Fall 2008
THE MINNESOTA MEMO
A QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF:
THE AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND OF MINNESOTA
P O BOX 7341
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55407
The views expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily the position of the American Council of the Blind of Minnesota. They are the views of the article's author. Product and service information is provided as a resource only and not as an endorsement of a particular product or service.
EDITORIAL COMMITTEE
Jo Taliaferro, Editor
E-mail: soaringeagle7@comcast.net
Bob Lockwood
E-mail: peggy_bob@msn.com
Carolyn Coby, Webmaster
E-mail: cs_coby@hotmail.com
INFO EXPRESS
ACBM Info Express - (612)-486-5180, our telephone news and information hotline was established by the membership in October 2005. Its purpose is to provide important and relevant information vital to the membership, quickly and efficiently between scheduled business meetings. Please keep yourself informed by calling regularly. You can also contact any board member using the information provided at the end of this issue of the Minnesota Memo.
Next Memo Deadline
The deadline for article submission for the next edition of the Minnesota Memo is 15 December 2008.Note: Article titles are marked with ** for easy searching.
Table of Contents
From The President’s DiskCorrection Regarding Advocacy Groups and Adjustment-to-Blindness Training
Want A Personal Audio Newspaper?
2009 ACBM Dues
It’s Over There!
At last - The talking iPod has arrived
ACBM 2009 Calendar
Social Security Increase
The NEW Next Generation Perkins Brailler® Is Here!
Vampire Fangs in Blood
Nuts and Bolts
ACBM Board Of Directors
**From The President’s Disk
How fast time flies. It seems like just yesterday I was casting my first accessible ballot for an election and it was 2 years ago! Now we have no reason not to vote. There are accessible voting machines and if you have difficulty getting to the polls the following information will be extremely helpful!
Free, accessible rides to the polls are available in the Twin Cities metro area. Call 1-877-NOV-2008 (1-877-668-2008) to schedule your ride to and from your precinct polling place. Trained volunteer drivers will pick you up and take you back home. (Dial 711 for Relay). Rides are available from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. across the metro. Fully accessible vans are ready to meet the needs of all people, including those who use wheelchairs, scooters and walkers. Call or e-mail now to reserve your ride. E-mail: vote@mncn.org. Space is limited.
So as you can see there are no obstacles to our voting independently!
The ADA restoration act was signed in to law on September 25th and will be affective 1/1/09.
In case you haven't heard here is the latest on accessible currency.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 6, 2008 -- Late Friday afternoon, the American Council of the Blind (ACB) was advised that District Judge James Robertson has rendered his final order in the historic case in which the Council sought currency that is independently identifiable by people who are blind.
Judge Robertson ruled:
1. IT IS ORDERED AND ADJUDGED that the defendant has violated Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act by failing to provide meaningful access to United States currency for blind and other visually impaired persons.
2. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED AND DECREED that defendant take such steps as may be required to provide meaningful access to United States currency for blind and other visually impaired persons, which steps shall be completed, in connection with each denomination of currency, not later than the date when a redesign of that denomination is next approved by the Secretary of the Treasury after the entry of this order and judgment.
3. This Order and Judgment does not apply to the one-dollar ($1) note, and does not require the defendant to make any changes to the one-dollar ($1) note. This Order and Judgment does not apply to changing the Series year or the signatures of the Secretary of the Treasury or the Treasurer of the United States on each note, nor to changing the machine-readable features on the notes that are not visible to the naked eye. Notwithstanding paragraph 2 above, given that the defendant is currently engaged in implementing a redesign of the $100 note ("the NextGen $100"), the defendant need not comply with paragraph 2 above in connection with the NextGen $100 note until the date when another redesign of such denomination is next approved by the Secretary of the Treasury after the redesign that is currently in progress.
4. The defendant shall file periodic status reports describing the steps taken to implement this Order and Judgment. The first such status report shall be filed no later than March 16, 2009, and each succeeding report shall be filed every six months thereafter, until the defendant has fully complied with this Order and Judgment.
Please make your plans to attend our state convention January 23rd through the 25th. Our quarterly meeting will be held on the 25th as a part of the convention. Rooms at the Holiday Inn Metrodome 1500 Washington Ave S in Minneapolis should be reserved by December 1st in order to receive our negotiated room rate. Mention ACBM when you call 800-448-3663 or 612-333-4646.
