The ACB Braille Forum Volume LXI July 2022 No. 1 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. © 2022 American Council of the Blind Eric Bridges, Executive Director Sharon Lovering, Editor 1703 N. Beauregard St., Suite 420, Alexandria, VA 22311 ***** ** Table of Contents President’s Message: Welcome to the 2022 ACB Conference and Convention, by Dan Spoone Tips for Convention Attendees – Both In-Person and Virtual, by Janet Dickelman Thank You from the ACB Auction Committee Public Transportation Just Became More Accessible!, by Clark Rachfal Accessing ACB Information, by Katie Frederick Learning to Be a Better Leader through AFB’s Blind Leaders Development Program, by Danette Dixon Writers should reimagine roles for characters with disabilities, who have been limited to four tropes for years, by Magda Romanska How to Meet a Pregnant Nun, by John Buckley Blind student helps Pellissippi State professor ‘see’ calculus a different way Recipes from Our Readers Passings Here and There, edited by Cynthia G. Hawkins High Tech Swap Shop Wild Figs, by Ann Chiappetta ACB Officers ACB Board of Directors ACB Board of Publications Accessing Your ACB Braille and E-Forums ***** ** Upcoming Forum Themes and Deadlines * September: Audio Description Project; deadline: July 25th * October (E-Forum): Convention wrap-up; deadline: August 26th * November: ACB Diabetics in Action; deadline: September 23rd ** 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. ** Save the Date! Join us on November 29, 2022 at the 2nd Audio Description Awards Gala! ACB brings back the Barry Awards, celebrates industry leaders, and expands awareness on the power of audio description. And you can enjoy it from the comfort of your own home! Follow @ADAWardsGala on Twitter or visit the website for updates as the event draws near, www.adawardsgala.org. ***** ** President’s Message: Welcome to the 2022 ACB Conference and Convention by Dan Spoone I want to welcome everyone to the 61st annual conference and convention of the American Council of the Blind for our first-ever hybrid gathering broadcast across ACB Media Network and in person in Omaha, Nebraska. In these unique times, the efforts of our members to pull together and present an outstanding event is a testimony to the passion and tenacity of our ACB family. The theme of the 2022 convention is “Here, There and Everywhere!” This is a great theme for this year’s convention since today’s obstacles represent tomorrow’s opportunities. Making opportunities turn into successes for people who are blind or visually impaired is what our work at ACB is all about! You will hear much more about ACB’s successes during what should be our busiest and most information-packed convention ever. Every ACB convention relies on scores of volunteers who work to make this event possible. I want to personally thank the members of the Convention Committee, chaired by Janet Dickelman; the Convention Program Committee, and the ACB Media Network team. Likewise, let me acknowledge the work of our Alexandria and Minneapolis staff. You are all fabulous! Finally, a very warm welcome to those of you attending the ACB convention for the first time. This hybrid event will offer our members and friends a wonderful chance to experience a truly exceptional program in the comfort of your own home or in Omaha at the fabulous Hilton Hotel in the heart of the city. There will be over 25 hours of audio-described virtual tours, a robust vendor exhibit hall and amazing live tours, daily general sessions with knowledgeable presenters across the full range of issues that impact our community, and over 100 breakout sessions from our affiliates, committees and sponsors. This unique experience will shape our organization for years to come, and we can’t wait to get together in person or on the ACB Media Network. Enjoy a great convention! ***** *** Tips for Convention Attendees — Both In-Person and Virtual by Janet Dickelman The ACB conference and convention is fast approaching. Many of you will be reading this article as you are packing for Omaha, and others will be getting ready to join us via Zoom or ACB Media. Read on for information for convention attendees and those of you who will be staying connected from home. ** Attending Tours All tours will depart from the main lobby door of the Hilton. If you arrive Thursday evening, June 30, after registration closes at 9 p.m. and are on the Friday morning tour, don't worry. Your name will be on the tour list. ** Conference and Convention Program The program is available in large print, braille, NLS cartridge (deposit required), or emailed directly to you. You can also download the program from our website, www.acbconvention.org. You can also listen to the program on NFB-Newsline (subscription required). The program will also be available during the convention for download at the information desk, located in the Hilton in what is called the registration room, located just off the sky bridge to the convention center. If you plan to join us in Omaha but have not registered, there’s still time! On-site convention registration is just $45, or $60 for non-ACB members. Registration will be located in the Hilton in Blackstone A. ** Joining the Conference from Home For those of you who will be unable to attend this year, there are many ways to be a part of all the action! All convention registrants will receive Zoom links each evening for the next day's sessions. ACB Media has provided the following information to listen to the ACB convention using the ACB Media platform. ** Ways to Connect to ACB Media Programming * Amazon Alexa-enabled device (RECOMMENDED) Alexa, "Ask ACB Media to play Media n." (n = stream number). For example, to listen to general session during national convention, say, "Alexa, ask ACB Media to play Media 1." * PC/Browser Access (RECOMMENDED): Visit acbmedia.org at http://www.acbmedia.org/n (n= stream number). The site has a built-in media player. There is no need to install or use a media player on your device. Hit the play button and the stream will begin playing immediately. * Smart Device Access (RECOMMENDED): Download "ACB Link" from your app store. Find "Radio" along the bottom of the screen, then "Menu" in the top left corner. Select "Streams" and then choose the stream you wish to listen to. Double tap the play button. * Victor Reader Stream Access: Navigate to "Internet radio library" in the "online bookshelf." Locate the HumanWare playlist. From the playlist, select ACB Media n (n = stream number) and hit play. * Dial-In Access for programming originating in Zoom: Dial the Zoom access number provided with