Winter 2006BUCKEYE BULLETIN
Eric Duffy, Editor
4501 N. 4th Street
Columbus, OH 43224
eduffy@pobox.com
www.nfbohio.org
1-800-396-NFBO
Sylvia Cooley
Production Editor
Barbara Pierce
President
237 Oak Street
Oberlin, OH 44074
bbpierce@pobox.com
(440) 775-2216
The National Federation of the Blind of Ohio is a 501 (c) 3 consumer organization comprised of blind and sighted people committed to changing what it means to be blind. Though blindness is still all too often a tragedy to those who face it, we know from our personal experience that with training and opportunity it can be reduced to the level of a physical nuisance. We work to see that blind people receive the services and training to which they are entitled and that parents of blind children receive the advice and support they need to help their youngsters grow up to be happy, productive adults. We believe that first-class citizenship means that people have both rights and responsibilities, and we are determined to see that blind people become first-class citizens of these United States, enjoying their rights and fulfilling their responsibilities. The most serious problems we face have less to do with our lack of vision than with discrimination based on the public’s ignorance and misinformation about blindness. Join us in educating Ohioans about the abilities and aspirations of Ohio’s blind citizens.
The NFB of Ohio has twelve local chapters around the state, a chapter for at-large members, and special divisions for diabetics, merchants, students, seniors, and parents of blind children. This quarterly newsletter is produced in large print and on cassette. To receive more information about the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio, to make address changes for the newsletter, or to be added to the mailing list, call (800) 396-6326.
Table of Contents
From the President’s Desk
by Barbara Pierce
NFB-O Convention Wrap-up
by Paul Dressell
2006 Director of Field Services Report
by Eric Duffy
National Federation of the Blind of Ohio Resolutions Report
by Jennifer Kennedy
2006 Awards Report
by Barb Fohl
Is the Kurzweil–National Federation of the Blind Reader Right for You?
by Eric Duffy
I Can Fix It
by Richard Payne
The Blind Go to Washington in 2007
by Eric Duffy
Buckeye Briefs
Activities Calendar
Spreading the Word about Scholarships
by Barbara Pierce
NFB-O Scholarship Application Form
By this time everyone undoubtedly knows that on November 29, 2006, a federal judge in the Federal District Court in Washington, D.C., ruled against the U.S. Department of the Treasury by upholding the contention of the American Council of the Blind that blind people are being discriminated against under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) because U.S. currency is all the same color, size, and texture, making it impossible for most legally blind people to distinguish between bills, since the only way to do so is using vision. A great whoop of joy could be heard across the country issuing from all those who find it inconvenient to take the time to sort and fold their currency as they receive it and those who yearn for the good old days when they could tell the denominations of their bills at a glance.
Everyone who is unable to identify currency visually would undoubtedly find it convenient to have an easy, inexpensive way to gather this information. The question that many of us were forced by this court decision to ask ourselves yet again was, how much is such a convenience worth? The full conversion of the U.S. currency to a system in which bills are different sizes would be staggering when one considers the costs of retrofitting or replacing all change-making and vending equipment, not to mention every cash register in the country, since the bill compartments would have to be restructured. Placing Braille or other tactile markings on each bill or notching each one also has significant disadvantages. The first solution would rapidly flatten into ambiguity and would make newer bills difficult to stack, whereas intentionally damaging the edges of the bills with notches would invite their rapid destruction, which in turn would compromise the system of identification.
The storm of public protest at the judge’s decision is only the precursor of the fury and frustration that the general public will let fly once small business owners begin to calculate the costs to them personally of making the necessary alterations. Since the greatest single cost will be changing the size of the bills, the taxpayers—that means all of us—will shoulder the lion’s share of the cost. I repeat, is the convenience to blind people of somewhat easier tactile bill identification worth all this expense, anger, and ill feeling?
Perhaps the most ominous repercussion of this decision is the principle that it propounds: if you can’t see the document—in this case currency—you do not have access to it. It is a very small step to the conclusion that, if you cannot see your signature on a document, you cannot be held responsible for meeting its terms. We have been here before, when we could not rent safety deposit boxes or open checking accounts, sign mortgages or take out loans, without the signature of a responsible sighted adult beside our own.
The NFB has not been popular in blindness circles for raising such questions and pointing out the threats implicit in this decision. We have steadily maintained that the true currency problem in a society in which blind people struggle with a 74 percent unemployment rate is getting hold of cash in the first place. Even those who most adamantly demand full currency accessibility obviously manage their inaccessible money today with general success. Yet we are told that there is no difference between the ACB suit against the Department of the Treasury and the NFB’s suit to make the Target Web site accessible. I see significant differences between the two. I don’t know when the Target Web site first opened, but it could not have been more than ten years ago. Target’s Web designers have never considered the needs of blind shoppers. They did not correct the problems when they were pointed out, even though blind shoppers have always been completely denied the opportunity to order merchandise online if they do not have someone to operate the mouse for them. If and when Target makes the necessary access changes to its Web site, it will clearly benefit from the additional business blind shoppers will bring it. Moreover, no one but Target will be expected to absorb the costs of the revision of its Web site, and even Target will face only an initial and relatively insignificant expense from doing what ten years ago it should have recognized was the sensible and socially responsible thing to do.
Some argue that blind people have as much right to instant access to information about the currency as those using wheelchairs have to streets and buildings; that access is what the ADA is all about. But these two access problems seem very different to me. The person who cannot rise from a wheelchair absolutely cannot enter a building if the entrance has steps or the doors are narrower than the chair. She cannot cross a street independently without curb cuts. He cannot work at a job without accessible restrooms and furniture and fittings that will allow him to use his chair. On the other hand, blind people today are already handling money with significant success, if not convenience. Our situation seems far more to me to be similar to that of very tall or very short people. Such folks, if they have sufficient resources, can modify their homes and offices to be efficient for them with storage and counters at a convenient height. But the minute they step into the rest of the world, the tall people will have to duck their heads and deal with beds that are too short, and the little people will have to scramble around to reach things that the rest of us manage with ease. Surely this is the level of inconvenience that the vast majority of blind people face in dealing with currency. We must stop and fold our bills before putting them away. We have to check the denominations if we have reason to believe that someone may have pulled a fast one on us. If we are in a business that requires us to identify lots of bills, we will even have to invest in a bill identifier. These are inconveniences, but they do not prevent us from getting a job or buying the things we need.