Enjoy this beautiful fall weather and as always feel free to contact me with any questions concerns or suggestions. You can also leave a message on info express: 612-486-5180. Email me at: Janet.Dickelman@comcast.net, or call me directly at: (651) 428-5059.
Janet Dickelman, President, ACBM
**Correction Regarding Advocacy Groups and Adjustment-to-Blindness Training
By: Rebecca Kragnes
It has come to my attention that my comments in my article entitled "Representing ACB-M on the State Rehabilitation Council for the Blind and its Committees" regarding the financial relationship between the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) and Blindness: Learning in New Dimensions (BLIND) -- the Adjustment-to-blindness training center based on NFB philosophy --were inaccurate. In retrospect, I should have checked out my facts before making these statements, and this article is written to correct those errors.
Soon after the April Memo appeared, Tom Scanlan e-mailed me and asked that I set the record straight in the Memo. Then we had a phone conversation filling in some details. According to Scanlan -- NFBM's Treasurer --, NFB – including all divisions within NFB -- and Blind Incorporated are two different nonprofit corporations, and the only money that flows between the two are grants to BLIND from NFB M. These grants are for student activities reinforcing the formal training paid for by State Services for the Blind (SSB).
When writing my article, I believed that there was a financial relationship between BLIND and NFB on the national level. I heard over the years that some of the money paid from SSB to BLIND for services rendered went directly to the NFB national headquarters. During our phone conversation, Tom Scanlan assured me that this is also false. , he told me the only financial exchanges between BLIND and NFB on the national level are similar to the state level. Grants from NFB are given to BLIND -- not the other way around. Like other adjustment-to-blindness centers, BLIND fund-raises and needs all of the income they receive to continue to run their center. Again, nothing is sent to NFB national headquarters.
Knowing these facts, I understand now that when NFB members advocate for BLIND, they are *not doing so in order for their organization to receive kickbacks as was my original premise. They are simply advocating for their center, which they believe to be the best choice.
ACB doesn’t have centers directly linked to our organization’s philosophy. This means we don’t advocate for a particular center. Our goal is making sure that people are able to make an informed choice about where to receive rehabilitation services.
**Want A Personal Audio Newspaper?
Newsworthy, Inc. has just released www.NewsworthyAudio.com, a personal audio newspaper site we hope will be of assistance to the visually impaired.
Subscribers tell us the types of news stories they are interested in. We find the full-length newspaper stories that match those interests and deliver them as high-quality personalized podcasts to each subscriber.
Subscribers can personalize over a dozen categories of news, pick from hundreds of pre-built news podcasts we build for major newspapers, or create their own custom podcasts. Subscribers can also listen to full-length newspaper stories online.
All free!!
To subscribe, go to www.newsworthyaudio.com and create an account. We hope this service will be of benefit to you. We are very interested in your ideas on how we can make the site and service friendlier to the visually impaired.
You can reach us at Newsworthy at info@newsworthyaudio.com with comments, and suggestions. Enjoy www.newsworthyaudio.com.
**2009 ACBM Dues
Dues for the 2009 calendar year are payable anytime before 31 January 2009. If you have already paid your 2009 dues, thank you! You may pay your dues to any member of the ACBM board of directors, at any quarterly meeting, or by sending a check for $10.00 to our post office box.
**It’s Over There!
By: Cathy Anne Murtha
As my guide dog and I stood in line at the checkout of the River City Market at CSUS, I asked the cashier what I considered a simple question. "Where are the napkins please?"
Her response was a hurried, but sincere, "over there."
Emerging from the light rail for the first time, I managed to catch the attention of a passer-by, "please sir, can you tell me where I might catch bus 63?" A kind voice offered a pleasant response before disappearing into the cacophony of the early afternoon, "you can catch it "over there."
