BLIND WASHINGTONIAN VOICE OF THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND OF WASHINGTON SUMMER 1997 Volume 3 Issue 2 THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND IS NOT AN ORGANIZATION SPEAKING FOR THE BLIND--IT IS THE BLIND SPEAKING FOR THEMSELVES Blind Washingtonian subscriptions cost the Federation about five dollars per year. Members are invited, and non-members are requested to cover the subscription cost. Donations should be made payable to: National Federation of the Blind of Washington and sent to: National Federation of the Blind of Washington, 1701 Broadway, Suite 269, Vancouver, Washington 98663-3436 Produced in Grade Two Braille for the National Federation of the Blind of Washington by AJS Braille Service, 707 East Garland, Spokane, WA 99207-3027, (509) 487-8959. Mike Freeman, President 1701 Broadway, Suite 269 Vancouver, Washington 98663-3436 (360) 571-7987 e-mail: mikef@pacifier.com Albert Sanchez, Editor 707 East Garland Spokane, Washington 99207-3027 (509) 487-8959 e-mail: alberts@comtch.iea.com The Blind Washingtonian is available in print, braille and cassette. Address changes, requests for additional copies of this newsletter, and articles for publication should be sent to the Editor. EDITOR'S CORNER by Albert Sanchez Those of you who are regular readers of the Blind Washingtonian may remember that I started the "corner" column soon after taking this editorial position. My idea was that this could be a place where pieces of information that were to small for a full-length article could be included, (somewhat along the lines of the Monitor Miniatures.) It has been my notion for some while that we should add at least one more "corner" column to our publication--one for parents and/or teachers of blind students here in the state, (call it "Parents/Teachers Corner") and, (if enough interest is shown)--one for the students themselves, (call it Kids Corner.) I firmly believe that we have an obligation to spread our message as far as we can. I also believe that the children of the next generation (and those people who teach and raise them) should have a place where they can express themselves. Please let me know what you think, and feel free to send me your articles both for these new "Corners" and for the "Washingtonian". Articles may be submitted in print, braille, or on computer disc. While I'm thinking about it, these same comments could refer also to the "Letters to the Editor" column as well. CONGRATULATIONS! We recently received word that there are three winners of the 1997 "Braille Readers are Leaders" contest (co-sponsored by the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children NOPBC, and the National Association to Promote the Use of Braille NAPUB) from Washington State. They are: Clarisa Darcy, Amy Mmore, and Stuart Weller. the first-place award in the Print to Braille category went to Clarissa Darcy. She is in the eleventh grade and attends the Washington State School for the Blind. She is deaf-blind. The first-place prize is $75 plus a certificate and teashirt. She read 967 pages. The third-place prize, also in the Print to Braille catagory went to Amy Mmore. Amy is a 9th grader at WSSB, and received a $25 prize along with a teashirt and a certificate. Amy read 575 pages. Stuart Weller won second-prize in the category for children Grades 2-4. This means an award of $50 along with a teashirt and certificate. He read 4,338 pages. The Washington State School for the Blind also will receive honorable mention. Of the schools for the blind who entered students, it had the third-highest number of entries (tops being the Kentucky School for the Blind followed by the Arizona School for the Blind and Deaf). Congratulations to Clarisa, Amy, and Stuart for a job well-done. Congratulations also to WSSB. May we have more winners next year and may WSSB have the most entries of a school for the blind in the country. CONVENTION ANNOUNCEMENT The annual convention of the National Federation of the Blind of Washington will take place during the weekend of October 3-5 1997 at the Tacoma Inn Best Western located at 8726 S. Hosmer Street, Tacoma Washington. Friday afternoon's activities will start with a Job Opportunities for the Blind (JOB) seminar, followed later that evening by a combined Board of Directors meeting (open to everyone) and dinner (price is $16.00.) The resolutions committee will follow the Board meeting. This year we will have Priscilla Ferris as our national representative. Priscilla, a longtime Federationist and President of our Massachusetts affiliate, has never been to our beautiful state so we will want to make her visit with us one she will remember. The general session of the convention will be called to order at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday. Registration will open at 8:00. The cost is $20.00 at the door ($18.00 prior to Oct. 3rd). Following adjournment of the morning session a "Parents of Blind children" lunch will be held ($10.00.) The convention will reconvene at approximately 2:00 p.m. Saturday evening will be taken up with the banquet dinner, along with the awarding of scholarships, other activities, and, of course an address by our national representative. The Sunday morning session will top off the federation weekend, commencing at around 9:00 a.m. Room rates for this activity-filled convention