The Braille Forum Volume XLIII April 2005 No. 7 Published by the American Council of the Blind ***** The American Council of the Blind strives to increase the independence, security, equality of opportunity, and to improve quality of life for all blind and visually impaired people. Christopher Gray, President Melanie Brunson, Executive Director Sharon Lovering, Acting Editor National Office: 1155 15th St. NW Suite 1004 Washington, DC 20005 (202) 467-5081 Fax: (202) 467-5085 Web site: http://www.acb.org The Braille Forum is available in braille, large print, half-speed four- track cassette tape, computer disk and via e-mail. Subscription requests, address changes, and items intended for publication should be sent to Sharon Lovering at the address above, or via e-mail to slovering@acb.org. Submission deadlines are the first of the month. The American Council of the Blind 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 Ardis Bazyn 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. To make a contribution to ACB via the Combined Federal Campaign, use this number: 2802. 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 2005 American Council of the Blind ***** This Issue of The Braille Forum Is Dedicated to the Memory of JAMES R. OLSEN December 1, 1942-February 13, 2005 ** Caption: Jim Olsen smiles during a lull at the registration office at the Pittsburgh convention. He is seated in a chair behind a table, wearing a name tag over his white shirt and patterned tie. ***** Table of Contents In Memoriam: James R. Olsen, by Christopher Gray Reflections, by Melanie Brunson Memories of Jim, by Jean Mann A Legacy of the Scholarship Program, by Patty Slaby Jim Olsen's Heart of Gold, by Sharon Lovering Goodbye, Jim, by Ardis Bazyn Memories of Jim Olsen, by Lynne Koral Readers' Tributes to Jim Olsen ACB National Staff Member Honored Solitary Sojourn, by Teddie-Joy Remhild Chrissie Cochrane Joins the Staff of ACB Radio Summary of the Mid-Year Meeting of the ACB Board of Directors, by Winifred Downing No Rest for the Weary! A Look at the Upcoming 2005 National Convention, by Cynthia Towers More Tour Information, by Berl Colley Board of Publications Hosts Internet Candidates' Page It's Time to Get SASI, by Karyn Campbell Affiliate News Meet CFVI, by Cindy Burgett Melatonin Production and Cancer Risk: A Study, by Steven Lockley Letters to the Editor Here and There, by Sarah Blake High Tech Swap Shop ACB Officers ACB Board of Directors ACB Board of Publications ** Corrections There were two errors in the article entitled "ACB Welcomes 18 New Life Members" (February 2005). Susie Davis of Raleigh, N.C., was listed as having purchased her own life membership. In fact, the North Carolina Council of the Blind purchased Davis' life membership. The life membership in memory of the late Wayne Yelton, presented to Patricia Yelton of Mebane, N.C., was also purchased by the North Carolina Council of the Blind. We regret the errors. ***** In Memoriam: James R. Olsen by Christopher Gray There are a precious few people during one's life who, once known, take up a special place for you, and with you, and who then maintain that place over years and decades. Such people affect not only what you may do or believe you can do, but they help you become who you are; they help shape your life, probably without ever really knowing they are doing so. Jim Olsen has been such a person in my life. Observing him at the 1976 ACB convention for the first time and at first from a distance, I knew immediately that here was a person worth knowing, here was a man of integrity, and here would be a great leader of ACB. I'm not a person easily swayed by first impressions, but this was an exceptional case, for a truly exceptional human being. Throughout the years since 1976, Jim has exemplified everything that is truly good and the most right about ACB. He has always had a good word to say to or about anybody, even when others might not. His respectful treatment of all, no matter how undeserving, is an enviable trait, and one in which he never faltered. His professionalism has never wavered on behalf of the organization. The services he has rendered for ACB are largely untold and unknown by many within ACB. Jim was not a self-promoter, he did not maneuver in order to promote a personal agenda, and he had a strong sense of what should be more private than public. Probably none of us knows the whole story of what Jim has accomplished for ACB. He guided us into the thrift store business, and managed that business single-handedly for many years. He guided ACB through its financial crisis of the mid-1980s and brought us into a period of greater prosperity than we had ever known previously. Though far less grave, Jim has been invaluable in minimizing the effects of our current financial down-turn and safeguarding our core programs and staff. Though not a founding member, Jim is certainly one of the great and key contributors to our organization's history and deserves a place high on the list of those who are the real heroes of ACB. There can be a special bond created between the president of an organization and its chief financial officer. My work with Jim between 2001 and now took on a special character over these years. I came to understand at a far deeper level than I ever had known before Jim's commitment to our organization, his strong ties to the people of ACB, his absolute belief in what we do as an organization, his commitment to doing the things for which he was responsible in the most fair, just and equitable manner, his commitment to and belief and pride in each of his family members, and his deep and abiding belief in God. Two weeks ago Friday, Jim had a pacemaker- defibrillator installed after his heart and breathing stopped during a medically supervised examination. On Sunday, two days later, Jim was worshiping at his church. He commented to me: "I wouldn't have felt complete if I hadn't been able to give thanks for my good fortune to still be here." I could write paragraphs about each of these qualities Jim brought to us and I know this list isn't exhaustive by any means. Many, many others in ACB could do the same, and I hope they will. Since June of 2004, Jim has faced a series of daunting health issues. He faced them all with optimism, with belief in his physicians, with faith that he and everybody around him was doing what they could. His positive spirits and good humor never waned. Last Thursday when he and I talked for a while on the phone (Jim often referred to this as "visiting"), he felt it necessary to give me an update on his health, and I could see he was concerned, and I was concerned for him. Yet in Jim's special way, he did not allow us to leave the conversation with concern on our minds. Rather, we hung up with thoughts about what could and should happen next, and we discussed positive ways for ACB to work on fundraising diversification coming up to convention, and on the positive 2005 budget. Jim's favorite way to end our conversations was with a joke. They were always funny jokes, too. No matter how serious our conversation might have been, we'd end with a laugh and a "talk to you soon." He had the right idea. This lightened the most serious conversations and served to positively pave the way to the next, whether for business or just to catch up with one another in a friendly way. I left that conversation believing that Jim was going to get free of the health issues that had so plagued him over these many months. He has done that, though in a way that leaves those who loved and cared about him at a loss for what we will do without his presence and constant support. Of course, we will carry on and we will honor the legacy Jim has left for us to nurture and to strengthen. For a little while though, we will do so with sadness and a profound sense of our loss, personal to each of us, and greater still for our organization as a whole. We can do so, though, in the knowledge that Jim now rests in peace which can only be a blessing to him, and that we need not forget his principles or ignore his guidance. In doing this, we pay the greatest respect we can to the legacy of a truly great person and a committed ACB leader. ***** Reflections by Melanie Brunson Since the passing of Jim Olsen, many in ACB have made statements about the impact he had on them personally and on our organization. Some of these comments will appear in the pages of this magazine. As I thought about what I wanted to write this month, I decided that it would be fitting for me to pay tribute to, and thank Jim publicly for his service to both ACB and Melanie Brunson. When I think of Jim, two qualities come to mind -- faith and fun. Jim was a man of abiding faith. His approach to it was quiet and without fuss, but at the same time, he was matter-of-fact about its existence. He had faith in God, faith in Jim Olsen, faith in ACB, and faith in people. This was demonstrated to me time and time again when I witnessed his interactions with other staff members and people in the registration office at ACB conventions. I experienced it myself when we discussed issues on the telephone. His answers communicated a belief that each problem was solvable, each goal attainable, each person valuable. During our last conversation about some financial decisions that needed to be made, we had to deal with some hard questions. He called me at home on a Saturday afternoon after he'd gotten all of the information together that we needed. He brought the subject up by simply saying, "OK. Here's what we've got. What do you think we should do?" The question wasn't "Can we do something?" He assumed that we could. And, as it turned out, we did. He was right. The other thing that stands out about Jim is his sense of humor. I couldn't count the number of times that I've heard a staff member answer the telephone in the office and burst out laughing after a minute or two. Many of our conversations with him had to begin or end with a joke or a funny story. Many a late night session of poring over budgets or crunching numbers was laced with little quips, teasing or tales from funny incidents that took place in Jim's family or at past ACB conventions. Jim gave the impression that he thought his work was fun and he wanted you to have a good time too. Jim will be sorely missed for these and many other reasons. But he has left us a wonderful legacy. If each of us can embrace a little of the faith, the sense of fun and the can-do spirit that we appreciated so much in Jim, and apply them to the endeavors that are important to us, both as individuals and ACB members, there's no telling what we can accomplish. Thank you, Jim, for the reminder. ***** Memories of Jim by Jean Mann I've been trying to write a few paragraphs about my memories of Jim Olsen since I heard he had passed away, and I'm finding it very difficult. I have so many, and the more I try to write about them, the more come to mind. During my eight years as a member of the board of directors, and my dozen or so years working in the convention office, I had lots of opportunities to interact with Jim and the Olsen family. I learned very quickly that they were all some of the nicest, kindest, generous, and hardest working people I'd ever met. I remember