THE BRAILLE FORUM Volume XLVIII October 2009 No. 4 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. Mitch Pomerantz, President Melanie Brunson, Executive Director Sharon Lovering, Editor National Office: 2200 Wilson Blvd. Suite 650 Arlington, VA 22201 (202) 467-5081 fax: (703) 465-5085 Web site: http://www.acb.org THE BRAILLE FORUM (TM) is available in braille, large print, half-speed four-track cassette tape, 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. The American Council of the Blind (TM) 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. Join the Monthly Monetary Support (MMS) Program and help improve tomorrow today in ACB. Contact Ron Milliman by e-mail, rmilliman@insightbb.com, or by phone at (270) 782-9325 and get started making tomorrow look brighter today! To make a contribution to ACB via the Combined Federal Campaign, use this number: 11155. 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 2009 American Council of the Blind TABLE OF CONTENTS President's Report to the National Convention, Part II, by Mitch Pomerantz Update on ACB's Case Against the Treasury Department, by Melanie Brunson ACB Convention: Southeast to Southwest, by Carla Ruschival 2009 ACB Membership Seminar: Strengthening Affiliates through Networking and Training, compiled by Ardis Bazyn Announcing the PR Committee's Mentoring Program for 2009-2010 In It for the Long Haul: Ironman Triathlon Quest and the Monthly Monetary Support Program, by Doug Powell How's Your Money Attitude?, Part 2, by Michael Garrett Health Information Privacy: What It Means to You as a Visually Impaired Consumer, by Chris Cooke Letters to the Editor Here and There, edited by Sue Lichtenfels High Tech Swap Shop FORUM SUBSCRIPTION NOTES You can now get "The Braille Forum" by podcast! To subscribe, go to "The Braille Forum" page on www.acb.org. If you do not yet have a podcast client, you can download one from the Forum page. To subscribe to "The Braille Forum" via e-mail, send a blank e-mail message to brailleforum-L-subscribe@acb.org. ARE YOU MOVING? DO YOU WANT TO CHANGE YOUR SUBSCRIPTION? Contact Sharon Lovering in the ACB national office, 1-800-424-8666, or via e-mail, slovering@acb.org. Give her the information, and she'll take care of the changes for you. ***** PRESIDENT'S REPORT TO THE NATIONAL CONVENTION, PART II by Mitch Pomerantz In September, this column covered the first portion of my report to the membership at the ACB national convention. Here's the second installment of that report. I want to mention at this point a brand-new initiative related to audio description. In January ACB contracted with Joel Snyder, one of the nation's foremost experts on the subject, to oversee what we're calling the ACB Audio Description Project. Our goal is to expand the use of audio description on television, the movies and DVDs, and to raise public awareness regarding the value of this technology. At our convention this week, ACB is holding a describers' conference and training seminar, and Joel will be seeking grant opportunities to promote this initiative. You will be hearing much more about the Audio Description Project through 2009 and beyond. As you know if you've reviewed the convention program, ACB's two outstanding attorneys, Lainey Feingold and Linda Dardarian, were unable to be with us this year. They have, however, provided a comprehensive update of their activities on our behalf. This is the 14th year ACB has worked with Lainey and Linda using structured negotiations to increase accessibility across the country for blind and visually impaired persons. Since last July, there have been five new settlement agreements signed and five new negotiations begun. These include: - Last year in Louisville, several members met with Dollar General corporate representatives at a local store. Discussion concerned the training of store staff and those present tested a tactile point-of-sale (POS) solution for the chain's existing flat-screen devices. In December ACB, the California Council of the Blind, AFB and Dollar General announced that the company would install tactile keypads in all 8,000 of its stores by the middle of next year. - Also in December, the Illinois Council of the Blind signed an agreement with TCF Bank, which agreed to install talking ATM's and provide materials in Braille, large print and audio formats. - In April ACB, CCB and the Bay State Council of the Blind jointly announced an agreement with the Staples office supply chain to install tactile POS keypads in all its stores by mid-2010, and to make its web site comply with the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. - In May, a settlement was signed with Target regarding tactile POS's. Devices will be installed in every store by the end of 2010. ACB and AFB were the other parties in the negotiations. - A settlement has just been signed with CVS Pharmacies calling for installation of tactile POS devices and the accessibility of its web site. Currently, structured negotiations are proceeding with three high-profile entities: - ACB, CCB and Bay State have been negotiating with Major League Baseball about accessibility of information and services available on mlb.com. While things are still not perfect, there have been significant improvements this year. - In May, the American Cancer Society agreed to work with ACB in structured negotiations to ensure that its health and cancer prevention information is accessible to us. We are working on braille, large print and audio formats, as well as the accessibility of its web site. - ACB is also announcing that Wal-Mart has agreed to work with us on the important issue of access to prescription information, including prescription labeling. Lainey and Linda had previously engaged in successful structured negotiations with Wal-Mart relating to POS devices. - We have just learned that Best Buy has signed a structured negotiations agreement and discussions are under way about POS devices in Best Buy stores across the country. - Finally, as the result of individual advocacy efforts by a member in Washington state, ACB is involved in structured negotiations with the Whole Foods grocery chain about its point-of-sale devices. The second aspect of the job of ACB president involves the handling of internal organizational matters. This includes the appointment of members to approximately 25 committees and task forces. I'd like to briefly spotlight a few of those committees and task forces with the understanding that the ones not mentioned are doing valuable work as well. - At our 2008 national convention, the rehabilitation issues task force conducted a very successful workshop focusing on our Rehabilitation White Paper. They will be holding a follow-up workshop tomorrow afternoon specifically addressing the topic of informed choice. - Our women's concerns committee will be hosting several timely and informative sessions this week. Earlier this year, the committee established a monthly telephonic support group for survivors of breast cancer. - The employment issues committee will also be conducting a workshop, as well as (and this may be a first for ACB) a Thursday afternoon job fair. - Toward the beginning of the year, the public relations committee undertook the training and mentoring of state and special-interest affiliate public relations representatives. So far, more than a score of our members have participated. - The board also recently established task forces on health issues and fitness equipment, which I expect to yield positive results as well. These committees and task forces are prime examples of what strong, active committees can do. I'm proud of their accomplishments and fully anticipate this same level of commitment in 2010 and beyond. I'll wrap up my report to the membership in November. ***** UPDATE ON ACB’S CASE AGAINST THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT by Melanie Brunson Following the court rulings requiring the