The ACB Braille Forum Volume LXI May 2023 No. 11 Published by the American Council of the Blind ***** * Be A Part of ACB The American Council of the Blind™ 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. Listen to ACB Reports by downloading the MP3 file from www.acb.org, or call (518) 906-1820 and choose option 8. 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. © 2023 American Council of the Blind Dan Spoone, Interim Executive Director Sharon Lovering, Editor 1703 N. Beauregard St., Suite 420, Alexandria, VA 22311 ***** ** Table of Contents Presidents' Message, by Dan Spoone and Deb Cook Lewis Convention 2023: Registration and Reasonable Accommodations, by Janet Dickelman Stepping Out With ACB!, by Donna Brown Aha Moments in Social Faux Pas, by Suzanne Ament Two-Armed Teacher, by Gudrun Brunot Humor, A Blind Teacher's Friend, by Gary Legates 2-Armed Teacher: Voice Instruction, by Gudrun Brunot Snowplows in Disney World, by Lee Griffin Sun, Sand, and Surf without Sight!, by Janet Di Nola Parmerter Paris Hilton and Me, by John Buckley Forty Years Ago in the Forum Affiliate News Here and There High Tech Swap Shop ACB Officers ACB Board of Directors ACB Board of Publications Accessing Your ACB Braille and E-Forums ** Upcoming Forum Themes and Deadlines July 2023: hodgepodge issue; deadline: May 26, 2023 August 2023: theme TBA; deadline: June 23, 2023 September 2023: convention wrap-up issue; deadline: July 24, 2023 ** 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 make the changes for you. ***** ** Presidents' Message by Dan Spoone and Deb Cook Lewis * Dan's Message You say good-bye, and I say, "Hello." I wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you to our ACB members, staff, board and friends for giving me the chance to serve ACB over the past four years as your president. It has been the honor of our lives. Special hugs to Leslie for being my biggest supporter, loving partner and best friend through this journey. Our ACB family has been able to accomplish so much with our tenacity, flexibility and hard work. When every other organization in the blindness field was wondering what to do with a worldwide pandemic, ACB stepped up with a unanimous board vote, deciding to hold an eight-day annual convention with general sessions, 108 breakout sessions, an audio-described tour channel, a virtual exhibit hall and an amazing banquet. In addition, our staff and members came together and created a Community Event platform to bring everyone together to combat isolation and fear. We taught each other the Zoom platform and we became experts in hosting, facilitating, and broadcasting community meetings. One year later, with the help of a special voting task force, and the support of our members, we amended our constitution to give all members the right to vote independently. We need to give a special "hip, hip, hurray!" to our ACB staff that continued to perform through the pandemic with the offices shuttered for three months and the financial challenge of raising money with the worldwide economy in a free fall. The work of Nancy Becker, ACB CFO, to apply for and receive over $900,000 worth of government grants through the Payroll Protection Program (PPP) and Employee Retention Credit (ERC) programs for ACB have provided our members the services they so badly needed. We held our inaugural Audio Description Awards Gala in 2021 with shout-outs from Jason Momoa and Kurt Warner. The second annual gala featured testimonials from Stevie Wonder and Ewan McGregor. We came back together in 2022 with our first hybrid ACB conference and convention in Omaha and energized our new ACB leaders with an in-person Leadership Conference with an amazing "Show Me The Money" inclusive accessible currency rally in Lafayette Park across the street from the White House and Treasury building. ACB, WE DID IT! I'm so proud of our ACB family. We spent some time at our most recent leadership meeting talking about change and learning to deal with the inevitability that change will occur. Life will continue to ask the question, "Who Moved My Cheese?" Our job is to be prepared for change and take the calculated risks to continue to move ACB forward. The latest major ACB change was the announcement that our transformative executive director, Eric Bridges, was accepting an opportunity to become the new President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB). Eric's 15 years of experience at ACB will be a significant loss, but our ACB family will meet this challenge. We have an exceptional staff, board of directors, members and partners. I’m humbled to play a small role in the transition to a new executive director with the role of interim executive director. Our organization is in very capable hands with the ascension of Deb Cook Lewis to ACB president and Ray Campbell to first vice president. Deb and I have worked collaboratively over the past two years, and we look forward to a seamless transition over the next three months until our ACB officer elections in July. Now I would like to say "hello" to our new ACB president, Deb Cook Lewis. Hip, hip, hurray! * Deb's Message This issue of the Forum is all about the work and thoughts of our affiliates focused on teachers and students. And with respect to lifelong learning, I do find that the more I learn, the more there is to know. And so it is with the work of ACB. We've learned that our organization as a whole and individually can pivot to work through an array of changes and challenges and come out stronger with each turn, as Dan described. I'm looking forward to a great convention this summer in Schaumburg, which will be our primary focus during the next few months. Once new officers are in place, we will be initiating a nationwide search for our new executive director. Meanwhile, I totally appreciate the board’s wisdom in selecting Dan Spoone to serve us just a bit longer as our interim executive director. And I look forward to serving you and learning from you over the next three months as your interim president. In addition to my transitional activities into being president, I also need to quickly transition out of some other responsibilities, including managing a significant portion of the convention logistics. Your patience will be much appreciated throughout this process. Succession planning and mentoring are all important in this process and will undoubtedly be one of the cornerstones as ACB continues to move forward. ***** *** Convention 2023: Registration and Reasonable Accommodations by Janet Dickelman It is hard to believe that, as you read this, registration for the 2023 ACB conference and convention is just around the corner! In-person/hybrid dates are June 30 through July 7, with Zoom-only sessions being held June 22 through 24. Don’t miss the virtual-only ACB summer auction on June 17th, which will be preceded by two days of appetizer auctions, and the official call to order via Zoom on June 19 with the reading of the convention standing rules and the first credentials report. Registration will open for ACB members on May 18th at 7 a.m. Central time. The cost of registration will be $35. On May 25th, registration will open for non-ACB members. The cost will be $50. A non-member has the option of joining ACB as a member at large for $10, thus saving $5. Registration will close on Friday, June 16 at 10:59 p.m. Central time. You may also register during the convention; prices will increase by $10. If you are attending the convention in person, you can pick up your registration materials starting Thursday evening, June 29th. On the registration form you will select from two options: in-person or virtual attendance. If you are attending virtually and wish to receive the convention program in either braille or large print, it will be sent to your home address. If you will be joining us in Schaumburg, you will