The ACB E-Forum Volume LX April 2022 No. 10 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 President’s Message: Dad, Thank You for the Legacy, by Dan Spoone Convention Sneak Preview, by Janet Dickelman Calling All Candidates, by Katie Frederick The ACB Constitution and Bylaws Committee Wants to Hear from You The Strength of My Grandmother’s Culture, by Cheryl Cumings A Mother’s Story, by Regina Brink Armenian Connections, by Mary Haroyan Finding Our Way, by Susan Kitazawa Growing Up in Los Angeles with a Political Mother, by Pamela Hill Metz Hispanic Culture for the Gringo Eye, by Gabriel Lopez Kafati Seeing Color While Blind, by Linda Samulski What It Means to Be Italian-American, by Anthony Corona My Six Weeks in Ghana, by Chris Bell Blindness Culture: Reimagining Who We Are, by Paul Edwards Where Have All the Voices Gone?, by Arturo Espinoza Love Letter to Me!, by Cachet Wells No More Racism, by Bob Branco Affiliate News Passings Here and There, edited by Cynthia G. Hawkins ACB Media Music, by Nancy Scott The Cabin, by Ann Chiappetta 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. ***** ** President’s Message: Dad, Thank You for the Legacy by Dan Spoone The dawning of spring reminds me of warm weather, spring baseball and my dad. He loved going to spring baseball games to see his Atlanta Braves at Disney’s Wide World of Sports complex. We had Braves spring season tickets for several years. It was a chance for us to spend an afternoon in the warm Florida sun, and it gave me a chance to listen to his stories that provided a foundation for my life. These are now wonderful memories. Now that Dad has been gone for three months, it has allowed me some time to reflect on his legacy. First, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your kind thoughts for me and our family on the passing of my dad. I think about him every day and the values he taught me. Dad believed in fairness and respect for everyone. He was a man who always led by example. Dad began his career in central Florida as a teacher and high school football coach in the late 1950s and 1960s. Mom and Dad grew up in East Tennessee and moved to Orlando, Florida to enjoy life in a larger community with more diversity and opportunity for growth. Orlando was a part of the “Jim Crow” south of the 1950s, and it was a challenge for my parents. Their belief in the rights of all people to be treated with fairness, respect and dignity was under constant assault. My dad had the first integrated football teams in Seminole County (1965 Oviedo High), Volusia County (1966 Deland High) and Orange County (1968 Evans High). My thoughts go back to that spring baseball game with the Atlanta Braves. Now that I was an adult, Dad felt he could openly share his feelings with me. In 1965, I was eight and my sister, Cathy, was six. Dad was the head football coach at Oviedo High School. At this point in time, Oviedo had only one school for kindergarten through 12th grade (white only). There were only 17 players on the varsity football team. One of them was Simon Harper, a 15-year-old sophomore who was black. The other players welcomed Simon as a teammate, but the local community not so much. Dad shared with me that we received many phone calls protesting Simon’s inclusion on the team. These calls included terrible insults to my mom, my sister and death threats to my dad. On the team’s first road game in Leesburg, Fla., Simon was asked by the restaurant owner to leave the restaurant. He was not allowed inside. The team left the restaurant in unison in protest. Dad shared that this was one of his proudest moments as a coach. I share this story not to praise my father, but to point out the struggles that so many endured in the past. Dad shared this story with me 30 years after it took place to reflect the changes he had seen in his life. His career continued to advance over the years with opportunities to serve as a principal at Howard Junior High, Oak Ridge High School and Dr. Phillips High School and as a member of the Orange County School Board. He always embraced diversity, equity and inclusion before anyone knew what to call it. He was an amazing role model. We in ACB need to learn from the lessons of the past. I would like to compliment the Multicultural Affairs Committee for all of their wonderful presentations during Black History Month and their powerful articles in this month’s E-Forum. We still have a long way to go on our journey for equality within ACB, but thanks to your efforts, we are headed in the right directions. Dad, thanks for the legacy you have left me to always see myself in the other person’s shoes. I will try to make you proud. ***** *** Convention Sneak Preview by Janet Dickelman What an exciting time to be involved with the American Council of the Blind! Our 61st annual conference and convention is fast approaching! In-person convention dates are July 1st through 8th. Join us in person in Omaha, Neb. During the in-person portion of the conference, many of our sessions will be hybrid; they will be available via Zoom and broadcast on ACB Media. This year, in addition to the eight days of our in-person convention, there is so much more! Don’t miss the ACB virtual summer auction on Saturday, June 18th at 6 p.m. Central time, preceded by two days of sneak-a-peek appetizer auction items. The convention will officially open virtually on ACB Media and the Zoom platform on June 22nd with the reading of the convention standing rules and the first credentials report. Beginning on June 23rd, we will offer 3 days of Zoom-only sessions. These sessions will be part of the convention and will be listed on the convention registration form, in the convention program and announced via telephone and on ACB media. The Zoom-only sessions will also be broadcast on ACB Media. Some special-interest affiliates will hold business meetings during this time. We will also host Zoom-only sessions (broadcast on ACB Media), the evenings of July 11th through 13th for discussion and voting on resolutions and bylaws not approved during the in-person portion of the convention. Attention state and special-interest affiliates! Nominating committee will be held virtually the evening of June 23rd. Stay tuned for details. ** 2022 Banquet On Thursday, July 7th, don’t miss our fantastic banquet with our can’t-miss speaker Judy Heumann. Judy has been involved in the disability rights movement since the early 1970s. She was instrumental in establishing the independent living movement, and was a key player in fighting for the passage of the landmark Rehabilitation Act of 1973. She is considered the mother of disability rights, and because of her ongoing and tireless efforts, she is an internationally recognized disability advocate. She served as the highest official for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services at the Department of Education under President Bill Clinton, and served under Barack Obama as the senior official for International Disability Rights at the State Department. In 2020, she published her memoir “Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist.” As a true advocate and civil rights activist, she is well familiar with the needs of people with all disabilities, including those who are blind and low vision. She is making a difference for all of us in the 21st century. ** ACB Committees ACB committees have been submitting their program information. Here is a glimpse at what has been scheduled thus far. Please keep in mind that other sessions will be added to this list. All times listed are Central time. Note: many sessions are co-sponsored. To save space in this article, only the submitting committee will be listed. Full information will be shown in the convention program and on the registration form. * ACB Women ACB Women will host the always popular Sister Power Happy Hour on Friday, June 24th. They will also hold yoga and cardio sessions, hosted by Leslie Spoone, on the 23rd and 25th. * Audio Description Project (ADP) Thursday, June 23: Audio Description, “Nothing About Us Without Us”: Blind Consultants Involvement in Creating AD Friday, June 24: Best of the 2021 Audio Description Gala Saturday, June 25: Self-Description: Too Much or Just Enough — Blind Community