THE BRAILLE FORUM Volume XLVII January 2009 No. 7 Published by the American Council of the Blind THE AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND STRIVES TO INCREASE THE INDEPENDENCE, SECURITY, EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY, AND TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED PEOPLE. Mitch Pomerantz, President Melanie Brunson, Executive Director Sharon Lovering, Editor National Office: 2200 Wilson Blvd. Suite 650 Arlington, VA 22201 (202) 467-5081 Web site: http://www.acb.org THE BRAILLE FORUM (TM) is available in braille, large print, half-speed four-track cassette tape, and via e-mail. Subscription requests, address changes, and items intended for publication should be sent to Sharon Lovering at the address above, or via e-mail to slovering@acb.org. Submission deadlines are the first of the month. The American Council of the Blind (TM) is a membership organization made up of more than 70 state and special-interest affiliates. To join, visit the ACB web site and complete an application form, or contact the national office at the number listed above. Those much-needed contributions, which are tax-deductible, can be sent to Mike Godino at the above mailing address. If you wish to remember a relative or friend, the national office can make printed cards available for this purpose. To remember the American Council of the Blind in your Last Will and Testament, you may include a special paragraph for that purpose. If your wishes are complex, contact the ACB national office. Join the MMS program and help improve tomorrow today in ACB. Contact Ron Milliman by e-mail, rmilliman@insightbb.com, or by phone at (270) 782-9325 and get started making tomorrow look brighter today! To make a contribution to ACB via the Combined Federal Campaign, use this number: 11155. For the latest in legislative and governmental news, call the "Washington Connection" toll-free at (800) 424-8666, 5 p.m. to midnight Eastern time, or visit the Washington Connection online at http://www.acb.org. Copyright 2008 American Council of the Blind TABLE OF CONTENTS President's Message: Communications, Leadership and Our Affiliates, by Mitch Pomerantz Advancing ACB's 2009 Advocacy Agenda, by Melanie Brunson ACB Launches New Audio Description Initiative, by Christopher Gray and Joel Snyder Convention Sunshine 2009, by Carla Ruschival Physical and Fiscal Fitness for ACB, by Dan Dillon MMS Program Expanding; Come Grow with Us Today, by Mike Godino Affiliate News Entrepreneurship: Is It For You?, by Ardis Bazyn There Will Always Be Medical Transcription, by Paul Van Dyck It's Hard to Be High -- High Partial, That Is, by Netagene Kirkpatrick Please Bring Back the Optacon!, by Pam Coffey Here and There, by Sue Lichtenfels High Tech Swap Shop FORUM SUBSCRIPTION NOTES You can now get "The Braille Forum" by podcast! To subscribe, go to "The Braille Forum" page on www.acb.org. If you do not yet have a podcast client, you can download one from the Forum page. To subscribe to "The Braille Forum" via e-mail, send a blank e-mail message to brailleforum-L-subscribe@acb.org. ARE YOU MOVING? DO YOU WANT TO CHANGE YOUR SUBSCRIPTION? Contact Sharon Lovering in the ACB national office, 1-800-424-8666, or via e-mail, slovering@acb.org. Give her the information, and she'll take care of the changes for you. ***** PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE: COMMUNICATIONS, LEADERSHIP AND OUR AFFILIATES by Mitch Pomerantz During Thanksgiving weekend, I received a call from a president of one of our state affiliates wishing to talk about ideas for making the affiliate stronger and more active. The numbers had slipped over the years and there was something of a rift between members residing in different areas of the state. This conversation was just the most recent of several such relative to revitalizing our state and special-interest organizations. This topic should be of particular importance to all of us since those affiliates are the building blocks comprising the American Council of the Blind. Therefore, without stepping on the collective toes of the membership committee, I will devote this column to some thoughts on developing and strengthening our affiliates. Almost every one of the aforementioned conversations focused on two issues: inadequate or non-existent communications within the affiliate, and a sense of apathy among the membership. To my mind, the former problem facilitates the latter one, so I'll focus on the importance of effective communications and an aspect or quality of leadership which I believe is also necessary to the process of making ACB's affiliates stronger. Let me first lay a bit of groundwork. Over the past decade and a half, the dissemination of information has become nearly instantaneous due to the advent of the World Wide Web. Once limited to a few -- scientists, political and economic leaders and the like -- anyone with a computer now has immediate access to literally millions of news and information sources. Even if one doesn't have a computer, there are several services which, for a fee, will provide access to the Internet merely by dialing the telephone. As such, society as a whole has come to expect the provision of all kinds of information immediately and directly. As a corollary, we also expect those who lead us, be they the folks we elect to public office or the leaders of the organizations to which we belong, to likewise communicate immediately and directly. Further, if we're dissatisfied with either the speed or content of communications, we are very likely to become mistrustful of those leaders or of the communication itself. This results in either discounting the message when it finally does come, or simply dismissing the messenger. Some would describe this as another manifestation of our need for instant gratification. I prefer to say that we have heightened expectations based on the relative ease of communicating in 21st century America, regardless of where one lives or whether one has access to a computer. The tools are available and everyone knows that there is no excuse for our leaders not to communicate in a timely manner. It should be apparent that this has serious ramifications for ACB and its affiliates. Simply stated, our members have come to expect -- and properly so in my view -- that their national and affiliate leaders will communicate with them in a timely and informative fashion. This goes for all aspects of communication from affiliate listservs, 800 numbers and newsletters (if the affiliate has any or all of the above), to having officers and board members attend local chapter meetings and returning members' phone calls. The well-known author of the '80s and '90s, John Naisbitt, used the term "high tech, high touch" in his landmark book "Megatrends," and this is exactly what I'm talking about here. Beyond this, in an era of national mistrust of our political and corporate luminaries it is not surprising that the membership is asking for transparency in the conduct of national and affiliate business, in addition to the aforementioned communications by and with their leaders. With the exceptions of personnel and legal matters, affiliate affairs should be handled openly and honestly. It should also be said that outside funding sources such as foundations and corporations are increasingly demanding such transparency, as are individual donors. Secrecy is out, openness is definitely in! And now for that quality of leadership I alluded to earlier. Everyone needs to feel that what they have to say has been heard and taken seriously, whether they are well-educated or not, sophisticated or earthy, a longtime member or relative newcomer to the organization. Current and future national and affiliate leaders must be willing and able to talk with and listen to everyone objectively and without condescension. To the extent possible, personal differences need to be put aside; easier said than done, I know, but essential for effective communications and leadership. If we are truly committed to developing and strengthening ACB's 70 state and special- interest affiliates, our leaders must have the ability to understand and work with members having disparate points of view, attitudes and