TABLE OF CONTENTS

Editor's Line

From The President

Education and Welfare Report

2004 MCB Convention

Lawsuit Says Missouri Misuses Funds for the Blind

Meet Our New Treasurer

Summer Camp Report

A Very Special Person
by Tom Armstrong

Audible Traffic Signal Well Received

APS Update
by Robyn Wallen

Accessible Cell Phones

Are Web Sites Doing Enough to Serve the DISABLED?

Survey Finds the ADA Hasn't Improved Lives

Affiliate Affairs

From The Lower Left-Hand Drawer

The Blind Beatitudes

Back to the 2004 Chronicle List

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Editor's Line

At the Convention, I reported that we now have nearly 900 subscribers to the Chronicle in the various formats. The large print is still the largest, followed by tape, Braille and e-mail. I know there are still some problems with some of the subscriptions and there probably always will be. We have been sending a new updated mailing list to the various producers with each new issue, but sometimes they still use the old mailing lists. Please let me know if you miss an issue or receive the wrong format and I will try to correct the problem.

I also suggested at the convention that those of you who represent MCB on state committees or advisory boards should send reports to me about what those bodies are doing. This will keep us better informed about the issues that these entities are dealing with.

I said that from time to time I would include the editorial guidelines that were adopted by the Board. So here they are once again:

Guidelines for the Missouri Chronicle

The Chronicle shall be published quarterly, in March, June, September, and December. As stated in Article XIII of the Bylaws, the magazine shall be distributed, free of charge, to members and any other persons requesting it.

The Chronicle shall be available in Braille, large print, cassette tape, by e-mail and on computer disk. It will also be available on the MCB web site.

Material for the Chronicle should be submitted to the Editor by the first day of the month preceding each issue. Under the current publishing schedule, submission deadlines are February first, May first, August first, and November first. Material received after those deadlines may still be included in the next issue if space permits or may be held for publication in a later issue.

Each issue will typically consist of reports from the MCB President and other officers, reports from committee chairpersons, news from affiliates, a resource column and other articles selected by the editor.

Each issue will also contain a section listing the names, addresses and phone numbers for all MCB officers, board members, committee chairs and Affiliate Presidents. Affiliates should let the Editor know as soon as possible when they elect new presidents so that the Chronicle list will be up to date.

Readers are encouraged to submit articles for publication, including letters to the editor, on any subject. Articles and letters may be shortened to meet space limitations or edited for clarity, but the writer's writing style and content will be retained. In order to be considered for publication in the Chronicle, submissions must include the name of the writer; unsigned articles and letters will not be considered.

Material may be submitted in any form, but hand written material should be avoided if possible.

The June and September issues will contain a candidate's column where members seeking office may submit information about their qualifications. Candidates should stress their reasons for running for an office and shall refrain from making personal attacks against any other member running for or holding that office.

I hope you enjoy this issue of the magazine. You will be reading a lot about audible pedestrian traffic signals, the MCB convention and more.

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From The President
by Kathey Wheeler

Hello MCB Members and friends all over the state, For those of you who were not at the convention and did not receive the information from a friend or from the Missouri Council listserve, let me introduce to you the board members who were elected at the convention, and remind you of the ones who will be returning.

I am Kathey Wheeler, the president, from Independence. Beverly Armstrong, from St. Louis, is the first vice president. Phyllis Lovett, from Springfield, is the second vice president. John Weidlich, from St. Louis, is the secretary. Due to the resignation of treasurer Bill Burris, elections were held to fill the position for the remaining year of the treasurer's term. William Hawkins, from Kansas City was elected treasurer for one year. Jerry Annunzio, Leo Giger, and Linda Gerken remain as directors for one more year. Leroy Welch was returned as public relations chairman to fill the position for the remaining year of the term.

At the pre-convention board meeting, it was decided to have a board training session. This training is scheduled for Friday, November the nineteenth, in Sedalia. It will be given by Gerald Duty. The Board meeting is scheduled for Saturday, November 20.

There is, again, a toll free number in place to use when wanting to speak with the president. It is (877) 252-0074. If you can make a local call, the number is (816) 252-0074.

I am working to fill the many positions on the MCB standing committees with willing workers. At the Board meeting, I shall request that the following list of standing committee chairs be approved:

Budget and Finance, William Hawkins;
Building, Tom Armstrong;
Chronicle, John Weidlich;
Convention Coordinator, Eldon Cox;
Health Benefits, Renee Deggs;
Listserve, Denny Huff;
Membership, Dr. Jerry Holt;
Resolutions, Anna Schell;
Scholarship, Phyllis Lovett;
Special Services, Marie Thompson;
Summer Camp, Beverly Shockley;
Youth Services, Linda Gerken.


I shall ask also for Board approval on the following special committee chairs:
Convention Contract Manager, Jerry Annunzio;
Executive Director Search Committee, Phyllis Lovett;
Transportation Facilitator Committee, Robyn Wallen.
More committee chairmen and MCB representatives will be announced later.

There is still much to do to get the MCB Committees in place. Anyone wishing to serve on a committee, please call or e-mail me. The toll free number again is (877) 252-0074. My e-mail address is: katheylw@mindspring.com.

I wish all of you a joyous holiday season.

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Education and Welfare Report
by Bessie Reece
 

I have made tentative plans for March 1 and 2 for the Legislative Seminar in Jefferson City. On March 1st, we will meet at 2:00 PM at the Ramada Inn. On the 2nd, we will host a continental breakfast for our legislators and affiliate members who will also be attending. I would like to encourage each affiliate to send three members and to consider paying their expenses. Only the committee reps of each affiliate will have their expenses paid.

I am also looking for at least ten MCB members who would be interested in attending a Legislative Education program in Jefferson City. The dates would be February 15-17, 2005. Please contact me if you are interested in attending this training session.
 

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The 2004 MCB Convention

The Millennium Hotel in Downtown St. Louis was the site of the 2004 MCB Convention. I would imagine that this was one of the largest hotels we have ever used for a convention, with around twenty-five floors of rooms in two towers. Donna and I were on the 26th floor, so we seemed to spend a lot of time either riding in or waiting for elevators. Our convention of more than 200 persons was tiny compared with some of the other huge gatherings that were also meeting in the Millennium during the same weekend, so the halls were sometimes quite congested. Service in the restaurant, though, seemed especially good considering the number of guests who were staying in the hotel.

Following the opening ceremonies and the roll call of affiliates, the Friday afternoon session consisted of some interesting and informative speakers. One of the liveliest presentations was from Talking Book Narrator Madelyn Buzzard, from the American Printing House for the Blind in Louisville, Kentucky. She has been a narrator for 21 years and says she has recorded around 850 books. She does not choose what she reads but, although she can turn down assignments, she generally reads whatever she is assigned. Her first book was Moonstruck Madness by Lori McBain, which she had to record twice because her first reading was rejected by NLS. One of her biggest challenges was a medical book, in which she had to pronounce the names of about a thousand drugs. She has recorded books with Egyptian words and a book with words from an obscure Siberian language. She also read a ten-cassette book on women's issues as well as the equally long updated version. She has recorded weight loss books, and the Oz books as well as etiquette books by Miss Manners and Emily Post. She reads with a monitor who follows along to stop her when she makes mistakes. The tapes then go to a proofreader, who listens for errors or noises that might have crept into the recording. Her favorite book: The Age of Miracles by Ellen Gilcrest. She especially amused us with stories about some of the memorable goofs by APH narrators which, of course, were not on the finished tapes. I wish I could remember them; they were very funny. The Talking Book Narrators are always very lively and articulate speakers.

We also heard from Debbi Head with the 401 Task Force, a committee whose purpose is to improve the quality of education for all blind and visually impaired children in Missouri. The task force consists of twenty-two members, including a representative from MCB. She talked about areas of progress, including the hiring of blindness skills specialists in Springfield, Cape Girardeau and Kirksville. The Task Force plans to put nine of these specialists in place soon. The Task Force, which is part of the Department for Elementary and Secondary Education, hopes to put on a vision conference in April for parents, teachers and others interested in education of blind children.

Other speakers included Mira Tanna, who spoke about Fair Housing Legislation, and Joe Hull and Clint Kruse from the Lighthouse in St. Louis. We also got our first chance to meet and speak with Mike Fester, the new Deputy Director of RSB.

The Saturday morning session consisted largely of committee reports and consideration of amendments to the Bylaws. An amendment that would have expanded the functions of the Education and Welfare committee was defeated after much discussion. Two amendments to change the way proposed amendments will be circulated to members were adopted. These amendments state that proposed amendments and resolutions will be sent by the office to affiliate presidents, all members at large and to any members of affiliates who request them in their preferred format. Although not part of the amendment, it was suggested that proposed amendments should also be included in all editions of the Chronicle.

Another highlight of the convention was the announcement at a news conference prior to the Board meeting that Mcb had filed a lawsuit to deal with problems with the administration of the blind pension fund. Details about that will be found in another article.

Wolfner Library Director, Dr. Richard Smith, spoke to the convention Saturday afternoon. He told us that there were now 9,741 adults and 533 juveniles registered with the library, a large increase in both groups. The library now has a professionally designed recording studio, where books on Missouri will be recorded by volunteer readers. He also said that by 2008, NLS will begin phasing out cassette books and players in favor of books digitally recorded on small computer flash cards, a process which will probably take at least four years to complete. You will be hearing more about that when the change goes into effect a few years from now.

MCB member Michael Keller, chairman of the Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC) spoke about the development and implementation of a state plan for the operation of independent living centers in Missouri.

Jerry Annunzio reviewed the plans for the 2005 convention, which will be held at the Clarion Sports Center in Kansas City on October 6-9. Room rates will be $59 plus tax. The Blind of Central Missouri affiliate will host the 2006 convention at the Capitol Plaza Hotel in Jefferson City. The dates will be a little later than usual, October 19-22.

