THE BRAILLE FORUM Volume XLIX July 2010 No. 1 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 fax: (703) 465-5085 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. 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 Monthly Monetary Support (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 2010 American Council of the Blind TABLE OF CONTENTS President's Message: Looking at the ADA on Its 20th Anniversary, by Mitch Pomerantz Feds Release Notice on Accessible Currency, by Melanie Brunson Notes from the Midyear Board of Directors Meeting, by Marcia N. Dresser It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time ..., by Doug Powell More Reflections on Braille, by Nancy Johnson Announcing Upcoming Sleep Studies in Totally Blind Individuals Affiliate News Committee News Passings Letter to the Editor Here and There, edited by Sue Lichtenfels Beginning Yoga for the Blind Now Available Cardtronics' Settlement Agreement Goes To Remediation High Tech Swap Shop Repotting A Life, by Teddie-Joy Remhild 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, go to www.acb.org/mailman/listinfo/brailleforum-L. 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: LOOKING AT THE ADA ON ITS 20TH ANNIVERSARY by Mitch Pomerantz In my May 2008 President's Message, "ACB and the ADA Restoration Act," I discussed the Americans with Disabilities Act in the context of the then-proposed ADA Amendments Act. At the time I expressed serious concern over opening up the ADA to amendments, either positive or negative, given the existing political climate. Fortunately, it turned out that my concern was unfounded since the legislation passed without any narrowing of its scope. Many have argued, however, that the ADA hasn't been particularly useful to blind and visually impaired people from the standpoint of obtaining employment, participating in government programs and services, or accessing most commercial web sites. Thus, it is certainly timely and appropriate to consider what impact the ADA has had on our lives as July 26th marks the 20th anniversary of its signing by President George H.W. Bush. Before sharing some thoughts on the ADA's impact (or lack thereof) on us, I need to offer a couple of observations or cautions, based on my nearly 14 years working in the ADA arena. Bear in mind the background provided in that 2008 column. I indicated that most advocates, when the ADA was being conceived, expected the law's primary beneficiaries would be people with severe disabilities. The ADA was drafted to encompass the broadest range of disabilities and medical conditions in order to minimize the likelihood of opposition from an otherwise excluded disability group. I pointed out that while there was some criticism over this strategy, the ADA became law through the simple expedient of including anyone and everyone who could possibly be considered to have a disability. The result is that today, people with what are classified as "visible" disabilities (including blindness) represent far fewer than half the overall disability population as defined under the ADA. My second observation concerns a serious lack of basic ADA knowledge within our own community. The biggest misconception about the law is that it is an affirmative action, or preferential treatment, statute. It is not, and was never intended as such. The ADA was envisioned as an equal opportunity/accessibility statute. It was meant to level the playing field, not to give someone with a disability a leg up. Many would argue -- and make a pretty strong case -- that it hasn't done even that much. The ADA won't give us a job, and shouldn't be used to let us go to the head of the line at the local theater. The intent of the ADA is to focus on "functional limitations," what a person can't do, not on the disability itself. The ADA certainly appears to emphasize physical accessibility, especially access for individuals with mobility limitations (wheelchair ramps, wide doorways and such). Throughout the four major titles or sections of the statute, there are countless examples of barriers to physical access and far fewer examples of barriers to access for people with visual disabilities. Nowhere in the ADA is there any recognition that for those of us who utilize public transportation, locating a government office far from a bus route means that the facility is essentially inaccessible. Two areas of direct relevance to us are not covered under the ADA. The first involves the lack of any reference to audio description. Title IV -- Telecommunications -- of the ADA includes provisions for captioning for people who are deaf or hearing impaired. Audio description, however, is not mandated in Title IV or anywhere else in the law. That oversight is partly the result of the lack of concerted advocacy by ACB at the time, but also because the NFB argued against its inclusion. The second area of importance to blind people which is not addressed in the ADA is access to the web. The reason for this is, of course, that the Internet was not in common use 20 years ago. It was then the province of scholars, scientists and the military. Hence, no thought was given to requiring web accessibility. Let me turn for a moment to the issue of the employment, or perhaps the unemployment, of blind and visually impaired people. It is widely believed by the so-called disability experts that the overall unemployment rate for people with disabilities -- including the blind -- of working age (16 to 64) has actually gone up since 1990. The obvious question to ask is why? Briefly, the thinking of those who drafted the ADA was that once it became law, people with disabilities who had hitherto been excluded from the workplace would have the legal ammunition necessary to open the door to the employment office. In point of fact, what has occurred is that the vast majority of lawsuits -- filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission -- were initiated by people with disabilities against their current or former employers. Beyond this, most such suits are brought by people with hidden or "non-visible" disabilities, not by those with mobility or vision limitations. Clearly, the ADA has been something of a disappointment to those who expected that it would greatly expand job opportunities for blind and disabled individuals. In assessing the impact of the Americans with Disabilities Act on the lives of blind and visually impaired people over the last 20 years, I have to say that quite possibly, we ourselves haven't taken full advantage of its provisions. In the years I worked for the city of Los Angeles, I received just a handful of requests for materials in braille or large print, and only a single request for a document on audiocassette. This was extremely perplexing and disappointing. So, while the ADA has obvious limitations for us, I'm not sure we've taken full advantage of what it does offer. I am absolutely convinced that we are better off as a result of enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act. However, I urge everyone to become far better informed as to what the ADA does and does not do. It is entirely up to us to be strong and knowledgeable advocates in promoting the rights of blind and visually impaired people. And if you are so inclined, give a tip of the cap to the ADA: our own civil rights statute, warts and all. ***** FEDS RELEASE NOTICE ON ACCESSIBLE CURRENCY by Melanie Brunson On May 20, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) published a notice in the Federal Register outlining the recommendations they