The ACB E-Forum Volume LIV June 2016 No. 12 Published by the American Council of the Blind ***** ** Be A Part of ACB The American Council of the Blind (TM) is a membership organization made up of more than 70 state and special-interest affiliates. To join, contact the national office at 1-800-424-8666. ** Contribute to Our Work Those much-needed contributions, which are tax-deductible, can be sent to Attn: Treasurer, ACB, 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 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 (605) 475-8154 and choose option 3. Tune in to ACB Radio at www.acbradio.org or by calling (605) 475-8130. Learn more about us at www.acb.org. Follow us on Twitter at @acbnational, or like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AmericanCounciloftheBlindOfficial. © 2016 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: Netflix to Enhance Access for Customers Who Are Blind, by Kim Charlson With Artificial Intelligence, Facebook Helps the Blind to Know What’s in the Pictures, by Diego Graglia What’s Going on in Minneapolis? Read and Find Out!, by Janet Dickelman Sprint Seeks Consumer Input, by Kelly Egan Stroll the Minneapolis Skywalks for ACB, by Donna Brown Extra, Extra! Convention Newspaper Now Seeking Volunteers MMS Committee Goal for 2016: 25 at $25, by Mike Godino My Privacy Matters, by Larry P. Johnson Patricia LaFrance-Wolf Memorial Fund to Assist People with Diabetes Affiliate News Passings The Transportation Challenge, by Kendra Farrow Here and There, edited by Sharon Strzalkowski High Tech Swap Shop ** Correction Due to an editing error, the time listed in the May issue for the Candidates’ Forum was incorrect. This year’s Candidates’ Forum will take place at 5:45 p.m. Central time on Tuesday, July 5, at the ACB conference and convention in Minneapolis, Minn. We regret the error. ** 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. ** For news you can use, check out the new ACB Radio World News and Information at acbradio.org. ** Blind show hosts offer a plethora of musical genres at www.acbradio.org/interactive. ***** President’s Message: Netflix to Enhance Access for Customers Who Are Blind by Kim Charlson In a first-of-its-kind settlement agreement, the American Council of the Blind and Netflix have collectively worked to make accessible the movies and videos offered through the Netflix video streaming and DVD rental subscription program. In these times when more and more people are “cutting the cord” and turning away from more traditional cable providers, Netflix and ACB realize that this is just the beginning of a new era in accessible entertainment. Streaming video content and having it be accessible with description makes all the difference for people who are blind. The settlement with ACB provides that Netflix will make its video content accessible by adding audio description, and that it will be a feature that blind customers can activate independently to enjoy the movie and video experience. The settlement was reached between Netflix and ACB, our Massachusetts affiliate, the Bay State Council of the Blind, and Robert Baran, an individual who is blind in Massachusetts. ACB, BSCB and the individuals involved in the case were represented by Disability Rights Advocates (DRA), a national non-profit law firm. Netflix provides one of the nation’s most popular online streaming and DVD rental services, offering convenient and affordable video entertainment, including original content, to its customers. Under the ACB agreement, Netflix will provide audio description for many titles in its streaming and disk rental libraries. The audio description lets blind people know what is happening in scenes without dialogue or scenes with significant visual elements via an audio description track that contains narration of the visual elements that is synchronized with the show or movie. Television and movie studios will create the audio description tracks and provide them to Netflix. In addition, under the settlement, Netflix will also provide audio description for its original shows that it has begun distributing such as “Daredevil,” “House of Cards” and “Orange is the New Black.” Netflix will also make its website and mobile applications accessible to individuals who are blind and use screen-reading software to navigate websites and apps. With the changes Netflix is making, users who are blind or low vision will be able to independently use the Netflix website and mobile applications. These improvements will provide people who are blind or low vision with unparalleled access to online video entertainment services currently enjoyed by millions of Americans. ACB applauds Netflix for working with us to enhance access to its services for people who are blind. Our goal is to expand the availability of Netflix’s services to the blind community and to increase the availability of audio-described film and television programming. Movies and television are a central pillar of American culture. As television and movies are increasingly delivered through streaming and home delivery services, ensuring that the blind community receives access to this content is critical to making certain that people who are blind are integrated into modern society. Attorney Rebecca Williford of Disability Rights Advocates stated, “This is a great example of technology promoting greater accessibility and inclusiveness for people with disabilities. We hope that the outcome of our collaboration with ACB and Netflix will serve as a model for others in the online video entertainment industry.” A copy of the settlement agreement is available at www.dralegal.org. ***** With Artificial Intelligence, Facebook Helps the Blind to Know What’s in the Pictures Twitter also developed a new feature for images that reaches the visually impaired. by Diego Graglia From Univision, published April 5, 2016 (translated with assistance from translate.google.com). To read the article in Spanish, visit http://www.univision.com/noticias/tecnologia/con-inteligencia-artificial-facebook-ayuda-a-los-ciegos-a-saber-que-hay-en-las-fotos. Facebook is blocked in the office. But Angel Adorno, 51, opens it on his phone when he has nothing to do. “I check to see what is happening,” he says, “if someone wants to be my friend, or if they send me messages.” When he comes home to Queens, sometimes he connects to the network and listens as the screen reader recites messages from his friends, interspersed with the barking of his dogs. “I have a lot of friends ...” he says, “bah, I think we are friends.” He writes occasionally. He prefers Facebook over Twitter, because “140 letters are not many words.” But he does not post anything very private to networks. For family things, he prefers to talk about them by phone. It may seem obvious, but when Angel uses social networks, he never stops at the photos. He’s almost never interested. It’s not just because he cannot see, but also the people who hang with him usually don’t take the time to describe what’s in them for him. “I do not look at them,” he says, “because, why?” That gap between Angel and his contacts can shrink a little with the new features Facebook and Twitter have just developed for people who are blind or low vision to know what’s in the pictures. Facebook on Tuesday launched an image recognition service based on artificial intelligence that can describe a photo automatically to a blind user. Although now it is only with somewhat general descriptions, it is a first step on a path that can be revolutionary. “Today the visual content is beyond the reach of people who do not see,” says Matt King, a Facebook engineer who is blind and worked on the development of this function. “This type of technology is new and extremely exciting.” Twitter, meanwhile, has just opened the possibility for users to add a detailed description to each image they publish. Thus, screen readers such as the programs Angel Adorno uses can convey that information to the user. ** And where’s the button? “While browsing the Internet is a daily and simple task for billions of people, it is a constant