FALL 2018 OHIO CONNECTION ***UPDATES FROM THE ACBO OFFICE By Vicky Prahin Photo caption: Vicky Prahin, Miki, and Irwin Hott staffing the ACBO table at the Ohio State Fair Below you will find a summary of some of what I do in ACB-Ohio’s office, besides answering the phone and keeping up with e-mail. This year, Buckeye Health Plan gave us an opportunity to have a table at the Ohio State Fair. In exchange for the space, they required us to post pictures on Facebook throughout the day, tweet about our involvement, and mention the day in our newsletter. Our administrative assistant, Michelle Spillan, and board members Karen Spry and Irwin Hott, as well as Irwin’s sister Miki, helped staff the table. We passed out copies of the Ohio Connection, brochures, copies of the Ohio White Cane law, and some of our braille keychains. Speaking of those keychains, they have ACBO in braille, as well as in print, and are very well made. If you want one or more, they cost $5 each. Just send a check to the office with your order. We will also have them at the convention during the first weekend in November. I contacted the Board of Elections of all Ohio counties to encourage the selection of an accessible absentee voting system, which Governor Kasich required all of them to do by September 1. Call your county BOE to find out more about which system they selected and how you can access it if you plan to vote using an absentee ballot in November. Some of you may know that ACB-Ohio now has seven chapters. If you want to join one, be involved in activities of another chapter, or have thought about starting one in your area, here are locations and contacts for those that are currently active: Eye On Summit (Akron area) President: Sam Moats E-mail: smoats@neo.rr.com Phone: 330-864-6369 Stark County Chapter (Canton area) President: Carolyn Burley E-mail: carolynmu@sbcglobal.net Phone: 330-484-3807 Cleveland Chapter President: Dave Padgett E-mail: padgett.david.lisa@sbcglobal.net Phone: 216-417-4624 Greater Cincinnati Chapter President: Terry Olandese E-mail: olandese@fuse.net Phone: 513-851-6445 Columbus Chapter President: Katie Frederick E-mail: katiefred@gmail.net Phone: 614-470-2226 Appleseed Chapter (Mansfield area) President: Mary Castor E-mail: macastor@neo.rr.com Phone: 419-571-3553 Friends-N-Focus (Medina area) President: Don Kalman Phone: 330-635-7027 At this time of year, a few extra activities keep us hopping. In addition to the fall Connection, we are gearing up for the convention, making arrangements to present awards and scholarships, and starting to have exhibits at various city, county, and state events to make employees aware of ACBO and encourage donations. No two days are alike in the ACBO office! ***ADVOCACY AND LEGISLATIVE ROUND-UP By Katie Frederick Summer recesses occur at the state and national levels of government; however, advocacy and legislative activities do not cease. Over the past few months, ACB advocates participated in adopting resolutions at the annual conference and convention, attended an Ohio political candidates’ forum, and celebrated the installation of GPS beacons that ease navigation on the Columbus State Community College campus. ACB Resolutions The following is a summary of the resolutions adopted during the 2018 American Council of the Blind Conference and Convention in St. Louis. You can read the entire text of each resolution by visiting http://acb.org/resolutions2018. Please note that these summary statements are not the authoritative voice of the ACB membership; they are simply intended to capture the overall scope and intent of the membership as embodied in the full text of each resolution. Resolution 2018-01 directs ACB to strongly urge all developers of antivirus and anti- malware programs to ensure that their software is designed to be fully accessible to and usable by people who are blind or visually impaired in accordance with appropriate technical accessibility standards. Resolution 2018-02 instructs members of ACB’s state affiliates to request their state to immediately take all necessary steps to ensure equal access to absentee and vote by mail balloting in every state; directs the organization to strongly encourage election officials in every state to comply with all state and federal laws which require equal access to ballots and voting by directing all counties to deploy an accessible vote-by- mail (AVBM) solution within six months of such a system being approved by that state; and that ACB encourage each state’s Division of Elections or equivalent to assist local jurisdictions to acquire a single, centralized, uniform AVBM system that state officials would help to develop. Resolution 2018-03 directs ACB to take all steps necessary to obtain the recognition that electronic polling books or voter verification systems should be accessible to persons who are blind or have low vision and for the adoption of a requirement that every jurisdiction must implement an accessible voter verification system. Resolution 2018-04 tells ACB to encourage both newly prepared and experienced teachers of the visually impaired to pursue continuing education and/or professional development opportunities and training to keep abreast of the ever-changing body of knowledge and