The ACB Braille Forum Volume LIX March 2021 No. 9 Published by the American Council of the Blind ***** ** Be A Part of ACB The American Council of the Blind (TM) is a membership organization made up of more than 70 state and special-interest affiliates. To join, contact the national office at 1-800-424-8666. ** Contribute to Our Work Those much-needed contributions, which are tax-deductible, can be sent to Attn: Treasurer, ACB, 6200 Shingle Creek Pkwy., Suite 155, Brooklyn Center, MN 55430. If you wish to remember a relative or friend, the national office has printed cards available for this purpose. Consider including a gift to ACB in your Last Will and Testament. If your wishes are complex, call the national office. To make a contribution to ACB by the Combined Federal Campaign, use this number: 11155. ** Check in with ACB For the latest in legislative and governmental news, call the “Washington Connection” 24/7 at 1-800-424-8666, or read it online. Listen to ACB Reports by downloading the MP3 file from www.acb.org, or call (518) 906-1820 and choose option 8. Tune in to ACB Radio at www.acbradio.org or by calling (518) 906-1820. Learn more about us at www.acb.org. Follow us on Twitter at @acbnational, or like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AmericanCounciloftheBlindOfficial. © 2021 American Council of the Blind Eric Bridges, Executive Director Sharon Lovering, Editor 1703 N. Beauregard St., Suite 420, Alexandria, VA 22311 ***** Table of Contents President’s Message: Navigating the Journey of Low Vision, by Dan Spoone Two Big Announcements!, by Janet Dickelman Continuing Education and Professional Development in 2021, by Carla Ruschival ACB Angels Memorial Program: Remembering Those Who Lead the Way Welcome to CCLVI, by Tom Lealos Should You Get a Guide Dog If You Have Low Vision?, by Kathy Farina Guide Dog Magnified: A Low Vision Perspective on Working with a Seeing Eye Dog, by Richard Rueda Low Vision Story Bites Expanding Recruiting to Minority Populations, compiled by Ardis Bazyn Summary of the November 2020 Board Meeting, by Penny Reeder Here and There, edited by Cynthia G. Hawkins ACB Officers ACB Board of Directors ACB Board of Publications Accessing Your ACB Braille and E-Forums ** 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 make the changes for you. * ACB Radio Interactive and the Café have merged to bring you the best from both streams. Check it out at http://acbradio.org/cafe. * ACB Radio’s Main Menu is the talk of the town when it comes to technology; check it out at www.acbradio.org. ***** President’s Message: Navigating the Journey of Low Vision by Dan Spoone There is a very large range of people living with vision loss. Personally, I feel like my life has spanned the entire spectrum. I have retinitis pigmentosa (RP), which is a degenerative retinal disease. It travels through vision loss at different rates for each individual. My grandparents took me to a retinal specialist at the age of 6, and his diagnosis began my journey. My parents knew that I needed glasses, but this diagnosis threw them for a loop. My father shared with me just a few years ago about learning of my diagnosis. It was very hard to find much information on RP in the early 1960s, but he found an article in our family encyclopedia. For those of you who are under the age of 40, encyclopedias were where you looked up information before Google and the Internet. The article said RP was a degenerative retinal eye condition that could lead to blindness by your early 50s. My dad reasoned that this was almost 50 years away and that’s a really long time. Unfortunately, the encyclopedia did not properly explain that the journey to blindness would travel down the path of increasing vision loss along the way. So, low vision has meant different things to me along my vision journey. In kindergarten and first grade, before the days of Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), it meant my mother meeting with my teachers the first day of school to explain that I needed to sit on the front row and might need some extra help with subjects like reading, writing and art. In those early days, this always made me feel embarrassed. Now, I realize what a huge advocate my mother was to fight for educational rights for her son. The hitter was in the batter’s box at my first Little League game in the fourth grade and I was playing left field. The batter hit a soaring fly ball into the clouds. I looked up into the sky and all I saw was bright blue light. The ball hit the ground several feet away from me and I never saw it. This was my first memory of vision loss permanently changing my life. My vision had progressed to the point where I could no longer see a baseball in the sky. This meant no more baseball, no more Little League and the first time I remember my low vision keeping me from doing something I really wanted to do. This is the challenge with low vision and a degenerative eye disease. It requires continuous adjustment, while still trying to hold on to the strong desire to be “normal.” Looking back on my childhood, I wish someone would have let me in on the little secret that no one is “normal.” We all want to fit in with our peers, our families, our classmates, our community. The key to surviving my middle school and high school years was a great group of friends. Dan and Tom Weidl, Calvin and Gerry Ray Lingelbach and Barney Balderossi (Bubbles) and Lou Nostro (Brains) were my lifeline to freedom and social independence. We did everything together. We played basketball with a red, white and blue ball, so I could see it. We played poker with jumbo cards. We took road trips to the beach, ate lunch together in the school cafeteria and they never gave me a break for being visually impaired. In fact, they loved to give me the business. Our first out of town road trip was to Atlanta to see the Braves. We borrowed Mr. Lingelbach’s red Pontiac Bonneville and we all piled in for the 500-mile journey to Atlanta. We drove all night, so we would only have to pay for one night at the hotel. We stopped in Lake City at McDonald’s and I was the last one headed back to the car. Of course, when I got back to the car, all the doors were locked. So, I’m getting more and more upset. “OK, the joke’s up, let me back in the car,” I shout, as I’m banging on the windows and doors. “Come on, let me in.” Finally, I hear laughter from three parking spots away. “Spoone, we are over here.” It was a different red car. What made it so much worse was the fact that there was a family of four in the car and they were quite alarmed. “Thanks, you jerks,” I said. “Why didn’t you tell me I was at the wrong car?” “Sorry, we were laughing too hard,” they howled. The low vision journey continued throughout the stepping stones of my life. I received a “B” in driver’s ed, but never got a driver’s license. I became a client of the Florida Division of Blind Services (DBS) and they supplied a reader in college. I worked as a character at Disney World and needed special defogger on my prescription sunglasses to see the guests. I walked off four-foot walls, fell down stairs, and fell into fountains. Finally, I bought my first white cane. Of course, at first, it was strictly an identification cane. There was no orientation and mobility training. I moved from a handheld magnifier to 4X magnifying glasses, then to an electronic magnifier and 10X magnifying glasses. First, I wanted large print, then larger print, then smaller print because I was using my CCTV. I always preferred white letters on a black background. My favorite times of the day were dusk and dawn. Bright light really blinded me and at one time I carried three pairs of sunglasses for different intensities of light. Next came the puffy dots on my appliances, the large print checks, the talking watches from Radio Shack and the micro-cassette recorder. Right, it’s a