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Spring 2008
Ohio Connection
American Council of the Blind Ohio
P.O. Box 307128 Gahanna, OH 43230
1-800-835-2226


Digital Talking Book Machine Coming Soon
— By Irwin Hott

As many of you know, the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) is planning to start distribution of Digital Talking Book Machines (DTBM) in late 2008.

NLS will receive $12.5 million for the DTBM program for each of the next four fiscal years. This is less than they requested, so distribution will be slower than originally anticipated. It is estimated that each distribution center (i.e. the State Library of Ohio) will receive about 100 machines per month.

The Digital Talking Books have many advantages over cassettes: Most books fit on one cartridge; the sound quality is improved; it is much easier to navigate through books; and there will be no more broken or missing cassettes.

There are two machines: One has buttons for Start, Stop, Play, Fast Forward, Rewind and a sleep timer; the other machine has additional bookmark and navigation controls.

The books themselves will be mailed in much the same way that cassette books are mailed. The mailing containers are similar and the cartridges will be labeled in print and Braille.

I currently serve as chairperson and ACB-Ohio representative of the Talking Book Consumer Advisory Committee of the State Library of Ohio. At our August 2007 meeting we recommended priorities for distribution of the Digital Talking Book Machine in Ohio. These recommendations were approved by the State Library Board in October. Here are excerpts from that document:

State Library of Ohio Distribution of Digital Talking Book Machines

Background
NLS has recommended each Machine Lending Agency, of which the State Library of Ohio is one, develop a set of priorities for the distribution of DTBMs to end users.

• State Library of Ohio will be allocated an estimated 100 to 124 DTBMs per month.

• Users of DTBMs may have two machines initially: An analog cassette machine and a new DTBM.

• All DTBMs will be distributed through the State Library of Ohio. DTBMs will not be distributed through the sub-lending agencies until all priority requests have been met.

• Individuals wanting a DTBM will need to request one. DTBMs will be issued on a first-come first-serve basis within priority groupings.

• Existing users of the Talking Book service wanting a DTBM must be in an active status and in good standing (i.e. return materials on time), to be eligible.

• The State Library of Ohio will begin keeping lists of users in priority groupings beginning in January 2008, which will be shared with the Cleveland and Cincinnati Regional Libraries for the Blind and Physically Handicapped.

Priority Groupings for Distribution of DTBMs

First Priority:
• Ohio Veterans. In January 2008, the State Library of Ohio will mail letters to identified veterans already in the program. Individuals wanting a DTBM will need to contact the State Library to be added to the priority list.

• Ohio Members of NLS Ten-Squared Talking-Book Club (those readers more than 100 years of age). Members will be contacted by phone. DTBMs will be distributed to those requesting one.

• Schools serving blind students.


Second Priority: (To be done after first priority has been completely satisfied):

Individuals using the Easy cassette machine. The State Library of Ohio will mail letters to Easy users already in the program. Individuals wanting a DTBM will need to contact the State Library to be added to the priority list.

Third Priority: (To be done after first two priorities have been completely satisfied):

• Existing users requesting a DTBM who do NOT meet any of the previously listed priorities. Those wanting a DTBM will need to contact the State Library to be added to the priority list.

• New Users. New Users will be offered DTBMs as available. If a DTBM is not available, the new user will be issued an analog cassette machine and placed on the DTBM waiting list.

I want to stress that cassette machines and cassette books will still be available for quite sometime. If you are interested in getting on the list for a DTBM, call the State Library of Ohio at (800) 686-1531 or (614) 644-6895.

Currently there is another way to get Digital Talking Books from NLS. If you have a Victor Stream from HumanWare, you can sign up to download Digital Talking books. You need a PC, a high speed Internet connection and a USB port or a USB card reader that will handle SD cards.

For more information, logon to www.nlstalkingbooks.org/dtb. There you can fill out an application to start downloading Digital Talking Books. Currently you must have a Victor Stream from HumanWare but other players such as the Icon, the Braille+ and the Book Courier should be added soon. The Victor Stream costs $329 and you must also purchase an SD card. For more information about the Victor Stream, call Universal Low Vision Aids at (800) 369-0347.

