Vol. 31, No. 2
FEBRUARY 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 JANUARY GENERAL MEETING REVIEW
ACCESSIBLE VOTING MEETING
START PLANNING FOR 2006 FCB ANNUAL CONVENTION
FCB TECH TALK
FCB E-MAIL DISCUSSION LIST AND VOICE CHAT ROOMS
MFCB ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB
BOWL-A-THON WITH AN ADDED TWIST
MEMBERSHIP - from Jay Bader
BIRTHDAY PEOPLE
MESSAGE FROM MFCB PRESIDENT RACHEL BADER
Hello, Members and Friends of the Mid-Florida Council of the Blind. February is going to be an exciting month for us in the Central Florida
area. On February 18th, we will have the unique opportunity to see how the tireless efforts of the consumer organizations for the blind, as
well as so many other individuals, will pay off in a big way for all disabled voters of Central Florida. Starting with the next elections in
Orange County, all voters who wish to be able to independently cast a secret ballot can do so through the use of the iVotronic accessible
voting system by E S & S.
On February 18th, Orange County Supervisor of Elections Bill Cowles will be opening his office's doors to give us the chance to see
up-close, the wonderful technology that makes all of this possible. There will be hands-on demonstrations of the iVotronic and plenty of
time to address questions and concerns about that as well as the accessible voting process in general. Supervisors of Elections from
both Osceola and Seminole counties will also be available to talk about what is happening in their respective communities with regard to
accessible voting.
This is a wonderful opportunity for all of us, especially those Members of MFCB, to make that first step to independently and secretly
exercising our right to vote and to show our appreciation and support for the elected officials who have also recognized the importance of
accessible voting for all citizens. Let's go out and participate in what I am sure will be a fun and informative event.
Hope to see many of you there.
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NEXT MFCB GENERAL MEETING
The next General Meeting of MFCB will be at Booth Towers, 633 Lake Dot Circle, Orlando, FL, 32801, on Saturday, February 4th, 2006,
from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM. The phone number at Booth Towers is (407) 843-5533. It is highly recommended that if anyone uses
paratransit, please plan your rides accordingly.
Our Guest Speaker for the February meeting will be Sandra Johnson with the SHINE Program. She will discuss the Medicare
prescription program, as well as the various options available to us (about 40 in Florida, we believe). Please plan to take notes and ask
questions if this is something that pertains to you.
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MFCB JANUARY GENERAL MEETING REVIEW
24 Members attended the MFCB January General Meeting held on Saturday, January 7th, at Booth Towers in downtown Orlando. After
President Rachel Bader welcomed those in attendance to the first General Meeting of the New Year, she gave the opportunity for those to
introduce themselves. Then the Secretary's and Treasurer's Reports were read, with each being approved.
Then it was time to review the various MFCB Committees. It was decided that all Committees would retain the same respective
Chairpersons, with Bill Freeman offering to help Patti Land with Activities, and Nicole Hugues assisting Jim Lamb with Public
Education.
Rachel then gave Committees the opportunity to make reports. Membership Secretary Jay Bader reported first for the
Membership/Telephone Committee, saying that the 2006 Membership Phone Roster will be available no later than the February General
Meeting, and also for Publicity and Publications, as a proofreader is needed for the MFCB Newsletter, with a Member proofreading the
February issue on a trial basis.
For the Transportation Committee, Chuck Graham reported that there will be a change in General Manager at MV Transportation in
Orlando as Mark Elias has left the company. A new GM will be named shortly. Chuck also reminded Members about the upcoming
increase in fares for Access Lynx, as was printed in the January 2006 issue of THE MID-FLORIDA VOICE. He recommended that MFCB
consider advocating for Lynx to not be renewed as the CTC for Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties, especially since Lynx did not
accept an idea that advertising be placed on Access Lynx vehicles.
In addition, Chuck told Members to consider attending the next Lynx Board Meeting on Thursday, January 19th, at 1:30 PM, which takes
place at Lynx Central Station in downtown Orlando. If you cannot attend, Nicole Hugues offered that Members could either call her at
(321) 663-2007 or e-mail her at her new address of blindnikki@myfreedombox.com
with a statement that can be presented at that meeting. Chuck also mentioned that the local TAC (Transportation Advisory Committee)
has meetings on the third Wednesday of every month at 10 AM. Chuck requested that the Membership/Telephone Committee make an
effort to contact Members about this as well.
