BUCKEYE BULLETIN

Sylvia Cooley
Production Editor
Barbara Pierce
President
237 Oak Street
Oberlin, OH 44074
bbpierce@pobox.com
(440) 775-2216

Table of Contents

Section 2. Definitions.
(a) “Vehicle” means anything licensed for transporting people or goods on public roadways including but not limited to a car, van, light truck, cargo truck, or bus.

Section 3. Findings and Purpose.
(a) The General Assembly of this state finds that:
(1) Vehicles designed to provide the desirable benefits of reducing harmful pollutants and operating with greater fuel efficiency include gasoline-electric hybrid and electric-only vehicles, and in the foreseeable future may include hydrogen fuel cell and other engine designs that rely on fuels and technologies other than the gasoline-powered internal combustion engine.
(2) All of the vehicle engine designs specified in (1) above, as well as other designs not specified herein, operate or are likely to operate with virtually no sound being produced by the vehicle.
(3) The total number of hybrid vehicles sold per year in this state is growing dramatically, and although the present number of hybrid vehicles constitutes a small overall percentage of vehicles, if this rate of growth persists, the number of hybrid vehicles will soon equal or exceed the number of internal combustion engine vehicles in this state.
(4) Because blind pedestrians cannot locate and evaluate traffic using their vision, they must listen to traffic to discern its speed, direction, and other attributes in order to travel safely and independently; and other people, including pedestrians who are not blind, bicyclists, runners, and small children, benefit from multi-sensory information available from vehicle traffic, including the sound of vehicle engines.
(5) When operating on their electric engines, hybrid vehicles sold in this state cannot be heard by blind people and others, rendering such vehicles extremely dangerous when driving on the street, emerging from driveways, moving through parking lots, and in other situations where pedestrians and vehicles come into proximity with each other.
(6) Failure of this state to take immediate action assuring that blind pedestrians can hear hybrid and other silent vehicles in all phases of their operation will lead to pedestrian injuries and fatalities.
(7) The results described in (6) above are preventable through vehicle designs which take into account the multi-sensory nature of traffic detection and avoidance and require that vehicles emit a minimum level of sound designed to alert all pedestrians, especially blind pedestrians, to the presence of said vehicles.
(b) The purpose of this legislation is to establish a minimum sound level standard for all phases of vehicle operation, which is to be applicable to every new vehicle sold in this state and licensed for use on its public streets and roadways when sold and registered after a specified date.

Section 4.
(a) Within one year of enactment of this Act, the agency or agencies in this state having jurisdiction over vehicle emissions and vehicle/pedestrian safety shall promulgate regulations establishing a minimum sound standard applicable to vehicles sold in and licensed to travel the public roads of this state.
(b) The standard promulgated shall have all of the following characteristics:
(1) In all phases of operation, including times when the vehicle is at a full stop, vehicles shall emit an omni-directional sound with similar spectral characteristics to those of a modern internal combustion engine.
(2) The sound shall vary in a way that is consistent with the sound of vehicles with combustion engines indicating that the vehicle is idling, maintaining a constant speed, accelerating, or decelerating.
(3) The regulations need not prescribe the apparatus, technology, or method to be used by vehicle manufacturers to achieve the required minimum sound level.
When determining a minimum sound level, the state agency or agencies crafting regulations pursuant to this Act shall: (1) review all available research regarding the effect of traffic sounds on pedestrian safety; and
(2) consult consumer groups representing individuals who are blind, other pedestrians, cyclists, and advocates for the safety of children.

Section 5. No later than two years after the minimum sound standard required by this legislation has been promulgated, all new vehicles sold in this state and licensed for use on the public roads must be in compliance with the standard.

Section 6. Beginning one year after the date that new vehicles must comply with the minimum sound standard, vehicle safety inspections required in this state shall include inspection of the sound-emitting components to insure that they are functioning properly in order to provide maximum safety to pedestrians in this state. Vehicles that fail to meet the minimum sound standard shall not be certified to travel on the roads of this state.

Section 7. This Act shall take effect immediately upon its enactment.