experiences. A tall order indeed, but the membership deserves nothing less than the best leaders possible. That's how strong ACB affiliates are developed, maintained and strengthened. ***** ADVANCING ACB'S 2009 ADVOCACY AGENDA by Melanie Brunson By the time you read this, ACB's national office will be in its new home. Shortly thereafter, many other people around the Washington, D.C. area will have new homes as well, including our nation's recently elected president, Barack Obama. Numerous Congressional seats and federal agency posts will be taken by new personnel as well. In short, there is the prospect of some fairly significant change afoot. What impact these personnel changes will have on public policy issues that are of importance to people who are blind, or who have other disabilities, remains to be seen as of this writing. But as we look ahead to our legislative and advocacy agenda for the coming year, I think we can make some predictions about what lies ahead. First, it should be noted that the end of December 2008 marks the end of this Congress. Therefore, any legislation that this Congress leaves unfinished will effectively die when members of Congress leave town for the holidays. The Congress that begins its session in early January will be a brand-new one and will start with a clean legislative slate. With this in mind, ACB has already begun talking with Congressional staffers about the re-introduction of legislation that is important to us. Don't be surprised, therefore, if you begin getting information about bills with very familiar titles, and language you recognize, but different bill numbers. Plans are already under way to see that the telecommunications reform bill that was put forward by the COAT coalition last year will be re-introduced early in the session. We are also anticipating prompt re-introduction of the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act, which deals with the blind community's concerns about quiet cars. If funding for the nation's talking book program has not been resolved to our satisfaction by this Congress, this issue will definitely be a major focus of our legislative efforts as well. Plenty of other issues are bound to resurface as well, as Congress takes up the reauthorization of major federal programs, such as funding for highway safety and public transportation, the Workforce Investment and Rehabilitation Acts, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Each of these legislative packages could present us with a myriad of issues with which to grapple. And then there is the great unknown created by any transition from one executive team to another. At this point, we do not know who will be heading the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) or the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA). Rumors about candidates under consideration for these positions abound. Although it is too early to speculate about who will finally be selected to fill such posts, we can tell you that some of the people being considered are well- known to us because of their work on disability policy issues in other capacities. We have very positive relationships with some of them. Our history with others gives rise to some concern. There is a growing school of thought among disability policy activists that programs or services that are aimed at meeting the needs of people who have a particular disability are both unnecessary and inherently wrong. Adherents to this view believe that disability programs and services provided by government agencies must be provided to people with any disability, and cannot target a particular disability group. Hence, programs such as the Randolph-Sheppard program, which was meant to give people who are blind opportunities to manage businesses, must be updated to allow participation by people with other disabilities. Separate agencies that provide vocational rehabilitation services for blind people only are suspect as well, because there is not enough evidence to substantiate the claims by the blind community that separate agencies meet the needs of clients with visual impairments more effectively than general rehabilitation agencies do. If this view gains more of a foothold in the policy arena, it will erode many of the gains ACB has made over the years, and make the advancement of opportunities for blind people much more difficult to sustain in the future. Unfortunately, the tide of political opinion among many disability activists, as well as the need for government "belt tightening" being necessitated by our current economic problems, could help the proponents of this viewpoint. Consequently, we will need to remain vigilant. It is vital that we stay in touch with policymakers, both at the state and federal levels, and support the existence of programs and services that benefit our community. Remember that both elected officials and those who are appointed to executive positions affect disability policy. Both need to hear from our community when they are considering taking actions that will impact the quality and availability of services for people who are blind and visually impaired. Finally, don't forget that ACB has already provided a good opportunity for you to make such contacts with officials in Washington. Our 2009 legislative seminar is closer than you might think and it's certainly not too early to begin planning to attend. The dates are Feb. 22-24. This year's seminar will be held at the Holiday Inn National Airport in Arlington, Va. Registration information for the seminar will be available in January, but you can begin making travel plans now. We need to reach a number of new people this year, and to make a big impact on those who are not so new, so that they will understand the seriousness of our concerns and the fervency of our hopes for the future. I hope each and every one of you will join us in this effort. In the meantime, have a healthy and happy 2009! ***** ACB LAUNCHES NEW AUDIO DESCRIPTION INITIATIVE by Christopher Gray and Joel Snyder As many of you know, the American Council of the Blind has been the principal advocate of audio description in our nation, particularly on television and film. We were front and center at the FCC in 2002 when that government agency put forward a rule requiring description on broadcast television. Although the rule was struck down in the courts, its brief existence prompted the establishment of description for a number of programs. ACB has similarly been active in encouraging the Department of Education to fund description. Almost all broadcast description that exists today is funded with this support. ACB is a founding member of COAT, the Coalition of Organizations for Accessible Technology, the entity that recently has done more than any other to promulgate the 21st Century Communications and Accessibility Act of 2008. A key provision of this act will revive the FCC's 2002 rule mandating the addition of a description track to broadcast television. It is in keeping with this proud history that ACB is undertaking an exciting next step. At its November meeting, the board of directors approved the establishment of the ACB Audio Description Project. The model for this project is taken in part from activities and achievements of the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) in the United Kingdom. (For more information on RNIB's current work, visit: www.rnib.org.uk/xpedio/groups/public/documents/code/public_athome.hcsp ) It is ironic that our friends in the United Kingdom have managed to far surpass the U.S. -- the home of description -- in the availability of description in all genres. Part of the reason has to do with the fact that the RNIB has for many years employed a seasoned promoter of this work who manages advocacy for description throughout the U.K. In addition, the RNIB has itself been an active producer of description for television and film. Our Audio Description Project will be led by one of the first professional audio describers, an active promoter of description, and the leading trainer of describers world-wide: our own life member Joel Snyder. Throughout 2009, the ADP will focus its resources on advocacy and training with the following goals and