receive the program when you pick up your registration materials. All registrants will receive Zoom links for the Zoom-only events. Planning to take a tour? Please read the tour descriptions very carefully. Many of our tours require a lot of walking and/or standing. If this is difficult for you to do, please consider not taking the tour. Your health and comfort are very important to us. If you can't keep up with the group, there aren't options to stop or rest. If you require the use of a wheelchair to attend a tour, you must bring someone with you who will push your chair. That person must also register for the tour. Our volunteers are not able to assist as wheelchair pushers. Also, if you are more comfortable having your own guide, you might consider attending the tour with a friend or family member. We generally have one volunteer to assist 10 to 15 attendees, so we cannot offer personal assistance. ** Completing Convention Registration You can register online at acbconvention.org, or by calling (651) 428-5059. If you receive voicemail, please leave your name, phone number including area code, time zone, and if you will be attending the convention in person or virtually. We will return your call as soon as possible. To register, you will be asked for your username and password. If you do not have this information, please call the above phone number prior to the opening of registration and we'll look it up for you. ** Requesting Reasonable Accommodations If you plan to attend the convention and need a support service provider or interpreter, please contact Lori Scharff, who will assist in making arrangements. Send email to lorischarff@gmail.com, with "interpreter for Schaumburg" in the subject line, or call her at (516) 695-6370. Lori must receive your request by June 16th. If you need to rent a wheelchair or scooter, please reach out to me directly at the contact information shown at the end of this article. ** Hotel Details Room rates at the Renaissance are $98 per night double occupancy (with an additional $10 charge for up to four people), plus tax, which is currently 15%. To make reservations online, visit https://book.passkey.com/go/AmericanCounciloftheBlind2023. For telephone reservations, call 1-800-468-3571. This is a central reservations number, so please indicate you are with the ACB conference at the Renaissance Hotel in Schaumburg, Ill. ** Using Paratransit Service During the 2023 ACB Convention To set up your service, call Pace Suburban Bus, Regional Visitor Eligibility, at (312) 341-8000, weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Ask for Visitor Eligibility. They will tell you what your local provider needs to do to send a copy of your eligibility to Pace. We suggest that you call them now to set this up. It is also recommended that you check back with them to make sure they have received your certification. * Setting Up Your Service During Convention North Cook County Paratransit Operator, to schedule rides from the hotel: 1-800-554-7599, Monday through Friday 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. City of Chicago Zone 3 Paratransit Operator for Scheduling Rides into Chicago: 1-866-926-9633, option 1, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., 7 days a week. Rides must be made at least 7 days in advance; however, Pace recommends you call now to set up your service. This is a zoned system. If you're being picked up from Midway, Amtrak (Chicago Union Station) or Greyhound, there will be a transfer from a City of Chicago paratransit carrier to the North Cook County paratransit carrier. North Cook will pick up at O'Hare. Make sure you tell the operator which airline you are traveling on. They will let you know where the pickup location will be and drop you off at the proper terminal. If your ride requires a transfer, the driver will stay with you until the vehicle arrives. You will have to schedule two rides. The operator will let you know what time to schedule your second ride from the transfer station. The cost of a ride is $3.50. Additional information regarding paratransit will be posted to the convention announce list and available at the information desk. ** Staying in Touch The conference and convention announce list will be chock-full of information. To subscribe to the list, send a blank e-mail to Acbconvention+subscribe@acblists.org. If you received updates for the 2022 convention, you do not need to subscribe to the list. ** Convention Contacts 2023 exhibit information: Michael Smitherman, (601) 331-7740, amduo@bellsouth.net 2023 sponsorships: acbconvsponsorships@acb.org, or contact Dan Spoone or Clark Rachfal at (202) 467-5081. For any other convention-related questions, please contact Janet Dickelman, convention chair, at (651) 428-5059 or via e-mail, janet.dickelman@gmail.com. ***** ** Stepping Out With ACB! by Donna Brown It's time to start gearing up for the 2023 ACB Brenda Dillon Memorial Walk. Can you believe that this is the 15th year for this great event? Over $500,000 has been raised for ACB and its affiliates. There are several new flairs to this year's Walk. First, the Walk committee offered the ACB membership the opportunity to create a theme. As always, ACB members came through. Twenty-four different members submitted theme ideas. The Walk committee selected "Stepping Out With ACB" as this year's theme. It was submitted by Jacque Proctor from West Virginia. She will receive a $25 Amazon gift card. Wait, that's not all of the flairs and opportunities to win gift cards. ACB is 62 years old this year. Therefore, our goal is to raise at least $62,000 for ACB and its affiliates. Other ways to win a gift card are as follows: the 62nd person to register for the Walk; the first team to reach the $6,200 mark in donations; and the first person to receive 62 donations. You can now register for the Walk, create or join a team, or make a donation by visiting https://secure.qgiv.com/event/acbwalk2023/team/921259/. If you need assistance with registering or making a donation, call the Minnesota office at (612) 332-3242. As in previous years, affiliate and committee teams can designate up to 50% of the monies they receive from donations to go back to their treasuries. You can participate in the Walk even if you are unable to attend the ACB convention in person. The on-site Walk event will take place at 6 p.m. on Saturday, July 1. The Walk will end with participants filing into the opening general session. For questions about the Walk, contact Walk committee chair Donna Brown by phone at (304) 940-0292, or by email at donnambrown59@gmail.com. So lace up your shoes and join us in Stepping Out With ACB! ***** ** Aha Moments In Social Faux Pas by Suzanne Ament If you have significant vision loss, you know what it is like to suddenly realize that the person you were talking to is not there, or to find when you put your hand out to shake, no one takes it. Although we may use all our other senses for everything we do, the sighted world relies primarily on vision. That isn't to say many of us don't use some vision, but it isn't quite the same as someone with no visual limitations. How can we deal with these inevitable situations with grace and poise, and come out not feeling stupid, inept, or losing confidence? There have been a few times when I had an "aha moment" around such events. Perhaps the first one was concerning kibitzing in the history department where I work. Often people would meet in the open area of the history suite, or gather around the office door of a colleague. My attempt to join the discussion felt awkward, and it seemed like I didn’t fit in. Observing and reflecting over time, I realized a couple of things: first, the people I would address would naturally be the ones doing most of the talking. Hearing them was how I knew they were there. And sometimes when I heard them talking I would