propose to make to the Secretary of the Treasury regarding how to provide people who are blind and visually impaired with meaningful access to U.S. currency. Before finalizing their recommendations, the BEP is seeking public comment on their proposals. Comments are due by August 18 and both individuals and organizations are encouraged to provide input. Below is a summary of the BEP proposal, and a list of some of the specific questions to which they are seeking answers. Space does not permit us to publish the entire notice here, but if you would like to read it in its entirety, visit http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/2010-12091.htm or contact the ACB national office for a copy in electronic format or on tape. BEP Recommendations I. Tactile Feature: BEP will develop and incorporate a raised tactile feature that will accommodate people who are blind and visually impaired. This feature will enable blind and visually impaired individuals to identify currency by touching the tactile feature. According to BEP, their study demonstrated that raised tactile features allow most blind and visually impaired individuals to denominate currency. Indeed, this kind of feature is used in some foreign currency, and the study's data indicated that this feature was more effective than virtually every other kind of accommodation tested, including different-sized notes. Additionally, a raised tactile feature would not cause a major disruption to the general population because the notes will not appear substantially different from their current form. BEP noted that the selection of the raised tactile feature will require additional targeted research, testing, and consideration of the public comments. Nonetheless, the significant benefits of notes with a tactile feature, including the excellent accuracy results the blind and visually impaired achieved with them, the ease of use evidenced both by the usability tests and applicable scientific research, and the relatively minimal impact on the general U.S. population, supports the inclusion of a raised tactile feature as a recommended accommodation despite its challenges. Based on experience, independent research, and the study, BEP believes it can develop a raised tactile feature that is durable and can be incorporated into its existing manufacturing systems at a reasonable cost, coincident with the introduction of the next design series of U.S. currency. BEP invites comment on its proposal to incorporate raised tactile features in the next redesign of its currency. II. Large, High-Contrast Numerals: BEP began incorporating large, high-contrast numerals into Federal Reserve notes beginning with the Series 1996 design $50 note in October 1997. In March 2008, BEP increased the size of the large high-contrast numeral with the introduction of the Series 2006 $5 note. The feedback received from visually impaired individuals has been positive. This feature will be continued in the new-design $100 note, which is the last in the Series 2004 family of designs. Because BEP has experience printing this feature and the visually impaired community has provided positive feedback on it, BEP proposes to continue using this feature in the next design for U.S. currency. BEP is aware, however, that there may be a number of options concerning the size, color, placement, background contrast and other features for these large numerals that may improve accessibility of currency for people with low vision. BEP invites comment from the public, including people with low vision, about the best choices for the proposed large, high-contrast numerals. III. Supplemental Currency Reader Program: BEP will establish a supplemental currency reader distribution program. The purpose of the program is to provide blind and visually impaired people a means that can be used independently to correctly identify the denomination of U.S. currency. In compliance with legal requirements, BEP will loan a currency reader device to all blind and visually impaired U.S. citizens and legal residents who wish to avail themselves of this program. The individual may borrow the reader for as long as the individual desires the assistance of the reader. Before a reader is distributed, BEP first will verify that the requestor is eligible. Under the reader program, individuals who are United States citizens or people legally residing in the United States who are blind or visually impaired and who need a reader to accurately identify the denomination of U.S. currency will be able to obtain a reader at no cost to the individual. BEP will define blind or visually impaired under the same definition as the study, with the following change to the study's definition of visual impairment: The reader program will not extend to visually impaired individuals whose impairment is corrected with ordinary eyeglasses or contact lenses. BEP is considering the scope of an appropriate verification framework to determine eligibility to receive a reader. Specifically, it is considering a framework inspired by the eligibility requirements that the Library of Congress uses when loaning library materials to blind and other disabled persons as set forth in 36 CFR 701.6. Under that framework, applicants may submit verification of their eligibility from a "competent authority." BEP would define a "competent authority" as one of the following: doctors of medicine, doctors of osteopathy, doctors of optometry, registered nurses, and licensed practical nurses. Alternatively, if a person who is blind or visually impaired has verification of visual impairment from another federal agency, including the Social Security Administration, the Library of Congress, or a state or local agency, that person need only submit a copy of that verification. BEP is inviting comments on whether this verification system is appropriate, or whether other frameworks would be more appropriate. Parents or legal guardians of a blind or visually impaired child under 18, and caregivers, legal guardians, or those with power of attorney for a U.S. citizen or someone legally residing in the U.S. may act as a proxy on behalf of the blind or visually impaired child or represented individual and request a currency reader. BEP will require verification for the child or represented individual. BEP will solicit and award a single, long-term contract to implement the currency reader program. The contractor will be designated as the Currency Reader Program Coordinator (CRPC). Once the program is operational, a potentially eligible person may request a currency reader by contacting the CRPC and completing and submitting a request form. Depending on the verification framework adopted, upon verification of eligibility, the person will be provided a reader. BEP is seeking answers to the following questions. 1. What would be the ideal placement of the raised tactile feature? In what kind of pattern or patterns should the raised tactile feature be arranged? 2. How should the large, high-contrast numerals be incorporated? In other words, what colors should BEP use, what is the optimal size of the numerals, and where should the numerals be placed on the note? 3. What background colors would provide the highest color contrast for people who are visually impaired? 4. What technological solutions should BEP explore to help people who are blind and visually impaired denominate currency? 5. What is the nature of the burden, if any, on the general public of including a raised tactile feature on U.S. currency? 