United States Treasury Department to make it possible for people who are blind to independently identify the denominations of their own money, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in the Treasury Department contracted with a company called ARINC Engineering Services, LLC to explore the options that could be used to make U.S. paper currency more accessible. ARINC conducted focus group meetings at conventions of both ACB and NFB, and interviewed blind and visually impaired people of all ages from across the country. They have now issued a report to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in which they outlined their findings. The report has been made public, and is almost 200 pages long. Although we won’t be able to print it in its entirety, we have decided to put its executive summary in "The Braille Forum," as it provides a summary of the contractor’s findings and describes the processes they went through in order to arrive at their conclusions. Due to space constraints, we are publishing the summary in two parts. Watch for part 2 in the November issue. For now, we will not comment on the report’s conclusions. We will simply share its summary with you. We will most likely have more to say as the government moves forward with its response to the report. If you are interested in reading the report in its entirety, it is available online at http://www.bep.treas.gov/section.cfm/4/649. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP), a bureau within the United States (U.S.) Department of the Treasury, is responsible for designing and producing the U.S. Federal Reserve notes (hereafter referred to as U.S. currency). The BEP initiated this study to examine various aspects of the use of U.S. currency by the blind and visually impaired (VI) population of the U.S. The data, research, and analysis presented in this study will be used to evaluate potential measures that may enhance or improve the ability of the blind and VI to identify currency denominations. Many factors impact the BEP's flexibility in modifying U.S. currency. The BEP must balance printing efficiency, counterfeit deterrence features, statutory requirements, and general banknote aesthetics when it determines a banknote's design to better serve the needs of those who are blind or visually impaired. All of these factors play a vital role in currency design. While this study does not make recommendations, it does provide data regarding future design of U.S. currency that will be useful to the BEP in making such recommendations in the future. The BEP has engaged ARINC Engineering Services, LLC, hereafter referred to as ARINC, to conduct a study addressing options for improving the ability of the blind and VI community to denominate (1) U.S. currency. For purposes of this study, ARINC established an “ARINC team” to perform this study through subcontracts with Battelle Memorial Institute, Naois LLC, and the University of Maine. Of note, all ARINC team members are independent from any security paper industry producers and original equipment manufacturers, including hand-held electronic readers, currency raw material or equipment suppliers, or any BEP service providers. (1) "Denominate" is defined as the ability to differentiate the various denominations of U.S. currency. Description of the Study The ARINC team focused study efforts on currency user requirements and needs of blind and visually impaired people, balanced with the practical and economic implementation considerations of various features. The detailed tasks the ARINC team performed included the following: • Gathered and analyzed data on the demographic, statistical, and other aspects of the blind and VI population of the U.S. • Conducted focus group discussions and surveys to assess the needs of the U.S. blind and VI population with respect to identification of U.S. currency denominations. • Researched currency from countries that have implemented accommodations to meet the needs of the blind and VI to independently denominate currency. • Conducted one-on-one usability tests to determine how well available accessibility accommodations meet the needs of the blind and VI participants. • Performed cost and benefit analyses of a group of accommodations (selected by the BEP). The benefit analyses considered the relative effectiveness of the selected accommodations in assisting various segments of the blind and VI population. The cost analyses included operational and technical impacts, and costs to government and industry organizations that manufacture, process, or handle U.S. currency. • Adapted a decision model to facilitate comparison of currency-related accommodations for the blind and VI. The decision model criteria included provisions for a variety of considerations ranging from functionality of devices to how well the accommodation performs in key usability scenarios for an individual user. • Customized and updated the decision model to include the cost and subjective aspects of the alternative accommodations. Number of Blind and Visually Impaired To determine the number of blind and VI people in the U.S., the ARINC team had to establish a common definition of blindness and visual impairment. The ARINC team found a wide variety of definitions of these terms, as well as a range of different methodologies for estimating the number of affected people. Because of that variation, data on the number of blind and VI people in the U.S. are not consistent. As a result of analyzing the different methodologies and definitions used in previous research, the ARINC team used the following definitions for this study: • Blind = people who have no useful vision for reading any amount of print. • Visually Impaired = people who have difficulty seeing but have some useful vision, defined for this study as being able to read some print (with or without corrective lenses). Based on available population studies and using the established definitions, the ARINC team estimated that in 2008 there were 304,060 blind people and 4,067,309 VI people in the U.S. Based on U.S. government population growth estimates, the ARINC team projects that by 2020, there will be 340,547 blind people and 4,555,386 VI people in the U.S. Assessment of Needs To determine the needs of the blind and VI, the ARINC team conducted focus group discussions (Section 3), surveys (Section 4), and usability testing (Section 6). The ARINC team conducted focus groups with blind and VI participants from multiple organizations and demographic groups. Open forum sessions were held at the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) and American Council of the Blind (ACB) 2008 annual conventions. There were 402 blind and VI participants in the survey; 249 individuals participated in the focus groups and usability tests. Through the survey data and focus group discussions, the ARINC team uncovered a number of key currency usage scenarios that blind and VI people find problematic. These scenarios provided a framework for looking at the individual accommodations to see how well they might meet the needs of the blind and VI population. The three problematic scenarios most commonly identified by the study participants were: transactions with no other people in close proximity (such as in a taxi or at a small kiosk), transactions while in a line (people waiting), and conducting a quick inventory of wallet or purse. Survey results indicate that 72 percent of all participants said that they would feel less vulnerable if currency were easier for them to use, 72 percent of all participants felt rushed during transactions, and 70 percent felt vulnerable using cash. Survey results also indicated that 62 percent of all participants gave someone incorrect denominations in a transaction in the past year, 60 percent indicated they would use currency more often if it was easier for them to use, 59 percent relied on someone at the point of sale to tell them what