Vol. 29, No. 9
NOVEMBER 2004

THE MID-FLORIDA VOICE
A publication of Mid-Florida Council of the Blind


TABLE OF CONTENTS
MESSAGE FROM MFCB PRESIDENT RACHEL BADER
NEXT GENERAL MEETING - PLEASE NOTE SPECIAL LOCATION
OCTOBER GENERAL MEETING REVIEW
WHITE CANE DAY EVENT
FCB BOARD MEETING ONCE AGAIN IN MFCB COUNTRY
MFCB ANNUAL HOLIDAY LUNCHEON NOT FAR AWAY
FCB HAS A DISCUSSION LIST!
MFCB ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB
GET OUT AND VOTE!
CHANGES WITH ACCESS LYNX AND MV TRANSPORTATION
MEMBERSHIP - from Jay Bader
BIRTHDAY PEOPLE


MESSAGE FROM MFCB PRESIDENT RACHEL BADER

Dear Members and Friends of MFCB,

I want to thank all of you who participated and/or helped out with the White Cane Safety event on Friday, October 15th. Although an imperfectly timed downpour tried to put a damper on things, we made the best of the situation and talked to as many people as we could to inform them and raise awareness about White Cane Safety.

With assistance from staff of Lighthouse Central Florida and the Division of Blind Services, some local politicians also had the opportunity to temporarily become blind pedestrians as they experienced travel with a sighted guide on a short walk up and down Orange Avenue and back to City Hall, all the while wearing blindfolds. I was also happy to see a number of MFCB members out there in support of this event as well. It is our hope that through our efforts we have been able to enlighten more of the general public as to what White Cane safety is all about, thus making travel just a little safer for the blind pedestrian.

As you all are aware by now, the first week of November means Election time in our country. This same week also means Election time for MFCB as well. It’s time at our General Meeting on November 6th to elect officers for the 2005 term. I would encourage all of you who can attend to come and have a voice in shaping the leadership of your organization.

We also hope to at this meeting vote on the proposed By-Laws changes which were read at our September General Meeting. Further details about this meeting can be found later in this issue but it is one you will not want to miss.

I wish all of you well and I look forward to seeing you in November.


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NEXT GENERAL MEETING - PLEASE NOTE SPECIAL LOCATION

The next General Meeting of MFCB will be at the Orange County Library System (OCLS) Main Library, Downtown Orlando, at 101 East Central Blvd., Orlando, FL 32801, on Saturday, November 6th, 2004, from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM, with a tour of the services available to the disabled at that Library beginning an hour before, at 12:00 NOON. The phone number at the OCLS Main Library is (407) 835-7323.

It is highly recommended that if anyone uses paratransit, please plan your rides accordingly, especially with the special location for this General Meeting as well as the tour that precedes it.

President Rachel Bader will call a Board Meeting at 12:30 PM. It is encouraged that as many members attend as possible, this month in particular, since the Election of MFCB Officers takes place annually at the November General Meeting and it is scheduled that we will vote on further Revisions to the MFCB By-Laws. We want MFCB Members to have their voice count!

Marcia Bruton of OCLS will give a tour of the services available to the disabled, including accessible technology and the Talking Book Library, beginning at 12:00 NOON. Afterwards, the MFCB General Meeting will take place in a meeting room with a patio. Members will be directed to the proper room once the tour is completed.

If anyone has a problem with a Talking Book or TB machine, it is highly recommended to bring that material to the Downtown Library.

Again, please note that the next MFCB General Meeting will be at the OCLS Main Library in downtown Orlando, not at Booth Towers. If you have any further questions, contact Jay Bader at (407) 658-2479.


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OCTOBER GENERAL MEETING REVIEW

22 members were present at the MFCB General Meeting on October 2nd at Booth Towers in downtown Orlando (this meeting started a little later than usual, at 1:30 PM, due to the NFB-Greater Orlando Chapter meeting being rescheduled for that day). After the Pledge of Allegiance, the Secretary's report was read by Membership Secretary Jay Bader on behalf of Recording Secretary Shelley Justice, who, along with her husband Bo Justice, was unable to attend this Meeting. That report was approved.