6. If there are any burdens imposed on the public by a raised tactile feature on currency, how can such burdens be minimized? 7. What is the nature of the burden, if any, on industry and business of including a raised tactile feature on U.S. currency? 8. If there are such burdens, how can they be minimized? 9. Does the supplemental currency reader program impose a burden on the blind and visually impaired? 10. If so, what are those burdens, and how can they be minimized? 11. Does a verification process of the currency reader program inspired by the Library of Congress process impose too a great a burden on the blind and visually impaired? 12. If so, what are those burdens, and how can they be minimized? 13. Alternatively, if a person who is blind or visually impaired has verification of visual impairment from another federal agency (such as the Social Security Administration or Library of Congress), or a state or local agency, should BEP allow that person to submit a copy of that verification in order to satisfy a proof of visual impairment requirement in order to obtain a currency reader? If so, what burdens might this impose, and how can those burdens be minimized? 14. Should BEP consider working with local governments and/or state agencies to deliver the currency readers? 15. Should BEP consider additional or different criteria when determining eligibility for the currency reader program? 16. What administrative and/or operational challenges does the currency reader program create? ACB will be filing comments, so readers should feel free to give us your input on these issues. For further information about how to file comments, or for a copy of the full proposal, contact Barbara LeMoine in the national office either by phone, (202) 467-5081, or by e-mail, blemoine@acb.org. ***** NOTES FROM THE MIDYEAR BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING by Marcia N. Dresser The ACB board of directors' midyear meeting was held on Feb. 19 in Arlington, Va. Since Marlaina Lieberg was unable to attend the meeting due to illness, Ray Campbell acted as secretary. President Mitch Pomerantz convened the meeting at 9:05 a.m. The proposed agenda for this meeting and the minutes of the Dec. 15, 2009 board meeting were both approved unanimously. Pomerantz reported that he recorded a three-minute interview with Sky Radio, which will be seen on the business channel on 29,000 American Airlines flights in May. In addition, a fully produced, 30-second public service announcement about ACB will be carried on CNN Airport TV at 44 airports around the country. This PSA and Pomerantz's interview are posted on the ACB web site and can be used as we see fit. Carla Ruschival is now co-chair of the ACB Store committee because Kim Venable has increased personal commitments. At the annual RSVA meeting, Pomerantz met with Lynnea Rutledge, the new commissioner of RSA. Pomerantz reported that 80 percent of the ACB conference/convention is set. There will be panels on radio reading services and ACB Radio; categorical services; and exercise, fitness, and nutrition, among others. The banquet speaker will be Mike Armstrong, who climbed Mount Kilimanjaro. Chris Gray, chair of the Internet Management Oversight Committee, reported that despite the significant, disruptive server crash last October, ACB lists have been reorganized and restored, using Mailman as the new listserv management software. To the best of Chris' knowledge, no data was lost. A subcommittee of the Internet Infrastructure Committee drafted a disaster recovery plan. We need more than one kind of backup for the system. We will have a redundant server at another location with significant redundancies built in. This will cost about $300 a month. Bids will be solicited from several places, including those with virtual servers. Executive director Melanie Brunson reported that the plaque honoring those who donate $100,000 or more to ACB is on display in the national office. Several applications for grants have been submitted, and more may be forthcoming. Barbara LeMoine is compiling state by state resource lists to distribute to people and affiliates later this year. In closing, Brunson announced that the legislative seminar will be dedicated to the memory of Pat Beattie. Following a short break, comptroller Lane Waters reported on activities at the Minnesota office. Michelle Mueller resigned to take a job closer to her home, and receptionist Alisha Clausen is now in training to assume Michelle's full-time responsibilities. A part-time receptionist has been hired. The Minneapolis office received software which allows tracking of volunteers, newspaper advertisers, and exhibitors; also, the different types of donations are now in one database. In closing, Waters announced that the new ACB thrift store in Louisville has opened, and plans are under way to move the Knoxville store. A motion was made by Brenda Dillon, seconded by Billie Jean Keith, to approve the staff reports. The motion passed unanimously. Treasurer Mike Godino reported that ACB currently has total assets of $1,677,324. Kim Charlson made a motion, seconded by Dillon, that the board authorize necessary funds up to $29,000 to the convention account. David Trott made a motion, seconded by Dillon, that ACB proceed for audit. Both motions passed. Next, a discussion ensued regarding the recommendation to change all occurrences of the word "convention" to the words "conference and convention" in the constitution and bylaws. Gray moved to defer this matter until the next board meeting so that the auditors and parliamentarian Don Stevens can be consulted about the possible ramifications of this change; Trott seconded. The motion passed. Gray next reported that the database project is proceeding according to plan. Several state and special-interest affiliates have been chosen to complete their 2010 certification on this new system as a beta test. If this is successful, the system should be ready for use by all affiliates at the end of 2010. A motion to accept this report was made by Godino and seconded by Cammie Vloedman; the motion carried. The meeting recessed at noon, and the board convened in executive session at 12:10 to discuss a matter concerning an affiliate and a personnel issue. A motion was made by Gray and seconded by Michael Garrett to return to open session. The motion passed, and the meeting resumed at 1:37 p.m. Pomerantz announced that no action had been taken regarding the two matters discussed in executive session. Marcia Dresser presented a draft of a policy statement crafted by the board of publications regarding ACB's presence on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Following board approval of several changes in the wording, Gray moved, and Jeff Thom seconded, a motion to refer the document back to the BOP for further tweaking, incorporating these amendments. The motion carried. Dresser announced that nominations for the Ned E. Freeman, Vernon Henley, and Hollis Liggett awards are welcome. The BOP is developing parameters to measure the effectiveness of ACB Radio and ACB's web presence. Work on the re-design of ACB's web site is progressing. A motion to accept the BOP report was made by Godino and seconded by Charlson. The motion passed. Garrett next gave the ACBES report. Store managers are being assisted to adjust their budgets based on the ACB budget. They are expected to increase their advertising and control labor costs. Increases in minimum wage over the past few years have added over $100,000 to payroll costs, and the stores have had to adjust pricing to reflect this. A motion to accept the ACBES report was made by Campbell and seconded by Godino. The motion carried. Convention coordinator Carla Ruschival reported that convention planning is on track. Each affiliate or committee planning to host an event should have one person subscribed to the convention e-mail list. New people have called requesting exhibitor information, and Margarine Beaman is personally contacting former and potential sponsors. All entities booking one premiere booth will receive a free insert in the registration packet, a $250 value. Sally Benjamin is busy recruiting volunteers. The adjustments to the afternoon schedule have been well received; time slots are 1:30 to 3:00, 3:30 to 5:00, and 5:30 to 7:00. There will be a new contract for guide dog relief area services, and this is the last year of the photography company's contract. Convention registration will be done on line or by telephone. Paper forms will only be sent out upon request, which will save thousands of dollars in mailing expenses. Finally, Ruschival said she has received convention bids for 2013 and 2014, but will ask that they be re-submitted due to high proposed costs for catering and audio-visual services. A motion to accept this report was made by Trott and seconded by Keith; the motion passed. Charlson reported on the Audio Description Project, which is managed by Joel Snyder. Snyder provides monthly reports on his activities. The content from the former Audio Description International web site is being moved to ACB. The ADP has a Facebook page profiling the award winners from last summer's ADP Institute. Plans are under way for the 2010 summer institute, which will be held in conjunction with the ACB conference and convention. Nominations for the six 2010 ADP awards are currently being accepted. The Described Captioned Media Project is partnering with ACB through the ADP. "I can describe that" is an opportunity for teenagers to try their hand at writing audio description. Folks can now take an audio-described tour of the White House, which the ADP was instrumental in crafting. Very soon, the ADP will submit a grant proposal to the Department of Education for funding for audio description. The audio-described DVD of "The Miracle Worker" is available through the ACB Store and on Amazon.com. If items are purchased on Amazon, ACB will receive a percentage of the sale price. Thom moved to accept this report, and Trott seconded. The motion carried. Berl Colley reported that a task force consisting of Ardis Bazyn, Denise Colley, James Edwards, Chris Gray, and Marlaina Lieberg is working to resurrect the Idaho affiliate. They are working on newspaper ads and PSAs and developing a contact list of former and potential members. The director of the Idaho Commission for the Blind has agreed to send out a mailing. Other contacts include the principal of the Idaho School for the Blind, AER, and the Blinded Veterans Association, which is the largest group of blind people in the state. Members of the task force will meet with prospective members in Boise in May. The board approved the motion, made by Campbell and seconded by Vloedman, to accept this report. Brunson and Charlson reported that the board handbook should be ready in time for the conference/convention in Phoenix. It will include such things as the constitution and bylaws, the presidents list, minutes of board meetings and financial reports for the preceding year, an explanation of ACBES, and expectations of board members. Brunson is seeking funding sources and organizations to assist in developing a new long-range plan for ACB, and will bring recommendations on how to proceed to the pre-convention board meeting. Godino moved to adopt this report; Vloedman seconded. The motion carried. Each officer serves as a liaison to several national committees and, at this meeting, they reported on the work that these committees are doing. Debbie Grubb is now chairing the environmental access committee. A motion was made by Campbell and seconded by Dillon to accept the officer liaison reports. The motion passed. As the last order of business of the day, Garrett made a motion that funds originally collected for the Hurricane Katrina relief effort be re-allocated to provide assistance to blind people in Haiti, divided equally between the Haitian Society for the Blind and the school for the blind in Port-au-Prince. The motion, seconded by Gray, was unanimously adopted. With no further business to conduct, the meeting adjourned at 5:05 p.m. ***** IT SEEMED LIKE A GOOD IDEA AT THE TIME ... by Doug Powell People have been asking for an update on my triathlon quest. It has been a tough winter and spring for me. I did a marathon in March that was an hour and a half slower than I was hoping for. I did a half-Ironman distance triathlon in early May that was an hour and a half slower than my best one last year. So, recently, I have been having conversations with myself that, without expletives, sound like ... well, without expletives, there wasn't much left! Perhaps you've had a similar experience ... perhaps even with ACB. You signed up with all the great intentions in the world, to get involved, meet great people, do great things. And then, at some point, you got frustrated and said, "What was I thinking? These people are crazy! I don't need this!" But in amongst my triathlon trials and tribulations, there have also been some gems: the guy from Chicago, who I don't know from Adam, who called to say that he's inspired by my quest to do an Ironman and wants to guide me; and the reporter from the Washington Post who did such a nice job on an article he wrote talking about adaptive sports and my quest as a disabled athlete; the hundreds of people like you who are interested in my quest and using my efforts to spur themselves on to overcome some challenge of their own ... And I'll bet there have been some moments in your ACB trials and tribulations when you got a sense of the difference you were making by participating: a big "thank you!" from someone whose life you had made better; an accessible signal or some other improvement in your community that wouldn't have been there if you hadn't fought for it; and similar advances at the state and national levels. So, I am re-dedicating myself to the Ironman on Sept. 12. I have watched "Rocky III" (my favorite motivation movie), started working even harder at practices, and am taking action on things I had been stalling about. Yes, it is a lot harder than I originally thought. But you can count on me to keep going until it is done - by midnight Sept. 12-13. And I encourage you to make that same kind of commitment to ACB. It doesn't have to be forever; you could promise yourself five years, and then re-evaluate. Or, if five years is too long, make it two years. Give it your best, and see what kind of difference you can make. And that includes a monetary investment in the organization. When we go to ask for money for projects, one of the things grantors ask is, "How many of your members support the organization? And how much of the funding for the organization comes from the membership?" The answer to these questions, at the national level, is, "Not enough." So please sign up to donate $5 if that's all you can - or even better, $5 a month through the ACB Monthly Monetary Support (MMS) program - more if possible. See what a difference that will make to you, and to ACB. Let's go for it! ***** MORE REFLECTIONS ON BRAILLE by Nancy Johnson The President's Message in the January issue made me nostalgic. I learned braille in first grade in the 1940s. I, too, have relied on braille throughout my life, though I've learned and use print and technology as well to the extent I'm able. My braille teacher made learning to read fun. She also had a way of letting us know when we weren't doing well. She'd stand behind our chairs and look at the word we'd drawn to read and, if we couldn't figure it out, she'd quietly whisper "dunce." Whatever a dunce was, I didn't want to be one. My younger brother didn't like Mom turning out all the lights at bedtime. When I was in third grade I made a deal. I'd read stories to him from my braille books if he'd let Mom turn out the lights. It worked! He liked being read to, even if he had to listen in the dark. Our library at the school for the blind was a favorite hide-away. I went in there every chance I got and browsed among the braille books. As an adult, I've always been envious of sighted folks who can go to the library or bookstore and just "hang out" with the books. I had the curiosity and demanded to know what print letters meant and, because of an illness that required Mom's teaching me math in print during my fifth grade year, I began to use print. But I could never have survived in school using only print because I read and write it too slowly. Today I rely on braille for a variety of activities. In my opinion, a parent who deprives a severely visually impaired child of the opportunity to learn and use braille does that child a heinous disservice. Integrating braille into a child's repertoire of communication skills helps that child develop into a more efficient adult and enhances self-sufficiency. Reading braille with the fingers looks no more "weird" than rubbing the print off the page with the nose or using special low-vision aids. All are options. All "look different." Why deprive a child of any one of them? ***** ANNOUNCING UPCOMING SLEEP STUDIES IN TOTALLY BLIND INDIVIDUALS Are you blind with no light perception? Do you have problems sleeping or trouble with daytime sleepiness? Non-24-hour sleep-wake disorder occurs in some individuals who are totally blind and lack the photic sensitivity necessary to reset the body clock via light exposure. This can lead to problems with sleep and/or daytime excessive sleepiness. You can help researchers understand non-24-hour sleep-wake disorder by taking a brief phone survey. In addition, you will have the opportunity to be informed of upcoming clinical studies recruiting in your area. Survey participants need to: - be over 18 years of age - be blind with no light perception - have sleep problems and/or daytime sleepiness Collected information will be kept strictly confidential. For each completed survey, a donation of $25 (for a total of up to $50,000) will be made to the American Council of the Blind. If you want to participate in the survey, please call 1-877-314-5002 Monday-Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern time. Thank you! ***** AFFILIATE NEWS ** Y'all Come to Tennessee! The Tennessee Council of the Blind invites you to come and join us for our state convention. It will be held Aug. 27-29 at the Comfort Suites located at 2521 Elm Hill Pike in Nashville. There is complimentary shuttle service to and from the airport. We will have numerous speakers, exhibits, live entertainment, awards banquet, a live auction, and a heaping helping of southern hospitality. Contact Dan Dillon, TCB president, at (615) 874-1223 or at brenda.dan@comcast.net for more information. ** Come join ACB-HSP The purpose of American Council of the Blind Human Service Professionals (ACBHSP) is to provide a forum to enhance the professional development of its members who are in positions such as rehabilitation counselors, teachers, psychologists, and others interested in vocations that are involved in human development. We do this using conference calls, e-mail lists, and other forms of open communication. Although our organization is composed primarily of people in the human service professions, anyone is welcome to subscribe to our e-mail list, join our organization, and attend our conference calls. You can subscribe to our e-mail list by going to www.acb.org/mailman/listinfo/acb-hsp and filling out the form on that page under the subscribe heading. Our conference calls are held on the first Sunday of each month at 8:30 p.m. Eastern time (5:30 Pacific). Our next conference call will be held on Sunday, August 1. The number to call is (218) 844-3388, and the access code is 222-477(ACB-HSP). If you wish to become a paying member of ACBHSP, please send a check or money order in the amount of $10 payable to ACB-HSP to our treasurer, Deanna Austin. Her address is: Deanna Austin, 5248 Spring Creek Ct., Indianapolis, IN 46254. ** New Service in Utah The Utah Council of the Blind has a new service which connects everyone in the state with a live person for questions and peer counseling. The Utah Connection, which is much like the Washington Connection, has been adapted so that from noon to 8 p.m. on weekdays (except Friday, which ends at 6 p.m.) a live person answers the phone. Utah residents call 1-800-273-4569 or locally (801) 299-0670. Volunteers are available to talk about the challenges of sight loss. People who are blind answer the phone, offer advocacy and referral as well as help with the adjustment to blindness. The service has been available for four months now and is quite busy. PSAs about this and other Utah Council of the Blind programs are being released. We hope that people losing their sight can receive information as well as feel supported in adjusting to the life changes. In addition to this 800 service there is also a new project which is called the Blind Grape Vine. On Saturday nights from 5 to 7 p.m. Mountain time, everyone who wishes to join on a conference call to share ideas, talk technology and blindness issues, share recipes, and experience a little peer counseling are invited to call (605) 475-4500 then dial the code 22377 followed by the pound sign. This conference line charges your long distance so you need a cell, cheap long distance, or unlimited long distance. Calls come in from many parts of the country with great results. There is a moderator to be certain everyone has a chance to talk. Of course, you can just listen if you prefer. Feel free to join and get acquainted! ***** COMMITTEE NEWS ACB Membership Focus Call The next ACB membership focus call will be held on Monday, Aug. 16 at 8:30 p.m. Eastern time (5:30 p.m. Pacific). We will discuss how to find blindness-related resources and share them. For membership-related information or questions, please contact Ardis Bazyn, ACB membership committee chair, abazyn@bazyncommunications.com. ***** PASSINGS It has come to our attention that we are rapidly losing members of our community, friends and supporters of ACB. In order to honor these people whose lives have impacted us, in large and small ways, we are publishing this column. See below for the format in which to submit information. Obituary Format Please include as much of the following information as possible when submitting material for this column. Submissions must involve dates no more than six months from intended date of publication. Name (first, last, maiden if appropriate) City of residence (upon passing) State/province of residence (upon passing) Other cities/states/countries of residence (places where other blind people may have known this person) Occupation Date of death (day if known, month, year) Age ACB affiliation (local/state/special-interest affiliates or national committees) ** KELLS, FRANK Frank Kells, life member of the American Council of the Blind, passed away quietly in his sleep on March 25, 2010. Kells, a long-time advocate for people with disabilities, especially the blind, had been suffering with a disease causing brain stem deterioration for several years. Frank was instrumental in getting the radio reading service, Sun Sounds of Arizona, started because he felt blind people deserved the opportunity to have access to newspapers and other written material. He also worked tirelessly to get the Arizona Center for the Visually Impaired started in Phoenix, and devoted his efforts to get the Arizona Council of the Blind and the southern Arizona chapter up and running. Frank's family requested that anyone wishing to make a donation in Frank's memory, please do so to the Lions Foundation, 1016 N. 32nd St., Suite 5, Phoenix, AZ 85008. ** LACY, CALVIN Calvin Lacy, 53, of Raleigh, N.C., passed away March 12, 2010. Calvin was a member of the board of the North Carolina Council of the Blind and president of the Raleigh-Wake chapter. A graduate of the Governor Morehead School for the Blind, he was employed initially by the Raleigh Lions Clinic and more recently by LC Industries in Durham. Calvin is survived by his wife Barbara, his mother, four sisters, two brothers and many friends who appreciated his willingness to help with any task and his fervent love of life. ** LEVY, RITA Rita Levy, 62, of Victor, Idaho, died Dec. 26, 2009 of an abdominal infection. Rita was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. on Dec. 4, 1947. She grew up in New York City, where she was educated under a program of public education for blind students. She excelled in music as well as in languages, earning advanced degrees at Hofstra University in New York. She eventually became both a concert pianist and a professional harpist. From 1971 to 1997, Rita taught music to children from kindergarten through eighth grade in the Bridgeport, Conn., public school system. She was a charter member of the ACB affiliate Friends-in-Art, for approximately 10 years a member of ACB's Connecticut state affiliate, and most recently a member of the ACB Diabetics in Action. Rita is survived by her husband, Donald Coleman, also of Victor, Idaho. ***** LETTER TO THE EDITOR The contents of this column reflect the letters we had received by the time we went to press, June 4, 2010. Letters are limited to 300 words or fewer. All submissions must include the author's name and location. Opinions expressed are those of the authors. In Reply to 'At Work with the Feds' I read with interest Ken O'Sullivan's piece, "At Work with the Feds" (March 2010) and immediately began thinking. O'Sullivan stated that there has been a "steady decline" in the ranks of disabled federal employees in recent years. While I'm glad to see any large employer (including the government) make targeted efforts to hire people with disabilities, I still wondered exactly WHY there has been a decline. Surely, issues of outreach and employer attitudes can (and unfortunately do) factor into trends like this. But I think we are making a grave mistake if we attribute such a decline solely to those factors. I'm wondering if the following factors have also contributed: 1) The government is no longer one of the only avenues of employment for people with disabilities. As ADA has taken hold and societal attitudes have begun to shift, I've started to see workers with disabilities represented in fields outside the traditional "ghettos" of the public and human services sectors. There are now workers with disabilities well represented in Fortune 500 companies, the financial services sector, IT, customer service and so on. 2) As access technology has become more affordable, more opportunities have opened up for disabled workers as small- to medium-sized employers no longer see the cost of accommodation as an issue. I'm sure all of us over 40 remember the days when it cost between $10,000 and $20,000 to accommodate a totally blind worker and $5,000 to $10,000 to accommodate a partially sighted employee. Those costs are now a fraction of what they once were (generally under $1,000 to give a totally blind worker basic accommodations, $5,000 to go all out). Federal recruitment efforts aimed at the disabled need to be "outside the box." Recruiters now need to recruit those of us with disabilities in much the same way traditional hires are recruited: by cherry-picking from the private sector and working with college career placement offices. I'm hoping that O'Sullivan and others involved with this effort also consider venues where people with disabilities who are already employed gather such as the AFB's CareerConnect, E-Sight, and mainstream trade associations. -- Robert R. Robbins, Maryland Heights, Mo. ***** HERE AND THERE edited 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 Sharon Lovering's mailbox. Information must be received at least two months ahead of publication date. ** FREE WRITERS' SEMINAR Rebecca Hein offers a free five-session course for writers, "The Music of Writing." Classes are conducted via conference call lasting 90-120 minutes each. Class size is limited to five and registration closes for the next course on July 31. To register, call Rebecca at 1-888-921-9595 or e-mail her at rhein@vcn.com. Put "The Music of Writing" in the e-mail subject field and follow up your message with a phone call. A $10 refundable deposit is required to complete the registration process. ** SEEKING "NO MEASURE" RECIPES Morgan Park is collecting recipes to compile in a "No Measure Cookbook" to be used as a fundraiser for the Pennsylvania Council of the Blind. These recipes are unique because they require no measuring spoons or measuring cups. For example, one box of this, two eggs, a can of that, and a handful of those. If you have recipes that meet the "no measure" requirement, please e-mail them to Morgan at mmp5076@gmail.com or call her at (814) 598-5048. She hopes to have 200 recipes by Aug. 1. ** TOGETHER AGAIN IN 2010 The South Dakota School for the Blind and Visually Impaired will be celebrating 110 years of educating students who are blind or visually impaired with an all-school reunion Aug. 6-8, 2010. For more information, contact Dawn LaMee at SDSBVI, 423 17th Ave. SE, Aberdeen, SD 57401, phone (605) 626-2580 or toll-free 1-888-275-3814, or e-mail lameed@sdsbvi.northern.edu. ** DISABILITY WORK RADIO SHOW Disabilities at Work (DAW) Radio is a new program airing on the VoiceAmerica Business Channel. The program debuted on April 14 and airs every Wednesday at noon Eastern. This Internet talk radio show focuses on topics and guests who are of interest to people who are disabled, their advocates, and their employers. Potential program content will include: companies who go beyond compliance to employ people with disabilities; service organizations who work in this field; discussions with individuals who are supportive of disability employment efforts; and people with disabilities who have interesting stories related to employment. DAW producers welcome your ideas for potential guests, topics, or sponsors. Contact the program by e-mailing info@disabilitiesatwork.org or by visiting www.disabilitiesatwork.org. ** YOUNG BLIND HUNTER Congratulations to Charlie Wilks, a blind 14-year-old who recently shot his first turkey ever. With assistance from two experienced turkey hunters/guides, Charlie bagged a 24-pound gobbler on his grandfather's land in northwest Missouri. Like most youth hunters, Charlie began this hobby by attending a hunter's safety course. His very first hunting success was during deer season when his grandfather helped Charlie shoot a big buck. ** NLS PLAYER ACCESSORIES Looking for the new digital talking-book cartridges? Or do you need a USB cable that's compatible with the new NLS players? One resource for those is Adaptive Technology, a division of the Perkins School for the Blind. Their pricing is as follows: 1 GB cartridge, $14.95; USB cable, $3.95; combo of one each, $17.95. For more information, e-mail adaptivetech@perkins.org, call (978) 462-3817, or visit www.perkinsproducts.org. ** TALKING ATMS NATIONWIDE Every one of the more than 18,000 Bank of America's ATMs in the United States is now a Talking ATM. These machines provide audible instructions for users in both English and Spanish. Likewise, every Bank of America ATM that is equipped to accept deposits now has deposit imaging functionality. This means items (a stack of up to 40 monetary bills or 10 checks) can be inserted directly into the ATM without having to fill out deposit slips or stuff envelopes. The machine can automatically calculate the deposit and confirm the amount immediately. To locate a Bank of America ATM, visit www.bankofamerica.com. ** COMPUTER ACCESS SIMPLIFIED AdaptiveVoice recently released its C-Desk 1.5, which is software that makes computer applications accessible to people with vision loss. It provides both screen enlargement and screen-reading capability. With it, users can access simplified applications including e-mail, word processing, Skype, OCR scanning, contacts lists, and more. A free demo of the software is available at www.adaptivevoice.com. ** TECHNOLOGY ASSOCIATIONS MERGE The Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) and the Accessibility Interoperability Alliance (AIA) have merged. AIA is now a new technical and engineering division within ATIA. The goal of this newest division is to address the incompatibility and frequent functional conflicts between assistive technology and information technology products. ** BRAILLE & INK IN ONE Tiger Braille embossers now offer an accessory that allows ink printing onto brailled documents. With the InkConnect, documents produced on Tiger's elite line of printers can include print for sighted readers as well as braille or tactile graphics for visually impaired readers. For more details about this product, visit www.viewplus.com or e-mail sales@viewplus.com. ** VISION RESTORATION RESEARCH Through support from the Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) charitable foundation, scientists at the University of Louisville's Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences continue to explore treatments for common eye diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). One study includes implanting a retinal prosthesis beneath the retina of a pig and recording the visual response. Researchers have also induced certain stem cells to become retinal cells to see if, once implanted, they can repair or grow new retinal tissue. ** AUTHOR SEEKS FEEDBACK Do you suffer from migraines with piercing pain? Do they last for hours? Ojocion Ingram has developed her own home remedy that gets her up and out in 40 minutes most of the time. If you would like to try it, she'll send you her pamphlet (or read it to you) in exchange for a 25- to 50-word statement of your results. Please call her at (415) 846-2027 and leave your name and mailing address. Be sure to speak slowly and clearly. Or you may send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Ojocion Ingram, P.O. Box 330426, San Francisco, CA 94133-0426. ** BOOK FOR DISABLED CHILDREN There is a new book available for children with disabilities and their parents. "Your Treasure Hunt: Disabilities and Finding Your Gold" by Katherine Schneider discusses the various challenges and obstacles that children with disabilities face throughout their life's journey. It offers constructive ways for dealing with these frustrating situations and techniques for building positive self-image. The hard-cover book consists of 32 full-color pages, and includes a resource section of helpful web sites and other books for parents and caregivers. Search for ISBN 1-59298-320-9 on Amazon.com. It is also available through Bookshare.org. ** BRAILLE BOOK OFFER Byron Smith, a member of the ACB of Indiana, offers several braille books to a good home. These books/booklets include: Business Planning Guide; The Constitution of the United States; Here Is New York by E.B. White; Four Gospels of The Holy Bible, American Standard Revised Version; The iPod Experience: Gaining Access to the iPod Shuffle by Anna Dresner; Learning WordPerfect 6.0 Using A Screen-Access Program by Kathleen Beaver; a small volume of scripture passages; Shop Online The Lazy Way by Richard Seltzer; tipping guide; Touch The Stars II Revised Edition by Noreen Grice; Using The Accessible iPod by Anna Dresner; and WordPerfect 6.0 DOS Quick Reference. To request an item or learn more about any of them, e-mail Byron@indiana.edu or call (812) 339-5400. ** NEW BOOKS AT NBP National Braille Press has released an updated version of, "Google It! A Guide to the World's Most Popular Search Engine," by Jonathan Mosen with Anna Dresner. This second edition is a tutorial of how to use Google for much more than just searches. The book covers: tracking packages, converting currency, finding the latest news, translating text, and Google apps for mobile phones. It's available in one braille volume, text, or eBraille for $14. NBP also offers "From Head to Toe," by Eric Carle. This print/braille board book teaches children ages 4-8 about body parts and simple movements. Using the fun actions of animals, the book inspires readers to get up and demonstrate how they can move too. The book is available in contracted and uncontracted braille for $7.99. You can learn more about both of these books by visiting www.nbp.org or by calling 1-800-548-7323. Or write to: National Braille Press, 88 St. Stephen Street, Boston, MA 02115-4302. ** SOCIAL NETWORK FOR THE BLIND The Friends Community List is a new social network designed for the blind and visually impaired to talk to each other by sending messages, going on forums, and much more. It is somewhat like Facebook. Sighted people can also join the service. It is a free service that launched on March 18. To check it out, visit www.tfcl.mixxt.com. ** E-MAIL CHAT LIST The City Café is a general-interest e-mail chat list which often includes topics of the week, articles of possible interest to members and sometimes questions of the day to bring about discussion. The list also tries to share job leads and tips for job seekers. The tone of the discussions is family-friendly and fun. Current members are both sighted and visually impaired. To join this e-mail list, send a blank message to the-city-cafe+subscribe@googlegroups.com. If you have any problems subscribing to the list, send a message to the list owner at thecitycafegroup@gmail.com. ** HANDMADE ITEMS Handmade items for sale! We have holiday hats and scarves for Christmas and Easter, as well as plain hats and scarves in many colors. Also available are plastic canvas tissue box covers. Other items are available too. Call Henry at (203) 909-2778. ** SCENTSY PRODUCTS Jywanza Maye has recently become a consultant for Scentsy, a line of flameless, wickless, fragrant candle-like ceramic warmers. Scentsy Warmers are a decorative, safer alternative to traditional candles, and use a low-watt bulb to melt a special wax slowly while