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1093 South Broadway |
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1093 South Broadway |
January, February, March 2008 NewsletterDirector's ReportHappy New Year! We missed those of you who were unable to attend the quarterly membership meeting/holiday luncheon. The Springs Inn put out a nice spread for us. The food was delicious. We enjoyed being entertained with a capella holiday music by the Lexington Police and Fire Quartet. Several of us joined Independence Place for a holiday potluck and later attended the KY Christmas Chorus at Rupp Arena. Those watching the program from home spotted us on TV! I was invited to attend the Blinded Vets holiday luncheon with Harold White. I was awed by the show of respect and patriotism. It was a great time playing "dirty Santa" and sharing good food. It also provided me an opportunity to do some networking for BGCB. One of my nicest gifts this year was a member elf volunteering to come in and wrap my grandchildren's presents. Ahhh, the holidays! On to the business at hand. BGCB continues to provide information and referral to blind/vi adults through phone, email, web site hits and walk-in individuals. The Technology Center is equipped with a variety of equipment, computers/software for demonstration, training and general use by b/vi adults. Hopefully, we will get the word out with some PR to promote this service. The website has evolved into a valuable tool for BGCB. One of the reasons we have so many return hits to the site is Jim Weber"s dedication to keeping it updated. Recently, we were contacted by a gentleman who informed us the BGCB website had been a source for research on his fictional book about a blind girl. We received a nice letter from him with a copy of the book and the pledge of a donation from all book sales. What's up for 2008? BGCB continues to move forward in collaborating with other agencies on issues for blind/visually-impaired adults in the areas of accessible prescriptions, safe transportation, adequate housing, and training for service providers in the aforementioned areas. Final plans will be approved for the implementation of the Equipment Distribution Program. With this program, BGCB funds will be allocated permitting b/vi adults to apply for funds to purchase equipment. BGCB will act as a resale agent for some of the equipment and pass on considerable savings for b/vi adults who satisfy the criteria for the funding. I have attended several meetings of the Mayor's Council on Disabilities with Chairperson Morry La Tour. LexTran, Wheels, Federated Transportation have come to the table to answer accountability for consumer issues and report on improvements for the future. It looks like the Independent Transportation Network will be up and providing rides by this summer. BGCB will be looking for funding to make this option a reality for b/vi adults in Lexington. The biggest goal for BGCB is still the Outreach Program. We continue to serve the needs of b/vi outside the office through programs by Paul and Axel in the school system, twice monthly visits to UK Hospital pediatrics, speaking engagements by me on behalf of BGCB, collaboration by myself, Susan Ament and Jim Weber with United Way of the Blue Grass in participating on panels and attending training sessions on new funding applications. Jim has contributed to the Outreach Program by making himself available to consult with those of you experiencing computer problems. BGCB's loftiest goal for the future of the Outreach Program is to start spreading from Fayette County to the surrounding counties with BGCB satellite offices. There are virtually no services for the blind/visually impaired in these counties. Members, I can't stress enough the value of your input to this agency. Many of you keep Jim and I abreast of current information related to legislation, technology, and of course, gossip through email and phone calls. It really does "take a village"! The Council has benefited from your networking. I"d like to offer a New Year's resolution for you to attend the monthly VIP meetings! You'll be glad you did! Enjoy a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year! Paula
From The BoardOutgoing President's MessageI am a little wistful as my year as president of BGCB comes to a close, but I am not sad. The year has been fun and exciting, and despite challenges, BGCB has grown stronger and more solid, with plans already in place for the year ahead. I wish everyone a joyous and beautiful holiday and a new year filled with possibility, hope and courage. Susan Ament
Incoming President's MessageSeasons greeting to all you cherished members of the Bluegrass Council of the Blind. It is my hope and prayer that you all have a joyous Holiday season as we celebrate the birth of Our Savior. I pray that this will be a time for each of us to enjoy precious time with our families, and a time for each of us to renew our spirits and bodies. I am looking forward for the opportunity to see the Bluegrass Council of the Blind continue to grow and reach out into our great community. I am excited for the opportunity to work with the Executive Director and the Board Members to bring about an increased awareness of what our organization has to offer blind and visually impaired citizens along with the entire community. It is also my hope and desire that each member would be encouraged and become a vital part of this great organization. Hope to see you all at the January V.I.P. meeting. Morry La Tour
Membership DriveThanks to all Members who took advantage of our membership drive and paid their dues during October though December. Your 2008 Membership Card will be mailed to you in January, together with a letter that may be used as a receipt for tax purposes. To all Members who have not yet paid their 2008 dues, we would appreciate your remittance by February 29, as we need to send BGCB dues to the ACB in March. To ALL Members - HAPPY HOLIDAYS! Ruth Ament
Commission Of Citizens With Disabilities Board November 28 2008 Meeting OverviewAt our November meeting we were honored to have Terry Garcia Crews from Lextran come and speak to us about some increased services that Lextran is looking to implement in the future. Terry brought along several members of the administrative team associated with Lextran. Community Relations Director Dave Riggins gave an overview of Lextran's services. Lextran has ordered 17 new buses, of which 11 have already been delivered and 6 more are in the process of being delivered. They are in the process of evaluating the possibility of starting up a downtown circular with Trolley vehicles to serve the downtown and UK campus. Other things they are doing are:
After the Lextran presentation, the Director of Wheels, Ed Brady was introduced. He gave an overview of the Wheels program and what the qualifications are for the riders. Then there was a Q/A session. In this session, Mr. Brady suggested that if there are complaints concerning service, to let him know about the problem. In committee reports, Bruce Burris gave an update on the Downtown sidewalk project. The city has contracted with a firm in Cincinnati to draw up plans for the sidewalk renovation. The Transportation Committee reported about possibly being involved in the Mobility Institute to be held in April 2008 in Washington DC. Morry La Tour
Upcoming EventsVIP FeverYou are cordially invited to the monthly luncheon meeting of the Visually Impaired Persons Support Group. VIP meetings are always held on the fourth Wednesday of each month at the BGCB office. Meetings are convened at Noon with lunch and socialization. At 1 PM the speaker is introduced followed by Questions & Answers. We've invited some very informative speakers, and have a good line up planned for future meetings. Some of our very own members have provided valuable presentations to the group. Did I mention we have a lot of fun over lunch? I'll warn you, if you come, you'll catch the fever and want to come back! The speaker for January is BGCB's own Harold White. Harold has some new gadgets and tools for the blind/VI, and will demonstrate them for us. Wheels passes are provided. For more information, contact the BGCB office. Please join us!
Quarterly Membership MeetingThe BGCB Quarterly Membership Meeting and Holiday Luncheon will be: The next BGCB Quarterly Membership Meeting will be in March 2008. The place, date, and time will be announced as soon as they are finalized.
BGCB Book ClubBGCB will be starting a monthly book club in 2008. I would like to have some feedback from the membership on how to best proceed with this project. We can meet once a month, day or night. We'll have a variety of authors and topics. If you don't enjoy the "pick of the month", you can sit out that one. I'll locate a format for discussing books. The KY Talking Book Library will make as many temporary copies of the book as are needed for participants. More info to come. Hope you will consider participating!
2008 ACB ConferenceMark your 2008 calender! BGCB has officially begun the countdown for the 2008 ACB Conference to be held in Louisville, KY from July 5-12. I, Paula, will be in attendance the entire conference. If you would like to jump on board as a participant, contact the office. Susan Ament, Morry La Tour, and I participated in a conference call of the Host Committee on Dec. 16th. We will continue to give and accept input from the committee via conference call on the 1st & 3rd Sunday each month. I will publish an update every month on the progress of the Host Committee. If you have input, please contact the office and we will see that your ideas are presented to the committee. At this point in the planning, here are some areas BGCB members may consider:
Carla estimates 50 volunteers are needed for every 4 hours! Areas of importance for volunteers are:
News to UseIgnore the Guide Dog!Paula Wiese Life with a guide dog in the house is not easy. Paul's guide dog, Axel, is not a pet in our household. He's Paul's companion and his eyes. Axel must make snap decisions and possess the intelligence, strength and capacity to respond to hundreds of different circumstances. We have 7 children and 9 grandchildren who all love Axel but have very defined, rigid rules related to everyone's interaction with him. Axel's devotion must be totally focused on Paul. So you see, I can understand how difficult it is for the general public to restrain from feeding, petting and/or interacting with this beautiful, friendly animal while he is harnessed as a working guide dog. I am always amazed that parents of small children do not perceive a harnessed Axel as a threat and will permit the child to approach and pet the dog without Paul's consent. What's the harm in acknowledging and petting the dog? We do not pet, feed or interact with dogs while in harness and attached to their partner because this means they are genuinely engaged in their work. They must remain focused since their primary job is to keep the person they are with safe, secure and independent. By the same token, a guide dog user has a serious responsibility to this canine companion. Guiding Eyes for the Blind values Axel at $30,000. From the breeding kennel to the puppy raisers, onto the trainers and final placement with the blind individual, many hours of dedicated training are expended on shaping the guide dog. Axel is a guide dog by virtue of all this training and a hound dog by nature. Believe me, instinct will trump training every time! In permitting a person to feed, pet and/or interact with Axel "just this one time" sends the message to Axel it's ok to divert from his job. The next time this same person encounters the pair, Axel will initiate the interaction, maybe to the detriment of Paul's safety. Kim Charleson, Vice President of ACB, shared this funny experience: She was boarding a plane with first class folks when a gentleman approached her and said, " Hi, I love dogs. May I pet yours? I'm Alex Trebek (host of Jeopardy)." What a dilemma! Guide dog users are not offended if you ignore their working companions. For the safety and security of blind individuals, there can be no exceptions by family, friends, and the general public to, what seem like, rigid rules governing the use of guide dogs. Most guide dog users will take the dog out of harness and permit people/kids to pet the animal. Paul does this for Axel anytime the situation/time will permit. I love to watch Axel's metamorphosis into a playful, romping, face licking, yellow lab when the harness comes off then return to his working mode as he steps back into the harness. I hope I have been able to give you a little insight into why we must "ignore the guide dog"!
