The ACB E-Forum Volume LV February 2017 No. 8 Published by the American Council of the Blind ***** ** Be A Part of ACB The American Council of the Blind (TM) is a membership organization made up of more than 70 state and special-interest affiliates. To join, contact the national office at 1-800-424-8666. ** Contribute to Our Work Those much-needed contributions, which are tax-deductible, can be sent to Attn: Treasurer, ACB, 6300 Shingle Creek Pkwy., Suite 195, 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 (605) 475-8154 and choose option 3. Tune in to ACB Radio at www.acbradio.org or by calling (605) 475-8130. Learn more about us at www.acb.org. Follow us on Twitter at @acbnational, or like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AmericanCounciloftheBlindOfficial. © 2017 American Council of the Blind Eric Bridges, Executive Director Sharon Lovering, Editor 1703 N. Beauregard St., Suite 420, Alexandria, VA 22311 ***** Table of Contents 60 Minutes’ Coverage of the ADA, by Kim Charlson Rumors and Thoughts: A Guest Opinion, by Jeff Thom Come Collect Nuggets of Wisdom in Reno!, by Janet Dickelman The BOP Seeks to Award Excellence, by Ron Brooks Summary of the November Board Conference Calls, by Ron Brooks The Things We Do Today, Part 5: Loose Ends and Listening, by Paul Edwards Paris Holds the Key to My Heart, by Lindsey McHugh Students Learn to Code Using Quorum, by Melinda Hudson Here and There, edited by Sharon Strzalkowski High Tech Swap Shop ACB Officers ACB Board of Directors ACB Board of Publications Accessing Your ACB Braille and E-Forums ** 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. * Keep up with the most important ACB news and announcements without any other chatter. Subscribe to the ACB Announce listserv. Send a blank e-mail to announce-subscribe@acblists.org, or visit www.acblists.org/mailman/listinfo/announce and type your e-mail address and name where indicated. * ACB Radio Mainstream has blindness-related news you can use at www.acbradio.org/mainstream. * ACB Radio’s Main Menu is the talk of the town when it comes to technology; check it out at www.acbradio.org. ***** 60 Minutes’ Coverage of the ADA (Editor’s Note: Below is the letter sent by ACB President Kim Charlson to “60 Minutes” and an excellent article by Arlene Mayerson, Directing Attorney, Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund.) Dear 60 Minutes Team, As president of the American Council of the Blind (ACB), the nation’s leading grassroots consumer advocacy organization representing Americans who are blind and visually impaired, I write to express my deep disappointment by the recent “60 Minutes” segment aired on Dec. 4, 2016, which despairingly cast a negative light on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Anderson Cooper’s segment grossly mischaracterized the ADA as an instrument of opportunism for drive-by lawsuits, rather than focus on the role our courts have played in protecting the fundamental human and civil rights of more than 55 million Americans with disabilities. Such unbalanced coverage has the potential for serious negative implications, reframing the way Americans view the ADA at a time when fundamental civil rights are at risk of being attacked. Within our own community, we have made significant strides through legal action that has significantly advanced equal access for millions of Americans who are blind. These major steps forward would have no standing if not for the ADA. The courts have played a major role in removing mountains that have stood in the way of fair and equal opportunity. Such things as accessible banking machines, kiosks at airports, access to commercial e-commerce, and access to public accommodations with guide dogs, such as in taxis and hotels, would not be a reality if not for the ADA. It is unfortunate that such successes as these remain silent before any viewer of last Sunday’s segment. Instead, audiences were exposed to a few bad apples, leading them to believe this is the majority of cases brought to the courts. ACB relies heavily on the generosity of its members and partner organizations. We do not have the luxury of in-house legal counsel. For this reason, we take legal actions very seriously and try to use them as a means of last resort. We regret to say that there does come a time when legal remedies are the only pathway toward equal access. When those instances arise, ACB relies heavily on pro bono legal counsel, always seeking positive action and outcomes over monetary gain. For those of us within the disability rights arena, we have no tolerance for any practicing attorney who would seek financial gain off the shoulders of Americans with disabilities. However, we firmly believe that such instances exist more in the margins. CBS failed in its responsibility of providing fair and accurate journalistic coverage when it refused to air any of the positive gains that have been pioneered through the legal system. The judicial branch established under our constitution serves as the safeguard for our equal protections and liberties established through Congress and exercised through the executive branch. There will always be individuals looking for an opportunity to game the system, and their actions should definitely be exposed by the press. However, institutions like “60 Minutes” play a serious role in forming public opinion that can have long-lasting effects on our democracy. Diminishing the important role that the court plays in securing our freedom can have negative implications that could last for generations. To this end, I strongly encourage you to consider revisiting this segment with a more balanced lens that will not threaten the livelihood of Americans with disabilities. Sincerely, Kim Charlson, President American Council of the Blind December 13, 2016 Shame on you, Anderson Cooper: ‘60 Minutes’ Mocking the ADA Impact Fund Anderson Cooper would be the first to call out Donald Trump’s ridicule of a reporter with a disability with righteous indignation. Yet, on Dec. 4, 2016, Cooper used the “60 Minutes” broadcast to throw people with disabilities under the bus in the name of journalism. He used his power and prestige to denigrate the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the honorable lawyers that enforce it. Cooper could not have been more successful, if his intent was to lead the parade of horribles against the ADA. I suggest that presenting a skewed piece of journalism which serves only to undermine the first national law providing civil rights protections for people with disabilities is at least as harmful as mocking a reporter with a disability. Under the auspices of doing a story on the anniversary of the ADA, Anderson Cooper and his team came to the birthplace of the disability movement, Berkeley, Calif., and talked to many who have benefitted from the ADA. They spent hours with two of the most honorable lawyers one will ever meet, Lainey Feingold and Linda Dardarian, who have done a world of good to make America more accessible to people with disabilities. Most of this change came about as a result of cooperative negotiations between these lawyers and the businesses seeking these clients as customers. From accessible ATMs where blind individuals can bank, to traffic lights with sound so blind pedestrians can safely cross the street, these negotiated settlements have allowed access to basic community life for the millions of blind Americans who had been deprived of the daily independence we all take for granted. Disability rights advocates were both figuratively and literally decapitated in the broadcast. Feingold and Dardarian took the time to explain to Cooper and his CBS colleagues various successful ways to provide access for people with disabilities. They rightfully expected a sound journalistic piece that would highlight these options. So, what did Cooper spotlight in his story on the ADA? A tempest in a teapot: a story about a few lawyers who file a lot of frivolous suits against small businesses. Those stories are at most a footnote to the historic story of inclusion of a large segment of our population previously excluded by unnecessary barriers and unexamined prejudice. Cooper instead chose to make the successes of the ADA a mere footnote in his hatchet job of a piece. I have been practicing