Now let's turn our attention to the banquet. Our Master of Ceremonies was former State Representative Betty Thompson and our banquet speaker was Gloria Davis, the principal of schools in Dodge City, Kansas. She is the daughter of Marie Kelley, president of the Tower Club Affiliate. She gave a rousing and passionate talk on the importance of a good education for all children, especially children with disabilities. She is a strong believer that we should all be advocates for the rights of disabled children and adults.

Bill Benson then presented the Nathaniel Johnson Award, given each year to an MCB member for outstanding community service. His remarks follow:

This lady was born in Williston, North Dakota, grew up there, traveled clear across the state to the eastern side to go to the State School for the Blind, which she says was a great school, but during high school her father changed jobs and moved to Montana, which meant that Maryan had to go to the Montana School from which she graduated. She went on then to a year of college, wanted to go into music teaching, but her father died which was quite a disruption to the family. She had to drop out of college, went for a Leader Dog and met Charlie Harrison, and that's how she got to St. Louis, and I'm glad she did. She had some great years here. She was a charter member of RITE back in 1955. She was present in Kansas City in 1961 at that memorable, infamous convention of the National Federation of the Blind where the ACB had its beginning. So she was a charter member of RITE; she was a charter member of ACB; she was in on the beginning of our Missouri chapter. She's been involved in work for the blind for many years. A lot of us might be able to say we speak for the blind; Maryan does more. She sings for the blind. It's a pleasure indeed to present the award this evening, the Nathaniel Johnson Award, to Maryan Harrison.

Unfortunately, Maryan, although she attended the convention, was not present at the banquet to receive the award.

Bev Shockley presented the MCB'S highest award, the Ellis M. Forshee Award. Here is her presentation:

When Chip asked me to give the Ellis M. Forshee Award, it occurred to me that in all likelihood, very few people here tonight ever knew Mr. Forshee and most don't even know who he was. So we're going to go back in history to the real beginning of this organization. The first organization for the blind in Missouri, and I think maybe the first one in the United States, was UWB. It was organized in 1912 and chartered in 1914. Ellis Forshee graduated from the Missouri School for the Blind in 1913, so he became a part of this organization shortly after it was begun.

The main focus of the early years of UWB was, due to the fact that many blind people could not find employment, they felt that there could be some way that the state of Missouri could provide a monthly grant for blind people. Well, these people got together and made trips to Jeff City and lobbied, and back in those days it wasn't as easy to get there as it is today. Of course there wasn't the Internet and the telephone to pick up and call your Representatives all the time. So they had little fundraisers and sent their people to Jeff City and well, first, they passed a bill but the Governor wouldn't sign it because there wasn't any money. Does that sound familiar? They finally decided they were going to have to have an amendment to the Constitution to provide for this fund and they worked and worked until they got it in 1921.

Now you might wonder what all this has to do with our person tonight. It has a whole lot to do with her. She has said over and over to many of you that her passion is social justice and everything that she has done in her life, her life's work, her family life, her church life, has been toward this end. She attended the Missouri School for the Blind all her school years, although she came from Houston, Missouri, and she graduated in 1955. There are quite a few others that were in that class who are here tonight, too. She went to Missouri Valley College and obtained her degree and in 1959 she was married. During the time she was going to college, she worked summers at Manchester Bank here in St. Louis and later secured a position at First National Bank. Then she married and had one daughter. One of the early things that I know about that she did in her community was a Meals On Wheels project that she participated in for many years. She also has been very faithful in her church. Her church activity has been as a member of the Session of her church and on various committees. Fifteen years ago, she was hired by the Presbytery of Giddings-Lovejoy as their Hunger Enabler and she has worked long and hard for people who need to be fed.

During this time, she has made some trips to Jefferson City and has learned how to be an advocate. She has done much work on the Blind Pension, even beginning back in the early '90s. She also was Chairperson of the Disabilities Concern Committee at Giddings-Lovejoy while she was employed there.

Now she is working on a project that we all know about if you attended that news conference or have read the papers. We're trying to get the Blind Pension fund straightened out so it goes where it's supposed to be and we couldn't have anyone any better to do this than the person who is receiving the Ellis M. Forshee Award tonight, Beverly Armstrong.

In accepting the award, Bev said: I'd like to thank Bev for all the kind words she said. I've told you a number of times that social justice is my passion. I believe that people have the right to expect to have their basic needs met. I can tell you firsthand, talking to many people personally, that hunger and homelessness and poverty are well and alive in this country and in the world and it's my goal to leave this world a little bit better place than what we have today. I thank you for the Ellis M. Forshee Award. I'm proud to receive it because I've always admired the early folks in Uwb for their wisdom in getting this legislation passed. I knew some of them, like Laura Welle, Alma Murphy, who was in RITE but she, too was very instrumental in it, and Lucille Fierce, who monitored it for a number of years and many others, Beryl Masters who died recently, and Vonetta Frazier. I could name others. Many of you have gone to Jeff City. But I truly enjoy this. A friend of ours used to say to me, "You're just like a bulldog, Bev, you won't quit," and that's right. I don't quit very easily. I thank you and I will cherish this. Thank you so much.

The Plaque Reads: In recognition and appreciation of your outstanding leadership to effectively advocate for legislative change on behalf of all of the blind of Missouri, the Missouri Council of the Blind proudly extends its gratitude to you by presenting you with its Ellis M. Forshee Award. Presented to Beverly Armstrong October 9, 2004.

Yvonne Schnitzler from the Ozark Association presented a plaque in memory of one of its deceased charter members, Francis Moranville, to his wife Dorthy. Dorthy accepted the plaque and then gave it to Chip to hang in the MCB building.

The plaque reads: Francis George Moranville, in gratitude for your dedication and contributions to OAB in making a difference in improving the lives of many. Thank you for providing leadership and being a positive role model. Charter Member, Ozark Association for the Blind, 1957.

Leroy Welch announced that it was twenty years ago that our organization, formerly called the Missouri Federation of the Blind, became the Missouri Council of the Blind. He and Loretta gave out gifts to many individuals, including past presidents and officers of MCB and others who have been involved in our work during the past 20 years.

Phyllis Lovett and the Library Users had some fun with their Treasurer, Paul Mathews, presenting him with a plaque designating him as the greatest procrastinator in the world. Paul admitted that he is a procrastinator, but declared that he always gets the job done in the end.

Membership Chairman Melvin Smith announced the winners of the contest for the affiliate bringing in the most new members. SEMO, the affiliate in Poplar Bluff, took first place with nineteen new members in the past year.

Last year we established a new award, the Darrell Lauer Outstanding Leadership Award. It was presented by Beverly Armstrong:

I have an award to present that the Council adopted the resolution for last year. It's the Darrell Lauer Outstanding Leadership Award. The recipients this year: She has been the President of the Missouri Council for three years. She served various positions on the Board. They are members of the St. Charles Council of the Blind. She has served on a number of state committees and councils such as the Governor's Council on Disability, the statewide Rehab Services Council and she's also served on a transportation committee that we're not sure of the name of. Roy and Edna Freeman have done many things to improve the quality of life for blind people here in Missouri. Roy has been the silent partner, driving Edna where she needed to go and helping as our sighted spouses and friends help so much and that we really could not do what we do without their help. And so this year's Darrell Lauer Outstanding Leadership Award is being presented to Roy and Edna Freeman. They are not here. I'm presenting this in absentia. Roy was brought home from the hospital yesterday. Though he's not appreciably better, he has to come home for a while anyway. So we do need to keep Roy in our prayers and Edna, too. This is a really tough time for her. So give them a call, congratulate them, and we will get this plaque to them. I want to tell you since this is a new award, it's on dark walnut wood with a black plate and we have Braille on it.

This plaque reads: In recognition of many years of outstanding leadership and dedicated service benefitting the blind of Missouri, the Missouri Council of the Blind presents the Darrell Lauer Outstanding Leadership Award to Roy and Edna Freeman, this ninth day of October, 2004. The inscription in print is in gold and of course the Braille is on black. So give them a call congratulate and also do keep them in your prayers. Thank you.

Beverly Armstrong also presented a gift to our outgoing President, Chip Hailey. She said this about Chip: "Chip, you have led us through these past four years. You've had the good times and the not so good times. You've been a model of a human being with outstanding character and I just have to tell you how much I admire you. Sometimes when things would get rough, I would think, how can he keep his cool, but he never lost his cool, never was ugly to anyone, rose above that. I think that speaks for the kind of human being he is. We thank you for being our leader these past four years, setting a high example of what leadership needs to be and certainly a model to follow."

In responding Chip said: "I can't tell you how much I appreciate this. There's just no words that can really express the appreciation that you all have shown my wife and I."

The gift was a Sony MP3 player, which Chip said he will use to listen to his growing collection of old radio shows.

Finally, Chip presented the President's Award, which is given to a sighted member of MCB. This is what he said:

Ladies and Gentlemen, it's my distinct pleasure and honor to present the President's award this year to two individuals that I believe have contributed greatly to this organization. They've been a vital, integral part in keeping the daily operations of the MCB office going. This year's recipients, Tom Armstrong and Sharon Armstrong, have volunteered many, many hours of dedicated service to the MCB office, valuable service. I can't tell you the countless hours that they spent assisting Donna in the office in any way that they could, from answering the telephone to helping with mailing, anything that they could do, and they've done it because they love this organization, they love you, they want to be able to provide this service. They did it because they love the Missouri Council of the Blind. So, ladies and gentlemen, it is my distinct pleasure to present the President's Award this year to Tom and Sharon Armstrong.

They each received a plaque which reads: In recognition of your extraordinary volunteer service to the Missouri Council of the Blind, MCB proudly extends its gratitude to you by presenting you with this year's President's award. In accepting the award,

Tom said: "As Chip said, I did it because I love the organization. I expected nothing as far as this award. I did it because I wanted to. I certainly enjoyed every day that I spent in the office. It was fun talking with everybody that called in or wrote or had a problem or just needed an answer. I did my best to get whatever was needed and I still will. Thank you very much."

