Vol. 32, No. 6
JUNE-JULY 2007
THE MID-FLORIDA VOICE
A publication of Mid-Florida Council of the Blind
TABLE OF CONTENTS
MESSAGE FROM MFCB PRESIDENT SHELLEY JUSTICE
NEXT MFCB MEETING - ANNUAL JUNE AWARDS LUNCHEON
MFCB MAY GENERAL MEETING REVIEW
FLORIDA VOTERS COALITION AND FCB ANNOUNCE STRATEGIC ALLIANCE
CENTRAL FLORIDA ADVOCATES FOR ACCESSIBLE PUBLIC RIGHTS-OF-WAY CONTINUE THEIR HARD
WORK
FCB TECH TALK
FCB E-MAIL DISCUSSION LIST AND VOICE CHAT ROOMS
MFCB ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB
BEING DEAF-BLIND IS NOTHING SPECIAL
MEMBERSHIP - from Jay Bader
BIRTHDAY PEOPLE
MESSAGE FROM MFCB PRESIDENT SHELLEY JUSTICE
Hello, MFCB Members and Friends,
I have just returned from our Annual FCB State Convention in Tallahassee, and what a great Convention it was! There were 174
persons registered, and I believe that makes this one of the best attended Conventions in recent years. It was indeed an honor and a
pleasure to represent MFCB.
As always, there are challenges facing us in the future, some that are ongoing, some that we thought we had solved, but have reared
their heads yet again. Pedestrian safety and transportation issues continue to be in the forefront of everyone's concerns. However, our
voting rights, which we believed we had gained to everyone's satisfaction, have again become an issue. The one nearest and dearest to
my heart is our Talking Book Library, which does indeed face a challenge in the future. I will not dwell on this here, as I plan to speak
about it in a later issue.
For the moment, let us focus on our Annual June Awards Luncheon. Please consider this a personal invitation to each and every one of
you to attend. It will be held on June 9th, 2007, at Logan’s Roadhouse on Sand Lake Road. This will be my first opportunity as
President to preside at our luncheon, and I am looking forward to it with enthusiasm.
The food and fellowship are always wonderful, and there will be some awards to be presented as well. Please try to make your plans to
attend this last MFCB get-together before a month-long break between Meetings. I hope to see all of you there.
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NEXT MFCB MEETING - ANNUAL JUNE AWARDS LUNCHEON
The next Meeting of MFCB will be the Annual June Awards Luncheon, which this year will be held on Saturday, June 9th, 2007, at Logan's
Roadhouse, 3060 West Sand Lake Road, Orlando, FL 32819, from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM. The phone number at this Logan's location is
(407) 351-4599. It is highly recommended that if anyone uses paratransit, please plan your rides accordingly.
Logan's is known for great mesquite-grilled steaks, ice-cold longnecks, mouthwatering, made-from-scratch yeast rolls, and bottomless
buckets of in-shell peanuts. The high-quality, moderately-priced menu features over 30 entrees, including aged steaks, hand-cut fresh
on premises, mesquite-grilled chicken, fresh-ground steak burgers, baby-back ribs, seafood, and specialty salads made from only the
freshest ingredients. As in previous MFCB Luncheons, Members and Guests will be responsible for their own checks; however, gratuity
is not included in the total for food, even for large parties.
The Annual June Awards Luncheon is the opportunity for MFCB to present its Chapter Awards, especially to a Member who has excelled
in service to the organization, and the Connie Rotter Memorial Scholarship, which is awarded to a visually-impaired student who is
committed to furthering their education. A fun time is always had by all who attend, so Members, if you have any last-minute questions
after the Membership/Telephone Committee contacts you concerning attendance to the Annual June Awards Luncheon, especially about
the great food at Logan's, contact 1st Vice President Jack Jordan at (407) 895-7352.
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MFCB MAY GENERAL MEETING REVIEW
26 Members and Guests attended the MFCB May General Meeting held on Saturday, May 5th, at William Booth Tower in downtown
Orlando. After the Pledge of Allegiance, President Shelley Justice asked those in attendance to introduce themselves.
