by Carl McCoy
The McDaniel Fund Committee is again raising funds to sponsor two first-timers to attend the national convention. Tickets are available through your affiliate president, committee members or board members. Those tickets cost $1 each, or you can get six for $5. You could win a cash prize or one of many other prizes contributed by committee members, including a beautiful afghan by Milly Stokes.
We are counting on your generous support of this worthy project again this year, so get your tickets early and often.
Many thanks to the California Council for funding the cost of printing the tickets.
Mac Hatter’s Party
Do you wear hats? Do you enjoy decorating them? Then come to the Mac Hatter’s Party at convention, where you can join the parade of unique, ridiculous, pretty, outrageous, frilly and outlandish hats. Coats are optional. The hat parade will be audio described, and prizes will be awarded.
So join us for the Mac Hatter’s Party, where you’ll get a chance to meet the first timers, and find out who’s won a prize in the drawing. We’ve planned a good time for the serious and the silly!
NELDS Folk Fest: You Write the Songs
The National Educational and Legal Defense Services for the Blind (NELDS) invites you to write a song and come share it with us in Birmingham.
NELDS has long sponsored a Folk Fest at the beginning of each year’s annual convention. It started out as just some musicians and singers, and some of us who can’t sing, but we can hum, getting together for an old-fashioned sing-along. Over time, it has evolved into one of NELDS’ largest fund raisers. This year, we want to make it bigger so we can have more fun. And, if we make it larger, it becomes more of a fund-raiser.
All of our old friends will be on hand. Alan Beatty will be there to do his Mississippi squirrel song; Pat Shreck will provide the keyboard support, and Pat and Lynne Koral will provide the harmony. David Trott is inviting members of the Alabama affiliate to share their talent. And we have invited several guest artists to serve as surprise performers.
Now, back to the song writing. We are challenging every member of the ACB who fancies him- or herself as a song writer, to write a song which needs to incorporate two essential elements. First, it in some way must resemble a song. And, most importantly, it must be about the ACB or about the legal rights of blind people. Songs will be judged on originality.
A judging panel consisting of Charles Hodge and others will decide who wins. The panel’s decision is final and binding. The first prize is a fifth of Southern Comfort. Now, some have requested that Alabama state president David Trott try to find a bottle of White Lightning to insert as first prize, but since that cannot be guaranteed, we hope the winner can be mollified with the Southern Comfort.
The Folk Fest is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Saturday, July 3, near the Welcome to Alabama Party.
NELDS Drawing
During the convention, you will have a chance to obtain raffle tickets for our 2005 drawing. First prize is two round- trip tickets to Las Vegas; second prize is five nights at the convention hotel; and third prize is two tickets to the annual banquet. We are also introducing a new raffle prize during the 2004 convention. We will be selling books of tickets (six tickets for $5) for cash prizes to be drawn at the banquet. See any NELDS member to buy tickets.
Open Invitation to All ACB Members from AAVL
Start your convention week with a stress-relieving, blood-pressure reducing, knee-slapping good time. Take in the AAVL After-Lunch Entertainment segment. Bill and Jack Lewis team up again with new material and an audience-pleasing strategy like you have never seen before (or would want to). There are two ways to attend:
1. Purchase an AAVL luncheon ticket from the registration office. The luncheon will take place on Monday, July 5th from 12:15 to 1 p.m. Enjoy lunch with old and new friends and be there at your front-row table for the show at precisely one o’clock.
2. Find lunch on your own, then sneak quietly into the room at 12:50 p.m. on Monday, July 5th, find a chair and attend the show that begins precisely at one o’clock and ends at one-thirty. There is no admission charge, but contributions are welcome, with or without arm-twisting. Following the luncheon and entertainment will be the AAVL elections and business meeting, to which you are also invited, and which might whet your appetite to join us in a worthwhile mission regarding age and vision loss.
“Stop the Violence” Workshop by ACBHSP and Women’s Concerns Committee
“Stop the Violence, Break the Silence” is an important national initiative to raise awareness about the incidence of violence against people with disabilities, including blindness and low vision, affecting young and old, male and female alike. ACB and two other disability organizations partnered with SafePlace of Austin, Tex., on this two-year project funded by the U.S. Department of Justice Office for Justice Program. More than a dozen ACB members from across the country have completed the Train-the-Trainers Institute on preventing and responding to domestic violence, sexual assault, neglect, and exploitation against individuals with disabilities. As an important part of this project, ACB Human Service Professionals (ACBHSP) and the women’s concerns committee invite all ACB convention attendees to participate in a “Stop the Violence, Break the Silence” workshop on Thursday, July 8 from 2 to 4:30 p.m.
Bringing it to Birmingham: Friends-in-Art Presents ...
by Peter Altschul
As you prepare for the boisterousness of the upcoming ACB convention in Birmingham, don’t forget about the exciting activities that Friends-in-Art (FIA) will be offering. Below is a summary of mixers, workshops, and performances.
