THE BRAILLE FORUM Volume XLIV September 2005 No. 2 Published by the American Council of the Blind 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. Christopher Gray, President Melanie Brunson, Executive Director Sharon Lovering, Acting Editor National Office: 1155 15th St. NW Suite 1004 Washington, DC 20005 (202) 467-5081 Fax: (202) 467-5085 Web site: http://www.acb.org THE BRAILLE FORUM is available in braille, large print, half-speed four- track cassette tape, computer disk and via e-mail. Subscription requests, address changes, and items intended for publication should be sent to Sharon Lovering at the address above, or via e-mail to slovering@acb.org. Submission deadlines are the first of the month. The American Council of the Blind is a membership organization made up of more than 70 state and special-interest affiliates. To join, visit the ACB web site and complete an application form, or contact the national office at the number listed above. Those much-needed contributions, which are tax-deductible, can be sent to Mike Godino at the above mailing address. If you wish to remember a relative or friend, the national office can make printed cards available for this purpose. To remember the American Council of the Blind in your Last Will and Testament, you may include a special paragraph for that purpose. If your wishes are complex, contact the ACB national office. To make a contribution to ACB via the Combined Federal Campaign, use this number: 2802. For the latest in legislative and governmental news, call the "Washington Connection" toll-free at (800) 424-8666, 5 p.m. to midnight Eastern time, or visit the Washington Connection online at http://www.acb.org. Copyright 2005 American Council of the Blind TABLE OF CONTENTS A Letter from the Olsen Family Priorities and Minorities: Renewing Some Longstanding Commitments, by Christopher Gray Preparing for Emergencies, by Melanie Brunson A New Era for Technology, by Paul Edwards Summary of Board of Directors Conference Call, May 11, 2005, by Winifred Downing The Pre-Convention Meeting of the Board of Directors, July 2, 2005, by Winifred Downing ACB 2006 Convention Basics Affiliate News Blind -- But Determined to See the World!, by Brenda Dillon Money Management for the Visually Impaired, by Lois Wencil Plan for Eternity, by Leonard D. DuBoff Letters to the Editor Here and There, by Sharon Lovering and Sarah Blake High Tech Swap Shop ***** A LETTER FROM THE OLSEN FAMILY Dear ACB Members and Staff, On behalf of our entire family, we thank you for all of your phone calls, notes of encouragement and support you have shared with us in the past few months. Thank you for the wonderful remembrances in the April issue of "The Braille Forum" which was dedicated to his memory. We thank you especially for the honor that you bestowed on Jim by renaming the Distinguished Service Award the James R. Olsen Distinguished Service Award. And then awarding it to Jim at the convention was both humbling and appreciated. Working for the American Council of the Blind was a job that Jim always truly felt very proud of. We have established the James R. Olsen Scholarship Fund so that we will be able to further the education of blind and visually impaired students, something Jim felt very strongly about. Again, thank you. Sincerely, Anna Olsen and family: Sarah, Doug, Matthew and Megan Psick Martha, Tait, Carli, Colby and Tait James Christensen ***** PRIORITIES AND MINORITIES: RENEWING SOME LONGSTANDING COMMITMENTS by Christopher Gray I begin this message from the president with a heartfelt "thank you" to the assembled membership of the American Council of the Blind for electing me to a final term as president. It is an honor and a privilege to serve this organization and I hope to do so with unflagging energy and commitment during these final two years. Many things of great importance came out of our 2005 convention in Las Vegas, Nev. Full reports will be forthcoming in the November issue of "The Braille Forum." In this message, I would like to highlight two particular items of significance on which priority will be placed during the next two years. Both of these items deal with members of our community who have somewhat of a minority position. These are people and groups to whom we need to reach out and assist to become vital, involved, and active members of the American Council of the Blind. The first initiative is Project METRO. METRO stands for Multicultural Endeavors through Reorganization and Outreach. The idea for this project came out of a reception held during the Las Vegas convention for multicultural members of the organization. Approximately 35 ACB members met and discussed how ACB could better reach out into the African-American, Hispanic, Native American, and other racial and ethnic communities. We have always led the way in these areas within the organized blind movement and we are well positioned to continue and improve upon this work. To lead and facilitate these efforts, ACB is very lucky to have Cynthia Towers step forward and volunteer her well-known and respected capabilities. Cynthia has distinguished herself within our movement, first acting as ACB's secretary for six years, and more recently by serving as the ACB convention coordinator. She has overseen the Houston, Pittsburgh, Birmingham and Las Vegas conventions and done so with distinction. I doubt if many of us are fully aware of all the work involved in coordinating ACB's annual conventions. Cynthia is certainly among that small and competent group of hard-working, contributing individuals. In the next several months, she will be writing to the membership in the pages of "The Braille Forum" and working with the membership throughout the country to carry forward the important and vital work of Project METRO. I am extremely excited about what this project can accomplish, and I ask everybody to be in touch with Cynthia and those assisting her in the coming months. The second project on which a renewed priority and focus is to be given also came as an outgrowth of the Las Vegas convention. The need for this renewed focus began to surface in early June when Carla Ruschival brought to ACB's attention requests for over 50 assistive listening devices by convention registrants. We only had eight devices on hand, and some quick work had to be done to increase this number appropriately. During the convention itself, a need for interpreters also arose in order for ACB to serve the deaf-blind participants in Las Vegas. The latter request was a challenge for which we were not entirely prepared, and it was brought to the board of directors for study and future action during the post-convention board meeting. My purpose in mentioning it here is to indicate and acknowledge that this is something on which ACB intends to devote significant effort, and to indicate publicly our commitment as an organization to the hearing impaired and deaf-blind membership and potential membership of ACB. Through the board of directors, staff, and the sight and sound impaired committee, ACB is renewing its longstanding commitment to this segment of our community. We are fortunate to have dedicated and committed members among us who are willing and able to take up these initiatives. You will be reading much more about these efforts in the months to come. ***** PREPARING FOR EMERGENCIES by Melanie Brunson Since the events of September 11, 2001, some of the air space over the nation's capital has been off limits to airplanes. Earlier this summer, a small, private plane ventured into this restricted air space. When attempts by authorities to get the pilot to turn around were unsuccessful, a decision was made to evacuate the office buildings on Capitol Hill and the White House. Police officers told everyone to leave their offices and "run for your lives," by some accounts. A few days after this event, I attended a meeting, which was sponsored by the Federal Communications Commission and the National Organization on Disability, to discuss the issues related to emergency preparedness of people with disabilities. It was reported by a representative of the National Organization on Disability that when the offices were evacuated during the event described above, people with disabilities who were in the affected buildings were told to stay where they were and that someone would "come back for them after everyone else had been evacuated." Amazing! The expressions of horror that followed this revelation were unanimous. The agencies that had been involved in conducting this evacuation were not among those represented at this meeting, so we have no way of knowing what their rationale was. However, we all agreed that such a course of action was neither wise nor acceptable. Unfortunate as it was, I think this incident serves as a wake-up call for governments, businesses, law enforcement and public safety agencies, and people with disabilities themselves. It draws attention to one more area where advocacy and public education about the needs and abilities of people with disabilities must be increased. In an emergency situation, where leaving someone behind to be attended to later could have fatal consequences for that individual, it is especially imperative that first responders have sufficient knowledge about the capabilities of people with disabilities to enable them to make informed judgments regarding appropriate evacuation methods for such people. It is also imperative that people with disabilities have access to information about emergency situations, so that they can make informed decisions regarding how to keep themselves safe. Fortunately, a number of efforts are under way which will hopefully begin to address these needs. The White House has established an Interagency Coordinating Council on Emergency Preparedness and People with Disabilities, which recently issued a report to the president outlining the state of the country's preparedness and the concerns of a variety of federal agencies. Several agencies have also launched web sites wherein they have attempted to provide information about emergency preparedness and disability. Different agencies are taking different slants, depending on their focus, but the common thread running through all of the presentations is that all citizens need to be prepared, and that the needs of all citizens must be considered by emergency management personnel, before, during and after emergencies. One of these sites was launched by the Office of Disability Employment Policy at the Department of Labor. It provides a template of guidelines for dealing with emergencies that occur in the workplace, specifically government buildings where people with disabilities may be employed. Dr. Roy Grizzard, in unveiling the web site, said that people with disabilities need assurance that their workplaces are safe, and that information is available that can provide this assurance if implemented. The target audience is government employers and their employees, but the information is applicable to private sector workplaces as well. Readers who have access to the Internet can check out this information at www.dol.gov/odep.programs/emergency. The U.S. Department of Transportation has another web site, which contains advice on emergency preparedness, transportation accessibility, and evacuation methods for various modes of transportation, such as rail and transit systems. Disabled individuals can learn how to react in situations ranging from evacuations of mass transit systems to being trapped in a car during a blizzard or hurricane. The site also includes links to Department of Homeland Security web pages that provide information on preparing for specific emergencies, including natural disasters such as severe weather, fire and earthquakes, as well as man-made disasters such as spills of hazardous materials. Finally, the site provides information for transportation providers