Once the Secretary's and Treasurer's Reports were read and approved, Shelley opened the floor for Committees to report. For the
Membership/Telephone Committee, Membership Secretary reminded Members to contact him for any further requests for copies of the
2007 MFCB Telephone Roster by E-mail or in Large Print, Cassette or Braille.
Jay further mentioned that regarding Publicity and Publications, there would be some changes forthcoming regarding THE MID-FLORIDA
VOICE. Shelley went on to say that the MFCB Executive Board decided that beginning in January 2008, the MFCB Newsletter would be
published bi-monthly, just as our state affiliate's newsletter, The White Cane Bulletin, is done.
Jackie Gideons, as Coordinator for the Refreshments Committee, thanked Jim Lamb for the pizza that would be served during the May General Meeting. She added that refreshments for the upcoming August General Meeting are taken care of.
For the Activities Committee, Patti Land, on behalf of 1st Vice President Jack Jordan, who was unable to attend, told Members in
attendance that the Annual June Awards Luncheon would take place at the Logan's Roadhouse location at 3060 West Sand Lake Road
in south Orlando on Saturday, June 9th, 2007. She added that the Membership/Telephone Committee will be notified when to make
calls in preparation for the Luncheon.
Leslie Spoone then announced for the Fundraising Committee that the May fundraiser was already under way outside the Meeting
Room. A Bake Sale was taking place, and she recommended all in attendance buy lots of the goodies out on the table that Betty
Sparrow and Elizabeth Bouyer were at with those goods.
Under Old Business, Shelley wanted to make sure who offered and were selected as delegates and First-Timers were still going to the
upcoming FCB Annual Convention in Tallahassee the following weekend from this General Meeting. With no changes to be made,
Leslie Spoone then asked about the $50.00 MFCB was donating to FCB for a prize during the FCB Raffle at Convention. After much talk
between Patti, who happens to be FCB Treasurer, and Leslie, it was determined that this would have been a check for $50.00. Also,
Members were reminded about tickets for the FCB Raffle, especially since this would be the last opportunity for anyone to sell tickets
before next weekend's Convention.
For New Business, 2nd Vice President Bill Freeman talked about his attendance on behalf of MFCB at a recent nurses' association
seminar. He said that he enjoyed the time he spent at that seminar and the association gave him a letter of appreciation as well.
After the Business part of the Meeting adjourned, a total of $74.00 was raised from the May Bake Sale. Hopefully, everyone who bought
some goodies will enjoy them very soon.
The following Door Prizes were awarded:
Yo-Yo and Clothes Pins - Machel Cooper
Squirt Bottle and Hot Apple Pie-scented Candle - Shelley Justice
2-piece Rubix Cube Set & Keychain and World Poker Tour Towel - Bill Dennis
Belt and Photo Holder - Michael Collins (Guest at the Meeting)
Congratulations to all Raffle and Door Prize winners!
Before the Business portion of the May General Meeting, Shelley introduced Guest Speaker Nancy Roth from the Seminole Community
Volunteer Program. Nancy brought an assistant with her, Berdina Chowdury, for her presentation, which focused on Disaster Planning.
With Hurricane Season beginning June 1st, this proved to be a valuable one for all who attended, as materials were passed out in Print
and CD, and various items that would be part of a To-Go Kit were shown as well, especially for those sight-impaired to figure out what
those items put in front of them were. In the end, there is a good chance that Nancy may return to an upcoming MFCB General Meeting
for a Weather Radio Workshop that Members would much appreciate.
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FLORIDA VOTERS COALITION AND FCB ANNOUNCE STRATEGIC ALLIANCE
(Editor's Note: The following was announced before the 2007 FCB Annual Convention took place in Tallahassee. Some additional
information will be noted after the body of this article, which was originally posted on the Florida Council of the Blind Listserv.)