objectives as part of its overall operating plan. Build advocacy on behalf of audio description We'll seek to establish an audio description advocate and/or committee within every ACB affiliate; produce a monthly e-mail communiqu‚ updating recipients on legislative action regarding the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act and other relevant legislative matters; rejuvenate the service organization Audio Description International (www.adinternational.org), including the administrative maintenance of ADI's listserv and web site; and sponsor an annual gathering of description users and describers as part of the ACB annual convention. Offer a range of educational resources and work to establish standards for quality description in its various genres With broad input from the field of description users and description providers in all genres, we'll strive to create a certification program for describers and establish a bi-annual ACB Audio Description Institute to be held once a year in Washington, D.C., with another training opportunity as a part of the annual ACB convention, and establish audio description awards in a variety of categories. Encourage growth of audio description with an emphasis on the involvement of AD users/consumers, especially youth We hope to establish the ACB Young Described Film Critic of the Year competition, and develop and provide "I Can Describe That!" workshops for sighted siblings of blind children, involving the latter as critics of their siblings' description efforts. Disseminate information on audio description and provide general support for regional, state, and local forums We will create and disseminate a directory of audio description providers and services; increase the reach of the ADI web site and listserv and overall service to users of description, including referrals for describers, AD providers, and schedules for described performances/events; and provide an on-line directory of resources and equipment information. Heighten awareness among the blind population and the general public We will seek alliances for support of public service announcements and other public relations efforts to educate the public regarding audio description; we will pursue the development of audio-described tracks in formats that appeal to the general public as well as to people who are blind or have low vision. Encourage studies on audio description, its efficacy as a technique for conveying visual images and its impact on literacy for children and others We will collaborate with various agencies such as the American Foundation for the Blind on specific studies; in collaboration with academic programs in this country and abroad, seek support of these efforts; look for support/collaboration with various established audio-visual translation programs in audio description already pursuing such research in academic programs abroad. We are excited at the prospect of ACB taking yet another bold step in the promotion of audio description in the United States and throughout the world. We are convinced that description is not simply about access to entertainment. It's about literacy for our children and those who have other types of learning disabilities. It's about providing keys to our culture so that we may become more familiar with media (television and movies), museums, theater, and other everyday events, and become more engaged and engaging individuals. And, by the way, that makes it possible for us to be more socially integrated into society and gives us stronger employment skills. So as we embark on this ambitious new initiative, we emphasize that it will only be as successful as the support you provide! We urge you to respond to this article with your ideas or questions, and brainstorm with us on how we can make the ADP a success. Please direct your comments to Joel Snyder at jsnyder@acb.org or telephone Joel at ACB's national office after Jan. 1, 2009. ***** CONVENTION SUNSHINE 2009 by Carla Ruschival Florida is famous for its sunshine, and whether it comes from the sky or from a tall chilled glass of orange juice, it's sure to make you feel extra special. The 2009 ACB convention will be full of sunshine, energy and excitement, and we hope you are planning to be there to soak up all the rays of information and fun that will come your way throughout the week. July 4-11 are the official dates, and Orlando, Fla. is the place. The 2009 convention will be held at the spacious Rosen Centre hotel on world-famous International Drive. The national convention committee has held its fall meeting in Orlando. Here are some of the things we have addressed. Exhibits are a huge part of every convention. What a great way to let blind and visually impaired people know about your business or service! Michael Smitherman has interviewed potential decorators and has begun serious work on the floor plan for the exhibit hall. Packets should be ready shortly after the new year. Donna Seliger is cleaning up the mailing list and will once again handle at least three mass mailings; Earlene Hughes will post the information on the web site. Margarine Beaman checked the braille and large print signage on every sleeping and meeting room at the hotel. She is developing a list of signage and accessibility details that the hotel will need to address by the time ACB comes to town. Margarine is also working with the airport to identify accessibility issues and volunteer needs; the Orlando airport is no small place, so she has much to do. Mike Duke (public relations) and Brenda Dillon (advertising and sponsorships) are hard at work in their respective areas, and Janet Dickelman is settling in to the operation of the Information Desk. Debbie Grubb, 2009 consultant on guide dog issues, and Christopher DiIorio of Doodle Scoopers are working with the hotel on placement of the relief areas. One way conventioners get out to see the community is with ACB tours, and Jerry Annunzio is creating a lineup of fun activities that will have you petting an alligator, visiting the largest library for the blind in the world, lying on a bed of nails, and learning about the space program. Look for lots of details in the next "Braille Forum." The local host committee is off to an outstanding start. Co-chairs Sally Benjamin and Debbie Drylie are great leaders, and the entire committee is proving to be a phenomenal team. The host committee receives a list of 20-plus tasks that they need to accomplish both before and during the convention. This committee already has completed work on several of those tasks. You may now make individual reservations at the Rosen Centre, but we ask that you reserve a room ONLY IF you truly have plans to attend. The practice of reserving rooms just in case you decide to spend a week with ACB causes problems such as those experienced by many of you in obtaining rooms in Jacksonville and Minneapolis, and can result in unnecessary costs and inconvenience to both you and ACB. To make individual reservations at the Rosen Centre, call (407) 996-9840. Rooms are $83 per night single/double, plus tax. Add $10 per night for each additional person in the room. To plan convention events or reserve meeting rooms, contact Carla Ruschival by phone at (502) 897-1472 or by e-mail at adamcarla@bellsouth.net. ***** PHYSICAL AND FISCAL FITNESS FOR ACB by Dan Dillon On your mark, get set, go! ACB is off and running with plans to participate in the Watermelon 5K walk/run. We will be partnering with Track Shack, which has been holding this event for many years. Track Shack anticipates that there will be around 3,000 participants. What a great opportunity to make the Orlando community aware of ACB and the capabilities of its members! The event will take place on Saturday morning, July 4, at 7:30. Participants will need to arrive in Orlando on Friday, July 3. We hope that each walker or runner will seek pledges from family, friends, neighbors, co- workers, businesses in your community, church, and any other sources of support available. We encourage friendly competition among individuals and affiliates, as there will be prizes for those raising the most money for this exciting effort. Sharon Lovering and I walked the route in November. The race will