So many things reside "over there" - napkins, bus stops, pencils, pens, clothing racks, department stores and even my shoes! A never ending supply of important and indispensable items and locales all reside in this place which is shrouded in mystery and intrigue. I stand in perplexed silence after learning that something is "over there". It is a place I have never been and have no hope of finding on my own. My guide dog is quite skilled in finding chairs, stairs, elevators, escalators, helping me cross streets, and can even find me the Diet Pepsi display at Food Town; however, when I tell her to find "over there," her little bottom hits the floor and a small whimper tells me that she is as confused as I. We will not be going "over there" today. "Over there" has caused me a bit of vexation, a lot of confusion, and, on occasion, made my heart race. I have discovered that "over there" can be a dangerous place.
One day, while crossing a street, I heard a driver's irritated voice shout out a warning of a truck bearing down on me from "over there". Shadow artfully dodged the oncoming vehicle and pulled me to the safety of the curb. Our hearts were both racing as we took a few moments to compose ourselves. Close encounters with "over there" can be frightening experiences. Although many blind people have wondered as to the exact location of "over there," few have dared to venture forth in an actual exploration of the mysterious place. One day, while standing in line at the supermarket, I asked the clerk where I might find the aspirin. With a cheery smile in her voice, she informed me that the aspirin was located "over there." With a weary sigh, I decided that I would take the extra step that would unravel the mystery, which had vexed my compatriots since the beginning of time. Taking a deep breath, and attempting to look nonchalant, I smiled at the clerk, "Where," I asked, "is "over there?" I imagined the girl's shocked expression. I felt her sharing condescending and concerned looks with her fellows in the store. The silence grew palpable as they mulled the possibility of allowing a blind person access to the forbidden land. She had no choice; she would have to tell me how to find "over there!" I had won! Exhilaration swept through me as I waited in breathless anticipation. A victorious smile crept to my lips, my hand tightened on the handle of Shadow's harness, we would soon be going over there! The clerk's voice reeked with resignation as the decision was made. "That way," she said.
**At last - The talking iPod has arrived
By: Stephen N. Plumbton
Apple has released the new iPod Nano in a variety of colors and in 8 Gigabyte or 16 Gigabyte guises. The menu structure on the iPod can now be spoken using a synthetic voice, so now if you can't see the iPod screen, you will not be left wondering what tracks you have downloaded or have selected to play. The model evaluated is the Nano Red, which means that Apple donates some of the purchase cost towards fighting Aids in Africa. The great news is that this is an iPod that anyone can buy and use, not a specialist product or needing an add-on for blind or partially sighted people to use. This is the first talking iPod to come to the market. You can expect other MP3 players to follow suit as Apple is the market leader in this segment. The spoken menu feature is expected to be well received amongst fully sighted people also because the iPod is an audio device and people will find the spoken menu coming through their ear buds. The spoken interface can be used on a Macintosh or Windows PC but you must use iTunes version 8. When the iPod is plugged in the first time, it will begin to charge up the battery. Eventually a start up screen appears which allows you to choose how you want to set up the iPod. One of the tick box options is "spoken menus". Tick this box if you want iPod menus to be spoken. The voice used is a synthetic voice (i.e. computer generated voice) so might not be totally clear or understandable. The voice used is the one chosen in Speech in System preferences folder on a Mac and the speech folder in the Control Panel on a Windows PC. These are text to speech voices that are installed on your computers hard drive. The more synthesizers you have installed then the greater the number of voices you have to choose from.
The PC used to trial the iPod Nano had Microsoft Sam installed which was very basic but quite clear and also Voiceware Kate which is a very human sounding voice.
Using the iPod:
The iPod has an LCD screen, which is approximately half of the height of the device. The screen can be used to watch movies, or photo albums or even TV shows that are now available to download from iTunes. The screen also shows albums and songs installed on the iPod. Below the screen is a touch wheel. This touch wheel is made up of four buttons that can be pressed - so left side of the wheel is rewind or backwards but also can be volume down, the right side of the wheel when pressed is fast forward or volume up. The top of the wheel is Menu and the bottom of the wheel when pressed toggles between play and pause. The touch wheel can also be used as a touch sensitive scroll wheel. Sliding your finger around the wheel will move backwards or forward through the menus. Finally the inside of the wheel acts as an on and off button. To listen to tracks simply move through your menu list of tracks and press play on the one you want to hear. If you want to browse for another track whilst listening to a song, the iPod fades the music playing into the background while speaking the menu contents. Once you finish navigating in the menus the song returns to the set volume.
