The ACB E-Forum Volume LIII August 2014 No. 2 Published by the American Council of the Blind ***** The American Council of the Blind strives to increase the independence, security, equality of opportunity, and to improve quality of life for all blind and visually impaired people. Kim Charlson, President Melanie Brunson, Executive Director Sharon Lovering, Editor National Office: 2200 Wilson Blvd. Suite 650 Arlington, VA 22201 (202) 467-5081 fax: (703) 465-5085 Web site: http://www.acb.org The ACB E-Forum (TM) is available via e-mail, as well as via download from www.acb.org. Subscription requests, address changes, and items intended for publication should be sent to Sharon Lovering at the address above, or via e-mail to slovering@acb.org. The American Council of the Blind (TM) is a membership organization made up of more than 70 state and special-interest affiliates. To join, contact the national office at the number listed above. Those much-needed contributions, which are tax-deductible, can be sent to Attn: Treasurer, ACB, 6300 Shingle Creek Pkwy., Suite 195, 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 via the Combined Federal Campaign, use this number: 11155. For the latest in legislative and governmental news, call the "Washington Connection" toll-free at (800) 424-8666, 5 p.m. to midnight Eastern time, or read it online. Copyright 2014 American Council of the Blind All content created initially for use by ACB in publications, in any media on any web site domains administered by ACB, or as a broadcast or podcast on ACB Radio, archived or not, is considered to be the property of the American Council of the Blind. Creative content that appears elsewhere originally remains the property of the original copyright holder. Those responsible for creative content submitted initially to ACB are free to permit their materials to appear elsewhere with proper attribution and prior notification to the ACB national office. ***** Table of Contents President’s Message: Make Changes Happen on Your Local Commission on Disability, by Kim Charlson ACB Radio Offers Variety of Programming for Your Listening Pleasure Seeing the Value in Accessible PDFs, by Shannon Kelly Your Options for Medicare Supplemental Coverage, by Ron Pollack Touching Your Water Garden: How to Water Garden without Seeing, by Doug and Patti Rose How Labels Limit Us, by Teddie-Joy Remhild Readers’ Forum: The Government and Marriage, by Bob Branco Readers’ Forum: A Fiendish Flashback, by Dan Sullivan Affiliate News Here and There, edited by Sharon Strzalkowski High Tech Swap Shop Something to Sleep on, by John Lee Clark ** Forum Subscription Notes You can now get "The Braille Forum" by podcast! To subscribe, go to "The Braille Forum" page on www.acb.org. If you do not yet have a podcast client, you can download one from the Forum page. To subscribe to "The Braille Forum" via e-mail, go to www.acb.org/mailman/listinfo/brailleforum-L. ** Are You Moving? Do You Want to Change Your Subscription? Contact Sharon Lovering in the ACB national office, 1-800-424-8666, or via e-mail, slovering@acb.org. Give her the information, and she'll take care of the changes for you. ** Listen to “The ACB Braille Forum,” E-Forum and “ACB Reports” by phone. Dial (231) 460-1061. ** Want to enjoy ACB Radio but have no computer? It’s all there for you by phone. Call (231) 460-1047. ** Got talent? Tell us about you: marlaina@acbradio.org. ** Got a request? Tune in to ACB Radio interactive and ask the DJ on duty to play it for you at www.acbradio.org. ***** President’s Message: Make Change Happen on Your Local Commission on Disability by Kim Charlson Getting involved in your local community is probably one of the most important advocacy actions you can take on. I took this to heart about five years ago when I joined the Watertown Commission on Disability. Our nine-member commission is mandated in town regulations, and we are very fortunate that our funding comes from the revenue acquired within the town by the fines paid by handicapped parking violators. This gives our commission approximately $100,000 to work with. We identify our own projects, and can help fund worthwhile organizational activities in the community. Groups present before the commission and we approve funding based on these presentations and goals. Some of the activities we have funded include: • A riverfront quarter-mile accessible sensory/braille trail, designed by the community with access features to maximize the nature experience; • Audio description for plays at the local professional theater; • A non-profit youth group that does snow removal for elders and people with disabilities; • An automatic door opener for the senior center; • Closed captioning for the community television broadcasts of the town council meetings; • iPads for the local special education parent advisory council family loan program; and more. Recently, I had the opportunity in my new role as chair of the Watertown Commission on Disability to sit down and meet with the developer of a new hotel that will be built in Watertown. We discussed design features that will be specifically useful for people who are blind or visually impaired. Watertown is the home of the Perkins School for the Blind and hosts many conferences and has a large visually impaired community. At first, I wondered, “What do I have to say that will help this person to design a new hotel?” Then I really thought about it, and I realized that this was a great opportunity that I wish more of us had to make a building more accessible for people who are blind or visually impaired. We sat down for an hour and reviewed features in three areas – exterior elements, common space features and guest room modifications. Once I got going, I had a lot of fun identifying things I would want done if I were staying at my dream hotel. I’m sure you can think of things as well. For the outside I recommended consideration of things like a blended curb entrance for getting rolling suitcases in and out; detectable warnings at curb ramp locations leading into the street or alerting a pedestrian at exits for parking garages (along with audio alerts); a designated, planned for, conveniently located guide dog relief area; and appropriate lighting for low-vision guests. In the common areas, we identified features such as floor treatments – using carpet and tile as aids in wayfinding for a path of travel for orientation around the hotel; good use of color contrast for signage and lounge areas between carpet and furniture; color striping on the edges of stairs to make them more visible; and limiting the use of mirrors as walls or room dividers. How many times have you or someone you know walked up and had a conversation with a reflection? For guest rooms, I recommended key locks that are proximity based, so instead of having to slide a card key into a slot, you just touch the key to the lock mechanism and the door opens. No more trying your key in the slot four different ways to get the right direction. I also mentioned one of my peeves – inaccessible thermostats for controlling room temperature. I described units that I have used in some hotels that have the outline of an up and down arrow button you can feel, so that you can press in that area and the temperature will go up or down depending on your preference. This type of thermostat makes me very happy because I like my room rather cool. I also discussed appropriate braille and raised-print signage for meeting and guest rooms, elevators and door jambs. I offered to proofread their signage before they install it to ensure they get what they pay for. How many times have you been in hotels that have signage with mistakes or that is installed incorrectly? After this meeting, I really felt like I had made a difference in this new construction coming to my community. The developer has invited me to come and see a very similarly constructed hotel that just opened a few months ago in the Boston area to review some of the same design elements we discussed to see whether they did them correctly in the new location. I also discussed braille and large-print materials and menus when applicable and provided resources for production for the hotel chain. Overall, I feel like I really made a difference for this new construction, and I gained a great sense of accomplishment being a part of funding and growing worthwhile projects that benefit people with disabilities in my community. All of you can have the same level of impact by getting involved with your local