THE WHITE CANE BULLETIN

FLORIDA COUNCIL OF THE BLIND, INC.

November - December 2003

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE - by Robert Miller

It is with great sadness, that I report the following. Below is a message posted to the ACB Leadership list in which Charlie Crawford announces his resignation as Executive Director of ACB, effective October 17th.

October 17, 2003
Announcement from Charles H. Crawford
"This is to advise that ACB President Chris Gray and myself have just concluded negotiations acceptable to both parties with respect to the following. I am tendering my resignation as ACB Executive Director, effective this day, due to irreconcilable differences in management philosophy. I will not be at liberty to discuss the agreement or the reasons for it's coming into existence, but I will of course remain an active and supportive member of the best organization of the blind in this nation. -- Charlie Crawford

Please note that persons wishing to write to my private E-mail may write to CCrawford@Starpower.net

This message has come to you from the ACB Leadership List: a special list for the leadership of the American Council of the Blind. Please use discretion when disseminating information from this list."

From my understanding, there are state and federal laws that govern confidentiality pertaining to employees of 501(C)3 or non-profit organizations and apparently, there was some type of confidentiality/gag order in the separation agreement between ACB and Charlie Crawford. In a post to the Leadership List, Mr. Gray did state the following in regards to Charlie's resignation.

"I, the majority of the Board, and Charlie had reached a point wherein we were viewing this organization, it's administration and even its mission in very different ways. That set of circumstances led us to a place where we could not make progress forward regarding the development of a healthy relationship between ACB's administration, the Board and myself. This inevitably took us down the path of separation."

This is a very disturbing event and it will most certainly take ACB a long time to recover. In my opinion, Charlie Crawford has been one of the strongest advocates for ACB and was well liked and respected by many ACB members. The fact that this situation has been placed under a gag order and the confidentiality laws pertaining to the situation have added to speculation and accusations about our current board and officers.

It was apparent that there was tension in the air at the national convention over the Stephanie Dohmen issue. If you will remember, Resolution #20036 that passed at the National Convention reversed the Board's decision to not support the Dohmen case. Many people believe this was the underlying cause of the problems between Chris and Charlie.

Another issue that disturbs me is a statement in the quote from Chris's letter that states his view of ACB's Mission is different than Charlie's. I wasn't aware that ACB's Mission had changed since Paul Edwards' Administration but if it has, I certainly think that would be a decision made by Membership.

President Gray has decided to have 2 conference calls with interested leaders of ACB affiliates to discuss as much as possible about this situation and hopefully clear up some of the chaos. I am scheduled to participate in the first conference call on October 29th. Hopefully, I will have more information and a better understanding of what is going on by the time our Board Meeting rolls around.

Now, for a little housekeeping: at the Board Meeting, since Paul Edwards will not be able to attend, when we normally have our Leadership Session, We are going to have a "Board Rap Session" hosted by none other than myself. We will use this time to talk about the future of FCB, our goals, publicity, brochures and dealing with the growth and future leadership of FCB. Remember, at our State Convention this year, all officers are up for election, so if any of you are interested, now is a good time to start letting people know of your desires.

I look forward to seeing many of you at the board meeting and for those who aren't attending, eat plenty of turkey until you are stuffed!

Table of Contents
Back to WCB main page
FCB Home Page

E-MAIL COPIES OF WCB - Elizabeth Bowden

If you would like your subscription options changed to E-mail, please send an e-mail message to: esbowden@nettally.com

Table of Contents
Back to WCB main page
FCB Home Page

ARE YOU MOVING? - Linda Jacobson

If you are moving please notify me of your new address so you will continue to receive your White Cane Bulletin. Also if you know of anyone interested in joining FCB and would like to receive the White Cane Bulletin and the Braille Forum please contact me at (904) 272-8405 or E-mail: jacobsli@bellsouth.net

Table of Contents
Back to WCB main page
FCB Home Page

PONDER THIS - Submitted by Linda Lynch

a. I was thinking about how the status symbols of today is those cell phones that everyone has clipped on. I can't afford one so I'm wearing my garage door opener.