start and finish at Mead Garden in nearby Winter Park. It winds through several neighborhood streets, by the local high school (with bumpy brick streets), along a set of railroad tracks, and by a neighborhood playground. Many of the streets have shade trees along them. There are lots of sweet- smelling flowers and plants along the way, as well as at Mead Garden. Birds, butterflies and bumblebees fly and flit among the flowering plants on your route. There will be two water stops along the route, and light refreshments (granola bars, water and Gatorade) available at the finish line. Restrooms are available at Mead Garden. Oh, and after the race there's a watermelon-eating contest, too! Watch for future articles in "The Braille Forum" for more details about the walk/run, even an option to be a virtual walker for those unable to attend the convention, and tips on training. The entry fee will be $25. ***** MMS PROGRAM EXPANDING; COME GROW WITH US TODAY by Mike Godino Many of us have been a part of the American Council of the Blind for a long time. ACB offers us the opportunity to share in a community of like- minded people living similar lives to our own. It works for us in its mission to expand opportunities and the independence for people who are blind or visually impaired. It's now time to begin thinking about ACB. The MMS program can make thinking easy. By giving through the MMS program, you would be thinking about ACB all year round without troubling your already busy schedules. I ask you to think about all you receive from ACB and how much that assists you in your day-to-day living. Think about "The Braille Forum." This monthly publication offers you the opportunity to know what the organization has done and is doing -- and will do in the future. Think about the legislative work the organization does behind the scenes and all year long. Yes, we participate for one week during the year, but legislating is a year- round project and we as members must be called upon to support the organization we pledged to be a part of. Did I trigger some memories of safe and independent travel on rail systems? How about accessible paper currency? These efforts cannot be pursued without your assistance. No organization can exist without the support of its members. I call upon you, the members of ACB, to join the MMS program to assist ACB in continuing its good work. We all joined ACB looking for something, and many of us have found that something. Let's show just how much we appreciate the work ACB does throughout the year by pledging a monthly donation through the MMS program to the organization we love and care about. As little as $5 up to whatever you feel you can give per month will go a long way in assisting ACB to do the work for the betterment of all people who are blind and visually impaired. Call the office today and get the MMS application mailed or e-mailed to you today. Together we can change the world; alone we will wither and die. Please make that call right now to insure your participation. Thank you, thank you, thank you! ***** AFFILIATE NEWS CCLVI Scholarships Available The Council of Citizens with Low Vision International (CCLVI) will award three scholarships in the amount of $3,000 each to entering freshmen, undergraduate and graduate college students who are visually impaired, maintain a strong GPA and are involved in their school/local community. Applications may be submitted beginning Jan. 1; all materials must be received by March 1. Scholarship monies will be awarded for the 2009-2010 academic year. To read the scholarship guidelines and complete an on-line application, please visit www.cclvi.org/scholars.htm. Applications will be available to submit online until March 1 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time. For more information, contact the CCLVI office at 1-800-733-2258. ***** ENTREPRENEURSHIP: IS IT FOR YOU? by Ardis Bazyn (Editor's Note: You can find other helpful tips to promote your own business in Ardis's book: "Building Blocks to Success: Does the Image of Your Business Attract Customers or Motivate Employees?" available at www.bazyncommunications.com.) The first step in choosing entrepreneurship as an option is to decide whether entrepreneurship is really right for you. Do you have the motivation to focus on setting up a business, marketing a business, and making priorities as necessary to keep it moving forward? As a business owner, you will not have a supervisor watching over you to make sure tasks are accomplished or give you jobs to do. You also will not have a steady income immediately. If you have lots of energy, like meeting new people all the time, and feel your personal life can be made more flexible, entrepreneurship may be a good choice. The second step is to choose the right type of business to start. Do you have skills that could be marketed as a business? For example, if you have the skills to fix or program computers, you might be able to sell these services to others. Do you currently work for another company doing a particular service such as styling hair, giving massages, giving nail or facial treatments, taking photos, making videos, or selling products and services? If so, you might feel like starting your own business offering these same services to your own customers. Another viable option is to sell products and services for a large networking products company. There are numerous ones from which to choose: Avon, Mary Kay, Arbonne, Party Lite, health and vitamin products, and many others. Each one has its own levels of earnings, most based on the amount of sales you make. Some require you to have inventory on hand and others do not. Check out several before deciding on the best one for you. Each charges you some up-front fee but it varies widely. Most have training sessions to help you start. They also may want you to sign up other salespeople under you. Another type of business is selling products or services for blindness-related companies. Most of these use contractors; you get paid for the amount of work you do, but you set your own schedule. You likely will have training and possibly some leads to use in getting sales. The next step is to consider family support and your education. Having your own business takes more than just having a skill. You might be great at that skill, but can you network with a variety of people and manage accounts, keep a schedule, and have a plan for how bookkeeping and financial records will be handled? Do you have the education necessary to accomplish these tasks yourself? Do you have a spouse or family member who can assist you in this part of the business? Classes are available online, and a good business coach can assist you in finding out what is necessary. The next step is to consider your financial resources and calculate the up-front cost of starting a business. All businesses take time to develop and become large enough to support you and your family. You will need some funding to assist you with living costs until you earn enough to sustain you. You may need to rent an office unless you are planning to have a home-based business. Even then, you will need enough room for inventory, computers, marketing materials, and other equipment. You may need to purchase some equipment, such as a new computer. Some funding is available through the Small Business Administration. Some statewide organizations may have funding for people with disabilities; state affiliates may have employment-related grants and loans. You will need to research valuable online resources. You can do a search for other types of businesses, possible loans or grants, and other information relating to the industry you want to pursue. You may want to consult with someone else currently in that particular business; you can find others by searching for them on the Internet. IVIE's web site, www.ivie-acb.org, has business-related links and a list of members who own their own businesses. You can explore grants and/or low-interest loans online as well. Some funding is available for starting a new business, particularly if you are a veteran. Funds for minority-based businesses are also available. You can contact veterans' organizations and minority organizations for