are: $55.00 singles; $60.00 doubles, triples and quads. For further information contact Mike Freeman, president, NFB of Washington at 360-574-8221. STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION ADOPTS REGULATIONS FOR COMPETENCY IN BRAILLE INSTRUCTION From the editor: In the Spring 1996 issue of the Blind Washingtonian we described briefly the events surrounding the passage by the legislature and subsequent signing of our "Braille Bill" by then Governor Mike Lowry (See "A FEDERATION WEEKEND TO REMEMBER") Then, earlier this year we published the text of that legislation. Now we are pleased to provide you with the text of the regulations (passed by the Washington State Board of Education in June of 1996) mandating competency in Braille instruction. CHAPTER 180-16. STATE SUPPORT OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS 180-16-238. Assignment of persons providing instruction of braille to students. (1) No certificated school district employee shall be assigned to provide instruction of braille to students who has not demonstrated competency with the grade two standard literary braille code by: (a) Successful completion of the National Literary Braille Competency Test; or (b) Successful completion of the braille competency test developed at Portland State University; or (c) Successful completion of any other test approved for use by the state board of education. (2) No classified school district employee working under the supervision of a certificated school district employee, which certificated employee meets the requirement of subsection (1) of this section, may produce braille material or provide instruction in the braille code unless the employee has demonstrated competency with the grade two standard literary braille code as provided under subsection (1) of this section. (3) The state board shall establish a test review committee which shall be responsible for developing criteria to evaluate a test under subsection (1C) of this section. No test shall be considered for approval by the state board under subsection (1C) of this section unless it has been evaluated by the test review committee and a recommendation for approval or disapproval has been submitted to the board. At a minimum, the membership of the committee shall include persons representing: (a) National Federation of the Blind of Washington; (b) Washington Council of the Blind; (c) Association of Education and Rehabilitation of the blind and visually impaired of Washington; (d) Washington Instructional Resource Center for the visually impaired; (e) Washington State School for the Blind; and (f) Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. (4) A person who has met the requirement of subsection (1) of this section shall maintain their facility with the grade two standard literary braille code by: (a) Completing ten hours every five years of continuing education; or (b) Successful completion every five years of one of the tests under subsection (1) of this section. (5) This section shall take effect September 1, 1997. NEWSLINE BEGINS SERVICE IN SEATTLE AREA Through a cooperative effort the National Federation of the Blind of Washington (NFB of WA), the Department of Services for the Blind (DSB), and the Seattle Public Library has made NEWSLINE available in Seattle. NEWSLINE is a nationwide newspaper service developed by the National Federation of the Blind. It was developed for people who are blind or visually impaired and is accessed through special telephone lines. There are no human voices--the reading is done through DecTalk, which is uniform and dependable. Newsline reads USA Today, the Chicago Tribune and the New York Times. When the technical difficulties are worked out, the Seattle numbers will also access the Seattle Post Intelligencer. Through your phone, you can scan the entire paper, read or re-read articles, and skip around the paper as much as you like. A registration form can be obtained by calling (425) 823-6380. Please leave a message containing your name, address and a request for the form. If you have always wanted to read the paper at any time during the day, here is your chance! 1997 NFB of Washington Scholarship by Rita Szantay The National Federation of the Blind of Washington is pleased to announce that once again at our annual state convention in October, we will be awarding two scholarships to recognize outstanding blind scholars in our state. All applicants must be (1) legally blind, (2) reside in the state of Washington, and (3) be pursuing or planning to pursue a full-time college or graduate course of study. The winners must be in attendance at our convention in order to receive these scholarships. Winner's convention expenses will be paid for by our state office. This year, the scholarships we will be awarding are; 1. The Hazel tenBroek Merit Scholarship in the amount of $1,500. Mrs. tenBroek is the widow of the founder of the National Federation of the Blind, Jacobus tenBroek. She resided in the state of Washington from 1980 until 1987. Mrs. tenBroek served on the National Federation of the Blind of Washington Board of Directors from 1981 until 1987. She has always been a strong believer in blind persons receiving a solid education, and we are proud to honor her contributions to our state with this scholarship. 