THE BRAILLE FORUM Volume XLVII December 2008 No. 6 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: 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 (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. Submission deadlines are the first of the month. 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 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 2008 American Council of the Blind TABLE OF CONTENTS President's Message: Training ACB's Future Leaders, by Mitch Pomerantz Attention Social Security, SSDI and SSI Beneficiaries!, by Melanie Brunson You Could Win a Braille Plus, A Victor Reader Stream, or Even An Olympus Digital Recorder!, by Ron Milliman Spotlight Your Affiliate with a BOP Award! Making the Switch to Digital TV Viewing, by Steve Waltke Who Do People Think We Are?, by Paul Edwards From Your Perspective: Blindness, by Rick Morin 'Blindness' and 'Seeing': A Reflection, by Paul Edwards Passings Affiliate News Winter Baseball, by John Lee Clark Here and There, 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. Happy holidays! ***** PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE: TRAINING ACB'S FUTURE LEADERS by Mitch Pomerantz On Friday evening, Oct. 31, and all day Saturday, Nov. 1, a number of ACB's current state and national leaders participated in the first of what we expect will be a series of regional leadership training conferences for would-be leaders of our organization. I thought I'd devote this final column of the year to highlighting the conference and in so doing, offer some notions about the future leadership of the American Council of the Blind. The Western Regional Leadership Conference took place in Vancouver, Wash. and involved approximately 25 individuals recommended by presidents from eight states: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. Along with myself, board members in attendance were immediate past president Chris Gray and directors Berl Colley and Jeff Thom (Chris and Jeff were part of the steering committee which organized and conducted the conference). We were also joined by ACB's development director, Dena Wilson. The conference theme was "Taking the Reins of Leadership." Our objective was to provide attendees with the tools to assume positions of leadership within their state affiliates and the national organization, and to educate them about ACB's history, culture and infrastructure. Topics included: ACB history; the creation of our corporate culture; empowerment and mentoring; ACB's advocacy efforts; legislative and policymaking initiatives; our constitution and bylaws and the resolutions process; the value of national conventions; membership development; the importance of good public relations; fundraising; and the opportunity to put what was learned into action through a small-group exercise. Additionally, an informal dinner was held, during which I spoke a bit more on our history and the importance of developing future leaders. I want to excerpt some of those remarks for inclusion here. "After-dinner speeches are always a challenge, and this one especially so after a day-plus of serious discussion focusing on leadership development and the American Council of the Blind. ... I would be remiss if I didn't conclude this Western Regional Leadership Conference with ... a few thoughts relating to our future and the development of ACB's leaders. The most obvious reason, of course, is that some of us who have been around for awhile really are looking forward to letting someone else make those difficult decisions while we sit back with a good book or favorite music, and our libation of choice. ... "This conference is the first in what I expect will be an ongoing series of such activities around the country. Already I've heard from leaders in the southeast and northeast who are beginning to lay the groundwork for their own regional leadership seminars. This weekend's agenda may well serve as the template for these seminars. But regardless of whether it does or not, the development and encouragement of state and national leaders such as yourselves is crucial to the future of every ACB affiliate and the national organization itself. Succession planning -- the process by which an organization guarantees its own continued existence -- is arguably the most important activity in which an organization's existing leadership may engage. "The next generation of ACB's leaders must combine an understanding of our history and core values with an abiding belief in the need to embrace the future, including active membership development and fundraising, as well as assertively carrying our unique and positive philosophy to the blindness community and the larger society as a whole. Tomorrow's leaders must be collaborative, consensus builders willing to communicate openly and handle criticism without rancor or retaliation. In short, ACB must groom a cadre of leaders with imagination, open minds and thick skins. "I am optimistic about our future given one very important caveat. Henceforth those who assume positions of responsibility within the American Council of the Blind must be individuals who put the best interests of the organization and members ahead of their own. If tomorrow's leaders assume this mindset, I see both a return to ACB's historic values and principles and a commitment to a future in which we advocate for, and support more strongly than ever, the diversity that exemplifies the American Council of the Blind. ..." Both current and future ACB leaders felt the conference met or exceeded their expectations. I was especially pleased that several individuals from our fledgling Montana affiliate were in attendance. It was truly an outstanding and energizing first regional leadership conference, and I look forward to others in the years to come. Have a healthy and happy holiday season and a productive and prosperous 2009. ***** ATTENTION SOCIAL SECURITY, SSDI AND SSI BENEFICIARIES! by Melanie Brunson On Thursday, Sept. 11, 2008, Judge William Alsup of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California granted class certification in a disability rights action in which plaintiffs argue that the Social Security Administration (SSA) fails to provide its communications in alternative formats that would enable people with visual impairments to have equal access to SSA programs as required by federal disability civil rights laws and the U.S. Constitution. This order came in a lawsuit filed against SSA in federal court in 2005 by the American Council of the Blind and 10 individuals who are blind or have visual impairments. The complaint alleged that SSA's failure to provide notices and other correspondence in formats such as braille, large print and audio tape, which people who have visual impairments can read, has resulted in numerous individuals experiencing the loss of critical subsistence benefits, privacy and dignity. Certification of this class action is a significant victory for blind Social Security beneficiaries, as well as any individuals who have visual impairments and who act as representative payees for other beneficiaries. What follows is the text of the Notice of Class Action, which we are attempting to circulate as widely as possible. If you are interested in obtaining more information about this action, please feel free to contact the attorneys using the information included in the notice. You can also request copies of the notice in alternate formats to share with other blind or visually impaired beneficiaries who might wish to know more about