The ACB Braille Forum Volume LX March 2022 No. 9 Published by the American Council of the Blind ***** ** Be A Part of ACB The American Council of the Blind™ 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 Media at www.acbmedia.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 https://www.facebook.com/acbnational. © 2022 American Council of the Blind Eric Bridges, Executive Director Sharon Lovering, Editor 1703 N. Beauregard St., Suite 420, Alexandria, VA 22311 ***** ** Table of Contents Board Makes 2022 D.C. Leadership Conference Virtual, by Penny Reeder President’s Message: Sharing a Positive Message from an ACB Affiliate President, by Dan Spoone Learn About Continuing Education and Professional Development Hours, by Janet Dickelman Time to Plan for Summer Auction MMS March Madness, by Jean Mann Walk Here, There, and Everywhere While Helping ACB, by Katie Frederick The Gifts of Mentorship, by Linda Porelle My Journey to Motherhood: A Tribute to Faith, Family and Fortitude, by Rachel Schroeder My Dance with Cancer, by Kate Chamberlin Boxes, by Melody E. Holloway Removal, by Ann Chiappetta Affiliate News In Memoriam: Bill Spoone Passings Here and There, edited by Cynthia G. Hawkins High Tech Swap Shop 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. * Leadership Conference Reminder The 2022 D.C. Leadership Conference will be held virtually March 12-15. For more information, visit www.acb.org. ***** ** Board Makes 2022 D.C. Leadership Conference Virtual by Penny Reeder ACB’s board of directors met on January 16th to discuss the 2022 Leadership Conference. With omicron raging across the country, ACB needed to decide whether its Leadership Conference should be held as a hybrid or virtual meeting. The issue weighed heavily on the minds of ACB affiliate leaders and members. A week earlier, Anthony Corona and Debbie Grubb had invited “Sunday Edition” listeners to weigh in on the question. During succeeding evenings, president Dan Spoone held two live-streamed listening sessions to solicit members’ opinions. Responses ranged from skeptical through panic, with many landing closer to the panicked end of that spectrum. Dan noted that this meeting, originally scheduled for January 27, had been moved up because of the urgency of the need to make a decision. Dan asked Nancy Becker and Eric Bridges to outline ACB’s contractual obligations, especially as they relate to the current public health emergency. Eric led by telling the board how easy it has been for ACB to work with the Hilton Olde Towne Hotel, with whom ACB has a contract for the leadership conference. He said that, at this time, no deposits have been paid and no money is committed. Nancy said that ACB included force majeure language in the contract, which stipulates that if 51 percent of our attendees cannot attend, our obligation to hold the scheduled event at the Hilton Olde Towne Hotel will not apply. “From what I’m hearing right now,” Nancy said, “typically, if there’s an event happening, only 30 percent of the people who would be expected to attend that event are actually attending. Based on that information, I would say that we are going to have less than 51 percent of our expected participants attending our [leadership] meetings.” In similar circumstances, she stated, what we have done has been to go back to the hotel and talk with them about what is going on and then express our interest in entering into another contract with them for a future year. She said that ACB should be able to withdraw from our contract without paying any previously negotiated funds to the hotel, or any kind of penalty. Jeff Thom reported that the advocacy steering committee had unanimously adopted a motion recommending that ACB make the leadership meetings a totally remote event. The committee based their decision on three relevant factors: 1) the risk of serious illness for our members; 2) ACB wouldn’t be able to meet a deadline to apply for a permit to hold a planned demonstration at the U.S. Department of the Treasury; and 3) at this time, Hill staffers are not holding in-person meetings with constituents on Capitol Hill. Furthermore, last year’s remotely held legislative seminar was an unqualified success. We were able to get great speakers for virtual seminar presentations, and more people than ever before were able to engage in appointments with legislative assistants using Zoom. Dan polled each board member. Ray Campbell made the motion and Kenneth Semien seconded it. The 2022 Leadership Conference will be held virtually this year. All meetings will be held via Zoom, and state and special-interest affiliates will schedule virtual telephonic meetings with legislators and their aides, to discuss ACB’s 2022 legislative imperatives. Other highlights of the January 16 board meeting included the following. The board reviewed and approved minutes from their Nov. 29 and Dec. 6 meetings, at which the ACB budget was discussed and adopted. January’s Mission Moment expressed Dan’s and Eric’s gratitude to staff members, industry partners and volunteers who planned ACB’s first Audio Description Awards Gala. Dan thanked ACB’s Audio Description Project (ADP) Coordinator, Jo Lynn Bailey-Page, ADP Committee co-chairs Kim Charlson and Carl Richardson, as well as Director of Development Tony Stephens and communications director Jennifer Flatt, for guiding the event from inception to a successful culmination on November 18. In addition to bringing ACB recognition for working so effectively to expand, improve, and promote audio description, Dan said, the gala also netted ACB $35,000 to support the Audio Description Project. Eric Bridges reflected that planning an event like this one, which was aimed at an audience that is broader in scope and membership than the blindness community with whom we generally interact, required ACB to expand the skill set we could draw upon to meet the unique challenges associated with an event of this kind. We needed to engage effectively not only with our long-time partners, but also with industry representatives who were new to us, and even to enlist our partners’ support for promoting the event. Tony Stephens encouraged members who may have missed the gala to check out the video recording at https://adawardsgala.org/. “It’s impressive to think of the scale of the event,” Tony said. “We were able to engage participants on six continents.” Eric and Tony commended the team effort, specifically thanking Joel Snyder who, along with his team, helped to select awards recipients, and Will Butler, who chaired the ADP Planning Committee. The board then heard a request for a name change for the Environmental Access Committee. Chris Bell explained the committee’s reasoning. He believed that associating the committee’s name more directly with the sphere in which they seek to improve accessibility for people who are blind will encourage more ACB members to volunteer to work on shared accessibility goals. The committee asked to change its name to the Pedestrian Environment Access Committee; the board approved. The board unanimously approved adding an additional $1,500 to the Get Up and Get Moving Campaign budget to cover expenses for planned events that will occur during the coming months. ACB’s auction planners asked the board to approve directing proceeds from this year’s summer auction to support