PRESIDENT'S MESSAGEApril Quarterly MeetingAnnual ElectionsWe Didn't See Eye to EyeCall to ActionAssistive Technology FundTravel Service for the BlindNews NotesFundraisingTech TalkACBM BOARD OF DIRECTORS
American
Council
of the
Blind
of
Minnesota
April 2002
A QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF THE AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND OF MINNESOTA
P O BOX 7341
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55407
The articles and comments stated in this newsletter are not necessarily the position of the American Council of the Blind of Minnesota, but rather are the position and opinion of the article's author.
Bert Morlock, Editor
4815 28th Ave. South, #217
Minneapolis, MN. 55417
Phone: (612) 721-9970
E-Mail: morlock@visi.com
Bob Lockwood
3625 Cardinal Road
Minnetonka, MN 55345
Phone: (952) 932-7269
E-Mail: Peggy_Bob@email.msn.com
Dennis Bartlett
3338 38th Ave. S
Minneapolis, MN 55406
Phone: (612) 722-8686
Shirley Bartlett
3338 38th Ave. S
Minneapolis, MN 55406
Phone: (612) 722-8686
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
April Quarterly Meeting
Annual Elections
We Didn't See Eye to Eye
Call to Action
Assistive Technology Fund
Travel Service for the Blind
News Notes
Fundraising
Tech Talk
ACBM BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Well, I am about half way through my second term as your president and am feeling mighty good about where ACBM is at and where ACBM is going.
We have had many important things going on in the organization and have also had new members joining us.
I have been very fortunate to have a good board of directors around me and am grateful to their support and advice. It is now time for some of them to step down for their terms are up. My thanks to Mike Vining (vice President), Marian Haslerud (Secretary), Nicole Mykkanen (Board Member), and Juliette Silvers (Board Member) for their dedicated service to ACBM. A brief article concerning the annual election is presented later in this Memo. I will miss them and thank them for their years of volunteering for ACBM. I hope that they are not going far and will keep active with us. I also want to encourage all of you to reflect on whether you feel the call to consider being a part of ACBM in a different way. The board can use you. I hope that we have as good as an election ballot as we had last year. It again is so exciting to see as many of you interested in being on the board and I hope that many of you will try again and some new people will come forward.
Now to something that concerns me a great deal. I have been hearing that there is some very strong feelings among some of our members about the way some things are being done and some things that are not being offered. This bothers me to be hearing this from other sources and not from those of you who have concerns.
For me, one of the things that I embrace with ACBM is that we are an organization of many different people and that we have many very different ideas and opinions. I value all of them and would like to hear what you would like to say. My phone line and e-mail is always open to all members and I would encourage you to please get in contact with me. Also, the board meets every month at Peter's Grill in Minneapolis on the third Monday of each month at five PM and anyone is welcome to come and talk with us.
If I am not meeting your needs or if I am doing something that you don't agree with I do want to have the chance to talk it over with you so please get in touch with me. I look forward to hearing from you.
Walter Waranka, President
The April quarterly meeting will be held at Champions located at 105 West Lake St. in Minneapolis on Saturday, April 27, 2002,from 1:00 to 4:00 PM. You will be called by the calling committee with luncheon choices. Also, elections will be held for Vice President, Secretary and two board members.
It's time once again for our annual elections. This year the positions of Vice President, Secretary, and two general board members are open. The Nominating Comittee has identified the following people who wish to run for election to the ACBM Board of Directors:
Vice President — Juliette Silvers
Secretary — Marian Haslerud
Board Member — Linda Oliva
Board Member — Mike Hally
Anyone who wishes to run for election to any of the listed positions on the Board may be nominated from the floor during the election process.We would like to thank those outgoing Board members for their dedicated service to ACBM.
We Didn't See Eye to Eye
By Rebecca Kragnes
I was sitting on the bus when another blind woman boarded. I knew, because she told the driver she needed off at a certain stop. Somebody offerred her a seat, and she did not answer him. I also pointed out an empty seat on my right and received only silence in reply.
My stop was near, and I unfolded my cane. The man who offerred her a seat asked me if the canes bent and broke. I said it happened once in a while. Then he said something like, "You must be able to see quite a bit and not be really blind." I learned in a few seconds that he based that conclusion on my slightly tinted glasses.
