THE WHITE CANE BULLETIN
FLORIDA COUNCIL OF THE BLIND, INC.
January - February 2005
FCB OFFICERS, 2004 - 2006
President:
Paul Edwards
20330 N. E. 20th Ct.
Miami, FL 33179
(305) 692-9206
E-mail: edwpaul@comcast.net
First Vice President:
Debbie Grubb
4215 17th Ave. W.
Bradenton, FL 34205-1418
(941) 749-6178
E-mail: debbiecg@verizon.net
Second Vice President:
James R. Warth, Jr.
1859 N. Washington Ave.
Clearwater, FL 33755
(727) 461-7067
E-mail: james.warth@verizon.net
Treasurer:
Patti Davis Land
6933 Alpert Dr.
Orlando, FL 32810
(407) 521-9047
E-mail: pattianne1@cfl.rr.com
Membership Secretary:
Linda Jacobson
2815 Circle Ridge Dr.
Orange Park, FL 32065
(904) 272-8405
E-mail: jacobsli@bellsouth.net
Recording Secretary:
Sharon Youngs
237 Maple Ave.
Palm Harbor, FL 34684
(727) 937-8631
E-mail: sky11@tampabay.rr.com
Immediate Past President:
Robert Miller
2201 Limerick Dr.
Tallahassee, FL 32309
(850) 906-9821
E-mail: easytalk@earthlink.net
Editors of White Cane Bulletin:
Elizabeth Bowden
1919 Leone Dr.
Tallahassee, FL 32308
(850) 574-6252
E-mail: esbowden@nettally.com
Sharon Youngs
237 Maple Ave.
Palm Harbor, FL 34684
(727) 937-8631
E-mail: sky11@tampabay.rr.com
Articles published in The White Cane Bulletin are in compliance with Public Law No. 104197,
Copyright Law Amendment of 1996. This law allows authorized entities to distribute copies of previously published non-dramatic literary
works in specialized formats, including Braille, audio or digital text that are exclusively for use by Blind people or those with disabilities.
Any further distributing of such articles in another than a specialized format is an infringement of copyright.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
EDITOR'S NOTES - by Elizabeth Bowden
ISSUE DEDICATION - by Elizabeth Bowden
MAKE THEM DEFINE YOU BY WHAT YOU CAN DO - by Nancy Lind (Submitted by Sally Benjamin)
AUDIO DESCRIPTION DOES NOT SOLVE THE ENTIRE PROBLEM - by Jesus Garcia
AMTRAK AWARD WINNER BARBARA GRILL - by Fred Duda
OVER THERE - by Cathy Anne Murtha (Submitted by Jack Varnon)
TECH TIPS - by John Richards for the FCB Technology Committee
CHAPTER MEMEBERSHIP INCENTIVE AWARDS - by Linda Jacobson
A LETTER OF GRATITUDE - by Robert Miller
CHAPTER NEWS - Venice Chapter, Tallahassee Council of the Blind
RECIPE CORNER - by Sally Benjamin
HANDY TELEPHONE NUMBERS
EDITOR'S NOTES - by Elizabeth Bowden
The Editors of the White Cane bulletin would like to thank everyone who submitted articles for this issue. Please remember that articles
for submission should be provided to Elizabeth Bowden or Sally Benjamin no later than the 20th of each even month. Anyone who would
like to receive the White Cane Bulletin by E-mail should contact Elizabeth Bowden at:
esbowden@nettally.com.
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ISSUE DEDICATION - by Elizabeth Bowden
As someone who is newly acquainted to the workings of the White Cane Bulletin, I would like to thank those people who made it possible
for the past eleven years - Bobbie and Bill Probst! I would like to take some time to reflect on what makes our publication what it is. They
may have gone unnoticed to some, but their quiet presence always told me that there would always be a White Cane Bulletin
published.
I am only now beginning to fully appreciate all the work that must have gone in to those 121 or so issues. I have the habit of playing, "Let's
Pretend." I know that when they started editing, Bobbie and Bill did not have the luxury of printing the WCB "in house". The nightmare of
sending to the printer, proofreading, etc. must have been something! I'm glad I don't have to experience all of that.
I can also remember that they had computer trouble more than once, which made their job even more challenging. Between deadlines,
date lines, and by-lines, they sure had a big job. I would like to dedicate this issue to them, and to say "thank you" for always being there,
and creating a place where we, the members of the Florida Council of the Blind, can be heard.