the schedule information for the session. When prompted, enter the meeting/webinar ID followed by #. You will hear the exact same program that is being streamed on ACB Media. * Alternate Dial-In Access (not recommended) Dial 1-518-906-1820. Listen to the menu prompts and press the number for the stream you want. Please note that this is a free service provided by Zeno Media. This service is limited in terms of simultaneous listeners, and ACB does not warrant this service. If dial-in is your only option, and the program is originating in Zoom, we recommend that you dial in to the Zoom meeting/webinar directly (see above). * Important Note: The ACB Radio Tuner is no longer supported. If you used the tuner in the past, you may access all ACB Media streams from acbmedia.org (see above). If you are using alternate ways to access ACB Media streams than those above (such as TuneIn or Winamp using acbradio.org URLs), we kindly ask that you use one of the methods above. ** Convention Announce List The conference and convention announce list will be filled with information. To subscribe to the list, send a blank e-mail to Acbconvention+subscribe@acblists.org. If you received updates for the 2021 convention, you do not need to subscribe to the list. Whether you are joining us in person in Omaha or attending virtually, I hope you enjoy your 2022 American Council of the Blind conference and convention experience. For any convention-related questions, contact Janet Dickelman, convention chair, at (651) 428-5059, or via email, janet.dickelman@gmail.com. ***** ** Thank You from the ACB Auction Committee The auction committee would like to say, "Thank You!" We appreciate all of the wonderful donations from affiliates, vendors, members and friends of ACB. There were over 140 items featuring homemade goodies, jewelry, technology and crafts. The funds raised thanks to your generous donations will support the ACB Community and membership engagement. Just a friendly reminder: please be patient as we work to connect the winning bidders with the auction donors to ship out the items. Once again, thanks for supporting the ACB Summer Auction. — Leslie Spoone, ACB Auction Chair ***** ** Public Transportation Just Became More Accessible! by Clark Rachfal Imagine traveling to Washington, D.C. for the ACB Leadership Conference without a care in the world. Imagine there is one smartphone application that could help you navigate from the airport, through the entire Metro train and bus network, to the hotel in Old Town Alexandria, and to your affiliate meetings on Capitol Hill. Imagine doing all of this independently and confidently, knowing your precise location within three feet at all times. With recent advancements in smartphone technology and navigation services, this fantasy of all public transportation users everywhere is coming closer to reality. On May 24, ACB’s executive director, Eric Bridges, took part in an event hosted by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) to announce a partnership with Waymap for providing indoor and outdoor navigation services throughout the entire WMATA network. Founded by Tom Pey, Waymap is a navigation service that utilizes the hardware and sensors of an individual's smartphone to provide accurate location and direction of travel information to a user in both indoor and outdoor mapped environments. WMATA is working with Waymap to map the entire D.C. Metro system to include all bus routes and stops, subway train stations and stops, above and below ground, in the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia region. At present, Waymap's technology is available at three train stations in the WMATA system: the Brookland Station in Washington, D.C.; the Silver Spring Station in Maryland; and the Braddock Road Station in Virginia. In addition to being designed to offer precise indoor and outdoor navigation information, the Waymap service is designed to operate without receiving external signals, such as GPS, cellular, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth. Thus, there is no risk to the user of losing a signal and the service not working. Additionally, because Waymap does not share user data, it preserves a user's privacy and does not share their location data with WMATA or any other third party. Not only does Waymap help users to independently navigate the WMATA system; Waymap empowers users to confidently explore their surroundings like never before. During the event on May 24, Eric Bridges celebrated WMATA's initiative and innovation to adopt new technologies and services that will enhance the accessibility and usability of the Metro bus and train system for people who are blind, low vision, and the Metro ridership as a whole. Eric commended our corporate partner Verizon Communications for their partnership and incubation of the Waymap technology through their Forward For Good program; Verizon has offered financial support and technical guidance to help bring the Waymap solution to fruition. And Eric praised Tom Pey and the entire team at Waymap for their collaboration and inclusion of ACB and people who are blind on an ongoing basis to test and provide user feedback on the Waymap service as it is being introduced into the D.C. Metro system. WMATA and Waymap will continue to introduce accessible navigation technology throughout the rest of 2022 and 2023. During the 2023 D.C. Leadership Conference, we are excited to share more information about the WMATA and Waymap partnership and the progress that has been made to date. ***** ** Accessing ACB Information by Katie Frederick There are many ways to stay connected with ACB and access information. The ACB Braille Forum and E-Forum, for example, are available in multiple formats. You can access ACB's flagship publication on the ACB.org website, via email, through the free NFB-Newsline service, as a podcast, and via ACB Media channel 10. For the past several years, the ACB Board of Publications (BOP) has developed a concept of themed issues for the Braille and E-Forums. Recently, many ACB special-interest affiliates and committees have reached out with contributions to the magazine. We welcome and encourage these submissions! The 2022 calendar of issues is full, so start thinking about what issue your special-interest affiliate or committee would like for 2023. If interested in submitting content for an issue, reach out to Braille Forum Editor Sharon Lovering in the national office. Thank you to those who have and will lend your voices to the ACB Braille Forum and E-Forum. Are you looking for another way to share your voice with ACB members and others? One