BayLines

Summer, 2010

Bay State Council of the Blind

57 Grandview Avenue

Watertown, MA 02472

Phone: 617-923-4519

www.acb.org/baystate/

President, Bob Hachey

22 Grant Street

Waltham, MA 02453

Phone: 781-893-6251

e-mail: bhachey@comcast.net

Editor, Marcia Dresser

167 Green Street

Reading, MA 01867

Phone: 781-944-3586

e-mail: mn.dresser@verizon.net

Assistant Editors: Jerry Berrier, Sharon Strzalkowski, Steve Dresser, and Judy Savageau

"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

Editor's Page. 4

President's Message. 5

BSCB Convention Highlights. 8

BSCB Resolutions for 2010. 12

Racheotes, Scouler Teach FSC About the Blind Experience. 14

Berklee Adds a Braille Beat Students Testing Program for Blind. 17

Best Buy Adds Tactile Keypads to Improve Checkout Experience for Customers with Visual Impairments. 20

News from Our Chapters. 22

Through Fencing, Blind Students Learn Skills for Everyday Life. 23

20^th Anniversary of the American Disabilities Act 28

Media Access Group at WGBH Receives Accessibility Leadership Award 28

Mass Audubon Receives Grant to Improve Accessibility. 28

Board of Directors. 28

Committee Contacts. 32

Chapter Contacts. 33

Editor's Page

I have truly enjoyed editing BayLines for the last two years. Unfortunately, however, despite my best efforts, my teaching responsibilities have made it difficult for me to get our newsletter to you on a regular schedule. My husband, Steve, who was editor of the Connecticut Council of the Blind publication for eight years, has volunteered to take over. I know I'm placing BayLines in very good hands, and I think you'll agree.

I am very grateful to everyone who assisted me during my tenure: Steve, Jerry Berrier, Sharon Strzalkowski, Roz Rowley, Judy Savageau, and everyone who submitted articles. You made my job so much easier!

I'll leave you with a reminder to be sure to vote on Tuesday, November 2nd. Every polling place throughout the Commonwealth has an accessible voting machine, so there's no excuse! If you need a ride to the polls, call your town hall or the headquarters of the party of your choice and explain your situation. They will be happy to help you.

Enjoy the fall, and have a very happy Thanksgiving!

Marcia Nigro Dresser

President's Message

by Bob Hachey

Hello everyone,

Welcome to the Spring/Summer 2010 issue of BayLines. Here's hoping that all of you have enjoyed some of the very nice spring and summer weather we've gotten this year.

I'd like to begin with a word about BSCB conventions. There will be a more detailed article later in BayLines regarding this year's convention. I am very interested to hear about possible locations that you might like us to consider for future BSCB conventions. Recent conventions have been held in Natick, while this year's convention was held in Waltham. The Newton and Brookline locations we used to use are unfortunately no longer appropriate for our needs. This is disappointing given that both locations are located on the Green Line of the MBTA and thus are transportation friendly for many of us. We haven't been to Worcester in a long time and I'd like us to return if we find an appropriate venue. Also, we've never had conventions on the north or south shores and either of those locations might be good. I've actually heard about a location in downtown Boston that might work for us and we'll be looking closely at that one. Similarly, I'd love to hear from members regarding presentation topics and panel discussions.

Most of you probably remember the water crisis that occurred in early May. Due to a break in a major aquaduct from the Kwaban Reservoir, residents of 30 communities in the metropolitan Boston area had to boil water for drinking. While state agencies did a very good job in terms of quick action to identify and fix the break, they did not do as well in terms of dealing with persons with disabilities during the crisis. First, television newscasts scrawled the names of the impacted communities across the bottom of the screen, but they neglected to read the names of the communities. Second, while many of the impacted communities provided safe bottled water, it was necessary to pick it up from a central location. Most communities had no plans in place to distribute water to those who needed deliveries. The DPC recently filed a federal complaint with the Civil Rights office of the Department of Justice. In this complaint, the DPC demands that the state of Massachusetts put into place plans for dealing with future crises of this type.

I am continuing to work with the city of Boston regarding maintenance of audible pedestrian signals and the consideration of adding new ones. Recent changes to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Controls which regulates lighted intersections mean that it will be easier to get audible signals installed in your communities. Municipalities will be required to install audible signals at lighted intersections where requested unless they can prove undue burden. Feel free to contact me if you need assistance in requesting the installation of an APS.

