CONTENTS:
From the President – Michelle’s Meanderings
Gebhard Greetings
Dates to Remember
NDAB Summer
Camp
NDAB Family
Adjustment Seminar
ACB 2008 Convention Report – Part 1
2008 ACB Convention Report
NDAB Member News
Williston Area News
2007 National ACB Convention
Legislative Report – Summer 2008
Candy’s Corner
What to Do When You Meet a Sighted Person
Memorials and Donations
Help Folks See
Hazel Nerison – Obituary
NDAB Board Meeting –
NDAB Pre-Convention Board Meeting –
Thanks Guys!
From the President
Michelle’s Meanderings
Greetings NDAB Members!
What an eventful convention we experienced in
Thank you to all members for electing me as NDAB President.
We have a wonderful group of people serving on the Executive Board and I am
looking forward to working along with them.
I promise to do my best for the organization. It is an honor to serve you all. If you have any suggestions just give me a
call. I love to talk on the telephone!
There have been plenty of new duties to keep me busy this
summer. I have made contact with many NDAB members and made some appointments
to different Chair committees. A thank
you is in order for those who have agreed to serve the NDAB. Several people are
compiling standards of protocol for the Committee Chair’s duties. It is, of
course, a time consuming chore that needs to be done to help our organization
flow more smoothly during transition times.
All of your efforts on these endeavors are much appreciated.
Some housecleaning has been in order among my personal
computer filing system for a long time.
It was easy to ignore the computer when I was not feeling well. Now I have a mess and I am trying to play
catch up. It is a bit overwhelming. I know I will get through it eventually with
some help from a few good friends.
Preparation for camp classes that I will be leading are in
the final stages. Rom has been teaching
several classes that I was originally leading before I became ill. Rom has been a wonderful instructor. Now, I will cover her class times while she
deals with her illness. Hurry back Rom,
so you can teach again. We miss you.
Traveling back and forth to the farm by
Oh, I guess that is enough of my meanderings for the moment.
I could go on and on. I look forward to meeting with all of you who will be
attending camp.
Michelle Zentz
Gebhard Greetings
Hello to
all my fellow NDAB’ers! I want to thank
you all for giving me the opportunity to continue to serve as your editor for
another year. I think it is safe to
admit at this time that I really had no idea before I started of the amount of
time this job would require. It does seem,
however, to get easier with every issue.
Every job has its benefits and this one is no exception. I have thoroughly enjoyed the increased
interaction with you that has resulted as a byproduct of fulfilling my duties
as editor. Thanks for your patience with
me. Once again, I would like to remind
you that this is a vital piece of communication for all the members of the NDAB
and I need your help to make it so.
PLEASE, share your ideas concerning the Promoter with me. 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. That sounds like a lofty goal. I
want to thank you in advance for helping me achieve that it!
I attended
my first state NDAB convention in June.
It was very nice and reflected the efforts of many. Thanks to the
2008 will
be remembered in the Gebhard family as the “Year of the Babies”. I can’t imagine we will have another year
when all of my married sons (and their wives, of course) each bless us with a
grandbaby. Ashton was born in January,
Aiden in June and we are anticipating the arrival of a granddaughter in
September. What joy! They were all here for the 4th of
July weekend. We had a 2 year old, 13
month old, 5 month old and 1 month old.
It was so much fun! A babe of
every size for everyone to hold! Our cup
(and our house, at times) runneth over! This has been a summer of great joy and
great loss for our family. My oldest sister’s husband lost his battle with
cancer. He was a too-young 59 year old
and will be greatly missed. My sister
and he were very brave and fought a good fight.
He gave it “his best shot” and lost.
I know many of you have been through similar situations and understand
the loss. May God comfort you as he has
and is comforting us.
Cancer has
affected many lives and brings to my mind our friend and fellow NDAB member,
Hazel Nerison. She will be long
remembered. You will find in this issue
both her obituary and a poem written by her.
Yes, it seems she is still entertaining us with her humor and wisdom. She is also continuing to provide us with support.
Many of you
are aware of the contributions Hazel has made to auctions held at NDAB Summer
Camp. For years she has provided two
dolls complete with wardrobes for our auction.
This year is no exception. After
her death, I was visited by her friend, Simone Klemen. This lady is the very talented seamstress who
has very generously created the outfits for all the dolls Hazel has brought to
camp. She and her husband were here in
Edgeley visiting their daughter who happens to be my neighbor. They brought with them two dolls with outfits
plus 3 porcelain dolls from Hazel’s personal collection. Hazel’s sons have given these dolls in memory
of their mother to be sold at this year’s auction. It is my privilege to bring Natasha and her
Dutch friends, Hans and Freya to camp with me!
Progress
continues to be made as a result of the ND Vision Work Group. This group has representatives from Vocational
Rehabilitation, North Dakota Vision Services/School for the Blind and
NDAB. This group has been meeting for
almost two years. We have decided to
meet twice a year and are committed to improving vision services in
President Michelle asked me to serve with Allan as Legislative
co-chairs. I am looking forward to
learning a lot about the whole process.
Allan has such a wealth of experience and expertise in this area. I am certainly short on experience and
expertise but hope to offer caring, enthusiasm and a willingness to do what I
can. I am anxious to talk with the legislators about the issues
that affect those of us with vision loss and I would encourage you to do the
same. They need our viewpoint. It is
one they cannot see without our help.
Some of you may remember my first and only experience (so far) testifying
before the Senate appropriations committee last legislative session. Overall It was a positive experience. Though I know I still won’t be comfortable, I
know I won’t die doing it.
