by Sila Miller
Several years ago, I began spotlighting members in "The White Cane Bulletin," Florida Council of the Blind's (FCB) bimonthly newsletter. I could not know then, but those articles would become the foundation for a history book for FCB. With the help of John Richards and the archives committee, we put together something pretty spectacular!
The two-CD set consists of everything from Voices of Yesterday, where yesterday's "movers and shakers" speak, to a 1957 edition of our newsletter, to many spotlight articles. There are hours and hours of entertainment, inspiration, and education crammed onto these CDs. Those with a bit of vision will also enjoy the front cover, a collage of pictures as well as a jpg folder with lots more pictures inside. Several people who have played a prominent role in ACB are also featured in the book, including Debbie Grubb, Paul Edwards and Carl McCoy.
The "unveiling" of our book was indeed an unforgettable moment for me as I had the honor of presenting Carl McCoy and Donnagene Knutsen with their gift copies on National Library Service (NLS) cartridges. This project/book was dedicated to them for the leadership roles they've played in shaping FCB and working toward the betterment of all people who are blind. With the blessing of the FCB board, the archives committee decided to market the two-CD set as a fundraiser for FCB. The purchase price is $30 for a two-CD set or $50 for two sets. If you purchase two, you save $10.
Sets of FCB "Roots, Reflections and Role Models" CDs may be ordered by contacting me at either [email protected] or by phone at (850) 251-5556. The disks can be played and viewed in the CD drive of most any computer. Most DVD players also support MP3 and jpg file types as well. Enjoy listening to them in a home or car audio CD player, providing that the player is MP3 compatible. (Check the player documentation in order to locate this information.) If you are using an Apple device, you should be able to load the files from these disks using iTunes. Chock-full of memories, there's something of interest for everyone in there. Best of all, it is "real-live blind people's" success stories and a huge step towards preserving FCB's rich past. Thank you in advance for supporting FCB with your purchase of our book!