say, "Hi, so-and-so," or ask a question, not realizing that there were several others already in the mix. Because I was responding to the sound of someone talking, I didn't realize that I might be interrupting someone else who was on the verge of responding. Certainly my interruption wasn't intentional, but it was awkward. Second, I was shorter than many of my colleagues, and I do think that can make a difference for those watching faces. Once I realized that I was inadvertently interrupting, I started listening for a few more seconds before I jumped in, but it was an "aha" moment! Sometimes I think that the sighted world just doesn't realize that blind folks don't always pick up on visual cues. Recently I was at a faculty party. After sitting in silence for about a half-hour, I heard one of my nearby colleagues say something. Had I known he was there, I would have said hello or started a conversation long before that. Instead of feeling stupid I just said, "Oh, I didn't realize you were sitting there," and went on talking. At the same party, people apparently knew that it was time to eat and had been going in and out of the buffet without me realizing it. I asked the host at one point (he loves food) if I had missed any hors d'oeuvres. He responded in mock horror, "Oh gosh! You are missing everything! Let me get you a sampler." How about the situations where you are in a lecture and it is time for questions. You raise your hand and the speaker says "yes," and you don't realize that he/she is looking at you. Sometimes if they see the dog or cane, they may say something, or move closer to you. But in other cases it can be a gap and a gulp. It is hard enough in some settings to decide to ask questions, but it seems like the best thing is to plow ahead. Others in the room who know you will often tell you that you're being called on. Some of us with fairly good vision don't always use a cane or dog. I recall being in the college cafeteria line and asking what was on the menu (usually three different dishes). The worker behind the counter said loudly, "Maybe some people could bring their glasses to dinner!" I remember being embarrassed and angry, and said, probably a bit rudely, "Well, if I had glasses that would work, I would most gladly bring them." Maybe that wasn't the nicest thing I could have said, but she learned there were people who really couldn't bring glasses, and I didn't shrink away as though I had done something wrong. Sometimes these things can affect the sighted people in our lives. How many times have I heard from my friends or my husband that people behind the counter just look at them and expect them to speak for me. My husband will usually say, "Your turn," or something like that. Another friend purposely looks away, avoiding eye contact, and sometimes even moves away until the person realizes they need to talk to me. If I'm near the front of a line, either on my own or with someone else, I ask, "Is it my turn yet?" or, "Are you ready for me?" That allows the person behind the counter to realize I know what's going on, and they can speak to me directly. I'm sure you can come up with numerous examples and neat strategies for handling awkward situations. This is just an attempt to start some thinking and pondering and perhaps some conversations, and to show that even out of these awkward situations, we can find a deeper understanding of how to interact with a world that uses vision for so much. ***** ** Two-Armed Teacher by Gudrun Brunot I have worked in various capacities for roughly 45 years. In Sweden, where I was born, the educational system is somewhat different, but I became certified to teach English and French in 1975 and was hired to substitute for Mr. Thorstensson, who was being hospitalized for heart problems and needed time off. Was I scared to death? Goes without saying. The problem was that so were other people, including Mr. Thorstensson, who reportedly experienced increased heart rates when he heard that a blind person would be subbing for him. How's that for extra baggage - I caused the man heart palpitations in the hospital by my mere presence in his classroom. Apart from that, my baggage was light enough, for I had no braille copies of the textbooks, of course. So, slate, stylus, and a small notebook, in which I wrote down all the names, and a bigger one with that day's assignments. Days before I was to start, I had a reader record the first sections (texts and exercises), so I'd be able to give the students tasks to do. It's easy enough to envision the problems you'll encounter as a blind teacher, but the resources, that's harder to predict - you'll just have to hope there will be some. There were: first of all, the students, willing to step up to the blackboard and write words and phrases down for me, and, before I became familiar with the layout of the school, gallantly escorted me back to the teachers' lounge after class - especially the boys. Secondly, the staff - the secretary who dictated assignments onto tape, so I could hammer them out in braille the evening before class; the janitor, who made copies of assignments I'd typed out, and at times corrected my typos. I used the Optacon to read through what I'd typed, so I could find the errors and instruct him: "Bertil, would you please change that 'W' to an 'E' in sentence 8, first word ..." Third, Mr. Robertsson, friend of the man with the racing heart, who also recorded assignments for me and oriented me to the locations of the classrooms I was to work in. Just as each individual student has a personality with assets and quirks, so do classes. Each class had its own identity: the good-natured but rowdy technicians with ants in their pants who needed to be immediately engaged in written exercises unless I wanted chaos in the room; the studious natural scientists who would not hesitate to take advantage of the fact that I could not visually supervise them during a test; then, the smart, humorous, and lovable one. I could go on, but you get the picture. How did I deal with cheating? For the tests, once I discovered there was a problem, I brought it up with the headmaster, and we decided that another teacher would be present during the test, and I informed the students about that and why. No big scenes. Then, there was Kenneth, to whom I owe eternal thanks. I was checking on their vocabulary knowledge of a certain assignment and asked Kenneth: So, what is the Swedish for "bowler?" He answered "Hard," which was the first part of the multi-word definition. I asked Kenneth again - same question, same answer. "Kenneth," I said, "if you're going to read from the book, please read the entire definition." The group gasped, but this established me, in their eyes, as someone you couldn't fool. I don’t know that I deserved that reputation, but it was there, and it served me. Thanks, Kenneth. One lesson I learned the hard way: When you write down all the students' names, make sure you go over them with some frequency, so you don't accidentally leave one student out of it. One afternoon, Mats walked up to me and, with some embarrassment, asked to talk to me. "I haven't been given a single question the entire time so far." He was clearly troubled by having to tell me that. I immediately thanked him profusely and apologized most sincerely and addressed questions to him from then on. Things like that should never happen, and I've become obsessive about that issue forever after. At the end of the term, I finally met Mr. Thorstensson, recovered by then, heart rate under control despite my presence. He attended one of my lessons, so he could be reassured that no student had collapsed and no classroom had exploded because of me. I outlined the grades I was going to give each student, and he felt they tallied well with what he expected them to be. ***** ** Humor, A Blind Teacher's Friend by Gary