Baseball is
over. Alex played 1st base on
the Legion team this year. They had a good season and ended up playing in the
championship game at the sectionals. It was exciting but they didn’t win so
will not play in the state tournament. Before you know it I’ll be washing football
uniforms again. Meanwhile I am busy with garden, flowers and making baby quilts
for my grandbabies. I do enjoy quilting. I will be bringing a quilt for the camp
auction. It is a result of a team
effort. I purchased the material, cut it
up, sewed it back together and then took it to Jamestown where Betty Jo
Hoeppner, Mike’s wife did the quilting with her long-arm quilting machine. She does such a nice job! I am pleased with the way it turned out.
Remember: If you have something 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
Zelda
Gebhard, Editor
Dates to Remember
·
NDAB Summer Camp, August 10-17
·
NDAB Family Adjustment Seminar at
·
ND Vision Services/School for the Blind
Continuing to
celebrate Centennial with the following events:
·
Open House, September 11th
1-4 p.m.
·
All School
Contact NDVS/SB for details and agenda.
Registration
deadline is August 10th
·
Annual Vocational
Rehabilitation/Transition Conference, October 28-30
Dr. Biberdorf will be
presenting on Vision
NDAB
Summer Camp 2008
By the time you read this, it will be time to pack up and
head to the shores of
NDAB Family Adjustment
Seminar
According to Paula Anundson, our new seminar coordinator,
the 2008 Family Adjustment Seminar will be held on October 11th in
Paula urges all NDAB members to encourage those they know
who are experiencing vision loss to attend.
Those interested in attending should call either Paula at 845-9976 or
Kathy Larson at 875-4291.
ACB 2008 Convention Report – Part I
Thank you
for the support and interest in learning about the issues addressed by your
fellow ACB members at the National Convention.
We arrived
in
The first
event was the Steven Foster dinner drama at Bardstown Kty. I believe we had 3
buses, probably 140 people from ACB. We were served dinner at a charming
restaurant where home cooking was the main theme. We had our choice of chicken,
ham, or beef and all the veggies, potatoes and dessert. We were full! The outdoor theater stage was
backed by 40-60 foot trees. We descended some 40 steps down to the front seats.
There were 50-60 people, ages 6-60 acting and singing Stephen Foster's life. It
was very professionally done. Fireworks
began at the close. It was so impressive over the top of the trees.
After about
40 minutes, we had a few sprinkles and we decided to stay and see the remainder
of the show. Little did we know that in
5 minutes God was going to open the faucet and really let it be a
downpour. We were all drenched but we had 4 umbrellas, 6 dogs, lots of
white canes and all of us helping each other to get up the steps, stop at the
gift shop and then up 13 steps to the bus. We all made it to the buses and we
cross checked with everyone so no one was left behind. We were all very wet and
absolutely thrilled that the rain had waited till after the performance and
most of the fire works.
Betsy
Doene, a college math professor, from Ct had asked us to describe the colors of
the fireworks, so we used all the adjectives we could to describe the
spectacular fireworks we were viewing. It wasn't until later that she
said she had been blind since birth. We are still learning how to do
these tasks so they are beneficial to those we serve. Do you have suggestions? Do let me know. We
discussed this at different settings during the week so we heard many
suggestions.
Our drive
home was in very heavy rain- many small cars had pulled over. About 20 miles
down the road we saw lots of flashing lights. Many cars and buses were pulled
over. An officer came and asked our driver if we (51 people) had been drinking -
answer no. He asked the driver also. It
was a DWI stop!! The officer let us proceed and so we did observe some drivers
trying to walk the line but having trouble doing so. We were glad they were not driving in the
heavy rain. It was the first time we've been stopped for a DWI and we all
passed!! We were to get home by 11:00. It
was 1:30 a.m. before we got back to the hotel. Everyone wanted to shower,
dry our clothes and crash. This was a tremendous experience for all of us and
it set the pace for what was to come during the week. If you have a chance,
Stephen Foster's life and music is really interesting. Enjoy it in book, CD or cassette.
Thanks for
listening… More next time.
Submitted
by
Evelyn
Hildebrand
2008 ACB Convention
Report
By
Allan Peterson
First and foremost, thank you to NDAB for
the privilege of serving as this year's ACB delegate! I've become addicted to
attending the ACB Conventions, so to be able to represent NDAB as its official
delegate was truly an honor and privilege! I thank Rick for offering this
appointment to me!
Very special words of thanks too to the
other members of our NDAB contingent that attended this year's Convention! The
opportunity to share this experience with others always makes it a lot more
fun! There were six of our NDAB members in Louisville; they included Evelyn
Hildebrand, Lester and Eunice Ketterling, Dean and Melissa Petersen and I. It was
a good NDAB showing! I heard the largest state contingent had 56 members in
attendance and I am pretty sure it was
This report will be brief due to time
constraints. I will offer a more detailed report later.
This year's Convention was held at the Galt
House Hotel in
This was the 47th ACB Convention, the first
official one was the constituting Convention held in 1962 in
This was the first Convention at which
current ACB President Mitch Pomerantz served as the presiding officer. He,
together with other ACB officers, was elected into their respective positions
at last year's Convention in
ACB Conventions of today span an entire
week. This year's Convention began on Saturday, July 5th and ended on Saturday,
July 12th. True it is a long span of time to commit to a Convention but, the
week can be a full one for anyone who is involved with the work of ACB.
For many who attend Conventions on a
regular basis, it is much more than going to meetings and sessions, it is a
chance to meet old friends and have a good time. One only needs to examine the
trash to see the accumulation of wine, liquor and beer bottles to know that
there was more going on than the scheduled meetings.
