TABLE OF CONTENTS

Editor's Line

President's Message

Education and Welfare Report

What Is Happening With the Blind Pension Fund by Bev Armstrong

Public Relations Report

MCB Scholarship Winners

Convention Report: The Heart of America Beats for MCB by Jerry Annunzio

ACB Report: Hard Times Make Us Stronger by Jerry Annunzio

Remembering Frank Matoushek

A Letter From Bessie Reece

Candidate's Corner

In Memoriam: Robert Priddy by David Plumlee

Talking ATMS In Missouri

Penelope, The Color Tester by Phyllis Lovett

McCoy Still Has True Baseball Vision

Insights Into Vision Loss: Macular Degeneration Demands Harder View

Buying Blind by Carol Fleischman

Minister Held In Hit And Run Accident

Affiliate Affairs

From The Lower Left-Hand Drawer

Galen's Hod Hints

Friends

Back to the 2003 Chronicle List

Back to the Chronicle Archives

Editor's Line

I recently spent a very entertaining evening over at the MCB office looking
through old issues of the Chronicle, hoping to find some biographical information
about Frank Matoushek. I didn't find what I was looking for, but looking through
those old Chronicles was fascinating. The office has Braille and large print
copies of all of the issues from 1960 through 1993. Although I only read a small
portion of what was there, looking through those magazines brought back many
old names and memories. I saw newspaper articles about Dorris Meyer, Bill Benson,
Mike Keller, John Medlock, Joyce Godwin, Debbie Fitzpatrick and others. Looking
at those back issues gives you quite a sense of just how hard our leaders have
worked to make this organization the fine organization it has become. The office
also has several copies in Braille and large print of the booklet called The
Missouri Federation of the Blind: The First Twenty-Five Years, written by Alma
Murphy. It covers the history of our organization from 1956 to 1980. If you
have never read this and if you would like to know more about our early history,
you might want to ask for a copy. It is very interesting reading.

I understand some of you did not get your June Chronicle tape and some of
you received tapes that were difficult to hear. If you did not receive a June
tape or if it did not play properly, please let me know and I will try to get
another copy to you.

Donna is currently in the process of reviewing the mailing lists for the
various editions of the Chronicle and making some corrections in addresses and
formats. We have found several things that needed to be changed. If you are
not receiving the magazine in the format you prefer, or if someone in your affiliate
is not receiving the Chronicle, please let me know or call the office. The Chronicle
is available in Braille, tape, large print, computer disk or by e-mail.

In this issue: an article about a blind baseball writer, a list of talking
ATMS in Missouri, and an update on what is happening with our Blind pension.
Enjoy.

Back to Index

President's Message

Dear MCB members and friends,

Blessed is the leader who seeks the best for those he serves.
Peter F. Drucker

Since we will be holding elections for three of our director positions at our
upcoming state convention in October in Kansas City, and since some of our affiliates
will have new board representatives on the MCB board for the very first time,
I thought perhaps the following article from the March, 2001 issue of the Board
Cafe would be helpful. Board Cafe is the electronic newsletter exclusively for
members of nonprofit boards of directors. Short enough to read over a cup of
coffee, Board Cafe offers a menu of ideas, information, opinion, news, and resources
to help board members give and get the most out of board service. Each issue
brings a cornucopia of "Little Ideas," as well as one "Big Idea" one can use
in his board work. There are over 60 great issues in the archive with articles
with titles like How Much to Pay Your Executive Director, Should the Board
Raise Money: True or False? and What to Do When You Really, Really Disagree
with a Board Decision. One way to be sure that everyone on the board is clear
on his or her responsibilities is to adopt a "Board Member Agreement." The discussion
the board has about what to put in its Agreement is valuable itself, and this
sample may help you get started.

BOARD MEMBER AGREEMENT
By Jan Masaoka

I understand that as a member of the Board of Directors of ----, I have a legal
and moral responsibility to ensure that the organization does the
best work possible in pursuit of its goals. I believe in the purpose and the mission
of the organization, and I will act responsibly and prudently as its steward.
As part of my responsibilities as a board member:
I will interpret the organization's work and values to the community,
represent the organization, and act as a spokesperson. I will attend at least
753people of board meetings, committee meetings, and
special events.
I will make a personal financial contribution at a level that is meaningful to me.
I will actively participate in one or more fundraising activities.
I will act in the best interests of the organization, and excuse myself
from discussions and votes where I have a conflict of interest. I will stay
informed about what's going on in the organization. I will ask questions
and request information. I will participate in and take responsibility for making
decisions on issues, policies and other board matters.I will work in good faith
with staff and other board members as partners towards achievement of our goals.
If I don't fulfill these commitments to the organization, I will expect the
board president to call me and discuss my responsibilities with me. In turn,
the organization will be responsible to me in several ways:
I will be sent, without request, quarterly financial reports and an update of
organizational activities that allow me to meet the "prudent person" section
of the law.
Opportunities will be offered to me to discuss with the executive director and the
board president the organization's programs, goals, activities, and status;
additionally, I can request such opportunities.
The organization will help me perform my duties by keeping me informed about issues
in the industry and field in which we are working, and by offering me opportunities
for professional development as a board member. Board members and staff will
respond in a straightforward fashion to questions I have that I feel are necessary
to carry out my fiscal, legal and moral responsibilities to this organization.
Board members and staff will work in good faith with me towards achievement
of our goals. If the organization does not fulfill its commitments to me, I
can call on the board president and executive director to discuss these responsibilities.
Have the Board President sign two copies of this Agreement, and ask new board
members to sign them, return one copy to the Board President, and keep the other
for reference.