Legates There is an old adage which says, "When you have a class of new students, don't smile at them until Christmas." I could never abide by that adage, however, because I found that humor helped me build a better rapport with my students. Humor can be a tool in our toolbox to help solve problems and relate better to our students, as the following stories will show. A few years ago, a friend of mine was student teaching. The student teachers had been told that if students became too noisy, they should say, "I can't hear," and that presumably would cause the students to become quiet. One day, my friend told a noisy class "I can't hear." From the back of the room, a student said, "You can't see either. You are in bad shape." With that, my friend burst out laughing and said, "You know, that is probably the stupidest thing I have ever said to you guys." With that, everyone laughed, and he felt that he established a better rapport with those students. In my own career, my school district had a policy that all students were to cover their books, and teachers were to enforce this policy. The school even placed a supply of covers in the back of all classrooms, but students were not always very interested or careful to cover their books. I knew that I had to figure out a creative method to enforce this policy which would not highlight the fact that I could not see to enforce the rule. So, I figured out a creative way of handling the situation. Of course, I never felt all over my students' desks to see whether their books were covered. But during my walks around my classroom, if my hand happened to touch an uncovered book, I would immediately say, "What do I see here?" Then I would pick up the book, wave it wildly over my head and shout, "A naked book! A naked book! A naked book! A naked book!" Then I would put the book back on the desk, and in a stern voice say, "Put a cover on that book, and anyone else who has a naked book, dress it." Students would scramble to cover their books and would try after that to keep them covered. I even heard students say to each other as they came into class, "I see a naked book!" The offending student would then cover it and go on with class. One day when I discovered a naked book and went through my normal routine, the owner of the book said, "Can I see that book?" I gave it to him. After looking intently at it for a moment, he gave a wolf whistle as if it were the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. At that, I burst out laughing and said, "Tom, that was funny. If you keep on like that, you will either be a millionaire or in jail by the time you are 20." Then everyone laughed, and Tom covered his book. During another occasion in a Latin I class, the students had learned the singular command form of the Latin verb "facio" which is "fac." We laughed about how much this word sounded like an often-heard cuss word which should not be said in school. A little later during the same week, I announced to the seniors in the class that they should study especially hard for their mid-term exams, because their mid-term grades would be put on their college transcripts. When I said this, a girl who was not my best student said, "They will?" to which I said, "Yes, they will." She sat there for a moment in stunned silence, and then in a worried voice said, "Oh fuck!" My students drew in their breaths and waited to see what would happen next. Now I knew that I couldn't tolerate that kind of language in class. I also knew that that girl would never normally say something like that in class, and that she had only said it because she was concerned about the situation. So, I said to the class, "Don't worry, Jenn was only practicing her commands." Everyone laughed, and that was the end of the situation. ***** ** 2-Armed Teacher: Voice Instruction by Gudrun Brunot The blessing of living in an urban environment is that cultural resources are varied and plentiful. The blessing of living in the boondocks is that they are not. Formal certification is less important than the question “Can you do it?” If others believe you can, that settles it. During my 18-year residence in San Francisco, Calif., I received my fair share of vocal instruction from a variety of teachers, among them choral director Byron Gordon, who declared, "Well, you won't sing at the Met." That's one of the teaching techniques I decided not to adopt later on. ... In 1999, my better half, Rob, and I moved to the little town of Twisp in the Methow Valley of Washington. I eventually landed a job as project coordinator for Cascadia, the Methow Valley Music Association. Pam, herself a good soprano, had several voice students, but wanted to focus on teaching violin, so asked if I’d take the singing students on. I did. In addition to not meeting Mr. Gordon’s requirements for Met-worthiness, I lack the God-given ability of those who can play the piano in any key and any song off the bat. What to do? The vocal instruction per se, I felt reasonably confident about, since I'd picked up a fair amount of the what and how from being a student and noting what different instructors would do. For accompaniment production, technology to the rescue: In my hardware arsenal at the time was a Karaoke Master with a CD player and two cassette decks; a Yamaha synthesizer keyboard, plus some software on my computer for audio production. I found pianists to record some vocalises and some songs, which I burned to CD to use with my students. My Yamaha had two wonderful keys - transfer up and transfer down. Warmups on the fly - no problem. Most students would come to the house, but one lives in Massachusetts, so I was teaching via Zoom way before COVID hit. This student asked me to teach a group of children for an after-school session, and that was interesting. They could sing together in the same room, which is a bonus, for those who are stronger can reinforce those who need a little extra support. Once COVID hit, students could not sing together. Now, students would go to YouTube and find songs to sing with. Welcome to the world of audio off-sync, crackle and dropout. I would find a karaoke track, lyrics, and a representable vocal performance of the student's song choice online, zip the three files up and send via Dropbox, so the music could be played at the student's end. I just finished instructing at a 4-day singing camp, also via Zoom. For this to work, the event leader will play a recording, remain unmuted, perhaps sing along, or sing a different part. Students will unmute and sing along. One hit was "The Chocoholic's Confession," (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fu0bi4U-wl0) which has 4 parts. That low part is really easy - try it! ***** ** Snowplows in Disney World by Lee Griffin Several years ago, while walking with a flight attendant through an airport to make a connection, I asked her what was the least desirable flight to work. My mother had been a flight attendant many years ago, and I remembered that hostesses (as they were called in a less politically correct time) bid for the flights they wanted, based on their seniority. The woman hesitated for only a second and said, "That's easy. The flights that everyone dreads are trips to Orlando during school vacations." As she explained, "That's when the plane is filled with lots of divorced fathers who have temporary custody of their kids and are taking them to Disney World. The dads want to be sure their kid has a really good time, so they rarely exercise any discipline. Consequently, you have a plane full of kids doing whatever they want, and they can be the flights from hell." I was reminded of this when I was in Walmart one Saturday evening not too long ago. I know there are some very unusual people in my town (and this is being very kind), and, like a pack of zombies, they all choose to come out and go to Walmart on Saturday