Rev. November 21, 2007

In his report to the convention, Mark Riccobono, executive director of the Jernigan Institute and this year’s national representative, observed, “We embrace change.” The sixty first convention of the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio was filled with changes: starting with the board of directors meeting, which was held at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, November 2, change was in the air. This meeting has traditionally been held the evening before the convention. Change did not stop there. The meeting of the nominating committee closely followed adjournment of the board meeting. At the same time interested attendees got a demonstration of the Victor Stream, a change from the traditional method of reading Talking Books. Self-protection has become necessary in this changing society, so we had a workshop to acquaint Federationists with the most effective means of self-defense. Following a display of the latest technology, a Parents Division Seminar, a Braille instruction workshop sponsored by Ohio NAPUB, and a seminar on Federation philosophy—all on Friday afternoon, we enjoyed a wonderful program, “Sing for Braille.” Musical performers from the local area as well as throughout Ohio exhibited their considerable talents. The incredible music drew folks to the auction items displayed around the room. By the time the evening came to a close, we had raised over $2,000 for Braille education. Before the opening convention session, meetings of the Diabetics Division, At-large Chapter, and NAPUB Division were held. Instead of a dignitary from the city of Cincinnati providing the initial welcome, we embraced change by receiving corporate greetings from Jack Cassidy, president of the Cincinnati Bell Telephone Company. Mark Riccobono, executive director of the Jernigan Institute and this year’s national representative, recounted the history and purpose of last summer’s Youth Slam for almost 200 blind teens interested in science, reviewed past and present NFB legislative accomplishments, described the Federation’s involvement in the development of the Victor Stream, discussed the mentoring program and the creation of a junior science academy for next summer.
Dave Lichtenfeld, retired FBI agent, provided invaluable information about the many and varied ways unscrupulous individuals can obtain personal information about everyday citizens: fake Medicare and drug plans and counterfeit Medicare notices. He also outlined procedures for combating ID theft: use shredders when possible, immediately notify one of the three credit reporting companies if you believe your identity has been stolen, make a police report, and file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission. ID theft has been a federal crime since 1998; this is a recent societal change which we do not embrace!
Donna Foust, Cincinnati regional librarian for the NLS program, outlined changes in our methods of reading: Play-a-way books, which are distributed by the Cleveland Regional Library, and audio described movies, which are distributed by the Cincinnati Regional Library. Descriptive Video Services (DVS) is attempting to make DVD’s accessible. Donna Foust also recounted progress in the design and manufacture of the soon-to-be-released digital Talking Books.
John Conley, executive director of the Ohio Rehabilitation Services Commission (ORSC), presented a broad view of the state of rehabilitation services: all three bureaus have exceeded their goals of placement and service. He is concerned about cutbacks in federal funding. He pointed out that Ohio was second in the number of placements last year in competitive employment placements.
Richard Himes, owner of Himes Insurance Agency, summarized the types of long-term health care and other insurance, qualifications for participating in them, and guidelines for purchasing such policies. This is another inevitable change no one is eager to embrace.
During the lunch break the following divisions met over box lunches: Parents of Blind Children, Ohio Association of Blind Students, and Ohio Organization of the Senior Blind.
The afternoon session started with a panel discussing “A Call to Action.” Panelists discussed the critical needs of blind children and those who serve them: Tiffany Wild, doctoral candidate at the Ohio State University, Debbie Baker, teacher of blind students, and Dr. Peter V. Paul, professor of education, the Ohio State University. Ohio does not have an accurate count of blind or multiply disabled blind children from kindergarten through high school. The three types of standardized tests that are administered in Ohio place these children at a disadvantage. The panelists from Ohio State invited us to make our views known about the critical importance of preserving that university’s program for training teachers of blind students. We promised to write supporting letters.
Mike Hanes, director of the Bureau of Services for the Visually Impaired, discussed a number of his activities and efforts during his first full year on the job. He mentioned that he has circulated guidelines for treating blind BSVI consumers with consideration that were drafted by President Pierce. Steve Moore, Business Enterprise Program director, described his plan to work with the Ohio State School for the Blind to give students the opportunity to be mentored by blind vendors.
Roxanne Qualls, former mayor and current member of Cincinnati City Council, welcomed Federationists to Cincinnati and read the following proclamation declaring November 3, 2007, as NFB Day in Cincinnati. Proclamation, City of Cincinnati

Be It Proclaimed:
Whereas, the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) was founded in 1940 to end discrimination against the blind and to achieve first-class citizenship for all blind persons; and
Whereas, today the Federation, representing more than fifty thousand members across the country, continues to work to secure equal rights and opportunities for the blind; and
Whereas, the National Federation of the Blind works to change attitudes about blindness by providing information about blindness to parents, teachers, school administrators, and business, political, social and civic leaders;
Now, therefore, I, Mark Mallory, mayor of the City of Cincinnati, do hereby proclaim November 3, 2007, as National Federation of the Blind Day in Cincinnati, in witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused this seal of the City of Cincinnati to be affixed this 25th day of October in the year Two Thousand and Seven.
Mark Mallory, Mayor
City of Cincinnati

Aaron Cydrus, Medicaid Health Systems administrator, described the Medicaid Buy-in program for workers with disabilities that will take effect in Ohio in 2008. The guidelines are more liberal than those of the current Medicaid program.
Karen Woods, a motivational speaker with a ministry to the blind of India, spoke and sang about pushing past distortion and embracing one’s destiny. She discussed four influences upon destiny: your critics, your friends, your mentors, and your beliefs.
For several years our Parents Division has asked our national representative to talk to division members about what it was like to grow up blind. This year we concluded the Saturday afternoon session with Mark Riccobono’s describing his experience growing up blind and the challenges he faced.
Good food and fellowship were much in evidence as J. W. Smith mc’ed this year’s banquet. Ashley Robinson, a sophomore at Stark State University in Canton, Ohio, received the $2,500 2007 Jennica Ferguson Scholarship. The Cincinnati Chapter was the 2007 winner of the Gavel Award. In his banquet address Mark Riccobono compared his growth as a blind person to that of growing corn; if his corn crop was successful, so was his neighbor’s. The evening’s festivities concluded with karaoke and other music hosted by the Cincinnati chapter.
Bright and early Sunday, affiliate leaders gathered for a leadership breakfast meeting, during which recruiting and keeping members was the theme. The final session of the sixty-first annual convention of the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio commenced as usual with a memorial service that paid tribute to four Federationists who had died during the past year. Elections were then held. Those reelected were Annette Anderson, Debbie Baker, Deborah Kendrick, Richard Payne, and Mary Pool. Sheri Albers was elected to the Board, taking the place of Jennifer Kennedy, who will be studying at Louisiana Tech. They join Crystal McClain and Bruce Peters, who will be up for election in 2008. In keeping with the theme of change, President Pierce announced that she would not run for NFB-O president in 2008 and that she would support J. W. Smith as our next leader.
Eric Duffy, NFB-O director of field services, chronicled his initial contact with the state affiliate, his first Washington seminar, and his future plan to relinquish his current position with the affiliate. He will seek to have legislation introduced into the Ohio legislature that would make college textbooks available to blind students at the same time as their sighted peers can get print ones. The last item on the 2007 convention agenda was role playing and group discussion about recruiting new members. Attendees of the sixty-first annual convention of the NFB-O convention left the Holiday Inn Eastgate Hotel ready to embrace change, but each one also valued our heritage and the worthwhile traditions that accompany it.

The work of the Ohio Mentoring Project began several months ago, but the fun has just begun.
When I heard about the mentoring project, my first thought was: “Sign me up!” Although I have been totally blind since age five, I never knew a blind adult until I was in my twenties. In fact, I only knew a handful of people near my age who were blind, and among those few I was always the oldest or the first, the one others looked to as an example. The idea of showing a young person the world of possibilities that lies before each blind person and to do that without the many circuitous routes I had followed myself was thrilling to me.
When NFB of Ohio President Barbara Pierce and field services director Eric Duffy asked me if I’d be interested in coordinating the project, I was even more pleased. Then came the months of gathering information, bidding, and more waiting. BSVI had expressed enthusiasm for the project and had come up with some money to help finance a mentoring program in Ohio. Finally, the four additional states that would be added to the original two (Louisiana and Nebraska) were named. Ohio was one of them, and joining us were Utah, Texas, and Georgia.
In March we four state coordinators and four state presidents traveled to the National Center for training, and the real work began. The next several months for me were filled with talking, talking, and more talking. I spoke to groups–support groups, chapter groups, workshop groups, groups of friends, groups of professionals—as well as every blind individual I knew or who was recommended to me by another. In the beginning finding twenty mentors and twenty mentees sounded simple. Believe me, it wasn’t. As the great kick-off weekend approached, in fact, I was suddenly five mentors poorer than I’d been just a week before–and it was tough not to panic.
The good news is that blind people who have the stuff mentors are made of–that is, people who are far busier than the average sighted person, people who have jobs and families and things like church and sports and hobbies laying claim to their time–are also usually people who want to give back. Three more mentors stepped up to the plate at just the right time.
So it was that on November 9, 2007, some thirty-four blind and visually impaired people, ranging in age from sixteen to sixty-one, gathered at the Holiday Inn City Centre in Columbus for our great Ohio Mentoring Project kick-off. For months I had been reading their paperwork, interviewing them, getting to know them, and doing my best to match each mentee with the most suitable mentor. For me the delight, the sometimes tears, and the joyful comments that filled my ears about those matches throughout the weekend were like one enormous and remarkable Christmas present. My matches were a success. (Amy Phelps, our national coordinator, commented that sometimes they even looked alike). Saturday was, by all evaluations, the highlight of the weekend. Two by two (or sometimes four or six) left the Holiday Inn with their canes and dogs and a bit of directional information and headed out to enjoy a gorgeous November day in Columbus. Some went to the Columbus Museum of Science and Industry (Co Sci). Some went exploring downtown with their talking GPS devices. Several went to movies (quite a variety of movies, in fact). Lots of mentors and mentees went shopping, and of course everyone went somewhere for dinner. The comments of the young people were thrilling in themselves. Most had never traveled to public places accompanied only by other blind people. Comments heard included words like “exciting,” “empowering,” and “awesome.”
One girl told me that she thought it was really cool how she, a cane user, and her mentor, a dog guide user, communicated and stayed together on the street. Another said she had never realized that a movie could be fun without sighted people. One who needed an enormous font to read print at a slow pace said she realized she needed to learn Braille. (Ohio can be proud of its Braille readers, incidentally. Almost every mentoring pair had at least one Braille reader, and some had two). There was so much laughter and energy and sometimes chaos that most of us left the hotel exhausted and excited. More than one participant commented that this was the most fun they’d had in weeks, and a few of the mentees just plain didn’t want it to end.
The driving force behind the National Center on Mentoring Excellence is a research project aimed at demonstrating that blind youth with adult mentors achieve success and confidence more quickly and easily than those who have no blind adult role models. Of course I for one feel certain that we already know the answer to that question, but proving it for the next two years promises to be a fantastic adventure!

I had been a member of the Federation for about a year and a half when I sat in shocked silence as our then president and beloved leader, Kenneth Jernigan, made a short speech to a group of us that went something like this:
All of us in this organization hate to the very core of our beings the concept of the blind beggar with his tin cup and pencils. Our reaction is violent and visceral because we know full well that this image is fixed in the public mind as the ultimate representation of blindness. We are frequently intolerant of blind people who make their livings—sometimes a very good living indeed—by this shameless appeal to pity and primal fear. We know that we all pay a price every time this stereotype is reinforced by a blind person begging on the corner.
So it is a given that I hate begging and everything it stands for and that I struggle not to despise those who believe they have no choice but begging if they wish to survive. Yet I tell you that, if I could find no other way to raise the money we need to fund the programs of this organization, even feeling as I do about begging, I would take to the streets and beg to raise money to fund our work. That is how important I think our work is.

I found those words stunning and profoundly disturbing, but I have now lived with them for a number of years, and I have reflected on the truth they conveyed. They have forced me to examine my own personal reactions to the Federation’s efforts at fundraising.
I have noticed that I am far more willing to sell drawing tickets or small items if the cause to which the funds are going is not connected to blindness. This tells me that, when I sell chances or small items for the NFB, I have the niggling feeling that people will presume that I somehow benefit personally from their purchases. I suspect that subconsciously, at least, I feel a bit like a beggar capitalizing on the buyer’s pity for a poor blind person.
I know I am not alone in this reaction. Other blind people have told me as much when I have asked them to join me in doing such fundraising. I have gradually come to the conclusion that this reaction is misguided. I do not believe that friends and strangers see us as a sort of institutional beggar when we sell raffle tickets or Krispy Kreme doughnuts or wrapping paper. In fact I have come to suspect that the expressed fear that such sales will be misunderstood is nothing more than a way of excusing myself for not trying harder at fundraising. That is one reason why Dr. Jernigan’s statement that he would be willing to engage in outright begging if he could find no other way to fund our movement is so disquieting to me.
Of course the Federation is in a new era. With the opening of the NFB Jernigan Institute, we are faced with the need to engage in fundraising on a scale that Dr. Jernigan could not have conceived of when he made his statement. But I do not believe that his view would be any different today. If anything, he would hold it even more passionately, because the range of projects in which we are engaged is even more ground-breaking and absolutely unique than it was in the seventies. I am beginning to hear Federationists offer even stronger objections to the fundraising we are now doing, but I have come to the conclusion that their objections are nothing more than a twenty-first-century version of the old I-don’t-want-to-be-seen-as-a-beggar argument. The concern articulated by these folks is usually that we have lost our commitment to what the NFB has always stood for: helping individual blind people, doing Social Security cases, fighting court cases for individual blind people in trouble, assisting the newly blind. Of course we must continue to engage on all these fronts. The difference, as I see it, is that we used to be able to count on the good old national office to do the heavy lifting in these areas. Now that the programs conducted at the National Center for the Blind are so much more wide-reaching and innovative, now that we are leading the way in helping blind students to do math and science effectively, devising programs to help seniors adjust to blindness, providing the only truly objective place where people can learn about access technology, training professionals in consumer-based rehabilitation, and even helping to invent the first portable reader—now that we are engaged in projects like these—the state affiliates and local chapters are the parts of the Federation people turn to for personal help. We are closer to them anyway, so we actually are the folks who should be helping. These changes take some getting used to. The world today is a different place. It used to be that a bunch of moderately articulate, well-informed blind volunteers could make a favorable impression on the powers that be locally or even nationally. We were the only blind people articulating our views, and even if our materials sometimes looked as if they had been assembled by—well, a bunch of blind people, they were acceptable because…. Today, if we are to be taken seriously on the national scene, we have to be professional, and our documents and literature have to look professional. All these factors work together, requiring us to find new ways to raise the funds we need to do the work we have taken on and to prepare materials that will not be dismissed as unprofessional or second rate. We cannot assume that someone else in the organization will raise the big bucks for us. Our old patterns of selling things to each other will no longer do. We have to find new ways of reaching beyond our membership to all the friends, family members, and business and professional acquaintances that our nationwide network of member volunteers have as a reservoir of potential contributors. Enter the Imagination Fund. Though grant writers at every level of the Federation are attempting to identify foundations that we can approach to fund projects and programs and our members are invited with ever greater eagerness to contribute to cover the costs of our activities, we have come to recognize that something more is needed. Two years ago we created the Imagination Fund, a fundraising program designed to tap funding sources beyond our membership. NFB members who raise funds from friends and family become Imaginators, as do those who actually make the gifts. A member can become an Imaginator by making a significant personal gift, but that misses the point. All of us know at least a few people who could make a significant gift to the NFB if we were to invite them to do so. The question is whether or not we will bother to do it.
The Imagination Fund does not raise funds exclusively for the programs of the Jernigan Institute or only for all national programs. One quarter of the money raised in this effort is divided evenly among all the affiliates; another quarter is available to fund grant requests from affiliates and chapters; and the rest is allocated to fund national programs. Imagination Fund brochures and envelopes are available from Kristi Bowman at the national office. I hope that you will search your heart and conscience and join me as an Imaginator. People lose sight every day. Every day babies are born with little or no vision. Every hour someone decides to do something about poor vision or functional blindness. All these people need our help and can benefit from our expertise. You know about blindness. You can help if you will. If push comes to shove, I hope I have the courage and commitment to stand on the corner and beg in order to fund our movement. I have decided to do everything I can to make certain that we never come to that extremity. I hope that you will think about these matters and join me as an Imaginator. I will be walking in the National Federation of the Blind March for Independence at the convention in Dallas next July. To do so one must have raised at least $250. I hope that you will pledge yourself to raise that much as well. If enough of us do so, none of us will have to stand on the street corner selling pencils.

Just a little over a year ago I frequently reflected on the ways my life had changed since my diagnosis of retinitis pigmentosa. I often pondered the number of tasks and jobs that I was sure required vision to perform. I concluded that it would be impossible to do most things without vision. I had of course persuaded myself that working as a nurse was no longer an option for me. I was reduced to thinking that I could perform only those jobs that required little or no skill. I wondered how I could even get a job washing dishes because I would not be able to see food left on a dish. My then husband cautioned my children that they must do more cleaning around the house because their mom could not see well enough to clean properly; it was up to them to pick up the slack. In this state of depression and denial, I resigned myself to being helpless and dependent on others. I could muster little objection to their well-meant but often tactless offers of help. When I cleaned a room, he would trail me, pointing out the spots I had missed, telling me that I should let someone else do the cleaning, leaving me less confident each time. Traveling by myself presented a similar problem. I became convinced that I could not travel without assistance, a view eagerly reinforced by my husband.
A year ago I did not own a cane, nor did it occur to me that I needed one. I could not imagine using one because of the embarrassment, questions, and stares my imagination conjured up. I was only thirty years old and could not get past the stereotype that only old people used canes. I was afraid of the embarrassment that a cane would envelop me in if my family saw me using one. I did not want any part of the inevitable pity from family, friends, and strangers. Even after I received my first cane, I had reservations about using it; it seemed silly to me to go through an evaluation for mobility training. Clearly I had too much vision to be blind. Why should I even contemplate acquiring the skills of blindness? As you can see, I was still in denial about my blindness.
That was my situation and state of mind in the early fall of 2006. Little did I know how profoundly my life and attitudes about blindness were about to change. My BSVI counselor began the process by telling me about a convention she had attended in July. She gave me information about an upcoming state convention of the National Federation of the Blind to be held in November. Because I felt so isolated and alone in my rural community, I told her that I would be interested in going to the convention and checking out these peculiar people who did not think blindness was a catastrophe. But as the time got closer, real doubts about being around a bunch of blind folks crept in, even though I had already committed to attending. I thought of the trip as a mini-vacation, away from the kids and my husband. I was more focused on trying to find a cure for my vision loss than accepting it.
The 2006 convention of the NFB of Ohio was a real eye-opener for me. Even though I wasn't sure if I really belonged there at first, my roommate made a statement during one of our many conversations that transformed my thinking and stays with me to this day: “Are you more blind or more sighted?” That one question hit me like a ton of bricks and forced me to face my blindness honestly.
It was not until I attended the NFB convention that I was exposed to people who were dealing with vision loss, just as I was. Many held respectable positions in their communities, and I began to realize that blindness was not the end of the world. Even after the convention the conversations with my roommate continued. She kept pouring NFB philosophy into me, changing the way I viewed blindness. The realization that I no longer wanted to be a victim of blindness but a responsible, functional adult in my family and community filled me with hope and determination. I wanted my children to see their mother, not in despair, but as a fighter, someone who could stand up to the challenge and not back down, despite the obstacles that got in my way. I also wanted them to see their mother as someone to admire for her strengths and courage; I didn’t want them to look at me with pity.
I realized I had allowed myself to become totally dependent on people to take me places because I was not sure enough of myself to travel on my own since my vision had declined rapidly in the past year. I decided after hearing about other blind people who traveled independently that I had something to prove to myself and anyone else who said I couldn't travel alone. So I made arrangements to see an ophthalmologist in Los Angeles that I had been wanting to consult. That trip gave me the courage, strength, and proof that I was no longer bound by the chains of dependency on others for my mobility. I was no longer afraid to travel alone. I realized that my cane was my new best friend; it could take me anywhere I wanted to go; I needn’t be embarrassed by it. Using my cane explained why I could not read a sign or needed verbal directions. Since I returned home from Atlanta this past summer, my cane goes wherever I do, and I recognize that I am really missing something when I don’t have it. I am not nearly as confident and sure of myself without it; I don't feel comfortable walking with a sighted guide and depending on him or her rather than my cane. My cane gives me information that a guide may not have time or attention to.
Since this summer and with the influence of others in the NFB, I am now taking control of my life, beginning with my home. I am just a normal person who happens to be blind. With proper skills I am becoming a completely functional and competent blind person who wants to raise awareness and educate people in my community about vision loss and break down their barriers and prejudices about blindness. It is important for me to show others that blindness does not have to be a tragedy; it can be simply a nuisance. It is now my quest to find others in the surrounding communities to join me in changing what it means to be blind.
As a result of the changes in my perspective this past year, I am now more accepting of myself; I am learning Braille and using my cane everywhere I go. I am working on getting my nursing license reinstated after letting it lapse because of my lack of confidence in my ability to do the job.
Now I am at work establishing an NFB chapter in the southern end of the state. We sent a mailing to approximately 200 blind and visually impaired patrons of the Talking Book program within a three-county area. The Regional Library for the Blind assisted us with this project. Since this mailing went out, I have received nine phone calls from people interested in forming a chapter in the Lawrence County area; we have scheduled an informational meeting on January 5, 2008. And as a member of the state Membership Committee, I am looking forward to recruiting others throughout Ohio. My goal is to provide people facing vision loss the opportunity to undergo their own change in perspective.