Without Bill and Bobbie, our White Cane Bulletin would not be what it is today. I challenge the membership to work with us to keep the
tradition they started and help it to grow further.
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MAKE THEM DEFINE YOU BY WHAT YOU CAN DO - by Nancy Lind (Submitted by Sally Benjamin)
(This article appeared in the ProVail newsletter.)
In My Words
Nancy Lind defines herself
My name is Nancy Lind, and I am 61 years old. I was born blind and have had Cerebral Palsy since birth. My Cerebral Palsy affects my
legs so I can't walk. I've been in a wheelchair ever since I can remember.
Things have changed a lot for people with disabilities since I was a little girl. Most of us were institutionalized one way or another. I
remember being sent to a blind school when I was just a child. It was more than a school. I stayed at the school full time except on
holidays and vacations. However, no one seemed to know what to do with me. Because of my limitations from Cerebral Palsy, I was not
able to learn Braille. Being in a wheelchair presented more problems for the people at the school than it did for me.
Eventually I went home to my parents. I remember my mother taking me to see the superintendent of schools in Monroe, WA, begging and
pleading for something for me. His response was "We have nothing for your daughter and that is that."
But in many ways I was lucky I had a social worker that believed in me. She agitated a lot of people to get opportunities for me. The
"Americans with Disabilities Act" passed. Society could no longer say loudly, "We have nothing for your daughter." I never gave up. I never
quit trying to be part of the community and contribute to society.
Now I work for a non-profit organization and do assembling, packaging and mailing preparation. As I've grown older I feel that it is
important to tell my story. I could have been called the woman who fell through the cracks. I call myself the woman who never quit finding
her way.
And that is my message to all of you. "Don't ever let anyone else write your story for you no matter who you are or what your disability is.
Don't let others define you. But if they must try, make them define you by what you can do, not what you can't do."
I'll leave you with this last message. I met a woman at a bridal shower. I invited her to lunch with my mother. She said she had a
swimming pool in her back yard. I asked her "what does it look like?" She said, "Here I'll draw you picture!"
My mother did not say anything and I just played along with her as she drew a picture on a napkin. She never realized I was blind. It just
goes to show just because you have sight does not mean you can always see.
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AUDIO DESCRIPTION DOES NOT SOLVE THE ENTIRE PROBLEM - by Jesus Garcia
This article was submitted to the Braille Forum back in July of 2001. It never appeared in the Forum, so I would like to submit it for the
White Cane Bulletin. Note: everything I speak regarding digital media access in this article is more crucial today than two years ago, when
I wrote this article. The problem has compounded with the advent of both hard disk television recorders (TiVO) and others and with DVD
recorders. At this time a number of cable and satellite companies are offering set top boxes, which include the hard disk recorder
already in the box. Naturally, all of this is menu-driven.
Note: one of the reasons I decided to submit this article besides the situation of menu-driven home devices becoming critical, is that a
company in California, Talking Solutions, may have a partial answer to the problem. According to what Talking Solutions demonstrated
at the ACB National Convention during the summer, and from speaking to one of its main technical wizards, Talking Solutions is working
on a box which will using synthesized speech, be able to read the menus from digital devices (devices such as DVD players and/or
recorders, hard disk video recorders, and digital cable and satellite boxes).
I can not give to many details in this article, but it seems that a connection between the digital device and the television will allow the
Talking Solutions box to speak the menu from reading the data. The question is, will it be able to read the menu from each DVD disk and
from different cable systems? In closing, before we start with the original article, keep in mind that a number of these new technologies
will not work without access to an onscreen program guide. You cannot program the channels you wish to watch or program the
recording device with out the ability to select from the onscreen program guide.
I write this short article at a time when we are at what I consider a crucial cross road for access to information, for blind and
visually-impaired Americans. I am speaking of our battle with the multi-billion dollar entertainment industry regarding descriptive video
requirements for prime time television. I will not discuss this battle in the following article since I think it has been already well and
extensively covered in these pages. I am certain that ACB will continue its role of leadership in the fight to allow all Americans to access
the information currently available only to those who can see a television screen.