night. As I was trying to conclude my errand and exit the premises as quickly as possible, I heard a woman in the next aisle complaining to someone about her ex-husband. Because I've always suspected that Walmart gives people the opportunity to practice auditioning for reality TV, and being a voyeur at heart, I stopped to listen. "He never exercises any discipline," she complained. "He never makes little Bubba do anything he doesn't want. He doesn't make him pick up after himself; he doesn't make him put things away; and I don't think he even makes him do his homework. Then, Bubba comes back to me and is mad when I expect him to do some work. It's Disney World at his house and reality at mine." Dad is what has come to be known as a "snowplow parent." That is, he sees parenting as removing all of life's adversities so that his child will always have a smooth path. Mom sees parenting as teaching her child how to shovel the snow to create his own path. Why am I talking about this in an issue devoted to education? While this is an anecdote that relates to parenting in general, it is uniquely appropriate for parents and teachers of blind and visually impaired children. Their kids are running a race, starting from behind, running in an outside lane, and, even more than their peers, need to know how to deal with adversity. For that matter, its lessons are equally applicable to adults. The danger for little Bubba is that, should he follow the path of the snowplow, he is virtually guaranteed to flounder once he leaves school and becomes an adult. The entire arc of his life is likely to be far less promising because of the lessons he has learned from Dad. That said, let's be honest; who doesn't want to have someone shovel the snow for them if they're willing to do it? It's very seductive. And, if we're not very careful, it's a path many people, with the very best of intentions, are willing to direct the blind or visually impaired child down. I suspect every parent, family friend, and teacher, probably including little Bubba's dad, sincerely believes that they are honestly helping the children in their lives by shoveling snow for them. But how can we really know if what we're doing today is going to help them in a couple of decades? Angela Duckworth, winner of what is sometimes called the MacArthur Genius Award, has spent a lifetime studying what makes really successful people and has some concrete suggestions on the best way to teach how to shovel snow. She cautions that it is tempting to think that highly successful people are just that way because they have some special superpowers that the rest of us don’t. To be sure, Duckworth says that athletic prowess, astonishing intelligence, and good business connections can help, but that decades of studying thousands of these people have convinced her that this is not their secret. She has been hired to figure out such things as why some really good swimmers become Olympians and some don't, why some students entering West Point can't withstand the hazing and the academic pressures and others, who appear to be identical, have no problem. In short, what are the intangibles that make for success in life? She describes the special, intangible quality that she has found in all successful people she has studied as "grit," perseverance in the face of adversity, the ability to keep keeping on when others quit. Alistair Cooke, the British journalist, described the same quality this way, "A professional is a person who can do his best at a time when he doesn't particularly feel like it." So, why do some people have grit and others don't? Put another way, how can we learn to be gritty? At the risk of great oversimplification, Duckworth suggests a couple of practical things. Her primary audience is parents, but her advice is equally applicable for anyone of any age. First, grit can be learned. It's not found in anyone's DNA. Second, it needs to be practiced by deliberately doing "hard things." In the case of her own children, each child is required to choose something they'd like to do, that she agrees is a "hard thing." The child must then stick with it, no excuses, for about 10 to 15 weeks. Duckworth says that there's nothing magical about this time period; it's just that she's found that most of the things her children chose tended to be about this long because of the season for sports teams, contracts for lessons, etc. Notice that the person, child or adult, gets to choose the "hard thing," but, once they've chosen it, and this is the important point, they are committed. Doing this time after time, until mastering "hard things" becomes second nature, is the secret to developing grit. While we don't want to think about it, there are a number of very important deficits that the blind or visually impaired child or adult, for that matter, confronts. Some are impossible to overcome. Some may be minimized but not eliminated. Developing grit, the factor Duckworth considers essential to success, however, is entirely within our control, and something we can learn. It's what enables us to shovel our own path and not think twice about it. ***** ** Sun, Sand, and Surf without Sight! by Janet Di Nola Parmerter (Editor's Note: Janet Di Nola Parmeter is the assistant editor of "The GCB Digest," Georgia Council's newsletter.) For avid rock and roll fans, the city of Asbury Park, N.J., calls to mind the cool sounds of Southside Johnny and Bruce Springsteen. But on August 21, 2016, Asbury Park was also the site of an exciting and inspirational event. On that beautiful yet windy day, blind and low vision individuals safely experienced a unique challenge: surfing. That was the first year Surfing for Vision was held. After hearing about the success of 20 blind and low-vision surfers challenging the rough and tumbling waves of the Jersey shore, it made me reflect back on my foolish youth and my own horrifying first time surfing. (My first time at surfing was also my last time.) So, in honor of that courageous group of surfers, I wrote this article to commend them for not only being brave, but for wisely taking surfing lessons first. Surfing for Vision owes a big thank you to the Neptune Lions Club, volunteers from the Christian Surfers, and The Visual Experience Foundation (founded by Michael Benson). "I want to send a message to all visually impaired and blind ones not to be afraid, because there is life after blindness," Michael Benson said. "If any blind [people] wish to experience surfing, sailing, a clam dig or ballooning in a hot air balloon, they can email me at Michael@lovevision.org, and also get a taste of their event with this short video, https://www.facebook.com/113588031233/posts/10156943561551234?s=15300076558v=e&sfns=mo." So many volunteers shared in this inspiring event. Yet, without the daring, brave surfers from the age of eight to 67, that inspirational surfing event would not have been anything special. With many volunteers and 20 fearless surfers, the 2016 event was spectacular! The soon-to-be surfers were given lessons on land, like how to stand on the board, then skilled volunteer surfers accompanied them into the water to catch a wave. One daring, young-at-heart surfer was 67-year-old Joe Ruffalo from Bloomfield. This was Joe's first opportunity to hang ten! He didn't actually stand on the board and make his toes hang ten, but he did hang on as his surfboard sent him racing toward the sandy shore. To view the video, click on the YouTube link near the bottom of this article. Even for a fully sighted individual, the thought of balancing on a fiberglass board in a turbulent sea of swells and waves can be frightening. At the same time, it can be exhilarating to experience the sensational speed of the ride, along with the feeling of the wind against your body. That's what I was told, but had never yet experienced. So, decades ago, at