BAYLINES
Fall 2007
Phone: 617-923-4519
President, Bob Hachey
Phone: 781-893-6251
E-mail: bhachey@comcast.net
Editor, Jerry Berrier
Phone: 508-845-9944
E-mail: jerry@birdblind.org
Assistant Editors: Marcia Dresser,
"BayLines" is published four times per year in large print, audio cassette, via e-mail, and on the Web. Please contact the editor if you wish to request a change of format. Deadlines for receiving material are February 15, May 15, August 15 and November 15.
BSCB E-mail Lists:
BSCB-L is an open and unmoderated e-mail list for discussion of topics of interest to BSCB members and friends. To subscribe, send e-mail to bscb-l-subscribe@acb.org
BSCB-ANNOUNCE is a moderated one-way e-mail list used to disseminate pertinent announcements to members and friends of the Bay State Council of the Blind. To subscribe, send an E-mail request to: jerry@birdblind.org
From
The President By Bob Hachey
Perkins
Spotlight Roz Rowley: Secondary Teacher/Alumna
Audio
Journal Celebrates 20 Years November 5 event to commemorate milestone
Attorney
General Martha Coakley and NFB Reach Settlement with ATM Operator
BSCB
Member Hired As State House ADA Coordinator
DPC
Publishes Emergency Preparedness Booklet
A
Dogged Blind Man Gets Justice By Melanie Markley
Janet
LaBreck Appointed Commissioner of the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind
7-128
Software Announces the Release of PERCEPTIONS Game Book
A
Farewell to David Govostes By BSCB President Bob Hachey
BSCB
Banquet Award Presentation By Judi Cannon
Perkins
Publishes How-to Primer for Public School Teachers
Sleep
Study Seeks Participants
Advocates
for Blind Call for Uniform Web Site Standard
From The
President
By Bob Hachey
Hi everyone. Welcome to the Fall 2007 edition of Baylines. Fall offers us the opportunity to enjoy freshly picked apples, long brisk walks, and the Red Sox in the playoffs.
I'd like to use this opportunity to update all of you on
current legislation that, if passed, will improve the lives of blind and
visually impaired residents of
Please contact your state representatives and senators and let them know that you support the following pieces of legislation. You can contact them as follows:
1. via telephone: House of Representatives, 617-722-2000; Senate, 617-722-1455.
2. Via email, go to www.mass.gov and then to the home page of the legislature. From here you can email your senators and representatives.
3. If possible, consider a personal visit to the State House
in
S 564, sponsored by Senator Steven Baddour, would require
health insurance companies to cover the cost of talking prescription bottles.
These are digital voice recorders that fit onto prescription bottles and allow
for up to 1 minute of recorded information. This could include name of
medication, dosing instructions, and warnings related to the medication. This
bill is scheduled for a public hearing on November 14 at
S 589, sponsored by Senator Jack Hart, would require that health insurance companies cover the cost of hearing aids. The public hearing mentioned above will also include this bill. Keep in mind that many of our elderly brothers and sisters who are losing their vision are also losing their hearing and could benefit tremendously if this bill passes. Let's all push hard to get both of these bills passed this year.
H 349, sponsored by Representative Antonio Cabral, would extend federal web accessibility standards to state government. This bill would ensure that all state government websites would be at least as accessible as federal websites. This bill was heard back in July and received a favorable recommendation from the Economic Development and Emerging Technologies Committee.
H 3512, sponsored by Kevin Honan, would facilitate the installation of red light cameras by cities and towns. These cameras would help local officials to identify drivers who run red lights and those who fail to stop and proceed with caution when turning right on red. This legislation was heard in October by the Joint Committee on Transportation. This bill would make life better for all pedestrians.
If any of you have any questions or need assistance in supporting these bills, please phone me at 781-893-6251. Keep in mind that advocacy is at the core of the mission of BSCB and the American Council of the Blind. Thanks in advance for your support of our legislative priorities. Enjoy the rest of BayLines.
Perkins Spotlight
Roz Rowley: Secondary Teacher/Alumna
(Reprinted from Perkins Insight)
[Editor's note: I know you will all enjoy this article about BSCB member Roz Rowley.]
"Braille is our kids' paper and pencil. To know braille is to be able to go out in the world and be employable and independent. Braille opens the door for our kids to take part in society and to participate on so many levels in the world around them. The importance of literacy in a blind child's life cannot be underestimated."