BSCB has created the Access to Medical Information committee in efforts to promote the provision of information in accessible formats from doctors, hospitals and other medical providers. Nancy Jodoin will be chairing this committee. Nancy wants all of you to know that you have the right to receive information from your medical providers in accessible formats. Anyone wishing to work with Nancy on this issue should contact me. Speaking of medical information, I recently received a letter from MassHealth outlining cuts in service to begin on July 1. These cuts include dental services, medical transportation and hospital stays lasting longer than 20 days. Fortunately, I received an accessible copy of this letter from a colleague. I have repeatedly requested that MassHealth communicate with me in an accessible format to no avail. It's high time that all of us receive information in accessible formats, especially for those of us who use a computer. It takes very little extra effort for almost any organization to send out an email.

On a similar note, as of April 15, the Social Security Administration is required to communicate with us in accessible formats. If you haven't already done so, contact the Social Security Administration and request that they communicate with you in accessible formats.

BSCB helped to organize the second annual Blindness Legislative and Informational Networking Day (BLIND) at the State House. Senator Steve Tolman and Phil Johnston, member of the Board of Directors at the Carroll Center for the Blind, received awards, and well over 150 of us visited the offices of our senators and representatives and advocated for the budgets of the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind and the Braille and Talking Book Library. BLIND day was sponsored by the Carroll Center for the Blind, Perkins School for the Blind, National Braille Press, MAB Community Services, the Lowell Association for the Blind, the National Federation of the Blind of Massachusetts and the Bay State Council of the Blind. It looks like our advocacy has paid off as the budget recommendations for the next fiscal year (beginning July 1) indicate that the budgets of both MCB and the BTBL will be level funded. This is a victory when our economy and budget cuts in other areas are taken into account.

In late February, Jennifer Harnish, Nancy Jodoin, Brian Charlson and I attended the American Council of the Blind's Legislative Seminar. We once again advocated for our two priority bills. While it is frustrating to keep pushing over and over again for the same bills, I am happy to report progress on both fronts this time around.

The Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act has been swallowed whole by a much larger more generic transportation bill known as the Motor Vehicle Safety Act, H.R. 5381. This is very good news as this bill is very likely to be passed this year. Furthermore, automobile manufacturers are already hard at work on methods for making their hybrid vehicles safer for all pedestrians.

NEWS FLASH! The 21^st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act has passed both the House and Senate! It passed in the House of Representatives on July 26, the 20^th anniversary of the ADA. The Senate passed its version of the bill on August 5. President Obama is expected to sign it into law this fall. This is a major victory for ACB and BSCB as this bill has been our number one legislative priority for at least four years running. This will mean access to video equipment, mobile devices, websites and a return of mandates for video description of TV shows as well as a requirement that all emergency bulletins that scroll across your television screen must be made accessible.

I encourage any of you to contact me with questions or with ideas on what BSCB should be doing. Have a nice summer and fall, and enjoy the rest of BayLines.

BSCB Convention Highlights

by Bob Hachey

The 2010 annual convention of the Bay State Council of the Blind took place on the weekend of March 27 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Waltham. As usual, the convention offered informative presentations, an exhibit area, and lots of opportunities for fun and fellowship.

On Friday evening, March 26, Guide Dog Users of Massachusetts held a meeting featuring presentations from guide dog training facilities and puppy raisers. Guide dog users expressed gratitude toward the puppy raisers without whom guide dogs would not be available.

The main part of the convention began on Saturday morning with the opening of the exhibit area and a lengthy presentation on global positioning systems and their impact on orientation and mobility. GPS systems offer information to the blind traveler that allows for easier and more convenient travel. We were also reminded that GPS systems are not a substitute for good orientation and mobility skills, canes and guide dogs. Thanks to Meg Robertson, Jerry Berrier and Steve Dresser for a most informative presentation.

The Saturday afternoon session began with an update from Meg Robertson of the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind. She told us about the continued progress of the MCB internship program and thanked us for our continued advocacy on behalf of the services and programs provided by MCB. MCB is building a larger radio studio to be used for programming and training of VR consumers.

Dan Manning, director of litigation for Greater Boston Legal Services, presented on access to medical facilities. GBLS is seeking full access to these facilities including access to important medical information in accessible formats. I cannot stress enough the importance of the need for folks to stand strong in their efforts to receive such information. One should not have to expect to bring home a big pile of hard copy print to be read by family members or personal readers. Similarly, when providers read information to us, it should be done with some level of privacy and certainly not in the public waiting room for all to hear. I need to hear from each and every one of you who is not receiving medical information in accessible formats. We cannot advocate for your right to this information if you remain silent.

Our next presenter was Eleanor Robinson, Chief Operating Officer, 7-128 Software. She led us in a discussion of accessible computer games. 7-128 Software offers a wide variety of games that are accessible to persons with a wide range of disabilities. I was very impressed with the extensive listing of games on their website including many produced by other software companies.

Our next presenter was Paula Koppel, Founder, Age Well Be Well. She reminded all of us of the importance of maintaining good health via diet, exercise and positive thinking. It is anticipated that she will offer a workshop at a future BSCB fall conference.

DeAnn Elliott, outreach coordinator for Cambridge and Boston at the Disability Policy Consortium, urged all of us to participate in the 2010 Census. An accurate count helps government officials to determine needed service levels and Congressional districts.

Our final afternoon presenter was Steve Dresser, who gave us a brief demonstration of the Pen Friend. This new device is a great way to label and keep track of everything from compact disks to food items and medications. Tim Cumings was the lucky winner of a Pen Friend at the BSCB Banquet. Since he already owns one, he chose to donate his prize to the BSCB auction.

Afternoon proceedings concluded with elections and the first reading of BSCB resolutions. Here are the election results: President, Bob Hachey; First Vice-President, Sharon Strzalkowski; Second Vice-President, Marcia Dresser; Treasurer, Rick Morin; and Secretary, Jerry Berrier. Chris Devin won the board seat vacated by Sharon Strzalkowski.

As usual, the BSCB banquet featured awards, a presentation from ACB treasurer Mike Godino, and the ever-popular BSCB auction. The Outstanding Service Award went to the Museum of Fine Arts for its on-going efforts to make its exhibits accessible to blind and visually impaired persons. The Community Access Award went to the Massachusetts Audubon Society for making two of its sanctuaries accessible; one of them is being made accessible via guided cell phone tours including detailed descriptions, while the other is being done with roped trails and audio files on mp3 players that are loaned to blind patrons. The Betty Gayzagian Advocacy Award went to Nancy Jodoin. Nancy is a newer BSCB member who has jumped right into many of our advocacy efforts. She attended this year's ACB Legislative Seminar and has proved to be a tireless advocate on behalf of getting medical providers to offer information in accessible formats. Nancy has also worked hard to overcome accessibility barriers of a technical nature at her workplace. Dedication on the part of both Nancy and her employer has allowed her to excel at her new job. I suspect that we'll be hearing a lot more from Nancy Jodoin in future issues of BayLines.

Mike Godino gave us an update from the ACB national office. He also told us his very compelling story of how he suddenly lost his vision and his job as an auto mechanic. He went back to school and became an advocate for an independent living center in New York City. The job of ACB treasurer fits Mike well. He likes working with the numbers and he likes to do fund-raising. Mike also told us of his on-going efforts to bring accessible voting to New York State. The Empire State had to be sued by the Federal Department of Justice and was the last state to implement accessible voting. Mike and his colleagues in New York had to knock down lots of walls, but they prevailed in the end. This long fight is just one more example of how you can win a tough fight if you have the tenacity to persevere.

The evening concluded with the BSCB auction. Brian Charlson, our usual auctioneer, was unable to attend the convention this year. Jerry Berrier and I filled in for him. I had lots of fun, talking fast and jumping up and down in order to get folks to bid high. Thank you kindly to all BSCB members and friends for their generous donations to the auction. We raised over $1,100.00.

Sunday morning presentation topics included an update from the Braille and Talking Book Library, accessible pedestrian signals, snowy sidewalks, an update on a recent study on how hybrid cars impact blind pedestrians, and a visually impaired individual who ran the Boston Marathon to help raise funds for the Perkins School for the Blind. We also passed two resolutions which appear below. Thanks to all who helped make the 2010 BSCB convention a success.

BSCB Resolutions for 2010

RESOLUTION 2010-01: CENSUS ACCESSIBILITY?