With no Treasurer's Report to read (Treasurer Dan Spoone was not able to attend), President Rachel Bader asked for Committees to report. She first announced that due to the delay in starting this Meeting, the Re-Revisions to the By-Laws that were read at the September General Meeting would be re-read, discussed and voted on at the November General Meeting. (As a reminder, here are those proposed changes:

ARTICLE II, Purpose

In section B, the word "community" would be changed to "communities."

Revision passed at the May General Meeting:

B. To promote better understanding between the blind and sighted community.

Proposed Re-Revision:

B. To promote better understanding between the blind and sighted communities.

ARTICLE VIII, Quorum

In section A, "The majority of members present at any MFCB monthly meeting" would be changed to "1/4 of the registered MFCB membership" and add "at any monthly meeting" after the word "Quorum."

Revision passed at the May General Meeting:

A. The majority of members present at any MFCB monthly meeting shall constitute a Quorum.

Proposed Re-Revision:

A. 1/4 of the registered MFCB membership shall constitute a Quorum at any monthly Meeting.

ARTICLE IX, Amendments

The entire article would be changed to the following:

"The MFCB By-Laws are to be amended in the following manner:

1. Any proposed revisions must be first formally read at a monthly Meeting.

2. Those revisions must then be printed in the following MFCB Newsletter.

3. The same revisions would then be re-read, discussed and voted on at the next monthly Meeting.

4. Revisions must be approved by a majority vote of the Quorum at any monthly Meeting."

Revision passed at the May General Meeting:

The MFCB By-Laws may be amended by a majority vote of the Quorum at any General Meeting.

Proposed Re-Revision:

The MFCB By-Laws are to be amended in the following manner:

1. Any proposed revisions must be first formally read at a monthly Meeting.

2. Those revisions must then be printed in the following MFCB Newsletter.

3. The same revisions would then be re-read, discussed and voted on at the next monthly Meeting.

4. Revisions must be approved by a majority vote of the Quorum at any monthly Meeting.

Again, these changes will be re-read, discussed and voted on at the November General Meeting.)

Four committees reported:

Nominating: Betty Sparrow, 1st Vice President and Chair of the Nominating Committee, reported the following recommendations for MFCB Officers for 2004-2005:

President - Rachel Bader
1st Vice President - Bill Freeman
2nd Vice President - Jackie Gideons
Recording Secretary - Shelley Justice
Treasurer - Dan Spoone
Membership Secretary - Jay Bader

Rachel reminded members that if they have other nominations to make sure that those they want to nominate are interested for a particular office and bring them to the November General Meeting.

White Cane: Patti Land, Chair of the White Cane Committee, reported that MFCB, NFB-Orlando, Blind Veterans Association, DBS and Lighthouse Central Florida (formerly CITE) are collaborating on a White Cane Event to take place on White Cane Day, Friday, October 15th. It would be from 11 AM to 1 PM at Orlando City Hall. Tables would be provided for handouts from the respective organizations.

Patti added that MFCB should have a banner to display as well as have organizational flyers to hand out. Area schools may have field trips to City Hall for this event. The press has also been notified about the White Cane Event.

Some members expressed interest in attending the White Cane Event but Patti did recommend that members who may not be able to attend spread word about this event to their friends. Jay and Elizabeth Bouyer will also help get the word out to members to remind them about the event through the Membership/Telephone Committee. If anyone has other concerns about the White Cane Event, they should contact Patti, Rachel or Nicole Hugues.

Membership/Telephone: Jay Bader, Co-Chair of the Membership/Telephone Committee, reminded everyone that dues are being accepted for 2005. (More information about this is noted later in this issue.) He thanked those who already joined or renewed. He added that donations are always accepted and the due date is January 7th, 2005.

Transportation: Chuck Graham, Chair of the Transportation Committee, first reported that at the recent TAC Meeting, he recommended that Rita Cain not be reappointed to the TAC. According to Chuck, she has not been very helpful to the disabled as of late.