on how to respond to the unique needs of people with disabilities during an emergency. The web address for the new site is www.dotcr.ost.dot.gov/asp/emergencyprep.asp. Another source for a great deal of information on this subject is www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/interapp/editorial/editorial_0660.xml. This is a web portal from which you can access information from a variety of agencies. This is a good start, but there is still much to do, for all of us. One very practical need that remains largely unmet should be obvious to some of you. How do we get the information on all of these web sites into the hands of people with disabilities who don't have computer access? ACB staff members have been discussing this issue with the various agencies involved, and we are hopeful that some publications will be made available in other formats, but we cannot yet tell you when that will happen. We are also aware that many additional communication issues remain unresolved. As many of you know, ACB has been urging the Federal Communications Commission for years to take action that would insure that emergency information that is displayed visually on TV screens would also be verbalized. We have incorporated language into the latest video description bill that would advance this effort significantly. Work is currently under way to evaluate the state of the technology that could make this feasible, and to get this information into the hands of decision-makers at the FCC and in Congress. However, it is clear that a lot of work needs to be done on both the technological and political fronts in order for us to have adequate access to emergency warning information. The efforts that I have discussed thus far are all taking place at the national level. What about the states and local communities? How much do the first responders in our local communities know about appropriately assisting people with visual impairments during and after emergencies? How prepared are people with visual impairments to deal with those same emergencies? Since most emergency situations are experienced locally, it is imperative that local citizens and the personnel charged with responding to emergencies have the information they need to act and react effectively. However, there is a great deal of concern that much of the information that is being gathered at the national level is staying at that level and not getting into the hands of those who need it most. We have received several phone calls in the ACB office from individuals who have an interest in emergency preparedness, but who say that nobody in their state or local organizations is attempting to address the needs of people with disabilities as they develop their emergency plans. In addition, it has been estimated by the National Organization on Disability that 58 percent of people with disabilities have no emergency preparedness plans of their own. So what can we do? Here's a suggestion. Just as affiliates have committees that address transportation and technology issues, how about establishing one that deals with emergency preparedness issues? These committees could then work with local agencies and provide assistance to them in understanding and addressing the needs of people in their communities who have disabilities. Individuals might also attend local city council or public safety commission meetings to raise issues about emergency preparedness for people with disabilities. ACB staff members have worked with government agencies, private entities and disability organizations to address these issues, and we will continue to do so. However, since emergency situations will potentially impact all of us at one time or another, and all of us would benefit from being more prepared for them, I believe this is a topic that should receive closer attention by all of us, both at the very personal, practical level and at the public policy level. I think it would be great if affiliates would embrace this issue and treat it as if it is as important as pedestrian safety, because one of these days, it could very well be. ***** A NEW ERA FOR TECHNOLOGY by Paul Edwards On April 29, 2005, the Apple Computer company launched the fourth generation of OS X or 10. Each of the versions of OSX was named after a cat and thus it was that version four was known as Tiger. With the launch of Tiger, Apple signaled the beginning of a new era in access technology. It will probably take a while for the full effect of the revolution to be felt but we, as blind computer users, are clearly in a place we have never been before. You see, with the release of Tiger, Apple included a suite of disability access programs as a part of its operating system which means that a blind person can walk into a Mac store and buy a computer that is accessible out of the box. There is a magnification program that will make using the Mac easier for those with low vision but the real blockbuster news is that there is a program called Voiceover, which is shipped with every Tiger Mac. This is a full-fledged screen reader which certainly gives blind people access to word processing, e-mail, Internet browsing, music storage, and chess. In addition, you can voice chat, send instant messages, read PDF files, and scan. There are actually many other things and programs that can probably be accessed, but this is a fairly impressive list. Apple is to be commended for making sure that Voiceover is a fairly robust and mature product at release time. As with the Windows operating system, most of the products that are used on Macs are developed by third- party companies that are not directly affiliated with Apple. Many of these are not currently accessible. Apple is taking a proactive stance by making programming guidelines available to such companies and, with luck, more and more content will soon be fully usable. The interface appears sensible and Apple is again to be commended for its use of many blind people and a public list to beta-test the Voiceover software. The arrival of another screen reader on the scene is not, by itself, such a big deal. In fact, the Mac operating system is notorious for its use of graphics and many people who are blind have shied away from having much to do with Macs for that reason. There had been a screen reader for the Mac, Outspoken, which ceased to be available a little more than a year ago. It was never upgraded so it could work with OS 10. So, essentially, those diehard Mac users who are blind were forced until now to stay an operating system behind with a product that was only ever mediocre at best. What is significant about the release of Tiger and Voiceover is an economic reality. A blind person can now walk into an Apple store and get a Mac Mini and a keyboard for well under $600. For this outlay, the blind person will not only get a computer with 20 software voices built in, but he will not need to spend any more money on a screen reader. Most Windows users would have to find an additional $1,000 to purchase a screen reader. Imagine this. Every new Mac in every office, every classroom and every computer lab and every library is accessible. What will this mean for education and employment? Is the training community ready for the influx of requests for training on the Mac that will undoubtedly come? How will Microsoft react now that accessibility is built into computers by its chief rival? Will Windows become the platform of those who have money? Will the Mac become the computer of choice for poor people who simply cannot afford more? These are tough questions which only time will answer. What it is important to recognize for now is that, for the first time, blind people have the chance to buy a computer at the same price and in the same place that sighted people buy theirs. Families do not have to buy separate computers for their blind children. Neither I nor anyone else knows what the future of the Mac and blind people is likely to be. Many are entrenched Windows users who will not want to learn a new system. However, many blind people for whom a computer was just a distant dream on the horizon will, for the first time, be able to look at the prospect of acquiring the freedom and productivity a computer brings at a price they may be able to afford. Whatever the future holds, April 29, 2005 was a pretty significant day in the lives of blind people. Only time will show us just how much it means! Bruce Bailey has pulled a number of Voiceover and Apple resources onto one web page. The address is http://home.adelphia.net/~bmss/vo/. ***** SUMMARY OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS CONFERENCE CALL, MAY 11, 2005 by Winifred Downing (Author's Note: The duties of the BOP liaison member of the ACB board of directors were assigned to me in January because of the illness of the person who held this position in July 2004. Somehow this unusual circumstance has had as one of its consequences failure to communicate to me board functions routinely, including the telephone conference call of May 11. I am constructing a summary, therefore, from the secretary's minutes and conversations with participants.) President Chris Gray called the meeting to order at 6:15 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time on May 11. Absent were Downing and Pomerantz. Along with the other officers and directors, Melanie Brunson, executive director, was present. Financial Matters: Because PriceWaterhouse could not complete the audit this year, the executive committee voted to have the work done by Meyer, Hoffman and McCann with the hope that the additional cost would not exceed $3,000. The total amount of the audit would be $38,000, the cost to be shared with ACBES. Brian Charlson's motion to ratify the action taken by the executive committee passed. Brunson reported on her visit to the Minneapolis office and discussion with the staff there, and Paul Edwards moved that she and other appropriate people be authorized to hire a temporary manager for the Minneapolis office as soon as possible. The motion carried. It was decided that the store managers would have a meeting prior to the opening session of the national convention. To provide an opportunity for them to meet with the ACB officers and board members, Edwards offered his suite for a reception late Sunday afternoon. Gray reported that Brunson had been able to secure a list of possible donors for the direct mail campaign, and 50,000 letters were mailed in late April with the intention of having two more test mailings this summer. Awards: First Vice President M.J. Schmitt moved that the Distinguished Service Award be renamed the James R. Olsen Distinguished Service Award, and the motion was approved. Jacksonville, Fla. Convention: Carla Ruschival received a call from the Hyatt Hotel in Jacksonville explaining that another convention had been scheduled at the same time as the ACB 2006 convention. The manager suggested that, if the council agreed to meet from July 8-15, advantageous monetary concessions would be made, and Charlson introduced a motion to authorize the site selection coordinator to enter into negotiations to that effect with a report to the board of directors at the pre-convention meeting in Las Vegas on July 2. A voice vote approved the motion. Litigation: Responding to Pat Sheehan's request for a discussion on how ACB reaches decisions concerning litigation, Edwards moved that, as envisioned in Robert's Rules of Order and in the practice followed by non- profit organizations, the board be required to approve any litigation prior to the serious investigation of such litigation. The motion carried. Resource Development Committee: Trott reported that the time share auction was progressing nicely, with the latest bid at $700. The committee suggested that, in future conventions, a bowling tournament be held with the involvement of the specific affiliate hosting the