On Sunday morning, the focus was entirely on elections. Kathey Wheeler was elected President with 128 votes, Hank Pearce receiving 65. Bev Armstrong was elected to a second term as First Vice President, defeating two candidates, Burt Maurer and Naomi Soule. Bev had 136 votes, Burt and Naomi each had 19 votes. For second Vice President, Phyllis Lovett defeated Jerry Annunzio by just ten votes, 81-71. John Weidlich was elected Secretary over Hank Pearce by a vote of 88-50. Bill Burris had announced that he would be unable to serve the final year of his term as Treasurer due to Linda's poor health, so an election was held for a one year term. In a contest between two new MCB members, William Hawkins, a totally blind member of Allied Workers with previous banking experience, defeated Jarrell Holt, a retired dentist from Poplar Bluff, by a vote of 83-71. In an election to complete the rest of the public Relations Director's term, Leroy Welch was re-elected with 102 votes over Beverly Kaskadden with 89 votes and Steeve Schnelle, who got 47 votes. It sure took a lot longer to do all that than it did to write it.

This year's host affiliates, the Agape Council and the Tower Club, did a great job with the convention along with our convention coordinator, Jerry Annunzio. We will be going back to Kansas City in 2005 for next year's MCB convention.

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Lawsuit says Missouri Misuses Funds for Blind
By Peter Shinkle

Of the Post-Dispatch
10-08-2004
 

The Missouri Council of the Blind and four blind St. Louisans say the state Department of Social Services is, well, stealing from the blind.

For at least a decade, the department has taken money from the state Blind Pension Fund for purposes other than those permitted under state law, according to a lawsuit the council and the four blind people filed Thursday in St. Louis Circuit Court.

As a result, the monthly checks issued to the state's roughly 3,500 blind pensioners are just $479, and their most recent annual increase was for just $9, said Thomas Kennedy III, one of the attorneys who filed the suit.

The amount diverted improperly in the past year is at least $1 million, he said, but it is unclear how much was taken over the decade.

"It's stealing from the blind, folks," Kennedy said in announcing the suit at the council's annual conference in St. Louis. "I understand the state has had a lot of budget problems, but to steal from the blind is as low as you can go."

The state doesn't see things that way. Brian Kinkade, director of the department's Division of Budget and Finance, said what's been done follows the law. "We are aware of the law, and we had a calculation in place that we believe met the requirements of the law," he said.

Kinkade said officials had been negotiating with advocates for the blind to try to resolve the dispute.

People attending the Council of the Blind conference expressed frustration over their struggle to survive amid price increases. "My husband and I couldn't do without the blind pension," said Marie Thompson, who came to the convention with her guide dog. "Things just keep going up--except our income."

The suit asks a judge to order the state to account for its use of the Blind Pension Fund's money, and to pay money owed to blind people under the law.

Kennedy filed the suit along with attorneys from the St. Louis University Law Clinic. The clinic previously teamed with Kennedy's firm, based in Alton, to bring suits claiming Missouri has violated the law by cutting dental and vision benefits for Medicaid patients. Both suits have ended with courts ordering the state to restore benefits.

"We have a lot of experience suing the state of Missouri," he told the conference.

Under the state constitution, a small portion of property taxes collected each year is paid into the pension fund. Under state law, when the taxes paid into the fund increase from one year to the next, officials must increase the monthly pension checks by at least 75 percent of that growth, the suit says.

But the department has instead used some of the increase to pay administrative costs, fringe benefits for employees and refunds to state taxpayers, the suit claims.

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Meet Our New Treasurer
by William Hawkins

I would like to take the opportunity to introduce myself to the members of MCB. I have 19 years experience in the financial industry. My first job was at the Kansas City Association for the Blind. I then started working part-time as a salesperson at United Missouri Bank, now UMB. I moved up through the ranks and became a bank officer and was the manager for the Sales Department. My duties there included overseeing the Marketing budget and accounts payable/receivable for my department. I was also responsible for the overall sales performance and training of 80 associates. My responsibilities included selling auto and home loans, bankcard and retail credit credit cards.

Early in my career while working at UMB, I worked part time as a licensed life insurance agent. I left UMB after 13 years in order to pursue a career as a financial consultant and mortgage loan officer, after completing coursework in Certified Financial Planning at the University of Missouri's Bloch School of Business. I am now a CFP designee. I am past president of the board of the Kansas Specialty Dog School in Washington, Kansas where I helped oversee a turnaround that resulted in the School being able to stay open.. I am a current Board member of the Children's Center for the Visually Impaired in Kansas City, MO, of which I am an alumnus. I also hold the position of Vice-President of the Allied Workers For the Blind, an MCB affiliate in Kansas City, MO. I graduated from the Missouri School for the Blind.

Many of my clients are non-profits and I am happy to use my financial knowledge to help them further their causes. I am excited about the opportunity to work with MCB in the role as treasurer. I will assess what we have been doing financially to see if there are ways to make any improvements. I will work with the board to confirm that the thrift store agreement is in the best interest of MCB, financially and for the benefit of our members and the community. Basically, I will apply my knowledge and financial expertise in doing the best job that I can for MCB. If along the way you have concerns, disagreements, questions or if you like what we are doing, please don't hesitate to contact me.

I can be reached by e-mail whawkins2@kc.rr.com or by phone 816-506-7890.

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Summer Camp Report

Greetings from the Summer Camp Committee, This was one of our best years at camp. We had 53 in June, 69 in July and 56 for our weekend in September.

The weather in June was warmer than usual, July was a little cooler and September was the best ever.

Many of the cabins now have storm windows and storm doors and some new furnishings.

We were all saddened to learn that Florence Layton, mother of Lee and former manager of Cobblestone, passed away this past April. During the summer, Roy Freeman, one of our long-time members, was forced to resign from the committee due to ill health. On behalf of all our campers we want to send Roy and Edna our best wishes during this time of recovery for him.

We always enjoy seeing our old friends and meeting new ones. In June we welcomed Fran and Barbara from the Poplar Bluff area. They participated in all the activities, and Barbara gave us some wonderful pictures that she took. We were happy to have Steve and Tammie Schnelle in September and really enjoyed the entertainment which Steve brought to our talent show.

In July we helped Bob and Jeanie celebrate their twentieth anniversary, and we had a lot of fun with the Cobblestone version of "The Old Newly-wed Game" and "the Price is Right". On Wednesday night, John Weidlich was off to the hospital in Rolla after breaking his shoulder in a fall in his cabin. We certainly missed his usual participation in our talent show and were glad to have him back with us in September. There was some wonderful music

provided by Angelo, Georgia, Linda, Christie and young Sarah. There were great comedy acts from Bob, Jeanie, Rhonda and Kathy.

We understand that a very serious Uno game was interrupted by our president, Chip Hailey, with a water gun. Linda Burris came prepared with a water gun of her own to defend the ladies.

Our talent night in September was dedicated to honoring Chrissy Sherman, who is leaving Cobblestone after many years. She is graduating from the University of Missouri at Rolla in May, and we wish her well in her future endeavors. John, Bob and Jeanie, Jack and June, Linda and Christie performed some of Chrissy's favorites. John read a tribute written by Bev, remembering some of the funny things that have happened at camp, some memories we will always treasure. And there was a special cake.

I want to thank my committee for all their help this summer: Roy Freeman, Beverly Kaskadden and Don. We have two new members of our committee for next year, Sam and Celita White. As usual, our applications will be sent to the affiliates the first of March, and we ask that you return them as soon as possible. Our dates for next year are: June 5-12, July 24-31 and September 15-18.

Have a wonderful holiday season, and we will see you next summer.

Beverly Shockley

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A Special Person
by Tom Armstrong

For the past year (since October 20, 2003) I, as most of you know, have been working in the MCB office as volunteer secretary. By being there Monday through Friday, I had the opportunity to learn what all is done there. Further, I was able to observe and learn first hand just how much Donna Weidlich was capable of doing and learning.

When I started there in October, she had not had much experience with using the Braille embosser and was not prepared to take charge of the daily work load. However within a very short time she was handling everything as if she had been doing it for a long time.

Donna did in 30 hours per week what most of us would take the full 40 hours to do. While at the office, Donna might be referred to as a workaholic, as she stayed with a task to see it through and then would move on to the next thing to be done.

As many members of MCB know by now, Donna has submitted her resignation and will be moving on to another employer. I must say here that she will be an asset to her new employer and a major loss to MCB. I truly believe that this organization will not be able to replace her as I doubt that whoever replaces her will have the dedication and sincere interest in the well being of MCB that Donna brought. Donna, I for one, wish you all the best in your new work endeavor.

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Audible Traffic Signals Well Received
by Robbi Courtaway

Of the Suburban Journals
09-21-2004
 

The area's first audible traffic signal has been operating for about a month now at South Kirkwood Road and Woodbine Avenues.

The signal alerts sight-impaired pedestrians when it is safe to cross the intersection. It is the result of years of research and refinements, said Georgia Ragland, Kirkwood's assistant chief administrative officer and staff liaison to the city's Human Rights Awareness and Advisory Commission.

"There have been a lot of technology advances," said Ragland, a former resident of Watertown, Mass. "When I lived in Watertown, they had one that used to scare the daylights out of my dog. The one in Watertown was really kind of a raucous sound. Now they have technology that, when you approach, they have sensors; you can hear the sound above the ambient sound."

There have been failures, Ragland noted. In California, researchers experimented with chirping noises, but soon found certain types of birds would imitate those sounds, sending pedestrians across the street at inopportune times.

"They've really improved immeasurably over 20 years ago," she said.

Installed at the request of the city's human rights commission, the signal cost just under $30,000 compared to $20,000 for a normal signal, said Paul Hauser, director of Kirkwood Electric. The city received community development block grant funding of $10,000 toward the signal, he said.

Advocates for the vision-impaired would like to see a similar signal at Manchester and Kirkwood roads, Ragland said. However, the city doesn't have the authority to change signals at the intersection, which is state-owned, she said.