I will instead concentrate on another topic that, in my opinion, is just as important and closely linked to the television issue. I am speaking
of non-broadcast home entertainment. This industry has grown to the point where many current releases of today's Hollywood
blockbusters, documentaries and television programs earn more income from the home video market than they do at the box office or
from broadcast. Until the last three years, home video meant VHS tapes, or for a limited number of us audio files a laser disk player and
movies in this format.
What does this mean for those of us who are blind? Until recently watching a movie, supposing you owned the equipment was as
simple as loading the tape or disk and pressing "play." Note this was true regardless of how simple or elaborate the electronic
hardware. Since the advent of Digital Video Disk (DVD), the complexity of this task for a blind person has dramatically increased. Note
that I said blind what I mean is those of us who are totally blind or have extremely low vision. If you can see a screen, many of these
problems do not apply.
Basically, the problem boils down to the fact that today's home entertainment gear resembles a graphical computer far more than it
resembles the stereo, television, and playback equipment that most of us grew up listening and watching. So let's think of a
Windows-based computer without a windows screen reader. This is particularly applicable if you are as I am one who likes high-end
electronic gear and are willing to stretch the credit cards a little in order to pay for the equipment. The more elaborate the set up the
more choices you have and the more menu driven your system becomes.
I shall write more about this later, let us now turn to the reason for having all this electronic gear: the programming we wish to watch. Let
us assume the entertainment industry wakes up tomorrow and decides that all DVD titles released in the future will include an audio
description track. Note this can be done without affecting the marketing and sale of DVD material. Unlike VHS a DVD disk can and often
does carry multiple video and audio tracks. These include, but are not limited to, multiple languages, Spanish, French, etc., and for
those who are deaf, closed captioning.
Many releases also contain two or more versions of the same movie. These versions are often marketed to the viewing public, along
with other goodies we will discuss below. And this ability to hold multiple formats is both the curse and the potential promise of this
media.
First, the promise, as stated above: the ability to hold multiple video and sound tracks of a program allows what previously was
impossible. It allows the production of and sale of one product, containing features that would be used by different customers. As stated
above, some of these goodies include features such as different screen aspect ratios. Movie fans are able to watch a movie, depending
upon their taste, either as a widescreen movie or letterbox program.
A quick note on screen aspects: this has to do with how the image is displayed on a standard television screen. The point of this
explanation is that if a sighted person purchased a movie containing an audio description track included as part of the disk features, their
overall experience wouldn't be affected by the inclusion of audio description. In fact, some users may not even know that the DVD they
just purchased even contained an audio description track. This makes the inclusion of such a track much more palatable for the
industry since they no longer have to produce one standard movie and a separate packaged DVS movie.
Thus, the excuse the industry used until recently regarding the need to produce and sell separate packages no longer applies. Naturally,
they have managed to invent an entire new series of ridiculous reasons as to why they cannot provide an audio description track on a
disk. I will again not go into depth regarding these excuses; let us just simply say they are many of the same ones they use regarding
described television programs. Furthermore, as I stated above, closed captioning is a fairly common feature of many releases; again, it
is the blind that are not having the access. As you will see below, the inclusion of audio description only begins to fix the problem.
Okay, now for the curse: remember I said the industry would wake up and see the light. No pun intended, ha ha. So you just went out
and rented or purchased the latest tear-jerker, or shoot 'em up from quality studios. You know it has a DVS track and you just cannot wait
to hear the description of this great work of art. You come home and pop your popcorn, get a beer, load the disk in to your player, and find
out you can hear the standard movie, something about the making of the movie, or worse, silence. You just ran into a graphical user
interface without a screen reader.
Remember I said the word choice earlier; the DVD format, because of its huge data storage capacity, close to twenty times that of a CD
and getting larger with each generation, gives the studios the ability to provide the consumer with many choices. Any media where
choices multiply will become a menu-driven system. Thus, the greater the choices, the more complex the menus.
Thus, without the means to navigate the menus on a DVD a description track will become useless. Fortunately, the folks at the WGBH
Media Access Group, in collaboration with other departments at WGBH, have devised a wonderful system to get around this problem. I
have recently purchased the first of what I and many others hope will be many titles with complete accessible features on a DVD
program. This is the PBS documentary, "Abraham and Mary Lincoln: a House Divided."
This extremely well-done documentary about the lives of Mary Lincoln and, in my opinion, the greatest leader this country has ever had,
Abraham Lincoln, has a descriptive video track. However, it also has an audio navigation menu that allows a totally blind person to
access all the features on the disks in the identical manner in which a sighted watcher would access the same DVD. The audio menus
are provided through digitized human voice, and not text-to-speech. This approach is currently the most efficient method for making DVD
menus accessible via audio.
A quick overview of what takes place in one standard movie and the accessible program will illustrate these differences. For this
example, I have selected one of the earlier releases in this format. I can assure the reader that as new titles are being released, the
situation is only getting worse. Besides what you will read about in the standard example below, a number of titles have recently
appeared with virtual play buttons. Pressing the play button on your player will accomplish nothing you must point and click.
Now for the example: The movie I have selected is a Paramount Studio title, "The Hunt for Red October." This film, based on the Tom
Clancy book, is available from WGBH as a Descriptive Video VHS tape. Inserting the DVD into the player and pressing the play button
loads the disk, but for the totally blind person, nothing else happens. If you can see a screen, a menu immediately pops up on to the
screen. At this point you have a variety of choices most of which I will ignore for this example.
Sufficient to say that at this point, what I would like to play is the Dolby Digital 5.1 channel sound track on this DVD. So, I must strictly from
by touch and go perform the following steps. First, wait about thirty seconds to be certain the menu is completely loaded. Second, click
the right arrow once to the right, press enter, down arrow twice, then press enter three times. If you make a mistake during any step of
this procedure, you will either get no sound or worse, a track that does not sound right.
The only way to correct the mistake is to begin from the beginning, and I mean, eject the disk and reload. If the arrow clicking and
pressing enter sound familiar they should if you have ever worked with a Windows-based computer. As I stated above, these systems
are very much like a graphical computer. Needless to say, when I first purchased this disk I had no idea of this menu, I live alone and
thus, have no sighted help to navigate this menu.
I could have waited for my better half that can see the screen to come over for the weekend and ask her to read each step for me.
However, I purchased the disk at the beginning of the week. I was fortunate that another totally blind friend already solved the problem
with this movie. Basically, what the two of us now have is a list of movies, and the steps you must take to play the track you wish. This list
is in the form of files that sit on my Braille Lite. This library of files has been compiled by us and is only relevant for these disks. If we
purchase disks for which we have no files, than we must wait for sighted assistance.
The situation is even nastier than one would first think. Each studio has different menus and even different menus for each title they
release. Generally speaking, Warner Brothers has the simplest menus. Not all studios use the same menus on all their titles. And as
stated above, these menus continue to evolve becoming more graphical with each new release.
Now for what happens with the accessible Lincolns DVD: first, once the disk is loaded, an audio prompt begins speaking. One of the
choices you are given is press 1 and the select key, if you want audio navigation. Pressing the number 1 and select key on the remote
control brings you in to the audio navigation menu. Note: if you do nothing for about 30 seconds when you first load the disk, then the
standard any audio menu is loaded. Once the audio navigation menu is loaded, unless you again press the number 1 and select key,
the remainder of the navigation will be spoken.
Because you have audio navigation, you can control every feature of the disk without sighted assistance. This includes loading the DVS
track, loading particular sections of the program, or watching what is referred to in the industry as extras. These are things such as
making of the movie documentaries, directors' comments, or other features the producers have decided you may find interesting. You
can forget accessing these extras without audio navigation.
For anyone who owns a DVD player and is totally blind or does not have sufficient vision to see a screen, I would strongly urge taking a
look at this package. The entire six-hour documentary is attractively packaged in a three-disk box set. I warn you, there is no Braille label
insert, such as you would find in a DVS VHS tape. The lack of Braille labels is likely a result of cost, since this DVD is being sold through
PBS Home Video as a standard DVD package. Additionally, the need for labels is somewhat diminished since each of the three disks in
the set begins with default audio that announces the DVD title followed by the disk number - 1, 2 or 3.
In closing, I will say that access to DVD disks can be done in several ways. One method that I have not discussed in this article is to
make the player itself a talking player. This would be far more complex than with a VCR, but technically, it should be possible. Naturally,
this would have the advantage of allowing blind people access to the material on all disks currently available as well as future releases.
Note: obviously the player would not describe disks without a DVS track. Only access to the menus would be available.
By now, I am certain some of you are saying, "So what? I do not own a DVD player and have no wish to purchase one." I would say in
another ten years, you might not have a choice. The VCR and its VHS tape is headed for a meeting with the 8-track. The industry is
rapidly moving towards the DVD format for everything, from movies, concerts, recorded music, computer programs, and other forms of
entertainment and learning media. Simply put, this media has to many advantages in capacity, quality and ease of use for the majority of
the public for the industry not to embrace it.
DVD has been the fastest growing new media in the history of home entertainment. The compact disc took more than ten years before it
reach the number of players and disks so far sold as DVD. The media is only three years old at the time of this writing. Furthermore,
many of the standards set by DVD will apply for other formats, and you can be certain that more menus are in store for the future.
We must demand, as we have with computer-based graphical user interfaces, that people who are blind or visually-impaired not be shut
out of the information included in this media. If we do not, we will find ourselves in the precarious situation we were in 1994 and 1995,
when the release of Windows 95 temporarily put us behind the curve regarding computer access. It took us several years to begin to
catch up, and in my opinion we are still at least one month or so behind.
I will close by a comment that I find a documentary on the life of the president who was responsible for beginning the correction of our
founding fathers' biggest mistake by giving official freedom to an enslaved population of Americans to be very appropriate as a medium
for greater freedom to blind Americans. For those of you who wish to contact me regarding this media, below is my E-mail. Please feel
free to send me messages and I will try my best to reply. My email is:
jesusgar@bellsouth.net.
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AMTRAK AWARD WINNER BARBARA GRILL - by Fred Duda
On November 3rd, 2004, Barbara Grill, member of the Venice Chapter of FCB, was presented with the "Champion of the Rails Service
and Safety Award" by David L.Gunn, President of Amtrak, in Washington, D.C. Barbara was one of three people granted this award for
their efforts on behalf of disabled and senior Amtrak passengers. Barbara said, "This was the thrill of a lifetime."
Barbara Grill is co-founder and past Chairman of the Disabled and Senior Task Force (DSTF), a working group of the Amtrak Customer
Advisory Committee (ACAC). The ACAC was established in 1997 by Amtrak to improve the company's understanding of rail passengers'
needs and concerns.
Amtrak cited several DSTF projects as the basis for this award. The task force developed and implemented an employee sensitivity
training pilot program to raise disability awareness. Barbara Grill arranged for the training be given to Amtrak subcontractor, Martz
Motorcoach Company drivers, in St. Petersburg. She also enlisted volunteers from Centers for Independent Living to do the actual
training. After evaluation of the pilot program, Amtrak agreed to include community-based organizations, such as the Lighthouses for the
Blind, in future employee training.
Another innovative project cited for this award resulted in a recommendation for specific improvements to Amtrak's interactive
voice-response communication system "Julie" (1-800-USA-RAIL). Barbara brought forward a recommendation that the upgrade to the
response system include, among other things, information about the ADA as well as information about special services, such as meals
in rooms or at seats, and arm assistance on and off trains, available on the train or in stations, in order to meet the needs of blind and
other disabled passengers.
In addition to these accomplishments, Barbara and the Task Force conduct outreaches, on an ongoing basis, at stations to promote
travel for and listen to the issues and concerns of disabled and senior passengers. One very special outreach occurred during the 2004
Convention of the American Council of the Blind, in Birmingham. She said, "The idea for an impromptu outreach occurred to me because
speakers at the Convention addressed every mode of transportation except commuter or passenger rail."
Barbara seized the opportunity to address the Convention and welcomed anyone with comments, concerns or issues about travel on
Amtrak to call her room at the hotel. She placed ads in the Birmingham Beacon - the ACB Convention Newsletter - and received more
than a dozen telephone calls and spoke with many others on the Convention floor and hallways of the hotel. All concerns were related to
Amtrak. As a result, immediately, an alert went out to Amtrak train managers in the southeastern region, to be mindful of ADA
requirements, especially concerning accessibility to the dining and lounge cars on Amtrak trains for people who use guide dogs.
Barbara's continued contributions and dedication to solving problems, issues and concerns of the blind and vision-impaired population
is what the Champion of the Rails Award is all about.
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OVER THERE - by Cathy Anne Murtha (Submitted by Jack Varnon)
As my guide dog and I stood in line at the checkout of the River City Market at CSUS, I asked the cashier what I considered a simple
question. "Where are the napkins, please?" Her response was hurried, but sincere, "Over there."
