Vol. 31, No. 1
JANUARY 2006
THE MID-FLORIDA VOICE
A publication of Mid-Florida Council of the Blind
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CORRECTIONS
MESSAGE FROM MFCB PRESIDENT RACHEL BADER
NEXT MFCB GENERAL MEETING
MFCB ANNUAL HOLIDAY LUNCHEON REVIEW
ACCESSIBLE VOTING MEETING FORTHCOMING
ACCESS LYNX FARES TO INCREASE SOON
FCB TECH TALK
FCB E-MAIL DISCUSSION LIST AND VOICE CHAT ROOMS
MFCB ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB
UPDATE ON MOPIX THEATERS IN THE ORLANDO AREA
BOWL-A-THON AROUND THE CORNER
MEMBERSHIP - from Jay Bader
BIRTHDAY PEOPLE
CORRECTIONS
In the November 2005 issue of THE MID-FLORIDA VOICE, it was stated that the only accessible pedestrian signal in the Orlando area
was at the Center for Independent Living in Winter Park. However, MFCB Member Joseph Musil reports that there is another accessible
pedestrian signal by the Altamonte Mall on Palm Springs Drive in Altamonte Springs.
Also, in the December 2005 issue, it was printed that the tentative date for the meeting at the Orange County Supervisor of Elections
would be on February 8th. Supervisor of Elections Bill Cowles contacted the Editor of THE MID-FLORIDA VOICE directly after reading this
and told me that the tentative date is actually February 18th.
We apologize for these errors.
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MESSAGE FROM MFCB PRESIDENT RACHEL BADER
Dear Members and Friends of MFCB,
Hello, Members and Friends of MFCB. I hope that all of you are having a very Happy Holiday Season. I look forward to seeing many of
you in January as we start 2006, which is looking like it will be a busy but exciting year for MFCB and its Members.
We have accessible voting just around the corner for the first time in our area. We also have several of our Members actively participating
at public meetings for the Orange County Community Traffic Safety Team (CTST) to help make pedestrian travel safer for the blind of our
area, through exploring the possibility of more accessible pedestrian signals at difficult intersections. We also look ahead to hosting the
FCB Annual Convention in May at the Sheraton Safari in Lake Buena Vista and having our national ACB 2006 Convention taking place
just up the road in Jacksonville at the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville-Riverfront this July.
All of these are great opportunities for us to get involved in the both the blindness community and our local community in general. So I
am hopeful that the Membership of MFCB will take part in what should be a special and productive year for the blind and visually impaired
in the Orange, Osceola and Seminole tri-county area. Hope to see many of you at our January General Meeting!
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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, January 7th, 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.
If you are using paratransit to get to the MFCB General Meeting, please contact Nicole Hugues at (321) 663-2007. She needs to be made
aware of the fact that if you ever use paratransit to get to the Meeting, a list can be maintained as to who uses the service at any given
time when trips are scheduled for the day of the Meeting.
As this issue goes to press, there has been no guest speaker announced for this General Meeting. However, there will be plenty to
discuss, especially as we start to prepare for the role MFCB will play during the upcoming FCB Annual Convention at the Sheraton Safari
in Lake Buena Vista this May and meeting on Voting Accessibility hosted at the Orange County Supervisor of Elections on February 18th,
as well as reviewing the various committees within MFCB for Members to participate.
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MFCB ANNUAL HOLIDAY LUNCHEON REVIEW
37 Members and guests attended the MFCB Annual Holiday Luncheon held on Saturday, December 3rd, at Dixie Crossroads, in
southwest Orlando. Before everyone began enjoying their meals of primarily seafood dishes, President Rachel Bader thanked those
who attended for coming to the Holiday Luncheon and wished everyone a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah and Happy New
Year.
Rachel then announced that the Love Offering during this year's Annual Holiday Luncheon would be to collect money for Lighthouse
Central Florida in paying for passes for paratransit through Access Lynx. After some last-minute collections, it was announced that over
$100.00 was put into the Love Offering.
Many thanks to those who attended for donating to the Love Offering and we all look forward to a successful year for MFCB in 2006!
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ACCESSIBLE VOTING MEETING FORTHCOMING
One issue that has been very important to Mid-Florida Council of the Blind over the last couple of years is the issue of being able to cast a
secret, independent ballot. Many who have been dissatisfied with what they feel is the lack of proper assistance at the voting precinct
decide to cast an absentee ballot, which still requires assistance to complete at those ballots remain in a printed format. Ever since the
Help America Vote Act (HAVA) was announced to take effect on January 1st, 2006, and also since the state of Florida has had its own
requirements for accessible voting that were implemented last July 1st, MFCB has been hopeful that all disabled voters could exercise
their legal right to vote in the most effective manner possible.
A tentative date has been set for a meeting that will be important for not only the visually impaired in Orange, Osceola and Seminole
counties, but also for all those disabled who have only dreamed of the day that they can truly vote for themselves. 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. As we get closer to that date, confirmed date and time will be made available,
especially in the next issue of THE MID-FLORIDA VOICE.
MFCB urges Members to consider attending this meeting as not only will Bill Cowles and his staff at the Orange County Supervisor of
Elections office 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. Please let those you know
who are disabled know about this meeting as there will be plenty of important information that will result from what should be a
worthwhile event.