Shuffle the Shuffle
The iPod has an accelerometer built in so it can detect which way it is being held up. This is mainly as a feature for sighted users viewing photos, movies or downloads. However the accelerometer allows the iPod to detect when it is shaken. This shaking is used as the shuffle feature and a track is played randomly from the playlist.
Disable touch wheel mode
When the iPod is in your pocket, bag or even on your arm you can set it to play then disable to touch wheel functions so that it does not change songs or stop playing by accident. Its similar to keypad lock on a mobile phone. On the top left of the iPod is a tiny round slide switch. Sliding it to the right puts the iPod into keypad locked. To the left, unlock touch pad.
Display and font sizes
The display is small - after all, the device is called a Nano! However there is some accessibility built in. In the General folder the backlight, brightness, font size can be adjusted. The font adjustment has two settings standard and large. Large is approximately 14 point print size. The color scheme appears to be set as black text on a white background. There is a lot of adjustment in the Brightness setting if people find the bright white background causes glare however contrast does deteriorate if the brightness is turned down low. A useful feature is the "clicker", which registers movement on the touch wheel by clicking through menu items. In conclusion, a desirable, great little device that just got even better. Why not give one a try and join the iPod generation!
Editor's Note: I'm adding this link since I researched the iTunes store just to make sure one could access the product referred to.
www.apple.com/accessibility/itunes/vision.html
**ACBM 2009 Calendar
Listed below are important dates for 2009.
January 23rd, 24th, and 25th – ACBM State Convention
February 20th through 25th – ACB Mid-year Meeting and Legislative Seminar
March 13th – Dues must be submitted to ACB National office
April 25th – Quarterly Membership Meeting and elections
June 1st – ACBM Scholarship applications are due
July 25th – Quarterly Membership Meeting and Scholarship winner announcement
August 12th – Daily-3 fundraiser starts
August 21st – Daily-3 fundraiser ends
August 22nd – Annual picnic and auction fundraiser
October 24th – Quarterly Membership meeting and budget approval
October 26th – Start of Bachman’s gift card fundraiser
November 13th – End of Bachman’s gift card fundraiser
Note that there are standing meetings that occur throughout the year. The ACBM Board of Directors meets on the third Monday of every month from 6:30PM to 8:30PM in the community room of the Lunds market on West Lake Street in Minneapolis. Dunn Brothers coffee outings occur on the third Saturday of each month from 10AM to Noon at the Dunn Brothers coffee shop located at 1915 South Lyndale Ave. in Minneapolis.
**Social Security Increase
Social Security Announces 5.8 Percent Benefit Increase for 2009
Monthly Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits for more than 55 million Americans will increase 5.8 percent in 2009, the Social Security Administration announced today. The 5.8 percent increase is the largest since 1982.
Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits increase automatically each year based on the rise in the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), from the third quarter of the prior year to the corresponding period of the current year. This year's increase in the CPI-W was 5.8 percent. The 5.8 percent Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) will begin with benefits that over 50 million Social Security beneficiaries receive in January 2009. Increased payments to more than 7 million Supplemental Security Income beneficiaries will begin on December 31.
Some other changes that take effect in January of each year are based on the increase in average wages. Based on that increase, the maximum amount of earnings subject to the Social Security tax (taxable maximum) will increase to $106,800 from $102,000. Of the estimated 164 million workers who will pay Social Security taxes in 2009, about 11 million will pay higher taxes as a result of the increase in the taxable maximum.
Information about Medicare changes for 2009 can be found at www.medicare.gov.
**The NEW Next Generation Perkins Brailler® Is Here!
- Less FORCE.
- Less WEIGHT.
- Less NOISE.
- MORE POSSIBILITIES.
We are writing to you with some very exciting news. Today, 57 years after the launch of the original Perkins Brailler, we are introducing the NEW Next Generation Perkins Brailler®. Initially the Next Generation model will be for sale only in the United States and only through American Printing House for the Blind or Perkins Products.
The Next Generation Perkins Brailler retains all of the features that made the Classic Perkins Brailler the most widely used braille writer in the world, plus incorporates new features users have been asking for.