assistance in this area. You can get facts from vocational rehabilitation services in your state about how they can assist you in starting a business. They also can assist you with some technology needs, particularly during your education. The Social Security Administration can give you information on incentives available for business owners and assistance for living costs and health care until you earn enough to support yourself. Another step in the process is checking state and local laws for starting a business. Depending on the type of business, there are licenses required. All states require you to have a sales tax license unless you sell products of already established businesses. Other licenses may be required in the city and county in which you live. Local laws are different from city to city. Some food services need health licenses to operate. Other retail establishments may need other licenses to sell liquor, over-the-counter drugs, and other items. Some counties require you to get a DBA (Doing Business As) license; make sure another business isn't already using the business name you've chosen. It is important to know all requirements before you begin a business. The most important step in starting a business is writing a business plan. It forces you to think about the elements of a business such as your mission or vision, your products and services, and how you are unique. You will have to define how you will market your business and set goals to build your business. Finally, you will need to write a budget and plan how you will get the sales you need to pay the expenses. Consulting with people familiar with marketing will be beneficial in this process. ***** THERE WILL ALWAYS BE MEDICAL TRANSCRIPTION by Paul Van Dyck For the past 25 years I have been gainfully employed as a medical transcriptionist. I am married, own my home and a fairly well-maintained Dodge conversion van. My wife April occasionally gets comments like "it must be a burden to care for your blind husband." She explains to people that she does not work outside the home and that "Paul is the breadwinner; he supports me." My employer, Southwest Washington Medical Center, has a good reputation for hiring people with disabilities: I work as a transcriptionist, and a deaf girl works in accounting. Admittedly I was quite upset when in June of this year we changed to a totally new dictation/transcription system called Edit Script. Voice recognition software listens to the dictation and then produces a draft which is then edited by the transcriptionist. My immediate fear was that my gainful employment was about to go away and I would have to try and get work as a piano tuner! Fortunately, Edit Script and other voice-recognition software are not quite as good as a skilled transcriptionist or even someone whose second language is English. I'm sure you have had dealings with such technology when calling customer service or directory assistance. Phone: Please say the city and state. Person: Vancouver Washington. Phone: That's Cougar Washington. Is that correct? Person: No, Vancouver Washington Phone: That's Fort Cooper Washington. Is that correct? Person: No! damn it! Van-cou-ver Washington Phone: One moment. An operator will assist you. Medical documentation is much more complicated and the results can be pretty startling when the link between the doctor and the transcriptionist includes this new software. Doctor: This pregnant female was 4 to 5 centimeters dilated. Draft: This pregnant female was 45 centimeters dilated. Doctor: The primary care physician is Dr. Dronkowski. Draft: The primary care physician is a drunken housekeeper. No, I didn't make that one up! The trick for the blind transcriptionist is that now instead of listening to the dictator then typing what is said, one must listen to the dictation, and follow along listening to the screen reader, making necessary corrections and trying not to laugh out loud. The sighted can simply listen to the dictation and follow the little red box as it moves along the line of text, kind of like following the bouncing ball and singing along with Mitch. (If you don't get that reference, ask someone over 50.) I thought about taking early retirement, age 60, or even getting a medical retirement. I do hear voices in my head, but the voices stop when I take off the headset! Maybe I could launch a discrimination complaint in that the women in my office run their fingers through my guide dog's hair, but not mine? But only losers quit the race before they reach the finish line. My speed is increasing with this new skill of hearing multiple voices, and without dedicated people in this field, medical documentation for patients would be in serious trouble. The goal for the blind transcriptionist should be not to lose heart. I have gone from working with typewriters and carbon paper to word processors. Word processors? Oh, yes, you have to see a TV screen and don't hear the click of the keys, can't feel where the IBM Selectric ball is along the line or how far up or down you are on the paper. Then came the Apple IIe and Bill Grimm's program for the Echo Speech synthesizer. The computer actually TALKS! It's a miracle! Shortly after the switch to Windows-based programs and WordPerfect 5.1 (still the best word processor ever made) came the dreaded mouse with its visual pointers and cursor. (It is said that a cursor is what you become when your computer crashes.) We had to learn how to use the keyboard commands to facilitate our use of Microsoft Word, or as we like to call it, Microsoft Weird. We have transitioned from dictation belts and manual typewriters, then IBM Selectrics and cassettes (both standard and micro), to very sophisticated word processors with digitally recorded dictation, speech recognition software, screen readers, telecommuting, but we still have the necessity of highly skilled and well-trained medical transcriptionists. Our job is not going away, just changing. With motivated people, and dedicated organizations like ACB, the employment possibilities for the blind can only get better. ***** IT'S HARD TO BE HIGH -- HIGH PARTIAL, THAT IS by Netagene Kirkpatrick I'm sure it's hard to be a total, but for me, I feel as if I am in limbo. It probably sounds dumb, but sometimes I wish I had less sight than I have. When I was 54, with no warning, my left retina tore while I was driving to work. After nine operations, the doctors and I gave up, leaving me with light, dark, and motion. I also had "preventive maintenance" on my right retina. At the end of October 2003, four years to the day of the preventive surgery, the doctors were reattaching my right retina. I was almost total for awhile. Early that month, I attended a free public seminar. The speaker was a man born totally blind, a counselor at the local office of the Alabama Institute of Deaf and Blind. Less than a week before my right retina detached, I met with a counselor for the blind at the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Service. I had arranged for him to come to my house, just in case something happened to my good eye. After a total of 15 operations between December 1998 and March 2005, I became a high partial. Some think I am not blind because I can read a lot of things even without magnification. Just because I have to hold things a certain way, but can still make them out, means to them that I am not blind. They don't understand that I compensate in many ways. And that I ride paratransit doesn't mean a thing. I did not want a cane, but was given reasons for it. (Some of you have a copy of my poem, "Lady with a Long White Cane.") That cane has saved my life many times in the almost four years I've had it. I have almost no depth perception and have lost a lot of peripheral sight. Once in a while, I ride the fixed-route buses. If it's a route I'm not familiar with, I'll ask the driver to let me off at a certain place, only to be told, "You have to ring the bell." So I sigh, point out my cane, tell the driver that I do not see well enough to read the street signs, at which time, other riders invariably will offer to ring the bell for me. In trying to find another job after I lost mine when my good eye went bad, I've been told, "But