All Voters Deserve Paper Ballots - Voters With Disabilities Must Not Be Left Behind
The Florida Voters Coalition (FVC) and the Florida Council of the Blind (FCB) have announced a strategic alliance calling on Florida
state and county officials to provide paper ballots for all voters in all elections. "This is an historic day," said FVC Co-Founder, Dan
McCrea, "when those demanding the security of paper ballots and those demanding HAVA compliant accessibility for voters with
disabilities speak with one unified voice. Listen up, state and county officials. No voter should be left behind, especially in the name of
equality. That is simply absurd. It's time to scrap your DREs (direct-recording electronic machines) and replace them with non-tabulating
ballot marking devices, providing all voters paper ballots - no exceptions."
"No exception needed or wanted for voters with disabilities," said Paul Edwards, former President of the American Council of the Blind,
speaking for the Florida Council of the Blind, the state-wide chapter. "The very purpose of HAVA Section 301 was to provide an equal
opportunity to voters with disabilities. 'Equal' doesn't only apply to the ability to cast a private and independent ballot - something precious
to blind and other disabled voters - it also applies to the ability to cast a secure ballot. Only optical scan paper ballot systems are secure
in Florida today. Florida's newly passed legislation requires paper ballots for everyone then provides an exception for voters with
disabilities. Until 2012, counties can choose to provide us paperless electronic DREs. Our message today is, NO THANK YOU. We
don't want them and should not be forced to use them. Paperless electronic DRE voting systems are fit for no one."
"For years," McCrea said, "proponents of paperless electronic DRE voting systems have claimed that their systems are the only solution
for voters with disabilities. That's just not true. Non-tabulating ballot marking devices provide superior touchscreen, audio, tactile,
sip-and-puff, and other interface facilities to allow voters with disabilities to cast a private and independent vote, and they are HAVA
compliant. But unlike failed DRE systems, they allow all voters to vote on one uniform, paper-ballot-based, secure voting system. Surely
that is the intent of both federal and state law."
McCrea cited the federal Election Assistance Commission's (EAC) July 20, 2005 EAC Advisory 2005-004: How to determine if a voting
system is compliant with Section 301(a) - a gap analysis between 2002 Voting System Standards and the requirements of Section
301(a), which states on Page 4, subparagraph (7), "Section 301(a)(3)(B) contemplates that an accessible voting system can include a
direct recording electronic (DRE) voting system or other voting system equipped for individuals with disabilities. This advisory should not
be read to preclude the innovation and use of accessible voting systems other than DREs for the purposes of meeting this
requirement."
"Please note," said McCrea, "that this EAC advisory is focused on accessibility - not security. It is two years old and during that time,
we've seen the last shreds of voter confidence in the security of DRE systems completely collapse. Sarasota's 18,000 lost votes in the
November 2006 federal Congressional District 13 race was just one well-publicized example."
"Florida's paperless electronic DRE voting systems lost over 100,000 votes just in the November 2006 election," McCrea said. "No one
should be relegated to vote on that junk."
"Federal legislation pending in Congress is just another in the long string of reasons that counties should decide to scrap DRE's in favor
of a uniform, all paper ballot system," said McCrea. "Under the lead bill, H.R. 811, counties could not retro-fit paper rolls to their existing
DREs and will likely find the equipment unable to pass new testing provisions called for in the bill meaning counties will have to scrap it
even before the 2012 deadline already set in Florida legislation. The good news is that the federal bill appropriates more than a billion
dollars in new money to pay for the necessary changes," McCrea added.
"We have our annual state-wide conference in Tallahassee this week," said Edwards, "and we're delighted that the Florida Voters
Coalition will be joining us and participating. This is a model for the rest of the country and how cool is it that Florida is leading the way!
Now it's up to Florida's officials - especially at the county level - to Go All The Way and make sure voters with disabilities are not left
behind."
For those in Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties, this announcement comes as a disappointment for all those, especially in
MFCB, who worked closely to make accessible voting a reality. However, due to the outcry for a voter-verifiable paper trail, the reality is
now that another solution will need to be worked on. MFCB will work with the many local disability organizations, including the National
Federation of the Blind-Greater Orlando Chapter, to see that accessible voting, as the equipment and process may change, will not
become a one-time project but an ongoing process that continues to succeed for all.