convention. Final Notes: The board discussed the National Association of Blind Students' need for help in gaining members, and Schmitt promised time at the pre-convention board meeting to provide some assistance. Actions Planned by the Executive Director: Brunson stated that a class action suit may be instituted against the Social Security Administration for failure to provide material in accessible formats. Edwards moved that the board authorize Brunson to enter into negotiations with DREDF with the view of becoming an organizational plaintiff in the suit. The motion carried. Brunson also reported that a rally would be held on May 26 in Washington, D.C. in front of the Department of Education building in opposition to proposed changes in the Department of Rehabilitation. With assistance offered by Edwards and Charlson, Brunson will develop a document to be circulated among those attending the rally to explain the problems resulting from the suggested changes. JoAnn Wilson, former RSA commissioner, said that the NFB wanted a speaker from ACB to be present at the rally, already supported by 15 sponsors. Gray will send an announcement to the leadership list requesting participants in the rally. The meeting adjourned at 8:35 p.m. ***** THE PRE-CONVENTION MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, JULY 2, 2005 by Winifred Downing The meeting began with a roll call of board members, all of whom were present, as well as many staff members. Foremost in everyone's mind was the convention. A few of the most interesting items follow: 1. Stuart Benjamin, the producer of the movie "Ray," would be present to accept the Media Access Award on Sunday and would also introduce "Ray," the audio-described movie to be shown on Monday evening, returning when it ended to answer questions and hear comments. 2. Because the group using the room scheduled for the Communications Center did not vacate the premises for several hours beyond their allotted time and because they left the area very dirty, it was impossible to set up the machinery for printing the Saturday issue of "The Las Vegas Pair-a- Dice," the convention newspaper. Everyone concerned was working diligently to produce a Sunday paper. 3. Each person's convention bag contained a package of three bottles of shower gel and shampoo sent by a company called "philosophy" in Phoenix, Ariz., in response to a request by Bernice Kandarian for cosmetics to be distributed to the women's concerns committee. The company sent 1,600 of these packs, each priced at $30; thus the company sent gifts valued at $48,000. 4. A Texas Hold 'Em Poker Tournament was planned for July 5 from 2-6 p.m. The Gaming Control Board met and okayed the use of braille and large- print cards. Entrants would pay $30, of which $5 would go to the dealer. Each table would have a supervisor; these Riviera Hotel employees would take no pay for their services, and the house took no cut either. Table winners would compete in the finals, and prizes would come from the money collected. At 1 p.m. that day, a training session would be scheduled for people who hadn't played poker before. Also, general casino orientation would be available for those having no previous acquaintance with playing the games, and $3 minimum blackjack tables would be available in the afternoons from Sunday through Thursday. (The usual cost is $10.) Treasurer's Report: Ardis Bazyn reported that total revenue for the year was $1,082,982.22; total expenses, $1,015,338.57; and the positive net at the end of the year, $67,643.65. In the discussion following the motion to approve the report, Brian Charlson explained that these numbers are preliminary since no audit has yet been completed. Executive Director, Melanie Brunson: The Disability Rights Education Defense Fund (DREDF) had requested ACB to become a plaintiff in a suit against the Social Security Administration (SSA) because of its failure to communicate in an accessible manner with blind and visually impaired people whose benefits were being questioned. According to an arrangement made concerning such people, the SSA is to telephone them to inform them of any action being considered. Not having received notification that they could hear or read, some of these individuals lost their benefits because they did not respond to notices sent to them. DREDF wants information about individual plaintiffs and assistance from this organization in preparing the suit. Paul Edwards' motion to join in this action passed. Having reviewed their constitution and bylaws, Brunson proposed awarding a charter to the ACB Diabetics in Action, and the motion to do so carried. Acting Editor: Sharon Lovering furnished the following interesting statistics concerning "The Braille Forum." For the July-August issue: 2,240 braille readers, a 3.24 percent decrease from last year; 7,835 cassette readers, a 1.5 percent decrease; 13,490 large-print readers, an increase of 0.7 percent; 798 disk readers, a decrease of 0.5 percent; and 1,389 e-mail readers, an increase of 35 percent. Parliamentarian's Recommendations: Don Stevens presented standing rules for the operation of the convention which would be submitted at a general session for vote by the membership. The following rules were adopted: that debate on any matter be held to 20 minutes, with 3 minutes allowed for each speaker and speakers alternating between opposing and approving arguments with the parliamentarian as the time keeper; that anyone wishing to speak must be at a microphone, ask for the floor, and give his or her name; that members wishing to vote must wear their badges marked with an orange dot; that changes in the convention program could be made when necessary but with the proviso that a member could oppose the change; that nominees for office be allowed five minutes which they could allot to their speakers as they desired; that affiliate votes be expressed in whole and half numbers; that, in a run-off election of more than two candidates, only the top two be retained. These rules were adopted in toto by the board and would be published in the convention newspaper and read from the floor. Determining just what a quorum is in ACB was referred to the Constitution and Bylaws Committee for definition. Executive Session: In executive session, it was decided that the Connecticut affiliate will be retained but not seated and that individual members from that state will be encouraged to participate and vote at the convention. A second decision established a three-person committee to conduct an investigation and bring a recommendation to the board before the distribution of packets to exhibitors for the 2006 convention to determine the continued participation of a vendor wishing to attend that convention. Convention Site Selection, Carla Ruschival: Encouraging developments are coming together regarding sites for 2008, 2010, and 2011. Having the numbers from this convention is a powerful stimulus to hotels and will benefit the selection process greatly. The 2006 convention will be in Jacksonville, Fla., at the Hyatt Hotel, July 8-15. Because of the scheduling error made by the hotel in booking two conventions for the Fourth of July week, we are being given significant concessions that will greatly assist ACB. Resource Development Committee, David Trott: Increased effort had to be made to have the $50 tickets sold to benefit "The Braille Forum," and care was necessary to refer to this effort as a benefit and to restrict sales to meeting rooms and private rooms, so that no selling would occur in public areas. By the fall board meeting, guidelines will be developed concerning raffles to protect against situations in which we are raising essentially only the money to pay for the prizes. Future fund-raising must be predicated on firm estimates. The time share auction was at $1,100 with several days yet to go. ACBES, Michael Garrett: In the first quarter of the year sales were down because of stormy weather that caused closure of stores in some areas and substantially reduced foot traffic, but the stores have been repainted and spruced up to make merchandise and buying more attractive. Improvements in cost management have resulted in increased profits this spring. Closer ties between the stores and ACB chapters in the area are being promoted, and a planned reception for store managers to meet with officers and board members will be another step in strengthening the relationship between the stores and the rest of the organization. The meeting adjourned at noon. ***** ACB 2006 CONVENTION BASICS The sound of slot machines and the warm and dry Las Vegas weather are still vivid memories, but now it's time to begin planning to attend the 45th annual convention of the American Council of the Blind, to be held in Jacksonville, Fla. July 8-15, 2006. You will be hearing lots of details in the coming months, but here's some information to get you started. The Hyatt Regency Jacksonville-Riverfront will be ACB's home for a week of workshops, meetings, exhibits, tours and entertainment. The hotel is located on the banks of the St. John's River, and is close to restaurants and shopping. Room rates are $79 per night plus tax (single, double, triple or quad). To make reservations, call 1-800-233-1234 or (904) 588-1234. ***** AFFILIATE NEWS VIVA Blackjack Seminar a Success The Visually Impaired Veterans of America's blackjack seminar was a huge success! About 40 people learned the basics of blackjack and about 30 of us descended on the casino floor to play. The staff at the Riviera worked very hard to accommodate all the new players. They even lowered their normal $10 minimum bet to $3 for several hours. Many new players left after making $10; others stayed to play longer. If anyone has any news about gaming (that's the politically correct name for gambling), especially with reference to the visually impaired, please send it to blindluckblackjack@yahoo.com. BFLAG Convention A Success BFLAG had 53 members at this year's convention and continued its growth in Las Vegas by taking in 12 new members and getting many local people involved with its programming. Due to the conflict created last year with BFLAG receiving a proclamation from the mayor of Birmingham, BFLAG turned down a proclamation from the mayor of Las Vegas. It is a shame that this had to be done, but BFLAG did not want to offend any ACB members or affiliates. BFLAG and NABS joined together for the first time to offer a seminar which was extremely well-attended. This shows the continued effort by the two affiliates to work together for the betterment of both organizations. CCLVI and BFLAG are exploring the possibilities of working together on the 2006 convention in Jacksonville. Jason Perry of Columbus, Ohio will be working on grants to expand outreach in education and resource availability for all. Darryl Roberts of Macomb, Ill. will be heading up an IT committee which has already facilitated the streaming of the BFLAG annual meeting and will be expanding BFLAG's web site and assuring its accessibility to all. Butch Arnold of Baltimore is the new president and will tackle the task of continuing the growth that Rob Hill and Connie David started. Don Brown of Berkeley, Calif. brought the BFLAG newsletter, "InsideOUT" to a professional standard and for the first time obtained paid advertising to assist with production costs. He has committed to continuing his good work into the future. Speaking of the future, BFLAG is exploring the possibility of having a cruise out of Jacksonville leaving on Saturday, July 15, 2006, just after the convention. It would be a 3- or 4- day cruise and hopefully will cost around $600 per person. Like all BFLAG programs, it will be open to all who want to partake in the fun. BFLAG is working on a directory of its members, which will be available to members shortly. BFLAG encourages its members to get together in their geographical areas for