lifetime journey. Dating was another challenge. How much did you share about your vision and when? I remember one time after a first date. I bought a new shirt to make a good impression. She leaned over for what I hoped was a good-night kiss. Instead, she reached out to my chest and pulled off a size sticker from my shirt. She placed the sticker in my hand and said, “good night.” There was no second date. On the other hand, the experience of attending my first FCB convention with others with low vision was liberating. Both men and women were accepting of your vision loss. It was a comfortable environment where you could share stories and not feel you needed to explain your eye condition. This initial experience led to other events, where I met my wife, Leslie. Our first ACB convention was in Orlando in 1998. We attended social mixers with CCLVI and RSVA. Everyone was laughing, joking and having a great time. My low vision journey has come to an end. My RP has progressed to the point of barely light perception. My friends within ACB have helped me through this journey. The transition to total blindness was interesting. I have fewer accidents. You can’t trust that low vision for mobility. I do miss the Christmas lights in December and the orientation that comes from the outline of buildings and landscapes. I miss seeing Leslie’s face in the elevator light at Sam’s Town Casino in Las Vegas — the best contrast on the planet. However, we consider this the best time in our lives. We are comfortable with who we are. This is the best time in the history of the world to be blind. Accessible technology has exploded. We use JAWS to navigate our computers. The iPhone with VoiceOver built into the iOS platform. We have smart TVs with voice-activated remote controls and smart appliances. Uber and Lyft provide better access to transportation, and our Victor Reader Stream allows for easy access to BARD books and the latest podcasts. ACB has played a significant role in these advancements with our advocacy work with these business partners. It is truly a wonderful life. We are active members of our community. We go for walks, enjoy our time vacationing in Key West, and the tremendous purpose of service that ACB brings our lives each day. You know, Dad, the encyclopedia was right. Fifty years later I did lose all my sight, but my low-vision journey was worth the trip. As we used to say at Disney, it has been a magic ticket ride. ***** Two Big Announcements! by Janet Dickelman The winner of the 2021 conference and convention theme contest is Jenine Stanley. Her submission of “ACB – Better Together Wherever We Are” really exemplifies the spirit and commitment of our convention attendees and those of us working to make our 2021 virtual conference and convention exciting and inclusive for everyone attending virtually from wherever they are. We may not be together physically, but we certainly are together in our mission and in our hearts. Jenine will be receiving a $25 Amazon gift certificate for her theme submission. The second very exciting piece of news is about our banquet speaker! ACB is extremely excited to welcome Peter Sagal as our banquet speaker. He is best known as the host of the Peabody Award-winning NPR news quiz “Wait, Wait ... Don’t Tell Me!,” one of the most popular shows on public radio. In addition, he is, has been, and perhaps someday will be again, a husband, father, playwright, screenwriter, author, journalist, columnist, marathoner, Jeopardy contestant, dramaturg, podcast host, documentary host, foreign correspondent, wedding officiant, and magician’s assistant. He is the author of “The Book of Vice” and “The Incomplete Book of Running,” a memoir about the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombing and other adventures while running long distances. During the infamous Boston Marathon bombing incident, Peter was guiding a blind runner through his first Boston. They finished just five minutes before the bombing occurred. The difference between running the last mile, or taking a walking break, was a literal life-or-death situation for the duo. In 1997, Peter got a call from a friend telling him about a new show at NPR, which was looking for “funny people who read a lot of newspapers.” He auditioned and appeared as a panelist on the first broadcast of “Wait, Wait... Don’t Tell Me!” in January of 1998, and moved with his family to Chicago to become the host in May, alongside the original judge and scorekeeper, Carl Kasell. In the two decades since, he has traveled the country with the show. He's interviewed two presidents; a number of Nobel Prize winners; astronauts and rocket scientists; musicians Elvis Costello, Yo Yo Ma, and Ice Cube; actors Tom Hanks and Scarlett Johansson; and many, many others. “Wait, Wait” has grown from 50,000 weekly listeners on nine stations at its launch to over 5 million listeners on more than 700 stations, making it the most-listened-to hour in public radio. Peter lives in the Chicago area with his wife Mara, son Elliott, and two dogs, DeeDee and Dutchie. You won’t want to miss Peter and his engaging and humorous banquet speech! Convention dates are Friday, July 16th through Friday, July 23rd. Opening general session will be on Sunday evening, July 18th, with daily sessions Monday through Friday. We will be holding our banquet on Thursday the 22nd in order to leave Friday the 23rd open for our Olympic opening ceremony extravaganza. To enable you to listen to all the exciting programming in addition to our audio-described tour channel and our exhibits channel, there will be 5 concurrent ACB Radio streams available for special-interest affiliates, committees and our business partners to stream their events. ** Staying in Touch The conference and convention announce list will be filled with information. To subscribe to the list, send a blank e-mail to Acbconvention+subscribe@acblists.org. If you received updates for the 2020 convention, you do not need to subscribe to the list. ** Convention Contacts 2021 exhibit information: Michael Smitherman, (601) 331-7740, amduo@bellsouth.net 2021 advertising and sponsorships: Anthony Stephens, (202) 559-2045, astephens@acb.org For any other convention-related questions, please contact Janet Dickelman, convention chair, (651) 428-5059 or via e-mail, janet.dickelman@gmail.com. ***** Continuing Education and Professional Development in 2021 by Carla Ruschival ACB is pleased to announce that a wide range of continuing education (CE) and professional development (PD) opportunities will once again be offered at our 2021 virtual conference and convention. Continuing education units are recognized by the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals (ACVREP). Individuals working in vision and many other fields may also earn professional development hours from home or office through the power of ACB Radio and the Zoom platform. No need to purchase an airline ticket, spend money on hotel and food, and wait for travel authorizations from work. Beginning with the conference pre-registration in 2021, you will be able to purchase CE units and PD hours that you can then apply to presentations and programming throughout the convention week. Mix and match general session programming, exhibit presentations, tours, and sessions sponsored by ACB and its committees, special-interest affiliates, and partners to create an experience tailored to your needs. Topics will include but are not limited to employment, technology, health and leisure, orientation and mobility, self-advocacy, braille, low vision, and much more. Many opportunities will be listed in the pre-registration information, while others will be announced in the official convention program and via the acbconvention email list. To receive important conference information and details in your inbox as they become available, subscribe to the convention email list by