KCB News

August-September, 2005

Published by the
Kentucky Council of the Blind
148 Vernon Avenue
Louisville, KY 40206
(502)895-4598 kcb@iglou.com
Email KCB



President: Adam Ruschival
Editor: Carla Ruschival

1. President's Message: KCB Evolution, by Adam Ruschival
2. KCB Summer Fun
3. A Principal Search - Starting Over, by Darrell Buford>
4. A Time to Learn, by Eric Frey
5. What's In Fred's Head? by Michael McCarty
6. Talking Newspaper to the Max
7. KCB Members Make the ACB Scene
8. Sound Prints Goes Worldwide
9. New Chapter in Louisville
10. SCKCB News, by Ron Milliman
11. Calendar of Events
12. Newsletter Supporters

JOIN KCB NOW! One year - $8.00 - Life - $40.00

KCB Summer Picnic
Friday, August 19, 5:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Details below!

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President's Message: KCB EVOLUTION, by Adam Ruschival

At the 31st annual convention of the Kentucky Council of the Blind, held at the Kentucky School for the Blind in November 2004, there was the largest number of registered participants in the history of the KCB convention (123).

At 2004 Christmas parties sponsored by the South Central Kentucky Council of the Blind (Bowling Green), the Bluegrass Council of the Blind (Lexington), and the Kentucky Council of the Blind (Louisville), a high degree of participation (140-plus total attendees) contributed to the success of these activities.

In February, five of the Commonwealth's six Congressional districts were represented by KCB members at the American Council of the Blind's Legislative Seminar in Washington, D.C.

Attendance at KCB chapter activities in northern, eastern and south central Kentucky and in the greater Louisville area, plus the KCB spring party in Louisville and the Bluegrass Council of the Blind quarterly membership meetings in Lexington, saw participation by over 170 people.

Most recently, the American Council of the Blind national convention in Las Vegas (July 2-9) attracted a near record attendance of approximately 2,500; 45 Kentuckians, 26 of whom were KCB members, made the trip.

Now let's look forward. The KCB summer picnic is coming up on August 19, and the KCB state convention is scheduled for November 11-13. Please plan to be with us at both events.

By participating in Council activities, you let us know that what is being done is good and your presence increases our enjoyment. We try to make all KCB activities open and attractive for both members and nonmembers.

Keep in mind three things for the upcoming KCB state convention.

(1) The Convention committee, chaired by Carla Ruschival (502-897-1472), is planning the convention and welcomes your ideas and suggestions.

(2) Begin thinking about nominees for the 2005 KCB Awards. There are three major awards presented at each annual KCB state convention. The William A. Routh Award is presented to someone who has given long-term service to KCB (usually a KCB member). The James Carl Dotson Award honors an individual who has performed outstanding service to the blind and visually impaired community. The Anna Rose Cain Award is presented to someone who has a record of outstanding advocacy, especially for blind and visually impaired people. The Dotson and Cain Awards may be presented to members or nonmembers.

KCB offers other expressions of appreciation and recognition of participation by the presentation of certificates and other tokens of thanks. To make suggestions for nominations for these awards, please contact Lewis Cain (KCB Awards Committee Chair) at 502-895-6492, or Gerry Rader at 859-781-7369.

(3) In odd-numbered years, KCB elects its five directors to the KCB board. If you are interested in becoming a KCB Director, begin contacting friends to nominate you and to vote for you. If you would like to nominate someone for a director position, contact that person to ask if he/she is interested in the position. In either case, participate in the election process by giving your recommendation to the KCB Nominating Committee members: Debbie Kuczwara (chair), 502-896-4203; Bill Deatherage, 859-372-0101; Deanna Scoggins, 502-895-1546.

Last November I stated that I would try to thank those who help KCB and I am thankful for the quantity and quality of participation that has taken place since then. After all, KCB depends on many members and nonmembers to help make it the leading organization that it is today. Please make it a personal goal, as I am, to recognize and thank those who support and assist us.

KCB SUMMER FUN

The KCB summer picnic will happen on Friday, August 19, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Rain or shine, we'll be eating lots of good food and having lots of good fun at the Kentucky School for the Blind, 1867 Frankfort Avenue in Louisville.

There's no charge for the picnic, but we do need to know how many people will be on hand. Sign up by calling KCB at (502)895-4598, or by emailing us at kcb@iglou.com.