In September of 2001, Stephen, a bright nineteen-year old student with a history of failed attempts to learn to read braille stepped into the classroom of Perkins teacher Roz Rowley.
In fact, before coming to Perkins he had been advised not to bother to pursue studying academics at all.
"As soon as I started to teach Stephen, I could tell that he had given up on learning to read," said Rowley. "Not only did Stephen have great difficulty learning the letters and contractions, he also had poor phonemic awareness - he could not master the sounds that form words, the very foundation of literacy. I needed to find a different way to teach this information to him, and that's what I intended to do." She talked with a friend who worked with middle-school learning disabled students and asked her if she had come across anything new for a student grappling with remembering sounds. "Laurie came to my classroom a few weeks later and started dumping out books all over the floor. I sat down and got to work."
What Roz discovered that day was the Wilson Reading System,
a carefully organized twelve step multi-sensory program. The system begins with
a student learning the sounds or phonemes, such as the "t" found in
tip or cat. Once students have mastered these sounds, they begin to experiment
with putting them together. They then move from sounds to words to sentences
and finally entire passages. The
With the help of Perkins staff like Judy Beltis and Kim
Charlson, Rowley was able to secure the necessary funds to begin to customize
the
She started using the program immediately with Stephen, and for the first time he began to read braille and sound out words. As he became more and more advanced in his studies, he moved through Steps One through Seven using the Wilson Readers. Rowley continued to motivate him by adding in age-appropriate texts to reinforce his newfound interest in reading.
Three years later, Stephen graduated as President of his class and read his graduation speech. Currently, he is attending Keene State College, and is on the Dean's list. He and Roz still keep in touch.
Rowley's adaptation of the
Rowley's adaptation of the
Roz has spent her entire career thinking on her feet and
adapting her teaching methods to ensure that students like Stephen succeed.
"I came to Perkins right out of college, and I have never felt the need to
go anywhere else. I love the kids, and I love what I do. It feels so good to
know that what I teach my kids helps them become the successful adults they are
today." To learn more about
Audio Journal
Celebrates 20 Years
November 5 event to commemorate milestone
(Excerpted
from HotKey, Newsletter of the Audio Journal)
“All good things start with a good idea… How simple. Help people who aren’t able to
read keep up with what’s happening in the world. But how do you make a simple,
even great, idea become reality? With hard work, determination and special
people.”
--Ron
Bersani, TIC Executive Director
Nearly 10
years after the start of radio reading for the blind in
Of humble origins, those being an unused
closet of the Worcester Public Library, the original director, Susan Wagner,
recruited a handful of volunteers to broadcast readings of the local newspapers
to a small number of visually impaired residents. The concept resonated with
the community, the volunteers and the listeners. Collaborations were
established, programming was expanded, outreach blossomed and listenership
grew.
Through the diligent leadership of Susan,
a volunteer coordinator and volunteer trainer were placed, and an advisory
board developed. The station moved from the library closet to a small space at
WICN public radio, then on
After 12 years of service, Susan handed
the reins to Vince Lombardi, and the last 8 years have seen continued growth in
technologies, facilities, and inclusions. Audio Journal was incorporated in
2000; the Advisory Board converted to a governing Board of Directors. In 2003
AJ relocated to its present location at
Upgraded equipment and a fully accessible
suite led to a surge of volunteers with a variety of disabilities. Now Audio
Journal was directly affected by those it served. Blind staff and trainees are
now part of the landscape; one which serves the community effectively,
providing a voice from as well as to the people it serves.
Today Audio
Journal is poised to make a difference in the lives of many individuals by
instituting a program offering job training and evaluations for people who are
blind. This will be our attempt to affect the 70% unemployment rate among able
blind individuals.
The people named are the face of this type
of growth and dedication. But the real heart and soul of what Audio Journal has
been and continues to be, are the volunteers, all 150 of them. They come in
each day and put compassion into action. Because of them, Audio Journal celebrates this
milestone and looks forward to many more.
In celebration of our 20th Anniversary the
board of directors, led by new board president Sue Ondovic, has organized a
very special event on
Attorney General Martha Coakley and NFB Reach Settlement with ATM Operator
(Excerpted from a press release from Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley's Office)
On June 27, Attorney General Martha Coakley entered into a
settlement with Cardtronics, Inc., the nation's largest ATM operator, that will
provide significantly improved access for blind consumers to the company's
machines. Under the terms of the agreement, Cardtronics will increase the
number of machines equipped with voice guidance technology to its fleet of over
23,000 ATMs nationwide and on more than 1,200 ATMs in
Cardtronics will make all of the ATMs they own voice-guided by mid-2008. They further commit that by mid-2010, 90% of all of its transactions will be voice-enabled. Cardtronics will not renew any merchant's contract after mid-2010 unless the merchant's ATM is voice-guided. They will also launch a marketing plan targeting high-volume merchants to assist in complying with the 90% transaction requirement and offer free voice upgrades or replacement ATMs at cost.
BSCB Member Hired
As State House ADA
Congratulations and best wishes to BSCB member Carl
Richardson who was recently hired as
According to a recent press release, the purpose of the ADA Coordinator is to work as a team member with the legislature, state agencies, and the citizens of the Commonwealth to facilitate the implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act within the State House. This will cover many areas such as physical barriers, communications and information access, access to programs and services, dispute resolution, and accountability.
Some of Carl's key responsibilities will be to:
* Act as a primary resource for disability-related issues
* Ensure equal access for all to gather at and participate in the programs and activities at the Massachusetts State House
* Work with the General Court and executive offices to identify and mitigate or eliminate any barriers preventing physical or communication access on an equal basis to the various public programs, activities, and services in Bureau managed facilities including but not limited to meetings, public hearings, legislative sessions, and tours.
The press release went on to say that as a deaf-blind
individual and a member of the disability community, Carl can lend a unique
perspective in assisting State House staff and visitors. He has a unique
background in communications, fundraising, marketing, access technology and
managerial experience at some of
Carl can be reached at 617-727-1100 Ext. 35502, or via email at Carl.Richardson@state.ma.us .
DPC Publishes Emergency Preparedness Booklet
The
Disability Policy Consortium has published an excellent booklet, entitled
“Personal Emergency Preparedness Plan”, which provides very clear and specific
suggestions as to how to come up with such a plan. Individual copies of
the Personal Emergency Preparedness Guide may be downloaded or bulk copies
requested from:
For
multiple copies for use with a group, contact Seth Curtis:
scurtis@dpcma.org; 617 499-6957.
A Dogged Blind Man
Gets Justice
By Melanie Markley
(Reprinted from the
Carl Richardson didn't exactly get his day in court.
But the blind man from
In a recent plea agreement, the limo driver, Eyad Doleh,
agreed to waive his right to a trial in exchange for probation and the posting
of two $400 bonds. He pleaded no contest to charges that he refused to take
Richardson,
Under
The charges were refiled after a Houston Chronicle report.
"Joe and I are both happy because the law was applied as intended," he said, "and that's all we really wanted."
Attorney General Coakley Wins Lawsuit against Fung Wah Bus Company for Refusing To Sell Tickets to Blind Couple
Janet LaBreck
Appointed Commissioner of the Massachusetts
(Excerpted from an EOHHS news release)
Ms. LaBreck is nationally recognized for her work on vocational rehabilitation issues and offers the kind of innovative leadership that will enable the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind to expand rehabilitation services and educational, employment, and social opportunities for people who are blind or visually impaired.
Ms. LaBreck has worked at the MCB for the past 22 years.
Since 2001, she has been the Commission's Regional Director for
Before becoming the Commission's Regional Director, Ms. LaBreck served as a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor with the MCB (1993-2001). A Certified Rehabilitation Counselor, she guided blind individuals through the rehabilitation process. Ms. LaBreck previously served as Independent Living Coordinator at the Commission and was responsible for securing contracts for approved state vendors purchasing adaptive equipment. She worked directly with consumers and their families to develop individualized plans for achieving independence and to resolve challenges relating to personal and family adjustments; finances; employment; food; and shelter. As an MCB Consumer Advocate from 1985-86, Ms. LaBreck conducted investigations and advocated for consumers during fair hearings and partnered with businesses, governments, and private organizations to resolve consumer rights violations.
Since 2005, Ms. LaBreck has been an Adjunct Professor at
Ms. LaBreck assumed her new role in August.
7-128 Software Announces the Release of PERCEPTIONS Game Book
The Game Book is the engine that operates all 7-128 Simply Entertainment games. It comes pre-loaded with 4 games. All of the games in the PERCEPTIONS Game Book are blind and visually impaired accessible.
The PERCEPTIONS Game Book, and all BL (blind accessible) and VI (visually impaired accessible) rated Simply Entertainment games work with JAWS, and are self-voicing as well.