Of course, as already stated, this is just a sample board agreement and has
not been adopted by the Missouri Council of the Blind. I just simply wanted
you to see how serious your position on the board is to MCB and how much we
value your commitment.
Please let me know if I can be of any assistance to you in any way. I wish all
of the candidates well in their quest for a position on the board.
See you at our convention in Kansas City.

The BOARD Cafe is published monthly by CompassPoint Nonprofit Services:
706 Mission Street
5th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94103
(phone)
415-541-9000
(e-mail) boardcafe@compasspoint.org

Best wishes to all,
Chip Hailey, MCB president

Back to Index

Education and Welfare Committee Report
by Dennis Miller

The legislative session ended with very little in the way of bills affecting
the blind and visually impaired being passed. Those of you who attended our
legislative day will be happy to know that the budget items we advocated for
were all passed. The one bill that did pass which will eventually have a
positive effect on us is HB 511 which makes changes to Missouri statutes
which were needed in order to comply with the Help America Vote Act.

Speaking of the Help America Vote Act, you will recall that in the last
Chronicle I wrote about a committee I was serving on which was writing the
state plan necessary to comply with HAVA. This committee has completed the
task it was charged with doing and I am proud to say that the language
needed to ensure that accessible voting machines would be available in each
polling place was included. Therefore, blind and visually impaired
Missourians will, over the next few years, be able to go to their polling
place and cast a truly secret ballot by using a machine that will have voice
output and text enlargement capabilities. Again, thank you to those who
testified at the public hearings that the secretary of state held throughout
Missouri. Your testimony helped make this possible.

You will find elsewhere in the Chronicle an article by Bev Armstrong
regarding our work with blind pension. We are very lucky to have someone
with Bev's knowledge and expertise in the area of blind pension among us.

There will be an education and welfare committee meeting on Friday morning
of the convention; however at this writing, I do not have a time and place.
Consult your convention program or keep checking Tell Me at: (800) 555-8355
and once connected punch in: 1-037-100. Please also remember that this is
an election year so we will need to conduct our business and then elect an
education and welfare committee chairman.
See you in October!

Back to Index

What Is Happening with the Blind Pension Fund?
by Bev Armstrong

When Dennis Miller was elected as the MCB Education and Welfare chairperson,
he asked me to work with him and particularly to work on monitoring the Blind
Pension Fund.

When the Governor presented his recommended budget for the Department of
Social Services (DOSS) in January of 2003 (which was the 2004 budget), a
number of things were noted that concerned us.

In 1991 the Missouri Legislature passed a piece of legislation which was
included in the Missouri Statutes chapter 209.040, paragraph 4. This is a
formula which states that 753people of the annual growth of the Blind Pension Fund
will be used to increase monthly pension payments. There has been an
increase in income to the Fund every year since this legislation was
implemented in 1993.

Prior to the enactment of this legislation, the Legislature was
appropriating monies from the Blind Pension Fund for Medicaid expenses of
blind people. The Statutes clearly state that blind people who are eligible
will have medical expenses covered by Medicaid but not from funds from the
Blind Pension Fund.

So beginning in 1993 DOSS began taking monies from the Blind Pension fund
for Rehab Services for the Blind, salaries and fringe benefits for those
administering the Blind Pension Fund, leasing of space in buildings as well
as parking leases for those working with the blind, and Hancock refunds.

DOSS believes they are within their rights to use monies from the Blind
Pension Fund for these purposes.

The reason, I am told by the Office of Administration, that Hancock refunds
can be taken from the Blind Pension Fund is that any fund which brings
revenue into the state treasury is subject to having funds taken for these
refunds.

It is my belief that DOSS is using a very broad interpretation of the
Statute. They figure "annual growth" on what is left after all expenses
have been taken out-- monthly blind pension payments, Services for the
Visually Impaired (RSB), salaries and fringe benefits for those
administering the blind pension, building maintenance costs and leasing.

According to my calculations there should have been increases in the monthly
pension payments every year beginning with 1993 and going through 2003. We
definitely know that there were no pension increases in 1995, 1996 or 1997.
During those three years Missouri used blind pension funds to allow them
to obtain Federal funds for RSB. (Generally, RSB'S funding comes as 803people
Federal funds and 203people state funds. At least for the past couple of years,
Missouri's 203people has been money taken from the Blind Pension Fund. For
FY 2004 it is about $2.7 million that is being taken for RSB.)

There is no pension increase scheduled for 2005.

We have sought some legal advice from the St. Louis University Law Clinic
and have been told that DOSS is misinterpreting the Statute and the Constitutional
provision.

We would like to reconcile this matter without taking legal steps, so we
have asked for a meeting with the Governor's legislative person. We have been
told this person is reviewing the same requested information which we received
from the Department of Social Services earlier this year.

If we are not successful in getting this stopped by these means, an injunction
can be filed in Mcb's behalf against Doss.

Of course, our preference would be to resolve this amicably. My belief is
that we need to correct this matter before the Governor recommends his FY 2005
budget.

I have been told that the questions may be asked of us of why we did not
say something sooner. This has been the practice since 1993 so it won't be
easy to resolve, particularly with the state being in the financial crisis of
which we are all aware.

Back to Index

PUBLIC RELATIONS REPORT

Loretta and I spent two days in Kansas City at Alphapointe attending the
technology seminar. We also attended the white cane walk at Springfield, and
the Queen City get together in Springfield and handed out PR goodies at all
of these places.

We attended the ACB convention in Pittsburgh and enjoyed that also. By the
time you read this, we will have attended the Lake Stockton annual event at
Bolivar.

If you have any ideas for promotional items for PR, please contact me. I
plan on seeing you all in Kansas City in October.

I have enjoyed being Public Relations Director for the last two years. I
would like to serve another term and try to do all I can in promoting the Missouri
Council. I would appreciate all that will vote for me and give me a chance at
the next two years. Thanks for all your help. Please feel free to contact me
at anytime at 660-679-5429.

Yours truly,
Leroy Welch PR Chairman

Back to Index

M.C.B. Scholarship Winners

By Phyllis Lovett
 

Chairman, M.C.B. Scholarship Committee

Congratulations to all of the winners of the M.C.B. scholarships:

Megen O'rourke, Chasity Jackson, Brandon White, Joseph Still, Felicia Smith,
Daniel M. Koester, Tia Teal, Shanta Peebles, Marcella Schale, Kimberly Castro,
Lisa Beacher, Amy Pefferkorn, Gustin Majtas, and Anita Michelle Ponder.

Thanks to Jean McLaughin and her husband for serving on the Committee. Each
scholarship winner will receive $1,200 to be used for educational expenses.
If you plan to attend college next year, be sure to apply for a scholarship.
You just might win one.

Back to Index

The ACB Report: Hard Times Make Us Stronger
By Jerry Annunzio

The ACB board has had numerous telephone conference calls, most of which were
on the budget. After many hours, days, weeks and even months it is finished.
Although everything is not as good as we would like, the pre-convention and
post-convention board meetings went as well as could be expected. The news
is not all bad. Adversity may very well be the stimulus that is needed to
make us stronger. Our focus now is to cut out all expenses that can be cut and
work harder on the income side.

At a recent board meeting two motions were passed that could help lower the
convention expenses and raise money for the ACB general fund. The first of these
motions that passed will offer reserved prime location tables at the national
banquets for one thousand dollars. The second motion passed would seek sponsors
for the speakers' receptions at a rate of three hundred and fifty dollars or
more per reception.
A third issue came out in the form of an amendment to theBylaws. This amendment
passed and broadened the nonvoting membership category to make it much more
inclusive.
A fourth income producing event was the ACB Store. The store is now open, on
line, under the management of Pat Shreck. At the convention this year we opened
the store in the exhibition hall and were very pleased with the response. Sales
were just under five thousand dollars. For the first time out and a limited
number of items we did very well.
Thanks to all of you who stopped by our store.

A rumor came to me that the board was going to cut out the Braille Forum.
No, we will not cut out the Forum, although the staff is looking for ways to
cut costs. The Braille Forum is far too valuable to cut short, but it is not
a bad thing to look for ways to live within our budgets. At this time every
ACB project needs to be running at top efficiency.

As I said before, the board cuts itself first. Our September ACB board meeting
will be in Washington DC. All board members will cover all their own expenses
for that meeting. That will save ACB several hundred dollars per member.

The good news is that we are not resting. No one is giving up. In fact, adversity
does make us stronger. An example of that is "People of Vision," which is the
name of our newly published history. It is available for sale on the web site at:
www.www.acb.org/acbstore4
So stay focused, keep working and remember, "Together we will win."

Back to Index

The Heart of America Beats for MCB
By Jerry Annunzio

Yes, it is down to the wire, the end of the line, time to hit the road and all
the other clicheso that may say it is MCB convention time in "The City of Fountains."
And yes we will have fountains, but you will have to come to the convention
to see how the Kansas City people have worked them into this year's program.

Now for the things you need to know. Remember the number sixteen. The
cutoff date to make sure you can get the convention room rate is
September sixteenth. If you need a special meal for any of the planned
meal functions you must let Patti in the MCB office know no later than
September sixteenth. And do not forget the banquet cost is sixteen
dollars.

All convention activities will be in the Adams Mark Hotel. It is located
at 9103 East 39th Street, just north of Interstate 70 and east of Blue
Ridge Cutoff. At that point your driver will be able to see the hotel.
The room rate is $59 per night, single, double, triple or quad.
If you are not state tax exempt, the room tax is 13.4753people. The toll free
phone number is 1-800-444-ADAM (800) 444-2326. The local number is 816-737-0200.
Check-in time is 3:00 PM and check out is Noon. The hotel doors are not
tall enough to accommodate horse and rider so please leave your ride
outside.
If for some reason you need a meeting room and you forgot to let me know
earlier, just contact me and I will do my best to help. The cutoff date
for that was July ninth. But who knows, miracles do happen, so we will do
our best.
Remember the swimming pool, the parking, the hotel van and the grass is
complementary. No, not that kind of grass. I mean the grass for the guide
dog relief areas. Oh, and do not forget to tip the van drivers if you have
them take you somewhere to eat, to party, to sight seeing or whatever.

We will have a small crafts room this year so don't forget to bring your
crafts to display and or sell. Please mark them with your name and the
price on each item. Even if they are crafts that you have made, full size
automobiles and airplanes must remain outside in the parking lot.

As you can tell, we are ready for all of you to come to Kansas City
October ninth through the twelfth for tons of fun, loads of Barbecue and
lots of Jazz.

Back to Index

Remembering Frank Matoushek

The Missouri Council of the Blind lost one of its leaders in the passing
of Frank Matoushek, who died on July 26 at the age of 90. Here is the obituary
for Frank Matoushek as it appeared in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

MATOUSHEK, FRANCIS L. FRANK, fortified with the Sacraments of Holy Mother
Church, Sat., July 26, 2003; beloved husband of Shirley Specht Matoushek (nee
Boennighausen) and the late Delphine Matoushek; dear stepfather of Beverly (the
late Bud) Groepper, Donald (Billie) Hobart, Christine (Jim) Gorman, Deborah
(Glen) Haman, Leroy 'Lee' (Jaina) Specht, Beverly (Brian) Bremer and Sandra
(Matt) Zahradka; dear brother of the late Lawrence Matoushek; our dear step-grandfather
of 19; step-great-grandfather of 12; step-great-great-grandfather of 8; brother-in-law,
uncle, great-uncle, great-great-uncle, cousin and friend to many; dear grandson
of the late Bohemian King of St. Louis. Funeral from KUTIS AFFTON Chapel, 10151
Gravois, Tues., July 29, 9:30 addm. to St. Timothy Church for
9 addm. Mass. Interment SS. Peter and Paul Cemetery. Member of Harmony Lions.
(Lions Rose Service Mon., 7 pddm.) R.I.T.E. for the Blind and Missouri Council
for the Blind. In lieu of flowers, contributions to the Lions Eye Foundation,
P.O. Box 510381, St. Louis, MO 63151-0381 appreciated. Visitation Mon., 2-9
p.m.

Of course, the bare facts in this obituary hardly describe the many activities
engaged in by this energetic man. Frank was not born blind, but I have been
unable to find out just when or under what circumstances he lost his sight.
I am told that before he went blind, he worked for or operated a concrete company
and also owned a grape vineyard in St. James, Missouri. After becoming blind,
he got involved in the vending stand program and had several locations in St.
Louis. Frank was the first President of the Executive committee of Blind Vendors
in Missouri and served on the Board of BOMB, Business Opportunities for Missouri
Blind. He was also active with the Harmony Lions and held many offices, including
President. He was also President of RITE. After his retirement from the vending
program, he was hired as the Executive Director for MCB, a position he held
from 1985 until 1996 or 1997, supervising the daily operations of the MCB office,
planning conventions and representing the Council whenever he was asked to do
so. I am told that he was an avid poker player and we all know how much he loved
to talk and tell good stories. Mark Gillam told me that one of the most surprising
things Frank ever did occurred on an evening when he won an award from the Lions.
Mark said he came up to accept the award, said he was speechless and sat down,
no doubt leaving everyone else in the room speechless as well. Frank was a tireless
worker for the blind and a dear friend to many in the blind community. He will
certainly be missed by all who knew and worked with him.

Back to Index

A Letter From Bessie Reece

Dear Fellow Council Members,
I offer you my humble thanks and gratitude for the great honor of being selected
to receive a lifetime membership of the American Council of the Blind. On
Sunday, July 5, 2003, I was presented with a beautiful wooden plaque at the
42nd Annual ACB Convention in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Thank you all very much and God Bless Y.
Yours in Christ,
Dr. Bessie Reece

Back to Index

Candidate Corner:

At this Year's Convention, we will have elections for Treasurer, Public Relations
Director and the three Directors on the MCB Board. Here are the letters which
I received from candidates planning to run for those Board positions.

For the past two years it has been my pleasure to serve as Treasurer of MCB.
You never realize the great responsibility that comes with this office until
you are in that position. It takes several hours each week to keep everything
caught up.

I feel that some of the changes we made will streamline the office for future Treasurers.

I have decided to run for this position during the October State Convention
in Kansas City. I hope that I have fulfilled the office of Treasurer well
enough to count on your vote in October.

Linda has been a great help to me and I could not have done the job without
her assistance.

See you in October and Thanks for your support over the past years.

Bill R. Burris
ea
To All MCB Affiliates and Members at Large,

I would like to take this opportunity to address you because I won't be able
to attend our convention this year in October due to work schedule conflicts.

As the time draws near for our convention and annual election process, I
would like to address you now.

Dr. Bessie Reece has been an active and loyal member of the Mo. Council
of the Blind for 45 years, dating all the way back to before its inception when
it was still the Mo. Federation of the Blind. In the past, she has served on
the Board of the MCB Credit Union before it was dissolved. She was a member
of the Tower Club of the Blind and served as First Vice President and Secretary
for them.

She is currently a member of Agape Council of the Blind and has served as
Secretary, Treasurer, and Legislative Representative to MCB for us.

Dr. Reece and her husband Thomas both attended Mo. School for the Blind
and have been prominent members of the Blind Community and their Church Family
all their lives. They have raised three children who have also taken prominent
roles in the Council and in the Community. Dr. Reece has gone on to work hard
and to receive her Doctorate of Theology from Lael College and Grad. School.
She currently has a thriving prison ministry. To be sure, she has her finger
on the pulse of our community and its needs for the blind--especially concerning
accessibility issues, voters rights, health, education and welfare of the blind.
As recording secretary of Agape Council of the Blind, I respectfully submit
Dr. Bessie Reece's name to be considered for nomination in October, for a directorship
position on the MCB Board.
Sincerely,
Karen L. Hawkins
Secretary,
Agape Council of the Blind

Back to Index

In Memoriam: Robert Paul Priddy

November 23, 1942 - March 26, 2003

by David Plumlee

Many of us were saddened by the sudden passing of Robert Paul (Bob)
Priddy on the evening of March 26, 2003. Those who knew him well
enjoyed his humor and gained much from his knowledge of radio
broadcasting in the Kansas City area. He was well versed on country
music of the 40's, 50's, and 60's along with 50's and 60's rock. He had
a large collection of records, Cd's, and tapes of this music along with
many old-time radio shows. If anyone played an oldy for him, he could
quickly determine whether it was "right" or whether it was a "remake"
or an "out-take." I learned much from him about the history of radio
broadcasting in the Kansas City area, and he could entertain friends
with many reminiscences about Kansas City Radio.

Bob was active in amateur radio, helping many people obtain their ham licenses.
He was a charter member of the Kansas City Association for the Blind Amateur
Radio Club (KCABARC), and he was President at the time of his death.