If your personal information is lost or stolen:
Place a fraud alert on your credit report by contacting one of the following consumer reporting companies, which will alert the other two:
Equifax – 1-800-525-6285
Experion – 1-888-397-3742
Trans Union – 1-800-680-7289.
File a police report.
File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-438-4338.

Some additional helpful numbers:
Social Security Administration Fraud Line: 1-800-269-0271.
If someone steals your checks, close the account and ask your bank to notify CHEX Systems Inc. at 1-800-428-9623 or visit .
You can contact major check verification companies directly to request that they notify retailers who use their databases not to accept your checks. Call TeleCheck at 1-800-710-9898 or 1-800-927-0188; or Certegy Inc. at 1-800-437-5120. To find out if the identity thief has been passing bad checks in your name, call SCAM at 1-800-262-7771.

Mail Theft:
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is the law enforcement arm of the U.S. Postal Service and investigates cases of identity theft. If your mail is stolen, contact the local U.S. Postal Inspection Service. You can get the number by calling your local post office or visiting .

For several years I had heard many things good, bad, and in-between about the National Federation of the Blind and its philosophy. I’d gone to Christmas parties, picnics, and local chapter meetings, but I had never attended a single convention, national or state. For as long as I can remember, my friends have spoken warmly of NFB conventions. Finally, on the weekend of November 2, 2007, I experienced this great opportunity for myself.
Fortunately it just so happened that this year’s state convention was held at the Holiday Inn Eastgate in Cincinnati, my hometown. As this was one of the first times I’ve been dropped off in an unfamiliar area without a parent or sighted peer, I can honestly say I felt awkward and right at home at the same time. I arrived nearly an hour before registration, tempted to relax, but knowing I had things to do, places to go, and people to see before all the Friday night festivities began. All I can say is thank God for cell phones. After registering, I called my friends, who happened to be hanging out down the hall from where I was, so that we could have face-to-face catch-up time. In less than a half hour a pizza party for the students was scheduled; no way was I going to miss that! Not only did I want pizza, but I couldn’t wait to interact and get acquainted with fellow students.
Now I am the first to admit that orientation and mobility is not my forte, and I did not want to wander all around the hotel by myself and run the risk of never being found again. As luck would have it, neither one of my friends knew anything about the pizza party. So we were all lost together. As I once said to my friend Donny, “It’s better to be lost with the one you love.” In other words, thank God I wasn’t the only clueless Joe in the room. Eventually my friends and I had to part company, and I was left to figure out how I would get in everything I wanted to do in a timely fashion. After several attempts to get into the door of the room in which the party was to be held, I finally decided to go back to my room for a few minutes. Much to my relief, my roommate, a fellow student, was there.
“Do you know anything about the pizza party?” I asked hopefully. Thankfully she did. It was not until 5:30, and we went together.
Following the student interaction was the second annual “Sing for Braille,” a concert featuring a variety of vocal talent and music genres such as gospel, contemporary Christian, pop, and musical theater. From a vocal scholar’s standpoint, almost every performance I heard that evening was truly outstanding. Standout performances were given by such regulars as Kyle Conley, Macy McClain, and Marilyn Donehey, as well as first-timer Karen Woods, just to name a few. During this grand program a silent auction was also going on. With the Christmas season fast approaching, those in attendance were given the option to spend their money on various items donated by NFB members, families, and friends. After such an eventful evening, it was time for all to socialize or rest.
During the general session on Saturday morning we heard a report about what was happening at the national level of the Federation, presentations on identity theft, library services, and long-term health insurance. I do not recall all the presentations in great detail. However, I can say that there is much to look forward to and be aware of in the blind community today.