you have to have reliable transportation." I tell them that the bus is almost as reliable as their car. Doesn't their car sometimes break down? Not being able to read a menu board has caused me to pay more for a meal than if I could see well. So often, the young people who work in fast- food places slur their words and don't seem to care. Often there is no printed menu. The fact that I also have a slight hearing loss doesn't help. I have never been clothes-conscious, and I am worse now. I know that I should stick with high contrasts instead of trying to match colors and shades! Luckily I've never cared for wearing makeup. With poor eyesight, I finally quit wearing the one thing I did wear: lipstick. No one has noticed yet. I thought for sure that I could ride an adult tricycle. Wrong! A friend took me to a bike shop. There was a beautiful three-speed trike with a big leather seat and a big basket on the back for packages. I tried it for a few feet -- and got off and had the salesman ride it and show me that it would not turn over. I tried it again and again. Me, who in my 40s had my own motorcycle, could not ride an adult trike! It scared me out of my wits! Intellectually, I knew that it would not turn over, but that's not what I saw! I'm sure I was entertainment for the other customers. I have since learned the word "stereopsis" but am still not too sure about the meaning. I often get so frustrated when shopping that sometimes I just give up and walk out. I seem to be the careful one; fully sighted people talking on cell phones while they shop have been the ones who bump into me! I have had people think I was uppity when I didn't speak. They thought that because they were standing 10 or 20 feet in front of me and waving, that I could tell they were waving to me. Sure, I could usually see them and usually see a wave motion, but that wouldn't mean I had eye contact with them. But because I often CAN recognize someone 20 feet away, others think I have no vision problem. A good example is at the church house. People do not realize that I can usually tell if it's a man or a woman, and sometimes tell hair color. I've learned that I can often tell who someone is by the way they walk! I can't see the details of their face or clothes, but I can tell who it is. Today I unplugged my old printer and hooked up a new one. Therefore I must not be blind. Right? The fact that it took a powerful electric lantern, switching glasses back and forth, and doing a lot by feel and by process of elimination doesn't count. I ought to be out driving a car! At least I have quit apologizing. I don't say, "Excuse me, but I don't see well" or "I'm sorry, but I'm legally blind." I just say, "I am legally blind." ***** PLEASE BRING BACK THE OPTACON! by Pam Coffey For many years, my faithful print-reading aid was the Optacon, distributed by Telesensory Systems, then in Palo Alto, Calif. For those of you who are relatively new to blindness issues, this was a tactile scanner. Weighing about four pounds, it was extremely portable. It had a rechargeable battery pack and AC adapter, making it usable when the power went out or you were far from an electrical outlet. It was unusually dependable (my Optacon had to be repaired only three times), and it was incredibly versatile. To use this device, you placed the camera, which wasn't much larger than a finger, onto what you wanted to read. The camera, connected to the main unit by a long cable, picked up what was directly underneath it, and the electronics within the main unit converted it into tactile vibrations according to the shape of the character under the camera. The vibrations registered on a little plate, called the array, which was in the main unit. You moved the camera with your right hand and read the vibrations with your left index finger. The reading was quite slow -- you read only one character at a time -- and considerable training was required in order to use the device. But increased proficiency came with experience, and the rewards were great, because you had absolute control over what you read. Because the camera rested on the material to be read, you could read things that were curved, such as labels on soup cans or medicine bottles, without first removing the label. You could make adjustments for the size, color, and boldness of the print, as well as for the intensity of the vibrations. If the text was complicated by graphics, insets, sidebars and other such things, you -- and not the machine -- decided how best to deal with them. While you might not be able to decipher the minute details of a picture, you could determine its size, shape, and other basic characteristics. Because the device did not talk to you, your imagination gave voice to what you read, as it does when you read braille or a sighted person reads print. When you turned the machine on, you didn't have to wait for it to warm up, and you didn't have to wait for it to scan an entire page -- it was "read as you go." There was even an optional magnifying lens for extremely small print, and an optional typewriter attachment which enabled you to read what you were typing. When, in October of 2003, my 26-year-old Optacon let me know that it needed a fourth repair, I discovered that not only were they no longer being made, but also that no one was servicing them. Therefore, because I am always needing access to printed materials, my only choice (since I am not a computer geek) was to invest in one of the new-fangled speech-output stand- alone scanners. I finally decided on one that was relatively small (about 14 pounds), and that didn't require a technician to set it up. This was important, as I would soon move from a fair-sized house into an apartment, and because I am not much of a techie. I soon found myself at the mercy of the machine. I waited for it to boot up, then waited for it to scan a whole page, then, once I was reading, I hoped it didn't decide to power down by itself or the power wouldn't go out and I'd lose what I was reading. Because the material lays on a flat screen, it must be perfectly flat in order to be read properly -- which means peeling the label off the soup can. If the material has those complications mentioned above, you either endure a considerable wait for everything to process, or you are given an announcement such as "no text is recognizable." Also, you have no way of knowing how the material is laid out on the page, and things really get interesting if the page is larger than the screen. In that case, I scan part of it at a time, then jump back and forth between the segments -- possible, but often exasperating. This was not an issue with the Optacon. As long as the cable would reach, it made no difference. True, you can read faster with the newer machines, but only when no quirks appear and no scanning delays occur. And yes, you can save material for later use with these machines, which is nice and often convenient, but if the power surges while you are feeding the material in, you lose it. In addition, you cannot use them without electricity. While, overall, the reading voices of these scanners are very good, they sometimes have difficulty dealing with regional dialects, foreign words, and abbreviations which can be used for several different words (e.g., Dr. can mean "doctor" or "drive"). The machine chooses one interpretation for an abbreviation, when the text might refer to the other. In addition, you may get the same announcement when a page is utterly blank as you do when it is totally covered by a non-captioned picture. With the Optacon, on the other hand, if the page was blank, the array didn't vibrate at all. If the page was covered by a graphic, the whole array might vibrate. Finally, there is the dependability issue. Because the newer, more computer-like scanners are so complex, there are more things that can go wrong with them. After less than two years, my speech-output scanner had to go across the country for repairs, and then two more times over the next seven and a half months. In light of this inconvenience, I invested in a second scanner (of a different brand) in order to have a backup. This second scanner then became my main one. Three months after the warranty expired, it had to go