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CENTRAL FLORIDA ADVOCATES FOR ACCESSIBLE PUBLIC RIGHTS-OF-WAY CONTINUE THEIR HARD
WORK
MFCB is continuing its involvement in the group Central Florida Advocates for Accessible Public Rights-of-Way (CFA). The current focus
of the group is beginning the installation of Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS) in the city of Orlando. Recently, Dianne Ketts of
Lighthouse Central Florida, who serves as Chair of CFA, told those involved about the progress of this process, which does affect many
who read THE MID-FLORIDA VOICE.
"I’ve obtained indication that the model of APS that we currently have installed at the intersection of Orange Ave and East New Hampshire
Street is a Polara Engineering, Inc. Navigator model. Additionally, I was copied on a letter from the Florida Department of Transportation
to Orange County that the APS study which was launched as a result of our committee’s recommendation at the intersection of State
Road 438 (Silver Star Rd.) and Pine Hills Road is now complete. They have determined that the request is justified and are requesting
that the County install and maintain APS devices on the North and West approaches. Polara Engineering’s Navigator APS model is
currently on the DOT’s approved equipment list so this will be the recommended product to be installed at this intersection. The study
also recommended updating pedestrian crossing time to 3.5 feet per second.
"We discussed this study briefly at the last CF Advocates meeting. I shared that I was contacted by the company conducting the study to
provide input on which two approaches blind pedestrians are using at this intersection. I responded, of course, that there is potential for
sight impaired pedestrians to cross any part of this intersection and ideally APS devices would be installed on all corners. I also
recommended, however, that if only two approaches were to be made accessible, the north and west approaches offer access to those
using the fixed route bus system and needing to transfer from one Link to another.
"While the process isn’t complete until installation and I am reluctant to count it as a success until that time, I think that things are
headed on the right path. Our committee will be able to learn a lot from seeing this process through and I’m happy that they are keeping
me (us) in the loop! The letter I received has a lot of names on it that I don’t recognize at this time. I had made the suggestion at our last
CFA meeting that we create or obtain a contact list for engineers (state, county and city) in our area and make efforts to reach out to them
and get to know them. Receiving this letter with the unfamiliar names throughout just reinforces how important I think doing this will be
to us as we go forward with our efforts from here."
As we head into the summer months, CFA is planning monthly meetings. MFCB looks forward to its continued involvement and we hope
to report further progress with CFA and the APS systems in the next 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 Florida to participate in Tech Talk, a monthly get-together
for anyone who needs help with their computer and respective applications. John Richards, FCB 2nd Vice President and 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 has usually taken place on the first Monday night of every month at 8 PM. However, due to the low turnout at recent sessions,
Tech Talk has been discontinued for the time being. We will keep you informed as to a possible return of this worthwhile program of
FCB in future issues of THE MID-FLORIDA VOICE.
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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 improved 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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BEING DEAF-BLIND IS NOTHING SPECIAL
It is one thing not having sight. But when a person does not have the senses of sight and hearing, life can be perceived in a much
different manner. One person who is "deaf-blind" shared his views with our national organization, the American Council of the Blind
(ACB). Here they are, as reprinted with permission from the May 2007 issue of
The Braille Forum:
BEING DEAF-BLIND IS NOTHING SPECIAL
by John Lee Clark
In 1994, a teenage boy with Usher's syndrome had a summer job working for Dr. Sandra L. Davenport, a geneticist and a leading
authority on causes of deaf-blindness. One day, she asked him to write an article on "What a Person with Usher's Syndrome Sees." He
obliged, producing a document that Davenport still passes around today. Davenport's initial interest was medical, of course, and the
article contained forthright descriptions of what the world looks like through "Usher eyes." But the boy did not stop there; he closed the
article by making this statement:
I consider deaf-blindness a benefit, not a loss. Many people, without hesitation, pity deaf-blind people due to the "fact" that they cannot
hear and see. From my point of view, that "fact" is completely absurd! I believe that all people, no matter what the circumstances may
be, are normal. We human beings do not have to see with our eyes; we do not have to speak with our mouths; and we do not have to
hear with our ears. We CAN see, speak and hear using various methods. Therefore, all people are normal...just in different ways.
