by Sharon Lovering
Jazz Music Camp
Applications are now being taken for the August 8-17, 2003 TRAC Creative Music and Jazz Camp, a summer residential program for blind and visually impaired teen musicians. The camp, sponsored by University of New Orleans Training, Resource & Assistive-technology Center (TRAC) will give fledgling musicians the opportunity to study, perform, write, compose and edit music using a variety of special computer technologies, plus a unique environment to learn about jazz. The camp will also provide a strong focus on leadership skills, independent living skills and an introduction to careers in music.
The camp is open to blind and visually impaired musicians ages 12-19. Requirements include at least two years of musical training, basic computer literacy, a submitted performance tape and a recommendation from a music instructor. Scholarships are available to all participants and include classes, food, recreational activities and sleeping accommodations in staff-supervised residential rooms at the TRAC facility. Students must supply their own transportation to and from New Orleans. Positions are limited and students will be chosen based on skills and experience.
Applications are due by May 30. For information on the camp, or to request a registration form, contact Rose Angelocci, (504) 280-5705, e-mail [email protected], or Denise Jett, (504) 280-5708, e-mail [email protected].
Candle in the Window
Many of us seem to struggle with how best to handle the conflicts we regularly confront, and wish we could do a better job of handling our responses to them.
Candle in the Window, a small national non-profit organization with the aim of building both individual skills and a sense of community among people with visual impairments, welcomes blind people with varied experiences to join them at its 17th annual conference entitled "Resolving Conflicts Without Hemming and Hawing." We aim to address such questions as: What is conflict?; How can we better manage conflicts within ourselves and with others?; How (if at all) does blindness impact on our ability to resolve conflicts?; How can we better manage conflicts within the blindness community?; and How can we assist others to resolve conflicts?
In addition to provocative presentations and stimulating discussions, there will be plenty of time for swimming, hiking, eating, singing, quiet reflection, and just plain "hanging out."
The conference will take place from Wednesday, July 23rd, through the morning of Sunday, July 27th, at the Kavanaugh Life Enrichment Center, located just outside of Louisville, Ky. It costs $240 ($15 discount if we receive a $35 non-refundable deposit by June 15); limited scholarships and payment plans available.
For additional information, please contact Peter Altschul at (202) 234-5234, e-mail [email protected], or Kathy Szinnyey at (502) 895-0866, e-mail [email protected].
Intro to Racing Camp
The U.S. Association of Blind Athletes, in conjunction with Disabled Sports USA and the National Disability Sports Alliance, will play host to the 2003 U.S. Disabled Cycling "Introduction to Racing" Camp June 15-22 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.
Cyclists with physical disabilities, ages 17 and older, are invited to attend and hone their skills primarily in road racing, but with instruction in track racing also. Eligible athletes include: blind and visually impaired cyclists who race on tandem bikes with a sighted partner; cyclists with cerebral palsy or head injury who use both standard bikes and tricycles; and amputee cyclists who ride single bikes. Camp staff members will include certified cycling coaches, a U.S. Cycling Federation-certified mechanic, and guest speakers from a variety of sports-related fields.
Riders attending camp can expect to be on their bikes twice a day on average, participating in skill drills and practicing race simulations. There will also be some evening lectures and fitness testing.
While some subsidy will be provided to most riders, individual attendees will be responsible for a portion of the camp cost. Food and housing will be provided at the center as part of the camp. Riders are asked to bring their own bikes and gear to the camp; tandem riders are encouraged to bring their own pilots.
For more information, or to request a camp application, contact Pam Fernandes at [email protected] or call (781) 449-9563. You may also visit www.usaba.org for more information and a downloadable application.
More Summer Camps
The Oral Hull Foundation for the Blind just announced its summer camp dates. Adult camp (ages 21 and up) will be held July 19-26, 2003. Youth camp (ages 10 to 20) will be held August 16-23. The cost for the week is $300; camperships are available. For more information, or an application, write to: Oral Hull Foundation for the Blind, PO Box 157, Sandy, OR 97055, or phone Ria Ehrheart at (503) 520-9384.
Public Input Needed
The Interagency Committee on Disability Research (ICDR), authorized by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, is collecting input from the public on their view of research needs related to disability and rehabilitation in such areas as technology access, education, employment, community life and health care. The ICDR is mandated "to promote coordination and cooperation among federal departments and agencies conducting rehabilitation research programs." You will find further information and an interactive form for submitting comments at http://www.icdr.us/.
New Address
Marjorie Arnott has a new address. It is: 4233 East La Costa Drive, Chandler, AZ 85249. Her new phone number is (480) 345-8773. She has a wide selection of craft books: 128 knitting books, 126 crochet books, 46 cookbooks and 24 general books, all of which are always being added to. Interested? Contact her at the address or telephone number shown.
SASI Listserv
There is a new ACB listserv in town -- SASI (Sight And Sound Impaired). This list is meant to be a forum to share, compare and dispense information among ourselves. We invite SASI, family, friends, those who work and share with us, and all who are interested in issues directly related to sight and sound impairments, to join the list.
To join the new ACB Sight and Sound Impaired listserv, send a blank message to [email protected].