The opening session of the Convention takes
place on Sunday night. There usually is
a keynote speaker, this year it was one of the former Miss
The weekdays at the ACB Convention begin in
the mornings with the general session; it is where the business of the
organization is conducted. Most of the business
conducted at Convention deals with proposed resolutions, amendments to the ACB
By-laws and the election of officers and board members.
Twenty-one resolutions were dealt with at
this year's Convention. I submitted one of the resolutions that dealt with
making web sites more accessible to people who are blind and visually impaired.
This resolution was morphed into a more comprehensive one dealing with the
There were three amendments offered to the
Constitution, two of them passed and a third failed. The two amendments that
passed basically dealt with cleaning up language to make the document more
cogent. The third amendment that failed dealt with oversight of ACB’s
electronic list serves. The question was whether the lists should be left as is
to be monitored by a Committee or by an individual. It was left as is, to be
monitored by a Committee. Debate on this
amendment took at least a full hour and close to another hour for voting on it.
The afternoons at the ACB Convention are
filled with dozens of meetings. Altogether there are about 25 or so special interest
affiliates that meet and have programs at the Convention. Special interest
affiliates include groups such as the
Election of officers for the ACB Board
occurs every two years. On the years when officers are not up for election,
half of the ten member Board of Directors positions are up for election. Board
Directors serve four year terms and can serve two consecutive four year
terms.
This years ACB elections were for Board of
Director positions. One half or five Director Positions were up for election
and three positions were also open on the Board of Publications. Two of the ACB
Director positions were the seats of incumbents who could serve for another
four year term - they were David Trot of
Three of the Director positions were open,
meaning that people that had held these seats were no longer eligible or chose
not to run. Michael Garrett of
The three people elected to the Board of
Publications were Judy Jackson of
Probably the best news shared at the
Convention, was the fact that ACB is on a much sounder financial footing.
During the past year, ACB had received three fairly large bequests, so due to
these donations and the fact that the ACB thrift stores are doing better, ACB
has a little more than 1 million in reserves.
This was the second year that ACB conducted an auction to help
raise needed funding. This year’s auction raised about $24,400. The auction
seems to need some refinement because it didn’t end until 3 o’clock in the
morning! Evelyn stayed and helped as a volunteer until the bitter end! Thanks
so much, Evelyn, for your dedication to the work you do on our behalf.
NDAB Member News
When Michelle called and asked if I would write the column
for
Most of you have heard of Hazel Nerison’s death on June
24. She put up a brave battle with her
third round of cancer but had been in a coma since spring. Irene and Lyle Nelson, Renee Huseby, Rom
Thielman and I were able to attend the funeral in Tolna on Monday, June 30, and
visit with her family. She was a
courageous lady with a zest for life and will be missed by all who knew
her. She was not able to attend camp
last year and we missed her then. NDAB
will miss a dedicated, active member.
Rom and Lee Thielman were not able to attend the convention
because they were making a trip to
With all the illness
I know that Irene Nelson, Dave Sundeen and I are definitely
planning on being at camp and I am sure there are more from here that will be
there. I will try to get news from some
of the others to report next time and hope we will have all good news to pass
along then.
Submitted by Ruth Phalen.
Fargo Area News
“Turn
your face towards the sun and you can not see the shadows. That’s what
sunflowers do.” This quote is from Helen Keller and was the theme for our
convention and what a convention we had. I first want to thank everyone
that was on the convention planning committee. It really proved that it takes
good team work to put something like this together. For the most part we had
just that. Next year our NDAB convention will be in
I
am sure everybody’s summer is jammed packed with activities. Mine sure is.
First was the convention, then we went up to the MPLS for a Twins game and ‘we’
won, of course. Then Elton’s parents came to visit for ten days from
Our
Silver Follies play in May was "Lil Abner" and was hilarious with older
people playing the parts. The Trollwood Performing Arts play this summer is
"Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat" which should be
phenomenal. So in closing, I wish everybody a good summer and hope to see you
at camp in August.
Submitted
by Shereen Faber
Williston
Area News
Greetings from “Oil Country”! We are experiencing another oil boom in the
Williston area. That brings both
positives and negatives but it sounds like oil exploration is here for the long
run this time so we’ll watch and wait on the results.
Our local support group still meets the first Tuesday of the
month at the
I would like to be the first to welcome you to Williston for
the 2010 NDAB State Convention. I don’t
even have the dates yet but it will be the second weekend in June. Attending our annual convention is a very
important part of being a responsible, contributing member of our
organization. A big “Thank You” to all
of our
Dan Gerhardt had sinus surgery last October with lots of
complications including more infection and has been trying to recover since
then. He will be having another surgery
July 14 here in Williston so when you read this, he will hopefully be doing
better. If it doesn’t work this time,
they will be heading to the Mayo Clinic in
Janelle and
The farm that Kathy and
Donna Jean Harstad is very involved with activities at the
I am looking forward to having my children and grandchildren
home for a week. The only downside to
our week might be the herds of mosquitoes that have taken over our town. Outside activities will have to be very
limited.
We extend
our sympathy to Merle Willard on the loss of his brother Henry “Hank”
Willard. He died July 15 and his funeral
was held July 19. He was 64 years old
and lived in Williston.
Some of this news will be old by the time you read it but it
will hopefully help in bridging the miles across the state of
Submitted by Loris Van Berkom
What a
tremendous experience for all of us!
Many thanks
to Ernie for all of his work in calling or contacting the riders, walkers,
decorators and arranging for the chairs from his church. This was much
appreciated.
We
had 20 people that came to help decorate or ride the float or to walk and hand
out the candy and flags.
We were #72
in the parade and we had a patriotic theme using decorations, flags and
t-shirts. It looked really great! Did
you see it on KX TV?