of the newer platforms ACB has launched is the ACB Voices Blog. Visit www.acbvoices.wordpress.com to read the recently published entries. You can also subscribe to the blog via email and read entries in your email program of choice. Each month features an "ACB Spotlight" post, highlighting key events from the previous month, informing readers of upcoming events, and highlighting ACB's state and special-interest affiliates. Recently published blogs have also addressed topics such as the ACB Community, advocacy, honoring guide dogs, and more. The ACB Voices blog is a new medium, and we want and need to hear your voices. Please send blog submissions via email to voices@acb.org. If you have an idea for the blog, please reach out to a member of the ACB Board of Publications. We are here to help you share your voice. ***** ** Learning to Be a Better Leader through AFB’s Blind Leaders Development Program by Danette Dixon Going through the Blind Leaders Development Program as a fellow has been very intense. This cohort program is 10 months long, and each person has a mentor. I have never met my mentor in person, but the past 7 months learning from her has been a tremendous experience. We meet via the phone twice per month. In this program we are reading the book called "The Leadership Challenge 6th Edition," which is available on Audible. My mentor and I have gone through the book together and looked at where I need to improve on some of the leadership skills. Approach leadership as a measurable, learnable, and teachable set of behaviors. Five practices to make extraordinary things happen: 1. Model the Way 2. Inspire a Shared Vision 3. Challenge the Process 4. Enable Others to Act 5. Encourage the Heart The Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) instrument is an essential tool to help you gain perspective into how you see yourself as a leader, how others view you, and what actions you can take to improve. First I had to evaluate myself on 30 statements about each of the five behaviors listed above. It is measured on a 10-point scale. Then I had to get about 15 people to evaluate me on the same topics. I got around 12 people to do the evaluation — managers, direct reports, co-workers, and others. It was fun to see how others evaluated me. Most of the time I evaluated myself much lower than others did. Some of the things I will keep with me are: • I have the right to have confidence to be the best leader I can be. • Persistence, take risks, do not be afraid to fail, learn from the mistake. • Value the role of humility in order to change, and lead to make the difference. • Recognize and praise others in public for a job well done, get personally involved in recognizing great stuff, expect the best. • Have a mentor to encourage me to fulfill my vision. • Trust builds confidence, and begins with me. • Take ownership; do what I say I will do. • Do what I say, not what I do. • Get feedback to seek other opinions; seek to understand, then try to be understood. Three thoughts that I will always keep in front of my mind: • Think about when you as a leader have performed at your personal best. • When my term is complete as the president, how do I want others to remember me? • Write a personal mission statement. I will always be striving to be the best leader I can be. A few characteristics of an admired leader that I will hang onto are: honesty, responsibility, dedication, persistence, and purposeful. This article is just a little taste of the Blind Leaders Development Program, which I highly recommend. I will always be learning and growing to be the best leader I can be. ***** ** Writers should reimagine roles for characters with disabilities, who have been limited to four tropes for years by Magda Romanska Reprinted with permission from "The Conversation" under a Creative Commons license. (Editor's Note: Magda Romanska is an associate professor of theatre and dramaturgy at Emerson College. You can read the original article at https://tinyurl.com/2m73ec4z.) The #MeToo and Black Lives Matter movements have forced Hollywood and other artists and filmmakers to rethink their subject matter and casting practices. However, despite an increased sensitivity to gender and race representation in popular culture, disabled Americans are still awaiting their national (and international) movement. "Disability drag" — casting able-bodied actors in the roles of characters with disabilities — has been hard to dislodge from its Oscar-worthy appeal. Since 1947, out of 59 nominations for disabled characters, 27 won an Academy Award — about a 50% win rate. There's Eddie Redmayne's performance as Stephen Hawking in "The Theory of Everything"; Daniel Day-Lewis' portrayal of Christy Brown, who has cerebral palsy, in "My Left Foot"; and Dustin Hoffman's role as an autistic genius in "Rain Man" — to mention just a few. In recent years, however, we've seen a slight shift. Actors with disabilities are actually being cast as characters who have disabilities. In 2017, theater director Sam Gold cast actress Madison Ferris — who uses a wheelchair in real life — as Laura in his Broadway revival of Tennessee Williams' "The Glass Menagerie." On TV and in movies, disabled actors are also being cast in roles of disabled characters. Despite these developments, the issue of representation — what kind of characters these actors play — remains mostly unaddressed. The vast majority of characters with disabilities, whether they're played by actors with disabilities or not, continue to represent the same outdated tropes. As a professor of theater and media who has written extensively on the elements of stage drama, I wonder: Are writers and directors finally poised to move beyond these narrative tropes? * Breaking down the tropes Typically, the disabled characters are limited to four types: the "magical cripple," the "evil cripple," the "inspirational cripple" and the "redemptive cripple." Magical cripples transcend the limitations of the human body and are almost divinelike. They make magical things happen for able-bodied characters. In many ways, the magical cripple functions like "the magical Negro," a term popularized by director Spike Lee to describe Black characters who are usually impoverished but brimming with folk wisdom, which they selflessly bestow on existentially confused white characters. Like the magical Negro, the magical cripple is a plot device used to guide the lead character toward moral, intellectual or emotional enlightenment. The magical cripple doesn't learn anything and doesn't grow because he already is enlightened. In film, examples include Frank Slade, the