arriving in Tampa, Fla., a few days before the start of the convention. It was the first year I was given the responsibility of running the convention office, and I wanted to make sure I knew what I was doing. My first morning there, I began wandering around the hotel, looking for other ACB early arrivals. As I walked past an open doorway, I heard a voice yell out, "Jean Mann! Just who I was looking for!", and before I knew it, I was sitting at a table with a Perkins brailler in front of me, brailling tickets for some event that was occurring during the week. Afterwards, Jim and Anna and I went out to lunch. Thus began my friendship with Jim. Through the ensuing years, we sometimes found ourselves sharing a meal, or a ride to the airport. Our conversations were always lively and fun. Sometimes we talked about ACB, and I could ask him any question, no matter how stupid I thought it might be, even if it was something I knew I should know, and I'd always get an answer which cleared everything up. More often on those occasions, however, the talk would turn to events in our lives, and I got to hear lots of stories about Jim and Anna, and Sarah and Martha. I particularly remember Jim telling us about a trip he and Anna took to Norway. They visited the village where his ancestors were from, and he managed to track down and visit a distant relative. I remember the many interactions I had with Jim during conventions. The registration and convention offices are generally right near each other. Sometimes, when the registration office got just a little too chaotic, Jim would wander over to see us and chat for a few minutes and maybe have a cup of coffee, or bring us something he needed brailled. I only remember one time he ever asked for a special favor. We were in Orlando, and the banquet that year was to be a farewell sendoff for Oral Miller, who was retiring as our executive director. We assigned reserved tables for the banquets, and they were usually assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. Jim specifically asked to have his table be one where he could see everything. He said Oral was like a brother to him. I made sure his table was front and center. Jim did lots of little favors for other people. I can't count the number of times I walked into the registration office, even after it was officially closed, to get information for somebody, or find out what we could do to help a member obtain emergency cash to go home because of a family crisis, or one of many other little things that come up during conventions. I know I interrupted him from whatever work he was doing, but he always acted like it was no bother. Sometimes it seemed to me that Jim had several pairs of eyes. He always seemed to know what was going on, even when you wished he didn't. Two years ago, while we were in Pittsburgh, I was walking through the convention center one day, looking for a particular room. I knew there was supposed to be a closed door on my right which I was going to have to pass through. When I thought I'd come to it, I opened it, and an alarm immediately went off. Thinking nobody was around to have seen me set it off, I quickly closed the door and nonchalantly walked on as though I'd had nothing to do with it. A minute later, I heard Jim's voice from a few feet behind me loudly exclaim, "Jean Mann, that wasn't you I just saw open that emergency door, was it?", and I knew I'd been caught after all. Occasionally I would call the Minneapolis office to get information or ask a question, and if Jim was available we'd talk for a few minutes. The last time I spoke to him was last spring. We talked about his family, including the grandchildren, and then the conversation turned to the flurry of activity on the ACB lists, and the turmoil we were currently experiencing. Jim commented on how much ACB could accomplish if only everybody would put their energies toward working for the organization instead of wasting it arguing. And before we hung up, he'd managed to get my credit card number and a pledge for ACB's monthly monetary support program. I don't know what he was like with his staff, or at home with his family, but it dawned on me after that conversation that I'd never seen him lose his cool. Jim always seemed to "keep his head about him when others were losing theirs," as the saying goes. We hung up from that phone call expecting we'd see each other in Birmingham. For medical reasons, neither of us made it. Mine were very minor; his were more serious than any of us wanted to acknowledge. It's been said that we are all irreplaceable. Some of us, however, are harder to replace than others. Jim is one of those people. We were so lucky to have had him as our chief financial officer, and as a member and friend. My condolences go out to Anna and the entire Olsen family, and to us, the members of his ACB family. ***** A Legacy of the Scholarship Program by Patty Slaby The scholarship program has been a longtime passion of Jim Olsen. As a chairperson of the current committee, the current committee members, all the people who have served in the past, and the numerous scholarship winners wish to express our sympathy to Jim's family. The work of the scholarship program continues year-round. The work begins with finding new monies, renewing continuing scholarships and overseeing the endowment funds. There is much coordination between the Minneapolis office, the D.C. office, the committee, and the winners. After the winners are selected, Jim would schedule air flights, organize their hotel reservations, and reassure the parents of winners that they would make it to the national convention and learn many new things. One of the first people each winner would meet was Jim. He was the one who had their money for them for their stay, but also he demonstrated a positive attitude and gave each student the time he/she needed. If he could not be of assistance immediately, he made sure there was someone who could help. Each winner receives a printed award and both the president and the chair must sign them. Jim would keep me laughing with his quick wit as each one was signed. After the convention, Jim's work would continue. He needed to stay in touch with each winner to acquire the proper paperwork of verification so that they could receive their money. This does not just happen once a year but depending on the school of higher learning it can be two or three times. With every program there can be challenges and this was no exception. Jim was open to suggestions and made excellent suggestions to work things out. He would always end these phone calls with a story to wrap things up on a positive note. Jim was an independent, hard-working, kind, reassuring individual to ACB and especially to the scholarship program. It came as an exciting announcement that there will be an honorable way to remember Jim through the James R. Olsen Memorial Scholarship. It is in the planning stages. A few of us have had a special opportunity to know Jim and his family since 1978. Their family and my family have been very close friends and have shared in many of the happiest moments in their lives. I attended a birthday celebration in November and I will keep the time we spent as a group close to my heart as we sat and told stories. I will miss our annual dinners at the national conventions when Ann and I would get Jim away from all the work. I also did this when she wasn't able to attend the convention. That was my assignment from her. In closing, I wish to express prayers, important memories, and gratification to his wife Ann and their daughters Sarah and Martha and their families. They have all been an integral part of our lives. I wish I could remember the many stories he told me to end this article, but they are left with Jim. ***** Jim Olsen's Heart of Gold by Sharon Lovering It started out just like any other Monday at the office. I walked in, turned on my computer, put my lunch in the freezer, hung my coat in the closet, and checked e-mail and voice mail. By the time I'd checked all my messages, it was 9 o'clock, and the phones were starting to ring. Melanie called in, saying she'd be out sick, and asked to speak with Day. I passed her to Day and took the next phone call. It was Doug Psick calling with the sad news that Jim had died the day before. I couldn't believe it. I kept saying, "No!" I couldn't imagine a world without Jim. Doug told me that he was on his way out to the funeral home to make the plans, and that he would call back later with details about the funeral service. After hanging up with Doug, I called out to Day, asking her to pass Melanie back to me, that it was urgent. In the meantime, Terry called in. I told her the news, and burst into tears. She was just as shocked as I had been. She asked whether I'd told Melanie; I replied that I was about to tell her. Day passed Melanie back to me, and I told her. She, too, was shocked. I wondered about flowers. Melanie suggested we wait until the next day, when she would be in, and we would have a better idea of the funeral arrangements. I agreed. Telling the rest of my co-workers was just as hard. Nobody could believe it. The big friendly teddy bear of a man with a heart of gold was gone?! Together we went through nearly an entire box of tissues, and we reminisced about the times we'd shared with Jim. I remembered meeting Jim at my first convention, Chicago 1994. I'd been assigned to work the registration office, and was eager to meet the people I'd only talked with on the phone. He made me feel welcome and comfortable in spite of my sinusitis and laryngitis. I was impressed with his caring manner and gentleness, even with the grumpiest people in the registration line. And I was thoroughly awed by his ability to handle and manipulate numbers. (Math never was one of my strong points.) I also learned that we shared something -- Norwegian ancestry! We reminisced about the times he would call in to the office, ask to speak to one of us, and, when asked his name, would say, "A friend." (Usually this happened when the phones were ringing off the hook.) I recalled the times when his grandchildren were born, and how he'd answer his office phone by saying, in a voice bursting with pride, "Grandpa Jim here!" Each picture of him from convention brought up more memories. And now he's gone, leaving us with a gaping hole in the ACB family tree and a big pair of shoes to fill. He also leaves us with many happy memories. May his memory be a comfort to us all. ***** Goodbye, Jim by Ardis Bazyn Through the years, you were always a reminder of solid dedication. You dedicated your life to your family, your church, and ACB. You seemed to have a quiet strength. Even when you had many health issues, it was always hard to recognize how really serious they were. You did not let on to many exactly what you really thought about them. You would tell me what doctors had done, what procedures you'd endured, and what changes you had to make in your medications and such. However, you would do so with matter-of-fact tones so that I was left with a feeling that it was nothing serious. Also, I knew you had a strong faith in God and felt that was a comfort and hope for the future -- no matter what happened. You had such a good sense