WHEREAS, Article I, Section 2 of the United States Constitution requires that all residents be counted in a census to take place every ten years; and

WHEREAS, the census results have a direct bearing on how many representatives we have in Congress as well as the apportionment of various federal grant programs; and,

WHEREAS, the Census Bureau has made efforts to reach out to historically under-counted populations including minorities and persons with disabilities; and,

WHEREAS, the Census Bureau has provided a customer service toll-free telephone number (866-872-6868) designed to answer consumer questions and provide equal access to the census for those who cannot read the printed word; and

WHEREAS, public service announcements on television and radio designed to encourage full participation in the 2010 census failed to include this phone number; and

WHEREAS, recent calls to this number have revealed that those who cannot read the identification number on the form sent to them in the mail will not get assistance over the phone to fill out the form until April 12;

NOW, THEREFORE:

BE IT RESOLVED that the Bay State Council of the Blind in convention assembled on this 28^th day of March, 2010 in Waltham, Massachusetts expresses its deepest disappointment with the efforts made by the Census Bureau to make the 2010 census accessible for persons who are blind and visually impaired; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that BSCB will work with the American Council of the Blind and other organizations to ensure that the Census Bureau provides equal access to the census for persons who are blind and visually impaired.

RESOLUTION 2010-02: CLEARING SNOW FROM SIDEWALKS

WHEREAS, a clear path of travel on sidewalks, including curb cuts, crosswalk entrances, bus stops and walk signal actuator poles is vital to the independence and quality of life for blind and visually impaired persons as well as all pedestrians; and;

WHEREAS, although most municipalities require that sidewalks be cleared of snow after winter storms, many sidewalks remain snow-covered and impassible long after the storms have passed; and

WHEREAS, municipalities such as Cambridge, Watertown and Newton have made recent efforts to clear sidewalks, including more vigorous enforcement of existing ordinances and the development of new policies; and

WHEREAS, on February 10, 2010, Governor Deval Patrick signed H3588 which will "allow cities and towns to develop a snow and ice removal policy for their sidewalks and to set fines at a level that would encourage compliance";

NOW, THEREFORE:

BE IT RESOLVED that the Bay State Council of the Blind in convention assembled on this 28^th day of March, 2010 in Waltham, Massachusetts supports the implementation of policies designed to ensure that all sidewalks in the Commonwealth are cleared of snow within a reasonable time after winter storms; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that BSCB asks all of its members to work within their local municipalities in support of this goal.

Racheotes, Scouler Teach FSC About

the Blind Experience

by Spencer Buell
Assistant Arts & Features Editor

The Gatepost, Week of February 26, 2010

[Editor's note: Both Nicholas Racheotes and Carey Scouler are BSCB members. Carey is now a sophomore at Framingham State College. Be sure to check out an interview with Carey on the December "Council Connection."]

History professor Nicholas Racheotes and freshman Carey Scouler grew up in very different time periods and have had very different experiences. The element of their lives they share, however, is that they both are blind.

On a shelf-and-a-half in Professor Racheotes’ office is a gigantic mass of paper split up into thick, thousand-page blue volumes. This is a paper-braille Bible, the same Bible that fits discretely into hotel drawers across the country, and it represents the long way the world has come for the blind community.

Scouler’s paperless BrailleNote is a portable keypad of sorts that acts as a planner, calculator and word processor, and has inputs that, among other functions, allow her to surf the Internet and to download and read books. She learned to navigate the campus this year with a talking GPS navigation system that directed her step by step to her classes.

When asked how she felt her college life had been going so far, Scouler expressed her enjoyment in meeting new people, as well as the freedom and independence of the experience.

“I do the same things as most people despite the fact that I don’t have vision,” she said. She noted that some of her visually impaired peers have chosen a life of solitude, but, she said, “that’s not the life I want to lead.”

When Racheotes was in college, he said life for a blind person was much more challenging. He applauds recent advancements in “paperless braille,” because in his college years, if the hulking braille books were too expensive, or were simply unavailable, blind students had to either find someone to read to them or search for books on tape.

Looking back on his life accomplishments, however, which include 30 years teaching thousands of students at FSC and a resume packed with publications, he said, “I don’t want to be thought of as ‘the blind professor at Framingham State.’ I am a professor at Framingham State who happens to be blind.”

He remembered when he was first interviewing for his job as a history professor at FSC in an era when interviewers were much less politically correct. He was asked how a blind man could possibly control a classroom if his students became bored and out of control. He responded, “Well, I guess I would tell a joke.”

“And if that doesn’t work?” the interviewer asked.
“Well, then I’d tell a dirty joke,” he responded.

Hours later, he received a phone call telling him he was hired and that the hiring committee were sorry they had ever doubted his charisma. Ever since, he said, “this has been the most accepting, solicitous, happy community you could imagine. I wake up singing every day.”

Scouler, too, recognizes the problems that come up in social interactions between the blind and the sighted. In one incident, she remembers, one of her classmates came up to her and asked someone she was with, “Oh did Carey get a new haircut?” instead of addressing her directly.

