WASHINGTON
COUNCIL
OF THE BLIND
Opportunity, Equality, Independence
Founded 1935
WCB NEWSLINE
Winter 2025 Edition
“Change the World”
Andy Arvidson, President
Phone: 425-218-0190 Email: arvidsonandy@gmail.com
Heather Meares, Content Editor
Phone: 720-519-9104 Email: hdmeares@gmail.com
Reginald George, Technical Editor
Phone: 816-721-3145 Email: theWCBNewsline@gmail.com
WCB Newsline is the 2011 and 2020 winner of the Hollis Liggett Braille Free Press Award, presented annually by American Council of the Blind to the top publication in the nation for promoting best journalistic practices and excellence in writing.
WCB is a 501(c)(3) organization, which means your generous contributions are tax deductible. To make a donation electronically, please send PayPal payments to TreasurerWCB@gmail.com. Checks made payable to Washington Council of the Blind may be mailed to the attention of our treasurer, Lisa George, at PO Box 675, Yakima, WA 98907-0675.
Call us toll-free at 800-255-1147 or visit our website for more information at https://www.WCBinfo.org.
*** Calling All Members
We will publish the Spring 2025 WCB Newsline in April
and look forward to reading your honest feedback and quality submissions.
All content for the Spring 2025 issue must be received by Friday February 28.
*** Publication Guidelines
- All submissions will be edited for brevity and clarity.
- We reserve the right to edit, publish or refuse submitted content and author contact information.
- All opinions expressed are those of the authors, not Washington Council of the Blind or WCB Newsline staff.
- We do not accept anonymous content or letters.
- Articles may be up to 1,000 words.
- Chapter updates may be up to 350 words.
- Please submit in Microsoft Word format when possible.
- Send all submissions to: theWCBNewsline@gmail.com, or through the contact form located at:
https://wcbinfo.org/wcb-contact-form/
The WCB Newsline is available in large print,
Audio download through BARD, digital audio cartridge, email, and may also be accessed through the WCB website.
To receive this publication and other important
WCB announcements, send a blank email to:
Newsline-l+subscribe@WCBLists.org.
Send other subscription requests and address changes to theWCBNewsline@gmail.com, or call 800-255-1147.
Table of Contents
President’s Message, Change the World by Andy Arvidson 5
It’s Your Newsline … Just Say It! Compiled by Reginald George 7
Cheshire Cat Interviews #25 Put A Smile In Your Tummy…and Don’t Forget the Peas! by Heather Meares 9
Change the World? by Tim Downie 18
Does It Compute? by Holly Turri 20
From the Frontiers of AI, How to Talk with ChatGPT without a Smartphone by Reginald George 22
Changing the World One Email at a Time by Dorene Cornwell 26
A Review of the Book ‘Big Magic’ by Alan Biné 27
Thoughts on Past and Present by Alco Canfield 29
Hello, Hello! by Bryce Hansen 32
Sporting Spotlight Bocce Ball by Beth Greenberg 37
My Talking Crotch Watch by Janet Di Nola Parmerter 41
Careful Planning: Making Travel Possible with Vision Loss by Dori Badger 47
How I Became a Concert Organist by Michael Bayus 49
Blindness and Transitioning to Retirement Living by Frank Cuta 58
What’s On Your Plate: Warm Cabbage with Rice and Beans by Nataliya Shcherbatyuk 63
Technically Speaking PenFriend – An Old Friend by Frank Cuta 67
Seven Strategies for Goals You Can Accomplish by Ardis Bazyn 77
Did You Know? A Slice of Washington Council of the Blind History by Janice Squires 78
My Accessible Voting Experience by Mistie Hale 80
School From a Different Perspective by Agatha Holloway 82
Family Connection: Boisterous Cheers from Your WCB Families Committee by Heidi Coggins 89
First Timer Convention Highlights by Jim Palomarez 93
First Timer Convention Highlights by Roberta Fencil 95
Heartfelt Appreciation for Exceptional Service at Our Convention by Andy Arvidson 96
2024 Award Winners by Jessamyn Landby 97
2024 Scholarship Winners by Kim L. Moberg 98
Where Are They Now by Kim L. Moberg 100
Making Life Easier: Everyday Tips for Blind and Low-Vision People by Shay Tigner 102
Hat’s Off Compiled by Linda Wilder 104
WCB Officers and Board of Directors 105
WCB Calendar of Deadlines and Events 114
President’s Message, Change the World
by Andy Arvidson
Looking back at our 2024 Washington Council of the Blind (WCB) convention and listening to Lyla Duffey make her statement at the banquet about how we can change the world as a 13-year-old blind girl made me smile from ear to ear.
At our convention, I had the opportunity to sign several certificates for chapter growth. Let’s see if we can have every chapter and special interest affiliate get a certificate in 2025. If that happens, we can bust the 500-membership number and have 20 affiliate votes at the following American Council of the Blind convention.
Our convention ran smoothly thanks to the efforts of our incredible Convention Committee and their diligent work setting things up. And, thanks to the Constitution and Bylaws Committee for introducing a new voting system for electing the Board of Directors. Everything worked well. It was a scary event for me as it was my first convention as your president. However, everyone gave me support and encouragement.
As per the convention, it is my hope and desire to have the preliminary agenda out in August so we can help members and the Department of Services for the Blind (DSB) staff know what is happening prior to filling out their registration forms. As we change the world, let’s change our process a bit and get things in front of our convention attendees. The parents of our youth are asking for information about what is on the agenda when they want to register. And DSB also would like to know what they are spending their money on in advance.
As most noticed when we started on Friday morning, I offered a blessing of the land for our First Nation people in honor of our convention being held on tribal lands. In the past, we have started our convention with a Christian prayer, which I have nothing against, but it's important to note that WCB is not a Christian organization. It makes me wonder if we are unintentionally excluding people by not including all faiths in our opening ceremony. If we are going to include a prayer, could we consider making it non-denominational? I believe that we are open to everyone who has blindness or low vision, so we need to strive to avoid creating barriers.
Let me get off my soapbox and thank you again for allowing me to serve as your WCB president. It is a great learning curve and an honorable position to hold. Julie Brannon, immediate past president of WCB, told me it is like having a part-time job, and she was right. This is the last day of November, due date for this article, and next week I get to send out a request for 2025 WCB committee members and start putting together our committees for another year. I look forward to many members wanting to share in the process of making WCB better and stronger so we can reach more people with vision problems.
Letter From the Editors
Greetings and salutations. As we embark upon the year 2025, in a world where everything seems to be changing faster than the speed of light, both personally and globally, we wish you all good tidings, peace, and joy.
Change is imminent, chaos abounds, and it is our job to navigate the best and worst of both. Sometimes it takes our apple cart being turned over to jump-start us into that next great adventure, whether we chose it or not. What we can choose, however, is how we react to the upheaval of our world and how we may affect change in others.
In this issue, you will hear stories ranging from new vs. old technology, the pros and cons of Artificial Intelligence, personal growth through change, transitions from one phase of life to the next, and people helping people in small- and large-scale ways. We are also very excited to include several youth essays and hope this continues because who better to change our world than our next generation, our future?
So, take some time out of your busy day, relax, breathe, and enjoy. Something you read might even spark a little change in your own life.
Your Faithful Editors,
Heather Meares and Reginald George
It’s Your Newsline … Just Say It!
Compiled by Reginald George
Here is your opportunity to express your thoughts, voice your opinions, inspire us with your ideas, and share your feedback as we continuously evolve our publication into the Newsline you can’t wait to read.
If you haven’t checked out our podcast page for “WCB Newsline Unleashed” lately, you could be missing out on some informative, exciting entertainment. We have 20 timeless episodes, covering all types of adventures in low vision and blindness, with more wonderful content on the way.
You can listen to all episodes of WCB Newsline Unleashed through the ACB Media Network, or at https://wcb-newsline-unleashed.pinecast.co. Or, just ask your phone or smart speaker to “play podcast WCB Newsline Unleashed.”
The deadline for all Newsline submissions for our April Spring issue is Friday, Feb. 28. Send all submissions, feedback, and other content to TheWCBNewsline@Gmail.com before that date.
Every year, we present our awards at the Washington Council of the Blind convention in October. This past year, we had two Editors’ Choice awards, and two Nouveau Quill awards for our debut writers, who have made a considerable splash with Newsline in the past year.
Newsline is always on the lookout for new writers on almost any topic.
We are especially interested in encouraging new youth writers to step up and show us what you’ve got. We now have the honor of congratulating Agatha Holloway as the first winner of a $50 gift card for her essay, “School from a Different Perspective,” which appears in this issue. We wish her well in her future endeavors and hope she will continue to write for us. Help us tell the world that we are currently running a contest. If you are a student under 21 and submit something for publication, you will be placed in a drawing to win one of two more $50 gift cards. The deadline and address are the same as above.
A Sample of Reader Feedback on the Convention
Frank Cuta: “When I made my top ten list, I forgot one thing. The sound man. But no one ever remembers the guy who works hard but says very little all day. In fact, he is the first person in the room in the morning and
the last to leave at night. Most of us do not realize that he saves us thousands and thousands of dollars each year. So, let’s all thank David Edick and Brian Ellison.”
Errika Schneider: “I would like to add my appreciation to Frank’s comment. I’ve watched David and Brian load and unload equipment late into the night, the next morning, and bringing in equipment the day before the convention is even set up. I know how hard David works, and how important it is to provide and offer his knowledge to the convention. So, thank you, David, and to Brian, as well, for all that you do. I hope you know you’re appreciated.”
Gaylen Floy: “Hearing aids may be in my future. A cute kid with a stuffed penguin may have asked me for a hug, but I wasn't sure that I heard correctly.
If we sell chocolate-covered espresso beans next year, we should provide toothpicks.
The volunteers were fantastic. High-fives to the Convention Committee! High-fives, Andy and crew, for the concise Saturday afternoon business meeting.
Great information at the Artificial Intelligence session. I need to join BITS.
Wouldn't it be fun to check out that retro bus?
Shazam! I completely forgot that adult beverages were available at the banquet.”
Alco Canfield: “I think all who made presentations should get thank-you letters. I especially enjoyed the journey to the job panel. I also was impressed with how smoothly the voting went for me, as a virtual attendee. I hope to come next year. So many worked so hard to make this a success. Thank you.”
Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors, and do not reflect those of the Newsline Committee or the Washington Council of the Blind.
FEATURES
Cheshire Cat Interviews #25
Put A Smile In Your Tummy…and Don’t Forget the Peas!
by Heather Meares
We so often think that in order to make a difference in our world, it has to be something big to be meaningful. In reality, sometimes the biggest thing we can do is offer a smile or sincere interest when someone is hurting, or celebrate with them in their happy moments. Most of the time, we may not even realize the effect this has on them, but it does, in ways we may never know. When I think about a person in my local community who always does this at such a hardcore level that fireworks happen every time she enters a room, it’s Carla Brinkley. If you know her, you know exactly what I am referring to. If you don’t, you should. It was for this reason I invited my partner, Bryce Hansen, to join us for this interview, because I knew they needed to meet. So, we met her at the Brookdale assisted living facility where she lives, and the conversation that followed was filled with raucous laughter and a few tears along the way. We are all better for it, and I feel so lucky to be able to sit down with people, with the excuse of an interview, to get to know who they really are. This is the whole reason I started this column. It is with great pleasure that I begin 2025 with this 25th interview.
Carla: “I was born in Washington, D.C., raised in California, but I grew up in Walla Walla. As an infant, the family moved from D.C. to Sacramento, California, and that’s where I was raised by my mother, with my sister. I have two siblings, a sister and brother. I went to elementary school there and moved to Berkeley in the late 60s and early 70s, with the hippies and all that stuff. I was a Catholic school girl, and my friend and I, on occasion when we got bold enough, we’d write ourselves a little note, and go on about our business, go see what was going on in the world. There was this big store that took up a whole block, and we figured we’d go in the side door because no one would really notice us in our uniforms. And who was coming out at the same time? The nun principal. We all looked at each other, and we said, ‘Hello, sister.’ She said, ‘Hello, girls,’ and we all went on our way. We figured we were safe because she was sneaking out the side door on a school day, too.”
Heather: “You go your way, I’ll go mine.”
(Insert raucous laughter from all here.)
Carla: “It was interesting, especially being around U.C. Berkeley, because that was the side of the bay where all the hippy-ness was going on. I observed it at a distance, as far as wondering what that world was all about. I graduated from high school and then came to Walla Walla to attend Whitman College. I never thought I’d be here 50 minutes after graduation, and it’s been 50 years.”
Bryce: “What did you study while you were there?”
Carla: “I went to study biology, because in high school I had an excellent anatomy and physiology instructor, and I loved finding out about the human body and figured I’d do something with that in college. Then, after I got the real deal about biology, hmmm, after 2½ years of dragging myself through those biology courses, I had to face the reality that it was not my cup of tea. There were others that were much more inclined, and I let the biologists do biology. I went into dramatic art. I did more of the behind-the-scenes type of thing. It fascinated me that you had a bare piece of plywood floor and you could create your own world with it. People develop their characters, the scenery changed, and the people who were involved in creating that world, it fascinated me how that worked. Even after graduation, I did a little bit with the community theaters, the Little Theater and community college dance productions. One summer, we had this street troupe we called Strap (that was ‘parts’ spelled backwards). We did bits and pieces of street theater. A couple times, we did things at the amphitheater at Fort Walla Walla. It opened that year in celebration of the bicentennial. There was another place, Trails West, where I worked on a musical that summer.”
Heather: “Were you working on the sets or in the performances?”
Carla: “I worked with the sets, I did sound, sometimes I worked with props, or making and painting sets – whatever they needed, a little bit of everything.”
Heather: “That’s great. I never knew this about you.”
Carla: “And I was starting a family and raising my children. They were in a children’s play one year, ‘The Hobbit.’ ”
Bryce: “I’ve been in one play. I was a flying monkey in ‘The Wizard of Oz.’ It was so fun when I was a kid.”
Carla: “Oh wow! Were you hoisted up?”
Bryce: “No, we didn’t go that far with it. We were probably eight years old.”
Heather: “Just wore some wings, maybe?”
Bryce: “You know, dress up like a monkey and go beat up Scarecrow.”
(More raucous laughter.)
Heather: “So tell me about your kids.”
Carla: “I have three children. Bronchet, my favorite eldest child, Tiffany, my favorite daughter child who lives in Seattle, and Jevon, my favorite youngest child. I have 11 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. I love watching the life-cycle continue and go and grow.”
Bryce: “Maybe that’s part of how you have changed the world.”
Carla: “I’d like to think so. Yes, that is a good way of putting that. They all have their different personalities and styles, different strengths and weaknesses. I do believe we are all part of the energy of the universe, and that we manifest ourselves in, hopefully, the best way we can, the best we know how to do. I don’t think we can ever really be the best we can be because we’re always striving to do and be better. It’s a mental goal and there’s always something better, so keep doing better.”
Heather: “That’s beautiful. So, what do you think your biggest strengths are?”
Carla: “Hopefully, my personality. I’d like to think I’m able to adapt and adjust to different relationship interactions, acquaintances, friends, family, significant others. Being able to adapt to various other personalities besides my own is important, because I can figure out how to handle my own. Sometimes, you just have to be receptive, as well as responsive, to other people’s personalities and quirks, characteristics and idiosyncrasies, to keep us on our toes.”
Heather: “I’m not going to say weaknesses, because I don’t think we have weaknesses, I think we have challenges, so what do you think your biggest challenge is to becoming a better you?”
Carla: “Doubting myself or my skills. In questioning myself, or my skills or capabilities, it puts personal limitations on myself.”
Heather: “How do you get yourself out of that?”
Carla: “I work on realizing that fact, and a lot of times I’ll just get myself up and do it. I realize I have qualities like procrastination, but we’re not promised tomorrow. If it’s important enough to do, then do it. Just get it done, and that’s a weight off your shoulders. Guilt is a personal motivation. When I think about others who might be going out of their way to help me, then I owe it to myself to show that appreciation. I’m the only one who can step up, show up, and be ready. I allow myself the luxury of enjoying the fact that if I don’t have to, I don’t need to, or I won’t.”
Heather: “How do you feel about music?”
Carla: “I love music. It’s very important and relevant. Whoever said that music soothes the savage beast knew what they were talking about. I love rhythm. I can sit there eating and chewing my food, and I’ll feel a rhythm going, and next thing you know, my feet are going, and I’m hummin’ and bumpin.”
Heather: “Do you have a favorite kind of music?”
Carla: “I’m not really sure, but I do know I don’t like opera! I like everything from rhythm and blues to a lot of jazz, easy music, and top 40s.”
Bryce: “My very specific question to you, being from the Bay, how do you feel about hip-hop?”
Carla: “It seems to be mellowing out a little bit. The early rap I did have problems with because it felt so negative and so rudely raw. At the same time, I get that people have the right to express their heart and their mind, that’s what music is about. I guess what bothered me was that people’s hearts and minds were in such a negative place. They may be talking the truth about what they were living. Some of the hip-hop I have heard, they started using some of the old music, they’d use words or phrases, or refrains, so they were intertwined. They were recognizing that the old-school music had heart.”
Bryce: “There’s a song by DJ Premier, he’s from New York, with Nas, and he has an entire symphony orchestra behind it. It’s hip-hop with an orchestra.”
Carla: “Hip-hop is getting back to realizing that some of the old-school music had its place and incorporating it.”
Heather: “Paying homage to the older blues and jazz and adding a new take on it. There’s a lot of positivity in it now.”
Carla: “It’s that skill and technique, like you said about the symphony, that kind of creativity takes talent to blend it and incorporate it like that. I was listening to some bluegrass the other night, and I like it when it’s jumpin’ like that. It’s interesting to realize the influences different types and genres of music have with each other, whether from a historical perspective or where it came from. I’m not sure where bluegrass came from.”
Bryce: “The blues, probably somebody up in the Appalachian Mountains somewhere.”
Heather: “Fiddles and mandolins, yep. So, let’s talk about anyone that you feel affected your life in a big way, influenced your world and how.”
Carla: “One person I think about all the time is this nun when I was in elementary school. Her name is Sister Mary Joel. She taught me all kinds of different stuff, how to sew, how to crochet. She exposed me to different music. She would play her guitar and knew a lot of old-style country songs. She was a positive, constructive influence and someone that I felt this is how a person makes you feel when they’re accepting who you are and what you’re all about. But I didn’t know that at the time. I didn’t realize that those were important ways to feel about oneself. You’re smart, you’re good people, with skills and capabilities. She had that kind of influence on my heart and on my mind.
“The next person would be my mother, Gwen. She was my original feminist influence. I remember one year, we were shopping for school clothes. She’d found my sister and me some outfits, and she was starting a new job, so she was getting an outfit, too. We get to the counter, my mother puts everything up there, and she wanted to fill out a credit card application. They wanted some information, and my mother said, ‘I’m the one who’s going to be taking care of this; you don’t need information about anybody else.’ The lady told her they’ve gotta have it.
“My mother told her again, ‘I’m paying for this with my money.’ The woman wouldn’t accept my mother’s information only, so my mother said, ‘Leave these right here,’ and we went to another store. Back in those days, it was about $100 worth of merchandise, and that was a biiig, lot of money.
“I said, ‘Wow, Mommy, you gonna leave all those clothes there?’ And she replied, ‘They didn’t want my information, so yes!’ That was my first experience and example of a woman standing up for her rights. That’s how my mother was, always standing up for what she felt was right, and if you had to leave it alone, you leave it alone and go on about your business. I didn’t realize I was learning that.”
Heather: “I think that’s how a lot of those things are, you don’t realize till later. Do you feel like you passed those same things on to your kids, in particular, your daughter?”
Carla: “I don’t know. Sometimes I wonder about that. I was so busy growing up and becoming my own woman, and mother of my own, did I forget about those examples and experiences? My children are all grown and doing well on their own, and now as a grandmother, I’m observing how they, as parents, are doing with their children. I have to stand back and let them do their thing. I remember one time, my daughter said, ‘Mom, what’s the recipe for tuna-noodle casserole?’ I gave it to her and she said, ‘Mom, you forgot the main thing – the peas. That’s why I wanted the recipe, so I can put the peas in, and the kids will eat their peas.’ Oh my word, I forgot that was the reason I made tuna-noodle casserole. I did forget the main ingredient.”