"What we have tried to do is when we've been asked to comment on (state) plans, we try to make sure those comments go to the proper authorities," she said.

Commission member Patrick Burch and his wife, Julia, are among the advocates. Patrick has been blind since a hunting accident at age 14; Julia always had poor eyesight but lost it completely at age 12. They live north of Manchester Road, off Kirkwood Road, and have a difficult time navigating Manchester Road.

Burch said he hasn't been to the new signal yet but welcomes the addition. He mentioned there are other sight-impaired residents in the vicinity of Kirkwood and Manchester roads.

"Our polling place is south of Manchester," Burch said. "It'd be nice if we had one on Manchester so I'd be able to go vote. We'll probably use absentee ballots or get a ride with someone."

The improvements often make life easier for a variety of people, he said. For example, sloping curbing helps parents with strollers navigate the Streets a little easier, and talking signals also benefit the growing numbers of elderly people.

"We're always looking for things that will make it easier for blind people or just people in general to get around easier," Burch said. "We don't need these signals at every intersection."

Patrick and Julia use talking computers that read to them what is happening on the screen, and optical character readers to read letters.

They have had their share of family tragedies, including the loss of their 15-year-old daughter to suicide in 1999. Her twin, Nicole, presented the family with its first grandchild in July, Patrick noted.

"People have all kinds of crosses to bear; it's all how you handle it," he said. "You have to take responsibility for yourself. Someone told me one time the world does not owe you a living, but it owes you the right to be able to live."

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APS Update
by Robyn Wallen

From The Editor: By way of introduction, Robyn Wallen is a member of UWB who is very interested in advocating for accessibility for blind people. Her passions include accessible public transportation, talking automatic teller machines, video description in movie theaters, and, as this article shows, audible pedestrian signals.

Ever since I saw the first fully accessible Audible Pedestrian Signal (APS) at the ACB convention in Los Angeles a few years ago, I have been obsessed with getting them placed in our community here in St. Louis. I cannot describe to you the feeling of personal freedom I felt crossing Century Boulevard, a ten lane road for the first time. Charlie Crawford put it best when he said that the feeling he got crossing that street was the same sense of independence he felt when he got his first guide dog. It was like a whole new world opened up to me. I could cross the street more quickly and with more confidence than I ever had. Considering this was an unfamiliar street that says a lot. I spent most of that week just crossing the street because I could and Denny's and Taco Bell became quite fond of me and my money.

I really wanted these signals here but I did not know where to start. I knew that we did have some audible signals in the city with the beep or buzzer tones in place. The St. Louis Council had requested a few but none of the signals in our area were anything like those in LA. I liked them but I liked the idea of a fully accessible model.

In July this year I went to a seminar about APS systems that was held by the Council of Citizens with Low Vision (CCLVI) in which Lucas Frank discussed in detail the need for APS systems. It further motivated me to want them in my area. Yet I still did not really know where to begin.

So for quite some time I just kept wishing. What finally motivated me to start asking questions was that in our area the city had recently installed Truncated Domes on the curb cuts near Westport Plaza, (a local shopping and entertainment district in Maryland Heights). I figured that if the city was willing to spend money to redo the curb cuts, it might be the time to strike while the iron was hot. I had also just heard that the city of Kirkwood had installed an APS at the corner of Woodbine and Kirkwood Roads. I figured I had something to back up my argument so I figured I had nothing to lose by asking.

I do not claim to be an expert on getting APS signals installed in your area but I can tell you what I did and what anyone else can do. I started my research by contacting the city of Maryland Heights Street department. I simply sent them an e-mail explaining that I and many other residents are blind and visually impaired in the area and would like to see our city be one of the first in the area to have APS systems installed at major intersections. I explained what an APS was and also why they were a valuable asset to the community. I did my research on the internet so I could back up what I was saying. For instance did you know in Ottawa Canada that the installation of APS signals cut down on the number of pedestrians being struck by cars because it made both pedestrians and drivers more aware? Also APS signals benefit the elderly as well and we have a large elderly population in our area. The city of Maryland Heights contacted me via phone and advised me that the intersections that I was looking at were mostly county maintained so I would need to go to the county highway department.

Another e-mail ensued and I soon received a response from an office clerk who said that someone from her office would be in touch. I then received a phone call from a gentleman at the County highway department who informed me that they had been installing tone signals in several areas for many years now. These signals were less expensive than the fully accessible APS systems that I was talking about. He then wanted to know what approaches I use at each intersection. I explained that the signals were not just for me and that we actually use all approaches but this is an area I am still working on with them. He said he would speak to his boss as the county has already installed fifteen tone signals in the area. This was good news to me because it means they already acknowledge the need and have set a precedent at this point by installing any of them so I knew I had a chance.

I was thrilled when the county highway department official called me back and let me know they would be installing the tone signals at two of the four intersections I had requested, but I was not ready to stop there. Still it was a delicate balance between demanding too much and still stressing our needs. After a lengthy discussion, the county Highway Department agreed to install two fully accessible signals at the other two remaining intersections I requested for demonstration purposes. They would not commit to installing such signals at each intersection until they tried them out. This however means we have a foot in the door and they are looking into the newer APS systems. I provided them with information on all of the companies presently making APS systems and they went with both Campbell and Polaris. You can do a search on the web yourself to find all the different companies out there so you are well informed before you hit the street and highway department with your request. I have since requested APS signals at various other intersections in the county and spoken with another county highway department official who is working on those as well. However I will have to say that if I am the only one who calls for these signals, they may not install them all. I can only really justify the ones in my area and in areas that I frequently visit, but other people need to also request them.

If you want an APS in your area do your research first. Make sure you can back up your arguments. Have as much information as you can. Start with the ACB'S handbook on pedestrian safety and also the APS fact sheets and other info available on their website. Next contact your city's street department via mail or e-mail. Make sure you print out and keep a copy of whatever you send. What you will find in St. Louis County is there is a huge gray area as to who maintains what roads. Some are maintained by the local street department, others by MoDot and others by the St. Louis County Highway Department, but this is the place to start. They can point you in the right direction. Next prioritize which intersections you feel are the most dangerous and that are used the most. We are not going to get them all, so let's get the ones we need the most. Again, write to whatever entity provides street maintenance in that area. Explain what you want and why you want it. Make sure you back up your request with as many facts as you can. Sooner or later, someone will call you back. The more people write for the installation of an APS, the more likely you are to get what you need. As Mrs Clinton used to say "it takes a village". The bottom line is it is all up to the street and highway departments as far as the final discussion, but the more of these signals we get installed, the more difficult it will be for them to say no to us. Once they are installed, they are not going to disappear unless we do not use them or let it happen. It is, however, important that you go ahead and anticipate the arguments you may receive. There have been instances where local residents complained about the noise of the signals. This is why newer fully accessible signals are a better option. They adjust to ambient noise so if there is not noise around them they are quieter where the older tone version has no volume adjustment. The newer APS systems also offer locator tone indications to help you find the walk button along with a larger push button and vibrotactile function for those who are deaf blind. Therefore, they are the better option. The standard tone signals which they will tell you have been approved by local O and M specialists are sufficient for pedestrian crossings near schools, but not as useful at four way intersections.

There are other arguments you can use as well. Intersections are becoming increasingly difficult to cross. There are many with double left and right turns. Some intersections are now on sensors that make it harder for a pedestrian to cross. The amount of time you as a blind pedestrian have to cross a street is significantly decreased when you listen for parallel traffic. The average intersection only gives you 35 seconds to cross. When you wait for parallel traffic, you lose from 5-10 of those valuable seconds. It has also been documented that APS signals benefit the entire community by decreasing the number of pedestrians struck by cars and also make drivers that much more aware that there are pedestrians out there. All of these arguments are valuable ones to use when fighting for APS signals in your area.

The point is that slowly but surely APS signals are coming to our areas.

I strongly believe that the more accommodations we can get to help us with our daily lives, the more likely we will also gain respect in our communities. People will see more and more visually impaired and blind people out in the community, walking, using the audible ATM'S and all the other things that make our lives easier and they really will see that blind people are just like them. Once the community realizes this, it will be easier for us to blend into the mainstream of society.

From The Editor, The next article is a news release from the Associated Press on a topic I'm sure that many of you are interested in: accessible cell phones. I believe Mark Perr from St. Louis has purchased this phone and would probably be happy to tell you more about it if you are interested in purchasing it. A detailed evaluation of this phone and the software can be found in the November issue of AccessWorld, the American Foundation for the Blind's technology magazine. The issue is available on the AFB'S website www.afb.org.

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Accessible Cell Phones
The Associated Press State and Local Wire Thursday, September 16, 2004

A new cellular application promises to help vision-impaired people who can't read the screen of a mobile phone. It responds to spoken commands with voice recognition technology and reads back menu options, text messages, and other information to the user.

The new TALKS application being introduced by Cingular Wireless Thursday is initially available for use on one handset, the Nokia 6620. The software was created in partnership with ScanSoft Inc.

This is the first advanced cell phone released in the U.S. that allows users to access all of its many features through speech output, Paul Schroeder, an official with the American Foundation for the Blind, said in a statement. According to the foundation, there are about 10 million people who are blind or have low vision in the United States. Basic cell phone features that are generally inaccessible to the vision impaired include caller ID, phone settings, call logs, battery warnings, and calendar appointments, as well as creating, maintaining and dialing from a personal contact list.

The TALKS service is designed to handle those tasks, as well as text messaging and e-mail, by responding to spoken commands and then responding with a computer-generated voice. The software also can announce when e-mail or text messages arrive, or when calls are missed. In addition to the vision-impaired, TALKS could be attractive to people who desire hands-free calling while driving.

One possible drawback, however, is the cost. While special deals enable most cell phone users to get a high-end handset for less than $200 or even free, the Nokia 6620 will cost $299 after a $100 rebate from Nokia with any two-year Cingular service contract.