sending a blank message to Acbconvention+subscribe@acblists.org. For more information about CE and PD opportunities, contact Carla Ruschival, Continuing Education Chair, by phone at (877) 630-7190 or by email at continuingeducation@acb.org. ***** ACB Angels Memorial Program: Remembering Those Who Lead the Way The ACB Angels Memorial Program is a powerful and deeply personal way individuals can memorialize their friends and loved ones while supporting the American Council of the Blind. Through a minimum $500 contribution, individuals and groups can have a loved one who has passed included on the ACB Angel Memorial Wall and on the Angels page of the ACB website. Launched in 2014, the Angels Wall is a traveling memorial that is showcased each year at the ACB conference and convention. The wall has on display plaques of each Angel printed in braille and large print, along with a bound book in braille and large print sharing the names and memories of each angel. Individuals can also make a donation in memory of a guide dog. Since the ACB 2020 convention went virtual, ACB has been exploring ways to provide a more interactive experience for visitors to the Angels web page, which currently has a photo and eulogy of each Angel. Individuals can continue to make donations to past Angels as well. For more information on memorializing a loved one who has passed, contact Tony Stephens, ACB’s director of development, at (202) 467-5081, or via email, astephens@acb.org. The application and relevant materials must be submitted by May 1st in order to be included in the upcoming July ACB convention. To visit past Angels and learn more about the program, visit https://www.acb.org/acb-angels-memorial-tribute. ***** Welcome to CCLVI by Tom Lealos When your eye doctor tells you that the corrected vision in your best eye is now 20/70, you have officially entered the world of low vision. You are no longer sighted, but you are not blind yet. I refer to this as “visual limbo land.” You are partially sighted, or simply visually impaired. No matter what label you choose, your life has been changed in ways that you cannot even begin to imagine. You have lost one of your five senses and it is mighty scary. Yes, you now have a handicap, but the good news is, you do not have to be disabled. Read on. No matter how you began to lose your vision or which eye condition you have, you will have to make certain lifestyle adjustments. Some eye diseases reduce your vision and remain somewhat stable for the rest of your life. Others continually steal your vision until eventually you become totally blind. I would guess that most people with low vision fall into the latter group. Their low vision journey varies in length depending on a wide variety of factors. It took about 40 years for me to finally transition into total blindness. This gradual loss of vision allowed me adequate time to adapt along the way. No matter how long your low vision journey takes, it is very frustrating to you and to those around you. There are even those who believe that it is much better to be totally blind because it is a finite condition which allows for permanent adjustments to be made in one’s life. Looking back, I take the position that some vision is always better than no vision at all. There are those who would argue with this, but it was — and still is — my life. Like most things in life, vision loss has a very strong mental component. For those of you who know me, it will come as no surprise that I suggest becoming involved with a low vision support group to help you with this struggle. Knowing that you are not alone and that there are people out there who can help you is extremely comforting. One of the major hurdles you will be faced with along the way, if you are a driver, will include the abrupt loss of your driver’s license. Wham! The impact this has on you, your family members, and close friends cannot be minimized. Here, I caution you to be very sensitive to these people’s time when asking for rides to places you need to get to. Never take them for granted. Learn to consolidate your errands on each trip and express your appreciation often. You will gradually get to the point when you can’t recognize people’s faces anymore. This can become very frustrating and cause you to become somewhat of an introvert, avoiding crowds as much as possible. Take solace in the fact that as your vision declines, your other senses, especially your hearing, gradually compensate at an equal rate. You will learn to trust your hearing without question. Back when I first started losing my vision, I had returned to work after a failed retina surgery. We had about a dozen ladies working in our sawmill office. None of them knew how to react to me and would ask how I could still tell them apart. I explained that I would remember what they had on first thing each morning and could carry that mental picture through the rest of the day. In addition, I told them that I could still recognize each of them by their size and shape. As we all chuckled, I added that if all else failed, I could always identify each of them by their very distinctive voice. At some point, you will have to figure out how you will navigate in your own home, yard, neighborhood, and out in public. Learning orientation and mobility (O&M) skills, coupled with the use of mobility or identity canes or guide dog, will come in handy. Avoid the stigma associated with having to use a cane. Here is that mental thing again. To this I strongly advise, “Don’t be a ‘stubborn bonehead.’” Take the time to learn cane skills sooner rather than later. As your vision declines, you will find it difficult to read printed materials of all kinds. Don’t panic. There are a lot of solutions to this problem. It is commonly understood that learning braille is a good idea. I can attest to the fact that the learning curve gets steeper the older you get. Younger folks have an easier time with this process. The other solutions are found in the wonderful and somewhat scary world of technology. Some not-so-techy items include handheld magnifiers, writing guides, bold pens, and paper with bold, widely spaced lines. At the top end are mobile electronic magnifiers, desktop CCTVs, screen magnification and audio screen-reading programs for your computer, digital readers for the NLS talking book program, and of course, smartphones. Do not assume that you are too old to learn how to operate these devices. They all come with tutorials, and there are many organizations and agencies available to provide learning services. Those of you who have kids and grandkids will find an inexhaustible supply of tech knowledge right in your own family. Embracing technology will definitely help you stay in the game. The many issues and challenges encountered with low vision can be quite varied and different from those encountered by blind folks. So much so that in 1979 the leaders of ACB, together with leaders who were low vision at the time, saw the need to create a special-interest affiliate to recognize these differences and focus on avenues that would address them. The constitution for Council of Citizens with Low Vision was adopted during the ACB convention in 1981. A short time later they went international, thus the “I” in CCLVI. The wide range of issues surrounding low vision are as broad as the variations of visual acuities found within this community. CCLVI is proud to represent the low vision community as part of the ACB family. CCLVI is governed by a 12-member board of directors, which meets on the second Tuesday evening of each month. The real work of the organization is accomplished by the selfless individuals who serve on the numerous committees. CCLVI is active in ACB’s leadership meetings and their annual conference/convention held in July. They offer three educational scholarships and one for selected video magnifiers in honor of Dr. Sam