Saturday, July 3
1:30 to 3:30 p.m.: Once again, Elsie Monthei will be running two hands-on workshops focusing on the wondrous quirks of quilting. While both sessions are entitled “You Too Can Be An Old Sew-and-Sew,” the first session is aimed at beginners. Participants (no more than 8) will learn basic needle threading, measuring, cutting, sewing, and quilt tying. Materials will be provided.
7 to 9 p.m.: FIA Board Meeting. All welcome!
Sunday, July 4
1:30 to 3:30 p.m.: This quilting workshop is aimed at the more advanced quilt-maker (maximum of 8 participants), and will focus on assembling, stitching, and using a stencil to quilt your block.
4 to 6 p.m.: Mixer/Showcase Sign-up. Come meet old friends and make new ones while registering for a showcase audition slot. (Note that you must sign up for a slot if you wish to perform in the FIA showcase.)
6 to 7 p.m.: Chorus rehearsal. This year, Carrie Hooper has arranged a medley of Judy Garland tunes for our enjoyment, and Krista Brooks is currently putting together an arrangement of “Til There Was You.”
Monday, July 5
1:30 to 3 p.m.: MIDI Workshop. This year, Jerry Halatyn will focus on ProTools, considered to be the best recording software in the industry. He will be using Outspoken for the Mac and the CM Labs Motor Mate control service.
3:30 to 6 p.m.: Audition/Rehearsal for Showcase.
9 to 10:30 p.m.: Prose/Poetry Reading. Writers are invited to read their original works and non-writers are invited to listen to, and interact with, these writers.
10 to 11 p.m.: Final chorus rehearsal.
Tuesday, July 6
12:30 to 2:30 p.m.: “Think Inside the Box” Luncheon and Business Meeting. After sharing deli sandwiches with others interested in the arts, attend our annual business meeting, including election of officers and board members.
3 to 5 p.m.: Writers Workshop: Tricks of the Trade. Gain techniques to improve the quality of your writing and getting it published. We are especially pleased that Deborah Kent, published author and sister of Gordon Kent, will lead this session.
8 to 10:30 p.m.: Showcase of the Performing Arts.
Wednesday, July 7
1:30 to 3 p.m.: Here’s to Your Vocal Health. Carrie Hooper will talk about her experiences as a voice student in Sweden, and impart techniques designed to improve your ability to breathe, project your voice, and articulate more clearly.
3 to 5 p.m.: Making a Scene. Some of you may remember George Ashiotis’ workshop a couple of years ago where he provided feedback to participants, which aimed at improving their public speaking skills based on their readings of monologues that he provided. This year, George is offering a similar session, except that he will be providing dialogues instead of monologues, meaning that participants will be paired to enact each “scene.”
5:30 to 6:30 p.m.: Round and Harmony Sing. Come and sing those beautiful rounds and harmony songs we all know and love and learn some new ones.
8 to 9:30 p.m.: Drum Circle. Ladonna Smith and Lynn Hedl will oversee this unique musical activity, which will feature rhythmic multicultural chants and musical improvisations.
Thursday, July 8
7:30 to 8:30 a.m.: FIA Board Meeting. All welcome!
Monday Will Be “IVIE Day” at Convention 2004
by Carla Hayes
Do rainy days and Mondays always get you down? Well, even if raindrops keep falling on your head on Monday, July 5, 2004, in Birmingham, the Independent Visually Impaired Enterprisers has a fun and informative day planned for you which is sure to lift your spirits.
We start bright and early with our breakfast and business meeting, which will take place from 7 to 8:30 a.m. After enjoying a delicious breakfast of sausage and eggs and some time for fellowship with old friends and new, you will have the opportunity to learn more about IVIE and help make decisions about our great affiliate.
On Monday afternoon at 1:30, we will be having an interesting program with an intriguing title: “Different Strokes for Different Folks: Sundry Stories and Styles Of Business.” Panelists will tell the stories of their businesses and we will explore the ins and outs of various business types, such as profit vs. non-profit businesses, product sales vs. service provider, corporations, partnerships and sole proprietorships. To accomplish this, we have assembled a dynamite panel of well-known people, including Marvin Sandler, President of Independent Living Aids; Carol McCarl, founder of Blindskills, Inc. and publisher of Dialogue Magazine; and Steve Speicher, a lawyer in solo practice.
From 4 to 7 p.m., we will hold the IVIE Business Expo. Blind and visually impaired business owners will showcase their products and services and answer questions about what they do. You will be amazed to see the variety of businesses represented! Of course, the success of the expo will depend entirely on you. There are two ways to participate. First, if you own or represent a business, you can have a table at the expo. The cost for a table is $10 for IVIE members, $15 for non-members. Tables must be reserved in advance.
To reserve a table, submit your name, address, phone number, e-mail address, business name and description, along with a check for $10 or $15 made payable to IVIE. All expo information and checks should be sent to Sila Miller, 2201 Limerick Drive, Tallahassee, FL 32309. Please reserve your table as soon as possible. This will greatly help us with our planning.
Since IVIE’s calendar year begins on July 1st, this would also be a good opportunity to renew your IVIE membership. Annual dues are $15 and can be sent to Sila Miller at the above address. When sending a check, please specify whether it is for a table at the expo or annual dues. A second way to participate in the IVIE Business Expo is simply to come and browse. You will have a good time, meet a lot of great people, and learn about various products and services. By the way, browsing is free.
Even though we only have one day of activities planned for the convention, it is a full and exciting one! Please set some time aside on Monday, July 5 to take part in IVIE’s activities! You will be glad you did! If you have any questions about IVIE’s convention program, the business expo or IVIE in general, please call me at (724) 941-8184.
Library Users of America Plans Exciting Convention!
LUA will hold its program meetings at 1:30 on July 5 and July 7, and there’s a very exciting program planned. We want all of you to know about it. There is so much information out there now, but most of us do not know where it is or how to get it. LUA plans to help you find your way around all the new technologies that are revolutionizing how we read.
Paul Edwards, Kim Charlson and Barry Levine will lead you through an introduction to a whole bunch of ways that we can read. We will talk about what e-books are and what we can expect from Microsoft and Adobe, the two leading producers. We will talk about Audible.com, Bookshare, Web-Braille, and other places where people can get books read by computers and by humans. We will give you a chance to hear samples of all these technologies and explain MP3 files, text files, Daisy and PDF files and how you can read each of them. We will also plan to show some of the devices that people are using to read these formats, and we hope that a lot of the confusion about all the new ways and places to read will be cleared up by our presentation.
Lori Bell is one of the most exciting librarians ever to hit talking book services. She has great ideas and goes out and tries things that are right on the edge of both technology and what libraries are doing. She will join us and talk about several projects that she has been working on in Illinois that relate in some ways to our presentation. She will also talk about a whole new approach to asking reference questions of your talking book librarians that allows interactive approaches. We expect to have a talking book narrator there and, as usual, we will have our wine and cheese party which will give you a chance to meet friends and talk about books, readers, and libraries.
We think this will be an exciting program and we invite all of you to join us, buy donation tickets to win cool prizes, and become members of Library Users of America to help make public and talking book libraries better for people who are blind or visually impaired. See you in Birmingham!
NABS Sponsors Self-Defense Sessions
In today’s world, it is important that we all think about security and personal safety. This is especially true for blind and visually impaired individuals, as most criminals consider us easy targets. Many blind and visually impaired people stop venturing out on their own because of their personal security concerns.
That time is over. Cory MacDonald is a legally blind martial artist who has developed a comprehensive self-defense system for the blind. From “street-smart” tips on staying safe and avoiding conflict, to reviews of products available for your safety, to self-defense techniques designed exclusively for the blind and visually impaired, this program will give you the tools and confidence you need to stay safe in today's world!
Come to a National Alliance of Blind Students program session on Monday, July 5. The self-defense sessions are offered at 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m., and cost $10 per session.
Alabama Panorama for NABT
by Carla Hayes
The National Association of Blind Teachers has a very exciting program planned for convention 2004! Here is our schedule for convention week.
Sunday, July 4, 2004, 8-9:30 a.m. NABT Breakfast and Program. The title of our program is “From Sight to Insight: One Man’s Journey.” Listen as Carl Foley, retired mathematics teacher, adaptive technology specialist and AAVL president, tells the inspiring story of how he gradually became visually impaired. In his presentation, he will highlight the techniques that he developed for coping with his sight loss.
9:45-11 a.m. NABT board meeting (open to everyone)
5:30-7 p.m. NABT boxed dinner and social. Are you constantly late for the Sunday night general session because of slow service in the hotel restaurant? Well, never fear because NABT will be there to provide a quick boxed dinner and the opportunity to socialize with old friends and meet new ones before going to ACB’s opening session.
Tuesday, July 6, 2004
1:30-2:30 p.m. NABT business meeting. Come and share your ideas for our organization.
2:30-4 p.m. “Education Can Begin At Home: A Panel Discussion On Homeschooling.” Are you dissatisfied with American public education and you can’t afford to send your children to private school? Perhaps homeschooling is an option for you. Learn all about homeschooling from people who know about it firsthand. Our panelists will include: Carla Hayes, Homeschool Foreign Language Teacher, Lengua-Learn Communications; Carla Ruschival, who homeschools her grandchildren; and George Abbott, Dean of Educational Programs and Instruction from the Hadley School for the Blind.
Wednesday, July 7, 2004
1:30-3 p.m.: “What You Always Wanted to Know About Rehab But Were Afraid to Ask.” Do you have questions about rehabilitation services, or just what it takes to be a rehab teacher or counselor? If so, this is a workshop just for you. Some of our panelists will include: Anne Elliott, itinerant teacher for the blind and visually impaired; Donald J. Koors, retired consultant on blindness and visual impairment, deaf-blindness and funding, and coordination of post-secondary education; and Stephanie Hall, rehabilitation teacher from Vision Loss Resources in Minneapolis, Minn.
As you can see, NABT has planned several fun and stimulating activities for this year’s convention. Please come and join us. We’ll see you there.