EVENTS

[Ms. Kathy]

Online Portal Opens New Frontiers for Blind Students:



Las Vegas, Nevada (January 12, 2009)-

The National Association of Blind Students announced today the first phase launch of its official web site, NABSLink.org. The site comes at the commencement of a new campaign to reach blind and visually impaired students across the country and is a direct response to the need for centralized information for high school and post-secondary students. Terri Rupp, president of NABS, said: "Students play a crucial role in the movement of the organized blind. We rely on the up and coming generation to keep the momentum fresh, and it was time we did something to gather all the tools for their success in a single convenient location to keep that momentum strong."







The site styles itself after a virtual university. Among other features,

NABSLink hosts a Career Center and Bluebook to connect students with a

number of informative tools and resources to facilitate their independence

inside and outside of the classroom. To facilitate communication between

the organization's leadership, membership and the public at large there is

also an official blog and wiki project. The web development team believes

these individual features will help cultivate a thriving repository of

up-to-date information to aid students at various levels in their

educational and professional development.







The NABS Board of Directors is pleased to finally release the first phase of

a project it hopes to continue growing with the contributions and support of

its members and the general public. Anyone is welcomed to help build upon

this foundation. Ultimately the site will foster self-sufficiency and

independence and be one more vehicle to expand opportunities for all blind

students pursuing a myriad of professional paths.







# # #







About the National Association of Blind Students



The mission of the National Association of Blind Students is to promote

equal access to opportunities for all blind students inside and outside of

the classroom. Through conferences, professional networks, mentoring and

advocacy we are changing what it means to be blind in the 21st century, and

we achieve this by adhering to and supporting the goals of the National

Federation of the Blind.

[Ms. Kathy]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thanks to Eric Guillory for sneding this one to me:

CONTACT:
Christopher S. Danielsen
Director of Public Relations
National Federation of the Blind
[phone], extension 2330
[phone] (Cell)

<mailto:[e-mail]>[e-mail]

National Federation of the Blind and Onkyo Corporation Promote Braille Literacy

Braille Essay Contest will Encourage Braille Usage Among the Blind

Baltimore, Maryland (February 3, 2009): The National Federation of the Blind (NFB), the oldest and largest organization of blind people in the United States, will administer the Onkyo Braille Literacy Essay Contest in the U.S. on behalf of the North American-Caribbean Region of the World Blind Union. The essay contest, sponsored by Onkyo Corporation, a Japanese consumer electronics manufacturer, and the Braille Mainichi, part of the Mainichi Newspaper Company in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"

/>Japan, was created to promote Braille literacy and to encourage the sharing of social and cultural information among blind and visually impaired persons. Blind or visually impaired persons in the United States or Canada are eligible to apply.

The essays must be written in Braille and must pertain either to how the individual gains knowledge or independence through Braille or to an individual concept about world peace from the viewpoint of persons with disabilities. There will be two groups of competitors: a junior category for persons up to age twenty-five and a senior category for persons over age twenty-six. Four cash prizes will be awarded at the end of the contest.

Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: “We are very pleased to be a part of this important contest.

There can be no doubt that the ability to read and write Braille competently and efficiently is the key to education, employment, and success for the blind. Despite the undisputed value of Braille, however, only about 10 percent of blind children in the United States are learning it. This contest will not only be a fun way for blind and visually-impaired persons to demonstrate the impact Braille has had on their lives but will also raise awareness of the importance of Braille literacy in every day applications.”

Administering the Onkyo Braille Literacy Essay Contest in the United States is a facet of the National Federation of the Blind’s “Braille Readers are Leaders” campaign, a national initiative to promote the importance of reading and writing Braille for blind children and adults. The Braille Readers are Leaders campaign kicked off in July of 2008 with the unveiling of the design of a commemorative coin to be minted in 2009 in recognition of the two-hundredth anniversary of the birth of Louis Braille (1809–1852), the inventor of the reading and writing code for the blind that bears his name.

The contest begins on February 1, 2009, and ends on April 30, 2009. All entries must be received by April 30.

For more information about the Onkyo Braille
Literacy Essay Contest, including application
information, please contact Trisha Tatam by phone
at [phone], ext. 2510 or by e-mail at
<mailto:[e-mail]>[e-mail]. For more about the National Federation of the Blind’s Braille Readers are Leaders campaign, please visit <http://www.braille.org/>www.braille.org.