Aside from some awkward moments, she says, “the people have been great here,” and she sees herself instead as an educator for people who may never have come across a blind person yet in their lives. She has often happily answered questions from Edith. [sic]

Many have never considered what people in the blind community depend on, like scanners which read barcodes at grocery stores or say aloud the colors of clothing. She noted how many may never consider how they might listen to an iPod they could not read or proofread an essay they could not see. All of these things, she says, have become easier in recent years, and have had a profound effect on the blind community, but many people are completely unaware.

Racheotes hopes that in our new age of enhanced technology and expanded social awareness, the blind community can come even closer to equality and independence. “The reality,” he explained, “is that 7 out of 10 blind people in the US who are capable of employment are unemployed.” But, he says, he has high hopes for Carey’s generation as employers begin to recognize the potential a blind employee possesses.
Whether in the workplace of the future or the hallway of the present, Scouler says she wants people to view her as a friendly, approachable person.

“If you see me on campus, feel free to say ‘hi’,” added Scouler, “I’m not gonna bite.”

Berklee Adds a Braille Beat

Students Testing Program for Blind

by Natalie Southwick

Globe Correspondent

August 9, 2010

Wayne Pearcy, a Berklee College of Music student, sits hunched before a console buried under a mountain of keyboards, wires, computer monitors, and microphones. A thin 23-year-old Louisianan with strawberry-blond hair, Pearcy is enthusiastically explaining his plan to write the next number one hit single.

“I’m making the next big pop hit," the trumpet performance major says. “I will have Christina Aguilera at my door."

He is simultaneously reading lines of music from a sheet in his lap, composing two drum segments to accompany the bass line he has just finished, and cracking jokes about the merits of bubblegum pop. Behind him, two other students sit at identical desks, counting quarter rests and adding hi-hat cymbal fills. They are finishing a composition lesson, though none of the students can see a single note they have written.

Pearcy and his classmates, all of whom are blind, are the first students to test a new program that aims to make a Berklee education more accessible to blind and visually impaired students, who have been applying to — and enrolling in — the school with increasing frequency. In an effort to improve their experience, administrators have developed a new curriculum and a state-of-the-art lab to go along with it. A former and current student, both of whom are blind, are running this summer’s pilot program, which will be offered as a for-credit Berklee class starting in the fall.

“We’re really just trying to give students with blindness or visual disabilities the same opportunities as sighted students," said Bob Mulvey, the associate director and disabilities service coordinator at Berklee’s Counseling and Advising Center. “We’ve always had blind students and they’ve always had a positive experience at Berklee, but it hasn’t been equal to the sighted students. We want to give them as many options, musically, as we can."

For several years, both students and administrators like Mulvey had advocated for increased access for blind students, but they had seen little progress. That changed in the spring of 2009, when the school brought in consultants for a day-long seminar on music study for blind students. After that meeting, Mulvey’s office spent six months planning a proposal for the pilot program. When Berklee’s president, Roger Brown, gave his approval, the team immediately began working, and barely a year after the initial meeting blind students gathered in a second-floor lab to read music for the first time.

Now, more than halfway through the five-week program, which meets for four hours daily, Tuesday through Friday, the five test students are comfortable around equipment and tasks that were unfamiliar to them when they began.

In the lab, they focus on three main skills: notation, music composition, and reading braille music. Their lessons range from reading a line of braille music and singing the notes, to composing a piece for multiple instruments by listening to the screen reader, which narrates text that appears on laptop screens.

While there are still some areas where the students’ inexperience shows, the mood is lighthearted and supportive, and students and teachers seem to be enjoying themselves. Most of the students plan to take the course when it is offered in the fall, and the school intends to offer it in the future to all incoming freshmen who are blind.

The teacher, Chi Kim, a pianist and songwriter who graduated from Berklee with a dual major in songwriting and contemporary writing and production, returned to his alma mater to teach after completing a master’s degree in music technology at New York University. During his years at Berklee, Kim, 28, had to teach himself many of the programs and skills that are now offered in the course. On the recommendation of a former professor, he returned to Berklee to help design the curriculum and supervise technology purchases.

“I just came and we planned this whole thing," he said. “I started getting involved last summer — my job was to create a whole new curriculum so they can learn this technology."

In addition to the music and technology skills, Kim is enthusiastic about teaching braille music. After losing his sight at age 3 in an accident during heart surgery, Kim learned braille as a child in his native South Korea. When he moved to the United States during high school, his braille literacy placed him in a national minority. Braille literacy among the blind in America is declining due to advancements in technology, but the Berklee instructors say blind musicians have few other options for reading music.