Bryce: “I would’ve thought it would be tuna.”
(At this point, there was so much laughter I’m sure they heard us in the lobby and wished they were in our room instead of in their staff meeting.)
Heather: “Now’s the hard question. How do you think you have changed the world? It could be in a small or big way.”
Carla thought about this for a minute, and Bryce added, “I’m sure you were a mother of many other children, too.”
Carla: “You are right, thank you for reminding me. My children brought their friends over, and a number of them called me Mom and have returned in later years and told me that I affected how they think or turned them around, or gave them a place to stay for a bit, unbeknownst to me. I didn’t realize that at the time. I just thought they were hanging out at the house.
“That always put a smile in my tummy. We have a heart tummy. A lot of emotions reveal in our stomach. We’ve got a gut feeling, something happens that makes our heart fall to our stomach, makes you sick to your stomach, or gives you butterflies in your stomach. There’s good feelings and bad, so this heart-stomach is our true reaction to things. So recognizing that, give me a smile in my tummy. And it does when I think about a real wow reaction or something that makes you feel warm and fuzzy, you feel it from the tummy.”
Heather: “It’s like what you were talking about earlier about doubting yourself. We can focus on what we are doing right. When you get that smile in your tummy, it’s like telling you, yeah, you did something right.”
Carla: “It makes you stand a little taller, put your chin up, and makes you smile from your face. It’s taking up space, so you gotta make room for it. I try to present a positiveness, whether it be a smile or a lilt in a hello, because sometimes we don’t know how our energy or attitude might have an effect on somebody else’s day. Especially, not having the visual cues, a lot of it is about my energy. When I realize the energy I’m feeling from someone else, I recognize the importance of the energy I exude to others.”
Heather: “You exude positive energy on a very large scale.”
Bryce: “I may have to come chat with you sometime.”
Heather: “How has vision-loss changed you?”
Carla: “Well, fortunately…”
Heather: “I love that you’re starting with fortunately.”
Carla: “Fortunately, when I was losing my sight, I heard about the United Blind of Walla Walla and was able to get in touch with them. You guys really helped me stay focused in my journey, going from visual to non-visual. Everybody had a life. I realized there is life after blindness, and I was now going to live that life. I learned I didn’t have to be angry or feel sorry for myself, I could be frustrated, but not to let those frustrations and flustrations get in my way. It’s a balancing act.”
Heather: “It’s okay to be angry, because it’s real, as long as you don’t stay there.”
Carla: “You’re right, but I try not to because anger is such a self-defeating attitude to have. I prefer to call it frustrated or flustrated. You guys have taught me that it’s not incapacitating or debilitating. It’s challenging, and that’s kind of the fun of this.”
Bryce: “When you get a win, it’s a big win.”
Carla: “It’ll put that smile in your tummy!”
Bryce: “As a sighted person, newly interested, especially after going to the Washington Council of the Blind convention, I’ve come to realize that sight is much more than vision. You see a person for who a person is.”
Heather: “Final question: what’s the one thing you want to say to the world?”
Carla: “Try to keep a smile in the tummy.”
Change the World?
by Tim Downie
When my daughter was young, I would tuck her in bed and offer her a choice, “Would you like me to read a story or tell you one?”
Sometimes, she’d choose one of her storybooks, though she would more often request a “tell” story.
The stories we shared were completely made up. I would often include things we’d recently done or people we knew into the story. She would wait with anticipation to see what kind of yarn I would spin, and where the story would go. She often offered up ideas as the tale was being told. She would have a huge smile on her face as she shared ideas and I spoke them into the story. We were weaving tales together, and that was an amazing experience.
The best stories take you somewhere else, and if you are lucky, leave you with something to store in your heart. I loved reading books to her.
My daughter often requested the book, “Caps for Sale,” by Esphyr Slodbokina. It’s a wonderful tale about a peddler selling caps, which he wore in a huge stack on his head. That was, until he napped and his caps were stolen by a group of monkeys.
My daughter’s favorite part was the way I read it. I would use the peddler’s voice and wave my arms, stomp my feet, and shout his exasperated demand “You monkeys, you! Give me back my caps!” It was great fun to give life to such a lovely old tale. How we tell a story matters.
I’m reminded of another of her books, “Gathering Sparks,” by Howard Schwartz.
At creation, essence of that creative force was placed in vessels. Alas, the light inside was too great, and the vessels shattered, leaving shards everywhere. Whenever we do good, be it involving the earth, animals, or people, a shard is uncovered and returned to rebuild the vessels. A simple hug, thank you, or kind word will do the trick. Our task is to do enough to help restore the vessels to their former beauty, bringing peace to all at last.
Having broken many a dish and glass while learning to adapt to low vision, I can appreciate how difficult it is to gather all the shards of glass. It seems they work their way everywhere. It isn’t so easy to be on your hands and knees, feeling over the entire kitchen floor to be sure you’ve got them all. I learned quickly it is best to use a wet paper towel to clean up first, then save bare hands for the final check.
Changing the world starts with our story, and what we do with it. Telling your story and having someone listen is a powerful thing. When my daughter and I made up the story together, our joy was increased as we both shared the excitement of seeing where it took us. It wasn’t my story or her story, it was ours. There’s a magic in that.
Living with a disability does present challenges. One thing we all seem to find ourselves doing is educating others. Sometimes family, sometimes friends. Other times it is a medical professional, or someone working at a government agency.
Sometimes, it can feel like too much. Why is it so hard to have them all understand even a little? We need to tell our stories in a way they are listened to.
One of my favorite sharing of stories took place when I was hospitalized with sepsis. It was with the nurse doing 3 a.m. rounds. I told her I appreciated how good of a nurse she was and must’ve been at it for a while. She shared that she was fresh out of nursing school. I asked her why nursing and what her family thought. We talked for more than half an hour. It was just what I needed. I hope I somehow helped her.
At times, especially if you are dealing with it from all fronts at once, it can be overwhelming. Educating people about what we can do on our own, or what accommodations we might need, can get discouraging. It’s why we have each other. Community matters.
I’m convinced that when I get one person, one doctor, one nurse, one traffic engineer, one congregational leader, one family member or friend to understand, it’s something that will stick with them.
Ask questions. Listen. Share. No one need believe what I believe, do what I do. Those parts of me come from my having lived my story. What I want to do is walk together, encouraging each other, sharing who we are so we can all make our own corner of the world a little better for having been there.
Does It Compute?
by Holly Turri
When I contemplate the things that have changed my world, immediately my mind turns to the personal computer. This device, plus accessories such as iPhones accessible software, Braille displays, and Apple watches, revolutionized my life. These have changed my life as much as Braille.
Direction-finding is something we don’t think about, but it is done frequently and is a key to true independence. When my friends and I want to visit somewhere we’ve never been, I whip out the iPhone, open a map program, enter the address, and off we go. I can give directions, and they don’t have to take their eyes off the road to look at the map on their GPS.
I’m 67 years old. How well I recall the only way I could get information was in the Braille World Book or begging mom to take me to the library and use the print Britannica.
Although I always have loved and enjoyed recorded and Braille titles, back in the olden times, there wasn’t much on things that interested me. That is not the case now. An example might suffice. Back in the way back, I thought I was a radical. I wanted to read a book about Che Guevara, who was one of the men who overthrew Cuba. There was nothing, no, not one book in formats I could use covering this person. Now, there are, I believe, at least five or six. Plus BookShare, Kindle, and Audible have a large selection. Too bad my eyes have been opened. I’m no longer an enthusiastic follower.
It was wonderful for me to use the same spreadsheet program as did my co-workers. Keeping in touch with relatives is a breeze. Of course, you all know this.
If it were not for my faithful and much-used laptop, I would not be writing this. When I was a young person, it was stressed to me repeatedly that Braille paper was expensive. The oft-heard refrain in my family was, “Be sure you know what you want to say so you don’t throw it out or waste it!” Well, partially I got around this by recording papers on cassette. Then, I could type them and no waste, no stress.
There was just one problem. Typewriters have ribbons. These can run out and I wouldn’t realize that they had. You can imagine how happy, proud, and thrilled I was to submit 30 blank pages. Fortunately, my pride would not permit me to scream and cry. That happened later. Now, I use a spell-checker and printer. Before those items are employed, I have the document looking pretty on the page. No more invisible ink submissions for this gal. God bless PCs and their inventors.
From the Frontiers of AI,
How to Talk with ChatGPT without a Smartphone
by Reginald George
This column aims to explore the triumphs and pitfalls of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
This information was posted publicly on the AI for the Blind Facebook group. I tested it, and it works. “In the U.S., you can call ChatGPT at 1-800-242-8478, that's 1-800-CHAT-GPT. You can get a free 15-minute call every month – or multiple calls that add up to 15 minutes – and yes, it even works with a rotary phone! Outside the U.S.? No problem. You can call the same number using Skype.”
So, in plain language, what is ChatGPT, and what does it stand for? The basic answer from the company is that ChatGPT is a computer program designed to understand and generate human-like text based on the input it receives. It uses AI to assist with answering questions, having conversations, and providing information on a wide range of topics. It’s also a cleverly named product from a company called Open AI, in which Microsoft has a 49 percent interest. GPT stands for Generative Pre-Training Transformer.
I have left the realm of plain language far behind, but someone will want to know, what is a Generative Pre-Training Transformer? Transformers, in general, are used in everything to turn one thing into something else. I didn’t want to get it wrong here, so at the risk of straying even further into the weeds, I asked another product of Microsoft’s called Copilot, which is embedded in everyone’s Windows web browsers and Office products, the same question.
Copilot said, “A Generative Pre-Training Transformer (GPT) is a type of Artificial Intelligence model, designed to understand and generate human-like text. Here's a simple breakdown:
1. Generative: This means the model can create new content. For example, it can write essays, stories, or even code based on the input it receives.
2. Pre-Training: Before the model can generate text, it goes through a training phase where it learns from a large amount of text data. This helps it understand language patterns, grammar, and context.
3. Transformer: This is the architecture or structure of the model. In essence, a GPT model is like a super-smart text generator that has learned from a vast amount of text data to produce coherent and contextually relevant responses.”
I personally think this is an inadequate definition and not that plain. This is because you can’t reduce to simple words what these things do. These large language models now take in everything, books, music, videos, art, poetry, and learn all about us. They learn our contradictory beliefs, biases, religions, attitudes, and customs, our core values, all we are as a species. They can instantly translate between all the languages on earth, and are only limited by the size of the networks which they are learning from.
One of the best companies in this space is called Deep Mind, which perfectly expresses what AI has become. In the books I am reading by scholars who have studied this, even some software engineers have become convinced that they are talking to a true intelligence behind the answers. It can almost pass any test anyone has designed to tell what is human and what is created by machines. Part of the way it does this is by having access to almost infinite knowledge and building its memories based on that knowledge.
So, what are memories? I am not even brave enough to go there. Is it a chemical trail in our brains of the things that have happened to us over the years? We have learned that those memories change over time. We can become convinced that something happened in a particular way, but when we are presented with the facts or a recording of that event in our life, we often learn we were completely mistaken. Machines have been accused of hallucinating or making up data. But humans do the same thing. Digital memories don’t normally get destroyed or changed. They ripple in waves through the internet as they are filtered and interpreted through other people’s ideas and thoughts. Somehow, the computer must instantly sort through all that conflicting information and come up with coherent answers. It’s a miracle there aren’t many more hallucinations in the output, “ghosts in the machines.”
So, that’s what transformers do. They sort the wheat from the chaff, create logic from chaos. And, they do it incredibly quickly and well. They are ghost busters on top of everything else.
This essay started out as a light-hearted romp through one little service so everyone could try it. But every time I look at these developments, I can’t help but think of the deeper implications of what’s happening to our society, like what happens as we turn over much of the work of our minds to machines? How does that change the world? What will our descendants think of the choices we are making now? These are the questions I don’t dare to ask AI. I stick to simple things.
One easy way to learn how AI is used in the real world is to ask it questions. This is fine, as long as you always check your facts. Just as it is with humans, one person’s fact can later be proven to be untrue, or is another person’s fiction. Making assertions that something is a fact can be fraught with peril for the fact-checker. In fact, Facebook just eliminated all their fact-checking employees in favor of community notes by users. Facts are getting quite hard to find these days when we need them more than ever. We all want a fact we can hang our hat on, but reality is shifting under our feet, and so are all the hats.
Now, thanks to Apple, my phone is deeply integrated with ChatGPT. You just tell Siri to ask ChatGPT anything, and you get a simple answer tied up in a bow that you are allowed to copy by pushing a button to use it any way you wish. No need to create an account. The service only gets a random number that shows them it came from an Apple device. It’s about as anonymous as one can get. You are also informed you are going online to ask a question, which protects your right to choice and privacy. You can ask it why the sky is green or the grass is blue. It might come back and say, “What planet do you live on?”
I use Siri on my new iPhone 16 to ask the service my questions about blue grass and green skies, and this was its answer: “A green sky can occur in certain weather conditions, often indicating severe weather like a thunderstorm or tornado. The green color is caused by the scattering of sunlight by water droplets in the atmosphere, especially when the sun is low in the sky and storms are approaching. Grass is typically green due to the chlorophyll in its cells, which absorbs sunlight and is vital for photosynthesis. However, in some artistic or fictional contexts, grass may be depicted as blue to create a surreal or otherworldly environment. In reality, blue grass might indicate an unusual lighting effect or a genetic mutation in the plant.”
Impressive! I enjoyed the answer about the blue grass. I could have been asking about bluegrass music, but it knew what I wanted.
If you call the 800 number for ChatGPT, you can ask for several versions of that favorite recipe and get step-by-step instructions, how to fix a problem on your computer with only keyboard commands, the best time of year to plant a particular flower and whether it will grow in your climate, who has the lowest price on a product, what’s on television that night, or almost anything without fear of rejection or being put down. Terrorists are even reportedly using it to plan their attacks. Don’t care for the answers you’re getting? Just hang up. Maybe try again later. And you’re likely to get logical, helpful, concise, considerate answers. For those who aren’t comfortable with smartphones, it helps to close the digital divide.
A lot of us have real fears of AI. The more I study it, the more respect I gain for what it can do, and the more awareness I have of what can go wrong and the people who will be hurt by losing their livelihoods. All we can do is advocate for full access for those with disabilities so we can compete effectively and have the same opportunities as everyone else. I commend the company for democratizing the service by making it available to everyone. It will figuratively open your eyes and save you time without a doubt – unless you are like me and keep asking stupid questions.
If you have questions or comments about how Artificial Intelligence will fit into your life, write us at TheWCBNewsline@gmail.com.
Changing the World One Email at a Time
by Dorene Cornwell
One day, early in my fitful adjustment to legal blindness, I was browsing one of the email lists I read. A young community college student from Texas wrote in.
The student’s inquiry was something like this: “Help. I live in TX. I am going to a community college. None of my professors think I will ever be able to get a job because they all wonder how I will get to and from work.” With apologies to proud Texans, the young man had me at “Help. I live in TX.”
I immediately reached out, admitted I am a big transportation nerd and offered to see whether I could help. This might be kind of presumptuous, because I am not super informed about transit and transportation in Texas. I tend to think of Texas as big and full of cars and not necessarily overflowing in public transportation options. I suggested he reach out to other blind people. I also suggested that if the young man would create a survey with a few questions, I would be glad to help distribute the survey to blind people I know with jobs and to invite participants to share the survey further.
A couple weeks later, the survey came. It had about 10 questions. It also had the kind of language that schools and colleges use to talk about the Institutional Review Board (the body that oversees research connected to that institution). I was impressed that the survey went through the Institutional Review Board and happily forwarded it in several directions, including, I think, to the Washington Council of the Blind email discussion list. I also told the young man that I would love to read the results when he tabulated them.
A few weeks later, I received another email with the paper the student wrote based on his survey. The paper had gotten an A. I don’t remember exactly how many people responded, but there were enough responses that I thought the results credible. Overall, the results broke out about evenly between regular public transit, paratransit, and family member or friend drives. This was before the age of Uber and Lyft.
I congratulated the student on great work and he really appreciated the steps I was able to help with. He also mentioned joining one of the blind consumer organizations, but I don’t remember which one.
Even better, a few months later, I reached out to see whether he had finished his program and whether he had a job. I was thrilled to learn that he had a job teaching American Studies at a community college. Besides helping the young man with his path to work, my ability to assist and encourage someone else definitely helped me build confidence to work out whatever next frustrating thing came along in my own life.
A Review of the Book ‘Big Magic’
by Alan Biné
I've got a question for you: Do you believe a book can actually change a person's life? I've just finished listening to an audio book, since poor vision makes listening easier than reading for me, and I suspect the book may possibly change me forever. Of course, at my age, forever may not be all that long.
The book I highly recommend is titled "Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear," by Elizabeth Gilbert. In 2006, Gilbert wrote her best-selling memoir, "Eat Pray Love,” which was made into a movie starring Julia Roberts in 2010. If you have seen the movie or read or listened to the book, you probably also know that Gilbert is a pretty hippie-dippy, woo-woo sort, somewhat like actor and author Shirley MacLaine.
"Big Magic" is kind of a pep talk for would-be writers, artists and other creative types. I suggest you listen to the book rather than read it because it's narrated by Gilbert herself, and she's quite an enjoyable conversationalist. Surely you can find the five hours it takes to listen to the book or the time it takes to read its mere 300 pages. Either way, "Big Magic" is incredibly well written, fun and inspirational. You should definitely pick up a copy if you believe you're a creative person and foresee creative endeavors in your future. Gilbert insists everyone has the ability to be creative.
I especially liked a story Gilbert told about a novel she was working on about the Amazon jungle. She got distracted and stopped writing the book. By the time she restarted on the novel, her inspiration had vanished, so she set it aside for the time being.
A while later, Gilbert was having lunch with author Ann Patchett. And as they were talking about their works in progress, Gilbert started telling Patchett about the prospective Amazon jungle book, confessing that she was stuck. In her telling, Gilbert says that Patchett turned a bit pale, and then proceeded to tell Gilbert about her work in progress, which also took place in the Amazon jungle. There were many other similarities between the two books. (Cue that funky theme from the show “X-Files.”)
Gilbert believes that when she didn’t write the book, her idea moved on to another writer, Patchett, who was ready for the inspiration. "That the muse traveled rather than letting the idea die," Gilbert writes, "the muse can give several people the same idea, safe in the knowledge that they will all use it in different ways.”
Have you ever had a great idea but told yourself you would get to it later, only to find that a few days turned into weeks and even months and someone else eventually brought that same idea forward? That’s precisely the proof Gilbert uses to illustrate this concept.
"The universe buries jewels within us, and then stands back to see if we can find them," Gilbert continues. “The hunt to uncover those jewels is creative living. The courage to go on that hunt in the first place is what separates a mundane existence from a more enchanted one.”
The "Big Magic" author also credits her mother with teaching her the importance of completing a task rather than striving for perfection, saying, "Done is better than good." I really like that wise quote.
Listen up everyone, one final time. Please take my advice and listen to or read "Big Magic." The book really just might change your life.
Thoughts on Past and Present
by Alco Canfield
This issue’s theme of “Change the World” sent me down to storage, where I keep so many wonderful memories. Some who read this may never have seen some of these items but, hopefully, you will enjoy the descriptions. I also want to discuss the many changes that have occurred in the past 40 years.
The Brannan Slate
What a tool that was. Math problems could be set up using cubes with numbers 1-0. These cubes were put into little holes on the Brannan Slate. I have not done math using a Braille writer, but it seems to me the Brannan Slate was an easier way to set up math problems. We called the cubes "type." The only drawback to this instrument was the mess you could make bumping into someone's desk containing a set-up math problem. Type everywhere!
