The ACB Braille Forum Volume LXIII March 2025 No. 7 Published by the American Council of the Blind ***** * Be A Part of ACB The American Council of the Blind (TM) is a membership organization made up of more than 70 state and special-interest affiliates. To join, contact the national office at 1-800-424-8666. * Contribute to Our Work Those much-needed contributions, which are tax-deductible, can be sent to Attn: Treasurer, ACB, 6200 Shingle Creek Pkwy., Suite 155, Brooklyn Center, MN 55430. If you wish to remember a relative or friend, the national office has printed cards available for this purpose. Consider including a gift to ACB in your Last Will and Testament. If your wishes are complex, call the national office. To make a contribution to ACB by the Combined Federal Campaign, use this number: 11155. * Check in with ACB For the latest in legislative and governmental news, call the "Washington Connection" 24/7 at 1-800-424-8666, or read it online. Tune in to ACB Media at www.acbmedia.org or by calling (518) 906-1820. Learn more about us at www.acb.org. Follow us on Twitter at @acbnational, or like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/acbnational. © 2025 American Council of the Blind Scott Thornhill, Executive Director Sharon Lovering, Editor 225 Reinekers Ln., Suite 660, Alexandria, VA 22314 ***** ** Table of Contents Tuesday Evenings with Great-Grandfather: Lessons in Political Discourse, by Deb Cook Lewis A Note from the Executive Director, by Scott Thornhill Advocacy in Action, by Claire Stanley Summary of the 2025 Legislative Imperatives, by Kyla Ventura Learn about Continuing Education and Professional Development Hours, by Janet Dickelman Join Us and Spring Into Action!, by Cecily Laney Nipper Get Active: Resources and Variety Are the Keys, by Connie Bateman Get Up and Go!, by Thomas J. Murphy Pedaling My Way to Fame and Misfortune, by Janet Di Nola Parmerter Christmas Bowl, by Abbie Johnson Taylor Spring Forward: 10 Tips to Maximize Your Spring Cleaning from a BVI Perspective, by Anthony Corona The Gift That Keeps on Giving, by Tom Tobin Shaping the Future of Accessible Learning: Your Voice Matters, by Kaili Makeoka Be A Leader Anyway, interpretation by Amanda Selm Warpaint, by Nancy Scott In Memoriam: Edward Lex Potter, March 24, 1932-January 14, 2025 Here and There, edited by Cynthia G. Hawkins ACB Officers ACB Board of Directors ACB Board of Publications Accessing Your ACB Braille Forums ** How to Submit Articles to the Forum If you wish to submit an article to "The ACB Braille Forum," please send it via email to slovering@acb.org as part of the message, or attached as a Word or ASCII text file. Articles should be between 500 and 800 words. Language should be family friendly. Longer articles may be divided into two or more parts. ** Upcoming Forum Themes and Deadlines May 2025: theme: Older Americans Month/AAVL; deadline: March 21, 2025 June 2025: focus on convention; deadline: April 21, 2025 If your committee or affiliate would like to claim an issue of the Forum, please contact Sharon Lovering, slovering@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 update the database. ***** ** Tuesday Evenings with Great-Grandfather: Lessons in Political Discourse by Deb Cook Lewis Every Tuesday evening, our house transformed into a stage for one of the most fascinating spectacles I had ever witnessed. My great-grandfather, a man of immense wisdom and strong opinions, would arrive punctually for dinner. His visits were not merely family gatherings; they were the starting point for deep, and often heated, political discussions with my father. These discussions became a significant part of my upbringing, shaping my understanding of discourse and the art of communication. * The Art of Listening One of the most profound lessons I learned from these evening debates was the importance of truly listening. My great-grandfather and my father seldom agreed on any issue, yet they engaged each other with a level of respect that was remarkable. My father made it a point to listen to what my great-grandfather felt was important, even if he didn't particularly consider it the central issue. This practice of acknowledging the other person's concerns, regardless of personal disagreements, taught me that listening is not just about hearing words, but about understanding the essence of the other person's perspective. * Finding Common Ground Despite their frequent disagreements, my great-grandfather and my father always searched for common points, no matter how tangential they were to the main topic. This pursuit of commonality, even in the midst of conflict, was a powerful lesson. It demonstrated that finding even the smallest shared idea could pave the way for more constructive conversations. This approach helped to keep their discussions from descending into chaos and allowed them to maintain a thread of connection, despite their differing viewpoints. * Maintaining Focus In their debates, it was crucial for my father to make his most important point early, especially if he felt the conversation was not yielding a relationship. This was another valuable lesson. Introducing additional concerns could fragment the discussion and obscure the main point. My father's strategy of prioritizing his key argument ensured that the core message was communicated effectively, even if the conversation veered off course. * Personal Yet Composed Both my great-grandfather and my father were passionate about their beliefs, but they always managed to remain composed. They were personal, sharing their experiences and emotions, but they avoided excessive drama. This taught me the importance of being sincere and authentic in communication, while also maintaining a certain level of composure. It was a delicate balance between being heartfelt and maintaining clarity and respect in the conversation. * Ending on a Positive Note No matter how intense their discussions became, my great-grandfather and my father always found a way to conclude with a common element or a shred of hope. They proposed next steps, whether it was a follow-up letter or another visit. This practice of ending on a positive note reinforced the idea that even in disagreement, there could be continuity and progress. It left room for future dialogue and maintained the bond between them. * Conclusion The Tuesday evening debates between my great-grandfather and my father were more than just political discussions. They were lessons in listening, finding common ground, maintaining focus, being personal yet composed, and ending on a positive note. These principles have been invaluable to me, not just in political discourse, but in all areas of communication. In an era where divisive rhetoric often prevails, the lessons I learned from my great-grandfather and my father serve as a reminder of the importance of respectful and constructive dialogue. Their interactions were a testament to the power of communication and the enduring strength of family bonds, even amidst profound disagreements. And every Tuesday evening, as we sat around the dinner table, I was a privileged observer of this dynamic interplay, absorbing lessons that would stay with me for a lifetime. ***** ** A Note from the Executive Director by Scott Thornhill Dear ACB Family, A year ago this month I began as the Executive Director of the American Council of the Blind. I attended the D.C. Leadership Conference and met so many wonderful people as my start date approached. Since then I have met countless members, in person and virtually. Leading the staff of a membership organization is a challenging and rewarding pursuit. It has been my privilege to visit with members at conventions in over 10 states so far, with more to come. We have started our Accessibility & Training Services program area this year, we are approaching 25,000 Community Events, serving over 8,000 members and growing our D.C. Leadership Conference, National Conference & Convention, and Audio Description Awards Gala. The number of corporate sponsors and individual donors is increasing, and our advocacy outreach on accessibility and policy is leading