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
BLIND VENDORS CONTROL THEIR DESTINY
EXCITING SPECIAL EVENTS ANNOUNCED
THE JEWISH HERITAGE FOR THE BLIND
By: Bruce Parkinson
Since I am still relatively new to the Council, it was suggested that I tell the Courier readers about myself.
I was born with glaucoma which left me with limited vision in only one eye. The doctors told my parents that I would be totally blind by age nine and they should plan to send me to the school in Janesville. However, I fooled them and did not lose my sight totally. Because of the fact that I continued to see well enough to stay in school in Green Bay, my hometown, I remained in the sighted world rather than becoming part of the blind world.
I completed elementary school and high school in Green Bay, graduating in 1962. I attended the University of Wisconsin Green Bay, UW Madison, and UW Stevens Point where I graduated twice, once in 1968 with a Bachelor’s Degree and again in 1970 with a Master’s Degree, both in education. I spent 28 years as a Language Arts instructor at Washington High School in Two Rivers. I directed plays, coached forensics and debate, served on the negotiating team and did all those other things that teachers do.
In 1989 the glaucoma in my good eye went out of control. After seven surgical procedures and six months of grief, I returned to work with much less vision. I continued until 1998, when I felt it was necessary to take disability retirement.
Upon retiring, I sought out the Lakeshore Visually Impaired Support Group. They led me to the Midwest Association for the Blind and the rest is, shall we say history.
I have been married to my “seeing-eye wife,” Kathy, for almost 36 years. We have two adult sons, Chris who lives in Madison and Aaron who lives at home. I am active in Masonic groups and I am a Shriner. I play guitar and a little on the piano. I like doing crossword puzzles; especially New York Times Sunday Puzzles. In season, I go fishing every chance I get. I also help Kathy with our perennial flower beds. They are many and they are beautiful.
I am proud to have been a part of the Lakeshore Visually Impaired Support Group which initiated the “Take Back the Crosswalks” program. I believe in the concept and hope that it continues to expand across Wisconsin. We have a right to be safe when we cross the street.
Each year, the Council is pleased to give scholarships to blind and visually impaired students in the state of Wisconsin. The Council also recognizes employers of blind and visually impaired people. It is not too soon to submit names and begin the process for this fall’s awards program. If you are or you know a blind or visually impaired student or know an employer of a blind or visually impaired person, contact the Council and let us get started on the process.
The Council has many programs and activities planned for this year. Read this issue carefully to see if the Council will have a program near you that you could take part in. The Council is here to serve you. If you think we can help, let us know and we will do our best to meet your needs.
Finally, on behalf of the Council and Council staff, I’d like to send get well wishes to Council member Jerry Bever and long time Council volunteer and supporter Linda Scott. Our prayers for a speedy and complete recovery are with you both.
Just a reminder that the “store” is open on Thursday evenings until 8 pm. This is in addition to our hours of 8 am to 4:30 pm Monday through Friday.
By: Rhonda Staats
What is the best way to make state lawmakers aware of issues important to blind people in Wisconsin? As members of the WCB Legislative Committee, we believe that the best way to raise awareness among lawmakers is to go to the state Capitol and speak with legislators face-to-face. Accordingly, the Wisconsin Council of the Blind has scheduled a Legislative Day for Wednesday, April 21, 2004.
Members of the Legislative Committee, additional Council members, and friends of the Council will be participating in this event. Because we believe so strongly in the efficacy of this type of face-to-face personal lobbying, each participant will contribute his/her time and resources to this effort with no plan for reimbursement from the Council. In addition to assistance offered by Gary Goyke, President Bruce Parkinson has again invited Gordon Anderson to assist us in the Capitol. Both Gary and Gordon know their way around the Capitol. Their assistance and personal contacts contribute greatly to our effectiveness and flexibility, and we appreciate their contribution accordingly.
Our plan is to meet at the Council office at approximately 9:00 AM on April 21, where we will divide into two groups. Our goal in the morning is to visit policy making agencies which have jurisdiction over programs and services important to people who are blind or visually impaired. For example, we will visit the Department of Administration to speak with an assistant to Governor Doyle. We plan to visit the Department of Transportation, the Department of Health and Family Services which houses the Bureau for the Blind, the Department of Public Instruction which administers the school in Janesville and the Wisconsin Regional Library Service, and the Department of Workforce Development which houses the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. We plan to speak with key people in each of these departments to introduce the Wisconsin Council of the Blind and advocate for programs and services to enhance the lives of people who are visually impaired.
We will spend the afternoon visiting with as many key legislators as time will allow. Legislators will be selected according to their membership on committees which review legislation in which people who are blind/visually impaired have a definitive interest. We will visit all legislators in leadership positions. The Council sponsors legislation during most legislative cycles. In this session, our Guide Dog Safety legislation recently had a hearing at which guide dog users testified to great effect. We plan to leave a packet of information with each person we visit. This packet will contain information about the Council, its programs and services, and a fact sheet detailing some of our key issues.
We are extremely proud of our membership on the Wisconsin Council of the Blind, a unique, consumer directed agency serving blind people throughout the entire state. We look forward to this opportunity to tell our story to lawmakers and others within state government. When the Council was founded in 1952, legislative advocacy was a key component in its mission statement. Consequently, we plan to make the most of this important opportunity to carry forward our mission of legislative advocacy during our Legislative Day on April 21.
BLIND VENDORS CONTROL THEIR DESTINY
By: Dick Pomo
In January of this year, the Council began renting office space to the Randolph Sheppard Vendors of Wisconsin (RSVW). This program has established itself as a nominee agency directed by blind and visually impaired vending operators who will manage the day-to-day operations of the Blind Business Enterprise Program. As many of you know, this program provides opportunities for legally blind individuals to operate businesses ranging from wayside vending and university site locations, to running cafeterias in state owned facilities.
As a newly formed nominee agency, the RSVW services will continue to provide support for existing vendors as well as seeking to develop new opportunities for possible expansion of vending locations. Some services currently provided under the auspices of the Department of Workforce Development will remain there until 2005 when these services are slated to be transferred to the RSVW agency.
Over the years, this program has offered business opportunities ranging from students graduating from high school, to older individuals who are looking for a change in occupation. Over the past number of years, several individuals have discovered new and financial rewards after retirement.
If you would like more information on the vending program, call Sally Zenchenko at 608-268-2710 or write to her at 754 Williamson Street, Madison, WI 53703.
By: Nona Graves
The Wisconsin Council of the Blind met at its office in Madison on January 24, 2004. All Council members were present. Dick Pomo, Gary Goyke and a number of guests were also in attendance.
At the January meeting the board of directors and the officers for the year are elected. The members first select one delegate from each of the three major organizations whose delegates make up part of the Council. Chris Zenchenko was elected to represent the Alumni Association of the Wisconsin School for the Visually Handicapped, Virginia DeBlaey was elected to represent the Badger Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired, and Bruce Parkinson was elected to represent the Midwest Association for the Blind. Two members of the board are then elected without regard to organizational affiliation. This year they are Rhonda Staats and Bob Hueller. Officers for the year will be President, Bruce Parkinson; Vice-President, Chris Zenchenko; Secretary, Nona Graves; and Treasurer, Arnold Tucker.
Following the elections Executive Director Dick Pomo and the committee chairs gave their reports. Much of that information will appear in articles elsewhere in this newsletter.
The next order of business was the appointment of committees. The members of the Loans Committee, however, are elected to four-year terms. Nona Graves was elected to a term on this committee. The rest of the committees and their chairs are as follows: Rhonda Staats will chair the Legislative Committee. The Scholarship Committee will be chaired by Dot Coakley. Bruce Parkinson will chair the Newsletter, Capacity Campaign and Personnel Committees. The Awards Committee chair will be Becky Williams. Bob Hueller will chair the Fund Development/Public Relations Committee. Richard Johnson will chair the Advocacy Committee. The By-Laws Committee will be chaired by Virginia DeBlaey. Chris Zenchenko will be the chair of the Technology Committee.
The Council will meet for a strategic planning session on March 27 and 28. The next business meeting will occur on May 22, 2004.
