TABLE OF CONTENTS

President's Message

Report From The Office Personnel Committee

Education And Welfare Report

MCB Conventions, Past And Future by Jerry Annunzio

MCB Convention Report: Speakers, Exhibits, Awards and lections by John Weidlich

ACB Report by Jerry Annunzio

A Letter to the Editor

A Tribute to Letha Dangerfield

Meet The New MSB Superint>

What About That Hearing Loss by Beth Jordan

Stable Won't Let Blind Women Ride On Trail

Site Has The Vision-Impaired In Mind

Check Out That Can!

Affiliate Affairs

From The Lower Left-Hand Drawer

Three Poems by Letha Dangerfield: Friends, The Girl I Said Goodbye To, and Spirit Of a Town

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President's Report

Dear MCB members and friends,

"If everyone is thinking alike, then no one is thinking."
Benjamin Franklin

At our October 2003 state convention held in Kansas City, we held elections for three of our director positions.
Jerry Annunzio, Leo Giger, and Linda Gerken were the three persons elected
to serve as our directors.
These positions were forrly held by Dennis Miller, Don Shockley, and John
Weidlich.
Don and John had completed their terms as directors while Dennis had
decided not to seek a second term.
I would like to thank Dennis, Don, and John for their dedication and
commitment to this wonderful organization, and hope they will continue
to offer their invaluable service whenever needed.
I would also like to welcome the three new directors to the Board and hope
everyone in the organization will get behind them and give them their full
support.

Also at our convention, we held an election for our MCB treasurer's
position, and Bill Burris was elected by acclamation.
I would like to commend Bill on a job well done on his first term as our
MCB treasurer and would like to wish him well throughout his second
term. I know that he will continue to serve us very well in this capacity.

We also held an election for our Public Relations Officers position.
This position was formerly held by Leroy Welch.
Many thanks must go to Leroy for all of his fine efforts in serving as our
Public Relations Officer over the past several years. He has always served
this organization with a deep passion and is very much deserving of our
appreciation.
Gregg Hollins had been elected to serve in this position but has since had
to tender his resignation due to personal reasons.
Leroy Welch has been re-appointed as Public Relations Chairman until the next election. Also, at our Education and Welfare Committee meeting held on Friday morning
of the convention, Dr. Bessie Reece was elected by acclamation to serve as
our Education and Welfare Committee chairperson.
This position was formerly held by Dennis Miller, who had decided not to run for a second term.
Again I would publicly like to thank Dennis for having served us in this
capacity so admirably and would like to wish him all the best in his future
endeavors.
I would also like to congratulate Bessie on her election and would like
to wish her well as she diligently works on the legislative issues facing the
blind community.

I am also very happy to announce that a resolution was adopted on Saturday
morning of the convention to establish a "Darrell Lauer Outstanding
Leadership Award" to honor the memory of this beloved member.
The award will not necessarily be given annually, but will be presented
to an MCB member from time to time when deemed appropriate.

Also on Saturday morning, an amendment to Article IX. Section 1 of the
Bylaws was adopted. The amendment allows an affiliate
to make a proposal to host an MCB convention further than just one year in advance.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am also very happy to announce that on Thursday
afternoon of the pre-convention Board meeting, the Board accepted the
appointments of Joyce Lehman as the new Adaptive Technology Matching Grants
chairperson and Marie Thompson as the new Special Services chairperson.
Clint Campbell was formerly the chairperson of the Adaptive Technology
Matching Grants Program and Phyllis Zirkle was formerly the Special
Services chairperson, and I would like to commend them both on a job well done.
I would also like to wish Joyce and Marie the very best as they take over
these two very important chairs.
At the November Board Meeting, Hank Pearce was appointed as Chair of the newly created listserv
Committee, which will administer the Missouri-like List under guidelines adopted by the Board.
Hank will also serve as moderator for the list.
Up until a few months ago, Frosty Purdy had been managing our web page but had to step aside due
to his wife's failing health. I would like
to personally thank him as well for all of his tireless efforts and would like
for him to know that our thoughts and prayers are very much with him and
his wife.
I would also like to personally thank Mike Peterson for taking over
managing our web page. I am quite confident that he will do a super job as
well.

In conclusion, I must regrettably inform everyone that Patti Ashby,
formerly our office Administrative Assistant, resigned in October.
I would like to publicly thank Patti for all of her hard work in overseeing
the daily operations of the office. Her caring professionalism will be
greatly missed.
I think we should all wish her continued success in all of her future
endeavors.

I would now like to end my message by wishing all of you a Happy Holiday
season. May you experience a most joyous and peaceful Holiday.

Warmest regards,
Chip Hailey, MCB President

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FROM THE OFFICE PERSONNEL COMMITTEE
by Bev Armstrong

On Monday following the convention I e-mailed Patti to give her the names of the new committee
chairpersons who had been appointed by our president at
the Board meeting October 9.

Marie Thompson is the new chair of Special Services and Joyce Lehman the new
chairperson of Adaptive Technology Grants. Patti was reminded that these
new names needed to be put on the respective committee applications by
November 1.

Our thanks are in order to Phyllis Zirkle and Clint Campbell for their good
work as the previous chairpersons of these committees.

As most of you know by now, The Office Personnel Committee also acted as the
Search Committee for an executive director. It was a unanimous decision of the committee
that we not recommend a candidate at the time of the convention.

On October 20, Patti Ashby tendered her resignation, to be effective
immediately, as the administrative assistant in the MCB office. Some folks
have asked for the reason of Patti's resignation. We are simply saying that
she resigned and if you wish to know more than that, you need to contact
Patti directly. However, the office will not be giving out Patti's home
phone number.

Needless to say, her resignation necessitated some temporary changes in the
office.

As of this writing, Donna Weidlich, temporary office clerk, will be in the
office between the hours of eight addm. and two p.m. Monday through Friday.
Since our office hours are till four pddm., thought had to be given as to how
the last two hours of each day could be covered.

Tom and Sharon Armstrong have volunteered to fill the gap as volunteers on a
temporary basis. They will be in the office between the hours of one and
four. The hour that there is an overlap will allow Tom to assist Donna with
things which require sight.

It was necessary that we have someone with sight in the office some of each
day in order to take care of writing vouchers and performing other tasks
which require vision. Tom has had twenty-seven years of office experience.

In a telephone conference call on Oct. 23, the Personnel Committee discussed
what our next steps needed to be. It was the decision of the committee
that we wait for the Board's direction at the Board meeting to be held on Nov. 15
since there is no job description available for the administrative
assistant.

I am pleased to report that things are under control in the office; however,
we do ask for your patience and kind consideration when requesting things
from the office. Every effort is being made to meet the needs of our
members as well as handling the requests made by non-members throughout the
state.

We will keep you updated in upcoming issues of "The Chronicle".

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Education and Welfare Committee Report
by Dennis Miller

This will be my final Education and Welfare Committee report for the Chronicle.
As most of you know by now, I chose not to run for another term as committee chairman
due to work and personal commitments. This was not an easy decision to make but one
I felt needed to be made.

I want to take a moment to thank those of you who took the time to call or e-mail
or talk to me at conventions or board meetings regarding issues that were important to you.
It is refreshing to know there are people in MCB who are dedicated enough to take the time
and make the effort to do that.

I also want to thank each and every person who attended legislative days in Jefferson City.
I know the legislators appreciate the time and effort you put forth just as much as I do
and I think MCB is a stronger organization because you took the time to walk the halls of
the Capitol with us.

As many of you know, the education of blind children is something I am very passionate
about and I will continue to work in this area. I think MCB is more involved in this area than
it has been in the past and I hope that trend continues.

I have spent a great deal of time over the past year serving on various committees set up
by the Secretary of State to implement the Help America Vote Act in Missouri. On October
7, we met with members of Secretary Blunt's office to discuss concerns we had regarding
the possibility of a voter verifiable paper ballot being required in order for a person's vote
to be counted. I am happy to say we made progress in this area, although more work needs
to be done. I think that Secretary Blunt's office understands our concerns and appears to be
awaiting any further Congressional mandates before proceeding any further in this particular
area. If all goes well and there are no further delays on the federal level, there should be one
accessible voting machine in each polling place by 2006. Perhaps then, we will truly be able
to cast a secret ballot.

Beverly Armstrong continues to work diligently in the area of blind pension. I continue to be
amazed by the breadth of knowledge she brings to this issue. It has been an honor to work
with her.

The powers that be at Tell Me have apparently decided to no longer offer announcements
on their phone system, so it appears that for the time being that is no longer an option for
disseminating legislative information.

The Education and Welfare Committee during its meeting on October 10 elected Bessie
Reece as its new chair person. I wish Bessie luck and hope that everyone will show her
the same encouragement and support you have shown me.

Finally, I want to end this report with a plea, a plea to get involved in legislation on a local,
state and federal level. We are in a difficult funding period right now and the only way we
can hope to hang onto the programs and services we need is to make our voice heard. If
we don't let our voices be heard, then legislators think we don't care. Let's prove them
wrong!

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MCB Conventions, Past and Future
By Jerry Annunzio
Convention Coordinator

As soon as one is done work starts on the next. Yes, the 2003 Missouri
Council of the Blind Convention in Kansas City is over. The Kansas City
convention was a real success for nearly three hundred of us who
attended.
besides all the small group meetings, the informational sessions, the
special speakers and awards there was a ton of fun to be had.

To begin the fun, the Thursday afternoon board meeting that ran into the
evening and on through until two o'clock the next morning was the place
to be for the party animals, he says with a big smile.
The other two hundred or more conventioneers were out exploring the city,
eating Gates barbecue and Kansas City steaks.

Friday night's highlight was the hospitality reception in Quincy's. Odell
Hollins' friend Nate Brown, who is a blind professional musician from
California, entertained us with his saxophone, voice and taped
accompaniment. Some folks just listened, others danced, while still
others ate barbecue and visited with friends.

The next big event was the Banquet Saturday night. Although we did have
noise interference from a wedding reception next door, our entertainment,
food and presentations went well. The hotel manager has agreed to make a
donation to MCB to compensate us for the loud noise distraction.

I want to thank all the people who worked on the 2003 convention. The
Allied Workers for the Blind was the host affiliate and they were
assisted by the Progressive Council and several individuals from
throughout MCB. The cooperation and assistance from all those who
attended was greatly appreciated.