to tangible improvements for people who are blind or with low vision. As I "spring" into my second year with ACB, there is much to be excited about for sure. We also face some difficulties as well. The dilemma of how we reach new members across the age spectrum, how we help some of our affiliates with long-term viability, how we increase revenue from new sources, and ultimately how we even more diligently meet our mission. I am committed to supporting our members as they live their journey of vision challenges, understanding there is no "right way" to be blind. I remain focused on ensuring companies and government institutions carry out their responsibilities in making digital as well as physical locations accessible. The American Council of the Blind is a strong organization which has a very bright future with your support. Thank you for welcoming me and offering your encouragement, and the occasional critique, as our staff works to make the coming decades the best ACB has ever experienced. ***** ** Advocacy in Action by Claire Stanley In January, Claire Stanley and Kolby Garrison traveled to Las Vegas, Nev. to attend the Consumer Electronic Show (CES). They were invited as part of ACB's involvement with the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) Foundation. ACB has previously worked with CTA to advocate for more accessibility in all products. That week, the two attended numerous sessions, toured a plethora of exhibit halls, and networked with other disability advocates and major industry personnel. The topics discussed varied widely, from healthcare to transportation to employment and much more. Claire and Kolby particularly appreciated the opportunity to speak directly with the companies in the various exhibit halls. As they met with the product representatives, their questions were always the same; they asked if the product was accessible for blind and low-vision users. The mix of responses was always entertaining and a bit predictable. Unfortunately, many admitted they had not considered such needs, or simply did not understand what they meant when they brought up accessibility. Other companies claimed they were accessible, but it was clear that such answers were not true. Claire and Kolby were excited to interact with several businesses that either had thought about it or were eager to learn from ACB to make their products and services more accessible. As a result, the beginning of several relationships were formed. ACB now has the opportunity to liaise with numerous companies as they explore how to make their products accessible for our community. Advocacy can be exhausting; the same questions often have to be asked over and over. However, persistence can overturn important stones. ***** ** Summary of the 2025 Legislative Imperatives by Kyla Ventura The majority of home use medical devices and outpatient equipment utilizes digital display interfaces that are inaccessible to blind, low vision, and deaf-blind users. Class 2 and Class 3 medical devices such as glucose monitors, blood pressure readers, and at-home chemotherapy treatments do not have any non-visual accessibility features like text to speech output, tactile markings, or audible tones built in. As a result, people who are blind, low vision, and deaf-blind cannot independently manage their health from the privacy of their own homes. Access to websites, applications and online services impacts most aspects of everyday life, and the COVID-19 pandemic has made digital inclusion more important than ever. There is a need for enforcement standards that clearly state websites, applications, and online services must be accessible to people with disabilities. People who are blind, low vision, and deaf-blind face countless barriers when accessing workplace portals, educational platforms, healthcare and public health information, transportation services, shopping, and entertainment over the Internet. The 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA) guaranteed access for people with disabilities to advanced communications services, telecommunications hardware and software, accessible video displays and user interfaces and digital apparatuses, and required the delivery of audio-described content. For more than 10 years, ACB and its members have worked to implement and enforce the CVAA, and in several key aspects, we have reached the limits of what the CVAA is able to enforce. Once passed, this legislation will update existing requirements for accessible media, video user interfaces, and video conferencing services. ACB urges Congress to reintroduce, support, and pass these bills during the 119th Congress. ***** ** Learn About Continuing Education and Professional Development Hours by Janet Dickelman Are you ready for the 2025 American Council of the Blind Conference and Convention? Zoom-only sessions will be held Thursday, June 26 through Saturday, June 28. Then join us in Dallas in-person or virtually, Friday, July 4 through Thursday, July 10. For more information, visit https://www.acb.org/2025-convention-theme-big-dreams-bold-ideas. If you would like to receive continuing education units, here is all the information you will need. Procuring continuing education units or professional development hours is easy. Registration for the conference and convention will open in May. Discover an amazing array of programs that carry CE and PD hours by visiting acbconvention.org beginning in April. As convention registration approaches, CE and PD sessions will be updated frequently. CE sessions will also be listed in the official conference program or by subscribing to the acbconvention email list as they become available. To earn continuing education units and professional development hours, you must register for the conference and convention by logging into your member account at members.acb.org and purchasing the number of flex credits you think you will need. When you attend a CE session, a unique code will be announced at the beginning of each session, and another unique code will be announced at the end of the session. Make note of these codes, as well as the session title, date and time, as you will need to include this information when you submit your assessment. If you attend more programs and presentations than you anticipate, just submit reports for all sessions, and we will contact you for any additional payment. By logging into your member site (members.acb.org), you will complete an online assessment and evaluation form for each session or program you attend. There is no longer a deadline for submission of your assessments. Once ACB has validated your assessments, you can log into your member site to print your CE certificate. You are responsible for submitting your certificate to your employer for your professional development hours or to ACVREP for your continuing education credits. Topics will include but are not limited to employment, technology, health and leisure, orientation and mobility, self-advocacy, braille, low vision, and much more. * Hotel Details Room rates at the Hyatt are $99 per night (single or double occupancy), $124 (triple occupancy) and $149 (quadruple occupancy), plus tax, which is currently 17.2%. To make reservations online, go to https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/group-booking/DFWRD/G-AMCB. If you prefer to make reservations by phone, call (214) 651-1234, and use group code G-AMCB. The Hyatt is located at 300 Reunion Blvd. The cut-off date to make reservations is Monday, June 9, so don’t delay! Make your reservations today! For any convention-related questions, please contact Janet Dickelman, convention chair, at (651) 428-5059 or via e-mail, janet.dickelman@gmail.com. * Staying in Touch The convention announce list will be filled to the brim with information. To subscribe to the list, send a blank e-mail to acbconvention+subscribe@acblists.org. If you received updates for the 2024 convention, you do not need to re-subscribe to the list. * Upcoming Articles In the April ACB Braille Forum, read about how to rent a wheelchair in Dallas, get certified for paratransit, order dog food