commission on disability. I know many of you are already active and working on similar and other unique projects to help your communities. Reach out and get involved locally in your commission on disability. Most cities and towns have some level of committee, commission, board or advisory group focusing on the concerns of people with disabilities. Make your voice heard, and be a representative for people who are blind or visually impaired in your community to make your local area just a bit more accessible for others. If your area doesn’t have a commission, do what Brian and I did in Watertown — organize one. Reach out in general terms to the community through a letter to the editor or other marketing. You won’t regret it! ***** ACB Radio Offers Variety of Programming for Your Listening Pleasure ACB Radio, a project of the American Council of the Blind, streams via the Internet up-to-date and relevant information worldwide for people who are blind or who have low vision, provides programming produced by blind programmers, and a platform on which blind musicians and artists express their talents. Below you will find a brief description of each stream and its programming schedule. *** ACB Radio Mainstream ACB Radio Mainstream is known as “the talk of the blind community,” bringing you content from the International Association of Audio Information Services (IAAIS) and a variety of talk shows. ** Sunday 9:00 p.m. Consumer News – Money management. 10:00 p.m. SoundPrints - Carla Ruschival brings you news and information from the Kentucky Council of the Blind as well as the ACB. The above programs repeat every 2 hours overnight and during the day on Monday until 9 p.m. Eastern time. ** Monday 9:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. The Beacon - An interview program for information concerning people with disabilities, seniors and veterans. 10:00 p.m. - 10:30 p.m. The Crime Crushers Series - DJ Detective takes you through a crime scene and helps you solve the mystery. 10:30 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. Hear and There - Dave Uhlman takes you on a virtual tour throughout the country! 11:00 p.m. - 11:30 p.m. Hobby Radio - If you enjoy working with short wave or ham radio you won't want to miss this show! 11:30 p.m. - 12:00 a.m. Amateur Radio News - Catch up on the latest news. The above programs repeat every 3 hours overnight and during the day on Tuesday until 9 p.m. Eastern time. ** Tuesday 9:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. Biweekly Feature - Here we have two shows that alternate each week. On the first and third Tuesday of the month we have Let's Talk Low Vision. Join Dr. Bill Takeshita and his panel as they discuss many topics that affect the daily lives of people with low vision. On the second and fourth Tuesday we have Council Connection, which is brought to you by the Bay State Council of the Blind. Your host, Marcia Dresser, will bring you the latest news from the New England area as well as conduct fabulous interviews with many guests. 10:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m. Talk Zone Live – Byron Lee provides you with the latest in technology news in this call-in show. ** Wednesday 12:00 a.m. - 1:00 a.m. The Economist - A weekly magazine about today's economy. The above programs from Tuesday evening and early Wednesday morning repeat every 4 hours overnight and during the day on Wednesday until 9 p.m. Eastern time. 9:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. Touching the Future - Articles from Discover, Futurist, and Seed magazines 10:00 p.m. - 10:30 p.m. Eyes on Success - Topics range from descriptions of adaptive equipment and programs to sports and hobbies. 10:30 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. Speaking Out for the Blind - Brian McCallen interviews many different blind individuals and other specialists about a wide variety of topics. The above programs repeat every 2 hours overnight and during the day on Thursday until 7:00 P.M. eastern time. ** Thursday 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. All Things Radio - The latest news in today's commercial radio. 9:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Glenn Hauser's World of Radio - Catch up on what is being heard in the world of short wave radio. 9:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. Biweekly Feature - For the first and third Thursday of each month join Mike Duke for ACB Reports. On the second and fourth Thursday of each month we have News Reel Magazine. 10:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. Western Short Stories - Sit back and relax and enjoy stories from the old west. The above programs repeat every 4 hours overnight and during the day on Friday until 7 p.m. Eastern. ** Friday 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. World of Sports Live - Join John and Paul for what’s happening in the world of sports. 8:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Science of Our Times - A Weekly Magazine about the latest in science today. 9:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. Main Menu - David Tanner and Chase Crispin bring you ACB Radio's number one technology show. 10:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. Key Strokes - Brings you technology news and demonstrates different kinds of computer software. The above programs repeat every 4 hours overnight and during the day on Saturday except for Saturday morning when we air the kids’ line-up. This rotation ends at 10:00 p.m. Saturday evening. ** Saturday 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. Bigler's World - Join Jim Bigler as he reads a variety of kids’ magazines. 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. Children's Story Hour - Hear a variety of children's stories. 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Kid Space - More children's stories. 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Teen Magazines - Hear a variety of magazines for teenagers. 10:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. Cooking in the Dark - Join Dale Campbell as he shows you how to prepare a great variety of delicious recipes. The above programs repeat every 2 hours overnight and during the day on Sunday. The kids’ line-up airs again from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Eastern Sunday. *** ACB Radio Interactive The Interactive stream brings you all kinds of music from blind DJs from around the world. What kind of music? It depends on which DJ’s on the air. When no DJ is on the air, ACB Radio Interactive plays music from its vast library so you are never without music to get you through the day. ** Sunday 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. Encouragement for the Journey with Denny Huff and Chip Hailey. 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Joe's Joint - Music from a British perspective. 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Oldies and More with Radio Rick – Music from the 50’s through the 70’s. 8:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. It's Country with Deb – Country Music. 11:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m. Pemberton's Basement - For those old songs that never were high on the charts. ** Monday 8:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. The Secret Stash - Steve Matzura brings you classic rock hits. 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. The Good Energy Mix - Debbie Hazelton brings lively music and fun conversation. 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Reece's Pieces - Shannon Reece brings you great music and very lively conversations with you! 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. The Ramsay Oldies Show - Chris Ramsay brings you the great oldies. 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. The Jazz Guys with Chris Gray and Don Thompson – Jazz music from the 20’s through the 60’s. 9:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. Toews on the Waves – Bruce Toews bring music and comedy. ** Tuesday 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Reg's Good Stuff - Brings you great music from his collection including his own. 7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. In the Quiet - Debbie Hazelton brings you soft and relaxing music. ** Wednesday 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Wacky Wednesday on the Farm - Tyler plays great music and delivers fun conversation. 9:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. The Doo-Wop Corner – Mike Moran brings music from the fifties and early sixties, the greatest hits and obscure gems. ** Thursday 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Paton Place - Lyn and Joe bring you a wide variety of music and lots of humor. 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. The Yin Yang Show with Brian Charlson and Rick Morin - Brian and Rick play pairs of songs with opposite meanings. 9:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m. Global Beat - Anne Sylvia brings you great international music. ** Friday 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. A New Song with Deb - Contemporary Christian music. 8:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. The Friday Night Free for All with Larry T - Great hits from the 60s through the 80s. 11:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. The Radio Storm - Michael and Angie McCarty play great music and take your requests. ** Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Saturday Morning Oldies with Rick and Deb - The great oldies from the 50s, 60s and 70s. 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. The Big Fun Show - Dan Kysor brings you great comedy and novelty music. 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. The Cruising Show with Anne Sylvia - Anne plays those great cruising oldies. 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. The Desert Skies - Jeff Bishop as he plays tunes from the ‘70s and ‘80s and the latest technology news. 9:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m. Anything and Everything - Kevin Minor plays music from the ‘40s to today. *** ACB Radio Café The ACB Radio Café brings you music 24 hours a day, seven days a week from blind musicians or artists from around the world. Music includes but is not limited to comedy, country, easy listening, jazz, pop and rock. *** ACB Radio Treasure Trove This stream brings you old-time radio from the 1920s through the 1950s. Do you remember those great old radio shows such as “The Shadow”? Or how about “The Green Hornet”? Or maybe you remember “The Jack Benny Show,” which brought laughs to every living room across the country! You can listen and enjoy those shows again on ACB Radio Treasure Trove. All programs listed repeat every 4 hours after their first airing until 12 a.m. the next day. ** Sunday 12:00 a.m. - 12:30 a.m. The Life of Riley 12:30 a.m. - 1:00 a.m. Destination Freedom 1:00 a.m. - 1:30 a.m. Information Please 1:30 a.m. - 2:00 a.m. Family Theater 2:00 a.m. - 2:30 a.m. The Goon Show 2:30 a.m. - 3:00 a.m. Dr. Finlay's Casebook 3:00 a.m. - 3:30 a.m. The Jack Benny Program 3:30 a.m. - 4:00 a.m. Frontier Gentleman ** Monday 12:00 a.m. - 12:30 a.m. The Aldrich Family 12:30 a.m. - 1:00 a.m. Box Thirteen 1:00 a.m. - 2:00 a.m. The Lux Radio Theater 2:00 a.m. - 2:30 a.m. Hancock's Half Hour 2:30 a.m. - 3:00 a.m. The Price of Fear 3:00 a.m. - 3:30 a.m. The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet 3:30 a.m. - 4:00 a.m. Gunsmoke ** Tuesday 12:00 a.m. - 12:30 a.m. Boston Blackey 12:30 a.m. - 1:00 a.m. Richard Diamond, Private Detective 1:00 a.m. - 1:30 a.m. Fibber McGee and Molly 1:30 a.m. - 2:00 a.m. X Minus 1 2:00 a.m. - 2:30 a.m. Dad's Army 2:30 a.m. - 3:00 a.m. Lord Peter Wimsey 3:00 a.m. - 3:30 a.m. Duffy's Tavern 3:30 a.m. - 4:00 a.m. Have Gun, Will Travel ** Wednesday 12:00 a.m. - 12:30 a.m. The Phil Harris-Alice Fay Show 12:30 a.m. - 1:00 a.m. Let George Do It 1:00 a.m. - 1:30 a.m. The Great Gildersleeve 1:30 a.m. - 2:00 a.m. The Story of Dr. Kildare 2:00 a.m. - 3:00 a.m. By the Book (BBC Dramatized Books) 3:00 a.m. - 3:30 a.m. The Mel Blanc Show 3:30 a.m. - 4:00 a.m. Dangerous Assignment ** Thursday 12:00 a.m. - 12:30 a.m. Burns and Allen 12:30 a.m. - 1:00 a.m. Escape 1:00 a.m. - 1:30 a.m. Father Knows Best 1:30 a.m. - 2:00 a.m. The Whistler 2:00 a.m. - 2:30 a.m. The Navy Lark 2:30 a.m. - 3:00 a.m. The Men from the Ministry 3:00 a.m. - 3:30 a.m. You Bet Your Life 3:30 a.m. - 4:00 a.m. Inner Sanctum Mysteries ** Friday 12:00 a.m. - 12:30 a.m. Our Miss Brooks 12:30 a.m. - 1:00a.m. Dragnet 1:00 a.m. - 1:30 a.m. Abbott and Costello 1:30 a.m. - 2:00 a.m. The Shadow 2:00 a.m. - 2:30 a.m. Round the Horn 2:30 a.m. - 3:00 a.m. Paul Temple 3:00 a.m. - 3:30 a.m. The Amos and Andy Show 3:30 a.m. - 04:00 a.m. The Adventures of Philip Marlow ** Saturday 12:00 a.m. - 12:30 a.m. The Halls of Ivy 12:30 a.m. - 1:00 a.m. The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes 1:00 a.m. - 1:30 a.m. My Favorite Husband 1:30 a.m. - 2:00 a.m. The Cisco Kid 2:00 a.m. - 2:30 a.m. Steptoe and Son 2:30 a.m. - 4:00 a.m. Saturday Night Theatre *** ACB Radio World News and Information ACB Radio World News and Information brings you the latest news and information from several sources, including: Radio Australia, Public Radio International, Canadian Broadcasting, British Broadcasting, and Voice of America. The following programs air at the same time each day of the current week. 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Global News from the BBC 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Cross Country Checkup from the CBC 9:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Encounter from VOA 9:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. Asia Pacific from Radio Australia 10:00 p.m. - 10:30 p.m. Asia Review from Radio Australia 10:30 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. International News from VOA 11:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m. The World from PRI 12:00 a.m. - 12:30 a.m. Press Conference USA 12:30 a.m. - 01:00 a.m. Issues in the News from VOA * The above schedule repeats every seven hours around the clock until 6 p.m. the following evening. ACB Radio is just a phone call away. If you are away from your computer, or if you are in a place where cell phone coverage is sparse, you can still listen to ACB Radio! Yes, you can listen to ACB Radio with an ordinary telephone by calling (231) 460-1047. Long-distance charges apply. Once you connect, you can choose which stream you wish to listen to. ***** Seeing the Value in Accessible PDFs by Shannon Kelly (Editor’s Note: Shannon Kelly is a global accessibility solutions subject matter expert at Actuate Corporation (NASDAQ: BIRT), The BIRT Company™ and the market leader in personalized analytics and insights.) Of all the organizations that provide us with products and services, which ones are truly addressing the challenge of accessibility? Chances are, they are doing a fine job in terms of their physical facilities, internal hiring policies and maybe even their web pages. It’s a lot less certain, though, that their web content is as good and, in some cases, as legally compliant as it should be. For the visually impaired, especially those who use assistive technology software such as screen readers that allow them to read and consume digital information, how compatible with that technology are web-delivered PDF documents like bank statements, utility bills, tax notices or medical information from their insurance company? In the United States, unfortunately, it can be a roll of the dice. Why is this the case? In addition to our own personal experiences, there’s also no end, unfortunately, to newspaper headlines about aggrieved customers who have felt so ignored or improperly treated in this regard that they have sought legal redress. (1) A big target for these lawsuits is the financial services sector, but many industries are facing challenges around accessibility, especially in North America, Canada, the UK and Australia, though other parts of the world are not that far behind. In the U.S. we have a set of either existing or imminent legislation mandating access for all sorts of people, but increasingly those with visual impairments, to ensure access to digital information. Interestingly, most existing legislation was created long before our digital explosion, like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, (2) yet the litigious efforts forcing accessibility compliance on these companies continue to reign triumphant for the visually impaired. Why is this? Partly due to a public statement by the Department of Justice interpreting public accommodations to include web sites, even though currently the ADA doesn’t identify that; consider the recent and controversial ruling by the DOJ on H&R Block. (3) The new proposed amendment to the ADA, expected in March 2015, will be an accessibility eye-opener for those who haven’t already addressed their digital communications. ** Exceptions