the case, or intervene in it. Please feel free to help us spread the word! October 2008 Notice of Class Action This notice contains important information for you: IF You apply for or receive retirement, survivors, or disability insurance benefits or Supplemental Social Security Income (SSI) payments from Social Security; OR IF You are the representative payee for an individual who receives Social Security benefits or SSI; AND You have a visual impairment that substantially limits your ability to see, so that you require materials to be in an accessible format in order to participate in these programs. A federal court has authorized a class action lawsuit against the Social Security Administration (SSA) on behalf of people with visual impairments who require communications from SSA to be in an accessible format in order to participate in the Social Security or SSI programs. The court has authorized two classes: If you have a visual impairment that substantially limits the major life activity of seeing and you (1) apply for or are receiving Social Security or SSI benefits, or (2) are the representative payee for a Social Security beneficiary or SSI recipient, then you are a member of at least one of the two classes. This means that the court's decision in this case may affect your rights. The case, called American Council of the Blind v. Astrue, No. C05-04696, is pending in the federal district court in San Francisco, Calif. The plaintiffs are asking the court to find that SSA has violated a federal law called the Rehabilitation Act. The Rehabilitation Act says disabled individuals cannot be denied meaningful access to federal programs and benefits. Plaintiffs, who include the American Council of the Blind, are asking the court to order SSA to provide communications in alternative formats such as braille, large print, electronic mail, computer disk, and audio recording to make sure that people with visual impairments have meaningful access to SSA's programs. This case does not include any claims for money damages. This notice tells you about your right to intervene in this case, submit comments, and how to contact plaintiffs' class counsel. You do not have to intervene or take any action in response to this notice in order to be included in the class or affected by the outcome of the case. If you want to intervene or have questions about this case, you should contact class counsel listed below at either the toll-free 800 number or the e-mail provided at the end of this notice by Dec. 31, 2008. The court would like maximum input from the class members. The same number and e-mail may be used to provide class counsel with suggestions about how SSA can effectively communicate with people who have visual impairments. You should give class counsel your comments by Dec. 31, 2008. Please do not telephone the court, the court clerk's office, or SSA for information about this case. If you require this notice in an alternative format such as braille, large font print, audio recording or computer disk, please leave your name, request and delivery address at the number or e-mail listed below. Arlene B. Mayerson Silvia Yee Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, Inc. (DREDF) Telephone: 1-800-348-4232 E-Mail: ssaclassaction@dredf.org ***** YOU COULD WIN A BRAILLE PLUS, A VICTOR READER STREAM, OR EVEN AN OLYMPUS DIGITAL RECORDER! by Ron Milliman The Braille Plus is the most flexible, accessible, and easy-to-use mobile manager available today. It coordinates multimedia collections, reads and edits e-mail and documents, plays and records voice and music, browses the web, reads digital talking books, tracks headlines and podcasts, manages contacts and calendar, takes notes, calculates, times events, and much more, all with a device small enough to fit into a purse or pocket. It offers an excellent non-visual way to communicate, inform, entertain, and manage life. The ergonomic tactile groupings of keys and stereo speakers maximize ease of use, and the multiple ways to type ensure your new mobile manager is ready for nearly any task. And you could be the proud winner of a Braille Plus! How? Simply by participating in the MMS program's newest promotional campaign. The MMS Program Committee has kicked off the next phase of our program: the "Reaching Out" Campaign. We are now reaching out beyond our own membership for MMS program contributors, and we need your help. You can participate by signing up non-ACB members, people who would be happy to help the ACB by becoming contributors to the ACB's MMS program. What is the MMS program? The Monthly Monetary Support (MMS) program is a way for you to help financially support the ACB and its affiliates by making a regular, monthly contribution from either your bank account or credit card. You control the amount of the contributions, when they begin and when they stop. You can designate up to 50 percent of each contribution to go to an affiliate of your choice. Some of you have told us that you simply cannot afford to contribute to the MMS program because you do not even have enough money to cover all of your own expenses each month. We fully understand that, and now, you can still become a major participant in the ACB MMS program by sponsoring non-members that you know. We all have friends, relatives, people we go to church with, our doctors, neighbors, and others who would be very willing to contribute to the ACB MMS program if you asked them to do so. Think about it! If you sponsor just five people, and if each of them contributes just $10 per month, you, in essence, are helping ACB by $50 per month or $600 per year! If just 50 of our members do this, it adds up to a total contribution of $30,000 more per year for ACB. Remember, the entire contribution can go to ACB national, or can be split between national and one affiliate of your choice. So, you can greatly help two levels of ACB at the same time, with very little effort on your part! All you need to do to get started is request a small quantity of MMS brochures to give to your prospective contributors. That gives you an opportunity to tell your friends, relatives, and others about ACB and what it's doing to improve the lives of blind and low-vision people in the United States and around the world. There is a place on the MMS brochure for your name as the sponsor. Then, as our Minnesota office receives the requests for MMS forms, your name will be associated with that contributor as the sponsor. You can win in three ways. The ACB member who brings in the most annualized dollars over $1,500 will win the Braille Plus, provided to the MMS program by the American Printing House for the Blind. To be eligible, all you need is 10 non-members who contribute an average of only $12.50 per month. Current member contributions average just under $23 per month. So, a contribution average of $12.50 a month is extremely feasible. Second, the ACB member who sponsors the most non-members will win a Victor Reader Stream, provided to the MMS program by HumanWare! Third, the ACB member who is a new MMS program participant or who increases his/her monthly contributions by at least $5 per month will be placed into another drawing and will be eligible to win a handheld Olympus Digital Recorder that is fully accessible! All ACB members who are new contributors will also be sent a really nice little FM scanner radio. It comes complete with earbuds and batteries. So, this is a win-win-win opportunity for everyone! Let's get started. You can request a quantity of MMS