b. You know, I spent a fortune on deodorant before I realized that people didn't like me anyway.

c. I was thinking that women should put pictures of missing husbands on beer cans!

d. I was thinking about old age and decided that it is when you still have something on the ball but you are just too tired to bounce it.

e. I thought about making a movie for folks my age and call it "Pumping Rust"

f. I have gotten that dreaded furniture disease.... that's when your chest is falling into your drawers!

g. You know when people see a cat's litter box, they always say, "Oh, have you got a cat?" Just once I wanted to say, "No, it's for company!"

h. I thought about how mothers feed their babies with little tiny spoons and forks so I wonder what Chinese mothers use. Perhaps toothpicks?

i. Employment application blanks always ask who is to be notified in case of an emergency. I think you should write . . . A Good Doctor!

j. Why do they put pictures of criminals up in the Post Office? What are we supposed to do...write to these men? Why don't they just put their pictures on the postage stamps so the mailmen could look for them while they delivered the mail?

k. I was thinking about how people seem to read the Bible a whole lot more as they get older then it dawned on me . . . they were cramming for their finals.

*** "Nothing is miserable but what is thought so, and contrariwise, every estate is happy if he that bears it be content." - Boethius ***

Table of Contents
Back to WCB main page
FCB Home Page

ARM YOURSELF FOR RECRUITMENT - by Cindy Burgett - Submitted by Sally Benjamin

When most people think of recruitment, they think of the chapter event taking place with the prospective member present. Although it's true that you will have visitors show up at your meeting, picnic, or some other event that has not come as a friend of anyone there, but just heard of your chapter and decided to come. This is not commonplace. Most visitors come because they have been invited by someone. So, invite!

Where will you find a prospective member?

It may be someone you already know, at work, through church, a friend of a friend, etc. However, most will be people you meet in your every day-to-day lives - at the grocery store, on the Access or routed bus, at church, the doctor's office, standing in line, you name it.

You may hear someone tapping their cane, using a guide dog or receiving verbal cues from someone that alerts you someone is blind. They also might find you that same way. Or, you may end up chatting with a friend, family member or some other concerned party that knows "this blind person."

But no matter how you stumble upon that first meeting, you should always be prepared for it!

Many times, the person you by chance come into contact with approaches you for help. It may be with questions about local transportation or housing, or it may be about rehab services or any kind of services. Whether you have the answers or not, it is important that you do not let the new acquaintance get away without the knowledge that you can help them. You may have to do some foot work, but most questions can be answered pretty easily.

The key is getting their phone number. Whether you have some means to take it down or you have someone write it down in print and you take care of putting it into the format of your choice later, get their phone number. It is true that some people will not want to give out their phone number, but more often than not, they will.

Another handy tool for you and your members to have on hand is a business card. WCB has these available for free which will lead anyone to our WCB info line, answered during business hours Monday through Friday, with a voice messaging system the rest of the time. Marilyn will be happy to point someone to the contact person in your chapter.

Our chapter has made our own business cards which includes our local info-line phone number. We decided about 4 years ago to purchase a phone line that strictly has voice mail. This way we can have an outgoing message that tells callers of upcoming activities for our chapter, and people can leave a message and have their call returned. This way, individuals don't have to give out their home number if they don't want to do that, although I usually include mine on the back.

There are many people out there in your community who are losing their sight and they are scared. They feel like they are all alone. And it is up to you to let them know that they aren't. Tell them about your chapter. Let them know someone cares!

Table of Contents
Back to WCB main page
FCB Home Page

CHAPTER NEWS: JACKSONVILLE CHAPTER - by Barbara Brown, Jacksonville Chapter President

White Cane Month in Jacksonville has been a busy one and filled with fun. On October 15th, National White Cane Day, several members and friends including Jack Gillrup, Chief of Jacksonville Disability Department, gathered in front of City Hall and distributed copies of Florida's White Cane Safety Law to those entering and leaving the building. Mayor John Peyton came out to greet us. The next day we gathered again in the mayor's office to participate in the annual proclamation ceremony, where we received the elegantly printed and signed White Cane Day proclamation and had official photographs taken with the mayor.