of humor. When situations were intense on a budget call, board conference call, or at an in-person meeting, you would often give a cute quip or one-liner that would lighten the mood. You always had a joke to tell after any conversation. Even when you had much to do, you could always come up with a humorous remark and take time to chat. You always made me feel confident about my position as treasurer. Whenever I had a question, you were willing to take the time to get the information for me. If you did not know the answer immediately, you would call back in a short time with the answer. You would be patient when I or other members of the budget committee asked questions about any figures. I will miss your quiet authority and willingness to serve our organization. You were always bragging about your family and sharing family events. I could also tell your church was important to you. You would never override an important church event or family celebration. I respected you for that. You had no qualms about sharing your faith with any of your ACB friends. I feel privileged that I had the many occasions to get to know you. I was especially flattered when you were one of the first ACB members to purchase copies of my first two books. You always wanted to encourage those who felt church and organization participation was important. You treated everyone you met with friendliness and respect and I appreciated your sincere and warm manner. Jim, I will sincerely miss you, but I know you are in a better place. I can almost hear you saying "And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." (Psalm 23) Goodbye for now. ***** Memories of Jim Olsen by Lynne Koral Alaska Independent Blind had the pleasure of Jim and Ann Olsen's presence at our 1999 convention. The convention was held in Palmer, Alaska. It was our best convention in many respects due to many speakers and members. It was our first diabetes seminar, and Jim's information about a new book and diabetes education was one of the best things about that convention. Not to mention that while merriment and mayhem were going on in the next room in the bar, Jim and Ann, without being asked, took under their wing a young woman who was trying to resolve some issues around her visual impairment. It seemed like Jim, Ann, Sandy Sanderson and I were there for a couple of hours. Then there were the next two years that Jim came up for diabetes seminars through the state in Kenai, Cordova, Juneau and Sitka. From a sunny day fishing in Homer on a boat, where Ann caught the first and largest fish, to snow in Cordova in May, Jim was always willing to lend his expertise and his wit to people in Alaska. We were among the fortunate affiliates whose states were visited. Ann even got to visit a Santa Claus house during our 1999 convention. We are so glad that we got to know Jim and Ann a little bit. We learned about their commitment to the church where Jim was a leader. Jim also told us proudly about their daughters and grandchildren. We never learned about what he was going through on a daily basis with his diabetes. Jim Olsen was a professional, and never took stands about people or organizations. He kept opinions of individuals to himself, and was courteous to everyone. Jim was also a prudent and cautious financial manager. He kept track of the financial transactions of all tickets sold at Braille Revival League events, NELDS events, and the ACB ATM machine which is a financial blessing for ACB. Good-bye, Jim, and thank you for your commitment to blind people and American Council of the Blind. We will miss you. ***** Readers' Tributes to Jim Olsen Jim came to the midyear in Birmingham a year ago, but he was obviously ill then. He did not come to the 2004 convention because of a heart attack, and he wasn't at the midyear board meeting a few weeks ago. Jim really gave so much to ACB. As sick as he has been, he went into the office this past January 22 so he could be on the telephone in case the board had questions of him during the discussion of this year's budget. That in and of itself isn't especially noteworthy, until you know that he was there over four hours, in the middle of winter, in Minneapolis, with no heat in the building. And, had we not finished with the budget on Saturday, he was prepared to return to that office, again with no heat, on Sunday morning. And he was too ill to travel to Las Vegas. There are those who have spent much time criticizing Jim for getting figures out slowly. And yes, they have been slow. However, when Jim issued figures, they were correct, without question. There was no haste makes waste where Jim was concerned. In the mid-'80s, when ACB was nearly bankrupt, the auditors and the bank were prepared to issue a very unpleasant report concerning our financial condition. The letter written to the board by the bank stated, in no uncertain terms, that they were not calling our notes ONLY because of their faith in Jim Olsen and his accounting ability and integrity. It was a wake-up call for some people on the board at that time, and resulted in some severe tightening of the purse strings. Most people didn't know that Jim worked nine- and ten-hour days, every day, plus Saturdays. I have called Minneapolis many times at 7:00 and 8:00 at night, and Saturday mornings and Saturday evenings, and found him at work. Jim is one of the best things that ever happened to ACB, and we are going to miss him more than any of us know at this time. -- Carla Ruschival I find it very hard to say very much at this time about what I am feeling about our loss of a great and wonderful friend, Jim Olsen. I know that the shoes that Jim filled will be very hard to fill at least very soon. I met Jim when he started in ACB and grew to love him as a man and a fellow ACB member. As board members, we will have to reach way down in our hearts and minds to try to get the job done. To say that I loved Jim is not enough. ACB will go on, but we must not say "what are we going to do?" we should say, "how are we going to do it?" I tell all of you that I will do my part and more if necessary to keep our great organization moving ahead. Let us all pray for Jim's family, and I mean both of them. We all also need to pray for guidance for ACB and the job that is ahead. -- Ed Bradley Jim was a huge help to me when I served as tour coordinator for the ACB convention in Houston. I'll never forget the cell phone snafu that provided Jim and Darren (his office assistant) with about 15 minutes of entertainment. At the very moment that they called me, I bumped my cell phone -- apparently just enough to activate it. Not realizing this had happened, I stuck it back in my pocket and resumed a conversation with my driver about going to Busch Stadium (and who knows what else). As Jim explained later, they started yelling "Mike, Mike" into the phone, but eventually realized it was a lost cause and just sat back and enjoyed themselves! Jim will be sorely missed. -- Mike Hoenig What a sad day for all of us who knew Jim, for Jim's family and friends, and for the American Council of the Blind. Jim Olsen was a kind and caring person, a man who always had a smile and a kind word for anyone whose path crossed his. His accounting abilities were legendary among ACB members, and few ever attended conventions without making Jim's acquaintance. But he will be missed, most of all, for his cheerful genuine humanity. -- Penny Reeder Penny is right, what a very sad day for Jim's family and many friends and the American Council of the Blind. I didn't get to know Jim perhaps as well as some of you did but I will remember him as a caring individual who loved what he did for ACB. He ran the convention registration office like clockwork, yet he gave credit to all of those who assisted him. He was one of the hardest working people I've ever met but still took time to say hello to you if you ran into him. And oh, how he loved to present those life membership awards. Karyn's and my deepest, heartfelt condolences to Ann and the rest of Jim's family and friends. I truly believe in ACB we are one big family and we've just lost a prominent family member. -- Ray Campbell Georgians are very saddened by the passing of such a cornerstone of our organization. Many of our senior members knew Jim very well and respected the dedicated service of this noble man. We send our condolences to the family and all ACB members. -- Marsha Farrow Jim provided both guidance and counseling to me as a new tour coordinator. Sometimes he provided a shoulder for me to whine on about venue operators. And sometimes he just provided the friendship that he had given to Denise and I, before tour planning was part of our national convention experience. I didn't get to meet Ann, but I feel like I know her from the many conversations that Jim and I had when he talked about her. Twice, WCB invited Jim to come to our state and present to our membership, and both times, Jim had last-minute health issues and couldn't come. We would joke sometimes about it; if he wanted to stay well, he would avoid Washington asking him to present to us. He had a wonderful sense of humor. Even when he didn't feel that good, he could laugh at my silly comments. Jim worked for, gave his all and cared about the American Council of the Blind. His work ethic was an example for all of us. So Jim, now you are in Heaven and Saint Peter has a highly qualified guy to help get the books balanced. You were loved by many of us just because, well, you were Jim Olsen. We grin with you as we sound your battle cry, "Go figure." -- Berl Colley This is indeed very sad news. Jim Olsen worked so hard for ACB. And while I never had the privilege of knowing him, everything that I'd ever heard about him was positive. A big reason that our conventions have gone so smoothly in the past has been due to the great work of Jim Olsen. My thoughts and prayers are with his family. We'll miss him badly. -- Phil Jones So many summers I went to ACB convention, and Jim Olsen was the first person to greet me. He would be at the registration table giving out envelopes full of tickets. If anything wasn't to my liking, he'd cheerfully correct it. He was even cheerful when I had made mistakes adding up the totals from the five pages of the registration form. I will miss him. -- Abby Vincent Even though we did not get to know Jim until we entered into an agreement to supply canes for the ACB, we learned what a great human being he was and are feeling the loss along with everyone else. We pray his family will remain strong and comforted by the fact that Jim was so well respected and liked by many. -- Jeff and Tami Carmer I too would like to express appreciation for Jim Olsen's contributions to our beloved ACB. I am deeply moved by the tribute which President Gray has given. It is in listening and digesting the principles which Chris so adequately described that strengthens our faith in people. -- David Armijo ***** ACB National Staff Member Honored Reprinted from the May-June 1989 issue (Editor's Note: The following Service Award presentation was made at the 1988 state convention of the American Council of the Blind of Minnesota.) Now we come to one of the high spots of our 1988 state convention. At this time we wish to honor