A business
had donated 1500 flags so we handed them out , especially to the children. Kim
shared with us that a little child took the flag and then started to say the pledge
of allegiance. She was impressed and so
were we. We had many children running up to get a flag. It would have been
great to have enough for everyone but that was not possible, perhaps next year.
We were
chosen for a live interview on KX TV so we got our message out again across
their viewing area.
When I was
at the ACB convention, I went to pick Alan up from the president’s meeting and
at the table where I was we were discussing advertising and promotional events
to get our name out in the public and to raise money. I shared with them that
we were doing our State fair and that we received coverage on KXTV and
the Minot Daily newspaper without charges.
They were going back to their states to check to see what might be
available. After the parade I checked to have the statistics to share with you
and they are impressive.
Well, here
in ND we did a bang up job by doing the fair parade. The parade was
listed in the Minot Daily at no charge to us with a readership of 50,000
and the web site www.minotdailynews.com.
It was live
on KX TV (no charge to us) in MInot, Bismarck, Williston and Dickinson,
all CBS affiliates seen in 130,000 homes and the web site of KXnet.com. I
shared that we were doing the state fair parade and the free advertising
we would be receiving and they said they would go home and
check what they could do in their state. That we all need to be aware of the
availability of free advertising was the message we received
from that meeting. Since we are a
non-profit organization, we need to keep our name out there for the dollars to
keep coming in from the public.
Yes, we
spent $100.00 for decorations, candy and water so as far as advertising
goes it cost us a fraction of a cent to get our message out to thousands of
people across our state and neighboring states.
Many thanks
again to Ernie and all of the people that helped us to have another successful
parade event.
Submitted
by Evelyn Hildebrand
News
from
To
begin with, there are two support groups in town. The one to which I belong meets at the
Mike
encouraged us to think outside the box so we were beautified by a Mary Kay
consultant, relaxed by a massage therapist, informed by a lighting system specialist. We encouraged Mike to check with Cold Stone
Ice Cream and see if they need judges for a taste test.
The
second group meets on the third Monday of the month. They are more of a social group and whoever has a birthday determines
where they eat for their gathering.
Convention
2008 attendees in
Belatedly,
we extend our condolences to Bob Vandal on the death of his mother and to
Denise Kirsch whose father passed away on April 30th.
2007
National ACB Convention
By Connie Springsted
In
2007, I was the delegate from NDAB to the National ACB Convention in
Sunday,
some vendors spoke and on Monday we started to hear the many constitutional
bylaws that were read to us each day of the week. Each day there were varied reports like
Scholarship, Lions International, Descriptive Videos, Readers for Blind, Digital
TV, Emergency Warnings, Accessible Paper Money, Pedestrian Safety, Medicare,
Medicaid, Traffic Signs, Hybrid Vehicles, and Rehab Services.
We
also voted for a new president and 1st and 2nd Vice
Presidents. Also elected were the Treasurer and Secretary. All the bylaws with their amendments were
also voted on. Some passed and others
failed. We caucused before we voted and
Shawn from
There
were descriptive movies, auctions, candidate receptions, musical groups and
many other extra activities to attend each evening.
The
night of the banquet, the keynote speaker was Lord Rowe from Great Brittan. He talked about growing up during World War
II when there were no extra provisions for anyone. He, being a blind child had even less. He was determined to make his life count for
something. He is now seated in
Parliament. He did crank some great
jokes for being an Englishman.
I
do hope that anyone who is able to attend a national convention will enjoy it
as much as I did. Thank you to NDAB for
providing me this opportunity.
Legislative Report -
summer, 2008
By
Allan Peterson
Warmest of summer greetings to you all! Our
As a candidate for the State Legislature, I
may be labeled in the category of being a politician myself. I will admit only
to being a politician with a small p because, I am, at best, just an amateur in
this business. No, my self-esteem is not a bit in lacking! There are some
definite advantages to being an amateur in this endeavor, there is no record to
defend and amateurs like me offer a fresh new perspective to the situation!
The upcoming election may now take center
stage, but behind the scenes the wheels of government continue to grind on! At
this point in time, state government departments and agencies are busy
preparing their biennial budget requests for the upcoming legislative session
that will convene in January. The agency budgets are reviewed and when approved
become a part of the budget that is submitted by the Governor which is released
to the public late in the fall. The Governor’s budget is the one that the
Legislature will use as a guide for its work during the session.
Given that this is the scenario that is
followed, one of the best ways to advocate for a need is to try to influence
the budgetary request that an institution, like North Dakota Vision Services /
School for the Blind makes to its governing administration. That is the reason
why that we, at our recent Convention of North Dakota Association of the Blind,
adopted NDAB resolution 2008-01 on Center Based Vision Rehabilitation Services.
The NDAB resolution on Vision Services
urges and directs decision makers in state government to provide adequate
staffing for an expanded center based rehabilitation skills training program
for adults at North Dakota Vision Services / School for the Blind in
This Resolution was sent with cover letters
to Carmen Suminski at the School for the Blind, Wayne Sanstead, the
Superintendent of Public Instruction, Governor Hoeven and legislative leaders.
This, of course, is just the initial step and further communication with
decision makers will follow.
The next major step is for administration
at North Dakota Vision Services / School for the Blind to make a request to add
staff together with the associated program costs in its biennial budget for
2009 - 2011. The School will then need to defend this request up the ladder at
higher levels of state government by providing information and data that
support their need for this expense.