A PRINCIPAL SEARCH - STARTING OVER by Darrell Buford

Last spring KSB Principal Jeanette Wicker announced her retirement effective at the end of September, 2005. The School-based Decision Making Council (SBDM) at KSB set to work on hiring a new principal. The SBDM is composed of three teachers and two parents, with the principal serving as chair but without a vote.

The SBDM became the interview committee for the position. Requests from the blind community to include representatives from KCB, NFB, and the KSB Alumni on the committee were heard by the SBDM; this measure was defeated. Three KSB staff were then added as non-voting members of the interview committee. A second attempt was made to include a single non-voting member from the KSB Alumni to represent all three organizations; again it was defeated by a one-vote margin, with sighted members of the SBDM voting in a block against the blind members.

The advertising scope for this position was narrowly focused by KDE to include greater Louisville and Kentucky. As a result only eight applications were initially received. By the first week in June only four applicants remained, with the others withdrawing for various reasons. By the time interviews were conducted, only three applicants remained. On June 28, at a time when many blind people interested in this issue were heavily involved in the national convention planning process for both the American Council of the Blind and the National Federation of the Blind, the top two candidates answered pre-screened questions at a forum held on campus at KSB and open to the public; no questions were permitted from the audience. Although neither candidate had educational training in the field of blindness, one candidate had some experience in working with high school students from KSB in the Jefferson County school system. Both applicants appeared to be genuine and sincere in their interest in the school and desire to help it move forward.

A straw poll of the audience was held at the conclusion of the forum. From a human resource standpoint, this is a unwise move, as it could be easily be challenged as prejudicing the interview committee through a popularity vote. Further, the public was not informed in advance that such a straw poll would be conducted. After a two-hour closed session that same evening, the interview committee recommended a candidate for hire and forwarded their recommendation to Commissioner Willhoit.

It became apparent early in the salary negotiations that the top candidate was already earning more in her current position than what the State was willing to offer; therefore she withdrew her application. The second candidate was never offered the position; she withdrew her application and was promoted to Superintendent of her home district. This left the SBDM to start over. Two volunteer members of the interview committee requested to be released from their duties. This request was immediately denied by Barbara Kibler, Director of KSB/KSD. Another request to include a representative of the KSB Alumni was also denied by Barbara Kibler.

The position again has been re-advertised by KDE on a local and regional basis. To assist in obtaining an adequate pool of qualified applicants, members of the Alumni and friends of KSB have taken it upon themselves to post the position on national web sites catering to the interests of educators of the blind. It appears that the main difficulties in attracting a suitable candidate for the position of principal of KSB are:

(1) Inadequate salary commensurate with additional duties of the principal, such as supervision of the residential program (normally the task of the superintendent, but added to the principal's duties since the position of superintendent was eliminated);

(2) The attraction of an on-site cost-free residence for the principal has been removed, as KDE now requires the principal to live off-campus;

(3) By this time of year all senior administrators within school districts have already signed contracts declaring their intentions for the upcoming school year; and

(4) Word has spread as to how KDE seeks to micro-manage KSB and its sister KSD from Frankfort.

One can only pray that a qualified applicant will appear who will have both the strength to fight for the school and the heart to care for the students it serves.

A TIME TO LEARN by Eric Frey

(Editor's note: KCB member Eric Frey first attended an ACB convention in 2002 as an ACB First-Timer. Now, in 2005, Eric returned to the ACB convention in Las Vegas as a scholarship winner, and KCB members were indeed proud as he stood on the stage and accepted this honor.)

Winning an ACB scholarship is one of my greatest accomplishments since I became blind back in November, 1999. Winning the scholarship reconfirms what I have always believed - that when you work hard and have faith in God, you will be rewarded.

Because I lost my vision only six years ago, there are still many things I need to learn. Attending an ACB convention helps.

There were workshops concerning issues such as employment, legislation and guide dogs (just to name a few), and there was an exhibit hall filled with all types of vendors displaying and demonstrating new and updated items for visually impaired and blind people. I quickly found that most of those items came with large price tags, but the exhibits were very educational.

I learned a great deal from the workshops and the exhibits, but the vast part of my learning came from the socialization with others just like me. Being around so many other people with the same disability gave me a sense of comfort. It let me know that there are others that face the same fights, struggles and barriers that I face. Moreover, I learned different ways to win the fights, overcome the struggles, and break through the barriers by simply listening to those around me. To me this is what a convention is all about - learning all I can, and being able to utilize the information and tools I have gained. To me, this learning experience was the biggest highlight of the convention. I would like to thank ACB and the Scholarship Committee for the opportunity they gave me, along with the members of the Kentucky Council of the Blind who encouraged and supported me during the entire process.