Have Stopped Being the Rule How did organizations deal with this problem up until now? There’s a concept of an exception process requiring the customer to identify his/her disability, and only those who request an accessible statement would get one — but they have to wait for one to be generated for them. But in today’s digital, always-on age, companies can no longer simply ask customers to wait for a special copy. These customers need information at the same time as everyone else, and it can often be expensive or even medically risky to ask them to wait. Welcome to the era of true, 24/7 content democracy. Most organizations produce what specialists call ad hoc web site content, producing PDFs, the de facto standard form for documents, at the desktop level that are visually readable across whatever platform folks need to consume them from. ** Accessibility At Scale Today, most companies will be working to dovetail that kind of PDF content creation closely with accessibility standards. But say you have a bank, or a government agency, or a telecommunications company. How will these organizations make sure all of their e-delivered customer statements, invoices, and communications will be accessible in their PDF versions? Are they going to have someone go through each statement manually, remediating it to the correct accessibility guidelines? That might be an acceptable approach if they were sending out 30, 300, or 3,000 such statements in PDF form. But what about 100,000? Or a million? Or more? The fact is that it is simply not possible to ensure these one to one, web-delivered customer communication examples meet accessibility requirements at that scale. All these organizations will need specific technology help to stand any chance of automating that process — that is, unless they can spare $5 to $35 per page to get it done manually by contractors. And remember, this is a process to be repeated each month: these are tasks that companies have to do that they probably can’t do manually. What should institutions think about in addressing these issues? First, they need to apply a tagging structure at the sub-layer level to every PDF. Next, make certain the tag structure meets accessibility compliance standards and is tested to ensure compatibility with screen readers allowing the visually impaired access, navigation, and usability of the document. Until now, it simply hasn’t been possible for organizations to create accessible PDFs for these documents generated at the enterprise level. The good news is new innovative software is now available that effectively automates this process, satisfying the legal requirement to provide accessible electronic content, and replacing expensive, manual PDF tagging with a scalable, affordable, automated solution that can make all high-volume PDFs accessible. ** Compliant – But Also Helpful and Supportive Put simply, what is needed is the ability to create, at the enterprise level, intelligent templates containing accessibility rules that get incorporated into the data or documents that flow through it, automatically generating fully accessible PDFs (4) in the millions, or more as needed. Of course it must be a cost-effective solution for the mass output of documents. PDFs are, after all, the ideal way to deliver content to everyone. But to make that a reality for all, institutions need to spend conscious effort to get that process done accessibly. If they don’t, not only could they face legal risk, but they miss the opportunity to provide a satisfying user experience for every customer, no matter their ability. ** Footnotes 1 Just a few of the many cases can be found via links like http://www.karlgroves.com/2011/11/15/list-of-web-accessibility-related-litigation-and-settlements/ or http://lflegal.com/category/settlements/ 2 You may find this site relevant http://www.dirigodev.com/blog/web-development-execution/website-ada-accessibility/ 3 http://www.infolawgroup.com/2014/03/articles/lawsuit/doj-consent-decree-provides-guidance-to-web-accessibility-compliance-under-ada/ 4 The standards as set by http://www.w3.org/standards/webdesign/accessibility ***** Your Options for Medicare Supplemental Coverage by Ron Pollack Medicare health coverage is fairly comprehensive. But if you need a lot of care, Medicare can leave you with significant out-of-pocket costs. That’s why most people have some kind of supplemental insurance to help cover the costs that Medicare doesn’t. Choosing a supplemental plan that makes sense for you is not always easy. Here are some tips that will help. ** What are the types of supplemental coverage? About a third of people with Medicare have supplemental insurance from a former employer. If you are lucky enough to have this type of coverage, it is probably your best option. Be careful if you ever decide to drop it — you may not be able to get it back. People with low incomes may qualify for their state’s Medicaid program (and other related programs) that cover Medicare premiums and prescription drug costs. If you don’t fall into these categories, you may want to consider buying either a private Medicare supplement plan (often called “Medigap”) or a Medicare Advantage plan. Both options have advantages and disadvantages, and you should do careful research before selecting one or deciding to change your current coverage. ** What are Medigap plans? Medigap plans work with original Medicare and pay costs that are left over after Medicare has paid what it covers. Depending on the plan, they pay for some amount of Medicare’s deductibles and co-insurance. They do not usually offer additional services, so they will not pay for an item or service that Medicare does not cover. For example, they do not cover prescription drugs, so most people with original Medicare and a Medigap plan also buy a Part D plan. Medigap plans are sold by private insurance companies. These plans come in several different categories, each designated by a letter: For example, “Medigap Plan F.” Every plan with the same letter must offer the same benefits, so it is easy to compare plans from different insurers. In addition, these plans have to follow state and federal rules. ** What are Medicare Advantage plans? Medicare Advantage plans are different from Medigap plans. Medicare Advantage plans are run by private insurers that contract with Medicare to provide all Medicare benefits. Many of these plans include prescription drug coverage, and some plans also offer extra services that are not covered by traditional Medicare. Medicare Advantage plans usually have provider networks that limit which doctors and hospitals you can go to. Medicare Advantage plans also have rules about what you will have to pay out of pocket that differ from the rules for traditional Medicare. Sometimes these rules are beneficial and can protect you from high out-of-pocket costs. For example, a Medicare Advantage plan may have a low co-payment for office visits. But sometimes you may pay more for a service if you have a Medicare Advantage plan compared to traditional Medicare. ** What factors should I consider if I’m deciding between buying a Medigap plan and a Medicare Advantage plan? There is no insurance that is right for everyone. Here are some key factors to consider: • Medicare Advantage premiums may be more affordable than Medigap premiums. • Medigap may offer better protection against high out-of-pocket costs (deductibles, copayments, and co-insurance) than Medicare Advantage. • Medicare Advantage plans may offer extra services not covered by Medicare. • Medicare Advantage plans can change what services they cover every year. Medigap plans usually do not change what they cover, but they can, and do, raise premiums. • Medicare Advantage may limit your choice of doctors to a particular network and may require you to get a referral from your primary care doctor to see a specialist. Medigap will not. One key concern is that in many states, Medigap premiums can increase as you get older. And if you decide to drop your Medigap plan, you may have to pay a much higher premium to get that plan back in the future — if you can get it back at all. So be careful about making any changes to your Medigap coverage. ** When can I enroll? Normally, you can enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan only during Medicare’s annual open enrollment period, which runs from October 15 to December 7. Once you pick a Medicare Advantage plan, you must stick with it for the whole year (unless you qualify for a special