That doesn't include the TALKS application. The software is $199, though an introductory offer from Cingular will count all or half that amount as a credit against the monthly service fee, depending on whether the customer signs a one- or two-year contract.

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Post Dispatch, St. Louis MO
Friday, October 22, 2004
Are web sites doing enough to serve the disabled?
by David Sheets

Judy Dent ran up hard against the Internet's biggest obstacle when she tried to buy a stuffed animal online.

With her credit card in hand, the Kirkwood resident prepared to click on the "Purchase" button. But just then, her computer crashed. Second and third attempts achieved no better results.

The problem: Too much information appeared on the Web site for her computer to translate. It choked trying to describe a flood of details popping up all over the screen.

Dent is blind. She relies on special text-to-voice translation software to describe audibly the contents of each Web page, and sites rife with untranslatable images and graphics can slow her surfing to a crawl, or as in this case, overwhelm the translator and halt it entirely.

Most Internet users worry about restricted access primarily when their favorite page loads too slowly. But for well over 52 million Americans like Dent who have physical handicaps or learning disabilities, the problem of accessibility goes far beyond what's typical. Many such users require special tools at their end just to merge onto the information superhighway.

More important, they need Web page developers--the people charged with building Web pages--to meet them half way. besides being ethically and morally correct to do so, a financial incentive exists: Federal census estimates show that people with disabilities possess well over $180 million in discretionary income.

"We love to spend money just like the rest of you," Dent said of disabled Web users in general. "And we like buying off the Internet. It gives us a feeling of empowerment."

But if profit offers little incentive, there's always the law. Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which was amended in 2001, requires equal access on Web sites maintained by government agencies and their contractors.

And more businesses are encountering legal challenges to the accessibility of their Web sites and software--Bank of America, AOL, H&R Block and Intuit most notably--brought under the Americans with Disabilities Act on the grounds that the Internet has lost its novelty and now qualifies as an essential information source worthy of equal access.

Still, most Web sites exclude the disabled because retooling sites for special needs costs businesses too much time and money and doesn't guarantee a broader audience, and enforcement of ADA regulations across the wide spectrum of Web sites cannot bring "universal accessibility"--whatever changes made to a Web site mindful of one disabled audience won't guarantee another will be served.

David Arnold of Glendale-based Olive Tree Software Inc., ea firm devoted to Web accessibility issues, says half the battle for Web developers is being aware of limitations inherent in long-held notions of Web site design; among them, that visual appeal and usefulness are interchangeable.

For example, "three to seven percent of the population is color blind yet we put red and green things on our Web sites that mean opposite things, and red-green color blindness is the most common form of color blindness," Arnold explained.

Other limiting factors on Web sites include pictures and maps without captions or subtitles that can be read by text-to-voice software, animation and video without transcriptions and site organization too complex for people with limited motor control to navigate. Many among the disabled may have overlapping needs requiring a mix of accommodations.

"Different disabilities have different and sometimes competing or contradictory requirements," Arnold explained. "We can't think that by doing any one set of things to a Web site we will serve everyone with a disability. And as long as our categories are broad like visual, hearing, motor and cognitive, you're not going to get a clue of what you're doing good or bad for any particular set of people."

Then there's the learning disabled, who constitute about 15 percent of potential Web users, Arnold says, yet are more broadly distributed throughout the population. "You hear more about it when a CEO has a reading disability or an actor can't read a script to learn his line," he said. "These people can't be discounted very easily as just another subgroup."

The key, then, to reaching the disabled, Arnold says, lies in looking past people's disabilities toward their abilities regarding information access. At Olive Tree, Arnold tries to raise awareness of what's common among disabled audiences that Web developers can serve.

Already, tools exist in the Web developer's toolbox to help close the gap between the disabled and their goals; they just need to be employed regularly. Tools such as alternative coding, or "alt tags," which embed captions on images that can be seen by moving the cursor over the image, can be read by text-to-voice software to describe to blind or visually impaired Web users the significance of what's appearing on the screen. And building Web pages using size percentages rather than fixed widths improves each page's scalability--the ease with which a site can be upgraded on demand.

Routine use of these tools and others makes the job of accessibility easier for Web developers to implement. But having an accessibility plan before beginning work is essential, Arnold says. Just as businesses should know which potential clients to target before building a Web site, they should know also whom among the disabled they most want to reach.

"The point of making Web sites successful is to pick your goals, your targets, map out what you can do, start somewhere or someplace and get what you can done to make the site successful by design, from the beginning," Arnold said. "We can't now address every issue at every moment it comes up," Arnold said about how Web developers approach site design in general. "But there are practical questions" in making any Web site accessible to the disabled: "How do we approach the issue? How much do we do? Where do we start? And where do we stop?

"What we want to do is design Web pages that by their very nature are already as accessible as they can be by being standard," Arnold concluded.

And doing that makes people like Judy Dent more able than disabled.

"Believe it or not, people with disabilities are not old or homeless. We can become contributing members to society, if you let us," she said. "And that helps everyone."

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Survey finds the ADA hasn't improved lives
By Jack Gillum, USA TODAY

Despite the protections of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which was designed to make their lives easier, there is growing pessimism among the disabled, suggests a new survey by an advocacy group.

Increasing numbers don't expect their lives to improve, the survey shows, and many believe that their disability prevents them from reaching their full capacity in life.

"Imagine living your life thinking that your future will never get better," says Mary Dolan, vice president of the National Organization on Disability, the survey sponsor.

The organization isn't pushing specific remedies but is calling for greater understanding of the difficulties faced by people with disabilities. "We're asking for Congress, the media and policy makers to look at these numbers and take them to heart," she says.

About 50 million Americans live with some disability, the U.S. Census Bureau reported in 2003. The new survey, conducted by research group Harris Interactive, tallied responses from more than 2,000 phone and online interviews. Margin of error is 3 percentage points.

Among findings:

41 percent of disabled respondents said they didn't expect their quality of life to improve, up from 35 percent in 2000. 64 percent said the Americans with Disabilities Act has made no difference in their lives, up from 58 percent in 2000.

But that could stem from ignorance of ADA legislation, says Andy Imparato, a lawyer with the American Association of People with Disabilities. Some Americans, he says, "have no clue about what the ADA is or what it's done."

Without the act, signed into law by the first President Bush in 1990, there would be no accessible buses, he says. Or no Braille signs or mandated wheelchair ramps.

Sarah Burke, an office assistant at a Denver brokerage firm, has used a wheelchair since she was 17. She says the ADA has improved her life, but she believes that sometimes disability statutes aren't executed properly.

She recalls times when a ramp was too steep or too narrow for her chair. "I would tip over backwards on a lot of them."

She believes she has been denied promotions because of her disability and says it's hard to change jobs at 56. "If I went into 5 million places and if they saw me in a wheelchair, they'd probably say no," she says.

"I don't expect any special favors. I want to be treated like everyone else."

Others say there is a need to better understand the laws in place. At 45 and blind from diabetes, Bill McMahon of Framingham, Mass., says he is frustrated when he sifts through ADA literature. Regulation booklets that are "inches thick" make it hard for people to understand the rights of the disabled.

"The majority of Americans want something as quick and easy as possible" to look at, McMahon says.

The sour numbers in the survey also are reflective of today's economics; many disabled people are living in poverty, Imparato says.

People don't think much about the disabled these days when terrorism and the Iraq war weigh on people's minds: "In general, America is less secure, less optimistic," he says.

Jeff Rosen, policy director for the government's National Council on Disability, would like to see better coordination among federal services but points to ADA'S successes since its inception 14 years ago. "We're seeing the evolution of people with disabilities," he says. "We've just started our journey."

It's a top-down approach of legislation and understanding, advocates say. "There's much work to be done," Dolan says.

"On a daily basis, people with disabilities are not fulfilling their potential. That's something we take very seriously."

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Affiliate Affairs

Where we find out what's happening in your part of MCB Adaptive Technology Group

Thank you to all who joined the Adaptive Technology Special Interest Affiliate. To complete our membership, I need some information.

For some of our new members, I need your address along with your e-mail address. They are: Judith Haully, Rhonda Howard, and Jarrell Holt. If there are others who still want to become a member, please send your name along with e-mail address and $5 membership dues to me before January 1.

If you have ideas or questions concerning the newsletter address them to Linda Coccovizzo.

Thank you so much,
Beverly Kaskadden
646 Woodchuck Lane
Lake St. Louis, MO 63367
(636) 561-6947
e-mail:
bkasadd@mail.win.org.
Blind of Central Mo
Monday October 25, 2004
The convention was a big success,
We wish Kansas City the very best.

Hello to everyone from Sedalia.
We have a new member in our club. His name is Roy Whaley, and he is blind. Congratulations Roy, and welcome to our club.

We elected our three board members, and our public relations person. Steve Gardner, Emma Lou Swopes, and Roy Whaley are our new board members. Joyce Lehman is our new public relations person.

Brenda Gardner, one of our members, is back from Arkansas. We hope she had good luck in getting the training she wanted.

Some of our members will ring bells for the Salvation Army on Saturday, December 4th. It is a good way to help them promote their programs to help people.

We will have our Christmas party on Thursday, December 9th at 6:30 p.m. at the Liberty Restaurant, which used to be Mike's family restaurant. We will have a nice dinner, some music, entertainment which will be a surprise, and the ones that want to will bring a non gendered gag gift. The ones that don't want to can donate to the Mayor's Christmas tree fund, or the ones that want to can do both. Our club will match it up to $150.00 this year.

We hope you all have a happy Holiday season. Until next time, keep your smile and a song in your heart. If you can't be good, be good at it.

Trudy Blood
Blind of Central Mo
Recording Secretary
Keep a smile: and, a song in your heart.

Delta Area Blind

Hello from the Delta Area Blind,

First, congratulations to all of our new officers and our new committee chairpersons.

Three of our Delta Area Blind members and a driver attended the Convention and Board meeting.