If administration at the School is
successful in getting this budget request for more staff included into its
service program for adults, it will serve only as a preliminary step and many
other hurdles will need to be overcome before it becomes a reality. Once the
legislative session begins, the request needs to be defended in Appropriations
Committees in both the Senate and House of Representatives. It then must be
advocated for in the full chambers of both the Senate and House and finally the
Governor needs to sign off on it. There are of course more pitfalls along the
way but these steps are the major hurdles that have to be overcome.
So, when one considers what it takes to
address a need through government, you can see why it can be frustrating and
challenging. Some have referred to the legislative process being like making
sausage - you do not want to see what goes in it because the process can be oh
so messy.
However, like making tasty sausage, we are
after establishing a good program of categorical rehabilitative skills training
for adults in
I apologize if I’m stealing their thunder,
but I feel the need to share this news! During the past year, data collected has
shown that Vision Services / School for the Blind has more than doubled the
number of adult clients it has served compared to that which were served as of
two years ago. More adults are being served and there is better follow up with
clients as a consequence of the work done by Amy Bruner, the Vision Instructor
that was hired due to the legislative initiative that we helped to enact during
the last legislative session.
The second resolution that was adopted at
our recent Convention dealt with increasing the amount of state financial
support for intra-city and inter-city transit operations. This resolution is
entitled NDAB 2008-02 State Financial Assistance for Transit Services. The
language of this resolution appears elsewhere in this issue of the Promoter.
Like our first resolution, the objectives
of this resolution can be addressed in the state budget that the Governor
offers to the Legislature that convenes in January. If the resolution achieves
its objective, additional funding will be allocated for transit services in
A number of federal legislative initiatives
are also of great interest and importance to people with blindness and sight loss.
One of these issues that have the potential to affect the lives of some of us
is the change that is going to take place in the television broadcast industry
next February 17.
On February 17, 2009 almost all TV
broadcast signals will change from an analog signal to a digital one. Anyone
with an older television set that uses an antenna or something akin to it like
rabbit ears will no longer be able to receive TV broadcasts. People in this
situation will need to obtain a converter box that changes the analog signal to
a digital one. There are major concerns about the converter boxes, whether they
have been manufactured with accessible features for use by someone without
sight. There are also major concerns about the provision of accompanying video
description and captioning for people who are deaf within the new digital
broadcast signal.
Briefly, I will describe two pieces of
federal legislation that deserve our attention. One of these is HR6320 called
the 21st Century Communications and Video Description Act.
HR6320 seeks to direct the television
broadcast industry to produce more of its programming with accompanying audio
description, provide audio description for video elements that are streamed
over the internet, seeks to direct manufactures who produce equipment with on
screen menus to also make them accessible in an audio format and to provide an
audio feed for emergency signals and announcements that are often scrolled
across the bottom of the television screen without accompanying verbalization.
Congressman Markey of
Another piece of federal legislation that
needs our support is HR5734 known as the Pedestrian Safety Act. This
legislation seeks to research a remedy for the newer hybrid vehicles that
partially run on electric power and consequently produce very little street
noise and can be a real hazard to people who are blind who must rely on sound
so that they are aware of approaching traffic and are able to cross streets
safely.
I’m guessing that some of you may be
wondering about the status of ACB’s paper currency lawsuit. At this point, ACB
is waiting for a decision from the U.S. Treasury Department and the Bush
administration as to whether they will try to pursue this case any further in
the courts. As many of you are aware, the
I will close this article by asking that
you please vote in this fall's election! I also ask that, if possible, you vote
by using an accessible voting machine that is now available at each polling
site in
NDAB Resolution 2008-02:
Funding Assistance for Transit
Services
Whereas,
our society is designed and is overly dependent on the use of privately owned
automobiles for all aspects of life whether it be employment, entertainment or
commerce and
Whereas,
a significant proportion of the population, including individuals in the
disability community, cannot drive and are very dependent on using public
transit services whenever possible, and;
Whereas,
access to inter-city and intracity sources of public transportation in
Whereas,
the rural nature of
Whereas,
transportation studies have demonstrated that communities that offer greater
access to public transportation, benefit economically from this investment;
Now,
therefore, be it resolved that North Dakota Association of the Blind in
Convention assembled at the Prairie Rose Inn & Conference Center in Fargo
on this date of Sunday, June 15th, 2008 urge the Governor and the North Dakota
Legislature to dedicate more state funding for (both inter-city and intracity)
modes of public transportation within North Dakota.
NDAB Resolution 2008-01:
Center Based Blindness Skills Training Services
Whereas,
loss of eyesight is recognized as a dramatic life altering disability that
requires specialized and specific rehabilitation skills training to help people
cope with this condition, and;
Whereas,
people with loss of eyesight, who receive a regimen of intensive center based
blindness skills training, are employable and function with a great deal of
independence, and;
Whereas,
all the Components of a comprehensive center based blindness skills training
program are available at North Dakota Vision Services / School for the Blind in
Grand Forks but the institution is limited in its ability to provide services
to the adult population in the state due to budget constraints and availability
of staff time, and;
Whereas,
projections from the North Dakota Data Census Center, indicate that by the year
2015, 14,335 citizens of the state will have experienced a significant loss of
eyesight; of this number 10,283 will fit the definition of people with “low
vision” and the remaining number in surplus of 4,000 will fit the definition of
being “legally blind”, and;
Whereas,
the Blindness Skills Training Center in Grand Forks operated under the
administration of Vocational Rehabilitation, last supervised by Ed Christensen,
has been closed for more than a decade and has not been replaced by an
equivalent service, and;
Whereas,
our neighboring states of South Dakota and Minnesota fund and maintain vision
rehabilitation training centers in their states that provide the option of a high
quality comprehensive center based program of skills training for their
citizens who experience loss of eyesight,
Now,
therefore be it resolved that North Dakota Association of the Blind, in
convention assembled at the Fargo Prairie Rose Inn & Conference Center on
this date of Sunday, June 15th, 2008 urge and direct North Dakota
Vision Services / School for the Blind to include in its 2009 -2011 biennial
Budget provisions to adequately staff an expanded program of center based
blindness skills training that the institution offers to adult citizens of
North Dakota. Further we urge and direct the Governor, the North Dakota
Department of Public Instruction and the
Candy’s Corner
By
Candy Lien
AS a teacher of Braille, my job involves teaching and
explaining the rules that govern the use of the various Braille symbols of
English Braille, American Edition, which is the code used in the
Last October, some changes were made to English Braille,
American Edition or EBAE. I will list the changes here that most of you will be
more likely to notice in your Braille reading. This information is taken from a
longer article by Judith Dixon which appeared in the May 2008 issue of “The
Braille Forum.” The changes in the code took effect January 1, 2008, and I have
already noticed the changes appearing in some Braille publications.