denominations they were receiving, and 36 percent of all participants received incorrect change in the past year (e.g., realized after they got home, or not until the next time they used their currency). Needs of Blind and Visually Impaired Participants Usability testing and the survey data results confirm that most blind participants in this study desire a way to independently denominate U.S. currency. VI participants in the usability tests were able to correctly denominate most U.S. currency, with over 95 percent accuracy. VI participants in the usability tests and focus groups said that they preferred accommodations that would enable identification from an arm’s length away. For purposes of this study, the ARINC team defined arm’s length as approximately one meter. This was based on the National Research Council (NRC) report published in 1995, which noted that a reasonable distance was “approximately one meter, which is roughly the distance from the eye to the checkout counter of a grocery store, enabling easy and rapid identification.” (2) More than half (56 percent) of VI survey participants said they could detect the large purple numeral 5 easier on the newer $5 notes than the smaller green numeral on the older design, but only 17 percent of them could identify that note at an arm’s length distance. Based on the results of both the usability testing and surveys, the ARINC team concluded that the primary desire of the blind and VI is to have the ability to conduct transactions quickly and accurately without causing delay to others waiting in a line. (2) National Research Council, 1995, Currency Features for Visually Impaired People. National Materials Advisory Board, NRC. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press, ISBN 0-309-05194-0. Analysis of Potential Accommodations In order to understand the practical implementation issues, the ARINC team conducted (1) international benchmarking activities with countries that have implemented accommodations for blind and VI people, (2) discussions with subject matter experts and scientists (e.g., tactile perception science and color vision impairment), and (3) discussions with individuals in manufacturing and commerce who would produce and handle modified notes. All of these sources helped identify the potential impacts of implementing new accommodations. The results of these investigations, described in Section 5 of this report, were used to plan usability tests and to establish economic analysis parameters. Several foreign currencies with blind and VI accommodations, four sample currency features, three commercially available currency reader devices, and three prototype currency reader devices were included in the hands-on usability testing portions of the study. Each usability test was recorded via digital video to facilitate collection of speed and accuracy results for each accommodation. Blind and VI participants evaluated a range of accommodations, including changes to color, contrast, and visual design of notes; tactile features; notes of differing sizes for each denomination; and currency reader devices. Key Findings for Color, Contrast, and Design from Usability Test Results Color, contrast, and note design features focus on improving note recognition by the VI population in an arm’s length transaction scenario. The VI participants in the usability tests demonstrated that high foreground/background contrast for the primary numeral saves them time because they did not have to search both sides of the note for a numeral. VI people in the study who said they had reduced color sensitivity noted that high contrast numbers (e.g., Canadian dollar) were most helpful in aiding them. Focus group participants indicated that having medium- or large-size numbers in the upper corners, such as used on the United Kingdom (UK) pound, helped them successfully take a quick inventory of note denominations in a wallet. Extreme differences in the location of features on notes across denominations (e.g., Swedish kronor) allowed VI participants to identify features from further away (up to arm’s length) than with currencies that have design items in the same location for all denominations. Key Findings for Note Size Variation Feedback from focus groups and survey results indicated that both blind and VI participants believed that they would benefit from note size variation as a way to identify currency denominations. Fifty-two percent of all of the survey participants indicated that size differences would help them denominate currency. Blind participants in the focus groups were very receptive to the concept of size differences as a denomination method. For VI focus group participants, note size variation was considered to be a secondary denomination method to augment visible features. Results of the usability testing, however, where participants examined a single note at a time without other notes for comparison, indicated that the different sized notes were neither the fastest nor the most accurate method to denominate currency. Size changes along two dimensions (length and width) resulted in higher average accuracy results in the usability test than changes in only the length dimension. Results for the UK pound (two-dimensional size variation) averaged 60 percent accuracy, versus average of 48 percent for the Australian dollar (one-dimensional size variation). Proportional formats (having incremental increases in length and width) were moderately successful, but did not yield consistently good results. Irregular, or hybrid, size formats (e.g., the Swedish kronor) provided larger differences in length and width. These formats yielded better usability results as measured by accuracy and time to denominate. It is feasible that more practice and familiarity with a particular accommodation such as sizes could improve the usability of different sized notes. ***** ACB CONVENTION: SOUTHEAST TO SOUTHWEST by Carla Ruschival The 2009 ACB convention was nothing short of terrific! Every convention has its special qualities and unique characteristics, and we all returned home from Orlando with a whole new set of great convention memories. I want to take this opportunity to publicly thank the staff of the Rosen Center Hotel for its unparalleled work and volunteer effort on this convention. From catering and convention services to audio/visual to accounting and beyond, the staff's work was nearly flawless. Staff spent countless hours as volunteers after their shifts ended, and some were even seen waiting at elevators and in the lobby at the end of the week to say good-bye to their new ACB friends. The Florida host committee played a major role in the success of the convention. Despite some unforeseen circumstances beyond anyone's control, we were warmly welcomed to Orlando by the Florida Council and the local host committee. No task was left undone, no stone left unturned as we worked together prior to and during convention week. Thank you, Florida, for your tremendous work and for your special ACB spirit. A huge thanks also goes to the ACB convention committee, staff and volunteers who pitched in to make this convention possible. Without each and every one of you, the week would not have been successful. Now we turn from the southeastern corner of the country to the sunny southwest. The 2010 convention will be in Phoenix the week of July 9-17. The Arizona local host committee is up and running, and plans are starting to take shape for another super convention next summer. With every convention comes change, and 2010 will be no exception. Several years ago ACB began pre-registering convention attendees online. At first only the form could be completed; payment was either mailed in or made by credit card on the telephone. Then it became possible to make payments online, and at that point paperless pre-registration became extremely popular. Now over two-thirds of all pre-registrations are received online. The