I know that the Department of the Treasury has invested money to try to develop a low-cost bill identifier. Giving such a gadget to every blind person would cost far less than converting the U.S. currency and all the equipment and machines that we use to manipulate it. It would also be much more effective. Those of us who have dealt with the differently sized currency of other nations know that, to be sure of the denomination of any bill, one usually has to compare it with others.
Perhaps the ACB law suit was necessary to build a fire under the powers that be. Society is never likely to change unless something forces or at least nudges it to do so. But I believe that we are likely to be foolishly short-sighted if we demand radical alterations in the country’s economic infrastructure as a matter of entitlement regardless of the cost and disruption to the rest of the community. Sixteen years ago justice required that American society make such a sweeping demand of itself in the matter of equal access for people with disabilities. Without, for example, the architectural changes that we have been gradually making for decades now, a significant element of our society would quite literally continue to be denied all access to most of community life. I believe that we had no other choice morally but to commit the resources of this country to make those changes. But this time around, the price all blind people will pay in hostility and backlash for what comes down to a convenience will be greater than the proponents of this law suit can imagine. Moreover, we will all pay the price, whether or not we were among those demanding immediate access to information about the currency. We are all too familiar with this form of injustice.
We have faced it before; it looks as if in the near future we are quite likely to face it again.
As we were going to press, the Department of the Treasury filed an appeal of this decision. The National Federation of the Blind has announced that this time around we will assist the Treasury in making its case. The consequences of doing nothing are simply too serious for us to remain on the sidelines, hoping that the judges will see reason.
Editor’s Note: Paul Dressell is the senior member of the board of directors of the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio. He has attended more conventions of this affiliate than anyone I know. Here is what he has to say about our 2006 convention:
As some of us were leaving the Marriott Downtown Key Center in Cleveland, on November 19, we noticed warmth emanating from above. This phenomenon was particularly peculiar because the weather was gloomy and overcast. We were eventually told that bright lights were overhead, but that did nothing to explain the glowing warmth we felt within. Starting with the board of directors meeting on November 16, family support—whether biological or Federation—was the dominant convention theme.
Major actions taken at the board of directors meeting were to conduct the 2007 preconvention board meeting at 10 a.m., November 2, and, if it can be done within our usual parameters, to contract for several years with a Columbus hotel for conventions beginning in 2008.
Technology exhibits, a possibilities fair for seniors and others losing vision, a self-defense workshop, and “Braille Notes,” a seminar discussing guide dogs and canes hosted by the affiliate’s parents’ division were the featured activities during the morning and afternoon of November 17. “Gospel Sing for Braille” and a silent auction highlighted the evening’s festivities, in which members of the Federation family displayed their artistic and vocal talents. Sheri Albers, Deborah Kendrick, Cindy Conley, and J. Webster Smith (with help from many others) can take a bow for leading the way in raising almost $2,000 toward our efforts to increase Braille literacy and the public’s recognition of the importance of Braille.
Before the first session of the sixtieth annual convention of the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio was called to order at 9 a.m. on Saturday, meetings of the At-Large Chapter and the diabetics and NAPUB divisions had already taken place.
The convention started with words of welcome from Sue Ott, Cuyahoga County chapter president, and Leonard Williams, president of the Cleveland chapter. Patricia Britt, member of Cleveland City Council, read a resolution welcoming us to her city. Amy Buresh, this year’s national representative and member of the board of directors of the National Federation of the Blind as well as president of the Nebraska affiliate, brought greetings from President Maurer. She also described our programs for youth and seniors and encouraged participation in the July 3 March for Independence.
The morning’s activities moved along with a report from Barbara Mates, director of the Cleveland Regional Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. She outlined her library’s programs: distribution of Playaway Digital Books, promotion of Web-Braille, and an on-line book club, which enables students from schools for the blind to discuss books. She also read a description of the digital player, which will be released December 31, 2008. She announced that Deborah Kendrick was a beta tester for the digital player. Eric Duffy moderated a panel on alternative reading solutions, Steve Potash, CEO of Overdrive, Inc., said that fifteen hundred audio books are available, and Mike Belsito of Playaway Digital described his company’s growth as well as the increased number of titles available. Playaways, which are available from the Cleveland Regional Library, contain pre-loaded electronic books. Crystal McClain concluded the panel’s presentation by promoting the Braille Readers Are Leaders Contest and describing what the Parents Division is doing to increase contest participation at the Ohio State School for the Blind.
The next panel, chaired by Paul Dressell, had members of the Miami Valley and Cincinnati chapters recount their vivid impressions of their September 15 to 17 visit to our headquarters, the National Center for the Blind; panelists were Hephzibah Wilson and Ron Williamitis from the Miami Valley Chapter and Sheri Albers from the Cincinnati Chapter.
During the noon recess, divisional and committee meetings were held: Parents of Blind Children, Ohio Association of Blind Students, Ohio Organization of the Senior Blind, and Guide Dog Committee.
The afternoon session began with a demonstration of the effectiveness of consumer choice, Sarah Leon, a home-schooled high school senior, described her successful effort to persuade the Bureau of Services for the Visually Impaired to send her to BLIND, Incorporated, for intensive summer training even though her BSVI counselor initially turned down her request to participate in the college preparatory course offered in Minneapolis. Her argument that the BLIND, Inc., program was much more demanding and stimulating than anything she could get in Ohio was enhanced by the discovery that the eight-week course sponsored by BLIND, Inc., cost less than the six-week program offered by the Cleveland Sight Center.