I realize that people might have given different answers to this question. Some who feel they need to hide their blindness may have said, "Oh I can see some. I'm not blind." Others who believe in the Jernigan philosophy might have replied, "I'm blind, and it doesn't matter how much I can see with my eyes. I'm still blind." My response was, "I just see light and colors." I believe in giving people the information and letting them draw their own conclusions. That's basically what he wanted to know -- what I could see -- so I told him. Although I didn't come right out and say I was blind, I gave the gentleman some credit for intelligence. Seeing only light and colors pretty much means one is blind. But the other blind woman spoke up just then. "Oh, and seeing light and color isn't really blind!" I responded that I didn't believe that to be true. She said she was trying to be sarcastic to make the point that blind is blind. The gentleman appologized to her for hurting her feelings. She responded that he hadn't hurt her feelings. At that point, I got off the bus, but I wished I could have continued this discussion.
Obviously, this woman is a Jernigan follower, and she has the right to that belief system. I have a couple questions, though, about her method of trying to educate this man and possibly me. She did it through sarcasm as a means to make me and this man feel uncomfortable. My guess from the man's comment and my own reaction is that she didn't persuade either one of us to her way of thinking -- that all blind people operate the same way no matter the amount of vision. In fact, she alienated and angered me by her degrading response. I felt like a kid shamed for giving the wrong answer on a test. I don't know that there is a right answer for every blind person in every situation. She also probably made the man feel even more fearful about saying the wrong thing around "those blind people". Here is one more person who will creep around us rather than asking questions to learn.
But there are deeper questions. I realize there are people who use information about their vision to try to cover up their blindness. But I don't think everyone who talks about their vision does this. I know this was not my motive in this particular conversation. Why is it so wrong to volunteer that one has some limited vision? How have many come to automatically associate giving this information with covering up one's blindness? It almost seems as though admitting to having vision is considered heresy to some blind people. It's as if it wouldn't be good for the cause to do so. Either we are sighted or we have to act and live life as if we are totally blind.
I understand the dangers of people depending on their vision too much rather than facing up to their blindness. Using a nonvisual method could often help some people to function more efficiently when reading or traveling, for example. However, they resist, because it is associated with blindness. I have observed the destructiveness of the high partial, low partial, and total hierarchy. I acknowledge freely that vision has absolutely nothing to do with people's gifts or intelligence. However, it seems we throw the baby out with the bath water when we are so hypervigilant about (a) using the word "blind" all the time and (b) hiding the fact that we have the ability to see things with our eyes. If I was that man on the bus, I would have walked away very confused. I felt badly that he probably was about to get a sermon on the blacks or whites of being either sighted or blind. There is a gray area between total blindness and being sighted. I feel comfortable both saying I am blind and sharing that my eyes work a little. These are not mutually exclusive statements.
Call to Action
By George Failes
There is an effort underway to bring audio described first-run movies to Minneapolis. The new theaters being built on Hennepin Ave. (Block E between 6th & 7th Streets) could be equipped to show first-run movies with audio description if enough people demand it.
If you live in Minneapolis call the council person who represents your area. If you don't know who that is you can find out by calling 612-673-2220.
If you don't live in Minneapolis you can call Clan Nizioiek 612-673-2210. He represents the area where VLR is located.
Many cities have theaters the show audio described movies - Minneapolis should too! Let's make ourselves heard!
Assistive Technology Fund
From the web page: http://www.assocofblindcitizens.org/assistive.html
Association of Blind Citizens Assistive Technology Fund Information
Association of Blind Citizens
Creating Opportunity One Step At A Time
The Association of Blind Citizens (ABC) has established the Assistive Technology Fund. The Assistive Technology Fund (ATF) will provide funds to cover 50% of the retail price of adaptive devices or software. The ABC board of directors believes that this program will allow blind and visually Impaired individuals access to technology products that will have a significant impact on improving employment opportunities, increase the level of independence and enhance their overall quality of life.
The products covered by this program must retail for a minimum of $200 with a maximum retail price of $6,000. Persons eligible to apply for assistance must have a family income of less than $50,000 and cash assets of less than $20,000. Applications will be reviewed by the Assistive Technology Committee (ATC) and recommendations will be submitted for board approval. If applicants are selected to receive a technology grant, applicants will be asked to provide documents such as tax returns, bank statements and any other documents that the ABC board or it's designee would deem necessary to assess financial need for the grant.
Applicants must be legally blind and a resident of the United States to qualify for this program. Applications must be submitted by June 30th, September 30th and December 31st for each grant period (three per year). Applicants will be notified if their request for a grant is approved. Applicants may submit one request per calendar year. All applications must be submitted via e-mail. You will be notified by ABC within 45 days after the application deadline.
You may fill out the request form below by pasting it in to your word processor and emailing it to: atf@assocofblindcitizens.org.
Association of Blind Citizens Assistive Technology request form
Name:
First Line Of Address:
Second Line Of Address:
City:
State:
Zip:
Telephone Number with area code:
Email address:
Provide a description of 500 or fewer words of the device you wish to purchase and how it will help you achieve employment or increase your independence. Requests must be received via email only, by June 30th, September 30th, and December 31st.
