From holleymanor at verizon.net  Wed Jan  2 23:47:28 2013
From: holleymanor at verizon.net (Richard Holley)
Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2013 18:47:28 -0500
Subject: [Nfbv-announce] January At Large Chapter Meeting
Message-ID: <1F402C9B23CC40C9A1AA7EB7849E7CF0@LENOVOE40B4A08>

Happy New Year to one and all.  We have a new teleconference telephone no. for 2013, see below.

Date and Time:  Jan. 8 @ 8 PM
Call Number:  1-877-394-5901
Passcode: 2216375
Topic(s):  At Large FaceBook Page
     and Newsline and NLS DTB's

Come and enjoy.  
Rick Holley

From PotomacNFB at verizon.net  Mon Jan  7 03:32:55 2013
From: PotomacNFB at verizon.net (potomac NFB)
Date: Sun, 06 Jan 2013 22:32:55 -0500
Subject: [Nfbv-announce] Richmond Seminar, January Board Meeting,
 and Membership Seminar- January  27 & 28
Message-ID: <003401cdec87$aee621b0$0cb26510$@verizon.net>

 

                                2013 Richmond Seminar, January Board
Meeting, and Membership Seminar

 

By: Michael Kasey and Tracy Soforenko

 

The National Federation of the Blind of Virginia is a powerful force
advocating for blind Virginians. Please join us for the Richmond Seminar on
January 27- 28, 2013 to ensure our voice is heard in the offices of the
General Assembly. In order to develop teams, it would be truly helpful to
know if you will attend by January 17. 

Here  are the details for the schedule

 

.         Membership Seminar - Sunday January 27 from 1:00 PM to 2:45 PM

.         board meeting  & Legislative Preparation - Sunday, January 27 3:00
PM to 5:00 PM

.         General Assembly visits - Monday, January 28. 8:00 AM to 12:00
Noon.

 

Quick Overview of the Membership Seminar - More Is More: Magnetic Meetings
Mean More Members

Come and learn new ways to amp up your meetings that will attract new
members. More details forthcoming.

 

If you have never attended a Richmond Seminar, we strongly encourage you to
attend and participate in representative democracy in action. Everyone is
assigned to a team with an experienced leader. The General Assembly members
and their staff are very receptive and welcoming. They know we are
organized, articulate, and well versed in the subject matter. We will put
everyone on the team to work, sharing our issues and answering the questions
of legislators and their staff. 

 

Chapter Presidents should make contact with their General Assembly members
in their local offices before the end of the year. If you need assistance in
identifying them, contact Michael or Tracy. A meeting with them will go a
long way in establishing the recognition that is needed for our visit to
Richmond. All Chapter members are encouraged to participate.  

 

The affiliate will reimburse transportation expenses and hotel expenses.

Chapter presidents should arrange cost effective transportation for their
chapter members. Individuals are expected to share hotel rooms and must
obtain hotel reservations themselves at the NFB of Virginia rate. If you
need assistance identifying a room share, please contact Michael or Tracy.

 

The issues we will bring to Richmond will include:

.         Supporting the Governor's Proposal to fund a defined teacher
student ratio for teachers for the blind (Standards of Quality ) ; and 

.         .        Support for Virginia Department of the Blind and Vision
Impaired (DVBI) as a separate agency,

 

The list of issues will be presented at our Board meeting on Sunday, January
27, 2012 in Richmond. The Board meeting will be held from 3 to 5 PM in the
Department for the Blind, Library and Resource Center, 395 Azalea Avenue,
Richmond, Virginia 23227.

Hotel rooms are available at the Crowned Plaza Hotel Downtown, 550 East
Canal Street, Richmond, VA 22319. Hotel rooms can be reserved by telephone
at 804-788-0900. The NFB rate is $85 plus tax per night. The deadline for
booking hotel rooms is January 17, 2013. 

 

Chapter presidents must provide the names of the individuals planning to
attend from their chapter to Michael and Tracy by January 17, 2013 so we can
establish teams in advance. If you have any questions, please contact
Michael Kasey at (540)760-3885 or michaelgkasey at verizon.net or Tracy
Soforenko at (703)635-2085 or tracy.soforenko at verizon.net

 

 

Tracy Soforenko

Second Vice President

National Federation of the Blind of Virginia 

tracy.soforenko at verizon.net

703 635-2085

 



From michaelgkasey at verizon.net  Sat Jan 12 16:05:15 2013
From: michaelgkasey at verizon.net (Michael Kasey)
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2013 11:05:15 -0500
Subject: [Nfbv-announce] Passing of Holly Frisch's Mother
Message-ID: <000601cdf0de$9c8ee9b0$d5acbd10$@net>

Please join me in praying for the family of Holly Frisch (Secretary of the
Fredericksburg Area Chapter) at this time of the loss of her Mother.

Michael Kasey

1st Vice President NFBV


Joelyn Frisch Obituary


Joelyn Frisch, nee Saltzman, of Deerfield, formerly DeKalb, IL, Beloved Wife
of the late Morton J. Frisch. Loving mother of Hollis, Mark (Carla) and
Rabbi Seth (Rabbi Robyn). Proud Grandmother of Jeremy, Ethan, Naomi,
Benjamin, Noah, and Talia; Fond aunt, cousin, and friend of many. Long time
administrative secretary of the Northern Illinois University Department of
Communicative Disorders, rich civic contributor including: founder and first
woman board member of Congregation Beth Shalom in DeKalb, IL, president of
the League of Women Voters of DeKalb County, president of the Williamsburg,
VA Girl Scout Council and countless board and volunteer positions. Services
Sunday, 11 AM at Ronan-Moore-Finch Funeral Home, 310 Oak St., DeKalb.
Interment Fairview Cemetery. Contributions may be made to the Morton J.
Frisch Student Travel Fellowship at the Northern Illinois University
Foundation, Swen Parson Hall 120, DeKalb, IL 60115, Congregation Beth
Shalom, 820 Russell Rd., DeKalb, IL 60115, bethshalomdekalb.org or
Volunteers for the Blind, 1101 Caroline St. Suite #1, Fredericksburg, VA
22401. Arrangements by Chicago Jewish Funerals -Buffalo Grove Chapel,
<tel:847.229.8822> 847.229.8822, www.cjfinfo.com 





From joehobson at comcast.net  Sat Jan 12 19:32:56 2013
From: joehobson at comcast.net (Joe Hobson)
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2013 14:32:56 -0500
Subject: [Nfbv-announce] NFBV Announcement: Logan  Isaiah Fish
Message-ID: <211452F70EE44CAD8FEBE831D9FD3DD6@JoeHobsonVAIO>

    
Per request of our fellow NFBV members and good friends, CJ and Michael Fish, of Richmond, VA, they have asked me to advise everyone of Logan's safe arrival.

Logan is their second child and second son.
Please see below information from Michael Fish.

Logan Isaiah  Fish was born on (this) past Tuesday, January 8th at 5:06 P.M.  He weighed 7 pounds 9 ounces and was 20 inches long.  Everything is well with him and C. J.  We are now at home and Gabriel is liking his new baby brother.  

Thanks again for everything, 

Mike C. J. Gabriel and Logan 

From dandrews at visi.com  Wed Jan 16 03:18:47 2013
From: dandrews at visi.com (David Andrews)
Date: Tue, 15 Jan 2013 21:18:47 -0600
Subject: [Nfbv-announce] Survey to Establish Event Planner Sensitivity
Message-ID: <auto-000093928914@mailfront3.g2host.com>





From fschroeder at sks.com  Wed Jan 23 18:31:31 2013
From: fschroeder at sks.com (Fredric Schroeder)
Date: Wed, 23 Jan 2013 13:31:31 -0500
Subject: [Nfbv-announce] January 27 Board Meeting Agenda
Message-ID: <02ae01cdf997$deca24e0$9c5e6ea0$@sks.com>

National Federation of the Blind of Virginia (NFBV)

Meeting of the Board of Directors

Sunday, January 27, 2013

3:00 P.M. - 5:00 P.M.

 

Virginia Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired

Library and Resource Center

395 Azalea Avenue

Richmond, Virginia 23227

 

Note: There will be a Membership Seminar immediately preceding the Board
meeting from 1:00 P.M. to 2:45 P.M.

 

        I.                        Call to order and invocation

 

     II.                        Roll call and introduction of guests 

 

   III.                        Approval of minutes from November 2, 2012
meeting of the NFBV Board of Directors

 

  IV.                        Treasurer's report

 

     V.                        Administrative issues

 

A.     All chapters should submit updated membership lists, including email
addresses, for the Affiliate Email Distribution List;  

B.     NFBV website update;

C.     Vigilant update; and

D.     Newsline report.

 

  VI.                        2013 NFBV Committee Assignments 

 

A.     Meet the Blind Month;

B.     Fundraising;

C.     Membership;

D.     Scholarship;

E.      McDonald Fellowship Program;

F.      Imagination Fund; and

G.     Shares Unlimited in the National Federation of the Blind (SUN).  

 

VII.                        2013 Washington Seminar

 

VIII.                        2013 National Convention 

 

A.     Dates and location;

B.     Subsidies;

C.     Reminder of the need to have chapter pledges to:

1.White Cane Fund;

2.Jacobus tenBroek Fund;

3.SUN;

4.Jernigan Fund; and

5.NFB Camp. 

 

 

  IX.                        2013 NFBV Convention plans

 

     X.                        Richmond Seminar 

 

A.     2013 issues 

B.     Group assignments 

 

  XI.                        Other business

 

XII.                        Date and location of next Board meeting.  

 

 

 



From corbbo at gmail.com  Wed Jan 23 19:35:53 2013
From: corbbo at gmail.com (Corbbmacc O'Connor)
Date: Wed, 23 Jan 2013 14:35:53 -0500
Subject: [Nfbv-announce] Our quarterly newsletter is here, the January,
	2013 Vigilant
Message-ID: <B2FDE85E-216C-4600-B562-53CDA6E52602@gmail.com>

You may also find this edition online at http://www.nfbv.org/newsletter/

NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
VIGILANT
January, 2013

THE BLIND AT WORK
Tracy Soforenko uses alternative techniques to manage technology projects for a government agency.
Page 2

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Our protest in front of Amazon's headquarters showcased the need for accessible e-books.
PAGE 5

Upcoming Events
Make plans to attend the National Convention this July, where we will set the policies for the Federation.
Page 4

**

THIRD SEVILLE ALLEN AWARD PRESENTED AT 2012 CONVENTION
PHOTO CAPTION: Mark Roane accepts the 2012 Seville Allen Award.

President Fredric Schroeder made the following presentation at the conclusion of our annual banquet on November 3, 2012 in Richmond.
Many of you had the great honor and privilege of knowing Seville Allen. Seville was one of those rare individuals who gave fully of herself to help others gain the skills and confidence to live active, productive lives. Seville knew that the lack of opportunities blind people face stems from society?s low expectations and are not the inevitable consequence of blindness. She knew that by coming together and by working together we could change our collective destiny. Seville has been gone for two and a half years, but her example and inspiration live on.
       This year, it is my pleasure to present the third Seville Allen Award to an individual who, like Seville, has given all
AWARD continues on page 4

continued from page 1
AWARD: CONTINUING SEVILLE'S LEGACY
that he has to expanding opportunities for blind people in Virginia and across the nation. The plaque in my hands reads: ?National Federation of the Blind of Virginia; The Seville Allen Award; Presented to Mark W. Roane, in recognition of your dedication to improving opportunities for the blind of Virginia and the Nation.  Your giving spirit, commitment to purpose, and tireless advocacy are an inspiration to all.?
Mark is an individual who embodies all that we stand for. He is ready to step in wherever the need arises. He spends countless hours maintaining our books?a thankless job and one that most people never see. Last February, when a bill was unexpectedly introduced that would have combined the Department for the Blind into the general vocational rehabilitation agency, Mark spent days walking the halls of the General Assembly, meeting with legislators and bringing attention to the need for specialized services for the blind in the Commonwealth. He did it without fanfare. He did it quietly but with determination and purpose.
Just a few short weeks ago, it occurred to me that with the national election near at hand, we should have an agenda item on our convention program addressing the voting rights of blind people. I wrote Mark a note and asked if he would find out who we should invite and make the necessary contact. Mark wrote back saying ?I?ll take care of it.? That is Mark Roane, He is our Treasurer, he is our colleague and he is our friend and he is a true and lasting example of what it takes to make a difference.
Congratulations, Mark. I cannot think of anyone more deserving of this award, and I know Seville would have agreed.

**

I'M RUBBER, YOU'RE GLUE. WHATEVER YOU SAY BOUNCES OFF ME, AND STICKS TO YOU!
By: Tracy Soforenko

EDITOR'S NOTE: Tracy Soforenko serves as President of the Potomac Chapter, which reaches the greater Arlington, Alexandria and Falls Church areas. He is also a Technology Project Manager for the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation, an independent government agency responsible for ensuring that employees will receive their pension money even if their employers go bankrupt. The following is excerpted from a speech delivered at our recent state convention on November 3, 2012 in Richmond.
A childhood phrase goes like this: I'm rubber, you're glue. Everything that you say bounces off me and sticks to you.
But who's the glue? What things make activities happen when an organization is trying to get something done? Someone needs to bring the team together and make that happen. The project manager?my role?is the glue.
Project managers around the country are the ones who make things work. The pyramids in Giza would not have happened without a project manager, the Apollo missions would not have happened without a project manager, the iPhone would not exist without a project manager. And so I'm going to talk with you today about five things: I'm going to talk with you about what a project manager does, how I became a project manager, how this Federation taught me how to do my job as a blind person, the techniques that I use as a blind project manager and how you could learn some of these techniques and tools by being involved in your chapter in the work that we do in our great Federation.
Accountability, Refereeing, and Communication
A project manager's core job is to break down someone's dream into steps to make that idea into a reality. So, accountability is simply figuring out what are all the steps, who needs to do each component, how well are they progressing, how much it will cost, what time it's going to take, and did they get it done on time? Technically, I have nobody who works for me. But, in reality, everybody works for me. I have a set of 25 contractors at the moment who all work for somebody on their side, and I have people throughout my organization responsible for doing this. The goal is to make sure everybody knows what needs to be done, and I hold them accountable for holding up their end of the bargain.
I'm also a referee, because the federal government does not have employees building the websites, tools and technology. All of that work is done with outside parties. There are people who are the chief buyers in the federal government?now for those of you at the auction table, it's not me and it's not my wife, who is the chief buyer at my house?called contracting officers. These people know all the rules about government buying, and they have people who serve as their right-hand men on-the-ground managing the project. I am one of those people.
It's easier to understand how project managers serve as referees if you envision us as preschool teachers. When a student demands another cookie at snack time, the teacher has to stand there and say, "Have you had enough cookies?" And when another student argues, "He can't have any more cookies. He's not eating them. He's building towers with them!" The project manager must say, "You promised you were going to provide cookies to children."
Generally, I work with large teams where communication is key. I'm really good at correcting the rumors, holding people accountable, communicating with management, and making sure that the people above don't mess up the work of the people actually doing the work. All of these things are the role of communication.
Accountability, refereeing and communicating are key to doing my job.
An Indirect Path to Leadership
I started out as an analyst, because I was a good writer, I loved talking to people (not a surprise to many of you), and I was eager to try to understand what the business people wanted versus what the technical people needed to know. I went on to take on larger and larger roles. I tried programming, and I was such a bad programmer! Then my life became sort of like Dilbert. My boss, the project manager, quits and gets a new job. They go, "Tracy, you talk to everybody and you understand what is going on. You even talk to customers! Let's make you the project manager. We don't have to pay you any more, we'll give you all this responsibility, we can save money, and make more money on this project. " Sound familiar?
However, I also had some things going on with me. My vision was diminishing, and I started to really question myself. I had two toddlers at home, and I thought about activating my disability insurance. I couldn't imagine how I could continue in the relationship business, especially how I could take in all of the required reading material. I didn't think that I could do this job as a blind guy.
I lost my mojo. I lost the rhythm of thinking that I could do this. And when I was lost, I found the National Federation of the Blind.
Our chapters are amazing tool sets for you. I found blind role models and mentors out there in the work world living full, active and productive lives. I found them making a difference in their communities and succeeding in their jobs. I found my chapter to be an amazing resource to help me and make a difference. Sometimes, I could come down and say, "I don't know how to do this, I want to know how to do that, I want to learn how to do that." I drove them crazy! Now, what happened next is interesting. They would have very animated debates about the right solutions. It was like the vice presidential debates without the Malarkey references!
So, I'm so grateful to this Federation family for helping me solve my problems and figure out that maybe?and now, I know definitely?the alternative techniques used by blind people are just as good as (if not sometimes better) than the ones I used to do as a sighted person. I could deliver results on time without my blindness stopping me. I was ready, I could do stuff, and I could be a project manager in different ways.
My Daily Alternative Techniques
First, there was a lot of material and I needed to get a handle on meetings, reading and preparing notes. With the help of my Federation family, I learned braille. My chapter worked with me to develop those skills by meeting with fluent braille readers for a few hours every week. So, I went from trying to struggle with large print to being comfortable using braille in my every day life to run meetings and take notes. Colleagues would say, "Oh you're a tech guy, so why aren't you using this technical equipment?" I'd say, "My slate and stylus never fails me."
Once I got through my head that using the alternative techniques of blindness ? that a little tapping in a meeting would be acceptable ? everybody else said, "Oh, okay, no big deal."
I am responsible for facilitating meetings. I'm an individual who spends all day in meetings. Some of you would dread this, but I love it. As part of this role, I need to know who is in the room, what materials are being passed out, what materials are being made available, and what nonverbal cues people are using.
I always set up a conference call. I then have everybody announce themselves in the conference room. Now I know everyone who is in the room, where they're sitting and what's going on. I make sure that if we have a conference bridge, materials have to be sent out in advance. Therefore, I have a moment to read the materials from my desk rather than struggling to read while running the meeting.
I use a spotter to help me know when there are non-verbal cues. My spotters will tell me things like, so-and-so was rolling their eyes. Afterwards I'll talk to that person. Other times, I'll bring squishy KOOSH balls. I'll say, "If I'm forgetting you, if I've offended you, throw a KOOSH ball at me." Nobody has ever dinged me in the head. In the end, though, the goal is to make them realize that I want to know what's going on. 
When I encounter inaccessible reading materials?like  data flow diagrams, process flows, and swim lanes?I use a reader to help me. Everyone on my team knows that if they get this stuff to me by Monday at 4 p.m., I'll provide them feedback the next day.
In a sighted world, you need to present things graphically. I could not figure out how to make the technology for drawing  work efficiently as a blind person. Bendaroos, pipe cleaners covered in wax, are great tools for laying things out.
leadership lessons from the Federation
My experiences in the Federation have made me a more successful project manager. They're lessons that I've learned from following our great Federation leaders.
I've learned to focus on the mission in all communications. People need to know how what they are doing applies to the mission. We do this all the time, such as when we tie our fundraising to our work that we do with students and seniors. We are committed to helping blind people achieve amazing results. 
RUBBER & GLUE continued on next page
continued from page 3
RUBBER & GLUE
Well I work for an organization that has a strong mission. I tie what people do to the mission.
We give others in our Federation opportunities to take on roles and stretch them. I do the same at work. I give people opportunities to grow and develop their career. When they see that I'm helping them to grow professionally, do better work, further the organization's mission, they will walk through fire and rain to deliver results.
Most importantly: I admit when I screwed up. Some of you probably remember arriving to last year's convention hotel in the wee hours of the morning because I insisted on our bus leave Arlington after 5 p.m. I admit that was a mistake, and you'll notice that we left around 2 p.m. this year! I've seen that people appreciate when you admit your mistakes, learn from them, and move on.
I'm a project manager, I produce results by taking things that are unknown and make them understandable. In your life, there's going to be lots of things that are unknown and misunderstood. In those times, think like a project manager. 
I believe that, in what I do, supported by our great family in the National Federation of the Blind, there is nothing that we cannot accomplish.

**

MAKE YOUR PLANS TO ATTEND THE 2013 NFB NATIONAL CONVENTION

Every summer, over 3,000 blind and low-vision people gather for a week-long convention to discuss the policies, programs, and priorities of the Federation.
This year?s convention will be held July 1-6 at the Rosen Centre Hotel at 9840 International Drive, Orlando, Florida. Make your room reservation with the Rosen Centre staff by calling (800) 204-7234. Room rates start at $79 per night.
The Virginia affiliate will again sponsor several McDonald Fellows, a program for first-time convention goers or those who need financial assistance. Find details at www.nfbv.org in February or call Corbb O?Connor at (202) 684-6130.

**

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: AMAZON DISCRIMINATES AGAINST THE PRINT DISABLED

Over 100 members and supporters of the Federation conducted an informational picket at Amazon.com?s Seattle headquarters on Dec. 12. Briley O?Connor served as Virginia?s representative.
?We certainly got the attention of the news media, people at the nearby Starbucks, and even some Amazon employees,? O?Connor said.
This fall, Amazon launched ?whispercast,? technology that allows school teachers and administrators to push educational content to students using any compatible device, including iPads, Kindles, and Androids.
?Some of these devices are accessible,? O?Connor said, ?but the Amazon apps do not allow blind students to read at all or at the same level as sighted kids, who can take notes in the margin, look up definitions, and use interactive maps.?
Despite being her first protest, O?Connor said that she felt well-prepared.
?You don?t have to be an expert about the nitty gritty of the technology,? she said. ?You just have to have some passion, put on your extrovert face, make some noise, and wear a poncho!?
The Federation first protested at the New York headquarters of the Authors Guild in 2009 when the association blocked Amazon?s attempt to enable text-to-speech engines, fearing the accessibility features would shut down audiobooks.
Amazon has made no public statements about this issue.

** 

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: FEDERATIONIST WINNING IN HER FIGHT AGAINST CANCER

PHOTO CAPTION: Kierra Davis

In early November, we learned that Kierra Davis?who found the Federation through our 2007 Youth Blowout?was battling Hodgkins Lymphoma. While she could not be at the state convention, Chris O'Meally brought our voices to her through a video greeting card.
"I loved it," Davis says. "I cried. I didn't know it was going to be that big. I was so excited?people I hadn't seen in years were popping up on the screen. I really do thank y'all."
Doctors discovered the tumor in her lungs just this past year, but the problems existed long before.
"You go through your normal life with just a cough, then bad chest pain, then throbbing left leg pain, then total confusion," she says. "So, to just have your life flip around 360 degrees in a span of minutes of going to the hospital is scary. Extremely scary."
The twice-monthly chemotherapy treatments are working, for the tumor is shrinking. However, numb fingers make it impossible to read, one of Davis' most prized pastimes, and she also has difficulty typing and tactilely identifying objects. Her only complaint about her cancer, said to be one of the most curable forms, is the general feeling of helplessness.
"I'm not used to being waited on," she says. "I'm used to getting up and doing things myself. I can't even make a sandwich or taking a bath are very difficult to do alone. Getting used to no hair is different, but it's not a big deal."
These "little things," as she describes them, don't get her down.
"Being sick and in hospital didn't mean as much to me as fighting for my life," she says of her 10 days in the Intensive Care Unit last November. "I had to be a trooper for my family and friends who need me. I couldn't just conk out."
Davis encourages those who want to keep in touch with her to do so via Twitter, @happyprencess, or e-mail, keke.davis91 at gmail.com
There's no doubt that her spirits are high, her resolve to fight is great, and her only request is prayer.
"I still watch that video when I get down and depressed," Davis said. "Then I get excited and keep on fighting."
We extend our hearts and prayers to the countless others in our Federation family with health concerns.

** 

THE FEDERATION MEETS IN YOUR AREA

The ultimate purpose of the National Federation of the Blind is the complete integration of the blind into society on a basis of equality. This objective involves the removal of legal, economic, and social discriminations; the education of the public to new concepts concerning blindness; and the achievement by all blind people of the right to exercise to the fullest their individual talents and capacities. We would love for you to join us an upcoming meeting. Call the chapter nearest you for meeting locations.
Blue Ridge Chapter: Gary Morris, President. (434) 409-7191
Chesapeake Bay Chapter: Mary Durbin, President. (757) 431-1205
Eastern Shore Chapter: Althea Pittman, President. (757) 787-3853
Fairfax Chapter: Wanda Taylor, President. (703) 212-7392
Fredericksburg Chapter: Jessica Reed, President. (540) 371-1651
Greater Staunton Chapter: Dawn Jenkins, President. (540) 885-9814
Greater Williamsburg Chapter: Corlis Jones, President. (757) 565-1185
Peninsula Chapter: Natasha Hubbard, President. (757) 239-2976
Potomac (Greater Arlington) Chapter: Tracy Soforenko, President. (703) 635-2085
Prince William Chapter: Jody Silverberg, President. (703) 730-1716
Richmond Chapter: Jennifer Kennedy, President. (330) 465-6245
Tidewater Chapter: Stewart Prost, President. (757) 622-2797
At Large Chapter (for those who don?t live near a chapter): Rick Holley, President. holleymanor at verizon.net


**

NFB of Virginia
Corbbmacc O?Connor, Vigilant Editor
2109 Mill Road #204
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
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From corbbo at gmail.com  Wed Jan 23 19:45:10 2013
From: corbbo at gmail.com (Corbbmacc O'Connor)
Date: Wed, 23 Jan 2013 14:45:10 -0500
Subject: [Nfbv-announce] Richmond Seminar Fact Sheets
Message-ID: <4D130717-FCF1-49CD-B13C-A2A0BF26C8DA@gmail.com>

Our annual visit to the state legislature is quickly approaching! The pre-seminar meeting, membership seminar and Board of Directors meeting will be this Sunday, January 27th, and the legislative appointments will happen on the morning of Monday, January 28th.

This year, we will be focusing on 2 key issues: 

1. Our support for the Governor's Budget, which funds the Standards of Quality for blind students
2. Our opposition to any attempt to merge the Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired with other agencies serving people with disabilities.

I have attached the fact sheet in Microsoft Word format, and it is also available on the NFBV web site at http://www.nfbv.org/2013-richmond-seminar/

The text of the fact sheet follows.

We will have these fact sheets available in braille and in hard copy to distribute to the delegates, senators and their aides.

Please contact Tracy Soforenko, Richmond Seminar Coordinator, at potomacNFB at verizon.net with any questions.

See you in Richmond!
Corbb

---
Corbbmacc O'Connor
Communications Coordinator
National Federation of the Blind of Virginia

c: (703) 309-4884 // h: (703) 549-2919
corbbo at gmail.com
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###

Blind Students Deserve a Quality Education Equal to Their Peers
Even though federal laws dictate that schools are to provide their blind students with high quality instruction in braille as well as orientation and mobility, we know that many Virginia schools do not have the funds to provide these services. Even when students are able to receive braille instruction, the teachers for the blind have such high numbers of students in their caseloads (over 30 students, in many cases), the students only learn to read or independently travel with a long white cane for 30 to 45 minutes one or two days per week. The lack of classroom materials available in braille or audio creates yet another significant academic barrier. Without a doubt, Virginia?s blind students are struggling to receive the high quality education that they deserve.
Problem: Virginia's blind students are excluded from the Standards of Quality, resulting in excessive caseloads and a lower quality educational environment.
For all disabilities except for blindness, the Virginia Standards of Quality (SOQ) outline teacher pupil ratios and provide partial salary support for special education teachers to school divisions to ensure that students receive a quality education. School divisions are held accountable to meet these caseload standards. However, there are no caseload standards for teachers for blind students. With no SOQ funding and no caseload standard to achieve, school divisions are incentivized to hire other teachers before hiring teachers for the blind. While some divisions fund teachers for the blind out of their own budgets, it is not uncommon for teachers for the blind to have excessive caseloads of 30-40 students. As a result, blind students? education is not equal to their peers. 
Solution: Support the Governor's proposed budget, which includes an appropriation for phasing in funding for blind students in the SOQ formula.
Since 2007, the General Assembly directed the Board of Education to include the blind in Standards of Quality, but funding has not been provided. In November 2012, the Board of Education has again recommended inclusion of Teachers for the Blind in Virginia?s SOQ formula. To effectively serve 1,200 low-vision students, the Department recommends $6,000,000 over a three-year period. Currently, the Department receives $509,000 to support these students.
The National Federation of the Blind of Virginia urges your support of the Governor's proposed budget, which will phase in funding to add visually impaired students to the Standards of Quality over 3 years. This funding would provide partial support for special education teachers who provide instruction in braille, independent travel training, and services to adapt classroom materials into an accessible format for blind students. Virginia?s blind students and their parents are eager for this support in order to have a fulfilling and successful academic experience, just like the one afforded to their sighted peers.

Blind Virginians Are Most Cost-Effectively Served by a Separate Agency Already In Existence
If you or a close family member were to go blind tomorrow, your adjustment to life would be very different from any other medical condition. Medical devices or implants are not the cure-all for blindness. Instead, intensive training in the use of non-visual techniques of cooking, using computers, traveling, and reading would ready you for professional success.
Problem: We regularly encounter proposals from delegates and senators seeking cost savings where none can be achieved by merging the Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired with other disability-related agencies.
Blind people are best served through an adequately funded agency that concentrates on the unique methods of teaching non-visual skills. This is the essence of the DBVI?s approach to serving blind Virginians. It is important to note that the DBVI?s back office administrative, procurement, and personnel functions were consolidated with other disability agencies several years ago. However, further consolidation could only dilute program service delivery to blind Virginians. 
Researchers continue to show that the minimal administrative savings achieved by consolidation of blindness agencies are offset by less effective, less well-organized and less efficient services under a generalist?s model. In the late 1990s, Cavenaugh, Giesen, and Pierce at Mississippi State University conducted an analysis of national data. They found that separate blindness agencies:
are nearly twice as likely to see their clients be self-supporting when their cases were closed than blind people served by a consolidated vocational rehabilitation agency;
serve a higher percentage of consumers with demographic/disability characteristics associated with lower labor force participation rates; and
close a higher percentage of legally blind consumers into competitive, integrated employment.
Solution: Oppose any efforts, at any level, to bring the Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired (DBVI) under a separate agency.
Training and employment opportunities for the blind are provided here in Virginia by DBVI. Blind people learn the non-visual skills of reading, using computers, traveling and living independently at residential training programs. Blind entrepreneurs have opened their own small businesses, in areas as diverse as consulting to food service, because DBVI provides technology, training and start-up capital (e.g. printers, stoves, and vending machines). Counselors help clients explore vocational opportunities, from part-time summer jobs to government contracts, so that blind people can compete in the workforce.
We recognize that, on paper, DBVI seems very similar to other agencies serving people with disabilities. We urge you, however, to maintain DBVI's separate status so that blind Virginians are better prepared to be tax-paying employees, managers, and owners of businesses here in the Commonwealth.

###

From PotomacNFB at verizon.net  Thu Jan 24 04:44:07 2013
From: PotomacNFB at verizon.net (potomac NFB)
Date: Wed, 23 Jan 2013 23:44:07 -0500
Subject: [Nfbv-announce] 2013 Team Assignments for Richmond Seminar
Message-ID: <012f01cdf9ed$726c2db0$57448910$@verizon.net>

 

 

Hi Virginia Federationists,

 

Please find attached the team assignments for Richmond Seminar this weekend.
I am asking our team leaders to consider making appointments for Monday with
the Senators and Delegates on the House Appropriations and Senate Finance
committees so we can communicate the importance of the Governor's budget
proposal for funding SOQ Teachers for the blind.

 

If there are concerns about the teams and assignments, we can work them out
on Sunday.

 

Tracy Soforenko

President, Potomac Chapter, National Federation of the Blind

PotomacNFB at verizon.net

703 635-2085

 

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From corbbo at gmail.com  Sat Jan 26 17:27:53 2013
From: corbbo at gmail.com (Corbbmacc O'Connor)
Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2013 12:27:53 -0500
Subject: [Nfbv-announce] Updated Fact Sheet for Richmond Seminar
Message-ID: <224966B6-10D5-410B-97AD-71E6B8313D05@gmail.com>

Good afternoon Virginians!

Please delete and replace the fact sheet for Richmond Seminar that I previously provided with the attached, updated one.

The web site will reflect these changes momentarily.

I'm looking forward to seeing you at the Membership Seminar and Board Meeting tomorrow afternoon!

Corbb

---
Corbbmacc O'Connor
Communications Coordinator
National Federation of the Blind of Virginia

c: (703) 309-4884 // h: (703) 549-2919
corbbo at gmail.com


---

Blind Students Deserve a High-Quality Education Equal to Their Non-disabled Peers

     Even though federal law requires that schools provide their blind students with high-quality instruction, many Virginia schools do not have the teachers needed to provide Braille reading and writing instruction or independent travel training. The teachers who are in place have so many students to serve that the children only learn to read Braille or to travel independently for 30 minutes per week. The lack of classroom materials available in Braille or audible formats also creates a significant academic barrier. Virginia's blind students are struggling to receive the high-quality education that they deserve.

Problem: Virginia's blind students are excluded from the Standards of Quality, resulting in excessive caseloads and reduced literacy rates among the blind.
     For all disabilities except blindness, the Standards of Quality (SOQ) prescribe teacher-student ratios and provide partial salary support to school divisions for special education teachers. The student-teacher ratio set forth under the SOQ ensures that special education teachers have sufficient time to provide instruction to each student with the goal of providing special educations students with a high-quality education; however, there are no caseload standards for teachers of blind students. With no SOQ funding and no caseload standard, there is a disincentive for school divisions to hire teachers of the blind. While some divisions fund teachers of the blind out of their own budgets, it is not uncommon to find that these teachers work with more than 30-40 students per week. As a result, blind students' education is not equal to their peers.

Solution: Support the Governor's proposed budget to close the funding gap.
     Since 2007, the General Assembly directed the Board of Education to include blind students in the Standards of Quality, but it has not provided the funding. In November 2012, the Board of Education again recommended inclusion of teachers of the blind in Virginia's SOQ formula.
     To serve 1,000 blind and low-vision students, the Commonwealth currently provides $0.5 million. The Governor proposes $4.9 million.
     We urge your support of the Governor's proposed budget to provide the funding to include blind and low-vision students under the SOQ. The Governor's budget would make available needed funds for teachers of the blind. Parents of blind students eagerly ask for your support so that their children may receive a high-quality education and become self-sufficient employed adults.
Blind Virginians Are Most Cost-Effectively Served by a Separate Agency Already In Existence
     If you or a close family member were to go blind tomorrow, your adjustment to life would be very different from any other medical condition. Medical devices or implants are not the cure-all for blindness. Instead, intensive training in the use of non-visual techniques of cooking, using computers, traveling, and reading would ready you for professional success.
Problem: We regularly encounter proposals from delegates and senators seeking cost savings where none can be achieved by merging the Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired with other disability-related agencies.
     Blind people are best served through an adequately funded agency that concentrates on the unique methods of teaching non-visual skills. This is the essence of the DBVI's approach to serving blind Virginians. It is important to note that the DBVI's back office administrative, procurement, and personnel functions were consolidated with other disability agencies several years ago. However, further consolidation could only dilute program service delivery to blind Virginians.
     Researchers continue to show that the minimal administrative savings achieved by consolidation of blindness agencies are offset by less effective, less well-organized, and less efficient services under a generalist's model. In the late 1990s, Cavenaugh, Giesen, and Pierce at Mississippi State University conducted an analysis of national data. They found that separate blindness agencies:
are nearly twice as likely to see their clients be self-supporting when their cases were closed than blind people served by a consolidated vocational rehabilitation agency;
serve a higher percentage of consumers with demographic/disability characteristics associated with lower labor force participation rates; and
close a higher percentage of blind people into competitive, integrated employment.

Solution: Oppose any efforts, at any level, to bring the Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired (DBVI) under another agency.
     Training and employment opportunities for the blind are provided here in Virginia by DBVI. Blind people learn the non-visual skills of reading, using computers, traveling, and living independently at residential training programs. Blind entrepreneurs have opened their own small businesses, in areas as diverse as consulting to food service, because DBVI provides technology, training and start-up capital (e.g. printers, stoves, and vending machines). Counselors help clients explore vocational opportunities, from part-time summer jobs to government contracts, so that blind people can compete in the workforce.
     We recognize that, on paper, DBVI seems very similar to other agencies serving people with disabilities. We urge you, however, to maintain DBVI's separate status so that blind Virginians are better prepared to be tax-paying employees, managers, and owners of businesses here in the Commonwealth.

From corbbo at gmail.com  Sun Jan 27 12:50:26 2013
From: corbbo at gmail.com (Corbbmacc O'Connor)
Date: Sun, 27 Jan 2013 07:50:26 -0500
Subject: [Nfbv-announce] Fwd: Updated Fact Sheet for Richmond Seminar
References: <224966B6-10D5-410B-97AD-71E6B8313D05@gmail.com>
Message-ID: <10E3A25E-F19C-46B5-85FD-92013ABA6CA6@gmail.com>

Many had difficulties reading the attachment. Here it is again.

Begin forwarded message:

From: Corbbmacc O'Connor <corbbo at gmail.com>
Subject: Updated Fact Sheet for Richmond Seminar
Date: January 26, 2013 12:27:53 PM EST
To: "nfbv-announce at nfbnet.org" <nfbv-announce at nfbnet.org>

Good afternoon Virginians!

Please delete and replace the fact sheet for Richmond Seminar that I previously provided with the attached, updated one.

The web site will reflect these changes momentarily.

I'm looking forward to seeing you at the Membership Seminar and Board Meeting tomorrow afternoon!

Corbb

---
Corbbmacc O'Connor
Communications Coordinator
National Federation of the Blind of Virginia

c: (703) 309-4884 // h: (703) 549-2919
corbbo at gmail.com


---

Blind Students Deserve a High-Quality Education Equal to Their Non-disabled Peers

     Even though federal law requires that schools provide their blind students with high-quality instruction, many Virginia schools do not have the teachers needed to provide Braille reading and writing instruction or independent travel training. The teachers who are in place have so many students to serve that the children only learn to read Braille or to travel independently for 30 minutes per week. The lack of classroom materials available in Braille or audible formats also creates a significant academic barrier. Virginia's blind students are struggling to receive the high-quality education that they deserve.

Problem: Virginia's blind students are excluded from the Standards of Quality, resulting in excessive caseloads and reduced literacy rates among the blind.
     For all disabilities except blindness, the Standards of Quality (SOQ) prescribe teacher-student ratios and provide partial salary support to school divisions for special education teachers. The student-teacher ratio set forth under the SOQ ensures that special education teachers have sufficient time to provide instruction to each student with the goal of providing special educations students with a high-quality education; however, there are no caseload standards for teachers of blind students. With no SOQ funding and no caseload standard, there is a disincentive for school divisions to hire teachers of the blind. While some divisions fund teachers of the blind out of their own budgets, it is not uncommon to find that these teachers work with more than 30-40 students per week. As a result, blind students' education is not equal to their peers.

Solution: Support the Governor's proposed budget to close the funding gap.
     Since 2007, the General Assembly directed the Board of Education to include blind students in the Standards of Quality, but it has not provided the funding. In November 2012, the Board of Education again recommended inclusion of teachers of the blind in Virginia's SOQ formula.
     To serve 1,000 blind and low-vision students, the Commonwealth currently provides $0.5 million. The Governor proposes $4.9 million.
     We urge your support of the Governor's proposed budget to provide the funding to include blind and low-vision students under the SOQ. The Governor's budget would make available needed funds for teachers of the blind. Parents of blind students eagerly ask for your support so that their children may receive a high-quality education and become self-sufficient employed adults.
Blind Virginians Are Most Cost-Effectively Served by a Separate Agency Already In Existence
     If you or a close family member were to go blind tomorrow, your adjustment to life would be very different from any other medical condition. Medical devices or implants are not the cure-all for blindness. Instead, intensive training in the use of non-visual techniques of cooking, using computers, traveling, and reading would ready you for professional success.
Problem: We regularly encounter proposals from delegates and senators seeking cost savings where none can be achieved by merging the Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired with other disability-related agencies.
     Blind people are best served through an adequately funded agency that concentrates on the unique methods of teaching non-visual skills. This is the essence of the DBVI's approach to serving blind Virginians. It is important to note that the DBVI's back office administrative, procurement, and personnel functions were consolidated with other disability agencies several years ago. However, further consolidation could only dilute program service delivery to blind Virginians.
     Researchers continue to show that the minimal administrative savings achieved by consolidation of blindness agencies are offset by less effective, less well-organized, and less efficient services under a generalist's model. In the late 1990s, Cavenaugh, Giesen, and Pierce at Mississippi State University conducted an analysis of national data. They found that separate blindness agencies:
are nearly twice as likely to see their clients be self-supporting when their cases were closed than blind people served by a consolidated vocational rehabilitation agency;
serve a higher percentage of consumers with demographic/disability characteristics associated with lower labor force participation rates; and
close a higher percentage of blind people into competitive, integrated employment.

Solution: Oppose any efforts, at any level, to bring the Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired (DBVI) under another agency.
     Training and employment opportunities for the blind are provided here in Virginia by DBVI. Blind people learn the non-visual skills of reading, using computers, traveling, and living independently at residential training programs. Blind entrepreneurs have opened their own small businesses, in areas as diverse as consulting to food service, because DBVI provides technology, training and start-up capital (e.g. printers, stoves, and vending machines). Counselors help clients explore vocational opportunities, from part-time summer jobs to government contracts, so that blind people can compete in the workforce.
     We recognize that, on paper, DBVI seems very similar to other agencies serving people with disabilities. We urge you, however, to maintain DBVI's separate status so that blind Virginians are better prepared to be tax-paying employees, managers, and owners of businesses here in the Commonwealth.



