SUMMER 2022 OHIO CONNECTION

***MEET THE NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ACB-OHIO
By Vicky Prahin

ACBO’s search committee, consisting of Alex Densmore, Katie Frederick, Vicky Prahin, and Karen Spry, received several applications and conducted interviews with some remarkable people to find the best possible person to take on the responsibilities of executive director. Many of you will remember meeting Ying-Ting Chiu from previous state conventions when we awarded her scholarships during her time at The Ohio State University. In 2020 she received a Ph.D. in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) for the blind and visually impaired. Prior to that she earned her B.S. in Physics at Soochow University, Taiwan, and a Master’s in STEM Education for the Blind and Visually Impaired at the National Changhua University of Education, Taiwan. Ting has worked as an executive secretary, a science and math teacher, an executive director, a project coordinator, and a Chinese-English academic document translator, and she has started a small business, putting together science kits for blind students. 

Ting reads and writes Unified English braille and Nemeth braille, has experience with grant writing, and says that she is “committed to improving the lives of the blind and visually impaired in any way I can.”

Ting will introduce herself more fully in the next Ohio Connection and will get to know ACBO members as she dives into our many programs. You will meet her in person if you attend the 2022 conference and convention during the second weekend of November. (You can find more information about that elsewhere in this issue.)

***2022 INDIANA-OHIO CONVENTION: SEEING THE FUTURE, SALUTING THE PAST
By Rita Kersh

This year’s convention will take place in Bloomington, Indiana, during the weekend of November 11 to 13 at the Hilton Garden Inn Hotel, 245 N. College Avenue. The theme is “Seeing the Future, Saluting the Past” and the tables will be decorated with patriotic colors to honor our vets.

At the Friday afternoon mini-sessions, vendors such as Eye Can See and Vanda Pharmaceuticals will provide short presentations about their products. Friday night we’ll have live music by local musicians and a cash bar. 

Saturday afternoon from around 12:30 to 6:00 we will have a hospitality room next to the restaurant. The Literacy Project will also use this room for a presentation during part of that time. Saturday evening is our popular auction. There will be an “appetizer auction” prior to the convention, a smaller auction to cut down on the number of in-person auction items on Saturday night.

In addition to ACB-Indiana, vendors include HIMS, Vanda, Eye Can See, Lab Computers, Stitching Sisters, GuideLights and Gadgets, Crossroads, Freedom Scientific, and Indiana Institute on Disability and Community.

The room rate is $119 per night (before taxes) and convention registration is $80. The hotel code, along with registration information, will be available in a few months.

***ACBO SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS EXPRESS THEIR GRATITUDE

STEPHANIE WELCH-GRENIER, THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY

The Ohio State University selected Stephanie Welch-Grenier, a Ph.D. candidate in Teaching and Learning Vision Studies, to receive the 2022-2023 ACBO scholarship. Her thank-you letter reads:

I am sincerely honored to have been selected as the recipient of the American Council of the Blind of Ohio Scholarship. Thank you for your generosity. I feel extremely fortunate to have been chosen as a recipient of this award. 

As I continue working toward my Ph.D. in Vision Studies through The Ohio State University, this scholarship will allow me to focus my time and research within the field of vision rehabilitation services. As I enter my second year, I look to organizations like American Council of the Blind to determine research areas that are meaningful to the individuals I have the privilege of working with, as well as meaningful to the overall field of vision rehabilitation. 

With this scholarship, I hope to return your generosity by continuing to give back to the individuals I serve throughout Ohio as a teacher of the visually impaired, certified orientation and mobility specialist, and vision rehabilitation therapist. It is an honor to continue building skills and training to meet the needs of the individuals I have served for the last nine years through your support. 

Thank you again for your consideration and support. 

We wish Stephanie continued success and hope she will be involved in other ACBO activities.

NICHOLAS BYRNE, WRIGHT STATE UNIVERSITY
Wright State awarded the ACBO scholarship to business major Nicholas Byrne this year. Here are his words of thanks:

I want to start by saying that I am thankful that I was chosen to receive the ACB-Ohio scholarship. Additionally, I am grateful that I have the opportunity to be in this position with other students. This scholarship will help tremendously toward my college tuition at Wright State University. Continuing my education at Wright State University I am majoring in business with a focus on accounting. My goal when I graduate college is to achieve a 3.7 GPA or better, but I know that can be achieved with hard work, dedication, and maintaining focus on my schoolwork. Again, thank you for awarding me the ACB-Ohio scholarship.