2. The Sixth Annual Beverly Prows Memorial Scholarship in the amount of $2,000. Beverly Prows believed in the capacities of blind persons, and worked diligently to promote equality and first class citizenship for the blind. In memory of her good work her family has designated this scholarship to continue her efforts to improve the lives of blind Washingtonians. To apply for our scholarships, applicants must do the following: 1. Complete the attached application. 2. Submit a letter describing him or herself. The letter should discuss his/her hobbies, interests, school activities, and future goals. 3. Submit high school transcripts and all up-to-date college transcripts. 4. Submit three letters of reference. 5. Establish contact with an officer of the National Federation of the Blind of Washington. Attached is a list of our officers' names, addresses, and phone numbers. (See back page for list.) 6. Attach all aforementioned documents to the application form. 7. Send the completed application, postmarked no later than September 15th, 1997, to: The National Federation of the Blind of Washington Scholarship Committee, P.O. Box 2516, Seattle, WA 98111 If you have additional questions, please contact Rita Szantay at (206) 224-7242 days or (206) 622-8843 evenings and weekends. NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND OF WASHINGTON SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION FORM Your Name: (please include maiden name or other names by which you have been known) Date of Birth: Home Address: City: Zipcode: Home Phone: Institution being attended, for the Fall Semester, 1997: Name of Institution or School: School Address: City: Zipcode: Phone: Your Grade Point Average: Your Class Standing: (Freshman, Senior, etc.) Please attach a list of all of the colleges and graduate institutions attended with your highest class standing attained and your cumulative grade point average: High School Attended: Address: City: Zipcode: Your Vocational Goal: State your Major: State your Minor: Awards and Honors: (attach list if necessary) Community Service: (attach list if necessary) DSB IS 20 YEARS OLD by Shirley Smith From the editor: I recently received the following article from Shirley Smith, Director of the Washington State Department of Services for the Blind. In the accompanying letter she said in part: "I thought you'd like to know the Department turned 20 years old this year. In view of what has been happening to state government, that is no small feat. I'm thrilled we still have a separate agency that can provide the services needed for people who are blind and visually impaired to be self-sufficient and independent. And I'm smart enough to know that without the support of the consumer groups, there could be a different story today. Thanks for the help of the National Federation of the Blind of Washington! ..." Here is her article: Twenty years ago, the Commission Bill was signed--a bill that established separate services for people who are blind or visually impaired in the state of Washington. The Commission for the Blind originally had the Child and Family Program, the Vocational Rehabilitation Program and the Prevention of Blindness Program. It was administered by a 5-member Commission that set policy and hired the Director. How did we become and remain a separate agency? With caring people like you who advocated with the Legislature and Governor to establish the Commission. The Department is one of 25 separate blind agencies nationwide that is dedicated to providing advocacy and services for people who are blind or visually impaired. Because the population we serve is less than 2% of the general population, it is not surprising that people don't know about us. Even though we are a cabinet level agency in state government, people don't know about us. Even though I have community meetings twice a year in 8-10 cities around the state, people still don't know about us. Even though we have our own website, people still don't know about us. Even though we visit opthalmologists, optometrists, social security, other local and state agencies who provide social services and join business clubs, people don't know about us! We are always looking for ways to do outreach so that people who have vision problems can find out about us and come to us for services. Things have gotten more complex over the years. The Department still operates the Vocational Rehabilitation Program, and the rules change every few years. We are more participant centered, involve participants up-front and throughout the process, and have much more sophisticated programs to help train participants find a job. We do whatever it takes to help an eligible person get and keep a job. Our staff have incredible expertise, and those who work in computer access, have to learn and change almost weekly to keep up with graphical interfaces and other changes in the computer/information age. We now operate an Independent Living Program. This program provides hope and help to older blind individuals who lose their sight. We provide daily living skills training so they can stay in their homes, be active and involved in the community, and able to take care of themselves. For a very small amount of money, people go about their lives with independence and optimism. We still have the Child and Family Program, but it has changed a lot. We don't have funds to serve children 7-13 (the schools