practices concerning neurological visual impairment in order to effectively meet the unique needs of children with CVI. It instructs ACB to urge the U.S. Congress, state legislatures, and state and local educational agencies to protect the integrity of assessments conducted by TVIs, both by rejecting calls that expressly or implicitly require the use of any single specific assessment tool or technique with specific populations of students with visual impairments and by refusing to impose specifically branded in-service training requirements on state-licensed TVIs who are prepared in accordance with nationally recognized TVI standards (i.e., the Council for Exceptional Children and Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired) as a precondition for such TVIs’ provision of special education to children with CVI or any other students with visual impairments. It also renews ACB’s call to Congress to promptly enact the Cogswell Macy Act, which would significantly increase investment in quantitative and qualitative research, allowing our field to identify evidence-based practices in assessment and instruction for children with CVI and all other students who are blind, have low vision, are deaf-blind, or who may have additional disabilities. Resolution 2018-05 directs ACB to review the 2018-2019 Common College Application for accessibility after its next release on August 1, 2018, and, if the application remains inaccessible after August 1, ACB shall use all appropriate resources and influence to pursue full accessibility of the Common College Application for the release scheduled for August 1, 2019. Resolution 2018-06 congratulates the Lighthouse for the Blind, Inc., Seattle, Wash., on providing 100 years of successful and innovative job opportunities for people who are blind, visually impaired, deaf-blind, and who may have additional disabilities. Resolution 2018-08 directs ACB to advocate for the full accessibility of commercial and other advertising to ensure that on-screen information is communicated effectively to viewers with vision loss. Resolution 2018-09 expresses the belief that Publix must do significantly more to create a standard of service in stores that is consistently appropriate, expresses ACB’s deep disappointment with the disregard to online accessibility demonstrated by Publix both on its website and through apps, directs ACB to urge Publix to develop and implement policies and procedures that will result in the deployment of accessible prescription labels allowing Publix to effectively monitor the effectiveness of this service, and instructs ACB to continue to work with Publix but expect a significant and substantial improvement in their attitude and approach to online, in-store, and prescription label access. Resolution 2018-10 instructs the ACB national office to expand and further its relationships with U.S. air carriers, calling upon airlines to: ensure that development of any policies is done in consultation with ACB, its affiliate Guide Dog Users, Inc., and other service animal advocates to assure that the long-standing commitment to full and equal inclusion of passengers with guide dogs is not compromised; and that the airlines commit to implement ongoing training with airline personnel in order to assure that the letter of the law protecting the rights of passengers with service animals not be impeded. It also directs ACB to work with the U.S. Department of Transportation as it undertakes regulatory proceedings to ensure that that the rights of passengers with legitimate, well-trained service animals not be negatively impacted by any changes to the service animal definition and subsequent relevant policies. Resolution 2018-11 directs ACB to immediately call upon President Donald J. Trump to promptly deposit the Senate-approved Marrakesh Treaty with the World Intellectual Property Organization, and to urge the leadership and members of the U.S. House of Representatives to take up and pass S. 2559, the Marrakesh Treaty Implementation Act, so that the legislation can be transmitted as soon as possible to the White House for the President’s signature. Resolution 2018-12 congratulates RSVA on its 50th birthday and reaffirms ACB’s commitment to support the right of blind vendors to receive priority to bid on military dining facilities. Resolution 2018-13 directs ACB to encourage its state chapters to consider advocating for the establishment of a state legislative task force on paratransit services, which would include the following representation: legislators or their designees, local and regional entities that fund paratransit services, large and small fixed-route providers, and members and representatives of disability and senior advocacy organizations who are active paratransit users themselves; and directs the task force to identify and disseminate best practices on paratransit issues, including those set forth in this resolution. Resolution 2018-15 directs ACB to work with the FCC to require all broadcast and non- broadcast networks providing video description to establish a clear point of contact to address issues of quality and standards for video description. Resolution 2018-16 instructs ACB, along with its affiliates Library Users of America and the