He enjoyed the computer hobby; he, along with a few more of us
"computer buffs" in the Greater Kansas City area, often helped
visually impaired computer users with matters of operation, software,
and hardware. He had a strong interest in weather, and he made
extensive use of services on radio and the Internet to keep track of
weather conditions.

Bob was active in the alumni association of the Kansas School for the
Blind, having served as President for several years in the mid-90's and
also serving on the committee which judged the craft projects made by KSB students.

He had the ability to cheer people when they were sad, and he knew how
to lighten a situation with laughter. Those who knew him well enjoyed
many good laughs in his company. He also had an in-depth knowledge of
the Bible, and he taught a Sunday School class in his church for many
years. He used his Open Book program to read many books on religion,
especially in the area of prophecy. Bob had a remarkable memory
concerning dates: He could tell you immediately the day of the week on
which a date fell; if that date was during his lifetime, he could often
tell you what he was doing on that date or recall an event of interest
on that date.

He worked for twenty-seven years as a typist for the Food and Drug
Administration, and he also worked for two and one-half years at Alpha
Pointe workshop.
On October 21, 1967, he married Bobbye, and they enjoyed thirty-five
years of loving marriage. He was a long-time member of Christian
Fellowship for the Blind and Allied Workers for the Blind. We who knew
him well will miss him and long remember his life and influence in the
Greater Kansas City area.

Back to Index

Talking ATMS in Missouri
From The Editor: I have been reading a lot lately about the increase in the
use of talking automatic teller machines for blind and visually impaired people.
There seem to be lots of them in many parts of the country, but what about Missouri?
Well, Robyn Wallen has researched the topic and has compiled a list of talking
ATMS in the St. Louis and Kansas City areas. Each listing has a general location
followed by the address. Thanks, Robyn. I hope you will check these out for
yourselves.

For the past two years I did some research and found these locations for
Talking ATMS in the St. Louis Area. County Locations are first but city is below
so please scan and try them out.
Robyn

Westport: 2200 Westport Drive
Bridgeton: 12430 Still Charles Rock Road
Missouri Baptist Hospital: 3015 North Ballas
Bass Pro Outdoor World: 1365 S Fifth Still Still Charles
Harvester: 1555 Jungerman Rd
Chesterfield: 500 Chesterfield Center
Manchester: 13999 Manchester
Wash U: Small Group Housing, 6585 snowy Way
Wash U West: 7425 Forsyth
Hazelwood: 7601 North Lindbergh
Galleria South: 1155 Still Louis Galleria
Howdershell: 495 Howdershell
Wash U campus: 6515 Wydown
Clarkson: 15886 Clarkson
Sunset Hills: 10230 Watson
Crestwood Plaza: 608 Crestwood Plaza
Wash U Ambulatory Care Unit: 4921 Parkview Place
Lindell: 4625 Lindell
Cardinal Glennon Hospital: 1465 S Grand
Union Station: 1 Still Louis Union Station
Plaza 9th Still: 800 Market Street
Tower Still Louis: 100 North Broadway
Tower Still Louis Lobby: 100 ation Broadway
Lemay Ferry: 1495 Lemay Ferry

Kansas City Area
UMKC Campus: 5100 Rock Hill Road
Watkins Crossing: 6320 Prospect
Rockcreek: 2260 Armous Rd ation kansas City
North Kansas City Hospital: 2800 clay edwards drive
Truman Medical Center East: 7900 Lee Summit Lees Summit
Medical Center Independence: 17203 E 23rd Street
Antioch Center: 5307 Center Mill
Overland Park Regional Medical Center: 10500 Quiva Rd
Overland Point: 8440 135th street
Belton: 1818 E North Ave Belton Mo

There are also several at Git n Go locations in Springfield and Joplin as
well as in Quincy and in Desoto and Festus.

Robyn

Back to Index

PENELOPE, THE COLOR TESTER
BY PHYLLIS LOVETT

After reading the Lower Left Hand Drawer in the June issue of the Missouri
Chronicle, I decided to write an article about my APH Color Tester. She speaks
with a British accent so I named her Penelope. I have had Penelope for about
six years. She is very useful especially now that I live alone. The Color
Tester is about the size of a remote control. It is a mini computer, which
can determine colors. You place the small end against the item and press the
left side button. Penelope's clear voice will then describe the color such
as red, gray with tones of brown or white. She is very picky as she tells me
all of my white things are pale gray. To determine the shade, intensity and
hue of the color, you press the right side button. The Color Tester is expensive,
around $700 but well worth it. I use it to match my socks, clothes and even
to match yarn or threads. The battery is rechargeable and lasts a long time.
I would be lost without Penelope and I use her at least three times a day. I
haven't seen the new one from Ann Morris Enterprises so I can't compare them.
With my Penelope, I know that when I leave the house, my clothes and socks match.
The Color Tester is a product which lives up to its advertisement.

Back to Index

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Thursday, July 03, 2003

MCCOY STILL HAS TRUE BASEBALL VISION

Back to Index

The Washington Post
Tuesday, July 15, 2003

Insights Into Loss; Macular Degeneration Demands Harder View
By Elinor Waters

Back to Index

BUYING BLIND
by Carol Fleischman

Back to Index

Minister is held in hit-and-run accident;
Student Struck On Grand Boulevard Dies Of Injuries
By HANNAH BERGMAN
Post-Dispatch
08stajstbjjc

>From The Editor: I have included this newspaper story because DeJuan Banks
was a student at the Missouri School for the Blind. Many of us are quite familiar
with this intersection. This is the same intersection where June Lenk was struck
by a car several months ago. DeJuan had a summer job at the Six Flags Amusement
Park. I do not know whether he was using his white cane when he was hit by the
car. A memorial service was held on August 11 for DeJuan Banks at the intersection
where he was struck. A memorial fund has been established to help the family
with funeral and medical expenses. Donations may be sent to the DeJuan Banks
Memorial Fund, Gateway Metro Credit Union, 1001 Pine, St. Louis, MO 63101.