blind army colonel who guides young Charlie through the perils of teenage love in 1992's "Scent of a Woman." Marvel's Daredevil character is a perfect example of a magical cripple: A blind person imbued with supernatural abilities who can function above and beyond his physical limitations. Evil cripples represent a form of karmic punishment for the character's wickedness. One of the most well-known is Shakespeare's Richard III, the scheming hunchbacked king. In a 1916 essay, Sigmund Freud pointed to Richard as an example of the correlation between physical disabilities and "deformities of character." The trope of the evil cripple is rooted in mythologies populated by half-man half-beasts who possess pathological and sadistic cravings. More recent examples of the evil cripple include Dr. Strangelove, Mini-Me from "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me" and Bolivar Trask in "X-Men: Days of Future Past." Then there are inspirational cripples, whose roles equate to what disability rights activist Stella Young calls "inspiration porn." These stories center on disabled people accomplishing basic tasks or "overcoming" their disability. We see this in "Stronger," which retells the story of Boston Marathon bombing survivor Jeff Bauman. In the inspirational narratives, disability is not a fact of life — a difference — but something one has to overcome to gain rightful sense of belonging in society. An offshoot of the inspirational narrative is the redemptive narrative, in which a disabled person either commits suicide or is killed. In movies like "Water for Elephants," "Simon Birch" and "The Year of Living Dangerously," disabled characters are sacrificed to prove their worth or to help the protagonist reach his goal. These characters serve as dramaturgical steppingstones. They are never partners or people in their own right, with their own drives and ambitions. They are not shown as deserving their own stories. The persistence of these tropes underlies the urgent need to re-evaluate the makeup of writers and production teams. Who writes these parts is perhaps more important than who acts them. * Beyond the hero's journey There's a reason these formulaic roles are so prevalent. For much of the past century, Hollywood storytelling has operated according to the hero’s journey, a dramatic structure that places the white male able-bodied character at the center of the story with atypical characters serving as “helpers” to support his goals. This narrative model has conditioned audiences to see the helpers as purely functional. The tropes based on this framework define the categories of belonging: who is and who isn't human, whose life is worth living and whose isn't. The one narrative journey that historically allowed the disabled to play a central role depicted them as working toward the symbolic reclamation of their dignity and humanity. In tragic narratives, this quest fails, and the characters either die or request euthanasia as a gesture of love toward their caretakers. "Million Dollar Baby" and "Me Before You" are two good examples of films in which disabled characters choose voluntary euthanasia, communicating the socially internalized low value of their own lives. But what if disabled characters already had dignity? What if no such quest were needed? What if their disability weren't the thing to overcome but merely one element of one's identity? This would require deconstructing the conceptual pyramid of past hierarchies, one that has long used disabled characters as props to illuminate conventional heroes. Carrie Mathison in the series "Homeland" can be thought of as representing this new approach. Carrie, played by Claire Danes, struggles with mental illness, and it affects her life and her work. But it is not something to overcome in a dramatic sense. Overcoming the disability is not the central theme of the series — it's not the main obstacle to her goal. Carrie's disability does give her some insights, but these come at a price and are not magical. "Homeland" further breaks the mold by giving Carrie a helper who is an older white male — Saul Berenson, played by Mandy Patinkin. As we move towards greater gender and race inclusivity at work and in the arts, disability should not be left behind. More complex, more sophisticated stories and representations need to replace the simplistic, outdated and cliched tropes that have been consistently rewarded at the Oscars. ***** ** How to Meet a Pregnant Nun by John Buckley Recently, my wife and I were invited to dinner with another couple who were anxious to introduce us to a third couple who "are really great people." As tends to happen at such things, the men were seated at one end of the table and the women at the other. I appreciate meeting someone with a disability can be anxiety-producing for many people. Some folks can be made very uncomfortable by the experience. They may have never done it before. They may have done it, but it didn’t go well. They may be concerned about what to say or saying the wrong thing or saying the right thing in the wrong way. On this particular evening, our host failed to appreciate that “the great guy” who he was anxious that I meet was clinically phobic about meeting someone who was blind. As we all know, recognizing this in someone else doesn't require great subtlety. It hits you like a Mack truck. He was as nervous as a pregnant nun. Every time I tried to serve the conversational tennis ball, he failed to return service. After a number of my fat lobs had just died and I'd decided to concentrate on my mashed potatoes for a while, he ended five minutes of silence by asking, "Have you always been blind?" At this point, I was having a hard time finding reasons why this guy was as great as our host had promised, but, reminding myself this was probably an entirely new experience for him, I decided to ignore the fact that he had dropped a verbal IED in the middle of our conversation and answer his question. When and how I lost my vision is not a topic that is off the table. I'd recently been asked the same thing by two other people. The difference was that, in those cases, the subject came up as a natural part of our conversation. It didn't just fall down from the sky like a conversational Molotov cocktail dropped in the middle of the table. If, however, you're blind or visually impaired, you can anticipate being asked questions like this out of the blue from relative strangers from time to time. Miss Manners won't give you a clue how to deal with it either. I have developed the Buckley Rule for dealing with situations and people like this: always be