Perspectives Tuesday, July 5: Potential Employment Opportunities with the National Parks Service Utilizing Audio Description Wednesday, July 6: Get to Know More About the 2022 Audio Description Project Award Winners. Also join ADP for their primetime event the evening of July 5: Entertainment Industry Update. * Berl Colley Leadership Committee Will present Diversity and Inclusion Training on Saturday, July 2nd. * Durward K. McDaniel First-Timers (DKM) Come and welcome the 2020, 2021, and 2022 DKM recipients on Wednesday evening, July 6th. * Employment Committee Join the committee for two sessions on Saturday, June 25th: “Navigating Employment in an Increasingly Virtual World” and “Don’t Let Social Security Impact Your Career.” * Information Access Committee (IAC) On Thursday, June 23rd, IAC will hold a Zoom-only primetime evening session, “Living in the Digital Age.” On Saturday, July 2nd, they will host the always informative 411 from the IAC with all the latest technology news! * International Relations Committee (IRC) On Thursday, June 23rd, IRC will hold a Zoom-only session featuring a panel of international programs of U.S. organizations for the blind. Sunday, July 3rd, join IRC and MCAC for an up close and personal session with our international guest Marc Workman, Executive Director, World Blind Union. On Monday, July 4th, join IRC for Voices from Around the World luncheon and presentation featuring a panel of individuals who came here as immigrant students and are now gainfully employed. * Membership Committee The 2022 membership seminar will be held on Wednesday, July 6th. * Multicultural Affairs Committee MCAC is planning a luncheon and afternoon speaker on Wednesday, July 6th, and an in-person-only mixer the afternoon of July 5th. They will also join in on Sunday with IRC to welcome our international guests. * Pedestrian Environmental Access & Transportation The Pedestrian Environmental Access and Transportation committees will hold “From Mobility and Beyond” sessions on July 3rd and 4th. * Rehab Issues Task Force The Rehab Issues Task Force will hold a session on Monday, July 4th, titled “Unraveling Advocacy for Non-Vocational Rehabilitation Services through OIB and Medicaid.” * Resource Development Committee The RDC is planning a session for the afternoon of Wednesday, July 6th. * Sight and Sound Impaired (SASI) On Sunday, July 3rd, SASI will hold an in-person social, and a session on Monday on over-the-counter hearing aids. * Walk Committee Grab your water bottle and join us on Saturday, July 2nd at 6 p.m. for “Walking Everywhere” prior to opening general session. * Committee on Mental Health and Well-Being This newly minted committee will host sessions on Monday, July 4th and Tuesday, July 5th. ** Keep Up to Date with the Convention List The conference and convention announce list will be chock-full of 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 subscribe to the list. ** 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, please contact Janet Dickelman, convention chair, at (651) 428-5059, or by e-mail, janet.dickelman@gmail.com. ***** ** Calling All Candidates by Katie Frederick As members of the American Council of the Blind, we are responsible for electing a slate of individuals to guide and lead the board of directors and board of publications. In preparation for elections, individuals interested in running for a position on the board of directors or board of publications are invited to participate in the following activities and events. Here are some dates to keep in mind, with more in-depth explanations following. • May 15: Submissions for the candidates’ web page are due. • June 1: Candidates’ web pages are posted and announced. Candidates’ ACB Media promos are due (optional). • June 15: Candidates’ Forum takes place via Zoom and ACB Media. * The ACB Candidates’ Web Page If you plan to run for any ACB elected position, the ACB Candidates’ Page is where you can introduce yourself, post links to your social media pages, and provide responses to the following questions. (Please note: Your response to each question will be cut off at 300 words; the BOP will not edit your responses for spelling or grammar.) 1. Introduce yourself, indicate which position you seek, and explain why you wish to serve in this position. 2. What do you consider to be your strongest contribution to ACB at either the national, state, special-interest affiliate, or local chapter level and why? 3. What do you consider to be the most important challenge facing ACB? How will you work to address it? * Instructions for Candidates’ Page Submissions 1. You must be an ACB member in good standing. 2. Submissions must be in hard-copy braille, hard-copy print, Word document, text file, or in the body of an email. 3. Email electronic submissions to slovering@acb.org with the subject line “Candidates’ Page Submission.” Or mail print, braille, and electronic submissions on a thumb drive to: American Council of the Blind, Attn: Candidates’ Page, 1703 N. Beauregard St., Suite 420, Alexandria, VA 22311. 4. The deadline for all Candidates’ Page submissions is May 15, 2022, at 4 p.m. Eastern. Late submissions will NOT be accepted. 5. All candidates who submit information are invited to produce a promotional announcement to air on ACB Media. * Get to Know the Candidates at the Candidates’ Forum All candidates who post information to the ACB Candidates’ Page will receive an invitation to participate in the ACB Candidates’ Forum June 15 at 9 p.m. Eastern time via Zoom and streaming on ACB Media. Join to meet the candidates, to ask questions and hear their responses. Please note: You must register as a candidate on the ACB Candidates’ Page to participate in the ACB Candidates’ Forum as a candidate. All ACB members can vote, even if not attending the 2022 conference and convention. Participating in the Candidates’ Web Page and Candidates’ Forum are important vehicles for informing our membership! ***** ** The ACB Constitution and Bylaws Committee Wants to Hear from You Since mid-December, the Constitution and Bylaws Committee has been meeting to review ACB’s governing documents, with a particular emphasis on addressing outdated noticing practices and assuring that ACB is in full compliance with all requirements of the D.C. Nonprofit Corporations Act of 2010. With the 2022 annual conference and convention fast approaching, we are now actively soliciting proposed amendments to our constitution and/or bylaws. Beginning in May, we will hold open committee meetings on the first and third Thursdays to receive members’ input on all amendments then under consideration, and committee members will also make themselves available to other community call meetings to afford further opportunities for discussing proposed amendments. Any proposed constitutional and/or bylaw amendments should be sent to committee chair John McCann at john@jamsite.net. ***** ** The Strength of My Grandmother’s Culture by Cheryl Cumings Let’s be honest. In this context of diversity, when we hear the word “culture,” so many people often think that word only refers to people of color and stop reading, stop listening and disengage. Of course, that’s wrong because culture is custom, heritage, tradition, lifestyle, values, beliefs, mores and habits. This means that everyone has a culture or cultures in their life. A significant part of my cultural background is Guyanese, West Indian and African American. My grandmother was someone who taught me about my culture. She was a seamstress. As a child I remember her always insisting that we had the right to do and to go anywhere we wanted. There were times when someone would stop by our house for a bite to eat or a place to stay. She always gave what she could, and sometimes a request from someone to stay one night would turn into a few weeks. When she saw someone being mistreated or discriminated against, she spoke up. While in school in Guyana, a film company came and was selecting children to be part of a movie. My grandmother noticed that they were selecting only Caucasians or light-skinned Blacks. I don’t fit in those categories and knew I wasn’t going to be selected. I heard her speaking with the person making the selections and I heard her telling him that he