delivered to your room, obtain assistance at the airport, and find out all about convention registration. The May and June convention articles will feature overviews of what our special-interest affiliates, ACB committees, and business partners have planned in 2025. ***** ** Join Us and Spring Into Action! Are you ready to spring into action after a long winter? Get Up and Get Moving is the place for you! Come to our weekly sponsored calls on ACB Community by checking your daily community schedule. But it's not just exercise, it's a mindset of activating mind and body. Visit our social media at Get Up and Get Moving, and our website at https://www.acb.org/get-and-get-moving-committee to read more and check out committee details. Your health and fitness journey starts today. Tiny changes help! We advocate for equal access to health and fitness for people who are blind or have low vision. One of our ACB imperatives for 2025 will address this important advocacy work. Join us today! Is your affiliate looking for programming for an upcoming convention or event? We'd love to present about fitness, exercise, and more. Contact co-chair Leslie Spoone at lesliespoone@cfl.rr.com. -- Cecily Laney Nipper ***** ** GET ACTIVE: Resources and Variety Are the Keys by Connie Bateman Several years ago, when I was much younger and had low vision, I participated in dance classes, aerobics classes, and step aerobics classes. All I had to do was talk to the instructors in advance to explain the nature of my sight loss and the need for me to stand near them in front of the class to follow their routines. I also asked them to be as verbal as possible. When I transitioned from low vision to blindness 16 years ago, I thought my exercise days were over. Then I heard about a program called Eyes Free Fitness which offered audio-described workouts. I purchased the easy workout set, which consisted of workouts for stretching, upper body core, lower body and balance, and cardio. I downloaded this workout set onto my Victor Reader Stream and was able to do the workouts at home. Later, I purchased a balance routine and a cardio workout on thumb drives and was able to play them on the NLS player. A couple of years ago, I heard about wellness and lifelong learning classes offered by a senior center called A Community of Caring (ACC) here in Sacramento, Calif. One of the classes that interested me was a dance aerobics class called Moving On. I contacted the coordinator of the program, and she connected me with the instructor through e-mail. The instructor and I met on Zoom a few times so he could show me some of the routines and make sure I was doing the movements correctly. Then I signed up with the ACC Rides program so I could get rides to the class every Friday. The drivers get me to the class 15 minutes early. This gives the instructor time to show me what routines we'll be doing that day. When I lost all of my sight, I realized that I'm not able to stay in place because it's difficult to know where I am in space, so I use a chair to anchor myself in place and to line myself up when I need to move forward and backward and right and left. ACC also has a walk program in which they pair up visually impaired people and seniors with senior escort volunteers. This decreases isolation and loneliness, gets us out of the house, makes us visible in our neighborhoods, and helps us to stay active. A resource I heard about from the ACB community healthy living support group is the Northwest Association of Blind Athletes. This group has audio-described workouts online which you can follow from the comfort of your home. I've done a few of their dance aerobics workouts, and the audio description is very clear and easy to follow. Speaking of the ACB community, there are several exercise classes available on these Zoom calls which are sponsored by ACB's Get Up and Get Moving campaign. I attend the resistance classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays using resistance bands, and the happy hour cardio class on Wednesdays. The instructor does an excellent job describing the movements, and the people who attend her classes are fun and motivated. Although we are blind or visually impaired, we can have active lives when we choose to take advantage of the many resources available to us. Find a variety of activities that you enjoy doing, get together with other people, and get moving! ***** ** Get Up and Go! By Thomas J. Murphy (Condensed from Journal of Rehabilitation, September 1966; reprinted from "The Braille Forum," November 1967.) Without special training, a newly blinded adult will have great difficulty traveling to any place away from the immediate environment of his home. The very fact that such an undertaking is thought of as difficult and dangerous causes the person to forgo the risk involved and stay at home where he is "safe" but immobile. Until recently, with the exception of the blind rehabilitation program at Hines (Illinois) Veterans Hospital, there were no quality orientation and mobility programs available to blind people. Methods of teaching had not been formalized, with the result that most instructors lacked thorough training. But now, with these two (Boston U and Western Michigan U) programs graduating 30 students a year, more opportunity for good instruction will be available to more blind persons. The blind person who undertakes mobility training must be rehabilitated, partly through his own effort and desire for a means to be reasonably independent, and partly through the efforts and ingenuity of individual members of the rehabilitation team. The success of various phases of rehabilitation of a blind person depends on whether or not he is mobile. To the extent one is not, he becomes inactive and consequently dependent. Normally a mobility course lasts 12 to 16 weeks and is divided into two basic parts: pre-cane skills and cane skills. Pre-cane skills are those which will enable the person to be mobile without the use of an aid (long cane or dog guide). Proper use of a sighted guide is one of the techniques taught during this phase. Here the main purpose is to show how a blind person and his guide can work together as a team. If a blind person knows the proper way to grip his guide, knows how close to stand to the guide as they travel together, knows how they should work together, going through doorways and crowded areas in ascending and descending stairs, in selecting theatre seats, etc., then he can assume an active role by informing his guide, prior to encountering these situations. If the guide is a complete stranger who knows nothing about assisting the blind, then the blind person may have to inform him on the spot as to what technique to use. The blind trainee is placed in various situations where he will have to make practical use of the skills. In traveling without an aid he must use a set of skills which will allow him to gather information and protect himself at the same time. "Trailing" is such a skill. By allowing the fingers of his guiding hand to follow over the surface being used as a guide, the blind person is able to realize his location at any one time as he moves toward and finally locates his objective. The hand and forearm are brought across the body in the upper and lower position as a technique used primarily to protect oneself while moving about alone in unfamiliar areas. This technique can be combined with trailing and with some cane skills to give the most complete protection possible. The instrument known as the long cane is designed to have a definite functional value as opposed to being merely a symbol of blindness. The cane may be used as a bumper to afford the user protection against walking into objects and also as a probe. In this case the cane is used to examine the area where the person is about to walk. This is accomplished by synchronizing the foot and cane movements so that the cane clears a path for each foot as it is brought forward. The length of the cane is determined by the height and gait of the user. The touch technique combined with the methods of using the cane in going up and down stairs