Genensky, one of the founders and the inventor of the CCTV. Their newsletter, “Vision Access,” is published six times a year to keep members connected and informed. The CCLVI website, found at CCLVI.org, tells the CCLVI story and contains a wide variety of helpful information on how to confront your low vision. They also have a social media presence on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. CCLVI also has Zoom calls on a regular basis. On the first and third Monday evenings of each month they host chat calls for members to talk about a wide variety of subjects. On the second and fourth Monday evenings of each month they host Game Night, which is always a lot of fun. The “coffee break calls” every Friday morning are usually very lively, and the ham chats on Thursday evenings are highly informative for ham radio buffs. The “Let’s Talk Low Vision with Dr. Bill” Zoom call is held every third Tuesday evening and is recorded and archived. Along with other special-interest and state affiliates, CCLVI works with ACB on a number of legislative matters. They have an ongoing effort to improve the safety in autonomous vehicles. They are keeping on top of the reauthorization of the surface transportation bill to ensure increased safety and access for blind and visually impaired travelers. Medicare’s low vision aid exclusion is still causing extreme hardship for those who need multi-lens magnifiers of all types to overcome difficulties with reading. The battle with the U.S. Treasury wages on to force them to honor their commitment to make U.S. currency accessible to low vision and blind individuals. CCLVI’s advocacy efforts are ever vigilant in matters that affect their low-vision members and the blind community as a whole. CCLVI helped me get through my low-vision journey. Involvement in this organization exposed me to things that I didn’t even know existed 40 years ago. Now that I am totally blind, and looking back, I can’t imagine how I would have overcome the challenges I faced along the way without their support. So, if you find yourself entering the world of low vision, and you are looking for answers and help, check out CCLVI. Remember, this organization was created by people just like you and welcomes your membership and participation. ***** Should You Get a Guide Dog If You Have Low Vision? by Kathy Farina That depends on a couple of factors. Is your vision changing? Is it not as reliable as it once was? I recently had to answer yes to both questions. Although I have been legally blind all my life due to retinopathy of prematurity, I got around using a white cane quite nicely for many years. However, a couple of years ago, I noticed my vision changed. Glare was bothersome. Something was obstructing my vision from time to time. My confidence was lagging. An eye exam revealed that some scar tissue broke off and was floating around in my eye. Removing it would be tricky and I was told I might lose my remaining vision after surgery to remove it. What to do? I sought services at the Northeastern Association of the Blind in Albany, N.Y. I brushed up on my cane skills with an orientation and mobility instructor. I also talked to several people who use guide dogs about the responsibilities and joys of using a dog for travel. My husband is totally blind and has worked with guide dogs for his whole adult life. He is a very independent and competent traveler. At his suggestion, I talked to representatives from various guide dog schools. Many schools have representatives at ACB national and state conventions. I chose to apply to get a dog from The Seeing Eye, where my husband trained with a total of seven dogs, so far. I am now working with my first dog, Kenya, a female black lab-golden retriever cross. We have been together since 2018. It is a good partnership. If you are considering getting a guide dog, ask yourself these questions: 1. Are you a dog person? A dog is a 24/7 responsibility. Dogs need exercise. They need to be taken out several times a day. They need grooming. Then there are bills for food and the vet. The dog needs affection and attention every day. 2. Can you trust the dog? Dogs navigate around obstacles that you would bump into with a cane. They cut it close. Can you resist the urge to steer the dog around things? 3. Do you have good orientation and mobility skills? The dog does not decide when to cross the street. You do. The dog doesn’t know where you want to go nor how to get there. That’s your job. The dog may point out familiar places along your route. You decide if you’re going to that place or not. Do your research. Ask questions. With some careful thought and knowledge, you can decide if getting a guide dog is right for you. I am glad I chose to become a guide dog user. ***** Guide Dog Magnified: A Low Vision Perspective on Working with a Seeing Eye Dog by Richard Rueda (Editor’s Note: Richard Rueda is the Program Coordinator with CareersPLUS, a transition program for blind and low-vision teens with the Society for the Blind in Sacramento, Calif.) It was February 5, 2014 when I fell in love all over again. I somehow made it through a flight delay, a flight cancellation and a snowstorm en route to Morristown, N.J., where I soon would be paired with my second guide. In the mid-2000s, my already limited vision was beginning to diminish, and it was about that time when I had been thinking about my lifestyle, travel and mobility. I am nearly 6 feet tall and a little over 200 pounds. As one who doesn’t like being stationary and home for extended periods of time, I started closely observing the partnerships of friends working their guides. Soon I found myself asking lots of questions and, before I could stop myself, I was putting in my application at The Seeing Eye in Morristown, N.J. From the time I hit the “submit” button on their online application to when I first set foot on campus in May 2008, I had done a lot of soul searching and fiercely debating internally what it would mean to work a dog with low vision and part with my cane. Some of the thoughts racing through my head included wondering whether I had too much vision, would I actually work my dog, would this dog listen to me, follow trained upon and agreed upon cues? Would I be able to afford food, toys and medical check-ups for this new partner in my life? Next came the opportunity to meet and interview with a representative of the school. We then took a simulated walk called a Juno walk, where I would work an empty harness with a representative at the other end. Needless to say, I passed the vetting test and on day one when Handy man and I were paired, I almost jumped on the next flight home, thinking I made the worst decision of my life. Here was this 80-pound Labrador sniffing, whimpering and bewildered as to why he was removed from a perfectly good kennel with dozens of his pals just to meet this strange dude in a strange room, absent of his friends. Over the course of the next 12 years, I worked Handy. After his retirement six years later, I immediately knew that I would always be a guide dog handler. In the 12 years since I first worked Handy man and now going on year 7 with Odif, I am forever converted to the guide dog lifestyle. What has stood out the most and is critical about working guides with low vision include that you can never take your guide’s initiative away. Additionally, growing and learning to trust their intuition is more than a safe bet. When he/she suggests a path up ahead is obstructed and/or that there is a hole in the ground or a quiet car creeping along under the radar of human ears, pay attention. Often their cues are subtle, and you can learn a lot from the end of the harness. Fortunately, I have only encountered small consequences with my dogs where they stopped, and I didn’t. Often these were curbside moments and thankfully no knees were injured, just my ego. Both my dogs have been