polite. There are two reasons for this. First, while the other person is nervous and ill at ease and clearly unsure how to negotiate the situation, I've dealt with this sort of thing before and I'm not. Second, forcing myself to be polite ensures that I won’t say what I’m thinking, things like "Didn't your mother teach you any better than that?" or "What planet did you come down from?" By this point in the evening, it's clear that my wife is having a great time with the other women, and I'm regretting being stuck with the other Y chromosomes. My next few conversational gambits with my new friend are as dead as Elvis and are followed by another couple of minutes of silence when he asks, "Did you ever work?" Now, this guy is really testing the Buckley Rule. The Constitution gives us the right to be idiots. It's just that some of us choose to exercise that right more frequently than others and do it in a more spectacular fashion, and this guy has just done it. The assumption that, because I'm blind, I must almost certainly also be unemployable, is so offensive that, for a couple of seconds, I consider raising my voice loud enough to be easily overheard by the diners at the nearby tables and asking, "So, Bob, how is the Viagra helping with your little problem?" But my better angels seize control, and I don't. Instead, I briefly run through my resume, explaining that I have a doctorate from one of the nation’s elite universities and have taught in higher education all of my professional life. This is met with complete silence. At this point, I've decided that, despite my best efforts, I'm trying to apply conversational CPR to a mental corpse. Just then, I hear my new buddy tell the table, "You know, the President doesn't run this country; it’s all being run by George Soros" and I give up and decide my mashed potatoes really are more interesting. ***** ** Blind student helps Pellissippi State professor 'see' calculus a different way To read this article online, go to https://www.pstcc.edu/2022/05/16/blind-student-helps-pellissippi-state-professor-see-calculus-a-different-way/. Blind since birth, Campbell Rutherford of Dandridge is used to “seeing” the world a different way from her sighted peers. But as a dual enrollment student at Pellissippi State Community College since fall 2020, Rutherford has helped her professors "see" new ways of teaching. "Parts of calculus are inherently visual," said associate professor Tony Crossland, who had Rutherford for Calculus III this spring. "I've taught this course for several years and gotten away with drawing shapes for the students, so I knew it would be a challenge with Campbell because she would need to 'see' the shapes.”" Calculus III is the study of functions in two or more dimensions. This includes a focus on six quadric surfaces, which are 3D extensions of conic shapes such as ellipses, parabolas and hyperbolas. Students learn how to examine cross sections of these shapes to figure out what surface a given equation represents. "The main task of Calculus III is to learn the equations that equal these shapes," Crossland explained. "Calculus III is about 60 percent visualization, so I was a little bit nervous because Campbell is the first blind student I've had in my classes." Rutherford wasn't intimidated, however, having lived with Leber congenital amaurosis, a rare genetic eye disorder commonly referred to as LCA, her entire life. The condition causes moderate to severe vision impairment to blindness and, as a braille reader and a cane user, Rutherford describes herself as "much closer to the totally blind end of the spectrum." "I have to access all my schoolwork through screen readers," she added. Rutherford, now 19, has been homeschooled since fifth grade and wanted to take dual enrollment courses at Pellissippi State to gain experience in a classroom before attending college full time. She thought it would be helpful for her to practice requesting accommodations as well. "It has been much easier to get accommodations at Pellissippi State than in public school," noted Rutherford, who has taken Spanish I and II, Calculus II and III, and General Biology I and II at Pellissippi State. "I have not had a problem getting anything I needed. Disability Services has always been there." But when it came to Calculus III, Crossland went above and beyond her expectations, working with associate professor Lynn Klett, who teaches Mechanical Engineering Technology classes, to make 3D models of the six quadric surfaces. He then loaned those models, called quadric sections, to Rutherford for Calculus III. "I wanted her to get an idea of what kind of shape goes with what equation," Crossland said of the shapes, which range between 7 and 8 inches tall and vary in thickness. "It helps that Campbell has an affinity for mathematics and that she enjoys the subject matter. It's been a pleasure to work with her, and I'm fascinated by learning how she learns." While Rutherford has been provided existing 3D models in science classes – representing molecules and DNA, for example – this was the first time a math instructor had 3D models made especially for her, she noted. And this was not an accommodation that she requested. "Having these quadric sections was extraordinarily helpful because the surfaces we were examining are composites of the different figures we have learned in Calculus I and II and even algebra," Rutherford said. For the nonmathematically minded, Rutherford gave the example of a paraboloid, which she described as a U-shaped bowl instead of a U-shaped line on a graph. Calculus III students need to be able to examine its cross sections in order to reproduce the equations in two dimensions, she explained. "Think of an Easter egg," Crossland added. "The shape is oval if you slice it horizontally, but round if you slice it vertically. Students need to know how to piece these surfaces together to get the right equations." Rutherford finished Calculus III with an A and has already committed to Harvard University this fall, where she plans to major in applied mathematics as an undergraduate with a goal of pursuing either biostatistics/bioinformatics or cybersecurity in graduate school. "For homeschooled students especially, I would recommend taking dual enrollment classes to help prepare you for college," she said. "In college you will have to be self-motivated because people won't stay on top of you to turn in your assignments, and you'll develop different study habits. "For students with disabilities, I would say, 'Don't be afraid to talk to Disability Services and ask them for what you need, but don't go in demanding