By: Sue Barker
In our last Courier I asked for people who do chair caning. I received responses from 5 people, each covering a different part of Wisconsin. All said they would be happy to be contacted for future work. Thank you all for your interest. Here are their names and contact information:
Michael Gates of Janesville can be called at 608/758-1820, Marguerite Hickman of Fennimore can be called at 608/822-7034, and Joe Hocamp in Wisconsin Rapids can be called at 715/423-8233. You can write to Sam Otto, N1899 Larson Drive, Medford 54451 or Helen Mork, County M 10263, Suring 54174.
By: Richard Johnson
The Advocacy Committee is a group which advocates in three basic areas: these areas are education, rehabilitation, and transportation. This committee is currently made up of four members. In working for causes, the committee deals in action for groups rather than one individual. There are so many avenues for individual advocacy, it was felt that the committee should deal with causes, rather than individuals.
Examples of advocacy within areas are the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, the Wisconsin Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired (WCBVI) in Janesville, statewide services for the visually impaired, and other areas within education. There are many issues in rehabilitation which need advocacy attention. In transportation, the two main issues are transportation within cities and between cities.
The Advocacy Committee welcomes input from anyone. You may get in touch with me either at home at 608/758-2125 or rjohnson1946@charter.net by email.
EXCITING SPECIAL EVENTS ANNOUNCED
By: Gary Goyke
In 2004 the Wisconsin Council of the Blind is hosting a series of special events to be held around our great state. You are all invited to attend! These events are planned to increase our visibility, improve the public’s knowledge and understanding of blindness and sight loss, raise donations, and say “thank you”
while having a good time. Please call us if you have any question about any of these events. Invitations and press releases will be coming out in the weeks ahead.
Our first event is a symposium on Macular Degeneration, which will be held on Wednesday, April 7, 2004 from 8 am to 4 pm at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison. This event is free of charge, open to the public, and co-sponsored by both the Wisconsin Council of the Blind and the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Wisconsin Medical School. Last year over 900 people joined us for a very productive and entertaining seminar.
On Wednesday, April 21, the Legislative Committee of the Council will be hosting its annual Legislative Day. Rhonda Staats, Council member from La Crosse, chairs this very important committee. Other members of the committee for 2004 are Richard Johnson of Janesville, Karen Heesen of Janesville, Bruce Parkinson, our new Council president of Two Rivers, Virginia DeBlaey of Milwaukee and Dean Winger of Madison. If you are interested in knowing more, please call Rhonda at (608) 782-1534.
Finally, we’ll be finishing the month of April by hosting our Second Annual Northern Wisconsin Philanthropy Day. This seminar, and fundraising luncheon will be held on Friday, April 30, 2004 at the Lac Courte Oreilles Casino Lodge and Convention Center. The lodge is located 4 miles east of Hayward, Wisconsin. The Council will soon be announcing the 2004 recipients of its awards and other details on the seminar. Please call me at 800-783-5213 if you live in the area and would like to attend. I always welcome your thoughts and suggestions on other events we can sponsor. You will read more about some additional events in our next edition of the Courier.
THE JEWISH HERITAGE FOR THE BLIND
As we approach the upcoming holidays, Jewish clients may be interested to know that orders are being taken for free large print and braille Passover Haggadas for the upcoming Passover Festival which will be celebrated this year beginning April 5th at sundown.
Also available is a complimentary copy of a large print Megillat Esther for the Purim Festival which is celebrated March 5th.
If you are interested in these or other publications, contact the Jewish Heritage for the Blind at 899-995-1888 or (fax) 877-230-2205.
By: Sue Barker
We have received the sad news of the death of Myron Smith, facilitator of several support groups in Milwaukee County. Myron was a popular person and will be missed by all who knew him.
Good news for residents of Oconto County: a new support group is being started in Oconto Falls! Pat Skarban will be facilitating a group which will meet the 3rd Wednesday of the month from 1 – 3 pm. Meetings will be held at the Oconto Falls Senior Citizen Center, 512 Caldwell Street, after the noon lunch held at the center.
If you are in the area and have been looking for a support group, contact Pat at 920-897-2549. She will appreciate your input as this group gets off the ground.
Another new group can be found in Oregon, in Dane County. This support group meets at 10:30 am, the 2nd Monday of the month in the Oregon Senior Center, 217 Park Street. Five meetings have been held with attendance of about 10 people. They are hoping to become an active group!
You can contact Alison Koelsch at 608/835-5801 for more information.
Open Hands/Open Doors is a new support group serving the Baraboo area in Sauk County. This faith-based group meets bi-monthly in the afternoons or evenings at Our Savior Lutheran Church, 1120 Draper Street.
After a meal, information is shared among members; this can be information about assistive devices or other issues regarding visual impairment, or crafts or other issues of interest to the group’s members. Another wonderful service they try to provide is matching a member with someone to help them with shopping, doing their mail, or other personal needs. Anyone who has a vision problem and/or is interested in learning more about them is welcome!
Contact Burt Schmiege at 608/253-1956 for more information.
By: Betsy Gruba
In the last column of Tech Talk I mentioned some distance learning classes that we were test piloting. On the whole, these classes were very successful and we would like to offer more of them. Here is how they work.
Classes are held over the phone with all students and the teacher present. Materials for that class are sent to the student a few days in advance so the student has a chance to review the material and come up with questions. The material is then gone over by the instructor on the phone with the students. Students have the opportunity to ask questions and get help with concepts they might not understand. They also have the chance to interact and get suggestions from other students. At the end of each class the student is given one or more assignments to complete that have to be turned in to the teacher. The teacher will review the assignments and send back any comments or suggestions to the student. This is done either by e-mail or by regular mail depending on the class. Classes are held once a week and last anywhere from one to two hours. The classes will last two to four weeks depending on the amount of material presented.
One thing I found out in the first class is that it makes a difference what version of the software you have. Word XP and 2003 are very different from WORD 97 and 2000. We will do our best to hold separate classes for the differences.
As soon as we have enough interest in a topic we will offer a class. The cost of the class will be based on what funding we can find for this project. There may be a cost to students but that has yet to be determined.
We also found that distance learning is not for everyone. Some people like to see and have the teacher present when they are learning. They need to be in a traditional classroom. For those people we still have the classes at the Council offices. Visit www.wcblind.org and visit the Computer Training Center to view the classes we are offering this spring or call the office to have a schedule mailed to you.
Classes we are considering:
- How to Buy a Computer
- Introduction to Computers
- JAWS Help feature
- New Features in JAWS 5.0
- What is Assistive Technology for the visually impaired?
- Outlook Express for a Screen Reader
- Introduction to Word 97/2000 for a Screen Reader
- Introduction to Word 97/2000 for the Partially Sighted
- Introduction to Word XP/2003 for a Screen Reader
- Introduction to Word XP/2003 for the Partially Sighted
- Internet for a Screen Reader
- Internet for the Partially Sighted.
By: Chris Zenchenko
Visually impaired persons of all ages living in Wisconsin are fortunate to have available one of the nicest outdoor recreational and educational facilities in the country. Lions Camp, located near Stevens Point in central Wisconsin, has a private lake for boating, fishing, and swimming. It has many hiking trails in the summer and well groomed cross country ski trails when weather permits during the winter. Cabins are comfortable all year round and meals are offered in the newly rebuilt dining hall. Most importantly, the camp is now under the firm guidance of a new manager. Barry Rudesill has come to Lions Camp with many years of experience running camps for special needs children and adults.
One of the main objectives of the camp from its earliest days was to provide visually impaired kids and adults with the chance to enjoy outdoor activities in a safe environment. The grounds are well kept and trails and walks are easy to travel and well maintained. During the summer months, the camp staff is trained to assist in all of the usual summer camp activities.
The facilities have been upgraded over the years and they are now well suited for conferences and educational opportunities during the fall through spring months as well. Barry is willing to work with groups to design stays at the camp and the costs for special events held on the grounds are quite reasonable. Most importantly, however, is improving attendance at the camp during the summer. There are weeks set aside for visually impaired kids and adults every summer and there is no cost to attend. Enrollment has been declining for the past few years and we need to get the word out. You can find information on the Camp through a link on the Council's web site or directly by visiting the Camp's web site. http://www.wisconsinlionscamp.com
Camp was one of my favorite summer vacations when I was a kid, and I still enjoy the special weekend sponsored every year by BOLD over Labor Day weekend. I encourage everyone to check out the web site and contact Barry if you have questions about attending the summer camp or renting the facilities during the rest of the year.
Barry can be reached at:
Wisconsin Lions Camp
3834 County Road A
Rosholt, WI 54473
(715) 677 - 4969
(715) 677 - 6999 TTY
(715) 677 - 3297 Fax
E-mail: info@wisconsinlionscamp.com
By: Chris Zenchenko
One of the first radio programs I can remember hearing was “Jack Armstrong, The All American Boy.” The adventure I tuned in on was probably “The Dragon's Eye Ring” series from late 1940 and early 1941. This is one of the adventures that has survived and it was popular to rebroadcast it when I was growing up.
“Jack Armstrong” was a children's serial that ran every weekday afternoon. What struck me at the time and remains interesting today was the central theme of searching for missing or buried treasure. The treasure in this case was some missing uranium. It was on a sunken boat in the South Seas and our hero and crew had many adventures in their efforts to recover the treasure.
There was a map. Every treasure hunt needs a map. There were bad guys who wanted to steal the map. You always need to have some one trying to get the map. Along the way they ran into storms, fierce natives, friends who were enemies and enemies who were friends. These long, drawn out daily serials lend themselves to this type of adventure better than almost any other format. After one minute and thirty seconds of opening with a cereal ad--in this case, “Wheaties, The Breakfast of Champions”--and thirty seconds of recap from the day before, the show got rolling. Because they had to leave time for the closing cereal sale, an actual show ran about eleven minutes.
These children's serials were not much different from the adults’ soaps. They were cheap to produce and because the plot took weeks or even months to unfold, the listeners tuned in again and again once they were hooked. In the adventure I am talking about, the map must have been lost and or stolen five or six times before they even got to the South Seas. Then many more dangers awaited them, and again the all-important map was threatened.
One of the most popular and remembered promotions for “Jack Armstrong” and many other shows was the pedometer. This was a device that could help the listener make his or her own treasure maps by measuring how far it was from home to the old dead tree or the old dead tree to the hidden entrance to a cave. “The Lone Ranger,” “The Green Hornet,” “Jack Armstrong,” “Terry and the Pirates,” and many more programs offered the pedometer. It was usually 25 cents plus a cereal box top. The plot was regularly written to make use of the pedometer for many of the shows that aired during the promotion. It's clock-like tick could be heard as the hero paced off the distance marked on the map. Without the pedometer and the map, the treasure could never be found.
The pedometer was offered during the adventure from “Jack Armstrong” in 1940 that I mentioned, and later it was promoted as a "brand new and amazing device" on “The Lone Ranger” and “The Green Hornet” in late 1947. The price didn't change from 1940 to 1947 and General Mills, with their Wheaties, was still the company making the offer. One interesting change was where you sent your money. In 1940, it went to Minneapolis and in 1947 it went to New York City.
Fascination with the pedometer has continued from the days of radio right up to the present. I seem to recall that the store in the Council office carries a talking pedometer. It's not 25 cents and a box top, doesn't have a dial, and that voice would alert the bad guys a lot faster than the click of the original models, but maybe I'll have to pick one up just in case I want to bury some treasure somewhere out in the woods.
The original model was, according to the announcer, in a gold colored round case a bit bigger than a watch. You could clip it on and get started measuring distances wherever you went. In 1947 it was so new that you might not have heard of a pedometer, and so if you couldn’t remember what it was called you could just send for your "walk meter".
So let's set the dial to 0 and clip on the pedometer. Make sure to write down just how far it is to the store or school. This is valuable information if you are hiding the treasure. It also helps you find it later. Pirates, treasure, and of course an accurate map thanks to your trusty pedometer. What fun for a simple quarter, a box top, and an imagination fired up by Jack and his friends!
Next time, some other offers you just can't refuse. Stay tuned.
March 27 - 28
WCB Strategic Planning
Crowne Plaza
Madison
April 7
Progress in Sight IV: Macular Degeneration Seminar
Alliant Energy Center
Madison
April 21
Legislative Day at the Capitol
Madison
April 30
Second Annual Northern Wisconsin Philanthropy Day
Hayward
May 22
WCB Council Meeting
Council Offices
Madison
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