the ACB Community. Treasurer David Trott noted that, when planners have linked auction proceeds to supporting popular ACB programs, members have responded enthusiastically. The board approved the motion. Dan told the board that the task forces that were created to address modifications in constitutionally mandated processes necessitated by pandemic-related prohibitions have been meeting regularly. These groups plan to meet during February to evaluate each group’s proposals and assure a coordinated organizational strategy. The voting and resolutions task forces, the executive committee, and the constitution and bylaws committee will all present reports at the board’s March 11 meeting. Each of these groups will give presentations at the presidents’ meeting. Eric Bridges reported that, after several months of interviewing, ACB has selected Kaitlyn Herrera as an administrative assistant in the national office. Ms. Herrera, who is also pursuing a graduate degree in social work, will work in ACB’s national office for 20 hours each week. ACB posted job vacancy announcements for two full-time employees to manage and coordinate ACB Media Network operations, and for an additional contracted position also associated with ACB Media, on Jan. 7. Eric said that our experiences with the way ACB Media has come online and grown in importance and diversity of streaming content has informed the way ACB has written the job descriptions for these positions. There were more than 200 applicants for the combined posted positions, and Minneapolis and national office staff members are evaluating applications. Finally, Eric said that ACB will also be posting a job description for a thrift stores general manager. ACB’s goal is to bring these four employees on board by March 1. Cindy Hollis reported on the success of this year’s Community-a-thon. The event yielded well over $12,000 - 13 percent more than last year. She said that about a third of the people who provided the 12 hours of streaming content for the event were under the age of 35, and most people who volunteered to host or facilitate participated throughout the event. “The Community-a-thon really speaks well of the commitment all those who are involved have to the ACB community,” she said, “and it makes me proud.” Chris Bell had volunteered to revise language in the ACB reasonable accommodation policy statement which Clark Rachfal and others had been working to update. Chris presented the revised proposed policy to the board for their approval. Chris said that his primary approach was to reframe the discussion embedded in our policy statement to make clear that, since even before the ADA became law in 1990, ACB had been providing accessible events for people who are blind or have low vision, or who are deaf-blind, and we have always built that accessibility into the infrastructure of our events. This philosophical commitment to accessibility is not what is meant by reasonable accommodation. Accommodation is something you do for an individual to address their specific disability-related needs, upon their request. Essentially, we have a planning process that anticipates the needs of our members for effective communication, assistance with mobility, and so forth. Chris moved acceptance of the policy according to the revised language he has provided, and the board accepted the policy unanimously. Toward the end of the meeting, a number of board members expressed concern regarding COVID-related accessibility issues that have had such a negative impact on our ability to cope independently with the pandemic. Kim Charlson was quoted in a recent New York Times article regarding the inaccessibility of rapid COVID tests. She and Mark Riccobono have exchanged e-mail on this topic, and the Federation is equally concerned. She urged ACB members to express their concerns to the Biden administration regarding the inaccessibility of these tests for people who cannot access results visually, and how this impacts us. Ray Campbell expressed related concerns regarding the degree to which Americans have needed to rely on accessing the Internet to acquire information, schedule vaccines and tests, and now to order rapid tests. Jeff Thom assured the board that these issues are known to advocacy organizations like Disability Rights California, and are being communicated to the administration. Chris Bell formally requested that the issue of inaccessible rapid COVID tests become one of this year’s legislative imperatives. Dan expected this topic to be discussed at the next advocacy steering committee meeting. Kim pointed out that these issues are global in scope, and it’s important for ACB as a leader in the World Blind Union to lead on this issue as well. As the meeting concluded, Dan speculated about how the virtual format of our leadership meetings may allow us to modify our typical meeting schedules. He thanked ACB members for sharing their concerns. The meeting adjourned at 10:51 p.m. ***** ** President’s Message: Sharing a Positive Message from an ACB Affiliate President by Dan Spoone It’s nice to know that our president’s messages are finding a listening audience. Wanda Williford, New Jersey’s affiliate president, recently wrote me expressing her enjoyment on my article, “Things That Annoy Me About My Sighted Neighbors.” I found it comforting to know that I brought a smile and some laughter to our members. Wanda was inspired to write her own article entitled, “Top 10 Things I Love About Living Blind.” It made me chuckle at a difficult time. So, I’m sharing it with you this month. Please reach out to Wanda and me and share your favorite advantages of being blind. Thanks for being so positive, Wanda! * Top Ten Things I Love About Living Blind by Wanda Williford There is no denying that living as a blind person comes with numerous inherent challenges. The pros and cons of navigating everyday tasks could fill volumes. Full disclosure, I was inspired to examine this topic by ACB president Dan Spoone’s November 2021 message, published in “The ACB Braille Forum.” He penned a top 10 list of things he finds annoying, living with blindness. His observations were so spot on, I found myself nodding in agreement and laughing out loud at the list. I thought certain adventures were unique to my sometimes-madcap life. Dan’s “Top Ten” confirmed a universal truth. We are all more alike than we are different. What I also know for sure, us blind folks definitely lead interesting lives. I acknowledge there are many annoyances that come with being blind. However, there are some aspects I’ve discovered over the years that I quite like. I challenge you to think about the positives of living with blindness or low vision. Here is my “Top Ten” list of things I love about being blind. 1. Blind Family: When I joined NJCB, I found my tribe. Prior to 2018, I did not know any other blind people. I had no idea what I was missing. Befriending other people who walk a similar journey as mine has been life-affirming. The compassion, camaraderie and love we share makes us forever family. 2. No Physical Snap Judgments: Since I can no longer make out faces, I can’t subconsciously dismiss a person because of some unappealing characteristic like a missing tooth or an unusual haircut. Conversely, I am not dazzled by pearly veneers, or a pair of hand-tooled Italian loafers. My relationships are richer because I get to know people without physical distractions. 