brochures by contacting our Washington office at (202) 467-5081 or 1-800-424-8666. You can also contact me at (270) 782-9325 or by e-mail, rmilliman@insightbb.com. But please request only the number of MMS brochures that you think you will need. ***** SPOTLIGHT YOUR AFFILIATE WITH A BOP AWARD! In 2008 "The Blind Californian" was the first affiliate newsletter recognized by the ACB board of publications with the Hollis K. Liggett Braille Free Press Award. This award was named in honor of Hollis Liggett, and is intended to promote best journalistic practices and excellence in writing in publications of ACB's state and special-interest affiliates. All periodicals of ACB affiliates, distributed no less than semi- annually, are eligible to be considered for the Hollis K. Liggett Braille Free Press Award. Nominations must be submitted by the affiliate's newsletter editor or president. Submissions are due on Feb. 15, 2009, and should be sent to "The Braille Forum" editor. Submissions must include the following: 1. Two issues of the affiliate's publication from the previous calendar year sent electronically and in hard copy in the format which the affiliate recognizes as the format which best represents its readership. 2. Answers to the following questions: A. How many members are in your affiliate? B. How often is your publication published per year? C. In what formats is your publication produced? The BOP will take the submitted information into consideration as well as the following: 1. The number of contributing writers in a single issue; 2. The variety of information written about in each issue; 3. How well the publication portrays the affiliate; 4. The quality of writing throughout the publication; and 5. The overall layout and presentation of the publication. Send your submissions to Sharon Lovering, American Council of the Blind, 1155 15th St. NW, Suite 1004, Washington, DC 20005. (Note: After December 25, send to: Sharon Lovering, American Council of the Blind, 2200 Wilson Blvd., Suite 650, Arlington, VA 22201.) Make sure they'll arrive no later than Feb. 15, 2009. We look forward to receiving your nominations. This award will be presented at the convention in Orlando, Fla. ***** MAKING THE SWITCH TO DIGITAL TV VIEWING by Steve Waltke After doing research and setting up several digital TV converter boxes, I thought I would share my information related to understanding and setting up equipment for receiving digital television broadcasts. If you currently subscribe to a cable or satellite service, then this article really doesn't apply to you. However, you may find it useful to keep handy in case you become fed up with the subscriber fees. Or maybe you don't want to spend the $400 on a new digital TV. If you are using rabbit ears or an exterior antenna with your TV, then keep reading! Due to federal law, starting in February 2009 all commercial TV stations must begin broadcasting in digital format. So if you want to continue to watch TV, you will have to go digital. You don't need to be a rocket scientist to use the new digital broadcast technology, but you will need to learn a few new things. I will attempt to explain how to go digital as inexpensively and easily as possible. Coupon Program From now through February 2009, the federal government will give you a maximum of two free coupons, each worth $40, to put toward the purchase of a digital converter box. The price range for these boxes goes from $50 to $80. It is important to remember that the coupon expires 90 days after it is sent to you. There will be no replacements for lost or unused expired coupons. To request your coupons, call the NTIA at 1-888-388-2009 or fill out an online request at www.dtv2009.gov. If you phone in your request, the process is accomplished by a relatively capable high-quality automated voice recognition system. At the end the system will tell you the approximate date you will receive your coupons in the mail and will give you a confirmation number. Be sure to make a note of this number in case there is a problem. Anyone can purchase a digital converter box from any store that sells electronics and TVs. You are not required to have one of the government coupons in order to purchase a converter box. My recommendation for stores that are truly knowledgeable regarding what you will need and how to make the experience successful are Best Buy and Radio Shack. Radio Shack has a wider selection of unique adapters and cables which you may need. But it's highly likely that you won't need anything except your new converter box, unless you own a very old TV that has the sets of screws to which you attach your rabbit ears or external antenna, and/or have a very old style of connectors on your rabbit ears or external antenna. WGBH-TV's Accessible Media and Technology Project has determined that there are at least two brands of converter boxes that will allow you to turn on the audio description function by pressing the specific button labeled "CC/Audio" on the remote control. Those are the Digital Stream (found at Radio Shack) and the "Insignia" brand (found at Best Buy). Connecting the Box When you connect your new converter box, you connect it to the VHF connections on the TV, because the box will sort out the various signals. You will notice if you are also buying a new set of rabbit ears that they look just like they have for decades, except now they have what is called a coaxial style connector instead of the little metal horseshoes. When you open the box, you'll find a plastic box measuring approximately 10" by 8" by 2", a remote control, batteries, and at least one cable with co-ax connectors on each end, as well as a print instruction manual. Place the converter box on a solid, safe surface, then disconnect your rabbit ears or external antenna from the back of your TV set. Ideally, the next step is to attach the rabbit ears or antenna to the connector that is labeled antenna input on the back of the new converter box. However, you may discover that you need to purchase an adapter that will make it possible to connect your ears or antenna to the new box. The type of adapter will depend on the type of connector your ears or antenna have on the end of the cable as well as the type of connectors available on the back of the converter box. Whatever adapter you may need, it probably won't cost more than $10. The next step is to remove the new cable from the product's box and attach it to the connector labeled antenna output, located on the rear of the converter box. Then find the opposite end of the cable and attach it to the VHF terminals on your TV set (in most cases, they're on the back of your TV). Depending on the style and age of your TV set, you might need an adapter to make the connection possible. While you're investigating the rear panel of the converter box, you will notice several other connectors, different in style from the antenna input and output. These are not essential to the reception of digital broadcast TV; they are meant to accomplish such chores as sending the TV antenna signal to the VCR, DVD and stereo sound systems, etc. Some readers may need sighted assistance to set up and connect their converter boxes. If all else fails, remember that the instruction manual will have phone numbers listed for customer service and technical assistance. It's even possible that the company has the manual in an alternate format, too. In any event, someone has to be there who can look at the print digital menus and perform the option selections and read the