August 2007 Promoter

 

CONTENTS:

       From the President

       Opportunity Available – Historian Needed

Gebhard Greetings

       Legislative Report, Summer 2007   

Are Your Bags Packed?    

NDAB Family News   

News Flashes from Grand Forks

Promoter News   

Candy’s Corner

NDAB Walkathon

A 96 year-old ‘inspiration’  

Donations and Memorials 

Obituary

Two Horses  

Highlights from the 2007 ACB Convention

NDAB Resolutions 2007-01-2007-05

       Family Adjustment Seminar                                                            Note from the Secretary

NDAB Board Meeting 04-22-07

       NDAB Board Meeting 06-08-07

 

 

­From the President

 

Greetings NDAB’ers:

 

Hope everyone is enjoying the hot, hot summer.  We had a lot of rain to start the season with and now it is dry in Fargo.  My lawn is pulling away from the driveway it is so dry.  We sure could use an inch of rain to get the lawns green again.

 

I want to thank everyone who came to the state convention in Grand Forks this past June.  The Grand Forks members did a superb job of hosting.  I thought it was a great convention.

 

I would like to thank all the chairpersons of the various committees in our organization.  We need the help of each and every committee to keep NDAB on an even keel.  I also thank our board members and officers.  They are very good people to work with and each one of them keeps our organization running smoothly and strong.  It takes a lot of behind-the-scenes volunteers to keep NDAB alive and well.

 

I am sure Loris is getting ready for another camp session, which is coming up very soon.  I am looking forward to meeting all of you in August at camp.

 

Take care; enjoy the rest of the summer and God Bless!

 

Rick Feldman

 

 

Opportunity Available – Historian Needed

 

Rosie Landsem has faithfully served as our NDAB Historian and we are very thankful for her efforts. Unfortunately, because of health reasons, she would like to resign her position. 

 

This is an opportunity for you to serve.  Please thoughtfully consider if this might work for you.  If you are interested in this position or have any questions about the duties involved, contact President Rick 701-235-3293 or Rosie 701-282-4439. 

 

 

Gebhard Greetings

 

Hello to all my fellow NDAB’ers!  Thank you for the opportunity to serve as the new Promoter editor.  I know Doug has done an excellent job and I commend him for his dedication and service as our editor.  After five years of commitment, I certainly think he deserves our gratitude and thanks.  Great job, Doug! I would also like to thank Mary for her support.  We all know behind every great man there is a great woman!  I certainly believe there are seasons for all things and now they will have some time to do something else. 

As for me, it may take me a few issues to get acclimated to this new season for me.  Please be patient with me while I stumble along. Guess change and our reaction to it is what makes life interesting. Thanks to those who have given me encouragement and support already.  It is much appreciated, and needed too!  I am willing to devote my time and energy toward being an instrument of communication for all the members of the NDAB.  But I do need your help.  PLEASE, share your ideas concerning the Promoter with me.   For example, if you read something of interest to you, it may also be of interest to others as well.  Remember this is YOUR newsletter.  I am just putting it together.  Communication of any kind is important – to develop relationships and help them to grow, to learn new things, to keep up on issues important to us and to unite our single voices into a choir that can be easily and harmoniously heard.

 

I have enjoyed meeting and getting to know many of you at NDAB Summer Camp.  For those of you I haven’t had the privilege to meet yet, I look forward to getting to know each of you!  You may be asking yourself, “Who is this Zelda?”  Well, I am NOT Zelda, the lady wrestler of video game fame.  I DO live with a wrestler who happens to be15 years old and the only one of our four sons still at home.  Where is home?  Steven, my husband of 30 years, and I live on a small acreage in the country, north of Edgeley, which is south of Jamestown.  Are you lost yet?  These days it is easy to get lost around here as they are doing major construction on hwy 281 which is ½ mile from our house.  Completion of this project is something we are all looking forward to. 

I would like to draw your attention to Allan’s Legislative report.  He has done an excellent job of giving an overview of our May trip to the South Dakota Rehabilitation Center for the Blind.  This trip is a great example of the collaborative efforts being made to improve services to the blind and visually impaired residents of North Dakota.  Allan and I also had an opportunity to meet with representatives from the State Vocational Rehabilitation office and North Dakota Vision Service/School for the Blind last October to discuss this same issue.  He was invited to represent NDAB and I was there because of my position on the State Rehabilitation Council and as an NDAB member. I also have had the unique experience of being a consumer of vision services both in South Dakota, when we lived there, and then in North Dakota. I believe there is unanimous belief that there is a need for improving vision services in ND, though HOW that might be accomplished and the extent of that need both remain a mystery.  I am very thankful that the providers are communicating and I believe if continued efforts are made, a workable solution will be found. It is imperative that we continue pressing toward a solution.  Unless you and I speak up and let them know what is needed, I fear attention and resources will go elsewhere. I feel both providers of vision services in ND are doing a good job considering the funding they currently are working with.  What they, and ultimately we, need are more resources.  Because of my intense belief that vision services need to be expanded in ND, I gathered up my courage and stepped out of my comfort zone during the legislative session.  I testified to the Senate Appropriations Committee about this issue.  I want to thank Allan for his encouragement and support.  I had never testified before and was terrified of the whole situation.  Much to my amazement the entire experience was a positive one.  I found the staff at the capitol to be friendly and helpful and the senators to be attentive and interested in what I had to share.   It was lunchtime when I got done and there were actually a couple of them who took the time to thank me for testifying. I also received a note of thanks later in the mail!  They really do need and want to hear what we have to say.  I would encourage any of you who feel strongly about vision services or anything else for that matter to consider testifying.  They need our viewpoint.  It is one they cannot see without our help.  Thanks again, Allan for your help and also for sharing your transportation to Bismarck. 

 

The seasons are changing. There are new things ahead for Doug as he steps down from being editor and for me as I step into this new role, learning new skills and stretching my comfort zone. 

 

As for the weather, we are still having hot days for the most part but when the heat of the day fades, there is that hint of fall in the coolness of night.  With it comes the promise of football practice (and sweaty uniforms to wash), school shopping trips, end of the summer vacations and NDAB camp!  I am looking forward to seeing old friends and making new ones.  Donna Hepper and I have had fun making plans for the banquet and dance.  We hope you are all eagerly anticipating the Western Hoedown!  Gather up your cowboy duds and plan to have a routin, tootin good time!

 

Remember, if you have anything you want in the Promoter, you can e-mail me at zgeb@drtel.net, call me at 701-493-2399 or mail it to me at 8169 66th Street SE, Edgeley, ND  58433. The due date for the November Promoter is October 10th.

 

If you are a tape reader, please note:  When you are finished with the cassette, please rewind it and return it as soon as possible in order to get the next Promoter.

 

Thank you,  

 

Zelda Gebhard, Editor

 

 

Legislative Report, Summer, 2007

By Allan Peterson

 

     As those of you, who attended our NDAB State Convention, are aware, we passed five resolutions during the proceedings of this year's session. Three of the resolutions dealt with the delivery of Rehabilitation services to persons with sight loss here in North Dakota. The resolutions, as written, do speak for themselves.

 

     Three of these resolutions (2007-02, 2007-03 and 2007-04) seek to make improvements in the delivery of rehabilitation services that are provided to the people of North Dakota with blindness and sight loss. Other than some slight modifications in language, these three resolutions were passed unanimously and without dissent by those attending our Convention. The resolutions provide us, as an organization, with the opportunity to speak with a united voice on rehabilitation services that are provided to us who have sight loss.

 

     One of the three resolutions on rehabilitation services, NDAB Resolution 2007-04, directs the two agencies, who share responsibility for providing center based blindness rehabilitation skills training in North Dakota, to collaborate to develop a plan that would provide an in-state vision loss Center based program. In relation to this topic, a contingent of us from North Dakota made a visit to the South Dakota Rehabilitation Center for the Blind in Sioux Falls on May 16th and 17th. Our group included Zelda Gebhard, Ken Dockter, Wanda Bye, LouAnn Nider, Margo Lentz and I. Ken Dockter is Coordinator for the adult center based program at North Dakota Vision Services / School for the Blind; Wanda Bye is presently the Interim Director of North Dakota Vocational Rehabilitation (VR); LouAnn Nider is the Training Officer for VR employees; Margo Lentz is the regional VR Vision Rehabilitation Specialist based at the Human Service Center located in Grand Forks and Zelda is a member of the Rehabilitation Council that is an advisory group to the North Dakota Division of Vocational Rehabilitation.

 

       To put it very simply, services offered at the South Dakota Rehabilitation Center for the Blind are impressive! In my opinion, if we could achieve the level of service that is provided at the South Dakota Rehabilitation Center for the Blind, here in our state, we would be very well served! Persons who are admitted into the center based program in South Dakota go through a two week evaluation process as they begin their training. The training is personalized so that it meets the needs of the individual. The training is individualized so it may take as short as two weeks or as long as six months, perhaps even longer, to achieve the level of competency in blindness skills that the person desires.

 

       The South Dakota Rehabilitation Center for the Blind is housed in a building that has been built for their use and has been used for this purpose for the past year and a half. The Rehabilitation center is also used, in part, by people with other disabilities for vocational training.

 

       Blindness skills training at the Center includes the areas of (1) mobility and orientation with the use of the white cane, (2) individualized computer and technology instruction, (3) communication skills, which includes teaching Braille, (4) daily living skills, (5) home maintenance and (6) instruction in arts and crafts. Clients, in the center based program who are from out-of-town, are housed in apartments that have been modified to meet the needs for access by people with sight loss. This provides clients, while living in their apartments, to have the opportunity to put into use the training that they learn at the Center.

 

       The South Dakota Rehabilitation Center for the Blind also offers additional services that include an optometrist who specializes in conducting Low Vision assessments, a part-time staff person that teaches people with diabetes good nutritional and life habits to help minimize the effects of this disease and an instructor who works with adults who are effected by both sight and hearing loss.

 

       Also housed at the Rehabilitation Center is a newspaper reading service operated by a separate organization known as Dakota Link. Newspapers from around the state are converted from a text format into speech. Residents of South Dakota with sight loss, who cannot read print, can access this service by calling into a toll free number that is set up for this purpose.

 

       The South Dakota Rehabilitation Center for the Blind in Sioux Falls is a part of the state agency known as the South Dakota Services for the Blind and Vision Impaired. South Dakota Services for the Blind and Vision Impaired is a separate but parallel agency to the general agency for Vocational Rehabilitation. Like the general VR Counselors, who serve persons with other disabilities, South Dakota Services for the Blind and Vision Impaired has its own vocational employment rehabilitation counselors who are located in the various regions around the state of South Dakota.

 

       To me, the bottom line with regard to blindness skills training, is that the state of North Dakota would do well by its citizens if, it were to model the governance of its vision service program after that of the state of South Dakota. When I say this, I also well realize that we as an organization have a lot of work ahead of us, if we choose to try to make this happen. There would be a mountain of education and political hurdles to overcome before this reality could come to fruition.

 

       NDAB Resolution 2007-01 addresses the issue of merging and moving the North Dakota School for the Blind with that of the North Dakota School for the Deaf (NDSD) at the NDSD facilities at Devils Lake. Although, the legislation, introduced during the recently concluded 60th North Dakota Legislative Session, that would have accomplished the merger, was soundly defeated, the issue is for me still of much concern. The reason for this concern stems from the fact that one of the Interim Legislative Committees that will meet during the time span, while the Legislature is not in session, has been charged with studying the services and operations of the School for the Deaf. Also noteworthy; North Dakota Vision Services / School for the Blind is mentioned in the study proposal and are lauded for the efficiencies of its operations. Given what is happening around the country, with regard to institutions like NDVS/SB, I believe it is very wise for us to be vigilant on this issue. The resolution gives us a vehicle whereby we can let the Interim Committee know our stance with regard to any proposal for moving NDVS/SB and merging its services and operations with NDSD.

 

       NDAB Resolution 2007-05 addresses the issue of identification of US paper currency by persons who cannot read print. The resolution requests that Congress and the President support the ruling made by US District Judge James Robertson, which directed the US Department of the Treasury to make the modifications in paper currency so that people who cannot read print could determine the denominations that are printed on these bills. This resolution was overwhelmingly adopted by those who attended our 2007 NDAB State Convention. The resolution was also submitted to this year’s American Council of the Blind’s Resolutions Committee. Subsequently, it was read before the entire ACB Convention and adopted unanimously by those who were assembled to conduct the business of the Council!

 

Announcements:

The North Dakota Disability Advocacy Consortium (NDDAC) will hold its Annual Conference this year on Monday, August 20th and 21st at the Kelly Inn in Bismarck. This year’s Conference will feature the ADA Bus Tour that is traveling around the nation to help draw awareness to the Act, to celebrate the accomplishments that have been achieved because of enactment of the ADA and, also, to highlight what yet needs to be achieved so that people with disabilities can become equal partners within our society. Please contact me for more details, particularly if you would have an interest in attending the Conference.

 

 

 

Are Your Bags Packed?

 

August is here and that means that it is time to pack your bags for camp.  Attending camp is the best gift you can give yourself so if you are one of the lucky ones who have decided to give yourself that gift, get ready for a great week.  If not, then you’ll have to read about it in the next Promoter. 

 

Rick Feldman and Loris Van Berkom, Co-Camp Directors

 

 

 

Changes

 

I made a change.  I switched font types to Arial for this edition. I thought it might be easier to read for the large print readers.  I hope this doesn’t create problems for those of you who have software with speech.  Please let me know if you have problems.  Change isn’t always better.

If you are finding it a challenge to read the large print editions and would like to change to tape, e-mail or Braille, please contact me.  We can change formats at any time. 

 

Zelda

 

 

NDAB FAMILY NEWS

 

News Flashes from Grand Forks

 

NDAB 2007 Convention is history!  It was great to see old friends, and we missed those who were not able to attend.  After all the difficulties getting set up for the convention, it turned out pretty well.  Thank you to everyone who agreed to run for offices, and congratulations to those who won!  As the Nominating Committee chairperson, my job was made very easy by having such willing candidates.

 

The Husebys hosted Texas relatives right after the convention.  It is doubtful that Renae had time to catch her breath in the interim between convention and company.

 

Going to the lake has filled pleasant days for the Iszler family.  Donna's grandson was home from college in Arizona, and all the grandchildren just love the lake!

 

We have shared time with Rom and Lee Thielman, visiting Don in the nursing home, and we have gathered several times for a good meal.  Always good company!  They are vacationing on an Alaskan cruise over the Fourth of July and celebrating a belated 35th wedding anniversary.

 

Janice and Joe Sowokinos were adventurous and joined a 5-day & 350-mile biking trip, starting from Grand Forks, going to Thompson, Turtle River State Park, and up into Canada.  They came down into Minnesota and wound up in East Grand Forks.  It was quite an experience!  (Sore?  You bet!)  They will be attending a meeting in Montana in early August, but I think they have opted not to ride their bikes!

 

Hope all have a safe and pleasant Fourth of July.  We will be entertaining four individuals who used to be at the North Dakota School for the Blind.

We will see many of you at Camp!

 

Olga Neal, Reporter

 

 

Minot Promoter News

 

Seven of us ventured, in a van from “Rent a Wreck”, to the convention in Grand Forks.  On our way, we picked up the Ketterlings in Rugby.  They had a driver bring them from Bottineau.  Thank you to Roy Winn, our driver, and Tammy Winn, his right hand girl, for a great trip.  Also, thank you to the Grand Forks bunch for a great convention!

 

At this writing, we are off to the National ACB Convention.  Those

attending from Minot are:  Carol, Connie, Doug, Mary and Evelyn.

 

Hope to see all of you at camp in August.  From us up north, bye for now. 

 

Connie Springsted, Reporter

 

 

Candy’s Corner

By Candy Lien

 

The Howe Press at the Perkins School for the Blind is now marketing a new “Light Touch” brailler.  The Light Touch brailler works exactly like the traditional Perkins braillewriter but requires 40% less force to press the keys.  It does not use electricity, it is just a more efficient design that enables one to use the brailler longer without tiring.  It would also be helpful for those of us who have arthritis or other physical problems that impact upper body or hand strength.  To find out more about the Light Touch brailler, go to www.mystuff@perkins.org or call 617-924-3434.

 

Here is a great recipe I got from Cheryl Misialek who works at the ND Vision Services/School for the Blind in the Vision Resource Center.  It is absolutely scrumptious and so easy!

Inside-Out Chocolate Cake

1 box devil’s food cake mix

1 small package instant chocolate pudding mix

2 eggs

1-3/4 cup milk

12 oz. package chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients together by hand.  Pour into a well-greased bundt pan or angel food cake pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.  Allow cake to cool for 15 minutes and invert onto plate.  This cake does not need frosting, trust me, it is rich enough without it. 

 

NDAB Walkathon 2007

 

NDAB extends a BIG thank you to all who participated in our 9th annual walkathon held on Saturday, April 21st.  The grand total raised this year was $20,266.76.  I want to commend the co-chair persons and all of you who walked, collected pledges and donations, and helped with this project in any way.  Thank you for your hard work! 

Co-chair persons and donations collected in the various towns are as follows: Bismarck (Bob Vandal and Donna Hepper) - $1,746.00, Fargo (Allan Peterson) - $6,855.75, Grand Forks (Renae Huseby and Rom Thielman) - $5,506.00, Minot (Tammy Winn and Mary Stip) - $3,275.00, Williston (Loris Van Berkom and Janelle Olson) - $2,884.01.   

 

This year’s total topped all previous years.  The race is already on for the 2008 Walkathon.  Let’s see how much we can raise for our 10th annual Walkathon.

 

Kathy Larson, Financial Chair Person

 

 

 

A 96-year-old ‘inspiration’

By Yangkyoung Lee

 

Viola Lillehaugen said she doesn’t think what she’s doing today is anything amazing.  Lillehaugen, 96, is from Brocket, N.D., and is legally blind.  She plans to walk two miles today as part of the North Dakota Association of the Blind walkathon fundraiser.  The event starts at 9 a.m. at Christus Rex on the UND campus. 

And today’s walk isn’t her first – it’s her fourth.  “I may use a walker or another person’s arm to help my old legs,” Lillehaugen said.  “But I am planning to finish the two miles.  I will do my best.” 

Lillehaugen has finished the walkathon three times, including a five mile walkathon.  Lillehaugen wasn’t born blind.  The longtime elementary schoolteacher was diagnosed with macular degeneration two years after her retirement.  The age-related degenerative disorder is a leading cause of vision loss in Americans 60 and older, according to United States National Library of Medicine Web site.  Her diagnosis was nearly 20 years ago, when she was 76.  Her vision gradually faded until she lost most of her eyesight in 1990 and had to stop driving.  “I felt like I lost my independence,” Lillehaugen said. 

But she’s no couch potato.  “I walk about 1 mile every day”, Lillehaugen said.  “I love walking.  And I’ve been walking regularly for a few years now.”

Lillehaugen suffers from osteoporosis, but said she’s talking part in today’s walkathon because she can.  And she wants to help raise money for the association. About $5,000 was raised in last year’s fundraiser, according to Rom Thielman, vice president of the North Dakota Association of the Blind.  Walkathons also will be held today in Bismarck, Fargo, Minot and Williston, N.D.

Thielman said funds raised will go to programs, including summer camp, four scholarship programs and the annual family adjustment seminar.  “Viola is a great inspiration for us,” Thielman said. 

Even though her osteoporosis bothers her, she takes very little medication, Lillehaugen said.  And she proudly said that she doesn’t take high blood pressure medication, which is rare in people her age. 

And she sounds like a 20-year-old when she talks about her determination.  For her, it seems like age is nothing but a number.  “My health is good, I think,” Lillehaugen said.  “You can’t give up for little things. If I decide to do something, I put forth all of my strength and stick to it.”

Reprinted with permission from Grand Forks Herald.

 

 

Donations and Memorials

 

The following donations and memorials were received by NDAB for the first two quarters in 2007.

 

 Donations were received from Luther Stinker, (the bus driver for Ski for Light), Cassel Everson, and Betty Bender.

 

Memorials received as follows:

In memory of Evelyn Groveland from Barbara Danielson.

In memory of Brenda Sveen from Donna Jean Harstad.

In memory of Sonia Orseth from Doranna Robertson, and Gary and Renae Huseby.

In memory of Alan Moch from Loris Van Berkom, Lee and Rom Thielman, Kathy and Stan Larson, Karlyn Frantsen and Annette and Angela Moch

 

Renae Huseby, Treasurer

 

 

Obituary

 

Alan Moch, 39, Bismarck, died May 1, 2007.  Alan was born Feb. 28, 1968, at Sacramento, CA, to Alfred and Jenny Moch.  When he was 6, the family moved back to the family farm west of Hazelton where he was raised.  He attended school in Hazelton.  After graduation, he attended Bismarck State College for heating and air conditioning. 

Alan met Annette Thomsen in April 1989 and they married in November 1998. 

Besides working on the family farm, Alan had various employers; Sears, NDAD, Gateway Carriers, but most of all he loved being self-employed.  He owned Al’s Service Center, a pressure washer company, and he was also a landlord and Freelife Distributor. 

Alan loved fishing, hunting and traveling, but most of all he loved the Lord.  Alan was a genuine man who rested in God’s hands as he battled many years with a brain tumor. 

On July, 2004, God blessed him with a daughter, whom he loved and adored. 

Alan is survived by his wife, Annette, and daughter, Angela, Bismarck; his mother, Jenny Moch, Hazelton; his in-laws, Dale and Linda Thomsen and his two sisters-in-law and one brother-in-law, Lori Thomsen, Sterling and Kim and Frank Lacier, Fargo, his nephew, Quentin Lacier, his nieces, Danielle and Kristina Lacier and McKay Thomsen; his aunts and uncles; Joe and Bonita Moch, Patty Moch, Helen Moch, Pat and Lil Moch, Mary and Susan Sanchez, Karen Sanchez, Geard and Diane Skar, Dean Mertins, Val and Gary Knupple, Tom and Michelle Sanchez and Jan and Allison Sanchez. 

He was preceded in death by his father, his sister, Jackie; his grandparents, and several aunts and uncles. 

Services were held at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 5, at Century Baptist Church, Bismarck, with the Rev. Gordon Stork officiating.  Graveside services were held at 3 p.m. Saturday in the Hazelton Cemetery. Following the graveside services, fellowship and refreshments were at the Hazelton Community Center.

A prayer service was held at Parkway Funeral Service, Bismarck at 7 p.m. Friday, May 4th.

 

 

Two Horses

Author Unknown

Submitted by Char Feldman

 

Just up the road from my home is a field,

With two horses in it.

From a distance, each looks like every other horse.

But if you stop your car, or are walking by,

You will notice something quite amazing.

 

Looking into the eyes of one horse will

Disclose that he is blind.

His owner has chosen not to have him put down,

But has made a good home for him.

This alone is amazing.

 

If nearby and listening,

You will hear the sound of a bell,

Looking around for the source of the sound,

You will see that it comes from the smaller horse in the field.

 

Attached to her halter is a small bell.

It lets her blind friend know where she is,

So he can follow her.

As you stand and watch these two friends,

You’ll see how she is always checking on him,

And that he will listen for her bell and then slowly walk to where she is, trusting that she will not lead him astray.

 

When she returns to the shelter of the barn each evening,

She stops occasionally and looks back,

Making sure her friend isn’t too far behind to hear the bell.

 

Like the owner of these two horses,

God does not throw us away just because we are not perfect or because we have problems or challenges.

He watches over us and even brings others into our lives to help us when we are in need.

Sometimes we are the blind horse being guided by the little ringing bell of those who God places in our lives.

Other times we are the guide horse, helping others see.

Good friends are like this.

You don’t always see them, but you know they are always there.

Please listen for my bell and I’ll listen for yours.

 

 

Highlights from the 2007 ACB Convention

By Allan Peterson

 

The 46th Convention of ACB officially began with opening ceremonies at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtown Minneapolis on Sunday evening, July 1st. Highlights from the opening ceremonies included President Christopher Gray’s address on the state of the state of ACB. Another significant address at this session was a speech made by the CEO of Humanware who announced his company’s contribution as a major sponsor for this year’s Convention as well as additional contributions from the company that will continue to support the work of ACB.

 

For many, the roll call of affiliates which is conducted during the opening session Sunday evening is something they look forward to witnessing every year. Affiliates of ACB include each of the state affiliates plus the twenty or so special interest affiliates; examples of special interest affiliates are Guide Dog Users International (GDUI) and the Association of Blind Attorneys (ABA). The special interests that are served by GDUI and the ABA are evident and pretty self explanatory.

 

All but four of the state ACB affiliates answered roll call and all of the special interest affiliates had representatives who answered this call to Convention. It was announced during the Convention that a total of 1157 individuals had registered for the Convention. Even though many attend the Convention, but, do not register they still have some role in making the Convention happen - these would include the vendors. In order to be a voting member, you must register. It is estimated that approximately 3 to 4 hundred people attend the Convention but do not register.

 

There were eight of us from North Dakota who helped represent North Dakota Association of the Blind at this year’s Convention. Our official delegate was Connie Springsted; other NoDaker’s who attended were Evelyn Hildebrand, Eunice and Lester Ketterling, Carol Schmitt, Doug and Mary Stip and myself. I must say, that this was really a great group of North Dakotans to have on hand to be able to share the activities and fun of this year’s Convention!

 

Our group of NoDaker’s was pleased to be able to extend its reach beyond the borders of North Dakota to include Sean Phipps from Great Falls, Montana. Sean serves as President of the new Montana ACB affiliate, the Montana Blind and Low Vision Council! I know that I speak for everyone when, I say that it was truly great to have this young man from Montana included as a part of our group throughout the Convention!

 

Sean is one of the visually impaired students that Becky Monroe worked with in the Great Falls Public School system. Sean’s sight loss is due to albinism.

 

It was my privilege to be a mentor for Sean at this year’s Convention because of my work and role, as one of the members who has served on the ACB membership Committee. I, also, want to thank our North Dakota group for welcoming Sean and their part in helping mentor him! I must also extend a very special word of thanks to Lester and Eunice Ketterling for their assistance in making it possible for Sean to travel to the Convention.

 

The really big business before the Convention was to elect a new slate of officers for the ACB Board. ACB President, Chris Gray, and Secretary, Donna Seliger, had served their limits of time in office for these positions. The office of First and Second Vice President were also open because incumbents in these offices were not seeking re-election to these positions.

 

ACB elections for officers and Board positions are conducted as a matter of business on the last day of Convention which is Friday. Perhaps, not surprisingly, this year’s elections took up most of the time on Friday.

 

Mitch Pomerantz, who was the Second Vice President, prior to Convention, was one of two candidates seeking the office of President. The other candidate was Carla Ruschival, who is one of the present Directors on the ACB Board and, for a number of years, has served as the hard working ACB Convention Coordinator. Many thought that the race for this office would be really close. As it turned out, Mitch Pomerantz won the office with about 59 percent of the vote.

 

Candidates, who won their bid for office on the ACB Board, are as follows:

Mitch Pomerantz from Los Angeles, California was elected President; Mitch is the ADA Compliance Officer for the city of Los Angeles;

Kim Charlson from Watertown, Massachusetts was elected First Vice President; Kim is the Director of the Library at the Perkins School for the Blind;

Brenda Dillon from Tennessee was elected Second Vice President;

Marlaina Lieberg from Seattle, Washington was elected Secretary; Marlaina is Program Director for ACB Radio;

Mike Godino from Long Island, New York was re-elected Treasurer, Mike is an Advocacy Officer for an Independent Living Center; Note: Mike was the only candidate who ran unopposed during this year’s ACB elections.

 

Because Brenda Dillon was serving as an ACB Board member, her election to the position of 2nd VP opened up an election for the unexpired term of office for her position as an ACB Board Director. There were five nominees from the floor for this unexpired Board position. Cammie Vloedman a college student from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma was the nominee who was successful in being elected into this position.

 

The formula for voting at Convention is based on a combination of a standing vote and a roll call of affiliate votes. Registered members attending the Convention are asked to stand for a candidate during an election or stand to approve or disapprove an issue. After the standing vote is counted, a roll call of affiliate votes is taken. The number of members in any of the affiliates determines how many votes they can cast; for every 25 of its members, an affiliate can cast one vote. Because NDAB had approximately 175 dues paying members this year, it had seven votes at this year’s Convention.

 

The most, any one affiliate can cast during a roll call for affiliate votes, is limited to twenty-five. The limit of 25 was established to help prevent large affiliates from dominating smaller ones. I believe that the state affiliates of California, Florida, Washington and the special interest affiliate, Guide Dog Users International, are the ones that have 25 affiliate votes.

 

For anyone that has attended one of the ACB Conventions, you can attest to the fact that the floor debate on any given issue can get pretty rancorous, and this year was no exception! Much of the business that ACB conducts at Convention has to do with resolutions and amendments to the ACB Constitution.

 

There were in the neighborhood of three dozen resolutions that were submitted to this year’s Convention. I submitted two of them. One had to do with accessible currency which we adopted at our NDAB Convention. The second resolution had to do with lack of access to image verification at web sites by people who cannot read the code that is used to determine a reader’s authenticity. More about the second resolution in a later article.

ACB has a budget that is in the neighborhood of $1.1 million. They do have a nice mix of funding streams to help support the expenses that are projected in the budget. ACB conducted its first auction at this year’s Convention; it raised $18,884 for the organization. Organizers of the auction were very satisfied with this initial effort!

 

After the elections had been conducted, which was about a quarter to five, there remained six resolutions that hadn’t been read or acted upon by the Convention. President Gray asked for a motion to have these resolutions sent to the ACB Board for their action at the post Convention Board meeting. There were some who strongly disapproved of this motion but, it carried on a voice vote. The Convention adjourned as of approximately 5:15 on Friday afternoon, July 6th.

 

 

NDAB Resolution 2007-01:

Regarding the Merger of Institutions

for the Blind and Deaf.

 

Whereas, the service needs for rehabilitation skills training for people with sight loss and hearing loss are totally different from one another and , 

Whereas, from a historical perspective, instances where blind and deaf institutions of rehabilitation or education have been merged,  have subsequently failed and haven't proven to provide any efficiencies or improved effectiveness in delivery of services,  and:

Whereas, the modes of communication between people who are blind and who are deaf are entirely different and, thus, are inherently difficult because of the nature of these sensory disabilities, and;

Whereas, North Dakota Vision Services / School for the Blind has had a strong affiliation with the education programs at the University of North Dakota that prepare instructors and rehabilitation specialists in the field of vision rehab services,  and:

 

Whereas, projections for efficiencies and the consequent savings of expenses from the merger of the North Dakota School for the Deaf and North Dakota Vision Services / School for the Blind at any level haven't been proven or been demonstrated;

Now, Therefore, be it resolved that North Dakota Association of the Blind in Convention assembled in Grand Forks, North Dakota on this date of Sunday, June 10th, directs the government and Legislature of the State to dismiss any attempt to move and merge the programs or administration of North Dakota Vision services / School for the Blind with that of the School for the Deaf.

 

NDAB Resolution 2007-02:

Educational Background in Vision Services for VR Counselors

 

Whereas, because the rehabilitation skills training in blindness is specialized, specific and unique to this disability, rehabilitation counselors should be required to possess training in this area so that they can adequately advise people with sight loss, and;

Whereas, it is a recognized practice in other states that counselors, who work with clients with blindness and sight loss,  have the proper training and experience in rehabilitation skills training so that they can properly advise people with this disability, and;

Whereas, it has been the experience of a number of clients who have sought services from vocational rehabilitation, here in North Dakota, that the counselors that they've dealt with seem to lack the necessary knowledge and background for them to properly advise and counsel people with blindness and sight loss;

Now, Therefore, be it resolved that North Dakota Association of the Blind in Convention assembled in Grand Forks, North Dakota on this date of Sunday, June 10th, advises and directs the administration of the North Dakota Division of Vocational Rehabilitation to (1)  have, at least, one of its counselors, who work with 110 (employment) cases, in each of its regional offices to have the necessary training so that they can work with clients with blindness and (2) that these counselors, so trained,  be assigned any cases that involve a person with sight loss.

 

 NDAB RESOLUTION 2007-03

Communication of Rehabilitation Services to Vision Clients

Whereas, people who become blind as adults often are not aware about the scope of services that are available for them and do not know where they can get this information, and;

Whereas, it appears that information about all the options for vision services in North Dakota often isn’t widely communicated to people experiencing sight loss, even when clients are being served within the rehabilitation and social service system, and;

Whereas, it is crucial for the well being of people who become blind or experience a significant degree of sight loss, that they receive adequate rehabilitation skills training so that they can adequately deal with this disability;

Now, Therefore, be it resolved that North Dakota Association of the Blind in Convention assembled in Grand Forks, North Dakota on this date of Sunday, June 10th, 2007, advises and directs all parties that are involved with the diagnosis, rehabilitation and social services of people with blindness and sight loss to inform and share written communication about services that will assist people who are adjusting to life with this disability.  Further, we strongly recommend that the vision service program within the North Dakota Division of Vocational Rehabilitation and the adult program within North Dakota Vision Services/School for the Blind develop a joint brochure in an accessible format that is distributed to each of their adult clients whenever an initial visit is made with these individuals.

 

NDAB Resolution 2007-04:

Center Based Blindness Rehabilitation Skills Training

 

Whereas, disease conditions and injuries that result in blindness and permanent sight loss are universally recognized as being severe life altering disabilities that require specific and specialized intensive rehabilitation skills training programs that teach people to cope with this disability, and;

Whereas, it has been shown that persons with blindness and visual impairments who receive intensive "center based" rehabilitation skills training are employable and can function with a great deal of independence, and;

Whereas, the option of a program that provides facets of a center based blindness rehabilitation skills training program is available through North Dakota Vision Services / School for the Blind in Grand Forks but is limited in its ability to provide these services to adults due to the level of funding and availability of staff time, and;

Whereas, the Blindness Skills Training Center that was headed by Ed Christensen that served North Dakotans with sight loss has been closed for more than a decade and has not been replaced with an equivalent service within the State Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, and;

Whereas, our neighboring states of South Dakota and Minnesota fund and maintain vision rehab training centers in their states which provide  the option of a high quality comprehensive center based blindness skills training program for their citizens who become sight impaired;

 

Now, therefore, be it resolved that North Dakota Association of the Blind in convention assembled in Grand Forks, North Dakota on this date of Sunday June 10th, 2007 urge and direct the North Dakota Division of Vocational Rehabilitation and North Dakota Vision Services / School for the Blind to collaborate to develop a plan whereby the citizens of North Dakota can be provided with the option of an in state comprehensive center based blindness rehabilitation skills training program that will offer evaluations and based on these evaluations, provide the needed individualized training.

Further, be it resolved that the necessary legislation to implement such a plan be pursued.

                   

NDAB Resolution 2007-05:

Access to Paper Currency

 

Whereas, persons who cannot read print, including people who are blind, are denied for themselves, the possibility of determining the denominations on paper currency, and:

Whereas, extensive modifications are commonly made in paper currency to improve security within our monetary system, and;

Whereas, although there are methods for handling money without the advantage of sight, people who cannot read print ultimately must rely on money identifiers or other persons to tell them what denominations are present on paper currency, and;

Whereas, the ability to transact business, using cash, is fundamental to an independent lifestyle, and;

 Whereas, worldwide there are more than 180 countries that now issue paper currency with some means of identification whereby people,  who are unable to read print, can, nevertheless, determine for themselves the denominations of bills that they are handling;

Now, therefore, be it resolved that North Dakota Association of the Blind in Convention assembled in Grand Forks, North Dakota on this date of Sunday, June 10th, urge and direct the President, Congress,  including our North Dakota congressional delegation, to support, by whatever means possible, District Judge James Robertson's ruling in favor of the American Council of the Blind's lawsuit against the U.S. Department of the Treasury to issue paper currency that has a means of identification that makes it possible for a person, who cannot read print, to independently identify the denominations that are present on US paper currency.

 

 

Family Adjustment Seminar

By Janelle F. Olson, Chairperson

 

The time has come again to keep your ears open fo