to a neighboring state for repairs -- then again after another six months. Because these scanners are larger, shipping them for repairs is quite expensive. My Optacon, on the other hand, only needed its first repair after seven years. Now don't get me wrong; I am grateful for any means of being able to read print, but as one who always preferred braille over talking books, I feel that I (and others of the same persuasion) should be given a choice as to how we all read printed materials. My plea: Someone out there with the know-how to do so, please bring back the Optacon! ***** HERE AND THERE by Sue Lichtenfels The announcement of products and services in this column does not represent an endorsement by the American Council of the Blind, its officers, or staff. Listings are free of charge for the benefit of our readers. The Braille Forum cannot be held responsible for the reliability of the products and services mentioned. To submit items for this column, send a message to info@acb.org, or phone the national office at 1-800-424-8666, and leave a message in mailbox 26. Information must be received at least two months ahead of publication date. RESOURCE CENTER FOR PARENTS WITH DISABILITIES A new National Center for Parents with Disabilities and their Families has been established in Berkeley, Calif. under the auspices of Through the Looking Glass, a non-profit organization founded in 1982. The center will oversee several national research studies concerning parents with disabilities and their families, as well as provide consultations, training and publications to parents, family members and professionals. The new center will focus its research and resource activities on four critical areas that impact parents with disabilities: custody; family roles and personal assistance; paratransit; and intervention with parents with cognitive disabilities and their children. One of the notable activities planned over the next three years is a scholarship program for high school seniors and college students whose parents have disabilities. The center will be staffed by nationally recognized experts regarding parents with disabilities, most of whom have personal or family experience with disability or deafness. More information is available at www.lookingglass.org. Or contact the center by phone, 1-800-644-2666; by TTY/TDD, 1-800-804-1616, or by e-mail, tlg@lookingglass.org. FREQUENTLY OVERLOOKED TAX CREDIT Many disabled taxpayers may be overlooking a valuable tax credit that could increase their federal income tax refunds by as much as $4,824. The IRS estimates that up to one in four taxpayers who qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) fail to claim it. You may qualify if your income was under $41,646 last year and you, or your spouse, worked or received disability retirement benefits under an employer plan and were under the minimum retirement age. The amount of your EITC depends on several factors, such as the amount of your earned income, your filing status, whether you have children and how many, etc. Special rules apply if you have a child who is permanently and totally disabled. To get the credit you earned, you must 1) file a federal income tax return and 2) claim the credit. Many communities have volunteer income tax assistance sites or local IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers, which will compute your EITC and prepare your return without charge. To locate a volunteer site, call your community's number for local services or call the IRS at 1-800-906-9887. Find more information about EITC in alternative formats for people with print disabilities at www.irs.gov. Follow the home page link to "Accessibility," then the link to "Accessible IRS Tax Products" and select the appropriate link to download accessible forms or publications. The IRS web site provides accessible electronic files in formats including ASCII text (.txt), braille-ready format (.brf), and Talking Tax forms in PDF that work with MSAA-compliant screen-reading software and braille display devices. HISTORICAL NOVEL DISCUSSION GROUP The Accessible World will begin sponsoring a historical novels discussion group the first Tuesday of each month beginning January 2009. Nan Hawthorne, a published author from the Seattle area, will lead the group. The first month's discussion will examine Hawthorne's own first novel, "An Involuntary King: A Tale of Anglo-Saxon England." The book is available in a digital version through Lullu.com and for members at Bookshare.org. The group's first meeting is Tuesday, Jan. 6 at 8 p.m. Eastern and elsewhere in the world Tuesday 1:00 GMT. To join the discussion, visit www.accessibleworld.org. Select the Accessible World Auditorium, and enter your first and last names on the sign-in screen. If you are unable to join live, visit the archive section of the web site to download the podcast. NEW ROWLING BOOK IN BRAILLE J.K. Rowling's newest book "The Tales of Beedle the Bard," her companion piece to the Harry Potter books, is currently available through National Braille Press. "The Tales of Beedle the Bard" are known to millions of Harry Potter fans as the volume of wizarding fairy tales left to Hermione Granger by Hogwarts Headmaster Albus Dumbledore in the seventh and final book, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows." The five fairy tales contained clues that were crucial to Harry Potter's final mission to destroy Lord Voldemort, but only one of the stories, "The Tale of the Three Brothers," was actually recounted in the book. This single braille volume or PortaBook version costs $12.99. For more information, visit www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/BEEDLE.html. To order the book, send payment to: National Braille Press, 88 St. Stephen St., Boston, MA 02115-4302 or call 1- 800-548-7323. CAMP WAPANACKI TRIBUTE Rev. Theresa Beers Taylor and her husband Ken, founders of Seek the Son Ministries, Inc., are producing a tribute book to the awesome memories of Camp Wapanacki. They would love for anyone who attended Camp Wapanacki to help. They seek stories, history, and photos of your special Wapanacki memories. To share your tribute, e-mail Theresa@seektheson.org or send them to Rev. Theresa C. Taylor, Seek The Son Ministries, Inc., 3821 Reservoir Blvd. NE, Columbia Heights, MN 55421. Acceptable formats include braille, cassette, and large or regular print. A web form is also available at www.seektheson.org. The book will be published in several formats. Proceeds from this endeavor will go straight to Seek the Son Ministries, which aims to create a year-round retreat center for people with disabilities. CAMP SILOAM 2009 The 2009 Siloam Camp for Blind Adults, which is sponsored by the Gospel Association for the Blind, will be held May 23-30, 2009 at the Golden Cross Ranch, a 110-acre facility, in New Caney, Tex. The camp costs $200, which includes lodging, all meals and activities. Among the activities planned for the week are a shopping trip to Wal-Mart; experiencing various animals from the Houston zoo; two talent nights; swimming; horseback riding; various games; Bible study; interesting Christian videos; a road trip; two hayrides, a campfire and much more. The theme for the 2009 camp is "You Can Be a Gospel Messenger!" A $25 non-refundable camp registration fee is required of all campers to receive the camp application and medical form. Make your check payable to the Gospel Association for the Blind, and send it along with a 3" x 5" index card containing your name, address, phone number, cell phone number and e-mail if applicable to: The Gospel Association for the Blind, PO Box 1162, Bunnell, FL 32110. If you are a first-time camper to Camp Siloam, except for the $25 registration fee, the week of camp is free. If needed, we will help with travel expenses. The camp fills up fast; if you are interested in being a part of this exciting week, you should act quickly. All applications and medical forms MUST be in the Florida office by April 15, 2009. After Feb. 1, you can hear a voicemail message concerning Camp Siloam 2009 by calling toll-free 1- 866-251-5165 and then enter mailbox 7128#. Also check www.circle-of-love.net for more information. FREE PROSTATE BOOKLET National