***MONTHLY MEMBERSHIP CALLS

All are welcome to join us for ACB-Ohio membership calls. The calls happen the second Sunday of the month at 7:30 p.m. eastern time via Zoom. Dates for this quarter are July 10, August 14, and September 11.

Here is the Zoom information:
Topic: Monthly Membership Meeting
Time: second Sunday of the month, 7:30 PM US/eastern time

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6142613561
Meeting ID: 614 261 3561

One tap mobile
+13126266799, 6142613561# US (Chicago)
+16465588656, 6142613561# US (New York)

Dial by your location
        +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)

Meeting ID: 614 261 3561

***LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE UPDATE
By Kathy Gerhardt

My first year working on the ACBO legislative committee was 2021, during the pandemic, so I never went to “The Hill” to have that in-person experience. I was concerned when Vicky Prahin asked me to co-chair the committee as a new board member, but I feel this year has been a success due to the great team that came together to participate in the online meetings. In addition to Vicky as co-chair, we had many members on board this year. Everyone worked together to schedule 17 of Ohio’s 18 U.S. representatives and senators, and I have since been in touch with the legislative director of the one office we were unable to schedule at that time. We made a lot of progress in getting our ACB imperatives known, sometimes supported, and forged relationships with Ohio officeholders and their staff members.

I would be remiss if I did not give special recognition to Brant Adams for attending and hosting all of our 17 meetings with legislators or their reps, but also all of our committee meetings before we started.  

Linda Wyman stepped forward to assist, acting as a third co-chair. She took over a good deal of Vicky’s contacts when she was called to other duties. I don’t know what I would have done without her assistance. 

We were also fortunate to have Janae Miller on the team—she was front and center with enthusiastic presentations on every call. The rest of our super group who spoke with legislative reps were Ann Pimley, DA Pimley, Karen Spry, and Melody Holloway. Other committee members attended organizational meetings but were unable to join the calls due to work or other commitments. Fortunately, we had a handy dandy spreadsheet that DA put together last year to keep us on track.

The ACB imperatives covered this year during the 117th Congress were as follows:

The Exercise and Fitness for All Act (S. 2504/H.R. 4756)
For the 25 percent of Americans with a disability, equal access to fitness or exercise equipment and instruction remains elusive. As a result, people with disabilities are more likely to suffer from chronic health conditions including heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.

ACB urges Congress to pass the Exercise and Fitness for All Act, which was reintroduced in 2021, so people with disabilities can get up and get moving. This legislation would require exercise and fitness facilities to provide a base level of accessibility for disabled consumers, both in the equipment as well as the instruction they provide. Offices interested to support the Exercise and Fitness for All Act should contact Stephanie Deluca in the office of Sen. Duckworth (D-IL) in the Senate, and Sarah Jackson in the office of Rep. DeSaulnier (D-CA-11), or Kevin Swanson in the office of Rep. Young (R-AK-At Large) in the House.

The Medical Device Nonvisual Accessibility Act (H.R. 4853)
The majority of home use medical devices and outpatient equipment utilizes digital display interfaces that are inaccessible to blind, low vision, and DeafBlind users. Class 2 and Class 3 medical devices such as glucose monitors, blood pressure readers, and at-home chemotherapy treatments do not have any non-visual accessibility features like text to speech output, tactile markings, or audible tones built in. As a result, people who are blind, low vision, and DeafBlind cannot independently manage their health from the privacy of their own homes in the same ways as people who are not disabled.

ACB calls on Congress to pass the Medical Device Nonvisual Accessibility Act to ensure that medical equipment with a digital display is accessible and that people with disabilities can take back control of their health. This legislation would require the Food and Drug Administration to consider non-visual accessibility when approving Class 2 and Class 3 medical equipment and devices with a digital display to ensure access for patients with disabilities. Offices in the House of Representatives interested in cosponsoring the bipartisan Medical Device Nonvisual Accessibility Act, H.R. 4853, should contact Kate Durkin in the office of Rep. Schakowsky (D-IL-9), and offices in the Senate should support introduction of a Senate companion bill to H.R. 4853.

The Website and Application Accessibility Act
Access to websites, applications and online services impacts most aspects of everyday life, and the COVID-19 pandemic has made digital inclusion more important than ever. However, the Department of Justice has not finalized enforcement standards that clearly state websites, applications, and online services must be accessible to people who are blind, low vision, and DeafBlind. As a result, people who are blind, low vision, and DeafBlind face countless barriers when accessing workplace portals, educational platforms, healthcare and public health information, transportation services, shopping, and entertainment over the Internet.