your rights with an attitude of entitlement,'" Rutherford added. "You'll be surprised how far a civil conversation can go, and it will help you to build good relationships with college staff and your professors. They will be more willing to help you and not treat you like a burden." Crossland balked at how Rutherford ever could be considered a burden to her teachers. "She has been so accommodating to us," he stressed. "She's such an eager and earnest learner, and her work is always immaculate. There are problems that require me to use scratch paper, and she already has the answer! It's very impressive the way she can visualize and calculate in her beautiful brain." ***** ** Recipes from Our Readers As this is a "potluck" issue, we thought it would be a good idea to share some recipes. Whether you're cooking for yourself, your family, or a larger crowd, there's bound to be a recipe to tempt your taste buds here. Most of these recipes came from participants in a community call. Thanks to Sheila Young for allowing us to reprint the recipes shared on the May 18th call. * Blueberry Muffins (without having to clean muffin cups) 2 eggs 1/2 to 3/4 cup white sugar, depending on your taste 2 tsp. vanilla extract 1 tbsp. baking powder 1 tsp. salt 1 stick of butter 2 cups unbleached flour 1 cup water At least one cup blueberries Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Use an 8-inch baking pan. Place 1/4 of the stick of butter in pan and place in the oven to melt. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs with fork until smooth. Add sugar and mix until blended. Add baking powder, vanilla and salt, mixing well. Melt the rest of the butter in microwave. Add 1 cup of flour to the ingredients in the bowl and stir until blended. Add melted butter and mix well. Then add the rest of the flour and stir until combined. Add water and mix well. Fold in the blueberries and stir until just blended. Pour into baking pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. * Anna's Chicken for a Crowd You'll need: Cooking spray 9 x 13-inch baking dish 4 cans of cream of anything soup (you can use 1 can of cheddar cheese soup) 2 14-oz. cans chicken broth 2 lbs. of rice 2 packages of onion soup mix 12 to 16 chicken thighs Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray bottom and sides of baking dish. Pour in soups, adding chicken broth after each can. Add rice and stir. Place chicken on top, seasoning with salt, garlic, etc. Sprinkle one of the onion soup mix on top, turn chicken over and sprinkle with the other soup mix. Cover with foil and bake for 1 ½ hours. Remove foil and bake another 30 minutes. * Beer Hot Dogs Place hot dogs in pan, cover with beer. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes. * Jeannie's Ideal Baked Beans Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a square, round or oval casserole dish with cooking spray. Drain one 63-oz. can or two 31-oz. cans pork and beans. Place beans in prepared casserole dish. Add and mix all together well: 1 cup ketchup 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1/4 cup maple syrup 2 tablespoons minced onion 1 tablespoon mustard If desired, put a single layer of bacon over top. Bake 45 to 60 minutes, until desired consistency is reached. Recipe may be halved, doubled or increased by half, equally increasing or decreasing ingredient quantities, according to how many people you want to feed. * Spinach & Cheese Spirals 1 tbsp. olive oil 1 bag of fresh baby spinach Kosher salt to taste 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese Hidden Valley original ranch dressing 1 8-oz. can refrigerated crescent rolls Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large skillet heat oil, and saute spinach until wilted, about four minutes. Season to taste and remove, placing on a cutting board and chop, then let cool. In a bowl, mix cheeses, dressing and spinach until well combined. Unroll crescent rolls into four rectangles and spread spinach mixture on top. Roll crescent rolls up and seal. Bake for 15 minutes and serve. * BLT Macaroni Salad 2 cups cooked elbow macaroni 9 strips of cooked bacon 3 tomatoes Onion, diced small Shredded lettuce Salt & pepper to taste 1 cup mayonnaise or Hidden Valley Ranch dressing Mix all together and chill. Can add cheddar cheese if desired. * Broccoli Salad 1 cup mayonnaise, reduced-fat mayonnaise, or salad dressing 1/2 cup raisins 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion (1 small) 3 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons vinegar 7 cups chopped fresh broccoli florets 8 slices bacon, crisp-cooked, drained and crumbled In a large bowl combine mayonnaise, raisins, onion, sugar, and vinegar. Add broccoli and stir to coat. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours. Before serving, stir in bacon. Makes 12 to 16 side-dish servings. * Cherry Jell-O Salad 1 large pkg. (6 ounces) cherry Jell-O 2 cups boiling water 1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple, undrained 1 can (21 ounces) cherry pie filling Mix all together and refrigerate several hours to let it set. Cut into squares. * Corn Salad 2 cans of corn, drained 1 or 2 cups of mayonnaise 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese Green pepper, diced small Red pepper, diced small Red onion, diced small 2 cups of barbecue or honey barbecue Fritos, crushed Salt and pepper to taste Mix together and refrigerate. Add crushed Fritos before serving. Serve with club crackers. * Chickpea Salad 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped 1/2 green/red/yellow pepper chopped (or a mix of the three) 1 tbsp. white vinegar 1/4 cup red wine vinegar 1 clove garlic, minced Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 1 can (16 oz.) chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained 1/3 cup diced sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil (I use a small can of diced tomatoes instead, drained, any flavor) 2-3 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley or tarragon 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice Bring a small sauce pan of water to a boil. Add the onion, and cook 30 seconds. Drain, and toss with white wine vinegar. Mix together the red wine vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper and gradually whisk in the oil. Toss the chickpeas, sun-dried tomatoes, and onion with the dressing and let marinade 1 hour. Add the chopped parsley or tarragon and lemon juice, toss to mix, and serve at room temperature. * Fruit Salad 1 can mandarin oranges 1 can sliced peaches Blueberries Strawberries Bananas 1 or 2 containers of Cool Whip Toasted pecans Marshmallows, if desired Mix all ingredients together and chill in fridge. * Salad 1 cup salad 1 cup sour cream 1 cup mini marshmallows 1 cup shredded coconut 1 cup drained, crushed pineapple 1 cup drained mandarin oranges Mix all ingredients together. You can add additional cups for a larger crowd. * Vegetable Salad This recipe could be cut in half if you are serving a smaller group of people. 