had to choose children from all backgrounds. The immediate impact was that my friend and I were both selected to be in the movie. Once I became blind, I’ve found myself challenged in many ways. As I reach for the courage to act, I often remember my grandmother and draw on her examples to raise my hand, to speak up and to move forward. In the past, the Multicultural Affairs Committee has focused on providing informational sessions and trainings, primarily at the convention. However, as the community calls have become part of ACB, MCAC will take advantage of this shift in ACB’s culture and offer programs throughout the year. MCAC has partnered with state chapters, special-interest affiliates and affiliates to present programs, and we plan to build on this tradition. I also invite anyone who has an idea that will help ACB to advance its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) goals and to become a more welcoming and inclusive organization to reach out to me or any member of MCAC. Cheryl Cumings Phone: (617) 731-5998 Email: cscumings@comcast.net ***** ** A Mother’s Story by Regina Brink I’m Mexican-American. Racial and ethnic antipathy weren’t new to me. Still, when I gave birth to my 4 biracial, African-American children, I realized I was unprepared for the level of violence against Black Americans, especially males. The outright hatred and especially the disregard and insensitivity of non-Black Americans to their fellow human beings astonished me. My white stepmother made ignorant statements about my infant’s skin pigment. When my stepmother’s family had their first grandchild, a little girl who was from 2 white parents, all of a sudden, the children were treated very differently. My father threatened harsh punishment of my 2-year-old son over sharing toys. I threatened to leave our Christmas gathering and forgo them in the future. My mother’s family was kinder to the children. However, my uncle had to put my own mother in her place because she was sharing prejudicial opinions about African-American hair. My attempts to explain and my daughter’s tears were ignored. Often, when discussing academics, we are told we must protect children. However, my children’s most traumatic experiences happened in school. My six-year-old son was accused of stealing when he traded one of his toys with another boy who then wanted it back. The staff never questioned the young white child’s story, ignoring my son’s explanation, which turned out to be true. Another one of my sons was referred to a program to prevent gang affiliation by a substitute teacher who cited his appearance. He was an honor student, a conflict manager for his class, and excelled in sports and music. He had never been sent to detention. All three of my sons were stopped by the police when they were 10, 7 and 3 years old, questioned because of some older teenagers, despite the fact they were obviously not old enough to fit the description. It became clear to me that society did not care about protecting my children. I see no evidence this has changed. I don’t have space to describe raising four teenagers, perceived to be Black, not biracial, and treated accordingly. Each of my children has had frightening encounters with the police and their fellow Americans, although none of them have committed crimes. They’re honor students graduating from college, maintaining values of kindness, inclusion, and integrity. They have all been called racial slurs and been stopped by police as young adults. Their trauma is overlooked. My heart breaks when I realize the change I thought would happen, the hope and progress toward equity we have been working toward, has not and will not protect our Black and Brown children. None of them have been wrongly imprisoned like so many. None of them have been killed by the police or white supremacists. However, when they’re late to a gathering or their phones die, I am terrified I will be one of those mothers crying on TV, begging for justice, burying my child. We can do better, America, and we must. ***** ** Armenian Connections by Mary Haroyan I’ve always been proud of my Armenian heritage. My mom was born in the United States, and my dad came to the U.S. from Nazi-occupied France when he was 13 years old. Because he did not know English, speaking Armenian and French, he was very impacted by not knowing the language. The learning process was difficult for him, and as he learned English he would soon begin to let go of French. When I was very little, we spoke Armenian in the house, most especially with my grandparents, with whom we lived. As the time for starting kindergarten drew close, my dad decided that it was time to speak only English at home to ensure that my younger sister and I would know English and not experience what he did. Unfortunately, I learned English so well, and with Armenian not spoken with me, I soon forgot Armenian and most importantly began to lose the ability to communicate more fully with my grandparents. As deeply as I regret my dad’s decision and ultimately my mother going along with it, I know this was done with concern and love and didn’t have the benefit of the more enlightened thinking of today. When I was about 11 or 12 years old I, along with my sister, enrolled in Armenian school, which was held on Saturday mornings at our church. We learned the Armenian alphabet and ultimately to read and write the language. The language books we used had the letters in somewhat large print and, combined with my having low vision at the time, enabled me to do well. I remember having so much fun in Armenian school, both in the learning as well as just the fun of being with other students, especially during recess. Unfortunately, the one area of comprehension that I was not able to achieve was to actually converse in the language. To this day, I can still picture many of the letters of the alphabet in my mind, remember a number of vocabulary words, speak a few very basic phrases, but not be able to participate in a conversation. During my senior year in high school, I volunteered to teach Sunday school in the same church where I attended Armenian school. The school was conducted in English, and my class was with four- and five-year-old children. At this age they enjoyed playing more than paying too much attention to any lesson plan! This was fine with me. With my low vision, I somehow managed to “watch” what they were doing and be more likely to “figure out” what they were asking me to look at. I will always be grateful to those who ran the Sunday school for believing in my abilities and giving me the opportunity. As happens with the passage of time, circumstances can change, and in my older adult years I’ve not maintained connections to a physical Armenian community beyond my immediate family. But there are some things that don’t change for me, like my ears always perking up when I hear the mention of an Armenian name, Armenian-sounding music, or commemoration events involving the Armenian Genocide. ***** ** Finding Our Way by Susan Kitazawa It felt quite unlucky to be born in a body of 100 percent Japanese DNA in upstate New York. Or at least the timing seemed bad. The Japanese military had bombed and killed our fellow Americans onboard U.S. ships in Hawaii. Coming into the world as an American with pure Japanese DNA was a lot like living as a Muslim American in the years after 9/11. The threat of violence hung in the tight air. Elementary schoolmates muttered racial slurs while assaulting me. My father trained me to put my hands atop the steering wheel and freeze if the police stopped me. We Asian Americans were not alone in knowing of this constant, malicious undercurrent. I knew black American parents taught this to their kids, too. At 16, I knew well that some people might not see us as fellow humans, let alone fellow Americans. Living in this body, I learned firsthand about housing and job discrimination along with that guardedness so familiar to many others living outside the safety of acceptance. So, decades later, how is this cultural experience interwoven with my fraying, remaining 15 percent visual field? I learned very early that life is not set up to embrace each of us equally. I learned that, until we can change the world, I needed