Award Winner in Kentucky!
by Carla Ruschival
Michael Cleveland, 1999 graduate of the Kentucky School for the Blind and a member of the Kentucky Council of the Blind, won two prestigious awards at the IBMA convention recently held in Louisville.
For the second year in a row, Michael is IBMA Bluegrass Fiddler of the Year, an outstanding accomplishment in itself and particularly noteworthy for someone as young as Michael.
This year, Michael also won Album of the Year.
Tom Adams, the banjo player who also plays in Coon Creek (the band in which Michael plays), won Banjo Player of the Year.
Keep on fiddlin’, Michael!
Keystone Guide Dog Users
On Saturday, November 2, 2002, a group of interested guide dog users from Pennsylvania met to discuss the formation of a guide dog user group with the hope that this group can be affiliated with the Pennsylvania Council of the Blind and with Guide Dog Users, Inc. We have made some temporary decisions. We will be called Keystone Guide Dog Users. For the time being, officers are: Lisa Salinger, president; Rebecca Ilniski, vice president; Joseph Sickora, secretary.
If you are interested in becoming involved, we invite you to join our e-mail list and/or to listen to our announcement on 1-800-tellme. To join the e-mail list, send a message to [email protected] and leave the message body and subject blank. To access the announcement on Tell Me, call 1-800-555-tell or 1-800-555-8355. When prompted for a choice, say “Announcements.” Then, you will be prompted for an announcement number. Enter this: 1-678-030. For now, the announcement contains contact information for joining the group.
Why Support VIVA?
by Barbara Alexander
This year at the ACB national convention, VIVA held its 24th annual meeting at which time we elected the following officers: Brian Higgins, president; John Fleming, vice president; Barbara Alexander, secretary; and Charlotte Noddin, treasurer.
A recent exchange of e-mail messages between a few VIVA members has raised some questions about how VIVA can best achieve its goals and what members can do to help this to happen. In order to answer this question, we must understand the relationship between VIVA and the American Council of the Blind of which VIVA is a special-interest affiliate.
As an ACB affiliate, we need to function within the ACB structure and be present at the ACB annual convention to vote on issues brought by resolution and motion to the floor. We need to make sure that our positions, often colored by the needs we have as visually impaired or blind veterans, find the common ground with the rest of the ACB community. Sometimes we will be supporting other segments of the ACB family in matters of particular importance to them. In other instances, we will be looking for their support for causes that directly impact mainly on the veteran population.
We will also find ourselves frequently aligned with efforts of the Blinded Veterans Association which, as a Congressionally chartered service organization, has a different route available to it.
VIVA’s membership must be in touch with the VIVA board throughout the year to voice issues and concerns so the board can present these at ACB convention or so it can communicate to the ACB board as elected representatives of VIVA during the year. This is how ACB functions to accomplish its mission.
As is true for all other ACB local affiliates, local chapters of VIVA should be involved with local issues in conjunction with other local ACB affiliates and the local BVA regional group. While doing this, keeping the board of VIVA aware of issues and projects you are working with is important so that VIVA can lend its support where appropriate. This will insure that everyone is working in the same direction and lending support to one another rather than working at cross purposes.
We must all work together toward the common cause: a better quality of life for veterans who are blind or visually impaired. So, if you are a visually impaired veteran, or a relative or friend of a visually impaired veteran, you are encouraged to join VIVA. We also invite all veterans and those of you concerned with veterans’ issues to join us in Pittsburgh in 2003 to celebrate our 25th year as an ACB affiliate.
News from VIDPI
VIDPI’s dues structure has been changed, as follows: full member, $25; associate, $20; and student, $10. VIDPI is for the humblest of those who use the PC as a data entry device as well as for the most sophisticated of system developers, all working together to work toward equal accessibility of hardware and software for visually impaired people. We have a quarterly taped newsletter, an e-mail list, and a weekly chat room. For more information, visit www.acb.org/vidpi/. Or contact Robert Rogers at (513) 921-3186, or e-mail him at [email protected].
Thirty Years and Still Going Strong
Guide Dog Users, Inc. is proud to present “Thirty Years Harness In Hand,” a collection of original music and poetry written and performed exclusively by guide dog handlers. These heartfelt tributes to guide dogs and fascinating audio snapshots of the magical bond that exists in working teams will make you laugh and cry, making this one-of-a-kind collection a must-have for anyone who loves dogs. This special project features “Harness In Hand,” a tribute to working teams, written and performed by Sheila Styron commemorating GDUI’s 30th anniversary. To learn more about how you can order GDUI’s special CD, “Thirty Years Harness In Hand,” call GDUI's toll free number, 1-888-858-1008, or visit GDUI on the web at www.gdui.org. A donation of $15 is all it takes, and proceeds will help support GDUI’s legislative and advocacy activities undertaken on behalf of working teams.
Friends-in-Art Scholarship
Students are invited to apply for the Friends-In-Art Scholarship for the school year 2003-2004. This $1,000 scholarship is offered annually for achievement, talent, and excellence in the arts. If you are planning to, or are currently majoring in the field of music, art, drama, or creative writing, and are a blind or visually impaired student, you may apply for this scholarship. You may obtain an application form by writing to: Harvey Miller, 402 E. French Broad St., Brevard, NC 28712- 3410. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope when requesting the application. Applications are due by April 15, 2003.