Few of our speakers have experienced as much difficulty in getting to one of our conventions as did Mike Hanes, director of the Bureau of Services for the Visually Impaired (BSVI). Late take-offs, cancellations, and rerouting were some of the problems he faced. He described placement and wages of recently hired blind consumers. Ohio is second in the nation in the number of successful placements of blind consumers. Resolution 2006-01, urging RSC to help us pressure the state not to purchase quiet cars until necessary adjustments are made for the protection of all pedestrians, especially blind ones, was unanimously passed. The full text of this resolution appears elsewhere in this newsletter. Steve Moore, assistant BSVI director, gave an update on the Business Enterprise (BE) Program.
The afternoon’s program concluded with three reports: Sherry Ruth (PAC) and Annette Anderson (SUN) described their fundraising programs. Jason Ewell encouraged chapters to compete to see which could raise the most money or have the most participants in the July 3 March for Independence. He announced that thus far eleven Ohioans had registered. Thanks to efforts at the convention, that total is now twenty-five.
The sixtieth annual banquet of the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio was, as usual, one of the highlights of this year’s convention. Members of the audience and Dr. J. W. Smith, the master of ceremonies, exchanged much hilarity and repartees. In her banquet address Amy Buresh recounted her introduction to the National Federation of the Blind and stressed the importance of the support and love she received from her family. The following presentations and awards were given: Parents of Blind Children won the Gavel Award as the outstanding division during the past year, Lorain County won the Chapter Gavel Award, and Jan Danner, who is studying for a master’s degree in counseling from Xavier University, received the Jennica Ferguson Scholarship in the amount of $1,500. The banquet concluded with the not-so-silent auction, which produced frenzied but friendly bidding. The evening concluded with Eddie Baccus and friends providing music for evening relaxation.
The final session of the 2006 convention started with a memorial service; three members of the Federation family were remembered: Doc King (Cleveland Chapter) and Ann Keppel and Jean Rhodes (At-Large Chapter). Elections were then held with the following results: president, Barbara Pierce; first vice president, Dr. J.W. Smith; second vice president, Barb Fohl; secretary, Paul Dressell; treasurer, Sherry Ruth; and board members, Crystal McClain and Bruce Peters. They join board members Annette Anderson, Debbie Baker, Deborah Kendrick, Jennifer Kennedy, Richard Payne, and Mary Pool, whose terms will expire in 2007.
The convention concluded with a TOPS community service exercise. Attendees were divided into seven groups and were charged with drawing up an outline of how to make presentations to community entities such as police departments, nursing homes, senior centers, hospitals, college classes, civic organizations, and blindness support groups.
Those of us who departed from the Marriott Downtown Key Center realized that there was warmth emanating from within as well as from above. This was an excellent convention, and I look forward to the next one.
I believe blind people control our destiny today in a way that we never have before, and we do because of the National Federation of the Blind. Acting individually we have little power, but through collective action we are unstoppable. The National Federation of the Blind is truly the strongest force in the field of work with the blind in this country today. The NFB of Ohio convention held in Cleveland in mid November is proof of that. We imagined a better future for the blind, and we conducted a convention second to none. This organization was built by those who dared to imagine and to dream. Dr. Kenneth Jernigan imagined a research and training institute built and directed by blind people. He passed his dream on to President Maurer and to all of us. We can be proud of the NFB Jernigan Institute that now stands in Baltimore. Raising the funds to complete the building was both a daunting task and a tremendous accomplishment. But I doubt it was a greater challenge or success than Dr. tenBroek and his colleagues achieved when they organized the National Federation of the Blind in 1940.
The buildings that now stand at 1800 Johnson Street in Baltimore are a direct result of the work of those early Federation leaders, who dared to imagine and to dream. Buildings alone are empty shells unless energetic and committed staff direct and carry out creative programs. The Kurzweil–National Federation of the Blind Reader, a completely portable, handheld machine that reads print anywhere, is the first actual product to emerge from our efforts in the institute.
Last spring I had the opportunity to be a Reader Ambassador. I was the first person in the state to receive a Reader, and I was then charged with identifying reader pioneers and managing the beta-testing program for Ohio.
The Kurzweil–National Federation of the Blind Reader was invented by Ray Kurzweil and the National Federation of the Blind and beta tested by blind users. This incredible accomplishment has brought us closer to our goal of first-class citizenship. Our organization now has higher status in the blindness field, not because of the Reader itself, but because we have once again demonstrated that we have the capacity to dream big and make those dreams come true.
We in the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio have been blessed with leaders who have imagined a better future for the blind of today and tomorrow. I am regularly reminded of these truths as I work on behalf of this organization. We continue to increase our influence in matters affecting the blind of the state. What we do as an organization goes far beyond what I will cover in this report. The work is done by the members in the local chapters, by the board of directors, and by our president. Nevertheless, in planning for the future, we must look at the past. I now want to examine our accomplishments during the year since we last met.
For more than twenty years I have had the pleasure of working regularly with Barbara Pierce, the president of the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio. She is articulate, energetic, creative, resourceful, and highly ethical, and she passionately represents the blind of Ohio. When a crisis arises, I am both proud and grateful that she and I are working together as she swings into action and musters all of the resources and forces at her disposal to solve the problem at hand. In the spring of this year, we were in non-stop crisis mode as we worked to save a service that is vitally important to the blind of the state, NFB-NEWSLINE®. In December of 2004 John Paré, who at that time was in charge of our NFB-NEWSLINE team in Baltimore, and I began working to get NFB-NEWSLINE included in the state budget that began in July of 2005. We reached an historic agreement with the Radio Reading Services of Ohio that pleased and satisfied members of the Ohio General Assembly. They in fact made it clear that, if either party violated this agreement, the offender would have a hard time getting future funding from the legislature.
In this understanding we agreed that we would not add additional Ohio papers to NFB-NEWSLINE, and the reading services said that they would not add more out-of-state papers. We agreed that Ohio benefited from having both services and that we would work together to be sure that both had the necessary funding to continue to operate.
The Ohio Educational Telecommunications Network was dissolved in late 2005, which unfortunately delayed the writing of an RFP for a dial-up newspaper reading service. Then, when the RFP was finally issued early this year, we regretfully concluded that we could not meet its requirements. It appeared to us that the RFP had been skewed in favor of the reading services. With Barbara's leadership we did what we could to address this apparent injustice in the media and in the legislature. When the dust settled, we were successful in the competitive bid process, and as a result NFB-NEWSLINE continues to grow in Ohio.
I want to be clear about our interest in developing a collegial relationship with the reading services. The Ohio General Assembly expects our two groups to coexist and cooperate with each other. So again I extend an invitation to the reading services to work with us in partnership. Let's combine our efforts and our resources to serve the greatest number of blind and visually impaired people, using the widest variety of information and methods of delivery possible.
In March 2002 NFB-NEWSLINE became truly a nationwide service. Blind readers from around the country are now able to call a toll-free number (in some areas a local number) and read any newspaper on the NFB-NEWSLINE® system. More than 240 newspapers, all Associated Press wire stories, and four magazines are now available to all readers, and by the end of the year television listings will also be on the system.
Shelbi Johnson continues to work with us to do marketing and to provide technical support to both NFB-NEWSLINE and Jobline readers. She also provides information and referrals. She can be reached by calling 1-866-391-0841. She is an enthusiastic user of NFB-NEWSLINE herself and a fine example of why we need the service. She is a mobile young person, and that's the audience we know NFB-NEWSLINE serves best.
This year with the help of the two Regional Libraries for the Blind we mailed information about NFB-NEWSLINE to more than fifteen thousand library users. They received information about the service both in print and on cassette, and as a result we substantially increased NEWSLINE readership.
We continue to have a strong relationship with the Ohio Rehabilitation Services Commission (ORSC). This year Shelbi Johnson and I participated in meetings with a group of area managers and rehabilitation supervisors from around the state. A few months later Barbara Pierce and I were invited to address a representative group of counselors. In the spring the new BSVI director, Mike Hanes, and I drove to Oberlin to meet with Barbara to discuss issues of mutual concern and interest. This was the first time in her presidency that a state official had offered to travel to Oberlin to meet with Barbara. This one experience says a lot about Mike Hanes’s attitude and his willingness to work with consumers.
This year for the first time, a BSVI counselor and an area manager attended our national convention in Dallas. They were not able to attend the entire convention, but the time they were there seems to have been a good experience. After being in Dallas, BSVI counselor Barbara Cartright decided to take part in our entire state convention. Other counselors and staff were also part of the convention as well.
What a refreshing change! This shift in professional attitude didn't occur overnight. It happened because we made it happen. Contacts that we make and actions that we take every day continue to build and strengthen this relationship.
I have worked with counselors and consumers in the Columbus area to solve problems with the paratransit system so that blind people would not lose jobs because of poor transportation services. I have been asked to talk with consumers having problems on their jobs, and I have participated in a number of meetings and activities to help BSVI consumers keep their jobs.
In addition this year I have been consulted in the development of several individualized plans for employment.
We continue to be involved with issues related to the Business Enterprise Program. I assist individual operators with problems, and we have done what we could to work on programmatic issues. We have had success in both regards. We took action to insure that blind vendors would not entirely lose the opportunity to provide additional services to Wright Patterson Air Force Base. Although we do not yet know how this situation will be resolved, we do know that the issue would already be totally closed if it had not been for the direct involvement of the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio and the Ohio Association of Blind Merchants.
We provided significant support for passage of three administrative rules which had been approved by the Ohio Vendors Representative Committee. The Ohio Blind Vendors and their well-paid lobbyist did what they could to defeat these rules, but we prevailed.
In April I attended the BLAST (Business, Learning, and Superior Training) Conference sponsored by the National Association of Blind Merchants. This was an excellent opportunity to learn about the issues affecting the Randolph-Sheppard Program nationally.
I continue to do what I can to be helpful to those using adaptive technology for the blind. Although this use of my time must be limited, we can provide such service better than any other organization in the state. We now get calls from school systems, government agencies at all levels, and of course individuals asking questions about adaptive technology for the blind. These referrals did not come about overnight. We have earned the reputation of knowing what we are talking about and being willing to help.
The National Federation of the Blind of Ohio continues to operate a Web site which provides an excellent opportunity to spread our positive message about blindness to the public. More Americans are jumping onto the information super highway all the time. Therefore it is important for us to have a presence on the Web. We are continually increasing the amount and variety of information about blindness available on our page, and Barbara and I steadily answer inquiries and pleas for help from around the world. By the way, it is now possible to sign up for NFB-NEWSLINE® from our site. It goes without saying that our page is completely accessible.
In August I concluded my term of service on the Advisory Committee for the Talking Book Program. Shelbi Johnson now represents us on this committee. I am now in my fifth year of service on the Governor's Council on People with Disabilities. In October Governor Taft appointed me to chair the Council with the recommendation of a majority of the Council. This means that I must devote more of my time and energy to its work, but I believe that the NFB will benefit from this investment.
Crystal McClain and the Parents of Blind Children Division continue to make a substantial difference in the lives of blind children here in Ohio. In addition to the sound advice that Crystal and other members of the division offer to parents of blind children, we had a musical Easter egg hunt, horse-back riding, a family picnic and beach party, and a fall retreat again this year. We continue to work with the Delta Gamma sorority to make the Easter egg hunt better each year. Crystal McClain serves as president of the division, despite the substantial family responsibilities that she and Mark have. Crystal is committed to the work of the National Federation of the Blind, and she deserves our full support in her effort to balance the work of the Federation with responsibilities to her family. I for one will continue to do all I can to give her that support, and I know you will do the same.
We had a terrific convention in Cleveland this year with great room rates. We will be in Cincinnati with room rates of $69 next year. Ask yourself what other organization gets such rates today.
Voting in Ohio continues to be an important issue. I serve on an advisory committee for the office of the secretary of state. Last spring for the first time many of us were able to cast secret ballots, a right taken for granted by most sighted people. When I have heard of problems experienced by blind voters or by others with disabilities, I have made the committee aware of those concerns. This fall I met with the newly elected secretary of state, and she is committed to working with the blind of the state to insure that we continue to have the opportunity to participate actively in our democracy.