to give up self-pity, make the extra effort, and look for allies, even in the least likely places. In an interview with famed tennis player Arthur Ashe, he surprised the interviewer when he said it was much, much harder living his life as a Black American man than it was to live, as he was doing, with an HIV infection and AIDS, back when this diagnosis was usually a certain death sentence. The interviewer was surprised to hear this; I was not. We don’t know which of life’s difficulties are the hardest for one another. The timing, the presence or lack of support, our own resources, and much more shape the landscape in which each of us lives. Most of us can look back on times when the going was rough and remember what lifted us up. We can remember what worked and what didn’t work. Vividly remembering how tough it was to have zero fellow people of color except at home, I went out looking for fellow blind people as soon as I began to lose my eyesight. I started a blind and low vision support group with a fellow blind volunteer when we learned that the Lighthouse didn’t have such a group. Living as an American, both as a person of color and as a blind person, I’ve come to cherish and embrace the richness of my life outside of the default, standard, more usual experience. I’ve come to treasure this despite, or perhaps even because of, it being somewhat of a steep, bumpy path. I learned early that having allies, alike or different from oneself, makes all the difference. ***** ** Growing Up in Los Angeles with a Political Mother by Pamela Hill Metz I was born in 1958. When I was six months old in a stroller, my mother walked six blocks, while pregnant with my sister, to hear Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech in Los Angeles in 1959. He spoke to her and others who waited in line to meet him. He told her she would “go far in life.” In 1963, my mother explained to me that it was our President who was assassinated and interrupted my cartoons. She explained this was why she was crying. I was 6 years old the summer the Watts riots started. My mother piled all 4 of her children and our father into our old but reliable car. She told my father to start driving up Imperial Highway, but when we reached Imperial and Wilmington, there was a brand-new Safeway supermarket on fire. I asked my mom why all these people were standing around watching the store burn down. She told me that they didn’t want anything from white people in their neighborhood. I didn’t understand what she meant, but I knew it was important at the time. It was 1968 when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was killed in Memphis. It was only a few months later when she both campaigned for Robert Kennedy and became a poll worker. She met Bobby Kennedy the day before he was assassinated. Again, I remember her crying and asking her why. She explained another Kennedy had died and that this year, we had lost two great and powerful men. I was only 9 1/2 years old. In 1973, my mother campaigned for Tom Bradley, the first African-American mayor of Los Angeles. She believed in everything he stood for in the City of the Angels. She worked in all of his subsequent campaigns until he retired in 1993. She continued to work in the polls as a poll worker and then a supervisor until she herself retired. She was 70 years old. My mother is my reason for always standing strong in my beliefs, pressing for racial equity and inclusion in both the Multicultural Affairs Committee on the national level and Inclusive Diversity of California, our state’s youngest affiliate. She is the reason I have worked so hard in these organizations, always continuing to fight for the cause of social justice, equity, and inclusion of people with visual disabilities from all racial and ethnic backgrounds. ***** ** Hispanic Culture for the Gringo Eye by Gabriel Lopez Kafati Losing my vision in a Hispanic household gave me enough material for a “telenovela.” The Catholic influence brought forth the expectation of a miracle cure and the notion that blindness was a punishment. My culture also gave me a solid support system. Hispanic families are known to stick together no matter what! My parents held my hand throughout every step. They taught me to never give up; to put effort into everything; and to always have faith. As my vision loss became more obvious, I experienced my culture in a unique way. Loved ones went out of their way to show their support. They tried to hold me while I walked; they celebrated the smallest of my achievements with great admiration; and they fought to get me food and drinks. I’ve had to teach them that I can move independently with my guide dog or cane and that I’m not a superhero for matching my clothes. With regards to food, I’ve learned to accept that Hispanics show their love through food, without room for negotiation. In this sense, I have developed a sixth sense to know when my plate is being replenished; I understand that “More?” is not a question; and that one spoonful means one plateful. In Honduras, another target of admiration is the term “gringo.” Telling someone they look like a gringo is a compliment. If you mistrust the quality of a product, sales staff will gain your trust by stating, “Don’t worry; it’s gringo!” If you’re a U.S. visitor, people will go out of their way to make you feel welcome. This past December, I relived my experiences as a blind person in a Hispanic household. I traveled to Honduras with my partner Anthony and our guide dogs. If I had forgotten what it is to be blind in a Hispanic household, try being blind and gringo in Honduras. Food was being frozen weeks before we arrived. Furniture was re-arranged to accommodate us and our dogs. People were learning English. I had to warn Anthony that extra plates and glasses would magically appear in front of him. I had to convince him that Duolingo was not defective; that no app would teach him to understand when everyone is talking at the same time around a Hispanic dinner table. One of the most influential aspects of our visit was the fact that we were received with open hearts ready to love and embrace us. Understanding that change is not the favorite word in my house, my family’s willingness to adapt was very meaningful. This is another aspect of Hispanic culture that has marked my identity as a blind person. When confronted with a dilemma, Hispanics will choose love over logic. We are passionate individuals; as such, we let our hearts carry our actions before our minds can catch up. In my life as a blind person, I have learned that a loving heart and a faith-filled soul will always pave the way for our rational brains. ***** ** Seeing Color While Blind by Linda Samulski At supper, I heard my grandpa say, “Them Negroes and Mexicans ain’t bad, we take lunch together every day after working hard on the railroad tracks.” I was only six years old, and a little white blind girl. I asked my mom, “What are Mexicans and Negroes?” She said that there are people with different colors of skin. That conversation took place because my family was planning to move from Nebraska to California, and there are more people of color in California. We moved so that my parents could integrate me into a mainstream school. When we arrived, I found a lot of other wonderful things. I was able to go to school with “normal kids with vision.” I had my own room at home, but the best thing ever was my new radio. As I listened, I heard something I had never heard before. Different words, and different music. I asked my dad what it was, and he explained that the people were speaking Spanish. Those stations played the most wonderful music, beautiful and happy. I told my dad I wanted to learn Spanish, but it wasn’t like a wish for a bike like kids want, but instead something deep within me. We bought Spanish learning records and every night my dad read from the book. I listened to the pronunciation and learned the vocabulary. I was diligent, I never made a kid’s excuse to get out of those nightly sessions. To this day I still practice to remain fluent. At summer camp, my two best friends were African-American. When my mom found out that one was a boy I really liked, she told me that white girls and black boys could not be together. This