disability law for almost 40 years, as the Directing Attorney of Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, Inc. (DREDF). We were intimately involved in the passage the ADA in 1990, the first law in history protecting the civil rights of people with disabilities, in order to reverse centuries of exclusion, segregation and extreme prejudice against people with disabilities. The stories Congress heard about how poorly people with disabilities have been treated in America resulted in a sweeping bipartisan approval of the ADA. Since passage, we at DREDF have used the ADA to allow children with diabetes to attend school, to allow people who are blind and deaf to have access to the rapidly growing world of e-commerce and online education, to allow people who had no options other than institutionalization to live in the community with the rest of us, to allow people with disabilities access to basic health care barred by inaccessible offices and equipment, and so much more. The only reference to DREDF in the piece was a headless shot of our development director using a walker. She did not volunteer to be used this way. DREDF, Dardarian, and Feingold are not alone in our pursuit of justice for people with disabilities. The Disability Law Bar Association is comprised of over 250 lawyers who are among of the most honest, sincere, passionate and skillful lawyers one could ever meet. These lawyers do the profession of law proud by using their skills to open doors that have been closed shut too long. But Cooper would probably say (as you, the reader, might) that he was just reporting the fact that unscrupulous lawyers bring frivolous claims under the ADA to the detriment of small business owners. But, therein lies the problem that was all too evident in this election cycle, treating the outlier as the norm, the exceptional as the ordinary and the abuse as the practice. It does not require an exhaustive study of biased journalism to recognize the fact that selective reporting, even if based in truth, can serve the nefarious purpose of perpetuating an untrue impression. Take, for example, the widely reported story that a girl died after receiving the cervical cancer HPV vaccine, while the fact that 1.4 million girls received the vaccine with only beneficial results goes unreported. Whether it is called selective reporting or cherry picking, the “60 Minutes” piece on the ADA took the rare abuse of the ADA and made it the story. That is a disservice to people with disabilities who finally have a civil rights law that challenges centuries-old barriers and prejudice. The Americans with Disabilities Act is one of the most important advances in modern history, and it was presented as a scam. Shame on you, Anderson Cooper! — Arlene Mayerson, Directing Attorney, Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund ***** Rumors and Thoughts: A Guest Opinion by Jeff Thom, ACB First Vice President There was hope among some moderates and liberals that Trump’s conservative rhetoric was more for popular consumption than reality in terms of what his domestic policy agenda might be. That hope, as forlorn as it may have been, seems to be rapidly dying on the vine. Rumors emanating from the Beltway indicate that the bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare as the Republicans love to call it, will be on Trump’s desk within a day or two of the inauguration. Apparently, the repeal won’t actually take effect until after the 2018 Congressional elections in order to ensure that the Democrats don’t have any ammunition to use to persuade those who lose their benefits to vote out the Congressional majorities, especially when the Senate will still be in play. Unless whatever replaces the ACA solves these problems, the repeal of that law will cut Medicaid matches, throw many off health care benefits, and reopen the senior health care coverage doughnut hole. The rumor mill further has it that Medicaid legislation will take center stage by early summer, and that could mean anything from dramatic funding cuts to block grants to lord knows what. The fate of Medicare will apparently await the 2019 Congressional session. In addition, although we don’t know what policy agendas will arise from the Department of Education, we do know that the secretary-designate takes the view that public schools and teachers’ unions are tantamount to original sin. And of course we have no idea how the Trump administration will react to regulations that specifically impact people with vision impairments when those regulations pertain to business and industry. These rumors bring up some questions, the answers to which I don’t have, but which I think we need to ponder as an organization. First, have our chances for the passage of our two major legislative initiatives, Medicare low-vision aids and special education, been dramatically reduced due to the election? If the answer to the first question is no, do we need to consider veering away from our customary and time-honored tradition of focusing on expending most of our legislative advocacy resources on our own issues and become somewhat more involved in efforts to save the major programs that impact our community along with millions of other Americans? This election, in my view at least, has placed the country in uncharted waters. It has emboldened neo-conservatives beyond anything that would have heretofore been imagined. It is very likely far too early to answer the questions that I have posed and so many others that may come to mind. It is not, however, too early to begin to reflect on what the immediate future may hold with respect to a variety of issues of importance to ACB and people who are blind or visually impaired. ***** Come Collect Nuggets of Wisdom in Reno! by Janet Dickelman As you read this article, plans will be well under way for the 2017 ACB conference and convention in Sparks, Nev. Convention dates are Friday, June 30th through Friday, July 7th. Opening general session will be held Saturday evening, July 1st. This is always an event you don’t want to miss! With opening local entertainment, the thrill of the color guard presenting the flag, a rousing rendition by a local vocalist of the Star-Spangled Banner and presentations by ACB’s president, Kim Charlson, the local president of the Nevada Council of the Blind, major sponsors, our Durward K. McDaniel First-Timers, angel memorial recipients and the affiliate roll call, where affiliates announce their donations to support ACB. Daily general sessions will continue mornings Sunday through Wednesday and all day Thursday (7/2 through 7/6). We are working on obtaining a speaker for our banquet on Thursday evening; stay tuned for banquet details. The exhibit hall will open on Saturday, July 1st and will remain open through Wednesday, July 5th. This is a must-visit spot filled with items of technology, health, daily living and recreation. Special-interest affiliates and committees will hold programs, seminars and workshops beginning Saturday, July 1 through Wednesday, July 5. ** Career Development If you are a first-time convention attendee, if you haven’t joined us in several years, or if you are a veteran conventioneer, here is some information to assist you in determining what activities might help with career development. This is just a sampling of what the convention has to offer. During convention week you can attend approximately 200 workshops, seminars, programs and focus groups held by our affiliates, committees and business partners. Every convention features unique opportunities to learn new skills, tips and techniques on a wide range of topics. Seminars on diabetes, employment issues, rehabilitation, transportation and access to off-the-shelf technology are some examples. Get instruction and tips on items such as iDevices, screen readers, braille notetakers, low-vision products, guide dogs and much more. Learn about audio description by attending ACB film night. Find support from groups for women, multicultural concerns and the LGBT community. ACB general sessions address education, rehabilitation, employment, access, health-related issues and much more. The presentations by a talking book narrator, update on library services and our international guest are always popular segments. Our exhibit hall will be filled with