and the diagonal technique (cane held across the front of the body acting as a bumper) will give a blind person the means to travel independently in almost any type of travel situation. Typically, a trainee is taught these techniques in an isolated setting so that he can master them before attempting to use them in traveling to specific objectives within the community. As the blind person progresses from quiet residential areas to a more complex environment, he learns how to use landmarks and other recognizable auditory and tactile clues which will enable him to remain oriented as he travels to his objective. The final lessons in the course are designed to test the trainee's ability to use all the skills he has learned during the course. A typical run might include traveling downtown by bus, making purchases in a store, eating lunch in a public restaurant and returning home by bus. The purpose of such training is to foster independence -- to teach the person the skills that will restore lost mobility to a reasonable degree. Once the skills are learned they can be applied to almost any travel situation. If a person is properly motivated, he should be able to come into a strange city and, once having received adequate instruction, travel to his destination with little help. ***** ** Pedaling My Way to Fame and Misfortune by Janet Di Nola Parmerter Springtime! Everyone is anxious to enjoy outdoor activities, like hiking or bike riding, but at my stage of life, hiking is no longer enjoyable. When I was a child with better vision, every spring my brother Johnny and I hiked through the Naugatuck Woods behind my grandparents' home to catch tadpoles in a lake. We hammered 16 penny nails through the bottom of grandpa's metal bucket and the lid of a glass jug. We hiked for hours carrying our gear through the Connecticut woods to a huge mountain lake. After tying a rope on the bucket handle, we threw it into the water as far as we could, then slowly pulled it back, lifted it out, watched the water spray from the holes, gathered up the shocked little tadpoles at the bottom of the bucket, and placed the tiny tadpoles and jelly egg pods into the water jar. The holes in the lid were useful because they supplied air to our new trophies, but Grandpa was not happy with the holes in his now useless bucket. Back home in Fairview, N.J., our classmates were thrilled when the teachers brought in fish tanks to keep the newly caught classroom pets. A learning experience for city children to watch tadpoles gradually grow front and back legs, lose their tails, and become frogs. Each spring, bringing these aquatic amphibians back to the city made us celebrities, and we enjoyed the fame. We all watched the amazing transformation of tadpoles into frogs, as I watched my transformation into vision loss, and my parents wondered how that happened. Whenever medical situations occur, like passing on a genetic disease, sometimes it's worse for a parent than for the child, because they may feel responsible for their child’s difficulties. One parent felt so troubled she blamed herself, whereas her child easily adapted to life without sight, not realizing others saw things differently. Yet, when a teenager with vision loss comes to the year their friends get a driver's license, it can be traumatic as they are hit with the reality of their limitations. Without verbalizing it, their self-esteem may plummet. When my classmates bragged about getting their license, outwardly, I feigned enthusiastic excitement while inwardly I was heartsick. How devastating it is to come to the realization that my waning eyesight would prevent me from ever driving any type of motorized vehicle. Obviously, I was doomed to walk, take public transportation, or bum rides from faithful friends. So, to feel a bit more independent, I bought a ten-speed bicycle. Therefore, I did not feel quite dissatisfied when riding around my local neighborhood with those two wheels. Granted, they were no comparison to four Goodyear tires. Juvenile macular degeneration left me with a large blind spot in the center of both eyes. So when riding my bicycle, I used a scanning method. In order to see what was around and directly in front of me, I continuously moved both eyes right and left in a scanning motion. To get around the problem of knowing what was directly in front, the quick fix was to use my peripheral vision. Pedaling those two small bicycle wheels gave me a huge sense of freedom. Three days a week, I pedaled my way to Woman's World, and convinced myself the six-block ride to the gym was my pre-exercise warm up. However, an unsettling event happened at the gym. During the exercise routine, a trainer interrupted my weightlifting and said, "You have a phone call you can take in the unoccupied consultation office." The lights in the room were off, so I clearly saw the bright flashing light showing me which phone line to push, and picked up the receiver. Instantly, I heard something which sent a chill up my spine. Bugs Bunny was yelling, "Wake up, you sleepy head, wake up, you sleepy head, wake up, you sleepy head!" Terrified, I began shaking and slammed the phone down so hard it almost cracked the phone cradle. Why did that silly cartoon voice terrify me? About two months prior to that incident, I received strange phone calls without anyone speaking. There was only that same uncomfortable message, the voice of Bugs Bunny yelling over and over, "Wake up, you sleepy head, wake up, you sleepy head, wake up, you sleepy head!" The first time it happened, I laughed and thought it was a childish phone prank. However, after a few months, this phone message became annoying, then disconcerting, when the phone calls rang as soon as I opened my front door. Now, the realization hit me like a punch in my gut. This was not a child; this prankster knew exactly where I was and what I was doing. This convinced me I was being watched, or perhaps being stalked. After that nerve-racking phone call, I ran to change clothes, bolted out the door, hopped on my bicycle and raced toward home. Regretfully, I did not stop and calm down to concentrate on my vision and the vital task at hand, safely pedaling home. It was impossible to stop thinking about that awful phone call. Sadly, with my distracted brain worrying about being stalked, my eyes froze straight ahead on the road like a deer in the headlights. Bad move for me! One block from the gym, an older woman pulled her car out of her driveway. She waited for traffic to clear, then nosed her car onto busy Gorge Road, where I proceeded to ride straight into the side of her car. She later described the accident as follows: "Before pulling into the street, I looked right and left, saw you coming and thought you would go around the front of my car. Becoming concerned, I thought, 'She was coming awful close, when is she going around the car?' The next second you rode straight into my door with your legs in the air and flew across my windshield, hit the street, and slid on your face to a sickening stop." Yes, that summed it up. The accident happened because I was so preoccupied with the phone call that I neglected to move my eyes side to side. The car was smack dab in the middle of my blind spot, and nothing was visible in my central vision, so I rode straight into her car door. After breaking the fall with a face plant on the asphalt, I slid to a halting stop. Not only did I not get up and run away, but I did not get up at all. When I came to, I was baffled because I never saw the car, however, I remembered hearing a loud noise and the screams of a shocked, screaming woman! Apparently, when she saw me fly across her windshield and violently hit the pavement, she became horrified, flipped out and began screaming, "I didn't hit you; I didn't hit you!" Next to my mangled bike, she left me dazed and bleeding on the street as she jumped out of her car. Since it was heavy rush hour traffic, I was grateful cars drove around me rather than over me. As I laid motionless on the street, her blaring voice made a painful situation worse. How could I silence her relentless screams of