5 cups chopped broccoli florets 5 cups chopped cauliflower florets 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese 1/2 cup raisins or cranberries 2/3 cup minced onion 1/2 cup sugar 1 cup mayonnaise 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or raspberry vinegar (Amazon sells these types) 6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled, or 1/2 cup bacon bits 1/4 cup shelled, toasted sunflower seeds Chop broccoli and cauliflower into bite-sized pieces. In a large bowl, add vegetables, cheese, raisins, minced onions and mix well. In another bowl, combine sugar, vinegar and mayonnaise. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss until all vegetables are coated well. Sprinkle the bacon and sunflower seeds over the top. Tip: This salad can be made ahead; add the bacon and sunflower seeds just before serving * Goldrush Brownies 2 cups graham cracker crumbs 1 can sweetened condensed milk 1 (6-oz.) package chocolate chips 1/2 cups chopped pecans Mix all ingredients together. Place mixture in square pan, or double ingredients for 9 by 13-inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes before cutting. Cut into 24 squares. * Grandmother Paul's Sour Cream Pound Cake 2 sticks butter 3 cups sugar 1 cup sour cream (8 ounces) 3 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 6 large eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together. Then add the sour cream and mix well. Sift the baking soda and flour together. Add the sifted flour to the creamed mixture, alternating with eggs, beating each egg one at a time. Add the vanilla and pour the mixture into a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan. Bake for 1 hour 20 minutes. * Patriotic Parfait 1 large package blue or purple Jell-O 1 large package red Jell-O, any flavor 4 cups water, boiling 2 cups water, cold 8 ounces Cool Whip topping, thawed 4 cups angel food cake, cubed 2 cups strawberries, sliced 1/2 cup blueberries Dissolve berry blue Jell-O in 2 cups of boiling water. In a separate bowl, dissolve the cherry Jell-O. Stir 1 cup of cold water into each bowl. Pour into separate 9 x 13-inch pans. Refrigerate at least 3 hours until firm. Cut into 1/2" cubes. Place blue Jell-O cubes in bottom of clear glass trifle bowl. Top with 1/3 of the Cool Whip. Add cake cubes, then sliced strawberries. Top with another 1/3 Cool Whip. Add the red Jell-O cubes and then the remaining Cool Whip. Sprinkle blueberries over top. * Patriotic M&M Cookie Bars (Large Batch) Reprinted from https://onmykidsplate.com/mm-cookie-bars/. • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature • 1 1/2 cups brown sugar – light brown or dark brown sugar • 1/2 cup white sugar • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract • 3 large eggs • 3 cups flour– all-purpose flour • 1 teaspoon baking powder • 1 teaspoon baking soda • 1 teaspoon salt – if using salted butter, leave out the salt here • 2 cups M&Ms - Red, white and blue mix, or other colorful mix • 2 cups chocolate chips Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a rimmed baking sheet (11" x 17") fully with parchment paper. It can help to line the pan from top to bottom the long way rather than the short direction to ensure the entire pan is lined fully. Some people also like to butter the parchment paper, but it's not necessary. In a large bowl add softened butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Cream together the butter and sugars with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Crack and lightly beat the eggs to break the yolks. Add eggs and vanilla to the butter and sugar mixture and fully mix into the wet ingredients. In a separate medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix the dry ingredients together. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients a little at a time until fully mixed. Fold in the chocolate chips and one cup of the M&M's until mixed evenly into the cookie dough. The dough is thick, so if you're using a hand mixer, this step is best done with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula. Spread the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Take a few extra minutes to press the dough evenly into the pan. Baker's Tip – This recipe makes a thick dough, and is best mixed in the bowl of a standing mixer, because they have a stronger motor. I recommend either mixing with a stand mixer or by hand (with butter that has softened properly)! Mixing with a hand mixer may cause the motor to break, because the dough is on the thicker side. These thick and chewy cookie bars are worth the effort! ***** ** Passings We honor here members, friends and supporters of the American Council of the Blind who have impacted our lives in many wonderful ways. If you would like to submit a notice for this column, please include as much of the following information as possible. Name (first, last, maiden if appropriate) City of residence (upon passing) State/province of residence (upon passing) Other cities/states/countries of residence (places where other blind people may have known this person) Occupation Date of death (day if known, month, year) Age ACB affiliation (local/state/special-interest affiliates or national committees) Deaths that occurred more than six months ago cannot be reported in this column. * Phillip Anthony "Tony" McCampbell Phillip Anthony "Tony" McCampbell died March 26, 2022 at Baptist Hospital, New Albany, Ind. He was 71. Tony was born April 21, 1950 to the late James E. McCampbell and Elizabeth (McCann) McCampbell in New Albany, Ind. Although stricken with blindness at age 5, he attended two years of college at Indiana University-Southeast in Jeffersonville, then embarked on a successful career playing drums with The Bill Barton Trio then The Gene Cahill Combo, playing over 20 years at the Colonial Inn and various other venues. Tony was preceded in death by his sister, Nancy McCampbell, and several nephews. He is survived by his sister, Karen Williams of Palmyra, Ind.; brother, James (Linda) McCampbell of New Salisbury, Ind., and a niece and several nephews. Per Tony's request, the remains were to be cremated and no service performed. Spring Valley Funeral Home is honored to be of service to the family