There are several new Braille symbols which have been added
to the code to represent print symbols more accurately and to provide the Braille
reader with the same information that the print reader receives:
Dot 4, a: at sign;
Dot 4, c: cents sign;
Dot 4, e: Euro sign;
Dot 4, y: Yen sign;
Dot 4, &: ampersand sign;
Dots 4-5, c: copyright symbol;
Dots 4-5, r: registered trademark symbol;
Dots 4-5, t: trademark symbol;
Dots
Dots
The “crosshatch” is that “tic-tac-toe” symbol that can be
used to represent either pounds or the word “number.”
The new symbol for the slash is meant to be used whenever a
slash appears in print that is not a fraction line. Thus, the rule for the
transcription of dates has been revised. Formerly, whenever a date was written
in numeric form in print, no matter whether hyphens or slashes were used, it
was always transcribed into Braille using hyphens. Now, the Braille follows the
print usage, with the slash mark being written as dots 4-5-6 preceding dots
3-4. This new way of writing the slash mark clears up the confusion that
formerly existed between the slash mark and the “st” contraction.
When a fraction is written as a fraction, with the numerator
above the denominator (using a horizontal line in print), the symbol dots 3-4
is still used.
There is also a change in the apostrophe Rule: an inserted
apostrophe is no longer required in plural abbreviations, numbers or letters
where none existed in print. For example, if 1930s is written without an
apostrophe in print, it will now be written that way in Braille as well.
Once again, these changes were instituted in order to allow
the Braille to more closely and accurately represent the print and to give the Braille
user the same information that the print user receives. Watch for these changes
when you pick up the next issue of “The Braille Forum” and other Braille
publications!
People
who use their eyes to receive information about the world are called sighted
people or "people who are sighted." Legal "sight" means any
visual acuity greater than 20/200 in the better eye without correction or an
angle of vision wider than 20 degrees. Sighted people enjoy rich full lives,
working, playing, and raising families. They run businesses, hold public
office, and teach your children!
How do Sighted People Get Around?
People who are sighted may walk or ride public transportation, but most choose
to travel long distances by operating their own motor vehicles. They have gone
through many hours of training to learn the "rules of the road" in
order to further their independence. Once that road to freedom has been
mastered, sighted people earn a legal classification and a "Driver's
License" which allows them to operate a private vehicle safely and
independently.
How Do You Assist A Sighted Person?
Sighted people are accustomed to viewing the world in visual terms. This means
that in many situations, they will not be able to communicate orally and may
resort to pointing or other gesturing. Subtle facial expressions may also be
used to convey feelings in social situations. Calmly alert the sighted person
to his surroundings by speaking slowly, in a normal tone of voice. Questions
directed at the sighted person help focus attention back on the verbal rather
than visual communication.
At
times, sighted people may need help finding things, especially when operating a
motor vehicle. Your advance knowledge of routes and landmarks, particularly
bumps in the road, turns, and traffic lights, will assist the
"driver" in finding the way quickly and easily. Your knowledge of
building layouts can also assist the sighted person in navigating complex
shopping malls, and offices. Sighted people tend to be very proud and will not
ask directly for assistance. Be gentle yet firm.
How Do Sighted People Use Computers?
The person who is sighted relies exclusively on visual information. His or her
attention span fades quickly when reading long texts. Computer information is
presented in a "Graphical User Interface" or GUI. Coordination of
hands and eyes is often a problem for sighted people, so the computer mouse, a
handy device that slides along the desk top, saves confusing keystrokes. With
one button, the sighted person can move around his or her computer screen
quickly and easily. People who are sighted are not accustomed to synthetic
speech and may have great difficulty understanding even the clearest
synthesizer. Be patient and prepared to explain many times how your computer
equipment works.
How Do Sighted People Read?
Sighted people read through a system called "Print" this is a series
of images drawn in a two dimensional plain. People who are sighted generally
have a poorly developed sense of touch. Braille is completely foreign to the
sighted person and he or she will take longer to learn the code and be severely
limited by his or her existing visual senses.
Sighted
people cannot function well in low lighting conditions and are generally
completely helpless in total darkness. Their homes are usually very brightly
lit at great expense, as are businesses that cater to the sighted consumer.
How Can I Support A Sighted Person?
People who are sighted do not want your charity. They want to live, work, and
play along with you. The best thing you can do to support sighted people in
your community is to open yourself to their world. These Americans are vital
contributing members to society. Take a sighted person to lunch today!
Memorials and Donations
NDAB has
received the following donations and memorials since
Memorials:
Given by
Loris Van Berkom, Kathy and Stan Larson, and Ruth Geske in memory of Lorne
Oye.
Given by
Ruth and Robert Geske in memory of Mary Zeimetz.