Mark Twain said, "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrowmindedness."
This appears to be the motto for the Campanian Society, Inc., a travel service that specializes in travel programs for people who are blind or visually impaired. Travel programs are designed to meet the unique needs of travelers with low vision or no vision. The Campanian Society strives to provide a rich educational experience unavailable on most vision-oriented trips. Each travel program offers opportunities for tactile experiences and handson encounters. Onsite lectures, readings and audiodescription combine with music to enhance the total sensory and intellectual enjoyment. Tours for 2002 are as follows:
For more information, contact:
Robert M. Wilhelm
The Campanian Society, Inc.
Box 167
Oxford, OH 45056
Phone (513) 5244846
FAX (513) 5230276
E-mail campania@one.net
Web site http://www.campanian.org.
The editor of this column has a new computer with Windows xp, and more memory. So, What was written up til now is in the old computer hard drive. So, we will try to remember what the editor wrote before.
Gar Giddings has a new doggie. The dog's name is Premo. He came from San Rafel. Gar went for training in February. To make room for the new family member, two of the family's four cats were sent to their final rewards. They were not adoptable kitties and they had health and personality problems.
We just returned from the MBBA Tournament in Madison Wisconsin. The tournament was held from Friday, March 22 through Sunday March 24. It is hard to tell who won money or prizes, however, we will let you know if any ACBM members won anything in the next News Notes.
I was shopping around for a new chordless phone a few weeks ago, since the one I had just bought was not working properly. I went to Sears in Brookdale, and got a lot of help from the sales person in the electronics department. He told me what was possibly wrong with other phone. He showed me how to operate the phone I was looking at. I bought the phone. I then returned the malfunctioning phone to a large super electronics store, where I originally purchased it. The store was not interested in helping me find out what was wrong with the phone. So, if you are buying something you know little about to start with, then buy it at a store where they can help and answer questions you may have. Good going Sears. Bad going to the large super store.
Interesting thoughts
I happened to look at our hotel room bill in Madison for the bowling tournament, mentioned above. I noticed that the total bill for the room for three day was $303.06. The question has been asked by the various bowling organizations, why do we have small attendence figures at bowling tournaments? And, another figure came to my mind. This figure: 70% to 75% unemployment among blind citizens of this country. Is there something wrong here, or is this writer imagining things.
As per usual, if you have anything for News Notes, just let us know.
Our upcoming fundraising events will be a bake sale to be held sometime in the future (when ever we can get our act together and find a place for the event), our annual "Daily Three" lottery, and our annual picnic. You will be contacted about each of these events as the time gets closer to each event.The Fundraising Committee thanks all of you who have participated in the various fundraising events held during the past year. Your continued financial support of ACBM allows our organization to continue to pursue issues vital to all blind Minnesotans.
There is a very exciting product which has hit the market which is the FreedomBox.
The FreedomBox is a product and service which allows you to access the Internet and email using your voice. The FreedomBox basically gives you access to a community in which you can send and receive email, get the latest news, weather, entertainment information, travel information, banking, bill paying, shopping etc. The interface is very easy so you don't have to learn a complicated screen reader to use it. I think that a person could learn the commands and be successful in using the FreedomBox in about an hour. Pricing for the FreedomBox is as follows.
You may download a free 30 day trial version of the software from: http://www.freedombox.info
Walter Waranka, President
26 10th Street West #1003
St. Paul, MN 55102
Phone: (651) 293-1299
Michael Vining, Vice-President
5257 Logan Ave. N
Minneapolis, MN 55430
Phone: (612) 522-7678
Marion Haslerud, Secretary
232 W. Franklin #205
Minneapolis, MN. 55404
Phone: (612) 870-8761
Bob Lockwood, Treasurer
3625 Cardinal Rd
Minnetonka, MN 55345
Phone: (952) 932-7269
Stephanie Hall, Director
433 7th St. S. #2227
Minneapolis, MN 55415-1645
Phone: (612) 332-7837
Becky Kragnes, Director
3515 Pleasant Ave. S.
Minneapolis, MN 55408
Phone: (612) 827-2132
Juliet Silvers, Director
3244 Colfax Ave. S.
Minneapolis, MN. 55408
Phone: (612) 824-2131
Joe Sorenson, Director
111 Marquette Ave. S #1103
Minneapolis, MN 55401
Phone: (612) 339-2360
Barbara Bangsund, Director
24 105th Lane NW
Coon Rapids, MN 55448
Phone: (763) 757-8951
 | Copyright © 2002 American Council of the blind of Minnesota wallyw@lifetrackresources.org |