of Tony McCampbell. To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of Tony, please visit the Tree Store or plant a tree. ***** ** Here and There edited by Cynthia G. Hawkins The announcement of products and services in this column does not represent an endorsement by the American Council of the Blind, its officers, or staff. Listings are free of charge for the benefit of our readers. “The ACB Braille Forum” cannot be held responsible for the reliability of the products and services mentioned. To submit items for this column, send a message to slovering@acb.org, or phone the national office at 1-800-424-8666, and leave a message in Sharon Lovering’s mailbox. Information must be received at least two months ahead of publication date. * Libraries of the Year The Washington Talking Book & Braille Library in Seattle received the 2022 Regional Library of the Year Award. The Pinellas County (Florida) Talking Book Library received the Sub-Regional Library/Advisory and Outreach Center of the Year Award. * Lighthouse Guild Announces 2022 Pisart Award Winner This year’s Pisart Award recipient is Javier Pita Lozano, CEO of NaviLens. The NaviLens system uses improved QR technology with a new type of code made up of four colors that enables it to provide more information than a black-and-white QR code. Using a smartphone, the NaviLens app scans the area. Once it picks up the code, the app provides the embedded information audibly to the user, along with their distance/directionality from the code. * New Brain Implant at Rush University Medical Center The Intracortical Visual Prosthesis (ICVP), an implant that bypasses the retina and optic nerves to connect directly to the brain’s visual cortex, has been successfully surgically implanted. This procedure was the culmination of nearly three decades of Illinois Tech research dedicated to providing artificial sight to those with blindness due to eye disease or trauma. The visual prosthesis system of 25 stimulators with 400 electrodes allows devices to be permanently implanted. Since many individuals affected by total blindness do not have intact retina or optic nerves but retain the visual cortex — the area of the brain that allows people to see — an intracortical visual prosthesis may be the only possible advanced visual sensory aid from which they can benefit. * 2022 Carroll Society Awards The Carroll Center for the Blind, in partnership with the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind, will induct the following individuals to the Carroll Society due to their outstanding contributions in their place of employment and commitment to their workplaces and communities: • Muna Abraham, Activity Assistant, Avita of Needham • Karen Hegarty, Controller, Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute • Jennifer Ross, Customer Engagement Coordinator, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority - MBTA • Brian Switzer, Assistive Technology Instructor, Perkins School for the Blind • Nora Nagle, ADA and 504 Accessibility Coordinator, Boston Museum of Science * McDonald’s Recognizes the 2021 Living the Values Award Winner The Living the Values Award is given annually to a Global Technology Provider who has demonstrably impacted one or more of McDonald’s values. Vispero®, the global leader for assistive technology products for the blind and low vision community, was selected to assist McDonald’s in providing customers with an accessible kiosk experience. Through Vispero’s TPGi business unit, JAWS Kiosk is being deployed at McDonald’s U.S. company-owned restaurants, as well as newly deployed self-service kiosks in the U.S. franchise locations. * Wolynski Named Chief Technology Officer Dr. Bryan Wolynski will oversee all technology resources for the organization, including the recently opened Lighthouse Guild Technology Center, and will develop strategies to bring the latest technological advances to people who are blind and visually impaired. He has over 35 years of experience in the eye care field. Dr. Wolynski received his bachelor of science degree in biology from the State University of New York College at Oneonta, his Doctor of Optometry degree from the New England College of Optometry, and completed a residency in primary eye care at NOVA Southeastern University. * SECO Announces 2022 Award Recipients SECO recently announced the winners of its 2022 awards. • Southern Council of Optometrists’ Optometrist of the South Award — Dr. Sidney Stern of Miami, Fla. • Southern Council of Optometrists’ Young Optometrist of the South Award — Dr. Tiffany Li McElroy of Madison, Miss. • Southern Council of Optometrists’ Paraoptometric of the South — Samantha Denton, CPO, CPOA of Oklahoma City, Okla. • Southern Council of Optometrists’ President’s Award — Dr. Stan Dickerson of Columbia, Tenn. • Southern Council of Optometrists’ Distinguished Service Award — Dr. Tammy Than of Sun City, Ariz. ***** ** High Tech Swap Shop * For Sale: Freedom Scientific Focus 40 Blue, barely used. Includes case and a charger. Asking $1,000 or best offer. Contact Dawnetta Richardson at (317) 704-8226, or via email, dawnettar@bosma.org. ***** ** Wild Figs We walk the obscure game path imprinted By eternal hooves pads and bellies Seeking succor The rattlesnake Basks on the furnace hot parched earth For a moment tepid canteen water answers prayers The clearing opens, bountiful tree Teems with the susurration of starling wings Our approach silences the avian jewels nestled in the tree necklace the air resonates, genuflective, Reverent. Needful fingers reach the golden, virtuous fruit. I pluck it. — Ann Chiappetta ***** ** ACB Officers * President Dan Spoone (2nd term, 2023) 3924 Lake Mirage Blvd. Orlando, FL 32817-1554 * First Vice President Deb Cook Lewis (1st term, 2023) 1131 Liberty Dr. Clarkston, WA 99403 * Second Vice President Ray Campbell (2nd term, 2023) 460 Raintree Ct. #3K Glen Ellyn, IL 60137 * 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) James Kracht, Miami, FL (1st term, 2022) Doug Powell, Falls Church, VA (2nd term, 2024) Kenneth Semien Sr., Beaumont, TX (1st term, 2024) Patrick Sheehan, Silver Spring, MD (2nd term, 2022) Koni Sims, Sioux Falls, SD (partial term, 2022) Michael Talley, Hueytown, AL (1st term, 2022) Jeff Thom, Sacramento, CA (1st term, 2022) ** ACB Board of Publications Katie Frederick, Chair, Worthington, OH (1st term, 2023) Cheryl Cumings, Boston, MA (1st term, 2023) Zelda Gebhard, Edgeley, ND (1st term, 2022) Penny Reeder, Montgomery Village, MD (2nd term, 2022) Cachet Wells, Jacksonville, FL (1st term, 2022) ***** ** 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. ###