--------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 233 NFB BLIND NEWS Ref: F4200007Date: 03/31/98 From: PETER DONAHUE Time: 10:48pm \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: Re: San Antonio, Texas NFB From: Peter Donahue Subject: Re: San Antonio, Texas NFB Hello Jim, Well it's about time I wrote to you again so let me give you the information you requested. First of all the url for the San Antonio Chapter Web Site is: http://www.geocities.com/heartland/ranch/7135. We hope that this will remeain our perminant adddress, but we'll let you know if it changes again, but we hope not. sorry for the inconveenience. Secondly, the resource center you referred to is not operated by the NFB of Texas. Rather it is being run by the Warm Springs Rehabilitation Hospital here in San Antonio. This is going to be more than just a technology center. It will offer disable persons a variety of services such as transportation, information and referral services, and wil serve as a point of contact for the Texas Rehabilitation Commission. currently there are no plans to house an office for the Texas Commission for the Blind in this facility, but that may change in the future. Several of us here in the San Antonio Chapter are working closely with Warm Springs concerning the perchase and use of adaptive technology for the blind. It promisses to be a great cdenter once it is up and running. are you coming to Dallas this summer. it will be great seeing you again. And as far as I know Kim plans to be there as well. she is still working at the department store, and loves her job very mubh. Perhaps we can all do something together during the convention, and this time you won't be left out. Well I have a stack of E-mail waiting for me so i'll get this on it's way to you. Take care and we look for ward to hearing from you again. Never underestimate the power of a dream. Peter donahue --- # Origin: NFBnet <--> Internet Email Gateway (1:282/1045) * Origin: The Playhouse TC's Gaming BBS/www.phouse.com/698.3748 (1:282/4059) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 233 NFB BLIND NEWS Ref: F4200008Date: 04/01/98 From: PETER DONAHUE Time: 01:47pm \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: not an April fool From: Peter Donahue Subject: not an April fool Hello listers, Well I see my writing and posting got the best of me again. Sorry that a personal message ended up heree. Granted today's April Fools Day, but nonetheless I didn't mean for this to happen again. Sorry for the off-topic post. thanks much and have a great day. Never underestimate the power of a dream. Peter donahue --- # Origin: NFBnet <--> Internet Email Gateway (1:282/1045) * Origin: The Playhouse TC's Gaming BBS/www.phouse.com/698.3748 (1:282/4059) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 233 NFB BLIND NEWS Ref: F4200009Date: 03/26/98 From: DAVID ANDREWS Time: 11:49pm \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: New York Times Article From: David Andrews Subject: New York Times Article >X-From: From uaccess-l@trace.wisc.edu Thu Mar 26 17:43 CST 1998 >Posted-Date: Thu, 26 Mar 1998 17:43:00 -0600 (CST) >Date: Thu, 26 Mar 1998 17:37:50 -0600 >Reply-To: uaccess-l@trace.wisc.edu >Originator: uaccess-l@trace.wisc.edu >Sender: uaccess-l@trace.wisc.edu >From: "Curtis Chong" >To: Multiple recipients of list >Subject: New York Times Article >X-Comment: list for discussion of universal access to information systems > >March 26, 1998 > >Bringing the Visual World of the Web to the Blind >By DEBRA NUSSBAUM > > Curtis Chong has been using the World Wide Web for three >years to look up topics like music, fund-raising and medical >research. He also uses it as a way to teach and encourage other >blind people to get on the Web. > How does someone who cannot see the screen navigate the >computer and Web, which is full of glitzy graphics and icons? > Chong communicates all his commands through the keyboard. >His printer prints in Braille. He uses the Internet Explorer 3.02 >with a piece of software called a screen reader and a speech >synthesizer to turn the written words on the screen into words >spoken in a computer-generated voice. > "We want to use the Web, and we want to use it like >everybody else does," said Chong, director of technology for the >National Federation of the Blind, based in Baltimore. "We don't >believe the computer is the great equalizer for the blind, but >it's one way to make our lives better." > For the more than half-million blind people of working age >in the United States, getting on the Web may not only mean being >able to research topics of interest but may also be a necessary >skill for staying employed. > It certainly affects the jobs of thousands of blind people," >said Gary Wunder, a blind man who is a senior computer programmer >at the University of Missouri Hospitals and Clinics. He is >required to use the Web in his job for project assignments and >updates. "It isn't just optional anymore." > While current statistics on the use of computers and the Web >by blind and visually impaired people are hard to find, >technology companies and advocacy organizations say the numbers >are rapidly increasing. Tens of thousands of blind people are on >computers, and every year more of them are learning to use the >Web, Chong said. > A 1991 study published by the American Foundation for the >Blind in New York found that 43 percent of blind and severely >visually impaired people were using the computer for writing, >said Emilie Schmeidler, senior research associate for the >foundation. Her impression is that more visually impaired people >are using computers and the Web now, she said, and "more and more >jobs require the computer." > Being able to use the Web is critical to thousands of >employed blind people. > A screen reader or screen access program like the one Chong >uses is the translator that tells a speech synthesizer what to >say when the visual icons are accompanied by a text description. >"It's my white cane that helps me know what's on the screen," >Chong said. > Henter-Joyce, a company in St. Petersburg, Fla., that >manufactures the popular screen reader called JAWS (Job Access >With Speech) for Windows, has between 15,000 and 18,000 >customers, said the company's president, Ted Henter. He said the >customer base had increased four to five times since 1995. > At least seven companies make the screen readers. >Henter-Joyce's JAWS is one of the top sellers and costs about >$795; the company's new version, to be released this spring, will >include a speech synthesizer. The National Federation of the >Blind Web site includes a computer-resource page that has >information on how to get in contact with the companies that sell >the readers. > But getting the technology right is only one piece of the >package. If Web pages do not have text that identifies graphics >or if they have moving type, they will not be accessible. The >World Wide Web Consortium, made up of universities, corporations >and research organizations and based at the Massachusetts >Institute of Technology, started a three-year project in 1997 >called the Web Accessibility Initiative that is creating >guidelines to make technology and Web pages more accessible to >blind, deaf and disabled users. > The National Federation of the Blind has eight accessibility >guidelines for Web pages that can be found on its Web site. > The Center for Applied Special Technology, a nonprofit >research and development organization in Peabody, Mass., has a >free service in which it analyzes Web sites and offer suggestions >for their accessibility. > The change from DOS, a text-based operating system, to >Windows, a graphics-based operating system, was a setback for the >blind. > "The world enthusiastically embraced Windows, and we were >left out," said Wunder, who is also president of the Missouri >chapter of the National Federation of the Blind. But in the last >two and a half years, Microsoft "has shown concern and >responsiveness" to the blind, Wunder said. > Version 3.02 of Microsoft's browser, Internet Explorer, >includes a component called Microsoft Active Accessibility, a >layer of codes that are compatible with accessibility aids like >the screen reader. In addition to aiding blind users, these codes >also hook into software that helps users who are deaf or have >other disabilities. > But a newer version, Internet Explorer 4.0, was released on >Oct. 1, 1997, without the Active Accessibility component. Angry >letters, phone calls and e-mails let Luanne LaLonde, Microsoft's >accessibility product manager, and others at Microsoft know that >this was unacceptable. > "We got a lot of e-mail," she said. In early November, about >35 days after the release of Explorer 4.0, Microsoft released >Explorer 4.01, including Active Accessibility. > Web page design, of course, is an element of accessibility. >Vito DeSantis, manager of field operations for the southern >regional office of the New Jersey Commission for the Blind, uses >the Web to find research on the eye condition that has made it >impossible for him to see the computer screen for the past three >years. He also likes to read newspapers on the Web. > For visually impaired Web users like DeSantis, the vertical >columns on the Web present the biggest problem because screen >readers pick up the information horizontally. > > "You have to really know how to navigate around the screen," >DeSantis said. "I imagine quite a few people might get >frustrated. Sometimes it's just not worth the effort." > While screen readers help, Wunder said, "no screen reader >has made the Web as easily accessible for the blind as for the >sighted." > Even with top-of-the-line screen readers, Web pages have to >have text explanations for graphics and icons or the visually >impaired computer user cannot move. > "You get a screen and it says, 'Image, image, image,'" >Schmeidler said, quoting the sound her screen reader makes when >the cursor hits an icon without accompanying