innocence? Fortunately, as she shouted to find a witness, her cries caught the attention of a few quick-thinking construction workers who jumped off their scaffolding and pulled me to safety. As this happened, the crazed woman began questioning them while yelling, "Did you see I wasn't moving? DID YOU SEE I DIDN'T HIT HER? Did you see her hit me? Did you see that, did you? I did NOT hit her! I wasn't even moving!" Her frantic, earsplitting screams were so intense I thought, "Someone should calm this woman down before she has a stroke!" Finally, I begged her, "Please stop yelling, I KNOW you did not hit me, I hit YOU! OK? So please, just stop screaming!" Still lying on the sidewalk in pain, I looked up at the construction workers and moaned, "How is my bicycle?" Bewildered, one of them looked at the other guy and said, "Did you hear that? Her bike? She's worried about the bike! Forget the bike, how are YOU?" Then another worker yelled, "Someone call an ambulance!" Immediately I pleaded, "NO, please no. Can't anyone just take me a few blocks home?" (This was in the days before cell phones, so fortunately no one could instantly call an ambulance.) Fortunately, one worker had a truck, and he gingerly helped me into the cab, threw my bike in the back and with a crushed spirit and broken bike, drove me home. As soon as we arrived, Anna, my Italian neighbor caught sight of me and cried, "Ooo, mamma mia" and carefully helped me into her house. Quickly thinking Anna did the best thing possible. First, she calmed my frazzled nerves with a few shots of amaretto, then worked on saving my face. After having me lie across her couch, for hours she continued to put fresh ice on my forehead, around my eyes, nose, lips, and chin. As ice packs melted, she said the ice would not only minimize the swelling and bruising, but it might also prevent scars. Thanks to Anna's immediate ice remedy, she saved my face. Though the skin on my forehead, nose, lips, and chin scraped off, I didn't receive any permanent facial scars, and never rode that bike again. At that point, my shining dreams of bicycle independence quickly switched to despair. Nevertheless, in future years, that too would change, because, thanks to a tandem and someone's broken marriage, I did not stop bike riding. A divorced couple sold a slightly used tandem at Vincent's bike shop, so we bought it. It was wonderful to know we could now safely ride together. Keith could do the seeing, and I could share the pedaling. It seemed to be the perfect solution. Right? Well, not exactly! That previous bike accident left me with terrible post-traumatic stress. On Palisades Avenue, whenever a car came anywhere near us, I screamed in terror and clawed, pounded, and hid my face into poor Keith’s back. Riding the seven blocks to Hudson County Park, my terror resulted in me unbalancing the bicycle the whole way to the park. Once we finally exited the main street and rode past the stone columns into the entrance, it was serene, and I felt wonderful. Pedaling around the wide-open streets and the lake was lovely, but I had instant panic before we made our way home. Once past the stone columns, we faced the buses, trucks, cars and pedestrians on the narrow, terrifying two-lane street. When we would arrive home, those so-called leisurely bike rides always ended with poor Keith taking a few aspirin for his headache and sore back. Could you say Keith was another victim of my bike crash? Absolutely! So again, I say, poor Keith! He dearly loved bike riding, but also loved his back. Unfortunately, our car was too small for a tandem bike rack, so we could comfortably drive to the park. So we sold the bike. Keith's back, his ears, and my nerves could not take any more of those pleasurable rides to the park. As far as the crazed phone calls, I made a police report, and the local police tapped my phone. Though they never discovered who was behind those calls, as things progressed, I began to suspect one person, and planned a little test. In conversation with another friend, who was standing next to the one I suspected, I told the phone story and made sure to stress the point about the police department tapping my line. Miraculously, those calls instantly stopped. As for my bicycle riding days? I thought it was best to stick to snow skiing, give up pedaling a bicycle, and allow Keith to have some alone time to peacefully pedal his bike. Through the years, losing more of my sight, I found more inner sight and learned that modesty means recognizing one's limitations. Sometimes, being modest and protecting our life is worth more than being embarrassed about one's lack of vision, or what one can no longer safely do. Post-traumatic stress and fear can be the aftershock of a horrible incident, but can we learn from a tough situation? Yes, we can, and I did. I learned to be content with things I can do, and not be concerned with what I cannot do, because in a second, life can drastically change -- and it can take a long time to heal. Now that we live in the south, with less traffic, we bought another tandem with a Harpo Marx horn for my handlebars. So, as we pedal around our sub-division, the children all know us. We are the two old people riding a bicycle together. Passing the bewildered, laughing children, I honk and wave as they take pictures of us with their expensive smartphones. We have pedaled our way from misfortune to fame! Therefore, I conclude by saying to low-vision bike riders, rather than taking the chance of never enjoying future bike rides, think of options. Is there a new hobby you might like? If you can still ride a bike, be extremely careful where and how you ride. Better yet, buy a helmet and a tandem, find a good trustworthy friend, and enjoy the wind across your face as you safely honk a horn on the handlebars. ***** ** Christmas Bowl by Abbie Johnson Taylor In 1981, I was entering my second year at Sheridan College in Sheridan, Wyo. I was required to take at least two semesters of physical education. Being visually impaired and because of many unpleasant experiences with such classes in elementary school and junior high -- falling on my face while running, balls hitting my nose -- I was reluctant. But it was time to quit procrastinating and do it. I signed up for bowling because that required the least athletic ability, and the chance of injury was slim. The first few days of class were humiliating. I found that no matter what I did, the ball always ended up in the gutter. Nobody laughed at me, which they would have done in elementary school. But between frames, I watched others bowl strikes and spares and heard them cheer for one another. The realization that no one was cheering for me was depressing. Seeing that I was floundering, the instructor arranged for me to have a lane all to myself, so I could practice continually without having to wait my turn. She worked with me to perfect my arm movement, so I could aim the ball right down the center of the lane. Gradually, I improved. My gutter balls became less and less frequent, and I began hitting more and more pins each time. One day, I finally made a strike, and the bowling alley reverberated with my classmates' cheers. By the time the holidays rolled around, my average score was 76. I loved bowling and wanted to practice in order to improve my game. I even watched the professional bowling tour on TV. I was living at home at the time. Since I couldn't drive, it was impossible to borrow the car and go to the bowling alley whenever I wanted. I constantly begged my parents to take me bowling, which they did most of the time. My younger brother Andy often tagged along. At Thanksgiving, when my uncle, aunt, and cousins from out of town were visiting, I talked them into bowling with us, and we all had a wonderful time. As Christmas grew closer, I was saddened to realize the bowling class wouldn't continue in the second semester. I had come to enjoy it and wondered if I would ever bowl again once the term ended. Then, to my wondering eyes on Christmas morning, there appeared a bowling ball, a pair of shoes, and a bag in which to carry them. My parents even