Congratulations to Bev Armstrong for having the press conference before the Board meeting. Our members thought it was very informative.

I would also like to congratulate all of you who received special awards at the MCB banquet. Thanks again to the Agape Council and the Tower Club along with Convention Coordinator Jerry Annunzio. You all did a great job.

Happy Holidays. I hope next year is blessed for all of us.
Marie Thompson

The Joplin Service Club of the Blind
It is now time to get another article sent in. I sent an article for the September Chronicle but it failed to be printed. I did not receive the Chronicle tape until two days before the convention started.

In my September article, I told of our club having three deaths. They were B.J. Merchant, Carlene Jureno and Joyce Maxton. Our thoughts and prayers are with their families.

In September, our new officers began their duties. They are President, Kathy Parmley; Vice President, Cynthia McNett; Secretary, Berneice Moore; Treasurer, Steve Jureno; PR, Valva York.

In September we welcomed Roger Casperson into our club and at our October meeting, we gained three new members, Laverne Farmer, Jan Brown and Raydean Moore. We had 12 people attend the convention in St. Louis. October 16th, 23 of our people made the trip to Grove OK to see an old fashioned Gospel show. They all reported having a very enjoyable time. I did not get to go as I spent that week in the hospital. Glen York and Tom Fortson, two of our great volunteers, drove the vans. We are so thankful for the volunteers who do so much for us.

Bill Eden is recuperating from his heart problems. It is good to see him back at the center and Virgel McCoy being back and helping so much while Bill wasn't up to par.

Tom Walkenshaw has had some health problems and is now in a nursing home. Helen Walkenshaw was able to be at the center last Tuesday.

Saint Peter's Catholic Women's Group will be the host to our 4th Thursday evening dinner. We appreciate these groups so much.

Kathy prepared some Halloween surprises. Our holiday season will soon be here. We need to stop and count our blessings at this Thanksgiving time and we look ahead to Christmas to celebrate the birth of our Christ Ch. With the year of 2005, we at the Joplin Club send greetings for a great and blessed New Year.

Sincerely
Valva York P.R.

Missouri Guide Dog Users Report
A big hello from the Mo. Guide Dog Users. Let us say I am so proud of all of us. I thought the Mo. Guide Dog Users Special Interest Affiliate was going under, but it looks like we are up and running. We had a super turn-out for our meeting and election. Marie Thompson is President, Mary Pendleton is Vice President, Judy Burch is our Secretary and Linda Hailey is still our Treasurer. Thanks to all of your hard work, when I send in two more persons dues we will have sixteen members just since the 2004 Convention. Next year is our tenth anniversary so let's make it a good one. Thanks again.

Marie Thompson
932 Highway 162 East
Portageville, MO 63873
(573) 379-5007


Greetings from Ozark Association of the Blind.
Congratulations to Dorothy Moranville, recipient of the Jim Henderson Member of the Year Award presented by St. Louis Council of the Blind. Dorothy, a charter member, is deserving of this special recognition, given in memory of Jim Henderson, for her outstanding dedication and service to OAB and MCB.

We enjoyed having Tom, Beverly and Sharon Armstrong, Dan and Kathy Wheeler as guests at our September meeting. Thanks to Irene and Linda Stoll for preparing the scrumptious party food and drinks.

OAB presented Dorothy Moranville with a plaque in memory of her husband, Francis, a life long member. She gave the plaque and a donation from OAB to President Chip Hailey at the convention banquet. The plaque will hang in our new building and the money will be used for building necessities. What a great way for affiliates to honor members and help MCB. We applaud all who won awards at this year's convention, especially Roy and Edna Freeman, for their steadfast work and dedication to MCB. Our prayers are with you both.

Congratulations also to our newly elected officers of MCB and a special thank you to those who served in the past. Working together we can attain our goals for MCB.

Seven OAB members attended the convention. We learned much and had a great time. We continue to search for new members. OAB is looking forward to our Christmas party and wish all members of MCB a joyous and blessed holiday season.

Respectfully submitted,
Yvonne Schnitzler

Queen City Report
Greetings and Happy Holiday Season from Queen City Council of the Blind:

We want to congratulate all of the newly elected officers. We are very confident that they will do a good job.

In August, we elected our new officers. They are: President, Rosario Mazzella; Norma Demsy, Vice President; Marilyn Tuso, Secretary; and Vicky Maples, Treasurer.

Five of our members attended the weekend camp session, and it was thoroughly enjoyed. Eleven members attended the convention. We have another new member, Kenneth Brown.

We held a garage sale to help pay for the convention. It was very successful.

We want to wish each and every one a Happy, healthy holiday season. May the good Lord bless and keep you. We'll see you next year.

Marilyn Tuso, Secretary

The RITE Report
As I sit out here on my sunny porch this afternoon, with the wind blowing the wind chimes, the birds singing and the smell of autumn in the air, I think, "Life just can't get better than this, can it."

Twelve of our members enjoyed the Convention this year. Not everyone was there at the same time, but we all enjoyed it.

We are so proud of Maryan Harrison and congratulate her on receiving the Nathaniel Johnson Award. She is a very esteemed and appreciated member of RITE and it is a pleasure to work with her.

It looks as though our trip to Sikeston is going to be a big success. The bus is completely full. We are praying that the weather will cooperate.

Our President, Angelo Trapasso, will have a hip replacement on November 15th. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers. Although Verneiah Abbott was able to attend part of the Convention, she is still not doing very well.

We want to send out prayers and best wishes to Shirley Matoushek, who is recovering from knee replacement.

I am sure some of you will remember Mary Lou Jenkins. It is hard for me to report this because she and I grew up together and have remained close friends throughout our lives. She has been plagued with health problems for years now and has recently been diagnosed with stomach cancer. The doctors say surgery is not an option, not even for a feeding tube. She is very ill. Please remember her in your prayers.

In October we had our election of officers and the results are: President, Angelo Trapasso; First Vice President, Blanche Burrell; Second Vice President, Verneiah Abbott; Secretary, Bunny Maginnis; Treasurer, Rose Hunsicker; and Member at Large, Dan Crumb.

Our Holiday season plans are coming along nicely. Our Christmas Party will be held at Pietro's on December 4th. We will have a special entertainer this year.

After saying all that, let me take this opportunity to wish all of you the happiest of holiday seasons. No matter how you celebrate, may you walk with God's hand on your shoulder and his love in your heart. Till next time,

Warm Blessings,
Bunny Maginnis

River City Report
The crunching of leaves under our feet reminds us that fall is here and that the cold of winter is on its way here in the River City. The last few months have slowed down a bit but the upcoming holidays are sure to speed things up.

In September, a few of our members attended Delta Area's picnic. They had a good time and enjoyed Delta Area's hospitality.

In October, eight of our members attended the MCB convention in St. Louis. They all had a wonderful time and would like to thank Agape, Tower and, everyone who worked so hard to make this year's convention a success. We would like to also congratulate everyone who was honored by MCB at the banquet, as well as all of the officers who were elected at the convention.

In October, we also sent out fundraising letters to local businesses and community leaders, asking for their support in funding some of our service projects.

With November just around the corner, things are picking up speed as we look forward to our annual Thanksgiving Dinner. We always have enjoyed and appreciated the company of all those who attend.

At our November meeting we will be taking up a collection, from our members, of personal articles for the Safe House for Women, a battered women's shelter, here in Cape.

In December, we are also planning to collect personal articles for the elderly in the area to be distributed by the local newspaper. We will also be buying toys again this year for the visually impaired children in the area to be handed out by Darlene Staples-Felts of Rehab Services for the Blind.

We are sad to report that Gene Emmons passed away on July 30; he was the father of members Dee Niswonger, Mary Ellen Emmons, former member Debbie Fisher, as well as the late Ken Emmons and Joyce Godwin, and grandfather to member Brandi Emmons. On October 6, Gene's son Rudy Emmons passed away; he was the husband of member Dahlia Emmons. Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Emmons family during this difficult time.

We are happy to report that two of our members, Bill Godwin and JoAnn Ervin, were married on September 30. We held a small reception for them at our October meeting. We wish them both many years of happiness.

We are all hoping here that each and every one of you has the best of holiday seasons. Take care and God Bless.

River City Workers of the Blind Communications Committee

St. Charles County Council Report
Last report for the year.can you believe 2005 is just around the corner?! Why is it the older I get the faster time flies.

News from St. Charles:

There is always something happening in St. Charles. Since the last affiliate report, we have had our annual pot luck in September to renew our enthusiasm after a relaxing summer. The St. Charles Council received a new member in October. Her name is Janet Harrison. We are so pleased to have Janet with us.

The St. Charles Council is reaching out to the community with an information table at a Health Fair on November 7th at the Assumption Church in O'Fallon.

Another method of reaching out to the community is the new support group that has been formed. I will be able to report on the progress of this very important gathering in the next Chronicle.

There are many avenues for all MCB members to be a "Helping Hand" to our community, and it takes many dedicated members. A strong affiliate requires committed members, and I am grateful for the St. Charles Council members.

The St. Charles County Council would like to extend our holiday greetings to our fellow members across the state, and our prayers when we take a day to lift our thanks for our blessings on Thanksgiving Day.

Love to all,
Beverly Kaskadden
St. Charles County Council

SOUTHEAST MISSOURI UNITED BLIND CLUB
Wishing Happy Holiday Greetings We have elected new officers for the coming year. They are: Jarrell Holt, President; Virginia Pierce, Vice president; Edna Kenser, treasurer; Mona Fields, Secretary.

The club has been busy participating in various events and programs in the community, including White Cane day in May, displaying blind awareness at Three Rivers College, and a Health fair at Twin Towers. We will donate christmas gifts to blind persons at nursing homes. We have also had several speakers at our meetings.

We will have our annual Christmas party December 4 with lots of food and goodies. We always exchange gifts.

We are proud to announce that our membership has increased by 20 new members. We won first prize at the MCB state convention.