text. "You have no >idea how frustrating it is." > In addition to the advice on making a Web page accessible >from the National Federation of the Blind and the Center for >Applied Special Technology, the World Wide Web Consortium has a >group of volunteer computer experts who are leading the Web >Accessibility Initiative. The group's goal is to write guidelines >for Web page authors who want to make their pages accessible for >all disabled users. A rough draft of the recommendations can be >found on the consortium's Web site. > "Everything is voluntary, and the documents are called >recommendations," said Professor Gregg Vanderheiden, director of >the Trace Research and Development Center at the University of >Wisconsin at Madison and a member of the group. But for >businesses and government agencies, making sites accessible may >not be voluntary, he said. > In a policy ruling in September 1996, the Department of >Justice said the Americans with Disabilities Act did cover access >to Web pages. > "A Web site is an electronic front door," Vanderheiden said. >"But blind users often have to let individual Web page authors >know that they can't understand their pages. > "Sometimes people instantly go and fix it, and sometimes >people don't care." > Blind users say they want basic instruction on how to >navigate the Web and get what they want. They do not need long >descriptions that are intended to help them see pictures or other >graphics. > "Don't try to tell me how wonderful the Mona Lisa is," >Wunder said. "You can't do that, but you can tell me how to get >the picture and print it out for my daughter." > >Related Sites > Following are links to the external Web sites mentioned in >this article. These sites are not part of The New York Times on >the Web, and the Times has no control over their content or >availability. When you have finished visiting any of these sites, >you will be able to return to this page by clicking on your Web >browser's "Back" button or icon until this page reappears. > >National Federation of the Blind >Computer resources >Accessibility guidelines >World Wide Web Consortium and the Web Accessibility Initiative >Center for Applied Special Technology > >Copyright 1998 The New York Times Company > > > --- # Origin: NFBnet <--> Internet Email Gateway (1:282/1045) * Origin: The Playhouse TC's Gaming BBS/www.phouse.com/698.3748 (1:282/4059) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 233 NFB BLIND NEWS Ref: F4200010Date: 03/27/98 From: EMPOWER@SMART.NET Time: 11:56am \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: Magoo From: empower@smart.net Subject: Magoo I thought the article below, published in the Winter 1997 issue of Dialogue Magazine, may be of interest here. I also went to the movie to see what it was like. I found it pathetic in plot, character development, and portrayal of life from a nonvisual perspective. Arguably, the cartoon version may have been more fictional to an audience, and thus less destructive as humor. The real life/special effects nature of this movie, however, made the damaging stereotypes of blindness unmistakable and unexcusable. Regards, Jamal ---------- Magoo is Back by Martin Kleiber Wayne, Pennsylvania The Disney Company purchased the movie rights to MR. MAGOO and released the full-length live-action film based on the character of Magoo on Christmas Day, 1997. Merry Christmas, indeed! I grew up with Mr. Magoo in the late 1950s and 1960s, and I thought I was done with him. To me he wasn't funny then, and I doubt that I'll find him funny now. The joke seems to be that Magoo is nearsighted. In addition to this, Magoo has no sense of reality. He doesn't know a man from a manikin, a baby from a baby doll, a bear from a bear skin, or a person from a post. He doesn't know whether he is on ship or on shore. It's not that Magoo is blind; the problem is that Magoo can't see. By that I mean he can't see with his mind. He has neither sight nor insight. His sense of sight is impaired and his common sense is lacking. He just doesn't get it. He is out of touch with the world and with himself. If he were to fall out of the window on the tenth floor he might say, "My, this is a fast elevator!" When he lands on the sidewalk, he is likely to say, "Wow! It comes to a quick stop." Furthermore, he doesn't have enough sense to be embarrassed when he realizes his mistakes. He doesn't feel the pain of his predicament. The poor man is constantly pursued by unmerciful disasters, which never seem to befall him. There, I think, lies the joke. A clown who steps on a banana peel and slips is only funny if he doesn't fall and get hurt. So it is with Magoo. Nothing bad happens to him. At a great height Mr. Magoo walks on a girder. He is too blind to know how precarious his situation really is. He just doesn't know where he is. He feels no pain. He is so oblivious to the world that he has no clue as to what's happening to him. Magoo ends each of his episodes with the words, "Oh, Magoo, you dun it again." The ungrammatical statement is also funny. He mistakenly thinks that he has accomplished something and he rejoices. That leaves me to feel the pain for him because, I know that no one, blind or sighted, can be as anesthetized as Magoo constantly seems to be. People so out of touch with themselves cannot form relationships. I feel the pain for the public who will pay good money to be entertained by Mr. Magoo's misfortunes. I feel the pain for young children with poor vision who will have Magoo inflicted on them. I feel for all young children who don't understand about poor vision, and who might think that Magoo is the norm rather than the exception. There is great possibility for harm here. ---------- End of Document --- # Origin: NFBnet <--> Internet Email Gateway (1:282/1045) * Origin: The Playhouse TC's Gaming BBS/www.phouse.com/698.3748 (1:282/4059) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 233 NFB BLIND NEWS Ref: F4200011Date: 03/27/98 From: "CURTIS CHONG" Time: 05:44am \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: Bringing the Visual World of the Web to 05:44:4203/27/98 From: "Curtis Chong" Subject: Bringing the Visual World of the Web to the Blind March 26, 1998 Bringing the Visual World of the Web to the Blind By DEBRA NUSSBAUM Curtis Chong has been using the World Wide Web for three years to look up topics like music, fund-raising and medical research. He also uses it as a way to teach and encourage other blind people to get on the Web. How does someone who cannot see the screen navigate the computer and Web, which is full of glitzy graphics and icons? Chong communicates all his commands through the keyboard. His printer prints in Braille. He uses the Internet Explorer 3.02 with a piece of software called a screen reader and a speech synthesizer to turn the written words on the screen into words spoken in a computer-generated voice. "We want to use the Web, and we want to use it like everybody else does," said Chong, director of technology for the National Federation of the Blind, based in Baltimore. "We don't believe the computer is the great equalizer for the blind, but it's one way to make our lives better." For the more than half-million blind people of working age in the United States, getting on the Web may not only mean being able to research topics of interest but may also be a necessary skill for staying employed. It certainly affects the jobs of thousands of blind people," said Gary Wunder, a blind man who is a senior computer programmer at the University of Missouri Hospitals and Clinics. He is required to use the Web in his job for project assignments and updates. "It isn't just optional anymore." While current statistics on the use of computers and the Web by blind and visually impaired people are hard to find, technology companies and advocacy organizations say the numbers are rapidly increasing. Tens of thousands of blind people are on computers, and every year more of them are learning to use the Web, Chong said. A 1991 study published by the American Foundation for the Blind in New York found that 43 percent of blind and severely visually impaired people were using the computer for writing, said Emilie Schmeidler, senior research associate for the foundation. Her impression is that more visually impaired people are using computers and the Web now, she said, and "more and more jobs require the computer." Being able to use the Web is critical to thousands of employed blind people. A screen reader or screen access program like the one Chong uses is the translator that tells a speech synthesizer what to say when the visual icons are accompanied by a text description. "It's my white cane that helps me know what's on the screen," Chong said. Henter-Joyce, a company in St. Petersburg, Fla., that manufactures the popular screen reader called JAWS (Job Access With Speech) for Windows, has between 15,000 and 18,000 customers, said the company's president, Ted Henter. He said the customer base had increased four to five times since 1995. At least seven companies make the screen readers. Henter-Joyce's JAWS is one of the top sellers and costs about $795; the company's new version, to be released this spring, will include a speech synthesizer. The National Federation of the Blind Web site includes a computer-resource page that has information on how to get in contact with the companies that sell the readers. But getting the technology right is only one piece of the package. If Web pages do not have text that identifies graphics or if they have moving type, they will not be accessible. The World Wide Web Consortium, made up of universities, corporations and research organizations and based at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, started a three-year project in 1997 called the Web Accessibility Initiative that is creating guidelines to make technology and Web pages more accessible to blind, deaf and disabled users. The National Federation of the Blind has eight accessibility guidelines for Web pages that can be found on its Web site. The Center for Applied Special Technology, a nonprofit research and development organization in Peabody, Mass., has a free service in which it analyzes Web sites and offer suggestions for their accessibility. The change from DOS, a text-based operating system, to Windows, a graphics-based operating system, was a setback for the blind. "The world enthusiastically embraced Windows, and we were left out," said Wunder, who is also president of the Missouri chapter of the National Federation of the Blind. But in the last two and a half years, Microsoft "has shown concern and responsiveness" to the blind, Wunder said. Version 3.02 of Microsoft's browser, Internet Explorer, includes a component called Microsoft Active Accessibility, a layer of codes that are compatible with accessibility aids like the screen reader. In addition to aiding blind users, these codes also hook into software that helps users who are deaf or have other disabilities. But a newer version, Internet Explorer 4.0, was released on Oct. 1, 1997, without the Active Accessibility component. Angry letters, phone calls and e-mails let Luanne LaLonde, Microsoft's accessibility product manager, and others at Microsoft know that this was unacceptable. "We got a lot of e-mail," she said. In early November, about 35 days after the release of Explorer 4.0, Microsoft released Explorer 4.01, including Active Accessibility. Web page design, of course, is an element of accessibility. Vito DeSantis, manager of field operations for the southern regional office of the New Jersey Commission for the Blind, uses the Web to find research on the eye condition that has made it impossible for him to see the computer screen for the past three years. He also likes to read newspapers on the Web. For visually impaired Web users like DeSantis, the vertical columns on the Web present the biggest problem because screen readers pick up the information horizontally. "You have to really know how to navigate around the screen," DeSantis said. "I imagine quite a few people might get frustrated. Sometimes it's just not worth the effort." While screen readers help, Wunder said, "no screen reader has made the Web as easily accessible for the blind as for the sighted." Even with top-of-the-line screen readers, Web pages have to have text explanations for graphics and icons or the visually impaired computer user cannot move. "You get a screen and it says, 'Image, image, image,'" Schmeidler said, quoting the sound her screen reader makes when the cursor hits an icon without accompanying text. "You have no idea how frustrating it is." In addition to the advice on making a Web page accessible from the National Federation of the Blind and the Center for Applied Special Technology, the World Wide Web Consortium has a group of volunteer computer experts who are leading the Web Accessibility Initiative. The group's goal is to write guidelines for Web page authors who want to make their pages accessible for all disabled users. A rough draft of the recommendations can be found on the consortium's Web site. "Everything is voluntary, and the documents are called recommendations," said Professor Gregg Vanderheiden, director of the Trace Research and Development Center at the University of Wisconsin at Madison and a member of the group. But for businesses and government agencies, making sites accessible may not be voluntary, he said. In a policy ruling in September 1996, the Department of Justice said the Americans with Disabilities Act did cover access to Web pages. "A Web site is an electronic front door," Vanderheiden said. "But blind users often have to let individual Web page authors know that they can't understand their pages. "Sometimes people instantly go and fix it, and sometimes people don't care." Blind users say they want basic instruction on how to navigate the Web and get what they want. They do not need long descriptions that are intended to help them see pictures or other graphics. "Don't try to tell me how wonderful the Mona Lisa is," Wunder said. "You can't do that, but you can tell me how to get the picture and print it out for my daughter." Related Sites Following are links to the external Web sites mentioned in this article. These sites are not part of The New York Times on the Web, and the Times has no control over their content or availability. When you have finished visiting any of these sites, you will be able to return to this page by clicking on your Web browser's "Back" button or icon until this page reappears. National Federation of the Blind Computer resources Accessibility guidelines World Wide Web Consortium and the Web Accessibility Initiative Center for Applied Special Technology Copyright 1998 The New York Times Company --- # Origin: NFBnet <--> Internet Email Gateway (1:282/1045) * Origin: The Playhouse TC's Gaming BBS/www.phouse.com/698.3748 (1:282/4059) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 233 NFB BLIND NEWS Ref: F4200012Date: 03/26/98 From: DAVID ANDREWS Time: 03:55pm \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: Sixty minutes (fwd) From: David Andrews Subject: Sixty minutes (fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Thu, 26 Mar 1998 12:42:05 -0800 From: Tim Cranmer Reply-To: nfb-rdcomm@lothlorien.nfbcal.org To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: Sixty minutes Hi guys, Sixty Minutes called to let me know that the special segment on Technology and the Handicapped is scheduled to air on this Sunday, March 29th. Most of you know that the program will deal with technologies designed to benefit several disabilities--such as wheelchairs for athletes. A part of the segment will deal with the blind. Ted Henter and I were interviewed at separate times. My interview focused on my work with the abacus, the Cranmer Modified Perkins Brailler, and some NFB products. The interview lasted for more than three hours during which time I mentioned NFB quite often. I have no idea of what will be selected from the interview for the minute or two that I expect to be on the show. Ted Henter is a long-time friend of mine and an all-round splendid fellow. He became blind as an adult and continued to be quite active in water skiing, among other sports. He is the owner- president of Henter-joyce, and wrote the original JAWS software. Did I mention that ted is also a strong member and supporter of NFB? I haven't talked to Ted about his 60 minutes interview, so I don't know anything about it except that it will be quite interesting. Tim Cranmer P.S.--It could be bumped, of course, if there is a late breaking scandle. In which case, they'll call to let me know. TVC --- # Origin: NFBnet <--> Internet Email Gateway (1:282/1045) * Origin: The Playhouse TC's Gaming BBS/www.phouse.com/698.3748 (1:282/4059) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 233 NFB BLIND NEWS Ref: F4200013Date: 03/29/98 From: JOE BUELL Time: 12:31am \/To: ALL MSG (Read 0 times) Subj: brailler for sale I have a manual perkins brailler in excellent working condition for sale. It comes with the suitcase style carrying case. I am asking $300;00 plus any shipping charges in Canadian funds. If interested, please contact me at (613) 237-8623 --- Maximus 3.01 * Origin: Vision Information Systems (1:163/266) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 233 NFB BLIND NEWS Ref: F4200014Date: 03/29/98 From: DAVID ANDREWS Time: 11:47am \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: April braille Monitor Available WPCN S aille Monitor for April, 1998 is now available for downloading or file request from NFB NET. It can be had under the file names BRLM9804.ZIP or BRLM9804.TXT. the Monitor can be downloaded from NFB NET by calling (612) 696-1975, n,8,1 at 300 to 33.6K baud. You can also now reach NFB NET via the Internet by Telnetting to nfbnet.org. You can also file request it by using the magic file name monitor from Fidonet 1:282/1045. You can also get the Braille Monitor via NfB's new file distribution system called NFB-FDN. If you operate a Fidonet-compatible BBS, and wish to get connected to NFB-FDN, to receive NFB-related files automatically, then contact Fidonet 1:282/1045 for more information. You must have a Fidonet-compliant BBS setup and be able to process Tick files. We will deliver the Monitor and other NFB-related files to your BBS doorstep, automatically, each month. The Braille Monitor is also available on CompuServe. It is located in Library 5 of the Disabilities Forum, "go disfor." You can also now have the Monitor sent to you via internet e-mail. Send a message to listserv@braille.org and leave the subject blank. Put "subscribe brl-monitor " in the body of the message. Finally, the Braille Monitor is available via anonymous FTP from nfb.org or from our World Wide Web site on the Internet at http://www.nfb.org. This month's Monitor contains a wide variety of articles. the Table of Contents is as follows: New Mexico School Update 1998 Convention Tours by Tommy Craig The 1998 Washington Seminar by Barbara Pierce The Road to 2020 by Peggy Elliott 1998 Washington Seminar Fact Sheets Ed Beck Recognized Allen Radford: Red Cross Instructor by Lusi Radford+ Bruce A. Gardner, Attorney, Church Leader, and Community Activist by James Omvig 1998 Convention Attractions Arthur Cushen Dies by Timothy Hendel Toward More Peaceful Meetings by Doris M. Willoughby Dialysis at National Convention by Ed Bryant Recipes Monitor Miniatures Happy reading! David Andrews --- Maximus/2 2.02 * Origin: NFB NET St. Paul, MN (612) 696-1975 (1:282/1045) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 233 NFB BLIND NEWS Ref: F4200015Date: 03/29/98 From: EMPOWER@SMART.NET Time: 04:45pm \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: Newspaper story: "Her blindness is a tea16:45:3403/29/98 From: empower@smart.net Subject: Newspaper story: "Her blindness is a teaching aid" Here's an article, meant to be positive I'm sure, which nonetheless evokes mixed feelings in a Federationist reader. ---------- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Read Across America Day: Her blindness is a teaching aid Monday, March 02, 1998 By Bulldog Reagan It's a springlike day outside Sto-Rox Elementary School, but none of the third-graders inside are fidgeting or looking out the windows. Their eyes are locked on the tall woman at the front of the room with sunglasses and a harnessed German shepherd. "How do you match your clothes when you get dressed in the morning?" one student asks. "I get little metal Braille clothing tags with colors written on them and pin them inside on the label," answers Sally Hobart Alexander. v "Is it hard to read Braille books?" asks another child. "It is very hard to read Braille. That's why only eight out of 100 legally blind people use it," says Alexander. Alexander's book, "Do You Remember the Color Blue?" a book answering children's questions about blindness, is due to be published early next year. Alexander is scheduled to speak this week and next at schools in Mars and Mt. Lebanon, in honor of today's "Read Across America" day, sponsored by the National Education Association. The 54-year-old Squirrel Hill woman's efforts in educating people about disabilities have resulted in an award from United Cerebral Palsy for a lifetime of "advocacy and awareness." Alexander was 24 years old when she began to go blind. She was teaching third grade at a southern California school and had met the man she believed to be her Prince Charming. They were engaged to be married. Then, one day at the beach, she noticed a tiny black line, about the size of an eyelash, wiggling about in her field of vision. It went away as suddenly as it had appeared. But it returned again and again, each time consuming yet another piece of her vision. Doctors told her she having hemorrhages, but they could find neither cause nor cure. She eventually lost more than her vision. Prince Charming found it difficult being charming around a blind woman, so the engagement was called off. She also could no longer teach, an even bigger loss. "Teaching suited me perfectly. The children's energy, enthusiasm, mischief -- I loved it all," she wrote in her award-winning autobiography, "Taking Hold: My Journey into Blindness." She briefly returned to her hometown of Conyngham, Luzerne County, in Eastern Pennsylvania to stay with her family. She moved to Pittsburgh to attend the Greater Pittsburgh Guild for the Blind in Bridgeville, where she found the skills she needed for her new life. Here, she also found a career in teaching and counseling -- and her husband. Bob Alexander is a faculty member and acting dean at Point Park College. They have a son and daughter. As a young mother, Alexander found her children demanding to be told bedtime stories. It wasn't long before she began making up her own stories. At that time, a Squirrel Hill children's book store called Pinnochio was running workshops for writers. Alexander seized the opportunity. She wrote critically acclaimed children's books including "Mom Can't See Me," which teaches sighted children about blindness; and "Mom's Best Friend," about her guide dog, Ursula. Then Alexander turned to an adult audience. "Taking Hold" won the 1995 Christopher Award for Literary Excellence. She also wrote "On My Own: The Journey Continues." But Alexander considers herself first a children's writer. "I want to write for kids because they are the future. Adults already have firm convictions, but with kids, you can help them form opinions." Alexander says she is not bitter about her blindness. "When you consider all the human suffering in the world, you almost have to ask, 'Why not me?' I really have a happy life. My blindness has deepened me. It has changed my values. I have more empathy now." It has also helped prepare her for her next challenge. Alexander says she is slowly losing her hearing. Like her blindness, its cause has doctors mystified. She doesn't dwell on it. "I don't think I could live my life worrying about becoming deaf as well as blind. It's just not a good use of my time." _________________________________________________________________ Bulldog Reagan is a free-lance writer. --- # Origin: NFBnet <--> Internet Email Gateway (1:282/1045) * Origin: The Playhouse TC's Gaming BBS/www.phouse.com/698.3748 (1:282/4059) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 233 NFB BLIND NEWS Ref: F4500000Date: 04/03/98 From: HARVEY HEAGY Time: 08:35pm \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: Job Fair for the Disabled in Dallas From: Harvey Heagy Subject: Job Fair for the Disabled in Dallas Several days ago, some info was posted about an upcoming job fair for the disabled in Dallas. I have obtained some additional information as to how those without internet access may submit their resumes for consideration. Obviously all of us have it or we wouldn't be reading this list, but I am passing this along for the benefit of friends of ours who may benefit from this. Here is the post. Your Resume Could Win You A Round Trip To Dallas And Much More! DALLAS MAYOR 92S COMMITTEE ON EMPLOYMENT OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES PRESENTS THE 1998 CAREER FAIR MAY 1-4, 1998 An aggressive search for qualified disabled job candidates will be conducted in May as more than 50 of Dallas' major corporations will be coming together for the annual Career Fair for People with Disabilities May 1-4, 1998 at Brookhaven College in Dallas. They will be conducting a nationwide search for people with professional skills in: programming, administration, systems analysis, engineering, lending, sales/marketing, accounting and more! Unemployment is currently under 4% in Dallas, and these companies are hungry to hire, regardless of disability. The Career Fair will provide round-trip air-fare and hotel accommodations for an unspecified number of job candidates based on their resumes. People with disabilities are encouraged to e-mail their resumes to: kbunting@mailcity.com for consideration. If you are selected, your resume will be forwarded in advance of the Career Fair to the businesses who are members of the Dallas Mayor 92s Committee so that corporations can have exclusive interview with you. The businesses attending include: NationsBank, EDS, J.C.Penney, Raytheon Systems, Texas Instruments, Andersen Consulting, The Associates, Brinker International, Arthur Andersen & Company, Neiman Marcus and more. ON A ROLL RADIO SPONSORS THE OFFICIAL CAREER FAIR WEB SITE! For more information about the Career Fair and a current list of attending companies, visit the official web site of the Dallas Career Fair at: http://www.onarollradio.com. Resumes must be received by April 23rd in order to be eligible. Remember, there is no limit on the number of winners selected! Airfare and hotel accommodations are being sponsored by Raytheon Systems. THIS WEEK'S RADIO SHOW - Sunday, April 5th at 7PM Eastern Time * Kim Bunting, Executive Director of the Dallas Mayor's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities talks about the Career Fair and the role of corporations in decreasing the unemployment rate among people with disabilities. The latest on the Over-The-Road-Bus Accessibility situation Talk about reserving some front-row concert tickets for people with limited vision Your calls, comments and questions at 1-888-760-7655 during the show CAREER OPPORTUNITIES! EDS HAS JOB OPENINGS NOW! Those with disabilities quickly learn that their greatest challenge is rarely within themselves; it's within the minds of others. At EDS, we feel it's not what you can't do that counts; it's what you can do. So e-mail your resumes to careers@eds.com and give yourself a chance to realize your full potential with a world leader in information technology. We'll help you go as far as your talent and desire will take you. NATIONSBANK IS HIRING: At NationsBank, we are striving to be the employer of choice. Today, more than 49 million Americans have some form of disability, and we're more aware than ever of the challenges faced by many of our customers and associates. Our goal is to provide quality service and barrier free employment opportunities to persons with disabilities--beyond ADA requirements. It's the law, it's the right thing to do, and it's a good way to do business. If you're a dedicated team player who's determined to break new barriers and achieve new levels of success, consider working in the company of winners at NationsBank. For information on opportunities throughout the country, please forward resumes to: Nations Bank, 100 N Tryon St., Charlotte, N. C. 28255; or Fax (704) 888-9701; or visit our website at: http://www.nationsbank.com CAREER IN THE RADIO BUSINESS: On A Roll Radio has discovered a home-based radio advertising career opportunity for just the right person. Necessary skills include: proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Powerpoint; experience in graphic design, layout or desktop publishing; detail oriented, able to look at small published numbers and key them in quickly and accurately; html and web publishing experience a plus; promotional and/or advertising writing samples will be requested; experience in public relations a plus. If you are interested, qualified, and available, e-mail your resume to greg@onarollradio.com SPONSORS On A Roll is sponsored by: New Mobility Magazine http://www.newmobilty.com Action Storm Series Power chairs http://www.invacare.com On A Roll theme song by Van Gogh: http://vangogh.home.mindspring.com If you do not have internet access, you may mail a copy of your resume to: Dallas Mayor's Committee P.O. 700864 Dallas, Texas 75370 or you can fax us a copy at (972) 306-5940 Kim Bunting. Bunting & Associates phone: (972) 307-3176 fax: (972) 306-5940 email: kbunting@mailcity.com Harvey --- # Origin: NFBnet <--> Internet Email Gateway (1:282/1045) * Origin: The Playhouse TC's Gaming BBS/www.phouse.com/698.3748 (1:282/4059)