WHAT'S IN FRED'S HEAD? by Michael McCarty

In March of this year, I resigned as the Student Employment Co-ordinator at the Kentucky School for the Blind to become the Expert Database Co-ordinator for Fred's Head at the American Printing House for the Blind.

Created by and for people who are blind or visually impaired, Fred's Head is where you go when you gotta know!

Explore the collective ideas and experiences of blind or visually impaired people by visiting the Fred's Head Database! You'll find hundreds of tips and techniques to help you solve everyday difficulties, and detailed explanations of more complex issues that may challenge you. It's your "how-to" knowledge database!

The American Printing House for the Blind (APH) offers Fred's Head, a free-of-charge, accessible database that is easy to use and search. Named after the legendary Fred Gissoni of APH's Customer Relations Department, Fred's Head contains a wealth of "how-to" knowledge on such topics as:

Organizing and identifying food packages
Writing a grant for a blind athlete
Matching clothing by cataloging your wardrobe  Organizing a braille recipe file
Finding accessible games
Troubleshooting braille note takers or other technology
Protecting yourself from Internet scams

Find Fred's Head by visiting aph.org> and clicking on the "Fred's Head" link. You will be taken to the Fred's Head home page, where you'll have choices such as Search, Tips for New Users, and Questions or Suggestions.
Fred's Head is updated nearly every business day. It's my job to scour dozens of sources, add and revise content, and organize the records into categories. There are well over 1,000 records in categories such as assistive devices/technology; audio books; braille; children; clothing; college; computers; cooking; deaf-blindness; education; employment; entertainment/recreation; finances; games; dog guides; health; libraries; low vision; music; newsletters; organizations; parent resources; rehabilitation; social interaction; social services; sports; travel; and windows operating system. I want to hear from you! Anyone can submit an article, tip, trick, technique, web link, or other resource. If we use your information, you'll be credited by name as having expanded the Fred's Head Database.

For more information, contact Michael McCarty, Expert Database Co-ordinator, American Printing House for the Blind, 1839 Frankfort Ave., Louisville, KY 40206; Phone: 502-899-2396; Email Michael McCarty or Email Fred's Head

TALKING NEWSPAPER TO THE MAX

The newest member of the Talking Newspaper team is helping us max it out. Every day Max Robinson of Bowling Green posts the obituaries from the Louisville Courier-Journal, the Park City News (the Bowling Green paper), the Owensboro Messenger-Enterprise, and the latest business news from the Louisville Bizjournals web site.

But that's not all! Max also posts three weekly features: the Oldham County Era, Business First of Louisville, and KCB's weekly radio talk show, Sound Prints. Thanks, Max, for all you do. All the Talking Newspaper listeners appreciate your help and dedication.

For more information about the Talking Newspaper, or to suggest a local paper or other publication that you would like us to try to add to the system, call KCB at 502-895-4598, or Email KCB

KCB MEMBERS MAKE THE ACB SCENE

With 45 Kentuckians at the ACB convention in Las Vegas, and with 26 of those being KCB members, it seemed as if there was someone from home just about everywhere you went. From the strip to the casino, from the Star Trek Experience to Hoover Dam, Kentuckians were having too much fun!

But we were also participating in the serious business of ACB and its many special-interest affiliates. When we arrived back home, we found that KCB members, more than ever before, are becoming influential in ACB. Here are some of the offices and committee appointments held by KCB members:

Patti Cox - ACB Convention Committee (Youth Activity Center Co-ordinator); Director, Council of Families with Visually Impaired

Jennifer Holladay - Director, Guide Dog Users Inc.

Adam Ruschival - President, ACB Lions; Secretary, Library Users of America; Secretary, Council of Families with Visual Impairments

Carla Ruschival - Director, American Council of the Blind; Director, Council of Families with Visual Impairments; Board member, ACB Enterprises and Services; member, ACB Convention Committee (Site Selection/Contracts Co-ordinator, Special Interest and Events Co-ordinator); member, ACB Internet Committee, ACB Budget Committee, ACB Store Committee

Deanna Scoggins: Secretary, National Association of Blind Teachers; Director, Council of Families with Visual Impairments

To learn more about ACB special-interest affiliates and how you can get involved, go to the ACB web site and follow the Affiliates link. To find out more about opportunities to become involved on ACB committees, contact Chris Gray, ACB President by emailing him here.