The American Printing House for the Blind sells something they call a "Brannan Cubarithm Slate" and describe it as "A rubber frame with a grid that holds small Braille plastic cubes." Our slates were wood.
I used to play Bingo using little square blocks placed in holes on a board. I have seen Braille cards that can be marked, but they are so flimsy, not like the ones I used to have.
Then there was the Pocket Braille Writer sponsored by the Lions Club. It was portable, and the keys were quiet. A strip of paper would come out of the left side, like a tail, as you typed. In the end, this wasn't very feasible, as Braille strips were hard to store. Too bad there wasn't a backing to peel off with adhesive underneath. It would have been a great labeler.
The Slate and Stylus
I started writing Braille with a Perkins Braille writer in the first grade. In the second grade, I was forced to learn to use a slate and stylus, and I hated it. The slates come in many different sizes. Putting the paper on the smooth side and lining it up with pins allows you to move to the next four lines. You're ready to write with the stylus, an item with a round top and a point. You write from right to left. The Braille comes out on the other side of the page. You are writing backwards with dots one, two, and three on the right and dots four, five, and six on the left. Some slates have pins on the side with the holes, which makes moving quickly to the next four lines a real hassle. If you buy a slate and stylus, make sure you get the one with the pins on the smooth side.
I am so grateful I learned to use this instrument. Many disparage it, but you don't see sighted people throwing away their pens and pencils.
When I was in college, I took notes with it using a shorthand known as Grade Three Braille. I didn't have to listen to lectures again because my notes really saved me a lot of time.
I do not know the name of this next item. It was a board containing rubber squares into which you stuck tacks and used rubber bands, strung from tack to tack, to make geometric shapes. The drawback? When the rubber bands broke, tacks would fly all over the room.
I am sure many have fond memories of the cassette recorder sold by the American Printing House for the Blind. It was a tank. Heavy but durable, it was much better than some of the other recorders, which were produced later.
So many changes have occurred in our lifetime. I can't imagine what the next 40 years will show us (if we don't destroy ourselves in the meantime).
I bought a computer in 1996 with a scanner and a Braille notetaker. When I heard a printed page read aloud for the first time, I was overwhelmed. I knew what a difference it would make in my life.
When Amazon was just a bookstore, I bought books and scanned them. Oh, how glorious it was. The program in those days wasn't perfect, but the ability to read something independently was life-changing.
How did we ever manage without smartphones, smart glasses, Global Positioning Satellites, apps, Alexa, and audio description?
“I know all this,” you may be saying. “What's the point? Quit elaborating the obvious.”
Well said. What I want to say is that I hope we don't become so dependent on all these gadgets that we lose the ability to manage without them. A Braille writer and slate and stylus never say “low battery.” I am not sure that smart canes and robot dogs will be very useful if, for some reason, batteries die and there are none left to buy.
You are probably saying, “She just wants to go back to the horse and buggy.” No way! I just want us to remember the good old stuff that we can still salvage and appreciate. All these aids are wonderful, but they are not a substitute for the adaptive skills we need to learn to be successful.
Hello, Hello!
by Bryce Hansen
“Hello, hello! Bryce here, sighted volunteer. What’s going on?”
I wanted to take the opportunity to give my perspective on my first experience at the Washington Council of the Blind convention. I had so much fun, from the great meals and karaoke to the late-night jam sessions, but more importantly, meeting so many great people in such a short time and making genuine friendships.
I think it’s important to speak on the perspective one can gain by spending time with y’all. I experienced so much positivity and kindness; you could feel the love in every room you walked into. I did witness the occasional “on guard” cane battle in the hallway. Your identities will remain anonymous and are safe with me. I repeatedly reminded myself for a week previous to the convention, “don’t pet the dogs, don’t pet the dogs, don’t pet the dogs,” and was ecstatic when I actually did get to pet a dog. I also accidently provided my arm and assistance to a completely sighted woman who was absolutely not part of our convention but just happened to be very lost. She was confused, but gladly accepted my offer. When we arrived at the pool she was looking for, I said, “Here’s the pool on your left,” to which she replied, “I know.”
As a person who received a lot of thank yous over the weekend, I want to say, “No, thank you for the impact you all had on me.”
This last part you’re welcome to read, but it’s probably not for you.
“What’s up, Lincoln, you wild boy! It’s Orange Guy here.” I knew we would be best bros when we met and discovered we both had orange shirts on. You said excitedly, “Orange is my favorite color! And I said even more excitedly, “Orange is MY favorite color, too!” The next day I wore a striped hoodie and when you asked if I was wearing orange, I sadly had to say no. That wasn’t good enough for you, so you seriously examined all the stripes, and, low and behold, you found an orange one and exclaimed, “That counts.” My heart filled with joy, yes, it counts. Spending time and getting to know you was the highlight of my weekend, especially when I heard you yelling from across the room or down the hall, “Is that you, Orange Guy?” I loved your performance with your sister, Claire, at the talent show, and enjoyed learning the game Fork, Knife, Spoon over a delicious turkey sandwich. The ferocity and vigor with which you attack life is something we can all look up to … and I’ll try to get you a drum set.
Can’t wait to see you all again next year.
LIFESTYLE
Book Chat, Changing the World One Book at a Time
by Alan Bentson, Readers' Advisor
Washington Talking Book and Braille Library
Books discussed in this column include:
- db#12315: “Once an Eagle,” by Anton Myrer
- db#22970: “The Fourth Deadly Sin,” by Lawrence Sanders
- db#21503: “Surely You're Joking Mr. Feynman,” by Richard P. Feynman
- “Denial of Death,” by Ernest Becker (available from audible.com)
Here's a basic question: Who is your favorite narrator? My favorite narrator is generally the narrator of the book I am currently listening to. After several hours of listening to one voice, I tend to think with that voice and hear it in my mind.
Over the Thanksgiving weekend, I listened to a 42-hour war epic by Anton Myrer titled "Once An Eagle" and narrated by Bob Askey. If you've read “From Here to Eternity,” or “The Young Lions” by Irwin Shaw, or Herman Wouk's "The Winds of War,” than you'll know what this book is like. This is a typical Bob Askey kind of book, a popular fiction book with lots of action.
Another book I listened to narrated by Askey this year was "The Fourth Deadly Sin" by Lawrence Sanders, a slam-bang thriller. The third book I listened to this year narrated by Askey was "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman," which was definitely not a typical Bob Askey book, a nonfiction memoir by a famous scientist.
Bob Askey was born in 1929 in Lincoln, NE, and got his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Nebraska in 1951. His background is in speech and radio broadcasting. During the 1950s and ‘60s, he bounced around a number of radio jobs in Lincoln and then in Denver, CO. I remember hearing Askey read the news on KLZ and KOA, two clear channel stations in Denver.
By 1975, he had moved to Longmont CO, a pleasant city northeast of Denver. He was looking for a more secure and regular job than substituting nights and weekends on various radio stations. A friend of his was starting a company to record books for the blind that eventually became known as Talking Book Publishers, and he offered Askey a job as one of their first narrators. He worked for them for the next 30 years. Askey estimates that he has recorded over 800 books for the National Library Service (NLS) program. The company had the idea of recording many copies of popular bestsellers and producing them on inexpensive flexible disks, then being manufactured by EvaTone Corp. NLS bought the concept, and the flexible disks turned out to be a very popular and surprisingly durable medium for audio books.
So, not only has he recorded many books, but almost all of them are popular bestsellers or books that are famous for some other reason, including a couple of different versions of the Bible. Just about every talking book user has heard Bob Askey at some time or other. He retired in 2005 and has become quite well off due to real estate investments. He is still living in Longmont, and I imagine he's just as cantankerous, outspoken, and opinionated as he was when he spoke to the United Blind of Seattle where I heard him in the 1990s.
Askey shares many qualities of a great book narrator and has a few qualities that are unique to him. He reads very quickly and accurately, which is probably due to his radio training. He has a very pleasant and recognizable reading voice, and very nice diction. His voice is low-pitched, so the listener can use the variable speed to good advantage. He reads to a very regular rhythmic pattern, which can seem quite hypnotic. His voice falls at the end of sentences, not a practice other narrators should emulate. He must have theatrical instincts, for within his pattern he gets a lot of meaning out of phrases, very surprising in someone who reads so quickly.
The Richard Feynman book was full of scientific terms and concepts that I don't pretend to understand, and I bet Askey doesn't either. But, with his self-confident manner and accurate delivery, I was convinced that he found the abstruse physics interesting, even if he really didn't. Actually, I have a sneaking suspicion that someone who narrates as much as he has probably doesn't retain a lot from the books he records, but who knows?
In his book "The Denial of Death," Richard Becker talks about people’s basic need to be a hero of some sort in order to transcend their own death and their animal nature. Bob Askey can look back on his life and know that he is a hero to many blind people to whom he has brought vast amounts of joy and entertainment.
Askey participated in a seismic shift in the purpose of books for the blind. Before the 1970s, NLS was highly resistant to producing bestsellers and popular fiction that did not fit the conventional ideas of "good" literature. Nowadays, blind and print-disabled people have audio access to most popular authors and many categories of popular writing. He will be a cultural hero as long as BARD lasts. I have read 87 books he has narrated. I'm glad there's a lot more out there, so I can continue to meet up with an old friend. Keep reading!
Sporting Spotlight
Bocce Ball
by Beth Greenberg
What is bocce ball? Bocci ball is a popular outdoor game that is typically played on an outdoor bocce court. The game involves rolling big bowls (balls) toward a smaller target called a pallino or jack. The goal is to land the balls as close as possible to the pallino. Bocce can be played in a one-on-one format or can pit teams of up to four players against each other. The game can be played on almost any flat surface.
Bocce was first played in the 18th century in Italy and is closely related to English bowls and French pétanque, with a common ancestry from ancient games played in the Roman Empire. Bocce is the plural of the Italian word boccia, which means “bowl” in the general sporting sense. There are numerous bocce leagues in the United States.
Bocce is traditionally played on a natural soil or asphalt court up to 90 feet in length and 8.2-13.1 feet wide. While the court walls are traditionally made of wood or stone, many social leagues and Special Olympics programs now use inflatable “Packabocce” courts due to their portability and ease of storage. Bocce balls can be made of wood (traditional), metal, baked clay, or various kinds of plastic. Unlike lawn bowls, bocce balls are spherical and have no in-built bias.
A game can be conducted between two players, or two teams of two, three, or four. A match is started by a randomly chosen side being given the opportunity to throw a smaller ball, the jack, called a boccino (little bocce) or a pallino (bullet or little ball in Italian), from one end of the court into a zone 16 feet in length, ending 8.2 feet from the far end of the court. If the first team misses twice, the other team is awarded the opportunity to place the jack anywhere they choose within the prescribed zone. Casual play is common in reasonably flat areas of parks and yards lacking a bocce court, but players should agree to the minimum and maximum distance the jack may be thrown before play begins.
The side that first attempted to place the jack is given the opportunity to bowl first. Once the first bowl has taken place, the other side has the opportunity to bowl. From then on, the side that does not have the ball closest to the jack has a chance to bowl, up until one side or the other has used their four balls. At that point, the other side bowls its remaining balls. The object of the game is for a team to get as many of its balls as possible closer to the target ball (jack, boccino, pallino) than the opposing team. The team with the closest ball to the jack is the only team that can score points in any frame. The scoring team receives one point for each of their balls that is closer to the jack than the closest ball of the other team. The length of a game varies but is typically from 7 to 13 points.
Players are permitted to throw the ball in the air using an underarm action only. This is generally used to knock either the jack or another ball away to attain a more favorable position. Tactics can get quite complex when players have sufficient control over the ball to throw or roll it accurately.
Boccia is another sport that has been adapted for persons with disabilities. It is a shorter-range game, played with leather balls on an indoor, smooth surface. Boccia was first introduced to the Paralympics at the 1984 New York Summer Games, and is one of the only two Paralympic sports that do not have an Olympic counterpart (the other being goalball).
At the beginning of November, I got to try out this sport thanks to Northwest Association of Blind Athletes (NWABA.) We had 11 athletes and four volunteers/staff from NWABA. One of the volunteers played the game with us. The game was held in the Washington State School for the Blind gym using the center court of the goalball taped on the floor as our bocce ball court. The pallino was a small blue ball the approximate size of a ping pong ball. The balls that we threw were about the size of a beepball or softball, but had a rubbery outside with a sand or bead type substance on the inside that gave them some weight.
We divided up into three teams of four. Someone would throw the pallino, and then we would have two teams play against each other, almost like a tournament type style of play. To make the game accessible, one of the staff members would ask you if you wanted a beeping noise or a tapping noise that she would make behind the pallino. You could also opt for none. A lot of us felt like rolling the bocce balls. A lot of us noticed if we rolled the ball too quick or with too much force, it would roll right through the court to the wall on the other side of the gym. We all had a fun time. Some went back and played again two weeks later. I hope NWABA will add this to their schedule as an outdoor sport to play in the late spring, like May or June. It would be great to be able to play on the grass or sand, or even with the sides as described previously in this article.
As I was researching bocce ball, I saw you can buy sets from different retailers, and I noticed a set on Amazon for $40. You can find many videos and articles on how to play. I think this would be a fun family game to play even in the backyard on the grass. Have a wonderful first quarter and talk to you all again in the spring.
The Ballad of Zinc (who doesn’t want to be a guide dog)
by Zinc, with a little help from Viola and Alan Bentson
My name is Zinc. I am a dog. You may think it’s odd that a dog should be named after a mineral. At the guide dog school in Oregon, all the puppies in a given litter are named with the same first letter, and I was in a Z litter. My puppy raiser said things could have been worse, I could have been named Zoroaster, or Zebulon, or Zirconium. Zinc is a nice, short, sharp, single-syllable I can always hear when the humans are addressing me.
I was born at the Guide Dogs for the Blind campus in Boring, OR, but I don’t know why they called it that, as it was anything but boring. Maybe it was in a B litter of towns. When I was about six weeks old, they sent me to a puppy raiser in Utah. Utah was nice, lots of fresh air and mountains, but it was hot. I’m a Golden Retriever and we all have heavy coats, so even Tumwater, WA, where I live now, seems hot. So, you can imagine how I sweltered in Utah.
Every day I was learning commands like “stay” and “sit” and “don’t puddle on the floor” and on and on. And every other sentence started with, “When you’re a guide dog, you’ll have to …” do this or do that or remember the other thing. When I was a little more than a year old, they sent me back to Oregon for guide dog training. I still didn’t quite get what a guide dog is, but I was starting to think it was awfully hard work. After a while, they assigned me to a handler, but things never went too well. I’m not sure he really liked being with me all the time and taking me everywhere.
I was starting to think that I was not cut out to be a guide dog. I mean really, you have to go everywhere with your handler whether you’re in the mood or not. You have to cross streets full of people driving crazy fast. My handler would say “forward,” but if he was wrong and a semi was heading for us, I had to somehow convince him it wasn’t really time to go. Every time we went somewhere, I had to sit around and be quiet until it was time to go somewhere else. One day, I decided that being a guide dog was too much work and too much responsibility for a happy-go-lucky dog like me. Luckily, my handler decided that having a dog to take care of 24/7 was just too much work and responsibility for him, so we told the school that things weren’t working out.
Now, I’m in something called the Canine Buddies program for dogs who really don’t want to guide. I live in Tumwater with my new mistress, Viola, and just like Utah, it seems hot to me. Frankly, I don’t know how she ever got along without me. I get her up in the morning, put her to bed at night, keep her entertained during the day, and provide boatloads of love and reassurance. Every few days, I have to remind her to take me for a walk so she can get some exercise and fresh air. Her husband, Alan, is gone all day at work and pretty much just interested in sleeping or sitting around with his earbuds on during the weekend, so he’s not a lot of help.
A staff member from the school brought me to Viola and made sure she had all the stuff I needed, things like toys, food, et cetera, et cetera. She stays in touch with the school whenever I have problems, like when I chewed on my tail a few weeks ago and created a hot spot and had to go to the vet. The school even pays the vet bill! All in all, I think my life is good now. I have a good job with a nice person. Only trouble is, she keeps wanting to leave me alone while she goes some place or other. You can’t take your buddy dog to church or a restaurant or lots of other places. So, I guess there are disadvantages to not being a guide dog, but I’m happy to put up with it.
There are other guide dog trainees who need someplace to go, so if you have ever had a guide dog and miss having one of us around, even though you may not walk much anymore, or if you have experience with obedience training a dog and would like a well-behaved companion, you might want to check out https://www.guidedogs.com/client-programs/k9-buddy-program or call 800-295-4050 and ask about the Canine Buddies program. I’m sure Viola would tell you that I’m an adorable companion.
My Talking Crotch Watch
by Janet Di Nola Parmerter
Reprinted by permission of the author.
I
In recent decades, an unfeeling thief has robbed a valuable possession from thousands of men and women. In some cases, this thief quietly appears at night and is long gone by morning, while stealing someone’s precious and irreplaceable treasure, their sight. The name of this culprit is Macular Degeneration. Though it has been a devastating shock for many, thanks to modern technology, coping with this life-altering disease has become less traumatic.
Since the age of nine, I have struggled with this now-familiar eye disease. Therefore, I for one am grateful technology has not left blind ones in the dark. Currently, for low-vision individuals, talking devices make independence a reality. For example, in my home, clocks talk everywhere. They talk in different rooms, different handbags, and at various times of day and night. Throughout our home and drawers, we hear talking desk clocks, talking alarm clocks, my talking wristwatch, a talking kitchen clock, talking travel clocks, talking stopwatch clocks, and a talking calculator clock. In all shapes and sizes, these unique devices kept me punctual, but the tiniest one in my purse was a credit-card-size mini talking watch.
In our quiet home, when the hour strikes and all clocks speak this synchronized cacophony of voices, my usually patient husband wants to see time fly – right out the window!
Before having overnight guests, I would attempt to turn off each clock but inevitably I would miss one. Finally, after two of our friends from Rome were terrified by the talking watch in the purse I forgot to take out of their room, from then on, my daughter kindly warned all guests about the talking clocks.
The next morning, those frightened Italian girls moaned, “We eartd dee leetell teeny voices talking all dee nighta.”
That was one of many humorous clock stories, but this particular one began in Europe. Unfortunately for this watch, it also ended
there. That troublesome watch would never take another trip with me because its next journey was a “solo, non-stop direct flight” to the trash.
Yet, in its defense, it did have one redeeming feature – its size. It could easily fit in a purse or pocket. But the problem was, the small, square, raised time-announcement button was just high enough so if anything inside my purse touched the button, the watch automatically began an irritating time announcement. Often, the button became stuck in the talk position and repeated the time like a rap song. If the clock showed 5:36 p.m., it would rap “ffifififififive ththithithithirty sisisix.”
Compounding that annoyance, right before its demise, it plagued me with a new dysfunction. Whenever the watch was cold, it made strange, high-pitched screeching electronic sounds and only stopped after it warmed up. All that rapidly lead to this tiny ticker’s downward plunge to “the old watch graveyard.”
Still, at work it was always with me, and the tiny talking watch was indispensable because in the travel industry, arriving on time at each city, hotel, restaurant, or museum was essential.
As strange as it may seem, even with extreme low vision, for decades I escorted groups of American tourists through foreign countries, with the goal of making their international vacation fun and problem-free. Europe is my forte, however. I have accompanied groups to places like China, Russia, and the Middle East, using assistive blind tools like my typical white cane and talking devices. For decades I brought tourists through tiny, quaint villages to bustling world capitals. Yet, because I was a skier, I must admit my favorite tours were ski trips to the western states and the majestic Alps of Italy, France, Austria, and Switzerland.
This particular incident happened after a ski tour in Switzerland. However, as you will soon find out, time was up for that infuriating watch.
To set the scene, let’s move back counterclockwise in time, to my final tour with that annoying watch. The saga began as my tour group departed from a ski trip in the Jung Frau region of Switzerland. After one week of skiing, before flying back to the United States, I included a three-day stopover in Belgium. In order to catch the first flight from Zurich to Brussels, we had to wake up at 4 a.m. Though the group only had a few hours sleep, everyone seemed comfortable on the plane except me. I was freezing. Under my seat was a crack on the floor to the unheated cargo area below. A constant icy cold breeze blew directly on my feet and my legs were bitter cold. The liquid contents inside my purse began to freeze and I was miserable, exhausted, and felt like an iceberg.
