nTHE BLIND CALIFORNIAN
Quarterly Magazine of the
California Council of the Blind
Fall 2022
Volume 66, No. 4
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: http://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 http://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 winter 2023 issue of The Blind Californian is noon, November 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 https://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
Thank You Linda, Gabe Griffith
Crossing, Susan Glass
California NLS Network Library Assistive Technology Lending Program Launches, Mike Marlin
They Fly with the Greatest of Ease, Ed and Toni Eams
Independent Visually Impaired Entrepreneurs ONLINE Business Expo, submitted by Ardis Bazyn
Make Clean Energy Education More Inclusive, James J Collins
CCB Vision 2050: Part II and III, Why CCB Must Change, Frank Welte
I Won the Walt Disney Legacy Award, John Gassman
Let Your Voice Be Heard, Daveed Mandell
California Council of the Blind Open Board Meeting April 14, 2022, Linda Porelle
Seniors Corner, Robert Acosta
Bring Them Home, Daveed Mandell
CCB Officers and Directors
Donations
***
Editor's Corner
by Mike Keithley
Welcome to the fall, 2022 Blind Californian. Ah shucks, summer is over, no more conventions till next year!
After many years serving CCB, Linda Porelle is retiring to Maine and family. She will be missed for many reasons, particularly for her chairmanship of the Publications Committee. As far as we can tell, Linda has flown, come back some time! President Griffith starts this issue with a tribute to Linda's work in CCB, and, in fact, we have her very last Board meeting Minutes as Recording Secretary.
Frank Welte continues his series on rejuvenating CCB, and you'd better be ready. Daveed Mandell describes the Fair Housing Act and how to file an ADA complaint.
Lots more, read on!
***
Thank You Linda
by Gabe Griffith
By the time this article is published, Linda Porelle will probably be living in Maine. For anyone who has not heard, Linda submitted her resignation as CCB Secretary as well as chair of our publications committee and is moving back east. She leaves behind some large shoes to fill.
Linda moved to California in 2005 and immediately immersed herself in CCB. One of the first places I remember meeting her was as part of our resolutions committee. She brought a lot of knowledge and fun to those late nights. She very soon became President of the San Francisco chapter where she served 3 terms and afterwards, as that chapter's SEAGrant Committee chair. There are many students and former students who owe their technology to that committee which Linda has so ably chaired.
She has chaired our publications committee for many years. During her time as a member and as chair of that committee we have gone from publishing the Blind Californian on cassette to investigating various digital formats. Linda has guided us through having to give up the braille version of the magazine as well. I am only sorry that she isn't going to stay with us long enough to see us be able to resume the braille version of this publication. Linda, we will make sure you get a copy when it comes back.
One of the more rewarding projects I was able to work on with Linda was our appeal letters. She did a wonderful job of taking the interviews with the members we chose to highlight, and weaving them into a compelling story.
Most recently it has been my pleasure to work with Linda in her capacity as CCB Secretary. Thank you, Madam Secretary for your time on the CCB board in all your capacities. It has truly been a pleasure to have you as a colleague, and a privilege to call you a friend. We will miss you, but wish you the very best in this next chapter of your life. Our loss is definitely Maine's gain. I look forward to catching up with you at ACB conventions in coming years. Even though you are leaving California, we will always claim you as one of ours.
***
Crossing
by Susan Glass
That afternoon, we inched on shaky logs across the Maumee River,
the water roiling, the air swooning
with late summer gnats.
"I'd have been a botanist," you confided.
"Words like horticulture and mulch?
They kept me up at night.
The way 'loam' rolled off my tongue!
I dreamed of opening
a flower shop, but that meant botany school my father couldn't afford.
I studied teaching,
a woman's safe profession.
I married your father."
Your words, no more dangerous than the barbs on the pineapple mint vines clutching
our shirts and pants.
Still, I was careful.
"What else?"
"Swanland England. I wrote to a girl there at the start of the war.
We never met."
You paused, and in the space of your exhale I dropped
into my childhood kitchen, you at the stove,
me, breathless to be gone, beyond reach.
You asked in the voice of one accustomed to No.
"Find er for me?"
I never did.
I could say I was seventeen and careless,
But that wouldn't do.
Heedless. Heartless.
You didn't fill in the blanks now,
though I wished you would.
There was more of course:
your singing,
your month after month pleading
for the checkbook,
trousers and dresses for three growing kids.
Exploded plate in a kiln became drainage shards for garden pots,
the flower shop, a home landscape,
the public singer, a church lark
the all of libraries in your head, dispersed among children.
No wonder you loved
the smaller risks:
riding in starlit, open truck beds,
driving the roads with "no trespassing" signs,
buying the apricots not on the grocery list.
***
On the Heels of HumanWare Braille eReader Circulation, California NLS Network Library Assistive Technology Lending Program Launches in Fall 2022
by Mike Marlin
In June and July, 2022, the Braille Institute of America (BIA) Library--the Southern California NLS Regional, and California Braille and Talking Book Library (BTBL--the Northern California NLS Regional, began circulating NLS HumanWare model braille eReaders to braille reading patrons. We encourage new, current, as well as formerly inactive braille readers to contact their respective California NLS network libraries if interested in the 20-cell refreshable braille display device. If you are an interested non-braille reader, reluctant, or rusty braille reader, braille instruction should be available through various orientation, mobility, and rehabilitation centers around California (including Braille Institute), through braille instruction correspondence courses at Hadley School for the Blind (hadley.edu) and possibly through private, one-on-one instruction.
As we firmly plant ourselves in the 21st Century, a goal of California NLS network libraries is to connect patrons unfamiliar or unpracticed with reading technology to practical tools. Such tools can provide additional points of access to downloadable resources. To accomplish this outcome, BIA and BTBL have developed a three-year pilot program to bridge the digital divide so "That All May Read!".
To build the bridge, BTBL has procured funding for the acquisition of Verizon mobile Wi-Fi hotspots, HumanWare Victor Reader Stream audio players and HumanWare Explore 5 handheld video magnifiers. BIA is following suit, loaning Victor Reader Stream players and Ruby handheld magnifiers.
Along with these technology acquisitions slated for loan to hundreds of hitherto marginally unconnected patrons, the California State Library (BTBL's governing agency) has secured two new, permanent positions for BTBL: an Assistive Technology Coordinator (who began her tenure in April) and an Assistive Technology Librarian, currently in process of being hired. The funding also supports training classes and instructional materials, and BTBL expects all these components to come together in late 2022.
BIA began circulating VRS devices in August 2022. For BTBL, beta testing of devices began in August 2022, with expansion to the library's general membership planned for November 2022.
If you are interested in borrowing assistive technology and/or receiving training for any of these devices, please contact
btbl@library.ca.gov or call us toll free
(800) 952-5666 and follow the telephone prompts to the BARD and Assistive Technology support desk: (from the Main Menu, press 2 for Staff in Other Departments, then press 3 for Tech Support/Information) to put your name on the interest list. For Braille Institute Library patrons, please email
bils@brailleinstitute.org or call toll free
(800) 808-2555. If you are a patron of the Fresno Talking Book Library for the Blind, or San Francisco Talking Books and Braille Center, opportunities to borrow assistive technology through interlibrary loan will be forthcoming, so please stay tuned to your NLS Northern California Subregional Library media channels.
Let technology be your friend on a fun and rewarding pathway to information and reading satisfaction!
***
They Fly with the Greatest of Ease!
by Ed and Toni Eames
When most people hear the word "fat," they conjure up images ranging from fried chicken to double chocolate cake. On the other hand, hearing the word "FAT," conjures up images for us of suitcases, ticket counters, security check points and airplanes. As travel addicts, we cannot resist a stir of excitement on arriving at Fresno Air Terminal (FAT) accompanied by our frequent flier Golden Retriever guide dogs Echo and Escort.
As blind travelers, we find FAT, with its gates located along a straight corridor, an easy airport to navigate. Passing through security, the Golden boys stroll down the narrow hallway until we arrive at the gate. Along the way, we smile and the dogs wag their tails as passersby comment on how beautiful and well-behaved the Golden boys are. While waiting in the lounge for the boarding announcement, fellow passengers are permitted to pet Escort and Echo as long as they remain in a Down Stay.
When boarding is announced, our Goldens follow the ground crew member to the waiting plane. FAT does not have jet ways and the dogs must guide us along the tarmac to the bottom of the stairs leading into the plane. With the thunderous sounds of propeller and/or jet engines warming up, our hearing is temporarily obliterated. It is times like these when working with a dependable guide dog is particularly exhilarating.
For most of our trips transfers have to be made in Dallas, Los Angeles or Salt Lake City. Faced with a long layover, we take the opportunity to get the dogs out for relief. As a result, the safest and most convenient relief areas at these and other airports have been scouted out.
Until recently the dogs use the only weed patch at the Los Angeles airport complex. To our and the dogs dismay, on our last trip, we discovered the area had been upgraded by removing the weeds and replacing them with flowers. Not realizing this transformation had taken place, we permitted our canine partners to relieve in this newly beautified area. On the way back to the terminal, we were told the gardener was standing nearby, glowering at the desecration of his handiwork! Next time, an alternative relief area will have to be found!
Our canine assistants are not only a source of independence and pleasure for us: they also delight and distract other passengers. A favorite story involved a little boy on a Delta flight who was restless and noisy during our cross-country trip. As he and his mother were leaving the plane, little Johnny, observing the Goldens loudly exclaimed: "Mommy, look! Those dogs were on the plane and nobody even knew it!" Sighing with exhaustion, she replied, "Yes, Johnny! But everyone knew you were on board!"
On a U.S. Air flight we were fortunate to be bumped up to first class, and were sitting in the middle section of a wide-bodied plane with lots of space in front of us. A family traveling with three-year-old twins asked if the girls could pet our dogs. Our guides will remain in a DOWN STAY position in order to enjoy the benefits of the caresses of admiring fans. The children sat quietly for over an hour petting and cooing over the dogs. It was a mutual admiration society! The parents were so delighted with their temporary respite from child care; they jokingly suggested we coordinate our flights with their future travel plans!
All of our guide dogs have been frequent fliers and for many years our previous guides, Kirby and Ivy, were our constant companions. During a layover, Toni and a flight attendant took both dogs into the women's rest room to offer them water. While Toni took Ivy into the toilet stall, the American Airline escort offered water to Kirby. At this time of his working life, Kirby was quite distinctive having lost his left front leg to amputation from cancer. A preschooler, entering the rest room with her mother, exclaimed with surprise at Kirby's tripod status. At that point the attendant left the rest room to bring Kirby back to Ed. As Toni emerged from the stall with four-legged Ivy, the child shouted with glee, "Look, mommy! The doggy is all fixed! It has four legs again!"
Because of the dogs' presence, we sometimes meet celebrities in our travels. On a flight to New York, we met Carroll O'Connor and had a chance to chat with him. To our delight, the head flight attendant announced Mr. O'Connor was on board as well as celebrities Escort and Echo! While waiting to pick up our luggage, Carroll and his wife came over and took the opportunity to pet and chat with the boys. We were saddened recently to learn about the death of this great actor and dog lover.
On the last leg of an extended business trip, we were feeling the effects of being on eight planes in eleven days. After dozing for most of the flight we got up to stretch our legs and use the facilities. Ivy and Kirby were asleep under the seats in front of us, a place generally used for carry-on luggage. Apparently, during the few minutes we were away, an unexpected adventure took place. Not realizing a gluttonous Golden Retriever was curled up under her seat, she placed an open box of expensive cookies in that space. Imagine Ivy's delight when, without having to move a muscle, she was presented with this delectable treat! Imagine the passenger's consternation when, reaching for a cookie, she found a slimy empty box!
Returning to our seats, a distressed flight attendant reported this infraction of guide dog etiquette. Despite the fear of chocolate toxicity, we were so tired and giddy, we could only laugh. Before pulling ourselves together and apologizing to the passenger, several silly scenarios were conjured up. In one, the passenger was entering a baking contest. She had worked for years developing the perfect cookie and was on her way to enter her confections in an international cookie fair. However, in one gulp, Ivy destroyed her years of work. In the other scenario, the passenger's husband adored the cookies sold by a particular bakery in Florida. She only traveled to Florida once every three years and always brought back a box of his favorites. We empathized with his disappointment as she "walked off the plane," empty cookie box in hand.
On a non-stop cross-country flight on United, a flight attendant asked what would happen if our dogs needed to relieve themselves during the trip. We responded in a serious tone, "The pilot would simply have to land the plane." Quite startled, the attendant replied, "I'm so sorry. That simply isn't possible!"
While changing planes in Los Angeles, an Air Canada counter clerk inquired about the dogs' weight. "Aren't we scheduled to fly to Montreal on a 747?" we inquired. "You certainly are," responded the clerk, "but this information is 'required to balance the plane.'" Recognizing we were dealing with an official immersed in rules and regulations, with straight faces we endeavored to provide accurate weights for our guides. After all, we didn't want to be responsible for the plane tilting to one side!
People always ask where the dogs fly when they go on board with us. When we pre-board and have the dogs go under the seats in front, passengers cannot believe two large dogs can fit in such a confined space. Since they are neatly tucked away by the time other passengers board, we are frequently asked what happened to them. To tease some of those who inquire, we'll sometimes say we folded them up and put them in the overhead compartment! Of course, we then point to the boys lying contentedly at our feet and dispel the mystery!
For us and our fellow travelers, the Goldens act as a social icebreaker. Many people who would not think of talking to a stranger feel no qualms in approaching us and our canine assistants. Since the dogs are usually tucked away when other passengers board and based on the cookie caper, we usually warn the passengers in front that two dogs are under their seats. On more than one occasion, this interchange has resulted in great benefit. Going to a veterinary conference in Tulsa, it turned out the person in front of Ed was a veterinarian attending the same conference. He owned three clinics in Tulsa and asked us to speak to his staff.
Thus the magnetic canine personalities we travel with continue enriching our lives in a multiplicity of ways.
***
Independent Visually Impaired Entrepreneurs Online Business Expo
Submitted by Ardis Bazyn
IVIE is offering the following opportunity to blind or visually impaired business owners/entrepreneurs. If you join in our Online Business Expo, you can describe your products and services, pass on contact information, and allow participants to ask questions. IVIE members will pay $10 for a half hour session or $20 for an hour. If you are not an IVIE member, you pay $25 for a half hour session or $35 for an hour. Nonmembers will have the option of having $15 of the payment used to pay IVIE dues.
The Zoom line will be the same for all those participating. The date and time is November 12 from 11:45 am to 6 pm or later. At 11:45 am, an introduction of all the vendors participating with their specific time slots will be given along with instructions for those attending. A wrap-up at the end of the presentations will be available for anyone to ask any final questions of those exhibiting online.
For those wishing to purchase a time slot or ask questions, send an email to
info@ivie-acb.org with your request to present or exhibit. Please send your business name, product line, your telephone number, and your email address. You will be sent a link for payment and additional information. If you wish to attend the IVIE Online Business Expo to join this unique shopping experience, there is no cost. However, please send an email to register so that we can send you the Zoom call details. Send the email request to
info@ivie-acb.org or contact Ardis Bazyn, phone
818-238-9321.
***
Make Clean Energy Education More Inclusive
by James J. Collins
I am writing as the Community Educator for the California Council of the Blind (CCB). Our mission is to increase the independence, security, equality of opportunity, and quality of life for all Californians who are blind and visually impaired.
As a CCB representative, I recognize the increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events in California and how CCB members are disproportionately exposed to greater risks.
CCB continues to align its best practices with California Senate Bill 350 (SB350). Referred to as the "Clean Air and Pollution Reduction Act," SB350 mandates that publicly traded utilities increase comprehensive renewable energy portfolios (i.e., hydroelectric, wind, and solar technologies). The purpose is to protect the environment, stem extreme climate-related events, and secure resources for the state's most vulnerable communities and residents.
Since 2019, CCB has embarked on an education and outreach project to address current and future climate-related phenomena in the interest of informing overlooked communities, deploying resources to Americans with Disabilities (ADA) Californians, and bringing awareness to otherwise disparate residents.
CCB understands that all persons with disabilities have higher rates of illness and injury related to climate-averse events. These challenges are nothing new to our community. However, reduced accessibility to community resources and mobility challenges during emergency or evacuation situations is an everyday priority for us.
To improve positive outcomes in the event of life-threatening environmental hardships, CCB has partnered with a myriad of locally funded community programs to assist and support the state's most vulnerable populations. CCB works with local government, non-government, public, and private institutions to improve Assistive Functional Needs (AFN) or any technology that bridges the communication gap for ADA Californians.
So when we think about our neighbors who rely on medical devices, rural families with hurdles to food and health resource accessibility, and residents dependent on public transportation, let us think about how we can do more to protect one another. By adopting clean energy practices and making energy use education more inclusive, we can start to solve a great need for all Californians.
***
CCB Vision 2050: Part II and III, Why CCB Must Change
by Frank Welte
The previous article in this series was a brief overview of what I want CCB to be in the year 2050. I realize my idea of CCB's future represents a radical change for the organization, but I believe this change is necessary.
I joined the CCB's Stanislaus County chapter in 1986. In 1987 I attended my first convention of the American Council of the Blind in Los Angeles. After stepping away for three years to complete my education and establish myself in the working world, I began attending ACB conventions regularly in 1990, and I became active in the CCB Alameda County chapter in 1992. That fall, I attended my first CCB state convention in Los Angeles. Since then I have been active in five different local chapters over the years, and I have also been involved in various statewide and national special interest affiliates. I have served on numerous CCB committees and I have been a CCB officer and board member. I was employed as CCB's Director of Advocacy and Governmental Affairs for two years from 2009 to 2011.
During my time with CCB, I have seen our membership gradually increase in age and decline in numbers. I have also seen the weakening in our financial position.
I believe most members and leaders in CCB have done their best to keep our beloved organization going. Have we made mistakes? We certainly have, but these mistakes were not the result of a lack of good faith, effort, or commitment to CCB. While we should learn from, and not ignore our mistakes, we shouldn't waste our time or energy on blaming or holding grudges against each other. The path of bitterness is the road to self-destruction.
CCB operates in a 21st century environment that has changed significantly since the early years of the organization. As our past President, Mitch Pomerantz, has stated on many occasions, Americans are now much less likely to participate in civic organizations than was the case in past generations. Also, because most blind children don't attend specialized schools, they are much less likely to have the same strong connection to their blind peers that once existed in our community.
In the mid 20th century, thanks to World War II and the Korean War, and the epidemic of blind premature babies, there was an unusually large cohort of young, otherwise able-bodied blind youth and adults who were available to participate and lead in the organized blind movement. Today, most blind adults acquire their vision loss during middle age or during their retirement years. Those people who become blind as children are more likely to have additional significant disabilities.
These significant demographic changes in the blind population represent both a challenge and a huge opportunity for the California Council of the Blind. The challenge, as many of us realize, is that it is harder to find and attract new members to our organization. The opportunity is that the current blindness service system, including the National Federation of the Blind, was designed, and still largely prioritizes serving the young adult demographic that existed in the middle of the last century.
Because we do not have a heavy financial or contractual commitment to the current blindness service delivery systems, we are uniquely positioned to pivot quickly to a business model that can align with the new normal in the California blind community. Our largely older membership reflects the dominant segment of the blind population that is least likely to receive help from the existing blind rehabilitation system. This means we can reach out to our blind neighbors with a great deal of familiarity and understanding in a way that other organizations can't.
Because we have experienced disrespectful and patronizing treatment from blindness service agencies in the past, many of our members seem to harbor a deep mistrust of any effort on the part of CCB to provide direct blindness services or to incorporate nonprofit management structures or practices into our organization. This knee-jerk resistance to any CCB action that might make us act like "the agencies" is holding us back from taking our rightful place as the leading blindness organization in California.
I believe CCB can continue to be the leading advocacy organization we have always been, while also becoming the leading statewide blindness service provider without compromising our integrity. I will explain how we can achieve these seemingly contradictory goals in future articles in this series.
In order for CCB to move forward, we must both grow our membership, and build up our financial resources. Modern philanthropy has shifted from an ethos of charitable alms giving to one of business investing where donors invest in specific projects and then expect the recipients of those donation to demonstrate success in order to obtain continued funding. In order to operate successfully in this modern philanthropic marketplace, CCB will need to adopt modern nonprofit management and accounting practices. I will have more to say about this later in this series.
Meanwhile, in my next part, I'll show you how to bring the members of your local blind community together to help grow CCB at the local level. Then, I'll show how CCB can rapidly establish ourselves locally in every part of our state.
I welcome your feedback on this and future articles in this series. Send questions, ideas and criticisms to Frank.A.Welte@gmail.com.
Part III: CCB 2050 Vision: Let's All Grow CCB!
by Frank Welte
In the recent past, the California Council of the Blind has been losing members. Each of us can reverse this trend. Here's how.
There are hundreds of thousands of potential CCB members here in California. While statistics about the size of our blind and visually impaired population vary depending on the source of the data, I've found the following rough estimate to be reasonably accurate: It is safe to assume that in every group of a thousand people, there are two members of that group who are totally blind. That same group probably has 20 people who are either totally blind or visually impaired. This means that a small church with 500 members has a totally blind member and ten members who are blind or visually impaired. A medium sized city with a hundred thousand people has two hundred residents who are totally blind and two thousand members who are either blind or visually impaired. The state of California has nearly 40 million residents. That means that about 80 thousand Californians are totally blind, and an almost unimaginable eight hundred thousand Californians are visually impaired or blind. Even if these estimates are off by a significant percentage, we're still talking about a huge, unorganized blind community in this state.
The implications of these statistics are enormous. Even though you may think there are few or even no other blind people in your community, the truth is that you are not alone, and there are many people right in your community who could potentially join CCB.
If there are really so many blind and visually impaired people in your community, why don't you already know these people? The most obvious reason is that you just aren't seeing the other blind people in your town. After all, if you walk down one side of your street and another blind person walks down the other side of that same street, it's likely neither of you will know about the other person's existence because you don't see each other. Also, a lot of visually impaired people experience isolation in one way or another, so they may not be out and about in places where you could meet them. Indeed, one of those isolated people may be you.
It used to be an open secret in the California State Capitol that long-time State Assembly Speaker and later, San Francisco Mayor, Willie Brown, is a person with low vision. Like Mayor Brown, many people with visual impairments work very hard to hide their sight loss from others, so you, and everybody else, may be completely unaware of their visual disabilities. Our society's pervasive fear of and ignorance about blindness and low vision, not to mention the dread of losing driving privileges, keeps many low vision people "in the closet."
Many people live in denial about their vision loss. You'll hear someone say, "I'm not blind, I just don't see as well as I used to."
Finally, a lot of people who live with vision loss have never connected with the local blind community.
Here are some suggestions for bringing thousands of people from this giant, disconnected blind community into the California Council of the Blind:
It All Starts with You
Make a list of the blind and visually impaired people in your community whom you already know. Reach out to them. Give them a phone call. Write them a note. Invite them to lunch.
Make yourself visible in your community. Challenge yourself to leave your home every day, and go somewhere where you can be seen by and interact with people. Take a walk. Go shopping. Run errands. Go out to eat. Go to the library or to a park. Just get out and talk with people. As Eleanor Roosevelt is purported to have said, "Every day, do something that scares you."
Now that you're out in your community, get involved. Join a church, a club or other community group. Go to government meetings, political events, festivals, parades, farmer's markets, concerts, etc. A lot of these events are free of charge, so take advantage of these opportunities.
Now that you're engaged with your community, enlist your friends and neighbors in finding other blind people. Get yourself a box of business cards with your contact information on them. As you interact with your neighbors, ask them if they've seen other blind or vision impaired people around. If they have, give them a couple of your business cards, and ask them to share your contact information with other blind people that they meet. Don't be surprised if most people you talk with say they don't know of other blind people. The reality is that they probably cross paths with a lot of visually impaired people without noticing it. As you bring up the subject, you will be secretly training your associates to watch out for other people who don't have normal vision. Both you and your friends will be pleasantly surprised at how many other people with poor vision suddenly start turning up.
In time, your acquaintances will begin sharing your contact information with other blind people, some of whom will make contact with you. Your blind community network will begin to grow.
Once your blind community network begins to grow, you can start to bring these people together.
Don't hold back from bringing your local blind community together for fear of duplicating someone else's efforts. If others are also working on this project, you can expect to connect with these other community builders soon enough. Once you find each other, you can start working together.
Organize a self-help group.
There are a lot of people who are new to vision loss or who just want a way to connect with other blind people. A self-help group is a great way to share information, provide peer support, build friendships and bring the community together.
Find a place where you can hold a monthly meeting at little or no charge: a senior center, a senior residential building, a business with a large conference room, a public room at your local library, a meeting room at your local hospital, a classroom or auditorium at a local school or church, etc.
Once you have a meeting place, schedule your first group meeting, and invite people from your blind community network.
Print a flier about your meetings, and post copies at medical offices, community bulletin boards in stores and other public places. Post your meeting information on community calendars, in local newspapers and news media outlets, etc.
Your self-help group doesn't have to confine itself to its monthly meetings. The group can organize social activities that may attract other community members who wouldn't otherwise join the group.
As you build friendships in your self-help group and with your other blind contacts, you will be in a position to invite your friends to your local CCB chapter. If there is no chapter in your community, you and your friends can form the heart of a brand new CCB chapter.
With a thriving chapter in place, you can expand your local blind community by developing targeted outreach strategies to various population groups.
If you want to make connections with blind children and teens, reach out to teachers of the visually impaired in your area to plan activities that will bring groups of these kids together where they can also interact with adults, like you.
You and other blind adults can offer to volunteer in your local school programs for visually impaired students.
Your chapter can also hold fundraisers to help pay for college scholarships, adaptive equipment, student trips to ACB conventions and other enrichment programs.
You can also organize support groups and other activities for the families of blind children.
You can reach out to older blind adults by volunteering and organizing activities at local senior centers and at other venues that cater to older adults.
Now let's all go out and grow CCB!
In my next article, I'll explain how CCB can rapidly establish itself locally in every part of our state through starting new local and student chapters, County Committees, regional councils and more)
***
I Won the Walt Disney Legacy Award
by John Gassman
Someone once said that life is full of outstanding experiences. My most recent outstanding experience came at work, when on Tuesday July 16, 2019, I was given the highest award Disney can give to an employee. I am so proud to have won the Walt Disney Legacy Award.
Winners of this prestigious award are nominated by other cast members, and each winner is chosen based upon how they model three of Walt Disney's Legacy of Excellence criteria: dream, create, and inspire while in the workplace.
Those individuals who nominate a winner have to justify everything in writing and give examples of how the nominee dreams, creates, and inspires. Committees choose the winners, which turn out to be half of 1 percent of the entire global Disney Company. To illustrate how hard it is to win this prestigious award, we have about 450 people working at the Walt Disney Travel Company, and three of us won the award.
I've worked for Disney Travel booking vacation packages since 2003. I was the first totally blind person hired by the Disneyland resort, and perhaps even the entire Disney Company. We literally had to figure things out as we went along in the beginning of my time with Disney. We all worked together to make the reservation system accessible. An understanding group of Disney people and the JAWS for windows screen reader have allowed me to become extremely successful through the years.
I've trained 17 blind new-hires in my time with Disney. I also test the new software we use to be sure it is compatible with JAWS. I hope that eventually other Disney areas will hire good qualified blind individuals and I hope that I can help make that happen before I retire.
I still have trouble believing that I won this very important award! Everything culminated in July 2019 with the announcement. I'm so thankful that my two brothers Larry and Kevin Gassman, my sister Lisa Millhauser, sister-in-law Debbie Gassman, niece and nephew Nikki and Eddie Millhauser, could be there to experience it with me. In fact, when the award is given, the family is walked into the break room just as the name is announced. In my situation, they had to hide my family until the last moment because Larry is my twin brother and they didn't want the rest of the cast to see him and give away the winning choice ahead of time. If I had been paying more attention, I would have heard the reaction when they did see him just as my name was announced. I understand that a cast member saw them in the parking garage and knew instantly that I had won.
I was presented with a beautiful plaque, a photo of Walt Disney and a special name tag. My manager Anna gave me written descriptions of the name tag and pictures. This is her description of the name tag:
The name tag is all blue with a thin gold outline around the entire name tag. At the top of the name tag is a silver pin of sorcerer Mickey with a small diamond in the star right above his outstretched hand. Below the pin is my name in white lettering, and below that is Anaheim, CA, also in white lettering). In gold lettering below the hometown are the words "Dream, Create, Inspire."
I'm proud to be able to wear that name tag each day at work. The other Legacy award winner and I were also presented each with a 25 pound cake, mine chocolate, and Alondra's, lemon. After the families had their share, the rest was given to the remaining cast and was devoured in seconds.
Thanks to AIRA agent Grace for also giving me written descriptions of the award, photos, and written Legacy materials.
It was an honor to have won the award and to be thought of as somebody who models his work life true to the legacy of Walt Disney. Since the award was announced, I have had my photo taken in Disneyland at Sleeping Beauty Castle. I've been interviewed twice for Disney Publications, and once for FSCast Freedom Scientific's monthly podcast. I've also been interviewed for AIRACAst, which is a podcast produced by AIRA.
I think that every Disney cast member wonders what it might be like to win this award. In my case, I never dreamed I'd win it. You don't orchestrate a plan for winning it. You just do your job and if you are lucky and it's meant to be, it might happen. I know that my life will never be the same and that winning the Walt Disney Legacy Award is my proudest moment in 19 years with the Walt Disney Company.
Let me tell you about the culmination of this story, which is about the over the top dinner given to Walt Disney Legacy Award winners. Winners at Walt Disney World and those in Europe had their dinner in February of 2020. Those of us at the Disneyland Resort as well as Disney Asia were scheduled to have our dinner in March of 2020.
I guess you know what happened! The Pandemic closed down the resort and hotels along with our dinner. One of the variants put an end to the January, 2022 attempt, and it was rescheduled successfully on May 25 of 2022. Each of us were allowed to invite one guest, and I invited my twin brother Larry.
The award dinner took place in the ballroom of the Disneyland Hotel. The registration began at 5:30 with the reception at 5:45. Alexa Garcia, who was formally a Disney ambassador and friend from Disney Travel now on the events planning team, took Larry and me into the Disneyland Hotel ballroom where we were able to sit and enjoy food served at the reception.
I was given a special new badge to wear. The name tag is an all black background. In the top left corner in bold writing, it says "John," and below that in small writing it says "Gassman."
It was not the name tag I won with the award. As we found out based on conversation with the events manager, Disney didn't want us wearing that name tag in pictures just in case an individual had too much to drink. Fortunately nothing like that happened at all that evening. Others from Travel Company were there, including Chris Mortensen the Director, along with my award-winning colleagues Alondra PreCiado, and Darwin Manzala.
Food served at the reception included large shrimp on a skewer, and bread and butter. Salads were served at 6:15 with dinner at 7:00.
My Dinner and Larry's as well consisted of the following food:
First Course
Roasted Red and Golden Beet Salad with toasted hazelnuts, goat cheese, California citrus, pickled mustard seeds, citrus vinaigrette
Entree
Roasted Bone-In Angus Filet Mignon, Celery root puree, chef blend mushrooms, shallot confit, cabernet, risotto, broccoli, stewed tomatoes, potatoes and vegetables.
Dessert
Sorcerer Mickey Caramel Chocolate Tart, cookie butter crunch, magical masterpiece pure apple compote
Individual servings of bread, Parmesan, cheddar, garlic, onion
I should add that the wine was outstanding as well.
The entertainment was unbelievable! A special song written for the Legacy dinner was performed. I don't know if it was brand new for 2022 or used in previous Legacy dinners.
We had brief presentations from Josh D'Amaro, Disney Parks, Experiences and Products team (with whom we met and had pictures taken) and Ken Potrock, President of the Disneyland Resort.
Performers included a live Disney band plus soloists and a chorus; Josh Strickland, Disney's Original Tarzan on Broadway; Kissy Simmons, Nala in Disney's Lion King on Broadway; and finally Jodi Benson from the Little Mermaid, who in my opinion stole the show. She can still sing and emote just as well as she did in the movie.
The evening ended around 9:00 and was amazing, outstanding and very emotional for all of us.
The following day we met friends for a Character Breakfast at Goofy's Kitchen at the Disneyland hotel and then spent the rest of the day and evening enjoying the parks at the Disneyland Resort.
I think of how lucky I've been to work for Disney for nineteen years. Everything the name Walt Disney represents is embodied in the Legacy picture and plaque. I proudly wear the name tag to work while I'm in the office each day.
In a few months, we will welcome several new recipients to the award ranks. It's a lot like welcoming a new baby brother or sister to the family. I know I've grown since winning in July of 2019, and I am sure new winners will feel the same way.
Resources
My favorite two biographies on Walt Disney are available. For blind readers. They can be found on BARD.
DB-Thomas_ Bob Walt Disney_ an American original, DB11548
And
DB-Gabler, _Neal-Walt_Disney-_The_Triumph_of_the_American_Imagination-DB63503
***
Let Your Voice Be Heard: Filing an ADA Complaint
by Daveed Mandell
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) turned 32 on July 26. The first civil rights law in the world for people with disabilities, it held great promise when some of its titles took effect in 1992.
True, some of its requirements are minimal. True, there are serious problems with enforcement of the law. However, very few people file ADA complaints. No matter what its weaknesses may be, we can make the ADA work for us. We need to be vigilant and persistent and let officials know where the law isn't being followed. When warranted, it is absolutely essential to file ADA complaints.
Here is how to file an ADA complaint with the Justice Department.
From ada.gov: The Americans with Disabilities Act provides an important tool to fight discrimination: filing a complaint with an appropriate federal agency. This page outlines the steps to get you started.
Against Whom Can You File a Complaint?
If you believe that you or someone else was discriminated against based on a disability, you can file an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) complaint against the following entities:
- a state government or local government, such as a:
• public hospital;
• public school;
- other state or local government program;
- a private business that serves the public, such as a:
• restaurant; doctor's office; shop; hotel
Where and How to File Your Complaint
The nature of your complaint determines where you should file it. The table below tells you where and how to file your complaint.
[This Table contains 3 columns:
Type of Complaint;
Agency to File With;
How to File.]
Employment (e.g., issues at work or in applying for a job); Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC); Follow instructions on the EEOC site
(https://www.eeoc.gov/filing-charge-discrimination)
Air travel (involving a specific airline); Department of Transportation (DOT); Follow instructions on the DOT site
(https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/file-consumer-complaint)
Housing (e.g., denied housing or denied an accessible living space based on disability); Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Follow the instructions on the HUD site
(https://www.hud.gov/fairhousing/fileacomplaint%20#_How_To_File)
Complaints involving anything else; Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, See below.
Filing an ADA Complaint with the Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division
There are three options for filing an ADA complaint:
1. Online: File a complaint by submitting a report on the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division website
(civilrights.justice.gov/report/)
2. Mail: Fill out and send the paper ADA Complaint Form or a letter containing the same information, to:
U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530
3. Fax: Fill out and send the paper or a letter containing the same information, and fax to
(202) 307-1197.
(See ADA Complaint Form below.)
Remember to keep a copy of your complaint and the original documents for your own records.
After You File a Complaint
We might refer your complaint to:
- The ADA Mediation Program;
- A federal agency that handles the types of issues your complaint raises.
We could also:
- Contact you for more information;
- Investigate your complaint, which could lead to a settlement or a lawsuit.
Unfortunately, we cannot investigate every complaint. We will let you know if we are unable to mediate, refer, or investigate your complaint.
When Will You Hear from Us
We receive many ADA complaints from people around the United States. So, our review can take up to three months. If you have not heard from us after three months, you can call the ADA Information Line to check your complaint's status. You can reach the ADA Information Line at:
1-800-514-0301 (voice) or
1-800-514-0383 (TTY).
Even if we do not take any formal action, your complaint provides us with valuable information, helping us find issues affecting multiple people or communities, and helping us understand emerging trends and topics.
The ADA Mediation Program is an important part of ADA compliance and does not involve the courts. Mediation typically involves one or more meetings between you, the organization you complained about, and an impartial mediator, and it is designed to help you reach a mutual agreement. It can be a fair and quick way to resolve ADA complaints. It is confidential and voluntary.
If we think that your complaint might be a good fit for mediation, we will contact you and the organization you complained about. We will ask if you are both willing to participate in mediation. An investigator or attorney will contact you to get more information. The Department will not give your name or other personal information to anyone unless it is necessary for enforcement activities or is required by law.
ADA Complaint Form
[Editor's note: Research suggests that the complaint form is undergoing changes. Daveed included a complaint form in hopes that it will show you the depth of information you'll be asked to submit. It isn't included here. Instead, go to the
beta.ada.gov website. If I were doing this, I'd go through the form to appreciate what will be asked and then answer questions.]
***
California Council of the Blind
Open Board Meeting
April 14, 2022
President Gabe Griffith call the meeting to order at 7:31 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.
Penny Valdovinos.
Stephanie Watts.
Frank Welte.
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 March 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.
Convention report. Sarah Harris
CDA affiliation application. Gabe Griffith
Member sound off.
ACB Auction added.
Meeting Agenda: Larry moved and Guillermo seconded to adopt the agenda with one addition. The motion passed unanimously.
March Minutes: Steve moved and Penny seconded to accept the March meeting minutes. The motion passed unanimously.
Treasurer's Report: Linda moved and Stephanie seconded to accept the March treasurer's report. The motion passed unanimously.
(See treasurer's report for details.)
President's Report: Gabe reported that 515 members have been certified prior to the deadline. That's 25 fewer members than last year. As a result, CCB will lose 1 ACB vote. Three chapters did not report: Humboldt, Golden Gate and East Los Angeles. Gabe was unable to connect with their presidents. The Redwood Empire Chapter has decided to dissolve. They will be donating their assets of about $5,000 to the CCB scholarship fund in memory of the founders of their chapter.
Gabe noted no change in our tax-exempt status. Lisa continues to check with the IRS and the FTB.
Board Announcements: Christy announced that California Diabetics in Action (CDA) will meet on May 1. She also noted that the scholarship committee will meet after convention and is looking to recruit new members. Linda invited attendees to submit questions for the candidates forum on April 30.
Convention Report: Sarah reported that pre-convention activities will be starting Monday April 18.
Motion to Charge No Convention Registration Fee for One Year: Sarah moved and Steve seconded. The motion failed.
Summary: There followed a spirited discussion in which members express concerns about the possible financial implications of such a decision.
The registration fee will be $25.
Admission of CDA as an Affiliate of CCB: Rob moved and Penny seconded to admit California Diabetics in Action as an affiliate of CCB, to accept their credentials and to provide a $500 stipend. The motion passed unanimously.
Summary: Some members expressed concerns about the proposed CDA Constitution, the small number of founding members and the issue of membership retention.
Proposed Contribution to ACB Summer Auction: Jeff moved and Guillermo seconded to donate $100 for the ACB auction. The motion passed unanimously.
Member Sound Off: John R. invited members to the new virtual California hospitality suite at 7 PM on Friday evenings. Niki N. has invited friends to join CDA. Joe G. has a new guide dog and will be speaking at the GSGDHI meeting on April 23. Chris F. will be participating in the AFB leadership program. Joshua S. paid for convention and couldn't vote last year. The main CCB convention will be starting at 6 pm on May 12. The format requests deadline is April 29. We will have a performance by Jason Castonguay again this year.
Rob reminded presidents about recording for chapter roll call.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:36 PM.
***
Seniors Corner
by Robert Acosta, boacosta818@gmail.com
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 it to me for presentation in the Seniors Corner. Write to Robert Acosta, boacosta818@gmail.com.
We also invite you to consider joining the California Alliance on Aging and Vision Loss.
Please call Denise Weddle, Treasurer at:
(310) 306-8149.
In this issue of the Seniors Corner, we shall provide you with a presentation given to the California Alliance on Aging and Vision Loss at its annual business meeting on April 23, 2022 by Wendy Chouinard, Coordinator of Curriculum, Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults. To directly reach the proper Coordinator for the Helen Keller Center in California, please email Chad Metcalf at:
cmetcalf@helenkeller.org.
Preparing for Retirement and Beyond: Perceptions of Retirement
by Wendy Chouinard
Retirement probably means different things at different times! We are all aging and thinking of the future, and often hear many middle aged and older adults speaking about their retirement hopes and concerns. Some words and phrases commonly mentioned include relaxation, fun, family time, worry, Long Term Care appropriate for vision loss and blindness, sense of self, purpose, and money. It's a mix of emotions and ideas.
Thought leaders in gerontology are encouraging us to think about a "good" longer life. Emphasis on good. Laura Carstensen of the Stanford Center for Longevity says, "When we ask people how long they expect to live, people tend to look to whatever ages their parents lived to, and that's how long they think they're going to live. That's not a good measure anymore." Her frustration is that although we've added 30 years to our life expectancy, we've merely tacked them on to the end.
What is Retirement?
The word retirement is technically defined as referring to the time of life when we choose to permanently leave the workforce behind. The traditional retirement age in the US is 65. This age started when the Social Security Act of 1935 established 65 as the age of retirement in the United States. And in 1935, the average monthly Social Security check was around $22--if you lived long enough to qualify for it. The average life expectancy at the time was 60 for men and 64 for women. Life since then has changed so much, including a much longer lifespan, but the expected retirement age has not changed much. Many of us still have 65 in our mind as the time to make a big transition.
As you think about your retirement, and beyond, you may want to visit the Social Security Administration's accessible life expectancy calculator that will tell you the average number of additional years a person with your date of birth and gender can expect to live. Using this calculator, a 65-year-old woman born on Jan. 1, 1955, has a life expectancy of 86.6 years. And if she makes it to age 70, her life expectancy increases to 87.6 years. A man the same age has an average life expectancy of 84.1 years. Gerontologists are now encouraging people to think about 90- and 100-year lives now, and make plans that take advantage of those extra 30 years throughout their lives. Pick up a new sport at 40, go back to school at 50, start a new career at 60.
Next I'd like to talk about 6 important ideas for your consideration.
Idea 1: Define Your Retirement
You probably have some ideas of how you'd like to spend retirement. They may have been fleeting thoughts. According to AARP, its best to write your objectives down, listing the most important goals first. Focus on ideas and be as specific as you can. For example, instead of "travel", list "trips to the lake" or "European vacation." Instead of "stay involved in my community", write down "volunteer with kids one day a week". Try to limit the list to your top five goals. Be practical: Your list should rule out unnecessary expenses. Make sure all your financial needs are met as you brainstorm. The more descriptive you are, the more tangible your retirement will be. This will help keep you focused on a realistic set of goals, which will make each of them more attainable. If your goals are still general or vague, that's OK, too. You can simply start by outlining how you envision enjoying your retirement and calendar revisiting the brainstorm every month or so.
Idea 2: Money Matters
Social Security income was intended to be part of a 3-legged stool. The other two legs are a pension (public or 401K) and personal savings, including large assets such as a home. If you haven't elected when to take your Social Security yet, wait as long as you can. The longer you wait to start collecting Social Security, up to age 70, the larger your monthly check will be. Wait until you reach your full retirement age, if possible, so you earn a full amount each month. Get an estimate of the income you can expect to receive at different retirement ages with the Social Security Benefits Calculator. I can't stress how important this decision is, because it is one and done. If you are able to work more in order to delay an early Social Security Benefits decision, it's an important consideration to make. Whether you are married, single, widowed or divorced, it usually pays to wait to claim.
Very few older adults these days are fully, financially prepared for a 30-year retirement. There are various retirement calculator tools online that help you estimate what you need to earn monthly to maintain your lifestyle. One is available from AARP and shown in the notes. The National Council on Aging has a Benefits Check Up tool that you can also use as you look at your budget numbers. Although things may change some, once you anticipate your retirement income, you can use the Benefits Check Up tool to see what kind of support you may receive beyond Social Security. Senior Benefits: Find Help Paying for Everyday Needs at:
benefitscheckup.org
Your budget forecasting needs to include:
How much money is coming in.
How much it will cost to reach the goals you identify.
How much debt you have.
Start by tracking your income and expenses for a couple of months. Next, figure out how much money you'll need in retirement to support your chosen lifestyle. You'll also need to do a financial checkup of your investments. Make sure you are diversifying your money investing in things you understand and going with those investments that won't cost you a ton in fees. If you are carrying debt, make sure your budget includes monthly payments to knock it down. If you need additional help and want to consider things such as a reverse mortgage, connecting with a Consumer Credit Counseling Agency such as
credit.org is wise.
Idea 3: Seriously Consider the Glide Path to Retirement
Perhaps the phase of life 65+ doesn't need to be so hard and fast. After all, as we keep mentioning, many people are living very long lives. Unless you are financially set for life, you will have to either stretch limited money and give up some retirement dreams or stay in the workforce (in some capacity) to help pay for those dreams. Earning some income after you retire means you can continue to save, or avoid cracking open your nest egg for smaller living expenses.
I recently heard about America's oldest park ranger, Betty Reid Soskin, decided to retire from her job at the age of 100. She started with the Park Service at the age of 85! Many of us are going to have 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th acts! At 65 years old, many people are often at peak performance in their careers. Combine that with studies linking a total retirement to substantially higher rates of depression and physical illness, and there is a strong case for staying in the workforce past 65 years of age.
The Stanford Center on Longevity has created The New Map of Life. It lays out options for working less rather than full time or not at all. Consider a "glide path" into retirement that involves decreasing work hours gradually over a period of years. Look into educational opportunities that allow you to learn new skills or redirect your career path. Or try a "returnship," a twist on an internship that incentivizes retirees to return to the workplace to share expertise and alleviate labor shortages. This may include partnering with the Department of Rehabilitation for training and equipment. The Helen Keller National Center operates a program in California that can support older adults with employability. If you have a combined hearing and vision loss and need assistance to remain successful at work, you may benefit from specialized training with HKNC's California Community Service Program.
Another program worth mentioning is The Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP). It is a community service and work-based job training program for older Americans. Authorized by the Older Americans Act, the program provides training for low-income unemployed seniors. Participants also have access to employment assistance through American Job Centers. Visit:
www.aarp.org/aarp-foundation/our-work/income/scsep
Idea 4: Health and Wellness
Exercise, exercise, exercise. Now and forever.
Older adults with low vision and who are blind enjoy many health and wellness activities, including--martial arts, swimming, yoga. If you have been physically active, keep it up and adapt as you need to. If you are struggling with exercise, make an appointment with your Primary Care Physician for advice and recommendations, including a referral for Physical Therapy, as needed.
The National Institute on Aging has a landing page at
www.nia.nih.gov/health/exercise-physical-activity
and the National Braille Press offers a publication called Fitness After 50 at:
www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/FITNESS50.html.
Fitness After 50 explains that you don't need to join a gym or buy expensive equipment. Everything you need to begin your own exercise program is right inside this book. Fitness Over Fifty includes: exercise safety tips, ways to get and stay motivated, endurance, flexibility, strength and balance exercises, and nutrition and healthy eating tips.
Your local area agency on aging also offers health and wellness classes, including chronic disease self-management groups. You can find them online or call
(800) 510-2020 from anywhere in California.
Idea 5: Your Social Network is Part of Your Health and Wellness
Midlife for many is packed with raising kids and the most productive years of work. As a result of the busyness of midlife, close friendships sometimes fall by the wayside. Make an effort now to put friendship high on your list. Our social relationships are directly related to our health. Loneliness represents a significant public health risk, with some studies saying loneliness is the equivalent of smoking 15 cigarettes a day. But maintaining a social life doesn't mean you need to be at a party every night. In general, people with three to five close friends report the highest levels of life satisfaction. Virtual groups can also provide socialization and support and have been one of the silver linings of the pandemic. One is called Well Connected, a free virtual senior center that even has a "Living with Vision Loss" group in its course catalogues. Well Connected is proud to have an accessibility council and about 30% of older adults who attend are blind or live with low vision. Visit:
https://covia.org/programs/well-connected/.
Idea 6: Prepare for the Unexpected
Few of us head into retirement expecting the worst. But sometimes it happens. Prepare for the unexpected now and you won't get caught off guard later. Taking time to consider how you'd pay for--and respond to--everything from minor issues like a roof leak to serious ones like a grave illness will help you weather those storms when they come. Discuss the big issues with your family or those closest to you.
Take stock of your protection. Do you have enough homeowner's insurance to cover a major calamity? Is your health insurance or long-term care insurance adequate? If your insurance coverage lacks some things, now is the time to increase it. Put money aside for the unexpected. Preparing now means you won't pay later.
Before we have Q and A, I'd like to share a little more about the Helen Keller National Center.
I mentioned that the Helen Keller National Center is positioned to specifically provide information, referral and support to people living with combined hearing and vision loss. Should you need our help now or in the future, keep in mind that we host Confident Living Programs for older adults that focus on:
Learning about the latest in assistive technology.
Learning strategies to help you take care of your home, prepare for emergencies, travel safely, enjoy leisure activities and more.
Interact with people who know exactly what you are going through, providing peer support. Or as some older adults say, survival strategies.
Find out about services and resources that are available to you, including I Can Connect and aging services programs.
Our Regional Representatives are the first point of contact, providing information about education and services opportunities that are available locally, nationally, and virtually.
Resources:
HKNC: Helen Keller National Center for DeafBlind Youths & Adults (HKNC)
https://www.helenkeller.org/hknc
5 Ways to Prepare for a Longer Life
https://stanfordmag.org/contents/5-ways-to-prepare-for-a-longer-life
10 Steps to Get Ready for Retirement
https://www.aarp.org/work/social-security/info-05-2011/10-steps-to-retir...
Benefits Check Up: Senior Benefits: Find Help Paying for Everyday Needs
https://benefitscheckup.org/
The New Map of Life
https://longevity.stanford.edu/the-new-map-of-life-report/
Retirement Living and Vision Loss
https://visionaware.org/for-seniors/retirement-living/
10 Steps to Get Ready for Retirement
https://www.aarp.org/work/social-security/info-05-2011/10-steps-to-retir...
Well Connected Virtual Senior Programming
https://covia.org/programs/well-connected/
National Institute on Aging Exercise and Physical Activity
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/exercise-physical-activity
National Braille Press Fitness After 50
https://www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/FITNESS50.html
Calculators
AARP Retirement Calculator
https://www.aarp.org/work/retirement-planning/retirement_calculator.html
AARP Health Costs Calculator
https://press.aarp.org/2013-11-25-AARP-Introduces-Free-Health-Care-Costs...
Social Security Longevity Calculator
https://www.ssa.gov/OACT/population/longevity.html
Social Security Benefits Calculator
https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/calculators/
***
Bring Them Home: The Fair Housing Amendments Act
by Daveed Mandell
Finding affordable housing is one of the most pressing issues for people with disabilities. Yet very few people are familiar with their rights under the Fair Housing Amendments Act (FHAA).
Signed into law on September 13, 1988, the FHAA took effect on March 12, 1989. It amended Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin in housing sales, rentals or financing. The Act added protections for people with disabilities and the presence of children.
The Act covers most housing. In some circumstances, it exempts:
- owner-occupied buildings with no more than four units;
- single-family housing sold or rented without the use of a broker; and
- housing operated by organizations and private clubs that limit occupancy to members.
Under the HFAA, no one may:
- Refuse to rent or sell housing;
- Refuse to negotiate for housing;
- Make housing unavailable;
- Deny a dwelling;
- Set different terms, conditions or privileges for sale or rental of a dwelling;
- Provide different housing services or facilities;
- Falsely deny that housing is available for inspection, sale, or rental;
- For profit, persuade owners to sell or rent (blockbusting); or
- Deny anyone access to, or membership in, a facility or service (such as a multiple listing service) related to the sale or rental of housing.
In Mortgage Lending, no one may:
- Refuse to make a mortgage loan;
- Refuse to provide information regarding loans;
- Impose different terms or conditions on a loan, such as different interest rates, points, or fees;
- Discriminate in appraising property;
- Refuse to purchase a loan; or
- Set different terms or conditions for purchasing a loan.
It is illegal for anyone to:
- Threaten, coerce, intimidate or interfere with anyone exercising a fair housing right or assisting others who exercise that right;
- Advertise or make any statement that indicates a limitation or preference based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, or disability. (This prohibition against discriminatory advertising applies to single-family and owner-occupied housing that is otherwise exempt from the Fair Housing Act.)
If you, or someone associated with you:
- Have (has) a physical or mental disability (including hearing, mobility and visual impairments, chronic alcoholism, chronic mental illness, AIDS, AIDS Related Complex individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) that substantially limits one or more major life activities;
- Have (has) a record of such a disability; or
- Are (is) regarded as having such a disability.
Your landlord may not:
- Refuse to let you make reasonable modifications to your dwelling or common use areas, at your expense, if necessary for the disabled person to use the housing. (Where reasonable, the landlord may permit changes only if you agree to restore the property to its original condition when you move.);
- Refuse to make reasonable accommodations in rules, policies, practices or services if necessary for the disabled person to use the housing.
A building with a no pets policy must allow a visually impaired tenant to keep a guide dog.
An apartment complex that offers tenants ample, unassigned parking must honor a request from a mobility-impaired tenant for a reserved space near her apartment if necessary to assure that she can have access to her apartment.
However, housing need not be made available to a person who is a direct threat to the health or safety of others or who currently uses illegal drugs.
Requirements for New Buildings.
In buildings that are ready for first occupancy after March 13, 1991, and have an elevator and four or more units:
- Public and common areas must be accessible to persons with disabilities;
- Doors and hallways must be wide enough for wheelchairs.
All units must have:
- An accessible route into and through the unit;
- Accessible light switches, electrical outlets, thermostats and other environmental controls;
- Reinforced bathroom walls to allow later installation of grab bars; and
- Kitchens and bathrooms that can be used by people in wheelchairs.
If a building with four or more units has no elevator and will be ready for first occupancy after March 13, 1991, these standards apply to ground floor units.
These requirements for new buildings do not replace any more stringent standards in state or federal law.
Unless a building or community qualifies as housing for older persons, it may not discriminate based on familial status. That is, it may not discriminate against families in which one or more children under 18 live with:
- A parent;
- A person who has legal custody of the child or children; or
- The designee of the parent or legal custodian, with the parent or custodian's written permission.
Familial status protection also applies to pregnant women and anyone securing legal custody of a child under 18.
Exemption: Housing for older persons is exempt from the prohibition against familial status discrimination if:
- The HUD Secretary has determined that it is specifically designed for and occupied by elderly persons under a Federal, State or local government program; or
- It is occupied solely by persons who are 62 or older; or
- It houses at least one person who is 55 or older in at least 80 percent of the occupied units, and adheres to a policy that demonstrates an intent to house persons who are 55 or older.
A transition period permits residents on or before September 13, 1988, to continue living in the housing, regardless of their age, without interfering with the exemption.
Where to Go for Help
Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity
Room 5116
Department of Housing and Urban Development
451 Seventh Street, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20410-2000
(202) 708-2878
For information, or to report a violation of the Fair Housing, visit the website:
https://www.usa.gov/federal-agencies/office-of-fair-housing-and-equal-op...
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CCB Officers and Directors
As of July, 2022
Officers
President: Gabe Griffith (2022-2024, 2nd term), Concord, 925-222-5762, gabe.griffith@ccbnet.org
1st Vice President: Sarah Harris (2021-2023, 1st term), Fresno, 559-816-1507 C, sarah.harris@ccbnet.org
2nd Vice President: Rob Turner (2022-2024, 2nd term), Sunnyvale, 408-203-9300 C, rob.turner@ccbnet.org
Secretary: Linda Porelle (2021-2023, 2nd term), San Francisco, 415-577-8437 C, linda.porelle@ccbnet.org
Treasurer: Lisa Presley-Thomas (2022-2024, 3rd 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, 2nd term), Culver City, 310-738-2853 C, steve.bauer@ccbnet.org
Christy Crespin (2021-2023, 2nd term), Highland, 909-800-7189 C, christy.crespin@ccbnet.org
Nelly Emerson (2021-2023, 2nd term), Santa Maria, 951-237-2960 C, nelly.emerson@ccbnet.org
Larry Gassman (2022-2024, 2nd term), Fullerton, 562-706-7710, larry.gassman@ccbnet.org
Stephanie Watts (2021-2023, 1st term), Sacramento, 916-304-7297, swwatts3@gmail.com
Andrea DeKlotz (2022-2024, 1st term) Orange, 714-921-0289, catmom3260@gmail.com
Jeff Thom (2022-2024, 2nd term), Sacramento, 916-995-3967 C, jeff.thom@ccbnet.org
Regina Brink (2022-2024, 1st term), Sacramento, 916-393-0662, reginamariemusic@gmail.com
Penny Valdovinos (2021-2023, 2nd 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
Gabe Griffith
Sarah Harris
Lynn Nishihara
Roger Petersen
Bonnie Rennie
Judy Wilkinson
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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.
External links
The links below go to alternative formats for the fall, 2022 Blind Californian:
