Vol. 31, No. 4
APRIL 2006
THE MID-FLORIDA VOICE
A publication of Mid-Florida Council of the Blind
TABLE OF CONTENTS
MESSAGE FROM MFCB PRESIDENT RACHEL BADER
NEXT MFCB GENERAL MEETING
MFCB MARCH GENERAL MEETING REVIEW
2006 FCB ANNUAL CONVENTION AROUND THE CORNER
NEMETH'S IMPORTANCE TO MATH FOR THE BLIND
FCB TECH TALK
FCB E-MAIL DISCUSSION LIST AND VOICE CHAT ROOMS
MFCB ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB
REMINDER ABOUT ACCESS LYNX FARE INCREASES
OCLS PRESENTS U-TURN DANCE
MEMBERSHIP - from Jay Bader
BIRTHDAY PEOPLE
MESSAGE FROM MFCB PRESIDENT RACHEL BADER
Hello Members and Friends of MFCB. As I write this message, I'm here in anything but Florida weather as I am in Springfield, Illinois,
which is currently under a blizzard warning with so far about 7 inches of snow. That said, I'm thinking of all of you and the warmth and
sunny weather of Florida.
Looking forward to our next MFCB General Meeting, where we will continue to gear up for the FCB Annual Convention, held in May at the
Sheraton Safari in Lake Buena Vista. At this General Meeting, one of the orders of business will be to choose our delegates to represent
MFCB during the General Business Meeting. A person who serves as a delegate will need to be at the Convention and present at the
General Business Meeting held on Sunday morning, May 14th.
For any of our Members, though, regardless of whether or not you serve as a delegate, since it does take place in the Orlando area, this
is a great opportunity to attend the FCB Annual Convention and see firsthand the working of our organization on a state level.
At our April General Meeting, we will also be considering other ways we as a "host chapter" might be able to help make this year's FCB
Annual Convention a big success and enjoyable experience for all who attend. Hope to see many of you there!
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NEXT MFCB GENERAL MEETING
The next General Meeting of MFCB will be at William Booth Tower, 633 Lake Dot Circle, Orlando, FL, 32801, on Saturday, April 1st, 2006,
from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM. The phone number at William Booth Tower is (407) 843-5533. It is highly recommended that if anyone uses
paratransit, please plan your rides accordingly.
As this issue goes to press, there is no Guest Speaker scheduled for the April General Meeting. However, there will be much to discuss
as MFCB prepares for the 2006 FCB Annual Convention in Lake Buena Vista in May, especially with the selection of delegates
representing the organization there, as well as beginning to plan for those who are interested in attending the ACB National Convention
in Jacksonville in July.
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MFCB MARCH GENERAL MEETING REVIEW
22 Members and guests attended the MFCB March General Meeting held on Saturday, March 11th, at William Booth Tower in downtown
Orlando. After the Pledge of Allegiance, President Rachel Bader gave the opportunity for those to introduce themselves.
Rachel then introduced the Guest Speaker for the March General Meeting, Immediate Past President of the Florida Council of the Blind
(FCB), Robert Miller. Robert spoke about what FCB can do to assist it local chapters like MFCB in increasing chapter awareness,
making it stronger, and becoming more active in the community. He also talked about what FCB does for individual Members, such as
providing its own newsletter, the White Cane Bulletin, the FCB-L Listserv, and being a resource of its own to assist Members through
Project Insight.
Robert ended his presentation by opening the floor to Members and finding out what concerns on a local level need assistance from
FCB to making our chapter better for all involved. The Members in attendance were very appreciative of Robert and those who traveled
with him and look forward to continued work with him as our liaison for FCB.
After Robert's presentation concluded, the reading of the Secretary's and Treasurer's Reports were moved to be postponed and read at
the April General Meeting, which was approved. Then Jackie Gideons thanked Bo and Shelley Justice, David and Patti Land and Dan
and Leslie Spoone for their help in providing refreshments for the March General Meeting. She then asked for volunteers to provide
refreshments for the April General Meeting, with Leslie offering to bring cookies, Paul Hutsko will have drinks and Scott Larson will bring
crackers.
Rachel then gave Committees the opportunity to make reports. Membership Secretary Jay Bader reminded Members that the 2006
Membership Phone Roster is available after the General Meeting in Print and Braille formats. He also said that FCB Raffle Tickets are
still available for those wanting to sell them.