gave me an electronic bowling game. They'd realized that I was serious about this sport, just as Andy had been serious about tennis a few years earlier. Through the years, I continued to bowl when I could. In 1987, after moving to Fargo, N.D., to complete a six-month music therapy internship, I became involved in a couple of bowling groups for the blind. One year, after returning to Sheridan, while I was working as a registered music therapist, I joined a ladies' bowling league team. But we only bowled a few times, and the team finally broke up due to lack of interest. I offered my services to another team captain I knew, but I was never called. Maybe my 76-average score didn't make me league material. I recently learned that the local senior center has a weekly bowling group. When Andy, now living in Florida, came for a visit, I asked him to help me find my bowling ball and shoes, which I thought were stored in my garage. But we never found them. No doubt they were lost in transit during one of the many moves I made in my life. Because I often had trouble finding a ball with holes fitting my fingers exactly, and I didn't want to pay extra for shoe rental, I decided not to bother with the senior bowling group. I may bowl again someday. Meanwhile, I'll always cherish the memory of the best Christmas present I ever received, the realization that I could bowl. ***** ** Spring Forward: 10 Tips to Maximize Your Spring Cleaning from a BVI Perspective by Anthony Corona Ah, spring! The season of new beginnings, blooming flowers, and -- let's be honest -- a little guilt about the dust bunnies we've been ignoring all winter. Spring cleaning can feel overwhelming for anyone, but as someone who's part of the blind and low vision (BVI) community, it's an extra exercise in creativity and planning. Fear not! With a bit of strategy and a few life hacks, you’ll have your home feeling fresh and fabulous in no time. Here are my top ten tips to help you "spring forward" and take the dread out of cleaning. Before you dive into a cleaning frenzy, take a moment to map out your approach. Which rooms need the most attention? What tasks can wait? A little planning goes a long way. Break your list into bite-sized chunks and tackle one area at a time. Rome wasn't built in a day, and your sparkling clean house doesn't have to be either. Spring cleaning is the perfect excuse to part ways with the things you don't use. Start by sorting items into three categories: keep, donate, and toss. To keep it simple, try using tactile markers or containers with different textures -- maybe a soft basket for keepers, a cardboard box for donations, and a trash bag for discards. Trust me, decluttering is half the battle. Organization starts with your tools. I recommend keeping all your cleaning supplies together in a bucket or an apron with large pockets. That way, you're not wandering around the house searching for the spray bottle that somehow disappeared into the abyss. Keep it simple, and you'll thank yourself later. Adaptive tools aren't just for cooking or travel -- they're a cleaning game-changer too. An extendable duster, an ergonomic mop, or even a trusty microfiber cloth can make a big difference. The easier the tools are to use, the more energy you’ll have to tackle that next task. Safety first! Tactile labels, braille, or even a quick phone check with apps like Be My Eyes can save you from accidentally spraying glass cleaner on your furniture. It might sound obvious, but a little extra attention here can prevent a lot of headaches. When it comes to cleaning surfaces, I swear by the grid method. Whether it's a table, counter, or window, work in overlapping lines -- left to right, then top to bottom. It's systematic, efficient, and ensures you're not leaving any sneaky spots behind. Here's a BVI life hack for you: cleaning is as much about touch as it is about tools. Before and after wiping down a surface, run your fingers over it to check for dust or grime. Your hands will tell you what your eyes can't, and it's a foolproof way to ensure nothing gets missed. If you have some usable vision, good lighting can be your best friend. Bright, natural light can help highlight dirt or stains you might otherwise miss. For extra help, add contrast -- like using a light-colored rag on dark surfaces or vice versa. It's a small tweak that can make a big difference. If the idea of deep-cleaning your whole house feels daunting, break it into smaller, regular routines. Maybe the kitchen gets Mondays, the bathroom gets Wednesdays, and the living room gets Fridays. Keeping up with small tasks throughout the year makes spring cleaning more of a refresh and less of a marathon. Last but certainly not least, remember that you don't have to do this alone. Whether it's a friend, family member, or even a helpful app like AIRA, there's no shame in enlisting a little support. I love a good team effort -- it turns cleaning into a shared accomplishment rather than a solo slog. Spring cleaning isn't just about tidying up -- it's also about fresh starts. While you're dusting and decluttering, don't forget to polish up your white canes or spend a loving spring grooming session with your guide dog. For me, a thorough brushing session with Boaty is the perfect way to decompress from a deep and thorough cleaning session. We all know that dogs are curious and wonderful. Skilled professional partners will be watching every move we make, and they will love the puppy-to-person contact afterwards as well. Happy spring cleaning, everyone! ***** ** The Gift That Keeps on Giving by Tom Tobin Back in the day while I was still using a flip phone with physical buttons, my dear life-long friend (name withheld to protect his identity) called me and said, "Tom, you need to get an iPhone." To which I replied, "How does a totally blind person interact with a touch screen?" My friend replied, "I don't know, but there is this thing called VoiceOver." Of course, I had no idea what he was talking about and I balked, hedged and otherwise poo-pooed the idea. So, a few weeks went by and he called me back and said, "Tom, I'm so adamant that you need to be using an iPhone, I'm going to purchase the phone for you and put you on my plan for one year." So, he did just that! In fact, as I was walking out of the Apple store, he called me on my new iPhone and I was so clueless I didn't even know how to answer a call, so I ended up calling him back with much embarrassment, but thus began a journey with a device that would revolutionize my life and give credence to the cliché, "You don't know what you don't know!" So, I’ve been a dedicated iPhone user for these many years now, and continue to learn new ways that this incredible technology so positively impacts my life on a daily basis and continues to allow me to do so much on one device, instead of the old way of having multiple devices for a variety of blindness (and non-blindness) related tasks! Probably the single most significant impact that iOS has had on my life (and others) is in the ever-emerging Durable Medical Equipment (DME) space. Since today's insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors have migrated to smartphone apps to interact with these devices, my level of access to better manage my diabetes has improved significantly and has, without a shadow of a doubt, improved my overall quality of life, something you simply cannot put a dollar figure on! So, just imagine how that pivotal day so many years ago has changed my life today and what it means for the future of health care regarding advancements in medicine, integration of artificial intelligence and the very strong possibility of curing so many chronic diseases that currently hold back human evolution! So, I say to my dear old friend, that gift and the sentiment behind it has had immeasurable impact on my life, and while "thank you" doesn't quite cut it, thank you nonetheless! ***** ** Shaping the Future of Accessible Learning: Your Voice Matters by Kaili Kameoka I've always loved playing video games, and one day I found myself wondering how they were made. That curiosity led me to