3. Large Patience Muscles: I make conversations with strangers in the long line at Target. I listen to audio books when the doctor’s visit runs long. I do not experience passenger “road rage” when traffic comes to a grinding halt on I-95. Years ago, this level of calm was not the norm for me. I now try to make the best of sometimes being at the mercy of others’ schedules. My perspective has changed, and I’ve developed patience muscles Arnold Schwarzenegger would envy. 4. Skipping Lines: Several years ago, I took a cruise with family. Disembarking, the customs line snaked on for an hour wait. The customs agent spotted my cane, pulled our group out of line and processed us in 5 minutes flat. My 10-year-old nephew commented on the way home in the car, “Aunt Wanda, I’m so happy you have that cane, otherwise, we would still be in that ridiculously long line.” Admittedly, I sometimes feel a little guilty in these situations, but I quickly get over it. 5. Kind Strangers: I try to live as independently as possible. However, we all need help occasionally. I have been out and about, gotten turned around and ended up in the automotive aisle of Target. I call out and a stranger will assist and lead me to the shoe aisle, where I was originally headed. I am always grateful and amazed at the willingness of perfect strangers to lend a helping hand. 6. BARD: Recently, I was listening to an NPR book review. They recommended what the reviewer stated was the best memoir written in the past 20 years. I immediately grabbed my phone and downloaded it to my BARD mobile app within minutes. I’ve managed to read 36 books in 2021. Having free access to books and magazines is a game changer. 7. Reduced NJT Fare: It’s not difficult talking my friends into taking the train into New York City, because my companion travels free and my fare is half price. Cha-ching! 8. Touchy Feely Me: I love the tactile design and feel of elements in my living and bedroom, the ultra-soft velvet loveseat, oversized down-filled pillows with silk fringe, and the feel of my bare feet on the sumptuous wool rug. My hands are in constant sensory nirvana. 9. Low Electric Bills: I do not use lots of lighting. Most times I have to remember to turn on lights when guests visit. Frequently, I will ask a friend to read a document. They reply, “Sure! Could you turn on a lamp? It’s too dark. I can’t see it.” We both chuckle at the irony. 10. Never the Designated Driver: Don’t get me wrong, I miss being able to hop in my car and drive to 7-Eleven for a Slurpee. However, knowing I can have a cocktail at any occasion, without fear of endangering anyone’s life, including my own, is liberating. Cheers! ***** ** Learn About Continuing Education and Professional Development Hours by Janet Dickelman Are you ready for Omaha? In-person convention dates are Friday, July 1 through Friday, July 8th. Opening general session is Saturday, July 2nd. The exhibit hall will also open that day. Tours will run from Friday through Friday, with programming sessions held Friday through Wednesday. On Thursday the 7th we will hold our all-day general session followed by our banquet. Again this year, the ACB conference and convention will offer continuing education (CE) and professional development (PD) opportunities. CE units are recognized by the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals (ACVREP). Individuals working in many diverse fields may also earn professional development hours. CE and PD hours will be available both on-site in Omaha or virtually through ACB Media, and via the Zoom platform. Procuring CE units or PD hours is very easy. Registration for the conference and convention will open in May. Visit the acbconvention registration page to discover an amazing array of programs that carry CE and PD hours. Additional events will be listed in the official conference program, on the convention website, or by subscribing to the acbconvention email list as they become available. To earn continuing education units and professional development hours, you must register for the conference and convention. Then simply purchase the number of Flex Credits you need. If you attend more programs and presentations than you anticipate, just submit reports for all sessions and we will contact you for any additional payment. You will need to complete a report and evaluation form for each session or program. A unique code will be announced at the beginning of each session, and another unique code will be announced at the end of the session. Make note of these codes, as well as the session title, date and time, as you will need to include this information in your reports. Please submit your forms to ACB by August 30, 2022. Upon receipt of your completed forms, ACB will issue your certificate, indicating the number of CE units or PD hours earned with ACB. You are responsible for submitting your certificate to your employer for your professional development hours or to ACVREP for your continuing education credits. Topics will include but are not limited to employment, technology, health and leisure, orientation and mobility, self-advocacy, braille, low vision, and much more. Create an experience tailored to your specific needs, mix and match designated programming, sponsored by ACB and its committees, special-interest affiliates, and our business partners. 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 2021 convention, you do not need to re-subscribe. * Reservation Details To make reservations online, go to https://book.passkey.com/event/50221160/owner/22518/home. When asked to select guest type on the main screen, select attendee. For those who wish to call in and make their reservation, call 1-800-HILTONS (that’s 1-800-445-8667) and reference the name of the group block, American Council of the Blind. The group code, if needed for those calling in, is ACB. Room rates at the Hilton are $96 (single or double occupancy) with an additional $10 per person for up to four people per room. Room tax is currently 18.16%. One night’s stay will be charged to your credit card when you book your reservation. * Convention Contacts 2022 exhibit information: Michael Smitherman, (601) 331-7740, exhibits@acb.org 2022 advertising and sponsorships: Anthony Stephens, (202) 559-2045, astephens@acb.org For any other convention-related questions, contact Janet Dickelman, convention chair, (651) 428-5059, janet.dickelman@gmail.com. ***** ** Time to Plan for Summer Auction The auction committee would like to thank everyone for participating in last year’s auction and making it such a big success. It is time to start planning for this year’s summer auction. So, get ready to kick off the convention on Saturday evening, June 18th with a virtual auction. Everyone gets a chance to participate. We will also host an appetizer auction on Thursday, June 16 and Friday, June 17. We really appreciate everyone’s support with the auction. Send your auction item descriptions to Leslie Spoone, lesliespoone@cfl.rr.com, by Sunday, May 1, 2022. Happy bidding! ***** ** MMS March Madness by Jean Mann When you think of the month of March, what comes to mind? Spring and warmer weather? St. Patrick’s Day and green beer? Money the IRS owes you? Money you owe the IRS? March Madness? Well, yes, there is _that_ March Madness, the one where you have to fill out all those brackets and figure out the progression of wins and losses of 64 teams. So much work, and so hard to win any money. The MMS (Monthly Monetary Support) committee is going to hold a little March Madness of its own. It will be held during the five days of the ACB Leadership Conference, from March 11th through the 15th. Obviously, it’ll be on a much smaller scale than the NCAA, but it’s a lot easier to win something and will take a lot less time. All you have to do is call (202) 743-0755 and leave a message or email askacbmms@gmail.com any time during the conference, sign up for MMS with at least a $10 a month donation or increase what you’re already giving by $5, and we’ll enter your name in daily drawings for Amazon gift cards. The first four days the cards will be worth $25, and the last day we’ll draw for a $100 card. If you’ve signed up or increased your donation since the end of last summer’s convention, your name will be entered in that final drawing. Your monthly donation is deducted from your checking account or charged to a credit card; you choose, and 50 percent of what you donate can go back to an affiliate of your choice. Your money helps ACB in so many ways: advocacy, membership services, and community events, just to name a few, and it’s such an easy way to raise funds for your affiliate. So once again, call (202) 743-0755 and leave a message, or email askacbmms@gmail.com during the five days of the ACB Leadership Conference, March 11-15, and we’ll get back to you to answer your questions and/or accept your donations. ACB thanks you, and we, the MMS committee, do too. And if you should by chance win some money in that BIG March Madness, good for you, and we hope you’ll remember ACB! ***** ** Walk Here, There, and Everywhere While Helping ACB by Katie Frederick Many of us in the United States are experiencing wintry weather, but before we know it, summer and the 2022 annual ACB conference and convention will be here. Start forming your teams and plan to participate in this year’s Brenda Dillon Memorial Walk. Whether you plan to join us in Omaha or participate online, you can get up and get moving, and benefit the American Council of the Blind. Funds raised can go to ACB at large, or you can choose to designate 50% of funds go to a state or special-interest affiliate of your choice. Stay tuned to ACB’s communication channels for additional information, including how to sign up for this year’s walk. If you have questions about the walk or registration, contact walk committee chair Donna Brown by email, donnambrown59@gmail.com, or call (304) 940-0292. Walk festivities will kick off prior to the opening session Saturday, July 2, as part of ACB’s Get Up and Get Moving campaign and conference wellness track, but the fun and donations don’t end then. We encourage donations before or during the walk, but donations will be accepted following the walk as well. So, what are you waiting for? Walk here, there and everywhere, and together, let’s raise funds and support affiliates and ACB! ***** ** The Gifts of Mentorship by Linda Porelle, Co-chair, ACB Women Winifred Downing’s name first caught my attention while reading “The Braille Forum” back in Boston in the late 1990s. After moving to San Francisco in 2005 and getting her name from the CCB office, my decision to check out the San Francisco chapter was an easy one. When I arrived at my first chapter meeting, I was warmly welcomed and immediately realized that I had found a new home. And there she was, the remarkable lady who would quickly become both my mentor in all things CCB and ACB and a cherished friend. Winifred started her irresistible recruiting campaign in short order. She invited me to join the chapter’s community support committee, which later became the current grant for purchasing access technology for young students. She then urged me to run for and be elected chapter president, only 14 months after joining CCB! It was such a pleasure to accompany Winifred to several CCB conventions. Since we were both wordsmiths, she made sure I was connected with both the resolutions and publications committees, which I still consider my most satisfying activities in CCB. She also did me the great honor of speaking for me in my first successful run for the CCB board of directors. In addition, I owe my involvement and leadership in BRLC and CLUA to Winifred’s encouragement and support. In the last couple of years of her life, Winifred withdrew from her very active role in CCB due to declining health. She still enjoyed having visitors at home who could fill her in on all of the goings-on, however. I was fortunate to be one of those visitors, spending quiet afternoons enjoying lively and intelligent conversation. In rereading some of the many loving tributes that poured in after Winifred’s passing in 2016, the word “mentor” kept appearing. I’ll list some of the mentoring qualities that were so generously shared with me during our time together. • Inspiration by example. Her devotion to her family, her church and the blindness community was boundless. That devotion inspired me to dig deep and give more as well. • Personal invitations to participate. Each invitation from Winifred helped to boost my confidence for stepping up and getting more involved. • Inclusion. I can still recall walking into my first resolutions committee meeting with the knowledge that I was being recommended for membership by Winifred. I imagine I could have made my way in CCB on my own. However, Winifred’s guidance and support were invaluable in making the connections I needed to feel that I really belonged and could be useful and productive in CCB and ACB. I encourage each of you to look around and find someone who may be newly arrived in your affiliate or just quietly sitting back. Get to know them. Find out what lights them up. Then invite them to join a committee with you and set forth on their own adventure of belonging to our wonderful organization. ***** ** My Journey to Motherhood: A Tribute to Faith, Family and Fortitude by Rachel Schroeder As long as I can remember, I’ve always believed that I could accomplish anything I set my mind to. I’ve been totally blind since birth, but that has never been an obstacle to deter me from doing anything I set out to do. I attribute that attitude in large part to my faith in God and people I’ve been blessed to be surrounded with all my life. There have been many other individuals — teachers, mentors and friends — who have guided and encouraged me throughout my life, but that would be a subject for another article. I am the youngest and only blind person in my family. I have two older brothers, one older sister, and parents who provided a loving and nurturing home environment for all of us. I shared equally in all the aspects of family life. Whether it was enjoying vacations to the beach or mountains, participating in church activities, hanging out at home taking care of the typical kid household responsibilities, or playing outside with friends, I was encouraged to get in there and experience it all. And of course, being the little sister also meant I was subject to being picked on by my siblings when they wanted somebody to throw around in the pool or try out a new wrestling move. Mom and Dad set the foundation for my life by teaching me early on to look at my blindness as just an obstacle to overcome rather than a characteristic that defines me as a person. The values and attitudes that were instilled in me as a little girl have served me well as a woman. In my career and in my work with ACB and as president of ICB, I have been able to bring to the table the belief that the quality and richness of life as a blind person can be wonderfully fulfilling if we let go of the limitations set upon us by ourselves or others. Yes, we might have obstacles and difficulties along the way, or we might have to fight for causes in which we believe. However, our goals matter, and we should expect that we have the same rights and freedoms as anybody else to accomplish them. This strong, confident mind set is what I carried with me in my personal journey to become a mother. Being a single woman who was blind, I knew that this journey, whether I wanted it to or not, was going to look quite different than most. Throughout lots of prayer, contemplation and encouragement, I set out on the scariest and most rewarding journey of my life. I admit that I was shaken a few times, but I knew I had to keep moving forward because in the end, I would experience the most incredible accomplishment of my life. I faced numerous rejections when inquiring about options to adopt a child. Agency representatives gave me every reason they could come up with as to why pursuing my dream might not be a good idea. I was asked directly by some representatives how I would feed a baby or keep track of an active toddler. Others just came right out and said they didn’t know whether biological parents seeking to put their baby up for adoption would even consider a blind single woman to raise their child. It was then that I turned to the possibility of a fertility specialist to inquire about having my own child. To my amazement, after so much discouragement from the adoption agencies, the specialist was immediately onboard with my plan and promised to work with me throughout the process of numerous appointments, ultrasounds, procedures, and inaccessible means of administering medications. This was not a road they had ever gone down before, but I was assured we would figure it all out together. That we did, and I eventually was blessed by a baby girl I called Delaney. What I discovered shortly after Delaney’s birth is that my confidence and determination would continue to be tested by concern from doctors and hospital personnel that I was taking on more of a job than I knew how to handle. I told them, like I have continued to tell other individuals who have expressed doubt or concern when I’ve been out and about with my daughter (who is now seven), that a child doesn’t come with an instruction book. In the process of raising them, we’re going to make our mistakes and we’re going to have our successes. We may do some things differently, but ultimately, if things get done safely and effectively, that’s what matters. These are values I learned early on from my family, and the legacy I carry with me every day from my mom, who is no longer with us. Thanks Mom, Dad and family for blessing my life in this way. My situation isn’t unique. There are many of you reading this who, like me, are incredibly blessed to have had the wonderful foundation of strong faith and a loving, supportive family that help to carry you through life. I know also that there are many of you who have gone through tougher times in your lives and have struggled to maintain such positivity and strength while trying to attain those important life goals. I hope that my story encourages you not to be afraid to go out and accomplish your goals. Be confident that you can get what you want out of life. Surround yourself with people who believe in you and will remind you that your goals matter and that blindness may be a word that describes you, but it doesn’t have to define you or limit your opportunities. ***** ** My Dance with Cancer by Kate Chamberlin (Reprinted from “Insight: The Voice of The American Council of the Blind of New York, Inc.,” Fall 2020.) On March 2, 2020, when the diagnosis of ER+/PR+, invasive ductal carcinoma registered in my brain, the music didn’t stop, but I sure missed a beat. The experience my mother had with breast cancer in 1976 rang loud and clear in my memory. She went from robust to dust in six months. I knew my cancer was early, stage 1A, so I tuned up my research skills and began to compose a plan. I was determined to choreograph my dance with cancer to have a different finale. I read “Dr. Susan Love’s Breast Book: Sixth Edition” by Love, Susan M.; Lindsey, Karen; Love, Elizabeth, which I downloaded from BARD (DB82608). I also downloaded “The Cancer-Fighting Kitchen: Nourishing, Big-Flavor Recipes for Cancer Treatment and Recovery,” by Rebecca Katz and Mat Edelson (DB96582). A friend told me about the Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester. There are other regional coalitions in New York, and this one was the nearest to my home. Due to the COVID-19 shutdowns, and meetings going to Zoom rooms, it was very convenient for me to attend virtual meetings. “In this time of COVID-19, business is not as usual and we are working to stay connected with our survivor community,” Jennifer Gaylord, BCCR Program Director, stated in an e-mail. “We have diverse, supportive groups of women breast and GYN survivors, who are newly diagnosed, actively in treatment, or many years out to converse about the issues that pertain to them.” The women I’ve virtually met are wonderful, open, and honest about their situations, but something was still off-key for me. My dance card wasn’t full. Then, through an American Council of the Blind virtual community membership meeting, I heard about and contacted Linda Porelle. The ACB Women’s Breast Cancer Support Group meets on the first Tuesday each month from 8 to 9:30 p.m. Eastern via a teleconference line. This is a support group for women who are blind and have been living with breast cancer. Whether you are recently diagnosed or a long-term survivor, you are welcome to join us. While we identify each attendee by name, confidentiality is maintained to enable each of us to share our concerns, issues, and support one another at whatever step we are at in our dance with cancer. The group is facilitated by Linda Porelle and Lori Scharff, two social workers who are volunteering their time. “Lori and I have been facilitating this monthly group since December 2008,” Linda e-mailed. “We have met courageous women from all around this country, some of whom joined us very early on. They have shared their cancer journeys with us, and most importantly, with each other. Our members are warm, open-hearted women who know what you may be experiencing because each one has been there herself.” Now, I’m not alone in choreographing my dance with cancer. My dance card is full of new friends, so let the band play on. I’ll tango through the biopsy; cha-cha during the lumpectomy; foxtrot through the radiation; and waltz throughout the rest of my life. For further information about the ACB Women-sponsored Breast Cancer Support Group, contact committee co-chairs and group facilitators Linda Porelle, lmporelle@gmail.com, or Lori Scharff at lorischarff@gmail.com. For information about the Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester, N.Y., send a message to info@bccr.org. To reach Kate Chamberlin, email her at KathrynGC1@verizon.net. ***** ** Boxes by Melody E. Holloway Any experienced neurologist, psychologist, psychiatrist, psychotherapist, or other professional clinician who studies the biology of the human brain and complex pathology of the mind will maintain that one of our natural encoded instincts is to stereotype, categorize, compare, and place everyone else in metaphoric boxes. We all do this whether we admit it or even realize we’re doing it. Our ingrained implicit biases are taught, programmed, or encoded in our brains even before we are born. We internalize ideology, cultural beliefs, feedback, and core values programmed by family of origin and passed down through generations. We are influenced by media portrayals of people who belong to different races, ethnicities, age groups, economic brackets, sexual orientation, gender identity, and yes, disabilities and medical conditions. Medical and mental health professionals turn to dictionaries, glossaries, manuals, and evidence-based treatments in order to make decisions on behalf of someone in desperate need of help. Judgment is clouded by the bombardment of diagnoses, prognoses, disorders, terms, and technicalities more often than most care to admit. After my unexpected conception, traumatic emergency premature delivery, and touch-and-go beginning, my parents had no idea what to do or where to turn for advice. Not only did they have a baby daughter whom they were told would most likely not be possible, they had a sickly, abnormally tiny, totally blind 2-pound, 14-inch underdeveloped micro-preemie. When faced with the unimaginable sudden challenge of a loved one either born with perceived barriers or who receives the diagnosis later in life following a tragic accident, illness, or injury, a family’s first reaction in many cases is to take complete control over their loved one’s circumstances and situation. These decisions are influenced by society’s preconceived notion of what someone can and cannot do or who someone truly is due to our labels, differences, or boxes. When we are children, we have our own preconceived idea that our parents know or should know the meaning of life and how the world works. The moment we are born, we begin to attempt to make sense of our environment, judging by cues put forth by our physical senses as well as close contact, voice inflection, spoken word, and attentiveness of our initial caregivers, whomever they happen to be. A traumatic in utero environment, unstable upbringing, neglect, and invalidation inflicted by those who legally protect, nurture, and decide for us are internalized and programmed, whether positive or negative. The frequent back and forth feedback we receive as well as initial decisions made on our behalf can chart the course of the rest of our lives, no matter how hard we try to hold out hope for a brighter future. A house will become unstable and eventually collapse if the foundation is not properly established. The structure, plumbing, and electrical wiring are not safely installed no matter how much nice furniture and elaborate decorations we display to create a facade of the perfect family portrait. Our doctors, therapists, teachers, and other professionals with legal licensure are just as much a part of society as our families and ourselves. They place us into boxes upon our arrival to a class, appointment, or procedure based on first impression. I would be financially capable of moving from my current toxic environment if I had a quarter for every time a doctor, nurse, technician, case manager, social worker, health insurance representative, or Social Security Administration agent asked, “How do you clean, prepare meals, shop, or travel to appointments? Who helps you take medication? Who fills your organizers? Who checks your vitals at home?” If I speak of my uncomfortable symptoms or diagnoses using an experienced, well-researched vocabulary equal to theirs, they remind me in a bored, condescending, antagonistic, patronizing tone, “You are blind. You have schizoaffective disorder Bipolar Type 1, obsessive compulsive disorder, borderline personality disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder. You are just anxious, depressed, paranoid, psychotic, dissociated, disoriented, confused, and obsessed. You are overreacting and worrying.” As if these boxes mean I have no idea what I am talking about or asking for. Oh yes, and my all-time favorite response: “You should continue to live with your parents. They take such good care of you. It will be easier for you. If you desire more independence, you have to prove to the system that you can care for yourself.” People who are unwilling to consider the detrimental nature of a client’s or patient’s environment or unusual disturbing life experiences are also unwilling to see past their own programmed beliefs. If I tell a certified professional how I have been living pretty much on my own for years, simply co-existing within the same legal dwelling as the people who created me due to unforeseen circumstances and bureaucracy set in place by an overwhelmed, underfunded, misguided system intended to protect the welfare of law-abiding citizens, boost productivity, financial prosperity, and perceived global success, I am downplayed, ignored, or dismissed. If I bring up the fact that not only do I care for myself almost exclusively, but previously met the holistic needs of one of my truest, dearest, most steadfast advisors and confidants who required a higher level of attention, care, and supervision to the best of my ability with the tools and supports available to us at the time, I am at times sloughed off and presumed psychotic. My years of extensive psychiatric treatment as well as my best friends in the ACB community, LGBTQ and mental health communities have helped me understand that my symptoms and situations are not my fault. The intimidation, control, and emotional power hold my father has used all my life to get what he wants and demand respect and resigned compliance from my mother and I as well as my mom’s passive-aggressive coping mechanisms and the ammunition she gives society on a daily basis to feed the capability to place me in boxes has driven me beyond the dissociative breaking point. The healthcare system is not quite trauma informed enough yet to fully grasp the concept that all mental health conditions, as well as the majority of physical diseases, especially autoimmune disorders, are induced and increased by a wide spectrum of traumatic events, environments, and situations. The true definition of trauma is not always clear for everyone. A multitude of comorbid labels, documentation, and public record follows someone for life. My 47 whole blood, platelet, and plasma donations; petitions I have signed on behalf of environmental, animal rights, children’s, elderly, or disability advocacy organizations; activism campaigns in which I have participated; financial contributions; certificates, medals, and trophies I earned for excelling in academics as well as art, music, and writing which are engraved with my name in braille and collect dust over a decade and a half later, or my record as valedictorian of the Ohio State School for the Blind’s class of 2004 seem to be moot points today. I am not necessarily proud of these accomplishments. I am now known for crying spells, panic attacks, motor ticks, rapid inconsistent pressured speech patterns, loss of touch with reality, catatonia, emotional dysregulation, racing thoughts, and disorganization. Many of my closest friends remind me I will live with conditions, symptoms, and reactions I simply cannot help or completely control. They understand brains are coded, wired, and organized unexpectedly by life’s hard knocks. This is unsettling if my obvious visual impairment and less obvious additional diagnoses will confine me to boxes. Nobody lives in boxes. The boxes are often seen before the person. If someone is placed in multiple boxes, they feel divided or split in separate sections like our planet divided by the equator. The people who place us in boxes do not understand the contents. They do not have to live inside our bodies and minds or understand our disabilities. Whether the box sorters are the cashier checking us out at the grocery store, the police officer taking a statement after an incident, the attending physician responsible for our medical care, the health insurance agent in charge of benefits, the Social Security claims representative under assumption that anyone with a disability who began drawing supplemental benefits before age 18 still requires a payee, or our families of origin, they cannot comprehend how we experience and adapt to our conditions no matter how much they study or interact with us. With a new year on the rise, I hope to become further involved with ACB and other like-minded grassroots advocacy organizations made of kind, loving, supportive peers who share a common bond of experience, knowledge, and understanding in order to beget positive change and reform. If the general public had more opportunities to ask questions, learn about our disabilities, embrace differences, and feel comfortable doing so, not only can we show society we can help ourselves, the positive attributes which stem from our disabilities can also help them in turn. Morale and self-confidence improve when someone who lives with chronic needs can truly benefit or care for someone else who also has significant needs. Our greatest roadblocks to living our best quality of life possible are not in fact our diagnoses; they are the barriers which society puts in our path, the boxes in which we are placed. ***** ** Removal I am unfettered Glass and wire left behind forsaken I am the sightless I denounce frames and lenses Like false gods I am a disciple fear replaced by loss understood I am the naked prophet disrobed after prolonged oppression I am baptized by blindness dipped into the water Fully submerged The glasses wash away Swept aside in the river’s current Sins relinquished. Like a prophet, I convert Yet I rise — a Lazarus A Believer. I wonder If my eyes weren’t taken would I still be the same? — Ann Chiappetta ***** ** Affiliate News * New Jersey Council Offers Scholarship The New Jersey Council of the Blind is now accepting applications for the Bernard Zuckerman Scholarship. To be eligible, you must be legally blind, a resident of New Jersey, and a full-time college student (undergraduate or graduate) for the 2022-2023 academic year. To apply, you must: • Complete a scholarship application at https://njcounciloftheblind.org/scholarships/. • Obtain and submit a letter from your doctor to certify legal blindness; • Submit three reference letters from teachers, school counselors or other community advocate (no family members permitted); • Extracurricular activities and/or offices held, volunteer or other service activities. Submit your application and supporting documentation by May 15th to NJCB Bernard Zuckerman Scholarship, Scholarship Committee, PO Box 434, Woodbridge, NJ 07095; email scholarships@njcounciloftheblind.org. Please be sure to include all contact information such as telephone and email address. Interviews may be in person or by phone with members of NJCB scholarship committee or executive board. What is required of scholarship winners? At any meeting, by prearrangement with recipients, they can present a brief oral report on what it has meant to have the scholarship, and/or some significant events/experiences since the awarding of the scholarships. ***** ** In Memoriam: Bill Spoone Bill Spoone, 89, of Orlando, passed away on January 2, 2022. He was born in Morristown, Tenn. in 1932. He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Pat Lovette Spoone; son Dan Spoone and his wife Leslie; daughter Cathy Spoone and her husband Gregg Buckingham; two grandsons, Ben Buckingham and Sam Spoone; and his exchange student daughter from Norway, Helga Brun. He is preceded in death by his two older brothers, Bob Spoone and Jack Spoone. Bill and Pat were high school sweethearts at Morristown High School, where Bill was the captain of the football team and basketball team his senior year. He earned a football scholarship to the University of Tennessee in 1952, the last class of Coach General Neyland. He is a member of the UT Letterman’s Club. He graduated from UT with a degree in education in 1956. He began his teaching and football coaching career at Etowah, Tenn., and then moved his family to Orlando in 1958, where he began coaching at Edgewater High School. He was a teacher and football coach at Oviedo High School, Deland High School and Evans High School. After earning a master’s degree in education at Rollins College, he became the principal at Howard Junior High in 1971 for 3 years, followed by Oak Ridge High School for 12 years, and Dr. Phillips High School for 6 years. He was the first principal of Dr. Phillips High School. He then served as a member of the Orange County School Board for 8 years. Bill was a 30-year member of the Dr. Phillips Rotary Club, a group that provided him with 30 years of friendships. He received the Paul Harris Fellow three times and served as the president of the club for a year. He is a member of the Oak Ridge High School Sports Hall of Fame and the Morristown High School Sports Hall of Fame. Oak Ridge High School named its gymnasium the William C. Spoone Gymnasium, and Dr. Phillips High School named its football stadium the Bill Spoone Stadium. Bill was a wonderful husband, father, and grandfather, always loving and full of fun. In all his dealings in life, he tried to be fair and caring to others. He was a great storyteller and sports fan! He looked out for and championed the underdog. He got to marry the love of his life. Hip, hip, hooray, Bill Spoone, for a life well lived! A Celebration of Life will be held this spring at the First Unitarian Church of Orlando. In lieu of flowers, the family invites you to join them in honoring Bill’s lifetime commitment to education by helping them create the Bill and Pat Spoone Scholarship at Valencia College. Donations can be made online at https://valencia.org/donate/ or by sending a check made payable to Valencia College Foundation to Valencia College Foundation, PO Box 3028, MC: DO-41, Orlando, FL 32802. Please indicate your donation is in memory of Bill Spoone. ***** ** Passings We honor here members, friends and supporters of the American Council of the Blind who have impacted our lives in many wonderful ways. If you would like to submit a notice for this column, please include as much of the following information as possible. 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) Deaths that occurred more than six months ago cannot be reported in this column. * Rick Kuhlmey Nov. 25, 1941-Oct. 18, 2021 by Kathy Welsh and Donna Seliger Roderick “Rick” Kuhlmey was born in Minneapolis, Minn. on November 25, 1941 to LeRoy and Marge Kuhlmey. His accomplishments: graduated from Buffalo High School; completed courses at the University of Minnesota; joined the Air Force and then moved to Las Vegas, Nevada. He graduated from UNLV with a B.A. degree in psychology. Rick was a Teamster when he walked 400 miles from Las Vegas to Carson City, Nev. for POW’s and MIA’s and received worldwide recognition for his efforts. He was a volunteer and lobbyist for veterans, blind and visually impaired. Rick was responsible for the first prescription drug reader for Las Vegas and throughout the United States. He was president of the Nevada Council of the Blind for decades; served in Blind Lions; member of the Nevada Association of the Blind; a faithful member of his church and executive secretary to the bishop of the LDS Church. Rick went home to be with his heavenly father on Oct. 18, 2021. He will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him. ***** ** 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. * Envision Conference East Envision Conference East will be held May 19-21, 2022, at the Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. Envision Conference is the only multidisciplinary conference with the goal of closing practice gaps and disseminating the latest advancements in rehabilitation techniques, research and technology. For more information, or to register, visit www.envisionuniversityevents.com/ConferenceEast2022. * Rare Patient Voice Get paid for your opinion! Patients (age 16 +) and caregivers (family, friends) of any disability, disorder, syndrome, disease, or condition are provided an opportunity to voice their opinions through surveys and interviews to improve medical products and services. Rare Patient Voice connects you with researchers who are developing products and services which can help you and others with your condition. They need patient input so that they develop products and services that have a meaningful impact on patients’ lives. Over the past seven years, Rare Patient Voice has paid patients over $6 million. You will earn $100 per hour for participating in studies. We pay by check to ensure patients can use their compensation in any way they wish. To sign up, go to https://rarepatientvoice.com/TGalanos/. If you need assistance, contact Jennifer Neal, Data Management and Social Media Outreach Associate, via email, jennifer.neal@rarepatientvoice.com, or phone (410) 598-0076. * Discounts on Internet Service The Affordable Connectivity Program, which is overseen by the Federal Communications Commission, passed in November 2021. For more information, and to sign up, go to https://acpbenefit.org/ or call 1-877-384-2575. * Healthy Weight at Home Study Healthy Weight at Home is a free weight loss program for parents with a child (8-18 years) who has a disability. Participants get 12 weeks of video coaching sessions and directions for an evidence-based approach to safe and effective weight loss. This is part of a study being conducted at Towson University. Everybody gets the weight loss program, and the weight loss coaching is free. And you may get the chance to get a $50 gift card for participation. To learn more, contact the Physical Activity and Public Health Lab at paphl@towson.edu. * ACB’s Executive Director on TV Cooking Without Looking TV show hosts Allen Preston and Annette Watkins recently welcomed ACB’s executive director Eric Bridges, his wife, Rebecca, and their son, Tyler, as they gave tips on parenting when you are totally blind and your children are sighted. Eric provided tips on cutting and staying safe in the kitchen while Tyler showed off his cutting skills and sliced potatoes for their favorite roast potato recipe. Rebecca also showed how to prepare Eric’s favorite dish, Spicy Roasted Chicken Legs. Watch by visiting http://ow.ly/gueY50Hv2YT. Rebecca’s recipe for Spicy Roasted Chicken Legs is available at http://ow.ly/wN1R50Hv2YX. * New from National Braille Press Now available is “Friday Morning Quotations - Volume 2,” compiled by K. Wilson. This is a spiral-bound braille booklet with 52 new quotes that are useful for speeches, toasts, and braille reading practice. Also new is the “Morning Quotations Set!” You can get the five latest quote book compilations all at once. Looking for an easy-to-mail gift? Take a look at our print/braille magnets. Quotes include: “When I count my blessings, I count you twice!,” “You Rock,” and “Anyone can be cool, but awesome takes practice,” among many others. See them all at https://www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/publications/braille-gifts.html. For more information, call 1-800-548-7323, or visit www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/publications/index.html. ***** ** High Tech Swap Shop * For Sale: Short Focus 4X 12 Low Vision Monocular. 4X magnification, with a 12-millimeter objective lens and average close focus range of 14 inches. Comes with a protective case and strap. In original packaging. Asking $100. OrCam Read, designed for people with mild low vision, reading fatigue, reading difficulties including dyslexia, and for anyone who consumes large amounts of text. This is a handheld device with a smart camera that seamlessly reads text from any printed surface or digital screen. Comes in original packaging. Asking $1,050. Contact Anthony Corona via email, Celebrationac@aol.com. * Looking For: Want to buy an older model printer, HP Laser 1018 that takes the 12A toner cartridge. Supposedly, the HP 1020 laser printer also takes the 12A toner cartridges. Let me know if you have one of these items that you wish to sell. Contact Mari-Lyn Piepho, mlapiepho@gmail.com, or phone (614) 890-4563. ***** ** ACB Officers * President Dan Spoone (2nd term, 2023) 3924 Lake Mirage Blvd. Orlando, FL 32817-1554 * First Vice President Deb Cook Lewis (1st term, 2023) 1131 Liberty Dr. Clarkston, WA 99403 * Second Vice President Ray Campbell (2nd term, 2023) 460 Raintree Ct. #3K Glen Ellyn, IL 60137 * Secretary Denise Colley (2nd term, 2023) 3611 River Bend Dr. Rosenberg, TX 77471-4484 * Treasurer David Trott (final term, 2023) 1018 East St. S. Talladega, AL 35160 * Immediate Past President Kim Charlson 57 Grandview Ave. Watertown, MA 02472 ** ACB Board of Directors Christopher Bell, Pittsboro, NC (1st term, 2024) Jeff Bishop, Kirkland, WA (2nd term, 2024) Donna Brown, Romney, WV (1st term, 2024) James Kracht, Miami, FL (1st term, 2022) Doug Powell, Falls Church, VA (2nd term, 2024) Kenneth Semien Sr., Beaumont, TX (1st term, 2024) Patrick Sheehan, Silver Spring, MD (2nd term, 2022) Koni Sims, Sioux Falls, SD (partial term, 2022) Michael Talley, Hueytown, AL (1st term, 2022) Jeff Thom, Sacramento, CA (1st term, 2022) ** ACB Board of Publications Katie Frederick, Chair, Worthington, OH (1st term, 2023) Cheryl Cumings, Boston, MA (1st term, 2023) Zelda Gebhard, Edgeley, ND (1st term, 2022) Penny Reeder, Montgomery Village, MD (2nd term, 2022) Cachet Wells, Jacksonville, FL (1st term, 2022) ***** 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. ###