enrollment period). Sign-up periods for Medigap plans vary from state to state. ** How can I get more information? Anyone with Medicare can get help from a local counselor through their State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP). Call 1-800-MEDICARE and ask for a referral to your local SHIP, or go to www.Medicare.gov and click on “Find someone to talk to.” ***** Touching Your Water Garden: How to Water Garden without Seeing by Doug and Patti Rose (Editor’s Note: Doug Rose is a member of the California Council of the Blind. He and his wife, Patti, own and operate Rosepond Aquatics, www.rosepond.com, and Easy Pond Vac, www.easypondvac.com. They are founders of the North Coast Water Garden Club, www.ncwgc.org, too.) As an avid water gardener who is blind, I have been asked by sighted gardeners, “How do you garden?” and “What do you enjoy about water gardening since you have no vision?” It took some reflection on my part to discover why I enjoy water gardening other than I just knew it felt good. I have been without sight most of my life. I grew up on a farm and enjoyed farming but it all changed to a new level once I started water gardening. My sighted wife and I have been water gardening as a hobby and as a business. The sounds, sensations and odors involved with water gardening are unique compared to the rest of nature. I never get bored with listening to water features and all the various sounds you can make them create. It can be a simple trickle sound to a more intense rushing sound. Originally I disliked the softer trickle sounds. But as can happen with music, I have come to acquire an appreciation for the gentle trickle. To me a waterfall sounds like a jazz composition. Even though the flow rate is consistent the water will create variations in sound over time. I have spent countless hours experimenting with the sound by placing rocks or other objects in the flow to create new water melodies. Hopefully the sound changes I make are also visually pleasing. Other sounds I have noted are the kissing sounds fish make when they feed or the distinct sounds of dragonflies when they move. Every summer night is filled with the courting sounds of frogs. But it is not just the sounds that make water features so attractive. There are many unique sensations to be felt. Water has a smooth, flat surface feeling and a therapeutic feel when flowing. Perhaps this is why fish swim into the flow of a waterfall. I am continuously fascinated by the feel of water lily leaves floating and their various sizes, shapes and sinus constructions. The stems are hollow and make for good drinking straws. When I touch a dying leaf and stem I sense a different feel from healthy counterparts, as they are soft. In murky water, my sighted wife often asks me to feel inside the pot of water lilies and see how many growing points have developed. I have also made braille labels for the water lilies. They aren’t affected by nature like print labels are so I can always tell her which plant is which. The braille dots on plastic are resilient; they never break down or become unreadable by a covering of algae. Repotting a water lily is like uncovering a mystery. It is easy to divide water lilies by touch. The anchor roots and the feeder roots are easily distinguished and the growing points are easy to find. With a little experience I can find new plants and separate them from the old root stock with just my sense of touch. Most marginal plants can be identified by touch or fragrance. Aquatic mint and acorus both have a distinct smell. Grasses are obvious and some have edges. Corkscrew rush curls and iris have strap leaves. Floating hearts might be a bit of a challenge because some water lilies have small leaves too, but their flowers definitely are different. String algae are another venture into mystery land. In the spring it is mushy and doesn’t stick together. The summer version is where it gets its name. I don’t need sight to collect string algae, but pea soup algae are a different story. I only know about pea soup algae after a sighted person reports it. But without sight I can still enjoy a green pond whereas sighted folks want to change it. The water lily flowers have so many different fragrances. From my above-ground pond I can pull a flower to my nose to savor the smells. My above-ground pond also makes it easy to access all the sensations of water gardening, and it is ergonomic for seniors. Much of the work of pond maintenance and pond construction can be performed without vision. I use a talking tape measure, beeping level, talking weight scale, and talking thermometer to aid in construction and maintenance. As soon as a talking salt meter and talking water test kit come on the market, I will have them too. My talking computer gives me access to the same tools as a sighted gardener. For example, I gather information about water gardening, calculate water volumes, receive weather reports, and perform as president of our local water garden club. Water gardening is a very viable option for visually impaired gardeners. It can be done as a hobby or as a job. I welcome anyone interested in following up on this topic to contact me via e-mail, info@ncwgc.org, or phone, (707) 839-0588. ***** How Labels Limit Us by Teddie-Joy Remhild As I celebrate my 81st birthday, having lived 45 of those years as a blind woman, I am struck by the degree that limiting labels and perceptions have impacted my life. There is a prevalent assumption in our society that one glance or brief encounter can provide us almost all the information we need to know about each other. These glances and brief encounters make our lives less complicated and after all, we are all very busy people and don’t have the time to learn authentic and comprehensive information about each other. Having accumulated 8 decades of evolving generational experiences, I can attest to the discrimination and biases assumed by others about me which have imposed limits on my options and choices in life. During my younger years as a sighted person, before the age of 35, there was widely accepted gender discrimination. Labels such as “chick,” “babe,” “broad,” and “sexpot” were common vernacular, used by both males and females in our society. My generation of young women was almost never referred to as women but always as girls, no matter the age. The interesting thing about those labels, which certainly were discriminatory, is that we who were so labeled did not object or even recognize the commonly accepted biases. After the age of 35, I began life as a single blind parent of 3 young children and also began to learn of the discrimination which existed against blind people with some unique limiting perceptions about blind women in particular. For instance, as a client of the State Department of Rehabilitation seeking job training in order to support my 3 children, I was restricted to “blind female jobs.” At that time there were two choices available for blind females. They were medical transcriber and food vendor manager. The latter was a program in California which trained blind individuals to work as cafeteria or vending stand managers through a designated program for blind people. Neither of those choices really suited me, but living on welfare was less desirable. Therefore, I made an unenthusiastic but responsible choice to work as a medical transcriber, which I did for 9 years. The additional limitation of that job was my eventual realization that I was not expected to desire advancement or promotions. In those days one was expected, as a blind employee, just to be satisfied to have a job, never mind individual potential. All of these years and experiences have served to educate me as to the need to seek knowledge and information regarding my civil rights and to connect with the organizations and representatives who could assist me in overcoming all these limiting barriers. Some of the limiting labels during this period of my life journey were “handicapped,” “invalid,” “blinks” and being a member of “the blind.” None of these labels recognized the fact that I was primarily a person who happened to be legally blind. Now in the latter portion of my life, I am aware of not only gender discrimination and disability discrimination but, in addition, I am continually confronted with age discrimination. Some common labels which accompany the life evolution into the later years of life are “hag,” “crone,” “old bag,” and “bag lady.” There are also misperceptions that at a certain age, one becomes