As if things were not bad enough, all of a sudden, this continuous high-pitched, piercing sound exploded from my purse. Once again, my tiny, temperamental timepiece reacted to the intense cold. Quickly, I tried to warm it up and cupped the credit-card-size clock in my hand to curtail the exasperating electronic shrieks, but that disturbed everyone. In an effort to muffle the shrieks, and still in a sleep-deprived state of confusion, I tried to minimize the piercing sound and warm it up, so I tucked it next to my belly under the waistband of my pants. Slowly, the warmth of my body lessened the piercing shrieks until it was silent. Being thoroughly exhausted, in seconds I drifted into a near comatose sleep and slept through the rough landing. Suddenly, someone shook me as they passed down the aisle and laughed, “Wake up Janet! We’ve landed in Belgium.” Startled, I awoke in a daze and again heard others in our group pass and say, “Hey, you have to get up, we’re getting off the plane.” Still half asleep, by instinct, I grabbed my purse and coat, jumped to my feet, and stretched my arms up to open the overhead bin. Simultaneously, as I stretched up and pulled out my carry-on, the tiny clock shifted from my waistband, slid down my silky panty hose, and stopped at the top of my thigh just below my crotch. As a result, as I walked down the aisle, each time I put my right leg forward to take a step, my thigh pushed on the raised button and in a muffled voice, my crotch proudly announced the time. Unavoidably with every agonizing step I took, my crotch blatantly said, “It’s 8:30 a.m., its 8:30 a.m., its 8:30 a.m.”
Passengers looked around, turned their heads, and wondered who was making this semi-muffled time announcement, but Sylvia, a personal friend on my tour, knew the muffled, crotch time announcement was my crazy watch. As she burst into a fit of laughter, she told me people were curiously staring at my crotch. With a confused yet embarrassed red face, I tried to ignore everyone and continued down the aisle.
At first, I wondered whether I should stop and try to dig out the watch. Duh, no! What was I thinking? As I envisioned a bizarre scene of digging the clock out of my pants, I reasoned that would look really, really strange. In that split second, after weighing the matter of sound vs. looks, I decided I would much rather sound really, really strange, than look even stranger, so I left it in my pants.
As if things were not bad enough, as I continued from the rear of the plane down the long, seemingly endless aisle, the crotch watch button stuck in that funky rapper mode. Now, with each agonizing step, my discomfort grew as my crotch did its rap thing with, “It’s eh ehh ehh ehh eight thi thir thir thir thirty two. It’s eh ehh ehh ehh eight thir thir thir thir thirty two. It’s eh ehh ehh ehh eight thir thir thir thir thirty-two.”
Though hysterical laughter came from my tour group, I had a sickening feeling when I heard the dragged-out rap version of “it is 8:32, 8:33, and 8:34.” Frantically, in an effort to shut the humiliating thing up and stop my thigh from pressing on the button, I began dragging my right leg behind me. As a result of this abnormal gait, I looked like Quasimodo doing a step/drag, step/drag, step/drag.
Again, weighing the level of embarrassment in my choices, I wondered which brought me a greater feeling of humiliation – the talking crotch watch or the Quasimodo drag. Either way, to say the very least, I was mortified. As I recall, I did a little combo of the two, then finally came to the front exit.
Being the last off the plane, my tour group waited in the terminal. Even though my hysterics turned into tears and my black eyeliner ran down my face and I looked a wreck, Silvia and I prepared to disembark. As we turned left to walk through the galley, Silvia looked ahead, covered her mouth, and bent over laughing. Through her giggles, she forced out the words, “Get this, Janet, the whole crew is lined up, shaking hands, and saying goodbye to every passenger leaving the plane.” Sure enough, the pilot, co-pilot, and six flight attendants were perfectly lined up like officers at attention bidding farewell to their troops. It was certainly an impressive gesture on the part of Sabina Airlines, but I groaned, “Of all times, what timing, not now, why now?” In all my years of tourism, this was the first time I ever experienced eight people from a flight crew on a happy handshake line. Even the “friendly skies” of United were not that friendly. In any case, considering my current dilemma, that lineup was a bit too friendly for me.
All of a sudden, like a cartoon light bulb appearing over someone’s head, a crazy thought came into my mind. If I slipped into the cockpit until everyone left the plane, I could sneak out when the cleaning crew entered. For a split second, I actually contemplated that outlandish idea. Could that work? Instantly, I dismissed the delusional thought with a shake of my tired and giddy brain. First, that thought was insanity and, second, I had a tour group waiting for me to bring them to baggage claim. Giving my head another left to right shake, I tried to clear my brain and wondered if there was a chance I could slide past that so-called, “jolly flight crew line” without being noticed. That was something of which I was not sure. However, something I knew I was definitely sure of was, I was not going to stroll past this group dragging my leg behind me and looking like some red-faced hysterical Hunchback of Notre Dame.
At this point, Silvia and I desperately tried to stop laughing, regain our composure, and prepare for the inevitable. After straightening my posture and lifting my head, I took a deep breath and tried to have a confident, poised, and businesslike appearance. Was I now prepared to meet each one of the polite, well-mannered, and friendly crew? Of course not! But, taking one last deep breath, I wiped tears off my face, pulled my shoulders back, then boldly walked toward this airline cheerleading squad. With a somewhat stern, professional face, I extended my hand forward, shook hands with each one, thanked them for a safe flight, and tried to act indifferent when my crotch proudly announcing “it’s 8:38, it’s 8:38, it’s 8:38.”
Silvia chuckled as she whispered, “The crew is looking all around with puzzled and confused faces,” then added, “They’re looking at the floor, at their legs, at each other, then uncomfortably at your crotch.” Yes, they were wondering where this strange, muffled time announcement came from.” Consequently, with my expressionless face, I politely said goodbye to all Sabina personnel and pretended I heard absolutely nothing from my impertinent, impolite, and infuriating, “TALKING CROTCH WATCH.”
Careful Planning: Making Travel Possible with Vision Loss
by Dori Badger
About me: I was born and raised in Nevada and have two grown sons. I’m originally from the Tri-Cities area but am currently traveling through the South Pacific and Australia. My mother was something of a traveler herself, and I suppose I inherited her wanderlust.
After spending 30 years as an aircraft mechanic, I decided to go back to school and earned an associate's degree in accounting. Being an avid traveler and passionate foodie, I applied for a seasonal position at a firm specializing in income taxes. The flexibility of the job allowed me to travel whenever I pleased.
Five years ago, I became visually impaired. This life-changing event forced me to rethink how I could continue pursuing my love for travel while earning enough to support it. Writing has become my most accessible outlet for self-expression. Thanks to modern technology it doesn’t require sharp vision, and after much reflection, I decided to pursue it.
Traveling with vision loss may require some adjustments, but it’s far from impossible. With the support of my family, especially my sister in Australia, and a bit of strategic planning, I’ve been able to keep exploring the places I love. Through trial and error, I’ve discovered methods that allow me to navigate public transportation independently, which has given my confidence a major boost.
Step 1: Detailed trip planning
When I first started traveling alone, my sister was my main guide, helping me navigate and ensuring my safety. Now that I’m more comfortable, I handle much of the planning myself. A bus app has been invaluable for mapping out routes. I use it to list bus numbers, departure times, and every stop along the way. Reviewing these details at home on my computer helps me feel secure about the journey and confident when I leave the house.
Step 2: Relying on kind bus drivers
In my experience, bus drivers have been incredibly helpful and understanding. They’ve let me know when my stop is coming up and, in some cases, they even notice if I’ve boarded the wrong bus and gently point me in the right direction. This support allows me to enjoy the ride and focus on the adventure ahead, easing any travel anxiety.
Building confidence with each successful trip
With each positive travel experience, my confidence has grown. This week’s trip was another success, motivating me to plan my next one. I’m preparing to visit the Brisbane Institute of Art to take two or three classes. As always, I’ll follow my routine – making notes, checking bus schedules, and mapping out the journey step-by-step for a smooth travel experience.
Looking ahead to new adventures
Although vision loss has changed how I approach travel, it hasn’t dampened my enthusiasm for exploring. With thoughtful planning, family support, and a few friendly bus drivers, I’m able to keep moving forward, growing more confident with each journey. Every well-planned trip brings me closer to discovering more of the world around me, one step at a time.
How I Became a Concert Organist
by Michael Bayus
Reprinted with the author and publisher’s consent.
(Editor’s Note by Reginald George: I was drawn to this article because of my own experience as a child of the Kansas School for the Blind. There was a wonderful ancient pipe organ built into the auditorium in the old school building. A few years after I left the school, the building was torn down, and many perfectly good Braille library books and the organ itself were deliberately destroyed. Such a senseless waste. When I was in first grade, we had a high school student named Doris Ricki who would practice Bach and other classical pieces daily on that beautiful old organ. I would hear her start to play and literally become hypnotized as the vibrations washed over me in waves. I would sneak out of the classroom, tiptoe across the hall and up the aisle to Doris at the organ, then just stay there near her and listen, letting the sounds and the music carry me to somewhere far away. She did not even know I was there until they would discover I was gone and come to gently bring me back to class.)
Michael: As I sit down to write this, I think back to my early childhood. I heard my first organ probably at age 3 months or so at my baptism but don't remember that day too well otherwise. At the age of 18 months, I heard a big pipe organ for the first time, and I cried. My mom always thought that I cried because it was loud, but I think I cried because I thought it was beautiful. My first memory of sitting in church and listening to an organ was at age 3 years, and I fell in love with the wondrous sounds it made. Since then, there was never a time when I didn't want to play the organ; it was never a choice for me.
My First Organs
At about the same time that I remember first enjoying the organ in church, I was given a small pump organ on which I began creating tunes and improvising chord progressions, imitating what I heard when I came home. I didn't have to think about it, I just instinctively new where my fingers should go, and how to make my little toy organ sound as close to the organ that I heard in church as I could.
As I grew up and got older, my instruments got bigger and more advanced.
When I was about six, I got the most advanced organ that I could have that might be still thought of as a toy. It was a Sears Silvertone chord organ. It had a 37-note keyboard along with buttons for the chords, much like an accordion. I remember going out in mid-December on a cold and snowy day with my mom and dad to shop, and look at the different models of chord organs that were available back then. All of the chord organs we looked at were reed organs, and the Silvertone came with its own table with storage, and it had steel reeds. Out of all the ones we tried, I told my dad that I liked the Sears one the best. I always knew that I wanted to make a career of playing the organ, but my parents weren't there yet, and they regarded this exercise as looking for a more advance toy for me to play with and amuse myself.
I was told that I was to have this new organ for Christmas. My anticipation and my excitement were almost unbearable as I went to visit all of the "Santas" who were at all of the department stores around town. I described the organ I wanted to Santa by taking Santa's hand and showing him on his fingers how the buttons for the chords were situated and stretching my hands out to explain to Santa just how wide this great new organ was. I wanted to make sure that Santa gave me the right one.
On Christmas morning, Santa made good, and when I got out of bed and came out to open my presents, there was my new organ all set up on its new stand and everything. When I turned the Silvertone on, it didn't take but a minute for me to figure out which fingers on my left hand I should press in order to play the right chord to go with the tune that my right hand was playing. I already knew how to play the carols and Christmas songs I knew by playing them on my smaller organ. So, when all of the relatives and guests came over for Christmas cheer, I could accompany them all in singing Christmas carols. I remember one of my playmates saying: "That's just like church!"
I got on well with my chord organ, and my dad tried to figure out how to make it sound a little better by amplifying it. He bought one of those Heathkit amplifiers, and placed a couple of crystal microphones inside the organ with rather dubious results. The amp was only a couple of watts, and there was more magnetic hum than sound from the organ. After a few months of trying out the organ, I figured out how to remove the microphones, place my transistor radio near the amp and put the mics close to the radio, and pretend I had a big radio or a TV set.
Starting Organ Lessons
A couple years later, my dad came home from work one day and asked me whether I wanted to take piano or organ lessons and without hesitation I said that I wanted organ lessons, no question about it.
My dad discussed it with my mom and said that he found an organ manufactured by Hammond called the Hammond Extravoice. This was a small home organ with one 37-note keyboard and 12 pedals for the feet. I was 8 years old. When the guys from the Hammond organ store brought it to us, the salesman who sold the organ came along to demonstrate it and to make sure everything worked right after plugging it in. After they left, I sat down to the organ and began imitating the salesman and sounded just like him to the astonishment of my parents.
A store promotion gave free lessons with the purchase of a new organ, and we took advantage of that. My lessons consisted of my dad and I going down to the shop, and having my teacher play a song through once, and having me play it back to her copying her note for note. She let me pick and choose which songs I wanted to learn. After about two months of this, my teacher called my dad aside and told him that she went as far as she could go with me, and that the organ I had was far too small and not advanced enough for me. So, the store gave us a store credit as we traded in my Extravoice organ for a Hammond model M3 spinet organ. I now had what I considered to be a real organ with two 44-note keyboards and 12 pedals for the feet.
I was now eligible to take lessons using Hammond's proprietary method of learning to play, called the pointer system. The melody of any song was disposed on the page as a lead sheet, and the appropriate chords were shown as placing one's pointer finger on the note that is the root of the chord, thus causing the thumb and little finger to be positioned over the right notes to make up the rest of the chord. As I am totally blind, and have been since birth, I was not able to see the printed score so my lessons consisted of having the teacher play through the song, and my playing it back to her as before. Six books made up the pointer system method, and each book had about 20 songs in it.
As before, my teacher let me pick the songs I liked, and she would play them. Then we would spend the allotted time having me play the song over. My teacher and I went through the six books in as many months, and again, she took my dad aside and told him that I had gone as far as I could go with her, and that it was time for my dad to look for a more accomplished and competent teacher. Meanwhile, as I listened to phonograph records and learned to play in the style of each of the organists that I heard as best as I could, I built quite a repertoire of popular songs for myself to perform.
A Not Too Good Instructor
The teacher with whom I had just finished studying recommended an instructor who used to work for the Hammond organ store, but was a player who would probably be able to teach me on a more advanced level and who would be able to work with me toward my becoming a more professional organist. He lived close to our home, as well. My parents contacted him and arranged an audition at his home studio.
He accepted me, and my first lesson was an orientation lesson so that I might be more familiar with the keyboard. In hindsight, as I look back on this, I realize that right there, that should have been a red flag because I was not a complete beginner. I was instructed that I was not to pick up anything on my own, but that I was only to play the songs that I was assigned by my new teacher. Rather than listening to him play and copy him, he would sit down on the bench next to me and move my fingers and place them where they should go. Not only that, but the songs that he assigned me were far below the level that I was playing at before I came to him.
For the first year, we all thought that I was really learning and that, as time would go on, I would advance to playing what my teacher would call "church work." I told him that I wanted to play Bach like the music I heard in church.
As time went on, we would spend my lesson time with him doing more playing than teaching me, and after two years, I learn six songs. My dad realized that it wasn't doing me any good and that it was time for us to find me a "real" teacher. Now, it was 1964, and I was 12 years old, and without an organ teacher.
My First Professional Organ
One of my favorite pastimes was to go with my dad to visit all of the organ dealers around town, and sitting me down at whatever organs they had on their showroom floor, and I always enjoyed playing them. It was my dad's hope that I would get noticed and the dealer or someone who might be able to do so would hire me and I could start earning money playing out.
Well, one day, we wandered into the store where we bought the organ that I now had, to find an organ like the one my most recent teacher owned. It was a Hammond C3 organ that was pre-owned, and the price was right, so my dad bought it without my actually knowing it. As we left the store, the store manager said: "We'll bring it this afternoon, Ernie." Did I hear right?
I remember going up to my bedroom and putting on a talking book to listen to when I heard some activity downstairs. I heard the organ. It was my dad running his fingers up and down the keyboard, but I could hardly believe my ears as there were many more notes on this new organ than there was on my little M3 spinet. This new organ was the most advanced Hammond organ available, and it was designed for the pro, with two 61-note keyboards, and a 25-pedal keyboard for the feet. So here I was with a top-of-the-line Hammond organ, and no teacher. But the upside to all of this was that I was free to listen to recordings and learn to play on my own.
My dad liked Ken Griffin. Ken Griffin's music style was rudimentary and, therefore, very easy to imitate. I can still sound just like him with almost no practice or preparation. But I still wanted to play classical music in the Baroque style and that was much harder to pick up just by listening because the mind can only absorb just so much information at any given time.
Finding A Good Teacher
As my dad scouted around for a new teacher for me, he learned of a guy who, at one time, worked for GM, disappeared, and when he came back, and he could "play the piano real good." My dad looked into all of this and found that the guy did, indeed, give organ lessons. My dad contacted him and arranged for me to meet someone my own age, 12 years, who studied with this teacher. It seemed to me that I might be able to learn from this teacher and perhaps learn some classical music.
My dad then set up an audition for me and my first lesson. I was assigned a piece of music that was a light classical piece, "Berceuse" from the opera "Jocelyn" by Benjamin Godard. It's not a piece written expressly for the organ, but it sounded classical and I learned it in two lessons rather than one. My new teacher was impressed. In his estimation, I was a worthy talent, and I just might have a successful career as an organist.
Braille Music
As he thought about this, he thought he might undertake the teaching of music Braille to me. He found the American Printing House for the Blind in Kentucky and ordered several of their music publications, both in print for himself and in Braille for me. It was like Christmas morning when all of them arrived, and we opened the packages at my lesson.
My teacher placed in my hands the Braille version of a book called, "Lessons in Braille Music: To Be Used in Connection with the Revised International Manual of Braille Music Notation, 1956," prepared by H. V. Spanner, and edited to conform with American usage by Harry J. Ditzler. My teacher also bought the Revised International Manual of Braille Music Notation in both print and in three Braille volumes, as well as a few other Braille music books.
We opened to lesson one, which was quarter notes. I read: "Quarter notes starting with C. thghederouoww”
Huh? You see, I thought that it was a word I didn't know, and couldn't figure out. I didn't expect that the same Braille symbols would be used for music notation as the ones used for contracted literary Braille.
I supposed my teacher saw the bewildered look on my face, so he explained as follows, "Now here are quarter notes starting with the note C and going up the scale. Now the C note is two light dots, and four heavy dots. The D is three light dots, and three heavy dots. The E is four other heavy dots, and two light dots."
At this point, a little light went on for my dad, and he got up and literally got in my teacher's face and explained, "Oh oh no! See, a Braille cell consists of six dots numbered 1 2 3 down the left side, and 4 5 6 down the right. The figure shows the Braille cell, and shades in the appropriate dots for the symbol. In other words, the C note is dots 1 4 5 6, and the D is 1 5 6, and E, is 1 2 4 6 and so on."
My teacher never quite got it.
But from then on, for the remainder of my time with this teacher, we would read through each of the lessons, and my teacher would play the exercises, and then I would go home and read and play them through for myself. My teacher also taught me to play in the jazz style, because I later found out that he hated classical music. We would use the old tried and true method of having him play through a song, and then having me imitate him.
His plan was to groom me as an organist who would play for supper clubs around town, make a mint, retire early, and then take up the study of church music for my own amusement. He didn't think there was any money to be made as a concert or church organist. As I became more and more aware of concert and church organists, I knew otherwise, and I never lost the ambition to become a concert organist.
I started collecting church organ records, and tried to pick up what I heard, with little success. I studied with this teacher for about three years until he fell ill and passed away.
A Church Organist Teaches Me
Now I was studying with a church organist, and was at last, learning what had always been my heart’s desire. My teacher understood that I had to learn, if I were to use a Braille score, the right hand while reading with the left, learn the left hand while reading with the right, hope I remembered both right- and left-hand parts, then learn the pedal part and put it all together. Therefore, he reasoned that he might prepare tape recordings of the pieces that he assigned me but not just to record them, but separate the parts as though it was a Braille score. Instead of reading the music with my fingers, I would hear it one part at a time, and just a few measures at a time. Eureka! That was how I learned music all the way through college because I was lucky enough to have professors who were more than willing to use my method and because it was easier than trying to find music transcribed in Braille that I knew how to read.
