The Blind Californian
Quarterly Magazine of the
California Council of the Blind
Fall 2025
Volume 69, No. 4
Published in Email (bc+subscribe@ccblists.groups.io) and online in readable and downloadable text and audio media.
Guillermo Robles: President, Culver City, CA
president@ccbnet.org
Executive Office
California Council of the Blind
8880 Cal Center Dr. Suite 400
Sacramento, CA 95826
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Email: ccotb@ccbnet.org
Website: www.ccbnet.org
Governmental Affairs Committee
Joshua Sanders and Regina Brink, Co-Chairs
800-221-6359 Toll Free
governmentalaffairs@ccbnet.org
Webmaster
webmaster@ccbnet.org
Mike Keithley, Editor
650-714-5971
editor@ccbnet.org
Susan Glass, Associate Editor
408-257-1034
editor@ccbnet.org
Deb Runyan, proofing and large print production.
Andrea DeKlotz, CCB Courier Editor
Email submissions for the CCB Courier to:
submit.courier@ccbnet.org
The CCB Courier is a weekly news service provided:
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In accepting material for The Blind Californian, priority will be given to articles concerning the activities and policies of the California Council of the Blind and to the experiences and concerns of people who are blind or have low vision. Recommended length is 900 words, 1800 max.
Article deadlines for The Blind Californian are:
Winter: November 15 of previous year
Spring: February 15 current year
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Fall: August 15 current year
Non-members are requested and members are invited to pay a yearly subscription fee of $10 toward the production and support of The Blind Californian.
Please send all address changes to the Executive Office.
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Table of Contents
Editor's Corner, Mike and King Keithley
Telling your Story, Regina Brink
The Active Blind Inland Valley Duet, Linda Samulski and Lorise "Rise" Diamond
Influential San Francisco Nonprofit Faces Uncertain Financial Future
AI Doesn't Have to Think, We Do
APH Library: Three Unique Collections
First National Blind Birders Bird-a-thon, Susan Glass
ACB Resources for Members
The Top 5 Digital Accessibility Myths Debunked
IVIE Online Expo, Ardis Bazyn
Blind Coffee Roaster and Entrepreneur, Gerry Leary, Christy Crespin
Guide Dog Retirement, Deborah Armstrong
Life After Transplant, Sugar Lopez
Technology: Love It or Hate It, David Hoffman
Be My Eyes and Amtrak Partner to Pilot Innovative Visual Interpretation Technology for Blind and Low Vision Passengers
Board Minutes, Steve Bauer
CCB Officers and Board Members
Donations
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Editor's Corner
By Mike and Kingsley Keithley
Well King, how's it going? "Summer has been now in the meadow, like forever. Yeah, yeah, past is history, future is mystery, we hear that all the time. Well, that saying hasn't made it here yet, but that's the spirit!" That's great and power to ya, but tell us what we're going to read in this here Fall Blind Californian.
Regina Brink shows us how to write our advocacy stories in these troubled times, and we have the "ABIV Duet", a 35th anniversary of the ADA. And for those enamored by AI, we have a caution: don't let it think for you. Yes King, that's smart, but I read a lot of dubious stuff. Pessimist!
We have a San Francisco Chronicle story about the San Francisco Light House plus Christy Crespin's interview with Gerry Leary. And, at long last, CCB Board meeting Minutes are back! Alfredo Sauce is all over the place, great lickin.
Thank you King, there's a rabbit behind you! He gone!
Enjoy your BC!
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Telling Your Story, It Really Matters
By Regina Marie Brink
As our federal landscape changes, affecting our states, counties and cities, you may feel the pull to advocate more than ever. Perhaps you are writing or calling your legislator for the first time or joining in a listening session or lobby day with your legislator. If you have never done this before, it can seem challenging.
It may help to keep several things in mind: First, legislators and their staff do not often see people with disabilities in person. This is especially true for people who are blind or have low vision. We are underrepresented, even in advocating for legislation backed by the California Council of the Blind. Secondly, real stories from real people touch legislators and their staff in ways paid lobbyists cannot. Your story is more important than ever during these times of budget cuts and uncertainty.
However, many people do not realize there are limits when testifying before legislative bodies. Typically, it is 2 minutes. It can be less. Sometimes, all you need to say is your name and your position (oppose or support) the legislation under consideration. So how do you tell your story in 2 minutes or a couple of sentences in an email or template?
It is important to remember that long stories are not usually effective in these hearings. Often the committees are discussing multiple items. Lawmakers are people just like us and long speeches often lose their impact as their attention wanders. A little thought and preparation on your part is helpful here.
First, sit down and write or record verbally the points you'd like to communicate. Keep it to 2 and no more than 3 points. How does this bill impact you? Share a story that highlights that impact. Write or verbalize the story, again, recording it somehow. Read it back to yourself several times. Now time it, if it will be verbal. If it is written, figure out the word count or how many sentences you have composed. Now edit!
It may feel as though you are losing something when you edit. This is not necessarily true. Come up with shorter ways to say the same thing. Cut out superfluous information. Do people need to know what time the story occurred or why you were at a particular meeting or event? Probably not. Make sure to edit out other people's names or identifying information. This is your story and you don't want to have to get permission from other people to share it. Incidentally, be sure that if you do share a story on someone else's behalf, that you run it by him/her for accuracy. You may want to send your message or statement to a friend or colleague to help you edit.
The most important thing is that you make sure your voice is heard. Those who have advocated on behalf of the Council will tell you, the more voices heard and people who are blind or have low vision seen the better! If you need help editing your message or story, the Governmental Affairs committee is here for you. We need all hands on deck! Please help in any way you can!
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I Had a Dream and My Dream Came True!
By Linda Samulski
From the Little Chapter that Could, and Did: Active Blind Inland Valley!
On July 26, CCB's Active Blind Inland Valley Chapter, along with Helping Hands for the Blind, and the Linguistic Communication Development Center, sponsored and hosted our first Disability Independence Day, or DID, celebration in Riverside at the Civil Rights Institute.
When I lived in San Diego, I always looked forward to the celebration on July 26, because I believe so fervently in this day. It's when George H.W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act in to law.
This law is a human right for equality with reasonable accommodations for those of us with disabilities to enable us to participate in society.
When I moved to Palm Springs, I had the dream of having a similar celebration, but it never happened. Last January I mentioned the dream to my chapter. Everyone agreed, saying, "let's do it!" We started planning in February. It took a lot of hard work, time, team effort, and expense, but finally the day came.
Our chapter showed up, worked hard, and made the dream a reality. We sent out invitations to many organizations, and so it became a cross-disability event. My dream now goes beyond the scope of celebrating DID: I would like to see meetings of small groups of people with disabilities get together to plan events and carry them out. Then, we could all come together to do another celebration around Disability Independence Day.
Now more than ever, we must be visible.
There are so many people to thank, and I know I will miss some. My heartfelt appreciation goes out to everyone who participated: Rise; Ed and Christy; Paula; Kerri, who did a lot of running around and putting things together such as the little snack boats; Cristen from OPARC, who baked the wonderful and unique chocolate chip cookies; the speeches that were motivational and inspirational!; the tech people who made the event possible over Zoom; also the Civil Rights Institute that hosted the event, and to those who took the time on a Saturday to show up on their nonprofit organization's behalf to explain their services.
Yes, this dream became a reality because of all of the people who worked so hard to make it come true, and it all started with the Little Chapter that Could, and did, that became so mighty!
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Celebrating 35 Years of the ADA: A Day of Voices, Vision, and Community in Riverside
By Lorise "Rise" Diamond
On a warm Saturday morning, July 26, 2025, the Civil Rights Institute Inland Southern California (CRIISC) in Riverside was already alive with movement and purpose. The Active Blind Inland Valley (ABIV) Chapter of the California Council of the Blind and the Linguistic Communication Development Center (LCD Center) were putting the finishing touches on an event that was months in the making: a celebration of the 35th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
By 11 a.m., the doors opened to a welcoming space: chairs set in theater style with clear pathways for mobility devices, volunteers ready to assist, and tables arranged for the resource fair. Guests arrived to the scent of fresh cookies from OPARC and the sight of neatly prepared "charcuterie boats", designed for easy enjoyment without balancing plates and drinks.
"This was more than a celebration", said Suzette Love, LCD Center board member. "It was a reminder to remove barriers and ensure equity for everyone."
A Chorus of Voices
The program opened with Sabrina Gonzalez, Executive Director of CRIISC, welcoming the crowd to the space. Christy Crespin, ABIV Chapter President, followed with a heartfelt message later shared on Facebook: "May God bless our blindness communities, help us to remain with the ability to live our lives independently and with purpose, and heal those in pain."
From there, the lineup of speakers reflected the breadth and resilience of the blindness and low-vision community: Lorise "Rise" Diamond, LCD Center Founder and Executive Director, who declared, "Access is a civil right!" and reflected, "I'd been swimming in the pool of exclusion for so long, I'd become a fish." Dr. Ben Jauregui from IEHP spoke on community health resources followed by Kristen Aertz (OPARC) addressing advocacy; and keynote speaker Ashley Dyce, 2024 Team USA Paralympian power lifter, echoed Rise's call for equity: "We shouldn't have any barriers."
In the spirit of the day, the words of President George W. Bush at the signing of the ADA rang through the hall: "Let the shameful wall of exclusion finally come tumbling down."
Connections and Conversations
The resource fair offered attendees a chance to connect directly with service providers: Blindness Support Services (Linda Velasquez); Office on Aging (Perla Curiel); Braille Institute (Kelly Hill, Rachel Silva); ABIV/CCB (Nancy Ungar, Christine Smith, Linda Samulski); OPARC (Kristen Aertz, Marog Welsh, Suzie Pitman); IEHP (Ben Jauregui); and Lions Club (Donna Rollins). Conversations flowed easily, fueled by shared experiences, curiosity, and the promise of future collaborations.
Sustaining the Celebration
Generosity underpinned the day. LCD Center (Rise Diamond) and Helping Hands for the Blind (Robert Acosta) provided food and beverages. Costco, Albertson's, Stater Bros., and Arrowhead Credit Union added support. Door prizes and swag came from near and far—Stater Bros. gift cards, handmade items by Christine Smith, LCD Center buttons and magnets, Arrowhead pens, IEHP merchandise, $100 from Nicolette Noyes for door prizes, $500 from Steve and Nelly Emerson for swag, prizes, and keynote honorarium, gift cards from Jordan Mirander, and snacks by ABIV. T-Mobile contributed tote bags to round out the offerings.
The wealth of door prizes and swag included an air fryer, won by Dr. Debra Deane (clinical psychologist and LCD Center board member) who gasped in surprised delight at the bounty.
Reaching the Community
Publicity efforts spanned KVCR, senior centers, Facebook, local events listings, and CCB networks. Midway through the campaign, a revamped SurveyMonkey RSVP process pushed confirmed responses into the mid-20s and ultimately helped draw about 70 attendees to the venue and numerous online guests. Every confirmation received a personal reply from ABIV's email, a small touch that made a big difference.
The Team Behind the Day
The celebration was the result of months of coordination by Linda Samulski, ADA Committee Chair for ABIV, working alongside Christy and Ed Crespin, Lorise "Rise" Diamond, Kery Silva, Nancy Ungar, Niki Noyes, Steve Emerson, Nelly Emerson, and Christine Smith. Paula Crespin took the lead on décor and volunteer coordination. CRIISC's Sabrina Gonzalez and Juan Castellanos ensured the venue supported both in-person and hybrid participation with Alejandro Espinosa (who assisted sign-ins and name tags), student volunteers, and partners at CRIISC.
Carrying the Vision Forward
As the program wound down and the room shifted to the buzz of lunch, docent-guided onsite tours, and networking, the feeling was unmistakable: this was more than an anniversary. It was a living reminder of what the ADA stands for and the work that remains.
From the clear pathways between chairs to the accessible signage and Zoom-friendly virtual background, the event's design echoed its message: community-first, barrier-free access.
Rise Diamond's words lingered: "Access is a civil right!" And as Suzette Love reminded us, "This was more than a celebration—it was a reminder to remove barriers and ensure equity for everyone."
Editor's note: A virtual background, signage, and table layout were crafted with low-vision and Zoom accessibility in mind, reflecting the event's spirit: community-first, barrier-free access.
Lorise "Rise" Diamond joined California Council of The Blind in 2016 after winning an Active Blind Inland Valley CCB scholarship during her undergraduate studies. She has been active in American Council of the Blind Students since 2014, Council of Citizens with Low Vision since 2016, and California Council of Citizens with Low Vision since 2017. Rise holds a bachelor's degree in Communication and a master's degree in Rhetoric and Writing Studies, both from San Diego State University, and a teaching certificate in Women's and Gender Studies. She is executive director of Linguistic Communication Development Center, an education-based 501(c)3 serving Southern California and will graduate with a doctorate in Cultural Studies from Claremont Graduate University, located in Claremont, CA.
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Influential San Francisco Nonprofit Faces Uncertain Financial Future
By Tara Duggan, SF Chronicle, July 27, 2025
LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired has served people in San Francisco for over 122 years. Now, community members fear for the nonprofit institution's future.
The organization received a $125 million bequest a decade ago, but today, its story is of financial distress. It lost over $17 million in property assets when the bank foreclosed its Market Street property last year. The organization has laid off 40 employees, or 23% of its staff, since January, interim CEO Brandon Cox told the Chronicle in an interview, and more layoffs may be necessary.
The LightHouse is one of the largest and most influential blindness organizations in the country and the only one along the coast from San Francisco to the Oregon border. It runs early childhood education programs; a beloved summer camp in Napa; a factory employing blind workers in Alameda; and mobility and orientation training for adults losing their sight, along with many other classes. It served over 3,000 clients in the fiscal year ending in June.
The organization recently closed its Humboldt County office and will close its Berkeley campus next year, Cox said. It does not plan to hire a permanent CEO until next year. The average wait to receive services from the LightHouse is two to three months long, as it has been for a few years, said Summer Sanzo Dittmer, vice president of external affairs. Community members said even a few months' delay could be devastating to people facing a blindness prognosis, who often experience depression. However, one blind client told the Chronicle that she is currently on a wait list for up to a year and a half to receive training to use a white cane.
Photo: Angela Palmer, from right, works through lessons from coach Josanne Van Der Wilk at the Ohlone College pool translated through Deaf interpreter Christine Ganancial.
The LightHouse receives federal funds to provide deafblind clients—people with some level of both hearing and vision loss—technical support for communication devices like keyboards with braille displays, but a client and a former employee told the Chronicle the organization's services are often unreliable after staffing cuts.
That program has retained funding for the coming year, and it receives additional federal dollars along with income and grants from the state, city, corporations and private donors. Not all of those funds are guaranteed going forward. The Trump administration's estimated $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid in its tax and spending bill are expected to put more pressure on private organizations like the LightHouse to provide services—at the same time that many nonprofits are struggling. And while blindness can happen to anyone, whether through disease, accident or birth, visual impairment is expected to exponentially increase among baby boomers in the next decades, making the LightHouse's services even more essential in the aging Bay Area.
The LightHouse's management insists that services have not changed since the layoffs, which it said are part of needed adjustments to put the organization on a path for success. Nonetheless, blind community members continue to report difficulty getting access to training and support, even though the organization has $80 million in assets that could go toward boosting its operations.
"My major concern is that we're on a slippery slope of loss of blindness services in Northern California", said Joshua Miele, a former board chair of the LightHouse who is blind and recipient of a 2021 MacArthur Fellowship, known as a "genius grant", for his work designing blind adaptive technology. "I'm worried that we're only seeing the beginning of the repercussions of the financial irresponsibility that has happened in the last few years" at the LightHouse, he said.
Jennison Asuncion, the chair of the LightHouse's board, said that the board is "laser-focused" on ensuring long-term stability of the organization, and that it will determine if more layoffs are necessary this fall when it finalizes its budget.
"No one on the board is thinking or talking about the demise of the LightHouse", he said. "It's had such a storied history since 1902."
Diana McCown, the LightHouse's chief of rehabilitation, said the layoffs included a small percentage of service providers. The wait time depends on a person's individual needs and source of funding, whether it's the California Department of Rehabilitation, Veterans Affairs or other sources, she said, noting that no one is turned away or charged for services.
"We are still maintaining our level of service that people know and love", she said.
Not all who are involved with, or rely on, the LightHouse are so confident. Margie Donovan, 63, a former board member who began attending the organization's Enchanted Hills Camp at age 9, helped organize a rally in front of the LightHouse offices last month to call for new leadership.
"The situation is grim and we need the LightHouse to stay open", said Donovan, who lives in Folsom (Sacramento County).
Miele and Donovan questioned how the organization allowed the default to happen when it still had assets from its windfall bequest. They and five other members of the Bay Area blind community told the Chronicle they are concerned about the future of the LightHouse and angry that the organization has said it does not plan to have a permanent CEO in place until next April.
Asuncion said finding a new CEO is one of the board's top priorities, but "we won't rush for rush's sake", adding that they need time to find the right fit.
Photo: Bryan Bashin, center, former executive director and CEO of LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, gathers with others for a photo at the San Francisco headquarters in 2019.
It is unclear if the LightHouse's financial struggles are a result of wasteful spending, of growing too fast after its bequest, as a recent San Francisco Standard article reported, or of the economic challenges hitting all types of nonprofits and for-profit businesses. For example, the pandemic played a role in its default, because the main tenant in its office building, the city of San Francisco, left in part because of the glut of commercial real estate. And after the 2017 Wine Country fires burned Enchanted Hills Camp, the LightHouse committed to $55 million to rebuild it.
"This may be symptomatic of what is affecting the nonprofits, not just in disability rights and access, but really widely across the sector", said Kara Wentworth, executive director of the Nonprofit Center at La Salle University in Philadelphia.
Nonprofits reported anticipating a surge in demand for their services in a 2020 survey, and now many other financial factors are impacting them, Wentworth said. But after big events like a loan default and layoffs, it's essential that an organization communicates its strategy, she said. "I hope that the organization is able to speak to that in a way that allows people to understand and trust that there is a strong plan in place."
Cox said the changes the organization is making are intended to secure long-term stability. One example, he said, is the LightHouse will save $250,000 per year by relinquishing its Berkeley location.
"If we didn't make changes now and we continued along the same trajectory, we would be concerned about the future of the organization", he said.
Cox said he does not believe financial mismanagement took place at the organization. "Our previous CEOs have been innovators and they wanted to do big, big things in the blindness world", he said.
Some of that ambition was sparked when the LightHouse learned that a Seattle businessman had left it $125 million in 2014, dwarfing its usual annual income of around $1 million.
The following year, it became the majority owner of its current property at 1155 Market St., and in 2016 left behind a longtime location on Van Ness Avenue to take over the top three floors. In the renovation, Bay Area architect Chris Downey, who is blind, added acoustic elements so that blind people could navigate the space more easily, wrote Andrew Leland in his 2023 memoir, "The Country of the Blind."
"Normally, a center serving the blind would be in an infinitely more modest space", wrote Leland. But the bequest helped make the LightHouse "one of the most innovative blindness rehabilitation centers in the country", he said.
The city of San Francisco had long rented out the eight bottom floors, part of a separate parcel from the top three floors. The LightHouse and a partner took out a $48 million loan for the space.
But after the city decided that the rent was too high, its departure triggered the default in June 2024, because the loan was contingent on having a tenant, Cox said.
The LightHouse still retains ownership of the top three floors of the building under a separate loan of $28.5 million, though the value of that property has dropped from $28 million to $4.7 million, according to Dittmer.
Cox said the original purchase of the building, at the time, "was a smart thing to do. No one could imagine that property values would plummet."
But Miele, the former board chair, disagrees that the organization was simply a victim of the pandemic. He said the organization's leadership should have worked harder with the city and been more prepared.
"I understand that there was a pandemic and lots of people had trouble, but this was next-level negligence", he said. "They were not proactively trying to plan for the future or avoid this fiscal crisis."
About six months before the default, the LightHouse had close to $117 million in unrestricted liquid assets, funds not designated for specific purposes by donors that the board had set aside for "subsidizing operating deficits" among other potential uses, according to the organization's September 2023 financial audit.
The organization considered using those assets to prevent the default but decided it would not make sense in the long term without a tenant, Cox said. The offices are still empty.
Around the time of the default, the organization also increased its staff, spending around $13 million on personnel in the 2023 and 2024 fiscal years, up from around $11 million in 2022, according to its audits, which was one of the reasons for the layoffs, said Dittmer.
Though the LightHouse said the layoffs haven't impacted services, some community members report long wait times.
Patti Knochenhauer of Santa Rosa said she was told by a LightHouse employee in March that she would have to wait one to 1½ years for mobility training she needs to get a guide dog. Knochenhauer said her family does not want her to go out without one because they fear for her safety.
"I'm pretty much housebound and it's really lonely", said Knochenhauer, who is 69.
In October, Knochenhauer reached out to the Earle Baum Center, where she had received services after first losing her sight in 2018. The LightHouse took over the Santa Rosa center last year and laid off five employees, then brought one of them back part time, said Cox.
"We're on less than a skeleton crew", said Knochenhauer.
Knochenhauer declined to allow the Chronicle to share her name with management, so Cox said that he could not comment directly on her case. But he said in an email that "the staff member misspoke" and that there are no clients waiting that long for services.
Susan Kitazawa of San Francisco first went to the LightHouse to learn how to use a white cane and get around the city 20 years ago, when the former registered nurse learned she had severe optic nerve damage and was "living with terror" at the prospect of losing her sight.
Now also a volunteer and donor at the organization, Kitazawa continues to rely on its access to technology services. While it used to be reasonably easy to communicate, she said that in recent years the LightHouse has not responded to calls.
Cox said anyone experiencing problems should reach out to their service navigator, a new role created by the organization. He also said the organization has a complaint line, which has no active complaints.
However, deafblind clients staged a protest against the LightHouse in front of its Berkeley location last month and said they're struggling to access technology that is essential to their lives. They're part of a LightHouse program that provides communications devices, training and technical support to deafblind clients throughout California. The Federal Communications Commission awarded the LightHouse $832,853 to run the program in the fiscal year ending in June 2025. It served 126 active participants that year, according to the LightHouse.
Angela Palmer of Hayward said the LightHouse recently reassigned or laid off employees in the program who were skilled in braille technology as well as tactile American Sign Language, which deafblind people use to communicate by signing into each other's hands. About a year ago, the LightHouse replaced those staff members with a person who knows tactile ASL but has limited ability in braille technology, she said.
Palmer uses a keyboard with a refreshable braille display connected to her iPhone and computer to read and send messages, and to check her bank account and medical records. But she said the LightHouse trainer did not set up the phone correctly, leaving her unable to send emails and more reliant on her partner.
"It makes me feel inadequate, isolated, worried about my future", she said.
Four other members of the program provided video testimonials reporting similar problems, which they posted on a website calling for the FCC to stop working with the LightHouse.
Cox said the individuals did not contact LightHouse directly with their complaints. Palmer, however, said she did inform the LightHouse of the issue recently.
McCown said that the LightHouse has 10 staff members who can assist deafblind clients, and that all are proficient in braille.
However, the LightHouse said it had only three employees working in the program in July 2024, in its response to a complaint former employee Mussie Gebre filed with the Federal Communications Commission, alleging the LightHouse provided insufficient staffing and failed to hire qualified personnel. Only one of those employees still works in the program full time, said Gebre, who is deafblind and lives in Oakland.
The LightHouse has asked the FCC to dismiss the complaint and denies the allegations. Gebre said he expects the FCC to respond in the coming weeks.
"Our ultimate objective is ensuring deafblind people can use the telephone or Internet to communicate with their families, and emergency services", he said, "access that the rest of society takes for granted."
Editor's note: The original article can be found at:
https://is.gd/2I29UD
You will also want to access the website for decertifying the LightHouse's deaf-blind program at:
www.decertifylighthouse.org
***
AI Doesn't Need to Think. We Do!
Blog posts--craigabbott.co.uk
Imagine sitting across from someone who nods thoughtfully at everything you say. They respond enthusiastically, expand on your points, and always seem to have an awesome fact ready to back you up.
They sound smart, and they make you feel smart.
Over time and if you're lucky, you start to notice something's a little off. They never actually challenge you. Their answers always lean towards agreement. And, the more you observe, the more you realise they're actually just talking slowly and trying to gauge your reaction. They're seeking validation, and simply telling you what you want to hear.
This is often what happens when you use Artificial Intelligence (AI) software for long enough!
However, if you're unlucky, this can spiral into something way more damaging. I recently read an article shared by Steve Faulkner titled "People Are Losing Loved Ones to AI-Fueled Spiritual Fantasies". It's a confronting read, but what struck me most wasn't the misuse of the AI, it was how easily people seemed to believe it was smarter, more knowing, and more "real" than it actually is.
"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic"
Arthur C. Clarke
We're still misunderstanding AI: The problem with AI, especially large language models (LLM), is that most people don't really understand how it works. This is not an accident! It's in many companies' interests to keep the mystery alive, and they'll often use smoke and mirror tactics to market their products as smarter, safer, or more "human" than they actually are.
As humans, we love to personify things, because our only reference point is often ourselves! When something talks like us, it's easy to assume it feels and thinks like us too.
But, here's the blunt truth, LLM do not:
Understand language like we do
Have beliefs, emotions, or intentions
Feel, have opinions or "know stuff"
Many studies conclude that if you strip away the sleek chat interface, the marketing website and the fancy terminology, what you're basically talking to is a statistical juggernaut, trained to simply predict the next word in a sentence.
That's literally it!
You give it a prompt, and it tries to guess what word to use next, not based on what's "true", but based on what's most likely given the patterns in the data it was trained on.
But here's where things get interesting...
Even with LLM that are just trained to predict text, recent research shows that this process can lead to unexpected behaviours. The LLM can do things they weren't explicitly trained to do.
In one study, Emergent Representations of Program Semantics in Language Models Trained on Programs, researchers trained a model on a programming language designed for robots in a 2D world. The model never saw the robot move, and it was only trained to generate program code from examples.
Yet over time, the model seemed to develop an understanding of the robot's position at each step of the program, even though it was never told how the robot or the environment actually worked.
In other words, the model somehow learned the rules of the system, which then helped it to make better guesses in its responses and ultimately achieve its main objective.
This is not consciousness, and it's not comprehension in the human sense. But it is perhaps evidence that language models can build some kind of meaningful understanding of structures, especially in specialist areas like code, logic, and maths.
What's fascinating about this, is that it complicates the understanding of LLM, even for people that know how they work.
How Language Models work: An LLM is trained on billions of examples of human-written text, like books, articles, social media posts and forum comments. It's programmed to model the statistical relationships between words and phrases.
For example, in that data, every time you see the phrase "The capital of France is...", the word "Paris" will almost certainly follow.
Because of this, when you ask an LLM, "What is the capital of France?", it will almost certainly respond with "Paris". Not because it "knows" geography, or everything about France, but because statistically, the word "Paris" has the highest probability of being the word that follows that phrase, based on the masses of information it had access to, where humans wrote "Paris" 99% of the time.
This probability-driven process is why LLM are so good at sounding fluent. The words flow together because they've been seen together many times. But that doesn't mean they're right. It just means they're coherent.
Coherent vs correct: The main objective of an LLM is coherence. Meaning its goal is to generate responses that flow naturally, fit the context and sound human.
We can think of coherence as a response which:
Matches the tone and topic of the question
Follows grammatical and logical structure
Sounds like something a human would say
For example, if you ask "What's the best way to cook salmon?", it might respond with something like, "Pan-searing with lemon and herbs brings out the natural flavours", because those words, in the context of the prompt, are highly probably based on the data it has access to.
But, is the response correct?
Once you know that answers are based on probability, it becomes more difficult to know whether to trust that advice. Is it more probable the response is that of professional chefs, or just internet hearsay that was repeated often enough that it became the most probable answer?
The illusion of agreement: LLM often feel agreeable. They feel like they nod along, mirror your tone, and rarely push back or challenge. If you're angry, they sound empathetic. If you're excited, they join in. But this isn't emotional intelligence, it's just statistical mimicry.
The model isn't trying to please you. It's just learned that sounding agreeable is often the most probable way to respond, even if the things it's saying are not true.
Paradoxically, it's also not "lying" or misleading you either. To lie, it must know the truth and then intentionally say something different. But the truth is, language models don't actually know the truth! They only know probability.
For example, imagine you asked a parrot about climate-change. If it squawked, "the ice caps are melting and we're running out of time!", it might make you believe this parrot knows all about climate-change!
However, once you know the parrot was trained to get a snack every time it recites a David Attenborough quote from the BBC series "Frozen Planet", you quickly realise the parrot knows nothing about climate-change. It's simply reciting a phrase that has the highest probability of completing its objective and getting a snack, based on what it's been trained to do.
Most LLM operate on this same principle, it just has a larger vocabulary and a much more convincing delivery. And, arguably, more people would write off the parrot's response, because they have a better understanding of parrots than large language models!
Don't outsource your thinking: This post isn't an attack on AI. I love large language models; they are powerful tools! They can summarise reports, rewrite emails, fix code, and even teach you new concepts in a way that feels intuitive.
But the danger is, when something feels so competent, it's easy to get lazy and to stop thinking critically.
"With great power comes great responsibility."
Uncle Ben, Spiderman
If we let a tool think for us, unchecked, we risk outsourcing our judgement. This is when mistakes creep in. Not because the model is malicious, but because we stopped asking ourselves the tough questions.
The next time you're copying and pasting an answer from ChatGPT, even if it sounds smart, empathetic, or persuasive, ask yourself:
"Does this sound right?"
"Why does it sound right?"
"What might have made this the most probable response?"
Because, remember…
AI doesn't need to think.
We do!
***
APH Library: Three Unique Collections
From the Tech-vi mailing list
https://tinyurl.com/APH-Library-Collections
What is the APH Library? The APH Library at:
https://louis.aph.org/
is composed of three unique and valuable collections: the M.C. Migel Memorial Collection, the APH Research and Professional Development Collection, and the Blind Musicians Collection. The library's mission is to promote research, education, as well as social and cultural awareness by collecting, preserving, and providing access to these important resources.
The M.C. Migel Collection, named in honor of philanthropist Moses Charles Migel, is the centerpiece of the APH Library. Migel, a visionary advocate for people who are blind or low vision, helped establish the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) in 1921 and served as its first president. This historic collection was acquired from AFB in 2009, and APH continues its stewardship by maintaining and expanding the collection and increasing its availability to the field. To date, Migel materials digitized by APH have seen over 1.7 million downloads from all over the world.
The Migel Collection is recognized as one of the most comprehensive non-medical collections on blindness or low vision in the world. It includes books, reports, and journals that span education, rehabilitation, advocacy, and the lived experiences of people who are blind or low vision. The collection also maintains active journal subscriptions, ensuring users have access to the latest research and professional insights, including the Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, Teaching Exceptional Children, and the Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities.
The APH Research and Professional Development Collection is a vital resource designed to support the ongoing learning and growth of APH staff in the field of blindness or low vision. Whether you're developing a new product, preparing a presentation, or simply expanding your expertise, this collection is curated to inspire innovation and support professional excellence. During our recent open house, Educational Product Innovation (EPI) and The Dot Experience discovered material useful in product development and planning activities. We continually reach out to internal departments, such as Human Resources and Outreach, to help grow our collection of topics useful for the professional development of the APH staff.
The Blind Musicians Collection at:
https://tinyurl.com/APH-Blind-Musicians
is the only known collection dedicated to preserving works of music by blind or low vision musicians regardless of genre, period, or notoriety. The collection includes 130 artists, 350 albums, a listening station, and public access via a Spotify playlist
https://tinyurl.com/Spotify-Blind-Musicians. As part of developing the listening station, we reached out to employees from other departments to make sure it was accessible to blind or low vision users.
Did you know that READS librarians provide a range of information services? The APH Library team includes four librarians, who provide expert research assistance to APH employees, educators, and visiting scholars. Their work includes digitizing and preserving rare or sensitive archival materials, supporting copyright and trademark research for product development, managing the library collections, hosting an employee book club, responding to reference inquiries, and offering training in information literacy and intellectual property to APH departments. On top of it all, they manage the Louis database
https://tinyurl.com/APH-Louis-Database—a vital resource that connects users to accessible educational materials nationwide.
Ready to explore the APH Library? In 2026, the APH Library will be relocating to a brand-new space as part of the Dot Experience construction project. This move marks a major step forward in expanding the library's role as a vibrant hub for learning, creativity, and community engagement. The new location will feature a welcoming reading room and a dedicated music listening station—perfect for exploring the Blind Musicians Collection in a whole new way. Even more exciting, the librarians are planning to introduce after-hours events and launch a movie club, creating new opportunities for connection, enrichment, and fun beyond the workday.
Listen to our music collection, the APH Library team is here to help. With expert guidance, specialized collections, and a commitment to accessibility, we're proud to support the APH community and beyond. Search the catalog at:
https://louis.aph.org
suggest new materials, or reach out for personalized assistance. Contact us at:
resource@aph.org
or visit our website to get started.
***
First National Blind Birders Bird-a-thon
By Susan Glass
From the August, 2025 SVCB In Touch newsletter
Everyone in our chapter, and many people in CCB, know that I'm a bird enthusiast. Well, I'm happy to report that my bird obsession is shared by blind birders throughout the U.S. and Canada, and (I'm glad to say) by several members of SVCB. On May 18 of this year, Deb Runyan, Debee Armstrong, Nancy Prior, and I participated in the first ever national Blind Birders Bird-a-Thon.
Before I tell you about our day, here's some background information about how the event evolved.
Next to gardening, bird watching is the second most pursued hobby in the United States. For many years, common lore divided people who enjoyed birds into three groups: bird watchers (think Grandma and Grandpa with backyard bird feeders and binoculars), birders (those people who galloped around the globe searching for the next illusive species to add to their Bird Life List), and ornithologists (the scientists who studied birds). Over time, these categories have merged. As advancements in technology allow for more "citizen science" participation, backyard bird watchers and globe trotters contribute significant knowledge to bird study. Today we have a catch-all term: birder. A birder is anyone who enjoys watching birds, listening to birds, helping to build bird habitats, hiking to find birds and sitting for birds (allowing the birds to come to them).
Enter blind birders: those of us who specialize in identifying birds by ear. I'm quoting now from a Washington Post article about the Bird-a-Thon that was published on May 21st of this year:
"The idea for the blind birder Bird-a-Thon came from Martha Steele, 73, who lives outside of Boston. An avid birder for 35 years, Steele had to adapt how she birded over the years, because of Usher Syndrome, a rare genetic condition that caused progressive hearing and vision loss. Steele said she wanted to help introduce birding to blind or visually impaired people who may not have considered the hobby, or felt shut out of it."
"People think they have to see to bird", Steele said. "The word Birdwatcher implies you have to see to do it. People who are blind would say, 'I can't see, so I can't bird.' But that's one of the things we're trying to change. You can identify birds by their song."
Steele Teamed up with Jerry Barrier, another blind birder from Massachusetts, and Cat Fribley, Executive Director of Bird Ability, a nonprofit organization working to make birding and the outdoors accessible and inclusive for everyone, especially those with disabilities and health concerns. This team emailed invitations to as many blind birders as they knew about, inviting all to attend zoom orientations that would introduce the May 18 event. Here's the text of the invitation:
What: The Blind Birder Bird-a-Thon is a 24-hour birding event designed for participation by birders who are legally blind. This inaugural event encourages participants to identify as many bird species as possible by sound (or sight as able), celebrating accessibility and the joy of birding.
Who: Any legally blind individual in the United States—of any age and any level of experience—is welcome to participate.
When: Sunday, May 18, 2025
From 12:01 A.M. to 11:59 P.M. (local time)
Where: Anywhere you bird! Participants can bird solo, with a team, or alongside a sighted assistant. Backyard birding, traveling teams, an outing on a trail, and more are all welcome!
Why: To foster community, increase participation in birding for people who are legally blind, and embrace birding by ear—a skill that often makes legally blind birders exceptionally adept.
No experience necessary!
Our Silicon Valley team decided to meet at McClellan Ranch Preserve in Cupertino. McClellan Ranch is home to the Santa Clara Valley Bird Alliance (formerly Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society) and I am friends with its Executive Director Matthew Doddard. We met in front of the Nature Center at 7:30 in the morning, and immediately heard songs and calls from the nearby bird feeders. Debee Armstrong identified an American Robin and a House Finch by ear, and Matthew Doddard, who is sighted, confirmed her findings. I heard an Acorn Woodpecker and a Nuttal's Woodpecker, which he also confirmed. I started a bird list on my phone, and Matthew started a bird list for us on his phone, which he later sent on our behalf to E Bird, an international database that permanently records people's sightings.
For the next 2-and-a-half hours, we strolled leisurely along a relatively level half mile trail that followed Stevens Creek through woodlands, a partial orchard, and a meadow. The morning was sunny and cool, with temperatures starting at around 68, and climbing to 75 or 76 around the time that we headed home. Our three guide dogs, Omni, Vara, and Memphis, concentrated on their work exceptionally well considering the many distracting fragrances welling up from leaves, wildflowers, and mulch.
I've birded by ear since I was a child, and Debee has done a good bit recently. Nancy and Deb Runyan are new to it, but seemed to have fun. Whenever Debee or I heard a bird that we knew, we'd call it out, and Matthew would confirm it by sight or by sound. If he spotted a bird that we hadn't heard, he'd play a recording of it for us to see if we could identify it, which we usually could.
We learned some cool things about the birds we found. For instance, there's a bird called a Hooded Oriole that lives and nests exclusively in palm trees. Because so many people in Northern California have planted palm trees, a significant number of Hooded Orioles now spend their early summers here before returning to Central America. They have a rollicking song which to me sounds like, "Come along, come dance with me." Those of us who bird by ear often invent mnemonics like this one to help ourselves remember a bird's song. Another of my favorites, The Black Headed Grossbeak, has a song that I describe as creamy. We heard him singing also. We heard scrub jays whose voices sound like someone raking leaves, and Steller's Jays who say "Toink, toink, toink." Mathew thinks that the Western Meadowlark seems to be saying, "I'm telling Mother on you."
By the end of the morning, we'd identified 38 species by ear, and we sent our list off to E Bird, and to the Bird-A-Thon team.
On the national level, 200 people participated in the Bird-a-Thon, recording 212 species across 34 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico. There were also birders in Canada and Venezuela that participated this year, but our list is limited to those birds found in the United States.
The Planning Committee has created a listserv for any legally blind birders who want to stay in touch, learn more about birds and birding, and continue building this community.
To join, email:
blindbirders+subscribe@groups.io.
Hopefully the Bird-A-Thon will become an annual event. The Bird-A-Thon Leadership Team plans to host several Zoom gatherings where blind birders can continue to increase their knowledge. I will certainly join those calls.
***
ACB Resources for Members
The American Council of the Blind website has links to services and activities: links to state and special interest affiliates, links to press releases, ACB events, ACB sponsors, and other activities; links to various resources; and links to Leadership and Membership articles. Visit
http://www.acb.org.
ACB can provide information and referrals for members. Phone:
202-467-5081
ACB has many partners who sponsor ACB events. Contact information for many vision-related companies is on the ACB website or available from the ACB office.
ACB committees provide information on ACB activities. Check the ACB website for a current list of committees and their missions and chairs.
ACB email discussion lists: ACB has a conversation list for any member interested in discussing blindness-related issues. To join, send an email to:
acb-conversation+subscribe@acblists.org
The ACB leadership list is an email discussion list for leaders in ACB. All ACB board members, committee chairs, and ACB presidents, as well as three other leaders in each affiliate belong to this list, and are encouraged to forward important information to their affiliate members.
The ACB membership discussion list is for ACB affiliate membership chairs. Announcements of "membership focus" calls, membership articles, and membership-related topics can be discussed on this list.
ACB has an announce-only email list providing updates on important legislation, regulations, and other items related to advocacy. To join, send an email to:
announce+subscribe@acblists.org.
The Washington Connection also provides this same advocacy information over the phone. This is provided through the ACB Washington office number.
The ACB Braille Forum is the ACB publication and provides updated ACB information, blindness-related stories, affiliate activities, some accessible technology updates, and event notifications, reports, and contact info for board members. Members can subscribe to the ACB Braille Forum in several formats: email, large print, Braille, and digital cartridge.
ACB media streams many community calls, ACB board meetings, affiliate conventions, and most ACB-related events. You can find podcasts of many events and community calls on the
https://acbmedia.org/ site.
ACB community calls are provided daily on numerous topics. Anyone interested in providing a community call can contact ACB community. Anyone can sign up for the daily email listing community calls by sending an email to
community@acb.org.
ACB provides annual scholarships for blind students attending colleges, universities, or technical schools.
ACB offers awards for a variety of accomplishments, both for members and nonmembers.
The ACB Mentoring Committee works with mentors and mentees to help newer members learn and understand all about ACB.
The Durward K. McDaniel Fund Committee provides convention scholarships for First-Time attendees to participate fully in the convention. They also choose several members to attend the convention as ACB JPMorgan Chase Leadership fellows. Check:
www.acb.org/dkm.
ACB provides most of its event programming in English and Spanish.
***
The Top 5 Digital Accessibility Myths Debunked
From the tech-vi email list
https://tinyurl.com/5-Digital-Myths
In a recent article for The Drum about this year's Cannes Lions, I looked at how accessibility is not just something functional; it can go hand-in-hand with creativity to have a genuine impact and set brands apart from their competitors.
So, in this article, I'd like to debunk some of the most common digital accessibility myths that I, and my team, have come across from working with marketing, creative, digital, and design teams over the years.
1. Accessibility is just for disability campaigns
It is natural to think that accessibility is primarily to benefit consumers with physical disabilities—visible disabilities are always those we are most aware of. For example, the Grand Prix winner for Inclusive Design at this year's Cannes Lions "Caption with Intention", by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, Rakish Entertainment and the Chicago Hearing Society, was created to "convey the magic of cinema for the deaf and hard of hearing community." And numerous campaigns over the years have been aimed at consumers with "physical" disabilities, and I outlined some of my favourite examples in an article earlier this year at:
https://is.gd/PSavXm.
However, it is important to remember that good accessibility goes far beyond catering to those with physical disabilities. People who are neurodivergent also have very specific needs—everybody with a neurodiverse condition is unique, which means their accessibility requirements are unique too.
Beyond this, brands also need to consider the accessibility requirements of those with more general impairments that can be caused by ageing. Last month I looked at this in more detail at:
https://is.gd/OjZYm9
as well as the significant benefits of making sure older consumers can access your websites, apps, and wider digital estate.
2. Accessibility is just for consumers, not for staff
One common mistake we often find is that marketing and creative teams focus on producing campaigns and products that cater for consumers' accessibility needs, without realizing that they need to do the same for their own employees.
I have written previously about the many benefits of recruiting neurodivergent people at:
https://is.gd/W97Beg
and how some simple adjustments to how you recruit, onboard, and then engage with employees can transform a neurodivergent person's employee experience.
The same goes for those with physical disabilities and older workers. So, the message is, while accessibility is a must for your target consumers, it should be a non-negotiable for your staff as well.
3. Accessibility is just about captions
There is often the misconception that if videos have closed captioning and alt-text is applied to images, then the accessibility box has been successfully ticked.
While it is undoubtedly important to get these things right (failure to provide adequate alt-text could result in lawsuits, fines, and reputational damage, as L'Oreal discovered when it settled a class action over claims that its website lacked proper alt-text for images, violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)) accessibility goes far beyond this.
Good accessible design considers everything from the use of colors to fonts to imagery. For example, people with visual impairments may struggle with low contrast text, and those on the autistic spectrum may be put off by too many images of people. When it comes to fonts, intricate options may look fantastic, but they can be difficult for many people to read.
In short, it's vital that accessibility is baked into your design process.
4. Accessibility is just for the web
Great digital accessibility goes far beyond websites. It should be included across all digital and online touchpoints in user journeys, including social media, mobile apps, and PDFs.
It also covers digital applications in "physical" spaces. For example, multiple sectors—from retail to hospitality to healthcare—now routinely use digital kiosks and touchscreen interfaces to engage with their customers.
For companies in retail and travel that have a presence in Europe, it is now even more important to ensure self-service terminals, such as payment terminals and point-of-sale kiosks, are accessible, as, from June 2030, they will be covered under the European Accessibility Act. Making self-service terminals accessible to all is an extremely complex task, with requirements on both the providers of "physical" digital hardware and the software that runs on them. So, it will pay to start getting ready for this deadline now.
5. Accessibility can't support business growth
Often one of the biggest barriers to embedding accessibility is proving that it will deliver a good ROI.
Investing in digital accessibility makes sound commercial sense, as it means your brand can reach an untapped source of new customers and therefore, potential new revenue.
Similarly, hiring disabled staff and ensuring the digital tools they will use are accessible can have a positive impact on the bottom line. A report by Accenture revealed that companies that prioritize disability inclusion saw 1.6 times more revenue, 2.6 times more net income, and 2 times more economic profit than companies that didn't.
Understanding the Real Benefits of Digital Accessibility
The main message here is that getting digital accessibility right is often a much more complex undertaking than many marketers and their agencies understand. Making assumptions means you aren't experiencing the real advantages a strategic approach to digital accessibility can bring. From increased customers to a more loyal workforce, the benefits are significant—and will ultimately drive success.
***
IVIE Online Expo
Submitted by Deborah Armstrong
INDEPENDENT VISUALLY IMPAIRED ENTREPRENEURS
Online Business Expo
November 15, 2025
IVIE is offering a great opportunity to blind or visually impaired business owners/entrepreneurs. When you join in our Online Business Expo shopping experience, you can tell the audience about your business, describe your products and services, pass on contact information, and allow participants to ask questions. For IVIE members, the fee for presenting for fifteen minutes, is $10, for a half hour is $20, or for an hour is $30. Not an IVIE member? Then the fee for presenting is an additional $15—$25 for fifteen minutes, $35 for a half hour session, or $45 for an hour session. Nonmembers have the option of having $15 of the payment used to pay IVIE dues for 2026.
All those participating in the call, whether presenting or not, will use the same Zoom information to connect. The date and time is November 15, 2025, from 11:30 A.M. to 6 P.M. Eastern.
The deadline for purchasing a time slot to give a presentation is November 1, 2025. To purchase a time slot or ask questions, send an email to
info@ivie-acb.org
with your request to exhibit. Please send your business name, product line, your telephone number, and your email address. You will be sent an online business expo registration form, which will include a link for payment and additional information.
If you wish to attend the IVIE Online Business Expo and listen to this unique shopping experience, there is no cost. However, if you are not on the IVIE email list or the ACB-conversation email list, please send an email to register so we can send you the Zoom call details. Send the request to
info@ivie-acb.org.
Ardis Bazyn, MAT/MBA Certificate
Cell: 818-209-8684 Preferred
303-963-5153
***
Blind Coffee Roaster and Entrepreneur, Gerry Leary
Submitted by Christy Crespin
Mr. Gerry Leary, age 73, has been blind from birth due to Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP). He grew up in the Los Angeles area, attended a school for the blind in Los Angeles, and graduated from a public high school in 1971. To his recollection, there were about ten students in the high school resource program.
With the idea of opening a car stereo store, he began taking business classes at a community college. After completing 39 units in two years, he became bored and dropped out of school.
In the meantime, as his dad was a mechanic, Gerry learned his way around cars at a young age. His father decided to teach him about cars so he would not find his son crushed under a vehicle, since Gerry was a very curious child and could not be kept away from cars. His dad taught him about jacking up the car and other tricks of the trade. He decided that drag racing and fixing cars was more exciting and never finished his business courses or opened his stereo store.
On a whim, in 1977, Gerry decided to visit a friend above Blackhawk, Colorado. He enjoyed the area and lived there for a couple of winters until he cut his finger so badly that the doctor told him to go to some place warmer where he could heal better. He visited another friend in Boulder, Colorado in 1979. They lived in a place with no kitchen, a bathroom and five bedrooms, and he rented a room for $70 a month.
In 1980 he opened his own auto repair with a buddy because he did not like where he had been working. He moved around until 1989 when he worked at an automotive software company, doing invoicing and inventory, leaving there to work at a bicycle repair shop in 1990. In 1991 he began working at Colorado University because he could not get hired to work on cars without a driver's license. After working there for a couple of years he recognized that there were two types of workers: students who matriculated through, and staff whose jobs were determined necessary at his expense. He determined that his work did not matter as long as the staff showed that their positions were necessary. Again, he got tired of the mundane tasks and being paid about $1,200 a month and decided to make another change. He owned his own garage until 2001 when he found it feasible to retire and follow a different career path.
In the 1990s Gerry enjoyed coffee and was talented in setting up the coffee service when he attended Guide Dogs of America, which his class members enjoyed. In 2002 he spent the year going to coffee roasting venues and looking for someone who would hire him as an apprentice. Having no luck, "I re-fi'ed my house in 2003, found a coffee training class and took it, and worked with the Handi Hams group", licensed ham operators who help with accessibility and finding interested people to help in your specific community. They still exist today. He had paid for his membership and received their magazine where he found an advertisement for a talking thermometer for measuring high temperatures. He had a Time Stat stopwatch, and this became his timer. He bought a quarter pound roaster and began a year of roasting coffee, writing down and paying attention to the steps he took, smells, noises, and tastes. He sold his quarter pound bags for $5 apiece and saved up enough to purchase a large roaster. His friends began buying the coffee as a favor, liked it, and encouraged him to continue with his business. It took him three months to figure out a place to rent in Longmont, Colorado, for the large roaster.
His first company name, The Unseen Bean, came about after talking with friends, one of whom is a graphic artist. It was coined and it stuck. His logo was "my guide dog in a harness with sunglasses on, sniffing the steam off of a cup of coffee". His new logo is similar, but the guide dog is sniffing the coffee, not necessarily the steam. His neighbor helped him generate this logo with AI, and "people think it looks way cool."
Gerry placed some braille on his packaging so he and other braille readers could determine the kind of coffee they were brewing. He plans to return to this practice when he has the funds to purchase the appropriate labeling device.
In 2007 he moved to Boulder and bought a coffee shop that literally fell into his hands when a shop owner decided to walk away, which he called, The Unseen Bean Coffee Shop. He moved his coffee roaster into a place that was "too big for what I was doing", stayed there for five years, and then moved to a little place in Lafayette, Colorado. He stayed there for five years until he was told by the landlord that they only wanted their coffee shop. He then rented from a friend, but the place was quite far, and he had to take $50 Uber rides; although they tried to help out by offering him rides home sometimes and picking him up at a bus transfer point, he was losing money and it was not feasible to keep the shop open.
He met a couple from Italy who were interested in obtaining a business visa, and who liked coffee, so they decided to set up a partnership. They worked together for two years, and the couple returned to Italy to take care of some business, meanwhile, getting caught up with the COVID situation, and returned to Colorado in 2022. They worked together for another two years.
In 2024 Gerry broke his hip and was in recovery. When he came back to work, the business partners, who had bought out Gerry's equipment and DBA, The Unseen Bean, told him they were not ready for him to return and that he should be patient. They complained about having to work hard without a vacation, which he now recognizes as "red flags". They dissolved their company in December 2024, Boulder Specialty Roasters, and kept Gerry's company name, The Unseen Bean, and his assets. Once they "kicked me out, I decided to re-register my trademark, and I am in the process of doing that. So once that happens I could probably fight it and win legally because they are not from here and they don't have citizenship." In the meantime, he is doing business as Blind Roasted Coffee. Although he does not yet have his website active, he has a friend who is assisting. In the interim, if anyone wishes to order coffee, they may Venmo him.
After speaking with friends on an annual music cruise in March, 2025, he set up a Go Fund Me account and raised money for his coffee roaster. Although he no longer had access to business information or password, he utilized his old emails to make contact with vendors. One company took six months to tell him they could not devote time and effort to make a semi-accessible solution truly accessible. Through another email from 2020, he was asked about taking on an intern, which he turned down because his partners denied permission. However, he found that the man purchased a roaster from another company. Wondering if the company was still in business, he contacted the company and asked about their roaster. They indicated that because the roaster utilized variable fan speed to keep the beans in a certain place in the sight glass of the roaster barrel, accessibility was unknown. He offered to stay in touch and connect him to their Facebook group. He also informed Gerry about another, smaller roaster, which does not utilize this process. In contacting this referral, Gerry learned that the company was working with a "blind guy in PA who has four of these roasters." Through trial and error, accessibility concerns, and networking he discovered the right machine for him, and will be connecting it to his computer so he can create profiles and control it with automation.
He has purchased the Blind Roasted Coffee LLC, and the blindroastedcoffee.com website address.
Regarding his coffee flavors, he roasts in cooler weather. When the weather is hot, he waits to roast in the early morning or later part of the evening because the heat changes the properties of the beans. He purchases "green coffee", and listens to what his customers ask for and also determines the flavors he appreciates. He has found helpful coffee bean sellers. He recognizes that the beans change in flavor each season, so he blends for flavor, and either utilizes the marketed coffee description, or makes up its own descriptions.
"The most difficult part of roasting is making sure that all things print-oriented are done correctly and that you do your books. In a business like this, I don't see a good way to do things in an underground format and then deal with taxes." Currently he packages up the coffee in labeled boxes and takes the coffee via Uber or Lyft to the packaging company. At present, they label the product, but he will soon have the ability to label the packages with a software program and hire assistance, which will be more profitable. He hires out the tasks that keep him from roasting coffee, which is what he enjoys. "Knowing what the beans look like, is most difficult as a blind person. In a lot of ways, going by the sounds, smells, temperature and timing works." He determines the doneness of the beans by sound and smell. "They kind of sound like popcorn, but they have a couple of stages of sound. They start by smelling green, get a little bitter, smell like caramel, then smell like cinnamon and a bit on the bitter side. They have the sparkle and have fruity coffee smell and taste. If you take coffee too far it begins smelling like burnt rubber."
What Gerry enjoys most is "doing several roasts consistently, taking it into the house, brewing it, and enjoying the brew." He wonders how he ever waited so long to make some of his discoveries.
He also grinds beans for a candy company that makes a dark chocolate espresso bar, and I can tell you they are delicious!
Regarding his thoughts about his coffee roasting business, he says, "You can't let the negative side of things get you down because those get figured out if you keep moving forward. If you don't keep moving forward then the negative never gets worked through."
If you are interested in ordering or learning more, send an email to lgerry51@gmail.com and give him your contact information so he can contact you. I have been a loyal customer from the days of the $5 bags.
***
Guide Dog Retirement
By Deborah Armstrong
Two months ago, I participated in the "Blind Bird-a-thon", a contest where we attempted to identify as many birds as possible by ear at a nature preserve in Cupertino. Leading our trip was member Susan Glass, and she, Nancy Prior, and I were accompanied by our guide dogs.
Memphis, my golden guide, has been very pokey of late, so I was happily surprised when he took off like a flash on this nature trail, pulling strongly in harness, sniffing the air and wagging, wagging, and more wagging!
But after a mile, that wagging morphed into flagging. His head was down, his tail was even lower, and he was panting like a steam engine.
Memphis is my seventh guide, and this behavior is unfortunately not new to me. Once when Glade, my third guide, was guiding me among the outdoor diners on Murphey Street in Sunnyvale, I was stopped and questioned by one of the pedestrians about whether my dog was abused. Glade had been slogging carefully between the tightly packed tables, and her serious and focused demeanor was suspect to those who had never seen working dogs. But I also knew that Glade was finding guiding ever more stressful as she aged, and that comment spurred me into realizing I needed to retire her.
My sixth dog, Maxwell, and I were on a hike around a city park where a group of sighted friends were engaged in a sporting event. Because I was tired of sitting, Max and I decided to follow a two-mile circular trail, so I told my friends I'd return in about 45 minutes. Unfortunately, about two-thirds of the way through, Max lay down in the grass and refused to move. He was just too hot and exhausted to guide any further, and feeling stranded, I decided there and then he needed to retire. After a rest, he was able to continue, but that walk took me two hours, and my friends had begun to worry.
I've always retired my guides between the ages of 8 and 10, though I know folks who've worked their dogs up until age 12. I try to pay attention to the signs that the dog doesn't like the work anymore, or that they start a walk with high enthusiasm but wear themselves out quickly.
Sometimes the problem is that the dog wants to work, but really cannot. Nadia, my first guide, developed arthritis and limped along happily in harness, wagging more than shepherds typically do. But if she saw a flight of stairs, she pretended it did not exist because it hurt for her to ascend or descend. She treated them like obstacles, carefully avoiding going anywhere near a flight, and when I directed her towards one, she acted as if it was I who was going the wrong way. I taught her to find ramps, which made her happy, but I had to retire her because a guide who cannot use stairs really should not be working.
Boston, my fourth guide, never showed any stress or pain, but he simply got slower and slower until I started to feel some stress getting across those wide, six-lane streets. Bev, my fifth guide, started growling and snarling, which made us suspect she was feeling some pain and had no other way to express it. Dutchess, my second guide, continued to love the work, but had such a strong limp it was clear her guiding days were over. She was the only old dog I ever had who would shiver when lying on a cold sidewalk waiting for the bus.
Often when folks retire a guide, they cannot imagine life with a new dog. But the healthy choice is to embrace and truly feel your grief, and then move on. I've always needed a new dog to cheer me up, and seven times it has worked. I've kept three of my retired guides, though one went to her puppy raiser, another died prematurely, and another went to my in-laws who just had to have her. Memphis will belong to my husband and do regular pet therapy visits, just like my other three retired guides did. Retirement has always made them happier, and I knew the remainder of their lives was fulfilling.
So yesterday, I interviewed for a new dog, my eighth. Memphis can still work, so it's OK if it doesn't happen immediately. But preparing for his retirement, and making it the best it can be for both of us, is always my goal.
For me, the pleasure of bonding with a working dog is always worth the sadness one feels when they must retire, and the grief when they pass away. ACB member Robert Acosta is working his eleventh guide now, and I hope to reach that pinnacle of partnership in my future.
***
Life After Transplant
By Sugar Lopez
Celebrating One Year of New Life
On July 31st of this year, I celebrated the one-year anniversary of receiving a second chance at life—a gift of a kidney transplant for the second time.
Words cannot fully express how humbled, blessed, and thankful I feel for each new day that God allows me to wake up, breathe, and begin again—by the side of my husband Daniel, and knowing that I have friends like you in the ACB Diabetics in Action.
In our last newsletter, Becky shared a beautiful reflection on dialysis as seen through her eyes. Becky was my companion for over a year while I was on dialysis, and for that, I am eternally grateful. She was a true blessing. It meant so much knowing that a friend would call around 7 a.m. PT to check in. I started treatment at 5 a.m. and was usually done by 9 a.m.—that is, if all went smoothly.
I still have the precious Winnie the Pooh blanket she gave me, lovingly draped over a chest of keepsakes. That blanket brought me comfort through so many moments of tears, confusion, conflict, and fear. But there was also hope. There was positive energy. And above all, there was the constant assurance that I was being held tightly in God's hands.
Holding On Through the Hard Days
My faith never wavered during that time. That's not to say I was superhuman—not at all. I had hard days, just like anyone would. We're all human, and we all feel the weight of our struggles—especially when they are matters of life and death.
Let me explain: many of my friends passed away while undergoing dialysis. I would be talking to someone beside me, and then suddenly—silence. That stillness would often mean they had gone to a better place. It made me realize just how fragile each treatment truly was.
Each time my husband Daniel lovingly helped me into the clinic—checked my weight, adjusted my oxygen tubing to help stabilize my blood pressure—and kissed me goodbye before heading to work, I would sit there with tears in my eyes, silently praying: "Oh God, is that the last kiss I'll get from my husband? Is today my last day on dialysis? Will I get to see my baby boy in heaven today?"
And though part of me longed for that eternal peace, I knew deep in my heart that my work here on earth was not finished.
Each time I completed a session, I would turn to my technician and say,
"I survived another treatment!"
That was my quiet victory cry.
Comfort Under the Blanket
I often hid beneath my blanket during those hours, just as Becky mentioned. It was comforting to hear her voice and to feel the gentle touch of my techs patting my leg, whispering kind and reassuring words. I will forever hold those memories dear.
While under that blanket, I spent much of my time thanking God for letting me make it to the DaVita center one more day. I prayed for the friends I had lost in the clinic, and for all who encouraged me and prayed over me.
I remember whispering, "Lord, just for today."
I never asked, "Why me?" and I never blamed anyone—not even God. But yes, I had moments of doubt. I still do. What keeps me going is my family, my daughter, and knowing that my purpose here isn't over yet.
Now, one year post-transplant, I am doing well—and I give God all the glory. The anti-rejection medications aren't easy. The side effects can be harsh, and I wouldn't wish them on anyone. But the trade-off is no more dialysis, no more waking up at 3:30 a.m., and the freedom to travel without worrying about finding a dialysis center. And yes—finally, I can drink all the water I want!
People say to me, "Oh Sugar, now that you've had your transplant, life must be so much better and easier."
In many ways, they're right. Not having to go through dialysis is a tremendous blessing. But the reality is, I now live with new responsibilities—like taking my medications faithfully and being especially cautious, because I'm still a Type 1 diabetic.
Diabetes doesn't rest. In fact, it works even harder now, trying to attack my new kidney.
That's why I have to be more disciplined than ever. I often remind myself: "I have control over diabetes. Diabetes does not have control over me."
Life after transplant is a new beginning—but one that comes with new responsibilities and a deeper understanding of how to care for my gift of life.
At first, we had to drive to UC Davis in Sacramento multiple times a week. Over time, those visits reduced to once a month, and now, only once every three months. At the end of July, I'll officially "graduate" from UC Davis and transition to the care of my local nephrologist.
I'll continue having lab work done for as long as I live with this new kidney—and I gladly accept that. It's a small price to pay for freedom from dialysis.
As of today, my kidney is functioning well. It's considered "dormant", thanks to the anti-rejection medications. You see, my body knows there's a stranger inside—and it wants to reject it. But these powerful medications help calm my immune system so that the new kidney can quietly do its job. Isn't medical technology a blessing?
Grateful, Faithful, and Alive
I leave you with this:
I am here. I am alive. I am thriving. I am blessed.
To my loving parents, Pastor Abe Casiano Jr. and Connie Casiano, to my devoted husband Daniel, my dearest Becky, to the ACBDA, and to every one of you who kept me in your prayers, thank you. I am living proof that prayer works.
With love and gratitude,
Sugar Lopez
***
Technology—Love It or Hate It
By David Hoffman
The ever-changing landscape of accessible technology, especially over the last year or so, causes me equal amounts of anxiety and interest. Here is why.
Having lost my vision in 2009, I witnessed a vast improvement in accessible technology over the 12 years or so that followed. These include (but are not limited to) computers, web access, smart phones, and stand-alone devices, each with its own learning curve. Although this is an oversimplification, I believe that the learning curves are not only steeper with always more to learn, but they change too quickly. While I am catching my breath from learning one new feature, it is broken, or I am hit with a new offering in the realm of AI, smart glasses, or other technology changes. I believe that visually impaired people in my age range (45 plus) who lost vision later in life have a more difficult hill to climb to keep up to date.
Now, of course, everyone is different, and I was always a visual learner, so I will adapt to the new software and accessible technology differently than I would have when I was sighted, younger, or had lost vision earlier in life. Part of what I feel is that things move too fast for some in the visually impaired community to keep up, and I recognize that this causes anxiety, stress, and in many cases shuts out too many disenfranchised people from the tools that would help them.
Simple examples are the hundreds of websites, email lists, groups, non-profits, and for-profits that exist today. Over the last months, I have made an effort to click on links and follow up with things I have heard, and from that I have discovered for myself many services, technologies, and organizations that have things to offer.
Here is an example: I signed up for a newsletter a month ago from which I have received about ten emails a day (except weekends), with posts from services, links to new tech, AI information, and much more. I have learned so much from this one email list, and wonder how I can digest everything it has to offer.
Although this ramble is not going to solve anything, hopefully it sparks some fruitful thought or conversation within your circles. If not, then it just confirms what I already know: I am one French fry short of a happy meal.
***
Be My Eyes and Amtrak Partner to Pilot Innovative Visual Interpretation Technology for Blind and Low Vision Passengers
Edited from the ccbl email list
SAN FRANCISCO, CA and WASHINGTON, D.C. - August 6, 2025 -
Be My Eyes, the world's leading Customer Accessibility Management platform for people who are blind or have low vision, announced a partnership with Amtrack to launch a pilot program that brings on-demand visual interpretation to blind and low vision passengers at key Amtrak stations.
The initiative will allow passengers to access live, real-time assistance from trained visual interpreters via the Be My Eyes mobile app, providing support with navigating station environments, finding gates, reading signs, and more—all through the user's smartphone camera.
"We're thrilled to partner with Amtrak on this transformative pilot", said Mike Buckley, CEO of Be My Eyes. "For blind and low vision passengers, a seamless station experience can be the difference between frustration and freedom. Our mission is to make the world more accessible—and that starts with public transportation."
The three-month pilot, launching this summer, will deploy the service at 16 stations in the Northeast Corridor, including high-traffic hubs such as New York Penn Station, Philadelphia 30th Street Station, Boston South Station, and Washington Union Station. These locations were selected to provide data across a range of environments.
The project itself is part of a wider initiative within Amtrak to enhance the travel experience for blind and low vision passengers, and to make Amtrak a more equitable and independent travel option for passengers preferring greater autonomy rather than solely relying on staff assistance.
"Amtrak is committed to delivering an inclusive and independent travel experience for all our customers", said Dr. David Handera, Vice President of Accessibility and Customer Service at Amtrak. "This pilot is a major step forward in breaking down barriers to travel for blind and low vision passengers and demonstrates our commitment to equity, accessibility, and innovation."
The service will be provided at no cost to passengers and will be accessible via the Be My Eyes app on iOS and Android devices. Agents responding to requests through the Be My Eyes software platform are trained professionals who deliver high-quality visual interpretation through secure, real-time video connections. Upon opening the app, customers will be able to select the service directory option and look for Amtrak under Travel & Transportation.
Pending the results of the pilot—which will be assessed through usage metrics, rider feedback, and operational performance—Amtrak and Be My Eyes may expand the program nationwide across Amtrak's network of stations.
***
CCB Board Meeting Minutes
California Council of the Blind
Board of Directors Meeting
May 1, 2025
The meeting was called to order by President Guillermo Robles at 7:34 PM. Officers and board members present were:
President: Guillermo Robles
1st Vice-President Regina Brink
2nd Vice President: Rob Turner
Secretary: Steve Bauer
Treasurer: Lisa Presley-Thomas
Immediate Past President: Gabe Griffith
Directors
Christy Crespin
Andrea DeKlotz
Nelly Emerson
Larry Gassman
Joe Green
Daveed Mandell
Pamela Metz
Phill Obregon
Penny Valdovinos
An additional 38 members were present.
BDM2025-13: Andrea moved and Joe seconded approval of the February board minutes. The motion carried.
Guillermo thanked the membership for their support through the presidential transition. He proposed that the vote for president, 1st vice-president and director, taken in executive session, be rescinded, and that elections be held in this open meeting.
BDM2025-14: Gabe moved and Regina seconded the votes taken in executive session be rescinded, and that the board vote to fill only the president's position. The motion failed.
BDM2025-15: Regina moved and Andrea seconded to rescind the votes taken in executive session. The motion carried.
Rob assumed the role of meeting chair. Regina nominated Guillermo as president, he was elected by acclimation.
Andrea nominated, and Penny seconded Regina as 1st vice-president. Kristy nominated Chris Gray as 1st vice-president. Regina was elected.
Guillermo took over as meeting chair. Steve nominated and Rob seconded Phill Obregon to fill out Regina's unexpired term. He was elected by acclimation.
Guillermo addressed the leak from the executive session. After speaking to the individual involved, he's gained assurance such leaks would not happen again. He is in talks with ACB leadership to provide much-needed board training.
Regina reported that she and Jeff Thom had met with a UCLA professor about making the Olympics accessible to the blind. Wayfinding, vending machine identification, product labeling and audio description were all discussed.
Guillermo said an email will go out tomorrow morning with details on the day's convention activities and Zoom links.
Mitch stressed the need for board members to sign a confidentiality statement. Guillermo indicated that it, and a conflict-of-interest statement would go out before July 1.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:32 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Steve Bauer, Secretary
California Council of the Blind
Board of Directors Meeting
Thursday, June 19, 2025
The meeting was called to order by president Guillermo Robles at 7:34 PM. Officers and board members present were:
President: Guillermo Robles
1st Vice-President Regina Brink
2nd Vice President: Rob Turner
Secretary: Steve Bauer
Immediate Past President: Gabe Griffith
Directors
Christy Crespin
Andrea DeKlotz
Nelly Emerson
Larry Gassman
Joe Green
Daveed Mandell
Pamela Metz
Phill Obregon
Penny Valdovinos
There were 40 additional members present.
Guillermo reviewed a few housekeeping items. More time will be allotted for member comments. To avoid crosstalk, board members will be asked to raise their hands before speaking.
Donna reviewed some Zoom protocols. She will take hands in the order they were raised. She will mute anyone with background noise who isn't speaking. For comments that are timed, she will give the speaker a thirty second warning.
BDM2025-16: Steve moved and Gabe seconded approval of the agenda. The motion carried.
Guillermo then invited public comment on items not on the agenda. There were no comments.
BDM2025-17: Rob moved and Steve seconded approval of the May minutes. The motion carried. The secretary will send minutes out to the membership.
There was no treasurer's report.
Next Guillermo introduced Brandon Cox, Acting CEO, and Maritza Calderon, Chief of Staff, Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired. They spoke of the search for a new CEO to begin in a month or two, and a new funding model with the department of rehab and others. He encouraged everyone to read questions answered, updated monthly on their web site and in their newsletter.
The Adaptations Store is due to reopen online in July, with telephone ordering and a demo space and pickups available at Lighthouse headquarters.
Asked about new funding initiatives, Brandon said the media and accessible design lab will provide Braille transcription for the IRS, and that there will be a focus on raising money for individual camperships at Enchanted Hills.
He stated sales of cleaning products were up thirty percent for the year at LightHouse Eco.
He said there are no plans to sell Enchanted Hills property.
Asked about his experience relevant to Lighthouse Eco, he cited his work contracting with the Ability One commission and National Industries for the Blind.
In his president's report Guillermo said Lisa is providing information to Nancy Marx Becker, CFO for ACB, regarding our 501(c)(3) status. More discussions are planned.
Kenneth Semien has agreed to provide training for board members to be held on Saturdays, dates to be announced.
He thanked the high desert and Bakersfield chapters for the opportunity to speak. He will also speak at the ADA anniversary celebration in Riverside, in which ABIV is participating.
At the ACB convention, Guillermo will serve as delegate and Steve as alternate.
Guillermo is serving as chair of the rehab blind advisory committee. Other appointments include Robert Wendt representing CCB, Dan Kysor, member at large, and Francis Brown, consumer.
He said CCB committee chairs will be announced the week after convention. Action items for those committees will be discussed at the July board meeting.
In her governmental affairs report Regina thanked those who contributed to the recent Blind Californian article.
AB671 regarding audio pedestrian signals owned by Cal Trans is sailing through on consent.
Several members will testify July 8 for AB1250 on paratransit eligibility.
She urged all to continue to contact legislators regarding cuts to Medi-Cal.
A court decision has halted library funding cuts until September. Next year's budget isn't known.
Jeff Thom spoke about the California Disability Leadership Alliance and their event which he attended, with disability leaders and a bipartisan group of legislators. Jeff presented on amending IHSS to include reading and completion of documents, hopefully to be part of a bipartisan disability bill package which members of the disability caucus will introduce next year.
Regina spoke for CCB at the rally which followed on the west steps of the capital.
Guillermo recognized Christy, Penny and Daveed who are leaving the board, thanking them for their service and offering the opportunity for parting words. He welcomed Linda Samulski, Alice Turner, Joshua Saunders and Phill Obregon to the board.
Discussing future board topics, Guillermo plans to bring up the use of Zoom's AI features for transcripts and summaries. He also wants to have a conversation about the code of conduct, and discussion of board expectations. He asked board members to consider their strengths and challenges with regard to CCB before the next meeting.
In board announcements, Andrea reminded us of the ACB auction this Saturday.
Kristy mentioned the celebration of the 35th anniversary of the ADA in Riverside, in which ABIV is participating on July 26, urging all who want to attend to register.
Joe promoted the Friday night live Zoom chats on the second Friday at 5:30.
Regina announced IDC's new president Pam Metz, and their book chat this Sunday on Jim Crow 2.0.
In member announcements, Dianne mentioned the Bakersfield ADA celebration with the ILC of Kern County, July 24.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:42 PM.
Respectfully Submitted,
Steve Bauer, Secretary
***
CCB Officers and Board Members
April 18, 2025
Officers
President: Guillermo Robles (2025-2026, partial term), Culver City, CA
310-896-8525, Guillermo.Robles@ccbnet.org
1st Vice President: Regina Brink (2025, partial term), Sacramento, CA
916-393-0662, Regina.Brink@ccbnet.org
2nd Vice President: Rob Turner (2024-2026, 3rd term), Sunnyvale, CA
408-203-9300, Rob.Turner@ccbnet.org
Secretary: Steve Bauer (2023-2025, 1st term), Culver City, CA
310-558-4500, Steve.Bauer@ccbnet.org
Treasurer: Lisa Presley-Thomas (2024-2026, 3rd term), Fresno, CA
559-250-6760, Lisa.Thomas@ccbnet.org
Immediate Past President: Gabe Griffith (2024-2026), Concord, CA
925-222-5762, Gabe.Griffith@ccbnet.org
Board Members
Christy Crespin (2023-2025, 3rd term), Highland, CA
909-800-7189, Christy.Crespin@ccbnet.org
Andrea DeKlotz (2024-2026, 2nd term), Orange, CA
714-921-0289, Andrea.DeKlotz@ccbnet.org
Nelly Emerson (2024-2026, 1st term), Santa Maria, CA
951-237-2960, norconelly11@gmail.com
Larry Gassman (2024-2026, 2nd term), Fullerton, CA
562-706-7710, Larry.Gassman@ccbnet.org
Joe Green (2023-2025, 1st term), Sacramento, CA
916-317-7957, Joe.Green@ccbnet.org
Daveed Mandell (2023-2025, 1st term), Berkeley, CA
510-504-3211, Daveed.Mandell@ccbnet.org
Pamela Metz (2023-2025, 1st term), Chatsworth, CA
818-388-4995, Pam.Metz@ccbnet.org
Phill Obregon (2025-2026, partial term), La Verne, CA
909-675-7415, Phill.Obregon@ccbnet.org
Penny Valdovinos (2023-2025, 3rd term), Bakersfield, CA
661-378-8282, Penny.Valdovinos@ccbnet.org
***
Donations
If you, a family member, or a friend would like to remember the California Council of the Blind in your Will or estate planning, you can do so by employing the following language:
"I give, devise, and bequeath unto the California Council of the Blind, a nonprofit charitable organization in California, the sum of $____ (or ____) to be used for its worthy purposes on behalf of blind persons."
If your wishes are more complex, please contact the executive office for additional information. Thank you.
