 | Copyright © 2001 American Council of the Blind of Minnesota kenrodgers@comcast.net |
American
Council
of the
Blind
of
Minnesota
A QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF THE AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND OF MINNESOTA
P O BOX 7341
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55407
The views expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily the position of the American Council of the Blind of Minnesota. They are the views of the article's author. Product and service information is provided as a resource only and not as an endorsement of a particular product or service.
Jo Taliaferro, Editor
E-mail: soaringeagle7@comcast.net
Stephanie Hall
E-mail: sahall64@comcast.net
Bob Lockwood
E-mail: peggy_bob@msn.com
Carolyn Coby, Webmaster
E-mail: cs_coby@hotmail.com
ACBM Info Express - (651) 642-5003, our telephone news and information hotline was established by the membership in October 2005. Its purpose is to provide important and relevant information vital to the membership, quickly and efficiently between scheduled business meetings. Please keep yourself informed by calling regularly.
First of all I want to thank Ken Rodgers for the outstanding job he has done as our chapter president these past 4 years. His leadership, knowledge and diplomacy really helped to bring ACBM to the forefront, not just of the blind community but to legislatures and the general public. I count on him as my mentor and friend during the next two years. To Jeff West and Marion Haslerud who served on our board so tirelessly, we thank you for your service and ask you to remember that you remain an integral part of ACBM.
Speaking of being a part of ACBM we are soliciting volunteers to serve on the following committees:
Please contact me and tell me what committees you are interested in serving on. I’m counting on each member to help if they are able. I realize that sometimes we feel we can’t fit one more thing on our schedules but if we share the work of ACBM it won’t be time consuming.
Please keep in mind I’m still learning the job and the role of president. If you have questions, comments or concerns there are several ways I can be reached.
I will try to reply to messages as quickly as possible, but please remember that I work full-time, in addition to spending time with family and friends.
What do I envision for ACBM? I expect to continue our legislative work and continue advocacy for issues pertaining to all blind Minnesotans. I would like ACBM to get out into the community, especially meeting with students and senior citizens to show them first hand what ACBM is about.
Ken will be doing legislative updates on mailbox three in info express. Michael will continue keeping us updated with his excellent calendar in mailbox two. I’ll be doing the message in mailbox one. Thanks to Carol Heinl’s suggestion the new title of mailbox one is “Sharing What I Know.”
Michael Malver and I have been working on contacting each ACBM member to talk about ACBM, update contact information and Minnesota Memo format choice. If you haven’t heard from us please let us know. Currently, we are providing the memo in E-Mail, Large Print, Braille and Audio Tape. We’re happy to provide the memo in the format of your choice, however E-Mail is the easiest format. If you are not receiving the memo via E-Mail and would like to receive it in that format please let us know.
Our national convention was a great success. It was dedicated to the memory of Jim Olsen. Seventy people from Minnesota attended, total attendance was 1,137. Everyone I spoke with was so appreciative and complimentary of the work done by the Host committee. We were fortunate to have wonderful volunteers which really helped to make the convention a success.
Enjoy the rest of your summer and I hope to see you at the ACBM annual picnic. Anna Olson will be our hostess on Saturday, August 25 so bring your appetites and auction items. The Calling Committee will contact you with the particulars concerning the picnic.
Janet Dickelman, President
Fully-sighted folks have had pedestrian “Walk-Don’t Walk” pedestrian signals accessible to them for years. Blind, visually-impaired and deaf blind persons, on the other hand, have had to rely upon orientation and mobility skills to navigate intersections safely. Many of our people can do this just fine but many cannot because of difficult intersections near where they live and/or additional impairments which make crossing streets safely, more difficult.
The type of accessible pedestrian signal being actively considered now helps by providing both audible and tactile information indicating when and where it is safe to cross a street. These newer signals are not like their chirpy ancestors at all. The newest version provides a continuous low tone to help a visually-impaired person locate the push-button control located on a pole in the sidewalk. Pushing the button activates the accessible pedestrian signal. When it is time to cross, the signal says “Walk “at a volume which is electronically adjusted based upon background noise at the intersection. In addition, a metal arrow pointing in the direction of the crosswalk vibrates to provide similar information for persons who are both hearing and visually impaired. When the time to walk has ended, the signal announces “Don’t Walk” and the metal arrow stops vibrating.