I used my knowledge of music Braille mostly for my music theory courses, to complete my melodic dictation assignments, and to prepare exercises for the courses I took.
When I started taking lessons with a church organist, my dad and I met a guy who had a small pipe organ in the basement of his home. My dad and I went to visit him and my dad was fascinated. We went looking for a small pipe organ for our house, too. We found one, and my dad installed it, and I had it until I got my master’s degree from the Catholic University of America. My dad sold it after I got my first full-time job as a music director of a church in Anglewood, FL.
Well, that's my story, and I am sticking to it.
The Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI)
I use MIDI almost exclusively now to learn new pieces. It is easy to split the tracks so I can learn one part at a time, and advance the music a few measures at a time. That is how I do it and it works for me quite well. I'm not a young man anymore, but I try to keep up with the technology that an organist might find useful.
About The Author:
Michael Bayus is the music director at a church in Sarasota, FL. He's a classical organist who can play in other styles if asked. He has a graduate degree in music from Catholic University in Washington, D.C., and has more enthusiasm for speech synthesizers than do most blind people.
Blindness and Transitioning to Retirement Living
by Frank Cuta
My goal here is to produce a comprehensive guide for all of us to use when planning for retirement. I think I have succeeded in putting together some very useful thoughts and concerns that should benefit anyone, regardless of their income. But I now have been forced to face the fact that the retirement business is highly geared towards those with pensions and substantial bank accounts, not towards those with moderate or low incomes. I am going to plow through some of these pretty scary costs right up front, but please stick with me. Regardless of your income, I will try to give you some understanding of what resources and services you should look for and expect to find, as you explore the field of supported senior living. I will conclude by sharing with you a general checklist of things to consider as you run the senior living gauntlet.
Have you thought much about retirement living? Most of us should be giving serious consideration to the process of moving from wherever we are now into some kind of senior living alternative. You may not need such information tomorrow. But, it's best to give some thought to these alternatives before you actually need to make a choice.
As we age, most of us will come to a point where living totally independently does not have the attraction that it had when we were young and vigorous. We come to the realization that a little extra support would be very welcome, even if it is just freedom from normal household duties and responsibilities, and doing less cooking and housekeeping. You might stubbornly find a way to stay in your home and age in place for a while, but do not wait too long. It is not a good idea to spend your last few years in social isolation. A good retirement facility will provide you with increased access to organized social activities and services. Such a facility may seem expensive, but using good in-home services to “age in place” can also be extremely expensive. The average monthly cost for in-home assisted health care is between $4,000 and $5,000 per month. But if you do not also have significant support from family and friends as your needs increase, this cost can easily go up to as high as $20,000 a month. This is two or three times more costly than a senior assistive living facility with a comparable level of support.
All of these senior living choices can be bewildering. How do you even start looking? There is a resource right under your nose that you probably have not considered. For months, I have been visiting various senior living facilities, mainly just looking at what I consider the “better” and “best” choices. However, it recently struck me that we, as people who are blind or visually impaired, have a tremendous resource at our disposal, which most of us would probably overlook – a resource that non-disabled persons do not share: our local para-transit drivers. Let me tell you, your drivers have personally visited all of these senior living facilities. Most of them will be happy to tell you which ones are OK, and could related horror stories about some of the others.
So, let's first look at some of the common choices that are out there and their associated costs. We are first going to look at the most general, most basic type of residential facility. In a typical situation, if you do not have many special needs, you would transition to an apartment-style facility, which has the additional benefits of providing three meals a day, daily (sometimes hourly) organized activities, plus takes care of basic laundry and housekeeping chores for you. Monthly costs here in the Tri-Cities for this level of service range from about $2,600 to $6,000 a month, depending on how big and how nice of an apartment you want.
As you get older and decline in health, you can, at most of these facilities, choose to add assisted care to your residential services. There are no hard standards, but as an example, the following levels of care are offered by some facilities.
1. Independent living care: for seniors who have only a few special needs.
2. Minimal assistance: help with one or two daily living activities such as bathing or medication management.
3. Moderate assistance: help with three or four daily living activities, such as dressing, grooming, or toileting.
4. Maximum assistance: 24-hour-a-day care, including incontinence management, and sit and stand lift support.
The amount of additional assistive care available varies widely from facility to facility. But usually several of these levels are available at any given facility with corresponding additional costs, ranging from $300 to $5,000 more a month.
If you anticipate needing additional assisted care sooner rather than later, and you would like to avoid moving twice, you may want to look for one of the newer places. Newer facilities are more likely to be constructed with ADA bathrooms standard in all apartments. In many of the older facilities, the need for increased assisted care will probably require you to leave your apartment and move into a separate facility that meets these accessibility standards. Of course, in any case, a second move is necessary if you should require advanced memory care. One big difference to keep in mind when looking into memory care is that it is considered “health care,” rather than merely “assisted care.” As a result, some government funding may be available to help you cover the additional cost.
Speaking of cost, what if cost is less of a concern for you, and you want the best money can buy? You probably should consider a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC). Although well beyond the financial means of most of us, this is probably the ultimate ideal example of senior living. A CCRC provides you with all-inclusive, quality senior living. Some of these communities go even further, offering a resort-style level of luxury senior living. Such facilities usually require a substantial initial buy-in amount upfront, in addition to the monthly rent. But they can provide you with a protected continuum of care for life. These communities are often so large that they can support on-site medical clinics, retail stores, concert performance venues, and restaurants for fine dining. If you have a substantial life savings, or a generous bequest, a CCRC is definitely worth considering.
Did you know that there are senior living facilities operated as non-profit corporations rather than as for-profit businesses? This is actually how many of the CCRC facilities are set up in Washington state. As you can imagine, a for-profit facility needs to constantly be concerned about pleasing the investors with healthy earnings. This can often result in compromised services in lean times, or unstable ownership and management.
The senior living centers operated in Washington state by the Methodist church are one example of a non-profit facility. Some of these facilities are CCRCs, but others also accept residents for supported care on a monthly rental basis. We know of one case where a close relative of one of our members was offered an assisted-living accommodation in one of the Methodist-owned facilities. In that case, there was no initial buy-in investment required, and she is able to cover the monthly rent with just her pension, plus some government support she was eligible for. Also, if you like more control and have the ability to do the work involved, you could, as a resident in such a non-profit facility, wind up serving on the board and actually having a great deal of direct influence on the management.
So far, this discussion has been limited to supported residential senior living as an option that you might want to consider. However, it is possible that unforeseen changes in your health could make the transition much less optional. A bad fall or serious illness can quickly transform you into a ghost of your former self. Even after rehab, going home may simply not be an option. If you can afford it, you might move into one of the above-mentioned residential assisted-care alternatives, or a facility that specializes in assisted care, such as an adult family home. An adult family home typically has a dozen studio suites with a modest living area and large ADA bathroom.
If you continue to be seriously incapacitated but can't afford these choices, you probably qualify for Medicaid. Medicaid will cover skilled nursing facilities, long-term-care facilities, and memory care. Medicaid rooms in assistive-care facilities are designed to provide a safety net for seniors who need long-term care but who cannot afford it.
If you wish to transition to supported residential senior living, but lack the pension and savings needed to afford it, you may wish to investigate some of the following resources.
In the Puget sound area, there is an organization called the Senior Housing Assistance Group (SHAG). Phone: 844-592-7424. This program claims to provide independent-living apartments, and group homes with meal services and social activities. They also offer shared living accommodations with caretaker staff level assistance.
There is available a resource called the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Some of the low-income senior housing facilities may include assisted living or nursing-home care, so keep looking and networking with other WCB members.
General concerns and questions checklist:
- Talk to your para-transit drivers.
- Start looking now, do not wait.
- Look for non-profit alternatives.
- What levels of assisted care are available at a given facility, and do you have to move to receive them?
- What are the current costs, and how much have they increased in the last 10 years?
- Can I actually come in and stay a couple of nights before I commit?
- Visit and talk to residents, look for engagement and mutual support.
- What level of access will you have to the outdoors (can you open the windows)?
- Are there balconies or patios?
- When you open the window, do you hear birds?
- Does the room have hotel-style HVAC or true ducted forced air?
- Can you bring your favorite shower head from home?
- Can you switch out the thermostat for a talking model? Is there Braille signage on the rooms?
- Are the exercise equipment and washer/dryers accessible?
- What are the restrictions on pets?
- Will they provide you with an accessible version of the weekly activities list?
- How much choice and voice do residents have in the community?
- Is there a residents’ organization?
- In the advanced care unit, what is the staff-to-resident ratio?
- Do residents wake up when they want and eat breakfast when they want?
- What provisions do you have to ensure that you will not be put out on the street due to inflation or pension problems?
- Are there any Medicaid rooms in the facility?
What’s On Your Plate:
Warm Cabbage with Rice and Beans
by Nataliya Shcherbatyuk
I am Nataliya, a Ukrainian girl whose journey is fueled by a deep love for plants and all things health, fitness, and nutrition. Welcome to my corner of well-being. I am on a mission to celebrate the harmony of food, fitness, and faith. I invite you to explore the wonders of plant-based nutrition, uncovering its power.
A few days ago, I was walking in the grocery store getting my weekly shopping done. Suddenly my eyes stopped on the pile of cabbages, and I am telling you that I could just smell a dish that my mom loves to cook. It is a cabbage dish with carrots, onions, and rice. Of course, I could not resist and brought a beautiful cabbage head home. I did not prepare it the same way my mom usually does, but it still came out pretty good.
You can find my recipe below. But first, I want to share some cool info about cabbage. Cabbage is a leafy green, cruciferous vegetable, and its scientific name is Brassica oleracea. Cabbage is like a hero in the vegetable world. So, when someone tells you to eat greens, you can eat cabbage. The word “cabbage” originates from the “caboche,” which is French and translates as “head.” This makes total sense when you pay attention to the cabbage shape. Therefore, in the cooking world, you can often see recipes that call for a head of cabbage.
Did you know there are more than 100 types of cabbage grown around the world? Cannonball cabbage is the most popular cabbage and is known as green cabbage. It is a smooth-leafed, firm-headed vegetable, and on average it weighs between 1 to 2 pounds. This is a classic one, and we will talk mostly about it in this post. However, I wanted to mention some other types of cabbage that I am sure you’ve heard of and tried yummy meals with. For example, bok-choy, choy sum, Napa cabbage, savoy cabbage, king cabbage, red cabbage, kale, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, Romanesco, kohlrabi, broccoli, and many more.
Although we know green cabbage is mainly a winter vegetable, we can buy it all year-round. There are numerous reasons to add cabbage to your meals. This type of cabbage is a very cozy type of healthy greens, and it is popular to eat during the fall and winter seasons. Cabbage is a real hero in the vegetable world and has numerous reasons to be included in our daily nutrition. One is that cabbage is a hydrating food as it contains a high level of water. Another reason is that it is packed with nutrition. This vegetable is chock-full of vitamin C and, therefore, is super helpful for boosting the immune system. In addition to vitamin C, cabbage also contains vitamin K, calcium, iron, and magnesium – talk about a hero vegetable! Green cabbage is also known to have a high amount of fiber, which might be an explanation for our “singing tummy” after a cabbage salad.
Getting even more into the details of cabbage benefits, the nutritional value of one cup of raw chopped cabbage, according to USDA, contains 22 calories, 1.14g of protein, 2.22g of fiber, 35.6 mg of calcium, and 151mg of potassium.
The interesting part about using cabbage in our cooking is that we can not only eat it fresh but also cook it and even ferment it (which will be the famous sauerkraut).
It was fascinating for me to learn that people actually prized cabbage for its medical quality even before they started to consume it as food. For example, warm cabbage broth was used to alleviate diarrhea, ulcers, and gout, help with headaches, and even treat various cancers.
Also interesting about cabbage is that it contains choline. This compound cannot be made by our bodies, and we need to get it from food, which makes it an essential nutrient. We need choline for healthy cells and metabolism, memory, mood, brain function, and muscle control. Choline is not that easy to find in plant foods, so it makes cabbage an even better part of our daily nutrition.
Cabbage takes part in cell protection against the development of certain cancers:
- It supports the liver’s health
- It supports the gut’s health
- It helps with blood sugar regulation
- It supports heart health
- It has an anti-inflammatory effect
Too much cabbage? Well, yeah, too much cabbage can happen, as well. Those who are not used to eating lots of cabbage on a daily basis might want to keep in mind that cabbage can bring some digestive discomfort. It is always a good idea to introduce new foods slowly into our diets even if they are super healthy.
Now let’s get to the recipe that I promised you. What I used:
- 1 head of green cabbage (average size)
- 1 cup of cooked white (or brown) rice
- 1 cup of cooked pinto beans
- ½ cup of hemp milk (or your favorite plant-based milk)
- 1 tbsp. of garlic
- 1 tbsp. of dry basil
- 1 tbsp. of onion powder
- 1 tbsp. of soy sauce
- 2 tbsp. of tahini
- 1 tsp. of hot sauce
I started with sautéing garlic (I used minced one) until it browned. While the garlic was getting ready, I sliced my cabbage.
I’ve heard that some people get nervous while shredding the cabbage, so I thought I would share a great video about how to slice a cabbage: https://bit.ly/3tn5l8V
When the garlic began to turn golden, I added sliced cabbage, soy sauce, hemp milk, and onion powder, and mixed it all nicely, then covered it with a lid.
I left it to cook until the cabbage softened. However, here it depends on your taste, as you can let it soften as much as you’d like, or also, if you prefer more crunchy cabbage, then keep an eye on it. Then I added basil, tahini, and beans (I had precooked pinto beans; you can definitely use your favorite beans, precooked or canned).
I served this warm cabbage with precooked white rice and a bit of hot sauce.
Cabbage is relatively easy to grow, However, you need to remember that it is prone to some nutrient deficiencies, pests, and bacterial and fungal diseases. So, keep your eye on these vegetables and make sure you have good quality, well-drained soil, and provide seasonal complete fertilizer for vegetables.
Generally, during the first year of cabbages’ life cycle, their heads are picked. However, those plants that are intended to grow for seed purposes are left to grow for the second year. Under favorable conditions, cabbages can grow quite large. The heaviest cabbage recorded, in 2012, weighed about 138 pounds.
BRAIN FOOD
Technically Speaking
PenFriend – An Old Friend
by Frank Cuta
Do you think that talking tags have been rendered obsolete by advanced technologies such as Be My Eyes, Artificial Intelligence, video glasses and Aira Explorer? Look at it this way: Certainly, any of the call-up services can tell you which T-shirt you are wearing, but can they tell you the detailed contents of a storage box without removing any of the contents? Or, tell you the names of all of the controls on your washer, including how much soap to use for each setting? Or, tell you what multiple button depressions do on your shortwave radio? Or, tell you the name of an audio compact disc and artist, using the artist's actual voice? You can easily accomplish all of these things with simple inexpensive talking tags.
Lately, I have been labeling my collection of three or four dozen T-shirts with PenFriend washable tags. This got me to thinking that this old technology has for many of us become a seriously underutilized resource, and it's time for a brief review.
Talking tags are a handy, flexible, reusable, inexpensive, simple-to-use resource. Their utility is limited only by your imagination.
These tagging systems typically use a small adhesive label that is placed on an object, which can be read using a special handheld device. When a tag is first activated, it prompts you to make the first audio recording that will be associated with it. This is accomplished with the microphone built into the reader. From then on, you just hold the reader up to the tag to hear the label information. Later, the tag information can be erased and re-recorded, as often as you like.
Two products that continue to dominate this market are the PenFriend and WayAround systems. PenFriend uses a $150 handheld wand as the tag reader. Once this reader is activated, you just need to touch it to each tag.
The basic WayAround system uses an app on your iPhone, Android phone or the BlindShell phone as the reader. It appears that you need to double-tap a button in the app for each tag to be read. However, they make a tiny Bluetooth scanner called the WayLink for $100 that fits in the palm of your hand and allows for continuous reading of tags.
Both systems allow for the recording of thousands of tags. The maximum recording time for each tag on PenFriend is one hour, and for the Way tags the max time is two minutes. While PenFriend combines the identification of the item with any further descriptive material into a single audio file, WayAround may allow you to separately record further details and only access them when needed.
Both of these systems use near-field wireless communications technology to read a unique code on each tag, which triggers playback of a corresponding audio file on the reader. Since the only actual thing on the tag is this digital code, the tags are very small and inexpensive. The smallest tags for PenFriend are great; they fit nicely on the edge of a Digital Audio Tape or on a standard compact flash or standard SD flash card.
There are many tag styles. The most simple and inexpensive are the passive adhesive tags. You can purchase them in sets from several places. Independent Living Aids has a set of 128 tags for Pen Friend for $40. A set of 60 of the assorted Way tags runs you about $50.
Unfortunately, the two systems are not compatible. It is difficult to comprehensively compare the different tag styles one-on-one, since PenFriend offers adhesive and magnetic tags, and WayAround offers adhesive, button, magnetic, and clip-on tags. A further complication is that WayAround also offers active tags, which have batteries in them and let you trigger the ID process with your phone from several inches away.
These are both good products, but I favor PenFriend – not because it is better technology, but because I have already labeled hundreds of items with it, including shirts, compact disc recordings, and flash memory cards. I like that I only need to activate PenFriend once to sort through dozens of shirts or recordings. I am not sure that this is true for the WayAround process unless you also purchase their WayLink wand. I also often take advantage of the longer recording time on PenFriend. I have many radios and other pieces of sound equipment that I use infrequently. A talking tag on each one allows me to maintain an audio description of the controls, plus it includes any crucial instructions that I may need to recall in order to be able to operate it on short notice.
Another unique feature both these systems share is the capability to sometimes create CD labels spoken in the artist's own voice. I attend many live concerts and often buy recordings offered for sale by the artist. If I bring my PenFriend wand, I can ask the performer to record the audio label, which for me adds a nice personal touch to the purchase.
Although I can copy the audio files on my PenFriend wand in order to back up its data, it should be noted that the WayAround tags have a much better solution. Their audio files are stored on your phone, but are also backed up to the WayAround server. This is not only a reasonably safe archival resource, but it makes it possible for you to share audio tags with another person who uses WayAround and who also shares your tagged items.
Another advantage of WayAround is that if you lose your PenFriend wand, you will likely be up the creek, but if you lose only the phone that is tied to your Way tags, you are much more likely to be able to recover your tag data to your new phone. Obviously, a disadvantage of using the PenFriend wand or the WayLink is that you have another device you will have to carry around, in addition to your phone. Since I just use it mainly around the house, this has not been a serious annoyance for me.
Lastly, when I purchased the washable tags for my PenFriend, I wondered how well the adhesive on the tag might stand up to multiple washings. So, I labeled a few shirts and then ran them through the washer multiple times. It turns out that the adhesive only lasted through about seven or eight washings. My tests were conducted using a front-loading GE appliance with Tide detergent on the wash-and-wear cycle. I will probably eventually need to either replace the glue on the tags or sew them onto their respective shirts. I have not yet tested the washable tags offered by WayAround but it sounds like their button-style tag might be a better sew-on alternative.
In short, I feel that audio labeling tools remain valuable and still provide the blind user with a lot of functionality that is shared by no other technology. You should definitely keep them in mind as a potential labeling resource.
Comparing Video Description Features:
Seeing AI vs. PiccyBot
by Kareen Kiwan, Co-Founder AccessibleAndroid.com
Reprinted by permission of the author and
AccessibleAndroid.com
(Editor’s Note: This article concerns itself with the Android versions of these apps, but there are iPhone versions available, as well.)
Since her introduction to Android in late 2012, Kareen Kiwan has been a fan of the operating system, devoting some of her time to clear up misconceptions about Android among blind people. She enjoys writing Android-related articles and believes in the role of proper communication with both the blind screen reader Android users and app developers in building a more accessible and inclusive Android.
There is no doubt about how important describing images is for blind users. However, being able to hear descriptions of videos is equally important. Video descriptions can be more challenging, though, as the description service needs to establish a connection between scenes to provide meaningful context.
With the rapid advancements in AI and LLMs (large language models), these technologies have stepped into the realm of video analysis. It didn’t take long for initiatives to emerge, aiming to harness this progress.
Currently, there are two Android apps designed for blind users that include video description: Microsoft Seeing AI and PiccyBot. Each app adopts a different approach to video description. This article compares how the two video-description features in these apps function, without focusing on the results obtained or the accuracy of their video descriptions.
A Quick Overview of the Apps
Seeing AI, an app developed by Microsoft, offers a suite of features targeted at blind users. These include instant text and document reading, product identification, and image description. Version 1.2 introduced the app’s first iteration of video description, and at the time of writing, this remains the most recent version.
PiccyBot, on the other hand, focuses entirely on image and video descriptions. Initially launched a few months ago with image descriptions only, it quickly expanded to include video descriptions. The current version, as of this writing, is version 1.42.
The first notable difference between Seeing AI and PiccyBot’s video descriptions lies in how the descriptions are delivered. After recognizing the video, Seeing AI plays the video and pauses it to describe the first scene. It then resumes playing for a few seconds before pausing again to describe the next scene. This process continues throughout the video.
The descriptions are spoken using the TTS engine specified in the app, which relies on a TTS engine already installed on the device. These descriptions cannot be read in full by the screen reader. Each short description is visible to the screen reader on the screen until it is replaced by the next scene description.
The tests indicate that the service does not take the audio of the video into account. It seems to focus solely on analyzing visual frames, without integrating sounds like dialogue or background audio into the analysis and, consequently, these elements are missing from the provided descriptions.
In contrast, PiccyBot adopts a completely different approach. The video is uploaded to the AI model for analysis, and the description is sent back to the user. The user can choose to listen to the description using one of PiccyBot’s supported voices or read it with the screen reader. Unlike Seeing AI, there is no synchronization between the actual video and the provided description.
Once the video is compressed, PiccyBot plays the video while the video is uploading to allow the user to verify the video and its duration. Another key difference is that PiccyBot incorporates video sounds into its analysis. The descriptions include details about dialogue and other sounds present in the video.
Asking Follow-Up Questions
No matter how good a provided video description is, sometimes being able to ask follow-up questions is key to finding what the user needs to know from the video. Even though Seeing AI allows asking additional questions when describing images, this functionality is still not available for videos.
PiccyBot, however, does not differentiate between images and videos, allowing follow-up questions for both. In a recent instance, I was able to ask several questions about a particular character in a video, obtaining details about their scenes and state throughout the video.
Supported Videos
Seeing AI’s video description in its current iteration supports only local .mp4 videos. In contrast, PiccyBot extends its support to online services, specifically YouTube and Instagram videos. During testing with YouTube, sharing the video link with PiccyBot initiated the process. This included downloading the video to the device, compressing it for upload, and then uploading and processing it to generate results. Both downloaded and compressed videos are currently stored on the device.
Capturing Videos
Seeing AI does not offer the ability to capture a video for analysis at the time of this writing. It only supports sharing videos from other apps. PiccyBot, on the other hand, allows both sharing existing videos and shooting new ones directly within the app.
Used AI Models and Customizations
Although the exact AI model used for Seeing AI’s video descriptions is not disclosed, it is reasonable to assume that it utilizes one of OpenAI’s GPT models, given that Seeing AI is a Microsoft-developed app. Customization options are currently limited, with the only adjustable feature being text-to-speech settings, which affect not just video descriptions but other app features that use speech.
In contrast, PiccyBot offers a broader range of customization. Paid users can select from several AI LLMs, including popular ones like GPT-4o, 4o Mini, and Gemini Flash/Pro/Experimental101. Other customizable options include the number of tokens (affecting description detail), video quality, and speech settings. However, PiccyBot does not use offline TTS engines for reading descriptions.
Cost
Seeing AI is completely free to use. On the other hand, most of PiccyBot’s customization features are behind a paywall. Users can opt for a monthly subscription, or a one-time lifetime purchase of approximately $20. While video descriptions are available for free, they come with more limited durations and lack access to customization options for the AI model or other settings.
Video Duration and Size
Seeing AI supports videos up to 10 minutes long. When attempting to share a video that surpasses the allowed duration, a message appears stating that the video exceeds the 10-minute limit. While there is no official information about the maximum file size, it is estimated to be between 100 and 150 MB based on user observations.
PiccyBot, however, is more restrictive regarding video duration. While there is no information about the limits in the free version, the Pro version caps video durations at 5 minutes. For videos longer than 5 minutes, the service uploads only the first 5 minutes. According to the developer, when dealing with YouTube videos that include captions, the app attempts to summarize the content based on the captions if the video exceeds the 5-minute limit.
Regarding file size, there is no official information available for PiccyBot. However, the app compresses videos before uploading. Interestingly, in two instances involving YouTube videos, the compressed files ended up being larger than the original videos rather than smaller.
Number of Videos Per Day
Seeing AI explicitly limits users to 10 video uploads within a 24-hour period. On the other hand, PiccyBot does not mention any specific restrictions on the number of videos that can be processed daily.
Stability and Reliability
Seeing AI requires a strong internet connection with very good upload speeds to function properly. This limitation has prevented me from successfully uploading most videos, even small ones typically under 5 MB. The main issue is that Seeing AI does not allow sufficient time for video uploads, often displaying an error message to retry in less than a minute after initiating the upload. Processing speed is another area where the app struggles. According to users with decent internet speeds, processing videos can still take a considerable amount of time, even for shorter clips.
On the contrary, PiccyBot handles uploads much better by not imposing strict time limits on the upload process. This makes it a better option for users with slower upload speeds. Additionally, PiccyBot provides real-time updates on the video’s progress, showing whether it is in the compression, uploading, or processing stage. Waiting times can vary based on factors such as internet speed, the selected AI model, and the server’s current traffic. However, occasional server errors should be expected.
Opinion and Final Remarks
Both Seeing AI and PiccyBot’s video description features have their strengths and weaknesses. However, I find myself leaning towards PiccyBot, influenced by my personal experience and the fact that it is developed by an independent developer. Despite limited financial resources, this developer successfully introduced video description on Android before larger companies. Additionally, PiccyBot’s forgiving nature when dealing with slower internet speeds is a significant advantage.
Seeing AI’s restrictive upload time is a major drawback. The short window provided for uploading videos can be frustrating, particularly in areas with slow internet connections. I reported this issue and hope it will be addressed soon. If left unresolved, this limitation could become a barrier, preventing many users from benefiting from Seeing AI’s video description feature. This undermines inclusive and equal access, especially given the disparities in internet speeds across different regions.
The different implementations of video description between the two apps offer users flexibility, as each approach can be more suitable for certain types of videos. Seeing AI’s syncing of descriptions with video playback is impressive and less likely to omit details. On the other hand, PiccyBot’s inclusion of video sounds and the ability to ask follow-up questions make its descriptions richer in certain contexts. Moreover, PiccyBot’s integration with popular AI services allows users to compare descriptions from different AI models. By simply changing the AI model in settings, users can reprocess the video without re-uploading it, as long as the session remains active. When using either app for video descriptions, it is essential to keep in mind that the technology is still evolving. Describing videos is inherently more complex than describing single images.
One area where Seeing AI excels is its simple and user-friendly interface. This simplicity arises not only from the absence of customization options, but also from PiccyBot’s occasionally cluttered interface, which can be confusing. However, PiccyBot is frequently updated, and I remain optimistic that the developer will address these UI quirks in future releases. Server issues and occasional service interruptions with PiccyBot are also worth noting, but these challenges are understandable given the developer’s limited resources. Even large companies sometimes struggle with server reliability and expenses.
This comparison highlights the offerings of the two main video description services available on Android for blind users. Both services are beneficial in their own ways and have room for improvement. The presence of more services in this space would further benefit users. Investing in supporting video description services and apps could be the key to keeping competition active and to satisfying both developers and users alike, so developers get incentives to create, and users have more choices to select from or, even better, to equally use to achieve the most accurate results.
Over time, this article may be updated or complemented by additional articles as these services evolve. I remain hopeful for continued advancements and improvements in this area, bringing positive developments for all.
Seven Strategies for Goals You Can Accomplish
by Ardis Bazyn
Before you begin each year, it's imperative to set goals for your business. Looking at the past year is the first step towards setting your goals for the next one. What are the successes that you had? Did anything fail? What lessons, good and bad, did you learn? The key to setting good goals to accomplish during the new year is to build on your successes and learn from your mistakes. Use this knowledge to benefit your business. Achieving goals should be an enjoyable and satisfying experience, and using these tips should help you get there.
1. Just writing goals down doesn't work unless you incorporate a plan of action. I'd recommend jotting down a list of all your priorities you wish to achieve.
2. Your goals could include starting a newsletter, improving your database system, adding new content to your website, incorporating social media strategies, estimating sales for the year, or developing a new marketing or business plan. It's a good idea to limit the number of goals to six. Setting too many goals requires too many action steps, leaving you discouraged before you start.
3. As you are writing down goals, you should include shorter-term goals, 1 month, 3 months, and longer-term goals, 1 year or more.
4. The most difficult task is creating a realistic action plan that you can easily follow. Clear and measurable goals will make it easier to understand what tactics are important to reach these goals. This is your action plan. Very specific steps will guide you. The closer the goals, the more specific the details.
5. A timeline should show when each step on the way should be accomplished. Once your goal list is completed, you can focus on reaching your goals. Since you've set your tasks, you should have clear direction.
6. Reviewing your progress regularly will help keep you on track. Dedicate some time each week to review your progress. Notice any potential obstacles or problems before they stop your plans completely.
7. Plan a reward at the end of a major task. It will make you feel good about your achievements and help you get energized for your next steps.
Since running a business on your own can be stressful, getting support from a coach can help you when you have difficulty planning what to do next. Having someone to listen to your thoughts, give you feedback, or just make you feel accountable can be invaluable. Support can be your key to getting started.
If possible, include your employees in this process, realizing it will take a little longer. The final result will be well worth it. The process will give your employees ownership and responsibilities to achieving your goals. They become part of the process, part of the success.
(For business coaching or other assistance with your organization or business, contact Bazyn Communications.)
HISTORY
Did You Know?
A Slice of Washington Council of the Blind History
by Janice Squires
Approximately in 1984, the United Blind of the Tri-Cities (UBTC) had a working office in downtown Richland. Chapter business meetings were held there and an unusual idea came up. UBTC member Al Harper thought of starting a training session for the blind on learning how to use screen-printing equipment. The project was proposed, and the idea was accepted.
Jim Hirschel wrote a grant in order to purchase the equipment. The grant was accepted, and the screen-printing training came to fruition. A building was leased in Kennewick for the training classes to begin. Jim was instrumental in learning how to use the equipment and the process of screen-printing T-shirts began. Of course, the first T-shirts were created for the UBTC. The words, United Blind of the Tri-Cities with a stick man holding a cane, were imprinted upon the shirts. Frank Cuta actually created his very own bright red shirt and is extremely proud of his accomplishment. He still owns his shirt to this day.
The second idea was to produce shirts for the employees of our Bingo operation. The only difference between the first and second shirts was a Bingo card printed below the lettering. Then, we decided to assemble shirts for the Kennewick School District. This is when our screen-printing idea went down the drain. Our president at the time was Bill Evans, and he was worried about selling the shirts without a business license. Jim Hirschel decided to keep the program going; we would just ask for a donation. Bill Evans said no. A vote from the membership agreed and the screen-printing business was finished. Jim Hirschel, Frank Cuta, Bill Evans and Jim’s mom, Phyllis, who served as our treasurer, were the only four members who took a real interest in the project. Jim did go on to graduate from Emil Fries’ School of Piano Technology for the Blind. All of the screen-printing equipment was donated to the Kennewick School District.
(Please contact Janice Squires at TheWCBNewsline@gmail.com if you or your chapter have history to share with all of our members).
ADVOCACY AND LEGISLATION
My Accessible Voting Experience
by Mistie Hale
Public voting is one of those moments when I feel the importance of having my independence respected. It’s not just about casting a ballot – it’s about having the same privacy and autonomy as anyone else who steps up to that voting booth. In recent years, I’ve encountered some challenges at my polling location when it came to using accessible voting options designed for visually impaired voters. These are often called accessible voting machines or ballot marking devices (BMDs), though the exact name may vary by location. These machines allow me to vote independently, just as everyone else can, without having someone else read my ballot aloud.
A couple of years ago, when I went to vote, the process wasn’t so smooth. At first, the poll workers discouraged me from using the accessible voting machine, suggesting instead that representatives from both parties stand with me and read the ballot to ensure fairness. My friend, who came with me, was very adamant that she did not want to read me the ballot and wanted me to have accessible privacy while voting as well. For me, privacy and independence in voting are non-negotiable. So, I stood my ground, even going to the courthouse to talk with officials until they finally allowed me to use the machine and showed me how to operate it properly. It was a frustrating experience, but I knew that advocating for myself in that moment would make a difference in the long run.
Fast forward to this year, and my experience was night and day, though it didn’t start out perfectly. I’d just moved, so I went to the wrong school at first. The poll workers there were actually wonderful; they were very eager to accommodate me and set me up with the accessible voting machine. However, since it turned out to be the wrong location, I had to head over to the correct one, which luckily was nearby.
At the right location, things initially seemed like a repeat of the past: the poll workers went into the routine they’d used before, where representatives from both parties were supposed to stand by and read the ballot aloud. But I wasn’t interested in having someone else read my ballot. Like many people, I wanted to vote independently, without having others stand by me reading my choices. My friend was again firm in her stance, expressing her support for me having my own accessible privacy in voting. So, I simply and politely declined, explaining that I’d prefer to use the accessible machine.
To their credit, they were eager to respect my choice, but there was one little problem – they couldn’t find the machine. I could tell they were trying hard, and I appreciated their patience and willingness to help. They searched around and eventually found it, and I was patient with them as they worked through the process. It was clear they wanted to get it right, and that made all the difference.
Once we found the machine, we hit another roadblock: None of us could remember exactly how to set it up and use it. The poll workers were very apologetic, but I reassured them that I was fine with taking the time needed to figure it out. They even pulled out the instruction book and looked through it, doing their best to learn the setup on the spot. When we couldn’t make sense of the instructions, I suggested we call the election commission. With guidance over the phone, we finally got the machine up and running.
After all the effort, the voting process itself felt empowering. The poll workers were incredibly respectful and went out of their way to support me, and I walked away with the feeling that my privacy had truly been honored. I felt like they saw the importance of giving me the same independence that any voter would expect. It was a good reminder that, while things don’t always go perfectly, there are people willing to put in the work to create an inclusive, respectful voting experience. And for me, that’s worth so much.
THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT
School From a Different Perspective
by Agatha Holloway
My name is Agatha Holloway. I am a 16-year-old girl. I have cerebral palsy and I am legally blind. Having a physical and visual disability makes school different for me. I get a lot more tired, given that my body has to work harder. I have visual challenges, of course. People think that I can see normally, but I cannot. Text is difficult to process. Likewise, my eyes and brain need a lot more functioning power to watch a video because it makes me very tired. Walking around school takes a lot more energy, and dealing with crowds can be tricky. I also have medical appointments and treatments that cannot be on a set schedule. Given these challenges, I have to have a school that meets my needs.
I am honored to go to an amazing school called Yellow Wood Academy. Yellow Wood, on Mercer Island east of Seattle, allows me to take the time that I need to be successful in school. I do hybrid school, which means some days I’m online, and some days I attend in person. This is mainly because of my medical appointments and my physical fatigue. All of the work I do in class is usually on the computer. This way, I can do my work online and in person.
My school is one-on-one, which means one student with one teacher. We also have some small-group classes. I work a lot better when I am one-on-one because when I need to take some time off from school, I don't get behind. When I leave or take a break, the class stops. My teachers are great and flexible with my schedule for each week. When I go in person, it is a lot more fun because I get to talk to people, and I get to see my friends and go to events. Online is not as fun, but given how many appointments I have, sometimes it’s necessary. When I go online, I still do the same classes, clubs, and homeroom.
I love my classes so much. I love all of my teachers. They are great with my Individualized Education Program (IEP). An IEP is a document that specifies a student’s needs and ways those needs should be met. When the new school starts, I have to ask all of my teachers if they have read my IEP. It is sometimes hard for me to ask. I also need to know if I have a substitute teacher for a class, because that teacher needs to be familiar with my accommodations.
Visual accommodations for my academic classes include adjustments to lighting and text. Bright lights are hard for me, so my teachers need to make sure their lights are not too bright and that the sun is not in my face. For school, all of my worksheets and on-screen work need to be presented with at least 24-point font. I cannot see text with yellow or with yellow in the background. Text has to be white and black. In addition, there cannot be too many words or pictures on a page.
When my hands are tired, I can ask for my teachers to scribe for me. That means my teacher writes or types what I want to say or explain in my schoolwork responses.
When I request a snack, I need it to give me energy to finish the class. It’s not that I am hungry. I need to eat so I can keep working. Food is a type of medicine for me.
Another one of my accommodations is to leave class five minutes early so I do not get trapped or stuck in the business of students changing classes. I also need someone to walk me to my class and ride the elevator with me. At lunch, I stay the extra five minutes with the administrators to help clean the tables.
Fire drills are very hard for me because of the challenge of walking with a lot of students and staff. For planned drills, my school gives me advance notice and my own spot to stay apart from the crowd. For unplanned alarms, my teacher will help me, maybe even carry me to a safe spot. If I’m not with a teacher, I will find an administrator. They all look out for me. My school is amazing because when a student needs accommodations like this, the staff knows, but they do not make a big deal out of it.
Yellow Wood Academy has helped me in many ways. These are the challenges I face on a day-to-day basis. I hope this essay helps you understand what a high school student might be facing in and out of school.
2024 Benefits of Audio Description in Education Award Winners from Washington State
Compiled by Colette Arvidson
The Audio Description Project (ADP) is pleased to announce the 2024 winners of the ADP awards. The link below includes the award announcement video and all the ADP award winners, including the grand prize winner of the Benefits of Audio Description in Education (BADIE) awards, Lyla Duffy, and her reading of her winning essay.
The contest invites students who are blind or have low vision to watch an audio described (AD) video and write an essay evaluating the quality and usefulness of the AD. Here are the winners from Washington state and their essays, followed by the names of all winners for 2024.
2024 BADIE grand prize winner
Lyla Duffy, Washington, age 13
Review of “I Am Ruby Bridges”
Hi, I'm L.D., and today I'm here to talk about me. Okay, well, not just me, every blind person in this world. I'm here today, to make it clear to the world that for blind people to be able to watch movies, the audio description has to be top tier. When faced with the challenge of judging how good audio description is, I look at three things in particular: detail, quality, and timing. But before I explain how you did on these three things, I'd like to say that people with visual impairments, like me, shouldn't have to miss out on watching a certain film because of the lack of audio description, no matter what.
In the video “I am Ruby Bridges,” I think the audio description was lacking in detail. While I do think you did an excellent job, I didn't quite know what the setting looked like. For example, what did Ruby look like besides the fact that she was black? While I do get that it can be hard because of interference with the narrator, I really think there should have been more effort in the detail department.
When it comes to quality, you did an acceptable job. While I think that there are some places you need to work on, overall, I've definitely heard worse. I did notice that every time the audio description came on, the music seemed to be paused. In my personal opinion, I think you should still be able to hear the music when the audio description comes on. I have, therefore, come to the conclusion that the quality of the audio description was pretty good, with room for improvement.
Lastly, I would like to take a moment to talk a little bit about timing. When it comes to timing, I think that the timing was fine. Although, like quality, it has room to improve. A suggestion I could give you is, maybe try saying what is happening a little bit before it does. That way, you can give a more thorough description.