physically and mentally incompetent and, of course, faced with unavoidable dementia, senior moments and becoming a burden on both family and society. These labels and beliefs certainly lead to discrimination and disrespect of a population from whom we have evolved. The interesting long-term result of these beliefs and labels is that we create a self-fulfilling prophecy about ourselves as we also eventually age. Having survived all of these limiting labels, misperceptions and barriers with a remarkable memory, good health, and many respectable accomplishments, I happily proclaim the inanity of all of these false images. We are all unique individuals, living with our own unique truth. This truth deserves respect, regardless of gender, disability or age. ***** Readers’ Forum: The Government and Marriage by Bob Branco (Editor’s Note: You can reach Bob Branco via e-mail, branco182@verizon.net.) When two people decide to get married, where at least one of the spouses is on federal subsidy because of a disability, the government has a tendency to cut benefits from the married couple based on income. Yet, if these same people decide to cohabitate, they get to keep all their money. Please keep in mind that if a couple decides to marry after living together, their expenses do not change. They still eat the same food, wear the same clothes, clean the house the same way, pay their rent the same way, and shop for groceries the same way. Let's put this all in perspective. Yes, all of us have the right to make our own choices. At the same time, there is a portion of our population who choose to get married for the obvious reasons. They should be able to marry without fear of losing money. If the government thinks that it's so terrible for people to depend on subsidy in order to run a household, then why don't they take it away from people who cohabitate? I'm not saying that it's right or wrong to cut federal subsidies from anybody, but it seems to me that the government is allowing cohabitation more than it allows marriage, based on its actions. While this is going on, the government is always encouraged to separate church from state. I don't think the government makes this separation here. To Catholics, marriage is a sacrament. To the government, where people with disabilities are concerned, it doesn't seem to matter. People with disabilities who want to exercise the sacrament of marriage will be penalized for it. I am blind, and I am also trying as hard as possible to get a job. Some day, I want to get married. I want to apply my moral beliefs and go through with it for all the right reasons. I wouldn't want to stay single because a system puts the fear of God in us. If I do marry, and if my wife and I are subject to cuts, how would we do it? I have figured out that the formula the government uses in order to determine how much subsidy to cut from married couples with disabilities keeps these couples way below the poverty level. I know couples with disabilities who want to get married, but they are frightened. What if their benefits are reduced? How could they survive? I also knew a couple who was engaged for 10 years, with no intentions of getting married. The reason was very clear. They were afraid to marry because the benefits from one of the spouses would be slashed. The man, who passed away, was in a wheelchair, and the woman is legally blind. Neither one had a job at the time. I've even heard of couples who get divorced for financial reasons, and not because they were no longer in love. Is this how America should be? I say no. If you want to cohabitate, it's your right, but if you really want to get married, that is also your right. It's easy for someone to say, "Get a job." Yes, we all want to work, but many of us are out of work, and not by our own choosing. So, while we are looking for work, we still have to eat, shop, put clothes on our backs, clean the house, pay rent, buy medicine, etc. These needs do not stop just because we aren't working yet. It takes time, especially for those of us with disabilities, to get a job, even though we spend twice as much energy looking. People with disabilities want to work as much as anyone else, and I'm sure that many of these people who are forced to receive federal assistance don't want it. However, if the circumstances aren't what we want them to be, life still must go on. In closing, allow me to bring some scary irony to this discussion. In Massachusetts, there is a law on the books forbidding lewd and lascivious cohabitation. Though no one is ever caught, that isn't the point. It's just ironic because these cohabitators appear to be rewarded by the government. So, in Massachusetts, couples with disabilities have two choices: either they do something illegal or go broke. I am asking people to help me send a message to either the federal government or the Massachusetts government, with concrete evidence as to why marriages of people with disabilities can't survive the financial cuts that are forced on them. ***** Readers’ Forum: A Fiendish Flashback by Dan Sullivan It has finally happened. That moment we have all been waiting for is here. Mr. Magoo has returned. Thanks to a new series on NBC, that fumbling and bumbling character of nearsighted acclaim is once more educating us about the haphazard realities of diminished acuity. Titled "Growing Up Fisher," this TV show is supposedly based on the real life of producer D.J. Nash's blind father. Its main character is a blind attorney named Mel Fisher. The first episode opened with the scene of Mr. Fisher firing up a chainsaw and preparing to cut down several trees in his front lawn. To safeguard the gawking nearby family members, he shouts out "Danger Zone" and proceeds. This becomes an indicator of all the Magoo moments that are to follow. Of course there are the mundane stereotypical scenes of Fisher banging his shins against the coffee table. To heighten the malarkey, Fisher teaches his daughter how to parallel park and later on is seen driving the luxury sports car of a client. In another scene, Fisher goes rampaging through the neighborhood on his son's bike. With his son seated precariously behind him, Fisher comically avoids one collision after another. What a guy! Throughout the first episode, the major theme appears to emphasize that those of us with vision losses will stoop to any level to conceal this fact. To keep this series from becoming too far-fetched, however, Fisher has an epiphany in the second show where he comes clean by donning a guide dog, white cane, and dark glasses. Toward the end of the show, it is then explained why both the cane and dog are necessary. The cane is used to smack any approaching cars whenever Fisher ventures through a crosswalk. In the most recent episode, the cane and glasses are gone, so that Fisher must now rely solely on his dog Elvis. When he fails to do so, he ends up falling into a giant hole where street repairs are being done. Leave it to Hollywood to once again reinforce the stigma that by losing sight of the world around us, we each become a Mr. Magoo. In cartoon fashion, we open doors to fall down stairways, descend into empty elevator shafts, and perform all kinds of acrobatics by tumbling over every conceivable obstacle. Although "Growing Up Fisher" attempts at times to touch upon sensitive issues, it nonetheless perpetuates the same old stereotypes that should have disappeared years ago with the original Mr. Magoo cartoon. As such, the issue of blindness is being resurrected as comic relief and a collection of Magoo moments. Then again, why should that bother any of us when we have more important things to do, like cutting down that tree in the front yard? Now if I could just see where I put my chainsaw ... ***** Affiliate News ** Mountain State Council of the Blind Convention Come sail with us at the Mountain State Council of the Blind 2014 state convention. It will be held Oct. 10-12 at the Wingate by Wyndham in Charleston. Room rates are $102 per night plus tax. To make your reservation, call (304) 744-4444 and use group code MSCB. The cut-off date is Sept. 26. To recognize Columbus Day weekend, our convention theme is “Waves of Change, Oceans of Opportunities.” Activities include a trivia night, an auction, a leadership training seminar, exhibitors, and a banquet featuring ACB president Kim Charlson as our speaker. Presentations from the West Virginia Library Commission, the blind vending program, and a mobility coordinator from Mountain Line Transit Authority