challenge if you do not see. People who are blind are on the web looking for information or trying to buy something and find parts of web sites that are not accessible,” says the executive director of the American Council of the Blind, Eric Bridges. “For example, a site that has no accessible ‘Buy’ button: you go through the whole experience of making a purchase and then cannot find the ‘Buy’ button. Those things still happen today. It is a very uneven and sometimes frustrating experience.” More than one million people are blind in the United States and 12 million suffer some degree of vision loss. Hispanics and African-Americans are a high-risk population of the visually impaired because they are more likely to have diseases like diabetes and glaucoma. Worldwide, there are 39 million blind and 246 million people with low vision. ** Guessing the menu This is an unequal experience, says Bridges, that happens when those designing a website do not have in mind the technical needs of people with vision problems. The digital content should have additional information for reading programs that will let you tell the blind user what is on the screen: is it a button, a drop-down menu, is it an image? Does the image have description? What does it say? ** The same applies to social networks. “People post photos and do not describe them or put in additional text,” says Bridges, who is blind and often uses Facebook. “All you hear is ‘image,’ ‘image,’ ‘image,’ and you continue asking yourself ... you don’t know what they are. I have friends who are foodies and publish photos ... I have to guess what they will eat or see if someone says in the comments. Or, what’s left is to be the annoying guy who’s asking in the comments: ‘What’s in the picture?’” ** Best depend on the machines The technology Facebook launched Tuesday — which for now is only in English and for users of Apple’s mobile devices — is a step toward solving this problem without relying on users themselves saying what they are eating. “If we were to rely on humans to do this, it would be very difficult to do,” says Jeff Wieland, head of accessibility at Facebook, which proposed the creation of this team in the company five years ago. “It’s pretty exciting to be involved in this field,” he says now, “because there are technologies that can really change things.” The new feature is called “Automatic text alternative,” and it works on iPhones and iPads that have the VoiceOver feature enabled. For those listening to it in English, they will hear phrases like: “The image may contain: one or more people, smiling, sunglasses, outdoors, sky, water.” ** How can Facebook know what’s in a photo? The system uses a “neural network” computer system armed with a structure similar to the human brain. Company artificial intelligence engineers, who receive 2,000 million images every day through the apps, feed it with millions of examples of photos to learn to recognize objects. Still in its first stage, the service will be pretty basic. It will only use between 80 and 100 concepts to describe the photos. Some are: auto, airplane, bicycle, train, exterior, mountain, tree, snow, sky, ocean, beach, tennis, swimming, stadium, basketball, ice cream, sushi, pizza, dessert, coffee, glasses, baby, beard, shoes. And I could not miss, obviously, “selfie.” ** Is it a baby or a chimpanzee? The technology is not ready to differentiate, for example, between two varieties of pizza or to say with certainty that a person whose face is not seen is a human being. And developers of Facebook prefer to be conservative to avoid creating distrust in users. The objects and concepts described will be those in which the system achieves at least 80% certainty. “To say that a baby is a chimpanzee or a chimpanzee is a baby is a mistake we do not want to commit,” says King. The description seems limited at this early stage. But this engineer, who lost his sight when he was a college student, recalled that in the ‘80s and ‘90s he had to hack into computer programs to use them without seeing. “It always starts like this, slowly,” he says, “so it was with the [recognition] text. But it will grow and expand.” ** Also on Twitter Twitter also gave what he calls “a first step” to improve the accessibility of images that tag their users. The social network launched last week a feature that allows users to add the “alternate text” to their photos manually. “We believe it is an important first step,” says the head of accessibility of the company, Todd Kloots. “We will continue to make improvements in the future.” Twitter’s solution, of course, confronts the great problem of accessibility on the web: it depends on each person posting an image being aware of the importance of adding this additional text for blind users. This is a challenge because not even all software engineers have been trained to understand the importance of incorporating those texts. “True,” Kloots says, “it is not an area where all universities are concentrating. But it’s something they learn during their career.” To hear the description of a photo is a breakthrough for a user with visual disabilities, says Bridges, American Council of the Blind. “We now have the capability to understand what is in the pictures. It is an excellent step forward,” he says. In the future, he imagines, descriptions will become increasingly detailed. “They could say, ‘A light brown-skinned man holding a bottle of Sam Adams,’ or even more detailed, ‘... holding a bottle of Sam Adams with cold falling chunks of ice,’” he says. “Having such information is useful. The sighted take it for granted because they can see the images, but we’re asking ourselves, inventing stories in our heads.” ** A word is worth a thousand pictures In Queens, Angel Adorno says that “something good can come out” when you hear the description of the new feature of Facebook, based on artificial intelligence. What would improve their experience on social networks is if more people would write well. “For a blind person, the word is better,” he says. “If someone writes something well, there’s the picture. If you can write well, talk about things, the picture is formed there.” ***** What’s Going on in Minneapolis? Read and Find Out! by Janet Dickelman As you read this, convention pre-registration will be up and running. Information regarding affiliate and committee programming and ACB tours will be listed on the registration form. You can register online at www.acb.org and follow the link for the 2016 convention registration or via telephone by calling 1-800-866-3242. If you register by phone, be sure to leave your name, phone number, time zone and best time for someone to reach you. Someone should call you back by the end of the following day. In this article you’ll find an overview of some extras the convention has to offer! Convention dates are July 1st through 9th! Come join ACB at the Hyatt in Minneapolis. ** Calling All Kids! Kids’ Explorers Club has two amazing leaders, Terri and Rob. Terri is a special-education teacher, and Rob, a stay-at-home dad. They are both very enthusiastic about our upcoming Kids’ Club. If you plan to bring a child between the ages of 6 and 13 to this year’s convention, we have some really great trips planned. Kids’ Club will be open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Each day includes breakfast, lunch, crafts, swimming, and a daily field trip. The kids will visit the Science Museum on Monday, the Mall of America on Tuesday, the Minnesota Zoo on Wednesday, The Works Museum on Thursday, and back to the Mall of America on Friday! Kids’ Explorers Club will also be open Sunday evening during opening general session and Friday during the ACB banquet. ** Breakfast, Anyone? Monday, July 4: The American Foundation for the Blind breakfast, hosted by AFB’s new president and CEO, Kirk Adams, with updates on AFB’s legislative efforts from AFB’s Director of Public Policy, Mark Richert. Tuesday, July 5: Guide Dogs for the Blind breakfast. GDB alumni and those considering the guide dog lifestyle are welcome. Wednesday, July 6: National Industries for the Blind (NIB) annual breakfast. ** Technology Sessions Google comes to Minneapolis! Huge thanks to Google, a corporate sponsor at the double diamond level. Google plans to hold sessions at the convention on Wednesday, July 6th and Thursday, July 7th. Sprint, an emerald sponsor, will hold two interactive workshops on Wednesday, July 6th from 4:15-5:30 p.m. and 5:45-7 p.m. The session title is “Building the ultimate wireless experience.” We can’t do it without you. Bring your ideas, stories, desires and tips. Space is limited. If you wish to participate, contact Kelly Egan, kelly.egan@sprint.com or phone (720) 988-6744. HumanWare, a ruby sponsor, will hold two sessions. On Monday, July 4th from 5:45-7 p.m., the session is called “Reach out and Touch the Future!” With the new BrailleNote Touch from HumanWare you can create professional documents, research the web, and communicate with popular apps. Use an accessible third-party app with the efficiency of KeySoft and TouchBraille. Tuesday’s session is titled “Victor Stream - A World of Books at Your Fingertips!” Everyone continues to tell us how much they love their Victor Stream! HumanWare presents an evening of simple tips on how to download your favorite reading material and make your listening even more enjoyable. Sunday, July 3rd will be brimming with technology sessions. Ai Squared will hold 4 sessions: 9 -10:15 a.m.: ZoomText Fusion: You will always be able to use your computer 10:30 - 11:45 a.m.: ZoomText, ZoomText Mac, Image Reader, and CamReader 1:30 - 2:45 p.m.: ZoomText Fusion: You Will Always Be Able to Use Your Computer 3:30 - 4:30 p.m.: Multiply Your Productivity with ZoomText’s Multiple Monitor Support HIMS Sunday sessions in Minneapolis 10 a.m. – noon: Your U2 Has Been Doing That for Years! Everyone knows the basic functions of a notetaker. It takes notes, gets e-mail, or keeps your calendar. But what cool stuff can it do? Want to get the latest content from YouTube, tweet about it, like a friend’s post on Facebook, customize your menus, or have multiple signatures for e-mail accounts? See what other cool things your Braille Sense can do! 2 – 4 p.m. Go Go Go GoVision! Why do most video magnifiers only work with stuff on paper?! Sometimes paper can be so yesterday! We haven’t forgotten about paper, but we’ve sure gone beyond it. In addition to all the features you’d expect from a transportable magnifier, GoVision lets you look at documents and pictures from your thumb drive, see a smart board, watch videos from your phone, or do distance OCR. Go anywhere with GoVision! Tuesday, Bookshare will hold “office hours” from 7:15 to 8:30 p.m. for Bookshare members. Stop by to say hello, meet other members, enjoy light refreshments, hear about the latest Bookshare updates, and get answers to your Bookshare-related questions. ** Self-Help Sessions 1Touch will hold self-defense courses on Tuesday and Wednesday. These are designed specifically for the blind; they address real-life situations with practical applications. Space is limited. Each session costs $12. On Wednesday, Independence Science will hold a session titled “Demystifying Science.” This will be an interactive tactile science demonstration featuring the new Sci-Voice Talking LabQuest from Independence Science that will decode the mystery of science for the blind and visually impaired. Session cost is $8. Also on Wednesday, July 6 CaptionMax will show an audio-described documentary titled “Shoulder the Lion.” This film tells of three individuals: a photographer, who is blind, questions the power of images in today’s visually saturated culture; a musician forced to give up his dream of playing music due to his advancing hearing loss, must reinvent his future; and a painter, who lost half her brain, who was also the inspiration for the Academy Award-winning film “Million Dollar Baby,” searches for her place in life, unsure of what she should be to the world. The film attempts to ask what it takes for someone to keep on going in times of uncertainty. Thursday will be ACB film night. Dr. Joel Snyder and ACB’s ADP committee will show the audio-described movie “Spotlight.” Winner of the 2016 Academy Award for best film, “Spotlight” is the story of the Boston Globe’s tenacious investigative team delving into the allegations of abuse in the Catholic church; a movie ticket, popcorn and soda cost just $8! As other sessions are confirmed, information will be posted to the convention announce e-mail list. ** Don’t Forget the Dogs! Tim and Maria of Scoop Masters will be maintaining our dog relief areas at the Hyatt. There is no need to pack your dog’s food; just call Tim at 1-800-787-7667 to order food delivered to your hotel room. Tim can obtain most food brands and will make every effort to order specialty foods if needed. Please contact Tim by June 20th to place your order. ** Stay Connected Once again this year, the convention announcement list will be filled with information about the convention. Subscribe to the list today by sending a blank e-mail to acbconvention-subscribe@acblists.org. If you’ve been on the list in the past, you need not subscribe again. Don’t have e-mail? No problem! Convention updates will also be featured on ACB Radio and by telephone through Audio Now at (605) 475-8130. ** Hotel Details Room rates at the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis are $89 single or double. There is an additional $10 per night charge per person for up to four people in a room. Applicable state and local taxes are currently 13.4%. For reservations by telephone, call Central Reservations at 1-888-421-1442, and be sure to mention you are attending the ACB convention in order to obtain our room rate. To make reservations online, visit www.acb.org and follow the 2016 convention link. ** Convention Contacts 2016 exhibit information: Michael Smitherman, (601) 331-7740, amduo@bellsouth.net 2016 advertising and sponsorships: Margarine Beaman, (512) 921-1625, oleo50@hotmail.com For any other convention-related questions, contact Janet Dickelman, convention chair, at (651) 428-5059, or via e-mail, janet.dickelman@gmail.com. ***** Sprint Seeks Consumer Input by Kelly Egan (Editor’s Note: Kelly Egan is the manager of Sprint’s wireless program for the blind and low-vision community. She has attended several ACB conferences with her guide dog, Hope.) Sprint is looking for motivated individuals to help make positive changes on behalf of the blind and low-vision community. My experience as a low-vision individual has proved an asset to shaping Sprint’s goals for the blind and low-vision community. I invite you to join me in furthering wireless accessibility for other blind and low-vision individuals. In order to do this, I need your input. I know that each person has unique needs and preferences when it comes to their wireless devices and how they communicate. What is helpful and appropriate for one person may not be so for another. That is why I am asking for your help. I want to make sure Sprint’s accessibility, customer care, and wireless plans meet your individual needs and encompass everything you look for when choosing a wireless plan. Getting involved is easy. You do not need to be an existing Sprint customer to participate. Get in touch with me via e-mail, Kelly.egan@sprint.com, or call me at (720) 988-6744. I look forward to having an open discussion with you about any or all of the following: • What kind of phone/device do you use? • Which features or services are most beneficial? • What can we do better as a wireless partner to serve you better? • If you aren’t an existing Sprint customer, what would motivate you to switch carriers? Do you want to know more about Sprint’s wireless programs for blind and low-vision customers? Visit www.accessnow.sprint.com to learn more about our innovative programs and features such as: • A customized wireless plan available for consumers who are blind or low vision; • Dedicated Customer Care reachable by phone, 1-855-885-7568, or via e-mail, sprintaccessibility@sprint.com; and • Complimentary directory assistance calls for qualifying consumers. At Sprint, we