maximizing fragrance time. Available in 80 fragrances and a variety of styles and colors. Jywanza invites you to visit his web site at www.scentsy.com/indy. To discuss product selection, contact Jywanza at (347) 878-6293. ***** BEGINNING YOGA FOR THE BLIND NOW AVAILABLE I was lying on my yoga mat this morning, this little two- by six-foot piece of rubber material, and I was thinking how lucky I was to have found yoga. Twenty-five years of practicing postures, developing muscle strength and flexibility, learning to relax completely and to breathe freely and deeply. Wow! I'm sure my life would have been fine without yoga, but today I find myself at 61 years of age to be in excellent shape. I believe yoga had an important role in helping me get here. As a blind person I spent lots of time over the years supporting and encouraging visually impaired people to live life fully and to never give in to the oppressive society's distorted view of the blind. I wrote articles and books and led workshops focused on blind liberation and blind power. I loved assisting blind folks away from the victim role they were conditioned to believe in and toward a stronger, more conscious view of themselves. Those were fun and rewarding times. Now, after years of leading workshops and writing books, I wanted so much to pass on the chance for other blind folks to have a safe and easy introduction to yoga. Maybe yoga could benefit them as much as it benefitted me. So Gretchen Hein, a Kripalu certified yoga instructor, and I produced the 5-CD package, "Beginning Yoga for the Blind and Visually Impaired." It took quite a while, but I am pleased with the results. I think it's a useful, informative and fun way to learn yoga. If you want to find out more, you can go to www.blindyoga.net. It's a small achievement, but one that actually could have a positive effect on many lives in the years to come. -- Marty Klein ***** CARDTRONICS' SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT GOES TO REMEDIATION "The Braille Forum" has been asked to carry a legal notice pertaining to an agreement reached between Cardtronics, Inc. and Cardtronics USA, Inc. (known collectively as Cardtronics). For reasons of space, this article summarizes the results. An earlier settlement agreement was entered into by Cardtronics on one side and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the National Federation of the Blind, and several other blind individuals as plaintiffs. Because Cardtronics could not meet the stipulations of the original settlement, a remediation agreement was signed that includes five major elements. First, all Cardtronics ATM machines except those in 7-Eleven stores must be equipped with a voice guidance system and phone jack and be accessible by the end of 2010. Those machines in 7-Eleven stores should be compliant by March of 2011. On the latter date, 90 percent of the machines in both classes must be fully functional. Cardtronics must also set up an inspection system to assure that machines are working, must pay $145,000 in attorneys' fees and must pay the NFB $60,000 for testing the voice guidance system. On Sept. 15 at 2:30 p.m., a hearing will be held to approve this settlement and accept the attorneys' fees. Anyone who objects to this settlement agreement must file their objection in writing before Aug. 30, 2010. Objections should be sent to the United States Courthouse, One Courthouse Way, Boston, MA 02210. Copies of objections should be sent to the attorneys for all parties at the following addresses: Office of the Massachusetts Attorney General Attn: Maura Healey, Esq. 100 Cambridge Street 11th floor Boston, MA 02108 Brown, Goldstein & Levy, LLP Attn: Sharon Krevor-Weisbaum, Esq. 120 E. Baltimore Street Suite 1700 Baltimore, MD 21202 Joseph Kociubes, Esq. Bingham McCutchen LLP 150 Federal Street Boston, MA 02110-1726 ***** HIGH TECH SWAP SHOP ** FOR SALE: Desktop computer with 1.5-TB hard drive, 4 gigs RAM, new Windows 7, JAWS 11, and Office 2007 Enterprise edition. Has 19-inch monitor, wireless keyboard and speakers. Asking $1,250. Toshiba laptop with 15.6" wide screen, 320-gig hard drive, 4 gigs RAM, new Windows 7, JAWS 11, and Office 2007 Enterprise edition. Asking $1,250. Desktop computer with 1 TB hard drive, 2 gigs RAM, Windows XP Home Edition, JAWS and ZoomText, and Microsoft Office. Asking $700. Toshiba laptop with 15.6" wide screen, 4 gigs RAM, 320-gig hard drive, Windows XP Professional Edition, ZoomText and Microsoft Office. Asking $900, including shipping. Call Jose at (818) 220-6256. ** FOR SALE: Electronic magnifier that works with laptops and desktops. Comes with all cables and software, as well as a carrying case. Will be shipped in the original box. Asking $500. Payment must be in the form of a money order in Canadian or U.S. funds. Please contact Nancy at (319) 217-8385 or owenryder@sympatico.ca. ** FOR SALE: PAC Mate Omni QX400 with 20-cell braille display. Comes with one fabric case, one socket P 500 wi-fi card and a couple of memory cards. Includes power cable, computer cable, and USB thumb drive adapter. Asking $950 or best offer. Shipping included. Contact Maureen at (727) 735-0797. ** FOR SALE: Hard-copy Braille manual for Book Port Plus. Asking $40. Eye-Pal Solo reading machine. Asking $1,000. Contact Beth via e-mail, happytrails@samobile.net. ** FOR SALE: PAC Mate 20 with accompanying BX400 refreshable braille display, start-up CD, cables. Units purchased in late 2005, updated in 2006. Asking $1,500 for the package, including shipping, but will consider best offer. Money order preferred. Send an e-mail message to triviaguy@bellsouth.net for details. ** FOR SALE: Braille Note mPower QT in good condition. Comes with leather carrying case and power cord. Braille display contains 40 cells. Asking $2,200 (negotiable). Contact Ashley Cwikla at ashcwk@aol.com. ** FOR SALE: Gently used PAC Mate Omni QX. Comes with a 1-gig flash card, a wireless card, charger, USB cable, and all CDs. Asking $400 without the braille display or $600 with. Contact Jessica via e-mail, jsears1986@gmail.com. ** WANTED: Used PowerBraille 80, in good condition, all pins working. Contact Andre at (847) 318-6413. ** WANTED: Voice Mate, reasonably priced. Contact Tom Fillyaw at 1201 SW 3rd Ave., Lake Butler, FL 32054; phone (386) 496-8189; or e-mail tfillyaw@windstream.net. ** WANTED: I'm looking for someone to help me procure books from National Braille Press, such as the book on searching for jobs on the Internet. Contact Ibrahim Umar at 00234-8191-233-194, or write in braille to him at PO Box 5426, Kano State, 700001, Nigeria. ** WANTED: Gently used Braille 'n Speak. I need it for school. Contact Tonya Smith via e-mail, tonya.smith01@gmail.com. ***** REPOTTING A LIFE The surge of nature brings new life, And so begins an unknown sojourn. As a seedling's life bursts forth, New growth transforms and blooms. In time, knowing replaces innocence And other paths are forged With mysterious crossroads in the offing. Thus it is that life invites choice toward becoming ... beyond the known Nature's seedling evolves, reaching out to life And transplantation will bring even greater growth. Be it transplantation or transformation A life sojourn offers a myriad of magical moments; Moments to grow, Moments to repot a life. -- Teddie-Joy Remhild ACB OFFICERS PRESIDENT MITCH POMERANTZ 1115 CORDOVA ST. #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: Marcia Dresser, Reading, MA 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: Michael Malver, Minneapolis, MN Ron Milliman, Bowling Green, KY