socialization and the furthering of the BFLAG mission. BFLAG is NOT forming local chapters, but simply encouraging members to get together and show a presence in their communities as they fulfill the BFLAG mission. BFLAG is a diverse organization and recognizes the overwhelming need for acceptance for everyone. BFLAG also recognizes that it will never know all who will benefit from its work since so many individuals in our society are still afraid to be themselves and "come out." BFLAG will never "out" anyone nor encourage the "outing" of anyone. We simply want to give people a feeling of comfort and understanding while we provide information and education to all about our diverse population. BFLAG is proud of its diversity and welcomes all to join and help in educating everyone in our community. For more information about BFLAG, visit www.BFLAG.org. Please remember that the site will be experiencing a lot of transition in the coming months; you may have to visit several times to see all that we are doing. Georgia Rallies for Rehabilitation On July 25, 2005, more than 50 individuals who are blind and deaf- blind along with their service providers met outside the state capitol in the blazing hot sun to make their state officials aware of what the federal government is trying to do with our rehabilitation program. The idea was to make our officials aware that we expect them to keep the DRS monies separate from the one-stop shops. The group marched down the streets of Atlanta to the Department of Labor, which is the department that oversees the rehabilitation services in Georgia. Each member of the rally carried a tin cup with pencils. Once we arrived at the Department of Labor, several leaders from the Georgia Council, the NFB of Georgia, and the Georgia Deaf-Blind Association gave speeches. We were able to get the head of Rehabilitation Services to come out and talk to us; the Assistant Commissioner of the Department of Labor spoke with us also. We explained that if the feds do as they want by block- granting the money, we want our elected officials to do the right thing and keep our specialized services separate, and that in fact we want such a division started for the deaf-blind. We are now planning to present the cups with pencils to our elected officials so they get the message. The pencils say "Don't erase our specialized services." We also tried to meet with the governor, but he was out of town. However, he responded to our request later that day by saying we needed to take our concerns to the federal level. We intend to insist that he meet with us. The rally was an event of the Georgia Blind Coalition, a group formed several years ago by consumers and service providers when we were upset with the fact that vocational rehabilitation services did away with separate services for the blind. The group was successful in getting services for the blind re-established, and has continued to work on improving services for the blind and deaf-blind in Georgia. We feel that the rally was a success, and just the beginning of our action plan to fight the federal administration's attempts to put us back to the time of having to beg for equal access to jobs or the right to be included in our communities. ACB of Minnesota Convention The 2005 ACBM state convention will be held Oct. 14-16 at the Doubletree Park Place hotel in Minneapolis. On Friday evening we will kick off the event with a walk for safety in commemoration of White Cane Day. The program will cover a wide array of topics, including a roundtable discussion with state legislatures, the latest on Social Security and information from the Blinded Veterans Association. We also have speakers about personal safety, healing touch for animals and a food critic. Saturday evening will feature our banquet and keynote speaker. Prior to the banquet you'll have time to see what the vendors have available. Among our vendors are an accessible voting machine manufacturer, Freedom Scientific with the latest products, Hadley School for the Blind and Scan a Can. Rooms should be booked as soon as possible by calling the Doubletree at (952) 582-5300. Rates are $99 per night plus tax. Specify that you will be attending the ACBM convention. For more information, contact Janet Dickelman at (651) 698-5059 or e-mail Janet.dickelman@comcast.net. Oregon Convention Comes to Klamath Falls The 2005 Oregon state convention will be held Oct. 13-15 at the Shilo Inn, Klamath Falls, Ore. The Klamath and Rogue Valley chapters are busy lining up vendors and activities, collecting door prizes, and all the other things needed to bring the convention to life. Please try to join us -- we'll have a great time. For registration information, contact Bob Rushing, 4730 Auburn Rd. NE, Sp. #52, Salem, OR 97301; phone (503) 362-4151, or e- mail b.rushing@juno.com. Welcome to Our Convention! The Old Dominion Council of the Blind will hold its annual state convention at the Quality Inn Governor, located at 6650 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church, VA from Oct. 28-30. Friday will be dedicated to those recently experiencing vision loss and to senior citizens coping with sight loss. Saturday will feature the keynote address from our executive director, Melanie Brunson, as well as seminars on preparing for college and being successful there, changes in Social Security and information on the drug card. We will also feature a local theater group for the disabled. There will be plenty of time to socialize at meals and at our Saturday banquet which will include entertainment by John McCann on the guitar as well as a visit to the hospitality suite. We will hold our business meeting on Sunday at NIB's new headquarters, 1310 Braddock Place, Alexandria, Va. Room rates are $75 for singles, $80 for doubles, $85 for triples and $90 for quads. All rooms except singles will contain two queen beds. Lodging tax is 8.5 percent. Make your hotel reservations by calling 1-800-221-2222 or (703) 532-8900. Please mention that you are a member of the Council of the Blind to get the special rate. For more information, call Debra Chandler at (703) 322-9690. New Jersey Convention to Focus on Accessibility The 2005 annual convention of the New Jersey Council of the Blind will be held at the Clarion Hotel/Palmer Inn in Princeton on Oct. 29, 2005. The theme will be "Accessibility." We have many exhibitors already signed up. The day will begin at 8:30 a.m. with exhibits and an excellent continental breakfast. The morning speaker's topic is Access to Communication. The banquet luncheon's keynote speaker will be James Davy, Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Human Services. The afternoon speakers will address access to community services. We will conclude the event with a business meeting. The program will wrap up by 5:30 p.m. The cost of the breakfast and luncheon banquet will be only $25; registration will be $15. The meal choices are chicken francaise or sirloin tips. We will have lots of door prizes, raffles and other fun events. If you would like to stay overnight, make your reservations directly with the hotel, (609) 452-2500. The cost is $79 per night plus tax, double occupancy. Call Ottilie Lucas at (609) 882-2446 for more information or to register. Kentucky Council of the Blind Convention The Kentucky Council of the Blind will hold its 32nd annual convention Nov. 11-13 in Louisville at the Kentucky School for the Blind, 1867 Frankfort Ave. Activities will get under way on Friday afternoon with workshops and seminars, followed by exhibits, dinner and program. Saturday will be packed with more workshops, exhibits, speakers, discussion, and the annual banquet. Convention packets will be distributed on or about Oct. 1. For more information, or to receive a packet, contact KCB at (502) 895-4598, or by e- mail at kcb@iglou.com. Advocating and Communicating in Ohio The ACB of Ohio state convention will be held Nov. 18-20 at the Holiday Inn on the Lane in Columbus. This year's theme is "Advocating and Communicating for a Brighter Outlook." Instead of nine workshops on Saturday, there will be just six, in order to allow everyone more time to talk with the speakers. Some of the workshops will be: self-defense, a discussion group with Ohio Parents of Visually Impaired Children (OPVI), a financial planning workshop, and more. The keynote speaker will be Dr. Ray Guarendi, who will also be speaking at the OPVI workshop on Saturday. Other speakers include someone from the library for the blind and the national scholarship winner who attended convention in Las Vegas. There will also be plenty of entertainment opportunities this year. The auction will be held on Friday night. The ACBO board encourages all chapters to bring in items to auction off. Also on Friday night, there will be an audio-described movie. After the banquet, there will be music provided by a disc jockey. You can also enjoy ice skating across the street from the hotel. For more information, call the Ohio office at (614) 221-6688 or (in Ohio only) 1-800-835-2226. Human Service Professionals Strives to Survive ACB Human Service Professionals held a meeting at the convention. The first part was a stress management presentation by Debbie Chandler and Jessie Rayl. It was fairly well-attended. The second part of the meeting was business, to establish where Human Service Professionals wanted to go. Everyone agreed that they wanted to maintain the affiliate if possible. That possibility depends solely on getting membership and maintaining the interest. We talked about newsletters and conference calls and I hope to get both going as soon as we get a larger contact list and membership. I was appointed coordinator of the affiliate. We need to update the bylaws as well. Pam Shaw is treasurer, and Debbie Chandler is secretary. Next year, we will have a more formal meeting and more presentations at the convention. Anyone who wants to join ACB-HSP is welcome, including students in the human services field, people who have the degree and interest even if they are still looking for work, and those employed. Dues are $15 per year. Send your dues to Jessie Rayl at Pathways Counseling Services, 101 Medical Court, Suite 108, Martinsburg, WV 25401; phone (304) 262-8020; fax (304) 262-8099; or e-mail eagle.wings@verizon.net. Please include your contact information, as well as where you are in terms of employment, school, etc. ***** BLIND -- BUT DETERMINED TO SEE THE WORLD! by Brenda Dillon Have you ever wished that you could go on a really neat vacation? Have you grown tired of waiting around for family or friends to invite you along with them? I have, and after many frustrating years of waiting around and hearing about everybody else's fun travels, I decided to do something about it!! I have little more than light perception and my husband, Dan, is totally blind. We both love to travel and in the past four years have done quite a bit! We took our first trip to a nice resort in Myrtle Beach. With restaurants, shops, the beach and a pool and a lazy river just beyond our door, it was pretty easy to access everything. Our next challenge was a trip to an all-inclusive resort in Cancun. They treated us like royalty there and even had a staff person take us in the hotel van to the open market for some great bargains. We also went on a speedboat excursion, and aside from the language barrier between us and the guide, we thoroughly enjoyed that outing as well! He gave us a thrilling ride over the waves, but was a little lacking in describing the scenery. At the resort itself, the staff could not have been more accommodating. We were able to participate in casino night, enjoyed sampling the many and varied drinks at the swim-up bar and lounged on the beach along with all the other tourists. Our sombreros were definitely off to the staff there! Our third venture was a four-day visit to Washington, D.C. I did a lot