cost of printing and mailing the 2009 pre-registration packet was approximately $15,000, and costs are projected to increase again this year. Individuals who pre-register using the paper form often tell us that they have to wait to have someone read the form to them and then help fill it out. In an effort to cut costs as well as to provide better service to all of our members, we are making plans to make some major changes to the pre-registration process. A convention brochure will be mailed in May, in place of the pre-registration packet. The entire form and other convention information will be placed online. Complete paper packets will be available upon request. Pre-registrations will be accepted online, on the paper form, and by telephone. Anyone not wishing to register online will be able to do so by phone, thus eliminating the need to wait for the paper form to arrive in the mail, the sometimes frustrating task of obtaining a reader, and the time needed for the completed form to return to Minneapolis through the mail. Watch for more details on this new telephone pre-registration option. You may now begin making reservations for the 2010 convention. The brand-new Phoenix Downtown Sheraton is our convention home, and rates are $89 a night, single/double, plus tax. Make reservations by calling 1-800-325-3535, and be sure to tell them you are with the American Council of the Blind. ***** 2009 ACB MEMBERSHIP SEMINAR: STRENGTHENING AFFILIATES THROUGH NETWORKING AND TRAINING compiled by Ardis Bazyn The 2009 ACB membership seminar took place on Thursday, July 9. The title of the seminar was “Strengthening Affiliates through Networking and Training." The first panel discussed the importance of leadership development. Panel members were: Sally Benjamin from the Florida Council of the Blind, Denise Colley from the Washington Council of the Blind, and Donna Pomerantz from the California Council of the Blind. Each explained the way their affiliate has handled leadership training. Donna explained that CCB had a leadership seminar immediately before the beginning of the state convention. A leadership seminar has taken place at several recent state conventions. Different speakers would talk about a variety of topics from duties of officers of chapters, advocacy, fundraising, publicity, etc. Presidents were asked on the bimonthly calls and the CCB presidents' listserv what topics they thought were important. Since these were held before the normal convention activities, most participants did not need to stay an extra night in the hotel. Participants were limited to a maximum of two from each state chapter/affiliate. Some participants were currently officers in those groups and some were not. The only negative to this approach was that it limited participants to those already planning to attend the convention unless a chapter/affiliate chose to sponsor a member. Denise said that WCB holds a weekend leadership training that is not connected with their annual convention. It gives them the ability to have more time to spend on the training. They have a different national speaker come in to assist each year. Their training focuses on duties of officers, advocacy, setting goals, fundraising, etc. They also conduct a quarterly board meeting during this weekend so the potential leaders can see how a meeting functions. Each invited participant is sponsored (hotel, meals, and transportation) by WCB. Washington also has invited potential leaders in surrounding states to attend their training. The only negative aspect to this training weekend is that potential leaders need to be invited to attend, since expenses are covered for members. Sally Benjamin told how FCB uses its monthly presidents’ calls to hold training sessions. This does not cost the state organization any money and many participants can attend. Each month they hold a call which focuses on a specific topic that will assist their presidents and other officers in learning how to function better. They asked Ardis Bazyn to join two calls: one to explain the duties of the president and vice president(s) and a second call about duties for the secretary and treasurer. The only negative effect of this training is that each individual on the call must pay for their own long-distance fees if they do not have an unlimited use package on their phone. The second panel discussed power in networking with others. Dan Dillon from the Tennessee Council of the Blind and Allan Peterson from the North Dakota Association of the Blind mentioned various organizations that have had joint projects with them. Dan stated that their local chapter is a member organization of Community Shares, which is a federation like United Way. They give presentations to workplaces, encouraging charitable giving. Each member organization has to earn points to be in good standing. For example, doing workplace presentations about their organization earns points, as does assisting with fundraisers. Their organization gets a percentage of all the undesignated funds and all the specifically designated funds for their organization. It benefits them financially, as well as making more people aware of Mid-Tennessee Council of the Blind and its many programs and services. Some of the other member groups involved in Community Shares include: Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD), National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Cumberland River Compact, Tennessee Healthcare Campaign, and MANNA and Reconciliation. MTCB is also a member organization of the Tennessee Disability Coalition. We primarily focus on state legislation and policies impacting disability groups. By participating in various events, we make our voices heard louder by our collective efforts. Allan talked about various projects throughout the state that NDAB had worked on with other disability organizations. Some were community projects and others were fighting for better legislation. Other participants mentioned organizations where they had worked on joint projects. The S.O.S. state voting advisory committees was one on which several states had worked. Other states work with coalitions on legislation that would cut health care for people with disabilities. Many worked with a number of disability advocacy groups and city and state Commissions on Disability. Donna Brown was introduced as the delegate from the Mountain State Council of the Blind, since that affiliate was the winner of the ACB Affiliate Membership Growth Award. They tripled their membership during the last year. Paul Edwards, chair of the board of publications and a member of the web site task force, then gave an update on the status of the ACB web site and the changes that were being made. He suggested that everyone check it out and let the committee know if they would like to make suggestions. The membership committee appreciated the strong participation from affiliates who attended the seminar and their comments on the topics. Watch for our next quarterly “ACB Membership Focus” call. As always, feel free to contact me with any questions about building membership in your affiliate; my e-mail address is abazyn@bazyncommunications.com, or phone (818) 238-9321. ***** ANNOUNCING THE PR COMMITTEE'S MENTORING PROGRAM FOR 2009-2010 The PR Committee's mentoring program was very successful last year. We had an excellent group of 12 "mentorees," and we covered many important and interesting topics. However, the committee wants to greatly expand its mentoring program this year to be able to reach lots more people, which, in turn, will help us achieve more results quicker than by working with only 12 people at a time. Therefore, this year we are going to hold a conference call every quarter that will be open to everyone who is interested in learning more about how your affiliate and chapter can take advantage of engaging in more and better marketing and public relations activities. We will cover