WISCONSIN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND & VISUALLY IMPAIRED, INC.
Incorporated under laws of Wisconsin in November 1952, the Council is directed by 19 volunteer delegates: ten are appointed by four organizations representing people who are blind; nine delegates at large elected by blind people throughout the state.
The Council is a strong voice for blind citizens of Wisconsin. Its mission is to promote the dignity and independence of people in Wisconsin who are blind and visually impaired by providing services, advocating legislation and educating the general public. The Council is funded through proceeds of endowments established through bequest grants, private gifts from individuals and corporations, and the White Cane Fund campaign. No government funding is received.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
FEATURE: THE O'CONNORS - OUR ANGELS
THE COUNCIL STORE: NEW AND IMPROVED AND BETTER THAN EVER
HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL BRIGHAM & WOMEN'S HOSPITAL -
DEPARTMENT OF MEDICINE
FROM THE EDITOR
By: Virginia DeBlaey
In this issue of The Council Courier, you will read about several events which will happen later this fall. Becky Williams writes an article promoting our Scholarship Program for college and technical school students. Richard Johnson will describe the other awards presented along with the scholarships at our annual Awards Banquet which will be held in Green Bay in early November.
The O’Connor Family is featured in an article by Bruce Parkinson. For the past several years, they have organized and hosted a golf tournament which has raised several thousand dollars for the WCB and its programs.
The Council store has recently undergone a face lift and Rhonda Staats will describe the changes. Betsy Gruba will relate her experience with an accessible iPod.
Nona Graves will provide an update and reminder of our loans program. And Chris Zenchenko will describe the changes to our delegates-at-large election process and encourage anyone interested to be considered for one of these positions on the Council. I will summarize the major topics covered at our last Council meeting and an important request for blind women to participate in a national medical study is being included.
As some of you may know, Council members and staff who write articles for The Courier volunteer their time and skills to create this newsletter three times each year. If you have any suggestions for articles you would like to see, please let me know or contact Sue at the Council office.
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
By: Chris Zenchenko
Well here we are at the second edition of the Council Courier for 2005. It has been an amazing few months and many things, along with some of those changes I mentioned in my first column, have occurred. You will read about some of them in more detail from other contributors. I will hit a few of the highlights and provide some information and explanations to help you understand what is going on.
Over a year ago the Council met in a special weekend session to work on a long range plan. Work continues based on some of the ideas and direction provided during that meeting. One of the major sub-groups that was formed took a look at our marketing and positioning. A survey was commissioned to look at the Council’s image. It looked at three groups: first, the Council itself; next, the Council staff; and finally, some of the clients served by the Council’s programs. Two of the main questions revolved around the name of the Council and a catchy phrase or statement that captures our purpose and direction. No final action has been taken on the recommendations of the marketing and positioning committee, but you can be sure it will be discussed at our scheduled July meeting.
One of the big changes that took place at our last two Council meetings was a modification in the way Council delegates-at-large are selected. There are currently nine delegates-at-large serving on the Council. They are elected by any legally blind person in the state of Wisconsin who wishes to vote. The ballots have been traditionally mailed to the same list that we use to mail the Council Courier. It has become clear that this list includes many subscribers who are not eligible to vote or who have no interest in doing so.
In an attempt to fix this problem the Council has created a special mailing list to be used only for sending out ballots. This list will be populated with names from the mailing lists of the three founding organizations. If you are a member of the Alumni Association of the Wisconsin School for the Visually Handicapped, the Badger Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired, or the Midwest Association for the Blind, do not worry. These lists will be combined and entered into the new voting database. If you are not a member of any of these groups you should contact the Council office with your name and current mailing address. This information may be added directly to the voting database. Also, if you know of a legally blind person, or work with a group that has eligible members that want to vote, please get the mailing information to the Council office. Your main contact for the voting database is Ann Schroeder. You can e-mail her at ann@wcblind.org, or contact the office at 608-255-1166 or 800-783-5213.
The second change to the delegates-at-large process required a by-law change which now has been completed. This fall you will elect nine delegates. Of these nine, the top five will serve a three-year term on the Council. The remaining four will serve a one-year term. At the end of that one year term a special committee will be formed to select for Council approval four delegates who will then serve a three-year term. The Council members hope this new process will make it easier to maintain a state-wide perspective, and also to include consideration of special skills and knowledge that a potential delegate might bring to the organization.
This year, the fall meeting, along with our special scholarship and awards banquet, will be held in Green Bay. This change of location will take the Council to the northeast area of the state for the first time in many years. It is not too early to request all readers to let the Council office hear about anyone who might be interested in our scholarship program or to suggest an award to recognize an outstanding contribution that has benefited the blind and visually impaired of Wisconsin.