of research ahead of time and arranged for guides and docents at each stop along the way. We decided rather than fly both ways, it would be fun to take the train with a deluxe sleeper compartment. That was an experience we will never forget. The accommodations were compact but quite comfortable. The food was really good! There were several music and movie selections available in your room. Anyway, after an overnight trip from Birmingham, Ala., we arrived in D.C. rested and ready to tackle our jam-packed itinerary. We had a photo session with then-Rep. Bob Clement and Sen. Bill Frist. Their staffs were so friendly! We had a guided tour of the Capitol with many hands-on opportunities. I was especially impressed with the huge tactile map of the whole area complete with streets, buildings, etc. We also visited the Supreme Court building and ended our first day by observing Congress in session. We started out the second day at the Air and Space Museum, where our docent just happened to be a pilot herself and pointed out details others might have overlooked. She had gotten special permission to take us behind roped-off areas to get a quick touch of some rare items. We then visited the Renwick Gallery for a wood-turning exhibit. They had a tactile kit with various pieces to examine as the rough hunk of wood step by step evolved into a beautiful vase. This was particularly fascinating for Dan, who does woodworking himself. Our last stop that day was at the Museum of American History. Our docent there also allowed us to touch things behind roped-off areas. There was so much to see that we could have spent a few days there, rather than a few hours! On our third day, we took a narrated riverboat ride up the Potomac to Mount Vernon, where a guide met us at the dock and took us on an extensive tour of the house and grounds. There were not as many opportunities for hands-on there as we would have liked, but it was interesting to hear of the personal experiences of our guide, who worked at the White House as a corresponding secretary. That night we had the privilege of seeing "Shear Madness," a long-running comedy at the Kennedy Center, complete with our own personal audio narrator. This was our first experience with this luxury, but definitely not our last!! On our final day, we got an early start by visiting the White House Visitors' Center. Unfortunately, the White House was closed to tourists because of 9/11. Our guide did such a great job describing things behind glass, it was almost as good as getting to touch them. We met another volunteer at Arlington National Cemetery and stopped at many well-known sites there. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier with the changing of the guard was a moving experience! We then visited the F.D.R. Memorial, which I found to be the most tactile stop of all. There is lots of braille and images embossed on the walls as well as many statues to examine. The thin figures in the bread line left a lasting impression on me! We visited several other memorials, including the Korean and Vietnam walls. How awesome! The park ranger who accompanied us up in the Washington Monument did a wonderful job describing the scenery from all four sides, as well as many of the items in display cases. Our visit to D.C. was truly a history lesson we'll never forget! Our next thrilling vacation was a Caribbean cruise aboard the Grande Princess. After a brief orientation, we were able to move about on the ship with confidence and only occasionally had to ask for assistance. Our cabin steward would read the list of daily activities onto our microcassette recorder so we could decide as the day progressed what fun thing we wanted to do next. We won numerous prizes at the trivia games, played bingo with our braille cards (although we never did win at that game), participated in karaoke and were invited to be in the talent show. It is true what you've heard about the food being absolutely incredible! We made arrangements ahead of time for our shore excursions and had a blast! Our most recent travels took us to a place I had always dreamed of visiting: beautiful Hawaii! After much research, we chose to stay at the Hilton Hawaiian Village on Waikiki. Although it is a huge resort with 90 shops and boutiques, 22 restaurants, and numerous daily activities and nightly entertainment, we were assured by the director of guest services that we would be provided any assistance we needed. We were delighted to discover that we had been assigned to a corner room with two balconies overlooking the ocean. We were given a thorough orientation upon our arrival and were able to get to some destinations independently. When we did need assistance, a phone call brought help. They have carts to transport people (not just disabled) around the resort. When we wanted to go on the beach we would get someone to walk us to a spot near the water to put our blanket along with our audible locator in our beach bag. We'd arrange for someone to come back in a couple of hours to assist us through the crowd of sunbathers back to the building. Let's face it, whether you touch an unsuspecting person with your foot or your cane it's a bit intrusive, so we opted to avoid this possibility by just tipping generously for assistance. We went speed-sailing and attended a luau at Paradise Cove, where a guide described costumes, explained traditions and arranged for us to hold the unique Hawaiian instruments used in the dances. It was a most enlightening evening, including the food, dancing, and other ceremonies. Dan especially enjoyed the visit to the USS Missouri. We were allowed to touch everything from guns, shells, bunks (I don't know how they ever slept stacked that close together!), and many other things. Our personal guide was a wealth of knowledge. We saw the Don Ho show!! We participated in activities like fresh flower lei making, ukulele lessons, lau hala weaving, etc. I could go on and on about the many interesting things we did while in Hawaii and all the other places, but space is limited and the most important thing I want to share is the thrill of being able to go anywhere anytime you want to. With a little research ahead of time, some pre-planning, and a generous amount of courtesy and tip money, a blind person can have a fabulous vacation experience!! We have found people to be friendly and eager to assist; all you have to do is ask. Keep your expectations reasonable and you shouldn't be disappointed. Remember, a smile is the same in any language. Life is simply too short to sit around waiting. Go wherever your dreams may take you, and have fun! It's not as hard as you might think! ***** MONEY MANAGEMENT FOR THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED by Lois Wencil Yearn for financial privacy? Even now it can be yours. Organization is the key to your independence. You need to be able to identify the cash you have in your possession. Coins are simple: dimes, quarters, and 50-cent pieces have nicks around their edges. The dime is the smallest and thinnest; the quarter is larger and thicker; the 50-cent piece is even larger. Pennies and nickels have smooth edges. The penny is smaller and thinner; the nickel is larger, thicker, and has a slightly thicker rim around its edge. Paper money must be sorted and folded in a consistent pattern. A suggested folding system follows: $1 bills are folded in twice from left to right; $5 bills are folded from left to right and then again from top to bottom; $10 bills are folded lengthwise and then folded again from left to right; $20 bills are folded in thirds; $50 bills are left unfolded; $100 bills are clipped with a paperclip at the top and kept unfolded. Keep all bills of the same denomination together. When I cash a check at the bank, I usually get $5 and $10 bills. This avoids possible confusion. Instead of going to the teller window, go to one of the representatives at a desk. They usually are happy to fill out checks and sort money for you. Also, you will not be holding up the line. My bank has just put in a talking ATM machine. I've been given my own earphone. I merely plug it in the hole below the raised earphone symbol and follow instructions. The keypad (similar to that of a telephone pad) is brailled. The bills come out in $20 increments. A talking money identifier is available. It is costly. If you know how to write, there are a number of templates that you can use. They include a signature guide, check-writing guide, envelope addressing guide, and several varieties of full-page guides. You can also purchase raised-line checks from your bank. Most important is that you keep control and sign documents yourself. There have been many horror stories to prove the value of following this advice. Paying bills has become easier with the introduction of automatic payments. You can call and get forms so that many of your bills can be automatically paid from your checking account. These include utility bills, mortgage, telephone, insurances, and even rent. You will need help in filling out these forms and sending a voided check to the companies involved. On each bill, the day that your payment will be deducted is given. Write down these dates and check the status of your account to see the exact amount that was deducted and your remaining balance. If you usually pay off a charge account at the end of the billing period, get an account with the bank in which your checking account is based. In this way, you can pay it when you visit the bank. Also, a debit card can be used for shopping, at restaurants, for entertainment, and even at your doctor and dentist. It is advisable to get overdraft protection for unexpected expenditures. The interest for using this service is high. However, the cost of overdrawing your account is even higher. You can keep track of your bills using braille, dark markers with raised line paper, your computer, or a tape recorder. Write down each item spent immediately. Braille and large-print bills and statements are available from your bank, stockbrokers, and utility companies. If you have difficulty in using a regular telephone, talking and large-button phones are available from distributors of products for the visually impaired and at Radio Shack. To keep track of your long-distance calls, use the stopwatch feature on a talking timer or certain talking clocks. In this way you will avoid surprises. Managing your own finances can at first seem a daunting project to those who are visually impaired. But by learning about the services that are currently available to all, and by using consistent methods of organization, you can stay out of debt and keep your financial privacy intact. ***** PLAN FOR ETERNITY by Leonard D. DuBoff The regrettable situation involving Terri Schiavo, the 41-year-old brain-damaged woman who became a pawn in the battle between her family members, is a grim reminder of the importance of having an advance directive. This is either a living will or medical power of attorney which can state whether, when appropriate, you wish your life to be artificially sustained through life support, artificial feeding, or the like. A medical power of attorney is used to identify a person to make such decisions. Federal law requires health care facilities, such as hospitals receiving Medicare funds, to ask on admission whether you have an advance directive and, if so, to request a copy of it. A living will, which is also known as a natural death declaration, customarily specifies the kind of care desired when a person is unable to make that decision. While it is impossible to determine what situation will trigger its implementation, it is nevertheless important to determine whether you would wish to have your life sustained by artificial means, such as life support systems or artificial feeding. The decision can be made by an individual consulting with family, clergy, or an experienced attorney. If a medical power of attorney is to be used, then the person identified, usually a relative or very close friend, should be educated as to your wishes. The advance directive should be accessible so that it is available when needed; copies should be given to your primary care physician, retained by your attorney, and placed in your safety deposit box or with other important papers. These documents can be updated, changed, or even revoked if desired. You can obtain a sample advance directive, free of charge, from the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO). It can be reached by calling (800) 658-8898 or writing to: NHPCO, 1700 Diagonal Road, Suite 625, Alexandria, VA 22314. It is important to have a properly executed will or will substitute in place as well. Shortly after the singer/songwriter John Denver died, his ex-wife, Casandra Delaney, an Australian actress, threatened to go to court to obtain a controlling interest in the Denver estate. Unfortunately, John Denver died without having made a will and, therefore, left his estate vulnerable to attack by his ex-wife, three children, and a host of individuals who claimed some interest in the late singer's assets. While most individuals will probably not die with as complex a situation as John Denver, the lesson is clear. Most individuals are reluctant to consider their mortality and, therefore, feel uncomfortable about planning for the disposition of their property after they die. Yet, death is inevitable, and in order to deal with another inevitability, namely taxes, estate planning is important. An estate plan can be as simple or as complex as you desire. A frank discussion with an attorney who has expertise in this area will aid you in evaluating what best serves your needs and objectives. A will (or will substitute) can provide you with the ability to determine what will happen to your property after death, as well as a means to reduce the cost of administering your estate. As mentioned before, another benefit of consciously and intentionally planning the disposition of your assets after your death is that taxes can be minimized. Wills can also fill special needs. For instance, for a creative person, it is essential to identify an individual who will preserve the integrity of his/her creative work after death. This is especially important since some individuals may be willing to exchange integrity for greed. A well-known tale of greed is the story about Clement Greenberg, who, after the death of the artist David Smith, altered the sculptor's work to attempt to take advantage of Smith's posthumously popular polished works over Greenberg's own painted sculptures. Ironically, it was David Smith who had been quoted as saying that altering a work of art is akin to destroying it. Estate planning may prevent your assets from being dissipated in stressful, costly, and time-consuming litigation. The plight encountered by John Denver's estate is by no means a unique situation, although, of course, he may have more assets than most. Your belongings may, however, be greatly valued by those who survive you. A well-planned estate, with appropriate safeguards, will prevent the likelihood of a posthumous war among heirs, the Internal Revenue Service, and others who may have some claim to the estate of one who dies without a will or valid substitute. The expense associated with preparing an appropriate estate plan and implementing it is far less than the expense of having to defend against viable claims and can also be weighed against the anguish that heirs may experience when property winds up being distributed in ways which are clearly inconsistent with the wishes of the decedent. ***** LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The contents of this column reflect the letters we had received by the time we went to press, August 15, 2005. Letters are limited to 300 words or less. All submissions must include the author's name and location. Opinions expressed are those of the authors. Regarding 'Ray' Dear Editor, I would like to comment on the article appearing in the February 2005 issue entitled: "DVS (R) Enhanced DVD for the Movie 'Ray.'" I saw this movie, once with audio descriptions and once without. I very much enjoyed hearing the descriptions, and the movie is excellent. Jamie Foxx does a superb job of portraying Ray Charles. I was given the soundtrack on CD as a Christmas gift last year, and the music is wonderful. Thank you for publishing this article. I sent it to a few friends, and a life skills tutor who works with me. I hope more documentaries such as this will be made available with audio descriptions. This service truly does add a lot to programs which otherwise would not be very enjoyable for those of us who can't see the TV/movie screen and want to know what's going on. -- Jake Joehl, Evanston, Ill. Regarding the DECTalk Express USB I would like to correct and add to my previous note to the editor. In that note, I stated that the newest DECTalk Express USB has good speech that is understandable by people with some hearing difficulties who cannot clearly hear the consonants in the Eloquence speech synthesizer. Unfortunately, I was led astray by my previous good experience with the DECTalk PC, which had very good consonant pronunciation, and by the advertising for the new unit. I have since found out that this is not the case for the newest version of the DECTalk Express USB. The newest version does not currently have speech that is clear enough for me to hear the consonants correctly. Hopefully, the software technicians will improve this in the future. I have also found out that, in order to use the most recent version of Acrobat 7 with a screen reader, people have to have fairly new computers with a lot of additional memory, as well as Windows XP, which is out of the range of many disabled people on limited budgets. I don't want to mislead anyone else with a hearing impairment into buying the DECTalk Express USB. -- Sylvie Kashdan, Seattle, Wash. About the July-August Issue I am disappointed in your article titled "Because of Our Guide Dogs, We Felt Like Prisoners in Paradise!," by Patty Yarman. I too heard about this event and your article did not mention anything in the hotel's behalf. Did you decide it would be such a terrific human-interest story that doing a little background work wasn't necessary? Patty told me that Roosevelt did leave the hotel room for an extended period of time. Both Patty and Steve were very concerned that they might have lost Roosevelt in Mexico forever. They were later told that during Roosevelt's absence he played around the pool, which was frightening to many of the guests since he is a large yellow Labrador, then he relieved himself on the landscaping because he had had his dinner not long before he managed to leave the hotel room. I agree the hotel didn't treat the Yarmans and Boulters with the kind of patience they would have found here in the United States, but your article made it sound like nothing happened and these people were suddenly (and for no reason) thrown out. Next time do your homework before writing a story most people will take as totally true. -- Dawn Maxey, Chicago, Ill. I really enjoyed several articles in the Forum. 1. Susan Mazrui's comments on the learning curve and high-tech. Her tongue-in-cheek style made an area that really makes me flying mad a little more tolerable. She writes well. She and Kathi Wolfe stand out in the magazine. 2. Brandy Prince: Horrible. I may do an audio blog item on this one. I think if someone gathered together all the pieces on hit-and-run and other accidents involving the blind into a book, it would be huge, like a telephone directory. (You can find my audio blog at www.teleread.org/blind.) 3. Extreme Makeovers: I agree with you. I thought the Nebraska Center people were judgmental. I quit judging blind people long ago. I don't buy this "Blindness is no big thing, just learn a few alternative skills and boom ..." I visited the www.miracleworkerstv.com web site and cornea transplant was one thing they were interested in doing. A doctor in New Orleans I recently visited thought I should consider that. I may never do it. But if someone at a place like the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins said to try it, I would at least give them the consideration to hear why and what the risk was. I had 20/400 in my early life before secondary glaucoma stole it by my late teens, and would love to have it back. It was just enough vision to do a lot of things independently without always having to run to a sighted person and literally giving him the power to refuse you something like reading a can without yet another piece of costly, temperamental high tech. We have so many gizmos it's disgusting. -- David Faucheux, Lafayette, La. In your July-August issue there is a section on the Extreme Makeover Home Edition that I'm upset with. I don't agree with the things that were said. Here's why. In November 2004 I was on a bus headed to Florida and heard about the shooting. A lone gunman entered the store and started shooting, killing two and injuring one. What was not mentioned was that his wife, prior to the shooting, had been out of the hospital only a few days herself. ABC heard of this tragedy and wanted to help. What everyone fails to see is that here is a man who worked one day and was shot the next. We all have gone through accepting the facts that we don't see as well as we used to and we all have had a hard time accepting that; we want to blame someone. So who does this man blame? Nobody. The important thing that we all need to look at is that people can come together in our communities and help our fellow man. When 9/11 happened and there was a need for help at the World Trade Center, everyone put their differences aside and helped! This is what I thought and still think America is about, and we need to look at it that way. Let's stop complaining about what should have been done or not done and take care of the access issues and rehabilitation. Let's work to make things better and stop complaining about how or what someone got from a show. I'm happy that this family got what they did and the community came to help a fellow American in need. Let's do something to make things better for the future! -- Kim Ledford, Warner Robins, Ga. I've been thinking about the recent situation faced by James Dolan of Florida. I think most of the real problem is in the title of the TV show: "Extreme." There's nothing wrong with others pitching in to help a fellow human being when tragedy strikes; that's what we're supposed to do. Maybe there seems to be some resentment, envy, or even jealousy involved, but, again, I think the root of the problem is in the obvious excess of material things lavished on the entire family after Dolan's unfortunate encounter. I agree with those who suggest that the top priority should be the best possible rehab services for Dolan, and support services for his family. Blind people don't necessarily require wider doorways; but such accommodation can make navigation and maneuvering much easier, especially for a newly blinded person who's adjusting to the situation. The new house is a marvelous idea, but the big problem is in its excess. The kids didn't lose their dad; he has a new lifestyle to learn. The gadgets and gizmos abundant in the new house aren't going to help with that in the long term, where basic, everyday skills are needed. The message of the program seems to be that a lot of material "stuff" will be provided to the victim of whatever happened, but the recovery and subsequent readjustment to life will be left up to them. The gadgets and gizmos won't get them their original life back. I wouldn't criticize quite so much if the "stuff" the family received was of a more practical nature. Remove the "extreme," and apply more common sense. I wish the Dolan