the age of 19, feeling like I could do anything without lessons because I was young, determined and a passionate Beach Boys fan, I was drawn to the Jersey shore to experience my own personal surfin’ safari. Since it was mid-October, soon after hurricane season, my brother and I were prepared for the chilly water with wet suits, but not for the post-storm seas. From the moment I began paddling out, the ocean tossed my board and me around like two feathers in a tornado. Every time I tried to get back up on the board, another wave crashed down, twirling me toward the bottom of the ocean. Exhausted and out of breath, I finally caught a wave, but again, was immediately turned upside down by a huge, diagonal, rogue wave which crashed down on top of my board and me. The powerful force propelled the surfboard vertical, 10 feet straight up into the air, and simultaneously thrust my twisting body 10 feet down below the surface of the water. After tumbling around, I became disoriented and finally figured out which way was up. Just before completely running out of air, I reached the surface. The instant my head broke through the ocean, my skull violently contacted the fin of the now descending surfboard. With a burst of excruciating pain, and the power of that unfortunate connection, I was instantly thrust back under the sea. Again, wave after wave relentlessly barreled down over my fatigued body and kept me from filling my lungs with much-needed air. When my strength was almost gone, I was tossed toward a sand bar, stood up for a split second, took a slight breath, and instantly was thrown back under by the treacherous surf. This was repeated for what seemed to be hours, but was really only about five minutes. At this point, my thoughts were crazy from the head wound, and my strength to fight the perilous surf was gone. Dazed and feeling like I was tumbling in a slow-motion dream, all of a sudden, my body scraped the ocean floor and I rolled across the shoreline. The last wave shoved me onto the wet sandy beach, and I laid there immobile in a pool of salty foam. Where was my protective older brother? Eating lunch with Mike. Though a feeling of safety gave me relief, I realized there was absolutely no way I could stand up. I just didn't have the strength. Yet, covered in sand and blood, I'm sure I looked like a dead fish. Was I having fun yet? I think not! Minutes later, I was still lying on the beach motionless. As the wild ocean continued to wash over me, the battered surfboard kept gently nudging my feet as if it were afraid to ask, "Is this thing alive?" While the sun warmed my frigid face, I kept my sand-covered eyelids closed and remained still. A feeling of complete calm came over me, as my mind replayed the frightening experience of what just happened. I almost drowned! Yes, this was supposed to have been my fun-filled surfing safari, but it felt more like an African safari, and I was the hunted animal which barely escaped. At that moment, I realized although I knew the words to every Beach Boys song, from now on, I would attend all their concerts, be a surfer girl in name only, and stick to snow skiing. As for Joe Ruffalo, he helped transform the dream of each would-be surfer into a reality they will never forget. Would he do it again? "Absolutely! That day was windy, and the waves were rough, but blind people have to come out of their comfort zone and try something different." Then he added, "In fact, the Mayor of Long Branch expressed interest in hosting the event." That interest turned into a reality. For the past several years, Long Branch has been hosting this surfing challenge. On Aug. 17, 2019, more than 150 people attended, and about 50 blind and low vision surfers hit the waves. Lifeguards and 30 surfers volunteered for water safety and family activities, like wave runner rides and surfing lessons. Takanassee Handshapes donated a free custom-made surfboard for the raffle, and Jersey Mike's donated sandwiches for all the volunteers and participants like Brian Mackey and Chloe. Amy Darlington, Chloe's mother, could not say enough good things about the safety-conscious volunteers, adding, "I hope more and more blind people take advantage of this fantastic, fun event." So if you decide to try Surfing for Vision at the Jersey shore, take the surfing lessons! Then get ready - surf's up! (Note: The video plays sideways for the first few seconds, but soon straightens out. https://youtu.be/w1rOwnpABnQ) For information on this year's event, visit https://www.visualexperiencefoundation.org/surfing-for-vision. ***** ** Paris Hilton and Me by John Buckley If you fly with any frequency, I suspect you have at least one, and maybe more, stories about some outrage you have experienced at the hands of some airline. I always thought I had a pretty good one when I told about the night that my wife and I were left to spend the night in baggage claim when a storm in the Midwest shut down the LaGuardia Airport, but that's a story for another day. I’ve recently had one that tops my LaGuardia story, however. If you're old enough, you can remember a time when no one, regardless of how mentally unstable they were, thought of bringing an animal on an airplane. Sneak on a gun or a bomb, maybe. Possibly hijack a flight, perhaps. But, regardless how looney they were, no one this side of la-la land gave a thought to taking on an animal when they flew the friendly skies. All of that changed when Paris Hilton, the Queen of Entitlement, took her foo-foo dog on board with her. Once the precedent had been set, hundreds of other passengers followed Ms. Hilton's example in subsequent years and trooped aboard with a menagerie of everything from peacocks to llamas that they tried to pass off as "service" or "emotional support" animals. To be sure, the airlines were complicit in this nonsense. Finally, last fall, a number of them hired a third party to screen and approve anyone wanting to fly with any animal they claimed to be a "service animal." Before telling what was worse than a night in a New York City baggage claim, let's take a minute to clarify a few basics: 1. "Service animal," which, in practice, nearly always ends up being a dog, has a specific legal definition under federal law. 2. An owner can't wave a magic wand and make their animal a service animal by simply claiming it is one. 3. Neither is an animal magically transformed into a service animal by wearing a sign proclaiming it to be such. There are no shortage of web sites selling these signs and related paraphernalia to anyone who wants to pass off Fido as a service animal. 4. "Emotional support" animals are not service animals and have no protection under the law. Finally, since we're talking about air travel, there's one more thing that might be added to this list. Airport security is not responsible for screening for goofy animals. If the guy in line in front of you has an iguana in addition to his carry-on, TSA’s job is just to be sure the iguana doesn’t contain any drugs or explosives - nothing more. Incidentally, if you think I'm kidding about these animals, I'm not. I've had airport personnel describe all of these examples - peacocks, llamas, and iguanas - as having been presented by passengers at my local airport as "service animals." Given this history, I was delighted when a number of airlines hired a third party last fall to screen and approve any passenger wanting to travel with a "service animal." Finally, there was the prospect of some sanity being returned to flying with my guide dog. The theory was great; the execution left a lot to be desired. So, in late October, I applied to the third party for permission for my dog to fly, submitted the necessary paperwork, and, within a couple of days, was notified that he "was certified to fly for the next year." We then flew a week later with no problem. All seemed right with the world until I tried to check in for a subsequent flight in late December and was told that I was denied permission to fly with the same dog that had been approved six weeks earlier on the very same airline flying between the same two cities. I’ll spare you the details, but I had neglected to comply with an admittedly technical requirement of the third-party vendor that was screening for service animals. Subsequently, both the attorney for the airline as well as the president of the third-party vendor willingly acknowledged that they had been at fault and that I had already complied with all legal requirements and should have been allowed to fly with my dog. At the moment, however, my wife was allowed to fly, while I had to return home to await a booking on the next available flight, three days later, by which time my technical violation of the new rules had been straightened out. What is the moral to the story? Well, I think there are three. 