The ACB Braille Forum Volume LIV May 2016 No. 11 Published by the American Council of the Blind ***** ** Be A Part of ACB The American Council of the Blind (TM) is a membership organization made up of more than 70 state and special-interest affiliates. To join, contact the national office at 1-800-424-8666. ** Contribute to Our Work Those much-needed contributions, which are tax-deductible, can be sent to Attn: Treasurer, ACB, 6300 Shingle Creek Pkwy., Suite 195, Brooklyn Center, MN 55430. If you wish to remember a relative or friend, the national office has printed cards available for this purpose. Consider including a gift to ACB in your Last Will and Testament. If your wishes are complex, call the national office. To make a contribution to ACB by the Combined Federal Campaign, use this number: 11155. ** Check in with ACB For the latest in legislative and governmental news, call the “Washington Connection” 24/7 at 1-800-424-8666, or read it online. Listen to ACB Reports by downloading the MP3 file from www.acb.org, or call (605) 475-8154 and choose option 3. Tune in to ACB Radio at www.acbradio.org or by calling (605) 475-8130. Learn more about us at www.acb.org. Follow us on Twitter at @acbnational, or like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AmericanCounciloftheBlindOfficial. © 2016 American Council of the Blind Eric Bridges, Executive Director Sharon Lovering, Editor 1703 N. Beauregard St., Suite 420, Alexandria, VA 22311 ***** Table of Contents President’s Message: Meet Charles Mossop, by Kim Charlson Teach Access Project a Major Topic at CSUN Conference, by Eric Bridges Get Ready for Fun in the Land of 10,000 Dreams!, by Janet Dickelman Minnesota, Land of Many Cultures, by Peggy R. Garrett Dear Candidates: We Want to Meet You!, by Ron Brooks 2016 Leadership Institute: Learning and Growing Together, by Cindy Van Winkle Mentors Sought for Audio Describers at ACB National Convention, by Susan Glass Mini Mall Minnesota Style: Land of 10,000 Dreams, by Carla Ruschival A Reminder from the Constitution & Bylaws Committee, by John Huffman Yah You Betcha It’s Time to Talk Resolutions Again!, by Mark Richert ACB Auction, the Perfect Ten Know Your Rights to Health Care, by Karen Hughes and Robert Goodman Wake Up and Walk, by Katie Frederick Leaders and Aspiring Leaders to Come Together in Omaha, by Ray Campbell Summary of the Winter Board Meetings, by Doug Powell Affiliate and Committee News Here and There, edited by Sharon Strzalkowski High Tech Swap Shop ** Are You Moving? Do You Want to Change Your Subscription? Contact Sharon Lovering in the ACB national office, 1-800-424-8666, or via e-mail, slovering@acb.org. Give her the information, and she’ll take care of the changes for you. ** ACB Radio, the place to be with people in the know! www.acbradio.org ** Got talent? Tell us about you: marlaina@acbradio.org. ***** President’s Message: Meet Charles Mossop by Kim Charlson Each year at the ACB convention, we have the opportunity to hear from a leader in the blindness field from another country working to make things better for people who are blind in their own country and for the global community. In July at the convention, ACB will have the privilege to welcome Charles Mossop, who is the president of the North America/Caribbean Region of the World Blind Union (WBU). He has had a fascinating and distinguished career from which I will share with you some highlights. Charles is now retired from a 42-year career as a post-secondary educator, administrator and private consultant in international development. He lives on Vancouver Island on Canada’s west coast. Partially sighted since the age of 19 due to Stargardt’s Macular Dystrophy, he enjoys gardening and playing piano and classical guitar when he is not traveling. He has recently completed a six-year term as a member of the national Board of Directors of the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB), and continues his service to CNIB as a member of divisional and regional boards. In addition, he currently serves as an advisor on governance to the Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB). At the convention, Library Users of America (LUA) will be holding an author presentation with Charles Mossop. You will have the opportunity to delve into his writing career and hear about his experiences as a published writer. You can learn what it is like to write a mainstream thriller if you are blind. How does one get published, and how are descriptions of far-flung parts of the world managed if you can’t see those places? In his first book, “Jade Hunter,” a sinologist becomes involved in exploring the history of an extremely valuable jade item which has, for centuries, gone all over the world and been changed many times. Now it appears that it has been destroyed in a fire. But is that truly the end of its story? In his second book, “Devil at my Heels,” he tells the story of a mild-mannered college professor of history who, after his friend’s murder, goes to Europe in search of an ancient manuscript that holds clues to the murder and to the whereabouts of an ancient royal treasure. He must use his intellect, fast footwork and deception before the answers are finally revealed. How does a blind author manage to successfully write to compete in a market that already has lots of bestsellers by folks like Dan Brown? Does a blind person have any advantages in writing this kind of book? Find out the answers to these questions and a host of others by attending the LUA “Two Books, One ACB” presentation at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, July 6th. Both of Mossop’s books are being made available in digital audio format on a single cartridge that can be requested by sending an e-mail to me, in my work role as the director of the Perkins Library, at kim.charlson@perkins.org with “Charles Mossop Books” placed in the subject line. You should provide your name, address, and phone number, and I will fill your request from the Perkins Library holdings. This is the international copyright arrangement that has been made with CNIB, where the books were produced, to facilitate more rapid distribution. You then return the digital cartridge when you finish reading the titles so others can enjoy reading Charles’ books. E-mail requests are best, but if you don’t have that capability, then you can call the Perkins Library directly at (617) 972-7240 and provide the necessary information via phone. Happy reading! ***** Teach Access Project a Major Topic at CSUN Conference by Eric Bridges On March 23 I was very pleased to speak at the CSUN conference (the world’s foremost international assistive technology conference) as part of the Teach Access Project panel discussion. Representatives from Yahoo, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Georgia Tech joined me in this 45-minute discussion. ACB represents the critical accessibility needs of consumers who are blind or visually impaired to the tech industry and academia. Technology companies dedicated to accessibility have faced the common challenge of preparing designers, engineers and researchers to think and build inclusively. Similarly, academic programs in design, engineering and other related fields of study are seeking ways to better prepare students to address the needs of diverse populations. Given this shared challenge, industry, academia and advocacy have now come together through Teach Access to create models for teaching and training students of technology to create accessible experiences. ACB is keenly aware that universities are challenged in many cases by their own bureaucratic inertia when adapting or changing learning experiences for students. We feel that this project can represent a substantive path forward in teaching accessibility as part of the total learning experience rather than having to be taught these basic principles as part of an onboarding process at a tech company. ACB will be participating in a meeting of roughly 15 universities and technology companies in Silicon Valley in April to explore how this project will move forward in the months to come. In order for the Teach Access Project to be successful, the voice of the consumer with a disability is vital in order to cut through the barriers that each sector unintentionally sets up for one another at times. We are the individuals purchasing and using these applications, and it is important that our voice is heard as the project proceeds. To find out more about Teach Access, visit http://teachaccess.org/. ***** Get Ready for Fun in the Land of 10,000 Dreams! by Janet Dickelman Excitement is building for the 2016 conference and convention of the American Council of the Blind. Summer is a wonderful time to visit Minneapolis, the home of this year’s convention. The place to be is the Hyatt Regency, located in downtown Minneapolis. In this article you will find a listing of convention activities by day, a brief hotel description, information about ordering dog food, and shuttle and airport arrival information. To save space, affiliates and committees will only be mentioned on their first scheduled day of programming. Most affiliates and committees will hold several days of programming. I apologize to any affiliate or committee whose information may not be included in this list; sessions are still in the planning stages for some affiliates and committees. All affiliate and committee information will be shown in the conference and convention program. ** Friday, July 1 ACB tours Convention registration opens at 8 a.m. for pre-registration pick-up only. After 11 a.m., registration will open for those of you who have not yet registered. Note: registration will follow the same schedule on Saturday and Sunday. ** Saturday, July 2 ACB pre-convention board meeting Leadership training Exhibit hall open from 1 – 5 p.m. ACB tours Information access committee seminar Tech user groups and product spotlights (tech sessions will continue through Wednesday) Welcome to Minnesota Party ACB Students welcome party ACB Lions Milly’s Place Pin Swap ** Sunday, July 3 ACB Brenda Dillon Memorial Walk Teachers’ breakfast and meeting Programming for attorneys, blind vendors, information technology specialists, guide dog users, citizens with low vision and diabetics ACB board of publications meeting Sports fanatics’ luncheon Scholarship winners’ luncheon Keys to the Convention seminar Transportation and environmental access committee seminars Exhibit hall open from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. ACB tours Mixers held by government employees (ACBGE), people with low vision (CCLVI), Friends-in-Art (FIA), and Blind LGBT Pride (BPI) Kids’ Explorers Club (fun for kids ages 6 to 13, through Friday) ACB opening keynote general session at 7 p.m. ** Monday, July 4 General session, 8:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. Independent Visually Impaired Entrepreneurs (IVIE) breakfast and meeting Exhibit hall open from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Multicultural Affairs Committee lunch and program Alliance on Aging and Vision Loss luncheon and program Special meetings and activities for library users, women’s concerns, rehab task force, sight and sound impaired committee ACB Recreation Zone (healthy and fun options also on Thursday) ACB tours Monday evening’s activities include CCLVI game night, RSVA comic and karaoke, FIA prose and poetry reading. ** Tuesday, July 5 General session, 8:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. Special programming for braille users and supporters of braille Exhibit hall open from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. ACB tours Evening activities include ACB Families Bingo and Friends-In-Art’s Showcase of the Performing Arts. ** Wednesday, July 6 General session, 8:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. Exhibit hall open from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Legislative seminar Health issues and advocacy task force programs Mixers for AAVL and MCAC ACB tours ACB auction ** Thursday, July 7 General session, 8:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. ACB membership seminar and board of publications workshop ACB Radio Amateurs meeting Affiliate presidents’ meeting DKM First-Timers reception ACB tours ACB movie night ** Friday, July 8 ACB all-day business session ACB banquet ** Saturday, July 9 Final ACB tours ** Hyatt Hotel Guide The Hyatt has meeting space on five levels. The Hyatt restaurants, Prairie Kitchen and Market Deli, are located on the main floor. There are several short sets of shallow steps in the lobby area. These steps will be marked with contrast tape, but please be cautious when traversing the lobby. You can avoid the steps and use ramps if you prefer. * Main level meeting rooms: Nicollet Ballroom (general sessions) Exhibit hall (exhibits) Grant Loring Lakeshore Ballroom, sections A, B and C (registration and ACB Café) * Second floor meeting rooms: Greenway Ballroom, sections A through J Regency Room Mirage Skyway Room, section A and B St. Croix Minnehaha North Star Ballroom * Fourth floor meeting rooms: Great Lakes Lake Minnetonka Lake Calhoun Lake Harriet Executive Board Room Lake Nokomis Lake of the Isles Cedar Lake * Fifth floor meeting rooms: Lake Superior, sections A and B ** Ordering Dog Food Scoop Masters will be maintaining our dog relief areas at the Hyatt. Once again they will offer the opportunity to order dog food delivered to your hotel room. To order your dog’s food, visit Scoop Masters’ web site at http://premiumpetfood.com/acb/, or call Tim at 1-800-787-7667. The deadline for ordering food is June 20th. ** Flying to Minneapolis Once again SuperShuttle is offering ACB a great convention rate from the airport. One way costs $16.50; round trip, $28.80 per person. To make reservations online, visit http://groups.supershuttle.com/acb.html or call 1-800-258-3826. See below for information you will need to provide to SuperShuttle. A taxi from the airport is approximately $40; if you use the premium same-day taxi service through paratransit, it will cost $25 each way. The shuttle will pick up convention arrivals right outside the baggage claim area. When taking a taxi, especially from the main terminal (Lindbergh), you must travel a distance to reach ground transportation. The shuttle is the easiest and least expensive way to travel to and from the airport. ** Assistance at the Airport We all know how hectic it can be at the airport. In Minneapolis there are two terminals, Lindbergh and Humphrey. To assist airline personnel and Margarine Beaman and her cadre of airport volunteers, please send Margarine an e-mail with “airline information” in the subject line at oleo50@hotmail.com, or call her at (512) 921-1625. You will need to provide both SuperShuttle and Margarine the following information: Your name The name of the airline you will be arriving on Your departure city Arrival flight number Arrival date and time Departure airline Departure date Departure time Cell phone number ** Stay Connected Once again this year, the convention announce list will be filled with information about the convention. I’ve already begun sending out messages pertaining to restaurants, hotel information and information regarding tours and activities. Subscribe to the list today by sending a blank e-mail to acbconvention-subscribe@acblists.org. If you’ve been on the list in the past, you need not subscribe again. Don’t have e-mail? No problem! Convention updates will also be featured on ACB Radio and by telephone through Audio Now at (605) 475-8130. ** Hotel Details Room rates at the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis are $89 single or double. There is an additional $10 per night charge per person for up to four people in a room. Applicable state and local taxes are currently 13.4%. For reservations by telephone, call Central Reservations at 1-888-421-1442, and be sure to mention you are attending the ACB convention in order to obtain our room rate. To make reservations online, visit www.acb.org and follow the 2016 convention link. ** Convention Contacts 2016 exhibit information: Michael Smitherman, (601) 331-7740, amduo@bellsouth.net 2016 advertising and sponsorships: Margarine Beaman, (512) 921-1625, oleo50@hotmail.com For any other convention-related questions, contact Janet Dickelman, convention chair, at (651) 428-5059, or via e-mail, janet.dickelman@gmail.com. ***** Minnesota, Land of Many Cultures by Peggy R. Garrett As I read the theme for the 2016 ACB convention, “Land of 10,000 Dreams” in a state whose nickname is “Land of 10,000 Lakes,” it got me thinking about the history of the state and its various cultures. Although I have visited both Rochester and Minneapolis, Minn. several times, I realized that I don’t know very much about the state! Here are some interesting facts I learned about Minnesota’s diverse culture: • Minnesota became the 32nd state in the United States on May 11, 1858. • United States Census Bureau counted Minnesota’s population at 308,745,538 in the 2010 census and estimated the 2015 population at 321,418,820. (Source: www.census.gov/quickfacts/table/PST045215/00). • Approximately 60% of the state’s population lives within the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area and 40% in the remainder of the state. • The original inhabitants of Minnesota were Native Americans who call themselves the Anishinabe Tribe or Ojibwe Tribes and included the Dakota tribe. Minnesota culture and Minnesota history are closely tied to that of their first residents, the Minnesota Native American tribes. The earliest European settlers were from France and were Canadian/French explorers who also influenced Minnesota’s culture. The population of Minneapolis /St. Paul is diverse and offers programs and services designed to spotlight various cultures and to meet their specific needs. Some of these include The Italian Cultural Center, Multicultural Health Services, Minnesota African American Museum and Cultural Center, Ukrainian Event Center and Multicultural Center for Academic Excellence. As our Minnesota members already know, the state is culturally diverse, as is ACB! Hopefully many of you will have some time to explore some of these cultural sites and take home some revelations about the diverse cultures of the area. As always, the Multicultural Affairs Committee will hold programs and activities that provide opportunities for interaction with diverse populations. Join MCAC for lunch on Monday and celebrate July 4th! Our keynote speaker will be international guest Charles Mossop, president of the North America/Caribbean Region of the World Blind Union; he will talk about the life of people who are blind or visually impaired in Canada. On Wednesday, July 6th from 4:45 to 6 p.m., MCAC will host the mid-week social. This is an opportunity to meet old friends as well as make new ones. There will be music, food and door prizes. Join us for a fun time as the convention begins to wind down! Come one, come all and relax before taking off for the auction or other evening activities! ***** Dear Candidates: We Want to Meet You! by Ron Brooks We have all witnessed as many, if not most, of the U.S. presidential candidates have engaged in lively debates, verbal brawls and incredibly entertaining attack ads, and while these may be staples in many election cycles, they are not part of our ACB culture. Instead, ACB elections thrive on two basic commodities: great candidates who care deeply about ACB and its members, and a couple of great tools for gathering and sharing information that our members can use to decide which candidates to elect. At the 2016 convention, ACB members will be electing five members of the board of directors and three members of the board of publications. The board of publications can’t recruit the candidates, but we will be doing our part to ensure that every ACB member has the best information available about each candidate so that you can make informed decisions about who will serve as the future leaders of ACB. This article describes the two tools the BOP will use to help you get to know your future ACB leadership team. ** The Candidates’ Page The Candidates’ Page is a place where individuals can introduce themselves and share their answers to several questions crafted by the BOP to inform the ACB electorate about each candidate and his or her points of view on issues of importance to the organization. Candidates are not required to post information on the Candidates’ Page. However, those candidates who do introduce themselves on the Candidates’ Page are entitled to be interviewed on ACB Radio in June. More importantly, candidates who participate on the Candidates’ Page are contributing to the quality and quantity of information which ACB members and affiliates can use when making voting decisions at the conference and convention. BOP and board candidates who post on the Candidates’ Page will be asked to answer each of the following questions - using 300 words or less. ** Questions for Board Candidates 1. Introduce yourself and explain why you wish to serve as a board member of ACB. 2. Summarize any experience, knowledge, skills and/or abilities you have which will strengthen and enhance our board. 