Hawaii Association of the Blind
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We are the State affiliate of the American Council of the Blind.
HAB welcomes DONATIONS to support its projects like scholarships, grants and training. Contact Ameila Cetrone for particulars. All donations are tax-deductible.

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News & Announcements

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ACB Golden Anniversary

ACB National Report
HAB Forum - March 2011
44th HAB Annual Convention - Audio Proceedings
Joseph Roeder Assistive Technology Scholarship
Upcoming Events for 2011
Letters to HAB

ACB Golden Anniversary

Everybody is getting excited as we get closer to the date. This is going to be a blast evidenced by the activities planned for the celebration of our 50th annual convention. More detailed updates are available at the ACB website

http://www.acb.org/conference/info2011-7.html

"This is going to be the most exciting, information-packed, fun-filled event in ACB history.

Convention dates are July 8 - 16, and the hotel is the John Ascuaga Nugget Hotel Resort Casino. Rates are $87 single/double; add $10 per each additional person in the room. Rates do not include 13.5% tax.

You can make reservations by calling the nugget at 800-648-1177; be sure to tell the reservationist that you are with the American Council of the Blind, group code gblind, in order to receive the conference rate and count as a conference attendee.

Make your reservations online at the
John Ascuaga's Nugget Casino Resort

Hawaii, spearheaded by the Hawaii Association of the Blind, will be represented by a sizable number of delegates to join the celebration in Reno, nevada come July.

See you all there!

ACB National Report
by Kim Charlson, ACB First Vice-President
Delivered at the 44th HAB Annual Convention, March 2011

*Audio Description Project: Supported by ACB for the last 2 years. Passage of the 21st Century Communications and Video
Accessibility Act in October 2010 - mandates major networks to provide audio description that will have tremendous impact
on accessibility to products and equipment like smart phones, and to videos/DVDs, and television.

*Structured Negotiation - ACB's advocacy tool for better accessibility through sit-down negotiations instead of going into
lawsuits. Worked with Lainey Feingold  on training of staff of organizations, accessible format
production, and Braille standards.

*Availability of Accessible ATM Machines - just celebrated the 10th year anniversary of accessible ATMs in the United
States. Although not all banks are currently equipped with accessible ATMs, people should request their banks to install
one.

*Settlement agreements with the following company chains: Staples and CVS Pharmacy, on the use of accessible Point of Sale
devices that provide special template screens for blind or visually impaired customers. ACB also advocated training of the
staff of these organizations to make su re how these screens work for every register in their stores.

*Settlement agreement on the accessibility of credit reports: By law, every US citizen is entitled to get a free credit
report every year. Now blind and visually impaired persons can get a credit report by calling a toll-free number (1-877-
822-8228 or go online to annualcreditreport.com and request your credit report in accessible format: braille, large print,
audio, electronic.

Settlement agreement with major league baseball to make major league baseball website accessible and to make the features
of the website accessible such as voting, tuners.

Settlement agreement with the American Cancer Society: Their website has been revised and now provide accessible
information on popular publications on prevalent cancers that persons can access in brailled, large print, audio or
electronic versions. As part of the settlement, their customer service personnel have been trained to be knowledgeable
about the accessible formats available.

Schools for the Blind Task Force: Due to the threats of closure faced by schools for the blind nationwide (e.g. Oregon SFB), the task force provides the affiliates with the support and advocacy they need to keep them open especially those having difficulties like the Iowa SFB.

Other Committees that I am actively involved in and supervise: (1) the Constitution and By-Laws Committee, (2) International
Relations committee (accessible trip to Spain in 2012 that will include visits to tourist sites and organizations for the
blind; (3) Sight and Sound Impaired Committee (SASI) - advocates for issues surrounding the deaf and blind, networking,
help with conventions, etc.; (4) Environmental Access Committee - deals with issues like door accessibility and currently
working on a Pedestrian Safety publication that will include information on pedestrian environment safety, pedestrian
signals, etc.; (5) Scholarship Committee - provides financial assistance for college education and opportunities to attend
ACB conventions to learn more about ACB and meet successful blind people working in all kinds of fields; (6) Health Issues
Task force - the prime mover for the American Cancer Society structured negotiation, also advocates for the medical and
privacy rights (HIPAA) of the blind and visually impaired.