all kinds of free and low-budget techniques for getting the word out about your affiliate's and your chapter's activities, to reach potential new members, to educate the public about blindness, to reach medical professionals, and much, much more. We urge each of our affiliates and chapters to select at least one person to represent your organization and to participate in these quarterly conference calls. More details will be published shortly giving you the date and time of our first quarterly conference call. We will have a specific agenda for each call, which will be circulated ahead of time. -- Ronald E. Milliman ***** IN IT FOR THE LONG HAUL: IRONMAN TRIATHLON QUEST AND THE MONTHLY MONETARY SUPPORT PROGRAM by Doug Powell As many of you have heard, since 1984, I have had the dream of completing an Ironman-length triathlon. That means I will swim 2.4 miles, then jump on my tandem bicycle (the back) and pedal 112 miles, then change shoes and run 26.2 miles -- all in the same day. That's 140.6 total miles. I think you will agree the challenge of that day is quite daunting, but even more challenging is the years of day-by-day, week-to-week training that Ironman athletes commit themselves to in preparation for that day. I have done several Olympic-distance events in the past, but when I set my sights on "the big one" I realized that I'd have to quadruple my training. To have done that in one year would have been a recipe for injury, frustration, and disaster. So, I decided to make a two-year plan. I have completed one half-Ironman-length event this year, and have another one scheduled for October. After that one, I'll start gearing up again for the big one in the fall of 2010. You might say I am in it "for the long haul." As you can see, I like challenges. So I'm going to throw out a challenge to all of you reading this. ACB needs the same kind of "long haul" commitment from you to prosper and grow. If ACB and its affiliates knew that a certain amount of money was coming every month, they could plan and offer many more services to us than they are currently able to offer. As the president of the Old Dominion Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired, I can tell you that, because of our share of the MMS contributions people have designated to our affiliate (you can designate up to half of your monthly contribution to an ACB affiliate of your choice), we are able to put in a phone system with an 800 number for our out-of-area members and non-computer users to stay in touch. So here's the challenge: If you are inspired by my vision of completing an Ironman, or if you are inspired by the vision of ACB and its affiliates being able to offer new services to all of us, please help the MMS program grow. If you are not yet an MMS contributor, don't wait to be asked or harassed or cajoled. Go to www.acb.org or call 1-800-866-3242 and sign up today. If you are already an MMS contributor, please take a look at whether you can increase your contribution and/or help a friend join the program. (By the way, that friend does not have to be an ACB member. See if friends, family, and non-members would be willing to support you and us in this important work -- it's tax deductible.) Let's make it a big game -- an Ironman game -- a 140.6 game! Let's play to reach $140,600 for total value of yearly contributions by Sept. 30, 2010! Right now, we're over $60,000. If I can do it, we can do it! I'll keep you informed on my training progress through an appropriate ACB communications medium. I'll also keep you informed on our progress in meeting our Ironman goal. Help me get to the finish line by helping ACB get to the next level of financial stability and service to its members. Let's be in it for the long haul together! ***** HOW'S YOUR MONEY ATTITUDE?, PART 2 by Michael Garrett Since money is such an important part of our lives, I thought I'd periodically check in with you and ask how your money attitude is. From time to time, we get involved in some thought-provoking conversations. I was recently engaged in such a conversation. A few days ago, we were sitting around the kitchen table and when our visitor found out what my career background was, he posed some rather timely and interesting questions. His questions included: who caused the economic crisis? Which is better for the economy, tax cuts or spending? And where was regulation during the banking crisis? For me, who caused the economic crisis is an easy one to answer. I believe everybody has contributed to the economic morass we find ourselves in. It's systemic. It has no class distinction; it has no ethnic bias; and it has no gender preference. We all seem to have one systematic desire and that is to get more money. But the question that jumps out at me is "Which is better for the economy, tax cuts or increased spending?" For purposes of this writing, I want to deal with taxes and look at spending at another time. You might ask, "What do taxes have to do with me, a person who is blind or visually impaired?" Well, in this society, you're either a tax payer or a tax taker. You work to pay money into the system so that when you retire or, if you have a debilitating disability, you take money out of the system. In this economy, paying taxes of some sort is unavoidable. But back to our main question: How do tax cuts affect the economy? Studies show that tax cuts do stimulate the economy … in the short term. The thought is that if you put more money in a consumer's pocket, that consumer will spend more, thus giving the economy a much needed jump start. However, studies also show that a prolonged period of low tax rates shrinks the government's ability to collect revenue. That results in a problem at all levels of government because low tax revenue means fewer public services. In your local communities, how do you feel when roads and highways don't get repaired; there's no money for sidewalks and curb cuts; water and sewer projects get delayed; funds for parks and recreation get cut; and garbage collection days get strung out? At the state level, witness what's happening in California where state workers are being asked to take days off; many state projects are being put on hold; and even teachers are being laid off. And now, our federal government wants to dip into the Social Security Trust Fund to make up for other revenue shortfalls. I guess the reason people scream so loudly about their taxes is because, according to my research, the consumer bears the brunt of the tax burden in America. Individuals account for roughly 70 percent of taxes collected in the U.S., while corporations contribute 13 percent. The remainder is comprised of various and sundry taxes. So, this raises several other questions for me. What is the most desirable tax rate for consumers? What is the optimal corporate tax rate? Is our tax structure fair? It seems as though the consumer has a lot of responsibility for the economy resting on his shoulders. First, he must keep the economy going by spending, but then he is the biggest contributor funding the government. The tax code has been changed, reworked, tweaked or reformed a number of times over the last several years. Wouldn't it be simpler if the rule was: if you make more, you pay more? What if some of the loopholes were closed for both individuals and corporations? How about making it less attractive for corporations to shift production of products offshore but bring them back and charge exorbitant prices? I've been studying income statements for over 30 years and rarely, if ever, have I seen the corporate tax rate exceed the individual tax rate. It seems to me that our economy could flow much more smoothly if consumers had more money in their pockets to spend rather than paying the bulk of the tax bill. But that can only happen if corporations take up the slack. I know I've just touched the surface here. And I know this is a subject ripe for debate. But, no matter how you