Braille Press is offering for free "After Diagnosis: Prostate Cancer -- Understanding Your Treatment Options," by the American Cancer Society. Prostate cancer can often be treated successfully, especially when it's found early. This booklet gives you general information about prostate cancer, the tests your doctor may order, treatment options, and common side effects as well as other resources for more information. Order this booklet in Braille or PortaBook from the web site, www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/PROCAN.html, by calling 1-800-548-7323, or sending e-mail to orders@nbp.org. NEW DIRECTOR OF ACCESS BOARD David M. Capozzi was named the Access Board's new executive director at a recent meeting of the board. Capozzi, director of the board's Office of Technical and Information Services for over 16 years, succeeds Lawrence W. Roffee, who retired in August. Capozzi had served as acting executive director in the interim. U.S. HOSTING IBSA GAMES The United States Association of Blind Athletes (USABA) will be hosting the 2009 International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) World Youth and Student Championships and the 2009 IBSA Pan American Games in Colorado Springs, Colo., July 15-20, 2009. Blind and visually impaired athletes, ages 12-19, from around the world will compete in the IBSA World Youth and Student Championships while athletes of all ages from the Pan American region will compete in the 2009 IBSA Pan Am Games. Sports on the program include track and field, judo, swimming and goalball. Colorado College will serve as the athlete village; competitions will take place at the United States Olympic Training Center, Colorado College, and a local track and field complex. Qualification standards for Team USA will soon be available on the USABA web site, www.usaba.org. TREKKER BREEZE AVAILABLE HumanWare is now shipping Trekker Breeze, a talking GPS specially designed for the needs of visually impaired users. This simple orientation tool is designed for use when traveling in familiar surroundings or pre-defined routes. The Trekker Breeze provides talking GPS directions that help users know where they are, where they are going and what is around them. When walking by, users receive audible information, such as street names, intersections and reference landmarks. In case they are lost, they can retrace their steps. Users can also record routes, and activate them for future use. They can also reach favorite destinations with turn-by-turn instructions. The Trekker Breeze is available for $895 in English, French, Dutch, Swedish or Norwegian. For more information, visit: www.humanware.com/en-usa/products/gps, call 1-800-722-3393, or e-mail us.info@humanware.com. HADLEY SCHOOL HONORED The U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a bipartisan resolution authored by Congressman Mark Kirk honoring the Hadley School for the Blind. Based in Winnetka, Hadley is the world's largest provider of distance education to blind and visually impaired individuals, their families and blindness service professionals. Kirk presented the resolution to Hadley trustees, staff, and students on October 16 during a Hadley student awards ceremony at the Skokie Country Club in Glencoe. Each year Hadley serves more than 10,000 students in 50 states and 110 countries. For more information about Hadley courses and programs, visit www.hadley.edu. TUTORING FOR THE BLIND Portal Tutoring offers individualized tutoring in using adaptive computers, braille and specialized equipment for the blind and visually impaired, as well as pamphlets, books and audio classes on these same subjects. In addition, they now offer a program designed to teach basic writing skills for all students from age ten on up. For more information, visit the web site, www.portaltutoring.info or phone (585) 244-0477. For a product list, or to discuss your training needs, e-mail akp@portaltutoring.info. EDUCATIONAL SOFTWARE Hugh Haggerty operates a web site that offers a variety of educational software and games. Many are specifically designed for people who are blind or losing vision. One such program helps you learn braille using a standard computer with adapted keys. To learn about more programs, visit www.hahaggerty.com or call Hugh at (352) 861-8313. WINDOW-EYES 7.0 GW Micro has created Window-Eyes version 7.0 using an open source language. This enables scripts to be written and installed at will to make the screen-reading capabilities customized to each user. The management of scripts is handled through a simple user interface with standard Windows controls. Window-Eyes can be configured to automatically look for updated scripts on its own. GW Micro hosts a centralized script repository where both script users and script developers can gather to distribute and discuss Window-Eyes scripts at www.gwmicro.com/Script_Central. For more information, visit www.gwmicro.com or call (260) 489-3671. ON THE WEB ANYWHERE WebAnywhere software enables blind and visually impaired people to surf the Web on the go. The tool developed at the University of Washington turns screen-reading into an Internet service that reads aloud Web text on any computer with speakers or headphone connections. The free program and both audio and video demonstrations are at http://webanywhere.cs.washington.edu. ***** HIGH TECH SWAP SHOP FOR SALE: Open Book 8.0, brand new. Asking $800 if you pay for the transfer fee or $875 if we cover that cost. Black-and-white scanner with cable and software on CD. Asking $50. Four slates and styli, free. Will only accept bank money orders in U.S. or Canadian funds. Upon receiving the money order, item(s) will be shipped out with shipping, handling, and insurance covered by us. Contact Nancy Ryder at owenryder@sympatico.ca or (319) 217-8235. FOR SALE: Braille Note BT, 18-cell. Asking $2,000. JAWS 3.5, asking $100. Contact Steve Hearn at (601) 415-7987. FOR SALE: Perkins brailler in great condition. Asking $425. Contact Rosemir at (714) 267-3399. FOR SALE: Perkins brailler, brand-new, never been used. Comes with dust cover and book. Asking $400. Will only accept cashier's check or money order. Contact Lou Baker at (405) 364-4374, or e-mail nanalou2u@yahoo.com. FOR SALE: PAC Mate Omni QX400, with cables, disks, carrying cases, & packaging. $1,600. E-mail laurao@tsoft.com or phone (510) 851-3716. FOR SALE: PAC Mate QX Omni with 40-cell portable braille display, in addition to leather cases from Executive Products for both the PAC Mate 400 and the 440, and 2 hours of phone training. Also includes a copy of FSEdit, an Ambicom wireless card and a 2 GB compact flash card. Maintenance agreements run through April 2009 on the notetaker. If you're not interested in the entire package, the above list of products can be customized, so you take home only those items you need. Asking $2,300. Contact Don Olson at (703) 920-0922 or e-mail olsondo24@gmail.com. WANTED: Used Kurzweil 7315 reading machine. Also seeking 19-key keypad for the Reading Edge, a used APH tape player that's still in working condition, and a laptop with Windows. Contact Bob Groff at (501) 589-2886. ACB OFFICERS PRESIDENT MITCH POMERANTZ 1115 CORDOVA STREET #402 PASADENA, CA 91106 FIRST VICE PRESIDENT KIM CHARLSON 57 GRANDVIEW AVE. WATERTOWN, MA 02472 SECOND VICE PRESIDENT BRENDA DILLON 313 OVERRIDGE COVE HERMITAGE, TN 37076 SECRETARY MARLAINA LIEBERG 632 S. 189TH ST. BURIEN, WA 98148 TREASURER MIKE GODINO 104 TILROSE AVE MALVERNE, NY 11565-2024 IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT CHRISTOPHER GRAY 94 RAMONA AVE. SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103 ACB BOARD OF DIRECTORS Ray Campbell, Glen Ellyn, IL Berl Colley, Lacey, WA Marsha Farrow, Summerville, GA Michael Garrett, Missouri City, TX Billie Jean Keith, Arlington, VA Carla Ruschival, Louisville, KY Patrick Sheehan, Silver Spring, MD Jeff Thom, Sacramento, CA David Trott, Talladega, AL Cammie Vloedman, Oklahoma City, OK Ex Officio: Paul Edwards, Miami, FL BOARD OF PUBLICATIONS Paul Edwards, Chairman, Miami, FL Marcia Dresser, Reading, MA Judy Jackson, San Antonio, TX Jenine Stanley, Columbus, OH Ken Stewart, Warwick, NY Ex Officios: Barry Levine, Homer Glen, IL Ron Milliman, Bowling Green, KY