approximately 60 vendors featuring cutting-edge technology for blind and visually impaired users, items for daily living, recreation and personal items such as jewelry, candles, and so much more. There are affiliates holding programs for teachers, students, families, attorneys and individuals who are losing their sight. You can find a program for any special-interest group at the 2017 convention. Discuss attending the convention with your employer and point out all the educational opportunities available; your employer may be able to assist with some of the convention costs. ** Scheduling Events In order to be listed on the registration form, information must be submitted to me by March 31, 2017. When scheduling an event at the 2017 conference and convention, please keep the following times in mind. Breakfasts begin at 7:00; lunches begin at 12:15. There are five convention session times: Session one (1:15 to 2:30) is reserved for special-interest affiliates. Sessions two (2:45 to 4:00) and three (4:15 to 5:30) are open to special-interest affiliates and ACB committees. Sessions four (5:45 to 7:00) and five (7:15 to 8:30) are available to affiliates, committees and others not affiliated with ACB. Anyone wishing to schedule programs or activities in Reno, including activities outside the hotel, or reserve meeting rooms, order food or audio-visual equipment, etc., must make those arrangements by contacting me directly. ** Hotel Details All rooms at the Nugget have refrigerators and safes. Room rates at the Nugget Casino Resort are $89 (single or double occupancy), with an additional $10 per person for up to four people per room. Room tax is currently 13.5%. Effective June 2016 there is also a $2 per day tourism tax added to each room. When you book your reservation, one night’s stay will be charged to your credit card. Included in the room rate is the hotel resort fee, which covers: • Round-trip shuttle transportation to and from Reno-Tahoe International Airport • Complimentary wireless Internet in guestrooms • Daily complimentary bottled water, 2 bottles per room per day • Unlimited use of the year-round Atrium Pool • Unlimited use of the Fitness Center • Full-service concierge • Valet and self-parking in the secured covered parking structure To make reservations via telephone, call 1-800-648-1177 and ask for group code GACB17. You may also make reservations online at www.acb.org and following the 2017 conference and convention link. ** Staying in Touch The convention announce list will be filled with information again this year! To subscribe to the list, send a blank e-mail to acbconvention-subscribe@acblists.org. If you received updates for the 2016 convention, you do not need to subscribe again. ** Convention Contacts 2017 exhibit information: Michael Smitherman, (601) 331-7740, amduo@bellsouth.net 2017 advertising and sponsorships: Margarine Beaman, (512) 921-1625, oleo50@hotmail.com For any other convention-related questions, contact Janet Dickelman, convention chair, at (651) 428-5059, or via e-mail, janet.dickelman@gmail.com. ***** The BOP Seeks to Award Excellence by Ron Brooks, BOP Chairman The ACB Board of Publications proudly recognizes excellence each year with three annual writing awards, and we are seeking nominations for the Ned E. Freeman Excellence in Writing Award, the Vernon Henley Media Award, and the Hollis Liggett Braille Free Press Award. The Ned E. Freeman Excellence in Writing Award was instituted in 1970, and will be awarded based on the following criteria: • An article must have been first published between April of 2016 and March of 2017. • All articles published in “The ACB Braille Forum” in all forms and formats are automatically eligible for consideration. Individual articles published by any ACB affiliate in its official publication may also be nominated by the affiliate’s president or editor. Articles which have not appeared in “The ACB Braille Forum” in all forms and formats may be submitted in any format. • The article must demonstrate excellence in writing, novelty of approach and/or originality of the subject matter. • The author of the winning article will receive a plaque and a cash prize of $100 at the annual ACB conference and convention. The Vernon Henley Media Award is conferred based on the following criteria: • The Vernon Henley Media Award is intended to be a vehicle for publicizing ACB throughout the general media and to encourage excellence and accuracy in electronic and print coverage of items relating to blindness. • This award may be presented to an organization, company, or individual, either sighted or blind, who has made a positive difference in the press, whether in radio, television, electronic media, magazines, or daily newspapers, during the period encompassed by April of 2016 through March of 2017, by portraying the capabilities of people who are blind in a positive light, rather than focusing on outdated stereotypes and misconceptions. • Programs and/or articles written and produced specifically for a visually impaired audience, as well as those intended for the general public, are also eligible. • A variety of media are eligible for nomination for the Vernon Henley Media Award. Examples may include: television or radio programs; commercials or public service announcements; videos; articles from magazines, newspapers, newsletters, posters, or any other new or emerging media sources. Submissions such as books or recurring columns or blogs from the same person should include a synopsis and no more than three sample chapters for books and no more than three samples of the recurring columns or blogs nominated. Submissions should be accompanied by a letter of nomination as well as the sample copy of the item being nominated. Incomplete submissions will not be considered. • The BOP chairperson will annually send a letter to affiliate presidents, newsletter editors and other media markets encouraging nominations for the Vernon Henley Media Award. • A plaque will be presented to the Vernon Henley Media Award recipient at the annual ACB conference and convention. The Hollis Liggett Braille Free Press Award will be presented based on the following criteria: • The Hollis Liggett Braille Free Press Award is intended to promote best journalistic practices and excellence in writing in publications of ACB’s state and special-interest affiliates. • All periodicals of ACB affiliates, distributed no less than semi-annually, are eligible. • Nominations must be submitted by the affiliate's newsletter editor or president. • Submissions must include the following: 1. Two issues of the affiliate’s publication from the previous calendar year sent electronically and in hard copy in the format which the affiliate recognizes as the format which best represents its readership. 2. Answers to the following questions: a) How many members are in your affiliate? b) How often is your publication published per year? c) In what formats is your publication produced? • Members of the BOP directly involved in the editorial process of any submitted publication will excuse themselves from judging/scoring that particular publication. • Criteria for judging submissions will include: a) The number of contributing writers in a single issue; b) The variety of information presented in each issue; c) How well the publication portrays the affiliate; d) The quality of writing throughout the publication; e) The overall layout and presentation of the publication. • A plaque will be presented to the Hollis Liggett Braille Free Press Award recipient at the convention. And now the fine print: • All nominations must be submitted to the ACB Braille Forum Editor, Sharon Lovering, with a postmark of no later than April 1, 2017. You may also submit your nomination electronically to slovering@acb.org. All submissions should be accompanied by a cover letter providing details about the nominee including name, address, telephone number and e-mail address of the nominee if known and details about the submission, its origin, and any other pertinent information. The return address of the person making the nomination should be included in the cover letter. • Members of the board of publications, board of directors, and staff and contractors of the ACB are prohibited from participating. • Any individual who has won a BOP