Braille Revival League, strongly urge NLS to consider producing electronic braille books in greater numbers than those produced in hard copy, and commends NLS for beginning to work on creating different elements of braille output using document flow. We also urge that NLS consider developing a format for electronic braille not tied to the specifications that would apply to the production of hard-copy braille books. Resolution 2018-17 directs ACB and Library Users of America to ask the Information Access Committee to join Library Users of America in reaching out to standard-setting bodies of the American Library Association and other entities deemed appropriate to advocate that these standards include accessibility components. Elements to be incorporated into standards should include accessibility of web sites, accessibility of electronic books available for loan, accessibility of computers that are available for patron use, specific outreach components for people who are blind or have low vision, and periodic evaluation of accessibility compliance. It orders the Information Access Committee and Library Users of America to report to the 2019 ACB convention on what progress has been made to implement this resolution. Resolution 2018-18 instructs ACB to strongly urge the Federal Communications Commission to exercise all appropriate authority to require the broadcast and non- broadcast networks to establish and/or join an automated digital listing of all available audio-described programming, and directs that the FCC monitor such listings on an ongoing basis for quality assurance and to ensure that such listings provide consumers of audio-described programming with a level of service equal to that provided today to consumers of closed-captioned television. Resolution 2018-19 reiterates ACB’s ongoing assertion that a White House tour experience that is carefully and effectively described includes more information than can possibly be provided by an in-person guide, and directs ACB to urge the White House to take steps to reinstate the described tour as soon as possible. Resolution 2018-20 directs ACB to continue its advocacy in support of net neutrality. Ohio Candidates’ Forum July 26 marked the 28th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). For several ACB members and other Ohioans with disabilities, the afternoon provided an opportunity to hear from Ohio candidates seeking election to senate and Ohio governor seats in November. We heard candidates’ positions on topics of interest to the disability community, including public transportation, Medicare, housing, and more. A Step Forward for Campus Navigation July 30 was a special day for students, faculty, staff, and people who are blind or visually impaired attending Columbus State Community College, as a new program deploying beacons and the use of the BlindSquare GPS app was announced. The following article is reprinted with permission by the authors of the August 2018 OOD Focus newsletter. “Universities and community colleges across this state ought to fund this immediately,” (Governor) Kasich said. “There is a lot of progress that can be made, but we’ve got to do this together and make sure this is just the beginning. With Columbus State here, you’re looking at the future of education.” BlindSquare works by determining a user’s location using smart phone GPS capabilities and looking up information about the surrounding environment, which at Columbus State is provided by a series of beacons around campus and in select buildings. After finding directional information, the app speaks in a clear, synthetic voice. It can track the user’s destination and periodically announce the distance and direction while traveling, as well as mark locations so they can be found more easily later on. “Embracing technology that supports assisting those with disability challenges is rapidly becoming the norm,” Miller said. “Innovative approaches to removing barriers are necessary in this age of technology. OOD’s partnership with Columbus State is a standard for which others should follow.” “Columbus State is proud to be a leader in serving people with disabilities among our students, faculty, staff and visitors,” Harrison said. “Incorporating BlindSquare functionality advances our commitment to inclusion while furthering accessibility for anyone who can benefit from location and directional support.” ***CONNECTING ACB-OHIO’S AT-LARGE MEMBERS By Ann Pimley The ACBO Membership Committee is reaching out to all at-large members in the state. At-large members are those who do not join a local chapter. Lack of transportation is one of the main reasons. We all know how hard it is to find adequate and accessible transportation, especially if you live in rural America. Another reason is the long distance between where people live and the nearest chapter. A medical condition that keeps one housebound or severely restricts movement is another reason for not joining a chapter. The Membership Committee is trying to connect with all at-large members in the state via the phone conference line. On our first phone conference in June, we discussed if members were interested in having regular meetings during the year and what topics callers wanted to discuss. Our second meeting was in August. We had a few speakers talk about their experiences at the 2018 national convention. Our president, Jill Noble, shared some happenings at the state level, including the purchase of talking clocks to give away. She also discussed the upcoming state convention in Indianapolis in November. Melody Banks, ACBO alternate delegate to the national convention, talked about many of the sessions she attended, as well as some of resolutions and tours she participated in. Vicky Prahin, our executive director, added information about the national convention and about what is happening in the state. Like chapter meetings, these at-large conferences are not just about listening to speakers; they’re an opportunity for members to add their perspectives on different issues. Sometimes people will be listening to a speaker and other times they will be discussing topics that interest them. We hope that these phone conferences will make at-large members feel that they are more of a part of ACBO and give them an opportunity to be more involved in the organization. Our next phone conference will be Sunday, October 7, at 7:30 p.m. We will discuss the upcoming state convention including transportation, finding a roommate, and more. We will also discuss some technical topics like accessible prescription labels. If you are an at-large member, please join us. Even if you are not an at-large member, you are welcome to attend—call the ACBO office to get the phone number and access code. Please forward this information to anyone you know who cannot attend chapter meetings, is interested in joining ACBO, or just wants to listen to see what we are all about. ***CHRISTMAS IN TOLEDO—AN ACBO FUNDRAISER By Theresa Carroll A photo of the 2016 “Going to the Dogs” tree and the 2017 “Christmas Past” tree accompany the article Hello, Friends! Tom and I have missed you all and hope to see you soon. Let me tell you about a program in Toledo that ACBO has participated in, albeit quietly, for the past two years around Christmas time. The Toledo Club is a historic, private, city athletic and social club in the heart of downtown. The Club has stood for elegance and fine tradition for over a century. It is the grandest of buildings and is magnificently decorated for the holidays. The Club hosts an annual Parade of Trees fundraiser for area charities. To participate, an individual, a business, or an organization creates and donates a Christmas tree of their choosing in size, style and decorative theme. Those trees fill the public halls of the Club for the entire month of December. The trees are created to be auctioned off for a charity of the donor’s choosing. The charity may choose to receive 100 percent of the proceeds from the auction or it can split the proceeds with the Club’s historic trust. The Trust is set aside to preserve the historic nature of the Toledo Club’s building, which is registered with the Ohio Foundation and the Maumee Valley Historic Foundation. Someday, The Toledo Club hopes to hold a space on the National Register of historic Places. But I digress … Over 750 club members and the public can bid on the trees through a silent auction that runs through the month of December. There are six nights when The Club invites the public in for a buffet dinner, in addition to one Sunday brunch. Last year over 400 people came to see the trees and enjoy an elegant evening at The Toledo Club. In 2016 the tree that Tom and I created and donated had a theme of “Going to The Dogs” and was dedicated to guide dogs. We filled glass ornaments with photos that we had taken of guide dogs and the tree was covered in dog toys. We even hand crafted a Milk-Bone and wooden bead garland to decorate the seven-foot tree with. In 2017, after hearing people say they wished there were smaller trees up for bid, we created a four- foot, table top tree that had the theme of “Christmas Past” and was covered in miniature packages, miniature glass ornaments of various styles of Father Christmas, and glass snowmen and glass mitten ornaments. The tree came with the stand (a walnut pillar/plant stand) and a handmade quilted tree skirt. Both trees received high bids and the 2017 tree was purchased outright by a gentleman who saw it and bought it immediately in memory of his mother, who had become blind due to diabetes and had just passed away prior to Thanksgiving. He and I had a good cry when I saw him in the lobby filling out his bid card one evening and he relayed his story to me about his loving mother and how much she enjoyed Christmas. The tree for 2018 is yet undecided. We will certainly be creating one, and it will be placed at the entryway into the Club, as it has for the past two years. It is one of the first trees you see as you enter the building. We need ideas for a theme and decorations for the 2018 tree. Keep in mind that a few area interior decorators and florists are hired each year to create trees for businesses to place in the Parade. While those trees are certainly very beautiful, we are very proud that the ACBO trees have always gone for higher bids than the “professional trees.” But, this year, we are a bit stymied for ideas. Of course, if you would rather just donate a few dollars to help offset our out-of-pocket for the trees, that’s great too. Each year, the tree costs us about $250 to create. We shop for bargains, but rest assured that your ACBO tree never looks cheap. We would love your ideas. Give us a call at 419-606-7065 or email us at tessntom@gmail.com. We hope to see you soon. Come to Toledo and we can all reserve a table for dinner at The Club for the 2018 Parade of Trees. I would love to give you all a personal tour. ***HOW YOU CAN HELP ACB-OHIO The American Council of the Blind offers a way for members to support the organization as a whole and benefit ACBO at the same time—it’s called the Monthly Monetary Support (MMS) program. You can subscribe by visiting ACB’s website, acb.org; tab to the Donate Now button and then tab to the Monthly Monetary Support Program button. Or you can call or email Nancy Becker at the Minnesota office, (612) 332-3242, nbecker@acb.org. You specify an amount to donate monthly and half of that comes to ACB-Ohio to support our own programs. ACB provides services and support to all blind people and those who are blind with other disabilities, those who are friends or relatives of blind people, employers, and those who are losing their sight. Staff and board members work with Congress, the FCC, the Department of the Treasury, and other government agencies and organizations to make life better for all. The staff is also responsible for publishing the ACB Braille Forum, recording “The Washington Connection” (ACB’s legislative and information hotline, 1-800-424-8666), and working with other blindness organizations around the world. ACBO offers scholarships each academic year, gives awards to Ohioans and Ohio organizations who help make the lives of blind and visually impaired people better, provides an information and referral service for those seeking help with vision loss, produces this newsletter, and represents the membership at events and activities around the state to spread the word about services and programs. Your contribution is tax deductible. Whatever amount you designate ($10 minimum) will be taken out of your checking account or charged to your credit card each month. If you need to change your donation for any reason, you can do so, no questions asked. You don’t need to be an ACB member to join the MMS program. Friends and relatives of ACB members who would like to support ACB can also sign up. Help support the greatest organization of the blind in the United States! ***MY SCHOLARSHIP By Jenna McCartney Photo of Jenna and her guide dog Vina included At last year’s convention I received the Linwood Walker scholarship for graduate students. I had just begun my master’s degree for vision rehabilitation therapy (VRT) at Western Michigan University. After obtaining my undergraduate degree in teaching special education and then getting a job teaching reading to adults with developmental disabilities, I found that I really enjoyed working with adults. I decided to become a VRT and combine teaching adults with things that, being blind since birth, I was very familiar with doing. I will not only be able to teach them tasks such as daily living skills and technology, but how to advocate for themselves to get what they need to succeed from personal experience doing the same. I am currently working full time as a customer service representative at the Cleveland Sight Center while going to school part time, so while I am taking longer to complete the program, I am gaining experience to share with clients. I have had a variety of jobs, including direct sales and office management, as well as the above-mentioned jobs, so I am excited to bring those experiences into working with my clients and helping them in the work force. I am honored to have been chosen as the 2017 Linwood Walker scholarship recipient. ***2019 SLATE OF OFFICERS AND BOARD MEMBERS By Terry Olandese, Nominating Committee Chair I present the proposed slate of officers and board members for 2019. I encourage you to become familiar with the names and ask questions. The names, along with a little information for each, are below. Don’t forget that if you want to run for a position or you know someone who does, we will take nominations from the floor at the state convention. Please note that our constitution and bylaws clarify elections as follows: Officers are elected to two-year terms and are limited to two consecutive terms. Directors are elected to two-year terms and a limit of three consecutive terms. The term limitation for an officer or director may be waived with a special vote, held before the election during the annual meeting. COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS President: Jill Noble Jill is from the Cleveland area and currently acts as treasurer for the Cleveland chapter. She is completing the term Vicky Prahin left when she assumed the position of executive director. Second Vice-president: Lori Woodall Lori is a member of the Greater Cincinnati Chapter and has been a board member and officer of ACBO for several years. Treasurer: Chris Schumacher Chris is completing his second term in office. He has done so well in the position that the committee recommends that members approve an additional term. ACBO DIRECTORS Irwin Hott Irwin has served on the board as an officer and a director for several years. This will be his third term if reelected. Jenna McCartney Jenna became involved when she won a scholarship and has continued to work for ACBO. If elected, this will be her third term. Leah Noble Leah has served on the board for two terms. She is a long-time member of the Greater Cincinnati chapter. Robert Rogers Rob has served as an officer and a director for many years. He is a real asset as a Parliamentarian. Shawn Thiel Shawn is an active member of the Columbus chapter. He was a presenter at the 2017 convention and brings a wealth of knowledge and skills, especially in technology. *** “RACE TO SUCCESS” The 2018 ACBI-ACBO convention will take place during the first weekend in November—Friday, November 2 through Sunday, November 4—at the Waterfront Hotel & Conference Center, 2930 Waterfront Parkway W. Dr., Indianapolis 46214. To ensure you get the convention rate, call 317-299-8400 and use the code “Council of the Blind.” The room rate is $95.00 (plus tax) per night for single or double. The deadline for making reservations at this rate is October 5. There are two registration choices. Pay $80.00 for the convention only or add $10 to include a tour of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway “Kiss the Bricks” and museum. Registrations need to be sent in by October 15. Register online at acb-indiana.org and put your registration on a credit card. If you have items for the auction, call or e-mail the ACBO office by October 5 to get your item on the auction list; we have a 20-item limit per state, so don’t wait too long! Contact the ACBO office if you need help organizing transportation; we will have rides available from some locations and can suggest possible link-ups from others. On Friday evening we will hear from Peter Berg from the Great Lakes ADA Center in Chicago. We’re excited to have Trisha Zorn Hudson, a Paralympics gold medalist in swimming, as our banquet speaker on Saturday evening. We’ll have more than 20 vendors and exhibitors in the exhibit area, including Eye Can See, Bosma Enterprises, Easter Seals Crossroads, IU School of Optometry, and the American Printing House for the Blind. If you have questions, call ACBI at 317-759-1672 or send a message to acb- indiana.org; someone will be in touch with you soon. We look forward to seeing you in Indianapolis! ***CHILL OUT AT THE WINTER SPORTS RETREAT After the holiday hustle and bustle, a relaxing retreat with friends might be just what you need, so join us for the Winter Sports Retreat, January 18 to 21. Activities may include, but are not limited to, hiking, swimming, square dancing, shopping, cards and board games, snow tubing and/or tobogganing at other locations, or just cozying up with a good book and relaxing for the weekend. Partial stipends are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Stay tuned to our website (acbohio.org) and your email for pricing and other information as it becomes available. ***JOINT PROJECT FOSTERS INDEPENDENCE THROUGH BRAILLE By Berna King The Braille Literacy Project has been an exciting collaboration between the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio (NFB of Ohio), the American Council of the Blind of Ohio (ACBO), and Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD). The object was to identify a group of adults with severe vision loss who were interested in learning the basics of braille and teach them through a combination of classroom learning and one- on-one tutoring by mentors who read braille fluently. Students participated in a weekend introductory course on the first five letters of the braille alphabet and the basics of using a slate and stylus and a Perkins Brailler. These weekend training courses were held in four locations around the state of Ohio during the spring. After this initial introduction, braille students were assigned to mentors who met with them at least weekly via phone to go over the lessons that each student was learning from the braille teacher during that week. Mentors assisted the students in practicing and moving forward with each lesson. The object was to get the braille student to be proficient in the braille alphabet, numbers, and punctuation. As a mentor, I discovered that the weekly calls between me and my student became more than just getting through each new braille lesson in the McGuffey Reader. We often discussed ways she could use braille in her daily life. We reached a milestone the evening she told me she had used it to write a grocery list and got everything that was on her list when she went to the store. If an adult braille learner chooses to sit down with a braille book or magazine and read it, that is fantastic. Even more important, in my view, is that an adult braille learner can begin to use braille for keeping track of personal written tasks such as grocery lists, labeling objects, lists of contact numbers, recipes, and personal notes. This accomplishment makes a person more independent in his or her home life, and, if applicable, work life as well. I sincerely hope that NFB of Ohio, ACBO, and OOD will consider such a collaboration again in the future. ***ACCESS THE OHIO CONNECTION VIA NFB-NEWSLINE NFB-Newsline, a service which the National Federation of the Blind