big flirts, have bumped me up to business class on flights, gotten me a phone number or two from a lady, as well as gotten themselves into some human food unbeknownst to me. For someone who loves to fly literally and figuratively, from coast to coast and down the street with dog in tow, the sight of a tall guy like me and the 80 pounds of fast-moving fireball with four legs is a sight to be seen and reckoned with. Although I am a confident cane traveler and have a general good sense of direction, working a dog is an addiction like no other. I know that if I want to get out and roam a new path, I am not alone and that with my dog’s eagerness to work and to find a new route along with my curiosity, this partnership would work and work well. Gone are the days of wondering about how vulnerable or safe I would be traveling after dark in unfamiliar environments. Recently while on a visit to Starbucks I lined up behind what appeared to be someone wearing bright yellow pants and when my dog started walking around this person instead of queueing me up, I wondered why. Then upon closer look, the yellow pants turned out to be a yellow “wet floor” sign. What appeared to be a human with his arms folded just inside a store turned out to be a mannequin. What appeared to be a hole in the ground was just a big shady tree shadow that didn’t stop my dog’s stride. What appears one thing to me is not what it turns out to be and ultimately your dog may not be your brain; however, their ability to keep you safe and able to identify obstacles safely is chiefly among their job duties. Working with a guide dog with low vision is definitely doable. While in training, I opted to wear eye shades that further allowed me to build upon trusting my dog’s guidance. It is a work in progress; however, the sooner you listen and follow your dog’s lead, the quicker the trust and bond will be solidified. In 2014, shortly after Handy’s retirement, Odif and I paired up and have traveled across the USA east to west and north to south. We have explored parks, neighborhoods, hotel lobbies, seedy alleys and deep snow in northern Minnesota. ***** Low Vision Story Bites Below are a number of short stories about people’s experiences with low vision and its challenges. Put down your favorite beverage before you read the second story. ** A Low Vision Tutorial What does it mean to have low vision? Few things regarding low vision are absolute. What can be said that is universal? There are many diagnoses, and degrees of vision, but there is little understanding of low vision. One area that is often overlooked is that there is an increased requirement for visual interpretation that every low-vision person must employ. It can be the visual land of the unknown until mental evaluation illuminates what one’s eyes are physically relaying. A true story comes to mind. Back in the day, a friend and her boyfriend, both young and visually impaired, were out walking to the local grocery. Each day they would follow the same route and view a gas station in the near distance. There was something strange that caught their eye. It appeared that there were two men standing at the corner of the station. Why were they always there? Was this an indication of some kind of illegal activity? They decided reasonably to avoid the area. Eventually, their curiosity got the better of them. They decided to investigate. When they arrived at the gas station for a closer look, they found that the two men standing at the corner were actually two innocuous phone booths. The conclusions we reach can be off base or spot on, tragic or humorous, as noted above. Welcome to the world of those with low vision, a world where every day is an adventure. — Valerie Ries-Lerman, Sacramento, Calif. ** That’s Not Powdered Sugar … A few years ago, I was given a chinchilla in trade for some work I did for a friend. We named him Chewy, and he was a delight. They are not supposed to get wet as it’s not good for their fur, so they take “dust baths” where they roll around in chinchilla dust to keep their fur clean and shiny. I was making cupcakes, so I asked my husband to go to the pet shop to purchase a bag of dust. I asked my son to put it upstairs and thought no more about it. I was concentrating on making frosting, so I reached in the cupboard for the confectioner’s sugar. It was a new bag, so I opened it and dumped some in my bowl with the butter. I tasted it and it didn’t seem sweet at all, so I dumped in more sugar. I tried it again and it was still bland as could be. I started sputtering at the bowl when my son appeared and started killing himself laughing. I didn’t see anything funny as my son continued to laugh. Well, I had opened the chinchilla dust and was dumping that into my bowl instead of confectioner’s sugar because both products come in a plastic bag and they both feel about the same. My son hadn’t taken the bag of dust upstairs; he’d put it in the kitchen cupboard. He wanted to go outside to play, so he thought he’d retrieve it later and no one would be the wiser. He was definitely wrong! That gave my family something to laugh about for years, especially if I said I was making a batch of cupcakes! — Jeanne Donovan, Haverhill, Mass. ** Another Look at Low Vision It is always fun meeting new people. That is, of course, unless you are in a crowded store looking for your spouse. Does that shirt look familiar? The color, the design? That’s got to be him. Well, “Hi, honey!” No, not him? “Oh, sorry! I thought you were my husband.” “Your husband? What? You mistook me for...? Are you blind? Drunk? Just plain crazy?” “No, I’m just legally blind.” “Legally what?” “That’s right, legally blind.” The looks that come to their faces! Then the explanation starts. “I can see the big things, not the smaller ones.” This works very well, if you are in fact not addressing someone that is, shall we say, obese. “Can’t see details?” “No, I can’t drive.” The driving part they can relate to, and the light of recognition starts to register. Then there’s the fun at the office. Is that my work buddy Laura in the red top coming my way? That must be her, because I saw her closer up wearing that color earlier. I better not seem rude. I’ll say, “Hi, Laura” as I pass by. It’s not her? My explanation? Yes, I’ve had plenty of practice! The possibilities for social misunderstandings are many. That is why I decided to use a white cane. “You can’t see?” I get a lot. Or, sometimes someone will actually come right out and accuse me of faking it. Once again, the “explanation.” Don’t get me wrong. I don’t mind educating people. That is, if they are open to honest communication on the subject. Often, though, they seem to have already made up their minds, made their assumptions, and come to their conclusions. That is why I so much welcome those that come right out and ask questions. Every low-vision individual has a story to tell. A different story, it’s true, but with similarities that we all share. — Valerie Ries-Lerman ***** Expanding Recruiting to Minority Populations compiled by Ardis Bazyn, ACB Membership Chair The latest ACB Membership Focus call took a look at “How can we expand our recruiting efforts to minority communities?” The Multicultural Affairs Committee presented a discussion of “Tips for Recruiting People of Color.” Peggy Garrett introduced the panel topic. Pamela Metz suggested current members listen to each person they meet. You can ask about their ethnicity, how they lost their sight, what they are looking for in the organization, their background, their children, and other interests. After the conversation, embrace them. Ask what they would like to do, such as mentor others. Ask them to invite other new people and find out what they might bring to the chapter or organization. Sandra Sermons suggested thinking about how to use current resources to reach new people. Reach out to colleges’ and