This single paragraph encompasses the cultural perspective of deaf-blindness. It holds that being deaf and blind is not a disability but
a perfectly normal. Yes, it may be "different," by virtue of its rarity, but not any more special than what is included in the staggering variety
of the human race. But what led the boy to feel strongly, at such an early age, about this, enough to write against the medical and the
most widely accepted understanding of what he was?
I know the answer, because the boy was me. It is a simple matter, really: I was exposed to deaf-blind culture before, and always more
than, I was to mainstream culture and its social construction that brands me as disabled. My father is deaf-blind, so I grew up in the
deaf-blind community and had deaf-blind role models. Only, my father was just my father, the deaf-blind community was just a collection
of people I knew, and my deaf-blind role models were just role models, good men and women who shared their stories and wisdom
with me. In other words, they were just human beings.
But the medical perspective is formidable, so much so that many deaf-blind people themselves internalize it. In society, they are treated
either as lesser or very special beings. Often, maddeningly, they are treated as both. Despite this, what I have always known is that we
are ordinary people. The aim of cultural awareness, both for the community and the rest of the world, is to understand deaf-blind life
well enough to appreciate how we all are "normal...just in different ways."
What I am saying is not remarkable. Take Mel Stottlemyre, a fine former major league baseball pitcher. After he was diagnosed with a
blood disease that kills most people within four years, he said, "I never ask 'Why me?' I mean, why NOT me? After all, I am just another
human being." If an athlete can accept imminent deterioration in health and death as part of the human condition, is there any excuse for
not accepting a different way of living?
What is sometimes worse than being pitied, because it is harder to resist, is being exalted, to be an object of awe not because of what
one did but simply because one is deaf and blind. It has its rewards, and Helen Keller invested profitably in it, becoming such a
success story that Mark Twain declared, "She is the most marvelous person of her sex that has existed on this earth since Joan of Arc."
While Helen Keller's accomplishments by themselves warrant merit, she was far more opulently praised because she was deaf-blind.
This, too, is disabling. I cannot help but read between the lines of what Keller once said: "I long to accomplish a great and noble task;
but it is my chief duty and joy to accomplish humble tasks as though they were great and noble."
I, too, long to do great and noble things. But I do not want to stop there; I want to do these things. Why not? Deaf-blind people can do
anything. Sometimes in unusual and creative ways, certainly, but anything. But if I fail to do truly great and noble things, then it will be
my joy to do small things. Either way, however, I would like to get the same credit anyone else would get for doing the same things. After
all, I am just another human being.
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MEMBERSHIP - from Jay Bader
Notes from Jay: As we at MFCB prepare for the summer, it is also the time to prepare for our Annual Membership Drive. It will begin
after the ACB National Convention ends in Minneapolis and will continue into the Fall.
Just so Members can prepare, the Annual MFCB Membership Drive is done in cooperation with the Bureau of Braille and Talking Book
Library Services in Daytona Beach. Those mailers will be sent with the hope that there are those who receive it interested in becoming
Members of MFCB.
There will be those who get this mailing that are already members but please keep in mind that if you are a Talking Book subscriber in
Orange, Osceola or Seminole County, this will arrive. So if you know someone who you think may be interested in becoming a Member
of MFCB, or if they would like to donate to our organization, pass it along. Just as they do on the state level, donations are always gladly
accepted.
More specific information on membership renewals will be in the August-September issue of THE MID-FLORIDA VOICE.
I also always accept submissions to THE MID-FLORIDA VOICE. All submissions for the August-September 2007 issue must arrive by
regular mail or e-mail to me by the 15th of July 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
mfcbinfo@bellsouth.net. Looking forward to seeing many of you at the MFCB Annual June
Awards Lucheon at Logan's Roadhouse on June 9th!
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BIRTHDAY PEOPLE
JUNE
10 - Catherine Potter
12 - Betty Sparrow
JULY
7 - Shirley Singhofen
7 - Joseph Stadnik
10 - Jackie Gideons
17 - Latrice Hampton
22 - Ken Norman
31 - Larry Turnbull
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