look at it, it's your money too! Your attitude about what you spend, what you save and what you pay in taxes is important to the economy. ***** HEALTH INFORMATION PRIVACY: WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU AS A VISUALLY IMPAIRED CONSUMER by Chris Cooke (Editor's Note: Chris Cooke is a totally blind naturopathic physician.) Is your information really private? What challenges do you face as a visually impaired consumer? Congress enacted HIPAA, the Health Information Portability Authorization Act, to safeguard patients’ protected health information. As yet, it has not addressed the privacy of visually impaired patients whose information is often not all that private. In this article, I’ll talk about what HIPAA is and what your patient rights are under this act. In the next article, I’ll talk about ways to lobby for access to your own health information, and ways to make your experience filling out forms more accessible and confidential. Medical professionals are required to keep your private health information secure. What qualifies as Protected Health Information (PHI)? This includes identifying information such as name, Social Security number, birth date, address, phone numbers, health or medical record number, e-mail address, and photo ID. This is anything that would potentially connect you with the health information in question. It can be disclosed: - When you ask for a copy, and you have the right to receive one; - For the purposes of treatment, payment, health care operations, or research; - For mandatory reporting in the case of certain diseases, for instance; - With an authorization signed by you for the purposes of research. You have the right to: - Inspect your protected information (held in the designated record set) and receive a copy of it; - Request amendments to your PHI (held in the designated record set); - Request restrictions of the uses and disclosures of your PHI; - Request copies of your PHI via alternative means (fax, e-mail) or at alternate locations (home, office); - Obtain a list of who has received disclosures of protected health information made in the last six years; and - Receive a notice of the medical provider’s privacy practices. This last set of rights poses special challenges for those who cannot easily read and examine health information. Did you know that your medical provider has a HIPAA privacy policy? You have probably signed it without fully knowing what it says. For this reason, it is good to know about your protected health information and your rights to access. Have you gone to a doctor’s appointment and encountered forms that were not in an accessible format? Did you have to give your information to someone in a public place and found that uncomfortable? Perhaps you have wondered about your health record, test results, and how to access these as a visually impaired patient. Stay tuned for the next article where we’ll explore ways of navigating these challenges. ***** LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The contents of this column reflect the letters we had received by the time we went to press, Sept. 2, 2009. Letters are limited to 300 words or fewer. All submissions must include the author's name and location. Opinions expressed are those of the authors. Re: 'Must I Burn My Fingers to Prove My Independence?' I love the article by Rebecca Kragnes, entitled "Must I Burn My Fingers To Prove My Independence?" In her next-to-last paragraph, she says, "Perhaps we don't need to see the offer of help as a sign we are being pitied or treated as second-class ..." I have another thought, and will use my dad as an example. Sometimes someone would do something for Daddy, maybe give him a ride to work if his truck had broken down. He always did his best to get the friend to accept pay. But when he did something for someone else, say, mowed their yard, and they wanted to pay, he adamantly refused their money! So he had a double standard -- he wanted to pay someone for a good deed, but if he did a good deed, he wouldn't accept pay! When I was sighted enough to drive, I'd take people places and do things for them, not wanting to be paid, though sometimes I might take a small amount, or allow them to treat me to a hamburger, hot dog, or barbecue, etc. I'd much rather spend the time eating a fast-food meal with a friend than merely accepting a couple of dollars! Now that I don't have sufficient sight to drive, I do try to pay someone when they take me somewhere or do something that I might be unable to do. But if they refuse to accept pay, that's OK. I believe that in doing for others, we are only following the "Golden Rule." So if someone does something for me, then I am actually allowing them to obey God, in that we are to help others. -- Netagene Kirkpatrick, Birmingham, Ala. How Do We Do It? On behalf of blind people, or others with physical disabilities who live on their own, I often wonder how we do it. I especially wonder how those of us who are on a fixed income or receive a government check manage to make ends meet, especially if the government check is all we get. I try to make ends meet without government assistance, but that's because I don't qualify. Aside from paying rent and all the utilities, there are other practical necessities that happen in life which, if I were only getting a government check, I probably would have difficulty with. Recently my bird needed to be seen by a doctor at an animal hospital, and the problem was so serious that they kept him overnight. It cost me nearly $300 for the entire process, not to mention an additional $25 to have the bird taken there by car. Needless to say, this was not in my budget. A week later, the bird had a follow-up visit, and I had to pay an additional $25 for transportation plus the doctor's visit which was approximately another $50. So I have spent $450 on a pet in the past week. To put it in perspective, the money I had to spend in order to keep my pet from being sick is two-thirds of a monthly SSI check for most blind people. Has anyone ever wondered how the government expects people on fixed incomes to take care of all their business like everyone else, given how much things cost? Some people may say, "Well, if you're on a fixed income, don't have a pet." Would these same people also ask us to stay home because transportation costs $25 per errand? Or would they also ask blind people not to have guide dogs because the dog is an added expense like a regular pet is? If we are supposed to lead independent lives like everyone else, then tell us how we can do everything the way we're supposed to within our budgets. Last week I had a debate with someone on the phone who didn't think younger people with disabilities should receive discounts like seniors do. If a young person with a disability isn't working, and if his income is equal to or less than that of an elder, why shouldn't he get a discount? How is he supposed to live? Many blind people own guide dogs. How do you suppose a blind person with a guide dog pays his rent, his grocery bill, his utility bill, his laundry bill, his transportation costs and his guide dog bill on a mere $750 a month, if that's what the government allows him to have? Please tell me, because I really want to know. I try very hard to keep up with my religious faith by attending church services, but how much money do I need to spend on transportation in order to please God? Again, for the average young person who isn't working or can't seem to find a job because his disability is the focal point of his problem, it is very, very hard to do all the things that everyone else has to do, given the financial picture. I welcome your comments, as always. You may send them to branco182@worldnet.att.net. -- Bob Branco, New Bedford, Mass. Be Careful for What You Wish I am writing this to express my view that as a group, the blind need to focus both internal communications and externally facing