KCB News

March-April, 2005

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

President: Adam Ruschival
Editor: Carla Ruschival

1. President's Message: KCB Evolution, by Adam Ruschival
2. KCB Welcome Spring Party
3. Roll the Dice with KCB
4. Lots of Jobs at LCI
5. A Trip to the Hill, by Jennifer Holladay
6. Big Legislative Success! by Gerry Rader
7. DirecTV and Video Description, by Michael McCarty
8. KSB Principal Retires, by Darrell Buford
9. KCB in Eastern Kentucky, by Tim Huff
10. New Chapter in Northern Kentucky, by Bill Deatherage
11. Activity Report from SCKCB, by Ron Milliman
12. Calendar of Events
13. KCB Committees
14. KCB Board of Directors
15. Newsletter Supporters

President's Message: KCB EVOLUTION, by Adam Ruschival

The Kentucky Council of the Blind was established in the early #aifj's, and was chartered as the fifth affiliate of the American Council of the Blind in 1965. From then until 1974 the organization went from an active entity which coordinated the 1965 ACB national convention in Louisville to an inactive group needing recharging.

I attended the reorganization meeting of the Associated Blind of Kentucky (now KCB) in January, 1974 where ABK was indeed energized. During the next twenty-five years, ABK (KCB) grew and added members by providing educational and recreational programs for people who did not qualify for rehabilitation services. These programs included adult education GED classes (math, English and grammar etc.), computer training in word processing and the Internet, and daily living skills, braille and crafts. Recreational programs included table games, dance lessons, picnics and trips.

In the 1990's KCB emerged as an advocacy organization. During this phase, the leadership of Eugene Willis as KCB President brought in an increasing number of new members as KCB fought to keep the Kentucky Department for the Blind as a separate rehabilitation agency. In the new century KCB stood alone against bad leadership at New Vision Enterprises; today blind workers have decent jobs at the facility on Brownsboro Road. KCB joined the Kentucky School for the Blind Alumni and others to insure that blind and visually-impaired students have a choice of attending a sometimes-inadequate local school program or a well-established residential program at KSB.

Under the presidency of my predecessor, Jim Shaw, KCB entered still another phase. This era brought about three changes: (1) reorganization, with a new state constitution and the development of local chapters; (2) increased statewide access to information through the expansion of the Talking Newspaper and the initiation of a website, the weekly Sound Prints radio show, and the KCB email list; and (3) increased credibility, openness, friendliness and success.

When I became a KCB member about six years ago, I felt that I was permitted to express my opinions or to make work or financial contributions without having to be on the KCB board. This gave me a few years of opportunity to learn about the history, organization, operation, membership, and goals of the American Council of the Blind and our Kentucky Council of the Blind. I feel that this time trial earned me the privilege of being elected KCB president in November, 2004 at the KCB Convention.

My emphasis as president is to consolidate the many positive accomplishments of everyone who has made KCB such a terrific organization. Specific goals are to increase the use of structured committees, to expand upon the local chapter organization format, to increase the number of local newspapers and other publications on the Talking Newspaper, to make Sound Prints available worldwide on ACB Radio, and to have some fun along the way.

Finally, 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 will, to recognize and thank those who support and assist us.

KCB Welcome Spring Party: Y'all Come!

Come help celebrate spring at our annual Welcome Spring Party. It's set for Friday, April 8, from 6:30 to 9:30 pm in the Food Center at the Kentucky School for the Blind, and we'd love to have you with us!

The Entertainment Committee is planning an evening filled with good food, good fun, and lots of prizes.

There's something extra planned for this event. In addition to a great meal, games and the chance to mingle with old and new friends, we will hold a short business meeting for the purpose of organizing the Jefferson County Council of the Blind. Officers will be elected, and a regular meeting time will be established.

There's no charge for the party, but we do need to know that you are coming. So sign up by calling KCB at (502)895-4598; leave a message after the tone, and be sure to include your name, phone number, and the names of people coming with you. You may also sign up by sending an Email to KCB

See you on April 8!

Roll the Dice with KCB

The 44th annual convention of the American Council of the Blind will be held in Las Vegas from July 2-9, and you're invited to come along with KCB to this informative and fun-filled week.

ACB conventions are packed with workshops, seminars, programs and tours. The exhibit area may be the largest ever, topping our record 93 booths in Los Angeles a few years ago.

At its March meeting, the KCB Board voted to offer a stipend of $200 to each KCB member who attends the comvention and meets these requirements:
(1) the individual requesting the stipend must be a member of KCB by April 15, 2005;
(2) the individual must attend either the entire Sunday night keynote session or the entire Friday business session; and
(3) the individual must attend at least two other complete general sessions of his/her choice.

Here are some Las Vegas details: Each person is responsible for making his/her own hotel reservations and travel arrangements. The convention is at the Riviera Hotel; room rates are $77.00/night (single/double) plus tax. Make reservations by calling (800)634-3414.

It is not necessary to attend the entire convention; people come and go all week.

Exhibits are open from Sat., July 2 through Wed., July 6.

Special-interest meetings, workshops and seminars happen from Sat., July 2 through Sat., July 9. The ACB banquet will be on Fri. evening, July 8.

Convention tours are planned every day from Fri., July 1 through Sat., July 9, with the exception of Fri., July 8.

Convention pre-registration forms will be mailed around the first of May. If you plan to go to the convention and you don't have a form by May 15, call or email KCB and we will assist you.

The convention program is not mailed in advance. It will be available on the ACB website by mid- to late June. You will receive your choice of braille, large print, cassette and disk program when you pick up your registration materials in Las Vegas.

For more information, see "The Braille Forum", and visit th ACB Web Site. Also feel free to contact Carla Ruschival at (502)897-1472 or Email Carla

Attending the national convention is a tremendous learning experience. Come along and roll the dice with KCB in Las Vegas!

Lots of Jobs at LCI

The word is out and we want to make sure everyone hears it!
LC Industries in Louisville has an opportunity to bring a huge contract for making sleeping bags to Kentucky. This contract would require about 60 to 70 new blind and visually impaired workers at LC.

Many of the new jobs will be sewing, but other tasks will also be included. Mike Johnson, director of LC in Louisville, says the work is not difficult, and does not require excessive standing. LC will train all new workers, so you don't need to know how to do the jobs before you are hired.

LC is considering adding part-time positions for this job. They may also pay hiring bonuses and assist with the cost of moving future workers to Louisville.

Working at LC is very different than working at 1900 Brownsboro Road in the past. The plant is clean and air-conditioned, and the walls are brightly-painted. Major repairs have been made to the building. The work is steady; no lay-offs.

In order to commit to this huge contract, LC needs to know that Kentucky can support the work force needed to sustain the job for years to come. They need to hear from everyone right away who thinks they might be interested in working at LCI.

For more information or to add your name to the list, call Cindy Miller at (502)897-2772.

A Trip to the Hill
by Jennifer Holladay

Over Presidents' Day weekend, February 20-22, KCB members representing 5 of the 6 Kentucky Congressional districts participated in the 2005 ACB Legislative Seminar in Washington, D.C. Attendees were: 2nd district - Lisa McKinley (Bowling Green), South Central Kentucky Council of the Blind; 3rd district - Adam Ruschival, Carla Ruschival, and Patti Cox (Louisville); 4th district - Jennifer Holladay (Burlington), Northern Kentucky Council of the Blind; 5th district - Tim Huff (Breathitt County), Eastern Kentucky Christian Council of the Blind; and 6th district - Paul Wiese (Lexington), Bluegrass Council of the Blind.

Sunday's sessions began with an overview of Seminar activities. In a day and a half we learned how to present to our Legislators the six issues at hand. Those issues included Social Security, Medicaid, video description, transportation, reauthorization of the Rehabilitation Act, and the preservation of the Randolph-Sheppard program. We had time to practice presenting by role-playing with those who were more experienced than the first-timers.

On Tuesday we visited Capitol Hill and met with staffers from the offices of Kentucky's six representatives and two senators. At first I was nervous, but with each meeting I learned that the staffers are just people, interested in our issues, and I felt my confidence begin to grow. It is an amazing feeling knowing that the seven of us were making a difference to the lives of people who are blind by speaking to these representatives.

A big thank-you goes out to Patti Cox who served as our sighted guide. With Patti's help we were able to make all of our appointments efficiently and in a timely manner.

Big Legislative Success! by Gerry Rader

Hb-400, introduced in the Kentucky Legislature on Feb. 10 by Rep. Jon Draud, declared an emergency in northern Kentucky and hopefully solved a major funding problem in Campbell, Boone and Kenton Counties.

Because of a recent court case dealing with the payment of taxes by people who live in one county and work in another, Campbell County would have had to pay $20 million in tax refunds and would have been bankrupt by July 1, 2005. Kenton County would have to pay $22 million in tax refunds.

TANK (the Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky) would have had to cut service to Kenton County in half, and service to Campbell County would have been eliminated if nothing was done to solve the tax problem. Blind people, along with other people, would lose their transportation to work, school, and many other places.

HB-400 solved this problem. It also reestablished the funding arrangement that had been agreed upon in 1978 between TANK and Northern Kentucky's three counties.

On March 3, HB-400 passed the Senate by a vote of 25 to 4. Only the week before, on Feb. 24, it passed the House by a vote of 90 to 0. Gov. Fletcher signed the bill into law on March 16.