We have not been able to enjoy the new level of access provided by such signals because the federal government has lagged in providing explicit legal standards and the State, counties and cities have not made it a priority both because of a lack of specific standards and because the NFB has opposed such signals. Now things may be changing. On July 9, ACBM, Vision Loss Resources, Deaf Blind Services Minnesota, Ken Rodgers and Chris Bell filed a complaint with the Federal Highway Administration asserting MN DOT, the Met Council Hennepin and Ramsey counties and Minneapolis and St. Paul have all violated the ADA and the Rehabilitation Act by failing and refusing to install accessible pedestrian signals. Hopefully we will finally see some action on this important issue. Stay tuned!
"My grandmother continues to inspire me," says Brittany Svihel. "She makes the best Macaroni and Cheese you could ever want." Brittany’s love of puttering in the kitchen began during childhood as she watched cooking shows on TV, prior to designing her own pasta creations and salad dressings as well as some venison dishes. A graduate of Foley High School, Brittany will attend St. Cloud Technical College so she can continue her culinary creativity. Her hope is to own a fine-dining restaurant serving quality food presenting it with her own Italian flair.
Eileen Vasquez, who served in the Navy for 6 and a half years in the Nuclear Engineering Program plans to be an accredited CPA by 2010 upon graduation from St. Catherine’s College. She is making adjustments to blindness and entering the high-tech world under quite different circumstances than she could as a sighted person, stating that she has lots to learn about living with vision loss. She says she would jump at the chance to go out for a meal but still needs time to learn the area and fine-tune her Braille skills. She sees a guide dog in her future and misses the two dogs she is separated from at present. Eileen worked for Northwest Airlines in Sales and Reservations for a while, so perhaps we heard her pleasant voice as we planned vacations or a weekend get-away. Both women are anxious to get involved in ACBM and I’ve already requested Brittany’s favorite pasta dish at our next potluck.
Minnesota Guide Dog Users (MNGDU) is a non-profit organization that promotes the acceptance of dog guides, works for the standardization and enforcement of laws protecting them, and provides educational and public awareness services. Founded in 2001, MNGDU is a state affiliate of Guide Dog Users Inc., (GDUI) - a special affiliate of the American Council of the Blind and an international guide dog users organization with over 1200 members. You can access their web site at: http://www.gdui.org
The founding members of MNGDU, in consultation with the acting board of ACBM, decided that two distinct voices would be more powerful on legislative and other issues. Hence, MNGDU is not an affiliate of the American Council of the Blind of Minnesota. Because the MNGDU mission is to serve all blind individuals who choose to use guide dogs, the organization offers two membership options. A full membership includes membership in MNGDU, GDUI, and ACB. Full members receive both the ACB newsletter, “Braille Forum,” and the GDUI audio magazine, “PAWTRACKS.” Associate memberships are for individuals who do not wish to associate with either national organization - including members of the National Federation of the Blind and those who choose not to associate with any blind consumer organization.
If you have ever thought about getting a dog guide or you are just curious, MNGDU invites you to attend a membership meeting. Meetings are held twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall. Please contact a MNGDU board member for more information or to be notified of the next meeting.
Phil Kragnes, Interim President, (612) 827-2132
Nickie Schlender, Vice-President, (952)935-6247
Kelly Dunn, Treasurer, (651) 967-1532
Jane Lund, Secretary, (952) 888-4397
Clarence Schadegg, Director, (612) 798-5178
VISIONWALK is a walk-a-thon fundraising program of the Foundation Fighting Blindness (FFB). Last year FFB raised over $1.3 million to fund sight-saving research through VISIONWALK. As promising treatments move into critical human studies, the need for research funding is greater than ever before.
Join the thousands of people who have taken important steps towards a cure by participating in the Twin Cities VISIONWALK. Particulars for the VISIONWALK are given below.
Used by permission.
Last evening, a new friend, her husband and I decided to go out for dinner. She had just asked me whether the taxi would be a problem for Noah, and I had just assured her that it wouldn’t; dog guides were permitted anywhere. So we went out to get the cab and the driver refused to take us because of Noah. I was all ready to step up and do my self-advocacy thing when the Bellman handled it most effectively. There were people behind us also waiting for the cab and he refused to permit the driver to have either us or the group behind us, motioning the driver on and letting the two cabs behind him have our group and the other one as well. The cab driver who had just lost two opportunities got angry and threw something at the hotel window. Our cab driver saw it, reported to the Bellman that he had seen him and the Bellman called the Police. He had already gotten the cab number, etc. of the guy who refused Noah and I because unknown to me, he intended to file a complaint. So now, the guy found himself in trouble for refusing me and also for the broken window. I felt rather like a spectacle with everyone cheering and congratulating all of us but it was real cool that the Bellman stood up for us, too. When I returned from dinner, they just asked me to sign an agreement paper of some kind that we had been refused. I will not have to do any more than that. It is awesome to know that, at least in ONE hotel, they don’t like discrimination.