Patti reported for the Awards Committee that $117.00 was collected in the Love Offering at the MFCB Annual Holiday Luncheon in
December. From the Love Offering, MFCB was able to purchase $130.00 in Access Lynx ride tickets for students at Lighthouse Central
Florida to use.
Rachel then announced that 2nd Vice President Bill Freeman has accepted to represent MFCB at the Orange County Community Traffic
Safety Team (CTST) meetings, beginning with its next meeting on Tuesday, January 17th. Rachel also told Members about the upcoming
joint organizational meeting to be held February 18th at the Orange County Supervisor of Elections office concerning accessible voting.
She urged those in attendance to be a part of this meeting, as well as telling others they know about it. Rachel added that the
Membership/Telephone Committee would contact Members about this as well.
The focus of the General Meeting then turned to the 2006 Annual FCB Convention coming up in May. MFCB is the host chapter this year,
with the Convention being at the Sheraton Safari in Lake Buena Vista. Rachel said that ideas were discussed at the Executive Board
Meeting the Wednesday night before this General Meeting, such as setting up a table at the Convention for an MFCB fundraiser, which
could consist of sales of MFCB T-shirts or mugs to have some kind of MFCB representation on them, and arranging for volunteers to
assist those attending. Suggestions for volunteers ranged from Jackie Gideons talking about the use of Senior Scouts, to Jim Lamb
saying UCF students would very much want to help, Cathy Potter thought that High School students in the area would be a valuable
resource, and Nicole Hugues suggested that contacting area churches' youth services may be useful as well. Rachel then announced
that a Host Committee for the FCB Convention would be set up at the February General Meeting, which would further these and other
ideas.
Jackie asked those in attendance who would like to volunteer for refreshments for the February General Meeting. Bo and Recording
Secretary Shelley Justice said they would bring chips, Scott Larson offered to provide drinks and Nicole will take care of cookies.
Rachel then wanted Members to plan ahead for the March General Meeting. Due to the respective Walk-A-Thons for Lighthouse Central
Florida and Southeastern Guide Dogs, Inc., taking place on the first Saturday in March, she made a motion to move the MFCB March
General Meeting to Saturday, March 11th, pending availability of a meeting place that day. That motion was seconded and approved.
Patti announced that she has Braille calendars. She asked Members to let her know if anyone would like one. Then the idea came up to
hold an activity with Blind Americans Inc. as that organization is holding a canoe trip from March 31st to April 2nd. That may be
considered by the next General Meeting.
Chuck also reminded Members about the Carter Family Blind Bowling League Bowl-A-Thon fundraiser on Saturday, February 11th, in
Winter Garden from 6 to 8 PM. He added that anyone can participate at $15.00 per person. However, Chuck asked if MFCB could put
together a 6-person team to compete against an NFB-Greater Orlando Chapter team at the fundraiser. There was enough interest at the
General Meeting of Members who would participate and $90.00 would be set aside for this to be done.
Paulette Gordon then suggested that information from MFCB be provided for Valencia Community College to print in its college
newsletter. Rachel thought that idea can be pursued further, especially at another MFCB General Meeting.
The following Door Prizes were awarded after the Business part of the General Meeting adjourned:
Sword Letter Opener - Scott Larson
Christmas Tree Decoration - Paulette Gordon
3-Inch Brass Hose Nozzle - Matti Hickson
Glitter Critter - Patti Land
Moose Keychain - Jackie Gideons
Heart-Shaped Candle - Bill Freeman
Football-Shaped Chip Bowl and Clacker - Jay Bader
Football-Shaped Salt & Pepper Shakers - Rachel Bader
Another Football-Shaped Chip Bowl and Clacker - Nicole Hugues
Congratulations to all the Door Prize Winners!