award since 2013 is ineligible to receive the same award prior to Jan. 1, 2018. Summary of the November Board Conference Calls by Ron Brooks On November 17 and 21, 2016, ACB’s board of directors held two conference calls to finalize and approve the organization’s 2017 budget and to conduct other necessary business. This article summarizes decisions made regarding the budget, several recommended updates to ACB awards, and other business, which the board completed. On Nov. 17, the board began by focusing on projected revenues. After a presentation from treasurer Carla Ruschival, secretary Ray Campbell moved to adopt the 2017 ACB revenue budget. David Trott seconded the motion, which passed. Total projected support and revenue is $1,093,870. Ruschival then presented the draft budget for the 2017 ACB conference and convention. After her presentation, John McCann moved to adopt the budget for the conference and convention; immediate past president Mitch Pomerantz seconded the motion. It, too, passed. ACB executive director Eric Bridges updated the board regarding the organizational strategic planning effort which began in Reno at the fall board meeting (see the December 2016 E-Forum). Eric proposed a two-day face-to-face meeting to take place in Alexandria in early 2017. After this presentation, the board recessed its meeting. On Nov. 21, the board turned its attention to the expense side of the budget. Before diving into budget, Campbell presented draft minutes from the fall board meeting. Allan Peterson moved approval of the minutes as presented, and Pomerantz seconded. The motion passed. Ruschival then led a discussion on proposed guidelines for ACB affiliates and other organizations wanting to conduct fundraising events using ACB Radio. John McCann moved to adopt the guidelines as circulated; Denise Colley seconded. The motion passed. ACB president Kim Charlson presented a number of proposed updates to several awards which have been recommended by the awards committee. These awards include: • The Robert S. Bray Award, given to an individual or an organization that has made a significant contribution to improving library services, information technology or communication access. • The Durward K. McDaniel Ambassador Award, given to an individual who exhibits a positive image of blindness in his/her community. • The George Card Award, presented in recognition of outstanding service by a blind person who has contributed to the betterment of the blindness community. • The James R. Olsen Distinguished Service Award, given to an individual or organization that has made important contributions to advance opportunities for the blindness community. There were no proposed changes to any other awards. Peterson moved to adopt the revised awards criteria as circulated; Campbell seconded. The motion passed. Watch future editions of the Forum for information about ACB awards, including criteria and the process and timeline for making nominations. Ruschival then presented the expense portion of the proposed 2017 ACB budget. After some discussion and two motions making small adjustments to the line items for ACB Link and for the Holiday Auction, Campbell moved to adopt the proposed expenses portion of the 2017 budget as amended; McCann seconded. The motion passed. Total projected expenses are $1,259,703. McCann then moved that the board adopt the 2017 ACB budget in total; Colley seconded. The motion passed. Following the budget discussion, Charlson invited attendees to provide recommendations for the midyear meeting. Potential topics included presentations of “best practices” from successful affiliates, ideas for membership development, fundraising strategies, and potential implications of a Trump administration for people with disabilities, especially people who are blind or visually impaired. Eric Bridges then provided a brief update on ACB’s activities to assist the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to promulgate rules for audio description. These efforts have included circulation of a letter signed by the ACB and a number of other advocacy organizations and attendance at several meetings by ACB’s director of advocacy and governmental affairs, Tony Stephens. The issue is now beginning to draw some media attention. Upon the conclusion of this update, the meeting adjourned at 9:09 p.m. Eastern. ***** The Things We Do Today, Part 5: Loose Ends and Listening by Paul Edwards Like the rest of you, my taste in listening is eclectic. I am a modern folk music junky. I will not bore you with a listing of those stations. There are a lot more out there than you might think and, unfortunately, “folk” as a genre has very few stations listed. This is a good place for me to use folk for my first search tip. Are there other genres that might actually include stations that are “folky?” Try acoustic or Celtic or Americana as a search term and you will find lots more stations than the few that are listed. In general, the more imaginative you can be, the more likely you will be to find surprising stations. There is a lot of difference between apps in terms of the way searches work, too. So try several approaches with different programs. If you are looking for a particular station, use the call letters. You are likely to find it. Some stations have chosen to use play systems that won’t work with many portable systems. Again, try different apps. Some play more formats than others. Another good approach is to put the name of your city into the search box. Again, you will find variation from program to program. I found stations I had no idea existed till I put “Miami” into my search box. A lot of the stations that operate on low power and can only be heard close to their point of origin are now online. For larger entities like the BBC or the CBC, go ahead and put that in the box. You will find lots of options, though I should warn you that some of those options will only work in the country of origin. This is true of most of the CBC music stations. Most apps will also allow you to search by country, which can be handy if there are national networks as there are in the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, as well as lots of other places. Radio 1 in Canada has mostly spoken word rather than music and has some amazing programs on ideas and technology as well as some very funny comedies. In the United Kingdom there are three mostly talk stations: Radio 4, Radio 4 Extra and Radio Five Live. All are BBC stations. Radio Four has lots of programs on current affairs, literature and has some drama and comedy as well. They also have a program specifically about blindness issues which is available as a podcast. It is called “In Touch.” Radio Four is addictive but, for me, not nearly so irresistible as Radio Four Extra. This whole channel is devoted to drama and comedy, and many of the plays are in stereo and quite wonderful. They will often do serials that will last a week. For instance, last week the Count of Monte Cristo was done in four hour-long episodes. Radio Five Live is a little more like the traditional talk station, though there are lots of interviews and lots of sports as well, just in case you are a cricket fan like me. Australia has a national network, another station devoted just to news and local radio stations from each state that are all part of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). There are some specialty music stations from ABC as well which can be accessed from anywhere. Putting “old time radio” into the search box will produce a pretty substantial list of options that you can try. I know I have more than 20 such stations on my stream. Most apps will also let you search for music by genre. I am not convinced that this is always a reliable of finding what you want because I am not sure that apps always do a good job of selecting which stations belong where. It’s a quick way to get stations you might like up quickly, though. There are lots of blindness-specific stations available. iBlink Radio, an app I have already talked about, has some radio reading services on it as well as stations operated by people who are blind. There are also stations from Canada, the UK and Australia that you can seek out. They all have lots to offer. If you have the new Stream, you can load different special