3. What do you consider to be your strongest contribution to ACB at either the national, state, special-interest affiliate or local chapter level and why? 4. What do you consider to be the most important challenge facing ACB? How will you work to address it? ** Questions for BOP Candidates 1. Introduce yourself and explain why you wish to serve as a member of the BOP. 2. Summarize any experience, knowledge, skills and/or abilities you have which will strengthen and enhance our board of publications. 3. How have you used printed or electronic information to contribute to a positive image of ACB, an ACB affiliate, a local ACB chapter or blind/visually impaired people in general? How can you use this experience to help the BOP do likewise for ACB? 4. What do you believe the BOP can do to strengthen the appeal of ACB’s message within minority communities and with blind and visually impaired people under the age of 40? Candidates for both board and BOP positions are invited to provide contact e-mail addresses and links to web sites or social media sites where ACB members can obtain more information about the candidate and/or engage in a dialogue with the candidate about these or other issues. Web site links and e-mail addresses will not be live and will not count toward the 300-word limits described herein. Please note: The BOP will not edit for spelling, punctuation, grammar or any other conventions of language. The BOP will cut off any response at 300 words. ** Instructions for Candidates’ Page Submissions 1. Any individual wishing to post information to the Candidates’ Page must be a member in good standing. Entries from individuals who are not in good standing will not be posted. 2. Submissions may be made in typed print (no handwritten submissions), braille or electronic format. Acceptable electronic formats include Microsoft Word, ASCII text file, or e-mail. 3. Print, braille or electronic submissions on thumb drives may be mailed to: American Council of the Blind; Attention: Candidates’ Page; 1703 N. Beauregard St., Suite 420, Alexandria, VA 22311. 4. E-mail submissions may be sent to slovering@acb.org. Include the words “Candidates’ Page” in the subject line. 5. Without exception, the deadline for Candidates’ Page submissions is 4 p.m. Eastern, Wednesday, June 1, 2016. ** ACB Candidates’ Forum The BOP’s second tool for connecting candidates with voters is the ACB Candidates’ Forum. The Candidates’ Forum is a live, unscripted meeting where candidates are invited to introduce themselves and to answer questions from a BOP moderator and from the audience — including those people tuning in via ACB Radio. This year’s Candidates’ Forum will take place at 7 p.m. Central time on Tuesday, July 5, at the ACB conference and convention in Minneapolis, Minn. ACB members who wish to submit questions may do so by dropping them off at the communication center or by e-mailing them to slovering@acb.org by June 27th. ***** 2016 Leadership Institute: Learning and Growing Together “The growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership.” - Harvey S. Firestone If you are a leader, or someone who sees yourself as growing in leadership, this year’s ACB conference and convention kicks off with an opportunity that you will most certainly want to take advantage of. The 2016 Leadership Institute will take place on Saturday, July 2, from 2:45 to 5:30 p.m. The cost is just $10 if you pre-register, and $12 on site. It will include two modules to help you on your leadership journey. The first module will focus on learning personality types, identifying your own, and discovering ways in which to work with others with varying personalities. The second module will focus on transitioning into or from a leadership role, whether it be an officer or committee chair. Together we’ll examine ways to embrace the challenges faced by all parties. The best part of this mini seminar is that you’ll meet other leaders from throughout our ACB family while, as a community, we learn and grow together! Make your plans to join us on Saturday, July 2, that you may continue your personal growth, and that you may help grow others in your affiliate! - Cindy Van Winkle ***** Mentors Sought for Audio Describers at ACB National Convention by Susan Glass Are you attending ACB’s national conference and convention in Minneapolis this summer? And are you a fan of, advocate for, or user of audio description? If so, please consider volunteering as a mentor to an audio describer attending this summer’s Audio Describers’ Conference or Institute, which are running concurrently with the convention. For the second time, the ACB Audio Description Project is offering its unique mentorship initiative: sighted attendees of the Audio Description Project conference will be paired with a blind or visually impaired mentor who is attending the ACB convention. Often institutions seeking to provide audio description, as well as the audio describers themselves, have never actually met or interacted with a blind person. They need internships and practica. They need to understand the audience for whom they are writing. What better opportunity for such interaction than at the ACB conference and convention, where some 1,500 blind people will likely be present? If you agree to be a mentor, you must make the following commitments: 1) attend a brief meet-and-greet session on Sunday, July 3 from 5:15 to 6 p.m., where you are paired with your mentee; 2) attend the ACB opening session on Sunday evening – with your mentee; 3) allow your mentee to join you for at least two other activities during the convention. These activities might include touring the exhibit hall together, attending an affiliate meeting or an additional ACB general session, taking a walk in Minneapolis, dining together, or watching an audio-described film. Who knows? You may forge a new friendship, and increase understanding between sighted and blind communities. IMPORTANT! Signing up to be a mentor does NOT allow you free access to the Audio Describers’ Conference or Institute. You must register and pay in order to participate in either of these venues. Watch for pre-registration and pricing information, available soon on the ACB web site. If you are interested in becoming a mentor, please contact Susan Glass by telephone at (408) 429-9567, or by e-mail at susancglass@att.net. Please provide your address and best contact information, as well as whether you would prefer to be matched with a describer specializing in film and television, live theater, dance and musical performance, museum exhibitions, or national parks and recreation areas. We hope to arrange our mentor matches well in advance of the conference and convention. ***** Mini Mall Minnesota Style: Land of 10,000 Dreams by Carla Ruschival New designs, new products, and lots of deals. The 2016 Mini Mall is filled with mugs and steins, shot glasses and tumblers, magnets and coasters, bags and totes, shirts and jackets and much, much more — all with ACB or