efforts to achieving three objectives. I believe that often these primary goals get lost in the distractions of everyday life. Here they are: develop functional artificial vision; develop self-driving transportation; ensure equal access to and use of educational opportunities. Some of you may say these are already priorities, but let me explain where I’m coming from first. If I wanted to know current status of the progress to working artificial vision where would I turn for an authoritative, complete, up-to-date compendium of information? If I wanted to know the latest on progress toward getting a car to drive me places, where would I find that? If I wanted to know the probability of receiving equal access to an educational opportunity, where would I get that easily? I see the ACB does advocate for better ways to get from point A to point B, but it doesn’t seem to be presented as a solid continually updated whole. I see ACB members working on instances of equal access to education, but there is so much to be done, no road map of efforts is available with progress information. I don’t see ACB participating in encouraging development of artificial vision, but may have missed that somewhere. To me these are fundamental “wishes,” and we should not have to dig up information on regarding their history, current status, and plans for improvement. I believe we need to know what has happened, what is happening, and what is planned to happen in the near term on these critical topics. Is anyone ready to take this role on? -- Allen Hoffman, Fredericksburg, Va. ***** HERE AND THERE edited by Sue Lichtenfels The announcement of products and services in this column does not represent an endorsement by the American Council of the Blind, its officers, or staff. Listings are free of charge for the benefit of our readers. "The Braille Forum" cannot be held responsible for the reliability of the products and services mentioned. To submit items for this column, send a message to info@acb.org, or phone the national office at 1-800-424-8666, and leave a message in Sharon Lovering’s mailbox. Information must be received at least two months ahead of publication date. TALKING PRESCRIPTIONS AT WALGREENS Walgreens pharmacy is now offering Scrip Talk labeled prescription bottles and the reader unit to customers who are blind or visually impaired. The Scrip Talk reader speaks aloud all of the printed information that appears on the prescription label as well as the additional medication pamphlet that often accompanies the prescription. The pharmacist places a sensor on each medication bottle that then allows the unit to identify and speak the information in a clear female voice. The units, approximately the size of a portable CD player, may be available at your area Walgreens for free upon inquiry. U.S. TEAM EXCELS The blind and visually impaired athletes of the U.S. team successfully competed in the 2009 IBSA World Youth and Student Championships and Pan American Games held this past summer. In goalball, the U.S. won gold medals in the boys' World Youth and Student Championships and the men's and women's divisions of the Pan American Games. 2008 Paralympian Myles Porter (Colorado Springs, Colo.) fought in judo to win gold medals in both the 100kg and open division events. In the pool, Carrie Willoughby (Colorado Springs, Colo.) won five gold medals for the U.S. women's squad in the Pan American Games. Among the boys, Tharon Drake (Hobbs, N.M.) brought in a haul of four golds and two silvers in the World Youth and Student Championships. Track performances for the U.S. included gold medal wins for 2008 Paralympian Josiah Jamison (Vance, S.C.) and Paralympic hopeful Markeith Price (Baltimore, Md.). Congratulations to all 72 U.S. athletes who competed. JOY BOY NAMED TO HALL OF FAME Ed Walker, Washington radio legend and host of WAMU 88.5's The Big Broadcast, has been elected to the National Radio Hall of Fame in the category "Local or Regional - Pioneer." He will be inducted in a ceremony to be broadcast live at 10 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 7, in Chicago. Walker's professional radio career began in 1951 as an American University freshman and one of the founders of WAMU-AM, the campus radio station that preceded the current FM station, WAMU 88.5. The same year, Walker met fellow AU student Willard Scott, who soon became his good friend and radio partner. In 1952, the pair started a weekend radio show at WOL called "Going AWOL," and, in 1955, they launched the comedy show "Two at One" at WRC and became the "Joy Boys." In the late 1950s, the Armed Forces Radio and Television Service began broadcasting many of the half-hour shows, which brought the Joy Boys to service members around the world. The program continued in various time slots and stations until its final broadcast on WWDC on July 26, 1974. Walker has also worked at radio stations WPGC and WMAL and television stations WJLA and News Channel 8. BANA SEEKS PEOPLE TO EVALUATE NUBS The Braille Authority of North America (BANA) is looking for braille readers, teachers and transcribers to assist with an evaluation of the Nemeth Uniform Braille System (NUBS). NUBS is an experimental braille code designed to represent literary, math, and scientific information -- combining all three codes into one unified system. Participants will be asked to read a sampler written in NUBS and to respond to questions about their experience reading NUBS. (The sampler will be available in embossed braille and sim-braille.) Anyone who reads or writes braille, no matter what age or amount of experience reading or writing braille, is welcome to take part in this project. If you are interested in participating, you may request a sampler in one of three ways: - By sending an e-mail to brailleauthority@gmail.com; - By sending a print or braille letter to Judy Dixon, 1805 N. Oakland St., Arlington, VA 22207; or - By calling Judy Dixon at (202) 707-0722. Whichever method you use to request your sampler, please include your name and mailing address and whether you want the sampler in embossed braille or sim-braille. We anticipate that sampler packages will be mailed out for comment in November 2009. Participants will have approximately four weeks to read the sampler and complete the questionnaire. All participants who complete the questionnaire will be informed how to get access to the evaluation report when it is complete. If you are interested in helping with this project, or if you have questions, please contact Judy Dixon, BANA Chair, at jdix@loc.gov or (202) 707-0722. HELP FOR WORD 2007 Toni Fraser has published an e-book, “Exploring Word 2007 with JAWS,” which retails for $25. For more information, visit www.lulu.com/content/e-book/exploring-word-2007-with-jaws/7538888. SCREEN MAGNIFICATION ON THE GO WinZoom USB is a portable magnification device that can be plugged into any computer for immediate access. Its built-in software launches immediately upon connection. It magnifies from 1.5x up to 36x and retails for $399. For additional information or a free trial, call 1-800-575-1456 x204 or visit www.getwinzoom.com. PLEXTALK SOFTWARE UPGRADE The PLEXTALK™ Pocket is a lightweight, pocket-sized, DAISY-compliant music, voice, and book player/recorder. The newest software, PLEXTALK™ Pocket firmware version 2, supports new playability for content from RFB&D’s downloadable library; NLS downloads and cartridges; and Bookshare formats. The new version is available for free download at www.plextalk.com. For more information, call (310) 693-7600 or e-mail info@plextalk.com. HELP FOR NORRIE DISEASE The Norrie Disease Association (NDA) (www.norries.org) promotes awareness about and provides resources for those with ND and their family members. The goals are: to provide support and current information to those with ND and their families; to enable continuing discovery and identification of all the clinical and medical symptoms