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Director's Report

Spring greetings to everyone! I’m ready to shed the winter duds. I would love to hibernate for the winter since those animals wake up refreshed, rested and thin. Although…some animals awaken to find they have given birth during hibernation. I believe I’ll rethink that idea!

We’ve had a very productive winter here at BGCB. Newly elected board members took up their positions while returning board members continued to serve. It’s always interesting to see the dynamics that take place as board members settle into a niche. This is the second board that has implemented a “brainstorming” meeting. The Board met for one full day discussing issues of blind/visually impaired adults and the direction BGCB should take to best meet those needs. President Morry La Tour facilitated a session with six topics. We divided into groups to focus 10 min. on each topic. At the end of the session, we came together as one group and shared our information on each topic.

The Linda Neville Foundation affirmed our mission by funding BGCB $47,650 to support a full time Director’s salary and an increase for Jim Weber. Jim’s title has now been elevated from Administrative Assistant to Administrative Specialist. He has certainly been BGCB’s Man Friday but that didn’t look as impressive on the grant request.

The Lexington Lions Club recognized our work by donating $6000 toward our rent expenses.

Thank you to members who made donations to BGCB.

We have just finished a request to United Way of the Blue Grass that included a funding request to establish a new Outreach Program that will expand BGCB services within the community.

Last year, the first Baby Boomers turned 60 and I have the dubious honor of sharing this distinction. Based on a statewide survey, in 2030, fifty percent of Lexington will be 60 (or older). A high percentage of these adults will lose their vision to age related eye diseases. Projecting how BGCB will serve the community has become a serious consideration.

On that note, I asked the Board to consider setting up a Strategic Planning Committee to devise a 5-year strategic plan for BGCB. We had an enthusiastic response from many members to serve on the committee with as many different ideas on how the Council should proceed and no expertise from anyone on how to devise a strategic plan! Where do we start? Let’s see, there are issues of safe transportation, pending legislation on many issues impacting blind/visually impaired adults, funding, more staff, funding, the budget, how to acquire more equipment, funding, affordable equipment for purchase, funding for equipment, ay, yi, yi!! It was unanimous BGCB will apply for a grant to hire an outside consultant.

As the number of blind/visually impaired adults increase, BGCB’s mission is taking on a new perspective. On Sept. 7, 2008 BGCB will be 30 years old. Thirty years ago, devoted volunteers dedicated many hours to providing information and referral services by phone and through the newsletter. What a foundation they established that has persevered and led us into the era of technology. You’ve heard the old adage, if you give a man a fish, he will eat for a day but if you teach him to fish, he will eat for the rest of his life. BGCB must strive to provide the resources that will empower blind/visually impaired adults and enable them to lead productive, safe, respectable lives. Our goal is to acquire the exposure BGCB needs to establish our reputation within the community. The Blue Grass Council of the Blind should roll off the tongue of any person when asked about services for blind/visually-impaired adults.

Whew! You’re saying she talks a good talk but can BGCB walk the walk? The answer is a loud and clear YES. The longevity of BGCB can be credited to “people taking care of people” and a sense of community support that has, for thirty years, never wavered. Blindness and/or visual impairment may be part of the problem, but blind and visually impaired adults have the potential to be part of the solution. This is the driving force behind the Blue Grass Council of the Blind.

The VIP group continues to thrive. “ Neither rain, nor snow, nor dark of night” shall deter the VIP attendees! Our most well attended meeting was during the worst weather. One participant says it’s because the blind can’t see how bad the roads and walks are covered! This group is a great resource for me. There is a tremendous exchange of information and a very dignified representation of blind/visually impaired people. BGCB has participated in several survey type programs through the VIP meeting. The Council has been well represented by these participants.

I’m going to wind up this greeting with a report on the ACB Convention. You are all aware the 47th National ACB Convention will be held in Louisville. BGCB is part of the host-committee. The first and third Sunday of each month, Morry La Tour, Susan Ament, Carol Porter and I meet with the host-committee via conference call. If you are a “sports fanatic”, Pat Day will be the speaker at the sports luncheon during the convention. He is the most winning jockey in the history of horse racing. BGCB and KCB will host the welcome party for the convention. Please check out the information on the convention included in this newsletter. I encourage you to let us know if you would like to attend. BGCB has a block of rooms reserved and some funding sources you can pursue. Think about volunteering!

Paula

From The Board

President's Message

Commission Of Citizens With Disabilities Board March 26th
The commission for Citizens with Disabilities board met at the downtown Library. The first speakers we heard from were Randy Lawson and Celeste Collins with Bluegrass Agency on Aging and Independent Living. They gave a brief history of their organization, and how it related to the people on Disabilities in the State of Kentucky. One of the main roles the agency plans, is to steer the elder citizens and individuals on disabilities to the many resources available to people for the different needs they are seeking. This agency is working on establishing “The Resource Market”, with the overall goal of becoming the starting point to help the aging and disabled get state and federal monies/services. Lanny Taulbee from Kentucky Commission on Community Volunteerism and Service presented information concerning this agency.

After the speakers, I gave an update on my meeting with Rocky Burke (newly appointed Director) of Lextran. We talked about creating a Transportation Advisory Committee to serve as a citizen based group to work with the LexTran Administration and Board Of Directors on fixed route and Para-transit issues.

I also want to take this opportunity to encourage all our members to mark October 15, 2008 down on your calendar. We will be celebrating White Cane day in downtown Lexington at Phoenix Park (Main and Limestone streets). We are planning a day of educating, advocating, and celebrating with city officials and all that come to join us. More information to come later.

Also mark May 17th on your calendars. We have been invited to participate in the Bike Lexington day in downtown Lexington. We will be teaming up with some avid cyclists on tandem bikes, to be able to participate in the downtown bike ride. Watch for more information.

Respectfully submitted Morry La Tour

Vice-President’s Message

The Power of Ten
Have you watched that television show yet? Drew Carey is the host, and the prize money goes up times ten for each correct answer. Anyhow, BGCB is kinda similar. Each Board member (ten of us) will have a group of ten members to whom we will be a closer BGCB contact. So each member will soon be contacted by one of us. Just to see what the organization can do for, and with, you. Please think of ideas to keep community interest. And pass them along when your Board member contacts you.

Legislative info
Paul is our Legislative ‘informant’. If you know of possible or pending legislation, please let him know so he can notify the rest of BGCB members.

ACB Convention
Planning to attend the ACB convention in Louisville this July? BGCB is reserving rooms now. If you wish to share a room with someone, please call BGCB office and let us know.

Carol Porter

Secretary/Treasurer’s Message

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the BGCB members who sent cards and letters of condolence on the death of my mother in January. Also, I would like to thank those who made donations to the Council in memory of my mom.

Judy Potter

Membership Committee

We just sent our Membership List for 2008 to the ACB (American Council of the Blind). BGCB now has 89 members, which will provide us with 4 votes in ACB matters. We would like to thank all our members for their cooperation in our 2008 Membership Drive. Your membership dues and your continued participation in BGCB’s activities really make a difference for our community’s blind and visually impaired.

If anyone has not yet received his or her Membership Card, please call the BGCB Office (859 259-1834).

Sharon La Tour Ruth Ament Membership Co-Chairs

Upcoming Events

VIP Support Group

You 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 Q & A’s.

April’s meeting will be on Wednesday, the 23rd at the regular time 12 PM – 2 PM. The topic will be a follow-up with the LFUCG Destination 2040 project.

Wheels passes are provided. For more information, contact the BGCB office.

BGCB Board Meeting

The next BGCB Board Meeting will be held:

• Tuesday, April 8, 2008
• 9 AM - 12 PM
• BGCB Office
  1093 South Broadway
  Suite 1220
  Lexington, KY

United Way Day at Keeneland

BGCB will again participate in the Untied Way Day at Keeneland Contest on April 24th. We came in 2nd last year for tickets sold and won $500! Several of the funders donated their tickets back to BGCB, giving a group of us the opportunity to enjoy a day at the races. Rain or shine we have access to sheltered seating.

Hope you will think about joining the group. The smells and sounds of Keeneland are wonderful and pretty soon you’re caught up in the excitement of the races. Betting is not required.

More information will be forthcoming on this event.

Bicycle Built for Two

“You’ll look sweet upon the seat of a bicycle built for two” if you join in the festivities of Bike Lexington on Saturday, May 17th. Parks and Recreation will be providing some tandem bikes for us to ride.

More details on the event will be forthcoming. Mark your calendar!

News to Use

Read This To Me

Thanks to Carol Porter for tipping us off to this service.

Read This To Me is a free reading service for blind and low-vision people, powered by volunteers and Internet collaboration. It allows blind and low-vision people (clients) to have printed documents read to them over the phone. All a person needs is a phone line and a fax machine (no computer is required.) Here's how it works:

• The client faxes the document to be read to the Read This To Me toll-free fax number: 1-877-333-8848. The first page of the fax needs to be a cover page that includes the client's first name and callback (voice) phone number. The document itself can be just about anything: a handwritten letter, a bill, a can of food, a multi-page magazine article -- just about anything that can be faxed.
• One of Read This To Me's volunteer readers will call the client back — usually within an hour — and read the document.
• That's it!

The service is available throughout the U.S. and Canada and is absolutely free (though donations are gladly accepted). Because the reading is done by people, this service can handle documents that electronic reading hardware and software cannot, such as handwritten documents, documents with complex graphics, etc. The cost of entry is just a phone line and a cheap fax machine. (A flatbed fax machine is slightly more expensive but can be more versatile, allowing clients to fax pages from books, food containers, and other thicker items.)

BGCB has a FAX machine available if any of you would find a need for this service.

Kentucky Disabilities Coalition

Voting Accessibility Surveyors Needed

The Kentucky Disabilities Coalition is seeking individuals with disabilities to assist local Boards of Election to survey perspective locations for voting locations. The individuals will have to participate in a three-hour training before they can assist in the survey process. Reimbursement for travel will be provided to the training and participants will receive $25.00 for each location they survey. If you are interested in participating, please contact Sharon Fields at the Kentucky Disabilities Coalition, 1-800 977-7505 or email at kdcdisabilities@bellsouth.net. Please contact the Kentucky Disabilities Coalition before April 15, 2008.

The Consumer Involvement Fund

The Kentucky Council on Developmental Disabilities has a limited pool of funds we make available as financial assistance for advocates in the developmental disabilities field to participate in conferences and short‑term educational programs. The Council provides this support as a method of capacity building for Kentucky.

Through participation in regional and national conferences, Kentucky advocates can share information about local initiatives, and learn from their counterparts in other communities. We believe this exchange helps us grow and work smarter on behalf of persons with developmental disabilities.

If you attend a conference or educational program with Council support, we expect two things in return. First, that you'll provide a report to the Council describing what you've learned and shared during the program and how the information applies to meeting the needs of individuals with disabilities in Kentucky. Second, that you'll be a resource person to whom we can refer other citizens who contact the Council seeking information about the topic of the program you attended.

You may apply for assistance to attend conferences or educational programs or advocacy by making a written request. Include the conference brochure, dates, and location, along with the amount you are paying and the amount of your request. Enclose a copy of the conference brochure. Council travel policy complies with Kentucky State Travel Regulations.

If you need assistance developing a request, or if you would like further information, please call (502) 564-7842 or toll free at 1 877 367-5332.

Who Can Apply to the Consumer Involvement Fund?

The Consumer Involvement Fund is designed to assist persons with disabilities, their family members, and their guardians.

In order to receive money from the Consumer Involvement Fund, an applicant must be,

• A person with a disability;
• An immediate family member of a person with a disability (parent, sibling or child); or
• The guardian for a person with a disability.

BGCB Talking Book Club

Members have been discussing starting a book club, if you remember; the activity was introduced in the Jan. newsletter. Several members have been researching authors and titles that would encourage members to participate. The library will make as many tape duplicates of any book we choose. BGCB has the capability to copy a book to CD if you prefer that medium. Victor Readers can download the choice.

The purpose of this activity is to have some stimulating discussions on different books and topics while enjoying some fellowship. If you aren’t interested in the book of the month, then just pass for that month. We are developing a survey on the topics, authors, meeting place/time, and format for discussions, etc. Hopefully, we will have the project running for a summer reading program!

BGCB and On-going Studies

BGCB is currently participating in several on-going studies.

Shannon Bridgemon Rinaldo is a doctoral student working on her PhD. The Abstract of the Dissertation is “The Interaction of Haptic Imagery with Haptic Perception for Sighted and Visually Impaired Consumers."
or
How consumers evaluate products in the market place using their senses and often form mental representations of product properties.

Jodie Butler Markey is a graduate student who has asked for BGCB participation in a survey on how executive directors interact with their governing boards.

The UK Dept. of Engineering, Center for Visualization, is requesting feedback from our members on software designed to read currency and other static objects. The software is now installed on a computer. The goal of the scanning project is to develop affordable software for use on moderate priced cell phones. The scanning project will be available for demonstration at a future VIP meeting and upon request at the Council office for anyone wanting to provide feedback.

BGCB jumped on the bandwagon to provide feedback with the Mayor’s Destination 2040, Choosing Lexington’s Future Campaign. The Feb. VIP Support Group participated in the 1st round of meetings offering visionary ideas for Lexington’s future. The April VIP meeting will host the 2nd round where we will receive feedback on the responses from the 1st round and provide more ideas.

Central Kentucky Radio Eye

Congratulations to CKRE on the wonderful spread in the Chevy Chaser Magazine. What a great acknowledgement of the service provided to Kentuckians who cannot access the written word due to a physical handicap. Photos included in the article of the staff and volunteers at work told a story of their own.

CKRE broadcasts our newsletter and other PSA’s we need to get out to the public.

BGCB and CKRE are frequently seated together for “donor days” distribution of funds. It must be the central theme of the “eye”. CKRE has the “radio eye” and BGCB is “blind”! The dilemma with this arrangement is I always have to follow Margaret Chase’s acceptance speech in her lovely Queen’s English. As soon as I see CKRE on the program, I start working on the “southern belle” persona with the southern drawl. The Blue Grass Council of the Blind will continue to take advantage of any and all future collaboration with Central Kentucky Radio Eye.

Independent Tranportation NetworkBluegrass

Dear Supporters and Friends of ITNBluegrass,

Thank you for your continued support of ITNBluegrass. You may be interested to read the article on us below. We are the current featured affiliate in ITNAmerica's quarterly e-newsletter! Many of you are aware that we are working on getting a legislative change so we can begin operations. Our bill passed unanimously through the Senate Transportation Committee and is now on the Consent Calendar. Most likely the bill will be voted on by the whole Senate early next week.

If all goes as planned, we will be in touch with the date of our First Rides Day. We're looking forward to starting rides and making the Bluegrass a better place to live for its elder and visually-impaired populations!

Gale Reece

Meet ITNBluegrass, Our New Affiliate

The advent of ITNBluegrass™ can be described with words that start with "g": grassroots, guts, grins, Generations, generosity, and "girls with grit." Or perhaps more precisely on the last one: female Baby Boomers with vision and persistence!

In mid-2006, Executive Director Gale Reece came out of a cave – literally. She was newly retired from an underground document and media storage business that she started and ran for 20 years (in a natural limestone cave!). Looking for a challenging project and with a long-standing interest in aging issues, Gale sought advice from Dr. Robynn Pease, who at the time was program administrator for Lexington-Fayette County's Office of Aging Services. Initially focused on elder housing, Gale said, "I soon realized that one of the most pressing issues facing older adults is the need for reliable and affordable transportation." With that, the two did some research and found out about ITNAmerica.

Dr. Pease prepared the application, and once it was accepted, Gale was off to raise the funds necessary to start a Bluegrass affiliate. Quickly realizing that raising money is far more enjoyable if you're working with someone else, she hired a small consulting firm in late 2006 to help. This is how she met Laura Dake – now ITNBluegrass' deputy director – who wrote grants and letters, ran meetings, approached businesses for donations, managed events and most importantly, recognized the necessity and value of the sustainable, community-supported ITN approach.

One of the more difficult things Gale and Laura dealt with initially was that almost no one in their area had heard much about the Independent Transportation Network. However, their first fundraiser, the "Generations Tea and Style Show" in February 2006, not only raised money but community awareness as well with some great TV, radio and newspaper coverage.

The tea was a lively and lovely Valentine-themed event with wonderful food and music and 120 guests. Laura emceed the style show, featuring local male and female celebrities of different generations (ages 8-77) modeling clothing from several area boutiques. This year's tea on February 10 featured models from ages 3-83!

By July 2007, "Friends of ITN in the Bluegrass" had raised almost $140,000 and became ITNBluegrass in September 2007. ITNBluegrass is truly a grassroots effort – none of its start-up money came from taxpayer sources. Gale and Laura appreciate the encouragement and generosity of individuals and businesses in the Bluegrass as well as three foundations – the Knight and Great Bay Foundations and The Retirement Research Foundation in Chicago (which awarded the affiliate $50,000).

And now a final "g": government. In order to begin service, Gale and Laura are seeking an exemption to a Kentucky statute (KRS 281.605), which regulates vehicles for hire. The current law – which was brought to their attention after they had raised their startup money – requires that drivers for hire use vehicles owned and insured by the organization or "certificate holder." This creates an impossible situation: volunteer drivers could not drive their own vehicles, which would not allow the Bluegrass affiliate to reach economic sustainability.

It has been quite a journey over the past eight months, and at the moment, the mood is hopeful! The bill (HB204), sponsored by Rep. Susan Westrom (D-Lexington), passed the Kentucky House 95-0 on February 7 and is currently in the Senate Transportation Committee. With any luck, the bill will be voted on favorably in committee and sent to the Senate floor by the end of March. In anticipation, Gale and Laura are meeting with senators and encouraging interested citizens to write letters supporting the exemption.

If the exemption is granted, ITNBluegrass looks forward to offering rides in July 2008. To find out how you can support the nonprofit service by becoming a charter member, volunteering, donating a vehicle or money or being a voice for change, please call Gale or Laura at (859) 252-8665 or send an email to info@ITNBluegrass.org.

Braille flag

Thanks to Harold White for sending us this article.

By ROB HOTAKAINEN, The Star’s Washington correspondent

WASHINGTON -- Jesus Sanchez Cabral flew his flag until he could no longer see it.

A decorated veteran, he never liked to display his World War II medals. That was showing off.

But the flag was another matter. He hung it on his Hutchinson, Kan., porch every Memorial Day, every Flag Day, every Fourth of July, every holiday.

It was a tradition he kept up until glaucoma blinded him. After that, his flag flew no more. When he died 10 years ago at the age of 82, his wife said it was too bad that he couldn’t see the flag in his final years.

And those words stuck with his son, Randolph Cabral. He set out to design a Braille flag, a tactile flag that allows the blind to sense the colors, as well as the 13 stripes and 50 stars. And Cabral will be thinking of his father when a bronze replica is formally dedicated this spring at Arlington National Cemetery as a tribute to the nation’s blind veterans and other blind Americans.

“It’s overwhelming. I think my dad would probably be amazed, and I think he’d be very proud,” said Cabral, president of the Kansas Braille Transcription Institute based in Wichita. “He loved the American flag, and he loved his country very much.”

Cabral remembers that his father, a construction worker after leaving the military, continued trying to put out the flag after losing his vision. He figures there are a lot of folks like his father who want to keep up a relationship with the flag after losing their ability to see.

Others seem to agree. Presidential hopefuls John McCain and Barack Obama both were photographed with it during campaign visits to Kansas in the past month. And already, Cabral said, they’ve passed out about 5,000 of the flags, made of special paper and slightly smaller than a magazine cover, to blind veterans. He noted that many of them fought in Iraq or Afghanistan.

The flag, which also bears the Pledge of Allegiance in raised print, is expected to arrive in Arlington, Va., in early April, to be dedicated on Memorial Day or sooner.

Rep. Todd Tiahrt of Kansas got the U.S. House to approve the dedication unanimously.

“We owe a huge debt of gratitude to our veterans, and this simple action will mean much to our patriotic blind veterans,” Tiahrt said.

The plan calls for the flag to be placed in the cemetery’s visitor’s center.

The nation has more than 1 million blind and low-vision veterans, and that number is growing. According to Department of Defense estimates, as many as 8,000 injured in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have a severe loss of vision.

Cabral said a vote is expected in the Senate soon, with Republican Sam Brownback of Kansas expected to sponsor a bill. But with no controversy surrounding the issue, officials at Arlington National Cemetery already have signed off on the plan. Cemetery officials declined to comment.

Cabral, 53, said his father’s blindness has greatly influenced his life since 1994, when he began learning Braille through the American Red Cross of Wichita.

After that, he produced Braille for the Holland Student Service Center in Topeka and then from his home in Wichita, where he moved following his father’s death in 1998.

A year later, he returned to college to earn an undergraduate degree in business from Friends University, where he worked on a research project on the need for Braille in Kansas. In 2000, he created a nonprofit organization.

Since then, the Kansas Braille Transcription Institute has graduated nearly 50 certified transcribers and proofreaders and produced Braille in music, math and science, textbooks, foreign languages, periodicals, novels, and tactile graphics. The institute currently is completing a project for Harvard University that features Arabic Braille for one of its students.

Jesus Sanchez Cabral was born in Mexico but moved to Chicago as a young boy. His family then followed the railroad to Hutchinson, where they made their home. Later he would serve in the Army Air Corps, fighting in the Pacific, Northern Africa and Europe.

When he had a family of his own, he made a standing rule; one that Randolph Cabral remembers learning as he tried to rush out of the house on a flag holiday. His father yelled at him from the porch and told him to get back in the house.

“He had a standing order: Nobody leaves the house until the flag’s out,” Cabral said.

BGCB Spotlight

Happy Birthday!

We'd like to wish the following Council Members with birthdates in the first quarter a very Happy Birthday!

If we have missed anyone’s birthday, it’s only because we don’t have that info in our records. Just contact us at the BGCB Office (859 259-1834), and we’ll be sure to update that info.

Thanks!

We would like to thank all the individuals who sent donations to BGCB in memory of Betsy Murphy and Alma Potter.

About The Blue Grass Council of the Blind

The 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:

• Agencies and programs
• Counseling
• Educational and social activities
• Advocate or speaker
• Aids and appliances
• Newsletter

AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND
47TH ANNUAL NATIONAL CONVENTION
GALT HOUSE HOTEL
LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY
JULY 4 – 12, 2008

FEATURING

EXHIBITS - Discover which video magnifier, braille device or speech program best meets your needs. Examine tutorials, pfint/braille books, canes, watches, and an endless variety of products for work, school and daily living. Collect materials to take home to others in your office, organization or family. The ACB exhibit area is a mall for the blind and visually impaired; you will want to spend hours and hours browsing the aisles.

WORKSHOPS AND FOCUS GROUPS - You'll find opportunities to leam new skills, plus tips and techniques on a wide range of topics. Watch for seminars on diabetes, career planning, transportation, legislative issues, off­the‑shelf technology, and adaptive technology such as screen readers, braille note‑takers, and low‑vision products.

PROGRAMS AND DISCUSSIONS - General sessions address major issues such as education, rehabilitation, employment, Social Security, voter access, and health‑related issues. An endless variety of break‑outs and small­group discussions offer informative programming for parents, teachers, rehabilitation counselors, government employees, blind vendors and private entrepreneurs, attorneys, and information technology specialists. Students can explore careers and network with others working in their areas of interest. Special programming targets individuals with low vision, guide dog users, braille readers and the deaf‑blind.

NETWORKING - Whether you are a teacher or student, rehabilitation counselor or administrator, parent or caregiver, employer or job‑seeker, you will network with others in your field and who share similar concerns.

YOUTH ACTIVITY CENTER - Bring the whole family for an incredible week of education and fun. Kids develop lasting friendships as they participate in swimming, games, cmfts, and an impressive lineup of field trips.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES Great service opportunities available for Scouts, school groups, churches, and civic organizations. Assist at the hotel, airport, and on tours. Sign up individually or as part of a group. Volunteers under 18 must be accompanied by an adult (parent or group leader); no volunteers under 13, please.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

GENERAL INFORMATION - Visit the ACB website at www.acb.org, or call the ACB National Office at (800) 424‑8666.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES - More information and sign‑up sheets available from Adam Ruschival at (502) 303‑7078 or adam148@bellsouth.net.

EXHIBITS - Contact Michael Smithennan at (601) 968‑4164 or amduo@bellsouth.net for information on how to reserve exhibit space.

SPONSORSHIPS AND ADVERTISING - Learn about the many opportunities to tell convention attendees about your products and show support for ACB's good work. Contact Brenda Dillon at (615) 874‑1223 or brendan0@bellsouth.net.

SPECIAL CONCERNS - Have more questions? Contact Carla Ruschival, ACB Convention Chair, at (502) 897‑1472 or adamcarla@bellsouth.net, or Darrell Buford, Local Host Committee Chair, at (502) 899‑2238 or dbuford@aph.org.