Emerging from the light rail for the first time, I managed to catch the attention of a passer-by, "Please sir, can you tell me where I might
catch bus 63?" A kind voice offered a pleasant response before disappearing into the cacophony of the early afternoon, "You can catch
it 'over there.'"
So many things reside over there - napkins, bus stops, pencils, pens, clothing racks, department stores and even my shoes! A
never-ending supply of important and indispensable items and locales all reside in this place that is shrouded in mystery and intrigue. I
stand in perplexed silence after learning that something is "over there."
It is a place I have never been and have no hope of finding on my own. My guide dog is quite skilled in finding chairs, stairs, elevators,
escalators, helping me cross streets, and can even find me the Diet Pepsi display at Food Town; however, when I tell her to find "over
there," her little bottom hits the floor and a small whimper tells me that she is as confused as I. We will not be going "over there"
today.
"Over there" has caused me a bit of vexation, a lot of confusion, and, on occasion, made my heart race. I have discovered that "over there"
can be a very dangerous place. One day, while crossing a street, I heard a driver's irritated voice shout out a warning of a truck bearing
down on me from "over there." Shadow artfully dodged the oncoming vehicle and pulled me to the safety of the curb. Our hearts were
both racing as we took a few moments to compose ourselves. Close encounters with "over there" can be frightening experiences.
Although many blind people have wondered as to the exact location of "over there," few have dared to venture forth in an actual exploration
of the mysterious place. One day, while standing in line at the supermarket, I asked the clerk where I might find the aspirin. With a
cheery smile in her voice, she informed me that the aspirin was located "over there."
With a weary sigh, I decided that I would take the extra step that would unravel the mystery, which had vexed my compatriots since the
beginning of time. Taking a deep breath, and attempting to look nonchalant, I smiled at the clerk, "Where," I asked, "is over there?" I
imagined the girl's shocked expression. I felt her sharing condescending and concerned looks with her fellows in the store.
The silence grew palpable as they mulled the possibility of allowing a blind person access to the forbidden land. She had no choice; she
would have to tell me how to find "over there!" I had won!
Exhilaration swept through me as I waited in breathless anticipation. A victorious smile crept to my lips, my hand tightened on the handle
of Shadow's harness, we would soon be going over there! The clerk's voice reeked with resignation as the decision was made. "That
way," she said.
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TECH TIPS - by John Richards for the FCB Technology Committee
The Windows Logo key is located on the bottom row of most computer keyboards. The following shortcut keystrokes are executed while
using the Windows Logo key alone or in conjunction with the following keys:
Windows Logo: Open or close the start menu
Windows Logo plus D: Display the desktop
Windows Logo plus m: Minimize all windows
Windows Logo plus Shift+M: Restore the minimized windows
Windows Logo plus E: Open My Computer
Windows Logo plus F: Search for files or folders
Windows Logo plus R: Open the Run dialog box
To Be Announced: Please join the Technology Committee in an audio chat room somewhere on the Internet for Tech Talk. Tech Talk will
consist of members of the FCB Technology Committee who will answer your technical-related questions.
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CHAPTER MEMEBERSHIP INCENTIVE AWARDS - by Linda Jacobson
At the November Board Meeting, two rotating membership awards were approved. These awards will be presented at the Awards
Banquet on May 13th at Fort Lauderdale's FCB Convention. They are the Golden and Silver Gavel Awards. Each year, these gavels will be
returned to the Convention for presentation to the next year's honored chapter.
The Golden Gavel will be given to the chapter with the most new members recruited during that year. The Silver Gavel will be presented to
the chapter with the largest percentage increase of new members during that year. Example for the Silver Gavel: if a chapter has 10
members and they recruit 3 new members and another chapter has 50 members and they recruit 5 new members, the chapter with 10
members would receive the Silver Gavel Award. Although the larger chapter has recruited more new members, the smaller chapter
would receive the award since there was a 30 percent increase rather than a 10 percent increase in the larger chapter.
So start recruiting those new members. Also, don't forget to have your membership dues to me by January 31st.
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A LETTER OF GRATITUDE - by Robert Miller
As president of The Association of Former Students and Friends of the Florida School for the Blind, Inc., I would like to express our
heartfelt gratitude and thanks to FCB for their recent, generous donation of $3,000.00 to our organization.
s
I would also like to extend our appreciation both personally and on behalf of all the members of the Alumni Association for the great
advocacy efforts that FCB has conducted in the state of Florida. We look forward to working with FCB in the future to offer opportunities
and promote better education for students who are visually-impaired throughout the state.