Overall, the audio description for your video, “I Am Ruby Bridges,” was pretty well coordinated. Although there are things you should work on improving, I was able to actually watch the video. Being a young girl with a visual disability, it's hard picking out movies to watch with my family. So, I love people like you who are willing to listen and take constructive criticism, and are also willing to make a difference to the world of media.
Parent contact: scheistrait@gmail.com
Seniors (ages 16 to 21)
First place: Charles Johnson, Washington
Review of “Little Bighorn: The Native American View”
Audio description helps paint a more vivid picture in your mind, which helps the viewer to connect more with the story. I chose to review, “Little Bighorn: The Native American View.” I felt that overall, the audio description enhanced the film, and there were only minor moments when it could have been improved.
As an enthusiastic connoisseur of audio described movies, documentaries, and TV shows, I enjoy watching and comparing different audio descriptions. The things I compare are the voice of the describer, how much description they provide, and the accuracy of their description. “Little Bighorn: The Native American View” did an excellent job with the voice of the describer. Her voice was distinctly different from the narrator, which made it easier to follow. I also appreciated the number of images that were described. All text that appeared on the screen was read, and the describer attempted to set the scene throughout the show.
The audio description never detracted from the show, but there were moments that I felt could have been improved. I believe the speed of the description could have been faster, which might have allowed for more descriptive content. An example of this is when the describer said, “a bright sunlit sky,” and if the speed of describing was a bit faster there would have been time to include “the black hills set against the bright sunlit sky.” Or when she said, “troops ride in the dust,” a more accurate description would have been “troops ride horseback kicking up dust.” These are minor details but do help in painting a more accurate picture in the viewer’s mind.
Overall, I enjoyed “Little Bighorn: The Native American View.” The audio description complemented the story and helped make it accessible for all viewers. I believe everyone, not just blind and visually impaired people, can benefit from audio description. The audio description should add to the story and help the viewer follow along. It should not be seen as a distraction. It benefits those who cannot physically see the images and serves as a reminder to others that accessibility on all platforms matters.
Parent contact: Tammy Johnson, member, Clark County Council of the Blind, tfosterjohnson@gmail.com
Third place: Agatha Holloway, Washington
Review of “Getting a Job! For Students Who Are Blind and Visually Impaired: Introduction to Getting a Job!”
I listened to the audio description of “Getting a Job! For Students Who Are Blind and Visually Impaired: Introduction to Getting a Job!" The audio description is high quality and for high schoolers who are looking for a job. High schoolers needing more assistance looking for a job should watch the series.
The speaker prioritized the important information and gave accurate details. The audio description was outstanding. I could feel where she was and understood her story clearly. The audio description is not too slow and not too fast. For example, when she is telling us her story, she is pausing in between words. It is at a speed that you can take in important information.
Along with that, the narrator was appropriate and consistent. The description is well thought out for the topic which is being addressed. The speaker's tone and style match the topic that is being described. The audio is a great way to learn something easily and safely. When she tells us how to get a job, she is calm. It is essential because you can feel no stress about getting a job.
On the other hand, there needs to be one improvement. One thing that could have been changed is that the speaker could have described her dog and herself. Then, we could have imagined what they both looked like when she talked about her story. You could see the picture of her and her dog on the screen, but it did not describe them. Apart from that, it was done beautifully.
The audio description is well done for high schoolers seeking jobs and higher education. The audio was outstanding because the speaker can relate to what some people have to deal with daily. When I look into my higher education, I can use this series to help me out.
Parent contact: Samantha Holloway, samanthaholloway@hotmail.co.uk
Here are all the 2024 BADIE essay contest winners:
- Grand Prize
Lyla Duffy, Washington
Review of “I Am Ruby Bridges”
- Seniors (ages 16 to 21)
First place: Charles Johnson, Washington
Review of Little Bighorn: The Native American View - Second place: Cai Tague, California
Review of “Vibrations” - Third place: Agatha Holloway, Washington
Review of “Getting a Job! For Students Who Are Blind and Visually Impaired: Introduction to Getting a Job!”
- Juniors (ages 11 to 15)
First place: Avett Maness, Ohio
Review of “Chip Taylor Communications Musical Moment” - Second place: Errion Gary, Ohio
Review of “I Am Ruby Bridges” - Third place: Zara Gandhi, Ontario, Canada
Review of “It's Okay To Be Smart: How Blind People See With Sound”
- Sophomores (ages 7 to 10)
First place: Emi Constandache, California
Review of “Star Wars, Episode 9” - Second place: Deisy Jimenez, Ohio
Review of “Mary Fisher”
Family Connection: Boisterous Cheers from Your WCB Families Committee
by Heidi Coggins
As the year comes to a close, we’re thrilled to share that the Washington Council of the Blind (WCB) Families Committee ended it on a high note. Our recent convention was a tremendous success, including an engaging Youth Track program in collaboration with the Department of Services for the Blind (DSB).
This year, we introduced some exciting new additions, including the "Explorers" program, which welcomed children from birth to age 13. We were also delighted to have the Next Generation affiliate join our Youth Track sessions, and they were a huge hit. A special thank you goes to Tim Breitenfeldt, president of our Next Generation affiliate, for his leadership in establishing this fantastic chapter in WCB. We saw incredible interest from our youth members aged 16 and up who were eager to get involved with Next Gen.
The WCB Families Committee dedicated significant time to planning and collaborating with DSB to ensure this year’s youth program was fun and meaningful for participants of all ages, including our committee members and parents. There were many highlights from this year’s program.
Starting with our newest group, the Explorers, we were thrilled to welcome several children and their parents from across Washington state. This was a wonderful opportunity to connect with families and engage with our younger participants. The Explorers program, catering to children from birth to 13 years, was a great success, reaching its capacity this year. We had nine children and their parents attend, and we look forward to growing this group in the future.
For our Youth Track, which includes ages 14 to 20, we had 18 registered youth and their families join us for a weekend packed with activities. Our strong partnership with DSB ensured that the event was both educational and highly engaging. From our welcome room on Friday – complete with Jenga and Play-Doh – to the exciting talent show where our youth showcased their skills, the energy was fantastic. Saturday featured a valuable parent panel, followed by a memorable banquet where we celebrated the achievements of three Washington youth participants who received awards in the American Council of the Blind’s Benefits of Audio Description in Education (BADIE) contest. It was a true highlight to hear from Lila Duffy, the grand prize winner, who inspired everyone with her challenge to make a difference in the world.
Overall, the convention was a joyous celebration filled with connection, learning, and fun. We at the WCB Families Committee are honored to work alongside DSB each year to deliver outstanding programming at our convention, and we are already looking forward to next year’s Youth Track.
In the coming months, keep an eye out for our “Grandpa’s White Cane” outreach program, which we will be bringing to schools across the state in partnership with Lions Clubs. Also, stay tuned for more information on the upcoming Braille challenge and other exciting events happening in Washington.
Cheers to all, and thank you for your continued support.
AGENCY UPDATES
Great Work Happening at DSB
by Lisa Wheeler, MA, Assistant Director of VR
Workforce Initiatives, Department of Services for the Blind
A number of updates and successes within the Department of Services for the Blind’s Workforce Initiatives programs are worth noting and celebrating.
Business Enterprise Program (BEP)
The BEP team facilitated the annual All State Vendor Committee meeting in Tumwater in October. We invited vendors, licensees, BEP program staff, Michael MacKillop, and I to come together, in person and virtually, to learn about the expansion of the program, including opportunities for greater innovation and funding resources for the program. Vendors and licensees expressed their strong investment in contributing to new recruitment strategies for new business vendor opportunities, creating pathways for new recruits and heartfelt appreciation for the BEP program staff and agency leadership. It was a great two-day event. Kudos to Jim Hemmen, Julia Longacre, and Kephran Mason for excellent programming and coordination. You all did a fantastic job and have created a positive culture within the committee. Thank you.
Business Relations and Workforce Program
Michael MacKillop, JC Alvarado, Josh Resnick, Carl Peterson, and I attended the annual VR-NET Summit in Charlotte, N.C., in September. We spent two days learning from other model business relations programs from state vocational rehabilitation agencies around the U.S., as well as learning from businesses that have developed successful pathways for job seekers to obtain meaningful and thriving careers. Wells Fargo shared its inspiring program for neurodiverse learners and had great success stories to share of employees who have benefited from their efforts. The VR-NET Summit will be hosted at Microsoft next year, and we’re already looking forward to contributing to this event. Also noteworthy, the team helped plan and host several job fairs throughout the state in late summer and fall. This has brought much needed awareness to industry about DSB services and provided opportunities for our job seekers to engage and apply with employers. Thanks to the team for excellent partnering with your regional workforce partners on these events.
Pre-Employment Transition Services Program (Pre-ETS)
Summer was a very full time for DSB Pre-ETS students and staff, with a fantastic turnout for our YES2 program and 3T Academy. The opportunities have continued throughout the fall, including the Goal Ball Summit in partnership with Washington State School for the Blind, and the Youth Track at the Washington Council of the Blind conference. We’ve had great feedback from students and families who attended these events. Thanks to the Pre-ETS team who worked so hard over the past year to better serve our students and families. Please check out the DSB Pre-ETS events for more up-to-date information on the great work the team is helping to coordinate around the state:
https://www.dsb.wa.gov/youth-families/youth-workshops-programs
The intersection of these Workforce Initiative programs to provide new avenues of work opportunity is promising and needed. In the next year, I will work with Workforce Initiative program managers and teams to foster greater collaboration between programming. I look forward to sharing more of their outcomes and important work.
WCB HAPPENINGS
First Timer Convention Highlights
by Jim Palomarez
Attending the Washington Council of the Blind (WCB) state convention can be a challenging endeavor for someone who is blind. While I was preparing for this year’s convention, I was asked “is it really worth it?” My knee-jerk response was absolutely yes! It does take some coordinating and planning to attend this four-day event, calendar scheduling, travel arrangements, and finances. So, I asked myself the same question again, is it really worth it? To truly answer this question, I had to first ask myself what it was that I expected the convention to be, and what was I looking to get from the experience. Here is what I decided. I was looking for Information, inspiration, motivation, ideas, confirmation, networking, and finally some fun. If the convention could provide a little of this, I consider it a success and worth it.
I found that if it was information you were looking for, it was all around you. It was in the obvious places, such as the general sessions and breakout sessions. I found that it was a good mix of relevant and interesting topics. The presenters were all very good and mostly captivating. I found myself wanting to hear more from the presenters on more than half of the presentations. I was inspired and motivated daily. I felt the need to experience firsthand just how awesome “Priscila” the bus really is because it sounds amazing and fun. Heather’s new venture was a great example of how out-of-the-box thinking, positivity and good ol’ fashion guts can present opportunities to continue to not only live independently but to flourish while inspiring others while doing so. The convention was filled with equally inspiring and unique stories of overcoming obstacles and challenges; examples of what we can do.
The vendors exhibit hall was well represented, and there was something for everyone: the newest in assistive technology, Braillers, some AI solutions, arts and crafts, services such as Department of Services for the Blind, guide dog schools, and blind sports organizations. If you spend any time exploring here, you quickly realize that being blind does not mean you stop living.
I was excited to meet Brent Boone with Pacific Northwest Music for the Blind (PNWMB), an amazing non-profit that is teaching blind and low-vision people how to play instruments. I am now pursuing a dream of mine to play drums. I am part of the PNWMB drumline now and super excited to work with Brent on his project with Cal Poly and development of haptic devices. I left the exhibit hall feeling refreshed with confidence and optimism of what the future looks like and can be.
One of the reasons I joined WCB was because of the people I had met who were members. Everyone I have spent time with has been welcoming, encouraging and absolutely helpful. I have been blind three years now, and I have found some of the best tips and advice in simple conversations with someone who has been there and done that.
Problem is, I never met a blind person until I was one. For anyone new to vision loss, I believe this convention is invaluable for the network of people that you will begin building. These people will be a huge resource for you in your search of living independently. They can be a source of motivation and inspiration, problem- solving and life hacks, and examples of success if that’s what you’re looking for. Maybe just a reminder that you’re not alone in the obstacles you find yourself now facing and that there are brighter days ahead. I think there’s no better example of this than the individuals I encountered with the youth track. I loved them. There was nothing they couldn’t do, or that they thought was impossible. One of them actually has a goal to change the world, and I don’t doubt her at all.
In conclusion, my answer to the worth it question is a resounding yes! I feel like every WCB member should make it a goal to change a blind or low-vision person’s life and bring a first-timer to the next convention. Thank you to the committee that puts on this great convention, and a huge thank you to all the amazing volunteers.
First Timer Convention Highlights
by Roberta Fencil
I attended the Washington Council of the Blind (WCB) state convention at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in SeaTac, WA, held Oct. 25-27, as a first-timer. At first, I was a little overwhelmed. This was new and unfamiliar territory, and I went outside of my comfort zone. Once I became more familiar with the area and meeting people, as well as getting involved in the convention and learning new information, I really had fun and enjoyed the education I received. I really enjoyed Cindy Hollis’ demonstration of the Meta Ray-Ban sunglasses, which allow you to navigate the world independently, especially in identifying what foods you have and where they are located and finding out what your clothing looks like. This piece of technology can make a difference for someone who has a visual impairment or is blind.
I also liked the Washington Talking Book and Braille Library presentation about the new book player that will be coming out soon. That is definitely something I would like to check into in the future.
I really enjoyed the welcome room with parents and children involved with the WCB Families Committee’s Youth Track. I checked out the welcome room because I serve on the committee and am the vice chair. I introduced myself to the parents and kids, and I even played Giant Jenga with one of the kids and a WCB Families Committee member. I found it to be so much fun. This was my first time playing Jenga, and the kid showed me how to play the game. It was great.
I also enjoyed hearing the executive director of the American Council of the Blind, Scott Thornhill’s story at the banquet, about his journey and where his life is now. It was very inspiring when he spoke of being resilient and not giving up no matter how many obstacles or challenges you face. I was able to relate to this, since this is how I view my life, with a positive attitude, regardless of circumstances. His speech was inspiring and encouraging. I have no regrets about attending the convention and really enjoyed myself. If I was given the opportunity, I would attend another one in the future. Thank you.
Heartfelt Appreciation
for Exceptional Service at Our Convention
by Andy Arvidson
Dear Volunteers,
On behalf of officers and directors of the Washington Council of the Blind (WCB), we extend our deepest gratitude for your outstanding service during our convention Oct. 24-26 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Seattle Airport.
Your eagerness, attentiveness, and kindhearted approach towards every attendee did not go unnoticed. Your unwavering commitment to treating each individual with dignity and a kind spirit significantly contributed to the overall success of our event. Your positive energy and dedication truly exemplified our theme, "Right Place, Right Time."
Throughout the weekend, your assistance made a tremendous difference, creating an inclusive and welcoming atmosphere for all participants. Your willingness to go above and beyond in helping with various tasks, ensuring the smooth flow of the event, and providing support where needed did not go unnoticed.
We hope that your experience as a volunteer was as positive and fulfilling as the impact you had on our convention. Your contributions were invaluable, and we are sincerely grateful for the time and effort you dedicated to making our event a memorable one.
As we reflect on the success of this convention, we extend an open invitation for you to join us again at future events. Your continued support is essential, and we would be honored to have you as part of our team in the years to come.
Warm regards,
Andy Arvidson
Washington Council of the Blind President
p.s.: Julie Brannon and Linda Wilder want to tell each volunteer once again how much they are appreciated and that they look forward to seeing each of you next year.
2024 Award Winners
by Jessamyn Landby
This year the Awards Committee of the Washington Council of the Blind (WCB) gave out many deserving awards at the annual convention. Certificates of official service to WCB went to board members whose terms were ending: Sheri Richardson, second vice president; Danette Dixon, secretary; and Frank Cuta, Tim Breitenfeldt, and Beth Greenberg, board directors.
Chapter Membership Growth Certificates went to:
- Capital City Council of the Blind
- Guide Dog Users of Washington State
- Pierce County Association of the Blind
- Skagit and Island Counties Council of the Blind
- Snohomish County Council of the Blind
- South Kitsap Council of the Blind
- Washington Council of the Blind Diabetics
- United Blind of Seattle
- United Blind of Whatcom County
- Yakima Valley Council of the Blind
This was a remarkable accomplishment, as all of these chapters experienced at least 10 percent growth in their memberships in the past year.
At Saturday night’s banquet, the Awards Committee presented three framed awards:
- The Chapter of the Year Award went to Snohomish County Council of the Blind.
- The Business of the Year Award went to Nu Motion Seating and Mobility, Nick Bryant.
- The Teacher of the Year Award went to Tyson Ernst, the newest computer instructor at the Orientation and Training Center of Washington State Department of Services for the Blind.
The WCB Newsline Committee presented Editor’s Choice awards to Tim Downie for his essay “Rabbit Holes, Black Holes,” and to Heidi Coggins for her essay “Winter Changes.”
Nouveau Quill awards were presented to Kyle Woodard and Stephanie Mellor for their significant consistent contributions and excellence in writing.
Congratulations to all who received certificates and framed awards. Also, special thanks go to all who served on any of the WCB committees and board.
2024 Scholarship Winners
by Kim L. Moberg
What an exciting year the Scholarship Committee had. It is all because we had such wonderful applicants who all, in the end, were awarded Washington Council of the Blind (WCB) scholarships. Below you will learn a bit more about each of them.
Amanda Day Robinson lives In Port Hadlock, WA, and is enrolled in a science tract to start with. She is also involved with circus training at Pop-Up Movement, specializing mostly in aerial fabrics and trick-hooping, and she participates in social partner dancing. She loves gardening, as well. She will be a busy lady with school and all her many activities. Amanda is the recipient of a $5,000 scholarship.
Ivan Alfaro is from Yakima WA. He deals with more struggles than most of us. Not only is he legally blind, but he is also deaf. We chat a lot about accessibility with regards to blindness, but Ivan taught us to pause and realize there is more to accessibility than just blindness. Ivan is attending school at Idaho State University. His major field of study is in the area of deaf education. In his leisure time, Ivan loves to spend time in the outdoors. Ivan received a scholarship of $5,000.
Eleni Teshmann is from Seattle, WA, studying to be a rehabilitation counselor. She is attending Seattle Central College. Eleni has a passion for helping others and hopes that her personal struggles with blindness will become an asset in her future work. Eleni received a WCB scholarship of $600.
Merribeth Greenberg received a scholarship of $3,500. She lives in Vancouver, WA, and attends Purdue University online. Beth, as she is known to many WCB friends, works, attends classes, and volunteers at Washington State School for the Blind. She is also one of our convention chairs for 2024. It’s hard to figure out when she has time for studying. This is her second time receiving a WCB scholarship.
Nerie Garcia has always wanted to be a librarian. She is doing her graduate studies in the area of library science. In reading Nerie’s essay, I learned that the library is more than just a place to find good books to read. The library is very much a part of the community. Nerie received a WCB scholarship of $800. This is Nerie’s second time to receive a WCB scholarship. Nerie is attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Watch out, Danielle Miller! One day Nerie may want your job as director of the Washington Talking Book and Braille Library.
Olesia Karabin is a refugee of Ukraine who now resides in Vancouver. WA. Olesia is involved in many activities, including playing goalball, doing bead work, and working with pottery. She is a participant of the Living Independently for Today and Tomorrow program at Washington State School for the Blind and is attending Clark College. She is just starting her college career and is interested in eventually becoming an interpreter for Ukrainian speakers. Olesia received a $3,000 WCB scholarship.
Steven McCray, who is a four-time scholarship winner, is a natural born politician. It is one of his many passions. Steven is attending college at Eastern Washington University in Cheney, WA. His major field of study is social work. He will do well no matter what he chooses. He has an adult son and a six-year-old daughter. School and politics keep him very busy, both in the community and at home. He’s an active member of his WCB local chapter in Spokane, WA. This year, Steven received a scholarship of $6,000. It is the largest scholarship to date that has been given to an individual recipient. He is a future politician who I’m sure will work for the good of the blind and low-vision community in years to come.