Congress must give clear guidance to the Department of Justice to finalize and implement enforceable online information access standards. These standards must include a strong functional definition of accessibility and should not require any person to exhaust administrative processes or notify website and application owners and operators that their online services are violating the rights of people with disabilities.

ACB calls on Congress to require the Department of Justice to protect the civil rights of people with disabilities online and provide clear guidance that websites, applications, and online services must be accessible.

The Communications and Video Accessibility Amendments Act
The Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA) guaranteed access for people with disabilities to advanced communications services, telecommunications hardware and software, accessible video displays and user interfaces and digital apparatuses, and required the delivery of audio-described content. For more than ten years, ACB and its members have worked to implement and enforce the CVAA, and in several key aspects, we have reached the limits of what the CVAA is able to enforce.

It is time for Congress to update the accessible video and communications requirements of the CVAA. This legislation should ensure that everyone in the United States may receive audio-described content from their local broadcaster utilizing the technology already required to deliver accessible emergency alerts and ensure that accessible user interface and audio-described content requirements are modernized to reflect the shifting landscape to Internet protocol and online delivered video content. And any legislation should require the Federal Communications Commission to ensure that all video communications services are accessible to people with disabilities.

***HOTT PODCASTS #3
By Irwin Hott

It seems as though podcasts are multiplying each week, just as cassettes used to do, so I thought I would take an occasional look at some of the podcasts that are available and highlight a couple that I particularly enjoy.

In my first article I talked about “Car Talk,” which was an NPR program for many years hosted by Tom and Ray Magliozzi. It continues as a podcast, and NLS has recorded an audio book by Tom and Ray from 2000. From NLS: “In our humble opinion: Car Talk's Click and Clack rant and rave. Weekend hosts of National Public Radio's "Car Talk" program let loose here with hilarious, irreverent rantings about just about everything but cars.” DBC04289

Lost Women of Science is a podcast I find informative and entertaining. As the website (http://www.lostwomenofscience.org) says, “Each episode tells the remarkable stories of forgotten women of science.” Note that the definition of “season” has changed in many podcasts. In this case, each season covers a single person. 

Lost Women of Science is currently in season two, which covers pioneering computer programmer Klára Dán von Neumann. The synopsis reads:

“Don’t know who Klára Dán von Neumann was? You’re not alone.
The first modern-style code executed on a computer was written in the 1940s by a woman named Klára Dán von Neumann–or Klári to her family and friends. And the historic program she wrote was used to optimize nuclear weapons. This season, we dive into this fascinating moment in postwar America through Klári’s work. We explore the evolution of early computers, the vital role women played in early programming, and the inescapable connection between computing and war.”

The first season, “The Pathologist in the Basement,” is about Dr. Dorothy Andersen, a physician and pathologist who solved a medical mystery when she identified and defined cystic fibrosis in 1938. A passionate outdoorswoman, a “rugged individualist” and a bit of an enigma, Andersen changed the way we understand acute lung and gastrointestinal problems in young children.

Another fascinating podcast is Talk Description to Me. The website,  https://talkdescriptiontome.buzzsprout.com, describes it like this:

“Where the visuals of current events and the world around us get hashed out in description-rich conversations. J.J. Hunt is an innovative audio describer and a natural-born storyteller. Christine Malec is a perpetually inquisitive member of the blind and partially sighted community who’s always wondering about something. In Talk Description to Me, their discussions plunge into current events and topical issues to explore the content of important images and help place vivid descriptions in their cultural context. Lively, hard-hitting, witty, vibrant, and fun.”

The 102 episodes cover a vast range of topics. Episode titles include “September 11th 2001”; “Gestures and Body Language”; “The Underground Railroad”; “Puppets”; “Hatching Eggs, Emerging Butterflies, and Blooming Bulbs”; and “Ukrainian President Zelenskyy and Political Street Art.” I have found many of these quite interesting and they have added to my understanding of the events and topics being described.

I have not had experience in getting podcasts on any other devices, but if you need help in using your Stream to sign up for a podcast, drop me a line at Ishott263@att.net. Happy listening!