Some of our projects include:
"Jerry's Kids": Money is collected at Convention and given to the school to provide for a petty cash fund to assist students with incidental
needs they may have during the school year.
"Adopt A Student": Members can select a student under this program and establish a relationship that is beneficial to the student. The
Member may provide moral and financial support and is encouraged to correspond with the student.
Our organization has also provided special services to underprivileged students such as air fare for one of the foreign students and a
prom dress for another.
Please stay tuned to the White Cane Bulletin for more information about our upcoming summer convention, which will be held the first
weekend in June on the school campus. You need not be a member or even a former student of FSB to attend and enjoy our convention.
This is just a wonderful opportunity to have a great time in the beautiful, old city of St. Augustine Florida. Come visit old friends and meet
new ones too!
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CHAPTER NEWS - Venice Chapter, Tallahassee Council of the Blind
In this issue, we received submissions from two chapters. The Editors of the White Cane Bulletin would like to urge as many chapters as
possible to submit. Not only do we get a chance to see what your particular chapter is doing throughout the year, but also you get to pat
yourselves on the back and get published. Remember, your White Cane Bulletin is your publication and helps others to recognize and
applaud what you do throughout the year in your community.
Venice Chapter - by Fred Duda
The Venice Chapter of FCB again celebrated White Cane Day at the Gazebo in The Park in Venice. This was followed by a luncheon at
the American Legion No-Vel Post 159 where Mayor Dean Calamaras presented a proclamation declaring White Cane Day. Also present
at the luncheon was State Representative Nancy Detert, a long time supporter of our chapter. There was excellent coverage in the local
press, including the designation of Chapter member Dorothy Cook as Special Person of the Week by Franc Valencic, Social Columnist
of the "Venice Gondolier."
Ms. Valencic cited Dorothy as someone who makes the City of Venice special. This was a fitting recognition of Dorothy, who was
instrumental in establishing White Cane Day as an annual event. Cosponsors of White Cane Day were the Venice Lions and the
Mana-Sota Lighthouse for the Blind. For further information, contact: Fred Duda, Membership Secretary, Venice Chapter of FCB.
Tallahassee Council of the Blind - by Sally Benjamin
Our chapter wanted to do a fundraiser. After checking out the usual things - candy, Braille cards, key chains etc. We decided to sell APH
Braille Large print calendars in keeping with Braille awareness. The calendars turned out to be a really good idea.
Soon after we had purchased our first allotment, we realized that we would need more. As this year closes, we are somewhat awestruck
to realize that our second supply of fifty is nearly gone. We had expected to sell these through January, and were pleasantly surprised.
The great thing is that we have not gone to the mall or Wal-Mart to sell them. It has all been by word of mouth. We made about $600 so I
think it was well worth initial outlay. With the sale of these calendars, we have put lots of Braille and artwork done by blind people on
displayed in homes and at places of business where it can be seen and perhaps used to educate others about blindness.
In the new year we plan to have more fundraisers so stay tuned and see what we sell next.
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RECIPE CORNER - by Sally Benjamin
Here are some good easy recipes for a Super Bowl party
Appetizer Drumsticks
Makes 16 to 18 appetizers
3 pounds chicken wings
1/4 cup finely crushed rich round crackers
1/4 cup sesame seed, toasted
1 teaspoon paprika
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup CRISCO all-vegetable shortening or 1/3 CRISCO Stick, melted
Preheat oven to 375ºF. Cut wings in pieces and use the meatier "drumstick" piece for appetizers. (Use remaining wing pieces for soups.)
Combine cracker crumbs, sesame seed, paprika, and salt. Brush meatier end of "drumsticks" with melted Crisco. Roll in cracker mixture.
Place in large shallow baking pan (don't crowd). Bake at 375ºF for 40 to 45 minutes.
Bourbon Balls
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 1/4 cups vanilla wafers, crushed fine
1cup finely chopped pecans
1/3 cup Kentucky Bourbon
1 1/2 tablespoons white corn syrup
Blend all ingredients. Refrigerate till able to form. Make tiny balls. Roll in powdered sugar and refrigerate. Then "enjoy!!!" These are pretty
easy to make and "very" easy to eat! When you roll them, be careful you don't eat toooooooooo many!