an individual who is well-known to almost all of us, but whose quiet and unassuming but effective work we tend to take for granted ... His wide-ranging abilities, his high level of competence in all that he does, the balance of his many interests and activities have made many useful things happen. His efforts have extended all the way from his own neighborhood and community to state and national levels of service. James Rebney Olsen was born on December 1, 1942, in Minneapolis, Minn., and spent most of his early life in South Minneapolis. He graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1960 and from the University of Minnesota in 1965, where he earned a degree in business administration. He then went on to become a certified public accountant. On October 8, 1965, he married Anna Felscher. He and Ann have two lovely daughters, Sarah, 19, and Martha, 15. Jim developed diabetes at the age of 12 and became legally blind in 1976. ... At the local level, Jim has served as president of the Gopher State Blind Associates, which was the forerunner of ACBM. He is a long- standing board of directors member of the Minneapolis Society for the Blind, serving on its rehabilitation committee. At present he holds the office of assistant treasurer of MSB. While involved with MSB, Jim has volunteered to teach braille, has assisted in the woodworking shop, and has become a certified Optacon instructor. He has served on the United Way Speakers Bureau, has addressed all school grade levels on the subject of blindness, has spoken to numerous church and Sunday-school groups, and has held many positions on the Council of the Bethel Evangelical Lutheran Church of Minneapolis. Reaching beyond his local community, Jim has assisted State Services for the Blind by providing counseling services to newly blind individuals interested in accounting. He was appointed by Governor Quie to the State Council for the Handicapped, which has since been renamed the State Council on Disabilities. As if this were not enough, Jim served on the National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped, organized diabetes workshops at ACB national conventions, and was elected to the office of treasurer of ACB. Having completed his full allowable term in that office, he now works as assistant to the new treasurer. Most importantly, since 1978, Jim has held the full-time position of executive director of ACB Enterprises and Services, which, through its chain of thrift stores, provides much of the funding for ACB. Despite all of these activities, Jim still manages to lead a balanced life and to have time for his home and family, his church and community obligations, as well as personal hobbies and interests. Among other things, he has enjoyed stamp collecting, reading mystery stories, and working on home construction projects. He built doll houses for each of his daughters, for instance, and won ribbons for them at the state fair. ... Unusual? Not for Jim Olsen, winner of the ACBM 1988 Service Award. ***** Solitary Sojourn by Teddie-Joy Remhild Here in this place of peace and solitude I am drawn to the source Of my being And there, I reflect on My solitary sojourn From innocence to knowing. As the seasons come And go, A path is forged Which only I can know. Time now brings me to The harvest of my life And the knowing of Who I have become. I forged a path which was A solitary sojourn Of pain and love, of Life and loss; And now in this time of Harvest and place of peace, I celebrate the source Of my being And the joys derived From my solitary sojourn. ***** Chrissie Cochrane Joins the Staff of ACB Radio To introduce myself first, I'm Chrissie Cochrane and have been working at the Arts Council here in the UK for some 13 years. This particular organization is very hot on career development and training, and one of the options offered is the chance for what is known here as a "secondment" -- I think called a "detail" in the U.S. The chance came up for me and they suggested that, if agreeable to ACB, working at ACB Radio for a year would broaden various skills I have and give me new ones as well as hopefully being of benefit to ACB. To make a long story short, I am starting a year's detail with ACB Radio at the beginning of April 2005. ** Personal Background Born in New Zealand, I have been a professional musician for more years than I care to remember, and most recently an administrator for the Arts Council of England. I have been doing volunteer DJ work for ACB Radio Interactive, as radio is a particular love of mine, as well as doing much live music work -- I'm a keyboard player primarily, but have a working knowledge and can play, to a greater or lesser extent, many other instruments. I have also been involved in a certain amount of music production in the commercial world. I am very interested in the programming side of radio and hope to, during my year, enhance the ACB Radio Cafe stream with perhaps some live programming. Actually while I'm on that subject, one of the things I really hope to get going is a program in which blind artists are interviewed. I say blind artists, and hopefully the program will embrace all art forms eventually, but it will probably begin primarily with blind musicians as, judging by the music up on the Cafe stream, there are plenty of them. So I would like to make a plea here for any blind artists who have music on the Cafe‚ to get in touch with me, firstly with a view to possibly doing a program and secondly, as one of my other projects, I will be constructing a database of artists whose music appears on the Cafe‚ which eventually will give details of where people can buy tracks, should the artist wish to sell any, and where to get in touch with the artist, plus interesting snippets of biographical information. ** What do I hope to gain working for ACB Radio? Having worked as a DJ for almost a year, I have gained much knowledge of radio from the broadcaster's viewpoint. I now wish to gain knowledge from the point of view of the station itself: administration, programming, and technical. ** What do I hope to give to ACB Radio? In short, as much as possible. Having worked in administration for some 13 or so years, I can bring those skills to the project, as well as various production skills I have learned during my time as a professional musician on the outer edges of the recording industry, but most of all I hope to bring enthusiasm and dedication. Referring back to the idea of an arts program on the ACB Radio Cafe, I would appreciate any artist who has music being played on that stream getting in touch with me. I can be reached at chrissie@acbradio.org. ***** Summary of the Mid-Year Meeting of the ACB Board of Directors by Winifred Downing The board met in Las Vegas, Nev., Jan. 21-23, 2005. The first day was given over to a retreat focusing on the perception of ACB's mission by the board of directors, the general membership, donors, and those institutions with which the organization has contacts. We were led to consider the working relationships of officers, board and committee members, staff, and the general membership; and we questioned the organization's philosophy and practices exemplified in its fund-raising activities. The involvement in ACB of employees, benefactors, and volunteers and a comparison of ACB with other non-profit organizations in the same field were also discussed. When the regular board meeting convened on Saturday morning, everyone was present except Brian Charlson, who was delayed in his return from a business engagement by a snowstorm. He was not able to join the meeting until around 2 p.m. President Gray initiated discussion on a variety of issues: 1. In stores like Safeway and Target, point-of-sale machines are being introduced which have no buttons or other tactual features and are operated by pressing with a ball-point pen to select choices. The blind person in such a situation must, therefore, say his pin number to a neighbor in line or a store employee, thus making available to anyone nearby very private information. A motion was passed calling on the American Council to take a leadership role toward developing an accessible point-of-sale machine. 2. Problems with accessibility in public accommodations led to the passage of Edwards' motion to support and encourage ACB's executive director in her effort to "intervene, with the leave of the court, to oppose foreclosed settlements concerning accessibility under the Americans with Disabilities Act of places of public accommodation arrived at without the consultation of consumer blindness organizations, including the ACB." 3. Ideas were advanced to assist the information access committee in its task of ensuring better arrangements for blind people in operating electric appliances, cell phones, and the like. Edwards offered his help in this area. 4. Because it has been more than 10 years since ACB's last effort, attention will be given to developing a new long-range plan. Central to the consideration are the cost of this activity, strategies for financing it, and the time frame involved. Reports will be secured from the road map meetings of last summer and the Future Place activity. The document "Affiliate and National Organization Expectations," drawn up several years ago, and copies of the last long-range plan will be circulated to board members. 5. The tremendous success of the ACB Radio broadcast of the deliberations of the World Blind Union occurred largely because of the monetary contributions and hard work of Dave Williams and Geoff Shang. Edwards will prepare a board resolution of commendation which will be sent to the people who were responsible for the broadcast. William Rowland of South Africa will be the new president of the World Blind Union; hopes are high that he may attend the ACB national convention next summer. Last year the National Telecommunicating Institute anticipated that, using computers, many disabled people would be able to perform a variety of jobs in their own homes. Unfortunately, the software involved proved to be incompatible with screen readers, thus depriving blind and visually impaired persons of this employment possibility. ACB is exploring all options toward solving this problem. ACB Enterprises and Services Report: Paul Edwards set forth some of the difficulties currently faced by thrift stores. He explained some of the difficulties of operating these stores; but in spite of the problems, ACBES achieved enough success that ACB will not need to take funds from its reserve this year. Convention Report, Cynthia Towers: The Riviera Hotel has 2,000 rooms distributed among five towers. The two towers in which ACB members and guests will be staying are the Monaco and Monte Carlo. The hotel is 30 years old, and room arrangements and contents differ from one place to another. There are six restaurants in the hotel, but quick meals will still be available for breakfast and lunch. Mississippi State University will be holding a training session for rehabilitation counselors at the same time as the ACB convention, providing an opportunity for 150 or 200 counselors to learn about the work of ACB, examine the extensive exhibit area, and become aware of the special-interest affiliates and how they can relate to clients' needs. Treasurer's Report, Ardis Bazyn: Because of the budgeting arrangement ACB follows, figures are available only to November 30, 2004. Revenue, $963,615; expenditures, $942,104; revenue over expenses, $21,511. Executive Director's Report, Melanie Brunson: Day Al-Mohamed joined the office staff early in January; and hiring another support staff person is anticipated. The position of editor of "The Braille Forum" will be announced in the next issue of the magazine. Some changes in office locations and telephone extensions will be occurring to promote greater ease and efficiency. Meetings have occurred with the public relations committee and the board of publications to more clearly define the relationship between the Forum editor and these entities. It was decided to postpone the discussion of that policy until the pre-convention board meeting in July. The Currency Litigation: In the phase where information is being collected. Melanie has engaged in two depositions, each consuming several hours. Acting Editor's Report, Sharon Lovering: Four issues of the Forum have been produced since the convention, making eight in this budget year. For the February 2005 issue, there were 2,270 braille readers, 7,775 cassette readers, 13,200 large print readers, 773 disk users, and 1,202 e-mail readers. There were increases in percentages in all media except braille, which stayed the same. A large number of press releases were produced; contracts were completed for the publication of the Forum in all media. From December to mid-January, Lovering sent out to all affiliates their membership lists for updating. She also sent invoices to all organizations, companies, libraries, schools and other institutions that receive the magazine. Membership and Affiliate Services, Terry Pacheco: Terry reviewed in fascinating detail the events leading to the successful preparation of a DVD of the Ray Charles movie including the ACB involvement. Several articles in the February issue of the Forum described details of this subject. On another matter, a provisional charter and officers have been presented by a group wishing to form a special-interest affiliates for diabetics. The board voted to accept this affiliate after seeing the charter. Fund-Raising: Individual officers and board members spoke of the particular fund-raising efforts under way. M.J. Schmitt's St. Patrick's Day raffle was discussed in the February Forum, and the lucky winners will be known by the time this is printed. Bob Seliger described the time share that has become available for ACB use; more information will be available in coming months. In addition to ordinary sources of funds, vehicle donations, the Monthly Monetary Fund, ACBES support, legacies and bequests, investments, and membership dues, many other avenues are being used: cruises, blue skies sky-diving event, special ATM's project and donations from corporations like Verizon, Microsoft, and Bank of America. Donations in kind have been of great assistance with the convention and the legislative seminar: braille paper, copy machines, braille printers, etc. Direct Mail Campaign: Gray and Ralph Sanders explained the direct mail campaign initiated last fall. Unfortunately, the first mailing reached prospective donors a few days before the disastrous Indian Ocean tsunami. Sanders had hoped that this first effort would break even. Though the mailing did not achieve its goal, a beginning has been made toward assembling a good donor list. The program calls for six mailings over two years, but the board voted to review the matter after three mailings. Resource Development, David Trott: The high-stakes raffle of the last few years concerned with scholarships is being replaced by a plan with lower monetary prizes and consequent lower cost for the raffle ticket. Tickets cost $50, and prizes start at $5,000 for the first prize, $3,000 for the second, and $500 each for the third and fourth prizes. This year, profits from the raffle will be used toward expanding the number of issues of "The Braille Forum." The drawing will occur at the national convention in the general session on Thursday morning. Budget Committee Report, Brian Charlson: A detailed examination of every item in the budget of expenditures was made following upon the massive amount of work by the budget committee to prepare the information. Those who wish a detailed analysis should contact Brian Charlson. Public Relations Committee, Ralph Sanders: Press releases, mailings of brochures and public service announcements, the broadcast of the World Blind Union meting, and the media award to be given to Jamie Foxx for his work in the Ray Charles movie were high points in recent months. Board of Publications, Winifred Downing: The BOP had hoped to be able to circulate 10 issues of "The Braille Forum" this year but realizes that the amount budgeted will probably allow only nine. A new editor will be hired, and the Editorial Policy Manual will receive the update required by Bylaw 7. The policy manual is on the ACB web site, and the BOP welcomes suggestions from members. ***** No Rest for the Weary! A Look at the Upcoming 2005 National Convention by Cynthia Towers, ACB Convention Coordinator A lion at the MGM Grand Lion Habitat sleeps up to 20 hours a day -- although the constant tapping on the windows keeps them up on busy weekends! You won't be sleeping much when you attend this year's national convention July 2-9 in Las Vegas at the Riviera Hotel and Casino. By the time this issue reaches you, the convention will be just three short months away. Plans for youth activities, exhibits, meetings, tours and the like are fast approaching the finalization stage as ACB prepares to have one of its largest conventions ever. Affiliate agendas have been pouring in as program chairs work to make certain that they provide their members with fun, fulfilling and fabulous information. If the e-mails I have been receiving are any indication, this convention will host many new attendees from around the country as well as the world. I have received e-mails from Canada, Japan, England and Australia, inquiring about everything from A to Z. The Riviera has 2,136 rooms and 150 suites. Conveniently located on the Las Vegas Strip, the hotel features one of the world's largest casinos. It offers five unique specialty restaurants, Mardi Gras Food Court with 10 food outlets, full service wedding chapel, recreational facilities, show lounge and more than 30 specialty shops and services. I almost forgot -- it also has a huge outdoor pool. While there are still plenty of rooms in the ACB reservation group, you do not want to wait until the last minute to ensure that you are placed in either the Monaco or Monte Carlo Towers. The Monaco Tower is 24 stories high and has a selection of larger comfortable rooms featuring 942 deluxe guest rooms. The Monte Carlo Tower is 15 stories high and has 229 deluxe rooms, 14 petite suites and two floors of penthouse suites. This is the tower in which President Gray will reside. These are the two closest towers to the meeting room areas. As in past years, ACB will offer a quick breakfast and lunch service. It will be grab-and-go type meals with items priced separately. You will need to pay cash for these items, but it will be conveniently located in the midst of the ballroom and other meeting rooms and can serve as a location to catch up with someone or just sit and enjoy your meal. It will remain open after breakfast and a bit past the lunch rush to serve soft drinks, hot beverages and snacks. The ballroom will once again be set with tables so attendees can more easily take notes, bring in food and generally have more space per person. Speaking of meals, the hotel does have a buffet and other restaurants. More than 80 percent of visitors to Las Vegas indulge in buffets -- that's 29 million buffets per year! Once outside the hotel there is a plethora of eateries. Do you like shrimp? Well, shrimp consumption in Las Vegas is more than 60,000 pounds a day -- higher than the rest of the country combined. That's 22 million pounds per year! Any type of food that exists can be found in Vegas and at any time of the day or night. So there you have it. All you need now is a plane ticket and you will be set to be a part of what is shaping up to be an exciting time, one not to be missed. Carol Ewing and the local host committee are in constant contact with me to guarantee that they do not overlook any detail that could make your stay more enjoyable. Thank you, Carol and the Nevada Council of the Blind!!! Before I end this article, I would be remiss if I did not mention the tremendous loss ACB has experienced in the recent passing of Jim Olsen. From my days as assistant convention coordinator, to national secretary to convention coordinator, Jim was the one person I could count on for answers to all those millions of questions that I had to have answered. He was not only of great service to ACB but was a great husband, dad and granddad. I think what I will miss most are those silly Norwegian jokes he would tell almost every time I would call his office. Jim is now watching over us and probably glad he does not have to do one more budget report. Keep an eye on us, Jim, and we will see you again soon. But long before then I hope to see many of you in Las Vegas this summer. To make your reservations, you may call the hotel directly at 1-800- 634-6753. Be sure to mention that you are with the American Council of the Blind to receive the $77 rate. If you would like to contact me, you may do so by e-mailing ctowers@acb.org or by calling me on my toll-free line at 1- 800-474-3029 x00. You must hit the 0 twice. Have a great beginning of spring. Viva Las Vegas!!! ***** More Tour Information by Berl Colley This is turning out to be a very fluid year for ACB tours. Since my article last month, we have lost a tour, added a tour and made a change to a tour. ** What Tour Have We Added? For those coming early to Las Vegas, we will be going to Cashman Field to see a baseball game. The Las Vegas 51s will be playing the Portland Beavers on Friday night, July 1, 2005. ACB tours has managed to obtain seats about 50 feet behind home plate. These are front row seats where the umpire's calls, the ball meeting a bat or hitting the catcher's glove, and some other things that you might want to hear, or not hear, can be heard. The seats are also very close to the food services for those that like to snack during a game. This will be a capped tour, first come first ticketed, because we only have 20 tickets. The Las Vegas 51s are a AAA franchise of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Portland Beavers are a AAA franchise of the San Diego Padres. ** What Tour Have We Lost? Due to circumstances beyond our control, we have lost the Monday night, July 4, events tour. ACB tours is looking at a couple of options to replace this tour. Please look for the next Forum or Convention Scope for more information. ** What Change Have We Made? The folks operating the jet boat services from Laughlin to Lake Havasu have decided not to run their boats on the 4th of July weekend. As a consequence, our pre-convention tour, on July 1, will be altered a bit. Current plans are to go to Oatman, an old gold mining town, in the morning. From there we will go to Lake Havasu for a great lunch and to see and learn about the London Bridge. This will give us a little more time to spend in Havasu. We will be stopping in Laughlin for supper, then returning to Las Vegas. ** For Those Seeing Las Vegas Sites on Their Own Here are some tips that hopefully will make your time a little more enjoyable. Do NOT jaywalk. Jaywalking fines often can exceed fines of car owners who run red lights. If you want a cab, don't step to the curb and try to flag one down. It is illegal for a cab to stop along a curb to pick up passengers. Cabs can be obtained at hotel and casino properties, the airport, restaurants and other places when called in. Do not expect to see named entertainers when deciding to see their show at the last minute. You should make arrangements and purchase your show tickets before going to Las Vegas. Ticket prices will run between $40 and $100 per person. Do not expect to find a large variety of inexpensive food. The days of cheap buffets to bring customers into gaming establishments are gone. Las Vegas is rapidly becoming known as a food connoisseur's destination. A number of the top chefs in the world have moved to Las Vegas and if you are willing to pay the price, there are numerous opportunities for very fine dining. When you plan to play the slots or any of the table games, get a Player's Club card for that casino. This is one way a visitor can earn free perks while there. Be prepared to tip. Many gaming property employees are paid minimum wage and rely on tips to get by. In general, be very selective with sidewalk vendors. There are gift shops in the hotels. You may pay a little more for items, but you probably have a much smaller chance of getting ripped off. Do not give to beggars, whether inside or outside of the properties. The hotels and casinos do not like to have beggars bothering their guests. The more money given to people at a given location, the more folks seeking a handout will return. Women, when playing the slot machines, do not put your purses on the area next to your machine. It is best to have a fanny pack or something that you can attach to yourself. Men, place your wallets in your front pockets. In both cases you are making it more difficult for unscrupulous people to steal from you. Be very skeptical of any person who wants to sell you something for pennies on the dollar. There is a good chance that the object is not theirs, or when you get back to your room, you will find that you didn't receive what you thought you purchased. The convention dates are July 2 through 9, 2005. To reserve a room, call the Riviera at1-800-634-6753, and make sure you tell them that you are with the American Council of the Blind. ***** Board of Publications Hosts Internet Candidates' Page It's back! The board of publications is again hosting an Internet candidates' page on www.acb.org. This page is a read-only web page where all individuals who wish to announce their candidacy will be asked to respond to the same set of questions. We envision the online candidates' page as a place where people who want to run for office can allow the ACB membership to get to know them. The page will also allow ACB chapters and affiliates to have more information at their disposal before they send delegates to the national convention. Over the past several years, a number of chapters have provided copies of the candidates' responses to their members in braille or had read all the responses aloud at membership meetings. Lively discussions ensued, and many members have told us how much they appreciated the opportunity to participate more actively in ACB's democracy because of the early dissemination of information which the online forum was able to facilitate. In a meeting in early March, the board of publications came up with a set of questions for all officer candidates, as follows. 1. What office are you seeking, and what qualifications do you possess which make you uniquely qualified to serve in that office? 2. What do you think are ACB's responsibilities to its members in addressing the changing government attitudes toward rehabilitation, Social Security, and other disability-related programs? 3. Discuss how ACB can best recruit and retain new members, especially those under 50 years of age. 4. As an officer of ACB, what would you do to encourage a greater feeling of belonging for the average member? 5. In your opinion, what should occur within your term of office toward streamlining the ACB convention in order to make it more desirable for more members to participate in the business sessions, and to make the convention less costly? Answer each question with a maximum of 250 words. Submit answers in any accessible, readable media, i.e., in print, or braille, on paper, computer disk (in ASCII text, WordPerfect 5.1, or Microsoft Word formats), or via e-mail. Pasting the text into an e-mail message is preferable to sending attachments, but attachments in ASCII text, Microsoft Word or WordPerfect 5.1 will be accepted. Submissions will not be accepted via telephone, voice mail, audiocassette, or in handwriting. Note that we will not edit submissions for spelling, grammar, or content. The only change which will occur to submissions is conversion to the HTML code to facilitate online posting. Note further that it is our webmaster's role to convert documents into HTML, and we will not accept submissions which you have coded in this format yourself. When submitting your answers, please place your name, address, telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, and employer and job title at the top of each page. Center each item. The top of your page should look like this: Jane Smith 1234 Main Street Anytown, AnyState 00000 (555) 222-3333 (home) (555) 000-4444 (work) E-mail: js@anyisp.net Writer/Editor at AnyJob, Inc. Write each question, and then place your corresponding answer underneath. Please number your pages. Send your completed submissions to the following address: American Council of the Blind Candidates' Page, 1155 15th Street NW, Suite 1004, Washington, DC 20005. Responses may be submitted by e-mail, according to the guidelines noted above, to slovering@acb.org. ** Time Lines Submissions should be mailed, either by postal delivery or electronic mail, so that they reach the ACB national office no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on May 31, 2005. When we receive a declared candidate's materials, we will check the membership database to ensure that he or she is a member in good standing. We hope to have the online candidates' page available at the ACB web site as soon after we have received all the submissions as possible, so that members will have access to the information in time for June membership meetings of local chapters. The pages will be available online no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on Friday, June 10, and will remain online at http://www.acb.org until the conclusion of convention. We encourage ACB members who have computer access to share the contents of the candidates' page with members who do not. We will notify members on the day that the page goes live online on all the ACB e-mailing lists. When official campaigns begin in earnest at the ACB national convention, declared candidates will present at formal and informal state and special-interest caucuses. In addition, the board of publications will sponsor a live question-and-answer Candidates' Forum, which will be held on Thursday of convention week. The board of publications encourages all ACB members to submit written questions which will be considered for this forum to the convention communications center. More details about this and other aspects of communications center operations will be included in the June issue. ***** It's Time to Get SASI by Karyn Campbell Do you have a vision and hearing problem in any degree? Maybe you don't see well and now your hearing is going, or the other way around. Maybe you have very little vision or hearing. As we get older, more people are being diagnosed with macular degeneration, and along with that often comes age-related hearing loss. You might have Usher's or some other medical condition which causes both a hearing and vision problem. If you fit any of these categories, you are SASI. What does that mean? When we say you are SASI, this means that you are Sight and Sound Impaired or SASI. This is the name of the committee that is charged with dealing with issues that you care about and advising the leadership of the organization on those issues. Who are the members of this committee? Patty Sarchi from Maine is the chairperson; Karyn Campbell from Illinois, program chair; Lisa Kozlik from Wisconsin and Lori Scharff from New York. Of the actual committee members, Lori is the only hearing blind person on the committee; the rest of us are SASI to one degree or another. All three of us have no vision and varying degrees of hearing loss. We each bring a different perspective to the committee. Each committee also has a national staff liaison and an officer liaison. These people are Terry Pacheco from the national office and Donna Seliger, ACB secretary, who are also both SASI, both having partial vision and a hearing loss. These people help us do our work. Among other things, Terry helps me put the program together. We come up with the ideas and make the initial contacts and she helps us wrap it up. Donna helps out if we need anything from the officers or the board of directors. As for programs, some of the recent programs have included a social gathering, a program on support service providers (SSPs), types of hearing loss and hearing aids, and a focus group on losing one sense later in life. This study is being conducted by Mississippi State University (MSU). We have done a focus group for the past two years in connection with this study and we received an update in Birmingham as part of our program. We also advise on needs for convention programs with regard to accommodations. This might include an assistive listening device (ALD), an interpreter or an SSP. As two of these involve people, we need to know ahead of time what your needs are in order to make your convention experience the best that it can be. The sooner we know, the better chance we have of being able to meet your needs. We do have ALDs available for a small deposit, which will be refunded to you upon the return of both the receiver and loop or headphone piece of the device. There will be more details forthcoming on this arrangement. We are busy working on this summer's program. This year we are hoping to provide SSPs for those who pre-register for one. This will be our first year trying this option. This is a service provided only to those who are sight and sound impaired. There will be a place to indicate this on the pre- registration form and we will need this information by the pre-registration deadline. We would like to see the SSP matched up with a partner for the week at a gathering on Saturday at the beginning of convention. While we cannot say much more right now, it promises to be an exciting program; so don't miss it. Watch this publication for more information on the upcoming program for this summer in