On Saturday evening, October 18th, we sponsored our first annual White Cane Ball at the Adams Mark Hotel on the St. Johns River, where the 2006 ACB Convention will be held. The attire was optional black tie and everyone was "dressed to the nines." A number of our members chose to wear long white dresses and red shoes, thus looking like life-sized white canes. Cheryl Spencer not only dressed this way, but also dressed her miniature guide horse Confetti as a tiny white cane. Confetti's white hair complimented her two pair of shiny red patten leather shoes.

After a scrumptious meal, members and guests were treated to several hours of a variety of music by a hot band and vocalists. The dance floor was crowded as participants engaged in many dance steps, not the least of which was the Electric Slide. First Vice President-elect, Doug Hansard, and his lovely wife, Hazel, didn't miss a number. I heard someone say, "THEY ARE KEEPING THE DANCE FLOOR HOT!", along with Congresswoman Corrine Brown. JCB's Secretary, Gloria Simmons, included a large arrangement of red carnations at the head table, and tastefully decorated the room in red and white.

Barbara Brown, current president of JCB, served as the Master of Ceremony. Speakers were US Representative Corrine Brown, Gateway Drug Rehab CEO Phil Diaz, for whom two chapter members work, and Bobbie Probst, first president of the newly reorganized chapter in 1993-1995. The two presidents looked like bookends, one at either end of the head table. Chapter member Dawn Putnam and her husband, Paul, celebrated their 23rd anniversary with a whirl around the floor.

The event honored our late member June Kinard, who was such an important part of this chapter and the state organization. Members of June's family from Lake City were our honored guests.

The party broke up at the witching hour, midnight, and all the "Cinderellas " dropped a glass slipper and headed for their horse-less carriages. For our first effort, it was a tremendous success and everyone had a great time. Next year, it will be even bigger and better, and everyone is invited to join us.

***"The great thing in the world is to know how to belong to oneself." - Montaigne***

Table of Contents
Back to WCB main page
FCB Home Page

(ACCESSIBLE) PROBERT ENCYCLOPEDIA - by Matthew Probert

The Probert Encyclopedia has long been a high-quality, online general encyclopedia, with over 65,000 fully linked entries divided into subject categories. Now it is also available online, free, in a special edition designed exclusively for blind and visually impaired readers. Specially-designed means no pictures, very easy to navigate with reading software and even with the Braille translators used by the deaf-blind.

When I say accessible, I mean accessible. Please don't take my word on it; investigate for yourself! The blind edition is online at http://www.spaceports.com/~mprobert/access/index.html. The sighted edition is online at: http://www.spaceports.com/~mprobert.

Table of Contents
Back to WCB main page
FCB Home Page

PRESCRIPTION FOR HAPPINESS - Robert Louis Stevenson

Make up your mind to be happy. Learn to find pleasure in simple things. Make the best of your circumstances.

No one has everything and everyone has something of sorrow intermingled with the gladness of life. The trick is to make the laughter outweigh the tears. Don't take yourself too seriously.

You can't please everybody; don't let criticism worry you. Don't let your neighbor set your standards. Do the things you enjoy doing, but stay out of debt. Don't borrow trouble.

Imaginary things are harder to bear than the actual ones. Since hate poisons the soul, do not cherish enmities and grudges. Don't hold postmortems.

Don't spend your life brooding over sorrows and mistakes. Don't be one who never gets over things. Do what you can for those less fortunate than yourself.

Keep busy at something. A very busy person never has time to be unhappy.

For maximum effectiveness, this prescription should be taken as often as needed. Unlimited refills available. Share with your friends.

Attributed to Robert Louis Stevenson

Table of Contents
Back to WCB main page
FCB Home Page

BLINDNESS POETRY - Revelation by Elizabeth Fiorite, O.P.

Blindness,
the silent smothering of my visible world, engulfs me.
In the twilight this shapeless cloud creeps like kudzu
ever closer, shading, changing, shielding.
The fog advances, thickens, roils and rears, unyielding,
it's here, now there; this soundless mockery confounds me.
"Now you see; now you don't."
This kind of unkind magic enkindles mystery.
Where do I turn? Who holds the key?
When the gentle dawn breaks,
When the sun dappled trees take shape,
When revelation replaces frail human hope,
Then my eyes will see, will recognize at once the
One, the Blest, In Whom all beauty, love and understanding rest.

Table of Contents
Back to WCB main page
FCB Home Page

JUST BANANAS??? - Submitted by Patricia A. Lipovsky

Just Bananas??? After reading this, you will most probably NEVER look at a Banana in the same way again!

Home Remedy: If you want a quick fix for flagging energy levels, there is no better snack than a banana. Containing three natural sugars --sucrose, fructose and glucose -- combined with fiber a banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes. And energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions. Thus making it a must to add to your daily diet.

Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. It's because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein the body converts into serotonin known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS: Forget the pills -- eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit! These are its ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (England) school were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk both soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito Bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing both swelling and irritation.

Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Over weight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronic ulcer cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity & reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a 'cooling' fruit which can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer, tryptophan.

Smoking: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water-balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, there by reducing our potassium levels. These can be re-balanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Strokes: According to research in 'The New England Journal of Medicine' eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40 %!

Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that, if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape! So you see, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. Compared to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around. So it's time to change that well-known phrase to: "A Banana a day keeps the doctor away!"

Table of Contents
Back to WCB main page
FCB Home Page

CRUISING WITH ACCESSIBILITY - by Jackie Hull

In December 2002, Gary Metzler, Jackie Hull and Dr. John of Outta Sight Travel attended the inaugural celebrations of the Holland America ship, "ms Zuiderdam." The ship is state-of-the-art and prides itself on being accessible. Braille signage is found throughout the public areas and the ship is very guide dog-friendly. While reading the signs, Gary noted that there was something unusual and then realized that the sign was displayed upside down. As we went through the ship, other signs were also found to be incorrectly displayed. This fact was brought to the attention of the personnel of the cruise line.

During the FCB convention, we had the privilege to escort six convention attendees on board the ship for a tour and lunch. Gary once again checked the signs and discovered that they were not corrected. Once again we reported it to the cruise line. Shortly after we arrived home from convention a phone call was received from the special services manager of Holland America. She contacted SATH (the Society for Accessible Travel and Hospitality) and asked them if they would refer her to someone who would be able to check the signs on the ship because no one in the cruise line knew Braille. SATH referred her to us. She was unaware that we were the ones who originally discovered the error.

We were asked if we would be able to go to Fort Lauderdale on a Saturday afternoon while the ship was in port and check the Braille signs. We agreed. The following Monday we received another call asking if it would be possible to sail with the ship for a week because they didn't feel that the work could be completed in just a few hours. We agreed. A date was set, we got all the correct papers in order for Dr. John to travel out of the country and on July 19th, we set sail for the Eastern Caribbean. We located all the incorrectly displayed signs, compared Braille menus with the printed versions, we discussed accessibility issues with various staff and crew, and most of all we enjoyed a wonderful cruise on a beautiful ship. Holland America's onboard entertainment was excellent - even the magician and juggler had so much comic relief that they were not visually limited, the food and service were phenomenal, Dr. John's relief area was roomy and comfortable for him and all in all we had a great week.

Cruising is a great vacation opportunity for all. The prices this season are remarkably low, you get to go to several destinations yet need to pack and unpack just one time and the on board staff are extremely accommodating. The ships that leave from US ports are guide dog friendly (although some ports of call may not be). For general questions concerning travel information for the blind community, call anytime:

Jackie Hull, Gary Metzler and Dr. John (woof)
OUTTA SIGHT TRAVEL, Inc.
(772) 336-8747
Toll free: 1-866-338-8747
E-mail: drtravel@bellsouth.net

*** Nobody will believe in you unless you believe in yourself - Liberace ***

Table of Contents
Back to WCB main page
FCB Home Page

VISUAL AID FOR SALE - OPTELEC ClearView

17-inch screen. Bright adjustable image. Black and white enlargement. One year old. Original cost $2000, sell for $1,000. No shipping charge. Call (561) 395-1929.

Table of Contents
Back to WCB main page
FCB Home Page