Taco Dip-spread
1 can refried beans
1 pkg. taco mix
4 tablespoons sour cream
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
fresh tomatoes chopped
black olives sliced
onions chopped
grated cheese - Monterey jack, or cheese of your choice
Blend taco mix, sour cream and mayonnaise together. Mash beans and spread over plate. Spread taco mixture over top Scatter
remaining ingredients over top. Serve with scoop type chips.
Stuffed Celery sticks
Yield: 27 servings (1 celery stick per serving)
4 oz. Neufchatel cream cheese
1/4 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup water-packed crushed pineapple, well drained
1/2 cup grated or shredded carrot
2 tablespoon thinly sliced green onion tops
27 (5-inch-long) celery sticks
In a small bowl, stir together the Neufchatel cheese and yogurt until well combined. Stir in the pineapple, carrot, and onion until
well-combined. Fill each celery stick with 2 teaspoons of the mixture. The mixture can be used immediately or covered and refrigerated
for up to 24 hours before using. The filling will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
Hot Bean Dip
Two cheeses and refried beans are baked with mild spices, to create a creamy dip.
1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 c. sour cream
2 16 oz. cans refried beans
1/2 (1 oz.) pkg. taco seasoning mix
5 drops hot pepper sauce
2 T. dried parsley
1/4 c. chopped green onions
1 8 oz. pkg. shredded Cheddar cheese
1 8 oz. pkg. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl, blend the cream cheese, and sour cream. Mix in the refried beans, taco seasoning, hot pepper
sauce, parsley, green onions, 1/2 the Cheddar cheese and 1/2 the Monterey Jack cheese. Transfer the mixture to an 8" x 12" baking dish.
Top with remaining Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses. Bake in the preheated oven 20 to 30 minutes, until cheese is slightly browned.
Serve with tortilla chips.
Party Shrimp Avocado Dip
1 lb. cooked, peeled and cleaned shrimp (fresh or frozen) or 4 cans (4 1/2 or 5 oz. each) shrimp
Thaw frozen shrimp or drain canned shrimp. Cover canned shrimp with ice water and let stand for 5 minutes; drain. Arrange shrimp on
ice. Fill small bowl with avocado dip. Provide toothpicks for dipping.
Shrimp-Bacon Appetizers
5 lb. shrimp (deboned chicken)
can be substituted for the shrimp)
3 lb. sliced bacon
5 large eggs
seasoned salt to taste
Progresso bread crumbs
your choice of barbecue sauce
Shell and clean shrimp, wash and drain. Put shrimp in a large bowl. Shake seasoned salt over shrimp. Set aside. Wrap each shrimp in
1/2 slice of bacon. Beat the eggs well. Dip shrimp and bacon in beaten eggs. Pour bread crumbs on a cookie sheet. Roll bacon-wrapped
shrimp individually in the bread crumbs. Put the bacon-wrapped shrimp on skewers. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, turn and bake
another 10 minutes. Baste with barbecue sauce, bake another 10 minutes. Serve hot. Bon appetite!
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HANDY TELEPHONE NUMBER REFERENCES
Project Insight: 1-800-267-4448 Free Resource Counselor for the Blind (Florida Council of the Blind Free Service)
Bureau of Braille and Talking Book Library Services: 1-800-226-6075
Division of Blind Services (Tallahassee State Headquarters): 1-800-342-1828 For Services and Client Advocacy
American Council of The Blind: 1-800-424-8666
(available only 3:00 to 5:30 PM EST Monday-Friday)
ACB Legislative Hotline: 1-800-424-8666
(Evenings 8:00 PM - 12:00 Midnight EST
Weekends 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM only)
800 Number Free Directory Service: 1-800-555-1212
A T & T Disability Services: 1-800-872-3883
Press 00 and speak with your long distance carrier
BellSouth Disability Services: 780-2273 from anywhere
Social Security: 1-800-772-1213
24-hour voice and touch tone accessible
Outta Sight Travel: 1-866-338-8747
Phone: (772) 336-TRIP (8747)
Fax: (772) 336-8595
E-mail: gmtravel@bellsouth.net
Cheap Computers for The Blind: (But Good)
(Center for the Physically Impaired)
$100.00 Includes Shipping.
Mr. Langford: Phone (214) 340-6328
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