And now on to the future. The convention voted to have the 2004
convention at the Millennium Hotel in beautiful downtown Saint Louis.
When you get to see this hotel and its location you will know that it is
the finest hotel within which we have held our convention in recent
memory. We are working very hard to keep the cost down. At this writing
we are finalizing the contract negotiations. After that is completed
there will be a toll free number for you to make
reservations. The room rate will be $65.00 per night; single, double, triple
and quad. There is a covered walkway to the covered parking which will
cost $7.00 per day.
The host affiliates are the Agape Council and the Tower Club. They have
recommended this hotel because it is so nice and it is near the Union
Station, a large downtown shopping center, several good restaurants and
transportation. The nearest attractions are the Mississippi River, the
Gateway Arch and Busch Stadium. The convention dates are Thursday,
October 7 through Sunday, October 10, 2004.
Plan to come early and stay late to "Explore Saint Louis" in 2004.

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MCB Convention Report: A Look at the Speakers, Exhibits, Awards and Elections
by John Weidlich

In looking for an opening for this convention article, that overly used quotation about
the best of times and the worst of times came to mind, for this convention seemed to
have had some of both. The Board members who sat through a meeting lasting well
into the wee small hours of the morning may have thought they were experiencing the
worst of times, as did those of us trying to listen to the banquet presentations over the
wedding reception music next door. But, of course, there were the best of times
too--interesting speakers and exhibits, a lively election that brought new faces to the
board and showed that many members really do want to serve MCB, and stimulating
discussions of issues indicating that members really are giving thoughtful consideration
to the issues confronting and at times threatening to divide us. Let's take a look at this
year's MCB Convention in Kansas City.

This convention featured a number of very interesting speakers. I suppose the highlight
for many of us was Talking Book Narrator Jill Fox from the American Printing House,
who also spoke to the Library Users. I hope many of you got to meet her in person. I
told her she could read to me any time. I could listen to her read the Phone book and
find it pleasant to listen to. The convention also heard from Ward Bond, who demonstrated
the Talking Signs Technology that is being used in many cities. What a convenience to
be able to know where you are with this device. Jennie Mascheck from the Missouri
School for the Blind talked about the outreach to blind and visually impaired students
throughout Missouri. Beth Jordan from the Helen Keller National Center also spoke to
us about some of the signs of hearing loss and things we can do to cope with it. An article
by her can be found in the Chronicle. Robert Horan told members about the work of
the Governor's Council on Disabilities. Richard Smith, the Director of Wolfner Library
talked about the library's online automated system which can be used to search for and
order books over the internet. He said a recording studio will be established at the
Library for recording books about Missouri and books by Missouri authors. The
Missouri Conservationist Magazine is now available through the NLS Web Braille Web
site. Another speaker who drew quite a response from the audience was Tracy Hawkins
with a company that promotes personal safety. She gave some very interesting information
about the use of pepper spray and personal alarms to protect ourselves on the street
and in our homes.

Several amendments to the bylaws were presented this year but only one was adopted.
This is an Amendment to Article Ix, Section 1 regarding convention bids. In the past, the
convention only considered bids for the next year's convention. The amendment gives
the assembly the authority to consider bids for future conventions, thus making it easier
for affiliates wishing to host a convention to lock in hotel rates for conventions that may
not be held for a couple of years.

The Convention adopted a resolution establishing a new award. Here is the text of the Resolution:

Whereas the Missouri Council of the Blind values and wishes
to encourage its members to step forward and exercise leadership skills,
and

Whereas Darrell Lauer exemplified outstanding leadership abilities
during his presidency of the Missouri Council of the Blind and in his
service on twelve boards in the community including the first beep ball
team, the Head Start program, the Braille billing program, the
certification of ADA leaders, in helping to set up a conference on
disability rights at the White House, and in helping to set up an
international conference on disability rights in Japan, and

Whereas the Missouri Council desires to recognize those who
demonstrate outstanding leadership ability in the manner exemplified by
Darrell Lauer.

Therefore, be it resolved, in convention assembled on October 11,
2003, at the Adam's Mark Hotel, in Kansas City, Missouri, that the
Missouri Council of the Blind establishes the Darrell Lauer outstanding
leadership award in remembrance of Darrell Lauer, an outstanding leader
and member of the Missouri Council of the Blind.

Be it further resolved that a committee composed of the President,
First Vice-President, Second Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer be
charged with the selection of the recipient of this award.

Be it further resolved that the award be presented from time
to time, as appropriate, to an outstanding member of the Missouri Council
of the Blind who has shown qualities of outstanding leadership in the
organization and in the community. This award shall be presented at the
banquet of the annual state convention of the Missouri Council of the
Blind.

This year's elections were particularly spirited, especially the contests for the three Board
of Directors positions. Two of the directors, John Weidlich and Don Shockley, could not
run again, and the third, Dennis Miller, chose not to seek another term, so the competition
for those positions was quite enthusiastic. As many as seven candidates were running in
the first two elections, making run-off elections necessary. When the dust had settled,
Jerry Annunzio, Leo Giger and Linda Gerken were elected to serve as Directors.
It was great to see so many people obviously wanting a chance to be on the Board.
Bill Burris was re-elected to serve another term as Treasurer. Gregg Hollins and Leroy
Welch were nominated for the position of Public Relations Director and Gregg was elected.
However, following the Convention, Gregg submitted his resignation, due to personal
reasons. The Board accepted his resignation, and Chip asked Leroy Welch to be Public
Relations Chairman until the next election, in accordance with our Bylaws. Earlier, The
Education and Welfare Committee had elected Dr. Bessie Reece as its Chairman.
Congratulations to the new Board members and committee chairs. I'm sure they will
serve MCB well.

On Sunday, the convention voted to accept a bid from the Tower Club and the Agape
Council to host the 2004 Convention at the Millennium Hotel in St. Louis. The Convention
also voted to hold the 2005 convention back at the Adams Mark in Kansas City, provided
some of this year's problems can be resolved by our Convention Coordinator. The
2005 host will be the Progressive Council.

I thought the exhibits were particularly interesting this year. Many of our attendees with low vision were impressed with a new portable CCTV called the Quick Look, that sells for $800.
Another item that created a lot of talk was new software called the Web Text Reader from Look Media, a Kansas City-based company. I will give a description of what it does in the Lower Left-Hand Drawer column.

Now to the banquet. Thanks to the unexpected music that accompanied our program, some of us felt like we attended two banquets--the MCB banquet and the nearby wedding reception next door to us. But despite that minor annoyance, the program went well and the awards presentations were quite enjoyable. Bill Benson did an excellent job as Master of Ceremonies, telling some very funny and, so he claimed, true stories. The audience had an experience no other MCB banquet audience has ever had, being addressed by none other than Harry  Truman, who gave us an account of his life and career in politics. Bill Burris managed to get
a very good recording of his talk, pretty much free of the reception music so you could contact him if you want to hear it. I have a copy also, which will probably go to the MCB office. Following the speaker, several awards were presented. Leroy Welch gave the results of the contest that he conducted, asking members to cast votes for members in various categories.  The results were: Sweetest Man, Paul Mathews, Sweetest Woman, Linda Burris; Busiest Woman, Linda Hailey; Busiest Man, Bill Burris; and Most Loving Couple, Ed and Terrica Sanders. The contest raised $118.80.

Bev Armstrong presented the Nathaniel Johnson Award.

The person who has been chosen to receive the Nathaniel Johnson Award has shown outstanding leadership to their affiliate as well as a community leader. Having learned Morse code while assisting her brother, she has been a ham operator. She does Brailling in the community when there is a need.

Others have recognized her gifts by making her the recipient of such awards as the American Radio Relay League Award, the life time Achievement Wooud Awd, Certificate of Merit Award given for her long years of service in the National Traffic System, CW Nets, the Mon Net and as an ARRL office relay station.

She has been writing poetry since high school and has had one of her books of poems published.  She has served the Joplin Service Club, the Joplin Association and MCB faithfully for many years.
If we all could live such exemplary lives as this 92 year-old lady, the world would surely be a better place.

I am honored and proud to present this Nathaniel Johnson Award to the
distinguished Letha Dangerfield.

The Missouri Council of the Blind (MCB) Nathaniel Johnson Award, presented to Letha Dangerfield, October 11, 2003 in appreciation of many years of dedicated service. In behalf of our organization, MCB offers its heartfelt gratitude.

Letha was pleased that the plaque was in Braille that she could read and she was even able to read it through the plastic cover. She said she had no clue that she was receiving the award. She mentioned that her husband and brother were both hams and that she was still a ham after fifty years.

Bill Burris had the honor of presenting this year's Ellis M. Forshee Award. Here is what
he had to say:

This award is given to a person that has worked in the blindness field, maybe it's been a legislator over the years that has worked helping the blind of Missouri to have a better life.

This person was raised in Kansas. He got his degree in Iowa. In 1969 he moved to
Missouri and began working here with the Department for the Blind Prevention Program.
He has served as a supervisor and has served with them in distinguished fashion. He
started the statewide Glaucoma Outreach Program in the state of Missouri. That in itself is quite a feat. Things like this we don't know about these people until we are going to present them with an award. He has received a Distinguished Social Services Award.
He has served as Interim Director of RSB. He is a wonderful person that all of you I'm sure would like to know if you don't know him. He just finished doing work with the University of Missouri. He wrote the first grant for the Older Blind Persons Program in Missouri. We were about the fifth in the nation to have this and many other states use the program that he wrote to help write their own. He has been married to his wife Carol for 34 years. To me, that says a lot right there. It's hard to find families that stay together like that. They have three children and one grandchild. So Bill Hagood, would you come up and receive this award, please.

The Ellis M. Forshee Distinguished Service Award presented to Bill Hagood, October 11, 2003. With much appreciation we extend to you this acknowledgement for the positive impact your many years of leadership and organized efforts have had on the social, economic and educational concerns of persons with disabilities. The Missouri Council community of the Blind. Thank you.

In accepting the award, Bill said it meant so much to him because he has worked with us all for years and years and "consider most of you my friends." He reflected on how things have changed over the past thirty years of working with the Bureau for the Blind as it was formerly called and now Rehab Services for the Blind. He talked about the good, the bad, the ugly and the strange things that have happened over thirty years.