instructions that will appear on the TV screen while you are setting up the system. Next, turn on the power for the TV set, then select either channel 3 or 4. Which channel is correct depends on the manufacturer's choice; the manual will include this information. Then install the batteries in the remote control. You will have to use the remote to operate the converter box, as most boxes have no buttons on them except for the power on/off switch. Then press the power-on switch on the converter box. There will be several small LED lights on the front panel; one of these is the "power on" indicator. Usually there will be a second indicator light lit indicating that the box is successfully receiving a channel transmission. Going Digital The next step is the new digital experience. Pick up that remote control and make it a reality. Press the remote control's "power on" button. Next you must activate the set-up menu, a must for the reception of any digital broadcast channels. It has a variety of options from which to choose, just like a restaurant menu. When you activate the set-up page, the menu options will show on the TV screen. Many of us are aware that manufacturers' product instruction manuals are notoriously shabby, likely to be incomplete or inaccurate, or simply incomprehensible. This problem makes it tough for people to understand or effectively communicate the information we need, so make a point of taking notes and re-tracing procedures until you are assured that you are in control and on track. All brands of converter boxes will have a function called auto-scan; this is the essential function the box must accomplish. It is a process of recognizing, the first time you use the box, all the digital channels that are available to you. Some brands may have designed a procedure that is practical and can be done in the future by a blind person without sighted help. Once you have successfully accomplished the auto-scan, there might be a couple of other options in the set-up menu that you need to fiddle with. The nice thing is that once you've finished the set-up procedure, you probably won't have to pay any attention to this function for years to come. Now you're set! Simply turn on the TV, then turn on the converter box, press "power on" on the remote control, then press the numbered buttons to get you to your desired channel. Or press channel up or channel down to jump to the channel you want. Other Features There will be a variety of useful but non-essential features available to digital TV users. To access them, press various buttons on the remote control, including four arrow buttons (one each pointing up, down, right and left). Whether a user can actually use these features while not being able to see the print that appears on the screen will largely depend on the talents of the design engineers of the particular manufacturer. Curious and adventurous users will just have to experiment to learn what can be accessed. One feature that will take some getting used to is the fact that your favorite station will probably be broadcasting more than one channel from the one station. If you like PBS channel 9, now that section is maybe transmitting 3, 4 or 5 digital channels. So you could watch opera on channel 9.1, or change to "This Old House" on channel 9.2, or "The News Hour" on channel 9.3. So it's to your benefit to contact each of the stations and ask how many channels they have. Remember, the digital broadcast signal is narrower than the old analog signal, so you may find that you have to fiddle with the position of the ears or antenna more than you used to. However, you should be able to receive every channel that you received in the past and maybe even one or two that were of such poor quality that you never watched it. Happy viewing! ***** WHO DO PEOPLE THINK WE ARE? by Paul Edwards I have spent a good deal of time over the past few weeks thinking about how people with disabilities are perceived. My musings began with court cases that I was following and how they were handled by our judicial system. For this article, I will just talk about one of those cases. A lady in New York who is partially sighted frequents fast-food restaurants. She filed suit against several of them because they not only did not have large print menus; they did not provide what she considered appropriate services to her when she visited. According to her, she was sometimes forced to wait until everyone in the line had been served before they would read her some of the choices on the menu. Sometimes, she alleged, people were rude to her and laughed at her. At one restaurant, she alleged she was directed to the men's room rather than the women's room on purpose when she asked for directions. She was suing because she believed that she was not getting the services from these establishments that people without disabilities were getting and that she was potentially being denied access to the goods and services that were being offered that she might have chosen because people were not prepared to read the whole menu. Title III of the ADA does not, as it now stands, require restaurants to have either braille or large print menus. It does require that those restaurants make certain that people who are visually impaired have access to information about the goods and services that are available. Is this lawsuit an appropriate one? I think it is, but the court that initially heard the case apparently did not. When the case was initially decided, it was dismissed on the grounds that the lady suffered no material harm. Nowhere in her documents does the plaintiff indicate that she ever left the fast-food restaurants without buying something. Since she always ate, said the court, she was not materially impacted or damaged and therefore has no case. Essentially, "no harm, no foul" was the argument used. I am happy to say that she appealed this decision, and I am even happier to report that the New York Court of Appeals has sent the case back indicating that the grounds used to dismiss the case will not fly. Essentially, they say that the quality of the services that a person receives are important and that she was clearly not being treated in a manner that would allow us to believe that she had an equal chance to get the same goods and services that others coming to the fast-food restaurant could expect. Now we wait to see what will happen with the case when it is retried. For me, though the initial outcome was disappointing, the issue goes beyond either the ADA or equal treatment. I found myself wondering how a person who alleged mistreatment on the basis of race or gender would have fared. Would the courts have seen fit to say "no harm, no foul" in that case? I don't think so. At the heart of discrimination, as it is understood for other protected classes, is a notion that Aretha Franklin sums up as "respect." It isn't just about whether you get access to a place or can use the products or services that are offered. It is also an intangible notion that we could perhaps call appropriate treatment. If the argument that was applied in this case were allowed to stand, could we not just as easily say that the water is just as good from a colored-only water fountain, so why fuss? Could we not just as easily say that a woman who is not promoted has not been materially harmed and therefore has no right to gripe? Yes, I am overstating things, but only a little. I do believe that a complaint or a suit that could prove malicious behavior by employees against a person who is black or Hispanic would have been treated very differently by either the company or a court. Why did this case get tossed out summarily? Are people with disabilities seen as different? Is the standard of treatment that a disabled person should expect lower than that which other minorities can generally anticipate? I do not pretend to be able to answer these questions. I can speculate, I suppose, and, as I have thought about this matter, I have started to do that. I truly think that people expect folks with disabilities to behave in a certain way. We are to be meek and polite and grateful. We are also supposed to understand that it is OK to tell us to wait because we have asked for something extra when we ask to know what is on the menu. Do each of us contribute our own acquiescence in stores and in restaurants? Are we partly responsible for how this case came out? How often do we accept treatment that is less than equal because it is easier to make do than it is to ask for what we should get? I am not sure how to fix this. Perhaps more of us need to ask fast- food places to read their menus. Maybe if more of us did it, they would be more inclined to get large print and braille menus. More important, though, maybe they would begin to see us in a different way. Maybe we would be seen as folks who want to have the same choices as other people have. Maybe our demands would come to be recognized as legitimate demands by customers whose money is just as green as everybody else's. Perhaps the most important change that might come about is even more significant. Perhaps we would begin to see ourselves differently. Perhaps we would see ourselves as empowered to demand equal treatment. What a concept! Shall we try? ***** FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE: BLINDNESS by Rick Morin (Editor's Note: "From Your Perspective" is a column that appears occasionally. Its contents vary from technology to religion, from internal goings-on to items of concern in the blindness field in general. The opinions expressed are those of the authors, not those of the American Council of the Blind, its staff or elected officials. "The Braille Forum" cannot be held responsible for the opinions expressed herein.) According to statistics quoted by the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB), there are 21.2 million Americans with vision loss (see www.afb.org/Section.asp?SectionID=15&DocumentID=4398#numbers). Let's say that the combined memberships of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) and the American Council of the Blind (ACB) are 100,000 people. (This is an extremely generous estimate.) This means that 99.5 percent of Americans with vision loss are affiliated with neither organization. Both organizations have great growth potential. Both ACB and NFB have made public statements criticizing the movie "Blindness," released recently, based on the 1995 book by Portuguese Nobel literature laureate Jose Saramago. The criticism stems from concern that the characterizations of people who are blind in the movie will be misinterpreted and applied to people who are blind in society as a class. The population of people who are blind and with low vision is extremely diverse. One thing I have learned since becoming active in ACB is that there is great danger in painting those who are blind and those with low vision with a broad brush. There is a tendency of many to view the world as black and white. The reality is that the world is limitless shades of gray. Diversity is a good thing but not always easy. Everyone in the community has their right to express their opinion. Just like there is concern that a movie such as "Blindness" will be projected onto all people who are blind as a class, there is parallel concern that the opinion or position of any given organization of the blind may be interpreted as representing the views of all people who are blind. The numbers certainly indicate that the vast majority of people choose, for whatever reason, to remain un-affiliated. NFB's slogan -- "Voice of the Nation's Blind" -- is misleading. I am a proud member of ACB, and, as such, have not relinquished the right to speak for myself. Freedom of speech is good as long as it is not deceptive. Some feel that freedom of speech does not apply to "Blindness" because the movie is misleading. Many of these same people represent themselves as being the Voice of the Nation's Blind. NFB has every right -- as does ACB -- to represent its constituents, its members, and nothing more. Period. I believe it is fair to characterize NFB as an organization that is driven from the top. ACB promotes diversity of viewpoints. Either approach, taken to its extreme, can be counterproductive. I believe ACB values and encourages debate at the grass-roots level -- making organizational decisions based on this input. ACB and NFB each speak with single, albeit different, voices. Then there are the remaining 21.1 million Americans with vision loss. Courage of our convictions is noble. When I say that there is a tendency to be black and white, I am referring to those who remain steadfast that their beliefs are right and everything else is wrong. Compromises are a fact of life. It is courageous to refine and alter one's convictions upon reflection of new information and life experiences. At the end of the day, as advocates, we must ensure that what we advocate for does not limit the rights of those who may not be of the same mind, whether it be between classes of disability or within our own class -- which has many sub-classes -- as evidenced by the number of special-interest affiliates that exist in ACB. ***** 'BLINDNESS' AND 'SEEING': A REFLECTION by Paul Edwards In the blindness community, the release of the movie "Blindness" has provoked a furor. Many object to the depiction of blind people as helpless and incompetent and many more suggest that the film and the book on which the film is based will only serve to deepen the misunderstanding of what it is to be blind. It is not my intention to enter into this debate. Instead I want to try to get past it to take a look at what the book and its sequel "Seeing" have to say about the larger world. The film-maker says that blindness is a metaphor and I am inclined to agree with him. These two books are much more novels about what happens when a society is faced with any cataclysm, either real, as in the case of "Blindness" where the whole population of a city loses its sight for several weeks, or perceived as in "Seeing" where a perhaps random decision made by the voters in the capital city of an unnamed country to cast blank ballots in a local election is perceived by the national government as a major conspiracy and, perhaps, as a precursor to outright revolution. In "Seeing," satire and irony are rife. Most of the characters are really caricatures and none are named. The people in the city which has dared to cast 70 percent of their votes as blank ballots who, by rights, ought to be the central characters of this novel, are hardly present. Instead, the story is told through the outsiders, the ministers, the army, a police superintendent and his subordinates, and a newspaper editor. But the book is by no means all satire and irony. It is also a tragedy and a great piece of literature. Like all tragedies, for me, it was clear from the beginning that the outcome was inevitable but I am not sure I understand what the tragic flaw is that Jose Saramago, the author, is aiming to show us. Maybe the tragedy lies in the power we give to