Police arrested a Kentucky minister in Friday's hit-and-run accident on South
Grand Boulevard that resulted in the death of a 16-year-old athlete.

The victim, DeJuan Banks of Cool Valley, died at St. Louis University Hospital
Saturday afternoon. He had been listed in critical condition after he was struck
about 4 p.m. Friday, just north of the intersection of South Grand and Magnolia
Avenue.

While it will be several weeks before an accident reconstruction team determines
exactly what happened, police say Banks was crossing Grand in the 2700
block
when he was struck by a silver Chevrolet that was traveling southbound.

He was just north of the intersection with Magnolia near the Missouri School
for the Blind. There are signs at the intersection cautioning drivers that pedestrians
may be visually impaired.

The School for the Blind's Web site says Banks was on the wrestling and track
teams.

Maj. Roy Joachimstaler, commander of the South Patrol Division, said the
extent of Banks' vision impairment is unclear, along with how that could have
contributed to the accident. Police say Banks may have been walking toward a
bus stop when he was struck.

The driver of the Chevrolet turned himself in to St. Louis police about 10
addm. Saturday, Joachimstaler said. The driver told police that he knew he hit
someone and panicked, leaving the scene.

Police have not released the driver's name but said the man is in his 50s.
He remains in custody, and Joachimstaler said he expected the driver to be charged
with a felony count of leaving the scene of an accident.

Back to Index

Affiliate Affairs
Where we find out what's happening in your part of MCB

Back to Index

From The Lower Left-Hand Drawer

The Rose Resnick Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired has an online
store called Adaptations. Shop there by visiting:
www.lighthouse-sf.org

or by calling (415) 431-1431.

Charlotte's web sites: Charlotte Thornsberry has sent along some Web sites
she thought some of you might want to check out.
www.voiceprint.ca
is a Canadian web site containing newspaper and magazine articles and DVS movies.
Articles from various newspapers and magazines can also be read or downloaded from:
www.assistivemedia.org4
You can visit:
www.soundprint.org
for some interesting documentaries. Finally,
www.comedycorner.net
has 30 years of Dr. Demento radio shows. If you don't know who Dr. Demento is,
he is a very weird disc jockey who does a weekly radio show featuring offbeat
comedy records. I used to listen to him often when his show was carried in St.
Louis. I've got to check that one out.

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Minnesota
are developing a system to display graphics tactually. I'm not sure I understand
this, but here's what it says. The machine uses a thin rod under a bed consisting
of several thousand round pins. The rod pushes up the pins to draw an image
of an object on a metal plate that has one hole for each of the pins. The pins
are then locked in place. The resulting image is the size of about half a sheet
of paper. The resulting image can then be scanned into a computer. It could
be used for everything from book illustrations to web site graphics. Researchers
believe the commercial unit could be produced for around $2,000.

A company called VirTouch sells a device that is said to translate visual
information on a computer screen into tactile vibrations. Called the VT Player,
it can be used to play computer games. It is a small pad containing pins that
rise or fall depending on what is displayed on the computer screen. It costs
$695 and comes with several Windows-based computer games. For more information,
call VirTouch at: (888) 393-4040 or visit:
www.virtouch.com

This year, it is estimated that 250,000 women in the US will be diagnosed
with breast cancer. Since early detection and treatment are so crucial, the
FDA has approved a device called the Breast Self-examination Pad for over the
counter sales. For a free tape explaining how to use the pad and giving information
on prevention of breast cancer, call (888) 468-8716 or e-mail:
df4healthcs.com4

A low vision resource guide in large print is now available from Telesensory.
It has information on major eye diseases and products that help people with
low vision remain independent. The cost is $5.00 and it can be ordered from
the Telesensory-Low Vision Guide Department, 520 Almanor Avenue, Sunnyvale,
CA 94085. It can be downloaded free from
www.telesensory.com

We have mentioned in the past some sources for Braille jewelry. Here are
two new sources. Brierwood Custom Jewelry specializes in custom signet rings,
ID bracelets and earrings with Braille inscriptions. Phone: (714) 378-1345 and
ask for Rocky. Another company offering Braille jewelry is BrailleStone, (800) 630-6650.)
BrailleStone has a sterling silver spinning ring with the words "Follow Your
Dreams" in Braille for $45.00. Their web site is:
www.braillestone.com

Innovation House, a Canadian company, sells the luggage locator, a device
that allows you to find your luggage on airport carousels by sound. It consists
of a small transmitter that you attach to your luggage and a small receiver
on a key chain that lights up and makes a whistling sound when it detects your
luggage. It sells for $25.95. The phone number is (877) 661-6660.

Atomic clocks are becoming increasingly popular these days. These clocks
somehow reset themselves each day by connecting with the Naval Observatory radio
station. There is a talking atomic clock and calendar available for $60. I'm
not sure of the name of the company but the phone number is (800) 458-4888.
You can also check it out at:
www.sightconnection.com4

Someone has told me that Speak to Me has a much cheaper talking clock, but I
didn't find it in their catalog. Speaking of Speak to Me, Speak to Me now
has product announcements and demonstrations on Tell Me. Call (800) 555-8355 and
enter extension 1-361-058 or 1-874-054. Some of their new products include a
talking tape measure, a voice recognition talking universal remote control unit,
a six-hour digital recorder and a talking Bible. The phone number for Speak
to Me is (800) 248-9965.

The 2003 NCAA College football schedule is now available in Braille. It gives
schedules for over 130 college teams along with other information of interest
to the college football fan. The cost is $10 and it can be ordered from:
Allen Gillis
302 Schaeffel Road
Cullman, Alabama 35055.

The Princeton Braillists have a new item for sale. It is the Atlas of East
Asia, with Braille maps of China, Taiwan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea,
and Japan. There are a total of 26 maps, as well as factual information about
each country. The atlas costs $21. The address for the Princeton Braillists
is:
76 Leabrook Lane
Princeton, NJ 08540
and the phone number is (215) 357-7715 or (609) 924-5207.

Music by Ear has several new courses on tape, including Intro to the Guitar,
Intro to the Bass Guitar, Intro to the Five-string Banjo and Intro to the Piano.
For information, call (800 (484-1839, code 8123, or go to:
www.musicvi.com4

The Selective Doctor repairs Perkins Braillers and IBM typewriters. Call
before shipping (410) 668-1143.

The web site
www.govbenefits.gov
contains information about hundreds of government assistance programs and federally
funded benefit programs administered by state and local governments.

A free Bible correspondence course is available on tape. Contact:
James Vandermolen
2214 West LaRua Street
Pensacola, FL 32505

Peirce College, a 137 year-old college based in Philadelphia, is offering
blind and visually impaired people the opportunity to earn a college degree
through the Internet. Each student will have a program advisor to provide assistance.
Online support services include tutoring, library research, and career counseling.
Courses last seven weeks and sessions begin each month. Degrees can be earned
in such areas as business administration, assistive technology and paralegal
studies. For more information, go to:
www.peirceonline.net
or contact Dr. Patricia Rucker, who is the Dean of the College, at (215) 670-9282.
Her e-mail address is:
paruckerpeirce@edu4

The Food and Drug Administration has approved for sale the first device that
combines a glucose monitor and insulin pump into one unit. The device, which
combines a Medtronic MiniMed insulin pump with a Becton Dickinson glucose monitor,
is the first step toward the development of a fully automated glucose monitoring
and insulin delivery system. The unit has circuitry that allows for the transfer
of data between the two devices and software that allows transfer of data to
a personal computer. Unfortunately, the news release that I saw had no information on price.

I always say that I am not endorsing any product I mention in this column,
but I am going to talk here about something I am using and would recommend to
anyone who could use it. I have mentioned before that I have recently developed
Type Ii diabetes. Although my sugars are under very good control, I try to take
a reading at least once a day. Like many blind diabetics, I have had lots of
trouble using the meters that require you to get blood from your finger and
put it on a strip. I have recently obtained a new device that makes this task
much simpler. It is called the Precision SofTact Meter. You insert a strip and
a lancet into the meter, put the meter on your arm or on the fleshy part of
your thumb and press a button. The meter creates a suction on your skin, gets
the blood and puts it on the strip. After you hear a beep, you remove the meter
from your arm and a reading shows up in twenty seconds. The bad news is that,
although it has a very large and easy to read display, it does not talk, so
a totally blind person would need someone to read the result. Aside from that
problem, this is an extremely easy device for a blind person to use. No more
getting blood everywhere but on the strip, like I used to do. I have been told
that a new version will contain speech. I have contacted the company, urging
them to consider putting speech on this unit and telling them that there would
be a big market for such a device. The meter costs around $200. It is made by
MediSense, a division of Abbott Laboratories. You can call them at (866) 763-8228.

The National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse has compiled a diabetes dictionary
which defines many of the terms people use when talking or writing about diabetes.
It can be found at this web site:
www.niddk.nih.gov/health//diabetes/pubs/dmdict/dmdict.htm4
Now that's a web site!

Insulin Free Times is a magazine published electronically by Diabetes Portal.
It contains articles on therapies, research and clinical studies related to
finding a cure for diabetes. Read it by going to
www.insulinfreetimes.org

Most information about assistive technology comes from producers of equipment
who, quite naturally, want to promote their products by convincing you to buy
them, so, of course, they tell you how wonderful their products are. It's difficult
to find out just how these devices will perform in everyday use. For this reason,
an organization called Tech Connections has established the AT Connection, a
web-based forum where users can post their own product reviews and exchange
information about their use of assistive technology devices. The web site is:
www.techconnections.org/forum.cfm4

I imagine that many of you are currently using one of the tactile thermostats
that allow you to set the temperature in your home by listening to the clicks
on the thermostat dial. Well, if you want to go a little more high-tech, you
can now purchase a talking programmable thermostat from Bartman. It costs $149.00
or $199.00, depending on whether you want to install it yourself or have someone
from the company install it for you. Pushing the report key gives you the temperature.
It will even tell you if your filter is dirty or the battery is low. The address
for Bartman is 257 West Main Street, Monongahela, PA 15063 and the phone number
is (724) 258-9125.