Given by
Loris Van Berkom, Kathy and Stan Larson, Renae and Gary Huseby, Ruth Phalen,
Rom and Lee Thielman, Irene and Lyle Nelson, and Olga and Don Neal in memory of
Hazel Nerison.
Given by
Ruth and Robert Geske in memory of Carlene Sahr.
Given by
Dan Marquardt in memory of his father, Wesley Marquardt.
Donations:
NDAB also
received a nice donation from the residents of the
A huge
thank you to all for remembering NDAB with their memorials and donations.
Renae Huseby, Treasurer
Help Folks See
Hazel
Nerison
God
has given me many things besides loving friends and family. He’s given me things to smell and taste and
so many I can’t see.
I
always feel His presence as I feel my body floating free.
I never question the Master’s plan or ask “Dear Lord, why
me?”
I
know he’ll guide me day by day whatever will be, will be.
Each
night I count my blessings and ask him to help folks see,
That
everything I’ve gone through has made a better person of me. Although I’ve had cancer #3, I’ll be around
awhile I bet,
Cause
the devil doesn’t want me and God isn’t ready for a rebel yet.
I
have faith in God, trust in my surgeon and a very devoted family.
This was written by Hazel and dated January 23, 2007. It was
given to Zelda in June at the 2008 NDAB Convention.
Hazel Nerison
Hazel Adeline Nerison, age 79, resident
of
Hazel married
Cameron B. Nerison in
After Cameron's
death in 1981 Hazel returned to
Hazel will be deeply missed and remembered by
her 4 sons Pepper (Sandie) Nerison, Ginger Nerison, Cameron (Ruth) Nerison and
Clarence Scott Nerison; 11 grandchildren and 18 great grandchildren; brother
Jim (Gertrude) Molmen and sister Ethel Halvorson; along with many nieces,
nephews and extended family. Hazel
was preceded in death by her parents, husband, son
NDAB BOARD MEETING
4-13-08
BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT:
Rick, Karlyn, Kathy, Renae, Rom, Allan, Sheryl. Mavis
ABSENT: Hazel
ALSO PRESENT for the beginning: Russ, from the Horace Lions Club
President Rick called the board meeting to order on Sunday,
April 13th, at 7 pm. Members
were connected per a telephone conference call.
The first item of business was the shed that will be built
at Elks Camp Grassick for storage of NDAB Camp supplies. Russ had some questions that were addressed
including the list of materials which he had received. The list didn't include an overhang (a 6 inch
one would be sufficient), which the Board agreed should be added, and to
include 3-4 foot plywood shelving, with no loft or windows.
The size of the shed will be 12 x 14.
The bid for materials was from Menards, but Russ will get another bid
from Simonson's Lumber. Renae has the
check from the donor, so she will get it to the business when Russ knows where
he'll be purchasing the materials. Any
amount over and above the donor's contribution, will be paid for by NDAB,
including the cost of the concrete. It
could be the first two weeks in May before the concrete will be poured, and the
Lion's Club from Horace, who helped build Cabin 13, will construct this shed. The Board thanked Russ for their willingness
to do this and expressed our appreciation.
Following this item, Russ left the teleconference.
Rick reviewed the meeting agenda.
SECRETARY’S
REPORT
Karlyn read the minutes from the last Board meeting; that
being October 6, 2007. Allan moved
that the minutes be approved as read.
The motion was seconded and carried.
TREASURER’S
REPORT
Renae gave the Treasurer's Report. The $25/5 year fee for our Trademark Name is
due. Allan moved to pay it. The motion was seconded and carried.
COMMITTEE
REPORTS
1.FINANCIAL
Kathy Larson, as Financial Chairman, reported that the Herberger sales were down from last
year. The Walk-a-thon is scheduled for
April 19th. She named the
cities participating and the chairpersons
in charge.
2.SCHOLARSHIP
Rick reported that there had been only one applicant, and he
is a senior in high school, so he doesn't qualify to be a recipient at this
time. The Board agreed that the
guidelines should be followed, and expressed that this applicant be encouraged
to apply again next year.
3.LEGISLATIVE
Al reported that he had experienced a great trip to
4.MEMBERSHIP
Renae reported there were 20 members who hadn’t renewed
their memberships, for a total of 170 members.
The Board had approved Katrina Wendel
from
The Board questioned if there would be a way to get the
membership cards to members and at the same time eliminate a second mailing in
order to save the cost of postage. No
decision was made following a discussion.
5.CAMP, FAMILY ADJUSTMENT SEMINAR,
SPORTS & RECREATION
There were no reports available. See the Promoter for a Camp update.
UNFINISHED
BUSINESS
1. TV & Radio
Ad: Al reported that nothing more has
occurred with this. He had called
Concordia to talk to the person doing the commercial, but he was out until next
week. The Board had decided in October
that more recent pictures needed to be featured in the ad.
NEW
BUSINESS
1. ACB Delegate:
The delegate elected at last year's convention, Janelle Olson, and the
alternate Denise Kirsch, are unable to attend the convention. The third person
in line, Loris VanBerkom, can't go, and President Rick is not planning to
attend. Thus a delegate needed to be
chosen. Mavis moved that Evelyn
Hildebrand be appointed as delegate, as
she is already registered to attend. The
motion was seconded and carried. Rick
will contact her.
2. Convention Guidelines: After some discussion,
the Board approved that a committee be formed to rewrite the convention
guidelines and come up with a monetary figure for a total budget of what the
Convention committee can spend. The current guidelines only include a slush
fund figure of $300, which of course does not include the costs of coffee
breaks, entertainment, speakers etc. that vary in price at the different
convention sites. Renae and Kathy were appointed to this committee, and
requested to have this information available for the June Board Meeting.