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ACCESS LYNX FARES TO INCREASE SOON
MFCB Members Chuck Graham and Nicole Hugues, along with MFCB 2nd Vice President Bill Freeman, have been very much involved
with the organization's Transportation Committee over the past few years. From attending the monthly meetings of the Lynx Board of
Directors to Metroplan Orlando, Chuck, Nicole and Bill have presented the views of MFCB in differing forms but common goals of a better
and more accessible paratransit operation in Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties.
As Chair of the Transportation Committee, Chuck wanted Members to know of the latest concerning upcoming fare increases for Access
Lynx:
As of April, 2006, Lynx plans on increasing fares for its Access Lynx paratransit service. According to Chuck, fares for those within 3/4 of a
mile from a bus route will increase by 50 cents from $2.50 to $3.00 (this fare increase would also apply to TD riders). Beyond 3/4 of a
mile those fares will increase by $1.50 from $3.50 to a total of $5.00 per one-way trip.
This increase, according to Lynx, would be subsidizing the paratransit extension, MV Transportation, at a rate of $50,000 a month through
the end of September 2006.
Chuck recommends that for those who are concerned to contact J Marsh McLawhorn, interim representative for Community Affairs, at
Lynx at (407) 841-5969 x3064. While disappointed concerning this fare increase, MFCB encourages Members to make those calls and
express opinions in a fair, professional but concerned fashion, as we want to improve paratransit in ways that benefit all disabled.
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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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UPDATE ON MOPIX THEATERS IN THE ORLANDO AREA
MFCB Members Nicole Hugues and Scott Larson have been following the progress of the expansion of movie theaters with the MoPix
capability. MoPix was launched in 1992 to research and develop ways of making movies in theaters accessible to deaf, hard of hearing,
blind, and visually impaired people through closed captions and descriptive narration.
Here is the latest from Nicole and Scott on what is happening with MoPix theaters in the Orlando area:
As mentioned in the June 2005 MID-FLORIDA VOICE, there has been an expansion of MoPix availability in the Orlando area. There are
two AMC theaters that provide the MoPix equipment. They are the AMC Altamonte Mall 18, located at 433 East Altamonte Drive, Altamonte
Springs, FL 32701. Their phone number is (407) 551-2262. This will allow you to reach a live person, not a recording.
The other location is the AMC Pleasure Island 24, located at 1800 Lake Buena Vista Drive, Orlando, FL 32830. The phone number is
(407) 327-1308. Like with the AMC Altamonte Mall 18, this allows you to reach a live person, not a recording.
In November 2005, it was discovered by our parents that the Regal Waterford Lakes 20 also now has the MoPix system. The Regal
Waterford Lakes 20 is located at 541 North Alafaya Trail, Orlando, FL 32828. The theater's phone number is (407) 207-9110. Also we
found out that there are two other Regal Cinemas that are incorporating MoPix:
Regal Cinemas Winter Park Village 20
510 North Orlando Ave.
Winter Park, FL 32789
(407) 628-0035
Regal Cinema Oviedo Crossing 22
1500 Oviedo Marketplace B
Oviedo, FL 32765
(407) 977-1107
When you call the Regal Theaters to inquire about this new service, ask to speak to a manager on duty. Often times there are a lot of
young kids who work at these theaters and may not be aware about MoPix.
Scott and I wrote an e-mail to Mary Watkins, Outreach Director for WGBH's Media Access Group, which is heavily involved with MoPix, to
inform her about this. This is what she wrote:
"Regal has the movies in MoPix during off-peak times. The captioning system that is used is an open-caption system. This means that
the entire theater can view the captions.
"It is suggested that you call the desired Regal Theaters to find out what is playing and at what times these shows are. At the AMC
Theaters, there has been a revision to the headset used to hear the DVS (Descriptive Video Service) descriptions. The headsets are
black in color, have a volume knob on each earpiece and a switch to turn the headsets on and off. There is no worry about switching
channels to listen to the movie."
MFCB is proud to have movie theaters in our area where those with hearing and visual impairments can enjoy films in the same manner
as those who are sighted have done for many decades. So if there is a movie that Members want to check out, contact any of the theaters
noted in this article and don't forget to grab the popcorn!
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BOWL-A-THON AROUND THE CORNER
On February 11th, 2006, the Carter Family Blind Bowling League is having their Bowl-A-Thon fundraiser from 6 PM to 8 PM. It will be held
at Carter Family Bowling, 715 S Dillard St., Winter Garden, FL 34787. For further information, contact Chuck Graham at
(407) 654-6199.
So get ready and knock down some pins for a great friendly organization to MFCB!
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MEMBERSHIP - from Jay Bader
Notes from Jay: For those of you who either joined MFCB or renewed your membership either after the last MFCB General Meeting in
November or paid after the November 15th deadline, rest assured that those dues have arrived to me. However, those dues have not yet
been turned over to Treasurer Dan Spoone due to the holidays. Those dues will be given to Dan at the January General Meeting and will
be deposited soon after that. I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused, especially those who contacted me concerned
their checks had not cleared in a timely manner.
Also, I am looking for a new MFCB Member that would be interested in proofreading our MFCB Newsletter. Our previous Member who
proofread did not renew their membership. 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 February 2006 issue must arrive by regular mail
or E-mail to me by the 15th of January 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 first MFCB General
Meeting of 2006 on January 7th!
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BIRTHDAY PEOPLE
JANUARY
5 - Lisa Lawson
14 - Bob Huntsman
16 - Machel Cooper
24 - Linda Lynch
25 - Sheila Young
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