will also be given. And, oh yes, we’ll be taking a “field trip,” too! We will go on a guided tour of the Cultural Center, where there are many hands-on exhibits. If you have questions, contact Donna Brown at dandmbrown@atlanticbb.net or by calling (304) 940-0292. ***** Here and There edited by Sharon Strzalkowski 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. ** NLS 2013 Collection Development Summary NLS patrons primed the collection development advisory committee with long lists of books and authors they wanted more of. Staff promised to be attentive to these lists when possible and has already provided a birdsong tutor and “Middlemarch.” Use of single cartridges for series books, particularly in the children’s area or where the series is clearly finished, will be expanded. An in-house committee of NLS will look at the magazine program in 2014. “Wired” magazine has been added, and the young adult magazine of the quarter program has ceased. Stay tuned for more changes! In the youth area, NLS will look at more emphasis on providing award-winning books and those used in national summer reading programs. The possibility of network libraries adding their home-grown collections of digital books to BARD is being rolled out. A small number of classic narrators’ readings of books will be digitized and added to BARD, like Alexander Scourby’s reading of “Charlotte’s Web.” You may have already noticed a few changes to “Talking Book Topics” and “Braille Book Review,” including: use of abbreviations like “v” for violence in annotations, axing the author and title indexes in each issue and topic headings within sections. NLS will hire a braille program specialist to look at issues like tactile maps, reference works production and adding some short selections in uncontracted braille for adult braille learners. Careful re-evaluation of braille selection criteria is under way. A new enhanced search engine for BARD is due out near the end of fiscal year 2014. Some introductory foreign language learning books will be coming soon. NLS invites consumer input; it should be channeled through your network library. ** ‘12 Steps to Living with Low Vision’ Every year, tens of thousands of Americans experience some degree of vision loss, leaving many wondering how to adjust and proceed with their lives. A new book, “12 Steps to Living with Low Vision,” by ACB member Elena Thomason, promises to be a valuable resource not only for the individual dealing with a vision loss, but also for family members and loved ones. The 12 steps cover the full range of concerns and questions that can arise from a vision loss, including gaining an understanding of the changes in one’s vision, communicating with doctors, and making changes to one’s personal environment. There are also steps dealing with transportation, adaptive devices, living independently and how to get one’s family involved. The book wraps up with steps on being fully involved in the community, and includes a list of national resources. For more information, contact elenathomason@surewest.net. ** Frozen Meals, Frogs and More! “Healthy Frozen Meals: Cooking Directions & Nutritional Values” is now available in braille, e-braille, and via download from National Braille Press. The average American eats six convenience foods daily, so it's critical to know which bites are the healthiest for you and your family. NBP has tested and brailled 30 of the healthiest meal choices from Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice, Amy's, and Weight Watchers' Smart Ones. It includes microwave and oven directions as well as nutritional values. To learn more, visit www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/FROZENMEALS.htm, or call 1-800-548-7323. NBP also has “Froggy’s Day with Dad” available in contracted braille for ages 2 and up. It’s all about Froggy and his dad, and the time they spend together one Father’s Day playing miniature golf. Froggy learns that mini golf is fun – once he figures out how to face the right way. He even shoots a hole in one! Unfortunately, his next shot hits his dad on the head. All ends well when Froggy presents his dad with a coffee mug he decorated in school: To the Best Dad I Ever Had! The book includes a 3-page guide on introducing your blind child to miniature golf. To read more about this book online, visit www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/BC1405-FROGDAD.html. For more information, contact National Braille Press at 1-800-548-7323. ** Seeking Camp Bloomfield Alumni Walter Chavira is looking for alumni from Camp Bloomfield from 1965 through 1973. Contact Walter via e-mail, walterchavira1@gmail.com. ** BrightFocus Monthly Chats BrightFocus Foundation is a non-profit organization supporting research and providing public education to help eradicate brain and eye diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, macular degeneration, and glaucoma. We are working to save mind and sight. Our latest resource, BrightFocus Chats, is a free monthly telephone discussion on macular degeneration and low vision. For more information about these discussions, visit www.brightfocus.org/telephone-presentation-registration.html. Visitors can also hear previous chats in a number of ways: • Listen to archived versions online (or read the transcripts): http://www.brightfocus.org/macular/resources/audio.html#chats • Listen to archived versions via the telephone at (773) 572-3164. (Long-distance charges apply.) ** Honored for Changing the World Two 13-year-old girls – Lillian Pravda and Maria Keller – were honored in March with an award for “Most Outstanding Service by an Individual 25 Years or Under” at The Jefferson Awards, America’s most prestigious honor for public service. Lillian Pravda’s non-profit, Vision for and from Children, has donated more than 24,100 eye surgeries globally. Lillian Pravda was born blind. Through multiple surgeries, she received the gift of sight. At age 9, Lillian dedicated herself to providing that gift of sight to children who otherwise could not afford surgeries. By age 13, she and her non-profit have gotten over 24,100 surgeries donated. Maria Keller’s non-profit, Read Indeed, has donated more than 1 million books to under-privileged children. She wants to make the world a better place, one book at a time. Maria began Read Indeed when she was 8 years old. Her goal was to distribute 1 million books to kids in need by the time she was 18. She accomplished this goal by age 13. Now she wants to distribute books to all 50 states in the U.S. and every country in the world. ** Little League Challenger Division Celebrates 25 Years In 2014, the Little League Challenger Division is celebrating its 25th anniversary, and Little League celebrates its 75th anniversary. The Challenger Division was founded on June 13, 1989. In addition to the many exciting initiatives honoring Little League’s diamond anniversary, the Challenger Division is commemorating its silver anniversary by recognizing its founding while looking toward the future. During the first year of the Challenger Division, Ed Beardsley, a Little League volunteer at Edgewood Little League in Connecticut and member of the committee that created the Challenger Division, organized a Challenger Fun Day (now named the Ed Beardsley Challenger Fun Day to remember Beardsley’s commitment to the program). Bringing together children with developmental and physical challenges from communities throughout Connecticut for games and activities, the Challenger Fun Day served as a model for future Jamborees. Today, thousands of Challenger Division players get a chance to come together at Jamborees, including at the Jake Hardison Memorial Challenger Jamboree, held every year in Norfolk, Va. Twenty-five Challenger Jamborees will be held throughout the United States and Canada this year. In April 2014, at the 26th Little League International Congress, the delegates enacted the creation of the Senior League Challenger Division. This will give the opportunity for leagues to create a program for adults over the age of 18 to continue to play in the Challenger Division. Boys and girls ages 4 to 18, or enrolled in school until 21, will be able to continue to play in the Little League Challenger Division, and, where available, those 15- to 18-year-olds will have the option to play in the division best suited for their needs. Also at that congress, delegates passed a new rule that allows those eligible to play in the Little League Challenger Division who don’t have a program