Wuroud Azeez is a three-time scholarship winner from Renton, WA. During the summer of 2024, Wuroud received her associate degree. She currently attends the University of Washington. Wuroud says one of her biggest challenges is mobility on such a large campus. Wuroud came to the United States as a refugee. She took English as a Second Language classes and ultimately learned Braille, obtained her General Educational Development high school equivalency certificate, and is continuing to pursue her college education. She is doing this along with losing her sight near the beginning of 2009 and raising her children, while studying to be the very best she can be. Wuroud is receiving a scholarship of $800.
Where Are They Now
by Kim L. Moberg
The “Where Are They Now” articles are a way to explore and update Washington Council of the Blind (WCB) members as to where past scholarship winners are today, what they have been up to, and how they benefited from receiving a WCB scholarship. If you happen to know of a past scholarship winner who you have not seen featured, please send us that person‘s name and contact information. A member of the Scholarship Committee will contact the person and, at some point in time, that person will be featured in “Where Are They Now.”
Isaac Heiman is a young man who applied for his first scholarship in 2019. He applied for two additional scholarships over the next couple of years. His major field of study is in Behavioral Neuroscience. This requires a medical degree. He was doing his undergrad work at the time we first met. The years flew by, and Isaac took a year or two off to gain some hands-on experience in areas where he felt he needed to better refine his skills before entering medical school.
Isaac entered medical school in August 2024. He currently attends Washington State University in Pullman WA. Isaac was born with ocular albinism; in his teens he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Isaac has told us in several essays and interviews that his visual impairment and diabetes have been a springboard, so to speak, that guided him into an interest in medicine and to choose medicine as his career choice. Here is a thank-you letter to WCB that he sent me earlier in the year:
“I am so grateful for the generous scholarship support from the Washington Council of the Blind! The incredible support allowed me to focus on succeeding academically during college by lessening my anxiety around finances. Since completing my Bachelor of Science degree in behavioral neuroscience from Western Washington University, I have taken a couple of gap years to strengthen and prepare my application for medical school. During this time, I have focused on gaining meaningful experience in the clinical setting, and two of my favorite activities have been volunteering at Providence Hospital and at Lahai Health, a clinic in the Seattle area that provides medical care to local underserved patients. I plan to begin my medical training this coming fall (2024) and am excited about the journey ahead. WCB's generosity has helped to put me in a position to embark on my dream career, a career in which I can give back to my community and uplift patients who need care the most.
Thank you so much!
Isaac Heiman”
Making Life Easier:
Everyday Tips for Blind and Low-Vision People
by Shay Tigner
Living with vision loss presents unique challenges, but it doesn't mean you can't live a full and independent life. Many small adjustments and clever hacks can significantly improve your daily routine. The Senior Vision Loss Committee of Washington Council of the Blind explores some helpful tips, from household tasks to staying organized on the go.
Low Tech Hacks, Making the Most of Your Devices
Finding a lost remote control is a common struggle. Here is a two-pronged approach. Apply a piece of contrasting masking tape to the bottom of the remote. This enhances visibility if it falls over.
Tape a six-inch piece of string to the back of your TV remote and attach a large jingle bell. This makes the remote easier to locate if it falls between the cushions or onto the floor.
Unlocking Audio Features
Modern TVs are treasure troves of accessibility features. Turn on Voice Guidance, which allows the TV to narrate menus and program information. Additionally, explore Audio Description, which provides spoken commentary describing what’s happening on-screen for visually impaired viewers.
Alexa to the Rescue
If you’re an Amazon Prime user, leverage the power of voice assistants. Simply say, “Alexa, where’s my stuff?” She’ll provide updates on the status of your packages.
Font Fantastic
Most smartphones allow you to enlarge the text size. This makes reading messages, browsing the web, and using apps significantly easier.
Labelers Galore
PenFriend or a Braille label maker can make organizing items in most areas of your home a breeze. PenFriend will read back to you customized audio labels that you create. A Braille label maker lets you label items swiftly – spices, pantry items, shampoo, items in your storage area; the possibilities are endless.
Bump Dot Bliss
Bump dots are small, raised adhesive dots that provide tactile cues. Apply them strategically on your phone, dishwasher, washer, and dryer for easy identification.
Toothpaste Tamers
Tired of squeezing toothpaste all over the counter? A simple rubber band around the tube can act as a guide and will let your family know this is yours. Squeeze the toothpaste directly into your mouth, knowing you’ve dispensed the right amount.
Rubber Band Bonanza
Rubber bands are a versatile tool for marking frequently used items. Put a single band on your salt shaker, two on the pepper, one on the shampoo, two on the conditioner and so on. This system allows you to quickly identify items by touch.
Remember, you are not alone. These are just a few tips to get you started. There’s a wealth of knowledge and support available online and in your community. Check out the Washington Council of the Blind website for a specialty chapter or a committee to join. There is strength in numbers. It’s amazing the skills you will pick up from just communicating with like-minded people. Joining in might have benefits you’ve never thought of. Maybe consider dropping in on a meeting you might enjoy. The Senior Vision Loss Committee meets by Zoom the fourth Monday of the month. Guide Dog Users, Diabetics, Constitution and Bylaws, History, Book Club or even our beloved Newsline are all examples of committees looking for members and new energy this year.
Hat’s Off
Compiled by Linda Wilder
We extend congratulations to, and celebrate with, the following WCB members on their accomplishments:
- Alan Bentson on his retirement after 43 years as a reader adviser for the Washington Talking Book and Braille Library.
- Bernie Vinther on his 80th birthday, United Blind of Tri-Cities (UBTC).
- Carmen Walker on her 85th birthday, UBTC.
- Rose Shenk on her 90th birthday, UBTC.
- Sati Wullabbs on his 60th birthday, Yakima Valley Council of the Blind (YVCB).
- Bruce Goebel on his 75th birthday, YVCB.
- Sally Mayo on her 70th birthday, YVCB.
- Donna Douglas on her 60th birthday, YVCB.
- Carla Brinkley on her 70th birthday, United Blind of Walla Walla.
- Vivian Conger on her new guide dog, Izzi. He is a three-year-old English Cream Golden Retriever from Gallant Hearts Guide Dog Center in Mississippi.
- Errika Schneider received her new guide dog Vaulcon.
- Jeanne Jacobs received guide dog Fatima.
- Sheri Richardson received guide dog Elsa.
- Kyle Woodard on his new two-year-old male black Lab, Maguire. Maguire is Kyle’s fifth guide dog, the fourth from Seeing Eye in Morristown, N.J.
If you or someone you know has something for inclusion in Hats Off, email TheWCBNewsline@gmail.com with "Hats Off" in the subject line. Those items that may not meet the criteria listed below may still be very appropriate in your local chapter's "Around the State" article.
The following are reasons for inclusion in this column:
- Birth of a child, grandchild, or great-grandchild
- Birthdays every ten years, then 75 years and older in 5-year increments (yearly after age 90)
- Marriage or wedding anniversary 25 years and more in 5-year increments
- Graduation from high school, college, or vocational program
- New job, career promotion, or retirement
- Partnering with a guide dog
- Appointment to a city, county, statewide, or national board or commission
- Exceptional recognition or award
WCB Officers and Board of Directors
Officers
- President: Andy Arvidson (2024 first term), Anacortes, WA
- First Vice President: Cathy Wilson (2024 first term), Tacoma, WA
- Second Vice President: Kim Moberg (2025 first term), Silverdale, WA
- Secretary: Danette Dixon (2025 second term), Lynnwood, WA
- Treasurer: Lisa George (2024 third term), Yakima, WA
- Immediate Past President: Julie Brannon, Puyallup, WA
Board Directors
- Tim Breitenfeldt (2025 second term), Vancouver, WA
- Heidi Coggins (2024 first term), Bothell, WA
- Frank Cuta (2025 third term), Benton City, WA
- David Edick (2025 partial term), Tacoma, WA
- Beth Greenberg (2025 second term), Vancouver, WA
- Linda Wilder (2024 second term), Tacoma, WA
In Memoriam
The following are past and current members of Washington Council of the Blind who have passed away since our 2023 convention and who were fondly remembered with a moment of silence at the beginning of our 2024 annual business meeting.
2023
- Connie Hollis, Peninsula Council of the Blind (December)
- Jack Pigott, WCB Life member, Peninsula Council of the Blind (December)
2024
- Margaret Osten, South King Council of the Blind (March)
- Diana Softich, United Blind of Tri-Cities (March)
- Tim Schneebeck, WCB Life member, member-at-large (June)
- Eric Oshiro, United Blind of Tri-Cities (July)
- Doug Hildie, WCB Life member, member-at-large (October)
- Kelsi Watson, South King Council of the Blind (October)
AROUND THE STATE
Clark County Council of the Blind
by Bob Cavanaugh
Clark County Council of the Blind took the summer off, so there wasn’t much to say from this corner of the state last issue. This time, though, there is quite a bit more to discuss.
Our first guest speaker of the year was from C-Tran, the local transit agency here in Clark County. It became clear about halfway through that speech that we needed to have C-Tran back for a more in-depth listening session, hopefully in January.
Speaking of C-Tran, I applied for and was accepted to be the blind representative for the next two years on its Citizens Advisory Council. This means that two of our chapter members will be holding seats on that council for the next year.
In other news, we spent two Sundays in October at the farmers market where we handed out Washington Council of the Blind brochures. Although we are small, we are still quite active. Hopefully, we will have much more to report next time.
Guide Dog Users of Washington State
by Vivian Conger
In October, at our annual membership meeting, elections were held and constitutional amendments were voted on. All seven constitutional amendments passed, and an updated constitution and bylaws will be sent to the Guide Dog Users of Washington State (GDUWS) listserv.
Our Board as of January 1, 2025, will be:
Vivian Conger, President
Danette Dixon, Vice President, newly elected
Sheri Richardson, Secretary, newly elected
Holly Kaczmarski, Treasurer
Debby Phillips, Director
Tina Leighton, Director, newly elected
At the WCB convention, we had a presentation on Friday and a luncheon on Saturday. Thanks to Deb Cook Lewis for her handling of the sessions.
After the first of the year, we will start back with the “Kibble and Conversation” Zoom calls. Please send any call topic suggestions to blazie.girl@gmail.com.
Pierce County Association of the Blind
by Linda Wilder
In September, Pierce County Association of the Blind (PCAB) celebrated three of our members’ birthdays. They were Laura Auckland on her 60th, Kitty Cummings on her 65th, and Perry Lewis on his 55th.
In October, PCAB invited Denise Russel from Speak To Me Catalog. She described many of her interesting speaking products. This was a great preview for many of the items available at her vendor table in the exhibit hall at the WCB convention. We were excited that 11 of our members were able to attend the convention in 2024.
In November, PCAB had our first face-to-face meeting, as we took the summer off. We were pleased to have 20 members attending. We held our elections and are happy to announce David Edick was voted to continue as our president, Cathy Wilson as second vice president, and Kitty Cummings as treasurer, all by acclamation. Coleen Smith ran for a board position, as did Perry Lewis. Colleen was elected.
Linda Wilder demonstrated her Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses, and two members said they were going to buy them right after the meeting.
South Kitsap Council of the Blind
by Jessamyn Landby
Three members of South Kitsap Council of the Blind attended the Washington Council of the Blind convention this year.
At our November meeting, we had a Thanksgiving theme with food in celebration of Thanksgiving. We also held our elections. Kevin Jones is now our vice president and Carol Brame was re-elected treasurer. Our chapter also was glad to see Donny Moberg back after being gone for two months because of falling off a roof on his property. He was dearly missed by our members. Donny is slowly recovering from his injuries.
In December, we will be having our Christmas party. We will have a gift and ornament exchange again this year. All of our members really look forward to this event.
In January, our chapter will be celebrating 20 years of being a chapter. This is really amazing.
Snohomish County Council of the Blind
by Marilee Richards
Snohomish County Council of the Blind (SCCB) sends our holiday greetings to all our Washington Council of the Blind (WCB) friends and the many new readers of our Newsline publication.
We have been busy as usual with outside activities this past fall. Our group had another bowling outing that included breakfast. There are usually several members that come to cheer the bowlers as they play. This year, the Northwest Association of Blind Athletes is including us in its yearly calendar. We are planning several events this winter and spring with them.
I would like to spotlight several members for their great work. Tim Downie and Heidi Coggins received the Editors’ Choice Award from Newsline this year. Congratulations to both of you. I received an award for my work with SCCB over the past several years. Shay Tigner won a lifetime membership to WCB at the convention this year, too.
Many thanks to Christi Sobieski and her partner Kevin with Ageless Brick and Stone for the two lovely baskets they purchased for the banquet drawings.
Our new officers for the next year are President Sweetpea Moubray, Vice President Jill Reasoner, Secretary Heidi Coggins. board member Ruth Barton, and Past President Marilee Richards as our third person board member. Congratulations to all of you and best wishes for a productive year. I am sure this group of officers will continue to grow our group and come up with many more new fun things for SCCB to enjoy.
We will hold our holiday party at Faith Central Church again this year. We will enjoy good food, a gift exchange, and music. We will also have the WCB families group coming as our guests.
Please remember that SCCB meets on the first Saturday with our support group, and that our meeting is on the third Saturday of each month at Denny’s Restaurant, with good food and conversation before the meeting starts. We are growing so big we may need to find a new place to meet.
Have a safe and healthy year and we will see you all one day soon.
United Blind of Tri-Cities
by Janice Squires
As I write, leaves are falling and there is definitely a chill in the air. The United Blind of Tri-Cities (UBTC) continues to be a very happy and busy WCB chapter. Our meetings are full of excellent programs provided for us by our illustrious president, Frank Cuta.
In October, we had a fabulous discussion about online demand services such as Uber and Lyft, and also DoorDash, Uber Eats and Instacart. These are food- and product-delivery services and ride-share services. We learned about GoG Grandparent, a call-in ride-share provider that lets you talk to a real human being to schedule your ride.
In November, Heather Meares gave us a presentation on her new business venture entitled Rendezvous Bus. Heather purchased a 1967 bus/motorcoach and is using it for things like selling products. When not in use, she will use it as an Airbnb. Heather's presentation was more than just talking about her bus venture. It was a highly motivational presentation where she shared some of her personal life philosophy.
Our program of audio-described plays is off and running for the 2024-2025 season. In September, we enjoyed the play “Sylvia,” and in December, to get us in the Christmas spirit, we will attend “A Good Old Fashion Big Family Christmas."
Congratulations to our newly elected UBTC board: Frank Cuta, president; Sherry Dubbin, first vice president; Bill Hoage, second vice president; Janice Squires, secretary; Pat Johnson, treasurer; Bernie Vinther, first board member; and Vanessa Pruitt, second board member.
United Blind of Walla Walla
by Heather Meares
United Blind of Walla Walla (UBWW) ended 2024 with our annual holiday wrapping party, where we celebrated with homemade dinner, cookies, a couple of holiday readings, and wrapped the gifts for the visually impaired children in our community. We always enjoy this gathering each year, as we have time to reflect on the past year and our accomplishments, and look forward to the year to come.
In 2024, we got a great start on our audio description project and we will continue making progress on this venture in the coming year. We successfully designed and distributed new brochures, made new connections in the community, and added a few new members to our chapter. It was exciting to see so many of our members attend the Washington Council of the Blind convention in person and virtually.
We were also very fortunate to take on a volunteer intern, Grace Hardy, from the Delta Gammas at Whitman College, and she has already helped us with our Facebook page, Instagram account, and more. She is the newly elected president of the Delta Gammas and we congratulate her on this new position.
Vivian Conger traveled to get her new guide dog, Izzi, from Galant Hearts Guide Dog Center in Mississippi. Izzi is a three-year-old English Cream Golden Retriever. We wish them both the best of luck in their new journey together.
Yakima Valley Council of the Blind
by Lisa George
YAKITY YAK FROM YAKIMA
New Year’s greetings to everyone across the state from all the members of Yakima Valley Council of the Blind (YVCB).
YVCB has a change in leadership for 2025. Jim Palomarez is our new president, Reg George returns as vice president, as does Howard Underwood as treasurer, and our new secretary is Colene Gere. The additional board directors are Amy Lauri Hildersheim and Charlie Marsh. Sally Mayo is our past president and is also on the board.
Bowling continues to be our best outreach activity for increasing membership, but we are also meeting each month at our local senior center and have plans in 2025 to find topics and speakers of interest.
Last fall at the Washington Council of the Blind convention, we had seven YVCB members in attendance, and we are working to be able to support the same level this year, as well as the other transportation and technology programs in our budget.
As we did the previous year, we were able to utilize our connection with local teachers of blind and low-vision learners to get Christmas presents for four students in local school districts in 2024. We continue to look for fundraising opportunities to help us achieve our budget, as everyone agrees that this particular activity is important.
We hope everyone has a happy and healthy 2025!
WCB Calendar of Deadlines and Events
For more details on events listed,
please subscribe to the wcb-l list on groups.io or call 800-255-1147.
Join WCB Coffee and Conversation Zoom call Saturdays at 10 a.m.
List of Abbreviations:
BLV Blind and Low Vision
PNW AER Pacific NW Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired
SRC-B State Rehabilitation Council
WASILC Washington State Independent Living Council
WCB Washington Council of the Blind
WSSB Washington State School for the Blind
WTBBL Washington Talking Book & Braille Library
JANUARY
NOTE: Annual membership dues (including members at large) are payable on or before February 1 and delinquent March 1.
4 – BLV Technology Meetup at 11:30 a.m. (first Saturday monthly)
13 – WCB Diabetics call at 7 p.m. (second Monday monthly)
15 – WSSB Board of Trustees meeting
19 – WCB Tech Chat with Reg and Frank at 7 p.m. (third Sunday monthly)
23 & 24 – WASILC meetings via Zoom from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day
27 – Presidents call at 7 p.m. (fourth Monday in odd months)
FEBRUARY
1 – LAST DAY TO ELECTRONICALLY SUBMIT verified member record info and constitution reports for all WCB chapters & affiliates
1 – LAST DAY for WCB members at large to update record info & pay dues
1 – BLV Technology Meetup at 11:30 a.m.
1 – WCB Board Meeting (on Zoom) from 1 to 3 p.m.
3 – Treasurers call at 7 p.m. (first Monday in even months)
10 – WCB Diabetics call at 7 p.m.
15 – WTBBL Patron Advisory Council Open Meeting at 9 a.m.
16 – WCB Tech Chat with Reg and Frank at 7 p.m.
22 – Braille Challenge at WTBBL from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
28 – Deadline to submit articles for the WCB Newsline Spring issue
MARCH
1 – LAST DAY TO PAY DUES for all WCB chapters & affiliates
1 – BLV Technology Meetup at 11:30 a.m.
6 – WSSB Board of Trustees meeting
10 – WCB Diabetics call at 7 p.m.
11 – WCB Committee leaders call at 7 p.m.
13-14 – PNW AER Conference in Vancouver
14 – SRC-B Zoom meeting from 9 a.m. to noon (2nd Friday each quarter)
15-18 – ACB Presidents Meeting and Legislative Seminar in Arlington, VA
16 – WCB Tech Chat with Reg and Frank at 7 p.m.
24 – Presidents call at 7 p.m.
APRIL
1 – Last day for chapters to sign up to participate in GiveBIG
5 – BLV Technology Meetup at 11:30 a.m.
7 – Treasurers call at 7 p.m.
14 – WCB Diabetics call at 7 p.m.
20 – WCB Tech Chat with Reg and Frank at 7 p.m.
22 – Early Giving begins for GiveBIG online fundraiser
Washington Council of the Blind
is pleased to acknowledge donors who have generously supported our programs in the fourth quarter of 2024
Thank You!
Anonymous (6)
Ardis Bazyn
CATT-NW
Michael & Diane Cavanaugh
CVS Health
Democracy Live
Department of Services for the Blind
Edmonds Lions Club
Tyson Ernst
Give Lively Foundation
Chris Green
Rick Lewis
Nancy Lind
Bruce Radtke
Sheri Richardson
White Center Eagles
WCB would also like to welcome
Tyson Ernst, Micki Hansell, Robert Perry,
Yvonne Thomas-Miller, and Shay Tigner
as new Life Members