lists rather than the “North America” one and find most of these. I am not going to talk about ACB Radio again here, though I would hope that all of you are listening to all of its channels. There are only two other specific suggestions I am going to make in terms of listening, though I could go on for hours listing stations I enjoy. Both these suggestions have been created especially for people who are blind and both can be accessed on the Stream and on other notetakers as well. The first can be received on the HIMS devices. The last time I tried the second could not. If you put “blindy” into your search box, at least five channels will come up. These are audio-only channels which feature five channels of described television programs. The five channels are “drama,” “sci fi,” “comedy,” “brain” and “et cetera.” These operate 24 hours a day and are great fun! There are fake commercials and comedy in between programs and some of this content is not for the faint of heart or for children. A lot of the content features description done in England. Quite recently, another aggregation of channels has become available. You can find it on ooTunes and on the Stream and probably on the updated Braille Note. Put “listen factor” in the search box and eight channels will become available. Most of these channels feature radio and TV shows from all periods of TV history. Most are not described, but they are still fun. Some are, and there is a channel which features described movies and movies that are not described. There is an eighth channel that features music. So there is a lot out there. My listening choices will not be yours, but I hope I have been able to show you that Internet radio is a hugely rich source of entertainment that is now open to us through a whole range of devices and applications. Since I have started writing this series, change has happened that blurs lines even more than they were among applications. There is now a premium version of TuneIn Radio, which allows you to listen to sporting events and to read audio books. It is amazing to me just how quickly Internet radio has matured. These articles have only scratched the surface in terms of what is out there and how we can access all of the tens of thousands of options that exist. So, go ahead! Get started! Happy listening! ***** Paris Holds the Key to My Heart by Lindsey McHugh (Editor’s Note: Lindsey McHugh is the president of the Southern Arizona Council of the Blind.) Imagine sitting in front of a quaint little café, as the sun is rising, drinking an espresso served in a tiny cup and saucer, and dipping a luscious, flaky chocolate croissant into it. Now imagine walking a short distance to the Metro station in anticipation of marvelous adventures while people in clicking heels and speaking melodious, smooth French prepare for their workdays. You get on the speedy escalator, you hear the train approaching, and you think, “This is going to be fantastic.” Thus began a typical day in the City of Lights, from which my parents and I recently returned. I had been invited to travel with Sons of Orpheus — the Male Choir of Tucson, on a concert tour in Paris, France, where we sang at the Notre Dame Cathedral and L’Eglise de la Madeleine. We also joined a French male choir in the town of Angers (pronounced “On-Jay”) approximately four hours outside of Paris, where we performed at the Church of St. Pierre and the Castle of Angers. While I had toured internationally with a choir at the University of Arizona, this was my international debut as a soloist. After at least two years of hard work, planning, and fundraising by many people, this dream finally became a reality on May 16, 2016. In addition to making exquisite music, I had the chance to embark on such adventures as climbing the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower and riding every ride at Disneyland Paris! After flying for hours, we checked into the Adagio Hotel in the Bercy Village, a very high-end area which seemed to house lots of business people and contained multistory buildings with businesses on the lower floors and residences on top. Our hotel room was called an “aparthotel,” because it had two rooms (a living room and a bedroom), a bathroom, and a kitchenette. Rather than spending 11 euros a day per person on a continental breakfast, we headed to the café right next to the hotel for croissants and café au lait, or the restaurant further down for the best four-egg omelettes you’ll ever have in your life, served with a salad and bread (yes, you read right. A salad with breakfast. That’s the French way). The most important part of trying any of their delicious delicacies was getting over the fact that they didn’t sound appetizing. For example, I could not stomach the idea of eating escargots (snails), but when I found out they were served hot with garlic butter, I felt better. After taking each little escargot from its place in the little muffin tin they were served in, all apprehension melted away as I savored the buttery, crispy goodness. As if that weren’t enough, I learned one is supposed to tear off a piece of French bread and dip it into the hot garlic butter from whence the snails came, which was simply delightful. Other tasty treats included frog legs that tasted like chicken, a crépe made with sugar and Grand Marnier (orange liqueur), tons of white wine, and some kind of melt-in-your-mouth, coffee cream-filled chocolate éclair. Best of all was the so-called “volcano cake,” a tall, round cake that had a scrumptious dark chocolate center which tasted like a cross between hot fudge and melted semisweet chocolate chips. Once I got through that center, I cut the cake with a knife and fork, and the outside of the cake tasted nothing like the inside. Most of the people we talked to spoke English, but I tried to speak as much French as I could. I was the designated French speaker, because my parents couldn’t pronounce it like I could. Our visits to the small grocery store in the village afforded us many opportunities to use what little French we knew, but the workers kept laughing at my mom for saying things wrong (not in a mean way, but a funny way). The music that was shared by Sons of Orpheus and with the other male choir was what the French would call “trés magnifique.” To sing in such a beautiful, sacred space as the Notre Dame Cathedral was truly an honor and a thrill. At first I thought I would have to give it my all, but as it turned out, the room was doing it for me. From the first note of Bach/Gounod’s “Ave Maria,” my voice and that of the choir and violin blossomed and made all the tourists stop and stare. While taking a group picture outside of the cathedral, I heard the joyous bells ring out, as if to return the musical favor. L’Eglise de la Madeleine (the Church of the Madeleine) was a much larger space, in which I really did have to give my all. After the concert at the Church of St. Pierre in Angers, the person responsible for organizing it, whom I called Jeff the Chef, presented me with a large bouquet of red roses on behalf of the whole choir. Within minutes, the French descended upon me with hugs, double kisses, wine, champagne, and exclamations of “magnifique!!” It was hard to remember that the custom is to kiss twice on each cheek, so when I tried to move away to talk to the next person, the same person was going in for another one. Although I couldn’t understand a word they said, I could feel the passion and the emotion with which they said it. One of them even asked another if I spoke English at all, perhaps due to my perfect pronunciation of the language while singing. I met some very interesting people, including the 11-year-old daughter of the conductor of the French choir. My French and her English were on the same level, but this didn’t stop us from bonding and trying to communicate. We sang a French song that we both knew just for fun, and I discovered that she had a voice with potential. However, I couldn’t get her father to understand that he needed to find her a teacher, because his English was only slightly better than hers. Before we parted company I told my faithful entourage that I wanted to take her home with me. Perhaps the best performance of the trip was the one at the Castle of Angers, during which I played the piano and sang “Tout Vas Trés Bien, Madame La Marquise” (Everything’s OK, Madame La Marquise). This light, carefree, bouncy song was famous in France during World War II, when the French attitude was “Everything’s just fine.” I played the part of Madame La Marquise, who calls each of her four servants to find out how things are going in her chateau during her 15-day absence. In the first verse, she learns that “Everything’s OK, except for one minor incident. Your favorite grey mare just died, but apart from that, everything’s OK.” Things get worse with each verse, but the prevailing statement is, “Everything’s OK.” I got to play and sing this with four of the Frenchmen, and with each verse my voice, and apparently my face, became more distraught. I really hammed up the ending by actually falling on the ground and fainting with grief and madness. A singer from Sons of Orpheus commented later that the audience was cracking up the entire time! When we weren’t singing, we were painting the town all kinds of different colors. We ventured into the Picasso Museum, where I got to experience this masterful artwork through the voice of an audio guide I wore around my neck. My sighted companions told me a three-digit number, which was a listening point that corresponded to a picture they were looking at. After typing this number into a telephone-style keypad, a British male or female voice would immediately begin describing the picture, as well as its historical background. The descriptions of the nude women were quite funny, and my comrades enjoyed them as well. Another reason why I liked this audio tour was its flexibility; we didn’t have to start at a certain point and follow it exactly. I decided immediately that I would do my best to implement the same idea in Tucson and possibly abroad, and I would be the voice of the audio tour. Ideally, one should not have to type in the three-digit number; the device should begin speaking as soon as it comes within a designated number of feet of an exhibit that can’t be touched. Perhaps the most extraordinary thing I did was climb the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower. Yes, I climbed the 1,200-or-so steps of the Eiffel Tower. There is an elevator that one can take from the bottom to the top, but my compatriots and I decided to take the stairs. We climbed as far as they would allow us to before the tower narrowed and we had to go the rest of the way by elevator. Imagine climbing up 10-15 steep stairs with no landing, then turning to the right, picking up the next rail to climb up 10-15 more such stairs, and repeating this pattern again and again. I was crazy enough to jog up the first three flights, but my companions urged me to slow down and pace myself. I didn’t need to be told twice. Once I got a good rhythm going with both breathing and stepping, I could actually fathom accomplishing this climb. It actually got easier the closer I got to the top, because I could actually breathe better up higher. The Arc de Triomphe, a monument to those who fought for France in World War II, was a smaller structure with fewer steps, all inside of a rather reverberant tunnel and spiraled up to the point of making one dizzy. On that staircase, there was a rail on each side, and each step turned to the right. Who needs a Stairmaster when you’ve got those towers and are walking several miles a day?! The experience was nothing short of breathtaking in more ways than one. I was severely hurting by the end of the Eiffel Tower climb, and I knew that the next day would bring more adventures in Disneyland Paris. Nothing three Advils wouldn’t fix. Speaking of Disneyland Paris, there were a few minor differences between Paris and California. For example, Splash Mountain and the Matterhorn could not be found. The Indiana Jones ride was a roller coaster, not the fast cars we know from California. I was given a priority card, which allowed me to walk right on every ride through the exit or the fast-past line without waiting. There was one caveat: I couldn’t ride anything by myself. And some of those rides required reservations so that enough employees could be stationed along their courses to move me out in the event of an evacuation. I understand it, but my parents and I have walked off rides before, and we can really move if we have to! Still, what could be more perfect than strolling down Main Street with a churro in my hand to the beat of the fun-filled music, knowing that there is nothing between me and French-style Disney paradise? I have to say that my new favorite roller coaster is Space Mountain: Mission 2 at Disneyland Paris. The California version we know and love is completely enclosed and takes us to the moon and back. The Paris version is a sequel to the California ride, with an outdoor portion of track, and takes us beyond the moon. Instead of going up three slow hills, you BLAST off from the launch tunnel. You go upside-down three times, and the music makes you think you’re going faster than you actually are. I have to overlook the ride’s roughness and the soreness in my neck and say that that ride tops any coaster I’ve ever been on. Because my parents aren’t the true roller coaster junkie I am, and due to the “no riding by yourself” rule, I could only ride this spectacular ride ONCE! Now all I can do is dream about it. Perhaps no adventure overseas can be complete without some kind of catastrophe or conflict. When I woke up on Disneyland morning, I thought my body was telling me “No more walking and climbing!”, and my stomach was telling me, “I don’t like that chicken and cheese crepe you ate at the Eiffel Tower.” We had to stop on the way to a ride or a character meet-and-greet several times. At least the bathroom visits were made more pleasant by the finales of “Beauty and the Beast” and “Hercules” that were playing. Taking Advil only helped so much; I had to go to the first aid station to get something stronger. I did OK until the end of the day, when Mom was buying souvenirs in one of the stores. I was sitting down, feverish and exhausted, but glad that I had gone the distance, when I had another cramp that brought me to the ground. As I lay there in a fetal position, trying not to scream, a kind woman said, “Bonjour. Can I help you?” I responded, “I’m DYING!!” Within minutes, I was surrounded by paramedics. What were they saying? So this was it. I was going to have my appendix out in Paris. I had flown 8,000 miles, and it was all going to end right here, right now, at Disneyland of all places. They decided that I didn’t need to go to the hospital, but our hotel was too far away for them to drive us back home. We would have to walk a fair distance to the metro station and take the train all the way back. To do this took the effort of Hercules. Luckily there was only one train change. When we got back to the hotel, I told my parents, “If I could just sleep this off, I’ll be fine. I just want to ...” There was an unfamiliar voice. Some French guy was in our room. “The doctor’s here to see you,” Mom said. Oh God! Was I really that sick? After he examined me, he said my blood pressure was very low and my fever was 102. I didn’t have food poisoning, just a stomach virus, for which he gave me some medicine. We didn’t go to the Louvre the next day like we had planned. The day after, I still felt horrible but was OK to travel and help out with luggage. I continued taking the medicine after we got back to the U.S., and I was well about a week later. Other than the illness that robbed us of the last day, I very much enjoyed this opportunity and hope that it will lead to more such opportunities for national and international concert singing. I am now convinced that the French love Americans, especially after their kindness to me during those dark hours at Disneyland. All of the music I heard in the shops was American pop, and everyone tried to speak English as long as we tried to speak French. For the entire week following my return, I was quite emotional, sentimental, and reflective. This experience had been incredible, especially knowing where I was and the history and the kind of venues I was singing in. I love Europe and look forward to my next visit! ***** Students Learn to Code Using Quorum by Melinda Hudson At the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, coding is the new in thing for high-school students. Currently in its second year, Coding Club is held in the evenings. A small group of staff at the school coordinates with students attending the University of Texas at Austin to carry out the 12-week curriculum. In both beginner and advanced classes, the high-school students learn to make programs — with the beginners using a new and exciting programming language known as Quorum. Why did we choose Quorum? With funding from the National Science Foundation, the Quorum language was developed with the visually impaired community in mind. Considering usability and human factor concerns, Quorum is the first “evidence-based” language. With most users listening to a screen reader or using a braille display to interpret the computer’s output, this programming language was designed to be accessible for both readability as well as “hearability.” In practice, this has alleviated much of the struggle associated with learning a new programming language. The benefits offered by this language strive to help all new users gain a better understanding of computer programming. Although new, Quorum has already begun to take hold. For more information on the language, visit http://quorumlanguage.com/. In Coding Club at TSBVI, students apply the programming skills they acquire to create programs such as audio games, and, by the end of the course, bring their programming to life through the use of LEGO Mindstorms. EPIQ, which stands for “Experience Programming in Quorum,” is the annual conference where educators from around the world get together and get trained on the Quorum language so that they can go back to their schools and teach their students — regardless of your experience with computer programming. The inventor of the language, Andreas Stefik, and his team from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas also attend each year to communicate with educators about their experience in teaching with Quorum. This feedback is essential to the development of both the language itself as well as course outlines, which are available free on the Quorum website. The course outlines on the website are structured so that teachers may use them as a guide in teaching various topics involving the programming language. At EPIQ, teachers of the visually impaired and others who work with visually impaired students received training on how to teach Quorum as well as share discussions on our individual experiences. This unique curriculum, focusing on K-12 students with blindness or visual impairments, provides this community with a realistic path forward in computer science education. For information on EPIQ, visit https://www.quorumlanguage.com/epiq.php. If you have questions or comments, contact Melinda Hudson at hudsonm@tsbvi.edu. ***** Here and There edited by Sharon Strzalkowski 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. ** Sprint Accessibility Sprint Accessibility is proud of our continued commitment and connection within the blind and low vision community. Sprint focuses on accessibility and usability of devices, affordable plans, community outreach and customer care. Our dedicated team is ready and available to support blind and low vision customers. Sprint would love your feedback to help us enhance wireless accessibility to the community. You can reach us by phone at 1-855-885-7568; via e-mail, sprintaccessibility@sprint.com, or on the web, www.sprint.com/vision. ** Accessible Entertainment on Flights by ANA All Nippon Airways (ANA) is the first airline in Japan to deliver universally accessible entertainment on international flights. The service, which began in November 2016, includes subtitles to help hard-of-hearing passengers understand dialogue and musical lyrics, as well as audio explanations to communicate on-screen movements and scenes to visually impaired customers. Both subtitles and audio explanations will be available in English and/or Japanese. In addition, in an effort to attract more international travelers as a global leading airline, ANA is boosting the amount of foreign language programming. ANA’s international flights will offer content from among 12 languages. The flights will also feature ANA’s original programming introducing Japan. The series “SKY EYE” introduces individual regions of Japan, and will be available in English and Japanese. A theme-focused program, “IS JAPAN COOL?,” will be available in English, Chinese and Japanese. For more information, visit https://www.ana.co.jp/wws/japan/e/asw_common/serviceinfo/inflight/guide/movie/. ** National Park Access A first of its kind project is now under way to make the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in Strong City, Kan. accessible for blind and visually impaired visitors. This groundbreaking work is being performed by Craig Phillips, a certified orientation and mobility specialist and teacher of the blind and visually impaired, who is marking the trails, recording routes, defining landmarks, and placing electronic waypoints using the Trekker Breeze+. This GPS device automatically provides auditory location and position information in real time, as well as recorded anecdotal commentary about the flora, fauna, history, and other pertinent information about the traveler’s geographic position in the environment. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve has 40 miles of trails, one of which winds through a pasture populated by a herd of bison. The device’s auditory warnings alert the traveler to the danger of traveling through this area. The visitor center has purchased four devices; they will be available to all park visitors. For more information, contact Heather Brown, Chief of Interpretation and Visitor Services, at (620) 273-6034 or heather_brown@nps.gov. ** News from E*Trade E*TRADE Financial Corporation announced an initiative to enhance its website, mobile applications, and desktop trading and investing platforms to make them more accessible for customers with disabilities. E*TRADE worked with blind investors Pratik Patel and Victor Tsaran in structured negotiation. The Law Office of Lainey Feingold and Linda Dardarian, of Goldstein, Borgen, Dardarian & Ho, represented the blind investors. E*Trade will use WCAG 2.0 AA as its access standard, PDF/UA for PDF accessibility, and has established a Digital Accessibility Governance Working Group. Training, usability testing, and an accessibility information page are part of this comprehensive initiative. ** Karen Brown’s Story In her mid-20s, Karen Brown received life-altering news: she had a condition which was slowly robbing her of her sight and would leave her totally blind by the age of 30. Over the next decades, she would raise a son, work with 3 guide dogs, build an impressive career, retire, and follow God’s call into spiritual guidance training. “Sandpiper” tells the story of Karen’s journey from sight to blindness, as well as her childhood and college years, her marriage in Germany and the year abroad that followed, and her move back to the U.S. For more information, contact Nautilus Publishing Company at (662) 513-0159, or visit the web site, www.nautiluspublishing.com. Blind Alien Series The fourth volume in Wesley Britton’s series, “A Throne for an Alien,” was published in August. To date, the series includes “The Blind Alien,” “The Blood of Balnakin,” “When War Returns,” and now “A Throne for an Alien.” Book five, “The Third Earth,” is currently in production. For more information, visit www.drwesleybritton.com. The books are available from BearManor Media and Amazon. ** Now Available from NBP Now available from National Braille Press is “Wemberly Worried,” by Kevin Henkes. Wemberly the mouse worries about everything, from shrinking in the bathtub to her first day of school. Fortunately her teacher, Miss Peachum, introduces her to another worrier, Jewel. As they play together, Wemberly forgets about worrying and focuses on fun. The book is available in contracted UEB for ages 4 to 8. Another enjoyable children’s book is “How to Babysit a Grandma,” by Jean Reagan. It’s available in contracted braille (UEB) for ages 4 to 8. This story is about the qualities of being a good babysitter — told from the perspective of a little girl who is spending quality time with her grandmother. As the girl jots down ideas and checklists for the day, such as “How to Keep Grandma Busy” and “How to Say Good-Bye to Grandma,” the story celebrates family connections. And if your kids enjoy farm stories, “Click Clack Moo: Cows That Type” by Doreen Cronin is a new book available in contracted UEB for ages 4 and up. It includes a CD of country music star Randy Travis reading the book. Farmer Brown’s cows have found an old typewriter in the barn, and they’ve started to leave him notes such as, “Dear Farmer Brown: The barn is very cold at night. We’d like some electric blankets. Sincerely, The Cows.” When he refuses their request, the cows take action. Farmer Brown finds another note on the barn door: “Sorry. We’re closed. No milk today.” Soon the striking cows and Farmer Brown are forced to reach a mutually agreeable compromise. For more information, contact National Braille Press, 88 St. Stephen Street, Boston, MA 02115-4302; call toll-free 1-800-548-7323; or visit www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/publications/index.html. ** Blind: A Memoir “Blind: A Memoir” is author Belo Cipriani’s account of having to learn a new way of life after losing his sight in a vicious attack. And it’s now available on BARD as DB83860. Cipriani is the national spokesperson for Guide Dogs for the Blind and 100 Percent Wine, a premium winery that donates 100 percent of its proceeds to non-profits that help the disabled find work. He is also involved in Toyota’s Project BLAID. Now in beta testing, the project’s mission is to bring to market a wearable mobility device for the blind and visually impaired that helps fill in the blanks left by canes, dogs and existing GPS devices. ** My Ideal Partner In September of 2005, Abbie Johnson, visually impaired, married Bill Taylor, 19 years her senior and blind. Three months later, he suffered the first of two strokes that confined him to a wheelchair. Using prose and poetry, the author tells the story of how she met, married, and then cared for Bill for six years, detailing both happy and sad times. “My Ideal Partner” is available in e-book and print from Amazon, CreateSpace, and Smashwords. For more information, visit www.abbiejohnsontaylor.com/. ** New from Braillo Norway American Thermoform and Braillo Norway now have available the newly designed Braillo 300 Series 2 production Braille printer. Braillo has made additional product improvements to one of its most popular braille printers. The lower speed of the Braillo 300 at 300 characters per second allowed for the introduction of lighter weight materials, components and assemblies, which also reduces the weight of the device. These recent advancements in technology enabled Braillo to produce the 300 S2 more affordably. Its redesigned case allows a single operator to easily open the top of the 300 S2 for basic cleaning, as well as tilt the entire case, giving easy access to the printer for routine maintenance. Check out the Braillo 300 S2 by visiting http://braillo.com/braillo-300-braille-embosser/. Or contact American Thermoform at 1-800-331-3676. ** Message from Ojocion Ingram I have noticed, as I’m sure you all have, an increase in strange and violent attacks on public places, few as vulnerable as libraries for the blind and deaf, and children. I urge you to contact the field office in your area of the FBI because they have a program that they are teaching in university settings called Run, Hide, Fight. We obviously have a bit of a problem with run and hide. Some of us are Olympic champions at “fight.” However, I believe this agency is interested in helping us with an adapted version of its program. Please help me kick-start this nationally. To find your local field office, visit https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices or call (202) 324-3000. ** Consumer Vision Magazine “Consumer Vision” focuses on problems facing the consumer, and deals with a lot of issues relating to blindness. If you wish to subscribe, please send an e-mail message to bobbranco93@gmail.com. For more information, visit www.consumervisionmagazine.com and check out a back issue. ** Work from Home Opportunity Would you like to work from home meeting people from many cultures, helping people and showing the world that people with disability have lots of abilities? If you are a blind person who speaks English as your native language, and you know how to use a computer, Talkdoit needs you. Talkdoit is a company created by and for blind people! For more information, visit www.talkdoit.com/nativespeaker’sinformation.html. ** Peer Counseling for Newly Blind Helping Hands for the Disabled of New York City would like to start a peer counseling group to help newly blinded people learn how to live without sight. If you are interested, contact Helping Hands’ Action Line at (718) 606-9712. ** New Group to Help the Blind “Ask the Blind” is a new Facebook group that aims to help sighted people gain greater awareness and learn more about blind people. Anyone sighted is welcome to join. We also accept blind people who would like to help out by answering questions. Look the group up on Facebook as Ask the Blind, and select the “join group” button upon entering. ** The Party Zone Hunter Parker has a new podcast show, called The Party Zone. It airs live on the first and third Saturdays of the month, and is then published as a podcast. It features a wide variety of today’s music. Curious? Check it out at http://thepartyzone.gbj4.us. ***** High Tech Swap Shop ** For Sale: BuzzClip electronic mobility device. The BuzzClip vibrates when it detects an object 1 to 2 meters in front of a person. It can be clipped to a collar. Asking $110 plus shipping. Call (424) 273-3317 or e-mail Sk22@dslextreme.com. ** For Sale: Barely used B2G from National Braille Press. Asking $2,000; includes shipping. Contact Steven Mendelsohn at (510) 357-1844, or via e-mail, smendel@panix.com. ** For Sale: Perkins brailler with hard carrying case. Asking $75. Victor Reader Stream version 3.5.4 model 303. Asking $125. Contact Chuck Wheatley by e-mail, cawheatley@charter.net, or phone (503) 302-3188. ** Wanted: I am looking for a Braille Lite Millennium. Contact Barbara Mattson at 1705 Skylyn Dr. #226, Spartanburg, SC 29302, or via e-mail, barbieann519@charter.net. ***** ACB Officers ** President Kim Charlson (2nd term, 2017) 57 Grandview Ave. Watertown, MA 02472 ** First Vice President Jeff Thom (2nd term, 2017) 7414 Mooncrest Way Sacramento, CA 95831-4046 ** Second Vice President John McCann (1st term, 2017) 8761 E. Placita Bolivar Tucson, AZ 85715-5650 ** Secretary Ray Campbell (2nd term, 2017) 460 Raintree Ct. #3K Glen Ellyn, IL 60137 ** Treasurer Carla Ruschival (3rd term, 2017) 148 Vernon Ave. Louisville, KY 40206 ** Immediate Past President Mitch Pomerantz 1115 Cordova St. #402 Pasadena, CA 91106 ** ACB Board of Directors Jeff Bishop, Tucson, AZ (1st term, 2020) Denise Colley, Lacey, WA (1st term, 2020) Sara Conrad, Madison, WI (final term, 2020) Dan Dillon, Hermitage, TN (1st term, 2020) Katie Frederick, Worthington, OH (1st term, 2018) George Holliday, Philadelphia, PA (final term, 2018) Allan Peterson, Horace, ND (final term, 2018) Patrick Sheehan, Silver Spring, MD (1st term, 2018) Dan Spoone, Orlando, FL (final term, 2020) David Trott, Talladega, AL (1st term, 2018) Ex Officio: Ron Brooks, Phoenix, AZ ** ACB Board of Publications Ron Brooks, Chairman, Phoenix, AZ (1st term, 2017) Paul Edwards, Miami, FL (1st term, 2018) Susan Glass, Saratoga, CA (1st term, 2017) Debbie Lewis, Seattle, WA (1st term, 2018) Doug Powell, Falls Church, VA (2nd term, 2018) Ex Officios: Katie Frederick, Worthington, OH Bob Hachey, Waltham, MA Berl Colley, Lacey, WA Carla Ruschival, Louisville, KY ***** Accessing Your ACB Braille and E-Forums The ACB E-Forum may be accessed by e-mail, on the ACB web site, via download from the web page (in Word, plain text, or braille-ready file), or by phone at (605) 475-8154. To subscribe to the e-mail version, visit the ACB e-mail lists page at www.acb.org. The ACB Braille Forum is available by mail in braille, large print, half-speed four-track cassette tape, data CD, and via e-mail. It is also available to read or download from ACB’s web page, and by phone, (605) 475-8154. Subscribe to the podcast versions from your 2nd generation Victor Reader Stream or from http://www.acb.org/bf/.