The Game Book and additional games can be downloaded from
www.7128.com
or ordered on CD and shipped via US Mail.
A Farewell to
David Govostes
By BSCB President Bob Hachey
David Govostes has been working to improve the lives of people with disabilities for almost 40 years. For much of that time, he has tried to make the best of the bureaucracy that oversees health care for the poor, elderly and disabled.
David has served as Commissioner of the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind (MCB) for around nine years. His years of service as Commissioner of MCB have not been easy ones. He has had to work with governors who often were more interested in tax cuts than in services for people with disabilities. These years were also marked with budget crises which put the squeeze on all of our human services agencies. Once again, David did the best he could in difficult circumstances. One might say that he was given lemons and produced reasonably good quality lemonade. During his time as Commissioner, David worked with the Disability Policy Consortium and other consumer organizations to hold the line in the face of potential budget cuts.
David's greatest accomplishment as Commissioner was his staunch support for programs which serve elders who are losing their vision. From support groups and rehabilitation teachers to supplies and equipment, David has worked tirelessly to serve a rapidly growing population with limited resources. He initiated programs to get used computers and closed circuit televisions into the hands of elders who could not afford to buy them. He has also worked for increased community supports designed to allow persons to live independently in their communities instead of having to move into nursing homes.
David has always sought to promote the independence of blind and visually impaired residents of the Commonwealth. We wish to David a fond farewell and best wishes for the future.
BSCB Banquet
Award Presentation
By Judi Cannon
As I begin my presentation this evening I want to tell a story. It happened on a beautiful summer afternoon as my son Daniel and his wife were taking their vows. The words that were heard were “Megan, will you take David …” There was complete silence. After a pause, Megan replied, "No but I will take Daniel." Yes, wrong first name, but still a great name that belongs to our award recipient this evening.
For more than 75 years people who are blind in this country have had the wonderful opportunity of traveling with a guide dog. For the past 25 of these years one man has made guide dog harnesses for schools around the world that gives the connection between the human and canine partnership. This man is David Chabot.
While traveling with my second guide dog, Hazel, I began to
have problems holding on to the traditional harness handle. Lukas Franck had been tinkering with a new
handle design (what a unique thing for Lukas to be doing) that would slightly
tilt the handle and take the pressure off of my thumb. Great idea, but we found that my hand kept
sliding. The result was a trip to visit
this evening's award recipient. I found myself in the garage workshop of David
Chabot in a small town near
It was clear to me immediately that David was thrilled and enjoyed a challenge. After making thousands of harnesses, he certainly had some thought on design and modification. He had been doing just this for years. He thought, he measured, he thought some more, and he solved the problem. The modification worked. It worked with Hazel, and Karma, and now my new Seeing Eye dog, Janice, sitting at my side has the same harness design on today. Because of David, I travel today without pain and with grace. A variety of additional modified designs have helped countless others through the years.
When I called to tell David that he would be honored this evening, he said that he loves what he does and does not think of it as a job. He loves making quality harnesses. David truly understands the connection that his harnesses give us, because he cares. He and his wife Louise work hand-in-hand, and they are passing this love and dedication on to their son David, Jr.
David’s only concern was why I had not been in touch. He wanted to know first-hand that all was going well. What a nice feeling that gave me.
David, you are a true craftsman. You are as dedicated as we are to our prospective guides. All guide dog users in this room this evening are holding onto a guide dog's leash—a leash made by David Chabot. A leash made with precision and love.
David, guide dog users everywhere will always have a connection to you. You made a difference for me, by taking the time to listen to my unique needs.
And David, while it is true that your first name, David, is a great name, it is your middle name that connects us together. David Daniel Chabot, I am proud and honored to present you with the 2007 Bay State Council of the Blind Outstanding Service Award.
Perkins Publishes How-to Primer for Public School Teachers
When there are no visual cues, do the everyday sounds of classroom learning engage blind students, or do they become an aural cacophony that can hinder a student's learning? Is it at all possible to convey to a sighted teacher the full experience of being a visually impaired student in a public school classroom?
Working with master teachers for the blind, the Perkins School for the Blind, the pioneering institution where Helen Keller and Annie Sullivan were educated, has published a how-to primer for public school teachers that will help them answer these and other critical questions as they integrate blind and visually impaired students into their classrooms.