At the noon hour I had the privilege of attending the student luncheon and learning more about my friends and new acquaintances once again. While eating boxed lunches, we went around the room with each student telling one or two things about him or herself. The main topic of discussion was motivation. Student division president Jennifer Kennedy shared her positive experiences in the NFB and encouraged all of us to reach out to students in our areas as well as statewide to get them involved in this great organization. From there it was back to the general session. At the end of the afternoon session we got a bit of a break, and then we went to the ever-exciting banquet during which several awards were presented: e.g. state scholarship and outstanding chapter. Mark Riccobono also gave a lengthy but informative speech on growing up as a blind person. All in all, I would say one of the highlights for me was meeting new friends and reuniting with the old. As a result of this convention I now have a greater appreciation for the NFB’s philosophy. As the R. Kelley song says:
If I can see it, than I can do it.
If I just believe it, there’s nothing to it.
I believe I can fly.
And so can everyone if we put our hearts and minds to all that we do in life. The National Federation of the Blind can help all of us fly.

I could not think of a better way to kick off our state convention than this year's “Sing for Braille.” Not only did it raise $2,280 for our Braille literacy program, but also I believe it brought the blind and sighted community together in a way that had never been done before. For those of you who missed it, let me share the experience with you.
First was the preparation. When Debra Kendrick and I met with the banquet manager of the hotel and found out the room we were assigned for the event was unavailable at the time, she couldn’t understand why a printed map of the room wouldn’t be just as good for us to discuss arrangements. When we were able to get into the room, Debra went into action and turned the room into actual coordinates that we all could follow, so we were then able to proceed with our planning.
Next, setting up. Here’s where the magic began. This was a wonderful team effort between NFB members and sighted volunteers. Here’s what was going on at the south side of the room. I was making sure the auction tables were arranged, the auction sheets were put out, the items were identified and put in their proper place, the snacks were put out, and the registration table was set up. On the north side of the room, Debra was checking in all the performers and getting their tracks to Kelly Prescott for sound checks to make sure the technical side of the event was set. All of this took a little over an hour. We were then ready for the fun to begin.
Finally the moment we had all been waiting for: the singing began. Here are some highlights. Dr. J. W. Smith opened the program with a rousing New Orleans style “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.” Greg Matheeny gave us his own “Have We Forgotten?” Annie Donnellon made us forget we were sitting in the Holiday Inn-Eastgate and transformed us to the Met in N. Y. C. with “Dedication Prayer.” Marilyn Donehey, working solo without her pianist, beautifully sang one of my personal favorites, “Climb Every Mountain.” Kyle Conley was next with his melodious version of “The Lord Bless You and Keep You.” This was followed by “bidding music” on the piano by Jack Masten. Kari Smith soothed us with an Amy Grant medley. George Corey gave a new meaning to tickling the ivories with his rendition of “New York, New York.” We listened to Caitlyn Kendrick (yes, they are related), who sweetly sang “I Am not a Stranger to the Rain.” Abby Bowlling, our youngest performer, sang “God Save the Outcast.” Macy McClain gave me chills with her version of “Broken Wing.” One of our special guests, Karen Woods, sang two original songs, one of them entitled, “You Are.” While all the entertaining was going on, sighted volunteers were busy helping describe auction items and writing bids for anyone who needed it.
I want to take this opportunity to thank Deborah Kendrick for all her hard work putting the program together and securing the volunteers for the evening, Dr. J. W. Smith for co-hosting with Deborah, as well as singing, and Kelly Prescott for handling the sound equipment. Thank you to all the performers, especially to those in our NFB family. I would also like to thank everyone who donated items for the auction. The evening was a complete success.
Be sure to mark your calendars for October 31, 2008, for our next “Sing for Braille,” in Columbus. It will prove to be a spectacular evening. Hope to see all of you there.

MY FORGETTER

My forgetter is getting better,
But my rememberer is broke.
To you that may seem funny,
But to me that is no joke.

For when I’m here,
I wonder if I should be there
And when I think it through,
I haven’t got a prayer.

Oft times I’ll walk into a room
And say, “What am I here for?”
I’ll rack my brain but all in vain
Zero is my score.

Sometimes I’ll put something away
To keep it safe,
But, gee, the person it’s safest from
Is generally me.

When shopping, I may see someone
And stop and have a chat,
And when that person walks away,
I ask myself, “Who was that?”

Yes, my forgetter is getting better,
But my rememberer is broke.
And it’s driving me plum crazy
And that isn’t any joke.

SMILING

Smiling is infectious.
You catch it like the flu.
When someone smiled at me today,
I started smiling too.

I walked around the corner
And someone saw my grin.
He started smiling—
I passed it on to him.

I thought about that smile
And I realize its worth:
A smile just like mine or yours
Could travel round the earth.

So next time you feel a smile coming on,
Don’t leave it undetected.
Let it out. Pass it on.
We’ll get the world infected.

Aaron Cydrus made a great presentation about an absolutely exciting program that will begin on the second of January. Medicaid Buy-In for Workers with Disabilities (MBIWD) will enable anyone who is blind or disabled, as defined under the rules of the Social Security Administration and who is earning an income, to purchase Medicaid health coverage. To get more information about this program, go to the following Website or call the following phone number:
Medicaid Hotline 1-800-324-8680, TTY/TDD 1-800-292-3572.

At its meeting on October 11, 2007, the Ohio Rehabilitation Association presented Federationist Deborah Kendrick with its Excellence in Media Award for 2007. We might be accused of bias, but we whole-heartedly approve of this honor. Deborah is a free-lance journalist, syndicated columnist, and NFB of Ohio board member. She lives and works in Cincinnati.
Congratulations to Annette Anderson, who has recently accepted a position with Infosition. Annette has been seeking employment for some time and has faced many obstacles along the way. Persistence does pay off, and Annette can now testify to that.

The Parents of Blind Children Division held a special election at this year's convention. Cindy Conley was elected president, and Crystal McClain is now vice president. We are grateful for all of the hard work and dedication that Crystal and Mark McClain have brought to our movement over many years, and we count on their leadership for many more. We are also extremely grateful for Cindy Conley's willingness to step in as president. She will bring new ideas and a lot of positive and productive energy to the position.
We are sorry to report the death of Gladys Franklin. Gladys was a long-time member of first the Mahoning Valley chapter and then the At-Large Chapter, who died unexpectedly at the age of seventy. We extend our thoughts and prayers to her family.

Frequent users of NFB-NEWSLINE are undoubtedly aware that we have had some down-time with the service over the last few weeks. This has meant that some papers were not delivered at all for a day or two. Unfortunately, we regret to report that we have had much more serious problems with the delivery of the Columbus Dispatch due in large part to the fact that the Dispatch has changed the way it delivers its content to NFB-NEWSLINE. We apologize for the inconvenience, and we are confident that the problem will be resolved before this newsletter arrives in your mailbox.
The Ohio Diabetes Action Network conducted elections at the convention with the following results: president, Wanda Sloan; vice president, Bruce Peters; secretary, Everett Gavel; treasurer, Anne Peters; and board members Kathleen Lord and Jeanette Wade.

The Cincinnati chapter held elections on November 27. The following officers were elected for two-year terms: president, Paul Dressell; vice president, Sheri Albers; secretary, Deborah Kendrick; and treasurer, Judy Cook. In addition chapter member Lisa Hall was chosen to represent Clovernook Center for the Blind on the Braille Authority of North America (BANA). Congratulations to all.

Capital chapter
Eric Duffy, (614) 262-9378

Cincinnati chapter
Paul Dressell, (513) 481-7662

Cleveland chapter
William Turner, (216) 696-3450

Cuyahoga chapter
Annette Anderson, (216) 381-1735

Lake County chapter
Virginia Mann, (440) 943-5834

Lorain County chapter
Sherry Ruth, (440) 324-4218

Miami Valley chapter
Richard Payne, (937) 298-6677

Muskingum chapter
Richard McConnell, (740) 452-9187

Southeast chapter
Dr. J. W. Smith, (740) 593-3046

Stark County chapter
Mary Pool, (330) 455-2831

Summit County chapter
Mary Weldon, (330) 773-5253

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