universities’ disability services centers. Drop off blindness support information at those offices, and include your local chapter contact information. Sometimes there are specific ethnic group organizations at major universities, like Black Student Alliance. Contact them and ask them to attend one of your meetings. Sororities and fraternities may have blind member services. You can ask Peggy or Sandra for names of those groups. Reach out to alumni and ask if they know who in their group has a visual impairment. Mention you’d like to introduce yourself so you can familiarize them with ACB and its benefits. It will take time and effort to establish relationships with those organizations. Donna Pomerantz said there are many ways to reach out to diverse communities. When you meet people, invite them to your local meetings and events. Attend cultural festivals and community events in the local area. Attend Chinese New Year events. In southern California, there is a Brazilian carnival at the Queen Mary. Introduce yourself to those you haven’t met. Some communities have a Blessing of the Animals. Different communities celebrate different special weeks: Japanese festival, Watts Summer Festival, or religious festivals. Some may not feel comfortable in new settings; take a friend to enjoy being out and meet new people. Regina Brink suggested reaching out via social media. Meet people on Facebook or Twitter and have conversations. You may not be able to control the content. Learn how to de-escalate a bad conversation. Instagram is another site to visit. Check TV and radio (local and national) to find different channels. Most will air PSAs and diverse graphics, videos, and voices. Most are open and feature diverse audiences. Cheryl Cumings mentioned outreach to churches and religious organizations. Learn about different religious groups in your community. Know the strengths of your affiliate before you contact people. You want to build relationships with organizations, not just send them materials. In addition to what we offer, find out about activities you may already be involved in or how other members may be involved. There is usually no charge to share information in church bulletins or newsletters. Think about your initial contact as a first date. Think about where we want to go once in. Other possibilities are gospel sings and cross-over groups. Set goals and timelines for each goal, such as “contact 5 or 10 potential members within the next year.” Michael Garrett spoke about reaching out to blindness support groups and senior groups. After participating in the Houston support group, several have joined the chapter. Collaborate on projects and activities with these groups to get your chapter name recognized and meet many with different abilities. Senior centers have many people with vision loss. Share technology and resources and you’ll find many seniors have multiple talents. Mary Haroyan suggested building relationships with professional organizations and associations. Partner with them by offering ACB and affiliates as resources. If they have a focus on the public good, they may be more interested. Check into minority professional organizations such as the American Association of Equity and Inclusion. They might need blindness resources for employment services. Look into associations such as museums of black history, black psychologists, black women’s physicians, health and welfare organizations, Alliance of Blind School Educators, National Council of Lawyers, Black Data Processing, National Medical Association, and the National Hispanic Association. Mitch Pomerantz had a sense of why it’s important to emphasize recruiting from minority populations. Many have no knowledge about blindness. Whites will be the minority soon in this country. ACB needs to expand outreach to minorities. Members need to be open and reach out to everyone, particularly to other cultures who have an interest in blindness resources and learning what is available to them. Once they have joined or shown an interest, mentor them to see if they want to be a part of the leadership, and what role they may fill. Take the opportunity to reach out. Say you’d like to partner with them and provide resources to better serve them. Be intentional about asking new members to be on committees. Identify members who don’t look like you. Suggest members visit new organizations, senior centers, guide dog schools, and rehab centers. When you recruit with multiple groups, they will not feel uncomfortable when they get to know us. ***** Summary of the November 2020 Board Meeting by Penny Reeder The ACB Board of Directors held its fall meeting via Zoom on Nov. 13th and 14th. The first part of the meeting functioned as a workshop for the board, during which ACB officers and staff members provided updates on various projects and issues and described the systematic approach ACB has adopted to organize and track progress with respect to the work that engages the American Council of the Blind. President Dan Spoone told the board that the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) described in the book “Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business” by Gino Wickman has launched successfully throughout ACB. Dan explained that this system has been modified to accommodate ACB’s non-profit mission and ethos. It relies on efficiently collecting, understanding and utilizing data and trusting the commitment and skills of committees and staff who meet regularly and utilize a prescribed structure and vocabulary to focus effectively and measure and track progress. ACB’s executive director, Eric Bridges, described the year’s accomplishments, which included: hiring a director of development; collaborating with two state rehabilitation agencies to support hiring two interns; and establishing a major donor advisory committee. Although the pandemic has led to terrible outcomes nation- and worldwide, Eric reminded the board that ACB can take pride in many of the ways the organization has stepped up to meet COVID-related challenges and to help members cope with them. ACB’s community events, which have provided support, entertainment, education and training, and social interactions for people who are blind throughout the United States and beyond, have been of incalculable benefit to our members and our organization. ACB’s investments in technology and training have allowed us to expand our community outreach via platforms like Zoom, Amazon’s Alexa, and ACB Radio. We have participated with Procter & Gamble to deliver daily living necessities to low-income people with disabilities in several cities. Our virtual convention, which had not been anticipated until a few weeks beforehand and which ACB and ACB Radio staff members and volunteers carried out with professionalism and remarkable excellence, was even more successful than anticipated, garnering praise and admiration for ACB from all sectors of the blindness community. Our COVID-19 resource page, https://acb.org/acb-covid19-response, offers accessible, reliable information for blind and visually impaired people nationwide. Even though our staff has been working from home, ACB’s mission was never in jeopardy. Phone calls were answered, our community outreach program was launched, our convention was planned and presented, affiliates received the assistance they needed to secure accessible absentee ballots in several states, and ACB remained the viable organization our members and our community have come to expect. ACB’s thrift stores maintained profitability. Hard work by CFO Nancy Marks Becker, Director of Development Tony Stephens, and the staff in the Minneapolis office led to our securing needed funds from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) under the pandemic stimulus bill passed in March. The public’s awareness and positive impressions of ACB have expanded dramatically because of our successful community events, programming on ACB Radio, podcasts, and Facebook group. We launched the ACB Voices blog, and joined and expanded our involvement as subject matter experts on the Be My Eyes platform. Our recent online events celebrating the 10th anniversary of the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA) brought ACB to the attention of tens of thousands of people who follow Apple CEO Tim Cook when he joined in our celebration via Twitter. Despite working remotely, ACB’s advocacy staff achieved success in advocating for improved access to the 9/11 Memorial Museum and expanded audio description on television. ACB’s outreach led to demonstrable recognition of the value of audio description by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and a settlement agreement with HBO Max. ACB consulted with the Department of Education as they developed a report on COVID, and with Apple TV to assure realistic portrayals of blindness in the TV series, “See.” ACB was the only blindness organization appointed to the Air Carrier Access Act Advisory Committee, which has spent months deliberating on the rules that will affect guide dog users’ civil right to fly on planes with their dogs. If you are finding the screens for Patreon interactive games or the Peloton biking exercise interface accessible even though you can’t access those screens visually, you can thank ACB’s advocacy team, and even if you live in a state that wasn’t able to achieve accessibility for your absentee or mail-in ballot in time for the November 2020 election, you will be able to consult the voting toolkit at https://acb.org/voting to inform your ongoing advocacy. Other topics presented by ACB staff members included an overview of the guidance prepared by Mt. Vernon Consulting to help ACB streamline and simplify communications, and plans for implementing the consultants’ recommendations. Tony Stephens told the board that the changes which staff and leaders are already beginning to implement with respect to e-mail lists, community calls, the ACB web site, ACB Radio’s expanded programming, channels and platforms, and other media are designed to reflect ACB’s core message and values, to grow our audiences, and to assure our communications channels efficiently describe who we are, how we interact with our members and the external world, and what we need to do to achieve the goals we agree upon. Dan and Eric wrapped up the meeting by describing how the methodology presented in the Entrepreneurial Operating System is migrating to decision-making venues throughout the organization, and how, after getting used to the terminology and structure, the approach is finding a positive reception among ACB’s leaders, staff, and committee members. ACB officers briefly left the meeting to choose three members of the executive committee, and, after the board held a brief executive session, the meeting recessed until 11 a.m. the next morning. During Saturday’s board meeting, staff members, steering committee chairs, chairpersons of two ad hoc committees developing recommendations for streamlining the resolutions process and voting at next summer’s convention made detailed presentations to the ACB board. Because the geniuses at ACB Radio have transformed the nine hours of the Nov. 14 ACB board meeting into two podcasts, and because space in the Forum is limited, I am referring you to the podcast of the board meeting. To access the podcast, visit this link: https://acb-events.pinecast.co/episode/a960fe3359a548ca/20201114-acb-fall-board-of-directors-meeting-part-1-of-2. On that page, you will find the link to the second podcast as well as a link for subscribing to future podcasts of ACB board meetings and other special events. Listen to learn how helpful the advisory board has been and promises to be during coming months to ACB’s staff and elected leaders. Because of the many hours of advocacy provided by Clark Rachfal and Claire Stanley, at least 18 states and the District of Columbia offered some form of accessible absentee voting solution to their blind and visually impaired citizens; five states allowed voters with disabilities to use a fully electronic voting system during recent primary and national elections. Dan and Clark shared how ACB’s focus on accessible voting presented opportunities for collaboration with other disability-focused organizations, including the VisionServe Alliance, the National Coalition on Accessible Voting (of which ACB is a founding member), and the NFB. Dan said that ACB has been pleased to participate with the NFB in a mutually interesting project, and follow-up meetings on opportunities for collaboratively pursuing solutions are already scheduled. Ray Campbell, co-chair of the ad hoc resolutions committee, described the new procedures and deadlines for submitting, presenting, and voting upon proposed resolutions, on the virtual floor of next summer’s convention. Patrick Sheehan and Jeff Thom, chair and co-chair of the ad hoc committee on in-person voting, discussed the considerations they are taking into account as they prepare a report for February’s Leadership Conference, to provide options for remote voting at next summer’s virtual convention. Jeff Bishop and ACB Radio Technical Director Jason Castonguay talked about the current and planned technical modifications that will improve ACB lists’ performance for all subscribers, and make it easier to quickly convert ACB Radio programs to podcasts, vastly expanding the audience for all of the information and entertainment ACB Radio provides. ACB Radio Managing Director Debbie Hazelton discussed current and anticipated programming on ACB Radio and the excitement that has been generated as ACB Radio has begun to stream the conventions of our ACB state affiliates. Dan noted, “A real plus of our virtual conventions is the opportunity they provide our officers, our staff, and our board to participate remotely in those events. It’s exciting to get out there and meet people who don’t normally come to an ACB conference and convention, and to get to know these folks. I walk away every time just extremely impressed with the quality conventions that our ACB state affiliates produce.” Next, ACB treasurer David Trott and CFO Nancy Marks Becker described how ACB has managed to meet and exceed its budget goals in many areas. During the final portion of the meeting, spokespersons from the nine ACB steering committees updated the board on their current activities and goals. Claire Stanley reported on the status of the currency case. Unfortunately, the news was not good; the D.C. court denied our recent appeal. The soonest we can expect the Department to comply will be in 2026, when the $10 bill is scheduled for redesign. If the Treasury wants to delay this obligation even longer, Claire added, the department will have to bring its argument before the courts again. If that happens, ACB will also be there to advocate for accessible currency. Another highlight of these reports was the news that Cindy Hollis was the recipient of the Roxann Mayros Organizational Champion Award, which the VisionServe Alliance has established to honor senior leaders of member-driven organizations that have demonstrated extraordinary service to the field. Cindy said, “That recognition is really about our community. The award recognizes the energy and the enthusiasm and the passion that people are bringing to the community.” BOP chair Deb Cook Lewis and public relations committee chair Katie Frederick described a joint proposal for streamlining ACB’s e-mail lists so that messages exchanged on the Leadership list and ACB-L would better conform to those lists’ original purposes, and so that forwarded and duplicative messages would decrease, making it easier for subscribers to retrieve the information they need. Deb explained, “The changes we propose are meant only as a means