In the spring of this year Deborah Kendrick, Jason Ewell, and I attended a grant-writing workshop conducted by the Jernigan Institute. It is our hope that our affiliate will see a direct benefit from this training in the months and years to come.
We can be proud of the fact that our Louis Braille Coin legislation passed with tremendous support from the Ohio congressional delegation. This will enable us to fund Braille literacy programs in the future.
I have talked a great deal about our accomplishments during the past year. I now want to talk about the challenges of the future. We certainly face many, but the rewards for all blind people can be great. If we all do our part, the future will find the organized blind movement stronger than any of us can now imagine.
We must find new and better ways of funding our programs. We must all make a concerted effort to make the best possible use of the resources we have available to us today. We must continue to fund NFB-NEWSLINE and lead the way in making sure the voting process is accessible for the blind and those with other disabilities so that everyone will have full and equal access to our democracy.
We have much more to do in the general assembly. If we are to be successful, we must have the help of every local chapter. I call upon all chapter presidents to invite elected officials to your meetings. We must get to know them and help them to learn about the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio and our priorities. We must refocus our energy and resources on the education of blind children to ensure that they really are not left behind. I know what we were able to accomplish when we decided Ohio should have a Braille literacy law. The future of the next generation of the blind is in our hands. But I am confident that we will see that our blind youngsters in Ohio get the education they deserve.
In collaboration with BSVI we have committed to an intensive mentoring program in the next two years. We know what blind people need to be successful in life and in the workplace, and we want to demonstrate the value to them of mentoring by successful blind adults.
We must continue to support the policies and programs of the National Federation of the Blind. We must help build the Imagination Fund. The future of our organization at every level depends on our success in this endeavor.
We must continue to be a strong and steady influence on the field of work with the blind in Ohio. We must use our power carefully and wisely. Above all, we must believe in ourselves and each other and strengthen our commitment to the National Federation of the Blind.
Editor’s Note: Jennifer Kennedy chairs the NFB of Ohio's Resolutions Committee, potentially one of the affiliate’s most significant committees. Although she was hospitalized when the committee met, she was at the convention and quite active when the only resolution brought to this year’s convention was adopted. Here is what Jennifer has to say about this year’s resolution:
Although the convention adopted only one resolution this year, it is one of great consequence to the blind of Ohio and of the nation. The problem which it addresses is one that many people (blind and sighted alike) have not yet considered. Here it is:
RESOLUTION 2006-01
Regarding Quiet Cars
WHEREAS, electric vehicles operate on batteries and are marketed as having the advantage of operating without the sound and smell of standard internal combustion engines, and hybrid vehicles combine conventional gas-powered engines with battery-powered electric motors and, when in the electric mode, also operate without making sound; and
WHEREAS, all pedestrians use the sound of traffic in combination with other techniques to travel safely, as evidenced by the fact that commercial trucks emit a sound when backing up to alert pedestrians to their presence; and
WHEREAS, blind people depend on the sound of traffic to travel independently and safely; and
WHEREAS, action must be taken to ensure that all vehicles emit a sound while turned on, and such a sound from all vehicles must be loud enough to be heard over the din of other ambient noise and to be heard from far enough away to allow pedestrians to travel safely, must be emitted both while the vehicle is in motion and while motionless, must change with speed, must not easily be disabled, must not be annoying but still emit a unique sound distinguishable from other noises, and must be uniform from model to model: Now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio in Convention assembled this eighteenth day of November, 2006, in the City of Cleveland, Ohio, that this organization declare that the only solution to the quiet car emergency is a continuous sound emitted by the vehicle itself; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization raise an alarm with car manufacturers, federal and state executive agencies, and the United States Congress about this emergency and demand that they act to ensure the safe and free travel of the blind and all other pedestrians; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we call upon the Ohio Department of Administrative Services to abstain from purchasing quiet vehicles of any kind as long as they continue to pose a danger to the blind and other pedestrians; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we call upon the Bureau of Services for the Visually Impaired to assist us in educating appropriate federal and state officials about this problem.
Editor's Note: Barb Fohl is the second vice president of the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio. She also chairs the Awards Committee. Here is what she has to say about the award recipients for 2006:
As longtime Federationists know, local chapters and divisions in this affiliate must submit a report of their activities during the year, which runs from September 1 of one year to September 1 of the next. We have prepared questionnaires used to complete the report and to enter a competition with other chapters and divisions for the coveted Gavel Awards. Chapters and divisions are not required to use these forms or to enter the competition for the Gavel Awards. Entering this contest, however, gives the Awards Committee a good idea of how effectively chapters and divisions are conducting the business of the National Federation of the Blind throughout the year.
I strongly encourage every chapter and division to use these questionnaires to complete the required report. Furthermore, I urge all chapters and divisions to submit their completed reports in time for the Gavel Award Contest. First and foremost, however, chapters and divisions should use these questionnaires as tools for measuring their own growth within the Federation family.
The committee is constantly reexamining the process to be sure that the competition is fair and that we are asking the right questions to elicit the information we need. We will continue to do so. That is why we now have a separate Gavel Award for divisions. Divisions have the advantage of drawing on statewide membership. Chapters, on the other hand, get together regularly and can carry out projects without traveling long distances. For these and other reasons we presented the third-ever Division Gavel Award to the same division that received the first one, the Parents of Blind Children Division. This organization is a hard-working group that sets a fine example for us all and is well deserving of the award. The first thing that must be said about this group is that they take a very active role in all affiliate activities. They truly see themselves as a part of the larger organization. This year they sponsored a musical Easter egg hunt, horse-back riding, a picnic, a family retreat, and much more.
We hope that in the future the competition for the Division Gavel Award will be as rigorous as that which takes place among the chapters. Congratulations to the Parents Division and all who were a part of supporting the work of the organization.