The Next Generation Perkins Brailler is:
- More portable due to its lighter weight and smaller size
- More comfortable to use with a shorter keystroke and less force required
- Quieter
New features and improvements in the Next Generation Perkins Brailler include:
- Easy-Erase Button so you can correct mistakes while brailling
- Reading Rest so you can proofread the page with ease
- Front Panel Margin Guides so you don't have to reach around the back
- Greener construction through the use of less oil and manufactured materials
- Modern colors and a sleek, new design
This Brailler was developed with support from the American Printing House for the Blind. In recognition of this, Braillers sold in the United States for the first six months may be ordered exclusively through APH or Perkins Products and will be available only in APH Blue. In April 2009, the new Brailler will be available through our resellers in the United States. We are planning the international launch of the Next Generation Perkins Brailler for early 2009. At that time we will make available a list of international resellers who will be selling the Next Generation Perkins Brailler.
We invite you to visit PerkinsBrailler.org to learn more about the new Brailler and the enhancements we have made. Also, listen to and download the Next Generation song, written by Raul Midón for the Next Generation Perkins Brailler.
All of us at Perkins are truly committed to Braille literacy and we are honored to support children and adults in learning and using braille in their daily lives. After working diligently on the reengineering of the Perkins Brailler for two years, we are excited to offer the Next Generation Perkins Brailler and look forward to hearing from you.
Regards,
Steven M. Rothstein
President, Perkins School for the Blind
Steven.Rothstein@Perkins.org
David Morgan, General Manager, Perkins Products
David.Morgan@Perkins.org
**Vampire Fangs in Blood
By Jodie Shield
Try This Ghoulish, Healthy Treat at Halloween. Your guests will want to sink their teeth into these.
Recipe Ingredients:
8 large Red Delicious apples
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tbsp. sugar
1 10-oz. jar strawberry or cherry sauce
Directions:
1. Wash, peel and core the apples. Then cut each apple into 8 pieces.
2. Dip the cut apples into the lemon juice to prevent them from turning brown.
3. To prepare the fangs, cut the apple slices into long, narrow triangles, making pointy tooth-like shapes. Re-dip slices in the lemon juice and lightly sprinkle them with sugar.
4. Arrange the fangs on a serving platter with the strawberry dipping sauce in the middle. Make sure you splatter some of the "blood" over the fangs.
Makes 10 servings.
Jodie Shield is a registered dietitian and the mother of three enthusiastic trick-or-treaters.
**Nuts and Bolts
By: Jo Taliaferro
It’s hard to believe that holiday shopping items are on the shelves! Find items for blind and visually impaired folks, a wind chime, or download a movie on your computer from www.blindmicemart.com. All proceeds go toward scholarships for college students who are blind.
Don’t miss the theater offerings at the Guthrie or wherever this season. The rates for audio described events are great if you choose 3 or more when calling the season ticket office.
Brush up on your computer skills with free classes at Minneapolis Central Library, (612)630-6000.
**ACBM Board Of Directors
Janet Dickelman, President
St. Paul, MN
Phone: (651) 428-5059
E-mail: Janet.Dickelman@comcast.net
Michael Malver, Vice-President
Minneapolis, MN
Phone: (612) 673-0664
E-mail: mmalver@visi.com
Sue Lindgren, Secretary
Minneapolis, MN
Phone: (612) 605-4526
E-mail: slindgren@mindspring.com
Juliette Silvers, Treasurer
Minneapolis, MN
Phone: (612) 824-2131
E-mail: jsilvers03@comcast.net
Chris Bell, Director
Minneapolis, MN
Phone: (612) 859-4938
E-mail: christophergbell@comcast.net
Carolyn Coby, Director
Forest Lake, MN
Phone: (651) 464-5935
E-mail: cs_coby@hotmail.com
Bob Lockwood, Director
Minnetonka, MN
Phone: (952) 938-7190
E-mail: peggy_bob@msn.com
Catalina Roisum, Director
Minneapolis, MN
Phone: (612) 823-4474
E-mail: catroi@msn.com
Jo Taliaferro, Director
Roseville, MN
Phone: (651) 636-0404
E-mail: soaringeagle7@comcast.net