those who govern us. Maybe the tragedy lies in the degree to which politics rather than morality govern decisions made by those who govern and those who enforce the law. And just maybe, the tragedy is that we choose to be blind to what we can see if we would only look. The action of "Seeing" occurs four years after the events detailed in "Blindness." In the earlier book no characters are named either but the events portrayed are stark and very real. We experience the loss of vision through the "eyes" of the first victims. They are isolated in an insane asylum with armed guards outside ordered to shoot any who attempt to leave. Conditions deteriorate physically and morally but our small group of viewpoint characters is kept together by the wife of an ophthalmologist who appears to be the only person who does not go blind. She is the outsider who feels guilty for being able to see and immensely alone. She is not the only moral compass, though. There are instances of immense sacrifice and real heroism in the face of the complete breakdown of law and order that the crisis brings. Is she the hero or the anti-hero? Are those blind people who eventually take action to right wrongs the heroes? Are there any heroes? Who knows? I certainly do not. And, in the long run, it doesn't really matter. At the heart of the first book, "Blindness," is the inescapable fact that the veneer of civilization is very thin and, through blindness, we see the fragility of morality all too clearly. In the second book, "Seeing," those in power see what they want to see and, with their eyes wide open, are blind to the consequences of the actions they choose to take. There are threads that bind the two books together and that invite the kinds of comparisons I am making. I am loath to tell you what these are because I think that knowing about them will lessen your enjoyment of both books. This I do want to say: Read both of these books with your eyes wide open, whether you are blind or can see. Don't get hung up on the portrayal of blindness. The author could have used deafness or a disease that disfigures or some other cataclysm just as effectively, I think. The questions posed by both books are much broader and much more ambiguous. If we are truly lucky, great literature helps to illuminate what it is to be human and helps us focus a little on the characteristics of ourselves that are real and those that are false. It helps us learn a little about the difference between perception and seeing. Perhaps more than anything else these two books together help us to know just how blind all of us can be, whether our eyes work or not. ***** PASSINGS It has come to our attention that we are rapidly losing members of our community, friends and supporters of ACB. In order to honor these people whose lives have impacted us, in large and small ways, we are publishing this column, "Passings." In it, we will include brief obituaries of those who have passed away. See below for the format in which to submit information. Obituary Format Please include as much of the following information as possible when submitting material for this column. Submissions must involve dates no more than six months from intended date of publication. Send your articles to editor@acb.org. Name (first, last, maiden if appropriate) City of residence (upon passing) State/province of residence (upon passing) Other cities/states/countries of residence (places where other blind people may have known this person) Occupation Date of death (day if known, month, year) Age ACB affiliation (local/state/special-interest affiliates or national committees) RUTLEDGE, DAVID M. 'RED' David M. "Red" Rutledge of Prescott, Ariz., died Sept. 7, 2008. He was born May 12, 1923, in Bushnell, Ill., son of Charles L. "Roy" and Lottie Ellen Moore Rutledge. An insect bite which became infected led to the loss of his eyesight at age 15. He was the founder and operator of Dave's Schwinn Center for many years prior to moving to Prescott. He was also a long-time ham radio operator and member of the Galesburg (Ill.) Jaycees. He worked at Midwest Manufacturing during World War II, at Barney's Lunch, and with Bill Steagall at Citywide Rubbish Removal. David was also a guide dog user and a member of the Arizona Council of the Blind. He used Seeing Eye dogs for more than 50 years. Surviving are his wife of 62 years, Mary; daughter, Kathie; one grandchild and two great-grandchildren; a sister, Doris Agans; and a brother, Robert (Kate) Rutledge of Galesburg. He was preceded in death by two brothers and a sister. Cremation was accorded, and a memorial service was held in Prescott. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Arizona Council of the Blind or Guide Dog Users, Inc. ***** AFFILIATE NEWS RSVA 2009 Sagebrush Conference RSVA invites you to the 2009 Sagebrush BEP Training Conference. Register early and save money! The dates are Feb. 2-5, 2009. Room reservations must be made directly with the hotel, the Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino in downtown Las Vegas, 129 E. Fremont St., Las Vegas, NV 89101. Call 1-800-634-3454, and be sure to tell them you are attending the Sagebrush Conference. Room rates are: South Tower, $89 (plus tax) Sunday-Thursday, $139 (plus tax) Friday and Saturday. The deadline for reservations is Jan. 9, 2009. The Golden Nugget features two gourmet restaurants, Vick and Anthony's, a steak and seafood house, and the Grotto, an Italian restaurant, both in the North Tower. The buffet is located on the 2nd floor of the North Tower. The South Tower features the Carson Street Caf‚ and Lillie's Noodle House Chinese Restaurant. They also have two Starbucks, a spa and salon. There are gift shops and bars on the ground level in both the South and North Towers. The hotel is only minutes from the strip. Its main attraction is a three-story pool with a 200,000-gallon shark aquarium over the swimming pool. This unique spectacle only gets better with a water slide that passes through a glass tube that descends through the center of the sharks and other sea life before you are dropped into the pool. They also have two pool bars. What an exciting and unique place to get together! You can check out the Golden Nugget at www.goldennugget.com. If you have attended Sagebrush before, you will receive registration forms. If you don't receive the forms, call the RSVA office at 1-800-467- 5299 or go to the RSVA web site, www.rsva.biz, to register. Programming will begin at 1:30 p.m. on Monday. That evening at 7, there will be a welcome reception with appetizers and a cash bar. Catriona MacDonald will update us on issues related to the Randolph-Sheppard program. Other presenters will cover topics such as postal vending routes, business tax tips, partnership ventures, and more. Yes, there will be break-out sessions again; some will be for state licensing agency staff, while others are for committee chairs. On Thursday, exhibit time will start with a luncheon that includes four hours of random cash and prize drawings. The final event: a reception with a cash bar. See you in February! Minnesota Convention in Minneapolis It's time for the ACB of Minnesota state convention! Mark your calendars and plan to experience a weekend of fun, fellowship, and learning. The convention will be held Jan. 23-25, 2009, at the Holiday Inn-Minneapolis Metrodome, 1500 Washington Ave., Minneapolis, MN. The highlight of Friday evening is an audio-described and captioned movie provided by CaptionMax. The movie is titled "D.O.A." starring