Las Vegas from July 2-9! You will learn about issues related to people with both hearing and vision loss as well as meet people like yourself. You have a lot of choices about how to spend your time at convention. We hope you will spend some time with the SASI committee and make new friends as well as learn about the issues which affect you. We look forward to seeing you in Las Vegas. ***** Affiliate News ** Diabetics in Action! The first conference call for the proposed affiliate for diabetics was held on Jan. 12, 2005. There were about 16 people on the call. We went over the proposed constitution drawn up by ACB president Chris Gray. We decided to call the affiliate the American Council of the Blind Diabetics in Action (ACBDA). The final draft of the constitution was completed after the lengthy call. ACBDA officers are: Dee Clayton, president; Patricia Wolf, first vice president; Steve Heesen, second vice president; Alice Ritchhart, secretary; and Jeff Bishop, treasurer. It was also decided that as we are planning this new affiliate, we will have a monthly conference call to discuss issues concerning the convention, i.e. meeting times, agendas, fund raising, membership and the many other items that comprise the founding of a new affiliate. If you are interested in joining this new educational, informative affiliate, please send a check for $10 to Jeff Bishop at 1631 W. Maplewood Dr., Tucson, AZ 85746-3238. The charter for our new affiliate will be given at the ACB convention this July. The more members, the better! ** Calling All Guide Dog Users The convention committee needs ideas for door prizes as well as actual door prizes for the 2005 Guide Dog Users, Inc. convention which will take place in Las Vegas. Please send any ideas that dogs would appreciate or blind people would enjoy. I will need the following information to contact the companies that make these products: the company's name, telephone number, web site, mailing address, e-mail address, contact name, and the amount the prizes are worth. You can send either the information or the prize to 2005 GDUI Door Prizes, c/o Jeff Lukacsena, 3905 Gun Club Road, Murrysville, PA 15668; e-mail doorprize@gdui.org or jliven@alltel.net; call my cell phone, (412) 558-0229, or my home phone, (724) 325-1127. All prizes must be in my hands no later than June 27, 2005. Please help make the 2005 GDUI convention a howl of a time for both the four-legged and two-legged friends. Anyone who submits a door prize will receive a federal income tax form to use to file for your 2005 income taxes. ** Guide Dog Users of Oregon 11th Annual Spring Romp It is time once again for the spring romp! The romp will be held the weekend of June 17 at Lewis & Clark College. The registration fee includes Friday and Saturday accommodations, all meals on Saturday and breakfast on Sunday. Don't be left out. For more information, or to receive a registration packet, contact Jan Chance at (541) 883-8227, or by e-mail, Jan@gduo.org. For more information about Guide Dog Users of Oregon, visit www.gduo.org. ** BITS Wants You to Join! We of Blind Information Technology Specialists (BITS), an ACB affiliate, are inviting you to become a member of our great organization. Our membership includes those using computer technology to enhance our lives, from highly qualified hardware and software developers and specialists to those using a PC simply as a tool to enhance our competency in daily work and play. Our goal is equal accessibility for visually impaired persons to all facets of computer technology. In that vein, we need hard-working members to help us in our advocacy and/or to contribute technical expertise to advance our goals and to contribute technical articles to our newsletter. BITS has an e-mail list (bits@acb.org) and a chat room on www.for-the-people.com where we also meet formally on Saturday nights at 8 Eastern to discuss computer technology or even just to chat about the non-technical. We have had several directed chat rooms on topics of interest. We have a quarterly newsletter, "Bytes from BITS," containing equipment reviews and technical articles. BITS has an outstanding technical program of training and information each year at the ACB national convention, and awards the Kellie Cannon scholarship to a worthy student each year. To learn more about BITS, visit our web page, www.acb.org/bits. For those of you interested, dues are $10-student, $15-non-voting associate, $25-full voting member, all on a fiscal year of July 1 to June 30. We would like to have you as a member. For more membership information, visit our web site, www.acb.org/bits, or contact treasurer Mary Abramson, 0 N 032 Ambleside Dr. #2402, Winfield, IL 60190-1904; phone (630) 231-5332, or e-mail mmba27@comcast.net. Or contact Robert R. Rogers, BITS president, (513) 921-3186, e-mail rrrogers@one.net. When contacting us privately by e-mail, use the subject line of "bits information-comments." ***** Meet CFVI by Cindy Burgett, CFVI President If you have a blind child, parent, grandparent, sibling or friend, or if you are that blind child, parent, grandparent, sibling or friend, please consider joining the Council of Families with Visual Impairment (CFVI), one of the oldest special-interest affiliates of ACB. CFVI exists to work within its membership and throughout the United States to uphold the respect and dignity of each family member, blind or sighted, and to strengthen the family unit through support, education and advocacy. Currently, CFVI is in the process of reorganizing and would love to have you involved in these new beginnings. We're hitting the ground running, but we need more runners! Dues in CFVI are only $8, and your membership will put you in partnership with others who share your same concerns for the family where blindness exists. CFVI currently has an e-mail list for sharing issues of concern, and you can subscribe by e-mailing cfvi-subscribe@acb.org. We also hope to produce a newsletter and create a web site sharing the message of CFVI, but these are in our future. If you would like to join CFVI as a member, please send dues and contact information to Roy Ward, Treasurer, 6212 W. Franklin St., Richmond, VA 23226. ** CFVI at Convention Although we're small, CFVI has planned fun and informational events for the 2005 ACB convention. We hope you will consider participating in one or all of these sessions below. Monday, July 4: A co-sponsored afternoon session with CCLVI. "Kids, Parents & Grandparents living with vision loss," and "Sending a Family Member to College, Negotiating the Money Maze." Wednesday, July 6, 1:30-3:00: An afternoon business meeting followed by a Q&A sharing time. And then that evening at 7:00 there will be a root beer float social for $10; this will be a fun time for the whole family. The Youth Activity Center (YAC) will be operating all day Monday through Friday of convention week. CFVI is a proud sponsor of the YAC and reminds all of you that ACB conventions are for the entire family. ***** Melatonin Production and Cancer Risk: A Study by Steven Lockley The American Council of the Blind has teamed up with researchers at the Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, to launch a nationwide survey entitled, "Health and Sleep in the Visually Impaired." The project is headed by Dr. Steven W. Lockley. The purpose of the study is to survey the health of blind women, with particular focus on breast cancer risk. Previous studies in Europe have suggested that breast cancer risk may be lower in visually impaired women than in the sighted population, and lowest in women who are totally blind. The aim of the current research is to find out whether this is the case in the USA and, if breast cancer risk is lower in visually impaired women, to discover the reasons why. Possible factors include changes in hormone levels, sleep and circadian rhythm disorders, reproductive history, and other factors such as smoking, exercise or alcohol use. If we can understand why visually impaired women are at a reduced risk, we hope that this information will be used to help both sighted and blind women make more informed lifestyle choices that may reduce their risk of developing cancer. We will keep participants updated on progress with a yearly newsletter summarizing our findings. Any adult female who is legally blind can volunteer to take part, regardless of her health. The study is in two parts, and volunteers can choose to complete either Part 1 alone or both Parts 1 and 2. Part 1 is a survey that asks detailed questions about you and your health. Part 2 is a home-based study where we will ask you to complete a daily sleep and nap diary for up to 8 weeks and collect urine samples for at least two 24-48 hour periods while living at home. The samples will be measured for hormones to assess the timing of your 24-hour body clock and reproductive function. The survey and any instructions will be provided in the format of your choice, including large print, braille, audiotape, computer disk or CD, e-mail, or verbally. The survey can also be completed on the Internet. The equipment used to collect the urine samples will be provided and has been specifically adapted for visually impaired people. If you are attending the ACB national convention and wish to volunteer for the study, you will be able to complete the survey there and also arrange to provide some of the urine samples at the convention. The researchers will be there to complete the surveys, provide instructions and arrange sample collection. You will be asked to complete the sleep diaries in the weeks leading up to and following the convention. If you are interested in volunteering for the study, or want more information, please call the toll-free number 1-888-8-BVI-BWH (1-888-828- 4294), go to www.BVIhealthsurvey.bwh.harvard.edu, e-mail BVIhealthsurvey@rics.bwh.harvard.edu or write to Erin Evans, Division of Sleep Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 221 Longwood Ave., Boston, MA 02115, with your contact telephone number, address or e-mail address. ***** Letter to the Editor The contents of this column reflect the letters we had received by the time we went to press, March 15, 2005. Letters are limited to 300 words or less. All submissions must include the author's name and location. Opinions expressed are those of the authors. In reply to Ed Eames Kudos to Dr. Ed Eames for his letter to the editor in the February "Forum." He charges all of us to press every state's Department of Motor Vehicles to include more white cane law content in driver's license testing. That need was driven home to me, so to speak, in a recent conversation with a paratransit operator. He was totally unaware of the symbolism of a pedestrian displaying a white cane. Wow! I understand that paratransit drivers must be certified for a specialized class of license, a category demanding more rigorous, and frequent testing! -- Ken Stewart, Warwick, N.Y. ***** Here and There by Sarah Blake The announcement of products and services in this column is not an endorsement by the American Council of the Blind, its staff, or elected officials. Products and services are listed free of charge for the benefit of our readers. "The Braille Forum" cannot be held responsible for the