a simple conclusion: I needed to learn how to code. At 15, I started teaching myself, building basic websites with the help of online documentation. But reading through endless technical manuals quickly grew tedious. That's when I discovered YouTube tutorials. These videos taught me how to build real-world projects, and I was hooked. It wasn't easy -- many tutorials relied heavily on visuals, and I often struggled to follow along with my limited vision. Still, I persevered, learning the basics of coding through sheer determination. This passion for coding stayed with me as I pursued an associate's degree in computer science and later a bachelor's degree in creative media. Many of my classes, especially in creative media, relied on video instruction. Some professors created their own tutorials, while others pointed us to resources on YouTube. The challenges I faced with visual content in high school multiplied -- there were countless places for an instructor to click, drag, or type, making it hard to follow. What should have been a quick 15-minute tutorial could take me an hour to complete. As I began using the skills I learned to assist my local ACB affiliate, the Hawaii Association of the Blind, I noticed that hands-on projects like building websites and editing videos weren't areas of shared interest for many of my peers. While the technology committee provided valuable discussions about the latest assistive technology, I often found myself wanting to dive deeper into the technical side -- exploring how these tools were built, troubleshooting code, or analyzing accessibility features. I realized there weren't many opportunities to have detailed conversations about coding, which inspired me to think about how we could make these topics more accessible and engaging for everyone. While some creative media tasks, like graphic design, might be challenging for someone who is completely blind, I realized that many IT and software engineering skills are well within reach for everyone. In creative media, much of the pre-production and research -- like writing scripts, organizing projects, and planning content -- is also highly accessible with the right tools and guidance. These experiences shaped my vision for Adaptive Learning for the Blind. My goal is to create accessible online content for people who are blind or have low vision, covering topics in technology like software engineering, IT, and cybersecurity, as well as creative media fields like game design, video production, and social media management. I want to make learning these skills fun, easier, and more inclusive for our community. I’m excited to take the next step, but I can’t do it alone. I’d love to hear from you about the topics that matter most and what skills you’re eager to learn. I also understand that everyone's accessibility needs and preferences are unique, so your input is essential to creating courses that are truly effective and inclusive. By completing my survey, you'll help shape a future where accessible learning opens doors for everyone in our community. Your input will directly guide the creation of courses that reflect your interests and meet your accessibility needs. Please take a moment to complete my survey and share your thoughts. Together, we can shape a future where blind and visually impaired individuals can thrive in technology and creative media fields. Survey link: bit.ly/3DR5ucT ***** ** Be A Leader Anyway Interpretation by Amanda Selm (Author's Note: This poem was inspired by "Do It Anyway" by Mother Teresa.) There are days that you will feel awful. Be a leader anyway. Sometimes you receive angry and disgruntled emails which have a harsh tone. Respond to it with kindness anyway. There will be times you feel the need to share opinions and think twice about letting the world know your thoughts. Share them anyway. At times, you will have someone on your team who lacks the necessary skills to get the job done. No matter how long it takes, teach them anyway. Sometimes you'll find yourself questioning whether you're good at the job or not. Be a leader anyway. You will dread meetings, especially the ones with the controversial topics. Show up to them anyway. There are people out there who are waiting for you to fail. Succeed anyway. People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Sympathize and listen to them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway. If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway. If you are scared, Do it afraid anyway. The good things you do today may be forgotten tomorrow, and it may feel like wasted energy in the end. Give your best anyway. For you see, in the end, the battle of your mind is only between you and yourself. It was never between you and anyone else anyway. Love yourself, show up for yourself, and give yourself grace. And ... be a leader anyway. ***** ** Warpaint Weave your experience with vanishing sunsets. Learn, need, want, worship. Pay attention. Ask questions. Choose the grace of brave mistakes. Your miracle is yours to shape from sharks' teeth to stars. -- Nancy Scott ***** ** In Memoriam: Edward Lex Potter March 24, 1932 - January 14, 2025 Reprinted from Legacy.com. Edward Lex Potter, 92, of Oxford, North Carolina, passed away on January 14, 2025. Born March 24, 1932, in Kelly, Bladen County, N.C., Ed was the son of James Melvin Potter and Gertrude Squires Potter. In 1935, the family moved to Wilmington, N.C., where Ed spent much of his early life. Ed was a musician and an avid piano player. At 17, he began his radio career with Potter's Piano Ramblings, a 15-minute daily program on a Wilmington station which featured his piano playing and commentary. Ed graduated from the Governor Morehead School for the Blind in 1952. In 1956 he graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the first blind student in its Department of Radio, Television, and Motion Pictures. He was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa and the Order of the Golden Fleece. For 13 years, Ed worked in radio at WRRZ in Clinton, WTSB in Lumberton, and WENC in Whiteville, N.C. Ed completed a master's degree in speech communications at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1973. He taught public speaking at Wayne Community College in Goldsboro, N.C., retiring in 1997. Ed enjoyed a large network of friends in the blind community. Beginning in 1979, he created Playback Magazine, Playback Underground, and Coffee with Ed, audio publications on cassette and message boards. These relied on content from listeners, uniting his network of close friends with common interests. From 1979 to 2007, Ed and Sue ran Playback Marketing, an audio catalog for the visually impaired. It featured a tone-indexing system that enabled listeners to shop independently. In 2017, Ed and Sue moved next door to their daughter and son-in-law in Oxford, N.C., where they enjoyed nightly dinners together. Ed is survived by his wife, Sue Washington Owen Potter; his children, Margaret Sue Potter Harris (Larry "Sonny") of Oxford, N.C., and Edward Andrew Potter of Raleigh, N.C.; his grandchildren, Cecilia Thomas Harris (Naser Shamma), Jacob Aaron Harris (Morgan Trick), Larry Harris (Jenny), and Jessica Harris; and seven great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his brother, James Sedric Potter, and his sister, Nelva Hammonds, both of Wilmington, N.C. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Oxford Presbyterian Church (https://oxfordpres.org/give/) or Friends of the North Carolina Accessible Books and Library Services (https://www.friendsnclbph.org/donate.php). ***** ** Here and There edited by Cynthia G. Hawkins 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 ACB 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 slovering@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. * Army Orders, NIB Delivers In December 2024, the Army placed 770 orders for the presidential inauguration with Industries of the Blind (IOB) in Greensboro, N.C. The agency immediately got to work fulfilling the request, successfully meeting the challenge to deliver 1,070 pieces of new 15-piece dress uniform ensembles. On January 20, approximately 80 Army guardsmen and reservists supporting the presidential inauguration were dressed in the new uniforms. Those participating in the memorial parade for President James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, held earlier this month, also wore the new uniforms. IOB is one of nearly 100 associated nonprofit agencies across the country that partner with National Industries for the Blind (NIB), the nation's largest employment resource for people who are blind, low vision or visually impaired. A subset of these agencies, including IOB, manufacture more than one million articles of military clothing and equipment annually. They strategically support the U.S. Armed Forces through innovation, savings on goods and services and waste reduction. As soon as the uniform orders were placed, IOB worked to source items from across the country, receiving materials and expediting the pick-pack-and-ship process to ensure the uniforms were delivered in time for the event. The challenge was two-fold: Not only were the items required highly sought after with reduced availability, but there was also weather to contend with as the country braced for multiple winter storms. In coordination with and at the direction of the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), IOB made the orders its top priority, with employees working off-hours to receive urgent deliveries of end items and quickly repacking and shipping them to customer locations. It was an enormous coordination challenge, with some items having to be substituted and retrofitted to work. For instance, a specific belt size was out of stock, so larger sizes were ordered and cut to fit. They met their deadline. No one watching the Army reservists and National Guard personnel participate in President Carter's memorial parade or the presidential inauguration knew the behind-the-scenes challenges and hard work that took place, except those with IOB and their partners at DLA. * 2025 Schneider Family Book Awards Recipients Named PHOENIX -- The American Library Association (ALA) is pleased to announce the winners of the 2025 Schneider Family Book Awards, which honor an author or illustrator for the artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences. The award winners were announced today during the ALA's LibLearnX: The Library Learning Experience held January 24-27 in Phoenix. Recipients are selected in three categories: young children birth through grade school (age 0–8), middle grades (ages 9-13) and teens (ages 14–18). Winners will receive $5,000 and a framed plaque. The best younger children's title is "A Little Like Magic," written and illustrated by Sarah Kurpiel. Two younger children's honor titles are: "Monster Hands," written by Karen Kane and Jonaz McMillan, illustrated by Dion MBD, and "You're SO Amazing!", written by James and Lucy Catchpole, illustrated by Karen George. The best middle grade title is "Popcorn," written and illustrated by Rob Harrell. Two middle grade books that received honor titles are "Louder Than Hunger," written by John Schu, and "Shark Teeth," written by Sherri Winston. For young adults, the best title is "Chronically Dolores," written by Maya Van Wagenen. The two young adult titles receiving honors are: "Light Enough to Float," written by Lauren Seal, and "On the Bright Side," written by Anna Sortino. For more information on the Schneider Family Book Award and other ALA Youth Media Awards, visit www.ala.org/yma. * Large Print Bible Xavier Society for the Blind has released the New American Bible in large print. The Bible is in 13 volumes, and 22-point sans-serif font. The Society also provides the Mass Propers for Catholic Services in large print. The Mass Propers in large print are mailed monthly. All items are free of charge. Want your copy? Send an email request to info@xaviersocietyfortheblind.org, or call (212) 473-7800 (toll-free at 1-800-637-9193). * New at National Braille Press New in the children's section is "Every Dog in the Neighborhood," by Philip C. Stead, illustrated by Matthew Cordell. It's available in UEB for ages 4 to 8. If you have a child who loves dogs, you'll definitely want to check this one out! For more information, call toll-free 1-800-548-7323, or visit the online store at shop.nbp.org. * Getting in Touch with Literacy Conference The 2025 Getting in Touch With Literacy Conference will be held November 5th-8th, 2025 at the Downtown Embassy Suites/VonBraun Center in Huntsville, Ala. It is expected to draw approximately 350-400 dedicated people from around the world, including researchers, educators and other professionals who promote literacy for children and adults who are visually impaired. Presenters from a dozen countries will provide more than 100 concurrent sessions to those in attendance. This year they are adding a strand dedicated solely to enhancing the attendees' knowledge of the constantly advancing AT available to teachers and trainers to enable them to be more effective, efficient, and productive and/or allow students and clients a higher level of access to their education with more fun and educational tools that will ultimately lead to greater independence, employability, and enhanced quality of life. To register as a vendor or sponsor, visit https://forms.gle/vKtgSGjrDRS2AYzB7. To register as a presenter, go to https://cec1785.wufoo.com/forms/rus1w5b0vhqxqd/. For more information about the conference, visit https://www.gitwl.org/home. * Voya Financial Donates to National Braille Press Voya Financial has donated $16,500 to National Braille Press (NBP) from its employees who conducted a fundraising appeal in the month of September during Voya's annual Employee Giving Campaign. The funds raised were used to publish a braille children's book "Goodnight Owl," which was the December Book of the Month for NBP's Children's Braille Book Club. This past holiday season, 317 families received this book at no cost because of their generosity, along with other funders. For the past 40 years, the Children's Braille Book Club has helped thousands of families with blind and visually impaired individuals have access to print-braille books, allowing them to create a library of their own. This has helped many parents and children, sighted, blind and visually impaired, enjoy reading alongside each other. ***** ** ACB Officers * President Deb Cook Lewis (1st term, 2025) 1131 Liberty Dr. Clarkston, WA 99403 * First Vice President David Trott (1st term, 2025) 1018 East St. S. Talladega, AL 35160 * Second Vice President Ray Campbell (1st term, 2025) 216 Prestwick Rd. Springfield, IL 62702-3330 * Secretary Denise Colley (final term, 2025) 26131 Travis Brook Dr. Richmond, TX 77406-3990 * Treasurer Michael Garrett (1st term, 2025) 7806 Chaseway Dr. Missouri City, TX 77489-2333 * Immediate Past President Kim Charlson 57 Grandview Ave. Watertown, MA 02472 ** ACB Board of Directors Christopher Bell, Pittsboro, NC (2nd term, 2028) Donna Brown, Romney, WV (2nd term, 2028) Peter Heide, Baraboo, WI (1st term, 2028) Gabriel Lopez Kafati, Miami Lakes, FL (1st term, 2026) Cecily Laney Nipper, Covington, GA (1st term, 2028) Terry Pacheco, Silver Spring, MD (1st term, 2026) Rachel Schroeder, Springfield, IL (1st term, 2026) Kenneth Semien Sr., Beaumont, TX (2nd term, 2028) Koni Sims, Sioux Falls, SD (1st term, 2026) Jeff Thom, Sacramento, CA (2nd term, 2026) ** ACB Board of Publications Katie Frederick, Chair, Worthington, OH (1st term, 2026) Jeff Bishop, Tucson, AZ (1st term, 2026) Belinda Collins, Saint Pauls, NC (1st term, 2026) Cheryl Cumings, Seattle, WA (2nd term, 2025) Zelda Gebhard, Edgeley, ND (3rd term, 2026) ***** ** Accessing Your ACB Braille Forums The ACB Braille Forum is available by mail in braille, large print, NLS-style digital cartridge, and via email. To subscribe to the email version, contact Sharon Lovering, slovering@acb.org. It is also available on ACB’s web page, and on ACB Media, channel 10. Subscribe to the podcast versions from your 2nd generation Victor Reader Stream or from https://pinecast.com/feed/acb-braille-forum-and-e-forum. ###