our main speaker. The subject matter
focused on outdoor dining facilities, sandwich boards, and sidewalk clearances.
We were able to voice our concerns and it was recommended that we make these
concerns known to the mayor. It was also suggested that we find a way to
educate the city, businesses, and the general public on what works and doesn’t
work in regards to outdoor dining, clearances, etc.
May’s meeting had Lee Coleman as our speaker. Lee has
volunteered for a number of years as a guide for the national and international
Ski for Light program. Her talk was fantastic and several of us wanted to sign
up for next year’s Ski for Light session right then and there. It is always
wonderful to see the enthusiasm of volunteers like Lee – It is infectious.
Submitted by Yvonne
Miller, 1st VP
Seasons of warm light awaken renewal
in nature but also with our member’s enthusiasm. As we look forward to Bruce
Radtke’s return from his voyage, plans are underway for our annual summer
picnic.
The Whatcom Volunteer Center’s Human
Race has been scheduled in June, once again. Some of our members have plans to
participate in this annual event.
We held our second round table
discussion at our April meeting. The purpose of the
discussion is to rate priorities and commitments for UBWC to help with planning
activities and the budget for the next 16 months. It was an insightful
discussion of members input and expectations regarding the chapter’s mission
and how they can contribute.
Students for Disability Awareness held
its annual awareness week from April 12 – 18.
UBWC participated in the Resource Fair
on the 17th. Betty and I brought WCB and UBWC brochures. We hope to
collaborate more with their event in the future. The event featured many
presenters, workshops and fun activities.
Six of our members attended a lecture
at Western Washington University on April 21. It featured Noemi Ban, a
Holocaust survivor who has written a book and released a DVD of her life story.
Her presentation was brought to the public from Northwest Center for Holocaust,
Genocide, and Ethnocide. It was a very moving and unforgettable evening.
Our March meeting brought Maddie
Smith, Diabetic Registered Nurse of the Lummi Indian Health Clinic. She shared
a good deal of information with us. She recommended looking for more
information from the American Diabetes Association website at www.ADA.org or Indian Health Services at www.IHS.org.
Sharon Von See and Betty Sikkema
attended the Louis Braille School’s annual auction on March 21. They came home
with some cool items and awesome goodies. In fact, Betty brought back a neat
Braille decorated cake made by Amanda Wearstler.
We continue to meet at the end of the
month for our luncheon socials, rotating between Lynden and Bellingham. Some of
our members meet for a fun day of playing cards.
We all hope you enjoy your summer that
is packed full of great activities!
Congratulations go to the following
individuals:
·
Malissa Hudson, member, United Blind
of Seattle, for being selected as the WCB first-timer to the ACB National Convention
in Orlando, Florida. Malissa is very excited, and is looking forward to a week
full of educational and fun activities.
·
Shari Burns, member, PCB, on her new
guide dog, Cessna, a 50 pound, 21 inch, female black Lab from Guide Dogs for
the Blind. The team graduated from the Boring campus on April 18 and is now
flying around the sidewalks of Kitsap County.
·
Amanda Wearstler, member, PCB, on her
graduation from Olympic High School, in Bremerton. Amanda has been attending
Olympic College as a Running Start student for 2 years and plans to return
their in the Fall to finish up her prerequisites before transferring to a
University to pursue a career in Biotechnology. A grad party was held for
Amanda at a local pizza parlor.
·
Kim & Donny Moberg, members of
PCB, on their 25th wedding anniversary. The couple celebrated this special
occasion with a one week cruise to Alaska.
·
Cindy Van Winkle, President, PCB, on
her being reelected as Chair of the State Rehabilitation Council for a third
one year term.
Inclusion of articles, products,
and/or services in Bits and Pieces does not imply, or denote endorsement by the
Washington Council of the Blind (WCB), or its affiliates. This column is
provided as a matter of interest and information for the patrons of the WCB’s Newsline.
Baen Books offers free books published
by Baen Books to people with disabilities. Discover more at: http://www.baen.com
Dean Martineau provides a weekly
technical newsletter. You can join Top Tech Tidbits by sending a blank email
to: tttt-join@topdotenterprises.com
STEM Survey of described images for
digital talking books results can be read at:
http://ncam.wgbh.org/publications/stemdx/index.html.
Seedlings Braille Books for Children’s
Book Angel offers free Braille books for kids. Visit: www.seedlings.org/bkangel2009.php
or call 1-800-777-8552 for more information.
Produced by the American Council of
the Blind’s Audio Description Project the 30th anniversary edition
of The Miracle Worker is on DVD. Go to:
www.adinternational.org and click on
“Miracle Worker,” to purchase your copy.
Bay Area Digital has a free report,
"Monitoring and Improving the Health of People with Vision Loss." For
your free copy, visit: http://healthteller.blinkweb.com
White Cane Repair Service, a low cost
way to get that broken cane repaired. White Cane Repair also recycles and
donates canes to low-income people. For information call: 1-213-448-2365 or
email: whitecane911@gmail.com or visit: http://www.whitecane.net
The Fred's Head blog contains tips,
techniques, tutorials, in-depth articles, and resources for and by blind or
visually impaired people. This resource is offered by the American Printing
House for the Blind (APH). http://www.fredshead.info/
That’s it for this issue. If you have
news, articles, information, or anything else you think might benefit other
blind and visually impaired people, or just be of interest, please send me an
email with Bits & Pieces in the subject line. Randy Tedrow rbtedrow@comcast.net
By Marlaina Lieberg
Summer means Salads!
It’s been unusually warm these past
few days here in Seattle, so I’ve gone browsing through my recipe file for a
cool, quick and easy salad. Enjoy!
"A refreshing, light salad for
any hot, humid summer day! The kidney beans and tofu make it a great main dish
for vegetarians, as well. The basil may be substituted
with fresh parsley or mint. Be sure to
make this salad just before serving."
Cucumber and Tomato
Salad
1 tomato, chopped
1 cucumber, seeded and chopped
¼ cup red onion, thinly sliced
¼ cup canned kidney beans, drained
¼ cup firm tofu, diced (feta cheese
may be substituted)
2 tbs chopped fresh basil
¼ cup balsamic vinaigrette salad
dressing
salt and pepper to taste
In a large bowl, combine the tomato,
cucumber, red onion, kidney beans, tofu, and Basil. Just before serving, toss
with balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing, and season with salt and pepper.
July 4 Office
hour’s conference call at 12pm with President Colley
July 4-11 ACB National
Convention, Orlando Florida
July 31 Deadline for submitting
scholarship applications
August 31 Deadline for
submitting WCB Award Nominations
August 31 Deadline for
receipt of first-timers applications for WCB state convention
September 5 Office hour’s conference
call at 12pm with President Colley
September 12 SRC Meeting, Seattle DSB Office
September 18-19 WSSB Board of Trustees Meeting,
Vancouver
October 15 Deadline date for convention
preregistration, requesting a convention stipend, and reserving a seat on one
of the convention buses
October 31 Office hour’s
conference call at 12pm with President Colley
November 5-7 WCB State Convention,
Pasco
November
12-13 WSSB Board of Trustees
Meeting, Vancouver
A special thanks goes to the Newsline
Committee and production volunteers.
Article deadline: To be considered for
inclusion in the next issue, article submissions and other information for
publication must be received by August 29, 2009. Articles may be edited for
clarity and space considerations.
Publication policy: to ensure accuracy,
we require submissions be emailed to our new Newsline address at
wcbNewsline@gmail.com with a cc: dmc0124@comcast.net. Articles should be no
longer than 750 words.
Change the font size: + Larger Font | + Smaller Font