Also, Chuck noted that as a result of the last LYNX Board Meeting, public hearings may be forthcoming to address LYNX and paratransit. Surveys have been mailed to various riders. In addition, these possible public hearings would focus on a proposed fare increase.

Chuck recommends that MFCB members attend these meetings. He simply said that if members do not get out and express their opinions, they have nothing to complain about.

Moving on to Old Business, 1st Vice President Betty Sparrow said that the December Luncheon has been reserved at Logan's Roadhouse on Sand Lake Road in southwest Orlando. She added that the November General Meeting is all set for the Downtown Library on November 6th. Rachel suggested that the schedule for that day be that the Library Tour take place first at 12 NOON then hold the meeting beginning at 1 PM. Betty said she would follow-up with OCLS on this but it should not be a problem.

Catherine Potter questioned about anyone outside of Orange County using Talking Books. Nicole Hugues said she will follow-up on this. Rachel again encouraged everyone to use the Talking Books service at the Downtown Library. She said that members should visit the Downtown Library, get a Library Card (which is free) and use the services available to the disabled. Chuck reminded everyone that as many members as possible should attend the next MFCB General Meeting at the Downtown Library.

Rachel also told members that MFCB has notified OCLS that we want to help and keep communication lines open. If any members have any further questions about the disabled services, including Talking Books, they should ask those questions during the Library Tour before the next General Meeting. Chuck asked if food should be ordered for the meeting, especially with some members being diabetic. Betty said that she would look into it.

Then in New Business, Chuck Graham proposed a motion for an amendment to be drawn up to the MFCB By-Laws. This amendment would address that a person should be a member of MFCB for one year before running for an office. The motion was approved and will be taken to the By-Laws Committee for further consideration.

Finally, Arline Graham asked about refreshments. Rachel apologized as she found shortly before this General Meeting that those who would take care of them would not be able to attend. She added that it will be followed-up on so there is more time to plan out what to do in case it happens again.

The meeting adjourned at 2:20 PM.


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WHITE CANE DAY EVENT

MFCB celebrated Friday, October 15th, 2004, as a day very important to the blindness community. It was White Cane Awareness Day, a day to educate people about the laws that protect the blind and visually-impaired in walking and crossing the streets. To honor this day, MFCB joined forces with NFB-Greater Orlando Chapter, Blinded Veterans Association (BVA), Division of Blind Services (DBS) and Lighthouse Central Florida (formerly CITE) for an event at Orlando City Hall.

Unfortunately, the weather was not as good as it could have been, with on-and-off rain putting a damper on some of what was scheduled. There were a few public officials that put on blindfolds and Lighthouse employees helped to guide them in a brief walk in the area. The planned group walk up and down Orange Avenue did not take place due to the wet streets.

And there were not as many people walking around City Hall as was hoped, due to the weather. But for those who did approach the tables, they were given flyers about MFCB and DBS as well as a white candy cane which had a portion of the White Cane Law attached to it. MFCB also had a full version of the Florida White Cane Law and copies for the Pedestrian Safety Handbook written by Florida Council of the Blind (FCB) 1st Vice President Debbie Grubb, which were distributed to those who approached the tables.

In the end, even though not many people were around the area, it was still a worthwhile effort by all blindness organizations to inform the public about the White Cane Law. Hopefully, when White Cane Day 2005 takes place, both the weather and the people will turn out for the better. Thanks to all who participated in the 2004 White Cane Day Event.


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FCB BOARD MEETING ONCE AGAIN IN MFCB COUNTRY

The Annual Florida Council of the Blind Board Meeting will be held at the Sheraton Safari Hotel, 12205 Apopka Vineland Road, Orlando, FL 32836. The hotel's phone number is (407) 239-0444. It will be taking place during the weekend of Friday, November 12th, through Sunday, November 14th, 2004, the weekend after the next MFCB General Meeting.

This is the third consecutive year that FCB has held the Board Meeting at this hotel. For those of you who have never attended an FCB Board Meeting, this is your chance to see what happens as all members throughout the state are invited to attend. We hope as many members as possible can attend the various Committee Meetings as well as the General Business Meeting on Saturday, the 13th.