ACB Radio logos or the new official Minneapolis design. This year, everyone all over the country can get ready for convention by ordering Minneapolis merchandise in advance — by phone or online. Show up at the Minneapolis Hyatt carrying your new Minnesota duffel bag. Or get ready to listen to conference sessions on ACB Radio as you sip your favorite beverage from your new Minneapolis mug, drinking glass or stein. Add an ACB Minnesota magnet to your fridge; stay hydrated on all your paratransit rides with a Minneapolis travel mug. Organize your world of 10,000 dreams with our 16-gigabyte ACB logo flash drives; perfect for carrying along all your important files and data. Get any trip off to a good start. Make your suitcase or backpack easy to spot. Add our new ACB luggage tags. Flip-flop tag comes in lots of bright colors; ACB jet plane tag has wings of red, blue, black or green. ACB logo on one side; lines for writing contact info on the other. If catastrophe strikes and you lose your cane on the plane, drop it down a grate, or watch helplessly as someone runs over it in the lobby and changes it into a spaghetti shape, don’t despair. The Mini Mall is well stocked with aluminum and graphite canes in lengths from 46 to 60 inches. Don’t be left behind. Order online by following the Mini Mall link from the ACB home page at www.acb.org, or call us at 1-877-630-7190. Pre-convention orders received by June 10 should reach you by July 1. Braille, large print, and audio CD catalogs are available upon request. ***** A Reminder from the Constitution & Bylaws Committee This note is to remind ACB leaders and members of the procedures for proposing amendments to the organization’s constitution and bylaws. Proposed amendments must be presented in writing to the constitution and bylaws committee before the end of the first day following the day of the roll call session of the conference and convention. In 2016 this deadline is midnight (24:00) Central time, Monday, July 4. Amendments received after that time will not be considered. Amendments, whenever possible, shall be submitted electronically in ASCII text format. Proposed amendments may be sent to me at j73.huffman@comcast.net. Questions may be sent to the same e-mail address or via telephone at (317) 228-0496. Additional information about the amendment process or procedures of the constitution and bylaws committee can be found in Article XI of the ACB Constitution and in Bylaw 6, Section D. The current ACB Constitution and Bylaws is available at www.acb.org/constitution-bylaws. We encourage anyone interested in proposing amendments to review the current constitution and bylaws before doing so. - John Huffman, Chair, ACB Constitution & Bylaws Committee ***** Yah You Betcha It’s Time for Resolutions Again! Readying for Resolutions at Our July Conference and Convention by Mark Richert It is such a privilege to continue to serve as your resolutions committee chairman; thank you. We are so very fortunate to be part of an organization that actively encourages each of us as members to exercise leadership in formulating our organization’s positions on critical issues and, thereby, to nurture the democratic spirit that is what ACB is all about. I’m talking about ACB’s resolutions process, undertaken at each year’s conference and convention. In preparation for that important work this summer, here are a few things to know and some tips on getting involved in the process even before July. The resolutions committee will be meeting in person during this July’s Minneapolis convention for five consecutive nights, Saturday, July 2 through Wednesday, July 6. Please consult the convention program for the meeting location and each night’s start time. To have your resolution considered by the committee, I must receive it from you no later than 9 p.m. Monday, July 4, but I strongly encourage you to submit it to me well in advance of that deadline. Any ACB member is welcome to submit a draft resolution to me at any time up to and including during the July conference and convention, so long as I receive your submission no later than 9 p.m. Monday, July 4. Drafts that are not received in a timely manner will only be considered at the committee’s discretion. Thank you. Now I’ve said this to you before, and I’m going to say it to you again, and I hope this not only sinks in but also makes you smile just a bit. A draft resolution will only be regarded as having been received if I myself have received it; drafts, partial drafts, rumors of drafts, drafts merely existing in someone’s consciousness, drafts that are only titles of resolutions, drafts that are merely a couple words scribbled on a soiled napkin, drafts that have been sealed in clay jars and buried in the Judean desert for millennia, or anything in any form whatsoever that is transmitted to another person other than to yours truly will not be considered received. While you need not worry whether your resolution is in proper, formal resolution form per se when you submit it to me, the thing you submit to me must clearly be a communication that says that you want the communication to be considered as a resolution by the resolutions committee, and it must be written so that it plainly declares what you believe ACB should say or do. You may submit your draft resolution to me via e-mail at MRichert@afb.net so long as you make it clear in the subject line and/or the body of your message that you are submitting a draft resolution for consideration by the committee. I will also accept brailled copies of draft resolutions that you may hand to me during the convention, and commonly used word-processed electronic files handed to me. Please do not ask another person, even someone whom you believe to be on the resolutions committee, to turn in your resolution for you. Between my e-mail address, my general availability during this summer’s convention, and the regular hours during which the committee will be meeting, you should have plenty of opportunity to convey your draft. If none of these means for communicating your draft resolution meet your needs, I’m sure the ACB national office would love to hear from you and help you out. If you have any questions about the preparation of your draft resolution or about the resolutions process, please do not hesitate to e-mail me or to call me on my mobile phone, (571) 438-7895, including during convention week this July. My hope is that by the time you read this article, your resolutions committee will have already met at least once by phone to get organized for this summer’s work and to begin discussing resolutions submitted in advance of our conference and convention. I look forward to working with all of you. Um! Yah! Yah! Bring ‘em on! ***** ACB Auction, the Perfect Ten Spring is in the air, and we begin dreaming of oh so many wonderful things! Maybe your dreams focus on cookies or cake, a beautiful necklace, a warm quilt, or the jersey of one of your favorite players, or perhaps a getaway with your honey to parts unknown. Well, whatever you may be dreamin’ about, this summer your dreams may just become reality at the “Decade of Dreams Auction,” this year’s ACB 10th anniversary auction. The auction will be held on Wednesday evening, July 6 at the 2016 ACB conference and convention in Minneapolis. We’ll have some describers and auctioneers you’ve probably heard before and some surprise voices as well. The auction committee is hard at work to make this 10th anniversary auction the most memorable one yet. We can’t thank you enough for donating to past auctions. For those affiliates or individuals who would like to donate to the “Decade of Dreams Auction,” please provide auction committee chair Leslie Spoone a description of the item either via e-mail, lesliespoone@cfl.rr.com, or by telephone, (407) 929-9837, by no later than June 1. If you’d like to ship your auction item ahead of time, send it to: ACB Auction, Leslie Spoone, 3924 Lake Mirage Blvd., Orlando, FL 32817-1554. Items must be received by June 1, 2016. So, get ready to support ACB and score with a bargain that’s nothing less than a perfect 10 at the “Decade of Dreams Auction.” ***** Know Your Rights to Health Care by Karen Hughes and Robert Goodman Have you ever contacted a health-care facility as a new patient and the medical receptionist asked you to bring someone with you to complete the paperwork? Have you ever had a staff person ask you your medical history in the waiting room, where other patients are sitting? Have you ever been given a serious diagnosis and then been handed printed medical documents to complete but, due to your blindness, you could not read them? Have doctors and other medical staff ever spoken to you in a disrespectful or patronizing manner? Or have you ever gone to a pharmacy and received bottles of medicine which you could not differentiate or with instructions you could not read? Unfortunately, these scenarios are all too common for patients who are blind or visually impaired. This will continue to be both a significant health issue and a social problem unless we take action now. Patients with disabilities have some additional rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. These laws guarantee that people with disabilities will have the same access to health care and other services as people without disabilities. We’d bet that you or someone you know can identify with the above situations. If so, you will want to attend the Health Issues Rights Seminar at the ACB national conference and convention in Minneapolis, to be held on Wednesday, July 6th, at 2:45 p.m. Megan Ryan, an attorney who specializes in health care structured negotiations, will be our featured speaker. She is with the firm of Goldstein, Borgen, Dardarian & Ho. This session is being sponsored by the ACB advocacy committee and the health issues task force. As blind or visually impaired people, we need to be our own advocates. This workshop will enable us to gain insight and learn strategies. In addition to an informative, interactive and lively discussion, we will receive materials in an accessible format on patients’ rights, specifically the ADA and how to make informed medical decisions. The benefits will be great - your stress will be reduced. So come and participate. ***** Wake Up and Walk The Walk of 10,000 Steps is the theme for the 2016 ACB Brenda Dillon Memorial Walk, taking place Sunday morning, July 3, during the ACB conference and convention in downtown Minneapolis, Minn. The walk will take place in and around the Hyatt Regency Hotel and surrounding skywalks. The route is approximately one mile in length; if you wish to walk 10,000 steps, you will need to walk the route approximately four times to achieve your goal. Wondering how you can participate in the walk? To sign up, visit the 2016 walk web site, http://acb.donorpages.com/2016ACBWalk/. Don’t have access to a computer? No problem! Give the ACB Minnesota office a call at (612) 332-3242, and they will be glad to assist you. Not able to attend the conference and convention in person this year? Virtual walkers are welcome! Do you belong to a special-interest or state affiliate and want to raise money for your affiliate and help ACB too? If so, encourage members to form a team; up to 50% of the funds received through donations to the team can go back to the affiliate. Last year, the Florida Hurricanes raised $10,000. Will your team blow them away this year? Let’s walk and work together to raise funds for ACB. Time’s running out, so don’t delay! Sign up for the 2016 ACB Brenda Dillon Memorial Walk today! - Katie Frederick ***** Leaders and Aspiring Leaders to Come Together in Omaha There’s a good reason to save the dates and make plans to join several of your ACB colleagues in Omaha, Neb., Aug. 5-7, 2016. No, the college football season isn’t getting off to an early start, and no, help is not needed de-tasseling corn or anything like that. Leaders and aspiring leaders will come together for the 3rd Midwest Leadership Conference. We will gather at the Regency Lodge Hotel in Omaha. Room rates are $81 plus 18.61% tax per night. To make reservations, call 1-800-617-8310 and mention you are with the Midwest Leadership Conference to get this rate. You can also make reservations online at http://bookings.ihotelier.com/bookings.jsp?groupID=1611410&hotelID=75099. There will be programming of interest to leaders at all levels. From a mock election, where we’ll pick our football coach, to discussions of what a strong affiliate should have, to discussions about membership, fundraising and other things, it’ll all be there. A very special feature this year is the Young Professionals Seminar, which will be held in conjunction with the Midwest conference. Young, aspiring ACB and community leaders will have the opportunity to participate in programming geared to their interests, as well as to interact and share with other conference attendees. For our Saturday night banquet on Aug. 6, stay tuned as we have invitations out to two potentially high profile keynote speakers. We hope to see many of you in Omaha. If you have any questions, please contact Jim Jirak, jjirak@inebraska.com, or phone (402) 553-7119. Questions specifically about the Young Professionals Seminar can be directed to Sara Conrad, sjconrad88@gmail.com. Let’s all head to the home of the Cornhuskers for some fun, networking and learning in early August. - Ray Campbell ***** Summary of the Winter Board Meetings by Doug Powell On Dec. 3, 2015, the board met by phone to consider the recommendations of the budget committee for the revenue side of the 2016 ACB budget. After a line item reading, discussion, and one change, the revenue side of the budget passed as $1,004,585. On Dec. 10, the board reconvened to consider the expense side and approved total projected expenses of $1,214,316. On Feb. 27, 2016, the board of directors met in Alexandria, Va., at the site of the affiliate presidents’ meeting and legislative seminar. Some items of note in president Kim Charlson’s report: • The Bureau of Printing and Engraving had to look for new anti-counterfeiting processes, which will delay the 2020 delivery date for the new $10 bill. Kim encouraged everyone to make sure we all have the currency readers distributed by NLS in the meantime. Testing by ACB members continues, but suitable tactile features have not yet been found either. • Kim met with Karen Keninger, head of the NLS. Legislation has been introduced to allow NLS to distribute braille displays, and there is testing currently going on for a new braille display that will cost less than $400. • Mitch and Kim were on a call with the Government Accounting Office concerning a follow-up report on the best practices for pharmacies supplying accessible drug labels and information. The GAO did not have a good idea of what ACB is and their role in advocating for useful and usable labeling. Mitch felt the conversation was fruitful. • The World Blind Union will be having its quadrennial meeting this August in Orlando, Fla. ACB will be supporting the planning of these meetings, and ACB Radio will be broadcasting the activities and sessions. Eric Bridges gave his staff report. In his first four months, the ACB headquarters offices moved, the midyear meetings moved to a new hotel, he hired Tony Stephens as the director of advocacy and governmental affairs, and he is starting to look at how we capture all the behind-the-scenes things Lane Waters does, since Lane will be retiring this July. Tom Tobin talked about the fundraising initiatives, which are all increasing. Jo Lynn Bailey-Page, our new grant writer, updated the board on the status of current grants and outstanding requests. She is also meeting with some of the people in the program areas that could always use more money, such as ACB Radio and the board of publications, so she could better understand what they do and how she could help them. Tony Stephens then reviewed the legislative imperatives for this year and fielded some questions about other issues in Congress. Lane Waters gave a report from the Minnesota office. An area of increasing participation by committees and task forces is capturing volunteer hours contributed by members of these groups. The dollar value of these hours is useful in showing our commitment to the organization and viewed favorably by potential donors. Joel Snyder gave an update on the Audio Description Project. There is a new sub-committee exploring certification for describers to enhance the quality of description. Another new sub-committee will deal with 508 compliance (description) of government-produced videos. Several questions from the board about accessibility of cable set-top boxes emerged. Eric stressed that people who experience problems with this should document the problem and e-mail it to him at ebridges@acb.org. The board then moved into executive session. After executive session, secretary Ray Campbell read a motion that was passed which authorized the IT Infrastructure Committee and ACB leadership to move forward with the digital redesign of acb.org. Treasurer Carla Ruschival gave her report. The budget committee recommended five minor changes to the 2016 budget, which the board accepted. Dan Spoone gave the resource development committee report. He thanked Carla Ruschival and Brian Charlson for their work on the holiday auction, which raised over $13,000. Jeff Thom presented a resolution for the board’s approval to dissolve the National Education and Legal Defense Service (NELDS) and for their assets to be used by ACB to help fund the same kinds of litigation expenses that NELDS would have used them for. The resolution passed. Jeff Bishop gave the ACB Radio report. They are excited about the Affiliates in Action show highlighting a national representative, a state affiliate, and a special-interest affiliate in each show, talking about what and how they are doing things. Making shows available on demand has been very successful, with January phone listeners at 4,417. For the holiday auction, there were 1,800 phone calls. One month on the web site, there were 8,600 on-demand show listeners. ACB Link continues to become more sophisticated. Janet Dickelman reported that the 2017 convention is in Reno, Nev. We have a signed contract for 2018 in St. Louis, Mo., and she is in final negotiations for 2019. President Kim Charlson called for goal group reports and reports from the board liaisons about the committees and task forces they work with, after which the meeting adjourned. ***** Affiliate and Committee News ** Multicultural Affairs Committee Hosts Focus Call The Multicultural Affairs Committee (MCAC) will hold its spring focus call on Thursday, May 26th, at 8 p.m. Eastern/5 p.m. Pacific. We will focus on the topic “Congenital Blindness vs. Losing Sight Later in Life.” Are there cultural biases or beliefs on this topic? Does one group have a distinct advantage over the other? How does having had sight factor in adjusting to blindness? Or does the congenitally blind individual have the ability to adjust easier to his/her circumstances and surroundings? We’d love to hear your ideas and experiences. To join us on the call, dial (712) 432-3066, and use passcode 840878#. ** A Few Changes to the FIA Showcase This Year For those who are considering auditioning for the FIA 2016 Showcase of the Performing Arts in Minneapolis, please note that there will be no band this year. We are allowing the use of recorded tracks under certain conditions. If you are planning to audition and need an accompanist, please tell us what you intend to perform as soon as possible so we can find someone to accompany you. If need be, we will hire a sighted accompanist. If you have questions, or need more information, send an e-mail to Lynn Hedl, lynnsbrc@gmail.com. ***** Here and There edited by Sharon Strzalkowski The announcement of products and services in this column does not represent an endorsement by the American Council of the Blind, its officers, or staff. Listings are free of charge for the benefit of our readers. “The ACB Braille Forum” cannot be held responsible for the reliability of the products and services mentioned. To submit items for this column, send a message to slovering@acb.org, or phone the national office at 1-800-424-8666, and leave a message in Sharon Lovering’s mailbox. Information must be received at least two months ahead of publication date. ** Applications for Roeder Scholarship Now Available Applications for the Joseph Roeder Assistive Technology Scholarship are now available on the NIB web site, www.nib.org/content/roeder-scholarship-application. The scholarship provides a one-time award of $2,500 for an individual who is blind to pursue education in computer science, information systems or a related field leading to a career in access technology. The scholarship is named for Joe Roeder, senior accessible technology specialist at NIB from 1997 until his death in 2010. Roeder was instrumental in the development of the Section 508 electronic and information technology accessibility standards of the Rehabilitation Act, which require all federal government agencies to provide accessible data and information for