Legislative Seminar: Held recently, worked on the passage in 2010 of the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act and the 21st
Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act. Currently working on a number of legislative imperatives such as
amendments or changes to the Vehicles Donation Reform Act, Prescription Drug Accessibility Act (a prescription drug
labeling bill that would require pharmacies to make labels in some kind of accessible format, low vision aids coverage
through medicare or medicaid, testimonies on the NPRMs (Notices of Proposed Rule Making) issued by the FCC relating to
audio description and equipment consequent to the passage of the implementation of the 21st Century Telecommunications Act
in coordination with FCC, testimonies with the Department of Justice about audio description and closed captioning in movie
theaters made accessible nationwide, NPRM with the Department of Justice on accessible equipment that also includes web
accessibility which overlap with audio description,

Braille Authority of North America (BANA) - represents ACB - issues surrounding Braille - particularly teachers and
children using Braille in school on formatting issues such as complex textbooks that include color, graphics, weblinks,
training of Braille teachers, making sure the Braille codes work so that computer-generated materials developed are
readable, will translate correctly, for students to use the technology available to write their homework and print them
correctly.
 

44th HAB Annual Convention - Audio Proceedings
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Pagoda Hotel

We have recorded our 44th Convention proceedings and you can listen to to them by clicking on the links below.
 

* Library News
Sue Sugimura, Acting Manager,
Library for the Blind & Physically Handicapped

* Positive Directions at D.V.R.,
Joseph Cordova, Administrator,
Division of Vocational Rehabilitation

* The Latest in Digital Talking Books
Judy Dixon, Consumer Relations
Officer, National Library Services,
Washington D.C.

* ACB National Report
Kim Charlson,
1st Vice President, American Council
Of the Blind

* Status Report of Ho’opono
Lea Grupen, Administrator, Services
For the Blind Branch

* * Neil Abercrombie - Governor of Hawaii

* Report Card on Hawaii’s V.I. Program
Christian Yates, Educational Specialist,
Hearing/Visual Impairment

* Resolutions
Donald Thomson, Chairman

* Election of Officers and Delegate

HAB BANQUET
* Performance by Kuhao Case - Blind student and winner of 2010 Hawaii Star Contest
Letters from Senators Dan Inouye and Dan Akaka
*  Banquet Part 1

* Banquet Part2

* Banquet Part3

HAB FORUM - March 2011

The latest issue of the HAB Forum, March 2011, is now out and available here in the HAB website. Highlights of this issue
include the following:
1. 44th HAB Annual Convention Report by Warren Toyama
2. How to Avail of Audio Books from the National Library Services - BARD by Ronald Flormata
3. Blind Vending Program by Filo Tu
4. All the Way from Nepal by Stacie Phasouk
5. Hawaii Association of Parents of Visually-impaired by Amy Downard
6. Keiki and Parents of the Visually Impaired (KAPVI) by Carol Hotta
7. State of Hawaii Association for the Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (SHAER) by Amy
Downard
8. BLINDSIGHT NEWS - Mentoring Ramon by Landa Phelan
9. iPhone by Stacie Phasouk
10. Humanware’s New Keysoft Version 9.1 by Art Cabanilla
11. Inspirations by Beth Flormata

Click here to read the ABOVE-MENTIONED HAB newsletter.
 

Joseph Roeder Assistive Technology Scholarship

The National Indurstries for the Blind (NIB) is pleased to announce the Joseph Roeder Assistive Technology (AT)Scholarship,
which is a $2,500 grant to an individual who is blind, interested in pursuing education in computer science, information
systems or a related field and pursuing a career in access technology. The scholarship is named in memory of Joe Roeder, who
served as senior access technology specialist at NIB from 1997 until his death in 2010. Roeder had 40 years of experience
in the fields of design engineering, electronic information systems, training and business management, including experience
as a mechanical and nuclear engineer at Bechtel Power Corporation. He was instrumental in the development of Section 508 of
the Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Standards, which requires all federal government agencies to provide
accessible data and information for employees with disabilities. Individuals to be considered for the scholarship are
either entering their third or fourth year of college or graduate school, or are changing careers to pursue a career in
assistive technology. All applications and additional documents must be submitted online no later than July 8, 2011. The
top three candidates will be interviewed by phone during the week of July 22, 2011 and the winner will be announced on
July31, 2011. For scholarship criteria and application, visit http://www.nib.org/content/scholarship-application


For scholarship criteria and application, visit
http://www.nib.org/content/scholarship-application 31, 2011.

Upcoming Events Year for 2011
American Council of the Blind (ACB) 50th Annual Convention - JULY 8-16, 2011
Randolph Sheppard Vendors of Hawaii (RSVH) Annual Convention - October 15, 2011
HAB Thanksmas Party - November 2011

i

Home Delivery For HAB members who have no time or unable to do their grocery shopping, you may dial (808) 590-2048 and look for George or Jackye Peacock - owners of AKAMAI grocery shopping & delivery service, who would be more than glad to be your personal shopper. Just give them a list of the items you need, the store where you want them bought and they will shop for you and deliver them right on your doorstep for a minimal delivery fee! Happy shopping!

	Letters to HAB
	It gives us great joy and a real sense of accomplishment reading letters from those whose lives were touched by HAB. December 16, 2008 Mahalo Warren and HAB for your generous donation to the Santa experience. Your donation paid for lunch and goodie bags for over 20 visually impaired students from Oahu, Kauai and the Big Island. May you all have a fantastic Christmas too! Aloha, Christian Yates, HCDB December 24, 2008 Dear Warren and Members of the HAB: On behalf of the Huui o Na Makamaka (Friends of the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped), a very belated THANK YOU for the generous donation of $130.89 to help pay for the hot dogs at the “Out-of-Sigh Concert” held at the Waianae Public Library on August 16, 2008. Our objective was to promote the services of LBPH on the west side and we believe that we accomplished this. The concert with the blind performers, the exhibits and the delicious hot dogs, all helped make a very successful program! We are very grateful for the support of the Hawaii Association of the Blind throughout the years…. your continued generosity and commitment to helping LBPH provide quality services are very much appreciated. Happy Holidays and best wishes to all of you in the new year! Sincerely, Deanna Espinas, Chairperson January 8, 2009 Dear Mr. Toyama, Thank you for letting me come on the field trip. I had a lot of fun. My favorite part was the scavenger hunt. My mom said that the ornament in the 1st place prize was beautiful. I also liked the train ride and seeing santa. Love, Laurel Cummings, Holomua Elementary, Leeward District P.S. The food was magnificent. January 8, 2009 Dear Mr. Toyama, I had fun doing the scavenger hunt at the mall and riding the train and the monorail, and eating pizza there and meeting santa. Thank you for coming. I’m glad you made it. I hope we will see you again. Love forever from: Catherine, Holomua Elementary, Leeward District January 8, 2009 Dear Mr. Toyama and Members of HAB, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your help in coordinating the DeafBlind Santa Day at Pearlridge Shopping Center. Even though the weather was gloomy outside, the atmosphere inside the mall was bright and cheerful. The students enjoyed seeing Santa, participating in a scavenger hunt, riding the monorail, riding the Toy Land Express train, eating pizza and cookies, and taking home the wonderful goodie bags. I would also like to thank you for the generous check that you send to Leeward District every year. We have been using the money for training materials for inservices with elementary classes, as well as to allow students to practice buying items on O&M lessons. These opportunities provide our students with valuable life experiences that they will remember for many years to come. I appreciate all you have done to make these things possible for our students. Sincerely, Hope Yasuhara, Teacher of the Visually Impaired, Leeward District Office Annex February 3, 2009 Dear Warren and Members of the HAB, Louis Braille’s 200th birthday bash at the library was fun and a great way to celebrate him and his contribution to blind people worldwide. There was a display of Braille items. Trivia questions about Louis Braille were asked and then a short background of his life and work was given. The standing-room-only crowd included students, their teachers and parents, and adults. We played the “What’s that smell”, “What’s This” and bingo games with prizes. The HUI O VIP loaned us their Braille and large print bingo boards, which we appreciated. Everyone sang happy birthday and helped blow out the candles and then ate cupcakes. They seemed happy with the balloons and goody bag of treats to take home. Thank you so much for your donation that helped to make this activity so successful. Enclosed are a few pictures of the event. May you all have a happy and prosperous new year! Sincerely, Fusako Miyashiro, Branch Manager, LBPH February 26, 2009 Dear HAB, As the annual HAB conference approaches, we’d like to take a moment to tell you how we on the Big Island have used your generous grant over the past year. Thank you so much for your support. We have continued to use a portion of the money to repair eyeglasses. Many of our students simply can’t afford to get their glasses repaired when they break. Insurance coverage, for those that have it, is woefully limited. Your grant has also enabled us to continue to provide our students with meaningful daily living skills and Orientation and Mobility lessons. In November, we had a Big Island Peer interaction group trip. We took the kids to the Kona branch of Therapeutic Horsemanship of Hawaii. It was the first time that several of the students had ever been on horseback. One or two of them had never even touched a horse before! They packed a picnic lunch of musubi, banana bread and juice. They prepared the lunch themselves, using ingredients purchased with your grant money. In December, some of our students were able to join their peers on Oahu for peer interaction group trip to Pearlridge, where they were able to put their Orientation and Mobility skills to real life use. This year, we are planning a year end trip to Maui at the end of April. Carol and Margy are planning two days of fun and educational activities. The time we the kids spend with their visually impaired friends is sadly limited. This trip will be a highlight of the year for many of them! We are very grateful for your continued support. Thank you. Signed: Liz Martin (Kona); Maryanne Genova (Hilo); Leatrice Ono (Hilo); and Ian Perry (Waimea) February 27, 2009 Dear Waren and HAB, We went to LBPH for Lois Braille’s birthday and then to Rainbow Drive Inn for lunch! It was fun !! Jessica Chandler February 27, 2009 Dear HAB, Thanks for lunch. It was delicious! Love, Emma - end of letters Read previous letters.