family all the best in their adjustment to a difficult, unexpected situation. I hope they avail themselves of help that will guide them to a more practical solution to their problems. -- Phyllis Lackershire, Richland Center, Wis. I spoke to you briefly today. I wanted to commend you on a superb editorial on the Extreme Makeover Home Edition. I have occasionally watched this reality show myself and found this show very much in keeping with the general theme of the program: find some unexpectedly bereft family and give them a dream home. I also agree with your philosophy: if you are going to complain, do it to the right person and make it count. It is hard for all consumers to advocate for all the needs of the blind; after all, that is part of the work of ACB. But I believe if an individual has a particular grievance, he or she should take up that particular cause, if he/she is genuine about wanting to see a change. If we all worked on issues that were meaningful to each of us, we would find that a lot more would change. Bravo! Here's to making a difference! -- Marie R. Heep, Mason, Ohio When I saw the title of the article on large print reproduction I eagerly read it, anticipating some significant information. The writers' efforts to adapt their production to the visually impaired community is commendable. Their visit to a public school offered a great opportunity to report on the user's satisfaction with the product and its shortcomings. I was disappointed that the article did not deal more with the actual product. The only reference seemed to be a comment about the weight of hardbound books. The article was basically a promotional piece touting the performance of the Imtrek Corporation. Both the writers and "The Braille Forum" missed an opportunity to be of service to the users of large print. Many producers of large print material have very limited insight as to what constitutes "quality" and "desirable" large print. This article would have been a good place to document the exact needs of a user and make suggestions for improvements. Detailed information on the following would be useful for producers of large print. Type of paper used: weight, tint, density, size Typeface: is this considered a "sight-saver" font, or just enlarged type? Type: size, bold or thin letters? Printing: single-sided or double-sided? Does ink bleed through? Line spacing: single, double or 1 «? Binding: hardbound, spiral bound, stapled? Does it lie flat? Identification: illustrated cover, extra large print on cover? -- Norman Loeber, Show Low, Ariz. ***** HERE AND THERE by Sharon Lovering and Sarah Blake The announcement of products and services in this column is not an endorsement by the American Council of the Blind, its staff, or elected officials. Products and services are listed free of charge for the benefit of our readers. "The Braille Forum" cannot be held responsible for the reliability of products and services mentioned. To submit items for this column, send a message to info@acb.org, or call ACB at 1-800-424-8666. Please remember that postal regulations prohibit us from including advertisements, and that we need information two months ahead of actual publication dates. ** GOALBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS The United States Association of Blind Athletes is holding its national high school goalball championships in St. Augustine, Fla., Oct. 21- 22. Games, meals and lodging will be at the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind. The team registration deadline is Sept. 30! Contact tournament director Mike Lege at (904) 827-2591, or e-mail him, legem@mail.fsdb.k12.fl.us. ** CURIOUS ABOUT BILLS SIGNED BY THE PRESIDENT? Do you want to know what bills President Bush has signed? You can find out by calling the executive clerk's office at (202) 456-2226. ** DOCTORAL STUDENT NEEDS YOU Christine Szostak, a graduate student at the California School of Professional Psychology, Alliant International University in Fresno, is conducting a study about body image perceptions and visual impairment. If you are interested in participating, are 18 to 89 years of age, and have 20/200 to 20/400 or 20/1000 or worse visual acuity, please contact me within two weeks of receiving this message. For the purposes of this study, you will be asked to answer questions anonymously regarding body image and self-view. The study will take 45 minutes to one hour of your time. All materials will be provided in alternate formats for your convenience. All participants are invited to enter a drawing with a chance to win $100, which will take place after all of the data has been collected. Contact Christine at (559) 291-7990, or e-mail cszostak@sbcglobal.net. ** SEEDLINGS CATALOG Seedlings Braille Books For Children's 2006 catalog is now available! It offers over 650 low-cost children's books in braille, including more than 60 new titles to help children ages 0-14 get excited about reading. Seedlings' books allow blind and sighted family members to read together! Free services from Seedlings include Anna's Book Angel Project and the Rose Project. You can register your child to win a free braille book through Anna's Book Angel Project. Information is available online at www.seedlings.org/bkangel.html. Blind parents may also register to win a book to read to their children, and updated wish lists are being accepted from previous registrants! With the Rose Project, Seedlings provides free World Book Encyclopedia articles in braille for children in grades 1-12, courtesy of a generous grant from Teammates for Kids Foundation. Order an article online at www.seedlings.org/rose.html. For more information, or a free catalog, please contact Seedlings, P.O. Box 51924, Livonia, MI 48151-5924; phone 1-800-777-8552; e-mail seedlink@aol.com; or visit the web site, www.seedlings.org. ** COOKING IN THE DARK Beginning this month, the "Cooking in the Dark" show will be airing weekly on ACB Radio. There is also an e-mail listserv available from the ACB Radio web site. ** NEW BRAILLE INSTRUCTION MATERIALS "The Easy Jumbo Book" and "The Simple Standard Book" are two new braille instruction books for adults who struggle with learning braille. Each book is 35 pages, single-side only, and double-spaced. They were designed to help a person quickly learn uncontracted braille. Great for teachers who need easier instruction books or jumbo braille for their students. Instructions and print manuals are available, too. For more information or to order books, contact Sandy Price at idigdots@comcast.net. ** NIB HAS NEW ADDRESS National Industries for the Blind (NIB) now has a new headquarters location. Please make a note of the new address and new main phone number: 1310 Braddock Place, Alexandria, VA 22314-1648; phone (703) 310-0500. ** BRAILLENOTE MPOWER HumanWare recently released the new version of the BrailleNote, the BrailleNote mPower. Key new features include: expanded on-board storage to 128 megabytes; two USB host ports and one USB client port; stereo sound when using headphones; support for listening to Internet radio; an audio recorder that can use an external microphone or its own built-in one; built-in Bluetooth for connections with cell phones, keyboards and other computers; and a fast Intel X-scale processor. It also has a suite of applications that operate with Microsoft Windows CE that are written especially for the use of blind people. For more information, visit www.humanware.com or call 1-800-433-8317. ** RECENT DEATH Norman "Topsy" Taylor, age 84, of Browns Mills, N.J., died on May 21, 2005. He was a first sergeant in the U.S. Army, Battery A, 197th AAA-AW, specially trained for the invasion of D-Day, and landed on Omaha Beach June 6, 1944. Survivors include his wife, Caroline M. Taylor; daughter Jane Taylor; son Edwin Taylor; several grandchildren, nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer's Foundation of America, 322 8th Ave., 6th Fl., New York, NY 10001, or the American Heart Association, National Center, 7272 Greenville Avenue, Dallas, TX 75231. ** LIBRARY HONORED Braille Institute Library Services of Los Angeles recently received the Network Library of the Year Award from the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress. The library received a check for $1,000 and a plaque commemorating the library's excellence, innovation and special achievements in providing service to blind and physically disabled individuals. By expanding partnerships with government agencies, volunteers, other libraries and its patrons, Braille Institute implemented 15 new programs in the past year, including the Golden Seniors Program, recognizing patrons who are 100 years of age or older and directing attention to their unique interests; a summer reading program, in partnership with the Los Angeles Zoo, for children from birth to 17; and a Spanish-language addition to the library's Telephone Reader program. It also formed four book clubs and provided student internships. ** LEADERS & LEGENDS Four individuals were recently inducted into the Hall of Fame: Leaders and Legends of the Blindness Field. They are: William H. "Bill" English, former superintendent of the Wisconsin School for the Visually Handicapped; the late William A. Hadley, founder of the Hadley School for the Blind; Abraham Nemeth, creator of the Nemeth Code; and the late J. Max Woolly, former teacher, principal and superintendent of the Arkansas School for the Blind. ** SPORTS HONORS The U.S. Olympic Committee named the women's national goalball team the Team of the Month for May 2005. Team members were: Jennifer Armbruster (Colorado Springs), Asya Miller (Battle Creek, Mich.), Nicole Buck (Paw Paw, Mich.), Lindsay Sloan (Wauconda, Ill.), and Jaclyn Barnes (Vernon Hills, Ill.). In other recent sports news, the city of Kalamazoo, Mich. is now home to two national championship teams. The Western Michigan University Wrecking Crew (men) and the Kalamazoo Chaos (women) claimed titles in late June at the U.S. Association of Blind Athletes National Goalball Championships. Silver medal teams were the New Jersey Thunder (men) and the Colorado Bandits (women); bronze medalists were the Pennsylvania Association of Blind Athletes Venom (men) and the Illinois Tsunami (women). ** STICKLER SYNDROME A new book, "Stickler -- The Elusive Syndrome," was recently made available by Stickler Involved People. It costs $28.50. Send your requests to Stickler Involved People, 15 Angelina, Augusta, KS 67010; phone (316) 775-2993, or e-mail sip@sticklers.org. Stickler is also sponsoring Kim Barwise in her project to produce a 30-minute documentary about Stickler syndrome. If you wish to donate, send your check or money order to Stickler Involved People at the address above. For more information, contact Kim Barwise via e-mail, k.barwise@rogers.com. ** MIDNITE RINGERS The U.S. Blind Horseshoe Pitchers Association provides resource material and assists blind and visually impaired individuals in finding a place to pitch horseshoes in their area. For more information, contact Dennis R. Wyant, National President, U.S. Blind Horseshoe Pitchers Association, 395 Baytree Dr., Melbourne, FL 32940; phone (321) 757-6824, or visit www.midniteringers.org. ** GUILD AWARDS SCHOLARSHIPS The Jewish Guild for the Blind recently awarded scholarships to four outstanding high-school graduates. The winners were: Skylar Covich, Thomas Joseph "TJ" Olsen, Kerri Regan and Hetal Shah. ** AFB AWARDS SCHOLARSHIPS The American Foundation for the Blind awarded 11 scholarships this year, totaling $17,000. The winners are: Daniel J. Furton of Lansing, Mich., attending Michigan State University; Francisco Chavez of Mt. Holly, N.C., attending college in North Carolina; Katharine Ball of Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich., attending New York University; Angela C. Winfield of Newburgh, N.Y., attending Cornell University Law School; Blake Cole