Members attending the MCB convention were Jerry holt, Paul Guzman, Edna Kenser, Delavina Feren, Doris Carpenter, Beulah Ziegler, Frances Karow, Barbara Leezer, Mona Fiels, Virginia Pierce, Nora Davis, Pauline Lade, and Margraret Tipton.

We had a good year.

Submitted by
by Paul Guzman

Southwest Missouri Friendship Council
Hello everybody from the Friendship Council of the Blind.

On August 2nd, we had a board meeting which was held at Pappa's Pizza in Orenogo. We discussed business and finances and the cost of the convention. On August 3rd, we had our monthly meeting at the American Legion Hall, where we discussed getting transportation to the convention and the upcoming elections for offices in our club.

On August 17th we had a social dinner at the Golden Coral buffet and everyone had a variety of chicken, ribs, fish--you name it, they had it. We also had two guests attend that social dinner, Helen Highley's sister and brother-in-law, Dorthy and George Arnal, now living in California, but originally from Kansas. We were pleased to have them for our guests.

Our birthdays in August were Jane Olsen, Mary Webb, Randy Moniken and Lisa Jackson. Our September and October birthdays were Charles Olsen, Tom Smith and Ed Forcum.

Congratulations to Cindy and Tom Duval on the birth of their third great-grandchild on August 19, a boy named Isaac. They are expecting another great-grandchild in October.

On October 5th we had election of officers. Our new officers are: President, Elaine Loyd; First Vice President, Franklin Johnson; Second Vice President, Max Ritches; Secretary, Harold Griffith; and Treasurer, Jackie Kennedy.

We had a chili social on October 19th.

Twelve members attended the MCB Convention.

Submitted by Elaine Loyd

THE SPRINGFIELD SCENE
Convention
Well, it's over for another year. Thank you to all who supported me in my run for Second V.P. I think the hotel was too big and expensive for our group. But any place that I have to pay to park when staying there for four days doesn't agree with me. With all of the problems, too many people, high prices for food and two of our members finding long, black hairs in their food, it was a success as far as the M.C.B. was concerned.

Thanksgiving Dinner

On Saturday, November 13, the Springfield Service Club will have our annual Thanksgiving dinner. For several years, we have invited the West Plains group to be our guests. They are planning to come but I don't know how many will attend. We are meeting at a restaurant which has good food. I am sure we will all eat too much.

Christmas Party

On December 9, we will have our annual Christmas party. We have a $5.00 gift exchange and it is fun. Happy and Safe Holidays to each of you.

Club provides School Clothes

We are proud to tell you of our latest service project. We donated $200 each to two families with blind children. The purpose was to help provide school clothes for the children. It gives you a warm glow to know that you have helped a child.

Submitted by Phyllis Lovett
UWB Update:

Holiday Greetings from UWB,

At our September meeting, Jack Lenk was elected President, due to the sudden death of Rena Holmes in August. Since Jack had been First Vice President, John Weidlich was then elected to that position. Also at our September meeting, the two candidates for MCB President, Kathey Wheeler and Hank Pearce, spoke to us and answered many questions from members. Sort of like the Bush-Kerry debates, but much livelier and a lot more interesting.

We have three new members. They are Richard and Rhonda Howard and Kathy McCracken. They are very eager to be involved in UWB and MCB. Kathy has a guide dog named Lance. She and Rhonda do a very funny skit in which Rhonda interviews Lance, played by Kathy, about life as a guide dog, dragging "that old blind lady" around. Lance says he loves to ride the call-a-ride vans and drink beer. Lance definitely has an attitude.

We want to thank all of you who purchased tickets for our Helen Keller raffle at the Convention.

Linda and Charles Kinkelar had a fire in the basement of the apartment building where they live. Fortunately, they were both at work and so were not hurt but did sustain some loss. They have moved into a better apartment following the fire.

Mark Perr was in the hospital for a few days undergoing some less than pleasant tests, after fainting while on the way to work. He is home now and doing fine.

Donna Weidlich began a new job on November 15 at the Service Club for the Blind in St. Louis. She thoroughly enjoyed the time she spent in the MCB office. She gained a lot of valuable knowledge and experience which she will use in her new job.

We will have a Christmas party on December 18 and will also be adopting a family for Christmas.

We hope you all will have a joyous Holiday season filled with lots of fun and many blessings. And have a safe winter.

John Weidlich

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From The Lower Left-Hand Drawer

Well, it's really not a drawer; it's a file in the Braille Lite, full of useful information about new products, new web sites and other bits of news. Let's take a look inside this treasure trove of knowledge and see what valuable things we can find for you. I have gathered these items from a variety of sources and they are offered here for your information. They are not being endorsed by me or by MCB. Please feel free to submit material for this column.

Here is contact information for two individuals who will repair Perkins Braillers. Daniel Simpson, 11400 Ward Road, Guthrie, OK 73044, Phone: (405) 282-3542 or (405) 640-9706. He charges $45 for complete service plus parts if needed. Paul Jackanin, The Braille Writer Repair Service, 44 Powers Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211, Phone: (718) 387-2945. Paul charges $65 with a five-day turn-around. He also sells used Perkins Braille writers starting at $250.

New courses from Hadley School for the Blind: The Hadley School in Winnetka, Illinois, is offering a course on food that covers meat, poultry, and fish; fruits and vegetables; eggs and dairy products; and grains and sweets. The course includes adaptive techniques and tips for handling and preparing food. Hadley also offers a five lesson course called Fun With Word Processing, covering the basics of word processing. Finally, Hadley offers a new course on a very timely topic: safety in the home, how to protect you, your home and family during emergencies. The course deals with home safeguards and modifications, fire prevention, and disaster preparedness. These courses are available in braille, large print and tape and, like all Hadley School courses, they are free. For more information on these new courses or to get a catalog, call the Hadley School at (800) 527-9909 or send e-mail to studentservices@hadley-school.org.

California Canes sells folding and rigid canes with epoxy paint finish rather than tape for greater visibility at night. The company says they are designed with smoother joints and stronger elastic. Contact California Canes at 16263 Walnut Street, Hesperia, CA 92345, Phone: (866) 332-4883, e-mail californiacanes@charter.net.

The Hand Guide is an object detection device from Guideline Technologies. It detects objects from four feet away in any direction. It sells for $179. For more information, call (800) 809-1849 or visit www.guideline-technologies.com.

Here's a fun web site you might want to check out: www.dmarie.com/timecap.step1.asp. It's the online time capsule. Enter a date like your birthday or your wedding anniversary, and find out what was happening on that day--news headlines, popular tv shows, music, movies, even what famous celebrities were born on that day. You might be surprised at what you will find out.

The National Educational and Legal Defense Service deals with legal issues confronting blind people, combating discrimination against the blind in education, employment and their rights as citizens. Membership in the organization is only one dollar. Contact Ralph Sanders, 16509 NE 20th Street, Vancouver, WA 98684, Phone: (360) 892-9229, e-mail: ralph.pat1@juno.com.

There is an e-mail list for JAWS users which you can join by sending an e-mail to jfw-request@freelists.com and putting the word subscribe in the subject line. The list is not associated with Freedom Scientific. Just a personal comment here. I was on this list for a while and, although I did get help with a problem that I was having, I found most of the discussion far above my limited technical expertise. It's pretty high-tech stuff, but you may find it helpful, especially if you are interested in programming or you are using JAWS in an office setting.

AI Squared has released version 8.1 of Zoom Text. To find out about new features of Zoom Text, contact AI Squared at (802) 363-3612 or send e-mail to sales@aisquared.com.

The DJB Tape Club offers recipes on tape every other month on a different food category. The cost is $6 per tape, or $30 for a year's subscription. Contact Delma Bliss, 1191 Bedwell Street, Heblin, AL 36264-1259. Phone: (256) 525-1835.

I just read about an interesting study claiming that about 30 percent of all assistive technology purchased by or for disabled users ends up not being used. So about a third of the technology that we obtain with such hopes that it will improve our lives ends up stored away somewhere, abandoned and forgotten. Why? The study cites several reasons, but the main factors are inadequate training and tech support or a poor fit between what the consumer needs and what the device is able to do. This study, conducted by a Rehabilitation Engineering Center in Washington, DC, has many implications for disabled consumers as well as service providers and funding sources. It really points out the need to shop carefully before we spend lots of money for great-sounding devices that end up sitting in a closet. Is this why we see so many high-tech devices advertised for sale in the Braille forum and other magazines?

How many times have you had well-meaning sighted people try to lead you by pushing you ahead of them? Perhaps these folks could benefit from a new booklet published by the Jewish Guild for the Blind called The Sighted Guide Technique: How to Safely and Effectively Offer Help to a BLIND or Visually Impaired Person. It costs $4.00. To order, call (800) 539-4845.

Beyond THE Stares is a book produced by the Delta Gamma Center for Children with Visual Impairments, here in St. Louis. It consists of reflections by the brothers and sisters of blind children, ages 9-15 on topics like embarrassment, jealousy, reactions of others and the lessons they have learned from living with a blind family member. The address of the Delta Gamma Center is 5030 McRee, St. Louis, MO 63110; (314) 776-1300. Their web site is www.dgckids.org.

So where are we now on this Unified English Braille Code (UEBC) that we have been hearing so much about for so many years? As I understand it, the International Council on English Braille (ICEB), which has been spearheading this project, has concluded that the UEBC is sufficiently complete to be used as the international standard for English Braille and should be considered by member countries for possible adoption as their Braille code. The Braille Authority of North America (BANA), is reportedly going to take a wait and see attitude on this. They will monitor what happens with the new Braille code in other countries and decide whether we should adopt it after more consultation with braille readers and other interested parties. So, I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens. I have seen the proposed Braille code and, while I could learn to use it without too much difficulty, I didn't particularly care for it. The Braille Revival League doesn't seem to care too much for it, either. What are your thoughts?