within their home or school boundaries to register for a league within their district or nearby district. Since 2001, the Garth Brooks Teammate for Kids Foundation (TFK) has provided considerable support for the Little League Challenger Division. This year, to honor the 75th anniversary of Little League and the greater Williamsport, Pa., community, TFK granted Little League $25,000 to provide financial assistance to Challenger Division programs in Pennsylvania District 12 (Lycoming and Sullivan Counties) to attend the Jake Hardison Memorial Challenger Jamboree. This is in addition to a $150,000 grant from TFK to Little League to support Susquehanna Health System’s creation of a Little League Kids Zone in the Hospitality Inn at Williamsport Region Medical Center. Acrobat HD-mini Acrobat HD-mini is a portable, battery-operated electronic magnifier that lets you see near, far, and in between. The high definition gives you a clear picture on a 13.3” screen. The camera’s auto focus allows objects to be magnified at any distance, and the camera settings are saved for each view. It magnifies from 1.3x to 65x, is compatible with a computer, and is small enough to fit on a table or desk. The device comes with a 2-year warranty. For more information, call 1-888-811-3161, or visit www.enhancedvision.com, and mention promo code 110. ** New Audio Game Coming The first edition of “Inquisitor’s Heartbeat,” the new audio game developed by Rising Pixel and published by TiconBlu, is now available. You can explore up to 35 audio scenarios, search, escape, run away and avoid being discovered by the sentinels … or something even worse than that. The Italian version was released May 23rd; English versions came out in mid-June. Visit www.audiogame.it for all the latest updates, and to join the mailing list. ** Perkins Products Lauded as Business Innovator Perkins Products received the 2014 New England Innovation Award from the Smaller Business Association of New England (SBANE) on May 7. The honor recognized Perkins Products as a transformative leader in the field, producing innovative technology and accessible products for customers who are blind or visually impaired worldwide. SBANE received more than 200 nominations for the prestigious awards, and judges selected Perkins Products as the winner in the not-for-profit category. ** 2014 Carroll Society Awards The 30th annual Carroll Society Awards, sponsored by The Carroll Center for the Blind and the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind, have recently been announced. The 2014 Blind Employee of the Year Award was given to Michael Cataruzolo, Volunteer Services Program Coordinator, Perkins School for the Blind. In addition, four individuals will be inducted into The Carroll Society: Henry Apfelbaum, Research Associate, Schepens Eye Research Institute; Pamala Fernandez, Cycling Camp Coordinator, United States Association of Blind Athletes; Otoniel Orozco, Reservation Agent, MWRTA The Ride; and Jason Wallenstein, IT Technician, TJX. ** Brailler Repair Service Leonard Kokel’s Certified Braille Service provides general service, minor and major repairs on Perkins Braillers. He also has reconditioned Perkins Braillers available. For more information, contact Leonard at (541) 888-0846 or e-mail leonardkokel@gmail.com. ** Blind Association Needs Help The Bertemiouse Blind Christian Association works to help more than 700 blind men and women. But it needs your help. Do you have any of the following materials: braille Thermoform machine, a newer version of JAWS, slates and styli, canes, braille paper, braille-and-print embossers, computers (desktop or laptop), or CD duplicators? If so, please contact Tafesse Negash at (717) 688-3045, or e-mail n.tafesse@yahoo.com. ***** High Tech Swap Shop ** For Sale: HumanWare Brailliant B1-40. Only used for about 20 minutes. Comes with manual on disk and cables. Asking $2,750; includes shipping in the U.S. Contact Norm Burke-Yale at (816) 254-9670 or e-mail him, normanyale@sbcglobal.net. ** For Sale: Two Vtech phones, in good condition. Asking $40 for both, $20 per phone. Contact Tonya Smith at (734) 430-1992. ** For Sale: Braille Note PK with KeySoft version 7.2. Asking $100. Power Braille 40-cell refreshable braille display. Asking $900. Contact Philip at (703) 581-9587 or via e-mail, philip-ashley2006@hotmail.com. ** For Sale: Juliet braille embosser in excellent condition; like new. Comes with all cables and manual in braille. It’s packed and ready to ship. Asking $2,500. Contact Lucy Torres at (812) 323-9230. ** For Sale: Gold-plated pocket braille watch, includes chain. Just cleaned and repaired; in excellent condition. Asking $200 or best offer. Contact Robert Herman at home, (360) 876-5850, or via cell, (360) 329-4275, or e-mail him, jmh5851@aol.com. Or you may write him in braille at 4529 Brame Ln. SE, Port Orchard, WA 98366-1153. ** For Sale: i.d. mate Quest, brand new, still in box. Asking $800 or best offer. Contact Robert Lewis at (410) 653-2498. ** For Sale: Two talking wristwatches in excellent condition, asking $7.50 each. Two 1GB compact flash cards for $10 each. One set of computer speakers for $20. One basic talking calculator for $10. I only accept checks or money orders, and will not ship items until the check has cleared. Contact Jeff Rutkowski via phone at (651) 756-8684 or e-mail at jrutkowski7@gmail.com. ** For Sale: New Philips Norelco set of electric shavers that includes the SensoTouch 3D and travel razor. Asking $170. New HP desktop computer. Comes with the latest processor, 16 gigs memory, 1 TB hard drive, wi-fi, Windows 7 Professional, JAWS 15, and Office 2007 Enterprise. Asking $1,200. New Sony laptop with 14” screen, 4 gigs RAM, 1 TB hard drive, Windows 7 Home Premium, Office 2007 and JAWS 15. Asking $750. Contact Jose Luis at (818) 220-6256. ** For Sale: First generation Victor Reader Stream. Comes with all accessories. Asking $125 (negotiable). Call Anne at (631) 476-1222 or e-mail champ42@optonline.net. ** Wanted: I am looking for checkers – the round and square pieces, and a device that would attach to a telephone to let me record telephone conversations, or a telephone for the hearing impaired. Contact Robert Herman at home, (360) 876-5850, or via cell, (360) 329-4275, or e-mail him, jmh5851@aol.com. Or you may write to him in braille at 4529 Brame Ln. SE, Port Orchard, WA 98366-1153. ***** Something to Sleep On Every morning I wake up with strange writings all over my body. What are the wrinkles from my bedsheets inscribing onto my flesh? Other carvings are easier to decipher: waist lines imploring me to lose weight, thin stripes declaring that I have feet but of clay, and a groove around one finger reminding me that I belong to one woman. After making love with her on them, are the creases jealous, sneaking in dreams to confuse our love? Or is the woven cotton kinder, soothing me to keep still, not to toss and turn and wear my nights thin? If my linen is also wise, it must be warning me that I will die one morning bearing a final message, something to sleep on. - John Lee Clark ***** ACB Officers ** President Kim Charlson (1st term, 2015) 57 Grandview Ave. Watertown, MA 02472 ** First Vice President Jeff Thom (1st term, 2015) 7414 Mooncrest Way Sacramento, CA 95831-4046 ** Second Vice President Marlaina Lieberg (1st term, 2015) 15100 6th Ave. SW, Unit 728 Burien, WA 98166 ** Secretary Ray Campbell (1st term, 2015) 460 Raintree Ct. #3K Glen Ellyn, IL 60137 ** Treasurer Carla Ruschival (2nd term, 2015) 148 Vernon Ave. Louisville, KY 40206 ** Immediate Past President Mitch Pomerantz 1115 Cordova St. #402 Pasadena, CA 91106 ** ACB Board of Directors Berl Colley, Lacey, WA (final term, 2016) Sara Conrad, Stevensville, MI (1st term, 2016) Katie Frederick, Columbus, OH (1st term, 2018) Michael Garrett, Missouri City, TX (final term, 2016) George Holliday, Philadelphia, PA (final term, 2018) John McCann, Falls Church, VA (1st term, 2016) Allan Peterson, Horace, ND (final term, 2018) Patrick Sheehan, Silver Spring, MD (1st term, 2018) Dan Spoone, Orlando, FL (1st term, 2016) David Trott, Talladega, AL (1st term, 2018) Ex Officio: Denise Colley, Lacey, WA ** ACB Board of Publications Denise Colley, Chairman, Lacey, WA (1st term, 2015) Ron Brooks, Phoenix, AZ (1st term, 2015) Tom Mitchell, Salt Lake City, UT (1st term, 2016) Doug Powell, Falls Church, VA (1st term, 2016) Judy Wilkinson, San Leandro, CA (1st term, 2016) Ex Officios: Ron Milliman, Bowling Green, KY Bob Hachey, Waltham, MA Berl Colley, Lacey, WA