reliability of products and services mentioned. To submit items for this column, you may e-mail Sarah Blake at sblake@acb.org, or call ACB at 1-800-424-8666 and leave a message in mailbox 26. Please remember that postal regulations prohibit us from including advertisements, and that we need information two months ahead of actual publication dates. ** Art Competition The 16th annual Insights Art Exhibition is calling for submissions. Work by legally blind artists in all mediums except video will be considered. The show will run in August 2005 at the San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery at City Hall. Cash prizes will be awarded. The submission deadline is May 2, 2005. To receive an application by mail, contact Sarah Millett, exhibition coordinator, at (415) 431-1481 ext. 286, or visit www.lighthouse-sf.org. ** Conference on Employment for Latinos with Disabilities This year Proyecto Visi˘n is bringing its annual Bridges to Employment Conference for Latinos with Disabilities to the South. The conference will take place June 1-3 in Raleigh, N.C. at the Sheraton Raleigh Capital Center Hotel. Providing a vast array of job connections and technology training opportunities, the conference is a national forum about issues concerning Latinos with disabilities. Bridges to Employment is organized by the World Institute on Disability (WID) through Proyecto Visi˘n, a National Technical Assistance Center established to connect Latinos with disabilities to the world of employment. In addition, this year the American Express Foundation has funded a day-long Latino Disability Empowerment Forum that will precede the conference. The forum will take place on June 1 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Sheraton Raleigh Capital Center Hotel is offering conference attendees a room rate of $109 per night (for reservations made before April 30). Call the Sheraton Raleigh Capital Center Hotel at (800) 325-3535 or (919) 834- 9900 for reservations, mentioning you are with the Bridges to Employment conference. The $150 conference fee includes the welcome reception, continental breakfasts, all conference sessions and materials, and the closing luncheon. Scholarships are available for unemployed or low-income Latinos with disabilities to cover the conference registration fee. Scholarship awards are based on financial need and strength of the application. Call (866) 367- 5361 toll-free for scholarship information, or visit www.proyectovision.net to register to attend and/or apply for a scholarship online. ** Conference on Assistance Animals There will be a summit on the Healing Power of the Human-Animal Bond: Companion Animals and Society from June 2-5 in Hollywood, Calif. The conference will be held at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel. The highlighted themes include: understanding the roles of service/emotional support animals; animals and human health; accommodation issues for disabled animal guardians (housing, public, legal assistance) and the evolution of human- animal support services (HASS) organizations. Additional topics include: community and education, cultural attitudes toward animals, innovative animal assisted therapy programs, and more. To register online, visit http://www.pawssf.org/conference/2005/register.html. For more information, contact Andrea Brooks at (415) 241-1465. ** Mother's Day Sale Shop from the comfort of your home for Mother's Day or any occasion. Visit BlindMiceMart.com and browse through a selection of over 4,000 products! Just a few ideas for Mom -- the Dreams nightshirt, kitchen grip oven mitts, a delicate glass "Mom" vase and red rose, or a beautiful sterling silver beaded bracelet. You can browse through our selection of glass and crystal items, wall and garden plaques, scented candles, perfumes, jewelry, silk flowers, and much, much more. Visit the Mother's Day Department at http://www.BlindMiceMart.com or call (713) 876-6971. Braille Forum readers can save 15 percent off their orders! If shopping on-line, use the coupon code "ACB" at check-out. If shopping by phone, just mention you saw it in "The Braille Forum." All purchases at Blind Mice Mart benefit the Mouse Hole Scholarship Program. ** 2005 Mouse Hole Scholarships All graduating 2005 visually impaired high school students and sighted high school students of visually impaired parents are encouraged to submit an essay for consideration for the awards. Three scholarships are offered: $500, $400, and $250. For the details, visit http://www.BlindMiceMart.com and select the link for Mouse Hole Scholarships. You may also call Dale Campbell at (713) 876-6971, or e-mail scholarships@blindmicemart.com. Entries will be accepted until May 15, 2005. ** Kurzweil 3000 Awards Applications are now being accepted until June 1 for the Second Annual Kurzweil 3000 Software Awards. The awards recognize students, teachers, and schools who have shown a commitment to learning or an excellence in teaching students, including those with learning disabilities. In addition to the three existing awards, Kurzweil Educational Systems has added a fourth award, Innovator of the Year, for educators currently using Kurzweil 3000 who have developed an innovative or unique use for the software. All award winners will receive complimentary license(s) of Kurzweil 3000 for individual or classroom use, as well as complimentary support services. Application forms and details can be downloaded from the Kurzweil Educational Systems Web site at http://www.kurzweiledu.com/k3000awards.asp and must be submitted by June 1, 2005. ** Resources for College Students The U.S. Department of Education's Federal Student Aid (FSA) office has a variety of information resources available for blind and visually impaired students enrolled in education beyond high school. The Student Aid Audio Guide contains an overview of the department's federal student aid programs including eligibility criteria, application procedures, loan repayment options, and deferment and cancellation provisions. The guide also provides information on non-federal sources of aid. Students can listen to the guide online at http://www.studentaid.ed.gov/audioguide, or request it on compact disc by calling 1-800-433-3243. ** Technology Tips and Information Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday is a concise and free summary of the week's news on adaptive technology, technology in general as it relates to the blind, and Internet audio. Each newsletter contains from 7-20 news items, and most items are three sentences or shorter in length. Subscriber addresses are not used for any purpose other than distribution of the free newsletter. To subscribe, send a blank message to tttt- join@topdotenterprises.com. Readers can see a sample copy by sending a blank message to sample@topdotenterprises.com. ** World Wide Classifieds Do you have a product or service to offer? Do you have something you want to buy, sell or trade? Subscriptions to "Connections" are free, and your first ad is free. "Connections" is available via e-mail, on computer disk, and on cassette. To place an ad, make your check or money order payable to Meagan Green and send it to Connections, 1410 Westfall Place, Stayton, OR 97383. To request the newsletter, send your name, address and preferred format to Meagan Green at the above address. For more information, visit http://www.connectionsfortheblind.com. ** Braille to Print Product Braille documents can now be shared with sighted colleagues, teachers, friends or family. The Pro Ink Attachment (PIA) prints the corresponding ink characters above or alongside the braille embossing. The PIA also allows for images to be embossed and printed. Anything that appears on the computer screen can quickly be made into a raised, printed image on paper. Attaching the PIA instantly transforms the ViewPlus Pro Braille printer into a high-speed embossing printer, creating the only compact integrated solution for high volume braille and ink production. For more information, call your local ViewPlus dealer, or contact ViewPlus directly via e-mail, sales@viewplus.com, or phone at (541) 754-4002. ** Online Music Lessons and Information Play Piano Today offers online music lessons and information free as well as for purchase. The site uses Flash and is fairly accessible using JAWS. For a guide to the information available, visit http://www.playpianotoday.com/report/index.html. ** GW Micro Sponsors DVS GW Micro sponsors the audio description of "Blind Justice," a new drama on ABC television. The first program aired on March 8. ***** High Tech Swap Shop ** For Sale: Braille Lite 40 with disk drive, carrying case, manuals, and cables. Asking $2,200 or best offer. Contact Margie Donovan at (650) 697- 5300 or by e-mail, margie.donovan@med.va.gov. ** For Sale: Type 'n Speak. Comes with all utilities; hardly ever used. For information, please contact Pat at (905) 684-0064 or e-mail pat.smolak@simpatico.ca. ** For Sale: APH tape recorder model 3-5194A, needs repair. Asking $50. I still have the Perkins brailler with hard hinged case, $400, and the Insul-gauges and Medi-coolers, $125 for the lot or $5 per gauge. Braille dominoes; 28 dominoes and 2 dice. Asking $15. Contact Robert Ziegler at (763) 537-8000 or via e-mail, jemob@earthlink.net. ** For Sale: BrailleNote 32-cell. Comes with two compact flash ports, upgraded to 48 megabytes RAM. Asking $4,000. Contact dbrown1@sisna.com or call (801) 967-7619 and ask for Dianne Brown. ** For Sale: New Braille Blazer embosser and leather carrying case. Still in original carton. Asking $1,000 (negotiable). Contact Dan at (517) 272- 0961 or danfurton@hotmail.com. ** Free to Good Home: JAWS for Windows. Call Cheryl at (845) 895-3030. ** Wanted: Braille 'N Speak Developer's Kit. This contains a C compiler and development environment for the PC. It was manufactured by Softools, sold by Blazie but has now been discontinued by Freedom Scientific. I am seeking a complete package in good condition with all media and manuals. I will be using it for hobby purposes only, so pricing must be reasonable but can be negotiated. Contact Deborah Norling, (408) 921-5957, debee@jfcl.com. ** Wanted: Braille 'n Speak. Call Angel at (206) 208-7595. ***** ACB Officers ** President Christopher Gray 94 Ramona Ave. San Francisco, CA 94103 ** First Vice President M.J. Schmitt 7320 Dixon Unit 204 Forest Park, IL 60130 ** Second Vice President Mitch Pomerantz 1115 Cordova Street #402 Pasadena, CA 91106 ** Secretary Donna Seliger 3912 SE 5th St. Des Moines, IA 50315 ** Treasurer Ardis Bazyn 500 S. 3rd St. #H Burbank, CA 91502 ** Immediate Past President Paul Edwards 20330 NE 20th Ct. Miami, FL 33179 ** ACB Board of Directors Alan Beatty, Fort Collins, CO Ed Bradley, Houston, TX Brian Charlson, Watertown, MA Billie Jean Keith, Arlington, VA Oral Miller, Washington, DC Carla Ruschival, Louisville, KY Patrick Sheehan, Silver Spring, MD Naomi Soule, St. Louis, MO Cynthia Towers, Seattle, WA David Trott, Talladega, AL ** Board of Publications Charles Hodge, Chairperson, Arlington, VA Cindy Burgett, Bremerton, WA Winifred Downing, San Francisco, CA Mike Duke, Jackson, MS DeAnna Noriega, Colorado Springs, CO Ex Officios: Ralph Sanders, Vancouver, WA Janelle Edwards, Manhattan, KS