Following is a brief summary of the activities of the 2006 winner of the NFB-O Chapter Gavel Award. The Lorain County chapter has been a fierce competitor for this award over the years, and it surely deserved it this year. The chapter plays and discusses Presidential Releases and pertinent items from the Buckeye Updates, obtained enactment of White Cane Safety Day proclamations and Braille literacy proclamations. The chapter also worked with the Board of Elections to improve the voice and operation of voting machines in the county.
Judging by the chapter and division reports, the NFB of Ohio had an active year. The competition among groups was spirited, and Lorain County and the Parents Division will have to work hard to win again in 2007.
The Gavel Awards are presented annually, but all other awards are presented only when a deserving candidate is nominated. This year we did not have recipients for the Alfonzo Smith, the Ruth Garwood, and the Knall-Garwood Awards. The Alfonzo Smith Award is presented to a blind Federationist who has performed exemplary service to benefit his or her fellow blind citizens. The Ruth Garwood Award is presented to a sighted person who has done the same. The Knall-Garwood Award is given to someone who has given many years of distinguished service to the state affiliate. I urge everyone to consider who might be deserving of these awards and nominate appropriate candidates next year.
Next year the Awards Committee will review carefully the process now being used to select the Gavel Award winners. We want to be sure that chapters and divisions receive the proper recognition for the work that they do. I don't know what changes the committee will recommend to the board, but I want to remind everyone that submissions for the Gavel Award should be typed. As the cover letter in the award mailing warns, we no longer accept materials in any other format. I urge all chapter and division presidents to ask the secretary or some other responsible person in the chapter or division to keep a running list of chapter or division activities throughout the year to be used by the committee writing the report. It is often too time-consuming to review minutes expecting to find all of the activities we would like to know about, and it's impossible for chapter or division members to remember everything that should be included. May you have a prosperous new year filled with Federation activity. I look forward to reading your chapter or division report next year.
Last March I traveled to the Jernigan Institute in Baltimore to become a Kurzweil–National Federation of the Blind Reader Ambassador, meaning that I was one of the first in the nation to have the privilege of testing the world's first truly portable reader.
The Reader is a personal data assistant (PDA), loaded with text-to-speech-conversion software connected to a digital camera. Although the unit is usually held in both hands for taking photos, it can easily be held in one. It comes with ear buds, a memory card, an extra camera battery, and a card containing the software, all stored in a camera bag that can easily be carried over the shoulder.
The Reader is not a scanner. The camera is held twelve to eighteen inches above and centered over the document to be read. When the Reader is positioned correctly, you snap the photo. The text-to-speech conversion is both rapid and highly accurate.
Over the past several months I have been asked how one decides whether or not to purchase the Kurzweil–National Federation of the Blind Reader. My first answer is that every blind person should have one, but I know that isn't realistic. I have two boys who are very good readers. At this point they are both happy to read to me and often argue over whose turn it is. I also have a part-time secretary. So much of the time I have willing readers available. Yet sometimes I choose to use my Reader because I value my privacy.
I also often attend meetings in which I am given printed materials accompanied by the usual apology for not having them available in Braille. This summer I went to a meeting and was given a disk that contained electronic versions of the documents that were handed out in print to others, including the meeting agenda. Although I found this annoying, I was able to use my Reader to read the agenda. In fact, as I do with a lot of material, I saved the agenda on the flash card in the Reader and then opened it on my PAC Mate so that I could read it in Braille.
I often use the Reader to sort through stacks of paper. Sometimes I take a quick picture for the sole purpose of deciding whether or not to keep the printed material in question. I can take pictures of envelopes and make decisions about how to handle mail before anyone else ever sees it. I have read food packages, boxes, and cans. I recently read an instruction book for the card game Uno.
Blind students and teachers can use the Reader in classrooms and libraries. Blind vendors can use it to read invoices, to identify products, and to read mail and other documents. I recently heard from someone who used it on jury duty.
The Kurzweil–National Federation of the Blind Reader can be used in any occupation and in a variety of situations. If you decide it is right for you, you might contact the Bureau of Services for the Visually Impaired or local service organizations to enquire about help purchasing this revolutionary device. Some people have found an enthusiastic response from Lions Clubs or other civic groups.
The National Federation of the Blind is currently selling a limited number of Readers at a discounted price. To order, call (877) 708-1724. For more information about the Reader visit . Universal Low Vision Aids distributes it for Kurzweil Educational Systems. You can point your Browser to .
Editor’s Note: Richard Payne is president of the Miami Valley Chapter and a member of the NFB of Ohio board of directors. I would find the following little article impressive under any circumstances because I admire anyone who can fix things. But it is an even greater tribute to Richard’s handyman skills when you consider that the accident that cost him his sight also took his right hand. It is indicative of Richard’s attitude about disability that he did not think to mention this circumstance. This is what he says:
When I was a young man, I had a knack for breaking things and then fixing them. I remember, when my cousin and I played with new toys, taking the wheels off toy trucks and trying to make them fit toy cars. Not long after I got my second bike, we took a hard fall, and I bent a few spokes. I took it home and changed parts from one bike to the other.
I also remember the time we overloaded the washer and the belt came off. I knew that my grandmother would be really upset. I took the back off the washer and got the belt back on. Only then did my heart begin beating again. When I lost my sight, I didn't think I could continue to do such things. One day I caught a ride with someone who did not know how to change a tire. Having no other choice, I changed that tire. Many of my friends and family still call me to ask questions about cars. The first summer after losing my sight, I made extra money by fixing lawn mowers. By doing so, I learned that I still had what it takes to get these things done. Since then I have fixed everything from wall sockets to brakes on a car.
I firmly believe that with the proper training and opportunity the average blind person can compete on terms of equality with the average sighted person. About a year ago I decided to leave the Ohio Business Enterprise Program. I did not know what I was going to do, but I knew I would come up with something. A few months ago I began working for G.E. Money. This has not been easy. But the company has been very cooperative, and I have gotten a lot of help from BSVI and Goodwill. The G.E. Money System was not designed with nonvisual access in mind, but we are slowly resolving the access issues. This time I have gotten some help, but I still understand I can fix it.