The National Braille Press has published a booklet on this subject called Unified English Braille Code Perspectives. It discusses the history of this project and the changes that would be made to Braille if it is adopted. The booklet is free.

More NBP News: Also new from National Braille Press, Baking Illustrated, Chapter One, 49 recipes for quick breads, muffins, biscuits and scones from the editors of Cook's Illustrated Magazine. This is the first part of a huge encyclopedia of recipes put out by the Editors of Cook's Illustrated Magazine. NBP will produce more of it if readers say they like it. The book is $10, either in Braille or as what NBP calls a Porta-book.

National Braille Press has also released reference commands for Windows XP and Office XP, giving the keyboard commands for all of the applications of those operating systems, for both JAWS and Window Eyes. Each one is $10. National Braille Press, 88 ST. Stephen Street, Boston, MA 02115, (800) 548-7323, e-mail orders@nbp.org.

I don't have a lot of information about this, but Tagline is a telephone service that enables subscribers to receive e-mail and voice mail messages, record personal appointment reminders and more. There is a $25 registration fee. To find out how it works, call (866) 824-9977.

DB-Link is a web site containing information pertaining to deaf-blindness. For information, call (800) 438-8376 or visit www.tr.wou.edu/dblink.

Apple Computer is reportedly developing a new operating system, OS IT, that will have a built-in screen reader capability. Watch for more on this when it is released.

Arc and Bark and Blindcites are two new magazines being published quarterly in large print and on tape. Arc and Bark is for guide dog Users; Blindcites features high quality poetry and fiction by blind writers. Subscription for each of these new publications is $25 per year. To subscribe or submit material to either of these magazines, contact Dennis Holter, 1000 Kiely boulevard Apartment 21,, Santa Clara, CA 95051, e-mail dennisholter@yahoo.com.

Audio Network is a web site for the blind, apparently based in England. It contains puzzles and trivia quizzes, computer games, short stories and original radio plays, an inspirational corner and sports information. The web site is www.yrguk.com.

Wilderlust is a new book in which eighteen blind authors share their experiences about the outdoors. The editor, Chrissy Laws says, "I've been visually impaired all my life and when I read about others like me who hike, garden, fish, ski and do other things, it helps me realize I can do all those things, too." It is available in large print, audio Cd and Cd-rom. To order, call (207) 372-4853 or visit www.nhest.org. NHEST, which stands for Natural History, Education, Science and Technology is an organization providing educational and recreational opportunities for blind people of all ages. It also publishes a free newsletter about the outdoors. The organization is based in Bradford, Maine. The e-mail address is cjlaws@mfx.net.

The Blind Phones List is a discussion list concerning the accessibility of cell phone features and applications. It is a general discussion list, not geared to any particular product. To subscribe, send a blank e-mail to blindphones-subscribe@mosenexplosion.com.

Tv listings are available online at www.narrativetv.com. This is an online tv guide for blind people that tells which network and cable tv shows and movies have audio description.

Blind Novel-Tees has some new t-shirts with the following slogans: "Can I borrow your car?", "You don't have to see to reach the stars", "My dog doesn't bite, I do", and "Walk softly and carry a long white stick." To order, call (937) 472-0585 or visit www.bntonline.com. They also publish a free e-mail newsletter called Silliness, which you might enjoy.

Enrichment Audio Resource Services offers free cassettes for people who are losing vision on topics such as the kitchen environment, eating without embarrassment, indoor mobility, managing medicine and grooming. To order, call (800) 843-6816.

The Federal Student Information Center has information in Braille and on Cd regarding Federal student aid for blind college students, including grants, loans and work-study programs. Call (800) 433-3243 or visit www.studentaid.edu.gov.

The Jett Enterprises 2005 catalog lists guide dog items, kitchenware, jewelry, toys, games and more; no frills, just priced right. The catalog is free on tape or on disk; the Braille catalog is $10. Call (800) 275-5553. The catalog is available online at www.jettenterprises.com.

Premiere Assistive Technology has just introduced what it says is the first fully accessible CD and DVD creation software. The software works with a screen reader and always lets you know what it is doing as it is doing it. It costs $59.95. To learn more about this software or to order, visit www.readingmadeasy.com or call either of these phone numbers: (517) 669-8188 or (818) 722-5961.

The B&R Samizdat Press has thousands of books on CD in plain text files that can be read on a personal computer or a portable reading device. There are collections of childrens literature, American and British literature, each containing hundreds of books. Contact the company at Box 161, 33 Gould Street, West Roxbury, MA 02132, (617) 469-2269. e-mail:info@samizdat.com.

A Verbal View of Microsoft Windows XP is a tutorial for beginners, written by Peter Duran, which is available for $50 from the American Printing House for the Blind, 1839 Frankfort Avenue, Louisville, KY, 40206, (800) 223-1839. It is also available on tape from Braille, Inc., PHONE: (877) 993-4994.

Here is another new tutorial on using the Internet that covers web design, navigating web pages, filling out forms online and using Google. It is $20 and is available from Gene Asner. Phone: (773) 728-6390, e-mail: gasner@ripco.com.

Now let's look briefly at two very high-tech new devices that are just coming onto the market. Pulse Data HumanWare has introduced the Braille Note PK, a version of the Braille Note so small and light-weight that it can fit in your pocket. More than just a note-taker, it uses wireless technology for connecting to the Internet on the go. You can learn more about it from Pulse Data HumanWare, 175 Mason Circle, Concord, CA 94520, (800) 722-3393. e-mail: info@humanware.com.

VisuAide, a Canadian company, has released the Maestro, a Hewlitt-Packard pocket PC with text to speech software and a tactile keyboard over the touch screen. A Braille keyboard is also available for the Maestro. For more information call (819) 471-4818.

Blind Mice Mart sells over 3,000 affordable gifts for all occasions. Proceeds go to the Mousehole, a scholarship program for blind students and sighted students of blind parents. Contact Dale Campbell, (713) 876-6971, www.blindmicemart.com.

The Serotek Corporation has released version 2.0 of the Freedom Box, software that allows users to browse the Internet with a computer, using voice commands instead of keyboard commands. A free trial version can be downloaded at:
www.freedombox.info.


You can download older versions of over fifty computer programs by going to this web site: www._old_version.com.

Here is another way to get videos with DVS; you can rent them from: Blue Rose Videos
317 Holly Drive
San Rafael, CA 94903
(415) 492-1885
e-mail: info@bluerosevideos.com.

Here are several web sites where you can hear modern radio dramas:
The Radio Repertory Company of America, www.rca.com
Los Angeles Theater Works, www.latw.org
The One Act Players, www.oneact.com
ZBS Productions, www.zbs.org.
And here's one where you can hear those great old radio shows that so many of us love: www.radiolovers.com/pages/allshows.html.

All-Braille transcribes menus, instructional manuals, sports schedules, cable tv listings and more. The address is:
22 Pine Grove Road
Southington, CT 06489-1462
phone: (877) 310-4361
e-mail: info@allbraille.com.

Vanduzer Braille Productions sells Braille greeting cards for all occasions. The pictures on the cards are also described in Braille. The address is 4903 North River Vista Drive, Tucson, AZ 85705, e-mail: vanduzer@earthlink.net

This year's Alexander Scourby Talking Book Narrator of the Year awards went to Mark Ashby for his reading of PERFECT I'm Not by baseball pitcher David Wells, Martha Harmon Pardee for her recording of The Crimson Petal and the White by Michael Faber, and to Steven Carpenter for The Age of Sacred Terror by Daniel Benjamin and Steeve Simon.

Several issues back, I ran a very humorous piece by Rhonda Brantley called Check Out That Can, all about the difficulties of trying to determine the contents of canned goods when you forget to label them. Well, Rhonda and some of the rest of you might want to check out a new labeling device from Speak to Me called talking tins. They are metal caps that sit on top of a can on which you can record a a ten second message. Just play back the message to know what's in the can. They cost $18.95 for a set of three. The phone number for Speak to Me is (800) 248-9965.

Speaking of labeling, I leave you with a story of a kitchen mishap, taken from the Deaf-Blind American. Carol Sue Adams set out to make blueberry muffins one memorable morning. She took what she thought was a bag of blueberries from the freezer and poured them into the mix. However, the freezer bag contained not blueberries, but peas. So her family feasted on pea muffins. Yum! Bet they told her not to do that again.

That's all for this time. See you in March.

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The Blind Beatitudes

I'm sure you are all familiar with the New Testament passage call the Beatitudes, where Jesus talks about those who are Blessed. Well, here is a new twist on that, written from the standpoint of a blind person.

BLESSED ARE THEY that refrain from shouting when they speak to me.
BLESSED ARE THEY that talk directly to me and not to some one else.
BLESSED ARE THEY that say who they are when entering a room and say hello to me.
BLESSED ARE THEY that say goodbye to me when they leave so I am not left speaking to the air.
BLESSED ARE THEY that do not hesitate to say "SEE" when talking to me.
BLESSED ARE THEY who tap my shoulder gently when they approach from behind or from the side when speaking to me.
BLESSED ARE THEY who wait for me to extend my hand before shaking it.
BLESSED ARE THEY who place my hand on an object such as the back of a chair when telling me where it is, so I can seat myself.
BLESSED ARE THEY who do not leave me in a strange environment without orienting me to it.
BLESSED ARE THEY who offer me their arm so they can serve as my guide, instead of grabbing, pulling or shoving me.
BLESSED ARE THEY who come up to me in a large crowd and offer to help me when I appear disoriented.
BLESSED ARE THEY who do not embarrass me in a group of people by openly referring to my blindness in word or action.
BLESSED ARE THEY who laugh with me when I tell a joke related to blindness.
BLESSED ARE THEY who read me the menu and its prices and allow me to order my own meal.
BLESSED ARE THEY who take me to the cashier so I may pay for my own meal.
BLESSED ARE THEY who do not distract my guide dog from being my active eyes.
BLESSED ARE THEY who treat me like a human being, for like it or not I am a human.

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