associated with ND along the wide Norrie spectrum; to encourage and help fund research on ND and its associated symptoms; and to promote awareness about ND to medical, educational and other pertinent communities. NDA encourages learning about this rare genetic disorder including how many people throughout the world have it, what can be done to prevent it in our children and how to treat those who have ND. BRAILLE LABELING KITS Maxi-Aids now offers both a Pocket Jumbo and Standard Braille Labeling Kit. The jumbo labeling kit was designed for diabetics and seniors who lack the sensitivity to feel the small dots. The jumbo kit, item 205255, retails for $14.95 and contains one jumbo stylus, one jumbo braille 4-line, 8-cell slate, 50 blank plastic labels with a pre-punched hole, 50 rubber bands, and 50 safety pins. The standard kit, item 207255, retails for $12.95 with the same contents except that the slate and stylus are smaller and lighter weight. These items are available through www.MaxiAids.com or by calling 1-800-522-6294. STITCH BY STITCH "Stitch by Stitch: Sewing with Low Vision," written by Kathryn Hodges, is designed specifically for blind and visually impaired individuals who want to learn (or re-learn) to sew, knit and do embroidery, as well as other crafts. In this 185-page book, Hodges provides detailed descriptions and large images of adaptive techniques and tools to make the process easier. Chapter one covers tools of needlework and crafting; chapter two, needle-threading techniques. Chapter five includes a variety of sewing machine projects, including baby bibs. Chapter seven covers knitting, from needles and yarn to making dish cloths and a knitted rug. Also included is a chapter on locating low vision aids. This book is available in large print only, and retails for $25. If interested in obtaining a copy, contact Horizons for the Blind at (815) 444-8800, or send a message to mail@horizons-blind.org. QUICK & COZY AFGHANS National Braille Press offers a book for crocheters called “Quick & Cozy Afghans." It features 52 ideas for afghans using the most basic stitches and simple patterns. Photos of the afghans can be viewed at www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/AFGHAN.html. This book retails for $14.95, and is available in braille, Portabook, and downloadable formats. For more information, call 1-800-548-7323 or visit www.nbp.org. BRAILLE CHOCOLATE BARS & MORE Sweet Tooth offers a variety of braille chocolate items for sale. Candy bar greetings include Happy Birthday, Love You, Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Thank You, and Have A Nice Day. Also available are chocolate guide dogs with the braille saying of Best Friend or customized with a dog's name, chocolate watches with braille, and chocolate lollipops and clusters. For more information, contact Judy Davis directly at (585) 544-1853 or judydavis12@rochester.rr.com. ***** HIGH TECH SWAP SHOP FOR SALE: Doubletalk LT serial speech synthesizer. In good condition. Asking $100 or best offer. Call Justin Ekis at (909) 648-8551 or e-mail jekis@fastmail.us. FOR SALE: Never used nylon Freedom Scientific case for a Millennium 20. Asking $20 or best offer. VoiceNote BT. Nearly new condition. Comes with an ethernet card, a CF card, charger, print user's guide and print command summary, cassette user's guide, carrying strap, cables for the parallel and serial ports, unopened earphones and leather case, all in what looks like original packaging. Runs KeySoft version 3-point-something. Asking $375 or best offer. If interested, e-mail cheree@dogsc4me.com or phone (503) 750-7441. FOR SALE: Aladdin CCTV and PulseData ScannaR with Braille Direct connector. Reasonable offer. Contact Lauren Pippens at (903) 526-9577. FOR SALE: BrailleNote mPower, 32-cell, version 8.0. Extra chargers included. Asking $2,850. Contact Karen at (718) 692-4519 or e-mail karen.berger@verizon.net. FOR SALE: Nokia N75 cell phone. Comes with case, charger, and user's manual in print. Asking $150. Contact Dennis Holter via e-mail, dennisholter@yahoo.com, or by leaving a message at (773) 572-7833. Be sure to include your name and telephone number. FOR SALE: ZoomText Magnification/Screen Reader Software, version 9.1, brand-new in sealed box, never opened or used. It features complete screen reading, automatic document reading, full Internet accessibility, text navigation, typing and mouse echo with "xFont" and NeoSpeech technology. Asking $450; buyer pays shipping. SenseView portable video magnifier in excellent condition, slightly used. Includes charger. It magnifies from 4x to 22.5x at the press of a button, and has a 4.3” wide screen LCD display and a battery life of 5 hours. Asking $650; buyer pays shipping. For more information on either of these items, please contact Marie at beachtech40@gmail.com or (240) 423-0888. FOR SALE: BrailleNote BT 32 classic with KeySoft 7.01 build 25. Includes 2 compact flash cards 256 and 512 MB, 1 Ambicom wireless card, 1 100-meg PCMCIA card, and 1 PCMCIA superdisk drive. Comes in a zipping case. Has a pouch on top for storing the AC adapter and disk drive. Braille display is weak but works, flash disk needs to be replaced. Battery still works. Keyboard was replaced less than a year ago. Has minor cosmetic case scratches and nicks. Asking $500 or best offer. Contact Cody Hurst at (662) 213-2627, or via e-mail, cdog2005@gmail.com. FOR SALE: Toshiba laptop with 250-gig hard drive, 15.4" screen, 3 gigs RAM, Windows XP Professional, JAWS and ZoomText. In very good condition; like new. Asking $720. New talking watch or talking clock, $10 including shipping. Brand-new Compaq laptop with 160-gig hard drive, 2 gigs RAM, full keyboard, Windows XP Professional, JAWS and ZoomText. Asking $600. Desktop computer with 500-gig hard drive, 2 gigs RAM, Windows XP, JAWS and ZoomText. Asking $375. Commercial manual orange, grapefruit and lemon juice maker, new. Asking $80. Call Jose Luis at (818) 220-6256. FOR SALE: Used Braille Blazer, original serial modem cable, in working order. Asking $700 or best offer. Contact Peter by e-mail, zasetzu@gmail.com. FOR SALE: PAC Mate QX400 with accessories. Comes with 1 fabric case, 1 socket P 500 wi-fi card and a couple of memory cards. Includes power cable, computer cable, and USB thumb drive adapter. Asking $1,100 or best offer. Buyer pays shipping. Contact Maureen at (727) 735-0797. FOR SALE: Accessible Windows Smart Phone: Samsung Blackjack II including the latest versions of Mobile Speak (with license) and Mobile Geo (again, with license). Windows Mobile 6.1 software and a 2-gig memory card. Phone is 1.5 years old and in excellent condition. Asking $500. KNFB Classic Reader including manual in accessible format and carrying case. Lightly used and in excellent condition. Asking $500. If interested, please send e-mail to lsw999@me.com. ACB OFFICERS PRESIDENT MITCH POMERANTZ 1115 CORDOVA ST. #402 PASADENA, CA 91106 FIRST VICE PRESIDENT KIM CHARLSON 57 GRANDVIEW AVE. WATERTOWN, MA 02472 SECOND VICE PRESIDENT BRENDA DILLON 313 OVERRIDGE COVE HERMITAGE, TN 37076 SECRETARY MARLAINA LIEBERG 632 S. 189TH ST. BURIEN, WA 98148 TREASURER MIKE GODINO 104 TILROSE AVE. MALVERNE, NY 11565-2024 IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT CHRISTOPHER GRAY 94 RAMONA AVE. SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103 ACB BOARD OF DIRECTORS Ray Campbell, Glen Ellyn, IL Berl Colley, Lacey, WA Marsha Farrow, Summerville, GA Michael Garrett, Missouri City, TX Billie Jean Keith, Arlington, VA Carla Ruschival, Louisville, KY Patrick Sheehan, Silver Spring, MD Jeff Thom, Sacramento, CA David Trott, Talladega, AL Cammie Vloedman, Oklahoma City, OK Ex Officio: Marcia Dresser, Reading, MA BOARD OF PUBLICATIONS Paul Edwards, Chairman, Miami, FL Marcia Dresser, Reading, MA Judy Jackson, San Antonio, TX Jenine Stanley, Columbus, OH Ken Stewart, Warwick, NY Ex Officios: Michael Malver, Minneapolis, MN Ron Milliman, Bowling Green, KY