are working to enrich the lives of all of our customers, including those who are blind or low vision. Through a commitment to innovation and equal access, we are reshaping a new generation of accessibility and redefining what it means to be inclusive. Please join me in helping to build a more inclusive, accessible wireless service. Coverage not available everywhere. Restrictions apply. © 2016 Sprint. ***** Stroll the Minneapolis Skywalks for ACB Just one month left before the ACB Brenda Dillon Memorial Walk in Minneapolis! Have you registered for the 2016 ACB Walk yet? It’s not too late. For only $25 you can register online at http://acb.donorpages.com/2016ACBWalk/, or call Nancy Becker in the Minnesota office at 1-800-866-3242, or sign up when you pre-register for the conference and convention. Even if you won’t be in Minneapolis, you can register as a virtual walker. After registering, you may join a team or create a new team. Your team can designate up to 50% of the money you raise to come back to your affiliate. It’s a win-win deal for your affiliate and ACB. After registering, the fun in fund-raising begins. Seek donations from friends, family members, co-workers, local businesses, and anyone with whom you come in contact. Be creative! Our goal is to raise at least $60,000 this year. We hope you can join us in Minnesota or virtually, get some exercise, and help our great organization. — Donna Brown ***** Extra, Extra! Convention Newspaper Now Seeking Volunteers Are you coming to convention? Do you like helping out where needed? The communication center is now seeking volunteers to help collate and staple papers, take ads and announcements, and staff the room. Sharon Lovering is the operations manager. She is seeking volunteers to fill two-hour shifts throughout the day (8-10 a.m., 10 a.m.-noon, noon-2 p.m., and 2-4 p.m.). The communication center will be open Friday through Wednesday, and be taken down Thursday morning; it will open daily at 8 a.m. and close to the public at 5 p.m. To sign up for a shift, contact Sharon at the ACB national office, 1-800-424-8666, or via e-mail, slovering@acb.org. This year’s convention newspaper will be called “The Minneapolis Messenger.” It will run from Saturday through Thursday in braille and large print. Ads and other items intended for publication must be in the center’s hands by 2 p.m. each day. Ads should be 75 words or less. By a directive from the board of publications, ads will be allowed to run for only three days. If you wish to advertise in the newspaper, please contact Margarine Beaman, advertising and sponsorship coordinator, at (512) 921-1625 or by e-mail, oleo50@hotmail.com. The BOP’s editorial policy manual prohibits us from producing or distributing campaign materials. During the evenings, we will need people to help collate and staple the braille papers. Thanks to Enabling Technologies, we will have three braille printers this year. Are you a night owl? Are you good at separating braille copies from each other, separating the pages, collating and stapling? Drop by and see if the communication center needs help. If you have signed up for home delivery of “The Minneapolis Messenger,” drop by the information desk and give them your name, room number, and format preference once you arrive. This will ensure that you don’t miss an issue. Hold onto your Saturday issue; it will include all the suite numbers, phone numbers, and room changes. If your committee or affiliate needs something brailled, we will be able to do that. Make certain you label your thumb drive or memory card before bringing them down to the communication center, and tell us how many copies you will need, by what time, as well as how we can reach you (room number, cell phone, etc.); also be sure that your document(s) are on the drive or memory card. Bring your items down in the morning before the general session to help us fit them in. Affiliates, if you know who your delegate, alternate, and nominating committee representative will be, please let Ray Campbell, ray153056@gmail.com, and Sharon Lovering, slovering@acb.org, know as soon as possible. ***** MMS Committee Goal for 2016: 25 at $25 That’s right, the Monthly Monetary Support Committee has set its 2016 end-of-year goal: to sign up 25 new contributors at the $25 level. Yes, these 25 new members to the Monthly Monetary Support program will bring the grassroots fundraising efforts to a new, record-breaking high. Sign up today to become a part of the newest and greatest attribute to the ACB family. As we all know, running, managing and operating a not-for-profit organization can be extremely costly. The MMS program offers you a way to provide directly to the bottom line of ACB without restricting the use of the donation. Giving as part of the MMS program provides a level source of funding that can be used in estimating the annual budget. This budgeting process permits the ACB board of directors the wherewithal to give back more of those contributed dollars in resources and services to its members and the general community. As a contributor to the MMS program at the $25 level, you become a member of the ACB Annual Giving Society. Members of the Annual Giving Society are recognized and honored at a reception at ACB national conventions. Your annual gift is realized, recognized, annualized and totaled in a receipt to be used for filing your annual taxes. And you know that you are supporting a meaningful organization which is making the world a better place for people who are blind or have low vision. The committee thanks you for everything you do for ACB. Now it’s time to join or increase your contribution to the MMS program. Call Nancy at the Minnesota office today and make your love for ACB known: be one of those 25 at $25. Or, if not one of the 25 at $25, please feel free to join the MMS program at any level by calling (612) 332-3242 and giving today. — Mike Godino ***** My Privacy Matters by Larry P. Johnson Reprinted from “The San Antonio Express-News,” April 23, 2016. (Editor’s Note: Larry Johnson is an author and motivational speaker. Contact him via e-mail at larjo1@prodigy.net or through his website at www.mexicobytouch.com.) Privacy is a basic human right. And the fact that I happen to be blind does not change this fact, nor my desire to be able to independently and privately review my monthly bank and credit card statements, check my utility bills, read a restaurant menu, or enter my personal PIN when checking out at the big box store. The failure by companies to recognize the privacy rights of people with visual impairments is bad policy, bad customer service, and can lead to the forced disclosure of sensitive personal information that should be kept confidential. I recently changed my dental health care provider and asked the company to send me a copy of my plan of coverage in braille. They said, “Oh, we don’t do that. Don’t you have someone at home who can read it to you?” A few months ago, I was offered a new Visa card with some very attractive features by my bank. They currently provide me with monthly statements of my checking and CD accounts in braille, for which I am sincerely grateful. So, I asked if I were to sign up, would I receive my monthly statements for the Visa card in braille as well. “No,” they said, “it’s a different company.” I hope to change their mind. Several years ago I contacted the local utility company and requested that they begin sending me a copy of my monthly bill in braille. They declined. “If you want to call customer service, we can have someone read it to you over the phone.” But I want to be able to read it privately by myself, at my convenience, like everyone else. Quite often the attitudes underlying these behaviors by companies are unconscious. They are so deeply embedded and pervasive that the individuals voicing them are unaware of their impact. Such beliefs lead to the perception that blind people aren’t entitled to, don’t want or simply can’t benefit from personal protection of their privacy. A blind friend tells of an experience when she recently went to a doctor’s office and