seemed very unfair, so I made a vow that I would always stand with my brothers and sisters of color and not let anyone dictate the way I think. I used to listen to the news with my dad. It would make me so angry though when the reporter talked about the discrimination of “Negroes” at drinking fountains, buses, and lunch counters. This would make me so angry, and I would scream at the TV, “When I’m big, I’ll tell you this is wrong!” I don’t know where I got those feelings of anger. Maybe it’s because I felt a little taste of discrimination being a blind girl in school who couldn’t always participate in all the activities I wanted to. Perhaps it was that I would never want my best friends from camp to experience that horrible treatment. This also strengthened my resolve to be an ally with people of color. The way I see color is through beautiful culture, art, language, food, and music. The great poet Maya Angelou said, “Do the best you can until you know better, then when you know better, do better.” I believe that God created humanity to love each other, but we have a choice as to whether we will or not. It’s up to us to make this world a little more colorful, bright, and a better place to live. I choose peace and love over bitterness and hatred. ***** ** What It Means to Be Italian-American by Anthony Corona Maybe it’s the Meatball Sundays, or maybe it’s the loud holiday meals. It may be the famed “How ya doing?” Or the famed Italian undershirt, or dare I jest, The Sopranos. Being an American-born Italian comes with so many built-in assumptions, some of which are actually true. For me, being Italian-American is being part of a family and cultural community that is strong in love, steeped in tradition and full of pride of self and community. Yes, it means those delectable meatballs on Sunday and the promise of loud holiday dinners, but it means so much more. Cousins who are more like brothers and sisters and a whole host of Mamma aunts, not to mention the Nanas and Pop-pops who are all part of the parenting group by family. There is always the smell of sauce — not gravy — from the kitchen, and the sounds of laughter in the yard and family room. It’s a feeling of safety and that these frustrating folks will always have your back. From the first breath we are taught pride in our country and pride for the country our ancestors came from. As we navigate the world there is always a collective home to go to, Nanna’s kitchen or the kitchen of any of my aunts’ kitchens are just as interchangeable as my mother’s. Knowing there will always be someone to laugh with, a shoulder to cry on, or a partner to stir up some trouble with is just inherently ingrained in my Italian-American experience. All these things and so much more made the transition from fully sighted to blind so much easier for me. I had a built-in family, extended family and community who were all ready to help me take on a new way of living. Cousins and aunts and uncles were all there to offer whatever I needed however I needed it; all I had to do was reach for a hand or a phone. That to me is probably the biggest part of being Italian-American, the knowing that there are always my Goombas ready to step in… Step in front… Step up. As we celebrate the uniqueness of our collective community, I hold up my experience in love and look so forward to reading the similarities of culture and love and am excited to learn about other community members’ culture. I thank the Multicultural Affairs Committee for the leadership of cultural inclusion here in our amazing American Council of the Blind. ***** ** My Six Weeks in Ghana by Chris Bell Fifty years ago, I spent six weeks in Ghana as part of a 14-member group sponsored by the Experiment in International Living. We were all in our 20s, half African-American, half white. I was then legally blind, used a cane, and was the only group member with a disability. Each of us spent the first three weeks living with a host family in different parts of the country. I was hosted by Mohamed Abu, a Hausa-speaking broadcaster for Radio Ghana (which provided programming in the country’s seven predominant languages), his wife Xena, an RN, and their two young children. They lived in a comfortable home in Accra, the nation’s capital. The Abu family was friendly and warm, freely answering all of my questions about their country and culture. During that three-week home stay, I never saw another Caucasian and I felt increasingly uncomfortable in my white skin. It was in Ghana that I learned to love spicy hot food. Meals usually had a starch such as casava, yams, plantain or rice with fish and a little meat, and all meals were eaten by hand. I remember one meal of fish, complete with head, eyes and tail. I was told that no part of the fish was wasted, and every part was delicious and nutritious. I don’t recall what part of the fish I ate. At another meal, I was given my own milder red sauce while other family members used a hotter, spicier condiment. I insisted upon using their sauce, ladling a large quantity on my plate, notwithstanding their adamant warning that I was overdoing it. They were right! Trying to be macho, I took a large mouthful of the sauce-covered food and immediately started choking and sputtering. I had never tasted anything so hot, then or now. My young male ego was further humiliated by their 18-month-old son who gobbled up the spicy mixture without protest. I also enjoyed drinking “Black Label” beer and a very potent home-brewed palm wine served by passing around a gourd. Friends and relatives dropped by often without warning and it was expected that family activities were set aside in order to welcome the guests with food, drink and conversation. I learned quickly how important extended family relationships were. Even distant relatives were expected to supply shoes, clothing and other material needs of their extended rural family when they got a “good” job in a city. Some Ghanaians shared with me how this obligation could be quite burdensome on city-dwellers. The Ghanian military was ubiquitous. There had been a recent military coup, and entry into any large city required passing through a heavily armed military checkpoint. One could wait for a long time in a line, or you could pay a soldier money, call a “dash,” and pass quickly through. My host explained that this was not a form of corruption but reflected only that their soldiers were poorly paid and relied upon the dash to supplement their wages. I learned that young children guided blind Ghanaians, as there were no available white canes or O & M instruction. I do not recall learning whether Ghana had a school for the blind in 1972. ***** ** Blindness Culture: Reimagining Who We Are by Paul Edwards Recently on the ACB-conversation list, someone raised the question of whether it is appropriate to refer to people who are blind as consumers. The word “consumer” got compared with the word “client” and there was considerable debate about which was the least pejorative of these two terms. The consensus seemed to be that both had some element of inappropriateness as a way to describe a person who is blind and his or her or their relation to the society in which we live. It has long been axiomatic that there is such a thing as “disability culture” which is similar to other manifestations of minority status. There is much more debate about whether there is such a thing as “blindness” culture. Are there characteristics of the relationship between people who are blind and the rest of the society in which people who are blind live that are significantly affected by the attitudes and values of the people who are blind? If there is such a thing as “blind culture,” how does it manifest itself? Is it a good or a bad thing? Let us be clear right from the start that it is not sufficient to establish a culture to point out the differences that exist between one population and another. Blind people can’t see so they obviously have a culture. I don’t accept that, and I suspect that most blind people who think about who they are wouldn’t either. There have to be some characteristics that infuse the way we interact with society or among ourselves that create a set of values that are different from those that other groups