“It’s very important to know how to read braille music, because there’s no other way to read music for blind people," said Ozgur Altinok, a student who is acting as Kim’s teaching assistant for the summer course. “You can hear the music, you can follow the music on your computer, but you can’t read the music. You basically need to touch the paper and feel the dots. That’s the only way."

Like Kim, Altinok learned to read braille music before entering Berklee. He’s a 27-year-old violinist and music production and engineering major who arrived at Berklee with a degree in music education from a conservatory in Turkey. He hopes to teach in a school for the blind someday.

“It’s really exciting," he said. “Lots of things are going to change. Other schools hopefully are going to start these kinds of things, or we’re going to be an example for them."

Pearcy, who was raised by two blind parents and has been blind since birth, came to Berklee in the fall of 2007. Though he could graduate next year, Pearcy intends to stay and remain involved with the new program.

“I don’t want to leave just yet," he said. “I’ve still got work to do here. It means a lot to me. It’s something that’s been needing to happen at Berklee for a really long time and I want to be in the thick of it, completely."

He paused, like a jazz player inhaling before a high note. “I don’t want to miss a beat of it."

Natalie Southwick can be reached at nsouthwick@globe.com.

Best Buy Adds Tactile Keypads to Improve Checkout Experience for Customers

with Visual Impairments

Minneapolis, March 31, 2010 – Best Buy Co., Inc. today announced that it has begun a nationwide initiative to improve the checkout experience for Best Buy customers who are blind or visually impaired. The company has begun to add tactile keypads to point-of-sale devices at Best Buy stores, enabling shoppers who cannot read information on a touch screen to privately and independently enter their personal identification number (PIN) in order to protect their financial privacy.

The announcement was praised by the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB), American Council of the Blind (ACB), and the California Council of the Blind (CCB).

“I congratulate Best Buy, a premiere retailer of electronic and entertainment products, for recognizing the privacy and security needs of its customers who are blind or visually impaired,” said Jeff Thom, president of the California Council of the Blind.

His thoughts were echoed by Brad Hodges, a blind Best Buy shopper in West Virginia and a technology expert with the American Foundation for the Blind: “Flat-screen point-of-sale devices leave blind customers using a PIN-based payment card at risk for identity theft. Every retailer in the country should follow Best Buy’s example to ensure that customers who are blind or visually impaired can independently enter a PIN and other confidential information when paying for products and services.”

Keys on the device resemble a standard telephone keypad and work in conjunction with Best Buy’s point of sale terminals. All Best Buy stores in California already have the new devices, as do many other stores across the chain. Keypads will be installed in all Best Buy stores nationwide by September 30, 2010.

“We are pleased to collaborate with organizations committed to advocacy for the blind and introduce service enhancements in our stores that will improve the experience for Best Buy’s visually impaired customers,” said Barry Judge, Best Buy executive vice president and chief marketing officer.

News from Our Chapters

Charles River Chapter

by Brian Charlson, President

After a slow start to the 2009/2010 year, the Charles River Chapter of the Bay State Council of the Blind held its annual Christmas Party at the Newton Corner Pizzeria Uno restaurant. Along with a great meal, members enjoyed an old-fashioned Yankee Swap. Chocolate and CDs were the most popular items for giving and receiving.

Our second meeting was held at the Perkins Braille and Talking Book Library where the topic of the day was labeling with talking, braille and large print labels. Kate Crohan brought many labeled items and labeling ideas and Brian Charlson brought his new Pen Friend talking labeling system. Members discussed how they labeled items in the kitchen, in the office and at school.

We needed to adjourn on time because a new group, a support group for blind parents, was going to have its first meeting immediately after our chapter meeting. While it is not affiliated with the BSCB, Brian and Kim Charlson of the Charles River Chapter helped bring the group together and will be acting as a support for the group until it learns to walk.

* * *

The South Shore Chapter had a summer get-together at Barefoot Bob's restaurant in Hull. It was a lovely sunny Saturday, the 14th of August. The chapter will have its annual meeting on Saturday, October 23rd at Chris and Kathy Devin's house. We are planning other activities, such as a tour of the JFK Library at U. Mass. Boston, where they have lots of recordings of JFK's speeches and other accessible exhibits. A date has not yet been set for this event.

For more information about the South Shore chapter, please call me at 617-472-0308.

Kathy Devin, President

[Editor's note: Chapter contacts are listed on the back page of BayLines. We hope to hear from GDUM and MAVIS in our next issue.]

Through Fencing, Blind Students Learn Skills

for Everyday Life

by Kathleen Burge

Boston Globe - March 30, 2010

NEWTON — In the final moments of the fencing match, the young men in white satin folding chairs and shouted, “Ty-ler, Ty-ler." The object of their cheers, Tyler Terrasi, looked nervous as he pulled on his black mask and picked up his weapon, a slender metal foil. His opponent, Collier Sims, stood tall and perfectly still, ready to duel.

The cheers quieted and once the referee signaled the match could begin, the air filled with the sound of metal sliding against metal. Twice, Sims’ foil made contact with the white protective jacket covering Terrasi’s torso. And then a third time, the slender blade arched as it hit Terrasi’s chest. “Halt," shouted the referee, fencing coach Cesar Morales. “Attack for Collier is good!"

And with that, the first known fencing competition among blind students ended yesterday with Sims, 24, from the Carroll Center for the Blind in Newton, the champion. Terrasi, a 20-year-old student at the Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, won the second-place trophy.

“A lot of the fencing actions that we do, we can apply them to everyday life," Morales said. “When they are going to cross the street, the goal is to get to the other side. When they fence, the goal is to advance and to hit the other person."

Sims, who came to the Carroll Center in January from her Oklahoma City home, lost much of her vision three years ago after a brain injury. To make the competition fair, she and other Carroll students who have some sight slipped on blindfolds before they attached their masks.

Adding the mask was particularly daunting, Sims said. “I think it’s difficult at first," she said. “Just the memorization of it all is pretty difficult."

The competition was the brainchild of Morales, who has taught fencing at Carroll for three years and now, starting this year, at Perkins. Standard fencing rules were modified only slightly for the event.

First, the blind fencers began every match with their weapons touching, giving them a chance to orient themselves and figure out the position of their opponent.

And second, any contact with an opponent’s upper body counted as a point. Usually an opponent’s arms are not considered targets under fencing rules.

The Carroll Center has been teaching fencing to its clients since 1954, when Thomas J. Carroll founded the country’s first civilian residential rehabilitation program for the newly blind. Perkins is new to the sport.

“We use it to develop orientation skills for people who just lost their vision," said Rabih Dow, Carroll’s director of rehabilitation services and international training.

Carroll clients are generally people born with sight who later lost their vision. That gives them an advantage because it is easier for them to walk in a straight line and therefore advance at their fencing opponent more effectively.

Morales says the techniques his blind students learn for getting around can also help them with fencing. Just as they use a white cane to help navigate, they can use their foil to give them information about their opponent. Learning how to advance with their weapon helps them learn about orienting their body, he said.

“In fencing, everything is done with the point of the weapon," he said.

Morales, who came to the United States from Cuba in 1995, runs his own studio, now based at Pine Manor College in Chestnut Hill. Until recently, he was head coach at the Boston Fencing Club.

Yesterday, Terrasi, the Perkins student, was happy to place second. But he conceded that he couldn’t react quickly enough to Sims’ advances.

Cory Kadlik, 19, a Perkins student from Medway, has fenced for only 10 weeks. But he was intrigued by the sport and hopes to continue practicing. For him, the biggest difficulty is advancing directly toward his opponent.

“I’m still not straight," he said. “I pull to the left."

Kadlik thinks fencing for the blind has so much promise that he hopes other teams will form in the wake of the Perkins-Carroll competition. He won’t be fencing for Perkins next year, though. He will return to his local public high school, which doesn’t have a fencing team.

Kathleen Burge can be reached at kburge@globe.com .

20^th Anniversary of the American with

Disabilities Act

[Editor's note: BSCB president Bob Hachey delivered this speech on July 26, 2010, at the celebration in Boston marking the 20th anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act.]

Good afternoon, everyone,

It is wonderful to be here on this historic occasion. My name is Bob Hachey and I am the president of the Bay State Council of the Blind. We are the Massachusetts affiliate of the American Council of the Blind, (ACB). The ACB monthly newsletter proudly proclaims our mission on its cover.

"The American Council of the Blind strives to increase the independence, security, equality of opportunity, and to improve quality of life for all blind and visually impaired people."

Twenty years ago today when the ADA was signed into law, we moved one giant step closer to fulfilling this mission. For blind and visually impaired people, the ADA means access to information. This information ranges from accessible handouts at meetings, stop announcements on buses and bank statements that we can read privately and independently; to braille and large print signs on elevators and room entrances, talking automatic teller machines, audible pedestrian signals and accessible Web sites. I often compare access to information to wheelchair ramps and elevators because access to such information affords the same type of independence for us as ramps and elevators offer to persons with physical disabilities.

Speaking of access to information, I have some news hot off the presses. I was on a teleconference with Representative Ed Markey this morning, and he informed us that the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act will pass in the House of Representatives today! I see this law as an update and enhancement of the ADA as it will allow for increased independence of both deaf and blind persons.

In my view, we are here today for two reasons: first, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the ADA. The ADA has helped us to break down barriers and has empowered us to dare to dream of the day when we are truly accepted as equal citizens in our society. Second, I believe that we are here to recommit ourselves to the hard work of achieving this goal. I am here to tell you that while we have made progress toward our goal, we still have a long way to go! Let us consider two acid tests of how well we are or are not accepted by so-called able-bodied members of society. The next time you meet someone, ask yourself if they would hire you or if they would approve of you going out on a date with their son or daughter. In too many instances the answers to both of these questions is still a frustrating no!

I often dream of a day when these questions result in a resounding answer of yes! On that day, we can proudly proclaim that we have arrived!

Please join with me as we continue on the road toward full participation in American society. I am grateful to those who have come before us and paved the road upon which we travel today. I am also confident that if we all work together and support organizations such as the Disability Policy Consortium, we will achieve our goal.

Let me end with a few words from the late Ted Kennedy, who worked tirelessly for the rights of persons with disabilities.

"If we set our compass true, we will reach our destination. The work begins anew, the hope rises again, and the dream lives on!"

Media Access Group at WGBH Receives Accessibility Leadership Award

The Media Access Group at WGBH is honored to receive the 2010 Excellence in Accessibility Leadership LEAD award from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

This LEAD Award is bestowed upon an individual or organization that addresses the needs of the disability community as a whole over a significant period of time, and recognizes the emergence of the organization as a role model and leader within the cultural arts community. The award was presented during the LEAD conference in San Diego on August 27.

Thank you to the team at the Kennedy Center for this wonderful public recognition of our nearly four decades of work!

--Mary Watkins, Media Access Group, WGBH

Mass Audubon Receives $102,174 Grant to Improve Accessibility

Lincoln, Mass.—Thanks to a $102,174 grant from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), Mass Audubon will add multi-sensory interpretive content on eight existing ADA-accessible nature trails at wildlife sanctuaries across the state.

“We are so grateful to receive this grant which will enable Mass Audubon to create a richer experience for visitors with a wide range of vision, hearing, and mobility levels,” said Mass Audubon President Laura Johnson. “Making these important visitor service enhancements moves us forward on our goal of welcoming all people to connect with nature so they will be inspired to protect it.”

Improvements to the eight trails will include audio tours, brailled texts and tactile maps, tour scripts and maps designed for high readability for visually impaired and sighted visitors, new orientation maps and information panels, and improved signage along trails. Planning will begin this year and the project is expected to be completed within three years. The following Mass Audubon wildlife sanctuaries will add the sensory-oriented interpretation to their accessible trails: Arcadia in Easthampton and Northampton, Attleboro Springs at La Salette in Attleboro, Blue Hills Trailside Museum in Milton, Boston Nature Center in Mattapan, Broad Meadow Brook in Worcester, Drumlin Farm in Lincoln, Pleasant Valley in Lenox, and Wellfleet Bay in Wellfleet.

Mass Audubon has worked steadfastly to improve accessibility at its sanctuaries. Currently, about 80 percent of its nature centers are universally accessible and the organization has constructed nine ADA-accessible nature trails with a tenth all-persons’ trail currently under construction at a wildlife sanctuary in Attleboro which is scheduled to open to the public in October. Universally accessible trails at Stony Brook Wildlife Sanctuary in Norfolk and Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary in Natick already include sensory-oriented interpretive components.

Mass Audubon works to protect the nature of Massachusetts for people and wildlife. Together with more than 100,000 members, we care for 34,000 acres of conservation land, provide educational programs for 225,000 children and adults annually, and advocate for sound environmental policies at local, state, and federal levels. Mass Audubon's mission and actions have expanded since our beginning in 1896 when our founders set out to stop the slaughter of birds for use on women's fashions. Today we are the largest conservation organization in New England. Our statewide network of wildlife sanctuaries, in 90 Massachusetts communities, welcomes visitors of all ages and serves as the base for our work. To support these important efforts, call 800-AUDUBON (283-8266) or visit www.massaudubon.org.
BSCB Board of Directors