3. Family Adjustment Seminar Chairperson: Rick
requested that the Board members call him if they have an idea for someone to
fulfill the position of the Chairperson for the Seminar, as Janelle has
indicated that she will no longer serve in this position.
4. NDAB/ACB vs. NFB: There was a discussion on the concerns of
members of NDAB/ACB also being members of NFB.
It was recommended that Al speak to the Membership at the Convention
regarding the differences in each organizations and what their philosophies
are.
5. Convention:
The 2008 Convention will be held at the Prairie Rose Inn &
Convention Center in
6. Election of Officers: A discussion was held
regarding the election of officers. As it stands now, all executive officers
are elected in the even-numbered years for a two-year term, and Directors are
elected for a term of three years, with one new board member being elected
every year. There was discussion as to whether or not it would be good to elect
executive officers in staggering years so as not to have a full slate of new
officers unfamiliar as to how the organization is run.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:45pm.
Respectfully Submitted,
Karlyn Frantsen, Secretary
NDAB PRE-CONVENTION
BOARD MEETING
6-13-08
BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Rick Feldman, Kathy Larson, Renae Huseby,
Allan Peterson, Karlyn Frantsen, and Mavis Anderson.
ABSENT:
Sheryl Gerhardt, Rom Thielman and Hazel
Nerison.
OTHERS PRESENT: Loris VanBerkom and Zelda Gebhard.
President Rick called the NDAB pre-convention board meeting
to order on June 13th, 2008 at 9:15pm at the
SECRETARY’S REPORT
Karlyn read the minutes from the 4-13-08 Board Meeting. There were two corrections: “loft” instead of ceiling referring to the
shed to be built and Prairie Rose “Inn & Convention Center” instead of
Hotel. Allan moved to accept the report as corrected. The motion was seconded and carried.
TREASURER’S REPORT
Renae distributed copies of the financial statement year
ending 5-31-08 and read the letter addressed to the Board from Trisha Stromsodt
,CPA. She briefly reviewed the booklet
and the Board reviewed the list of equipment owned by NDAB.
COMMITTEE REPORTS
1. FINANCIAL- Kathy reported that she had a report ready
for Saturday.
2. FAMILY
ADJUSTMENT SEMINAR- Janelle's report will be read Saturday. Paula Anundson has accepted the Chairperson
position to replace Janelle Olson.
3. MEMBERSHIP-
Renae reported in Rom's absence. The
total membership is 177: 58 sighted, 99 visually impaired, 20 blind, 14
non-renewals and 17 new members. The
names of six members were approved for membership by the Board via E-mail. They are as follows: Peter Nielsen and Richard Ramsay 4-15-08,
Audrey Anderson, Elton Faber, Art Jacobson 5-8-08, and William Hines 5-27-08.
4.
5. PROMOTER-
Editor Zelda had some questions regarding the Promoter and reported that the
FBLA in Edgeley is doing the printing as a fundraiser and will continue to do
the printing for us. One of the local Lion's members, Bill, has been doing the
reading. Ninety hard copies, 40 tapes
and 40 e-mails are being distributed to members.
6. LEGISLATIVE- Al stated he will give his full
report at the convention. He had two resolutions to present to the
Convention body and they were read by Karlyn.
Kathy moved that the Board recommend a do pass on Resolution 2008-01:
Center Based Blindness Skills Training Services. The motion was seconded and carried. Kathy moved that the Board recommend a do
pass on Resolution 2008-02:State Funding Assistance for Transit Services. The motion was seconded and carried. The Board recommended a do pass on these two
resolutions.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
1.
the storage shed at
2. Advertising-
Dean Olson from Concordia has been ill so there has been a delay. Some changes have been made, but the final
copy isn't ready yet. Al will get copies
to the Board for approval when they are completed.
3. Delegate- Evelyn Hildebrand declined as the
delegate to the ACB convention. Al
Peterson will be the delegate as appointed by President Rick.
4. Election of Officers- There was a discussion
on staggering the years that officers would be elected. It will be left as is unless it is brought up
by the convention body.
5. Convention
guidelines- Renae read the proposed revised guidelines. After some discussion, Mavis moved to accept
the guidelines as presented. The motion was seconded and carried.
6. NDAB/ACB vs. NFB-
Al will make a presentation on this to the convention body for education
purposes regarding the history and philosophy.
NEW BUSINESS
1.
Convention site- There isn't a
convention site for 2009 so this will have to be determined as well as for
2010.
2.
Thank you cards- Al brought cards to
the Board to sign for the Gateway Lions and the Horace Lions Clubs.
3.
T-Shirts- Loris presented information
on t-shirts. Al moved to get 50 natural
colored t-shirts to sell (the same style and brand as before). The motion was seconded and carried. Loris will take orders on Saturday. The last
year that t-shirts were offered for sale was in 2004.
4.
Sympathy Cards- Karlyn reported she had
sent out eight sympathy cards since last June.
5.
NDAB Brochures- Kathy asked permission
to order more brochures and her request was granted.
The meeting was adjourned at 11:20pm.
Respectfully Submitted
Karlyn Frantsen, Secretary
Thanks, Guys!
I just want to extend a word of appreciation to a great
bunch of guys! Your assistance at the
state convention was very helpful! Thank
you, Stan Larson for getting the mike around the room to those who wanted to
speak; to Roy Winn and Shawn Gunderson for serving as Sergeants of Arms; and to
Lester Ketterling for serving as Parliamentarian. I forgot to thank all of you at the time but
want you to know I really did appreciate your efforts!
Rick Feldman