Edmund O'Brien. Fun, fellowship, snacks, and conversation will be available throughout the evening. On Saturday, we'll enjoy a continental breakfast followed by panel discussions, speakers, educational workshops, vendors, and some laughs along the way. With snacks in the morning and afternoon, you'll still have room for the banquet meal in the evening. Come be inspired and entertained by Leslie Orr performing "Women Who Drink." Sunday will start with a continental breakfast, followed by our January quarterly membership meeting. The convention will close at noon on Sunday. For more information, contact any member of the convention committee (see list below). ACBM Convention Committee: Janet Dickelman, (651) 698- 5059; Catalina Roisum, (763) 566-4464; Juliette Silvers, (612) 824-2131. North Carolina Convention Draws Crowd "Visions for a Better Tomorrow" brought together members of the North Carolina Council of the Blind for their 40th annual state convention in Raleigh, Sept. 26-28. Speakers addressed a variety of topics including accessible arts, library services, disability advocacy, state board of elections, radio reading services and the Governor Morehead School for the Blind. Special convention guests were ACB board member Michael Garrett of Texas and Dr. Otis Stephens of Tennessee. South Dakota Learns Along the Way The South Dakota Association of the Blind recently held its annual convention in Pierre. We were hoping for a nice Indian summer weekend; instead we got some rain, a few snowflakes and cool temperatures. This did nothing to stop the convention attendees from following through with the theme "Learning as we go!" Many thanks to Ardis Bazyn, who brought greetings from ACB and helped us learn how to revitalize our group and glow and grow both in membership and fund-raising. ***** WINTER BASEBALL High kick then swinging his arm like a sledgehammer, he smashed every one of them. Not the windows but the balls sliding down the panes, drooping away from their dreams of becoming home runs. Will the boy's dreams of one day becoming a pitcher be smashed like that? Why ask if there is no answer in sight? Ask the blind boy what is the color of the snow in his hands. His answer will be pure white, purer than any baseball in any other boy's dreams. Ask him and you will see. -- John Lee Clark ***** HERE AND THERE 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 mailbox 26. Information must be received at least two months ahead of publication date. SOCIAL SECURITY INCREASE Monthly Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits for more than 55 million Americans will increase 5.8 percent in January 2009. Information about the Medicare changes for 2009 can be found at www.Medicare.gov. FREE BREAST CANCER BOOKLET For Women Facing Cancer, a booklet from the American Cancer Society, covers some of the many questions you will have if you or someone close to you has been diagnosed with breast cancer. It explains mammograms, biopsies, cancer staging, treatment options, and breast reconstruction, and also covers how to join clinical trials and where to find emotional support. Since so many details cannot be contained in one small booklet, each section has a list of questions that you might ask your doctor or nurse. The booklet is available free in braille or PortaBook from NBP. To order it, go to www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/BRECAN.html or call 1-800-548-7323. AWARD FINALIST Congratulations to Mike Calvo, founder and CEO of Serotek Corp., for being named as a Technology Executive of the Year finalist for the 2008 Tekne Awards. The awards recognize Minnesota companies and individuals who have shown superior technology innovation and leadership. Born blind, Calvo committed to making a difference from a young age and today, hundreds of thousands around the world, including the elderly, visually impaired, and those with limited mobility, are using Serotek products to operate computers and access the Internet. He conceived of and led the delivery of several industry firsts, including the first Web 2.0-based accessibility software, the first Microsoft Vista-ready product line, the first accessible software-as-a-service offering, the first remote incident and remote access management systems for corporate technology support personnel, and he was the first to remove financial barriers by providing world-wide computer accessibility free of charge by donating Serotek's screen-reading product to a foundation he helped found. Additionally, Calvo established and co-sponsored with Lenovo and Microsoft the Serotek Technology Camp for Children, and launched a program for K-12 students in the United States to obtain free accessibility software for their schools. HELEN KELLER AWARDS Last month the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) presented its 15th annual Helen Keller Achievement Awards. Stephen G. Marriott, Executive Vice President of Culture for Marriott International, Inc., received the Helen Keller Personal Achievement Award for his success, as a visually impaired person, in business and industry. IBM Corp. received the Helen Keller Achievement Award in Accessibility for providing innovative and accessible products for people with vision loss. And the Helen Keller Achievement Award in Corporate Responsibility went to L'Occitane en Provence, for creating awareness of the many issues facing people with vision loss around the world, and adding braille to their packaging. JOB OPPORTUNITIES Bosma Enterprises, located in Indianapolis, Ind., is looking for temporary production workers. If you are an energetic individual who enjoys a fast-paced environment, Bosma is looking for you. The company needs individuals who are blind or visually impaired who could work 32 to 40 hours per week in the packaging area. If you are interested, contact Jodi Schultz at (317) 704-8210. MORE JOB OPPORTUNITIES Envision is a Kansas-based non-profit organization that provides employment opportunities for people who are blind or have low vision. Full- time competitive pay positions with great benefits, including relocation assistance, medical/dental/life insurance, and retirement benefits, are available. To learn more, visit www.envisionus.com, contact Mark Benson via e-mail, mark.benson@envisionus.com, or call 1-888-425-7072. BICENTENNIAL PRODUCTS You can help celebrate Louis Braille's bicentennial birthday by introducing Braille to the community. National Braille Press offers a free poster of Louis Braille with images from France. NBP also offers a variety of items that honor Louis Braille. They include: box of note cards for $7.99, a Braille keychain for $5, lapel pins for $5, a tactile plaque for $45, and packages of bookmarks for $8. To order any of these products, call 1-800-548-7323 or visit www.nbp.org. RELATIONSHIP STUDY Ashley Auger is conducting research on attitudes towards intimate relationships and friendships and whether there is any difference between those with visual impairment and those without when it comes to partners they choose. Theory suggests that those with some form of visual impairment may have different criteria for choosing an intimate partner than those without visual impairment, as physical attraction is less of an issue. The research will look at those with visual impairment and those without and assess a range of criteria by giving participants a questionnaire which looks at relationship wants, mate preferences and personality types. Anyone wanting to participate should log onto www.goldresearch.co.uk