The trend of integrating children with disabilities into public school continues to expand. But classrooms have become bigger and more crowded, and special education specialists' caseloads increase almost daily. Currently, there is a significant shortage of teachers for the blind in our nation's public schools. Responsibilities are falling more and more to mainstream classroom teachers to integrate blind children into their classrooms, but itinerant teachers of the blind have less and less time in their schedules to "train the trainer." The end result is that the needs of blind public school students can go unmet.
Seeking to meet these needs, the Watertown,
Massachusetts-based
The end result is a manual that enables public school teachers and teachers for the blind to better understand and meet the needs of the blind students in their classrooms. Covering the social implications of vision loss, orientation and mobility, and outlining low vision issues, the easy-to-use manual is designed to be flexible and accessible for non-special-education teachers. It includes slides, notes, and activities, and comes with a multi-sensory DVD presentation designed to help more teachers more fully comprehend the experience of being blind in a public school.
For more information, contact:
Nicole Russell Denterlein
Worldwide Public Affairs
617.482.0042
Sleep Study Seeks Participants
Are you totally blind and searching for an extraordinary experience?
Brigham and Women’s Hospital in
You may be eligible to participate in this study if you are
totally blind between the ages of 18 and 70, have no light perception, and take
no prescription medications. We will
cover all travel expenses for
For more information, contact Joe or Lisa at 1-888-828-4294, or e-mail:
jhull@partners.org
Advocates for Blind Call for Uniform Web Site Standard
(Excerpted from Disability Policy Consortium listserv)
A patchwork of standards that have resulted in less accessible state web sites for disabled individuals prompted an association to cry foul on July 26 and lobby for a uniform benchmark. "It's very much a mixed bag in terms of accessibility of web sites," said Daniel Graham, who is blind and works with the Disability Policy Consortium. Every state agency has documents up on their website that are only partly accessible through screen reading software, he said. PDF documents and images, in particular, are hard for the software to read, advocates for the blind say. The state does not have accessibility standards that apply across the entire government, due to a concern of a separation of powers between the three branches of state government, he said. According to a June report from the consortium, the Senate meets standards, while the House does not. The bill (H 349), sponsored by Rep. Antonio Cabral (D-New Bedford), would put the state Information Technology Division in the Executive Office of Administration and Finance in charge of adopting the set of standards for the agencies. Rep. Daniel Bosley (D-North Adams), co-chair of the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies, said he was "very supportive" of the effort. "This should be accessible to everybody," he said, but noted the federal standard is currently being dramatically rewritten. "We continue to put more and more content on the Internet." Bosley also said funding for the technology division also needs to be increased.
BSCB Board of Directors
Bob Hachey, President
Phone: 781-893-6251
E-mail: bhachey@comcast.net
Marcia Dresser, First Vice President
Phone: 781-944-3586
E-mail: mn.dresser@verizon.net
Chris Devin, Second Vice President
Phone: 617-472-0308
Jerry Berrier, Secretary
Phone: 508-845-9944
E-mail: jerry@birdblind.org
Rick Morin, Treasurer
Phone: 781-373-1044
E-mail: rick.morin@comcast.net
Kim Charlson, Director
Phone: 617-926-9198
E-mail: kimcharlson@comcast.net
Cheryl Cumings, Director
Phone: 617-731-5998
E-mail: cscumings@comcast.net
Diane Fann, Director
Phone: 617-376-7187
E-mail: rdfann@earthlink.net
Alison Roberts, Director
Phone: 617-461-6077
E-mail: alison2911@comcast.net
Committee Contacts
BayLines Editor
Jerry Berrier
Phone: 508-845-9944
E-mail: jerry@birdblind.org
Council Connection Hosts
Chris Devin
Phone: 617-472-0308
Marcia Dresser
Phone: 781-944-3586
E-mail: mn.dresser@verizon.net
Legislative Committee Chair
Bob Hachey
Phone: 781-893-6251
E-mail: bhachey@comcast.net
Media Access Committee
Kim Charlson
Phone: 617-926-9198
E-mail: kimcharlson@comcast.net
Membership Committee Chair
Marcia Dresser
Phone: 781-944-3586
E-mail: mn.dresser@verizon.net
Chapter Contacts
Bob Hachey
Phone: 781-893-6251
E-mail: bhachey@comcast.net
George McDermott
Phone: (508) 795-1118
E-mail: profrev66@earthlink.net
Guide Dog Users of
Pauline Downing
Phone: 617-776-9706
E-mail: rookie16@rcn.com
Alison Roberts
Phone: 617-461-6077
E-mail: alison2911@comcast.net
Chris Devin
Phone: 617-472-0308