Search the Internet, Help Out ACB-Ohio
— By Lynn Wachtell

What if the American Council of the Blind of Ohio earned a penny every time you searched the Internet? Or how about if a percentage of every purchase you made online went to support our cause? Well, now it can!

GoodSearch.com is a new Yahoo-powered search engine that donates half its advertising revenue, about a penny per search, to the charities its users designate. Use it just as you would any search engine, get quality search results from Yahoo, and watch the donations add up!

GoodShop.com is a new online shopping mall which donates up to 37 percent of each purchase to your favorite cause! Hundreds of great stores including Amazon, Target, Gap, Best Buy, eBay, Macy’s and Barnes & Noble have teamed up with GoodShop.com and every time you place an order, you’ll be supporting your favorite cause.

Just go to www.goodsearch.com and be sure to enter ”American Council of the Blind of Ohio” as the charity you want to support. And, be sure to spread the word!

For further information or assistance, contact Lynn Wachtell, ACB-Ohio President, at (513) 242-4232.

From the Director’s Chair — By Mary Hiland

We were extremely pleased with the success of our first Passport to Employment seminar, held on February 1 in Cincinnati. But instead of my telling you all about it, I thought it best to let the participants tell the story. So, following are just some of the comments we received on the evaluation forms collected at the end of the program:

“I wanted to let you know what a life changing experience that was for me. Especially Mary Korn’s part. It really gave me the hope I need to get back into the workforce after an unpleasant employment experience. What a meaningful day it was. It recharged me and gave me hope to go on.”

“I thought that the first portion of the seminar, ‘Feel the Fear But Get the Job Anyway,’ led by Mary Korn, was a tremendous way to get people involved. The exercises were new to me but yet quite appropriate for everyone. The audience participation was a good way to share experiences regarding dealing with the fear head-on while searching for employment – or doing things that were surrounding the process of looking for work. I liked very much the panels on agency employers and blind and/or visually impaired folks who had jobs. Their sharing helped me know what they were doing and how they dealt with the typical questions of disclosing their blindness during the interview. The lunch which I had along with everyone else was excellent, and it gave me the opportunity to talk with some of the attendees who were there.”

“Please thank the panel and organizers of last Friday’s seminar for me. I’m a new BSVI consumer, new to Cincinnati, and I left the seminar with some valuable info. Also, until the seminar, I hadn’t understood RSC’s On the Job Training Program. So yes, thank you.”

As you can see, our efforts to present a seminar focusing on employment were very much appreciated by those who attended. Thanks go to several BSVI, RSC, Clovernook, and CABVI employees who helped in adding their perspectives. Our sincere thanks to our panel of successfully employed visually impaired folks, Michael Lichstein, Deborah Kendrick, Elizabeth Sammons, Jennifer Holloday, Judy Cook, Mark Forsterling, and our moderator, ACB-Ohio President Lynn Wachtell. These folks also demonstrated the technology aids that they use in their jobs and everyday life, and we thank Sherri Albers who participated in this part of the event.

Our behind-the-scenes volunteers – Leah Wachtell, Jacque Horn and Sue Wesley – are to be commended for their hard work all day in helping things run smoothly. Our heartiest thanks also go to Julie Russel, a Columbus vendor who donated lunch as her way of showing her dedication and her belief in the efforts of ACB-Ohio.



News and Notes...

Eye on Summit — By Lynn Krumm
Are you a member-at-large living in Summit County or in a nearby county? Have you wanted to be a part of a chapter near you? Eye On Summit is a growing chapter in Summit County. For more information on meetings and activities in Summit County or any other Ohio chapter, please call the ACB-Ohio office toll-free at (800) 835-2226. What are you waiting for? Call today.

Kudos!
The Heath Sertoma Club has selected Marc Guthrie, ACB-Ohio’s Director of Development and Advocacy, to receive their 2007 Service to Mankind award. Marc’s dedication to the mission of ACB-Ohio contributed to his earning this prestigious award.

Contributors . . .

Thank you to ACB-Ohio members who contributed to this issue of the Ohio Connection: Marc Guthrie, Carolyn Hathaway, Mary Hiland, Irwin Hott, Carl Kienzle, Lynn Krumm, Joyce Rogers, Kimberly Ruf, and Lynn Wachtell.

Success in a Sighted World — By Mary Hiland

Now that I’m legally blind, what will this mean to my family? Will I be able to get a job? How can I access print material, get around without a car, make friends, contribute to my community or get a date? Should I consider getting a dog guide? Will I be able to live alone safely as a visually impaired person? What does the ADA do for me as a blind person? What can BSVI do for me?

These and other questions will be addressed at our next quarterly seminar, to be held Wednesday, April 16, at the Sight Center of Northwest Ohio, 1002 Garden Lake Parkway in Toledo.

This one-day seminar will start at 9 a.m. and conclude at 4 p.m. Sign-in begins at 8:15 a.m. Lunch will be provided by ACB-Ohio. This event is free to anyone who wants to learn more about living with vision loss in a sighted world. The day’s agenda includes speakers, panel discussions, break-out sessions, and an opportunity to experience some hi-tech and low-tech adaptive aids. Pre-registration is required by April 14. Call the ACB-Ohio office at (800) 835-2226 to register or to volunteer.

ACB-Ohio’s Visit to the Nation’s Capitol – By Marc Guthrie

I’d like to share an inspiring moment that I experienced during my participation at ACB’s recent annual legislative conference in Washington, D.C. I met an extraordinary man named Dr. Dennis Shulman. Dr. Shulman is an author, educator and a clinical psychologist. What makes Shulman’s life most interesting is that he is blind and he is running for a seat in the U. S. Congress.

His life story is very inspiring because he overcame many obstacles that would be roadblocks to many. Many predicted that Shulman would never graduate from high school as a result of his blindness. Because of Shulman’s determination and his middle class parents, he not only graduated from high school, but he graduated Magna Cum Laude from Brandeis University, and secured a Ph.D. from Harvard University. In addition, in 2003, he was ordained as a Jewish Rabbi.

Shulman told his story about how he became blind progressively during his youth. By the time he was in his early teens he was no longer able to see. One of his biggest fears of becoming blind was losing the ability to ride his bicycle; he loved his bike and dreaded not being able to ride it. Shulman said that one of the worst days of his life was when his parents told him that he could no longer ride his bike because of their concern for his safety. The night that his parents told him that they had put his bike away for good, he had little or no sleep. The next morning, there was a knock at the door and it was his very best friend, who arrived on a bicycle built for two. Shulman who is now close to 60, told the audience that his youthful friend to this day serves as his driver.

Dr. Shulman was just one of the many people that I met at ACB’s annual legislative conference. I joined several ACB-Ohio board members in visiting numerous offices of our Ohio Congressional delegation. We expressed our support for ACB’s legislative priority issues in these areas; telecommunications and information, web accessibility and ADA, and quiet cars.

ACB had a very good presence on Capitol Hill and your Ohio delegation represented your interest well! You can study ACB’s 2008 legislative imperatives by visiting their website at www.acb.org/washington/imperatives-2008.html.

Marc Guthrie is ACB-Ohio’s Director of Development and Advocacy. You can reach him at (740) 344-6222 or via e-mail at marcguthrie@hotmail.com.


Call for Nominations for Annual Awards — By Kim Ruf

As chairperson of the ACB-Ohio Awards Committee for 2008, I will be working proudly with my talented committee members Joyce Rogers and Patty Yarman to identify and recognize friends of ACB-Ohio who work to enhance the lives of persons who are blind or visually impaired.
Our main goal for this year is to be able to present all six of these awards to deserving recipients. The six awards, which will be distributed at the annual ACB-Ohio Convention, are as follows:

The KEN MORLOCK AWARD is given to a person who is blind or visually impaired who has worked tirelessly and selflessly for the blind.

The RUTH DAVIDSON AWARD is given to a sighted person who has worked to enhance the lives of persons who are blind or visually impaired.

The AMBASSADOR AWARD is given to an ACB-Ohio member who has worked tirelessly for ACB-Ohio and the blind community.

The MEDIA AWARD is given to a person who has written or reported about blindness or issues that concern blind or visually impaired persons. All nominations for the Media Award must be accompanied by the article, video or other presentation which is the basis for the nomination.

The EMPLOYER OF THE YEAR AWARD is given to an Ohio employer who has hired and made accommodations for employees who are blind or visually impaired.

The COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD is presented to a city, town, etc. for outstanding efforts they have put forth to enhance the lives of people who are blind or visually impaired. Please send your nominations by August 1, 2008, to:

ACB-Ohio Awards
P.O. Box 307128
Gahanna, Ohio 43230

You can also send nominations or questions to princesskimberly@woh.rr.com. Please include the phrase “ACB-Ohio Awards” in the subject line. I strongly encourage all ACB-Ohio members to think about who you might like to nominate for any of these awards. We look forward to presenting the awards at the ACB-Ohio annual convention in the fall.

ACB-Ohio in Washington — By Joyce Rogers

Have any of you thought at one time or another that today’s young adults are often crass, rude, obtuse, self-absorbed, uneducated, and addicted to designer clothes, late model cars, and endless entertainment? If you have, your attitudes would have been shattered if you had been along with the three teams from the American Council of the Blind of Ohio as we visited the offices of our two U. S. senators and 18 U. S. representatives during our annual legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. in February.

We were told that the average age of the legislative aides to senators and representatives on Capitol Hill is 23. All of the teams from Ohio reported that they encountered legislative aides who were bright, educated, eager to learn, respectful, attentive and knowledgeable.

The young adults who serve as legislative aides have demanding jobs. They must rapidly learn a lot of information about a broad range of issues. They must demonstrate professionalism when dealing with hundreds of advocates who come knocking on their doors each year. And, they must report clearly and accurately to their employers on their knowledge of issues.

Again this year, the aides had to see to all of us blind folks (around 125 of us nationally) who always have burning issues that require their complete, urgent and immediate attention. And, although they have an honored and privileged job, their financial compensation is very low. I, for one, was delighted and impressed with the legislative aides we met in the offices of Senator Voinovich and Representatives Steve Chabot, Jean Schmidt, Jim Jordan, Bob Latta and Stephanie Tubbs-Jones.

Our three teams from Ohio consisted of Patty Yarman, Linda Wyman, and Marc Guthrie; Carl Kienzle and Lynn Wachtell; and Joyce and Robert Rogers. We tackled three main issues this year. Those issues were as follows:

First, there is legislation being drafted by Representative Markey of Massachusetts and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce with the assistance of the Coalition of Organizations for Accessible Technology (COAT). The legislation promotes video description in the coming age of digital television and the accessibility of electronic equipment and devices such as televisions, DVDs, digital recorders and ipods.

Have you ever watched a program on television and were not sure how the story ended because there was too much strictly visual information without concomitant audio information? Have you ever struggled with trying to navigate the controls on your state-of-the-art television so much that you need sighted assistance? If so, I urge you to ask your representative to co-sponsor the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act drafted by Markey and others. Your efforts will reinforce the work done by the three ACB-Ohio teams.

The second issue concerns web site accessibility. Have you ever wanted to look at information on a web site in order to buy some nifty product that your friends have been talking about and, after hours of wandering around the site, have thrown up your hands and screamed because your screen reader could not locate that information? We are asking that Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act be amended to cover web site accessibility for retail sites.

Third, we are asking the U.S. House and Senate to pass a resolution directing the Department of Transportation to develop standards for audible signals on the new environmentally friendly quiet cars that are not so safety friendly for individuals who rely on their hearing to detect the presence of a vehicle and its speed and direction of travel.

The ACB teams presented each person they visited with an invitation to a seminar about the need to preserve and expand the Randolph Sheppard Act, passed in 1936, which provides thousands of people who are blind or visually impaired with employment through the blind vendor program. Again, if any of these issues concern you, please call or write to your U. S. senators and representatives.
Thank you to all of you who have already contacted your senators or representatives in Washington for advocating for the full inclusion of people who are blind or visually impaired in society. If you haven’t yet gotten involved, I urge you to take responsibility for making those contacts and get involved today!

Joyce Rogers is Chair of ACB-Ohio’s Legislative Committee.

Thank You

Thank you to the following recent donors to ACB-Ohio. Your generosity is key to advancing the mission of our organization.

The Beck Foundation
Mary Jo Chisnell
Jane and Joseph Cooper
Elmer Fischer
Katie Frederick
Jacque Horn
Irwin Hott
Carl Kienzle
Lynne Krumm
Dr. Lou Mazzoli
Jill Noble
Larry Rodak
Norma Shaw Family Trust
Sue Wesley
Deb Wood
Patty Yarman


My Search for the Right Microwave
-- By Carolyn Hathaway

My microwave oven stopped working just before I left for the ACB-Ohio state convention in November. After returning home, I began my search for a new microwave oven. I looked at so many different brands with many different features and I wanted to share my findings with you.

A fellow ACB-Ohio member has a talking microwave and I stopped to see it. Many features weren’t accessible and other features were limited, so I continued my search. The one I found that best fit my needs was the GE model #JES1142SJ04. It is available at Lowe’s and hhgregg. It has large tactual buttons and I was able to mark the 5, start and defrost buttons and locate all the other buttons from there. If you just push the start button it automatically turns on for 30 seconds. To change the power setting, you just use the button that would be the star button on the telephone and each time it’s pushed, it lowers the power by 10 percent. When you use the defrost button, it buzzes half way through so that you can turn your food. There are also buttons for popcorn and beverages which can be marked.

I hope this information helps you next time you need to find a new microwave. I am so pleased with mine and I was really glad to find a microwave oven that had buttons and not a flat screen.


The Ohio Connection is a quarterly publication of The American Council of the Blind of Ohio. Please submit your material in print, on cassette or diskette or through e-mail. The next deadline is May 22, 2008. Please include your name, address and phone number and send to:

Terri Kevany
takevany@roadrunner.com

ACBO recently transferred its mailing list to a new computer system. If someone you know has not been receiving Ohio Connection, please have them contact the office to be returned to our list.

For more information about these events and activities, contact:

ACB-Ohio
P.O. Box 307128
Gahanna, Ohio 43230
toll free in Ohio:
(800) 835-2226
or (614) 221-6688


2008 ACB-Ohio Membership Application

Directions: Take this form to a local chapter meeting or mail it to:
ACB-Ohio, P.O. Box 307128, Gahanna, OH 43230


Name______________________ Today’s Date___________

Address________________________________

City/State/Zip_____________________________________

Phone (____) ______________________

E-mail Address_____________________

Fully Sighted? ____No _____Yes

Membership ______New ______Renewing

Which Ohio Connection Newsletter format do you prefer?
Please CIRCLE One: Audio Cassette Large Print E-mail

Which Braille Forum Newsletter format do you prefer?
Please CIRCLE One: E-mail Lg. Print Audio Cassette
or Braille

MEMBERSHIP TYPE (PLEASE CHECK ONE)
______$15 Individual Chapter Member
(PLEASE LIST CHAPTER HERE:

______$15 Individual At-Large Member
______$25 Non Profit Organization Member
______$30 Sponsor Member
(Individual and “Sponsor” a Student)
______$100 Corporate Member
______$100 Basic Patron ______$200 Silver Patron
______$300 Gold Patron ______$500 Platinum Patron


Renew Your ACBO-Ohio Membership Today!

The Ohio Connection newsletter is a member benefit. If you have not renewed your ACB-Ohio membership for 2008, your subscription to the Ohio Connection may be affected. Don’t miss out! An application form appears on page 11 of this issue of the Ohio Connection. Simply fill it out and take it to a local chapter meeting, or send it to: ACB-Ohio, P.O. Box 307128, Gahanna, Ohio 43230. For questions, e-mail mary.hiland@sbcglobal.net or call the ACB-Ohio office at (800) 835-2226.


ACBO Datebook

Success in a Sighted World
April 16, 2008 - Toledo

Board of Directors Meeting
April 19, 2008 - Columbus

Takes Two to Tandem
September 21, 2008 - Mt. Vernon

For more information on any upcoming ACB-Ohio events, call (800) 835-2226.

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