or e-mail ps602aa@gold.ac.uk. All completed surveys are due by Feb. 15, 2009. LEADER DOGS & TREKKERS Leader Dogs for the Blind and HumanWare have partnered to put the Trekker Breeze in the hands of guide dog users who go through the Leader Dog program. The first class to be trained in the use of the device during training will graduate in December. The 14 American students will return home with the Trekker Breeze. These students have been selected to participate in an ongoing study to determine the long-term usability and assess the functionality of the GPS device in their home environments. Leader Dog is working to secure funding to provide every student who goes to the school with a free GPS unit to complete their mobility package. For more information on this program, visit the Leader Dogs for the Blind web site at www.leaderdog.org/breeze. ALL INPLAY UPDATE All inPlay recently held the ACB Open, a collaboration between ACB Radio and All inPlay. The month-long online tournament included all of All inPlay's games: Five Card Draw poker, Texas Hold'em, Crazy Eights, and Tag, All inPlay's new anagram game. All inPlay is currently developing a word game based on the game show "Lingo." For more information or to sign up for a free trial, visit www.allinplay.com/acbradio. $5 will be donated to ACB Radio for each new paying member of All inPlay who signs up using this link. For updates on the new game, visit the All inPlay blog at allinplay.wordpress.com. HERE AND AFTER BOOK The Here and After Book is a 20-page fill-in-the-blanks handbook that outlines the disposition of everything -- from artwork to heirlooms and even your pets. The Here and After Book provides detailed instructions for those who are left behind. It makes the transition from "here" to the "after" easier, and it allows your wishes to be carried out exactly as you intended. To order this handbook, log onto www.hereandafterbook.com. Or send $12.95 plus $2.50 shipping and handling to L.A. Justice, Inc., PO Box 25, Boca Raton, FL 33429. It is available on CD-ROM, in print, in Spanish and with the pink ribbon logo. SEEKING BACK ISSUES Chris Tromborg is a professor of animal behavior at Sacramento City College and of perception at the University of California-Davis. He is also an avid reader of science fiction, and has received Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact and Asimov's Science Fiction in cassette format from the National Library Service. Recently he embarked on a project to accumulate science fiction materials that focus on non-humans in science fiction for the purposes of developing a compendium. However, he did not keep hard copies of past issues to create an audio archive, and the older editions of the magazines mentioned above are no longer available. If you have back issues of the magazines (especially those produced before 2005), or know someone who might, please contact Chris Tromborg, Ph.D., 217 Baja Ave., Davis, CA 95616; phone (530) 753-2763, or e-mail cttromborg@ucdavis.edu. Format is not important; he has the facilities to transcribe materials from either the older 8 1/3 RPM flexible discs or from four-track tapes. He's interested in procuring the copies on either a temporary or permanent basis, and would be willing to compensate anyone for their time and effort in locating these potentially interesting and valuable materials. BRAILLER REPAIRS Bring your brailler back to life! The Selective Doctor, Inc. specializes in the repair of Perkins braillers. Repairs are $55 for labor, plus the cost of parts. Send your brailler to: The Selective Doctor, Inc., PO Box 28432, Baltimore, MD 21234 via U.S. mail. Free matter shipping is accepted. Be sure to insure your brailler, which will cost $5.55 (if you insure it for $400). The Selective Doctor will add the cost of return insurance to your invoice. For more information, call (410) 668-1143 or e- mail braillerrepair@yahoo.com. You may also check out the web site, www.selectivedoctor.com. ***** HIGH TECH SWAP SHOP To place an ad in this column, you may either call Sharon Lovering at the ACB national office, 1-800-424-8666, or e-mail the ad to her at slovering@acb.org. Due to space constraints, individuals are limited to advertising twice per year. FOR SALE: Perkins braille writer, in excellent condition. Asking $250. Contact Alejandro by e-mail, patroflor@yahoo.com, or call him at (313) 824-1578. FOR SALE: Kurzweil Reading Edge, hardly used. Includes carrying case, computer cable, and instruction in all modes. Asking $700. Shipping, insurance and handling fees included. Contact Harriet via e-mail, shadonoz2@aol.com. FOR SALE: K-NFB mobile reader, never used. Asking $2,000. Contact Steve at (517) 347-7046. FOR SALE: BrailleNote. Comes with disk drive, wireless CF card, and a 1-gig ATA card. In excellent condition. Software is Keysoft version 6.2, build 23. Asking $2,000. Contact Beth at fb-oe@cox.net FOR SALE: Brand-new, still in box, Victor Reader Stream with 4-gig SD card included. Asking $325. Shipping included. Emerson AM-FM radio, brand-new, with weather band. Asking $25. Olympus 144-hour voice recorder, brand-new. Asking $70. Shipping included. Contact Luisa at (323) 479-3779. FOR SALE: TapMemo with memo pad, phone book, calendar, alarm clock, locking command, unit locator, talking time and date. Includes AC adapter and CD with instructions. Asking $119. E-mail Jeff at mplsjeffm@gmail.com, or phone (612) 869-7410. FOR SALE: Braille Blazer in good condition. Comes with serial cable and half a box of light tractor feed paper. Asking $1,000 (negotiable). Shipping method is free matter for the blind. Contact Hope by e-mail, hope.paulos@maine.edu. Will accept money orders. FOR SALE OR TRADE: ZoomText 9.0. Looking for a braille notetaker, hopefully a PAC Mate QX. Please contact Sean Moore by phone, (478) 258- 4103, between 8 a.m. and noon Eastern, or e-mail linkstarwind@cox.net. FREE TO GOOD HOME: The first five Harry Potter books in braille. Call Phyllis at (301) 229-9224. WANTED: PAC Mate QX with or without a braille display. Contact Aaron via e-mail, jetfly15@hotmail.com. WANTED: Action Bass guitar with amplifier, formerly produced by Wal- Mart. Call Walter Chavira at (661) 833-3663. WANTED: Cartridge or keypad for Kurzweil Reading Edge, or a Kurzweil 2.1 with scanner and keyboard, or Kurzweil 2.2 without scanner. I desperately need one to get back into my computer and work on math. Basic, easy-to-use laptop computer. Contact Bob Groff at (501) 589-2886. WANTED: Portable IBM braille typewriter, AS braille writer or Teletouch, braille labeler, vibrating braille alarm clock, vibrating braille alarm watch, braille playing cards or Uno cards, braille board games, puzzles, braille sports cards (baseball, basketball, etc.), Jehovah's Witness material in braille, New World translation of the Bible in braille, three-ring binders with three-hole-punched braille paper, raised line drawing kit, raised line tactile graphics kit, Rubik's Cube, braille adding machine. Also seeking drum set, recipe books in braille, braille books nobody wants, board slate, magnetic Dymo tape, pocket slate and stylus with pocket notebook attached, Lavender brailler. Older laptop computer with braille display, older braille Navigator. Contact Melody Edwards at (609) 226-7602. ACB OFFICERS PRESIDENT MITCH POMERANTZ 1115 CORDOVA STREET #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: Paul Edwards, Miami, FL 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: Barry Levine, Homer Glen, IL Ron Milliman, Bowling Green, KY