have and that are reinforced by the group we are a part of: those who are blind. Most of us who have worked with other disability groups have found it fairly easy to accept that there is such a thing as “deaf culture.” People who are deaf have their own “language” made up of shorthand gestures, body movements and facial expressions. That language has led to a belief widely held by people who are deaf that the isolation of deafness, in-group bonding at boarding school, and the rejection of the rest of society of many of the values that people who are deaf regard as crucial to their well-being all create a space where people who are deaf exist that they regard as dominated by their deafness. They are quick to say that they are not disabled! Instead, they are deaf! Folks who lose hearing later in life or who get cochlear implants or operations that allow them to interact with people who are deaf and the rest of society in “non-deaf” ways become a part of the out-group and have lost some of the status they had in the deaf “community.” I don’t think that “blind culture” is as pronounced as deaf culture is. However, it is worth asking whether it exists now, existed more in the past and may, in fact, be disappearing. One of the characteristics of a culture is that it needs fertile ground to grow. Was that ground provided by residential schools or, to a lesser extent, blindness-dominated home rooms in mainstream environments? Many who grew up in these environments felt a kinship with the others who they knew there. Many bonds were created that built a sense of inclusion in a group that was based on shared experiences and shared values. Members of this in-group would continue to meet after their school experience was over. They developed value systems that assumed norms that are different from those espoused by members of other groups. People who were part of “blind culture” could use pejorative terms to describe themselves like “blinks” but would be insulted if outsiders used such descriptors. There were expectations about how people in the group should behave. They should dress well; they should interact with society appropriately; there should be no whining; no blindisms should be permitted; and people should avoid asking for help as much as they could. These are examples of the expectations that blind culture has and don’t come close to describing the range of values the culture mediates. Is our culture self-sustaining or was it built by our parents, teachers and caregivers when we were young? Does our culture limit our actions by creating a set of norms that should govern our behavior? Have the expectations of people who are blind changed enough that most of the cultural components of the normative notions of what it should be like to be a blind person no longer apply? Clearly this article has raised more questions than it has answered. I believe that there is such a thing as “blind culture” and that it is a positive thing which ought to be better investigated, better understood and more seriously espoused. Those who have heard me speak know that I try to encourage people to be proud of their visual impairment. If our culture currently tells us to know our place and behave like good little blind people, it is potentially detrimental to progress for people who are blind. Our shared experiences together, the heroes who have fought for the recognition and rights we have and a pride in what we accomplish every day overcoming the barriers that inhibit full inclusion should all be the basis of a reimagining of who we are and how we see ourselves. I believe that every single person who is blind in the world has a notion of who he or she or they are and how that individual fits into the world. People who are Hispanic or black and women and LGBTQ folks have all reimagined who they are and have demanded that society give each of those groups the right to be seen by the rest of the world in the way they want to be perceived. Is it time that we as people who are blind ask society to see us differently? Do we need to first decide who we are and what it means to be blind? Do we already know? Will you join in the effort to define our culture? Let us as a group decide who we are, and then let’s tell the world! ***** ** Where Have All the Voices Gone? by Arturo Espinoza As this pandemic continues on its chaotic, erratic and unpredictable course, we are seeing vast, outrageous, divisive and frightening social, educational and economic changes taking place. For example, did you know that subjects like civics and government stopped being taught in our schools over 20 years ago? So then, is it any wonder that most of today’s youth seem to know next to nothing about how our constitution and our government are supposed to work? Ultimately, if the above is true, then how can we expect today’s youth to make informed decisions about their responsibilities, rights, and powers as citizens, especially when it comes to understanding how laws are passed, let alone knowing how to exercise that power in making meaningful societal changes? At the same time, it is important for us as individuals and as a proactive group to focus on being actively involved in the process of making a difference in what happens on many social and political levels. Remember that even though we who are legally and physically blind only make up about 1 percent of this nation’s population, we are not without a voice. You can make a difference by 1) reacquainting yourself with the constitution, 2) then taking steps to gather pertinent information about those candidates who want to run your state’s house and senate and 3) actively being a part of the voting process in November. Finally, while we may be without some or all of our sight, most of us out there are of sound minds and strong hearts. If this were not so, publications like the Forum and organizations like the ACB would not and could not exist. I respectfully remind you of the fact that what affects the world in general will also most definitely affect you. And this is why it is imperative that your voices, your expectations and desires as to your country’s destiny be stated loud and clear! I know that doing what it takes to make it from day to day can be stressful. Yet, ignoring or minimizing what is happening can and will have dire and irreparable consequences for us and the future of those generations to come. ***** ** Love Letter to Me! by Cachet Wells Fog fills the sky, blowing wind chimes, busy free-flowing traffic, and the sound of kids playing at the park are just a few memories of days gone by. As little children, the liberating freedom that comes with no bills, no responsibilities and not a care to be had by them at all. Freedom to sleep when you’re ready, freedom to expect meals when you’re hungry and the unwavering freedom of protection from the big bears and giants of this world. All of which were those initial freedoms introduced and provided to us by my parents. They instilled in me the basic concepts of freedom in self-worth, integrity and love, loving me and the skin I was born in from day one until the very end. No matter the circumstance or surroundings, knowing who you are is life’s true equity to my existence. That who you profess to be is whom you should be representing daily through your integrity. That just because they loved me doesn’t mean that everybody else would like everything about you. For, after all, love is the first emotion we learn. It’s expressed through our words but also seen in our individual actions. Loving me and the skin I was born in, from day one until the very end. From the very minute that we enter this earth, we are taught to embrace love from the day of our birth. That first look and cry out that says come love on me to those next moments of skin to skin, can’t you just see how it all began? We are only little children for a season, but adults of our own choosing for a lifetime, carving away at a journey of our own life choices. You see the very values that are deposited in us lay the groundwork to such a bigger plan. Brick by brick, it paves the course work of how we navigate this very land that we charter everyday. Loving me and the skin I was born in, from day one until the very end. Now fully