step in here), but we have a birth-6 program and pick up students at age 14 to help them transition into adult services or jobs. We operate summer work programs (like Youth Employment Solutions in Seattle this year) and educate parents, advocates, and teachers about the needs of children with limited vision or blindness. We have a Business Enterprise Program that provides training for people who are blind and want to operate food service facilities. We developed a state-of-the-art training program at the Department of Ecology in Olympia to offer food service handling training and management training to allow people to operate a facility. The income for successful vendors is very good, and we provide technical assistance to help them run a very competitive business. July 1, 1983, the Department of Services for the Blind replaced the Commission for the Blind. We still have separate services but we lost the Prevention of Blindness Program and the Director is appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. The Department has 70 staff--about the same number as 20 years ago. Except now we place about 80 people a year in competitive jobs--four times what we did 20 years ago. We serve 1300 people a year in independent living--a program that didn't exist until late 1983. Because of us, the lives of at least 3000 people who are blind and visually impaired are enriched each year. Do you still think people don't know about us?? Well, not as much as we'd like. You can make a difference! I need your help in marketing our services to the general public. Anytime you can, mention the Department, give them our toll free number (1-800-552-7103) to call for information. If you are a computer user, visit our website at http://www.wa.gov./dsb and let other computer users know about our services. Because of you, many people around the state who don't know about us can learn. And connecting with us can make a huge difference in their lives! You make things happen all the time ... here is an opportunity for you to help people with limited vision again. Thanks. Happy Birthday DSB ... have a great summer! THE PASSING OF A LEGEND: EMIL FRIES A LIFETIME OF SERVICE From the editor: I first met Mr. Fries sometime during 1981--at some kind of meeting. One of the first questions he asked me was "Tell me, what kind of work do you do?" My response was something to the effect that I wasn't currently employed, but, ... He then suggested that I "should come take a tour of the Piano Hospital." He also asked me if I had read his book? I admitted that I hadn't even heard of his book. Several years later I took that tour. I also read his book. As a result, I started 1984 off as a new student at PHTC. One of the first things that I learned upon entering the Piano Hospital was that Mr. Fries believed in both the career of piano tuning and my ability to believe in myself. Thanks, Mr. Fries, I will try to live up to the belief that you had in me. During the first week of June, 1997, the blind community in Washington State mourned the death of Emil B. Fries at the age of 96. Like the organized person he was all of his life, he died very peacefully in his sleep on June 7th. Emil was: a member of the first graduating class of the Washington State School for the Blind in 1924; He was also an active Lions Club member. Emil graduated from the University of Washington in 1930--with the money he earned tuning pianos! Emil led a full life of independence and adventure, and was active in both the National Association of Piano Tuners (this was later changed to the Piano Technicians Guild) and in the community of Vancouver, where he lived. In 1949, he established the Emil Fries Piano Hospital and Training Center when the School for the Blind dropped the piano tuning course from its curriculum. The "Piano Hospital" as it is now known, is still in the business of training blind persons to be piano technicians and rehabilitating pianos. In 1980, he wrote a book about his life titled: "But You Can Feel It" which portrays the positive direction he lived by his entire life. When the NFB of Washington was working to get legislation passed to separate the School for the Blind out from under the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), Emil, although not a member of this organization, wanted to know what (if anything) he could do to help. His support of our efforts certainly was appreciated, and helped accomplish the task successfully. Don Mitchell, Director of Training at the Piano Hospital summed up Emils' passing this way: "It is the end of an era." Anyone interested in making contributions in his memory should contact: Piano Hospital & Training Center, 2510 E. Evergreen BLVD., Vancouver, WA 98661 (360) 693-1511. Blind Washingtonian 707 East Garland Spokane, Washington 99207-3027 PRESIDENT: MICHAEL FREEMAN 301 N.E. 107th STREET VANCOUVER, WASHINGTON 98685 360-574-8221 FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT: NOEL NIGHTINGALE 2226 ELLIOTT AVE., #106 SEATTLE, Washington 98121 206-441-0984 SECOND VICE-PRESIDENT: KAYE KIPP 5101 N.E. 121 AVENUE, SPACE 7 VANCOUVER, WASHINGTON 98682 360-256-8572 SECRETARY: RITA SZANTAY 1000 8th AVENUE, A-610 SEATTLE, WASHINGTON 98104 206-622-8843 TREASURER: GARY MACKENSTADT 12303 N.E. 165th STREET BOTHELL, Washington 98011 206-488-0628 ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED