[Iabs-talk] Braille Examiner Text Verstion
Connie Davis
condav850 at yahoo.com
Tue Oct 17 22:32:02 CDT 2006
The Braille Examiner
The Braille Examiner
Spring 2006
A Publication of the National Federation of the Blind of Illinois
Editor: Connie J. Davis
Co-Editor: Debbie Stein
President: Lois Montgomery
Contact Information
President: Lois Montgomery, (309) 762-NFBI (6324), Lmm3527 at aol.com.
Editor: Connie Davis, (773) 338-6922, condav850 at sbcglobal.net.
Co-Editor: Deborah Kent Stein, (773) 631-1093, dkent5817 at worldnet.att.net.
Print & Braille Duplication & Distribution: Carmen Dennis, carmen88 at comcast.net, (773) 583-0899
Tape duplication: Pittman Enterprises & Associates, pittman.e.a at cometlink.com, (773) 779-1856, fax773.779.2763, Debbie Pittman
Announcements:
All address or format changes should be sent to Connie Davis or Debbie Stein.
If you know someone who is not receiving the Examiner, please tell him or her to contact either Connie or Debbie.
In your mailing envelope, you will find another envelope. It is already addressed and stamped Free Matter. We request that you return your tape for recycling. That will help us defray the costs of producing the newsletter.
Thank you!
Editorial
By Connie J. Davis
At the February meeting of the Chicago Chapter, Brian Johnson, president of five years, announced that he would not seek re-election. Brian has been in the Federation since 1976. It is because of his belief in the Federation philosophy that I, along with countless others, joined the NFB.
I met Brian in 1978, when he served as my rehab counselor. He began to share the NFB philosophy with me, although I didn't know it at the time. I joined the Federation in 1980, at his urging. During the past twenty-six years, Brian has given countless hours to help make the lives of blind people better. He has not only served as president of the Chicago Chapter, he has also been a board member, public relations chairman, state board member, chairman of the Advocacy and Legislative Committees.
I stand with many others to thank Brian for all that he has done for the affiliate. I'm sure that Brian will continue to work to improve the quality of life for blind people.
Message from our president:
By Lois Montgomery
Chapter Announcements & News
Blackhawk Chapter
By Robert Gardner
The NFBI Blackhawk Chapter holds its monthly meetings the second Saturday of each month at 1:30 P.M. We meet in the South Moline Township Center located at 637-17th Avenue, East Moline. People who need transportation to meetings can arrange a ride.
Recent meeting programs have featured demonstrations of access technology; including a scanner that reads bar codes on consumer products and gives the information in speech output, a closed circuit TV system and an accessible cell phone.
Future meetings will incorporate demonstrations of the Kurzweil Reader being developed under the sponsorship of the NFB and a program from our Illinois DORS local representatives.
The chapter participated in the "Younkers Community Days" fundraising event at Southpark Mall in Moline, at the beginning of March. We will also take part in the "Birdies For Charity" fundraiser, associated with the John Deere Golf Tournament in July. Not only are these worthy fundraisers, but they also provide chapter members with an opportunity to educate the public about blindness-related issues and to share the NFB philosophy.
The NFBI Blackhawk Chapter publishes a monthly newsletter, "Hawk Talk." The newsletter is available on the NFB IL-Talk listserv on the Internet, on the NFBI website, can be sent by E-mail or snail mail to anyone who wants it.
We are the blind speaking for the blind and are changing what it means to be blind in the Quad-Cities and northwestern Illinois. We have fifty enthusiastic members, so come and join us!
Chicago Chapter
By Brian Johnson
March 18, April 8, and May 13 are the next 3 dates for the National Federation of the Blind of Illinois Chicago Chapter meetings. We will have a board meeting on March 18 at 11:30; we'll hold our annual elections in April and our membership tea in May. All of our meetings take place at Exchequer Pub, 226 South Wabash in Chicago at 1:00 pm.
Our spring candy sale will be under way soon. Our latest Carson's Day was a success, thanks to Joe Monti, Kelly Doty, David Meyer, and Mary Monti. Thanks also to those who sold Carson's coupons. We are planning a career day at one of the local high schools sometime in the spring. Hope to
see you in Chicago in March, April, and May.
Ferris Wheel Chapter
By Cathy Randall
Our Ferris Wheel Chapter continues to move forward. We have prospective members, we discuss Monitor articles at each meeting and we plan to have regular guest speakers. We also send out press releases to announce our meetings.
We will make our annual presentation to the Prairieland United Way mentoring and education panel, for our grant request, on March 15. We have also received a partial grant to assist chapter members to attend National Convention.
We continue to mentor ISVI post-graduates in the Transitions Living Center Program.
Four Rivers Chapter News
By Annette Grove
The Chapter met on Saturday, February 11 for a pre-Valentine’s Day luncheon and meeting at the Lincoln Jug in downtown Belleville. Members Bob Knight and Marie Edrington announced their engagement with plans for an early September wedding.
The members also welcomed back President Annette Grove from her extended mission trip to Guatemala and Nicaragua. She shared many interesting experiences about her work with children living in the garbage dumps of Guatemala City. In Nicaragua she met organic coffee growers living in remote mountain regions and a group of courageous women who created an organic textile co-op. She also had an opportunity to meet with several people with disabilities. Unfortunately, most blind people are left to resort to begging in the streets, deaf children resort to creating their own methods of signing and persons using wheelchairs tend to remain at home due to the obstacles of inaccessible streets and buildings. It was heartwarming to see a young man in a wheelchair gainfully employed and productive at the textile co-op.
Coming events for the Four Rivers Chapter include:
March 11, April 8 at 12:30: Regular Chapter Meetings at the Belleville Public Library on East Washington Street.
May 12 at Noon: Regular Chapter Meeting and picnic lunch and workday at the home of Paulette Buetner, 108 Las Olas Dr. in Belleville.
May 19-20 from 8:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. Annual Chapter Yard and Garage Sale at 108 Las Olas Dr. in Belleville. While you may not be able to ship your "treasures" down to us for sale nor come to buy someone else's "trash," we'd welcome any advice you might have for us in conducting a chapter sale of this type. This will be our first annual sale!
The Four Rivers Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of Illinois is pleased to announce that chapter member and past president, Brian Sumner was awarded the distinction of Employee of the Year for 2005 at Barnes Jewish Hospital, part of the BJC Healthcare System. Brian began work at Barnes on April 13, 1994 and has earned this honor as a result of his excellent service, dedication and attendance. Brian works as a Shuttle Runner delivering mail and specimens throughout the maze of this gigantic complex in the central west end of St. Louis. Brian was totally surprised with this honor, commenting that when he was called into the office to learn the news he wondered, "Now what did I do?" Besides a myriad of congratulatory letters signed by department supervisors and managers he also received a certificate and letters from Andy Ziskind, President of Barnes/Jewish and from Steven Lipstein, CEO of BJC Healthcare System. Brian also received a $500 bonus.
Further information about any of the foregoing can be obtained by calling Annette Grove at (314) 304-9634.
Heartland Chapter
By Bryan Turner
The Kankakee Heartland Chapter will be holding its chapter meetings at a new location as of April 1, 2006. Meetings will be held at the Bourbonnais Public Library, 250 W. John Casey Road. Heartland Chapter meetings are held on the first Saturday of each month, from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m.
The new meeting location will be more accommodating for those members with mobility problems. The library is on one level with no stairs or ramps, and will allow for growth of the chapter. There are two meeting rooms; one holds twenty-five and the other accommodates seventy-five people. We hope that this move will appeal to everyone who attends our chapter meetings.
Upcoming meetings in April and May for the Heartland Chapter should be of great interest to everyone. At our April meeting Matt Janusauskas from Humanware will talk to the chapter about the available technology. Christy Stua will also speak briefly on Heritage Oaks Assistive Living Center. Affiliate president Lois Montgomery will attend our May meeting to demonstrate the new K-NFB, or hand-held reader, from Kurzweil. There has been much interest shown in this new device since its introduction at National Convention in Louisville last summer.
If you would like more information on the meetings, or need directions from your area, please contact chapter president Bryan Turner at (815) 939-7386 or by e-mail at: bryan_turner at sbcglobal.net.
Our annual fundraising event is rapidly approaching. This year, the event will be held again at the Bradley WAL-Mart, located at 1260 N. Kinzie Ave, Saturday, June 17th from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. We will be selling candy bars this year. There will also be a large array of NFB literature available, including information on the different programs, News-Line, Braille alphabet cards, the latest issue of Voice of the Diabetic and much, much more.
This is one of our most important public appearances as a chapter, and we hope to have a great turnout again.
Nothing Like Being There
By Brian Johnson
On Thursday January 26, I received a call from Senator Barack Obama's office. Was I going to be in Washington the following week? I said Illinois was sending almost a dozen people going to the Washington Seminar. The woman on the phone asked if I, specifically, was coming. I said I was. Then she asked me if I would like to
attend the State of the Union Address, in view of the fact that they had an extra ticket. I was overjoyed and immediately said yes. The senator's office indicated
that because I had been trying unsuccessfully to see Senator Obama for a couple of years, they would try to make up for it by inviting me to the event. Names were selected from the faxes they received. Given the fact that I
had been involved with making appointments with the congressmen, my name appeared on many of the faxes. If I didn't go, they would select another name. The ticket, of course, was not transferable. I then informed Mr. McCarthy. After we arrived at the Holiday Inn Capitol, I informed our contingent.
I sat in the back in the House Gallery. I even had a cane corner because behind me was a solid brick wall. A fellow Federationist from Colorado, who sat next to me, said we were about thirty feet from the President of the United States. I could really feel the energy in the room, positive and negative, when the president brought up various topics. The one that created the most friction, in my opinion, was Social Security. It is really true that there is nothing like being there. We stood up and sat down frequently - before, during, and after the address.
When it was over, after we left the hall, I had to wait for two motorcades to pass before I could make my way back to our hotel. I made it back just in time to watch it again on the late night news.
When we started the Washington Seminars, some thirty plus years ago, they were called Marches on Washington. We were lucky if we were patted on the head by congressional aides. We were told how courageous we all were for
walking around Capitol Hill alone. But we've come a long way. We are now respected and listened to on the Hill. This is just another thrilling experience that proves it.
Washington Seminar: From the Perspective of a First-Timer
By Debbie Pittman
As I walked into the Holiday Inn Capital, the large number of fellow NFB members in the lobby surprised me. My first thought was "Wow! This is like National Convention." While I stood in the lobby waiting to resolve a room problem, that impression changed.
As I listened to fellow Federationists around me, I detected a sense of electricity in the air that whispered, "Purpose". This crackling energy of "Purpose" intensified as various Federationists walked back and forth in the lobby discussing plans.
This same crackling energy of "purpose" crescendoed along with a sense of urgency, when I walked into the room for the Great Gathering In. I was awestruck. There was barely standing room. People stood two and three deep along some walls, and on other walls four to five people deep sat on the floor after the chairs were full. No one was leaving! When there wasn't room for someone else to sit or stand, people moved over closer together to allow someone else to fit in. There was a strong sense of unity, of people being willing to do what it takes to make it work so everyone could work for a common goal. It didn't matter what state you were from. Just being there qualified you as a bona fide member of the "purpose".
I felt that same sense of oneness and "purpose" as I worked in the Mercury Room on Tuesday and Wednesday. Seville Allen and her crew welcomed me into the fold as though I had been there from the beginning of the history of Washington Seminar.
It felt wonderful to be part of such a large group of people willing to do what it takes to make the lives of blind people around the country a little bit better. If only we had a way to bottle the Washington Seminar energy! Each time we got a little discouraged, we could take it out and sprinkle a couple of drops on to rekindle the fire. We would be unstoppable in what we could accomplish. Not just for ourselves, but also for millions of other blind people facing the same challenges we face every day.
"Experience Required"
By Debbie Kent Stein
"We'd love to hire you, but we're looking for someone with experience." Whether you're a blind college student trying to find a summer job, or a recent graduate in search of full-time employment, these can be daunting words. You know you've got what it takes to do well, but the "previous experience" section of your resume looks pretty dismal.
This summer the NFB of Illinois will launch an exciting new program to help fill the experience gap for a selected group of blind high school and college students. Through the NFBI's Summer Internship Program, blind Illinois students will volunteer their services at organizations of their choice. They will be paid a modest stipend through the NFBI. NFBI members will mentor the students throughout their four- to six-week volunteer sessions. Mentors will help each student plan his/her program and troubleshoot any problems that may arise.
Here's how it works. A student with an interest in early childhood education arranges to volunteer at a day-care center; a student who wants to be a journalist offers her time and talents to a neighborhood weekly; a future chemist arranges to help out at a laboratory. The possibilities are endless. The stipend which the students receive through the NFBI will help meet their living expenses during the summer and add to their sense of accomplishment.
For information, please contact Debbie Stein at 773-631-1093 or Patti Chang at pattisgregory at aol.com.
Starting Over
By Connie J. Davis
For the thirty years prior to 2005, I was a teacher. I taught pre-school, elementary and high school. In February of 2005, through someone else's decision, I left my teaching position. I was devastated. I no longer believed in my own abilities.
I couldn't decide what type of work I wanted to do. I looked for jobs in many different areas. In October, a tutoring company hired me for the No Child Left Behind Program. Unfortunately, the company over-estimated the number of students who would enroll in its program. It was January before I received a call with the news that the company had a place for me to work. I am now tutoring math and reading to children in grades one through five. It has been an interesting experience for me. Being weak in math, I was afraid that I could not teach it. I was quite mistaken. I have taught the students about charts, graphs and the difference between two-dimensional and three-dimensional figures. It gives me such a good feeling to see the look on the students' faces when they have learned something new.
One day, one of the students asked me why I squinted my eyes. I simply explained to him that I didn't see well. He told me that I needed new glasses. I then told him that new glasses wouldn't fix the problem because it was something I was born with. I asked the class if anyone had any other questions. They said no. I had answered their questions and that sufficed. (Young children are great because they are so uninhibited and honest. When you answer their questions truthfully, giving simple explanations without a lot of cluttered details, they accept what you tell them.)
I am still trying to decide what I want to do for the rest of my working life. One of my friends is urging me to become a translator. I am also considering a career in early-childhood education. I have always wanted to write a book. Whatever I do, this past year has been a growth experience for me. I look at this as an opportunity rather than a failure.
Meet a Fellow Federationist - Harold Palash
By Debbie Kent Stein
As a teenager growing up in Chicago, Harold Palash worked at a newspaper stand, earning ten cents an hour. The country was in the grip of the Great Depression, and, as Harold puts it, "A dime really amounted to something in those days." Harold was always eager for a business opportunity, and selling papers seemed like a good one.
As a boy Harold thought his vision was perfectly normal. As far as he knew, everyone else saw the world the way he did. His mother, however, suspected that something was amiss when Harold tripped over steps and stumbled in dimly-lit rooms. When Harold was fifteen a doctor delivered the news that he had an incurable eye disease called retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Eventually the condition could lead to total blindness.
By the end of high school Harold's vision began to deteriorate rapidly. For about a year he worked in the stock room of a Chicago department store, but soon he could no longer see well enough to read the labels on shelves and cartons. His boss was sympathetic, and offered to keep him on if he could think of another job he could do in the store. "I didn't know anything about blindness back then," Harold reflects. "I couldn't think of a thing I could do without my eyesight. So I just left that job and went home."
The Illinois Department of Rehabilitation sent Harold for training at the Chicago Lighthouse. At that time the Lighthouse had a workshop where blind people assembled toys. For long hours each day Harold worked at a table, cutting burrs off the wings of toy airplanes. Later he attached arms to toy sailors. It was a dead-end job, and he was eager to move on.
Escape came through an organization called Business Opportunities for the Blind. Harold was able to take over a newspaper stand in a Cook County office building. His early experience selling papers served him well, and the stand was a success. Later he operated a candy stand at Chicago's Navy Pier.
After World War II many stands closed or were taken over by returning veterans. Harold Palash found himself out of work again. By now he was married, with a young daughter to support. His mother-in-law told him that a nearby factory was hiring blind people. When Harold went to investigate, he found that no blind people had ever been hired there before. Undaunted, he persuaded the factory manager to give him a chance. Again he was hired to do assembly work, this time putting lids on small containers of milk. "The boss watched me and gave me pointers," Harold remembers. "The point was to work fast. He kept telling me, 'Use two hands!'"
A few years later, Harold discovered a new opportunity in sales. He and a friend sold products made by blind people. They would work their way up one side of a block and down the other, pushing a cart and stopping at every house along the way. "I didn't like that job much," Harold admits. "The bad part was the things people said about us. Somebody started a rumor that we were all getting big government pensions and that people shouldn't buy from us. I was glad to leave that job."
Not only did he leave his sales job - he left Chicago, the city where he had lived his entire life. A friend told him about a factory in Galesburg that was hiring blind workers. Harold couldn't get much information, and decided he would have to go to Galesburg and learn about the job firsthand. He took a job doing factory piecework, and moved his family to Galesburg. Though he has lived in Galesburg ever since, he still misses the Windy City.
Sometime in the mid 1940s, Harold heard about a new organization of blind people. The National Federation of the Blind, as it was called, was trying to improve opportunities for people who were blind. Harold became a Federationist long before Illinois had its own affiliate. He is now a dedicated member of the Blackhawk Chapter, though transportation to meetings is a challenge. "Blind people years ago had a rough time," Harold says. "There's still a lot that needs to be done. Blind students should be able to get their books on time. And we've got to save Randolph-Shepard!"
At eighty-four Harold Palash still lives independently. "A lot of people are surprised when they find out I do my own housework and fix my own meals. Here in Galesburg they just don't believe a blind person can do those things," Harold says. "But," he adds with a twinkle, "maybe you don't have those problems up in Chicago."
Precious Memories
By Debbie Pittman
I remember a part of what shaped me
Is my mother saying, "You can be what you want to be.
As long as you can pick up a book and read,
You can determine how well you can succeed.
Don't let anyone tell you what you can't do,
Your accomplishments in life are up to you.
In yourself you must believe,
You have the power to achieve."
I was six years old and was just starting to learn to type,
As I watched my mother's fingers fly across the keys like birds in flight.
She said, "Keep practicing and one day you'll be
Able to type just as fast as you see me."
And even after I lost my sight,
Mamma said, "Blindness does not determine your plight.
Again in yourself you must believe,
And from there set out to achieve."
That was a precious gift my mother gave to me,
Letting me know I control my own destiny.
It has helped me to stand in great adversity,
Knowing if it is to be, it is up to me.
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The Braille Examiner
The Braille Examiner
Spring 2006
A Publication of the National Federation of the Blind of Illinois
Editor:
Connie J. Davis
Co-Editor:
Debbie Stein
President:
Lois Montgomery
Contact Information
President: Lois Montgomery, (309) 762-NFBI (6324), Lmm3527 at aol.com.
Editor: Connie Davis,
(773) 338-6922, condav850 at sbcglobal.net.
Co-Editor:
Deborah Kent Stein, (773) 631-1093, dkent5817 at worldnet.att.net.
Print & Braille Duplication & Distribution:
Carmen Dennis, carmen88 at comcast.net, (773) 583-0899
Tape duplication:
Pittman Enterprises & Associates, pittman.e.a at cometlink.com, (773) 779-1856, fax773.779.2763, Debbie Pittman
Announcements:
All address or format changes should be sent to Connie Davis or Debbie Stein.
If you know someone who is not receiving the Examiner, please tell him or her to contact either Connie or Debbie.
In your mailing envelope, you will find another envelope.
It is already addressed and stamped Free Matter.
We request that you return your tape for recycling.
That will help us defray the costs of producing the newsletter.
Thank you!
Editorial
By Connie J. Davis
At the February meeting of the Chicago Chapter, Brian Johnson, president of five years, announced that he would not seek re-election.
Brian has been in the Federation since 1976.
It is because of his belief in the Federation philosophy that I, along with countless others, joined the NFB.
I met Brian in 1978, when he served as my rehab counselor.
He began to share the NFB philosophy with me, although I didn't know it at the time.
I joined the Federation in 1980, at his urging.
During the past twenty-six years, Brian has given countless hours to help make the lives of blind people better.
He has not only served as president of the Chicago Chapter, he has also been a board member, public relations chairman, state board member, chairman of the Advocacy and Legislative Committees.
I stand with many others to thank Brian for all that he has done for the affiliate.
I'm sure that Brian will continue to work to improve the quality of life for blind people.
Message from our president:
By Lois Montgomery
Chapter Announcements & News
Blackhawk Chapter
By Robert Gardner
The NFBI Blackhawk Chapter holds its monthly meetings the second Saturday of each month at 1:30 P.M.
We meet in the South Moline Township Center located at 637-17th Avenue, East Moline.
People who need transportation to meetings can arrange a ride.
Recent meeting programs have featured demonstrations of access technology; including a scanner that reads bar codes on consumer products and gives the information in speech output, a closed circuit TV system and an accessible cell phone.
Future meetings will incorporate demonstrations of the Kurzweil Reader being developed under the sponsorship of the NFB and a program from our Illinois DORS local representatives.
The chapter participated in the "Younkers Community Days" fundraising event at Southpark Mall in Moline, at the beginning of March.
We will also take part in the "Birdies For Charity" fundraiser, associated with the John Deere Golf Tournament in July.
Not only are these worthy fundraisers, but they also provide chapter members with an opportunity to educate the public about blindness-related issues and to share the NFB philosophy.
The NFBI Blackhawk Chapter publishes a monthly newsletter, "Hawk Talk."
The newsletter is available on the NFB IL-Talk listserv on the Internet, on the NFBI website, can be sent by E-mail or snail mail to anyone who wants it.
We are the blind speaking for the blind and are changing what it means to be blind in the Quad-Cities and northwestern Illinois.
We have fifty enthusiastic members, so come and join us!
Chicago Chapter
By Brian Johnson
March 18, April 8, and May 13 are the next 3 dates for the National Federation of the Blind of Illinois Chicago Chapter meetings.
We will have a board meeting on March 18 at 11:30; we'll hold our annual elections in April and our membership tea in May.
All of our meetings take place at Exchequer Pub, 226 South Wabash in Chicago at 1:00 pm.
Our spring candy sale will be under way soon. Our latest Carson's Day was a success, thanks to Joe Monti, Kelly Doty, David Meyer, and Mary Monti. Thanks also to those who sold Carson's coupons.
We are planning a career day at one of the local high schools sometime in the spring.
Hope to
see you in Chicago in March, April, and May.
Ferris Wheel Chapter
By Cathy Randall
Our Ferris Wheel Chapter continues to move forward.
We have prospective members, we discuss Monitor articles at each meeting and we plan to have regular guest speakers.
We also send out press releases to announce our meetings.
We will make our annual presentation to the Prairieland United Way mentoring and education panel, for our grant request, on March 15.
We have also received a partial grant to assist chapter members to attend National Convention.
We continue to mentor ISVI post-graduates in the Transitions Living Center Program.
Four Rivers Chapter News
By Annette Grove
The Chapter met on Saturday, February 11 for a pre-Valentine’s Day luncheon and meeting at the Lincoln Jug in downtown Belleville.
Members Bob Knight and Marie Edrington announced their engagement with plans for an early September wedding.
The members also welcomed back President Annette Grove from her extended mission trip to Guatemala and Nicaragua.
She shared many interesting experiences about her work with children living in the garbage dumps of Guatemala City. In Nicaragua she met organic coffee growers living in remote mountain regions and a group of courageous women who created an organic textile co-op. She also had an opportunity to meet with several people with disabilities.
Unfortunately, most blind people are left to resort to begging in the streets, deaf children resort to creating their own methods of signing and persons using wheelchairs tend to remain at home due to the obstacles of inaccessible streets and buildings.
It was heartwarming to see a young man in a wheelchair gainfully employed and productive at the textile co-op.
Coming events for the Four Rivers Chapter include:
March 11, April 8 at 12:30:
Regular Chapter Meetings at the Belleville Public Library on East Washington Street.
May 12 at Noon: Regular Chapter Meeting and picnic lunch and workday at the home of Paulette Buetner, 108 Las Olas Dr. in Belleville.
May 19-20 from 8:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.
Annual Chapter Yard and Garage Sale at 108 Las Olas Dr. in Belleville.
While you may not be able to ship your "treasures" down to us for sale nor come to buy someone else's "trash," we'd welcome any advice you might have for us in conducting a chapter sale of this type.
This will be our first annual sale!
The Four Rivers Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of Illinois is pleased to announce that chapter member and past president, Brian Sumner was awarded the distinction of Employee of the Year for 2005 at Barnes Jewish Hospital, part of the BJC Healthcare System.
Brian began work at Barnes on April 13, 1994 and has earned this honor as a result of his excellent service, dedication and attendance.
Brian works as a Shuttle Runner delivering mail and specimens throughout the maze of this gigantic complex in the central west end of St. Louis.
Brian was totally surprised with this honor, commenting that when he was called into the office to learn the news he wondered, "Now what did I do?"
Besides a myriad of congratulatory letters signed by department supervisors and managers he also received a certificate and letters from Andy Ziskind, President of Barnes/Jewish and from Steven Lipstein, CEO of BJC Healthcare System.
Brian also received a $500 bonus.
Further information about any of the foregoing can be obtained by calling Annette Grove at (314) 304-9634.
Heartland Chapter
By Bryan Turner
The Kankakee Heartland Chapter will be holding its chapter meetings at a new location as of April 1, 2006.
Meetings will be held at the Bourbonnais Public Library, 250 W. John Casey Road. Heartland Chapter meetings are held on the first Saturday of each month, from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m.
The new meeting location will be more accommodating for those members with mobility problems.
The library is on one level with no stairs or ramps, and will allow for growth of the chapter.
There are two meeting rooms; one holds twenty-five and the other accommodates seventy-five people.
We hope that this move will appeal to everyone who attends our chapter meetings.
Upcoming meetings in April and May for the Heartland Chapter should be of great interest to everyone.
At our April meeting Matt Janusauskas from Humanware will talk to the chapter about the available technology.
Christy Stua will also speak briefly on Heritage Oaks Assistive Living Center.
Affiliate president Lois Montgomery will attend our May meeting to demonstrate the new K-NFB, or hand-held reader, from Kurzweil. There has been much interest shown in this new device since its introduction at National Convention in Louisville last summer.
If you would like more information on the meetings, or need directions from your area, please contact chapter president Bryan Turner at (815) 939-7386 or by e-mail at: bryan_turner at sbcglobal.net.
Our annual fundraising event is rapidly approaching.
This year, the event will be held again at the Bradley WAL-Mart, located at 1260 N. Kinzie Ave, Saturday, June 17th from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.
We will be selling candy bars this year.
There will also be a large array of NFB literature available, including information on the different programs, News-Line, Braille alphabet cards, the latest issue of Voice of the Diabetic and much, much more.
This is one of our most important public appearances as a chapter, and we hope to have a great turnout again.
Nothing Like Being There
By Brian Johnson
On Thursday January 26, I received a call from Senator Barack Obama's office.
Was I going to be in Washington the following week?
I said Illinois was sending almost a dozen people going to the Washington Seminar.
The woman on the phone asked if I, specifically, was coming.
I said I was.
Then she asked me if I would like to
attend the State of the Union Address, in view of the fact that they had an extra ticket.
I was overjoyed and immediately said yes.
The senator's office indicated
that because I had been trying unsuccessfully to see Senator Obama for a couple of years, they would try to make up for it by inviting me to the event.
Names were selected from the faxes they received.
Given the fact that I
had been involved with making appointments with the congressmen, my name appeared on many of the faxes.
If I didn't go, they would select another name.
The ticket, of course, was not transferable.
I then informed Mr. McCarthy.
After we arrived at the Holiday Inn Capitol, I informed our contingent.
I sat in the back in the House Gallery.
I even had a cane corner because behind me was a solid brick wall.
A fellow Federationist from Colorado, who sat next to me, said we were about thirty feet from the President of the United States.
I could really feel the energy in the room, positive and negative, when the president brought up various topics.
The one that created the most friction, in my opinion, was Social Security.
It is really true that there is nothing like being there.
We stood up and sat down frequently - before, during, and after the address.
When it was over, after we left the hall, I had to wait for two motorcades to pass before I could make my way back to our hotel.
I made it back just in time to watch it again on the late night news.
When we started the Washington Seminars, some thirty plus years ago, they were called Marches on Washington.
We were lucky if we were patted on the head by congressional aides.
We were told how courageous we all were for
walking around Capitol Hill alone.
But we've come a long way.
We are now respected and listened to on the Hill.
This is just another thrilling experience that proves it.
Washington Seminar:
From the Perspective of a First-Timer
By Debbie Pittman
As I walked into the Holiday Inn Capital, the large number of fellow NFB members in the lobby surprised me.
My first thought was "Wow!
This is like National Convention."
While I stood in the lobby waiting to resolve a room problem, that impression changed.
As I listened to fellow Federationists around me, I detected a sense of electricity in the air that whispered, "Purpose".
This crackling energy of "Purpose" intensified as various Federationists walked back and forth in the lobby discussing plans.
This same crackling energy of "purpose" crescendoed along with a sense of urgency, when I walked into the room for the Great Gathering In.
I was awestruck.
There was barely standing room.
People stood two and three deep along some walls, and on other walls four to five people deep sat on the floor after the chairs were full.
No one was leaving!
When there wasn't room for someone else to sit or stand, people moved over closer together to allow someone else to fit in. There was a strong sense of unity, of people being willing to do what it takes to make it work so everyone could work for a common goal. It didn't matter what state you were from.
Just being there qualified you as a bona fide member of the "purpose".
I felt that same sense of oneness and "purpose" as I worked in the Mercury Room on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Seville Allen and her crew welcomed me into the fold as though I had been there from the beginning of the history of Washington Seminar.
It felt wonderful to be part of such a large group of people willing to do what it takes to make the lives of blind people around the country a little bit better.
If only we had a way to bottle the Washington Seminar energy!
Each time we got a little discouraged, we could take it out and sprinkle a couple of drops on to rekindle the fire.
We would be unstoppable in what we could accomplish.
Not just for ourselves, but also for millions of other blind people facing the same challenges we face every day.
"Experience Required"
By Debbie Kent Stein
"We'd love to hire you, but we're looking for someone with experience." Whether you're a blind college student trying to find a summer job, or a recent graduate in search of full-time employment, these can be daunting words. You know you've got what it takes to do well, but the "previous experience" section of your resume looks pretty dismal.
This summer the NFB of Illinois will launch an exciting new program to help fill the experience gap for a selected group of blind high school and college students. Through the NFBI's Summer Internship Program, blind Illinois students will volunteer their services at organizations of their choice. They will be paid a modest stipend through the NFBI. NFBI members will mentor the students throughout their four- to six-week volunteer sessions. Mentors will help each student plan his/her program and troubleshoot any problems that may arise.
Here's how it works. A student with an interest in early childhood education arranges to volunteer at a day-care center; a student who wants to be a journalist offers her time and talents to a neighborhood weekly; a future chemist arranges to help out at a laboratory. The possibilities are endless. The stipend which the students receive through the NFBI will help meet their living expenses during the summer and add to their sense of accomplishment.
For information, please contact Debbie Stein at 773-631-1093 or Patti Chang at pattisgregory at aol.com.
Starting Over
By Connie J. Davis
For the thirty years prior to 2005, I was a teacher.
I taught pre-school, elementary and high school.
In February of 2005, through someone else's decision, I left my teaching position. I was devastated.
I no longer believed in my own abilities.
I couldn't decide what type of work I wanted to do.
I looked for jobs in many different areas.
In October, a tutoring company hired me for the No Child Left Behind Program.
Unfortunately, the company over-estimated the number of students who would enroll in its program.
It was January before I received a call with the news that the company had a place for me to work.
I am now tutoring math and reading to children in grades one through five.
It has been an interesting experience for me.
Being weak in math, I was afraid that I could not teach it.
I was quite mistaken.
I have taught the students about charts, graphs and the difference between two-dimensional and three-dimensional figures.
It gives me such a good feeling to see the look on the students' faces when they have learned something new.
One day, one of the students asked me why I squinted my eyes.
I simply explained to him that I didn't see well.
He told me that I needed new glasses.
I then told him that new glasses wouldn't fix the problem because it was something I was born with.
I asked the class if anyone had any other questions.
They said no.
I had answered their questions and that sufficed.
(Young children are great because they are so uninhibited and honest.
When you answer their questions truthfully, giving simple explanations without a lot of cluttered details, they accept what you tell them.)
I am still trying to decide what I want to do for the rest of my working life.
One of my friends is urging me to become a translator.
I am also considering a career in early-childhood education.
I have always wanted to write a book.
Whatever I do, this past year has been a growth experience for me.
I look at this as an opportunity rather than a failure.
Meet a Fellow Federationist - Harold Palash
By Debbie Kent Stein
As a teenager growing up in Chicago, Harold Palash worked at a newspaper stand, earning ten cents an hour. The country was in the grip of the Great Depression, and, as Harold puts it, "A dime really amounted to something in those days." Harold was always eager for a business opportunity, and selling papers seemed like a good one.
As a boy Harold thought his vision was perfectly normal. As far as he knew, everyone else saw the world the way he did. His mother, however, suspected that something was amiss when Harold tripped over steps and stumbled in dimly-lit rooms. When Harold was fifteen a doctor delivered the news that he had an incurable eye disease called retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Eventually the condition could lead to total blindness.
By the end of high school Harold's vision began to deteriorate rapidly. For about a year he worked in the stock room of a Chicago department store, but soon he could no longer see well enough to read the labels on shelves and cartons. His boss was sympathetic, and offered to keep him on if he could think of another job he could do in the store. "I didn't know anything about blindness back then," Harold reflects. "I couldn't think of a thing I could do without my eyesight. So I just left that job and went home."
The Illinois Department of Rehabilitation sent Harold for training at the Chicago Lighthouse. At that time the Lighthouse had a workshop where blind people assembled toys. For long hours each day Harold worked at a table, cutting burrs off the wings of toy airplanes. Later he attached arms to toy sailors. It was a dead-end job, and he was eager to move on.
Escape came through an organization called Business Opportunities for the Blind. Harold was able to take over a newspaper stand in a Cook County office building. His early experience selling papers served him well, and the stand was a success. Later he operated a candy stand at Chicago's Navy Pier.
After World War II many stands closed or were taken over by returning veterans. Harold Palash found himself out of work again. By now he was married, with a young daughter to support. His mother-in-law told him that a nearby factory was hiring blind people. When Harold went to investigate, he found that no blind people had ever been hired there before. Undaunted, he persuaded the factory manager to give him a chance. Again he was hired to do assembly work, this time putting lids on small containers of milk. "The boss watched me and gave me pointers," Harold remembers. "The point was to work fast. He kept telling me, 'Use two hands!'"
A few years later, Harold discovered a new opportunity in sales. He and a friend sold products made by blind people. They would work their way up one side of a block and down the other, pushing a cart and stopping at every house along the way. "I didn't like that job much," Harold admits. "The bad part was the things people said about us. Somebody started a rumor that we were all getting big government pensions and that people shouldn't buy from us. I was glad to leave that job."
Not only did he leave his sales job - he left Chicago, the city where he had lived his entire life. A friend told him about a factory in Galesburg that was hiring blind workers. Harold couldn't get much information, and decided he would have to go to Galesburg and learn about the job firsthand. He took a job doing factory piecework, and moved his family to Galesburg. Though he has lived in Galesburg ever since, he still misses the Windy City.
Sometime in the mid 1940s, Harold heard about a new organization of blind people. The National Federation of the Blind, as it was called, was trying to improve opportunities for people who were blind. Harold became a Federationist long before Illinois had its own affiliate. He is now a dedicated member of the Blackhawk Chapter, though transportation to meetings is a challenge. "Blind people years ago had a rough time," Harold says. "There's still a lot that needs to be done. Blind students should be able to get their books on time. And we've got to save Randolph-Shepard!"
At eighty-four Harold Palash still lives independently. "A lot of people are surprised when they find out I do my own housework and fix my own meals. Here in Galesburg they just don't believe a blind person can do those things," Harold says. "But," he adds with a twinkle, "maybe you don't have those problems up in Chicago."
Precious Memories
By Debbie Pittman
I remember a part of what shaped me
Is my mother saying, "You can be what you want to be.
As long as you can pick up a book and read,
You can determine how well you can succeed.
Don't let anyone tell you what you can't do,
Your accomplishments in life are up to you.
In yourself you must believe,
You have the power to achieve."
I was six years old and was just starting to learn to type,
As I watched my mother's fingers fly across the keys like birds in flight.
She said, "Keep practicing and one day you'll be
Able to type just as fast as you see me."
And even after I lost my sight,
Mamma said, "Blindness does not determine your plight.
Again in yourself you must believe,
And from there set out to achieve."
That was a precious gift my mother gave to me,
Letting me know I control my own destiny.
It has helped me to stand in great adversity,
Knowing if it is to be, it is up to me.
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