***ACCESS THE OHIO CONNECTION ON NFB NEWSLINE
By Alex Densmore

Did you know that you can listen to the Ohio Connection using your phone or Alexa-enabled device? Newsline, a free service through the National Federation of the Blind, is for those with documented visual or print-related disabilities. It offers access to more than 500 publications, emergency weather alerts, job listings, and more. Each edition of the Ohio Connection is posted to Newsline. 

To sign up for Newsline, you can do any of the following: 
•	Call your state’s Library for the Blind and Print Disabled. The Ohio library’s phone number is 800-362-1262;
•	Call the National Federation of the Blind at 866-504-7300 to request an application; or
•	Go to https://nfb.org/programs-services/nfb-newsline to apply online or download and print an application.
Once your application is approved, you will receive a message with access codes and instructions. You can then access Newsline by phone, Amazon Alexa, iOS Mobile App, website, email, and portable players.

To access Newsline over the phone, call 888-882-1629 or a local number if one is available for your area (you can look up your local Newsline phone number at http://www.nfbnewsline.net/Nl2/NL2LocalAccessLookup.jsp or simply call the toll-free national number the first time you access Newsline, which will provide you with the local number to call in the future). When prompted, enter your ID and security code (this only needs to be done the first time you call from a given phone number). You will then reach the main menu. To access the Ohio Connection from the main menu:
•	Press “2” to access the Ohio Information Channel
•	Press “4” to access ACB-Ohio’s channel
•	Listen to the options for editions of the Ohio Connection and select the option for the edition which you would like to read

For more information about using the Newsline phone system, visit https://nfb.org/programs-services/nfb-newsline/phone-instructions. For more details about the other Newsline access options listed above, visit https://nfb.org/programs-services/nfb-newsline, call NFB at 866-504-7300, or email nfbnewsline@nfb.org.

***ACCESSIBLE PRESCRIPTION LABELING

Many pharmacies today provide some type of accessible prescription label, Unfortunately, not many people are using them. It is common that your pharmacy staff will not be aware of the options available. En-Vision America needs to hear from you! Even if your pharmacy does NOT offer ScripTalk, En-Vision America’s product, they will help you get set up with the option your pharmacy provides. 

Reach out to En-Vision America by calling 800-890-1180 or emailing customerservice@envisionamerica.com. Tell them what pharmacy you use and let them do the rest! They will help you get set up with the option that is provided or they will contact your pharmacy to see if it will provide ScripTalk to you. All these options are FREE to you. En-Vision America will take the frustration out of getting set up. Let’s save a life, one accessible label at a time! 

***LIBRARY NOTES
If you read braille and would like one of the new eReaders from NLS, contact the regional library at 800-362-1262 and let them know. The eReaders started going out recently and have so far met with resounding delight. 

An update to BARD is in the works, as well as improvements to the BARD Mobile app. Users of BARD Express will soon be able to read books located and downloaded through that service. You should hear more about these changes in the next six to eight months.

Testing of the new NLS players will begin soon and will become available shortly.

The Smartspeakers will be field tested soon. These will function with the NLS players, offering virtually complete control of the machine through the speaker. 

The regional library is putting together a survey to gather data from readers to improve services, especially communication.

If you don’t receive the Dimensions newsletter, contact the library so that you can keep up with all the news.

***ACB-OHIO DATEBOOK
July 1–8, ACB National Conference, Hilton Hotel, Omaha, Nebraska
July 10, Membership Call, 7:30 p.m., via Zoom
July 11, ACBO on the Radio, 11 a.m., voicecorps.org
July 30, ACBO Board Meeting, 9 a.m.
August 11, ACBO on the Radio, 11 a.m., voicecorps.org
August 14, Membership Call, 7:30 p.m., via Zoom
August 15, ACBO Newsletter Deadline
September 11, Membership Call, 7:30 p.m., via Zoom
September 12, ACBO on the Radio, 11 a.m., voicecorps.org
September 15, Award Nominations Due
November 11–13, ACBO-ACBI Convention, Hilton Garden Inn Hotel, Bloomington, IN

Michelle Spillan, Editor
Newsletter Committee: Katie Frederick, Irwin Hott, Dana Metcalf, Vicky Prahin

As always, thanks to the contributors: Alex Densmore, Katie Frederick, Kathy Gerhardt, Irwin Hott, Rita Kersh, and Vicky Prahin. The Ohio Connection is a quarterly publication of the American Council of the Blind of Ohio. Please submit your material in print or through email, and include your name, address, and phone number. Email items to acbo.newsletter@gmail.com or send them to the address below. The fall issue deadline is August 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