Billings of Flint, Texas, attending Texas Christian University; Jessica Hall of Winter Park, Fla., attending Stetson University; Angela Mosley of Puryear, Tenn., attending Murray State University; Greg Beaulieu of Austin, Texas, attending University of Texas at Austin; Eric Hicks of Tallahassee, Fla., attending University of Florida; Suzanne Kamel of Plano, Texas, attending University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; and Brittany Swedelius of Billings, Mont., attending Western Michigan University. ** NEW BOOK ON LOW VISION For those of us who have ever lost a contact, broken our glasses, experienced our aging parents' macular degeneration, or have been in the company of someone who just can't see something, "The Way I See It" is a path down memory lane. Through her own recollections, the author reminds us of moments when we, too, have bumped into life. Fortunately, she adds a few words of wisdom to help us get through it the next time around. "The Way I See It" is a compilation of 21 depictions of the author "bumping" into life, i.e., experiencing life with low vision. Each scenario describes an adventure (or misadventure) in the author's life, categorized by daily activities, holidays, seasons, and travel, ending with a suggestion or two prefaced with the phrase "the way I see it." As one of 20 people in her family who are legally blind, Dr. Myers shares moments in her daily life. As she says in the beginning of the book, "Similar to Forrest Gump's box of chocolates, life with low vision is like going through a salad bar -- you never know what you're going to get." From hanging mismatched wallpaper and ruining Thanksgiving dinner to using make- up and going to yet another job interview, the author shares the ups and downs of her life's journey. To order "The Way I See It: Bumping into Life with Low Vision," visit www.trafford.com/04-2435. ** IPOD SHUFFLE "The iPod Experience: Gaining Access to the iPod Shuffle" by Anna Dresner is now available in braille or PortaBook for $6. It is a detailed journal as Dresner struggles to make the iPod Shuffle accessible to blind users. Day after day, month after month, she chronicled her mishaps and successes with the iPod Shuffle. Her journey concludes with specific directions on how to make this amazing little music machine work for you! She also includes information on importing music from CDs onto your computer, organizing your music library, and an introduction to listening to podcasts. Order this book on our web site at http://www.nbp.org/IPOD.html, or call National Braille Press at (888) 965-8965. ** KEY TO FREEDOM Serotek Corp. recently introduced Key to Freedom Version 2.2, which can plug into any Windows XP or 2000-based computer anywhere and provide instant access through synthesized speech even if the computer is not connected to the Internet. This new version leaves no trace of itself on any system, requires no sighted assistance, and even provides the user with storage space for downloading articles, spreadsheets, music, programs or other files from the Internet, local computer, and even home -- right onto the device itself. If you have any additional questions or would like to place an order, call FreedomBox U.S. at 1-866-202-0520 or in the United Kingdom 08717224574, or visit us online at www.freedombox.info. ** RICHERT JOINS AFB STAFF The American Foundation for the Blind recently announced that Mark Richert joined the organization as Director of Public Policy on July 7, 2005. A well-known expert in the field of blindness, Richert will head up AFB's Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C. ** EEO MEDIATION INFO NOW ACCESSIBLE The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, National Council on Disability, and the U.S. Department of Justice recently released two new publications addressing the issue of accessible mediation. These documents, entitled "Questions and Answers for Mediation Providers: Mediation and the Americans with Disabilities Act" and "Questions and Answers for Parties to Mediation: Mediation and the Americans with Disabilities Act," are available on all three agencies' web sites, www.eeoc.gov, www.ncd.gov and www.ada.gov. Both booklets address the obligations of all private and public sector mediation providers. ** CHECK OUT WHAT AFB HAS TO OFFER YOU! In addition to employment, AFB offers ACB members a wealth of information on vision loss issues in several formats. For example, later this year, AFB will launch a blog where we will discuss timely issues that affect people with vision loss. Visit us at www.afb.org. AccessWorld : Technology and People with Visual Impairments (www.afb.org/accessworld.asp) provides people with vision loss, the professionals who serve them, and the technology community with information on mainstream and assistive technology -- and it's free. AFB eNews (www.afb.org/enews.asp) provides updates on the latest publications on blindness, conferences on vision loss, accessible technologies, advocacy information, and other issues pertaining to vision loss. Subscription is free. Visit CareerConnect (www.afb.org/careerconnect/) to learn about the range and diversity of jobs performed throughout the U.S. and Canada by people like you, seek advice from successfully employed workers with vision loss, and use numerous tools online to help you land the perfect job. Words from Washington (www.afb.org/wfw.asp) keeps you in the loop about legislation that affects people with vision loss. Blind and sighted children can visit the Braille Bug Web Site for Kids (www.afb.org/braillebug/) to learn about braille through fun games, discuss books on kid-friendly message boards, or tour the Helen Keller Kids Museum Online. ** BRAILLE PAPER FROM STAR Star Continuous Cards makes and sells braille paper in a variety of sizes and colors. The paper is dust-free and acid-free; the company ships it in a crushproof box. Ready-to-ship braille paper sizes include 12 1/2 by 11-inch, 19-hole punched and non-punched; and 9 1/2 by 11-inch, 19-hole punched, three-hole punched, and unpunched, as well as in six colors. For more information, call 1-800-458-1413, write to Star Continuous Cards, 32 N. Bacton Hill Rd., Frazer, PA 19355, or visit www.braillepaper.com. ** EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS OF PEOPLE WITH CANCER The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission recently issued a question-and-answer document on the application of the Americans with Disabilities Act to workers with cancer. It is available on EEOC's web site, www.eeoc.gov. ***** HIGH TECH SWAP SHOP FOR SALE: Disk drive for Braille Lite. Asking $150 or best offer. Contact Roger at (510) 849-3537. FOR SALE: MAGic 8.0 with 9.0 programming CD, authorization diskette, and print manual. Never used; only opened once, to check contents. Best offer. Contact Donna at (845) 651-9171. FOR SALE: IBM Think Pad laptop Pentium II 300 mHz, 128MB memory, 20 GB hard drive, 15-inch wide-screen display, CD read-write drive, and Windows 98, Microsoft Office 2000 Professional, JAWS for Windows 4.5, ZoomText 8.12.1, Window-Eyes Professional. Comes with shoulder-strap carrying case. Asking $450 plus insurance and shipping. Braille 'n Speak 2000 with all current updates, rarely used. Asking $425. Will consider trading BrailleNote 30 for any model PACmate. Call Braden at (785) 267-0500 or (785) 969-6639. FOR SALE: Type 'n Speak, hardly ever used. Braille Index basic braille printer. Call Pat at (905) 680-0064, or e-mail pat.smolak@sympatico.ca. FOR SALE: BrailleNote QT32. Comes with KeySoft 6.11, Spanish, French and German multilingual software. Asking $3,500. Alva braille display in excellent condition. Asking $3,500. IBM computer, 10 years old. It has a parallel port and two serial ports (one male and one female). Asking $500 or best offer. Contact Josh Kennedy at jkenn337@kutztown.edu or call (610) 858-5204. FOR SALE: CCTV with 8-inch monitor, magnifies up to 20 times. Price negotiable. Many other items, including magnifying glasses that come with an instructional booklet, magnifying sheets with stands, and more. Contact Elaine at (718) 520-0176. FOR SALE: ACT desktop PC with 512MB of RAM, 1.4-gig processor, 40-gig hard drive, CD-ROM drive, CD burner, floppy drive, 4 USB ports, two serial ports, one parallel port, 2 PS2 ports, 56K modem, Ethernet, Windows XP Home, JAWS for Windows, Kurzweil 1000 with 8 AT&T Natural Voices for reading, Fine Reader 7.0 Professional installed, 15-inch monitor, HP Deskjet 5550 printer, keyboard, and speakers included. If a program license transfer is desired, the buyer pays for it, as well as shipping. Shipping cost determined by ZIP code, shipping method, and insurance. Asking $900 or best offer. PayPal payments preferred. E-mail LuAnn at cluannhowe@excite.com, or call (610) 858-5202. FOR SALE: Braille Lite 40 with double speed processor, portable floppy drive, maintenance and new battery during the past year. Summer 2002 revision. Four megs of flash memory. May be used as a note taker or braille display. Auxiliary serial and disk drive cables. Asking $1,000 plus shipping, sold as is. Sorry, no credit card or PayPal. Contact Joe Fallin at jfallin@cox.net. FOR SALE: Galileo reader with manual. Asking $200. Call the Center for the Blind at (661) 322-5234 and ask for Sandy. FOR SALE: 2 Double Talk LT external units, $50 each, including shipping. Please contact Sharon Jackson at dolly1025@hotmail.com for shipping information. FOR SALE: Full-color Spectrum 20" CCTV with high contrast CRT monitor; utilizes tilting screen mechanism for maximum comfort and visibility. Features a smooth riding table, large enough to accommodate a book or magazine. New, never used, in box. Asking $1,950 or best offer. Telesensory Chroma Plus SVGA, in perfect working condition (camera and moving table only), monitor is not included but can be easily hooked up with any computer monitor. Includes cables and manual. Asking $650 or best offer. Send an e- mail message to Salehbhai2000@yahoo.com. FOR SALE: Telesensory CCTV with 14-inch monitor. Asking $800 or best offer. Contact Elizabeth Mickens at (931) 670-5919. FOR SALE: Hall braille writer, in good condition, $300. Four-line pocket slate with stylus, $1. Health Rider exercise machine, in good condition, $200. Computer desk with built-in power strip and chair. Contact Robert Ranney in braille, print, or on tape at 5422 W. Wells St., Milwaukee, WI 53208. FOR SALE: Book Port. Comes with case, software, ear buds, 128 MB card, 1 GB card, sheet with button instructions, USB port cable, and cassette instructions. Asking $250. Money order only. Contact Steven Kimbrough by e-mail, Steve.kimbrough@gulfcoastseal.com, or on his cell phone, (281) 413-5755. WANTED: JAWS software, version 5.0 or higher. Contact Krista via e- mail, kristawaters6@hotmail.com, or via phone at (904) 629-0416. ACB OFFICERS PRESIDENT CHRISTOPHER GRAY 94 RAMONA AVE. SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103 FIRST VICE PRESIDENT M.J. SCHMITT 119 SHELL EDGE DR. ROCHESTER, NY 14623 SECOND VICE PRESIDENT MITCH POMERANTZ 1115 CORDOVA STREET #402 PASADENA, CA 91106 SECRETARY DONNA SELIGER 3912 SE 5TH ST DES MOINES, IA 50315 TREASURER MIKE GODINO 104 TILROSE AVE MALVERNE, NY 11565-2024 IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT PAUL EDWARDS 20330 NE 20TH CT. MIAMI, FL 33179 ACB BOARD OF DIRECTORS Alan Beatty, Fort Collins, CO Ed Bradley, Houston, TX Brian Charlson, Watertown, MA Billie Jean Keith, Arlington, VA Oral Miller, Washington, DC Carla Ruschival, Louisville, KY Patrick Sheehan, Silver Spring, MD Naomi Soule, St. Louis, MO Cynthia Towers, Seattle, WA David Trott, Talladega, AL BOARD OF PUBLICATIONS Mike Duke, Chairman, Jackson, MS Cindy Burgett, Bremerton, WA Rochelle Hart, Sioux Falls, SD Charles Hodge, Arlington, VA DeAnna Noriega, Colorado Springs, CO Ex Officios: Ralph Sanders, Las Vegas, NV Janelle Edwards, Manhattan, KS