1. This airline, as an institution, is notorious for doing the absolute minimum it can legally get by with to assist disabled passengers. This is generally true even when it won't cost a penny more, as in the above example. It is known among airport employees as Clampett Air - need I say more. As the airline's own attorney acknowledged later, "This whole thing could have been avoided if two supervisors had just asked a couple of simple questions. Your dog was obviously a legitimate service animal and already approved for travel." 2. It helps to know how to complain. It should be said that the airline representative I was dealing with at the moment realized the policy was not being appropriately applied, was doing everything she could to correct the situation, but was powerless to override the corporate bureaucracy. But her good intentions couldn't get me on the flight. At the end of the day, airlines are regulated by the Department of Transportation, and it is their opinion that really matters to the carrier. To the credit of the airline, once the problem was called to the attention of senior management, I was surprised at how promptly they moved heaven and earth to apologize, make recompense, and, hopefully, put policies in place to ensure that it doesn’t reoccur in the future. Time will tell. I'd like to think they would have been good corporate citizens and done that on their own, and that may be true; however, I suspect that they learned that I had filed a formal complaint with the Department of Transportation, something I had never done before in my life, and this knowledge provided a little extra motivation. Incidentally, if you're ever in this situation, this is the link for the Air Travel Complaint - Comment Form for the Department of Transportation: https://airconsumer.dot.gov/escomplaint/ConsumerForm.cfm. 3. The real villains of this story are all the people who have tried to pass off faux service dogs as legitimate service animals over the years. Laws that are consistently and flagrantly disobeyed lose public support. Not to put too fine a point on it, but people who are wholly consumed with the selfish desire to pass off Precious or Fluffy as a service animal for their personal convenience have ended up seriously interfering with the ability of people who have a legitimate need for these animals to use them as they were intended. And I doubt that anyone doing this has ever given it a passing thought. If it were up to me, every one of them would be executed at high noon in the public square, hopefully suffering a slow, painful death. ***** ** Forty Years Ago in the Forum Editor's Note: I found this poem in the February 1983 issue of the Forum, and, as I'd just finished entering all the membership updates, thought it would be a good one to share. If anyone has a print version of the December 1983 issue, I'd be grateful if you’d send it to me at the ACB national office. I'm also looking for print versions for March, August, November and December of 1984, and all issues from 1985-1989, plus 1980-1981, the 1960s and the 1970s. * Thoughts on Membership (Author unknown) Are you an active member The kind that would be missed? Or are you just content That your name is on the list? Do you attend our meetings And mingle with the flock? Or do you just stay at home And criticize and knock? Do you take an active part To help the work along? Or, are you satisfied To just belong? Do you work with fellow members And get right in and mix? Or leave the work to just a few, And complain about the cliques? Think this over, members. You know right from wrong. Are you an active member? Or do you just belong??? ** Affiliate News * 2023 Friends-in-Art Showcase: Wanna Perform? Once again, FIA's Showcase of the Performing Arts will be a highlight of ACB’s 2023 conference and convention. Unlike the past three years, this year's Showcase is movin' on up to the in-person portion of the ACB convention on Monday, July 3 at 8 p.m. Central time, featuring both a live and virtual component. If you plan to perform in person, please note that we might have a keyboard accompanist available, and that we are exploring the possibility of putting together a "house band" to back potential performers. Of course, you are welcome to accompany yourself. If you are planning to perform live, it is not required that you send us something, but it would help us if you did. Please send material and/or information you want to be included in the Showcase to showcase@friendsinart.org. Materials might include: • Music: Any style; original material especially welcomed. Your selection may either be sent as an e-mail attachment, or you may send us a link from which the piece can be uploaded. Regardless of whether you send us your performance, please send us your name, city/state, e-mail address, if you plan to attend the in-person portion of the convention, and a brief description of the piece that you are planning to perform (to be used to introduce the piece). Please note that you MUST send us a performance if you want to be included in the Showcase's virtual component. • Prose/poetry. Original works preferred, especially if read by the author. Your work may either be sent as an e-mail attachment, or you may send us a link from which the performance can be uploaded. Be sure to include your name, city/state, e-mail address, whether you plan to attend the in-person portion of the convention, and a brief description of the piece that you are planning to perform (to be used to introduce the piece). Please note that you MUST send us a performance if you want to be included in the Showcase's virtual component. Deadline: June 1, 2023 In order to make it more likely that your selection will be included in the Showcase, please note: 1. Each selection should not exceed five minutes, including the description of the work you are asking us to consider. 2. We will consider including two contrasting short works if together they do not exceed five minutes. 3. We prefer up-tempo to slow, but will consider anything. 4. This is family entertainment; no profanity, please. 5. We aim for a show of around 25 selections of varying styles. Originality, professionalism, and flair count. 