Since MFCB is again the host FCB Chapter for the Board Meeting, it would be great to have as much of the membership as possible attend that Saturday. If you are interested in attending any Committee Meetings or the Special Leadership Seminar on Sunday morning, November 14th, please contact Rachel Bader at (407) 658-2479, e-mail mfcbinfo@bellsouth.net or check out http://www.fcb.org/FCBNews.htm for more information.

If you do plan to attend any of the meetings, it is highly recommended that if you use paratransit to plan your rides accordingly. There will be hundreds of people from throughout the state participating in these meetings. We hope to see many of you at the Annual FCB Board Meeting at the Sheraton Safari in Orlando!


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MFCB ANNUAL HOLIDAY LUNCHEON NOT FAR AWAY

To round out the calendar year, MFCB enjoys spreading good cheer with good food. The MFCB Annual Holiday Luncheon will take place at Logan's Roadhouse in South Orlando on Saturday, December 4th, 2004, from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM. The location of this Logan's Roadhouse is 3060 West Sand Lake Road, Orlando, Florida 32819. Since this is a location that many members may not be familiar with, it may be a good idea to know that this restaurant is west of Florida Mall, especially when it comes to scheduling paratransit.

If you need more information, you can contact Logan's Roadhouse at (407) 351-4599. Here's a little more information about what food you will find there, taken from their website, http://www.logansroadhouse.com:

"While Logan's Roadhouse is all about fun, we take the quality of our food very seriously. Which is why our wide variety of menu items includes everything from the finest U.S.D.A. choice, aged steaks, hand-cut on premise, to the freshest chicken breasts around to flame grilled salmon and catch-of-the-day to homemade yeast rolls that'll make you feel all warm inside. Our salads are equally fresh and flavorful."

Please take note of the date and plan your rides accordingly; also, note that gratuity is not included in the total for food, even for large parties. This is the second time we're holding a luncheon at this location and want as many members as possible to be able to join us for a lot of fun. So join MFCB as the calendar year approaches its end for food and fun at Logan's Roadhouse in southwest Orlando on December 4th!


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FCB NOW HAS A DISCUSSION LIST!

Florida Council of the Blind (FCB) is proud to have its members throughout the state participate in its E-mail Discussion List.  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 everyone 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.”


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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 web site, http://www.fcb.org, there is information available on the Internet about MFCB 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. This is only the beginning as another option has been made available for people to find out what is going on with our organization.

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 will better what we have on the Web.


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GET OUT AND VOTE!

As all of you have hopefully noticed, the 2004 General Election is very important. It is not only important as we either re-elect an incumbent President of the United States or elect a new President, but also it's important as we vote on local offices and various amendments throughout the state of Florida. It is highly encouraged that members of MFCB show their effort and participate in the voting process.

There are counties in Florida that have been very proactive in accessible voting, especially with the controversy after the 2000 General Election. In the greater Orlando area, many with disabilities will continue to need and have assistance in order to cast a ballot. Even though that is the case, it is mandated that by 2006, accessible voting will be set throughout the United States.

So all those who are disabled should continue to let their county Supervisor of Elections know that they are doing their share and cast a ballot, especially in those counties where that Supervisor is up for re-election. And it may be a good idea to cast that ballot early by participating in the Early Voting option that is available until the day before Election Day. While it may not give the satisfaction of participating in the voting process on Election Day itself, it can give those disabled an opportunity for the much needed assistance to be provided in the case that accessible voting may yet be implemented in a person's particular county.

If you need specific information on the Early Voting sites in the tri-county area, contact the respective Supervisor of Elections office:

Orange County - (407) 836-2070
Osceola County - (407) 343-3900
Seminole County - (407) 708-7700

Also, be prepared by going over the Sample Ballot sent in the mail with someone you know. It will only better the process itself by knowing who to vote for and which way to cast a vote on the various issues on that ballot.

If you have problems on Election Day, let your Supervisor of Elections know what happened. And keep this number handy: 1-866-OUR VOTE. This hotline is staffed now and, in addition to logging your complaint, the civil rights organizations have law students and attorneys who can provide assistance on Election Day. The hotline number is 1-866-687-8683.

If poll workers refuse to allow you to vote for any reason, if the polling place is inaccessible, if there is a late opening or early closing of a polling place, if your polling place runs out of ballots or has an incorrect ballot, or if you experience poll worker insensitivity or discrimination in the voting process, call 1-866-OUR VOTE. When you call the hotline, be prepared to give your name, telephone number, and note as many details as possible, including the names of the people who are involved. So note this number: 1-866-687-8683.

As Chuck Graham said at the October General Meeting of MFCB, "if members do not get out and express their opinions, they have nothing to complain about."


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CHANGES WITH ACCESS LYNX AND MV TRANSPORTATION

MFCB Members Nicole Hugues and Chuck Graham have been actively involved in Transportation issues, especially more so in the last few months. As a new Lynx Central station prepares to open in downtown Orlando, both have been also regularly attending meetings regarding the future of Lynx and its paratransit counterpart, ACCESS LYNX. As a result of the changes at Lynx, talks have already started about rate increases.

Here's a comparison of the rider fares by what is currently accepted and what is being proposed, courtesy of a new paratransit resource site created by Central Floridian Cheryl Stone, http://paratransitresource.com:

ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act)
Current fare: $2.00 each leg of trip with no restriction on mileage.
Proposed fare: $3.00 each leg of trip WITHIN 3/4 of a mile of fixed-route bus; $5.00 OUTSIDE of the 3/4 mile corridor.

TITLE II of the ADA ACT does state that paratransit fares may not exceed twice the fare that would be charged in the fixed-route system. Increases in fixed route rates at Lynx are being considered also, although those increases are not as significant as paratransit. Roughly, it's a 25-cent increase to the current cash adult fare of $1.25, bringing it to $1.50 for the fixed-route amount.

TD (Transportation Disadvantaged) based on mileage
Current fare: 0-5 miles is $1.00; 5-10 miles is $2.00; more than 10 miles is $3.00
Proposed fare: Will increase each category by $1.50.
The resulting fares: 0-5 miles would be $2.50; 5-10 miles would be $3.50; more than 10 miles would be $4.50

The Lynx Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) usually holds meetings on the third Wednesday of every month. It gives the public an opportunity to express their opinion on paratransit issues. For further information about these meetings, contact Chuck Graham at (407) 239-6875 or Nicole Hugues at (321) 663-2070.

MV Transportation is also moving into new facilities. As this newsletter goes to press, MV moves its dispatch facilities to a location in south Orlando. With the move, there will be some inconveniences, especially with regards to paratransit rides.

These inconveniences should be temporary. However, if you have any questions about the MV Transportation move of its dispatch in the Orlando area, contact Chuck or Nicole. And continue to use paratransit and provide feedback for the system that is necessary for the disabled in the Orlando area to get from place to place safely.


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MEMBERSHIP - from Jay Bader

Notes from Jay: The annual MFCB Membership Drive, in cooperation with the Bureau of Braille and Talking Book Library Services in Daytona Beach, is at the midway point. Those mailers have been 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.

Dues are currently being accepted for new members as well as renewals. For those who have already paid, thank you for your timely payment. Please note that the dues for 2005 are increasing to $12.00, as approved in the revised MFCB By-Laws, and are due no later than January 7th, 2005. If you attend a General Meeting, this is payable by cash, check or money order; otherwise, please send your dues by check or money order to the following address:

MFCB Membership Secretary
5611 Pecos St.
Orlando, FL 32807

Make your check or money order payable to MFCB.

And a reminder that I am accepting any submissions to THE MID-FLORIDA VOICE. All submissions must arrive by regular mail or e-mail to me by the 15th of the month as issues are prepared shortly after that. I will make sure you are 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 Downtown Library for the November General Meeting!


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BIRTHDAY PEOPLE

NOVEMBER
12 - Craig Marquis
26 - Chuck Graham
27 - Ida Williams


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