SOUND PRINTS GOES WORLDWIDE

KCB's premiere radio talk show, Sound Prints, was first aired on WKJK AM-1080 in Louisville on May 13, 2002. For the first two years, only people in the Louisville listening area could hear the show every week.

Beginning in the summer of 2004, Sound Prints was posted each week to the KCB web site (www.kentucky-acb.org). Early in 2005, Sound Prints joined the Talking Newspaper; subscribers to this free KCB service could now dial in and listen to each week's show over their telephones.

Now Sound Prints is heard worldwide. No matter where you live, you can hear Sound Prints on ACB Radio's prestigious Mainstream channel. The show begins each Wednesday at 9:00 p.m. Eastern, and repeats every other hour through 7:00 p.m. on Thursday evening. ACB Mainstream is now also available on podcast, so you can now download Sound Prints and listen on your Book Port or other favorite player. Tune in to Sound Prints every week and keep up on all the latest news about new technology, events and resources of interest to the blind and visually impaired. Meet new people, put voices to names you read about in this newsletter and in the Braille Forum, and find out what other blind people are doing.

Best of all, this is your chance to make your voice heard. Call in, make comments and ask questions; we always like to hear from our listeners. Even if you cannot hear the show live, give us a call anyway at 502-571-1080 between 8:00 and 9:00 p.m. on Monday evening; we're waiting to talk to you!

NEW CHAPTER IN LOUISVILLE

At the KCB welcome spring party in April, officers were elected for a new chapter in Louisville.

On June 11, 28 people gathered to officially organize the Greater Louisville Council of the Blind. A Constitution was ratified, and it was decided that GLCB would hold at least one activity each month and a business meeting once a quarter. Four directors were elected, filling out the Board.

In discussing projects and concerns, it was decided that the new organization would work to bring video description to at least one theater in the Louisville area. Debbie Lewis volunteered to chair a committee for this project. Members of the GLCB Board are: Patti Cox, President; Michael McCarty, First Vice President; Debbie Kuczwara, Second Vice President; Beth Wagoner, Secretary; Dan McCarthy, Treasurer; and Directors Debbie Lewis, Roger Schaf, Jim Shaw, and Traci Smith.

SCKCB NEWS by Ron Milliman

The South Central Kentucky Council of the Blind missed its March meeting because of numerous scheduling conflicts and illnesses.

At our April meeting, Amy Ellis and Ron Milliman presented the findings of a major research study they conducted which investigated the accessibility of various Bowling Green area restaurants for the blind. A summary of these findings is available on the SCKCB web site at SCKCB Web site It was discovered that several of the restaurants had Braille menus, and those that did not were, with no exception, willing to provide assistance in reading menus to their blind patrons. Several restaurants had very accessible web sites that also included their full menus, and some even offered delivery services.

Our annual summer picnic was held on July 16. It was a big success!! We had 14 people attend, including Adam Ruschival and Debbie Kuczwara from Louisville and their driver, Mary Nash. Max Robinson and Adam brought their guitars and provided great entertainment. Max even got to sing his song, "500 Channels", twice by very popular demand!! The food was excellent, and everyone ate tooooooo much!! A brief chapter meeting followed, where we agreed to purchase the audio described version of the movie "At First Sight." We will show it at one of our regular meetings and then we can use it as the basis for community education programs. We also decided to devote the last 30 minutes of each meeting to an informational session about accessible technology and other blind-related products, such as magnification and talking devices. The SCKCB will be turning its attention to the availability, or the lack thereof, of transportation in the greater Bowling Green area. The SCKCB's membership could be greatly increased if better transportation were available to persons in the outlying areas so they could attend meetings and other activities. Our group will also be continuing its emphasis on public education and increasing its membership.

The next meeting of the SCKCB will be on Wednesday, August 24 at the Bowling Green Public Library.

For more information about SCKCB, contact Ron Milliman at 270-782-9325, or by email

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Aug. 8-10: Statewide Independent Living Council Conference; Embassy Suites Hotel, Lexington. Contact Sarah Richardson, Office for Vocational Rehabilitation, 800-372-7172.

Aug. 9, 7:00 p.m.: Northern Kentucky Council of the Blind meeting; Covington; contact Bill Deatherage, 859-372-0101.