Much of what I have learned about how to fix these problems and others over the years, I have learned from the Federation. The National Federation of the Blind is changing what it means to be blind for me and for others.
The National Federation of the Blind accomplished much during the 109th Congress. We can do a great deal more in the 110th if we work at it. For many years now the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio has taken a well-informed and politically savvy delegation to Capitol Hill. While it is true that not all of our elected representatives support our issues as enthusiastically as we would like, it is equally true that a majority of them are with us by the time we leave the Hill. We can be proud of what we have accomplished in the Congress over the last decade or two. This year most of the Ohio delegation will be going in to Washington on Monday, January 29, 2007. We will plan to leave for home late Wednesday evening. It is tricky to predict what issues we will be talking about on the Hill, but we already know that we will have to work hard to protect the Randolph-Sheppard program, and we must get Congressional support for NFB-NEWSLINE.
The challenge before us during the next session of Congress is formidable. Yet we have the strength and the perseverance to prevail. If we are to succeed, however, those traveling to Washington must be not only strong of mind and will but strong of body and spirit as well. The days we spend on Capitol Hill are long and tiring. We rapidly walk several miles each day to keep on schedule. By the time you receive this newsletter, the date for submitting your name for consideration to participate in the 2007 Washington Seminar will have passed. However, it is important that everyone know about our work in Congress. If, however, such an experience sounds exactly like what the doctor ordered for you in the future, please call Eric Duffy at 1-800-396-6326.
It is never possible for everyone wishing to participate in the Washington Seminar to do so. When determining who will participate from the State of Ohio, we must consider several factors:
1. How many people can we afford to take?
2. How large a delegation can we effectively use on the Hill?
3. Have we chosen constituents from as many congressional districts as possible?
4. Are we including as many students and newer Federationists as possible?
5. Will each participant chosen be helpful before, during, and after the seminar?
If you are not traveling to Washington with us, you can still be helpful at home. Contact the appointment secretary in the Washington office of your representative with the information that a member of the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio will soon be contacting him or her to arrange a visit January 29-31. You should call Eric Duffy with the results of any conversations you have had with the office.
The Washington Seminar is an event that changed my life forever. But, more important, the work that we do changes the lives of all blind people forever, even when they don't realize that the change has taken place and that the National Federation of the Blind has been the cause of the change. Do what you can to support our work in Washington. Local chapters can also help by making contributions to the NFB of Ohio to help defray the expense of sending Ohio delegates to the seminar. Individually you should contact your member of congress and let him or her know that the National Federation of the Blind represents you and that you have a keen interest in the matters relating to blindness that are before Congress. When legislation helping the blind is passed, you will know that you had a real hand in making it happen, even if you don't travel to Washington in person.
One of the most effective efforts of the Federation is our scholarship programs. The national organization offers thirty scholarships every year ranging in value from three to twelve thousand dollars. The application for it is downloadable from the NFB Web site, . Print copies are available from the Independence Market, 1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21230. The deadline for submitting the national form is March 31, and each applicant must contact me for an interview so that I can write a letter of recommendation. My office phone number is (440) 775-2216. I will be happy to interview applicants and write their letters at any time from now until the end of March.
The NFB of Ohio also offers a scholarship, the Jennica Ferguson Memorial Scholarship in the amount of $2,500. This year we have decided to combine our two scholarships into one, larger award in the hope of attracting more applicants. The information required by the Ohio application is almost identical to that requested on the national form. Ohio students should be urged to apply for the Ohio scholarship, particularly if they are already applying for the national one. The only difference is that I will provide them the name of another leader to conduct the interview and write the letter since it is best for the affiliate president to stay out of the state process. The deadline for the Ohio competition is June 1.
The complete 2007 Ohio Scholarship application form is included in this issue of the newsletter. You can photocopy it to give to students or write to me for multiple copies. The form can also be downloaded from our Web site, . If you plan to duplicate the copy that appears here, you must include the entire document, including the instruction page, not just the application portion.
I encourage chapters to contact disabled students offices in area colleges and universities. Offer to meet with interested blind students and give them copies of the forms for their use. Contact me at any time for ideas about what advice to give them. We need your help in reaching students and introducing them to the National Federation of the Blind.
Join us next summer for the most dynamic gathering of blind youth ever. From July 30 to August 4, two hundred blind and low vision high school students will gather at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, to be mentored by blind role models during fun-filled, challenging activities intended to build confidence and increase science literacy. Participants will also have the opportunity to attend various social events and workshops on topics such as leadership, career preparation, and blindness. The NFB Youth Slam will culminate in an inspiring rally at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor and a celebration at the center of innovation in the field of blindness—the NFB Jernigan Institute.
Those interested in participating as students or mentors should complete an application by April 1, 2007. We encourage candidates to complete their applications early, because qualified participants will be selected first-come-first-served. Students and mentors need not have a strong interest in science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) in order to participate, enjoy, and benefit from this academy. For more information or to obtain application materials, visit , send an email to , or call the Jernigan Institute at (410) 659-9314, extension 2293.
Jennifer Kennedy is Ohio’s Youth Slam coordinator. If you have questions about participating in this program as either a student or an adult mentor, you can call Jen at (330) 465-6245.
We need everyone to spread the word to all Ohio NFB-NEWSLINE® users that they can help us immensely if they have unlimited long-distance service or a cell phone plan with free evening and weekend minutes. Congress failed to pass legislation providing funds to cover the telecommunications cost for NEWSLINE. This means that out of the blue in 2007 the affiliate must pick up over $29,000 in costs to cover the toll-free service associated with NEWSLINE. In an effort to lower these costs, the NFB is setting up local numbers in some areas that users can dial to read the paper. If you hear a notice saying that a local number is available, please stop using the toll-free number and begin using the local one. Some of us will probably begin hearing such messages later this year. Already three such numbers are available in Ohio, and more should be coming. They are (614) 448-1673, (513) 297-1521, and (330) 247-1241. Please note that these are not local calls to everyone in the area code, but if you hear a local number at the beginning of your NEWSLINE calls, one of these is it. If you can make free long-distance calls, you can also use one of these numbers to help us. Here are a couple of other, easy-to-remember numbers that you can also use with unlimited service: (508) 771-1010 or (717) 229-9990. Thank you for helping us make our funds go as far as possible and for spreading the word to your NEWSLINE-using friends.
The Lorain County chapter held its annual Christmas party on Saturday, December 9, 2006. Barbara Pierce cooked a twenty-pound turkey, and other members brought some of their favorite dishes.
Here is what Paul Dressell has to say about yet one more example of the value of collective action: Fifteen concerned members of the blind community attended a meeting on November 29, to express our concern about removal of the Talking Book browsing area at the Cincinnati Public Library. We met with Greg Edwards, manager of the main library services department, who described plans for a technology center that would be located in the main library. Attendees expressed frustration that these plans were enacted without getting input from the blind community. Kim Fender, director of the entire library, was then contacted. She expressed interest in our views and proposed that a new browsing area would be located on the second floor of the library annex. While this is not all that we wanted, it is better than the original plan, which would have removed the browsing area entirely. In addition to three rooms for CCTV and personal reading, there are also a large, tactile globe and a scale model of our nation's Capitol.
Following such hard work our chapter concluded that it was time for some relaxation and Christmas cheer. On December 14, members and friends of the Cincinnati chapter gathered at McFadden’s for our annual Christmas party. Gifts were exchanged, carols were sung—not by an open fire—but a good time was had by all.
The At-Large Chapter met early on Saturday before the opening session of convention. The following officers were elected: president, Tom Anderson; vice president, Barb Fohl; and secretary-treasurer, Louise Anderson. The chapter also conducted a split-the-pot raffle, and $206 was donated to the Imagination Fund.
January 4, Louis Braille’s birthday
January 4-11, Braille Literacy Week
January 28, National Association of Blind Students winter meeting
January 29-31, Washington Seminar
February 10, NFB-O board of directors meeting, Columbus
March 31, Deadline for 2007 NFB scholarship applications
April 1, Deadline for Youth Slam applications
April 15, Deadline for national convention assistance applications
May 15-22, White Cane Recognition Week
June 1, Deadline for 2007 NFB-O scholarship applications
June 30-July 6, National Federation of the Blind convention, Atlanta
In 2007 at its convention, November 2 to 4, at the Eastgate Holiday Inn outside Cincinnati, the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio will present the Jennica Ferguson Memorial Scholarship for $2,500 to recognize achievement by a blind post-secondary scholar. All applicants for this award must be (1) legally blind and (2) pursuing or planning to pursue a full time post-secondary course of study during the 2007-2008 academic year.
Criteria: The scholarship is awarded on the basis of academic excellence, service to the community, and financial need.
Membership: The National Federation of the Blind of Ohio is an organization dedicated to creating opportunity for all blind people. Recipients of Federation scholarships need not be members of the National Federation of the Blind.
Making Application: To apply for the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio scholarship, complete and return the application accompanying this sheet to be received by June 1. Please provide all the applicable information requested at the bottom of this page, and attach to your application all the additional documents requested.
Winner: The Scholarship Committee reviews all applications and selects the scholarship winner. He or she will be notified of selection by August 1 and will be brought to the state convention November 2 to 4 at Federation expense. This trip is separate from the scholarship grant.
The National Federation of the Blind of Ohio convention outside Cincinnati will be the largest gathering of blind people to occur anywhere in the state this year. You will meet other blind students and exchange information and ideas. You will also meet and talk with blind people who are successfully working in their chosen professions or occupations. State officials, legislators, and the makers and distributors of new technology attend Federation conventions. Above all, a broad cross section of the most active segment of the blind population of Ohio will be present to discuss common problems and plan for concerted action. It will be an interesting and exciting weekend.
Award: The scholarship award to the winner, who must participate throughout the convention in order to receive the award, will be made during the banquet on Saturday evening, November 3.
The Jennica Ferguson Memorial Scholarship is presented by the NFB of Ohio in loving memory of an extraordinary young woman who died at the age of eighteen but who grew up to embody the best the Federation has to offer the world.
Attach the following documents to your completed application:
1. Send us a letter: we want to get to know you. What information on your application needs or deserves further explanation? How have you dealt with your blindness? What are your hopes and dreams?
2. Send or have sent two letters of recommendation.
3. Provide transcripts through December 2006 from the institution now being attended and from all other post-secondary institutions attended. If you have not yet attended a post-secondary institution or are not about to complete at least one term of study, send your high school transcript.
4. Send or have sent a letter from a state officer or chapter president of the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio showing that you have discussed your scholarship application with that officer. The state president, Barbara Pierce, (440) 775-2216, will provide contact information upon request.
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND OF OHIO SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION FORM
Read cover sheet for instructions and explanation. This form may be photocopied, but only if the cover sheet is also included.
To apply for a scholarship, complete this application form and mail completed application and attachments to Jennifer Kennedy, chair, National Federation of the Blind of Ohio Scholarship Committee, 1445 Heartland Ave, Orrville, OH 44667; phone, 330-465-6245; email, . Applications must be received by June 1, 2007.
Name (please include any student or other names by which you have been known):
Date of birth:
Spring '07 school address:
Phone number while at school:
Home (summer) address:
Home phone number:
Cell phone number: ___________________ Email address:
Institution being attended in spring semester, 2007, with class standing (freshman, senior, etc.):
Cumulative grade point at this institution:
Institution to be attended in fall of 2007, with class standing:
List all post-secondary institutions attended with highest class standing attained and cumulative grade point averages:
High school attended and cumulative grade point:
Vocational goal:
State your major or proposed major:
Awards and honors (attach list if necessary):
Community service (attach list if necessary):
Name of officer who has interviewed you and promised to send a letter:
(See cover sheet for list of required attachments.)
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