provides, offers access to international and national magazines and newspapers, as well as blindness- specific publications, to individuals who are unable to read print material. Eligible Ohioans interested in signing up for the service can contact the Cleveland Library for the Blind at 800-362-1262 or complete an online application by visiting https://tinyurl.com/yaelem4m. ACB-Ohio places the Ohio Connection on NFB-Newsline and over the next year, as cassettes and the ability to play them becomes more challenging, those who want audio of the Connection will need to use NFB-Newsline. To access the service, call the appropriate phone number (see below), download the free iOS app, read the newspapers of your choice via the internet, have your choice of newspapers e-mailed to you, or access the service with popular specialized players, such as the Victor Reader Trek. You can read the ACB Braille Forum by selecting the “Magazines” section once logged in. The Ohio Connection is located under the Ohio listing, under the ACB-Ohio channel. Call one of the local numbers listed below to hear NFB-Newsline: Akron: 330-247-1241 Canton: 330-409-1900 Cincinnati: 513-297-1521 Cleveland: 216-453-2090 Columbus: 614-448-1673 Outside the local access area: 888-882-1629 ***BITS N BYTES CONNECT DIRECT APH ConnectDirect information and referral number provides information by phone on virtually any topic related to visual impairment and blindness. Dial toll-free 800-232- 5463. You may also submit questions by email at info@aph.org. MOBILITY FOR ALL This podcast, "Autonomous Vehicles Provide Mobility for All," is now available. Henry Claypool, policy consultant for the American Association of People with Disabilities, discusses the potential impacts that autonomous vehicles may have in the workplace and other areas of life. Listen to the podcast and read the transcript here: www.peatworks.org/futureofwork/podcast/2018/06/AAPD SIT BACK AND FEEL THE VIEW Italian engineers at Ford have invented a system for nonvisual travelers to learn what's passing by outside. "Feel The View" takes pictures that are turned into high-contrast monochrome images. These are reproduced on the glass using special LEDs. By touching the image, different shades of grey vibrate with a range of 255 intensities, allowing passengers to touch the scene. http://fordeurope.blogspot.com/2018/04/feel-view-smart-window-for-blind.html FREE CURRENCY READERS While discussion continues on making US bills more accessible to nonvisual users, there's no quick end in sight. However, free currency readers that make audio or tactile indicators for what money they are shown are available to qualify US citizens with vision loss. Find the application and instructions here: moneyfactory.gov/uscurrencyreaderform.html ACCESSIBLE MEDICARE INFO Medicare information is soon to become easier to read for braille and large-print readers in far easier ways, including accessible forms and additional time to respond, since until now, days were counted against response time when sending special materials. www.adasoutheast.org/news/articles.php?id=8708 REQUEST A DEVICE This nonprofit offers inventive technology for those in need and lacking commercial alternatives, plus information and referrals for finding the disability-related items you may need to work, play or participate in the community. maywehelp.org/request-a- device/ LOW & NO COST VISION CARE Do you or someone you know need financial assistance for vision care? For a free Ohio listing of no-cost or low-cost eyecare services from Prevent Blindness Ohio, in English or Spanish, see ohio.preventblindness.org/ohio-vision-programs HOW SMART SPEAKERS CAN HELP THOSE WITH VISION LOSS In this blog, Google Home and Amazon Echo are compared and contrasted in the scope, comfort and services provided by each. www.visionaware.org/blog/visionaware- blog/smart-speakers-how-they-can-help-people-with-vision-loss/12 ***ACB-OHIO DATEBOOK October 5, deadline for auction items October 7, At-large members conference call (call the ACBO office for phone number and passcode) October 15, White Cane Safety Day November 2, ACBO board meeting November 2–4, ACBO / ACB Indiana Joint Conference & Convention, Indianapolis, IN November 15, Ohio Connection newsletter deadline January 18-21, Winter Sports Retreat, includes photo from last year’s retreat, three people walking through snowy woods with the caption “hiking in a winter wonderland” Michelle Spillan, Editor Newsletter Committee: Irwin Hott, Jenna McCartney, Jill Noble, Vicky Prahin As always, thanks to the contributors: Theresa Carroll, Katie Frederick, Irwin Hott, Berna King, Jenna McCartney, Ann Pimley, Vicky Prahin, and Elizabeth Sammons. The Ohio Connection is a quarterly publication of the American Council of the Blind of Ohio. Please submit your material in print or through e-mail, and include your name, address, and phone number. E-mail items to acbo.newsletter@gmail.com or send them to the address below by November 15. American Council of the Blind of Ohio 3805 N. High St., Suite 305 Columbus, Ohio 43214 Phone: 614-261-3561 ACBO COMMUNITY SHARES CAMPAIGN CODES State of Ohio 19003 City of Columbus 60240 Franklin County 60240 Ohio State University 60240 Columbus State Community College 1061