"The obvious things are the consumers that have come through our doors that we have helped. To be able to see a person who was horribly afraid of stepping outside of their own house because of their fear of traveling independently actually become travel agents and travel the world is such an accomplishment." He also cited advances in technology.  "If it weren't for that technology, those wonderful, fantastic jobs that some of you now hold would not be possible. I think about how this organization, the Missouri Council of the Blind has successfully worked to remove the biases about blindness throughout Missouri and throughout this nation. I can remember the days where people were almost held from real good paying jobs such as school teachers or doctors and even day care providers. Those jobs were unheard of years ago. I've seen the good things your organization has done simply because it was the right thing to do, not only for members but for non members alike. And I am proud of how Rehab Services for the Blind has grown and developed through your input."

"The bad is the ever constant battle to preserve the federal and state funding that our
programs need to insure the equal playing field in the world of employment," and "the organized efforts by some groups to promote their own ideology to the detriment of others." He also spoke of the loss of dear friends such as Nathaniel Johnson, Charlene Allen, Ken Emmons and others.

The ugly: "people who pretend to care about the program for the blind but do nothing to protect it. And I say this with utmost respect for a beautiful and lovely lady that most of you know. Her name is Lucille Fierce and she could get ugly with state representatives and anyone else who would mess with the blind pension." After making some joking comments regarding the Shockleys, Chip and others he concluded: "I'm sure you can think of your own good, bad, ugly and strange things that have happened in the last thirty years. I hope your experiences have been good ones and that your travel through life is what you wanted it to be. You know, life is about choices that we make during our lives and I want to let you know that I am extremely proud that you have allowed me to be a part of your life and your efforts to make a better place to live for all of the people who are blind or visually impaired. And I want to thank you for this award because it means so very much to me. Thank you very much."

Finally, Chip presented the President's Outstanding Service Award:

It is always a very pleasurable experience to present the President's award because
not only is it a very prestigious award but, ladies and gentlemen, it is an award I look
forward to presenting because it's an award that comes from my heart. I recognize
the volunteer service, the dedication, the commitment that individuals have for this
organization. Not only is it an award that I treasure because it comes from my heart,
but I also feel that it comes from your heart as well. The type of caring attitude and
volunteer service that this individual exemplifies is not one that can be taught. It's an
attitude that this individual has always exemplified. I don't care where or when you
have seen this individual. This individual always exemplified this kind of heartfelt,
caring attitude toward all of us and it's something very special because like I said it's
not something that's always taught. I've seen this individual stay up very late to help
many of you, in and out of elevators, up to our rooms, finding our seats, in the
restaurants, finding rest rooms. So many times have I seen this individual assisting
so many of us throughout the Convention. And even though this particular individual
can not be with us this year, this individual is probably most known for being one
of our mike runners. So ladies and gentlemen, it gives me great honor and it is my
distinct pleasure to present the President's Award to Miss Brandi Emmons.
Missouri Council of the Blind President's Award, presented to Brandi Emmons,
October 11, 2003 for your willingness and readiness to provide unselfish hours
and dedicated service and voluntary support to the members of the Missouri
Council of the Blind. We gratefully thank you. May God richly bless you for
your kind service. MCB.

Before closing, I want to commend the Allied Workers for hosting this year's
convention and also mention the hard work of our convention coordinator,
Jerry Annunzio, who dealt so capably with hotel management throughout
the convention. I would also commend our President, Chip Hailey for presiding
over the convention in such a professional manner and for dealing so calmly
and capably with some difficult situations. Finally, I hope we all appreciate
the efforts of our Parliamentarian, Virginia Berberick, who kept us on track
through all of our deliberations and helped us to follow proper procedures.
These things can get very complicated at times and she is always there to
help us through the complications in a fair and impartial manner. Perhaps
some of you knew that her husband, Paul, was in the hospital during the
Convention. Although Virginia was hopeful that he would get home after the
Convention, Paul passed away a couple of weeks after the Convention. I
know we extend our deepest sympathy to this fine and devoted lady.

And so, on to St. Louis in October, 2004.

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The ACB Report
By Jerry Annunzio
"The Big Surprise"
On Friday, October 17, Charlie Crawford, resigned as
ACB'S executive director. His statement follows:

"This is to advise that ACB President Chris Gray and myself have just
concluded negotiations acceptable to both parties with respect to the
following. I am tendering my resignation as ACB executive director
effective this day due to irreconcilable differences in management
philosophy. I will not be at liberty to discuss the agreement or the
reasons for its coming into existence, but I will of course remain an
active and supportive member of the best organization of the blind in
this nation."

For most people in MCB this comes as a complete surprise and will leave
them with a lot of questions. As stated above, neither the ACB Board
members nor the executive director are "at liberty to discuss the
agreement or the reasons for," his resignation.
There are two things that can be said. First, idle speculation and
negative musing will not be productive. Second, now is the time to focus
on the positive and look to the future.

President Gray said, "Let us be mindful of the many excellent
contributions Charlie Crawford has made to this organization. Charlie's
vision and advocacy have led ACB into new arenas and created many
successes for us." We all wish Charlie every success and look forward
to the future.

There is in place a search committee that will find another person
to fill the executive director's position.
Melanie Brunson will be the interim director. Laura Oftedahl will assist
Melanie and work on fundraising.
Everything is in place to make this transition as smooth as possible.
Surprises that require change are often not pleasant but we are a people
who must deal with surprises everyday and even unpleasant situations.
Therefore together we will lead the way to a stronger future and
"together we will win."

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A Letter to the Editor

From The Editor: This letter was sent to the Editor from an MCB member
with a request that it be printed in the Chronicle. The opinions expressed here
are not necessarily those of the Editor or the majority of the membership
but are included as a courtesy to the member. The letter has not been altered
in any way. The Editor of the Chronicle welcomes letters from readers on any
topic. Because of space considerations, letters may be shortened, but the writer's
writing style will be retained. In order to be considered for inclusion in the
Chronicle, letters must include the name of the writer; unsigned letters will not
be considered for publication. E-mail letters will be accepted.

From: "Burton Maurer" burteyes@earthlink.net "the difference is only one letter.
acb or mcb, a rose by any other name still looks and sounds the same.
The troubles the national organization is having is a MIRROR of what is going
on in Missouri. Those of you who are familiar with the events leading
UP to the resignation of Charley Crawford, can relate to the similar events
LEADING UP to the resignation of Sherry Keller as mcb's executive director.
Both highly qualified, competent and aggressive in their passion for issues concerning the
blind community. UNFORTUNATELY, they BOTH HAD to endure an atmosphere of
arrogance, oversized ego's, power hungry individuals, exclusion of the
membership from many important decisions and tunnel vision when it came
to change combined with a PHILOSOPHY of doing nothing. This SCENARIO
combined with a rubber stamp board which REFUSED to exercise ITS
RESPONSIBILITY to it's own membership. Doesn't it sound familiar, when
you want to hide something that might be CONTROVERSIAL, hide it in the
all encompassing shield of secrecy. They call it A closed board
meeting, what they mean is, we don't want you to know how they are
manipulating the rules, procedures and by laws of our organization. As
it will with acb, mcb will continue to travel down this path towards
destruction until the MEMBERSHIP STANDS up and says, stop. You the
membership, are and have always been the TRUE strength of mcb. The
blind that preceded us left us a good legacy. If we intend to leave the
same good legacy to those that follow us, IT'S imperative that you let
your opinions be known to YOUR BOARD representative's.

The blind of missouri should be OUR first priority, not our power
position, personal agendas or secretive meetings to hide the facts from
the membership. Until all eight hundred members of mcb get INVOLVED in
their own organization, the welfare of the blind will not be protected.
The main loss to the blind community will be that the quality of their
lives will continue to deteriate."

Yours Truly:

Burton M. Maurer

Back to Index

 

A Tribute to Letha Dangerfield

From The Editor: As most of you probably know by now, this year's recipient
of the Nathaniel Johnson Award at the MCB Convention was Letha Dangerfield
from the Joplin Service Club. Shortly after the Convention, Letha fell and broke
a bone in her pelvis. She seemed to be making a recovery, but she then suffered
a stroke and died on October 31st. I had always heard about this remarkable
woman but I did not get the chance to meet or talk with her until this Convention.
Donna and I left the Convention hall on Saturday afternoon for a bathroom break
during the voting, at which time Stephanie Mann told me there was someone who
wanted to meet me. It was Letha, who took my hand, told me how much she enjoyed the Chronicle and recited one of her poems to me. We spoke so long that I got locked out of the convention hall and missed one of the votes, but it was well worth it to get the chance to meet this kind and gracious lady. Here is an article about Letha sent to me by Stephanie from the Joplin Association. You will find the
presentation of the Nathaniel Johnson Award in the convention report and three
of Letha's poems at the end of the issue. First, here is a portion of the obituary for Letha that appeared in the Joplin Globe:

Letha A. Dangerfield

Letha A. Dangerfield, 93, of Joplin, passed away Friday afternoon, Oct. 31, 2003
at a local hospital.

Letha was born Dec. 4, 1909 in San Francisco, Calif., the daughter of Frank and
Elizabeth Allendorf. The family moved to Seattle, Wash. when Letha was four
years old, shortly after a severe illness resulted in blindness. The family moved to
Missouri when Letha was 10 and a small portion of her eyesight returned.
She graduated from Joplin High School, ranking third in her class, an
achievement she was very proud of. Soon after graduation her eyesight failed completely.

Letha was a member of St. Peter's Catholic Church, the Joplin Ham Radio Club,
the Joplin Service Club of the Blind and the board of directors for the Joplin
Association for the Blind. She served as secretary for many years taking the minutes
on a brailed typewriter. Letha was an accomplished poet. She had a
hard back book of poems published in 1975.

She married Alfred H. Dangerfield on Aug. 27, 1943 in Joplin. He preceded her in
death on June 6, 1969 as well as her parents; a sister, Ida Allendorf; and a
brother, Frank Allendorf Jr. Letha outlived all her relatives, but leaves a great
number of friends to miss her.

A Tribute to Letha Dangerfield

We would like to pay tribute to Letha Dangerfield who passed away on
October 31, 2003 at the age of 93. Letha was a very outstanding member
of the Joplin Service Club of the Blind and a long standing member of
MCB.

She was a very dedicated and active member of the Sendee Club and was a
member of the board of the Joplin Association for the Blind and had been
active since the 1940s. She never missed a meeting of the Service Club
or a meeting of the board of the JAB unless she was ill and when she
broke a hip several years ago. She was helpful to any who came to her
for assistance and encouragement and always attended conventions if she
was able to do so.