6. Please note that the FIA production team reserves the right to do editing or audio processing at their discretion in order to assure that the audience will get a high-quality performance. We will contact you well before July 3 to let you know if you will be included in the show and/or if we need additional information. Details are currently being negotiated, but we are planning to host an open mike event immediately following the Showcase. A cash bar will be available throughout the evening. Questions? Please email us at showcase@friendsinart.org. Thanks for your interest. We look forward to receiving your material. * Somewhere Over the Rainbow… in Schaumburg, Ill. by Anthony Corona Blind LGBT Pride International has a very robust program set for this year's convention, and we are excited to make new friends and greet our ardent supporters. This year we offer history, future, 3D Audio, FUN and, of course, wine. This year, we're partnering with FIA for the Showcase on Monday night, which is going to be a show-stopper! Plan to stay for the open mic, which will feature karaoke all-stars, poetry and YOU! Our mixer, which is always fun, will also serve up the fun on Sunday night. For all of you excited to sip and learn, we have three wine tasting options for you! And then of course we have our dare to share event by invitation only. This convention staple is the after-dark, adult-themed conversation; more details to come. Please peruse our offerings to decide which ones will take a spot on your convention dance card. We look forward to dancing and sipping over the rainbow with you all this July!! Saturday, July 1 First They Came For: Why "Don't Say Gay" Affects All of Us (Anthony Corona and Tristan Snyder) 1:00 - 2:15 p.m. In-person 3D Immersive Sound Experience (Tristan Snyder) 2:30 - 3:45 p.m. Hybrid Sunday, July 2 BPI Mixer (Leah Gardner, Anthony Corona, and Gabriel Lopez Kafati) 8:00 - 10:00 p.m. In-person Dare to Share (Leah Gardner) 10:00 p.m. - midnight (*by invitation only) Monday, July 3 Making Gay History (Anthony Corona) 2:30 - 3:45 p.m. In-person Wine Tasting (Gabriel Lopez Kafati) 5:30 - 6:45 p.m. In-person Showcase (Jason Castonguay, Leah Gardner, and Anthony Corona) 8:00 - 10:00 p.m. Hybrid BPI Open Mic (Leah Gardner, Anthony Corona, and Gabriel Lopez Kafati) 10:00 p.m. - midnight Hybrid Tuesday, July 4 Wine Tasting (Gabriel Lopez Kafati) 5:30 - 6:45 p.m. In-person Wednesday, July 5 Aging Over the Rainbow (Miss Ruth Williams and Anthony Corona) 2:30 - 3:45 p.m. In-person Mind-body: Sound Bath (Tristan Snyder) 4:00 - 5:15 p.m. In-person Wine Tasting (Gabriel Lopez Kafati) 5:30 - 6:45 p.m. In-person * South Carolina Revival South Carolina is in the early stages of reviving its affiliate. We are interested in hearing from you if you want to join the Palmetto affiliate. Residence in South Carolina is not required. In order to provide accurate and complete information to our national office and follow-up with interest meetings, elections, developing a constitution and bylaws, please send your complete name, address, email, phone, format choice for receiving "The ACB Braille Forum," whether you are blind or sighted, gender, and ethnicity to Jennifer Bazer via email, Jennifer.h.bazer@gmail.com, or text her at (803) 960-9977. ***** ** Here and There 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. * ScripTalk at Wegmans ScripTalk Talking Prescription Labels are now offered in some Wegmans locations. This is part of a larger initiative by the grocery chain to ensure all its shopper receive quality customer service, according to a Progressive Grocer article. If you'd like this service added to your Wegmans, or you would like to discover if your location is already offering it, call En-Vision America at 1-800-890-1180. They will help you get set up with talking prescription labels to give you peace of mind when it comes to medication independence and safety. * TD Accessibility Tool Now Online TD Bank Group recently launched a new innovative accessibility tool to create more inclusive and accessible user experiences. The new tool, designed as a browser plug-in, gives accommodation controls back to the user - enabling them to personalize their online experience without using overlays that can impact usability. Some of the accessibility preferences users will be able to choose from include reading guides, adjustable font size, dark mode, a dyslexia-friendly font, bionic reading and monochrome mode. The tool is explicitly designed to co-exist with other assistive technologies, such as standalone screen magnification software – a feature not currently prioritized by other online accessibility tools in the market. Read the full press release at https://tinyurl.com/jnanasmt. * HumanWare Braille Displays Part of Microsoft's Designed for Surface Program HumanWare recently announced that its braille displays are now recognized as an inclusive technology in the Designed for Surface (DFS) program. Enhancements to the Windows 11 Narrator now support a wider range of braille displays, including three 20-cell and 40-cell braille displays from HumanWare designed for Surface. For more information, visit www.humanware.com. * New Books from NBP Among the new books at National Braille Press is “I’m Not Scared, You’re Scared,” by Seth Meyers and Rob Sayegh Jr. It's available as a print-and-braille (contracted UEB) book for ages 3 to 6. Another new children's book is "Grasshopper on the Road," by Arnold Lobel. It's also available as a print-and-braille book for ages 3 to 7. Over in the adult section is “121 Good-Eating Tips,” by NutritionAction.com. The advice in this special report has been compiled by the expert staff of scientists and nutritionists at NutritionAction.com. It is available in electronic braille. Also new is "Blueprint for Men's Health." Did you know that, on average, men are less healthy and have shorter life expectancies than women? This book discusses the main health issues that men face, from prostate issues to diabetes, cancer, and much more. It's available in hard-copy and electronic braille. Yes, there's also a "For Women Only," by NutritionAction.com. It's no secret that women are built differently - but many people don't know that symptoms of a heart attack in women are different from those in men. It's available in hard-copy and electronic braille. The hard-copy version includes 11 tactile graphics. For more information, call toll-free, 1-800-548-7323, or visit www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/publications/index.html. ***** ** High Tech Swap Shop * Looking For: I’m searching for a Perkins braille writer that does jumbo braille. It would be preferable if it is electric, but I will take a non-electric one if necessary. Contact Dorothy Matrau via email at cactus530@yahoo.com. ***** ** ACB Officers * President Deb Cook Lewis (1st term, 2023) 1131 Liberty Dr. Clarkston, WA 99403 * First Vice President Ray Campbell (2nd term, 2023) 216 Prestwick Rd. Springfield, IL 62702-3330 * Second Vice President Vacant * Secretary Denise Colley (2nd term, 2023) 26131 Travis Brook Dr. Richmond, TX 77406-3990 * Treasurer David Trott (final term, 2023) 1018 East St. S. Talladega, AL 35160 * Immediate Past President Kim Charlson 57 Grandview Ave. Watertown, MA 02472 ** ACB Board of Directors Christopher Bell, Pittsboro, NC (1st term, 2024) Jeff Bishop, Kirkland, WA (2nd term, 2024) Donna Brown, Romney, WV (1st term, 2024) Gabriel Lopez Kafati, Miami Lakes, FL (1st term, 2026) Terry Pacheco, Silver Spring, MD (1st term, 2026) Doug Powell, Falls Church, VA (2nd term, 2024) Rachel Schroeder, Springfield, IL (1st term, 2026) Kenneth Semien Sr., Beaumont, TX (1st term, 2024) 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, 2023) Cheryl Cumings, Seattle, WA (1st term, 2023) Zelda Gebhard, Edgeley, ND (2nd term, 2024) Penny Reeder, Montgomery Village, MD (3rd term, 2024) Cachet Wells, Jacksonville, FL (1st term, 2024) ** Accessing Your ACB Braille and E-Forums The ACB E-Forum may be accessed by email, on the ACB web site, via download from the web page (in Word, plain text, or braille-ready file), or by phone at (518) 906-1820. To subscribe to the email version, contact Sharon Lovering, slovering@acb.org. The ACB Braille Forum is available by mail in braille, large print, NLS-style digital cartridge, and via email. It is also available to read or download from ACB’s web page, and by phone, (518) 906-1820. Subscribe to the podcast versions from your 2nd generation Victor Reader Stream or from https://pinecast.com/feed/acb-braille-forum-and-e-forum. ###