was asked to reveal verbally her medical history and her Social Security number to the receptionist in a waiting room full of people. Not only was this personally embarrassing to her, but it was a blatant and very dangerous invasion of her right to privacy. Unscrupulous individuals are ever ready to seize the opportunity to steal someone’s personal medical information and sell it for profit. Lainey Feingold, a leading national attorney on disability rights and structured negotiations, writes: “Stereotypes about people with disabilities, no matter how unconscious those stereotypes are, often lead to legal problems. Well-meaning companies can invest in accessible technologies and adopt new policies, but if the staff who interact with the public still holds unsupported, unfair and outmoded views of people who are blind, legal issues will continue to arise. That is why customer service training is an important part of an effective accessibility policy, and often a key component of a structured negotiations settlement. There are many aspects of a good training program, but one of the most important is dissolving stereotypes about blind people that all too often lead a company into legal trouble.” Walk in my shoes and respect my right to privacy, just as you ask that I respect yours. And that’s how I see it. ***** Patricia LaFrance-Wolf Memorial Fund to Assist People with Diabetes Patricia (Pat) LaFrance-Wolf was remarkable in many ways, but in the context of this award program, she was a model for anybody who has diabetes. She became a type 1 diabetic at the age of 8. She handled her diabetes and stayed active for more than 65 years. It wasn’t easy to be a person with diabetes for many of those years, and while Pat suffered setbacks along the way, including blindness in mid-adulthood, she prevailed and stayed active as an inspiration to those who knew her and those who read her many posts on many diabetes-related bulletin boards and listservs. Her last health crisis came in the midst of a telephone conference call, doing the work she loved of helping others and never ceased to do. In honor of Pat and her work, ACB Diabetics in Action (ACBDA) has created the Patricia LaFrance-Wolf Memorial Fund to assist people with diabetes. The purpose of this fund is to provide at least some financial assistance to people who are visually impaired diabetics and are in severe need of assistance in managing their diabetes. ** Who Is Eligible? Any person who is blind and who has diabetes is eligible to apply for assistance from this fund. If an applicant is a member of ACB Diabetics in Action, this individual is eligible for up to $100 of financial assistance. If not a member, a person is eligible to receive up to $50 of financial assistance. You are limited to one award during a three-year period. ** What Will Be Supplied? ACBDA will use as much flexibility as possible in determining what is supplied. It must be diabetes-related, and the applicant’s need for a grant must be established. Examples of what might be covered are as follows: • Talking blood glucose meter • Supply of strips for a talking glucose meter • Assistance with a co-pay for the purchase of diabetes-related supplies • Socks, special shoes, and/or orthotics related to diabetes • Assistance to pay an accredited (AADE certified) diabetic educator. ** How to Apply Applications can be sent to the Patricia LaFrance-Wolf Memorial Fund to Assist People with Diabetes committee. This committee can be contacted at the following address: ACB Diabetics in Action c/o American Council of the Blind 1703 N. Beauregard St. Suite 420 Alexandria, VA 22311 Applications must include the following: 1. Proof of legal blindness 2. Description and need for the requested items 3. Medical diagnosis of diabetes 4. Price of item with a quoted source for ordering 5. Explanation of why a grant is needed, i.e. financial issues 6. Complete contact information including name, address, telephone number and e-mail address if available. ** How Are Grant Funds Distributed? Grant funds are distributed from ACBDA directly to the equipment/service provider. Funds are not distributed directly to the grant recipient. In some cases, ACBDA may elect, at its sole discretion, to provide requested equipment directly when such equipment has been donated to ACBDA by the equipment manufacturer, distributor, or other designated representative. ACBDA will never provide used equipment to an awardee under this program. ** How Long Does It Take to Receive a Grant? ACBDA makes every effort to process completed applications within seven days after a fully completed application is received by the grants committee. If additional information is required, this process may take longer. ***** Affiliate News ** California Offers Scholarships The California Council of the Blind is offering scholarships to college, university, and vocational school students who are legally blind and are either residents of California, regardless of where they attend school, or non-residents of California attending school in this state. Scholarships are for entering freshmen, undergraduates, and graduate students. Applications must be submitted by July 1, 2016. The application can be found online at www.ccbnet.org/scholar_intro.htm. ** Teachers’ Features for the 2016 Convention As you fill out your pre-registration forms and make your plans for the 2016 ACB convention, be sure to allow plenty of time for the American Association of Blind Teachers, because AABT has several exciting and fun activities planned for convention week. Read on to find out more! The theme of this year’s AABT convention is “Employment Matters.” We kick off the week on Sunday, July 3rd at 8 a.m. with the annual AABT breakfast and program. Our program topic and keynote presentation for the week will be “Skills for Work That Work.” What skills lead to successful employment? Come and learn what recent research reveals. Our presenter, Tabitha Brecke from Auburn, Ala., will share her extensive research on this topic. Immediately following this program will be our business meeting. Sunday afternoon, we will co-sponsor the Friends-in-Art Writers’ Workshop on children’s literature presented by Leslye Orr, a blind playwright, performer and children’s author. On Monday, July 4th, at 1:30, we will join forces with the Audio Description Project (ADP) for a workshop titled “Teachers and Audio Description.” Several panelists will discuss how using audio description in the classroom can be helpful to teachers and promote literacy. Tuesday, July 5th will be another very busy day. At 1:15, we will conduct a panel discussion on “The Teaching Job Interview.” What are administrators looking for in candidates for teaching positions? What kinds of questions can you expect when you are interviewed for a teaching position? What can you do to make your teaching job interview a success? These and other questions will be answered during this discussion. One of our panelists will be John Davis, the principal of the Minnesota State Academy for the Blind. This will be followed at 2:45 by an interactive workshop on the EQ Test: An Assessment Tool for Blind Job Seekers. You may know your IQ, but what is your EQ (Employability Quotient)? Come and take an abbreviated version of the EQ Test and assess your own job readiness skills. Be sure to bring writing materials to this workshop. On Wednesday, July 6th, we will co-sponsor the program session with Library Users of America (LUA) which will feature a talking book narrator. Finally, we will end the day on a musical note by co-sponsoring the Round and Harmony Sing with FIA. We hope to see you in Minneapolis! ** Getting Down to Business with IVIE at the 2016 ACB Convention Are you a business owner, or are you considering the possibility of starting your own business? If you answered “yes,” the Independent Visually Impaired Entrepreneurs (IVIE) is planning activities at the 2016 ACB conference and convention which will be of interest to you. Our convention programming begins on Sunday, July 3rd at 10 p.m., when we join our friends from RSVA for a mixer. This will give you a chance to relax after the opening general session, have a few refreshments and mingle with friends from IVIE and RSVA. Our annual breakfast and business meeting will take place on Monday, July 4th from 7:00 to 8:15 a.m. Bring a hearty appetite and your creative ideas for making the IVIE affiliate the best that it can be! Wednesday, July 6th will be a busy day for IVIE. Are you looking for innovative methods for setting your business apart from your competition? Then you will want to attend our luncheon and program from 12:15 to 2:30 p.m. The title of the program will be “Finding Your Market Niche.” The strategic use of niche marketing can spell success for your business. Learn how to use niche marketing strategies to your advantage, how other business owners do it, and come prepared with examples of how you have found your niche in the marketplace. This year we are trying an experiment. The IVIE Expo will take place Wednesday afternoon from 2:45 to 5:45 p.m. immediately following the IVIE luncheon and program. It is our hope that having the Expo on Wednesday will encourage more participation. Blind and visually impaired business owners will showcase their products and services and answer your questions. Browsing at the Expo is free; you don’t need a ticket to get in. However, if you would like to have a booth at the IVIE Business Expo, you must reserve it in advance. The cost will be $10 for IVIE members and $25 for non-members, with the option of applying $15 of this cost toward annual IVIE dues. You can reserve your expo booth and/or pay your annual dues online by visiting www.ivie-acb.org. Or you can make a check payable to IVIE and send it to our president, Ardis Bazyn, 2121 Scott Rd. Apt. 105, Burbank, CA 91504. Please designate whether your check is for annual dues, an expo booth, or both. If you are submitting your dues, be sure to fill out and include the IVIE membership form, which can be found on our web site. If you have any questions about the IVIE Expo or this year’s program offerings at the ACB national convention, contact Carla Hayes at (724) 941-8184 or by e-mail at lengual@verizon.net. ***** 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. ** Imogene Johnson July 4, 1926-April 25, 2016 Imogene Johnson, a long-time member and past president of the Arkansas Council of the Blind, died April 25, 2016. Imogene was born July 4, 1926 in London, Ky. She worked at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences as a darkroom technician for 42 years. She was a member of Immanuel Baptist Church in Little Rock. Imogene also helped raise her brother’s three children. A sweet and caring soul, she loved her family and friends and took great pleasure in life. She was an inspiration to all. She is predeceased by her parents, Alda and Exie Johnson of Kentucky, and brother, Denton Johnson, of Benton, Ark. She is survived by her brothers, Alton Johnson and Jim Johnson; nieces, Jana Gregory (Jim) of Benton and Glenda Cooper of Little Rock; her nephew, Jeff Johnson (Michelle) of Benton; and many great nieces and nephews, and a great-great nephew. A graveside service was held at A.R. Dyche Cemetery in London, Ky., on May 2. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Arkansas Council of the Blind, c/o Rachel Ames, Treasurer, 1937 S. Custer Ln., Fayetteville, AR 72701. An online guestbook is available at www.griffinleggetthealeyroth.com. ***** The Transportation Challenge by Kendra Farrow, CVRT I don’t see well enough to drive; how do I get there? That is the question that all people with vision impairment ask themselves on a regular basis. There are so many places we want and need to go. Regardless of our default choice, we sometimes have locations or situations that do not work with our preferred method of transportation. Here are a few tips I use; maybe they will help you as well. First, I consider the places I go on a regular basis: work, church, and the grocery store. These trips happen in a fairly predictable schedule. If I can use public transportation or a paid driver for these regular trips, I can save my family, neighbors, and friends for emergency situations. By not using the volunteers for regular trips, I can appear to be independent. When emergencies arise, those volunteers know I am only asking for this one time, not a long-term commitment. Second, I try to push myself to become familiar with all of the options in my community. By riding the bus, for example, I can begin to have some comfort level with that form of transportation. It may not be my normal mode, but I am comfortable enough that, if I need to do it, I can do it without lots of planning and anxiety. When I am learning a new system, I have to do it regularly for as long as it takes to be past the anxious phase. In other words, I don’t get butterflies in my stomach just thinking I might have to ride the bus tomorrow because my friend’s car is in the garage. Third, I am prepared and organized. I find that keeping a bag with the items I need every time I leave the house is important. This way, I can just grab my bag and leave when my ride comes. I don’t have to run around gathering up my keys, magnifier, umbrella, and other items I might need today. Finally, I keep my ears open for new opportunities. Recently I read the “Transportation Guide” published by the National Research and Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision. I figured it would be a review, but I found that I didn’t know everything. If you would like to check out the “Transportation Guide” it is at http://www.blind.msstate.edu/our-products/transportation-guide/. ***** 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 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. ** Candle in the Window Retreat Candle in the Window will hold its annual retreat Aug. 10-14, 2016 at the Wooded Glen Retreat Center in Henryville, Ind., located minutes away from Louisville, Ky. This year’s theme is “Surviving and thriving as a person who’s blind in our communities.” Some questions we’ll be asking include: • What is a community anyway? • What is the difference between surviving and thriving in a community? • Which of our communities help us define our sense of self-worth? • How do we introduce ourselves into a new community? • What are obstacles that make it feel difficult to join a community, and what can we do to overcome them? We have group transportation to Wooded Glen; please try to arrive by 1:30 p.m. at the Louisville airport. If you arrive later than that, you may need to arrange your own transportation to Wooded Glen. Try to arrange your departing flights from Louisville for no earlier than noon on Sunday, Aug. 14. If your flight leaves earlier than noon, you may need to arrange your own transportation from Wooded Glen to Louisville. Attendance is limited to 20 participants, so reserve your spot early by making a $40 deposit (non-refundable). If payment is received before July 8, a $15 discount is offered. Payment through PayPal should be sent to candleinthewindow1@gmail.com. Payment by check may be sent to: Carlos Taylor, 925 S. Luick Ave., Muncie, IN 47302. Make check payable to Candle In the Window. Registration closes Aug. 1. For more information, contact Kathy Szinnyey via e-mail, joyfulrenegade@gmail.com, or call her at (502) 759-1288, or Patrick Votta, pvotta@verizon.net or (718) 797-2475. ** Croft Leaves NBP National Braille Press publisher Diane Croft stepped down from her position in April, after 34 years of service to NBP and to the blindness community. Diane will be publishing under a new imprint, Interleaf Press, and is set to release her book on the collective unconscious this summer. The blindness community has recognized Diane for her contributions to the field with numerous awards, including the 1990 Book Award from the President’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, the Uncommon Vision Award, and the Bay State Council of the Blind Outstanding Service Award. She received the Hands On! Award from NBP in 2012 for her efforts to promote braille literacy. Diane is a published author and editor of dozens of publications, including the award-winning biography of the inventor of braille, “Louis Braille: A Touch of Genius,” which has been translated into seven languages. ** Rite Aid Talking Labels Rite Aid now has talking labels in all its stores across the country. This agreement was as a result of structured negotiations between the American Council of the Blind, the California Council of the Blind, and Rite Aid. Rite Aid has made the Talking Pill Reminder system available in its stores (the same device used by Walgreens). If the Talking Pill Reminder is not effective for customers, Rite Aid will make the ScripTalk talking labels available. Everything will be available free of charge to blind customers. Large-print prescription information is also available in the stores. With so many stores, it is possible that there will be some implementation challenges early in the rollout. The Rite Aid general customer service number is 1-800-748-3243. Please start with the customer service line to resolve any issues. If you run into any difficulties, Rite Aid has provided ACB with a contact person for you to call. That person is Michael Mack, phone (717) 975-5878, e-mail Mmack@riteaid.co. Rite Aid wants to hear positive and negative feedback on the roll-out, so please use the customer service hotline to convey feedback. This agreement is another big step in ACB’s work to make sure blind people have safe and independent access to prescription information. ** Accessible Prescription Press Releases Consolidated With so many ACB advocacy victories on the accessible prescription front recently, we wanted to share a link with all of you. Lainey Feingold updated and consolidated all of the releases into one link for ease of access. You can view them at http://lflegal.com/2016/03/talking-label-2016Update/. ** Hadley Changes Name To better reflect the diversity of students it serves and how it has evolved over the years, The Hadley School for the Blind has changed its name to Hadley Institute for the Blind and Visually Impaired. In tandem with the name change, a catchy new tagline, “Educating - for life,” will be used to highlight Hadley’s mission to promote independent living through lifelong learning, as well as its dedication to educating students on life skills and helping them reach their full potential. A more contemporary logo was also developed to illustrate how Hadley has changed, while remaining true to its roots. The graphic represents the braille letter “h,” honoring Hadley’s longstanding commitment to braille excellence. The graphic also is reminiscent of stained glass in prairie architecture. ** Protecting Social Security Benefits for Borrowers The U.S. Department of Education recently announced a new process to identify and assist federal student loan borrowers with disabilities who may be eligible for Total and Permanent Disability (TPD) loan discharge. This effort was called for by President Obama in his Student Aid Bill of Rights, which details measures to make paying for higher education an easier and fairer experience for millions of Americans. The Higher Education Act allows for loan forgiveness for borrowers who are totally and permanently disabled. The Department of Education has been working closely with the Social Security Administration (SSA) to complete a data match to identify federal student loan borrowers who also receive disability payments and have the specific designation of “Medical Improvement Not Expected” (MINE) which, because of a change in regulations in 2013, qualifies them for loan forgiveness under the TPD discharge program. Approximately 387,000 borrowers were identified in the first set of matches. In total, they have a combined loan balance of over $7.7 billion, and roughly 179,000 are currently in default. Borrowers who were identified in the match will receive a letter explaining that the borrower is eligible for loan forgiveness and how to receive a discharge. They will not be required to submit documentation of their eligibility. Instead, they are eligible for a streamlined process by which they simply sign and return the completed application. Initial notification letters will be sent over a 16-week period and will be followed up with a second letter that will be sent 120 days after the initial letter if a signed application is not received. Notification will also include information to ensure borrowers understand the potential tax implications for this benefit and can make an informed decision about electing a discharge. For more information, visit https://disabilitydischarge.com. ** McCallum Is New Superintendent Gov. Jay Inslee recently named Scott McCallum superintendent of the Washington State School for the Blind in Vancouver. McCallum has 17 years of experience working on behalf of students in Oregon who are blind or visually impaired. He most recently served for nearly six years as the Blind and Visually Impaired Student Fund administrator for the state of Oregon and coordinated specialized educational services for students who are blind/visually impaired. McCallum also has classroom experience as an itinerant teacher and orientation and mobility specialist in Eugene. ** Delaney Named Executive Director of Perkins International Perkins School for the Blind named Michael J. Delaney as executive director of Perkins International in a move to expand its worldwide mission educating and empowering children and young adults with visual impairments. Delaney spent 25 years with Oxfam America, known globally for combating poverty, famine and injustice. There he established the Humanitarian Division, growing it to one-third of Oxfam’s program operations and budget. Delaney will build on Perkins International’s 30-plus years of work creating sustainable programs through local partnerships as it is poised to launch several new initiatives. These include better assessment tools to help governments evaluate special-education programs, certified teacher training courses, and a global focus on transition to adult living. The initiatives are designed to improve every aspect of the educational process for children and young adults with vision loss. ** Hatfield Appointed Executive Director Braille Institute recently announced the appointment of Jay Hatfield to the position of executive director for its San Diego regional center. Since the San Diego center opened in 1993, it has served thousands of people with vision loss living throughout San Diego County. The center is one of five southern California regional centers operated by Braille Institute. Hatfield began his tenure at Braille Institute in 1990. Since then, he has led many teams to success through roles which include assistant director and regional director for Braille Institute Rancho Mirage as well as assistant regional director for Braille Institute San Diego. Most recently, Hatfield served as director of philanthropy for the San Diego and Rancho Mirage centers. ** TalentWorks Launched The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy recently launched TalentWorks, a free online tool that helps employers and human resources professionals ensure accessibility in their web-based job applications and other recruiting technologies for job seekers with disabilities. Created by ODEP’s Partnership on Employment & Accessible Technology (PEAT), TalentWorks provides general background on accessibility and e-recruiting, as well as practical tip sheets for making online job applications, digital interviews, pre-employment tests and resume upload programs accessible. To check out TalentWorks, visit http://peatworks.org/talentworks. ** EEOC Launches Online System Have you recently filed a charge with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission? If so, you can keep track of its progress using the new Online Charge Status System. The system provides up-to-date status on individual charges as well as an overview of the steps that charges follow from intake to resolution. The system also provides contact information for EEOC staff assigned to the charge. With the new system, individuals can