Letha was married to her husband Also for 23 years and he has been gone
for 33 years. She learned Morse code while helping her brother learn it
when he was in boy scouts. She has been a ham radio operator for many
years. She recently received The American Relay League Award, the
Lifetime achievement WOOUD Award, the Certificate of Merit Award given
for her long years of service to the National Traffic System, CW Nets,
the Mon Net and as an ARRL Official Relay Station. She kept in touch
with people all over the world. Her most recent award, of which she was
very proud, was the Nathaniel Johnson Award.

She has written poetry since high school and had a book of her poems
published. She was a pillar of strength to all new ones coming to the
Service Club, always willing to help them learn how to cope with their
problems. She has been president and secretary of the Service Club
several times, and was eager to help any in the community who needed
someone to braille any literature, and always participated in club
activities and helped in any way she could.

We, who knew her well, feel certain you would like to join us in paying
tribute to this remarkable lady. Joplin Service Club of the Blind

Back to Index

Meet The New MSB Superintendent

Does this sound familiar? Well, in a way I suppose it is. Back in the December, 2001 issue of the Chronicle, I introduced you to a new MSB Superintendent, Dr. Corinne Harmon, who became superintendent that September. But Dr. Harmon has moved on to take a job in another state closer to her family, and so yet another superintendent for the Missouri School for the Blind has taken over. His name is Dr. James Sucharski and, as I did with Dr. Harmon, I interviewed Dr Sucharski, or Jim, as he says he prefers to be called, for my show on Radio Information Service. Here is a brief summary of our conversation.

A life-long resident of Missouri, Dr. Sucharski was raised in Washington with nine
brothers and sisters. He attended Mineral Area College, and also attended college
in Cape Girardeau. He obtained his Doctorate in Special Education from Southern
Illinois University in Carbondale. He said he always wanted to be a teacher and,
as a youngster, was always organizing activities for his brothers and sisters. His
first teaching job was in 1972, teaching social studies and other subjects in Perryville.
He also has been a teacher and administrator in the Bismarck, Hillsboro and Bayless
School Districts. He said that classroom teaching was the best job he ever had,
although he also enjoys administrative work because it's never boring. He became
interested in special education very early in his teaching career. He had retired
except for doing college teaching when he got a call from the State Department of
Elementary and Secondary Education, telling him that his name had been mentioned
as a candidate for the MSB Superintendent's job. He applied and began the job
at the beginning of the school year.

Dr. Sucharski has been losing his vision for the past three years, due to diabetes
and exposure to Agent Orange while he was serving with the Marine Corps in
Vietnam. Considered legally blind, his vision has stabilized. He can no longer drive,
but can read print if the lighting is good and the print is fairly large. An avid computer
user, he does not use special reading aids, but he is learning about them for his benefit and also to know more about what the students are using. He seems very interested in the latest technology.

MSB currently has 102 students, 37 certified teachers and a support staff of 140.
About half of the students live on campus. In addition, the school, through its
outreach program, serves blind students and their teachers all over the state,
evaluating students and training teachers who work with blind and visually impaired
students so they can stay in their home school districts.

When I asked how he views mainstreaming, he said that we should be doing
whatever is right for the individual student. We need to find out the best program
for each child. The IEP or Individualized Educational Plan is supposed to be
based on the needs of the child, not the convenience of the school district.
Every child is an individual and decisions need to be made on that basis.
The educational component is just a small part of what MSB can offer. He
cited growth, maturity and the pride that students take in activities as being
important parts of a student's experience. If children are not getting the blindness
skills they need where they are going to school, then another placement should
be considered. Mentioning that the MSB track team just won a conference
championship in Ohio, he said he wonders whether those students would even
be allowed to run track if they were not at MSB.

What about those persistent rumors that MSB might close or be merged with the
School for the Deaf because of Missouri's financial problems? Dr. Sucharski said
that his reading of the school's history indicates that those rumors always surface
during tough budget times but the school survives because so many people "are
proud of what we do here." He continued, "my hope is that I'll do justice to them,
promote the mission they set out to do 150 years ago and continue to do." He
says he looks at hard times as an opportunity to go forward. "I don't see there
will ever be a time when our skills aren't needed. We have a role, we have a
mission, and with those things in mind, I think we'll be around a long time."
He also said he has heard nothing but support for the school from people he has
talked with. He also mentioned that the school is about to undertake a major
construction project as evidence that the school is not closing or moving away
from its present location.

Dr Sucharski said he is impressed with the pride that he hears from former
graduates. They don't just say "I graduated from there," instead, "they really
want you to know how much it meant to them."

One of the effects the current budget crisis has had on the school is the fact
that residential students now go home every weekend instead of every other
weekend, as they did last year. He stated that the new procedure does in fact
save money since they don't need to have residential staff there during weekends.
Thus, money can be put into education rather than into housing. Of course,
most of us can remember when students only went home for long holidays, which
shows how things have changed over the years.

The school is currently going through what is called the Missouri School Improvement Review. It is a total evaluation of the curriculum and the facilities. He is hoping alumni and parents will be involved in this process so that he will know what they believe the mission of the school should continue to be in the future. He said he has always worked with alumni in the school districts with which he has been involved. Alumni can be "walking advertisements for the good the school has done for the children." He would like to see former students plan activities at the school and serve as role models for the students.

Responding to a question about the recent death of a student by a hit-and-run driver, he said the school is trying to improve the light at that intersection and to improve the mobility training for the students. Currently there are three mobility instructors.
But unless we can get drivers to respect the speed limits and the lights, we won't
be able to solve the problems there. He wants the students to know that safety is
not just someone else's responsibility; they all have to use good judgement when
traveling on the street.

He encouraged former students to call him at any time with their thoughts and ideas.
His phone number is (314) 776-4320, Extension 111. He certainly seems to me
to be a very down to earth and sincere gentleman and I know we all wish him the
best of luck in his new position.

Back to Index

What about the Hearing Loss?
by Beth Jordan

It was a pleasure to speak with many of you at your recent MCB Convention in
Kansas City. As the regional representative for the Helen Keller National Center,
I spoke on the topic of hearing loss. I received an overwhelmingly positive response
and wanted to be sure that all of the MCB membership were aware of some of the
resources available to persons with both vision and hearing loss.

Amazingly, hearing loss affects 28 million Americans! That's a sizeable number of
people. The other statistic that blows me away is that people with hearing loss wait
an average of seven years before seeking assistance. There are several easy first steps
that you can take. First, see an audiologist to have your hearing tested. Then, if
appropriate, consider the wide array of assistive listening devices including pocket
talkers, hearing aids, FM systems, and even cochlear implants. Prices range
from very inexpensive to ridiculous. There should be a solution that helps.
Next, check out other hearing-related support groups such as Self Help for Hard of
Hearing People (SHHH). They have regional chapters and annual national conferences.
See about holding a joint meeting with your local chapter and share resources.
Their membership could equally benefit from MCB'S guidance and support.

Another recommendation is to add your name to the National Registry of Persons
Who have Vision and Hearing Loss. As part of the HKNC Act, mandated by
Congress, HKNC is charged with maintaining this confidential census. Currently,
in the United States, there are approximately 10,000 people on the Registry.
A more accurate estimate would be around 70,000 persons. Doing the math, that's
60,000 people who are not on the Registry. There are currently 340 Missourians
on the National Registry. This figure represents only those who have self-reported.
Information needed for the Registry includes contact information, date of birth,
and cause and onset of vision and hearing loss. Statistical data from this
Registry will be used to advocate for improved services in Missouri and to increase
the allocation of federal dollars. To have your name added to the Registry,
give me a call or register securely on-line.

This HKNC Regional Office provides services for four states including Iowa,
Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. We work with MO RSB teachers and counselors
as they provide services. We can consult (at no cost) on behalf of consumers
or agencies who provide services to someone with vision and hearing loss. We have
also developed a number of resources that may be beneficial to you including:
hearing aid funding sources, camps and retreats for youth and adults who have
vision and hearing loss, and a regional newsletter with a wide variety of news
and resources.

If you have vision AND hearing loss, don't wait seven years. Give me a call
or send me an e-mail, to determine what is available. I look forward to hearing
from you.
Beth Jordan,
Helen Keller National Center
4330 Shawnee Mission Parkway, Ste 108,
Shawnee Mission, KS 66205-2522
913-677-4562 voice or TTY

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Stable won't let blind women ride on trail

They complain to state agency

By Michael D. Sorkin
Of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch

The owner of a riding stable here says he turned down two women who
wanted to rent and ride horses on his trails because both women are
legally blind.

"If they can't drive cars, they shouldn't ride horses where they have
to cross creeks, make turns and steer on rough terrain," said Bill Spell,
an owner
of Ace Stable in north St. Louis County.

The women responded by filing a discrimination complaint this week with
the Missouri Commission on Human Rights, arguing that the stable
violated state and federal law.

"It made me want to take action so the next blind person won't be
treated this way," said Chasity Jackson, 22, one of the women.

"Blindness is something you get used to," she said. "For us, riding is
easy."  The stable is located on 40 acres near Interstate 170 and Natural Bridge
Road. Spell's family has owned the stable and raised and trained horses
for 60 years.

The location is a mile west of the University of Missouri at St. Louis,
where Jackson lives and is a senior majoring in mass communications.

Last Wednesday, her friend, Ellen Nichols, 23, flew in for a week's
visit. Nichols lives in Seattle and has a job traveling and raising
money for a nonprofit charity.

On Sunday, the women decided to go riding. Jackson, who can see trees
and other large objects, used speech-reading software to check the
Internet for local stables. They settled on Ace, which advertises that its riding
instructors are "experienced working with children and adults."

Jackson called to check the prices--$15 for 45 minutes--and says she
did not volunteer that they are blind.

"I felt that since the stable is open to the public, it shouldn't make a
difference," she said.

They rode in a cab to the stable--where employees immediately noticed
their white canes.

Everyone agrees on what happened next: Spell turned them down flat.

Not because they wanted to ride, he says. Plenty of blind people and
others with disabilities ride horses.

But not, he said, on trails.

"They can't turn or make the hills or slant," he insisted. "Everything
about this place is predicated on the fact that you have to balance and
see where
you're going.

"It would be like training blind with a bat at a baseball game. I don't
know how you could hit the ball."

State law requires stables to post warning signs. Ace's sign is posted
in front of the main building and also inside the arena. It reads:

"Warning. Under Missouri law an equine professional is not liable for an
injury to or the death of a participant in equine activities resulting
from the inherent risk. '''"

Both women say they have ridden trails before. Jackson says she rode for
horses "three or four memorable times" in Wentzville a few years ago.
Nichols rode six or seven times, between the ages of 11 and 16.

At Ace, a trail guide rides with each group. The women say all they
needed was for the guide to ride in front and warn them of coming turns
and low branches.

"We tried to reassure him that all he had to do was have a trail guide
tell us which way to go," Nichols said.

Spell and his wife, Beverly, said they feared for the safety of the
women as well as the horses.

"I wouldn't be comfortable if I were blindfolded on a horse," Beverly
Spell said. She said anyone with a serious disability "would be a
problem" on the trails.

Missouri law prohibits discrimination in public accommodations, based
upon race, color, religion, national origin, sex, ancestry or
disability. It is unlawful to withhold or segregate services for any of those reasons. Most states  have similar laws, which are based upon the federal Americans with
Disabilities Act.

Many blind people ride and even compete in riding competitions, says
Michael Kauffman, educational director for the North American Riding
for the Handicapped Association. The association represents 670 riding centers
for the disabled nationwide.

Blind riders often need assistance so they know where the jumps and
gates are in arenas, Kauffman said. "They can become tremendously
competent," he said.

"The question is, did this place just turn them down? Or did they try
to accommodate them and offer alternatives?" Kauffman said.

Bill Spell says he suggested that the women try one of the association's
riding centers, two of which are located in the St. Louis area.

"Those don't have trails," he said.

That's just the problem, the women said. It's the trails they wanted.

Said Kauffman: "This is a very complicated question. There's definitely
two sides to it."

Editor's Note: When I contacted Chasity, she confirmed the accuracy
of the information in this article and told me that the complaint is still being investigated.

Back to Index

Site has the vision-impaired in mind
By Janet Kornblum, USA TODAY

Reagan Stone can't drive because she has a degenerative eye
disease. So she turns to the Internet to do a lot of the things she used
to do in her car, like banking and shopping.
A special computer program that magnifies her computer
screen allows her to see a lot of what is on the Net. But some Web sites
look more like a tangled mess of dead ends than a sleek information
superhighway.

A site launched Thursday will provide an alternative for
people like Stone. www.visionconnection.org is aiming to become the Yahoo
for the 40 million people worldwide who are blind and 140 million who
have only partial sight.

VisionConnection features large type, legible fonts, reverse
contrast and text-only pages for people with partial sight. It is
designed specifically so screen readers and magnification software work
with it, and it provides links to many sites that are easy to use for
those who are vision-impaired or blind. It also offers resources for
those with vision problems.

It isn't the only site aimed at helping people with
disabilities use the Net. In fact, government agency sites are required
by law to make their sites accessible to those with disabilities. And
last week, America Online, the largest Internet provider, announced that
it would start providing captions for some of its audio programs in an
effort to make the increasingly multimedia Internet accessible to those
with hearing impairments.

But for now, the biggest problem remains seeing what the
Internet offers, because it is still largely a visual medium. Despite
the fact that the Web has been around more than a decade, many sites are
still not accessible, especially for those with low or no vision.

Many sites claim to be accessible because they allow
screen-reader software to be used with them, but they really aren't,
says Patrick Benson of Lighthouse International, which founded
VisionConnection and is a leading partner in it, along with 39 other
vision organizations. Without accompanying pictures, the words are often
"completely unintelligible."

VisionConnection is long overdue, Lighthouse president
Barbara Silverstone says. "We wish we could have done it five or six
years ago," she says.

As a whole, disabled adults use the Internet much less than
the overall population. Though 63 per cent of American adults are online
overall, only 38 per cent of disabled adults were online in 2002, according
to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, which studies Internet use.

And people who have vision problems have the hardest time
using the Internet, says Web usability expert Jakob Nielsen of Nielsen
Norman Group. He did a study that showed that the Web is three times
easier to use for sighted users than for blind users. The study included
only Web sites that blind people could use at all; many sites are
totally inaccessible.

"The Internet is visual like the radio is audio,"
Silverstone says. "It is very difficult for anyone with vision problems
to use the Internet."

For Stone, an insurance broker and cabaret singer in New
York, the Net has been a blessing. "The Internet provides me with the
ability to shop just like everybody else and find out about information
and resources very quickly."

But, she adds, it can be aggravating as well. "I can't see a
whole site at once. I can only see pieces of it. I miss things. I
ordered a shirt the other day with L.L. Bean, and somehow I ordered the
wrong color because I just didn't see it. Now it has to go back."

It's not that Web designers sit down and think of ways
to make their sites difficult to navigate for those who can't see well.

Many simply don't think about it at all, says Sharron Rush,
who runs Knowbility, a non-profit that provides technology access for
people with disabilities.

"People create barriers without even thinking about it," she
says.

If Web designers do think about it from the beginning,
adding accessible components like tags that allow special screen readers
to "see" pictures is fairly simple, she says.

Making sites more accessible also is good business, Nielsen
says. Many Web sites, for instance, have tiny print.

"A lot of Web sites are losing a lot of business because
they don't think about disability. It's not just blind people. It's a
large number of people, including anybody 45 or older."

Back to Index

 

Check out that Can!
From The Editor: I think the situation described here is one with which all
of us are probably all too familiar. I hope you find it as amusing as I did.

Check out that Can! Ok, so I didn't mean that kind of can but the can in the
cupboard, that is, the one can you didn't label. The can that has been there
for months and might be peas and might be cherries or blueberries. The can
that you would surely remember because you placed it just this way or because
it had a tear in the print label or a tiny dent on one side. And Now you're
without any idea of that c's contents and you need something for
dinner.

Do you:
Do the maraca can dance in the kitchen, while shaking the can and
thinking you can tell it's contents by the sound?
Try guessing the weight of what might be in the can and making
comparisons?
Wait for the mailman and shyly ask him to read the label because he
already thinks you're weird?
You could sniff it but it usually smells like an old key.
Take can in hand and walk to the nearest neighbors?
Compare the can to other labeled cans in hope that it will find its
companions and shout its contents out loud!
Or do you simply open the can and sniff it and then think "what in the
heck is this?" or "Wow! I didn't know I bought canned figs this month!"

Ok so I've gotten a bit carried away with this one but I've done my
own version of the can dance for many years. This also works with frozen
dinners.
I've eaten my share of mystery meals. I had my taste buds set and
ready for Mac and cheese and there was meatloaf. (frown) They all feel the
same, they all sound the same when shaken and if you don't immediately label
them their identity is lost forever. I think they actually switch boxes
while I'm in the other room. I think this because I know I put the Mac
and cheese on top of the meatloaf and I have a perfect memory. I would never forget anything as important as the frozen dinner that was placed in the
freezer last spring.

Well, it could be worse. I could clean my shower with non stick
cooking spray.
Guess I will always have the occasional taste bud surprise!
Rhonda Brantley

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

Action Council Of the Blind

Action council is very proud to have three members attending college
studying for their masters degree.

We are also proud that out of SEVENTEEN MEMBERS, fourteen are employed
and paying taxes. The council is anxiously anticipating the coming
holidays. We will attempt to adopt two families in need for the
holidays. Our only condition is that at least one member of the
immediate family is visually impaired or blind and that the family is in
financial distress.

We are in the process of setting up a low vision
center at the local independent living center. A happy and healthy
holiday season and new year.

Yours Truly:

Burton M. Maurer

President: Action Council of the Blind of Missouri Education
Employment
Independence

Blind of Central Mo
Thursday October 23, 2003

The convention is over, the holidays are near,
We hope that everyone has had a very good year.

Hello to everyone from Sedalia.

I want to thank Kansas City for a good convention. I want to congratulate all the
ones that were elected and re-elected for their positions on the Mcb board. I also want to congratulate our member Linda Gerken for getting voted in as a director on the Mcb board.
We wish Agape and Tower affiliates good luck for hosting the Mcb convention in
St. Louis next year.

On Saturday, November 29th, some of our members will ring bells for the Salvation
Army again this year. This is a very good way to help the Salvation Army with
their programs that they have.

We will have our Christmas party on Thursday, December 11th at the American Legion building where we meet. The American Legion will cook the food for us. There may be a gift exchange afterwards

We hope everyone has many good months ahead and 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

Delta Area Report

Well, the 2003 MCB Convention is behind us and there were quite a few changes.
Let me say congratulations to the new officers for the next two years, the new
directors, Jerry Annunzio, Leo Giger and Linda Gerken, our new EDUCATION and Welfare Chairman, Bessie Reece and our Treasurer, Bill Burris. Congratulations
to the new committee chairmen.

The Delta Area members are planning to attend some Thanksgiving and Christmas
parties. The Holidays are certainly upon us.

On a sad note, Andrew Ormsby was hit by a car while walking to work. Thank
God, he is still with us, but he was in intensive care for two days and then
moved to a semi private room. He has a bad bruise on his leg and a dislocated
shoulder. Please keep him in your prayers. He will be off work for several weeks.
Andrew works for Rehab Services for the Blind. Andrew is Mickie Ormsby's husband.
Both of them are members of Delta Area.

Happy Holidays to you all and please try to be safe. There is a lot of danger
out there. I will see some of you at the November Board meeting.

Marie thompson, Delta Area for the Blind President

newsletter for Joplin Service Club of the Blind

It is again the time to get an article ready for the Chronicle. When
you receive it we will be looking forward to Christmas and the birth of our
Christ Ch.

Our club year came to an end September 30.

We had three of our members pass away and had six new people join our
club. We have a total of sixty-one (61) members.

Six of our club attended the show at the Joplin Little Theater in
October. We will be going to Grove, OK to see a Christmas show
December 6 and to the Ozark Christian College to see "The Living
Christmas Tree."

There were eleven from our club that attended the convention in Kansas
City where our special member, Letha Dangerfield, received the
Nathaniel Johnson award. We were very sorry to hear she had fallen in her home
and suffered a cracked pelvic bone. She seemed to be making a recovery and was
up walking but then she suffered a stroke and passed away on October 31st. She
held several offices in our club and seldom missed a club function.

Bill Eden fixed and served us a delicious lunch. He does a great job.
We really appreciate him and the other volunteers at our blind center.

We attended the convention but could not hear much that was said due to,
I feel, was very poor planning at the hotel to have a very loud music
concert in the ballroom next to us. I've attended several conventions
and have never come home with so few notes.

Best wishes for a wonderful holiday season. Sincerely,

Valva York

Greetings from Lake Stockton Area Council of the Blind!!!!

It is hard to believe another summer is over and such a busy one. The
Holidays are ahead of us and it is always a lot of planning and baking
to do but somehow we always make it. Our Annual Auction was a great
success and we so enjoy the Clubs that join us for food and fellowship.
The auction is so much fun. We had fourteen that attended the Conference in
Kansas City and it was a busy three days. The banquet was so nice. We
felt bad that the noisy group adjoining us ruined the program. It was
impossible to hear. Looking forward to next year going to St. Louis and
being able to see the new MCB building.

In September we took a trip to Branson to see the Button Show. I highly
recommend it to everyone. It was thoroughly enjoyed by all. Our October
meeting was a Halloween Party. Mary Beichle and Harriett Russell were
the hostesses and asked everyone to come in costume. The different
characters that arrived surprised me. It was really a fun night. We wish
you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

Submitted by Pauline Eggert

Missouri Guide Dog Users Report

Hello from the Missouri Guide Dog Affiliate,

We did not have enough people attending the Guide Dog Users breakfast on
Friday to have an election and to vote on the proposed medical guidelines for
our guide dogs. If any of you have any suggestions as to how to get more participation,
please let me know. We did get one new member, Lessa Jackson from Joplin. June
and Jack Lenk are also thinking about joining us. We welcome people who are
interested in the welfare of guide dogs and their handlers. Dues are $5.00
per year and they are due now. Please send your dues to Linda Hailey, 2940 West
17th Street, Joplin, MO 64801.

I appreciate any and all input to keep our guide dog user affiliate going.

Marie Thompson, President
932 HIGHWAY 162, East
Portageville, MO 63873. Phone: (573) 379-5007.

News from Progressive Council for the Blind
 

The Progressive Chapter in Kansas City has been very busy this year. We have
six new members, Linda Schock, Ed Valdez, Sondra Martinson, Tim Pendleton, Richard
Hutton, and Josephina Mcwade. Sondra Martinson, one of our new members is currently
in Arkansas at Lions World for evaluation for employment. We are excited about
more members for the coming year.

We are also pleased that the Missouri Traffic Engineer, Dave MacDonald worked
with us to install the first audible traffic signal in Missouri. It is located
on Ash and 24 highway intersection. Mr. MacDonald said this will be the prototype
for Missouri and encouraged other members who live on a US Highway that has
an existing traffic light to contact the Missouri Highway department and request
a possible audible signal also. He spoke at one of our meetings and was very
receptive to our needs. Steve Worley of the Kansas City traffic department also
spoke and told us about funds available to purchase audible traffic signals
for the city streets. It is up to us to let our cities know of problem areas
and to determine whether there are funds available to make it happen.

We all had a good time at the Missouri convention and enjoyed seeing everyone.
Thanks to all who purchased tickets for our Honey Bake raffle and nuts.

We look forward to seeing all of you next year at the National and State
conventions. Have a wonderful holiday season.

Mary Pendleton
Public Relations
Progressive Council of the Blind
Kansas City, Missouri

Queen City Council

Greetings from Queen City:

Hope this finds you all in good health. By the time you read this, this is
what has happened with us. We had six members attend the camp in September,
which is always so much fun. The camp committee does such a very good job. We
had fifteen members attend the MCB convention in Kansas City, which was very
interesting to say the least. I especially enjoyed hearing Jill Fox.

Congratulations to all the newly elected officers and Board members. We have
two new members and two more will join soon. We all want to wish each and
every one of you a very safe and happy Holiday season.
Marilyn Tuso

The RITE Report

Hello from Rite,

Convention is over and now it is time to focus on the holidays. We will be
having our Thanks on the first Friday of the month of November because that
is our meeting night. It will be a pot luck dinner with everyone bringing
something. We will have our Christmas party on Dec. 20 at Pietros. The
committee is planning a lot of fun and everyone is looking forward to it.
We also plan to ring bells for the Salvation Army. That will be a new
experience for most of us.

We had our elections in October. They are as follows:
President, Angelo Trapasso; first vice president, Blanch Burell; second vice
president, Mark Gillam; secretary, Bunny Maginnis and treasurer, Rose
Hunsicker.

The Trapassos are proud grandparents of a baby boy, born October 25th, weighing
in at eight pounds, three ounces. His name is Nathan William.

May the holidays be a blessing to all of you and may your prayers be
answered quickly. Please remember that just because we don't always get
everything we want, it doesn't mean that He doesn't love us.
Warm blessings Bunny Maginnis

River City Report

Ghosts and goblins are beginning to haunt us here in the beautiful River
City of Cape Girardeau. Before we know it Santa's sleigh will be
landing on our rooftops and as you can imagine with Santa comes some of
our busiest times.

In September a few of our members made the journey to Sikeston to attend
their picnic. Everyone that attended enjoyed the company of the Sikeston
members.

In September we also welcomed our newest member, Gwen Jacobsen, who is a
certified nurse's assistant in the Alzheimers unit at a local nursing
home. We are grateful to have another member to help us with our
activities.

October has been a very busy month for us. On the 3rd we had a candy sale at
the Bank of America. We sold almost all of our candy and also received a
large amount of donations.

A few of our members were able to attend the convention in Kansas City.
Everyone had a good time, and would like to thank Kansas City for their
hospitality. Our affiliate is honored to have one of our members, Brandi
Emmons, receive the distinguished President's Outstanding Service Award.
It is with great pride that our affiliate congratulates Brandi for being
chosen for this award. We all know that our late past MCB President,
Kenny Emmons, would be very proud of his daughter and the work she has
done for our organizations.

In October, we also had a get together at Mary Ellen Emmons' house
to stuff and address envelopes for a donation based fundraiser. We have had
success with this in the past and have found it an effective way
to raise money and awareness throughout the year.

Our fall project this year involved assisting an underprivileged family
make ends meet. With the tough economy we find it important to help our
fellow man if we are able to.

We are all looking forward to our Thanksgiving Dinner. We always have
such good food and entertainment every year. We look forward to our
Thanksgiving Dinner as one of the highlights of our year.

With the upcoming holidays we are looking forward to sharing holiday
festivities with our neighboring affiliates. As we celebrate we are also
going to remember those less fortunate than ourselves. We are going
to bring in household goods to our local newspaper for distribution to the
elderly in our community, as well as our annual donation of toys to families
with visually impaired children, who may not be able to afford the little extras.

Well, as the weather outside turns frightful, our friendship fires are
delightful and, we have too many places to go. Please dear Lord, not too
much snow, too much snow, too much snow.

Until we meet again. Have a very Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year, and
may God bless you all.

River City Workers of the Blind

Elaine Shirrell and Dee Niswonger Correspondence Committee

From The Editor: Late Breaking News from Cape! Members from
St. Louis who attended the Thanksgiving dinner in Cape on November 8 met Mary
Howard's new husband, Herbert Lucy. Congratulations, Mary! I'm sure we'll hear
more about that in the next report.

The St. Charles County Council is thriving. We are growing in membership
and along with new members comes a new enthusiasm. We had five members
attend the convention in Kansas City as first time convention attendees. I
was so happy to have some of our members get to experience first hand what I
have known for years. Now, I hope we have members attend the summer camp
and have as much fun as I do.
Thank you to all who bought raffle tickets for the lovely wine basket.
Carol Ann Yates and I had fun putting it together. Loraine Brokaw was the
lucky winner.
The St. Charles Council is not only working hard on gaining new members, but
also concentrating on community outreach. It is important that the
community knows who we are, what we are about, and where to find us. We
also look for opportunities to work with the local government to improve the
lives of those with vision impairments.
Wishing everyone joyous and safe holidays.

Sincerely,

Beverly Kaskadden

South Central Missouri Ozark Association Of the Blind

The Butterfield Stage stopped by our August meeting. Retired for a number of
years, the Stage was recently purchased and restored. We all had a great time
looking, touching, climbing in and out of the coach, and listening to the experiences
of the drivers, Rick Hamby and Indian John, a full-blood Apache. We were unable
to go for a ride, though, because the mules were on their hay break.

Rick and Indian John have made several trips across the Great Plains, stopping
in Villages and towns along the way. Their Goal: To Make History Come Alive
For the School Children.

Jean McLaughlin, President

SOUTHEAST MISSOURI UNITED BLIND CLUB

Merry Christmas to one and all from the Bootheel. The months go by fast and
we are on almost another year. Semo has been busy in many projects.
The following members attended the ACB Convention in Pittsburgh: Paul Guzman,
Jerry Holt, Delavina Ferren, and Doris Carpenter.

Our white cane day was a success, thanks to the work of Jerry Holt, Edna Kenseer,
Judy Johnson, Virginia Tuck and Paul Guzman. We donated money to our Poplar
Bluff Library.

During the month of August, a health fair was held and our club had a booth.
Due to that we were able to obtain two new members, Francis Karow and Mary McFall.

We are preparing to donate Christmas gifts to blind persons in nursing homes.
Our SEMO Christmas party is held every year and we exchange gifts.

At present we are working on several fundraising projects
and other projects to better the community for blind persons.
We are happy to say the we provide talking watches and white canes for blind persons.

Members attending the MCB state convention in Kansas City were Paul Guzman,
Edna Kenser, Delavina Ferren, Virginia Pierce, Ralph Nelson, Ralph Nelson
Jr., and Beula Zieglar.

Happy holidays.

Submitted by
Paul Guzman President

Southwest Missouri Friendship Council:

From The Editor: I did not get a formal report from the Southwest Mo Friendship
COUNCIL, but I do want to pass this message along that Chip posted on the MCB list.
Harold and Alice Poiry celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Saturday,
Nov. 8, 2003. A reception was held at Club 1202 in Joplin on November 8 for
family and friends of the couple. The Poirys were married in Neosho on Nov. 6,
1953. They have resided in Joplin for 48 years and are members of St. Mary's
Catholic Church. Harold retired from the Gas Company in 1992. Both are active
in Crosslines and Southwest Missouri Friendship Council of the Blind.
They have five children, four grandchildren and one great-grandchild, all living
in Joplin.

Chip also posted this newspaper article about the Friendship council, taken
from the November 2003 issue of Show Me The Ozarks Magazine:

Serving And Supporting The Blind
As a sighted person, Tom Smith still knows the challenges of the blind. His
wife, Elvena, is blind, due to complications from diabetes. Since her diagnosis
she has had three retina surgeries, laser eye treatments and lens transplants.
Her husband has been with her each step of the way. "It takes a lot of will
power as a caregiver, but my heart wouldn't do anything else," says Smith.

Tom Smith has found comfort and support through the Southwest Missouri
Friendship Council of the Blind. Elvena has found it too. "The Council is a
great group of people who really come together to help each other in a number
of ways," explains Tom. "We offer a number of support services like
fixing meals for those who can't get out, visiting them in their homes,
providing canes and talking appliances. There is so much good that we do."
SINCE 1986

The Council provides monthly meetings for its members and that membership
includes both the blind and their caregivers. "We have a van that takes
people out on errands and we all function as a body and take care of each
other," says Tom. "We have so much laughter and fellowship and we do so
much to encourage new members; we are blessed."

Despite the fun and fellowship, Smith is quick to point out issues of
concern to members. "People still don't understand what a white cane means,"
he says. "if a blind person using a cane is crossing the street the driver may
still run them over! There needs to be more awareness of the elderly, the blind
and their needs." Additional challenges come from coping with insurance companies
and other disability entities. "Through the Association members get help
filling out forms and other paper work. It's a huge help," comments Smith. "We're
here to serve the needs of the members."

For information about the Friendship Council meetings and services, contact
current president, Ed Forcum at 417-623-1292.

The Springfield Scene
by Phyllis Lovett

Thanks, Lake Stockton:
Seven members of our club attended the annual celebration of the Lake Stockton
Area Council of the Blind. We had a great time, good food and fun and bargains
at the auction. This is an annual trip for us and we always enjoy it.

New members:
We are proud to announce the addition to our club of four new members. They
are Christy Knipp, Shirley Talent, and Bill and Sunshyne Murray. We welcome
them to the M.C.B.

Convention:
Well, it certainly was not boring. I was embarrassed by the behavior of some
people. They certainly did not add any understanding of our organization. I
just hope that people will not stay away from our conventions because of this,
especially the new members.

Thanksgiving Dinner:
Our annual Thanksgiving dinner is scheduled for November 21 but the West Plains
group cannot come that day so we are trying to change the date. This is an
annual event for the Springfield Service Club and the West Plains club. I hope
we can work out the details as we look forward to the fellowship each year.

Christmas Party:
By the time you read this, our Christmas party will be history. Our club provides
sandwich makings and the members bring chips, pickles and desserts. We have
a anonymous gift exchange with a price limit of $5.00. This is always fun and
exciting as we open the gaily wrapped packages.
We
wish each of you a Merry Christmas and a peaceful and Happy New Year.

Uwb Update

Greetings from the United Workers for the Blind of Missouri,

Our Outreach Committee Chairman, Mike Jolls, along with members Amy Hall
and Anna Schell went to the Missouri School for the Blind on November 11 to
talk with the students about their employment experiences. Mike reported that
the students were very receptive and asked lots of questions. We hope to plan
more activities at the school in the future as well as doing more community
outreach.

We are very happy for Linda Hall, who was married recently to a gentleman
named Charles Kinkelar. Congratulations, Linda and Charles.

We have two new members, bringing our total of members to 69. Our newest
members are Alice Conway and Charles Kinkelar. Alice, who is totally blind,
is an attorney in the Monsanto Corporation's Legal Department. June Lenk's new
guide dog, Spencer, has not yet applied for membership but we hope to bring
him in soon.

Tony Deutch had a heart attack and was off work for several weeks. He is
now recovered and back at the IRS. Betty Augustyniak also had a mild stroke
and is recovering at home.

Twenty-nine UWB members attended the convention in Kansas City.

Our Christmas party will be held on December 12 as part of our December meeting.
At our November meeting, we voted to help a family in need for Christmas.

That's all for this year. All of us in UWB wish all of you a very Merry and
Blessed Christmas and a wonderful New Year. May 2004 be everything you want
it to be.

Submitted by John Weidlich

Back to Index

 

From The Lower Left-Hand Drawer

It's amazing how that drawer just keeps filling up. It seems like every three
months or so, it just has to be emptied out or it starts to overflow. So here
we go again with a collection of items for your information. Who knows, we may
have just what you've been looking for. As usual, there are interesting news
items, new e-mail lists, catalogs and some exciting new products. Mention of
anything in this column is not intended as an endorsement from the Editor or
MCB; these are just things I hope you will find interesting or useful.

Most of us were quite surprised to hear shortly after the convention that
Dr. Betty Davidson had resigned as Deputy Director of Rehab Services for the
Blind. She took that job early this year and was one of our convention speakers.
Michael Fester, a DFS employee, has been named interim Director until a permanent replacement can be found.

America's Job Bank is an audio version of the Job Bank compiled by the US
Department of Labor. Job seekers can create job profiles so they can more easily
locate and read about job openings for which they might qualify. It is available
24 hours a day at (800) 414-5748.

Still another source of information for blind people looking for employment
is the eSight Careers Network, a free interactive online service that offers
a weekly newsletter access to online seminars, announcements of jobs and internship positions, and company profiles. The web site is www.esight.org4

Former Dialogue Magazine columnist Marty Klein has published a book called
Emotional Cleansing: the Spiritual Journey Toward a Clear Heart, which is available
on cassette through the NLS inter-library loan program. Wolfner Library should
be able to get it for you. It is order number CBF-3056.

Wolfner Library has released a number of bibliographies, listing books on
particular topics. A recent one that might interest some of you is a listing
of twenty books on cassette dealing with various eye diseases, including macular
degeneration, glaucoma, Rp and diabetic retinopathy.

Another new book in the NLS collection that might be of interest to you is
RC 54351, the History of Ophthalmology.

New updates for WindowEyes, ZoomText and Magic have been released from their companies. WindowEyes version 4.5 is available from GW Micro. Phone: (260) 489-3671 or visit: www.gwmicro.org4
AI Squared has released Version 8.0 of ZoomText. Contact the company at (802) 362-3612.
Freedom Scientific is marketing Magic version 8.02, screen magnification with
speech. Their phone number is (800) 444-4443.

A free course on using Eudora is available from Access Technology Institute.
The course shows you how to send and receive e-mail and set up an address book
with Eudora. It can be downloaded from:
www.accesstechnologyinstitute.com/mainmenu4

Easy Talk Computers sells desktop and laptop computers with WindowEyes, speech
synthesizers, reading machines, Braille embossers and notetakers. The address
is 2201 Limerick Drive, Tallahasse, FL 32309, Phone: (850) 906-9821.

Vision World Wide publishes Vision Enhancement, a quarterly magazine featuring
medical news, technology reviews, common sense tips, articles on eye research
and much more. In fact, each issue is quite a bit larger than the Chronicle.
Vision Enhancement is published in large print, on tape, on computer disk or
by e-mail. For subscription information, contact Pat Price at: Vision World Wide
5707 Brockton Drive, Number 302
Indianapolis, IN 46220-5481
Phone: (800) 431-1739
Their web site is:
www.visionww.org4

For information and articles on accessible devices, check out this web site:
www.accessible-devices.com4

A new web site,
www.eyes2eyes.com contains information on personal, safety, medical, employment and vision-related issues. Users can post articles and tips to the web site for others to read.

The Hadley School is offering a new course called Access Technology: Beginnings.
It consists of four lessons designed to help people decide what hardware and
software might best meet their needs. Topics include a brief history of computers,
the components of a typical personal computer system, how computers are used
today and how visually impaired people access computers. There is also a list
of companies and organizations that sell equipment and give assistance to blind
computer users. Like all Hadley offerings, the course is free. To enroll, call
(800) 526-9909.

New e-mail lists: Blind Students is a list on which blind students can share
information about college experiences, campus life, adaptive technology and
other student concerns. To join, send a blank message to
blindstudentslist-subscribe@yahoogroups.com4

Cooking in the dark is a list for blind cooks to share recipes, cooking
tips and information regarding kitchen appliances. To join, send a message to:
cookinginthedark-subscribe@yahoogroups.com4

There is a new discussion list for blind diabetics, operated by ACB. Join
by sending a message to:
acb-diabetics-subscribe@acb.org4

Blind Math is a new discussion list established by a blind math teacher.
Sounds like a list only Jack Lenk or Deke Edwards could love. Sign up by visiting:
www.smartgroups.com4

The Blind Jewish Exchange list is for blind and visually impaired people
who are Jewish to discuss topics such as acceptance of blind people within the
Jewish community and access to religious material. To subscribe, send a blank
message to:
blindjews-subscribe@topica.com4

Now here's something I've just subscribed to. Silliness is an e-mail magazine
consisting of humorous poems, stories and articles about blindness. I just couldn't
resist a magazine with that title. I haven't received a copy yet, but when I do,
I'll let you know more about it. To subscribe to Silliness, send a blank e-mail
message to:
bnt-news-subscribe@yahoogroups.com4. The magazine is apparently a publication of Blind-Novel-tees,
a company that sells t-shirts with Braille slogans. Blind-Novel-Tees has a new
address and phone number. The address is:
PO Box 414
Eaton, OH 45320
Phone: (937) 472-0585.

Charlotte Bettinger sells amethyst quartz sets, butterfly quartz pendants,
bracelets, anklets and necklaces. Contact her at:
Box 680409
Fort Payne, Alabama 35968
(800) 699-2466
mail box number 425-526-3733.

Quietwater Enterprises offers hand-crafted jewelry, small gifts, tote bags,
and small musical instruments. Contact DeAnna Noriega, (719) 578-5040. Ever
since Sharp introduced its first talking clock back several years ago, talking
clocks and talking watches have become pretty much standard equipment for most
of us. I still have that original Sharp Talking clock, although it's held together
by tape and luck, and I still use it every day at work. Many models of talking
clocks have come and gone since then, but Speak to Me is selling a talking clock
with a difference. The Voice Command Talking clock does what you tell it to do.
You use voice commands to set the time and control the clock's various functions.
In addition to giving the time, the clock will also announce the date, year,
day of the week and temperature. The alarm also has a snooze function. The price
is $34.95. Speak to Me also has a talking atomic clock that sells for $39.95.
To find out what else they have, call (800) 248-9965 and order a catalog.