This past February, I was elected to chair the State Rehabilitation Council for the Blind. In the past, this organization and some of its committees have been places where fighting and not getting anything done were par for the course. Thanks in large part to the last two chairs—Rod Haworth and Jennifer Dunnam -- we have made a lot of progress by structuring a work plan to accomplish tasks. I felt honored to be chair, because it’s the first time I know of that an ACB of Minnesota member has chaired.
Continuing to have people of various consumer groups working together on the things we can is one of my biggest hopes. I knew it would be challenging, but I didn’t understand all of why it would be a challenge.
As I began to think about selecting people to be on the various committees, I thought I would have trouble picking from the plethora of people who would apply. For the most part, that’s not how it turned out at all. I thought that Jennifer chose NFB people, because of her position in the organization.
Not true. She chose NFB people, because they were practically the only ones who applied. A chair can’t appoint people that we don’t know are interested.
Throughout the month of June, mostly Federationists stepped up to the plate and put their names on the list of interested parties. I know we had convention here, and that probably contributed to the lack of ACB people signing up before convention.
But then I extended the deadline, and I still didn’t hear from many ACB people—maybe one or two. This is not an exaggeration. As a result, I made lots of phone calls, and gradually, people started to respond, after being asked. So I have a question. Why does it take a personal invitation for ACBM members to sign up for something rather than just the general invitation? Is it just easier to sit back, watch NFB people take the slots, and then complain about it?
There’s a saying hear that bears repeating. If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem. As an extension of this statement, it is my view that if you are part of the problem, you have absolutely no right to complain.
I understand that we don’t eat, sleep, and breathe our organization. But neither can we sit back and complain without doing some of the work involved. My hope for the future is that—no matter who is chair—when these general invitations come out, people in both organizations will be more equal in expressing interest in serving. If you want ACB to have a voice in the blind community, I encourage you to try to create a way to make it happen. One way is by expressing interest and being appointed to these committees. Another way is by applying to be on the Council itself.
Although I understand that the governor’s office is slowing the process down, Michael Malver and I are the only two ACB people on the council, and my last term ends in 2009. There’s only so much I can do as a member and the chair. It takes a collective effort to have influence, and I know we are up to the challenge!
Ingredients: 1 cup orange juice, 1 cup hulled and quartered fresh strawberries, frozen, 2 fresh bananas, sliced and frozen.
Pour the orange juice into a blender and add strawberries and bananas. Blend until smooth. Serves 2.
As of Sept. 1, 2007 the Minnesota Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped will be called: “The Minnesota Braille and Talking Book Library”. Patrons voted overwhelmingly for this name change.
For free directory assistance call: 1-800-466-4411, sponsored by Google.
AT&T is stepping up to the plate to produce very accessible cell phones which do everything but wash and iron.
If you receive the Minnesota Memo on cassette, you no longer need to return the tapes!
Our membership is growing so please help the new voices to get involved and feel welcome in ACBM.
Janet Dickelman, President
St. Paul, MN 55116 Ph: (651) 698-5059 E-mail: janet.dickelman@comcast.net
Michael Malver, Vice-President
Minneapolis, MN 55403 Ph: (612)< 673-0664 E-mail: mmalver@visi.com
Sue Lindgren, Secretary
Minneapolis, MN 55401-2128 Ph: (612) 605-4526 E-mail: slindgren@mindspring.com
Juliet Silvers, Treasurer
Minneapolis, MN, 55408 Ph: (612) 824-2131 E-mail: jsilvers03@comcast.net
Chris Bell, Director
Minneapolis, MN 55403 Ph: (612) 859-4938 E-mail: christophergbell@comcast.net
Carolyn Coby, Director
Forest Lake, MN 55025 Phone: (651) 464-5935 E-mail: cs_coby@hotmail.com
Bob Lockwood, Director
Minnetonka, MN 55345 Ph: (952) 932-7269 E-mail: peggy_bob@msn.com
David Moseman, Director
St. Paul, MN 55108 Ph: (651) 340-4217 E-mail: moseman@comcast.net
Jo Taliaferro, Director
Minneapolis, MN 55406 Ph: (612) 722-1195 E-mail: soaringeagle7@comcast.net
Ken Rodgers, Ex Officio Member
Minneapolis, MN 55413 Ph: (612) 236-4115 E-mail: kenrodgers@comcast.net
| Copyright © 2001 American Council of the Blind of Minnesota kenrodgers@comcast.net |