THE BLIND CALIFORNIAN
Quarterly Magazine of the
CALIFORNIA COUNCIL OF THE BLIND
Summer 2022
Volume 66, No. 3
Published in Email (bc-subscribe@ccbnet.org), and online in readable and downloadable text and audio media.
Gabe Griffith, CCB President
Concord, CA
925-222-5762
president@ccbnet.org
Executive Office
California Council of the Blind
2143 Hurley Way Suite 250, Sacramento, CA 95825
916-441-2100 voice; 916-441-2188 fax; 1-800-221-6359 Toll Free
Email: ccotb@ccbnet.org
Website: ccbnet.org
Ardis Bazyn and Alice Turner, Co-Chairs
Governmental Affairs Committee
800-221-6359 Toll Free
governmentalaffairs@ccbnet.org
Webmaster
webmaster@ccbnet.org
Mike Keithley, Editor
650-386-6286
editor@ccbnet.org
Susan Glass, Associate Editor
408-257-1034
editor@ccbnet.org
Deb Runyan, proofing and large print production.
Andrea DeKlotz, CCB Happenings Editor.
Email submissions for the CCB Happenings to:
submit.happenings@ccbnet.org.
CCB Happenings is a weekly news service provided:
By phone: at 800-221-6359 Monday through Friday after 5 PM and all day on weekends and holidays;
By email subscription: send a blank message to ccb_happenings-subscribe@ccbnet.org;
Or on the web at ccbnet.org.
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.
The deadline to submit material for the fall, 2022 issue of THE BLIND CALIFORNIAN is noon, August 15, 2022.
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.
Shop at Amazon, donate to CCB. Access smile.amazon.com, log on to your account and select California Council of the Blind as your charity.
Please send all address changes to the Executive Office.
***
Table of Contents
Editor's Corner, Mike Keithley
2022 Convention Report, Deborah Armstrong
A Wild Summer Looms, Jeff Thom
We Did It Through Music, Daveed Mandell
A Friendly Challenge, Susan Glass
Ways To Access ACB Media
Letter To The Editor, Olivia Ostergaard
Keeping Ken's Dream Alive: Blind Diabetics Take Action To Form New Affiliate
Seniors Corner, Robert Acosta
New Ways To Bond With One's Guide, Deborah Armstrong
Thoughts On Get Up And Get Moving, Susan Glass
CCB Vision 2050, Frank Welte
Home Alone During Covid 19, Pamela Hill
Road To Transition!, Cachet Wells
How A Treaty Signed In Marrakesh Made The Library Of Congress More Accessible, Danny Freedman
CCB Board Meeting Minutes, Linda Porelle
CCB Officers And Directors
Donations
***
Editor's Corner
By Mike Keithley
Welcome to the summer Blind Californian, where we've got plenty of interesting material for your reading enjoyment. I mean, we're even better than your favorite book!
The 2022 virtual convention is history, and we start with a convention report from Deborah Armstrong and a follow up article from Jeff Thom on the progress of legislation in the California legislature.
Deborah wears another hat telling us about an adventure with her guide Max, Daveed Mandell teaches with music, Susan Glass has two hats (sadly, I only have one), and there's Frank Welte's 2050 vision for CCB in 2050. And, of course, there's more!
***
The 2022 California Council of the Blind Convention
By Deborah Armstrong
(Originally published in the SVCB in Touch newsletter.)
The California Council of the Blind held its entirely virtual Spring convention throughout the end of April and the month of May. Though main events occurred on May 12-15, there were also a number of pre- and post-convention activities organized by various committees and affiliates. It is to your advantage to join some of our affiliates to keep abreast of things which interest you, and to support their efforts.
Besides being on Zoom, the main convention streamed on ACB media, making it available to a world-wide audience. It started with ACB president, Dan Spoon, giving an overview of the amazing progress we've made this last year in advocacy, community and inclusion. Gabe Griffith, our CCB president also spoke to our progress here in California, and the nominating committee listed the officers they'd selected. We also heard from the credentials and bylaws committees. Alice Turner and Ardis Bazyn ably spoke along with others on the governmental affairs committee explaining our legislative imperatives and how important it is for us to advocate with our representatives to get these bills passed.
I particularly enjoyed the roll call, where each chapter and affiliate president recorded an introduction to their group and what made it special. I was surprised how small the membership of some chapters is: we here in Silicon Valley are one of the largest, most active chapters in the entire state. President, Rob Turner's recording truly showed us off!
On Friday, speakers addressed barriers which are becoming more relevant every day: access to health care, kiosks, transportation and rehabilitation. In the health care presentation, we learned about one person's struggles with Kaiser, plus plenty of detail provided by Steve Mendelsohn about the legal rights of disabled consumers of medical services. There were also great tips for becoming a good advocate to get equal treatment in health care and accessible materials.
Stuart Seaborne, from Disability Rights Advocates, Berkeley, discussed those inaccessible kiosks ubiquitous in restaurants, downtown areas, health care, stores and transit stations. ACB has been instrumental in pushing for accessibility to ATMs and fare machines in particular. He outlined areas in which we have legal recourse, and areas, like airline kiosks, where the ADA cannot be used to argue for access.
In the afternoon, Andy Imparato, Executive Director, Disability Rights California, gave us a big picture look at the landscape for the future of our rights. Some things have improved for us in California, and other areas, not so much. Technology, in particular has been both a blessing and a curse to blind folks, according to Andy.
Joe Xavier, Director, Department of Rehabilitation in our capitol, also spoke about the future. He encouraged us to become adaptable when seeking work. Employment trends include increasing expectation of technology knowledge, more workplace automation, greater willingness to hire disabled workers, and a wider availability of apprenticeships. The three top areas of job growth include health care, which can include everything from fitness trainers to nursing; food preparation, which includes everything from serving and cooking to management; plus transportation, including managing and supporting the technology that goes along with it. Remote work is also increasing in popularity. Joe emphasized how there are many subtle skills a blind applicant must master to succeed in this new world of work. Being willing to learn new skills as job duties shift is also crucial. Joe had to field some hard questions from our audience that encouraged rehab to do more for blind job-seekers.
As co-chair of our SVCB Transportation committee, I was particularly grateful to listen to long-time transit advocate Ron Brooks discuss what the law requires and doesn't require of paratransit. Sadly transit services throughout the state in many cases are even worse than Santa Clara County. Some of those issues we complain about, such as transit that stops when the bus doesn't travel to a particular area are practices that are within the legal rights of transit agencies implementing the ADA. Ron is a huge proponent of separating paratransit from the ADA and making it a legal right for all non-driving consumers.
On Friday evening, we first got to raise our hands and remember friends in CCB who have passed. Many had fond memories of Bernice. But members all over California were also remembered; it was wonderful to hear about all their triumphs and accomplishments. Next, we were instructed on voting, using text messages or by phoning to cast our vote with a volunteer. But all nominated officers and directors were elected by acclimation as no others ran against them.
Also on Friday, Connie Bateman on the advisory board for the Braille and Talking Book Library announced the Braille E-readers would begin arriving to your very own regional library in late June or July. She suggests you call your reader adviser if you read Braille to get on the list. She also announced how a new books-on-demand program will enable patrons to receive an entire book series on a single cartridge. The library will, in September, also begin loaning Victor Reader Stream devices to patrons along with wireless hotspot devices for those who do not have internet connectivity to download digital talking books.
Saturday morning, we heard from ACB's Get Up and Get Moving campaign which encourages us all to engage in physical exercise. The committee spearheading this initiative wants affiliates to form their own programs under their umbrella.
This was followed by a talk on mental health and its particular challenges for the visually impaired. Roque Bucton and Linda Johnson, both experienced peer group leaders, explained how powerful support groups are for helping people feel less isolated and finding ways to cope with loosing vision. They also talked about working with parents and kids, both sighted and blind, to improve family mental health when a member is newly blinded.
Next, Billie Louise Benson, long-time O&M instructor and researcher, discussed how there are more challenges today for mobility teachers and students. But she also shared tips for dealing with troublesome street crossings, locating bus stops and the solutions we can advocate for to make our local areas easier to navigate.
Susan Glass, interviewed by Alice Turner, spoke in the afternoon about her love of braille, growing up and studying and later teaching literature. She also talked about getting her book, "The Wild Language of Deer," published, and she read some of her poetry. This was followed by a story time from Kelly Brakenhoff, who writes books for children.
And we topped off the evening with a virtual banquet. I'd already cooked and eaten our family dinner, but I enjoyed a few great snacks while listening to the wonderful jazz performance by Jason Castenguay, presentation of five awards, and our informal discussion about our favorite ACB moments.
Sunday closed the convention with its usual business meeting. We had several interesting resolutions. For example, we resolved to have a dialog with Amazon customer service for people with disabilities to request better training for their representatives. We also resolved to advocate for a law to expand mandatory life and educational skills for K-12 pupils. We resolved too, that a cover letter should accompany resolutions we send to an external entity and an archive should be kept of resolutions. Also resolved was the plan to form a task force to train people on how to make ADA complaints.
Even if you find some meetings tedious, you must acknowledge that no CCB meetings are closed, and every effort is made to democratically represent the entire membership. For example, if more than ten folks raise their hands to object to a motion or candidate, convention rules specify that it be reconsidered, no matter how many of the organization's leadership think it's a great idea.
One thing I love about our convention is how being a smaller group, everyone gets a chance to comment or ask questions. At the large national convention, there's often not enough time for all raised hands to be acknowledged.
Lots of door prizes were given out and John Glass and Rob Turner were included in the lucky winners. Recordings will be available on the CCB site where you can already listen to past conventions' audio.
This was my first time being a delegate and being present for the entire convention. It was a super fun and information-packed event, and if you've never attended, I encourage you to do so next time.
***
A Wild Summer Looms
By Jeff Thom
Supposedly summer is a lazy, fun time to enjoy yourself and recharge your batteries. Well, the incredible drought through which we are suffering is likely to make it another scary summer around California. In addition, CCB will face advocacy challenges as the end of the 2021-22 legislative session approaches at the end of August.
To those of you who listened to the Governmental Affairs report that was given during the opening night of convention, a good chunk of this column will be familiar, but things keep changing and they will probably have changed again between the time of this writing and when you read your BC.
Although we have several interesting pieces of federal legislation on which the American Council of the Blind is working, since I have little faith that Congress will do anything, I won't discuss them in this column. However, things do look brighter in Sacramento.
CCB has two bills authored by Assembly member Joaquin Arambula of Fresno. AB1999 would require the creation of pilot projects to provide mental health services targeted to Medi-Cal recipients with vision loss. AB2480 would require the creation of pilots to fund an array of vision rehabilitation services to avoid placements in hospitals or nursing homes or to enable transition back into the community from these settings. As of this writing, we are exploring some potential amendments to address funding sources for this bill. Both of these bills are likely to have passed to Assembly before you read this, and they will probably have their first Senate hearings in June. We will certainly ask for your help in ensuring we have the support we need for these two bills. It is long past time that the blind start pushing for additional ways to ensure that the dramatic amount of unmet service need, both for adults under 65 and those 65 or older begins to be addressed. At the same time, we are working, along with allies in the blindness community, to bring about Medi-Cal funding pursuant to the new CAL-AIM program for vision rehabilitation services.
Our third bill, AB371, by Jones-Sawyer, has been stalled in the Senate since last August, but we are hopeful that the summer will bring a break in the logjam. AB371 would require those who rent e-scooters to have insurance against pedestrian accidents. During the fall, we found examples in the US and Europe of places that have required insurance for those renting these scooters. California has always been an innovative state and it would be very appropriate were we to continue that trend and adopt insurance requirements for renters of e-scooters. However, be prepared for the battle ahead from the scooter industry.
Also, by the time you read this, SB1480, by Senator Glazer and sponsored by Disability Rights California, will have passed the Senate and be ready for advocacy efforts so that it can be adopted. As many of you know, that bill would allow the Secretary of State to certify a system where voters with disabilities would be permitted to return their ballots online, if the Secretary of State certified a system that would permit this practice. Although Senate Democrats have stood firm, there are certainly opponents to online ballot return on both the right and the left, and thus we should be prepared for tough sledding in the Democratically-controlled Assembly.
For members who have ideas that they feel we should be pursuing in 2023, I would urge them to contact me at either jsthom@comcast.net or via phone at 916-995-3967. We need to begin to vet such ideas and prepare as soon as possible for the year to come.
Thanks for reading, and keep advocating!!!
***
We Did It Through Music: Teaching Hebrew To An Autistic Blind Child
By Daveed Mandell
I remember when Philip Lindley first came to Grant School in Santa Monica. He was like no other blind child I had ever met. Philip was very different. At that time, no one ever talked about his other disability. However, I believe that he was, in fact, a blind child with autism.
Both blind and sighted kids were afraid of Philip. He hated to be touched. He screamed, he cried, he bit, he scratched. He lived in his own little world.
Philip was in special classes for what were known in those days as mentally retarded children. However, teachers soon noticed that he really wasn't retarded at all. Philip loved music and numbers. Shapes fascinated him. The problem was that he just couldn't get along with people.
Philip's mother did all she could to help her son. It was hard going, but she didn't give up. Philip was Jewish, and June Lindley wanted him to become a Bar Mitzvah.
June Lindley contacted the Jewish Braille Institute of America (JBI) in New York City. She called Synagogues throughout Los Angeles County. Most people said they were very sorry, but no way would they undertake to work with Philip.
It was 1963 when I received a letter from JBI. They were desperate. Would I be willing to prepare Philip for Bar Mitzvah? They offered to pay me if I would undertake this job.
I became a Bar Mitzvah the year before. I had to chant and read, in both Hebrew and English, a section from the "Torah" (the first five books of Moses), and another from the Prophets. I also had to write and deliver a speech to the Congregation. How could Philip accomplish all of these tasks?
Undaunted, after a few minutes of thinking it over, I decided to accept the job and the challenge. I would work with Philip, and he would become a Bar Mitzvah! I wasn't sure how, but I knew we could and would both make it happen!
So it was that Philip and I met at the Students Braille Library in Los Angeles, and the lessons began. I liked Philip, and as long as I didn't touch him, we got along. He was very excited about learning Hebrew and all of the Blessings and chants. But how would I teach him the Hebrew braille alphabet, and would he be able to really learn it and read Hebrew?
It suddenly dawned on me that the way to get to Philip would be through songs and music. We Jews have a rich musical tradition. The first thing I did was teach Philip a simple Hebrew song. He absolutely loved it, drank it up, craved for more! The first day we spent over an hour singing that song. I recorded a few additional songs on cassette for him. His thirst was unquenchable! He was delighted!
Now, what about teaching Philip the Hebrew alphabet? JBI sent me a very simple Hebrew primer. Would Philip pay attention, or would he regress and start to scream and cry? I would soon find out.
We began our second lesson with a song. Suddenly, Philip began to sing one of the other songs I had recorded for him. He hadn't learned all of the words, but the melody was correct. We were on our way!
I gave him a sheet with several Hebrew syllables and short words. I put his hands on the page, and he began to feel the letters as I pronounced them. He started imitating me. I gave him the lyrics of the song he had learned last week. He was beginning to pay attention!
Gradually, over the next few weeks, Philip began to associate the letters on the page with the sounds and the words I was teaching him. I knew then that we would succeed!
I worked with Philip for nearly the next three years. He never became a fluent Hebrew reader, but he learned and enjoyed many songs. His mother soon joined a Synagogue, and the Cantor recorded the required Hebrew that Philip would chant. I arranged for JBI to braille both the Hebrew and English material for him. The Rabbi helped Philip write his speech, which I brailled.
The day came when Philip stood in front of the Congregation and became a Bar Mitzvah. He wasn't able to learn all of the words, but he did the best he could, and he succeeded! Needless to say, both his mother and I were extremely proud of him on that thrilling day! We did it through music!
***
A Friendly Challenge To All CCB Members: Get Up And Write
By Susan Glass
Here is a recap of the CCB May 2 Writers Workshop sponsored by our CCB Publications Committee. I thank Christy Crespin for helping to gather the inspiring fruit of our discussion.
The focus of the workshop was to answer these questions: How does CCB intersect with your life, and how can you shape such intersections into pieces of writing? Our conversation yielded many specific writing ideas.
* CCB affiliates to which you belong, and why they are important to you.
* Friends you've made in CCB, and details of how those friendships have blossomed.
* Memorable CCB experiences: a convention workshop; something learned while visiting the exhibit hall; a late-night after-hours conversation with CCB friends.
* Skills learned in CCB and in your professional life, and how such skills reinforce one another.
* In what ways has being in CCB made you more of a leader? More of a team builder and team player? A better friend?
I'm especially indebted to Christy Crespin for this next part of the list.
* Raising Children and Raising Consciousness.
* Aging Gracefully While Being Blind.
* How and when have I been an advocate or a change agent?
* Have Many Blind Americans Been Left Behind?
* Trying on different hats.
* Letters to our elders.
* Letters to those who come after us.
This bucket of writing ideas is pretty full. I invite all of us in CCB to choose any one of these topics and then sit down and write and see what emerges. Don't listen to the editing police if they show up while you're writing, and don't yank your mind with a choke collar if it wanders off the path. You can kill a good idea by insisting that it do exactly what you want it to do. Relax and take an ambling sniff walk with the dog that is your mind and your creativity. You just might end up with a paragraph, a vignette, a play, a poem, a slice of memoir, a letter to the editor, a rant, a story, a joke, a meditation, a stellar bit of research. If we each write something every month, the BC will reflect our entire community. We are already proud of it. Just imagine how much prouder we'll be.
***
Ways To Connect To ACB Media Programming
From the ccb-l email list
{This helpful reference lists how you can listen to the ten media streams on ACB radio.}
Amazon Alexa Enabled Device (RECOMMENDED)
"Alexa Ask ACB Media to play Media n." (n = stream number). For example, to listen to General Session during National Convention say:
"Alexa, ask ACB Media to play 1"
PC / Browser Access (RECOMMENDED)
Visit acbmedia.org at http://www.acbmedia.org/n (n= stream number). The site has a built-in media player and there is no need to install or use a media player on your device. Hit the play button and the media stream will begin playing immediately.
Smart Device Access (RECOMMENDED)
Download the app "ACB Link" from your app store. Find "Radio" along the bottom of the screen, then "Menu" in the top left corner. Select "Streams" and then choose the stream you wish to listen to. Double tap the play button.
Victor Reader Stream Access
Navigate to "Internet radio library" in the "online bookshelf." Locate the Humanware playlist. From the playlist, select ACB Media n (n = stream number) and hit play.
Dial-In Access For Programming Originating In Zoom
Dial the Zoom access number provided with the schedule information for the session. When prompted, enter the meeting / webinar ID followed by #. You will hear the exact same program that is being streamed on ACB Media.
Alternate Dial-in Access (not recommended)
Dial 1 (518) 906-1820. Listen to the menu prompts and press the number for the stream you want. Please note that this is a free service provided by Zeno Media. This service is limited in terms of simultaneous listeners and ACB does not warrant this service. If dial-in is your only option and the program is originating in Zoom, we recommend that you dial-in to the Zoom meeting / webinar directly (see above).
IMPORTANT NOTE
The ACB Radio Tuner is no longer supported. If you used the tuner in the past, you may access all ACB Media streams from acbmedia.org (see above). If you are using alternate ways to access ACB Media streams than those above (such as Tune In Radio or Winamp using acbradio.org URL's, we kindly ask that you use one of the methods above.
***
Letter To The Editor: DV In Perspective Really Brought It Home
By Olivia Ostergaard
Dear BC,
On Saturday May 21, I attended a presentation called "I left, Now What: Life after Domestic Violence." I can't thank CCB enough for offering this very important topic at this year's 2022 Virtual Convention. For many of us, this has been a tabooed area that no one wants to tackle. The information was pertinent, positive, and there was no shame. Those sharing their experiences left a sense of inclusion and kinship. The presenters, Sherry and Betsy, were knowledgeable, and eagerly answered our questions and concerns. In some respects, I wished we could go back and review this session, but, understandably, I realize why they chose not to stream it.
Domestic Violence is not just physical; it's mental too, and Sherry and Betsy delineated the glaring differences between them. The emotional and psychological aspects are, in my opinion, more dangerous and debilitating. Obviously, the more we know, the more we can intelligently deal with DV. After all, knowledge is power, and without the proper information, we can't face such issues that are harming our blind community.
I know that at one time, we had a Domestic Violence committee, but I'm not sure if it's still active. If not, it should be. Would monthly or quarterly discussions be worthwhile? Perhaps more CCB members would be encouraged to participate, gaining support and strength. I'm unsure if this would be an appropriate Community Call topic, due to privacy issues. I'm just tossing this out there to see if anyone will bite.
We need not shy away from the harder issues that we face as blind/low vision folks. One may never know who may be helped, or even whose life might be saved.
***
Seniors Corner
By Robert Acosta
Area Agency on Aging
Dear Friends,
I hope you are surviving Covid as well as you can. The purpose of the Seniors Corner is to provide needed information to the blind and low vision seniors in California. If you have any pertinent information regarding services in your county, please send them to me for presentation in the Seniors Corner. Write to Robert Acosta, (boacosta818@gmail.com).
At this writing, I wish to introduce you to the Area Agencies on Aging which are available in most of the counties in California. To find yours and to ascertain what services they provide, call your member of the County Board of Supervisors.
In this article, I want to focus on Los Angeles County which serves approximately 300,000 blind and low vision persons. For those seniors who reside in Los Angeles County, an important hotline number to call is (800-510-2020). Jeff Thom and I are working very hard to urge this Agency to provide their materials in an accessible format.
Let me review some of the services provided by this Agency and which should be given by your particular Area Agency on Aging.
1. Health Insurance Counseling Advocacy Program, HICAP. HICAP provides free individual counseling and legal assistance to Medicare beneficiaries
Qualifications: Adults who are 60 years of age or older who reside in the County of Los Angeles. If you pay for power to the Department of Water and Power, you live in the city of Los Angeles. However, the operators will refer you to the Los Angeles City programs.
At present, Los Angeles City does not have a Triple A Agency, but the City does have a program for seniors. There is no income requirement to receive services.
2. Traditional Legal Assistance Program: (TLAP). The TLAP Program provides free legal advice and representation to older individuals with limited income or resources, including those who are institutionalized or homebound.
3. Family Caregivers. Relative Caregivers may also call the information hotline.
Legal advice and counseling are also available at designated Senior Center Sites.
4. Long-Term Care Ombudsman. The LTCO deals with complaints made by residents of long-term care facilities. The Ombudsman Program also provides elder abuse services.
5. Support Services Program. SSP provides services that address functional limitations, promote socialization, continued health and independence, and protect elder rights.
In conclusion, I urge all seniors reading this column to call your member of your County Board of Supervisors to get needed contact with your Area Agency on Aging.
Also, strongly express to all concerned that you wish your materials from these programs to be provided to you in an accessible format.
Please feel free to share your experiences with all of us through the Seniors Corner.
***
New Ways To Bond With One's Guide
By Deborah Armstrong
The campground has many pluses. First there are few foxtails or burs. It's frequently used by Cub Scouts and Brownies so the park service sweeps it free of forest debris.
It is surrounded by towering redwoods, keeping it shady and cool. We are several miles mostly straight up overlooking the rowdy Pacific Ocean, so we have all the fog 'er' mist that comes with being on the central California coast. That means warm afternoons and chilly nights, and a tent covered with moisture upon awakening.
We have a large fire ring where we are allowed to roast our wieners and marshmallows. The barrier is over a yard high so the forest is protected from flying embers, a big concern in this fire-ravaged state. And we have friendships. About twenty of us, mostly women in their fifties and sixties comprise the local dog scout troop.
Dog scouts is just what you think, people who loved scouts and since the kids grew up and moved out, we do the same thing with preparedness and patches minus kids but with dogs. You can get a community service badge, a therapy badge, a backpacking and of course a camping badge.
All these pooches love adventure and are comfortable doing things with humans. We go on ranger-lead nature hikes, visit outdoor concerts and cafes and just hang out on restaurant patios with our canines. I am the only member with a service dog.
The campground is also a preserved Native American relic. It has numerous small pits where the Indians ground acorns. These were hollowed out and lined with sharp rocks centuries ago by native tribes. A naturalist painted vivid pictures for us of Indian women squatting before these holes, chatting, singing and grinding. This, the naturalist tells us is the first factory for stone-ground grain.
Maxwell, my golden guide knows immediately to avoid the pits. He loves hiking and is careful to insure I never sprain an ankle. I feel safe running around camp holding his harness. We also have to navigate around numerous concrete picnic tables as well as coolers, stoves, the fire ring and lots of portable chairs, tents and tables brought by my friends. But Max happily powers through all the obstacles, his bushy flag-tail sweeping back and forth, his nose alive to the scents of the woods.
Now when I was a kid, a campground had an outhouse. The smell actually assisted me in finding it. But here, we have a row of huge, green wheel-chair accessible plastic porta-potties. Totally sanitary they have almost no scent. And because we are Scouts, we just naturally keep them clean.
The potties are about a quarter of a mile away from the campground and due to a leaking faucet, which the forest service plans to fix, the route directly to the potty is a muddy quagmire. So my friends advise me to take a circuitous route, circumventing yet more tables, coolers and chairs.
Max doesn't like mud either, which is good, because he's happy to tramp farther to get to the human toilet. But teaching him to find it on his own is another thing.
"Good potty," I croon, sliding a treat in to his eager mouth. "Find the potty," I request later, hopefully as he snuffles through the forest until a helpful friend rescues us.
Max continues to find more stoves and tables to guide around and the potty just isn't a destination for him.
At bedtime my friends suggest I wake them if I have to go. I assure them we won't have any trouble finding the potty in the middle of the night, and besides, I lie, I almost never get up in the night to go anyway. All the food has been locked in cars due to the occasional threat of bears and the regular visits of raccoons so there will be nothing yummy to distract Max, I tell my friends.
I carefully avoid drinking water before bed, spitting out the toothpaste when I brush. At 1 A.M. I awake parched, and take the tiniest little sip from my water bottle.
At 3 A.M. I wake with a bladder the size of Texas. I can barely move it feels so full. The more I try to stop thinking about it, the more I have to go.
Finally, I pile on the warm layers, I harness Max and we slip out of the tent. It is pitch dark, and though I don't really see enough for light to help, I notice the moon is absent so I wonder how well Max can see.
"Find the potty," I whisper and rattle the food pouch, promising him a treat to come.
He charges off happily, nose in full gear. I hear my friends snoring and we encounter no obstacles so I know Max can tell where he's going. I smell the fire ring as we pass, hear the wind rattling a pot lid on one of our camp stoves. But is he going where I want to go? And speaking of going, do I ever have to.
We are climbing a slope. Oops, I know there is no slope to the potty. And suddenly we are on an asphalt road. It's deathly quiet. Following his training, Max takes me to the road shoulder, with bushes on the left and the road stretching ahead of us on the right. I think about retracing my steps, but can't remember where the road we drove on was. And I can't remember if there are two roads out of this campground or if it's on a dead end.
I halt Max and pick up some small rocks and throw them experimentally to my left. I hear them cascade down what seems to be a fairly steep slope. Then I hear a large splash as they land in a pond below the road. We continue because frankly I'm not sure what to do.
Another quarter mile I toss some pebbles again. This time the slope seems less steep and I realize there are no tents below us. I hear my pebbles finally come to rest in shallow water, maybe fifty feet below. Good, I think, it is indeed safe here.
I squat on the edge of the road and make it quick. I have done this many times backpacking but never when car camping. I hope I am really far away enough from people.
Max bounces up and down. He's gotten to relieve himself with other dogs, but now his pack leader is urinating in the woods where he likes to go. The joy of over marking my spot makes him snort and spin with uncontained fervor. As soon as I pull up my pants, Max indicates he needs to go too. Off with the harness and he's circling and wagging and urinating a gallon. Why I wonder, did he save that up instead of going at bedtime like he usually does? Did he hope for a chance like this, bonding like dogs do but with his very own human in the woods?
Max is practically dancing up the road as we retrace our steps, walking on the other side, hoping we won't miss the campground. About half a mile later, Max begins pulling me frantically across the road and through a lot of very squishy mud. And guess what he's found--the potty!
***
Thoughts On "Get Up And Get Moving" For Our CCB Affiliates And Chapters
By Susan Glass
I'm sure that many of us listened to the CCB Saturday May 14 convention session where Tom Tobin and Koni Syms spoke to us about ACB's "Get Up and Get Moving" campaign. We had a stimulating discussion about how CCB could start its own Get Up and Get Moving Listserve, where chapters and individuals could record their recreational activities, and perhaps engage in friendly competition over who could be the most active. One message that I took away from our discussion was that anything goes where being physically active is concerned. Whether we're dancing alone in our living rooms, pedaling an exercise bike, walking a dog, or lifting canned goods as hand weights, all of these activities can make us stronger and happier. But when we are alone, it can be hard to start, much less keep up an exercise habit. So, in this article, I'm going to fling out a few thoughts and possibilities aimed at making "Get Up and Get Moving" fun, and see where they land.
Maybe we should begin by ditching the word "exercise." When my guide dog Omni and I take our daily walks, I'm not thinking, "I will exercise my legs and lungs now." Instead, I'm thinking, "Wow! I can smell Star Jasmine everywhere today. Hmmm. What is that unusual sound coming from my neighbor's garage?" And Omni isn't thinking, "Thanks, Mom. This is great exercise." More likely she's thinking, "Could you take my harness off for just a minute? I want to smell the grass near Willow's house to see if the new puppy has arrived, and what sort of chow he's eating." Certainly, for some of us, exercise for its own sake is great, and tracking and measuring our exercise efforts can be rewarding. But just as often, exercise is a secondary benefit of doing something fun like dancing, or bicycling, or strolling, or stretching, or swimming, or ambling through a park while day-dreaming. If we can stay active by invoking the concept of exercise and its various quantitative measurements, that's excellent. But if we find it easier to get physical without the dreaded E word, that's fine too.
I'm physically active by nature, but when I hear what other people are doing out in the world, I become even more enthused. I envision a CCB Get Up and Get Moving listserve where individuals and chapters share their recreational outings and activities. Members of our Silicon Valley chapter sometimes participate in Bay Area Walks for Older Adults. Those walks have included a visit to Japan Town in San Jose, and a visit to an herb farm. Our Santa Cruz Vista Center group recently toured the Australian Garden at the University of California Santa Cruz Arboretum. A few years ago, the entire Humboldt chapter planted and labeled a sensory garden which is now a fun stop over point for anyone visiting Humboldt County. All of these activities count as Get Up and Get Moving Projects. We don't need to burn a million calories. It's getting out in the world, being with other people and animals, rubbing elbows with the environment that matters. We do whatever amount is comfortable. Then we share what we've done with each other. We get inspired.
So I'd like to see our Get Up and Get Moving Listserve share activities of chapters. But I'd also enjoy hearing from individuals. I know that our marvelous CCB President Gabe Griffith is an excellent long-distance swimmer. I'd love to read a post from him where he shares the conditioning he must maintain in order to keep swimming, or a post where he shares where his mind wanders while he swims. I plan on sharing a piece called "A Day With My Horse At The Stables: The Good, The Bad, And The Smelly." A walk, an afternoon in the garden, a new age castle built at the beach, a backyard woodworking project, yoga class. I think we should share and collect all of these stories, and when we've accumulated enough of them, let's send them to the Braille Forum with a title like "CCB Walks, Runs, and Rocks!" OK, that's not such a great title. But someone will come up with a good one.
***
CCB 2050 Vision: Overview
By Frank Welte
For many years I have been thinking about the long-term future of the California Council of the Blind, and I have decided to submit my ideas in the form of a series of articles in this publication for your consideration.
This first installment is a brief overview of what I want CCB to be in the year 2050. In subsequent articles I will describe individual elements of this vision in greater detail. I will also suggest specific, concrete steps that we can take both individually and collectively to turn this dream into reality.
Here is my vision of CCB in 2050.
1. I envision a future where the CCB has a membership of at least ten percent of our state's blind and visually impaired population and an organized presence in every one of our state and federal legislative districts; in every one of our 58 counties, even in tiny Alpine County; in every one of our cities having a population of at least 100,000 and in all of our larger colleges and universities.
2. I envision a future where CCB maintains regular contact with every elected municipal, county, state and federal official in California and with government agencies that have a significant impact on our blind community. I want to see CCB members organize a blind caucus in all of the state's major political parties.
I dream of a time when there are many elected blind municipal and county officeholders, two blind members of the California State Assembly, a blind member of the California State Senate and a blind member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
3. I envision the creation of a statewide, CCB-lead blindness service agency, California Blind Community Services, that has a headquarters in Sacramento and a series of Blind Community Centers in a growing number of California cities where services are provided and where community activities take place.
4. I'd like CCB to establish and build up a profit-making corporation, Blind Californian Enterprises, that would engage in multiple lines of business, generate funds for CCB, provide employment and career growth opportunities for all blind and vision impaired Californians and demonstrate the true ability of blind workers to other employers and to the general public.
5. I believe CCB may want to establish a law firm to provide advocacy and legal services for blind individuals and for the blind community as a class.
6. I believe CCB members should help to organize a union for workers in NIB facilities.
7. I believe CCB members should set up an independent lobbying firm and political action committee to promote blind-friendly legislation and to elect blind-friendly office holders.
I suspect that my ramblings may inspire some of you, and they may seem utterly ridiculous and unachievable to the rest of you. That's all right as long as it gets all of us to engage with the question of our future in concrete, creative ways. None of us has the final answer to the question of what CCB should be in the next generation, but by engaging in a vigorous, friendly dialogue, we can use our collective wisdom to create a future CCB that is greater than anything we could imagine alone.
I welcome your feedback on this and future articles in this series. Send questions, ideas and criticisms to Frank.A.Welte@gmail.com.
In my next article I will explain why I believe we must take CCB in a new direction and how the seven elements of my plan will complement each other as CCB leads the way to make California the best place in the world to be blind.
***
Keeping Ken's Dream Alive: Blind Diabetics Take Action To Form New Affiliate
By the CDA Membership/Publications Committee
Since June 26, 2021, a group of excited diabetics and friends have been diligently working on fulfilling a dream. Ken Metz's dream was to have a diabetic affiliate in CCB. Sadly, he passed away before realizing it. So, we took up the gauntlet, forming the CA Diabetics in Action, (CDA) in Ken's memory, and by the time you read this, we will be the CCB's newest special interest state-wide affiliate.
We have desperately sought a voice to combat the negative stereotypes of blind diabetics' lack of ability to independently administer their own insulin shots and safely get a drop of blood on the test strip, or manage their nutrition/diet, etc. Fortunately, our time has come, with ACB's Legislative Imperative (see below):
"The Medical Device Nonvisual Accessibility Act (H.R. 4853)"
The majority of home use medical devices and outpatient equipment utilizes digital display interfaces that are inaccessible to blind, low vision, and Deaf/Blind users. Class 2 and Class 3 medical devices such as glucose monitors, blood pressure readers, and at-home chemotherapy treatments do not have any nonvisual accessibility features like text to speech output, tactile markings, or audible tones built in. As a result, people who are blind, low vision, and Deaf/Blind cannot independently manage their health from the privacy of their own homes in the same ways as people who are not disabled.
"ACB calls on Congress to pass the Medical Device Nonvisual Accessibility Act to ensure that medical equipment with a digital display is accessible and that people with disabilities can take back control of their health. This legislation would require the Food and Drug Administration to consider nonvisual accessibility when approving Class 2 and Class 3 medical equipment and devices with a digital display to ensure access for patients with disabilities." (From
https://www.acb.org/2022-legislative-imperatives)
Advocacy, education, peer support, and a newsletter are some areas CDA is passionate about. Thus, we want and need your help and support! There is a lot to be done. We hope more of you will step up and join us. In the future, we hope to discuss affiliation with ACB Diabetics in Action (ACBDA), our national ACB organization. Their President, Tom Tobin, also ACB's "Get Up and Get Moving" Campaign Chair, continues to advocate for blind/low vision folks to possess the needed tools to self-advocate and live a healthy and prosperous life.
Introducing our CDA Board:
President, Christy Crespin; Vice President, Olivia (Livvie) Ostergaard; Secretary, Nelly Emerson; Treasurer, John Ross; Director 1, Nicolette Noyes; and Director 2, Nancy Ungar.
Membership is open to anyone who is living with conditions including pre-diabetes or diabetes of any type, friends or family, or anyone interested in advocacy on behalf of people with diabetes who experience vision loss or are blind. We as diabetics also act as a support group for each other as well as for brand new diabetics.
We have several goals, one of which is to advocate for local issues that are specific to California based diabetics. If you are interested in keeping Ken's dream alive, please join us! Here is how:
Send your check or money order made out to CDA in the amount of $25 ($15 if you are a member of ACBDA) to:
John Ross
3508 Jade Ave.
Bakersfield, CA 93306-3824
661-496-7628
Send your roster information to John Ross and copy Christy Crespin. Please state "Join CDA" in the subject line.
In the body of your message, give your name, email, best phone, address, vision status, preferred means of contact, year you joined CCB, gender, race/ethnicity, disclose your information yes or no, home chapter, and if you want to list your secondary chapters, you can. If this is going to be your home affiliate and you are not in any other chapter, list CDA as your home chapter/affiliate.
Please email John Ross at jross1973@gmail.com, or Christy Crespin at blind.lcsw@gmail.com.
***
Home Alone During Covid 19
By Pamela Metz
I spent the 2 years of Covid 19 at home alone, and I have often wondered if Ken was still alive, how many people would have called him to see how he was doing and find out how he was handling being confined at home for an entire 2 years. Ken isn't alive and has been gone for 4 years as of today. It was just me, Franklin and my kitty Ebony at home alone.
In February, 2020, we were told that we needed to stay home because of Covid 19, and that the length of the Shelter in Place mandate was indefinite. I live in California in the largest county in the state, Los Angeles County. Our Covid numbers were not too bad at the beginning, but by March they were terrible. All the places that I frequented were closed: Braille Institute, the local library, hair salon, and nail salon, and a couple of other places.
This began the need to stay home. I do a lot of crocheting, reading and other things to keep myself busy. I love politics, and I truly love following what is going on in the world. I started a WhatsApp group called All Things Romance, because I love reading romance in its many forms. The ladies and I discuss romance books that we happened to be reading, or were going to read. We use Audible, Bookshare and BARD. I belong to a few WhatsApp groups, and I enjoy them. I also started a women's Christian group on WhatsApp, but we talk about everything under the sun, including trust, love and what is in our hearts. I still belong to GSGDHI (Golden State Guide Dogs Handlers Inc), and serve on its Peer-to-Peer committee, and I'm president of CLUA (California Library Users of America), which I enjoy.
I have been a member of CCB for 20 years, and I have watched CCB in the last few years and have often wondered what has happened to the CCB community. I feel that we have lost our way, and if we don't regain our bearings soon, we will lose CCB. Ken felt the same way.
I can count on one hand how many CCB members thought to contact me to see how I was doing home alone the last 2 years of Covid 19. Some CCB members will say that I could have called them, which I did, but most of them have a spouse or children or friends living with them. I don't. I have my dog Franklin and a cat; both of them are great, but they don't talk back. Well sometimes they do and that is great: LOL. If we don't do something to increase the membership and encourage the chapters and affiliates to come together as a community again, we will lose CCB.
My Work With IDC
In May of 2020, George Floyd was killed by a Minneapolis policeman, and all of America watched this happen. CCB had to pull together a convention in a hurry so that we could hold elections and other events. The one thing that CCB didn't do was to write a letter denouncing what happened to Mr. Floyd. We elected a new president and a few of us wrote him a note really pissed about that.
He put together a small group of us to come up with a letter denouncing this incident. We also spoke about starting an affiliate in CCB to confront racial justice and injustice in California. We named the affiliate IDC (Inclusive Diversity of California).
We worked on this affiliate for one year to get it up and running. We held focus calls and discussed what we would like to see IDC work on, and how we could help marginally disadvantaged groups throughout California find information about resources in their areas. Regina Brink, Stephanie Wats, Jessica, and others worked together to get us to a place where we wrote our Constitution and Bylaws. I worked on the Mission Statement, and other aspects of organizing this affiliate. I was elected interim vice-president for the first year, and I serve as the group's program chair. I have been re-elected as the VP, and will be working on a couple of great programs later in the year. I believe in what we have done with IDC, and I'm hoping to make it one strong affiliate in CCB.
In March of 2021, the Board of Directors of CCB voted in IDC as an affiliate of CCB. There were a few who didn't want this to happen, or they wanted something to change in the purpose of the constitution. We introduced IDC to California at our second virtual convention in April that year.
I termed off the board that same year. I wanted to serve on the Convention Committee for a couple of reasons. One was that I felt that we needed a person of color on the committee, and I'd also had a problem with one topic and how it was handled. I feel very strongly about CCB, and all that it stands for. I have truly enjoyed helping pull this year's conference and convention together, and watching the process.
***
Road To Transition!
By Cachet Wells
Life has a way of turning us upside down, partly due to the choices of others, our own decisions or because it's just a part of our predestined plan of life. Yes, life will at some point shake and shatter us with challenges that seem unbearable. The ability to put your total trust and faith in someone or something in those moments seems impossible. Through these storms, we learn how to adjust and manage the circumstances that arise because we've all faced them at some point.
Without a vision of how we will eventually be sustained through it, we are as broken pieces in search of peace. Knowing that there is something in the universe working on our behalf, who is greater than ourselves, gives us assurance. The inner confidence of security and hope that regardless of what comes, it will not destroy or devour us. Faith is not without the existence of pressure, but it's the pressure that develops our resilience to endure. Whether it is the faith in our spiritual beliefs or the faith in the knowledge and consultation that we get from the professionals, mentors and often family we seek advice from. No matter the resource we must allow ourselves the time and space to digest, to dialogue and to process the steps we need to take to move forward independently with confidence.
We each grow up with many aspirations, dreams, goals and plans of our own. Only to one day realize that our plan is a basic outline that will take its own shape eventually. Although there is a difference in the beginning and ending of those plans, the ultimate goal is to live a full life. Sometimes this causes us to have to adjust and be flexible to changes that come up along the way. Whether you're on a journey of happiness, hope or healing finding peace in the midst of the pieces of our lives one day at a time is important.
We learn to press forward and continue in hopes that things will get better. Hoping that the issues of this life like limitations, disabilities, inequities, health concerns, and financial strain lose its grip to give peace to those pieces. How can we find balance? What can we hold onto to keep from slipping away? Searching for some thing that can mend all of our broken pieces. One with the ability to heal those wounds and scars that try to keep us stagnant and from moving on in life. Finding a way to get it off is a great place to start. Giving back to your community until your causes that allow your passion to thrive is a way to begin to find solutions of peace.
Transitioning from a sighted person to an unsighted individual was very difficult in the beginning. I had so many questions and so much fear for the unknown. Something was happening that I could not control, but it was going to totally change my life. Searching for answers and hope was the journey my faith took me on. I recognized that this experience was new for me, but not for the one who created us. The journey of 1000 miles starts with one step, and although each of our journeys are different, finding that space that allows your center to focus is where we each begin on the road to transitioning with blindness.
Even in this whirl wind of life, we are all bound to get tossed to and fro' from time to time. Being grounded in your beliefs and community of support, whatever that looks like for you, will center your heart and mind to live in that peaceful place. Peace amongst the pieces gives you hope in times of hopelessness and hope when there seem to be no end in sight of the storm ceasing.
Know that there are others that love and support us so greatly that we are never alone. Life uses every opportunity to show us how it is important to keep living our best. Strength within is always empowering us with internal guidance and peace, that we don't focus on what we can't see or what we feel we can't endure. Peace amongst the pieces to see how we can persevere through all those things that life's storm can bring. Assuredly putting us in a place, where we can thrive no matter what we may lack. To stand boldly in our own truth of transitioning with independence and inter dependence in every situation. Being the example of the beauty of self-reliance of awareness and advocacy of ourselves to help others. This is what we must be able to grab a hold of as we continually seek to strive and thrive on this road called life. Thriving to live at peace in the midst of all of our pieces together.
***
How A Treaty Signed In Marrakesh Made The Library Of Congress More Accessible
By Danny Freedman
https://www.washingtonpost.com/magazine/2022/02/15/how-treaty-signed-mar...
Braille and specially formatted audiobooks in Portuguese for a fifth-grader? The "Outlander" series in Braille? Various works by Nietzsche in Spanish audio? Books in Finnish for someone in hospice care?
Such requests are not unusual for the Library of Congress's National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled. What's dramatically changed for the library service and its 310,000 patrons is how those requests are answered. A year and a half ago "we would've had to just say, 'Sorry, there's no way we can get this,'" says Kelsey Corlett-Rivera, the NLS's foreign language librarian. "And now we can."
The surge of content in this admittedly niche realm is the result of a treaty signed in 2013 in Morocco, which only began bearing fruit in the United States in late 2020 after years of legislative work. Under the pact, known in short as the Marrakesh treaty, more than 100 nations so far have agreed to amend copyright laws to more easily allow for the creation--and the sharing across borders--of audio and electronic Braille versions of published works for people who are blind, have impaired vision or any disability that prevents their use of printed media. That includes disorders such as dyslexia and physical conditions that, say, inhibit someone from holding a book. Treaty nations can swap directly or through an online central clearinghouse. In late January, that catalogue listed about 730,000 items in more than 80 languages.
The same improved access is also now true for Braille music. Oft-requested musical scores that the Library of Congress never could seem to get permission to reproduce in Braille, such as Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah," suddenly are on the shelf. So are a growing list of tunes--including works by Adele and Billy Strayhorn and Bach--that each would have taken the library weeks to transcribe into Braille. "It's like leapfrogging over months and months of work," says Mary Dell Jenkins, an NLS music librarian.
While the National Library Service is no stranger to change--at 90 years old, it has traveled technology's evolution from phonograph discs to downloads--this shift leads Corlett-Rivera to refer to the past as "the Before Times."
U.S. law already allowed the NLS and authorized nonprofits to create accessible books without permission from the copyright holder. But the treaty extends that to music and scripts, and creates the crucial ability to pool resources with the world. For the NLS to produce its own version of a Nietzsche book in Spanish might've taken six months to professionally narrate, edit and build in the descriptive and navigational features that differentiate accessible audio from commercial audiobooks and those made with text-to-speech software. Instead, Corlett-Rivera was able to pluck a recording from a participating library in Spain.
The NLS is now stocking its digital shelves to broaden its reach, the potential for which may be wider than ever. About 22 percent of the U.S. population age 5 and older speaks a language other than English at home, and the number of adults 40 and over with vision loss has been predicted to double by 2050, to 25 million. Separate from the treaty, the NLS also changed who can certify a person's eligibility for its services, previously only physicians but now also teachers, reading specialists, librarians and others. In less than a year, that change led to a 43 percent increase in the number of reading patrons on the NLS roster, up to roughly 19,200.
"It really is a shopping spree every day," Corlett-Rivera told me. By late January, the service had added nearly 1,200 audiobooks, 370 in electronic Braille and 410 music instruction books or scores. More than a thousand other books were in the queue, awaiting delivery or undergoing the process of reformatting and cataloguing needed to join the NLS system.
The highest demand is for materials in Spanish, and those books will continue to be about 70 percent of the foreign language collection. But since November 2020, when NLS added its first books via the treaty, it has also bolstered its offerings in Arabic, including Ahmed Saadawi's prizewinning book "Frankenstein in Baghdad"; in French, with books such as George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Fire and Ice" series; plus books in Polish, Italian, German and beyond.
As queries have bubbled up from the NLS's nationwide network of affiliated libraries, which are patrons' primary points of contact, Corlett-Rivera has also sought titles in Gujarati, Haitian Creole, Korean, Somali, Hmong and Albanian, among others--including English. Some of the service's most popular English audiobooks are Amish romances imported from Canada. "We have a lot of patrons that are into that good, clean, happy reading," she says, "and Amish romance really checks all the boxes."
In turn, the NLS is sharing more than 100,000 of its own items through the treaty that are finding audiences around the world. The effort here, though, is still in its infancy.
I asked Tiffany Anderson, a 30-year-old in Clayton, N.C., who is blind and seeking work as a Spanish interpreter or tutor, about the new resource, but it was the first she had heard of it. Anderson had been searching, with little luck, for middle-grade Spanish Braille books to read alongside the audio, to keep up her pronunciation and spelling. She was excited, though, about the potential soon to more readily "have that option, like everyone else."
Success for now, Corlett-Rivera says, is still measured by collecting, rather than usage, which is a slender fraction of the 21.5 million items the NLS circulated last fiscal year. But she expects that to change in the year ahead, and so do some network libraries.
"It's still a little newish for us," says Sarah Jacobson, director of the Texas Talking Book Program in Austin. She expects interest will gather steam as more Spanish materials become available, and possibly a tool for patrons to search the global index themselves.
The deepening and the spread of this complex exchange, unfolding during a pandemic, is simply taking the time it needs, she says. "The primary goal for librarians is to get patrons what they want, and have them be able to have more fulfilled lives," she says. "I think the impact will be huge."
Danny Freedman is a journalist based in Memphis.
***
CCB Board Meeting Minutes
By Linda Porelle
California Council of the Blind
Open Board Meeting
February 10, 2022 7:30 PM
President Gabe Griffith called the meeting to order at 7:38 PM
Roll Call:
Present:
President, Gabe Griffith.
1st Vice President, Sarah Harris.
2nd Vice President, Rob Turner.
Secretary, Linda Porelle.
Treasurer, Lisa Thomas.
Immediate Past President, Judy Wilkinson.
Directors:
Steve Bauer.
Christy Crespin.
Nelly Emerson.
Larry Gassman.
Guillermo Robles.
Jeff Thom.
Stephanie Watts.
Frank Welte.
Absent:
Penny Valdovinos.
Meeting Agenda:
Call to order. Gabe Griffith.
Roll call and introduction of guests. Linda Porelle and Penny Valdovinos.
Additions to and adoption of agenda. Gabe Griffith.
Minutes January 13, 2022. Linda Porelle.
Treasurer's report. Lisa Thomas.
Board Announcements, any announcements Board members may have that are of interest to our members.
OnTheMuV contract. Judy Wilkinson.
Spanish translation resolution (report from the publications committee). Linda Porelle.
CCB Board liaison policy. Ad hoc committee.
Member Sound Off.
Meeting Agenda:
Christy moved and Jeff seconded the motion to adopt the meeting agenda with several additions. The motion passed unanimously.
Membership BAC Report, Rehab Issues Back to Spanish
January Minutes:
Guillermo moved and Rob seconded the motion to approve the January meeting minutes. The motion passed unanimously.
Treasurer's Report:
Larry moved and Linda seconded the motion to accept the treasurer's report. The motion passed unanimously. See treasurer's report for details.
Board Announcements:
Gabe reported that Energy Upgrade California (EUC) has extended our contract a little longer. It will now run through June 30. We will receive $39,000 each for 2 quarters.
Sarah reported that James spoke with her youth group and they were interested in meeting with him again.
Jeff requested that James report to the Board in March.
Christy announced that CDA will meet again on Feb 26 at 1 PM. She again asked for a tax update. Lisa again reported that we have no additional information from IRS or FTB and that she continues to check in with them for updates. Our information is in their systems, but their processing is slow.
On-the-MuV update - Judy:
We have been working to partner with them since late 2016 with an actual contract from Oct 2019. We began taking orders in late 2020. The contract gave us 20% of what we sold and exclusive rights to sell to the blindness community. We actually sold a combination of 40 units and received $4,000. At this point, the company has changed the terms of our agreement to such an extent that CCB has decided not to renew the agreement going forward. Judy acknowledged the countless hours that Steve Bauer spent on making this project work for us. However, we are choosing to let it go and explore other business options.
Recommendation Re On-the-MuV Contract:
Judy moved and Christy seconded the motion to accept the recommendation to not renew CCB's contract with On-the-MuV. The motion passed unanimously. Christy asked about the effect on the budget. It's turns out that it's a wash.
Membership Report - Guillermo:
We have 193 completed membership records to date. Last year we had 550. 11 chapters and affiliates out of 32, have not reported at all. He will ask Nicole to run a report. A small team will call presidents this weekend. They will be encouraged to send rosters in whatever format they can manage. We could add a week grace period for reporting. Rob suggested that we could have run the new format as a pilot. It was also suggested that presidents could receive email confirmation notices when their materials were received. Jeff asked if deadline could be later with overtime for Nicole to handle data entry. That option was dismissed due to the ACB fixed deadline. It was decided to take our many concerns about this process to the presidents' meeting for more feedback. Vita actually completed 60 of the records that have been submitted so far--193. Christy asked about officers' forms. Those can wait until we get the membership forms submitted.
BAC Report - Chris Fendrick and Sarah:
Some issues involving conflict of interest with ATS providers have been addressed. The issue of sexual harassment at NFB training sites will move forward and be addressed under Title 9 regulations. ISP providers will need to be qualified and live scanned. Chris wants to share BAC minutes with both CCB and NFBC groups. Sarah raised the need to look into the issue of unused OIB funds from the past. The BEP needs some renewed oversight as well. The new adult work experience option is 100 hours.
State of Blind Services Hearing Report - Jeff and Sarah:
Jeff has submitted some bill drafts. AB1999 will address mental health services for people with vision loss. A vision rehab bill has been introduced as well. Jeff noted that these could pass but could fail.
Translation Report - Linda:
Linda presented the publication committee's report on the availability of options for providing Spanish translation for our publications and for meetings. The committee recommended that interested CCB members become involved with the new subcommittee of ACB's Multi-Cultural Affairs Committee that are working to create options in this important area of membership development. Our members could then bring back new ways to share CCB with our Latinx and Hispanic communities.
Liaison Committee Report:
Jeff moved and Rob seconded the motion to accept the proposed liaison policy with plans to return with additional logistical recommendations. The motion passed unanimously. Linda presented the updated liaison policy. After some discussion, the liaison committee will review the calendar logistics once more and return with a final recommendation.
Member Sound Off:
Sharlene suggested acquiring an 800 number for Spanish speakers to call for information. Vita once again advocated for shorter meetings with time limits on topics. Certain items could be moved to email lists. Niki requested people identify themselves when speaking so others can learn who they are. A question was asked about who can add roster records. Only Nicole and Lisa can do it. Chris F. said the members received late notice for the legislative committee hearing. Anthony said we shouldn't necessarily push for more members to attend until we streamline the meetings and make them more relevant. Regina thinks we do need time to discuss complicated issues.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:43 PM.
California Council of the Blind
Public Board Meeting
March 10, 2022
7:30 PM
President Gabe Griffith called the meeting to order at 7:35 PM.
Roll Call:
Present:
President, Gabe Griffith.
1st Vice President, Sarah Harris.
2nd Vice President, Rob Turner.
Secretary, Linda Porelle.
Treasurer, Lisa Thomas.
Directors:
Steve Bauer.
Christy Crespin.
Nelly Emerson.
Larry Gassman.
Guillermo Robles.
Jeff Thom.
Penny Valdovinos.
Stephanie Watts.
Frank Welte.
Absent:
Immediate Past President, Judy Wilkinson.
Meeting Agenda:
Call to order. Gabe Griffith.
Roll call and introduction of guests. Linda Porelle and Penny Valdovinos.
Additions to and adoption of agenda. Gabe Griffith.
Minutes February 10, 2022. Linda Porelle.
Treasurer's report. Lisa Thomas.
President's report. Gabe Griffith.
Board announcements, any announcements Board members may have that are of interest to our members.
EUC report. James Collins.
Convention report. Sarah Harris.
Member sound off.
Meeting Agenda:
Penny moved and Rob seconded to adopt the meeting agenda with a slight rearrangement. The motion passed unanimously.
Energy Upgrade California (EUC) Report - James Collins:
They are beginning to execute time of use strategies as part of the SB350 Clean Air and Pollution Act. The agency has a new grant through May of this year. James is doing more in-person meetings, working month by month outreach through the wave campaign. He's beginning with the Bay Area counties and the greater LA counties as well. He's also reaching out to communities that speak other languages and other disability groups. They are also providing some COVID testing kits and masks. Christy asked about San Bernardino and Riverside counties. SB county has already transitioned to time of use. James is working a lot in the Central Valley. We asked if he can he do a time of use seminar. He plans to do some op-eds or community voices groups to look at challenges. Jeff asked about ASL speakers and can give a contact for them. James gave his contact information and ended his report.
February Meeting Minutes:
Linda moved and Guillermo seconded to approve the March meeting minutes. The motion passed unanimously.
Treasurer's Report:
Christy moved and Steve seconded to accept the treasurer's report. The motion passed unanimously. (See treasurer's report for details.)
President's Report - Gabe:
Gabe reported that we haven't quite finished entering members into database and plans to finish it this weekend. We have entered 393 members at closing today. The final count will be a little higher than that. He thanked Penny, Cathy and Zelda from CCLVI for working to revive CCCLV. He noted that 3 or 4 chapters never submitted a roster for this year. We will probably have a total of 425 to 450 members when the count is done. Rob asked about receiving final spreadsheets for chapters. Nicole will send them after finishing the database entries. She will send excel spreadsheets. Jeff asked about chapter suspensions. That option is a definite possibility. Gabe then reported on the meeting with Joanna from On-the-MuV. She informed us that they had a supply chain issue and other costs that have contributed to their decision to change the terms of our agreement. CCB has chosen not to renew our contract with ON-the-MuV. We will refer them to ACB and continue to advertise them in our materials. Vita returned to the topic of rosters, asking if we can get an extension from ACB. Gabe said that's not possible. Roger expressed concern about losing chapters and wondered how we could intervene to save them.
Board Announcements:
California Diabetics in Action (CDA) will be asking for affiliation in April. Penny thanked the Board for help with restarting CCCLV. Sarah is calling for resolutions.
Convention Update - Sarah:
Sarah reported that all but one main event speakers have confirmed. The pre-convention schedule is almost full. Larry will be media coordinator this year. Jeff asked about next year. Sarah is getting few responses from hotels about any future options. We might need to try a regional hybrid format.
Member Sound Off:
Olivia asked for details for DC legislative conference. Dan Spoone has released complete schedule. Regina Marie will send it out again in an email.
The meeting adjourned at 8:55 PM.
***
CCB Officers And Directors
As of July, 2022
Officers
President: Gabe Griffith (2022-2024, second term), Concord, 925-222-5762, gabe.griffith@ccbnet.org
1st Vice President: Sarah Harris (2021-2023, first term), Fresno, 559-816-1507 C, sarah.harris@ccbnet.org
2nd Vice President: Rob Turner (2022-2024, second term), Sunnyvale, 408-203-9300 C, rob.turner@ccbnet.org
Secretary: Linda Porelle (2021-2023, second term), San Francisco, 415-577-8437 C, linda.porelle@ccbnet.org
Treasurer: Lisa Presley-Thomas (2022-2024, third term), Fresno, 559-250-6760 C, lisa.thomas@ccbnet.org
Immediate Past President: Judy Wilkinson (2020-?), San Leandro, 510-388-5079 C, judy.wilkinson@ccbnet.org
Directors
Steve Bauer (2021-2023, second term), Culver City, 310-738-2853 C, steve.bauer@ccbnet.org
Christy Crespin (2021-2023, second term), Highland, 909-800-7189 C, christy.crespin@ccbnet.org
Nelly Emerson (2021-2023, second term), Santa Maria, 951-237-2960 C, nelly.emerson@ccbnet.org
Larry Gassman (2022-2024, second term), Fullerton, 562-706-7710, larry.gassman@ccbnet.org
Stephanie Watts (2021-2023, first term), Sacramento, 916-304-7297, swwatts3@gmail.com
Andrea DeKlotz (2022-2024, first term) Orange, 714-921-0289, catmom3260@gmail.com
Jeff Thom (2022-2024, second term), Sacramento, 916-995-3967 C, jeff.thom@ccbnet.org
Regina Brink (2022-2024, first term), Sacramento, 916-393-0662, reginamariemusic@gmail.com
Penny Valdovinos (2021-2023, second term), Bakersfield, 661-378-8282, penny.valdovinos@ccbnet.org
Publications Committee
Linda Porelle, Chair, San Francisco, 415-577-8437 C, linda.porelle@ccbnet.org
Mike Keithley, Editor, 650-386-6286 H, editor@ccbnet.org
Susan Glass, Associate Editor, editor@ccbnet.org
Sarah Harris
Lynne Nishihara
Andrea DeKlotz
Daveed Mandell
Roger Petersen
***
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.
Auxiliary Files
The links below go to alternative formats for the winter, 2022 Blind Californian.