Catalogs Catalogs: Lots of new catalogs have been introduced just in time
for Christmas. The 2004 Ann Morris catalog has a number of new items, including
new computer tutorials and computer games, an appliance timer and a talking
atomic clock. To order, call (800) 454-3175 or visit:
www.annmorris.com4

The 2004 Jett Enterprises catalog has jewelry, kitchenware, gifts, guide
dog items and other products. To order, call (800) 275-5553.

Independent Living Aids has a new catalog. Contact the company at:
200 Robbins Lane
Jericho, NY 11753
Phone: (800) 537-2118.

Another new catalog is available from:
LSandS
Box 673
Northbrook, IL 60065
(800) 468-4789. Their web site is:
www.lsgroup.com4

Playback Marketing has a catalog on four 4-track cassettes or a shorter version
on one tape. Categories include audio accessories, comfort and care, music boxes,
figurines, toys, totes and stationery. The address is:
1308 Evergreen Avenue
Goldsboro, NC 27530 and the phone number is:
(919) 736-0939.

Here's good news for Braille readers. Guidepost Magazine is once again available
in Braille. The Braille edition was discontinued last year, but has been started
again due to reader demand. The subscription is $7.00 per issue, $84.00 for
a year's subscription. It can be ordered from:
Clovernook Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired
700 Hamilton Avenue
Cincinnati, OH 45231
Phone: (513) 522-3860.

Our Favorite Recipes, more than 200 recipes collected by members of the East
Bay Center for the Blind is now available in Braille or large print for $25,
plus $3 for shipping from:
The East Bay Center for the blind, Inc.
2928 East Adeline Street
Berkeley, CA 94703.

Braille This will transcribe letters, greeting cards, menus, newsletters and
other documents from print into braille or from braille into print. Contact:
Sherry Hancik
645 Beibert Street, No. 213
Bethlehem, PA 18018
Phone: (610) 865-1704.

GMP Companies, a company that develops and markets medical devices, has received
FDA approval for further trials of its EyePass Glaucoma Implant. The new device
will be tested in fifteen cities by GMP Solutions, a subsidiary of the company.
For more information, visit:
www.gmpcompanies.com4

Book Port is a new reading device from the American Printing House that can
be used to read just about anything, standard talking Book cassettes, digitally
recorded books, books downloaded from a computer, even Braille files. It can
also be used to record your own notes on what you are reading. It sells for
$395. I don't really have the space or the technical knowledge to explain adequately
how it works and all that it does, but you can get all the information about
it from:
The American Printing House
1839 Frankfort Avenue
Louisville, KY 40206
(800) 223-1839

IRTI is selling a device called the PlexTalk Portable Digital Recorder for
$995.00. They also sell a device called the Eclipse Reader, which reads digital
talking books, for $99.95. Again, I don't feel I can really explain these devices,
so contact IRTI for full details about them.
IRTI
13465 Colfax Highway
Grass Valley, CA 95945
(800) 322-4784, web site:
www.irti.com4. You can also subscribe to
the NEWSCLIP e-mail newsletter or the Technical Innovations Bulletin on tape
for more information on the many high-tech products sold by IRTI.

Members attending the MCB Convention saw some very interesting exhibits. One
that impressed many of us was new software called Web Text Reader, from a company out of Kansas City called Look Media. Web Text Reader is software that connects a computer user to a wealth of information from the Internet without the need to search through lots of web sites. With Web Text Reader, you get immediate
access to information from a number of newspapers and news sources--news, sports, stock quotes, tv listings, entertainment news and much more, even telephone
directories. The Reader seemed fairly easy to use, with directions that were
clear. To the best of my memory, the software costs around $149. For more information, call Look Media at:
(816) 524-8433.

Another new product that interested many convention goers was the Quick Look,
a new hand-held CCTV from Ireland that costs around $800. Sam White liked it
so much that he has already bought one, so I'm sure we'll hear all about it
just as soon as he tries it out. It is being sold in this area by Jerry Nagle
who can be reached by calling:
(816) 529-7979.

SoundAdvice, from Telesensory Corporation, is software that allows users
to retrieve information from the Internet using voice commands. This is what
the company says about this software: "SoundAdvice combines voice-activated
instructions with a fast and powerful information retrieval engine that lets
anyone use the computer by asking a question or commanding the system to find
a particular fact or file. The information is located in about three seconds
and then provided back in a human voice.

SoundAdvice makes information searches on the Web easy for anyone without
touching the keyboard or using a mouse." SoundAdvice uses a database of Web
sites covering a wide range of topics, including news, weather, sports, business
and finance, movies and nutrition. It gives access to phone books, a dictionary
and an encyclopedia. SoundAdvice can also be used to search for information
related to blindness. The price for SoundAdvice is $595, which includes the
microphone headset needed to give the voice commands. For more information,
contact Telesensory at:
(800) 804-8004 or send e-mail to:
soundadvice@telesensory.com4

Hand Guide is a hand-held obstacle detection device developed by Guideline
Technologies. It is designed to be used in conjunction with, not as a replacement
for, a white cane or guide dog. Hand Guide detects objects up to four feet away
in whatever direction it is pointed. When Hand Guide detects an object, it either
vibrates or makes a chirping sound. It can detect stationary, hanging or moving
objects, including people. The manufacturer says it is useful in crowded areas
where cane use may be difficult or to detect those head-high objects that a
cane doesn't detect. Hand Guide costs $179. For more information, call:
(800) 809-1849 or visit:
www.guideline-technologies.com4

This isn't blindness related, but I found it interesting anyway. Johnson
and Johnson is selling a stair climbing wheelchair. Called the Independent iBot,
it can travel six miles per hour, climb stairs, travel over rough terrain, travel
through three inches of water, and stand on two wheels to put the user at eye
level with a standing person. The selling price? Around $29,000.

Do you ever have trouble telling the salt shaker from the pepper shaker?
I think most of us have found ways around this problem; you can tell them apart
by smell, by feeling the holes or by pouring a little of the contents in your
hand and doing a taste test. Well, now there are Super Shakers, standard glass
salt and pepper shakers with features that make it easy for blind people to
know which is which. The shakers have plastic sleeves under the cap with Braille
and large print letters, P for pepper and S for Salt. The salt shaker has two
vertical lines, not found on the pepper shaker. The inventor, Arjuna Raja, worked
for Holiday Inn for twenty-two years. He is marketing the idea to restaurants
and other eating establishments where salt and pepper shakers are handled by
a lot of people every day. The information I received on this did not give a
price, only that they were "affordable." They are available from a company called
Lite n Serve Technologies. The company's address is:
4302 Ludlow Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104. The web site is www.litenserve.com4

Scan and Say is a talking bar code scanner, developed by RVB Systems. It
is a computer-based reader that contains bar code information for more than
250,000 grocery items. Items not in the existing database can be added by the
user. Wave an item in front of the scanner and hear the bar code information
read over your computer. The cost of the reader is $595. For information, contact
Robert Brown with RVB Systems:
6952 Wade Drive
Cary, NC 27519
Phone: (919) 362-5211. A free demo is available. The Web site is
www.barcode-solutions.com4

There is also another bar code reader on the market, the iddd. Mate II from
En-Vision America, which is listed in the Ann Morris catalog. It costs around
$1,500. It does not require use of a computer and its database is double that
of the Scan and Say. But here is something to think about. I read in USA Today
that Wal-Mart will soon be replacing bar codes with a new identification system,
probably some kind of computer chip. The writer stated that if Wal-Mart does
this, other retailers will soon follow. So, will that make these bar code readers
obsolete? It seems as though just as we finally get access to the information
we need, they go and change the system on us.

I like to try to end this column with something unusual, and this item certainly
qualifies. A new world speed record for driving a car while blind was set on
August 13 by Mr. Mike Newman, a bank manager from England who lost his sight
at age eight. Driving a modified Jaguar XRJ sports car on an abandoned airfield
runway, Newman reached a top speed of 148.7 miles per hour. Although there was
no one else in the car with him, he did use radio backup from a driving instructor
to help him stay on course. The stunt was undertaken to raise money for a guide
dog program sponsored by the Royal National Institute for the Blind in England.
Another blind Englishman, Miles Hilton-Barber plans to pilot a Microlite aircraft
from London to Sydney, Australia next year. He will have a co-pilot and use
talking equipment. This is also being done to raise money for RNIB. Hey, Chip,
how about doing something like that to raise money for MCB? You do it and I'll
write about it.

That about empties the drawer for this time. Happy Holidays. See you next year.

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Three Poems by Letha Dangerfield I want to close this edition of the Chronicle with three poems written by Letha
Dangerfield. Spirit of a Town was written for the one hundredth anniversary
of the founding of Joplin, Missouri.

Friends

by Letha Dangerfield
This originally appeared in the March, 1990 issue of the Missouri Chronicle
Friends are like flowers with colors that please.
Friends are like sunshine warm in the breeze.
We smile when we greet them; we sigh when we part.
Friends are like soft fingers touching the heart.
Friends are like music with beauty that sings In the hands of the Master plucking the strings.

The Girl I Said Goodbye To

The girl I said goodbye to
Now quite some time ago
Was not as sweet or pretty
As many that I know.

I recall she like to study
And read a lot of books,
Was commended for her knowledge
More often than her looks.

She could cook, as I remember,
Knew how to sew and knit
Her work made up with color
What it lacked in style and fit.

She day-dreamed by the hour
Of what she'd like to be -
But never, never, never dreamed
She would turn into me!

The Spirit of a Town

A mining town, wild and rough,
Ambitious, noisy, crude and tough,
Built by men drawn by need,
Men of daring, men of greed;
Lusty men, men with dreams,
Men with skills and men with schemes -

This was Joplin years ago -
Made of the stuff from which towns grow.
It grew: north, east, south, and west,
Exploring which would serve the best.
Men and women came to stay,
Modified the ruder way
With better laws and wiser rules,
Building churches, building schools -
To discipline but not suppress
The hardy spirit of success.

The mines were closed; the people stayed -
People strong and unafraid,
Pressing forward, building still,
firm of faith and firm of will,
Turning to the past for guide,
Working for their town with pride -
This is the Joplin that we know,
That with God's grace will thrive and grow.

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