As you read and consider this current issue of the Courier and all of the news it contains, you may begin to understand just why I have not had the time to write my Stay Tuned column. I hope to have it in the next edition, but for now it's been a busy spring and promises to be an even busier summer. You can look forward to an interesting issue of the Courier and there will be a third issue near the end of October with even more news.
My thanks go out to all the Council, staff, and the many fine folks who continue to support the Council's mission through their work and contributions to the White Cane Fund Drive and other fund-raising activities. For an example of just what I mean, be sure to catch Bruce Parkinson's feature on a very special family. Have a great summer.
FEATURE: THE O'CONNORS - OUR ANGELS
By: Bruce Parkinson
For the past five years the O‘Connor family has been sponsoring a golf tournament in June, the proceeds from which are given to the Council to support its programs and services. This is significant because it makes the O’Connors one of the largest, if not the largest annual contributors to the Council. The story behind this truly generous family is inspiring.
This story is about James B. O’Connor, his wife Theresa, and their seven sons. It began about 40 years ago when Mr. O’Connor and his oldest son, Tom, were returning from his car lot in Richland Center to Lomira. It was evening and Mr. O’Connor pulled over and told Tom, who was about 12 years old, to drive. He said, “That’s the only way I’ll get home.” He had Retinitis Pigmentosa and night blindness had caught up with him. Tom O’Connor says that was the last time his father drove at night. It wasn’t long before he couldn’t drive at all.
By 1968 Mr. O’Connor sought help from The Wisconsin Council of the Blind. He received some items that could help but felt that there must be more available. At that time he began to feel that helping people who are blind or visually impaired is of the utmost importance. Among other very important values by which to live, James O’Connor instilled helping the blind and visually impaired into his family. They have not forgotten!
The seven sons of James and Theresa O’Connor include: Jim, a car dealer in Lomira; Jerry, vice president of the bank of Waupun; Dan, a teacher at Illinois Valley Community College; John, president of a leasing firm in Madison; Pat, a real estate agent and developer in the Madison area; Terry, vice president of the Horicon Band in Beaver Dam; and finally Tom, the oldest, a farmer in Lomira and owner of Autumn Ridge golf course where the tournaments are played. All of the boys are successful because their parents taught them to be independent and to work hard to achieve their goals. It is very obvious that they learned their lessons well.
James passed away in 2000, but not before he had a chance to see the golf course Tom purchased that year. The first tournament to benefit the blind was held in his memory shortly after his death. As you will learn, the tournament has grown.
Mrs. O‘Connor has had sight in only one eye for most of her life and now suffers from macular degeneration. She was very proud when, through the help of Dick Pomo, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Council of the Blind, she was able to purchase a CCTV. She was happy to pay for it herself and continued to instill that value of independence in her sons.
The tournament in 2000 raised about $800. In 2001, the first year that Dick Pomo participated, $4,000 was raised. In 2003 and 2004 $14,000 and $20,000 dollars were raised respectively. Although the O’Connors earmark some of the funds for special projects for blind or visually impaired people they know, the bulk of the money is donated to the Council for its programs and services.
The Wisconsin Council of the Blind is special to the O’Connor family and will always be a part of their lives. At the writing of this article the 2005 tournament is yet to be played, but it promises to be another grand event for the players who contribute, the Council which benefits, and for the O’Connors who continue to be our angels.
THE COUNCIL STORE NEW AND IMPROVED AND BETTER THAN EVER
By: Rhonda Staats
In case you haven’t heard, the Council Store recently got a significant make-over! When you next come to Madison to visit and browse through the store, you’ll find that it is more accessible and user friendly. You will be able to shop more easily and independently than you ever thought possible!
New Store Features: The new store layout is designed around three islands of merchandise. This makes the store and its products more accessible, and makes it easier to move around to shop and examine items. Each island contains two sides, and each side contains distinct product categories.
The first island contains household aids on one side, and medical devices and sunglasses on the other side. The second island contains one side displaying writing and labeling products, and the reverse side features our complete line of watches and clocks. The third island contains games and recreational activities on one side, and audio devices and tape recorders on the other side. You will find a new seating area near the recorders so that you can more easily examine and try out the recorder you are choosing to purchase. We have added a computer display area featuring a demonstration of ZoomText and JAWS.
The Council has improved access to the store in a variety of ways. There are handrails on the two steps that take you down to the store from the main floor. The steps are marked with yellow glow tape to make them more visible. The new back-drops make it much easier to see or feel items as you examine products and contemplate your purchase. Shelves are at a more convenient and accessible height. You will now find Braille and improved print signage labeling the products, including pricing information. Changes in lighting design may be added in the near future.
The magnifiers and CCTV displays continue to be housed in their own separate rooms. A positive change is that you will find better lighting design in the magnifier room to optimize your shopping and selection experience.
With all these changes, store patrons are now able to shop more independently. Customers can now choose an item from the shelf and bring it up to the counter for check-out. The Council continues to maintain its commitment to Wisconsin citizens who are blind or visually impaired by offering the best selection and pricing available on assistive devices. We invite you to stop in to visit the new and improved Council Store the next time you’re in Madison! We firmly believe that you will find it worth the trip!
HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL BRIGHAM & WOMEN'S HOSPITAL
DEPARTMENT OF MEDICINE
Division of Sleep Medicine
The American Council for the Blind and the ACB National Convention have teamed up with researchers at the Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, to launch a nationwide survey entitled, "Health and Sleep in the Visually Impaired." The project is headed by Dr. Steven W. Lockley, Ph.D.
The purpose of the study is to survey the health of blind women, with particular focus on breast cancer risk. Previous studies in Europe have suggested that breast cancer risk may be lower in visually impaired women than in the sighted population, and lowest in women who are totally blind. he aim of the current research is to find out whether this is the case in the USA and, if breast cancer risk is lower in visually impaired women, to discover the reasons why. Possible factors include changes in hormone levels, sleep and circadian rhythm disorders, reproductive history, and other factors such as smoking, exercise or alcohol use. If we can understand why visually impaired women are at a reduced risk, we hope that this information will be used to help both sighted and blind women make more informed lifestyle choices that may reduce their risk of developing cancer. We will keep participants updated on progress with a yearly newsletter summarizing our findings.
Any adult female who is legally blind can volunteer to take part, regardless of their health. The study is in two parts and volunteers can choose to complete either Part 1 alone or both Parts 1 and 2. Part 1 is a survey that asks detailed questions about you and your health. Part 2 is a home-based study where we will ask you to complete a daily sleep and nap diary for up to 8 weeks and collect urine samples for at least two 24-48 hour periods while living at home. The samples will be measured for hormones to assess the timing of your 24-hour body clock and reproductive function. The survey and any instructions will be provided in the format of your choice including large print, Braille, audiotape, computer disc or CD, e-mail, or verbally. The survey can also be completed on the internet. The equipment used to collect the urine samples will be provided and has been specifically adapted for visually impaired people.
If you are attending the ACB National Convention and wish to volunteer for the study, you will be able to complete the survey there and also arrange to provide some of the urine samples at the convention. The researchers will be there to complete the surveys, provide instructions and arrange sample collection. You will be asked to complete the sleep diaries in the weeks leading up to and following the convention.
If you are interested in volunteering for the study, or want more information about the study, please call the toll-free number 888-8-BVI-BWH (1-888-8-284-294), go to www.BVIhealthsurvey.bwh.harvard.edu, e-mail BVIhealthsurvey@rics.bwh.harvard.edu or write to Erin Evans, Division of Sleep Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 221 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, with your telephone number, address or e-mail address.
EXCELLENCE RECOGNIZED
By: Becky Williams
Do you remember sitting through awards ceremonies during your senior year of high school? Did you envy your classmates who received scholarships and wish you were one of them? If so, there's still hope. You may still have the opportunity to be a scholarship winner.
Each year, the Wisconsin Council of the Blind awards several scholarships to college and technical school students of all ages who are blind or visually impaired. In order to be eligible, you must submit a transcript of your grades for the year by the deadline specified. Although grade point averages are important, applicants are judged on other criteria as well. Do you participate in extracurricular activities? What kinds of volunteer work do you do? Do you have specific educational goals? All this information can be included on the application or in an accompanying cover letter. Let the Scholarship Committee members get to know you through the words you write.
This year's Scholarship Committee Chair is Patty Slaby, relatively new to the Council, but very familiar with the process of choosing scholarship winners. For several years, she has been a member of the Scholarship Committee of the American Council of the Blind. She currently chairs the Committee, and I have heard her speeches at two national conventions. As she tells her audience about the winners, it is easy to see the pride she feels regarding the achievements of each student. How lucky we are that she will be exhibiting that same pride for Wisconsin students on November 11.
For more information about applying for a scholarship from the Wisconsin Council of the Blind, please call the Council Office.
WCB MEETING HIGHLIGHTS
By: Virginia DeBlaey
The Council’s most recent meeting was held on Saturday, April 9 at its Madison office. After preliminary business which included reading of minutes from recent board meetings and introduction of guests, the Executive Director gave his report. He described the changes in the Council store, and a motion to eliminate the restocking fee and to accept returned items for a two week period after purchase was approved. One of the strategic planning committees will be discussing possible names for the store. Dick feels that a new van will need to be purchased later in the year.
Julie Hedlund, a consultant from Market Street Partners, made a presentation concerning a survey conducted to identify beliefs, attitudes and perceptions about the WCB. As a part of the marketing plan, the Council may consider a name change.
Committee reports were given by the chairs of our standing committees. Nona Graves reported that two home improvement loans have been approved since January. The legislative Day was considered to be a success. Approximately $500 will be donated to the White Cane Fund from this event.
The Technology Committee is examining the merits of web conferencing for holding meetings and a new session of distance learning classes will be offered later this spring.
As a part of the Bylaw Committee report, changes which will affect our delegates-at-large selection and election were adopted. The Personnel Committee has been reviewing and updating job descriptions. Targeted areas for the White Cane Drive were also approved. They will include Ripon, Fond du Lac, western Waukesha County, Middleton/Verona and Mequon.
At the close of the meeting, Dick Pomo informed the Council that he will be retiring at the end of the year. As of this writing, a search committee to select a new Executive Director has been appointed. Interested candidates for this position should contact Council President, Chris Zenchenko.
OTHER AWARDS
By: Richard Johnson
In addition to scholarships the Council presents other awards at a special banquet in November. The Louis Sedita Volunteer Award is given to an individual who shows outstanding effort to work with visually impaired people.
An award which is not always given out is the Legislator of the Year Award. It is presented to a legislator who has been instrumental in introducing or passing legislation which benefits the blind. In the past legislators from both parties have received this award.
The Employer of the Year Award is given to an employer who has hired a blind/visually impaired person. A visually impaired worker nominates his employer for this award.
Individuals who become members of the Legacy Circle are recognized. These individuals choose to name the Council in their wills.
SUPPORT GROUP NEWS
By: Sue Barker
The Portage County Support Group recently visited the Council’s assistive devices store. This group meets the second Wednesday of each month, April through December, at the Lincoln Senior Citizens Center, 1519 Water Street, in Stevens Point. In addition to a few outings, they have a holiday celebration and speakers come to them with information.
At one recent meeting the speaker was a salesman with information on CCTVs and at another meeting the members ate a catered meal while they watched a descriptive video. Both meetings were big hits!
If you are in Portage County contact Lisa Pence at 715-346-1405.
Several new support groups have been formed in the last few months, one at Rosewood Villas on Madison’s west side. This group meets the second Tuesday of each month at 1 pm in the Community Room, 902 N. High Point Road. Margaret Cunningham works with two other residents sharing facilitator duties.
JoAnn Malcolm from the Bureau for the Blind helped get this group started and has been at several of their meetings. There are no outings planned at this time since most members do not drive but they are looking for new members. If you live in that area contact Margaret at 608-836-8884.
Janet Pierson is happy to report she has two new groups in Sauk County. The Low Vision Support Group in Baraboo meets the first Friday of the month from 1-3 pm at the Baraboo Senior Center, 124 Second Street. Twelve members enjoy getting together and have traveled to the Council Office and also to North Central Technical College (NCTC) in Wausau to learn about their programs. This group enjoys art projects and made fancy plates at Christmas time which turned out quite nice.
In Reedsburg the support group meets at the Fusch Community Center, 1090 Ridge View Drive, from 1-3 pm, the third Friday of the month. Thirty-five excited participants showed up for their first meeting! This large group is very interested in learning and doing all they can to improve their lives with a vision loss. Transportation to meetings for both these groups is provided by the Commission on Aging. Contact Janet at 608-355-0477 for information.
On a sad note, the Oconto County LV Support Group which met in Oconto Falls has disbanded due to poor attendance.
MUSIC TO LIVE BY
By: Betsy Gruba
Okay, I admit it. I like tech toys. A while ago I purchased an Apple iPod. I was very skeptical with my low vision as to whether or not I could use it. In fact I bought it and it sat in the box for almost two months. This is so unlike me.
Then I read of an article written by Jay Leventhal from the American Foundation for the Blind. You can read the article at the following web address: http://www.afb.org/afbpress/pub.asp?DocID=aw060203. The article was published in March of 2005 through Access World. Jay gave the iPod two thumbs up for accessibility. So I decided to bite the bullet and give it a try. All I have to say is WOW!
I started playing with the software called iTunes with both a screen reader and a screen magnifier and found it very easy to navigate. Most of the set up is done within the iTunes software on the computer and it is accessible. Once you have downloaded all your songs into the software it is just a matter of plugging in the iPod to a USB hookup and letting it do its thing. The downloading into the iPod is automatic. Read the actual specification below as to how many songs you can put in one.
The next step was to use the device. Following the hints that Jay Leventhal gave in his article with regards to the clicks when using the navigation feature, I was easily up and running in about a half hour.
I have loaded audible books on it as well as over 400 songs. By listening to the clicks as I move my finger around the wheel I know pretty much where I am. Although it is not perfect, it definitely does work well. The one drawback at this point in time is that there really isn’t a rewind feature. So if you fall asleep listening to a book, you would have to start from the beginning of the section or part.
There are several different models that can be purchased. They are the iPod mini, which is the one I have, the iPod 20 gigabyte, the iPod 40 gigabyte, the iPod Shuffle, and the iPod Photo 60 gigabyte. The iPod Shuffle is not very accessible at this time. iPods range in price from $149.00 to $400.00. The iPod mini will hold about 1000 songs, the iPod 20 will hold about 5000 songs, the iPod 40 10,000 songs and the iPod Photo 60 about 15,000 songs and will also hold pictures. Each comes with a belt clip, ear buds, and computer cables either for Apple or PC, and the iTunes software. Imagine putting your entire CD collection on a device that is smaller than a deck of cards!
The available accessories for iPods are endless and the list grows longer every day. Some include external speaker setups, FM receivers, infrared devices to play the iPod through your stereo system, and car stereo system.
Like Jay Leventhal, I also give these iPods two thumbs up. I hope to be able to hold a class in using them sometime this fall.
ACTIVE LIVING RESOURCE CENTER
The Active Living Resource Center has been officially launched. The following article was the lead article in the June 3rd CenterLines - the biweekly e-newsletter of the NCBW. The site is still under development. By the way, the early reviews are good.
The Active Living Resource Center is pleased to announce that a new web site specifically targeted to community groups that want to improve the pedestrian and bicycling environment in their community is available at www.activelivingresources.org. The ALRC web site was developed and is managed by the National Center for Bicycling & Walking (NCBW) under a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
"We focused on the needs of everyday people that volunteer on PTAs, in neighborhood associations, and on downtown business alliances," said Sharon Roerty, ALRC's Director. "These are the people that look for ways to make their neighborhoods safe for their kids to walk to school or bicycle to the park, or how to create better pedestrian and bicycle accommodations and around their towns. At the bottom of every big project is someone who had an idea, some one thing they wanted to do to change their neighborhood, their community for the better. The goal of the site is to make it easier for community champions to get something started and ultimately to help create communities where active living is the norm and not the remarkable exception."
Gary MacFadden, the ALRC Technical Director said, "This site is still very much under construction. We are continuing to add resources, success stories, photos, and new links." But we thought it was time to pull back the curtain and let the public in. What makes this site different is the concentration on simple resources that will be of use to a neighborhood champion."
Roerty and MacFadden credit Kate Kraft, a Senior Program Officer at RWJF, as being the real visionary behind the site. Dr. Kraft has brought the resources of RWJF to the ALRC. While much of the Foundation's work is typically directed at policy interventions and research, Dr. Kraft wanted a venue that cut through the professional jargon and distilled the research to a ready-to-use format. The ALRC team also received considerable input from a Quality Review Committee including Kathryn Thomas, Senior Communications Officer, RWJF; Phil Hagerty, Web Support Center Director, RWJF; Lars Hasselblad Torres, AmericaSpeaks; Barbara McCann, Principal, McCann Consulting; Kit Keller, J.D., America Walks / Wisconsin Walks; Barry Zalph, Executive Director, Bicycling for Louisville; Ken Snyder, Place Matters; Andrew L. Dannenberg, MD, MPH, Associate Director for Science, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS
July 16
WCB Council Meeting, Council Office
Madison
August 6
"Friends of Fliff" Charity Golf Tournament
Sheboygan
August 28
Radio Station WCLO - 75th Anniversary Salute
Janesville
September 24
Blind Euchre Tournament Sponsored by Rotary Club
Edgerton
October 11
"Progress in Sight V", Alliant Energy Center, Madison Age Related Macular
Degeneration Seminar with University of Wisconsin Ophthalmology Department
November 11, 12 & 13
WCB Council Meeting and Awards Banquet
Quality Inn, Green Bay
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