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ACCESSIBLE VOTING MEETING
On February 18th, 2006, Orange County Supervisor of Elections Bill Cowles will host a joint meeting of disability organizations at the
Orange County Supervisor of Elections Office, 119 West Kaley St., Orlando, FL 32806. This meeting takes place from 10 AM until 12
NOON. It will not only give those in attendance the opportunity to get hands-on experience with the new iVotronic accessible voting
machine, but those attending will hopefully also meet the Supervisors of Elections in Osceola and Seminole counties.
As was mentioned in the January 2006 issue of THE MID-FLORIDA VOICE, accessible voting is a vital concern to MFCB as every
individual has the right to cast a secret and independent ballot. This meeting is also the February activity for the MFCB Membership.
Please plan to take part in this opportunity to check out this machine and ask questions.
So let those you know who are disabled know about this meeting, as there will be plenty of important information that will result.
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START PLANNING FOR 2006 FCB ANNUAL CONVENTION
The 2006 Annual Convention of Florida Council of the Blind (FCB) will fast approach, 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. Reservation deadline is
Tuesday, April 11th, 2006. 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 host chapter for this year's FCB Convention, we would appreciate Members helping in any way they can as we plan
for a successful four days. There are many ideas being considered by MFCB, 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 but would like to
help as we plan for it, please contact President Rachel Bader at (407) 658-2479 or 1st Vice President Patti Land at (407) 521-9047.
More information about the 2006 Annual FCB Convention will be forthcoming in the next few issues of THE MID-FLORIDA VOICE.
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FCB TECH TALK
Florida Council of the Blind (FCB) invites all Members throughout the state of the 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 some 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 to improve our
information on the Web.
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BOWL-A-THON WITH AN ADDED TWIST
As was mentioned in the January 2006 issue of THE MID-FLORIDA VOICE, the Carter Family Blind Bowling League is having their
Bowl-A-Thon fundraiser on February 11th, 2006, from 6 PM to 8 PM. It will be held at Carter Family Bowling, 715 S Dillard St., Winter
Garden, FL 34787. Since this was first mentioned, there is an added twist to this fundraiser.
Per the approval of the Members in attendance at the MFCB January General Meeting, there will be a group of MFCB Members that will
have a bowl-off with a group from NFB-Greater Orlando Chapter. So even if you do not participate, you can check out which local
blindness organization can knock down more pins for the benefit of those who do so more regularly. If you are still interested in being a
part of this fundraiser, the fee to bowl is $15.00 per person, and all proceeds will help this league be able to have bowlers qualify for a
national blind bowlers' competition later in 2006 to be held in Indianapolis, Indiana.
For further information about it or the Carter Family Blind Bowling League in general, please contact Chuck Graham at (407) 654-6199.
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MEMBERSHIP - from Jay Bader
Notes from Jay: With the MFCB Membership for 2006, the time has come for updated Membership Phone Rosters to be available.
These rosters will be in Large Print, E-mail, Cassette, and Braille formats. The E-mail version will be sent out as this issue is being
e-mailed, and Cassettes to those on the Cassette Mailing List, with all other formats available beginning at the February General
Meeting.
If you cannot attend an 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, I am still looking for a new MFCB Member that would be interested in proofreading our MFCB Newsletter. There is a Member who is
proofreading this issue on a trial basis but it has not yet been determined if this person would like to permanently take on this duty. So I
am hopeful that one of you who reads THE MID-FLORIDA VOICE wants to step up to the plate and help make our Newsletter look that
much better for all who read it.
Due to the fact that the newsletter is composed on computer, I am particularly looking for a proofreader who has a computer with e-mail
access. So if you are interested, please e-mail mfcbinfo@bellsouth.net or call
(407) 658-2479. Thanks in advance for your help in making our MFCB Newsletter worthwhile reading.
And I always accept submissions to THE MID-FLORIDA VOICE. All submissions for the March 2006 issue must arrive by regular mail or
e-mail to me by the 15th of February 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 February General
Meeting!
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BIRTHDAY PEOPLE
FEBRUARY
3 - Pat Spoone
3 - Anita Stone
5 - Eric Cullars
12 - Matt Roberts
12 - Margaret Ruben
13 - Jim Huddle
17 - Donice Michael
20 - Elizabeth Bouyer
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