Aug. 11, 6:00 p.m.: Shelbyville Lions Club charter night; contact Marty Mills, 502-897-1583.

Aug. 12-14: National Families Connecting with Families Conference sponsored by the American Printing House for the Blind, NAPVI and the Hadley School for the Blind; Galt House Hotel, Louisville; contact Burt Boyer, 502-895-2405 or 800-223-1839.

Aug. 15: Kentucky School for the Blind opens and begins classes; contact Jeanette Wicker, 502-897-1583.

Aug. 18, 2:00 p.m.: Charles McDowell Rehabilitation Center Advisory Board meeting; McDowell Center, Louisville; contact Julie Kennedy, 502-429-4460.

Aug. 18, 7:00 p.m.: Clifton Community Council Bicycle/Pedestrian committee meeting; KSB southside dining room; contact Cassandra Culin, 502-895-5727.

Aug. 18-28: Kentucky Lions Eye Foundation eye screening; Kentucky State Fair, Louisville; contact Fred Wright, 502-245-8700.

Aug. 19, 9:00 a.m.: Office for the Blind State Rehabilitation Council meeting; Charles McDowell Rehabilitation Center, Louisville; contact Trina Roberts, 502-564-4754 or 800-321-6668.

Aug. 19, 5:30 p.m.: KCB summer picnic; Food Center, KSB; contact KCB, 502-895-4598.

Aug. 20, 9:00 a.m.: KCB board meeting; McDowell History House, KSB; contact Adam Ruschival, 502-897-1472.

Aug. 24, 7:00 p.m.: South Central Kentucky Council of the Blind meeting; Public Library, Bowling Green; contact Ron Milliman, 270-782-9325.

Aug. 24-26: Candle in the Window; Lions Camp Crescendo, I-65 near Lebanon Junction; contact Kathy Szinnyey, 502-895-0866.

Sept. 6, 4:00 p.m.: KSB School-Based Decision Making Council meeting; McDaniel Building conference room, KSB; contact: Jeanette Wicker, 502-897-1583.

Sept. 10, 1:00 p.m.: Bluegrass Council of the Blind quarterly membership meeting; Beaumont Library, Lexington; contact Carol Porter, 859-259-1834.

Sept. 13, 7:00 p.m.: Northern Kentucky Council of the Blind meeting; Covington; contact Bill Deatherage, 859-372-0101.

Sept. 15, 7:00 p.m.: Clifton Community Council Bicycle/Pedestrian committee meeting; southside dining room, KSB; contact Cassandra Culin, 502-895-5727.

Oct. 4, 4:00 p.m.: KSB School-Based Decision Making Council meeting; McDaniel Building conference room, KSB; contact Kathy Jones, 502-897-1583.

Oct. 11, 7:00 p.m.: Northern Kentucky Council of the Blind meeting; Covington; contact Bill Deatherage, 859-372-0101.

Oct. 13-15: American Printing House for the Blind 137th Annual meeting, related meetings and Hall of Fame inductees; Marriott Hotel, Louisville; contact APH, 502-895-2405.

Oct. 20, 7:00 p.m.: Clifton Community Council bicycle/Pedestrian committee meeting; southside dining room, KSB; contact Cassandra Culin, 502-895-5727.

Oct. 27, 1:00 p.m.: KSB Charitable Foundation quarterly meeting; McDowell History House, KSB; contact Allan Steinberg, 502-897-3990.

Nov. 1, 4:00 p.m.: KSB School-Based Decision Making Council meeting; McDaniel Building conference room, KSB; contact Kathy Jones, 502-897-1583.

Nov. 11-13: Kentucky Council of the Blind 32nd annual state convention; KSB; contact Carla Ruschival, 502-897-1472.

We thank the following people who have contributed tapes for the production of the newsletter. Your recycled tapes save KCB hundreds of dollars every year, and they are much appreciated. If you have donated tapes and we miss your name, please let us know so we can include you in the next newsletter.

Magdalene Bohart,
Helen Broxon,
Lewis Cain,
Frank Campbell,
George Huddleston,
Arthur Johnson,
Debbie Kuczwara,
Ben and Alma Robinson,
Leonard Watkins

To contribute tapes, please pack in a sturdy box; mark them "Free Matter for the Blind and Physically Handicapped" and mail to KCB at 148 Vernon Ave., Louisville, KY 40206.

Link to: American Council of the Blind

Link to: South Central Kentucky Council of the Blind