employees with disabilities. Applications and supporting documents must be submitted online no later than Friday, May 27, 2016. Top candidates will be interviewed by phone in June, and the winner will be announced this summer. ** Beacon Lodge Summer Camp Offerings Pennsylvania Lions Beacon Lodge offers a variety of summer camps for children and adults with disabilities. The camp is located in Mount Union, Pa. Camp deadlines are coming up soon; see the session list below. Adult sessions include: Camps for blind and visually impaired adults, as follows: July 9-14, Adult Session Six; deadline, June 30th; July 16-26, Adult Session Seven; deadline, July 6th; and July 30-August 9, Adult Session Eight, deadline, July 20th. Children’s sessions include: Camp A.L.I.V.E., June 11-16, Children’s Village One; deadline, June 1st. Family Camp: June 18-21, Children’s Village Two; deadline, June 8th. July 9-12, Children’s Village Five; deadline, June 30th. Camp Energy, June 25-30, Children’s Village Three; deadline, June 15th. Blind/Visually Impaired, July 16-23, Children’s Village Six; deadline, July 6th. All sessions begin at noon on the arrival day; all campers must be picked up between 9 a.m. and noon on departure day. For more information, or an application, contact Pennsylvania Lions Beacon Lodge Camp at (814) 542-2511; e-mail beaconlodgecamp@verizon.net; or visit www.beaconlodge.com. ** BANA Elects Officers At its November 2015 meeting, the Braille Authority of North America (BANA) elected officers for 2016. They are: Jennifer Dunnam, chair (NFB); Sandra Ruconich, vice chair (ACB); Ruth Rozen, secretary (Hadley Institute); and Jackie Sheridan, treasurer (National Braille Press). The new year has brought additional board changes. Diane Wormsley, who has represented AER (Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired) on the BANA board since 2004, has retired from her professorship at North Carolina Central University and plans to pursue other interests. The new AER representative is Mary Nelle McLennan, who has been the representative from the American Printing House for the Blind (APH) since 2007 and just completed five years as BANA’s vice chair. Cathy Senft-Graves was appointed as the new representative from APH, where she is the braille literacy and technology project leader. ** SeeLight App Helps with Navigation Only 10 percent of traffic lights worldwide are currently equipped with audible signals or tactile paving. None of them have a GPS tag. In order to address this concern, Hungry Boys has created a free app called SeeLight, which assists the visually impaired when crossing streets. The app has two parts. The first part, SeeLight, allows public authorities and individuals to share global traffic signal information (such as where the lights are located, duration of red and green signals, and whether the lights have audible signals or tactile paving) so the lights can be mapped. Visually impaired people can then access this information using SeeLightBlind, which helps guide them safely across roads using vibrations and voice navigation to determine direction and distance to the nearest crossing. This app is currently available at the App Store. An Android version will be available soon. ** Brailler Repair The Selective Doctor, Inc. specializes in repairing Perkins braillers. If the keys on your brailler are sticking, or the paper isn’t rolling in properly, contact The Selective Doctor at (410) 668-1143 or e-mail braillerrepair@yahoo.com for an estimate, or more information. Send your brailler to: The Selective Doctor, Inc., PO Box 571, Manchester, MD 21102. You may send it via free matter for the blind, but be sure to insure it. Your brailler will be returned to you via U.S. mail. For more details, visit www.selectivedoctor.com, or call the number above. ** Encouragement for the Week Dave Andrus has worked for 30 years as a parish pastor – and has been blind for 40 years. That has given him a unique and refreshing view of the world, situations and God. Pastor Dave shares encouragement and hope. His weekly podcast is sent via e-mail as an attachment, or can be found in the iTunes Store. Send an e-mail to info@not-alone.net, or visit http://not-alone.net. ***** High Tech Swap Shop ** For Sale: BrailleNote Apex 32 with qwerty keyboard. Recently serviced. Comes with latest KeySoft software, all cables and accessories; in original box. Asking $3,000; will accept payment by check only. Will ship when check clears. If interested, please contact Mike Hally at (651) 485-3204 or e-mail mike-hally@hotmail.com. ** For Sale: Brand-new Samsung copier, never out of box, never used. Price negotiable. Contact Joanne Semple at 102 Mason Ave., Harrington, DE 19952, or phone (302) 398-3248. ** Wanted: Braille embosser in good condition. Willing to pay under $1,000. Contact Ronald Byrd at (812) 924-7033. ** Wanted: Two-track cassette recorder. Can’t pay more than $50. Contact Tonya Smith at (734) 625-4570. ***** ACB Officers ** President Kim Charlson (2nd term, 2017) 57 Grandview Ave. Watertown, MA 02472 ** First Vice President Jeff Thom (2nd term, 2017) 7414 Mooncrest Way Sacramento, CA 95831-4046 ** Second Vice President John McCann (1st term, 2017) 8761 E. Placita Bolivar Tucson, AZ 85715-5650 ** Secretary Ray Campbell (2nd term, 2017) 460 Raintree Ct. #3K Glen Ellyn, IL 60137 ** Treasurer Carla Ruschival (3rd term, 2017) 148 Vernon Ave. Louisville, KY 40206 ** Immediate Past President Mitch Pomerantz 1115 Cordova St. #402 Pasadena, CA 91106 ** ACB Board of Directors Jeff Bishop, Tucson, AZ (partial term, 2016) Berl Colley, Lacey, WA (final term, 2016) Sara Conrad, Stevensville, MI (1st term, 2016) Katie Frederick, Worthington, OH (1st term, 2018) Michael Garrett, Missouri City, TX (final term, 2016) George Holliday, Philadelphia, PA (final term, 2018) Allan Peterson, Horace, ND (final term, 2018) Patrick Sheehan, Silver Spring, MD (1st term, 2018) Dan Spoone, Orlando, FL (1st term, 2016) David Trott, Talladega, AL (1st term, 2018) Ex Officio: Doug Powell, Falls Church, VA ** ACB Board of Publications Denise Colley, Chairman, Lacey, WA (2nd term, 2017) Ron Brooks, Phoenix, AZ (2nd term, 2017) Tom Mitchell, Salt Lake City, UT (1st term, 2016) Doug Powell, Falls Church, VA (1st term, 2016) Judy Wilkinson, San Leandro, CA (1st term, 2016) Ex Officios: Katie Frederick, Worthington, OH Bob Hachey, Waltham, MA Berl Colley, Lacey, WA Carla Ruschival, Louisville, KY ***** ** Accessing Your ACB Braille and E-Forums The ACB E-Forum may be accessed by e-mail, on the ACB web site, via download from the web page (in Word, plain text, or braille-ready file), or by phone at (605) 475-8154. To subscribe to the e-mail version, visit the ACB e-mail lists page at www.acb.org. The ACB Braille Forum is available by mail in braille, large print, half-speed four-track cassette tape, data CD, and via e-mail. It is also available to read or download from ACB’s web page, and by phone, (605) 475-8154. Subscribe to the podcast versions from your 2nd generation Victor Reader Stream or from http://www.acb.org/bf/.