[Ms. Kathy]

Cubs fans can be in movie, aid charity
Donations for credits benefit Project 3000, Little Cubs Field
02/04/09
Source Link: chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/print.jsp?ymd=20090204&content_id=3797802&vkey=news_chc&fext=.jsp&c_id=chc&affiliateId=CommentWidget

By Carrie Muskat / MLB.com

CHICAGO -- Want to be in the movies? It's not a starring role, but Cubs fans can show their support for their team and the city of Chicago as well as help others by adding their name to the closing credits of a soon to be released documentary.
Fans can have their name or that of a loved one included in the final credits of the upcoming documentary, "We Believe -- Chicago and its Cubs," to be released in spring 2009.

One half of all proceeds collected will go to two Cubs-related efforts. The money will benefit Project 3000, an organization which Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee helped create to find people affected with Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA), a blinding eye disease. Money also will be donated to the non-profit Little Cubs Field, a replica of Wrigley Field scaled down to a kid-sized park located in Freeport, Ill.

This is believed to be the first time a film production has undertaken active viewer participation to support charities.

A limited number of spaces are available in the theatrical credits and they will be displayed alphabetically in the closing minutes of the documentary. The cost is $100 plus shipping and handling fees, and recipients will receive a certificate of authenticity as well as a "We Believe" T-shirt.

There also will be an opportunity to include names in the credits in the DVD version of the movie for $50 plus shipping and handling fees. People who want to be listed in the DVD credits also will receive a certificate and a T-shirt. The DVD will offer a director's cut, additional footage and stories, never before seen archival footage, and behind-the-scenes action.

The documentary follows the Cubs' 2008 season, which was the 100th anniversary of the last time the team won the World Series. Award-winning filmmaker John Scheinfeld is behind the project, and the goal was to show the passion and spirit fans have for the Cubs and Chicago. It's now 101 years since the Cubs last won the championship. Last season, they repeated as National League Central champs, but were swept for the second straight year in the first round of the playoffs.

"The disappointing closing of the Cubs' 2008 baseball season doesn't spoil the documentary project," said producer Chad Smith. "This is a love story about Chicago and its baseball team. With every love story, there is bound to be some heartbreak."

Lee, one of the Cubs players interviewed for the documentary, knows about heartbreak. His daughter, Jada, was initially misdiagnosed with LCA, and he and his wife Christina were told there was no cure. Jada now has been determined to not have LCA, an inherited form of blindness. The Lee family is still committed to helping identify the estimated 3,000 people who have LCA in order to offer genetic testing in an attempt to find treatment and a cure.

"I'm excited to be part of this project at every level -- as a participant and, even more important, as a parent who knows how much it will mean to other families who are struggling with this devastating disease," Lee said in a statement.

Edwin Stone, a professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences who heads the LCA research program at the University of Iowa, said the movie's efforts will benefit thousands.

"Private support makes all the difference when it comes to conditions like LCA, which affect a relatively small portion of the population -- but when it's your child or friend or family member suffering from this disease, the statistics don't matter," Stone said in a statement. "What matters is helping LCA patients regain their sight, and thanks to contributions from individuals and efforts like 'We Believe,' we're coming closer to that goal every day."

The documentary's crew was at Little Cubs Field on June 14, 2008, for the grand opening of the ballpark. Former Cubs third baseman and current WGN Radio analyst Ron Santo attended the ceremonies.

Fans interested in having their name added to the credits should go to the movie's website, webelievethemovie.com. There will be a Chicago premiere of the documentary this year.

Chicago area musicians and bands also are encouraged to submit original recordings of a song about the city to be included in the documentary. Fans will be able to cast a vote online for the favorite song on the movie's Web site. All entries must be received by Feb. 15. The documentary will include some original songs by Chicagoan Billy Corgan.

Carrie Muskat is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

[Ms. Kathy]

[Another good thing about having a handsome, intelligent "A" student in the White House. ~K ]

Prevent Blindness America Commends Barack Obama and Congress for Expanding Access to Vision Care Coverage for Children

Additional $32.8 billion in SCHIP Funding Gives Millions of Kids a Chance at Brighter Future

CHICAGO – Prevent Blindness America, the nation’s oldest volunteer eye health and safety organization dedicated to fighting blindness and preserving sight, praised President Barack Obama for his public support of providing vision care to America’s underserved children. By allocating an additional $32.8 billion for the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), health care, including vision care benefits, will now be available to approximately 11 million children across the country.

“No child should be falling behind at school because he can’t hear the teacher or see the blackboard. I refuse to accept that millions of our kids fail to reach their full potential because we fail to meet their basic needs,” said President Obama at the bill’s signing. “In a decent society, there are certain obligations that are not subject to tradeoffs or negotiation – health care for our children is one of those obligations.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), only one in three children in America have received eye care services before the age of six. Yet, more than 12 million school-age children, or one in four, have some form of vision problem including amblyopia, strabismus or significant refractive error. Fortunately, many of these vision problems can be corrected through early detection and treatment.

“We know that the availability of much-needed government funds continues to dwindle as health care costs continue to spiral upward,” said Hugh R. Parry, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness America. “We applaud President Obama and all those who worked to make this expansion of coverage possible for recognizing the importance of vision care for our most precious resource, our children.”

The newly expanded plan will now cover approximately 11 million children by 2013, up from the current 7 million. The plan seeks to bridge the ever-increasing gap for families whose incomes are too high for Medicaid but are unable to afford private insurance.

To find out more about children’s eye health or how you can urge your government representatives to support sight-saving legislation, please call 800-331-2020 or visit www.preventblindness.org/advocacy.
download the press release (pdf)http://www.preventblindness.org/news/releases/SCHIPRelease.pdf


Source Link: Prevent Blindness America www.preventblindness.org/news/releases/021209_1.html

[Ms. Kathy]

President of Monroe Council for Blind meeting with D.C. lawmakers
By Beth Brelje
Source Link: Pocono Record Writerwww.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090224/NEWS/902240322/-1/NEWS01&template=printart
February 24, 2009 6:00 AM
Editors note: Reporter Beth Brelje is in Washington, D.C., acting as a sighted guide for Mary Ann Alexander, president of the Monroe County Council of the Blind. Brelje will be reporting on blind, low vision and general disability issues during the American Council of the Blind's Legislative Seminar.


When nearly 200 blind people gather at one hotel, accommodations are made.

This week the Holiday Inn National in Arlington, Virginia has multiple copies of Braille menus in the restaurant. Magnetic room key cards have a fuzzy dot placed on them so it is clear which direction the card must be swiped. Staff is trained to place a line guide on paperwork so customers know where to sign. There is an easy-to-find guide dog relief area. These are all simple but uncommon measures, which are the difference between self reliance and dependence.

Mary Ann Alexander, president of the Monroe County Council of the Blind is in Washington D.C., for the American Council of the Blind's Legislative Seminar. Members of the blind community are gathered from across the country to learn about, and advocate for, a more blind-accessible world. Today seminar participants will go to Capitol Hill and ask legislators to support the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act and the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act.

"It's not just blind. These issues affect dyslexic, learning disabled, elderly and a lot of other people beyond the blind community," said Harry Epstein of Philadelphia, a member of the Pennsylvania Council of the Blind.

Advances in technology are eliminating the ability of blind and low vision consumers to participate in basic activities without help from the sighted. Touch screens at ATM machines and at the grocery store cash register require vision. Traditional number key pads don't.

Touch screen phones like the new Blackberry are useless without sight. Off the rack cell phones are designed with visual components in the dialing and texting process. (Yes, blind consumers use text messaging, when the words are electronically voiced.) You have to get to the right screen before placing a call. Blind accessible technology is available for cell phones, but the cost is as much as an additional $300.

"If the cell phone companies are not going to give us a discount on technology we can't use, then they should give us the technology we can use for free," said Alexander.

When the nation finally makes the switch to digital television, video description, a feature which describes a scene without dialogue, will be eliminated. Video description, also known as secondary audio programming, or SAP, does not work with digital technology. Many people who would currently enjoy using SAP already cannot get it because most televisions require sight to set up the feature. While closed captioning for the deaf will make the leap to digital, the SAP-digital gap is still open.

There are other problems with television. Emergency alerts make an alarming noise before scrolling an emergency message on the screen. A flood warning is in effect? A blind person is not alerted without sound. The weather channel is audible until your local on the eights, when it becomes mostly music.

"When I go home to relax and turn on the television, I can't read the menu. A sighted person can turn it on, flip to the menu and see what is on. I pay the same amount for cable and am only able to use 15 to 20 percent of the service, " said George Holliday, president of the Pennsylvania Council of the Blind.

One issue affecting all pedestrians and bike riders is the stealth hybrid car. While hybrid cars are good for the environment, they can be deadly to a blind person. The cars are silent when stopped at an intersection, making them impossible to detect. The Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act would require hybrid cars to emit a sound so pedestrians could be alerted of their presence.

These are some of the issues Alexander will try to influence when she and other members of the American Council of the Blind meet with lawmakers this week

"A lot of these issues will affect the sighted. As you get older, your sight will change. Every person knows someone who is or will be affected by low vision or blindness," said Holliday.

[Ms. Kathy]

NFB Youth Slam Doc.
docs.google.com/Doc?id=dftqxzj3_25c8cxz29n&hl=en