BGCB SpotlightCharles ChristmyerBGCB's own Charles Christmyer received the Vocational Achievement Award from the KY Office for the Blind. After working in a mailroom for more than four years, Charles was laid off as the result of the company closing. With more than 22 years of mailroom experience, Charles was confronted by the realization that many companies were centralizing their mail activities resulting in employees needing a driver's license and extensive computer skills. After updating his resume and honing his interviewing skills, Charles, working with his counselor Janelle Turner, applied for a variety of positions ranging from a bagger to logistics worker. Several months of applying and interviewing passed to no avail. Charles then toured Blue Star Plastics and analyzed the job requirements in the Assembly Dept. He was interviewed and hired for the position in Oct. 2006. Charles' determination and dedication kept him positive throughout his job search and enabled him to become successfully employed! He has been employed for more than one year. Congratulations Charles!
Happy Birthday!We'd like to wish the following Council Members with birthdates in the first quarter a very Happy Birthday!
Thanks!A special thank you to Sue Alexander for her donation of a computer monitor to BGCB. Sue's donation allows us to resurrect yet another CCTV unit that was previously unusable.
In AppreciationDuring the BGCB Holiday Luncheon held on December 1, President Susan Ament awarded special certificates to Members in appreciation of their past efforts and accomplishments as BGCB Members and in our community. They were as follows: Ruth Ament is awarded this certificate in recognition of your dedicated service as Chair of the Membership Committee, and your conscientious efforts in serving on the Nominating Committee Charles Christmyer is awarded this certificate in recognition of your achievement award from the KY Office for the Blind, thereby serving as a role model for other blind and visually impaired job seekers Max Fiscus is awarded this certificate in recognition of your efforts in organizing an accessible bowling team, and service as Chair of the Fundraising Committee Morry La Tour is awarded this certificate in recognition of your enthusiastic service as Vice President, and as Chairman of the Transportation Committee Marlene Mason is awarded this certificate in recognition of your willingness to step in as Treasurer of BGCB, and for your expertise and advice in managing the BGCB budget Joyce McGuire is awarded this certificate in recognition of your years of dedicated service to BGCB, especially as an advocate for the blind and visually impaired Carol Porter is awarded this certificate in recognition of your time and energy in volunteering on BGCB committees, especially your focus on publicity and policy making. Judy Potter is awarded this certificate in recognition of your faithful and dedicated service as Secretary of BGCB and your role in support of fundraising Marjorie Robbins is awarded this certificate to recognize you as an advisor to the BGCB Board, and for your support of Council fundraising activities Patsy Rose is awarded this certificate in recognition of your faithful presence at all BGCB functions, especially your warm and caring devotion to the VIP activities Philip Rose is awarded this certificate in recognition of your service a Past President of BGCB, and your appointment to the Board of Independence Place Henry Spencer is awarded this certificate in recognition of your supportive role and jovial presence at BGCB functions Opal Spencer is awarded this certificate in recognition of your years of unending and dedicated service to BGCB, and for outstanding representation on the State Rehabilitation Council Linda Sutherland is awarded this certificate in recognition of your creative talents in china painting, and enthusiastic involvement in the community Andrew Thomas is awarded this certificate in recognition of your ten years of dedicated service on the BGCB Board and for your leadership of the Nominating Committee Jim Weber is awarded this certificate in recognition of your patience and dedication to BGCB. Paul Wiese is awarded this certificate in recognition of your service as a BGCB Outreach speaker, and appointment to the Graduate Advisory Council with Guiding Eyes for the Blind
About The Blue Grass Council of the BlindThe Blue Grass Council of the Blind, Inc., a United Way agency, is located at 1093 South Broadway, Suite 1220, Lexington, KY 40504. The Council provides the only full-time information, education, advocacy, and referral service in Fayette County for individuals and their families who are blind or visually impaired, without regard to gender, race or religion. Among the services offered are peer counseling, referral to appropriate agencies or programs to assist individuals in their adjustment to blindness, educational and social activities, advocacy services for the blind as well as a speakers' bureau to acquaint the community with the potential of the blind and visually impaired. Our office offers demonstrations of many aids and appliances to help the blind and visually impaired cope with their loss of vision. We also provide catalogs and brochures describing thousands of aids and devices that can be purchased directly from the supplier. The Council sends a newsletter, every three months in large print, on cassette tape, or via email to all who request inclusion on our mailing list. This newsletter makes interested persons aware of the various activities of the Council, of current legislative actions affecting the blind and other items of interest to the community. All services offered by the Council are free of charge. The Blue Grass Council of the Blind seeks to promote awareness of the abilities, rights, and specific needs of blind/visually impaired (b/vi) people. We encourage and motivate b/vi individuals to become productive, involved citizens of their community. Another challenge is to educate the public about the needs, aspirations and achievements of the visually impaired. Please call 859 259-1834 for more information on the following services for the visually impaired:
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