access information about their charge at their convenience. Companies or other entities that have charges of employment discrimination filed against them also can access the system and receive the same information on the status of the charge. The Online Charge Status System is available for charges filed on or after Sept. 2, 2015. It is not available for charges filed prior to this date, or for charges filed with EEOC’s state and local Fair Employment Practices Agencies. You may view it at www.eeoc.gov/employees/charge_status.cfm, or by selecting the “Check the Status of a Charge” button on www.eeoc.gov. For federal sector complaints of discrimination, EEOC launched an online system called the Federal Sector EEO Portal (FedSEP) for federal agencies on Oct. 1, 2015 to upload hearing and appeals documents. EEOC will offer assistance through its toll-free number at 1-800-669-4000 (TTY, 1-800-669-6820, or ASL video phone, 1-844-234-5122) for those who do not have Internet access or who need language assistance in one of the 150 languages for which EEOC offers translation services. ** New from National Braille Press “Getting Started with the iPhone and iOS 9: An Introduction for Blind Users” by Anna Dresner is now available in braille, BRF, Word, ePub or DAISY. The new edition of this tutorial for beginners has everything you’ll need to know to start using your iPhone and the iOS 9 operating system. It guides you through setting up your phone, loading and backing up music, contacts, etc., making calls, writing and sending text messages, using a Bluetooth keyboard and braille display, and much more. Most of the book is relevant for iPod Touch users; iPad users may find it useful, too. Get your sneak preview at www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/IPHONE-IOS9.html. Back in stock are two best-sellers: “Stir It Up! Recipes & Techniques for Young Blind Cooks” and “Braille Spelling Dictionary, UEB Edition,” both available as large print-and-braille books. Another new book is “Miss Moore Thought Otherwise,” by Jan Pinborough, available in contracted UEB with skip lines. This is the true story of how Miss Moore created the first children’s room at the New York Public Library — a bright, warm room filled with artwork, window seats, and most important of all, borrowing privileges to the world’s best children’s books in many different languages. For more information, contact National Braille Press, 88 St. Stephen St., Boston, MA 02115-4302; phone 1-800-548-7323; or look online at www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/publications/index.html. ** Indoor Navigation System The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences recently previewed an iPhone-based indoor navigation system for the museum’s Nature Resource Center. The system is based on the BlindSquare or BlindSquare Event App and a series of small iBeacon transponders. The system communicates through Bluetooth and requires use of an iPhone. In the Nature Resource Center, 30 iBeacon transponders were placed in the building, each transponder covering a 20- to 50-square-foot area. As the BlindSquare app picks up a specific transponder, it generates a tone. The app then announces the location and describes the environment, based on the iPhone’s compass reading. As you enter the building, the transponder reveals that you are at the entrance. When you point your iPhone straight ahead, it tells you that you are in the main foyer and that the flooring is marble. If you point it eastward, the transponder informs you that the main stairway is to the east and that the flooring is carpeted. Point it west, and it identifies the elevators, rest rooms, Planet Café and museum store. ** Learning Ally Honors Outstanding Teachers Learning Ally honored two outstanding teachers during its Success and Achievement celebration in April. The new Winslow Coyne Reitnouer Excellence in Teaching Awards recognize exemplary leadership and innovative efforts in classroom instruction for students who struggle to read because of learning differences and visual disabilities. More than 140 teachers across the country were nominated by an array of students, parents, and other educators. In addition to choosing the top two national awardees, Learning Ally’s award selection committee identified 42 teachers who will receive special honors recognition on the Learning Ally website and social media channels. This year’s top awards were presented to: • Erika Fedo, a third- and fourth-grade teacher at Village Elementary School in Montgomery Township District, N.J. Having a lifelong hearing impairment and being 90 percent deaf hasn’t deterred Erika from igniting a love of reading among her students with dyslexia and print disabilities. Her empathy, insight and mastery of assistive technology has aided her launch of a book club in which students who had previously struggled to read now read with their ears, and flock to school an hour early to discuss their favorite books. • Cindy Kanuch, a learning/reading specialist who plays a highly influential role with students and teachers at the Calhan School in Calhan, Colo. Embracing a model of neurodiversity and celebrating the strengths of students with dyslexia and learning differences, Cindy has immersed herself in Orton-Gillingham methods of reading instruction and continually drives professional development and best practices among her fellow teachers. ***** High Tech Swap Shop ** For Sale: One i.d. mate Summit, lightly used. Perfect for people who don’t have wi-fi, or just want an accurate bar code scanner. Asking $400 or best offer. Contact Allison Fallin by e-mail, afallin1@cox.net. ** Free to Good Home: 12 cassettes, King James Version of the New Testament, narrated by Alexander Scourby and produced by the International Cassette Corporation. 6 cassettes, King James Version of Psalms and Proverbs, narrated by Alexander Scourby. Produced by Broadman. If interested, contact Edie Huffman by e-mail, johnediehuffman@hotmail.com, or by phone, (317) 228-0496. ** Wanted: I am searching for the older version of Scrabble, which was manufactured around 1963. The game must be in good condition and have all the pieces. If you have one, contact Karen via e-mail, karenb7410@gmail.com. ***** ACB Officers ** President Kim Charlson (2nd term, 2017) 57 Grandview Ave. Watertown, MA 02472 ** First Vice President Jeff Thom (2nd term, 2017) 7414 Mooncrest Way Sacramento, CA 95831-4046 ** Second Vice President John McCann (1st term, 2017) 8761 E. Placita Bolivar Tucson, AZ 85715-5650 ** Secretary Ray Campbell (2nd term, 2017) 460 Raintree Ct. #3K Glen Ellyn, IL 60137 ** Treasurer Carla Ruschival (3rd term, 2017) 148 Vernon Ave. Louisville, KY 40206 ** Immediate Past President Mitch Pomerantz 1115 Cordova St. #402 Pasadena, CA 91106 ** ACB Board of Directors Jeff Bishop, Tucson, AZ (partial term, 2016) Berl Colley, Lacey, WA (final term, 2016) Sara Conrad, Stevensville, MI (1st term, 2016) Katie Frederick, Worthington, OH (1st term, 2018) Michael Garrett, Missouri City, TX (final term, 2016) George Holliday, Philadelphia, PA (final term, 2018) 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: Doug Powell, Falls Church, VA ** ACB Board of Publications Denise Colley, Chairman, Lacey, WA (2nd term, 2017) Ron Brooks, Phoenix, AZ (2nd term, 2017) 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: Katie Frederick, Worthington, OH Bob Hachey, Waltham, MA Berl Colley, Lacey, WA Carla Ruschival, Louisville, KY ** Accessing Your ACB Braille and E-Forums The ACB E-Forum may be accessed by e-mail, on the ACB web site, via download from the web page (in Word, plain text, or braille-ready file), or by phone at (605) 475-8154. To subscribe to the e-mail version, visit the ACB e-mail lists page at www.acb.org. The ACB Braille Forum is available by mail in braille, large print, half-speed four-track cassette tape, data CD, and via e-mail. It is also available to read or download from ACB’s web page, and by phone, (605) 475-8154. Subscribe to the podcast versions from your 2nd generation Victor Reader Stream or from http://www.acb.org/bf/.