grown, but not to capacity, for there is yet so much more for me to see. Yes, of equity, resources, venues, destinations and of the accomplishments that are yet to be. However, more importantly those essential things like cultural consciousness, racial sensitivities and gender harmony between Americans, no matter the color that’s seen. Key characteristics for knowing where you’re going have to start from, a place of knowing your history and where you’ve been. Those days of old have become days anew, so quickly changing; one day they’re here and the next they are through. No do-overs or reminders, for this is just how it is in the land of America the Beautiful. Loving me and the skin I was born in, from day one until the very end. My love letter to me is one so unique because the greatest lesson of love started within thee. Not relying on others to celebrate, honor or appreciate the characteristics, qualities and traits I’m built of. That responsibility is solely mine, and that is the personal goal I’ll continually strive to rise above. I know who I am and exactly what I want as a black blessed blind woman. As a woman, I’m asked what is it that you actually want. Simply stated, to be embraced as the person for which I am, not for what I look like. After all, embracing others whom I don’t resemble is what’s given without question. Just like our families and friends, we give them that respect until it’s not reciprocated. Protective of the relationships we forge, we shield them, cover them and certainly reveal to them our deepest treasures, all that is on our hearts and minds. Like Eve in the garden, we stood beside man bare, sharing all of who we are in the beauty for which the creator has made us. Filling up the pages of my love letter to me is rightfully just. Loving me and the skin I was born in, from day one until the very end. What a woman wants is as complex as she is, but it is also quite simplistic as we travel down the list. She wants her life to empower and impact all that is in her heart to give, which can often be so difficult in the times we currently live in. With much love and kindness to share with so many. What a woman wants first is to give of herself through her purpose, her passion and of her heart’s desire to love and nurture. Generosity, care, genuineness with integrity is who she is, all rolled up into one being. The love she offers to those she loves is a representation of her love letter to herself put into action, a true reflection of her purpose given from Him alone who sits above. An open heart and a helpful hand to walk the distance of this journey of life only paved for her. The honest road of trust, patience and humility to offer along the way as she must. Understanding my love letter with empathy and valuing the plan to succeed because she reciprocates loyalty, honesty and friendship to everyone that crosses her path. What she continually realizes is that people matter, and to that point it boils down to that simple math: that what women want is to be loved and respected by those they choose to build, partner and connect with because it’s offered to them. My love letter to me is a beautiful story of positive energy, trust, and genuineness in every friendship, giving to others that which I want to receive. That highest level of reverence and dignity we can give that is not only heard in words, but seen in actions: to be patient, engaging and understanding to the sensitivities of others and myself. Recognizing that what a woman really wants is to be given every opportunity to live in her own truth, standing flat-footed on her foundation and freedom of love, enough to put herself first. Loving me and the skin I was born in from day one until the very end. This, my dear friend, is my love letter to me of a journey to always be better, and that’s how I will always win. ***** ** No More Racism When God had everything else in place, He decided to create the human race. He made males and females, but that’s not all. Some are short, while others are tall. Some have straight hair, while others have curly. Most people are kind, but many are surly. Our skin is black, brown, red or white, Some of us are blind, while others have sight. While most of us accept our differences today, Our color is often not thought of in that way. Color is just one of the features we possess, It shouldn’t be thought of any more or any less. There are riots, protests, discrimination and such Because color is criticized way too much. Some believe color is a cause for insult, Which doesn’t make for a good end result. When Obama won the Presidential election, I thought that we was headed in a different direction. A black man was in charge, and that was okay, But did that mean the end of racism today? Despite the black man who was in charge, the problem of racism is extremely large. We must emphasize love, and follow God’s word. That message, for sure, must always be heard. So what if we are different, we are all one race, When it comes to racism, there is no such place. If you see someone different, please heed my call. What could annoy you? Nothing at all. Just like you, that is God’s special child, There is no cause for you to go wild. If we all live as one major group, God will help us remain in the loop. — Bob Branco ***** ** Affiliate News * LCB Offers Two Scholarships in 2022 The Louisiana Council of the Blind (LCB) will announce two scholarship winners at the 2022 state convention. The Hazel Daigle and Paula Marshall Scholarships recognize the achievement of blind scholars in Louisiana. Each scholarship is $1,000. The deadline for scholarship applications is May 16, 2022. For more information, and to receive an application packet, contact Gwen King, LCB Scholarship Committee, 7707 Bismark Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70812, or call (225) 278-4162. Or contact LCB president Leola Campbell at (225) 614-5988. * ACB of Ohio Offers Three Scholarships The American Council of the Blind of Ohio will offer three scholarships for academic year 2022-2023. The application and reference forms may be downloaded from www.acbohio.org or requested by calling our office at (614) 261-3561 or 1-800-835-2226. We have scholarships for entering freshmen, undergraduates, and graduate students. An applicant must be an Ohio resident or attend an Ohio school in a two-year or more post-secondary degree program, be legally blind, have a 3.0 or higher GPA on a 4.0 scale, and be willing to attend the 2022 ACB-Ohio convention. Send the completed application packet to ACB-Ohio Scholarship Committee, 3805 N. High Street, Suite 305, Columbus, OH 43214, or via e-mail to acbo.director@gmail.com with “Scholarship Application” in the subject field. The application deadline is August 1st. The scholarships are as follows: • $1,000 Friends of Freshman Scholarship: Presented to a blind or visually impaired entering freshman in any field of study. • $4,000 Max Edelman-David Newmeyer Scholarship: Presented to a legally blind undergraduate student in any field of study. • $5,000 Joann Fischer-Linwood Walker Scholarship: Available to a legally blind graduate student in any field of study. ***** ** 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. * Harry Herzek December 26, 1956 - February 8, 2022 Harry Edward Herzek passed away at his home on Feb. 8, 2022, at the age of 65. Born in Mount Holly, N.J., the son of Lorraine (Smith) Herzek and the late Frank Herzek, he was a 1976 graduate of Neshaminy High School and lived most of his adult life in Philadelphia. For many years, Harry was employed with the Philadelphia Department of Corrections as a social worker. Along with his mother, Lorraine, Harry is survived by his brothers, Frank J. Herzek (CarolAnn) and Karl P. Herzek (Tina). He will also be sadly missed by his nieces, Anna Marie Herzek, Ashlee Brenner, Alexis Herzek, Erica Oscar (Dave) and Melinda Herzek, along with many great nieces and nephews. Services and interment will be held privately. * Dennis Yacks July 5, 1945-November 3, 2021 On Nov. 3, 2021, the world said goodbye to an ACB life member. Dennis Yacks was born on July 5, 1945, in Kansas City, Mo. He spent most of his life in Colorado. We married in November of 1969. He is survived by daughter Nycki Heisler (Bradley), son McLane Yacks (Diana), as well as five living grandchildren and one deceased. Two of our granddaughters have wonderful husbands. He has one living brother and several nieces and nephews. When I think about those first years, I think about the country song about a little bitty dish and a little bitty spoon. We both enjoyed music by Alan Jackson. However, Dennis’ favorite artist was by far John Denver, whose songs “Country Roads” and “Rocky Mountain High” opened and closed his memorial service. During the 2012 convention, Dennis received a life membership presented by me for all the love, support, transportation, and loads more that he gave to the local and state chapter where I served in many capacities. After a profoundly serious auto accident in September of 2011, Dennis’ health began to decline. We moved to Michigan to live close to his brother in 2013, and then to Arkansas in 2015 to share a home with our son. He entered a nursing home on July 31, 2018, where he resided until his hospitalization on October 23 with aspiration pneumonia. My daughter Nycki Heisler and I were by his side holding his hands when the Lord called him home. Dennis is buried at Crownhill Cemetery in Colorado, surrounded by the mountains where he loved to fish. I miss him, as do many family members and friends. We traveled this life together until just 13 days short of 52 years. He was truly the love of my life as well as my dearest friend. — Linda Yacks ***** ** 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 E-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. * New President & COO In January, Jason Menzo was promoted to president and chief operating officer of the Foundation Fighting Blindness. He was recognized by colleagues and constituents for his passionate leadership style and ability to create innovative partnerships. Previously, he was named one of the “50 Outstanding Innovators in Pharma (marketing)” and as “Ophthalmic Marketer of the Year” by Product Manager 360, a leading trade publication. * COVID Test Information Rumors have circulated that unused COVID tests should be refrigerated. However, it has been noted that the package of a government-supplied test states it should be stored between 35 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit. Refrigeration can cause moisture to accumulate within the packaging. Check both your specific test and with a pharmacist or physician. * New York School Reunion The Alumni Association of the New York State School for the Blind, Inc. will hold its annual reunion from Thursday, June 9 through Sunday, June 12 at the Batavia Downs Gaming and Hotel, 8315 Park Rd., Batavia, NY 14020. On-campus activities will include a pizza party with students and staff, our opening ceremony, our annual business meeting and a picnic. Our technology demonstration, Jeopardy game, banquet, brunch and memorial service will happen at the hotel. Where possible, we hope to hold some of these activities on Zoom as well. For further information, check this spring’s Alumni Bulletin, subscribe to the NYSSB Alumni Association Facebook page, or contact our treasurer, Chet Smalley, at (814) 566-6332, or email him, cewjw1903@gmail.com. * Lessons for Living Available in Spanish The Older Individuals who are Blind Technical Assistance Center offers Lessons for Living. These lessons provide information on how individuals who are blind can safely and efficiently complete everyday tasks. Nineteen lessons are available for download in audio and print formats. Visit https://www.oib-tac.org/direct-service/curriculum/. The lessons are also available in Spanish at https://www.oib-tac.org/direct-service/curriculum/lessons-for-living-en-espanol/. * New from National Braille Press New in the children’s section is “Ordinary Mary’s Extraordinary Deed” by Emily Pearson and Fumi Kosaka. It’s available in UEB for ages 4 to 8. Another new book for ages 4 to 8 is “I’m My Own Dog” by David Ezra Stein. It, too, is available in UEB. If you’ve got a dog lover in your household, they’ll enjoy this book. Newly available is “The Girl with a Mind for Math: The Story of Raye Montague” by Julia Finley Mosca and Daniel Rieley. It’s available in UEB for ages 7 to 10. This is a true story about a woman – a gifted mathematician – who fought both racism and sexism to work as an engineer in the U.S. Navy to change ship design. “It’s Perfectly Normal (2021 Edition): Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, Gender, and Sexual Health” by Robie H. Harris. It’s available in braille with tactile illustrations. Recommended for ages 10 and up. Puberty and growing up is a confusing, awkward, and uncomfortable time in any young person’s life. This updated and age-appropriate book teaches children about their changing bodies, gender, sex, sexual health, and more. On a tight budget? Check out “Good and Cheap: Eat Well on $4/Day” by Leanne Brown, available in braille or BRF. It includes more than 100 recipes. Assists in maximizing every ingredient and teaches economical cooking methods. If you’ve got a writer in your house, “Dreyer’s English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style” by Benjamin Dreyer will share some insider wisdom, advice, and fun facts to help sharpen their skills. It’s available in braille or BRF. For more information, call 1-800-548-7323, or visit www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/publications/index.html. * NBP’s Two New Trustees National Braille Press (NBP) announces the appointment of two new trustees: Jeremy Kream, EVP and head of Legal, Corporate and Global Delivery at State Street Corporation, and Cindy Doe, an EY Americas Consulting Risk Leader. Jeremy Kream is Executive Vice President and head of Legal, Corporate and Global Delivery at State Street. He manages legal oversight of corporate and infrastructure matters, including securities and governance, mergers and acquisitions, strategic transactions, technology, IP and operations, HR, compensation and benefits, procurement, and RE. He also serves on the board of directors of subsidiaries and internal committees of these functions and is the assistant secretary of the parent holding company, State Street Corporation. Cindy Doe is an EY Americas Consulting Risk Leader who has more than 25 years of experience in the financial services industry, specifically in banking and capital markets, investment management and insurance. She has worked with global financial services clients on technology and cyber risk management, fraud risk management, vendor risk management, resiliency, internal and external audits as well as service organization control reporting exams. ***** ** ACB Media Music Command the Smart Speaker to channel. Six a.m. repetitive rhythm must lead somewhere — vitamins, made bed, breakfast, dress for an unpredictable world. Focus on heartbeat. Breathe instrumental almost-melodies. Percussion wants moving, thinking, harmonizing more than easy clichés. One piece reminds you that you always wanted to tap dance but you’d settle for a keyboard sound that can — an alternative technique. It’s never as simple as it sounds. Accompaniment, keys, possibilities. Keep listening for reason or Skill or useful information once a new programmable hour begins. — Nancy Scott ***** ** The Cabin Pine scents, the echo of bird calls, hollow sound of boots on the plywood floor. The squeak of the cabin door and crunch of footsteps moving toward the outhouse. Worry competes with the urge — will there be spiders? Will someone hear a scream? Keeping an eye on the spider in the corner, mouth-breathing to avoid the stink, it’s finally done. Boots make a hasty retreat from outhouse, clomp back into rustic safety. Dusk edges into night followed by The soft swoosh of gas lanterns. Savory Camp food aromas waft from the kitchen, the pop Of grease and spices compete for attention. Iron stove and pump handle sink match the warped and slanted floor. The shotgun leans against the frame, a young shoulder bruised from its recoil. Bears prowl at night. So much for the outhouse in the dark. — Ann Chiappetta ***** ** 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) 26131 Travis Brook Dr. Richmond, TX 77406-3990 * 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. ###