I'm not much of a TV watcher, so I haven't seen these yet, but I have read
that there are three commercials on the air showing blind characters using the
sponsor's products. The ads are for the Kohler plumbing fixture company, Pontiac,
and Royal Crown liquor. The ad for Kohler shows a blind guy in a bar using a
white cane to go to the men's room. He examines the bathroom fixtures and when
he returns, tells his date, "You should see the bathroom." The Pontiac ad shows
a young woman in dark glasses driving a Pontiac at full speed through the desert.
She stops, opens the door and extends her white cane. The Royal Crown ad depicts
a young, good-looking blind guy at a bar, sipping Royal Crown and very much
aware that he is getting admiring glances from women at the bar. He says: "I
think the one on the left likes me." So why blind characters in ads? Jonah Bloom
of the industry magazine Advertising Age, says of the ads: "a blind person in
an ad is a useful vehicle for getting a message across. You are immediately
telling the viewer that there are other senses involved, other pleasures to
be derived that aren't visual. How else can you so easily convey that message?"
The blind characters in these ads are shown as young, appealing, attractive
and self-confident, a far cry from the way blind people are usually depicted
on television and in movies. However, the "blind" characters in the Kohler and
Pontiac ads aren't really blind; they are portrayed by sighted actors. Only
the Royal Crown commercial uses an actual blind actor, Peter Seymour. Nevertheless,
many people in the blind community view this as a step in the right direction.
So keep an eye on those commercials; you might just see a blind person.

The South Carolina Commission for the Blind is training blind persons to
be blood donor recruiters for the Red Cross. The training program lasts twelve
weeks and trainees are guaranteed to receive job offers. The Red Cross has more
than four thousand blood donor recruiters employed all over the country and
turn-over is high. The jobs are said to have good wages, benefits and performance
bonuses. If you are interested in learning more about this job opportunity,
contact Ed Bible at (803) 898-8786.

John Boyer operates the God Touches Internet Ministry for the disabled. It
includes prayers, poems, bible quotations, stories and more. The e-mail address is:
john@godtouches.org
and the web site is:
www.godtouches.org

How many of you still use the Franklin Talking Dictionary that came out several
years ago? I still have the one that Donna bought me and use it often. Now
a company called Premier Assistive Technology has introduced what it calls the
Ultimate Talking Dictionary. It is computer software containing definitions
for 250,000 words, plus a thesaurus. Each definition includes a sentence using
the word. It works with screen readers and does not require use of a mouse.
The cost is $29.95. For more information, or to order the dictionary, contact
the company at (815) 722-5961 or visit the web site:
www.readingmadeeasy.org
The same company, Premier Assistive Technology also sells software called PAIDF
Magic, which converts PAIDF files into text files that can be read by blind
computer users with screen readers. There are two versions, one for $59.95,
one for $99.95.

Several new products were introduced at the ACB Convention. Beyond Sight
introduced a Nokia cell phone and personal data assistant with software that
makes all of the functions accessible, including the display on the PAIDA screen.
With the software, the price is $940. The phone number for Beyond Sight is (303) 795-6455.
Jack Lenk was very impressed with a device he saw called Aviva from Talking
Solutions Corporation. It's a talking Cd player and MP-3 player that can also
be used to download and read books from the Internet. Apparently, it can also
play DVD'S and pre-recorded books. It will be available next year for around
$500. All inPlay, formerly known as As-Form, has introduced its latest computer
game, the traditional card game Crazy Eights. Their web site is:
www.allinplay.com4
Conventioneers also got to see a new Braille embosser from Enabling Technologies
called Gemini and a new mobility device called Hand Guide from Guideline Technologies.
Hand Guide uses infrared beams to signal blind travelers about objects in their
paths. I will try to bring you more information about these new devices in future
columns.

Here is news involving some of our readers. Ida Scotti from Festus, a member
of the Ozark Association for the Blind, was given a Distinguished Service Award
by the American Council of the Blind. It was presented to her at the ACB Convention
by Kathey Wheeler. Congratulations, Ida. Dorris Meyer is quite proud of her
daughter Alexis. Lexi has been accepted for the St. Louis Childrens Choir, which
consists of children from ages 6-18. Lexi is eight years old. Jeanne Wisa Fike
wants to know if there are blind people in West St. Louis County who would be
interested in some informal get-togethers. Her phone number is (636) 530-9427.

One of the articles in this issue concerns a blind sportswriter, who covers
baseball for a Dayton, Ohio newspaper. I thought you might be interested in
hearing that one of the announcers on the Spanish language broadcasts for the
Tampa Bay Devil Rays baseball team is blind. His name is Enrique Oliu. He sees
only black shadows in very strong lighting. He was born in Nicaragua, but attended
the Florida School for the Blind and Deaf where he participated in all of the
school's athletic activities. He got the job because of his extensive knowledge
and love of baseball. He does mostly game analysis, but when he is called upon
to do play by play, his wife sits behind him and gives him the information he
needs to describe a play. The broadcasts can be heard on WAMA, 1550, AM.

Do blind people have better memory than sighted people? I'm sure many people,
blind and sighted, think so and now researchers at Hebrew University in Jerusalem
have come up with some findings from a study that lends some validity to that
belief. It seems that blind people are able to use a portion of the brain normally
devoted to vision for memory. Scientists tested a group of sighted people and
a group of congenitally blind people, asking them to recall lists of unrelated
words while their brain activity was scanned by an MRI. The blind subjects did
much better at the task than the sighted subjects. The brain scan showed that,
unlike the sighted subjects, the blind people were using portions of the primary
visual cortex of the brain to perform the memory test. There is a lot of research
going on in this area of studying brain function, including some ongoing studies
at Washington University here in St. Louis, much of it involving blind people.
Here's a little memory test you can give yourself, just for fun. Take a minute
or so and memorize this list of words: plank, banker, sauce, umbrella, abdomen,
reptile, lobster, orchestra, forehead, and jury. Now in about twenty minutes
or so, see how many of those words you can recall, without looking at the list,
of course. A score of eight to ten is excellent, five to seven is about average.
If you could recall only four words or less, you might want to look into some
memory training courses. Now, if I could just remember where I put my keys.

I still have several items left, but I will try to remember to save them
for next time. See you in December.

Back to Index

Galen's Household Hints.

Back to Index

Friends

Back to Index