With no Old Business to discuss, Rachel then opened the floor for New Business, which focused on continuing plans being made for
the upcoming FCB Annual Convention in Lake Buena Vista in May. Rachel announced that Shelley will work an MFCB Table for a
chapter fundraiser. If anyone is interested in working at the Table, contact Shelley as she will schedule times for Members to be at the
Table. There are a few items that are being looked at closely, such as travel mugs, a safety whistle and visors. Keychains may also be
possible but this could be more of a giveaway item. Rachel said she will be in further discussion with someone she knows that could
have specific items made for MFCB.
Rachel then added that if anyone knows groups that would be interested in being volunteers at the FCB Annual Convention, especially
since about 25 people in all would be gathered to assist primarily on the Friday and Saturday of the Convention, to contact her as soon
as possible.
Before the Meeting adjourned, Rachel announced that delegates for the FCB Annual Convention would be selected at the April General
Meeting. She encouraged Members to attend as these will be those Members who will vote on behalf of the organization on issues
raised at the Convention during its Business Meeting.
The following Door Prizes were awarded between the Guest Speaker presentation and the Business part of the General Meeting:
Salt and Pepper Shakers - Jackie Gideons
Candle - Jim Lamb
Harry Potter Fridge Magnet - Paul Hutsko
Fountain Pen - Patti Land
6 Victorian Village Figurines - Matti Hickson
Congratulations to all the Door Prize Winners!
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2006 FCB ANNUAL CONVENTION AROUND THE CORNER
The 2006 Annual Convention of Florida Council of the Blind (FCB) is right around the corner, especially for Members of MFCB. This year's
FCB Convention will be at the Sheraton Safari, 12205 Apopka Vineland Road, Orlando, FL 32835. The hotel is in Lake Buena Vista, near
Walt Disney World. The dates are Thursday, May 11th, to Sunday, May 14th, 2006.
The room rates for the 2006 FCB Annual Convention are $85 per night, with up to four people in a room. Please note that the reservation
deadline is Tuesday, April 11th, 2006, so if you have not already made those plans, time is running out fast. To make reservations,
please call the Sheraton Safari Hotel direct at (407) 239-0444 or toll-free at 1-800-423-3297.
With MFCB being the chapter closest to the location to this year's FCB Convention, we would appreciate Members helping in any way
they can as we plan for a successful four days. Many ideas being considered by MFCB are in the final planning stages, from arranging
of volunteers from various schools and other organizations to assist those attending in navigating throughout the hotel and general area,
to preparing a fundraiser for our chapter during the Convention itself. While MFCB encourages Members to attend this year's Convention,
if you cannot attend the next MFCB General Meeting on April 1st but would like to help, please contact President Rachel Bader at (407)
658-2479 or 1st Vice President Patti Land at (407) 521-9047.
Final details about the 2006 Annual FCB Convention will be printed, especially since the FCB Convention Call will be mailed shortly, in
the next issue of THE MID-FLORIDA VOICE.
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NEMETH'S IMPORTANCE TO MATH FOR THE BLIND
Like those who are sighted, there are those who are blind or visually impaired who like math and those who do not. For those who do,
they needed something additional to be able to understand the sometimes complex ways to deal with mathematics. Dr. Abraham
Nemeth developed a code for Braille users that helps make that process a little easier to comprehend.
With Dr. Nemeth being honored at a dinner Altamonte Springs on Sunday, April 2nd, 2006, it only seems fitting that the following article
appear in THE MID-FLORIDA VOICE, especially since a longtime MFCB Member, Joyce Hull, is mentioned for all her efforts with the
author of it. It is reprinted with permission from the March 2006 issue of the ACB Newsletter,
The Braille Forum:
CONGRATULATIONS, DR. NEMETH!
by Winifred Downing
On October 14th, 2005, Dr. Abraham Nemeth was one of four outstanding individuals in the blindness field to be welcomed into the Hall
of Fame at the American Printing House for the Blind, Louisville, KY. The other three recipients were William Hadley, founder of the
Hadley School for the Blind in the early 1920s; William English, past superintendent of the Wisconsin School for the Blind; and Max
Woolly, past superintendent of the Arkansas School for the Blind. Each award winner received a certificate and a sculpture of his face,
and it is these sculptures that are assembled at the museum of the American Printing House.
Dr. Nemeth was recognized for his mathematics code which has been used by blind children learning this subject for the last 55 years.
He never received any monetary sum in recognition of his tremendous contribution to the education of the blind but has been satisfied
with the accomplishment itself.
Though 86 years old, Dr. Nemeth continues to work diligently, now in the development of the Nemeth Uniform Braille System (NUBS).
Anyone who has used braille for a substantial amount of time reacts negatively to the suggestion that braille must change in some fairly
substantial ways, especially with regard to technical material. The small anomalies are easily apparent when one realizes that there are
now three different dollar signs in use: one in literary braille, one in computer braille, and a third in mathematics. Two different forms of
parentheses are also employed, and literary braille presently offers no sign for plus, minus, or equals.
Even more important, having several different codes in preparing braille material means that scanning and translation programs cannot
easily be used to produce the ever increasing and ever more diverse documents in braille that are required now that almost all blind
children are being mainstreamed and require textbooks which tell them the same things that those books tell the sighted students. For
the traditional braille user, it isn't important to know whether the print is italic, boldface, in small upper case letters, etc. When these print
changes appear in the textbooks being used in classrooms today, however, they are made to communicate some additional meaning to
the reader; and a way must be found to bring to the blind child all the information given to sighted students by changes in print style.
Some 16 years ago, the Braille Authority of North America (BANA) accepted these realities and assembled committees to develop a
single code which would express to the blind reader everything that the sighted reader can experience. The code became known as the
Unified Braille Code and, after its acceptance by most of the English-speaking countries, the Unified English Braille Code (UEBC). From
the very beginning, some observers of the procedures initially adopted realized that there were very serious problems, and Dr. Nemeth
proceeded to develop an alternative code. The intensity of the discrimination practiced by BANA and the braille publishers so closely
involved with that organization was so all-absorbing and shockingly unjust that observers are baffled by it to this day. He was not
permitted to offer his code and was even denied the opportunity to read his papers explaining his reservations. Though in more recent
years there has been recognition that there is an alternative to the UEBC available, serious consideration or detailed study has never
been approached because the code, the UEBC experts tell us, is not "complete." What a curiously discriminatory attitude that is when
one remembers that the braille we use every day has had changes made in it several times in the last 20 years and that committees
concerned with the UEBC are still dickering over some decisions!
Like the reception offered initially to the NUBS, the discriminatory practices continue by exacting a standard for Dr. Nemeth's code not
applied to any other development in braille. It has even been impossible to advance any discussion of this subject in the professional
magazines in the field. I am not connected with any publishing house but have been aware for years of the problems presented by the
UEBC. Several years ago, I requested an opportunity to write an article on the subject for the "Journal of Visual Impairment And
Blindness" (JVIB); but the editor denied my request because the matter involved was of too limited interest to be included. Later,
however, Bill Gerry, a blind person of considerable technical knowledge, contributed an article praising the UEBC which was accepted by
JVIB and jubilantly reproduced by the publishing houses and BANA whenever any opposition was expressed. As far as I know, Bill Gerry
is the only blind person with experience in technology who has taken this stand.
Many of the people associated with BANA and the publishing houses insist that they know braille; and they do when it comes to the
construction of the characters and interpretation of the rules governing contractions, punctuation, etc. They are not, though, users of
braille. To them it is not significant that three or four symbols are necessary to express one character, that an arithmetic multiplication
problem with two numbers cannot be written on a 40-cell braille line, that very few blind people have achieved the ability to write in the
UEBC, or that 55 years of technical braille material will be scrapped if that code is adopted. I believe that there are people in the UEBC
camp who realize that the code cannot be used successfully to express technical material, and the chair of BANA herself may well
understand that fact; but they are afraid to step forward with their views because of the political pressure among professionals. Politics
should have no place in determining the future of braille.
Understanding some of these severe problems existing in the UEBC and responding to the fact that the two national organizations of the
blind, the National Federation of the Blind and the American Council of the Blind, have, by resolutions approved by their national
conventions, totally rejected the UEBC, the National Braille Association (NBA) has established a committee of blind users of braille and
of braille transcribers to investigate the NUBS and work toward having the broader community learn about it. I have studied the NUBS
enough to understand the basic principles and have conducted several workshops to acquaint mainly blind users with the system. My
materials were initially prepared by Joyce Hull, an experienced NBA transcriber; and she has furnished me with the 150 to 200 booklets I
have needed.