to streamline traffic on these forums, and to make managing e-mail less overwhelming and the exchange of information more useful to our members and our affiliates.” Discussion of the proposed changes was spirited. The outcome was that ACB-L will change its name to ACB-Conversation to reflect that list’s focus on freely flowing dialogue on blindness and ACB-related topics. ACB members will be encouraged to join the ACB-Conversation list, where forwarding of messages from lists not related to ACB will be discouraged, and revised rules will encourage conversation while minimizing duplication. Membership on ACB-Leadership will remain as it currently exists, and the BOP will conduct an analysis to determine who is on that list and which ACB committees, contractors, affiliates or other entities are currently represented there. The BOP will report back to the board at the February board meeting. As discussion concluded, Dan suggested that BOP meetings could be streamed on ACB Radio, and Deb responded that the BOP has always welcomed any member of ACB to attend their meetings and participate in discussions. The Board of Publications, she said, would welcome the opportunity to stream their meetings in the future. The November 14 meeting adjourned shortly after 8 p.m. Subsequently, the board met twice via telephone. At the second of those meetings, Dan and Janet Dickelman proposed changing the dates for ACB’s 2021 convention so that our events won’t conflict with the Summer Olympics, the dates for which had recently been announced. The board approved rescheduling the 2021 convention to July 16-23, 2021. During the course of those telephonic meetings, the proposed 2021 budget was discussed and approved by the board. The next scheduled board meeting will be held during ACB’s Leadership Conference, on Saturday, Feb. 20th. ***** Here and There edited by Cynthia G. Hawkins The announcement of products and services in this column does not represent an endorsement by the American Council of the Blind, its officers, or staff. Listings are free of charge for the benefit of our readers. “The ACB Braille Forum” cannot be held responsible for the reliability of the products and services mentioned. To submit items for this column, send a message to slovering@acb.org, or phone the national office at 1-800-424-8666, and leave a message in Sharon Lovering’s mailbox. Information must be received at least two months ahead of publication date. ** Financial Institutions and Accessibility Survey G3ict (the Global Initiative for Inclusive ICT’s) and IAAP (the International Association of Accessibility Professionals) invite you to participate in a survey to learn how persons with disabilities are impacted by financial institution services. This survey also seeks to identify whether and how the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 has impacted financial accessibility for persons with disabilities. Please answer the questions in relation to your primary financial provider. The survey should take approximately 20-25 minutes to complete. An asterisk (*) next to a survey question indicates a required field. To take the survey, go to: https://accessibilityassociation.formstack.com/forms/financial_institutions_and_accessibility_pwd_survey_2020_en The survey closes on April 1, 2021. ** New FSDB President The Board of Trustees for the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind (FSDB) has appointed Tracie Cascio Snow (former administrator of instructional services at FSDB) as the 19th president in the school’s 135-year history. Snow earned a bachelor’s degree in Social and Rehabilitation Services and Elementary Education from Assumption College in Worcester, MA (1993) and a master’s degree in education from Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. (1995), followed by a second master’s degree in educational leadership from the University of North Florida (2007). She holds several Florida state certifications, including educational leadership. ** AER and VisionServe Launch Public Policy Alliance VisionServe Alliance (VSA) and the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AER) have created a public policy alliance to amplify their reach and resources by capitalizing on their respective strengths and to model how national organizations can join forces to yield greater systems change through collaboration and partnership. This alliance is aimed at benefitting all individuals living with vision loss, but especially older people, who comprise the largest demographic of Americans experiencing vision loss. ** College and Career Prep at Perkins Perkins School for the Blind has recently launched two new programs, Career Launch and Compass. Career Launch, a training and career services program, was designed to help blind and visually impaired young adults, ages 18 to 35, land professional, career-track jobs. This program is intense. It’s comprehensive. And above all, it’s proven. The virtual session starts with two months of thorough career training followed by a year of ongoing instruction, job acquisition and coaching support. For more information, visit Perkins.org/CareerLaunch/Virtual. Compass is a nine-month virtual enrichment program for blind and visually impaired high school students in grades 9 through 11 to build the critical academic and blindness skills to reach their post-secondary goals. Compass works to fill the often-overlooked gaps in college and career preparation. Apply now for the September 2021 session. To learn more, email CollegeSuccess@Perkins.org or submit an inquiry online. ** ACB Member’s Book Available Now available is “Fifty Years of Walking with Friends” by DeAnna Quietwater Noriega. More than half of this book is devoted to the author’s first guide dog, Tammy. Each of the author’s nine guide dogs thus far is described in loving detail. All of the guides were trained by The Seeing Eye. It is available as an e-book and in print from Amazon and Smashwords. ***** ** ACB Officers * President Dan Spoone (1st term, 2021) 3924 Lake Mirage Blvd. Orlando, FL 32817-1554 * First Vice President Mark Richert (1st term, 2021) 1515 Jefferson Davis Hwy. Apt. 622 Arlington, VA 22202-3309 * Second Vice President Ray Campbell (1st term, 2021) 460 Raintree Ct. #3K Glen Ellyn, IL 60137 * Secretary Denise Colley (1st term, 2021) 1401 Northwest Ln. SE Lacey, WA 98503 * Treasurer David Trott (2nd term, 2021) 1018 East St. S. Talladega, AL 35160 * Immediate Past President Kim Charlson 57 Grandview Ave. Watertown, MA 02472 ** ACB Board of Directors Jeff Bishop, Kirkland, WA (1st term, 2021) Donna Brown, Romney, WV (partial term, 2021) Sara Conrad, Madison, WI (2nd term, 2021) Dan Dillon, Hermitage, TN (1st term, 2021) Katie Frederick, Worthington, OH (2nd term, 2022) James Kracht, Miami, FL (1st term, 2022) Doug Powell, Falls Church, VA (1st term, 2021) Patrick Sheehan, Silver Spring, MD (2nd term, 2022) Michael Talley, Hueytown, AL (1st term, 2022) Jeff Thom, Sacramento, CA (1st term, 2022) ** ACB Board of Publications Debbie Lewis, Chair, Clarkston, WA (2nd term, 2021) Paul Edwards, Miami, FL (2nd term, 2021) Zelda Gebhard, Edgeley, ND (partial term, 2021) Susan Glass, Saratoga, CA (2nd term, 2021) Penny Reeder, Montgomery Village, MD (1st term, 2021) ***** Accessing Your ACB Braille and E-Forums The ACB E-Forum may be accessed by email, on the ACB web site, via download from the web page (in Word, plain text, or braille-ready file), or by phone at (518) 906-1820. To subscribe to the email version, contact Sharon Lovering, slovering@acb.org. The ACB Braille Forum is available by mail in braille, large print, NLS-style digital cartridge, and via email. It is also available to read or download from ACB’s web page, and by phone, (518) 906-1820. Subscribe to the podcast versions from your 2nd generation Victor Reader Stream or from https://pinecast.com/feed/acb-braille-forum-and-e-forum.