The system has several immediately attractive features, especially the fact that it will not require giving up any of the contractions or
spacing practices to which we are accustomed, that it needs less space and fewer symbols to express technical material, and that it
builds on what we already know and does it so that the learner can absorb just the extent of the system that is needed. If literary braille is
what is being sought, no study of the mathematical or other technical expressions is necessary; but if that knowledge is necessary, it is
readily available.
My workshops have been at the California Transcribers and Educators of the Visually Handicapped in 2004, the California chapter of the
Braille Revival League in 2005, and the Braille Revival League national meeting at the convention of the American Council of the Blind in
2005. About 75 people have experienced the system that way; but wanting to make it better known among persons who could not attend
the workshops, I have prepared a cassette to accompany and explain the booklet which exemplifies the main points of interest and have
offered the cassette and the booklet to anyone who wants it. I have sent out 60 envelopes of this material since July. To get a copy for
yourself, send a letter to: Winifred Downing, 1587 38th Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94122; phone (415) 564-5798; or E-mail
wmdowning@mindspring.com. Please also write to Angela Cofaro, National
Braille Association, 3 Townline Circle, Rochester, NY 14623. If you can spare a monetary contribution, it will be very welcome, for NBA
has a tiny fraction of the money that BANA could spend promoting the UEBC. Even without money, though, your expression of interest
will be valuable. If we are going to have changes in braille, it is blind users who must be involved, not just publishers and those indebted
to them. Imagine how we could congratulate Dr. Nemeth if the NUBS were to be adopted to meet the needs of blind people in the many
uses they make of braille!
If you would like more information about Dr. Nemeth's appearance in Altamonte Springs on Sunday, April 2nd, please contact Joyce Hull
at (407) 349-5059.
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FCB TECH TALK
Florida Council of the Blind (FCB) invites all Members throughout the state of Florida to participate in Tech Talk, a monthly get-together
for anyone who needs help with their computer and respective applications. John Richards, Chair of the FCB Technology Committee,
who organized this voice chat, says, "Please take advantage of this free tech support session. Have you paid for tech support lately? If
so, then you're aware of the cost."
Tech Talk takes place on the first Monday night of every month at 8 PM. To be a part of Tech Talk, grab a headset and microphone and
head to the FCB General Chat Room at the following link:
http://www.fcb.org/FCBGenRSigIn.htm. From there, just sign in and hit the Enter key
on your keyboard.
There are some Members of MFCB that are part of the FCB Technology Committee and they may even be able to help you. So if you
need help with your computer, join in on Tech Talk. And keep the change in your pocket.
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FCB E-MAIL DISCUSSION LIST AND VOICE CHAT ROOMS
Florida Council of the Blind (FCB) is proud to have its members throughout the state participate in a couple of ways on the Internet. The
FCB E-mail Discussion List is a way for members, locally and statewide, to express themselves freely on a variety of issues. These can
range from those on a local level to issues on a state or even national platform.
MFCB encourages all Members with E-mail and Internet access to sign up and participate in the various discussions as well as maybe
even starting a few. To sign up for the FCB E-mail Discussion List, and for more information about the List, go to the FCB website at
http://www.fcb.org and go to the link for "FCB E-mail Discussion List Information and Instructions."
And FCB has 2 voice chat rooms for members of the organization. One of these is for General chat, the other is for the FCB Board and its
respective committees to meet. Everyone is invited to sit in on these chats, especially to participate with those in the General chat
room.
For more information about these FCB chat rooms, especially if you want to know how you can join in on the chats, click on the link
"Voice Chat for FCB" at http://www.fcb.org.
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MFCB ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB
Mid-Florida Council of the Blind has a presence on the World Wide Web. Through the Florida Council of the Blind website,
http://www.fcb.org, there is information available on the Internet about MFCB, especially the MFCB
By-Laws, as well as current and past issues of the MFCB Newsletter, both in the previous name of MUMBLES and the newer name of
THE MID-FLORIDA VOICE. MFCB is proud to have people find out what is going on with our organization in this global
manner.
To specifically get to the MFCB section of the FCB website, go to http://www.fcb.org/mfcb.htm.
Feedback is strongly encouraged as to the accessibility and content of the website, so if you have any questions or suggestions, E-mail
webmaster@fcb.org. With your suggestions, changes can be made that better what we have
on the Web.
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REMINDER ABOUT ACCESS LYNX FARE INCREASES
As was printed similarly, in the January 2006 issue of THE MID-FLORIDA VOICE, beginning April 1st, 2006, Lynx plans on increasing
fares for its Access Lynx paratransit service. MFCB Members who are affected by this should especially make a note of these new
fares.
Access Lynx fares for those registered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) who reside within 3/4 of a mile from a bus route
increase by 50 cents from $2.50 to $3.00. Beyond 3/4 of a mile those ADA fares increase by $1.50 from $3.50 to a total of $5.00 per
one-way trip.
Fares for those registered under Transportation Disadvantaged (TD) are changed in the following manner: those who live within 5 miles
of a fixed bus route increase from $1.50 to $2.00. TD riders from 5 to less than 10 miles from a bus route increase from $2.50 to $3.00;
and those under TD who live 10 miles or more from a fixed bus route have those fares increase from $3.50 to $4.00.
Access Lynx fares for those under Medicaid do not have any increase in fares.
These increases, according to Lynx in the March 2006 All Access newsletter, are necessary for Lynx to meet grant match requirements
and increased costs associated with operating the programs, including fuel, labor and insurance.
The MFCB Transportation Committee, led by Chair of the Committee, Chuck Graham, is keeping in touch with the Lynx Board of Directors
about this situation, among other issues regarding Access Lynx. MFCB encourages those who can to attend the local meetings
regarding transportation, including the Lynx Board of Directors Meetings, in the Greater Orlando area. For further information, contact
Chuck at (407) 654-6199.
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OCLS PRESENTS U-TURN DANCE
The Friends of the Library, in cooperation with the Orange County Library System (OCLS), proudly present U-Turn Dance, Inc. on
Saturday, April 8th, at 10:00 AM at the Orlando Public Library, Library Central, located on 101 E. Central Blvd., Orlando, FL 32801, in a
profoundly inspiring performance! This local humanitarian modern dance troupe’s mission is: "To broaden the scope and intention of
the arts by delivering life-changing performances that inspire our artists, audiences and community to know their potential to change the
world."
Founded in 2001 by Artistic Director, Dario J. Moore, and Creative Director, Craig W. Johnson, U-Turn Dance began as an idea -- a
dream to use their gifts to encourage their community. That dream has become a reality that impacts the lives of individuals and
organizations throughout Central Florida and beyond, including women’s groups and shelters, the homeless, children’s organizations
and public schools.
By linking every performance to a humanitarian cause, U-Turn Dance proves that it is more than dance, it is a philosophy for living.
Join the Friends of the Library as U-Turn Dance, Inc. brings a moving performance that will lift your spirit and leave you with a sense of
power to make a difference. This program is free to the public; call OCLS at (407) 835-7481 for more details.
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MEMBERSHIP - from Jay Bader
Notes from Jay: 2006 MFCB Membership Phone Rosters are still available. These rosters are in Large Print, E-mail, Cassette, and
Braille formats. The Print and Braille versions are available at the MFCB General Meeting.
If you cannot attend the MFCB General Meeting and would like a copy of the Phone Roster, please contact me by phone or e-mail as
soon as possible as outside of the above processes, these rosters are only sent by request.
Also, please make note of the following Member's CHANGE OF ADDRESS:
Machel Cooper
1589 Valencia Ave.
Holly Hill, FL 32117
(386) 295-8292
And based on feedback given at the March General Meeting, I will be looking into a return to the MFCB Newsletter of spotlighting an MFCB
Member in each issue. Based on what may be involved in doing so, it could take some time to have it included in the appropriate
manner, but if you have any suggestions about this, please contact me. This may be another way Members can connect to each other
besides attending the General Meeting or participating in an activity.
And I always accept submissions to THE MID-FLORIDA VOICE. All submissions for the May 2006 issue must arrive by regular mail or
E-mail to me by the 15th of April as it will be prepared shortly after that. You will be properly credited with the submission.
If you have any further questions, please call me at (407) 658-2479 or e-mail at
mfcbinfo@bellsouth.net. Looking forward to seeing many of you at the April General
Meeting!
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BIRTHDAY PEOPLE
APRIL
2 - David Land
13 - William Spoone
19 - Rachel Bader
29 - Ann Valentini
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