Big thanks go to everyone. Without the efforts of the many persons who called, wrote letters and did whatever it took to ensure passage of HB-400, TANK services would have been jeopardized. I want to thank all of you in the Kentucky Council of the Blind, along with the Office for the Blind State Rehabilitation Council, for ongoing efforts to help get this bill passed. I also want to thank Carla Ruschival for keeping us posted on the Bill's progress as it moved through the House and the Senate.

In closing, this is a good example of how things can get done. This shows that, with everybody's efforts, good legislation can get passed and we can make a difference.

DirecTV and Video Description, by Michael McCarty

Blind and visually impaired people everywhere are wanting to know how they can receive video description when it is available on a TV program.

Many stations in Louisville and throughout Kentucky are not equipped with SAP, or Secondary Audio Program. This means that if a broadcast includes description for the blind, you will not be able to receive this service.

Many people believe that if they sign up for cable, or receive their local stations through a satellite company, like DIRECTV or DISH network, this will solve the issue. The truth is that it won't make any difference because the source broadcast does not have the SAP channel present.

The only way to receive the video description and the SAP is to tune to a channel that offers that service. With DIRECTV, for example, there is a way to get audio description from the major networks, but it will take some time, as well as subscribing to the DIRECTV service.

Once you become a member of DIRECTV, and your service is active, you need to call the DIRECTV Customer Service number, 1-800-DIRECTV, and request a waiver from the major networks. This waiver was originally designed for those who lived in rural areas, and could not receive the networks through an antenna. The networks allowed the individual to receive their two network feeds, one from New York, and the other from California, but the individual had to prove that they could not receive a clear, local station through an antenna. These two feeds, by the way, are the same ones that the local stations use to get their programming.

With video description becoming popular, some people now ask for this waiver on the basis that they can't receive the SAP channel through their local stations. Remember, the network will decide if you will receive their feed, not DIRECTV.

When calling DIRECTV, tell the customer representative that you wish to request a waiver from each network so that you can receive video description for the blind. The rep will have to create a waiver for each network, so it will take some time to enter all the information. In about a week, DIRECTV will receive your approval or denial for the waiver. This means that you will have to call DIRECTV each week to find out the results of the waiver.

If you are approved, you will be charged $2.00 for each network that you receive. If you are denied, you will have to wait a month, and then request the waiver again. Keep repeating the process until you are receiving all of the networks you want.

So far, I have received waivers for CBS and ABC.

Because I am a DIRECTV subscriber, I have had no firsthand experience with DISH network. However, if you have any further questions, feel free to Email me

KSB Principal Retires, by Darrell Buford

We are saddened to learn of the upcoming retirement (on Sept. 30) of Jeanette Wicker, Principal of the Kentucky School for the Blind.

Jeanette came to KSB three years ago as a Distinguished Educator from the Kentucky Department of Education. She came at a time when the school's very future was in peril and low test scores were publicized.

Through her insightful leadership, test scores at all grade levels have dramatically increased, and KDE has presented the school with two Flags of Excellence. Her efforts have brought together the various departments under her guidance into a concentrated mission for serving the needs of all visually impaired children throughout the state. Her dedication and tireless efforts on behalf of individual students and their specific needs have been much appreciated.

As Jeanette pursues other endeavors in her career path, may she always know our hearts and thoughts are with her.

KCB in Eastern Kentucky, by Tim Huff

The Eastern Kentucky Christian Council of the Blind is a new chapter of the Kentucky Council of the Blind. It is headquartered in Jackson in Breathitt County.

A small group of blind individuals began meeting last summer with the goal of supporting and encouraging each other and other blind and visually impaired people in the area. The group has seen several successes.

A bias against white canes has been addressed and several blind members of the group have begun using them. This has been especially helpful for Mary Etta Miller, a retired banking executive, who has needed the added independence gained by her mobility training. Her husband has been critically ill for several weeks, and the cane training has allowed her to live at home and maintain her independence.

EKCCB is actively seeking CCTVs for individuals who do not qualify for them through the Office for the Blind. One temporary loaner has been placed, and others are being sought.

Education is also being encouraged as a means to independence. One member was determined to quit his schooling after receiving an A.A., but has followed the advice of the rest of the group, honoring the support given by Allan Steinberg, and has just completed another semester of schooling as he heads toward a B.A. in business.

Employment is, of course, a major issue. Only two of the fifteen or so blind individuals associated with the group are employed. The group has provided emotional support, helped with the writing of resumes, and urged employers to hire qualified blind workers. One young lady has secured a full-time job with a tax preparer, her first-ever paid position.

There is still much work to be done. There are obstacles to overcome in the mountain areas that are much less common in urban centers. Negative attitudes, a lack of transportation, and poor communication compound the difficulties inherent to vision loss. But good things are happening and we are proud to be associated with both KCB and ACB.

Officers of the Eastern Kentucky Christian Council of the Blind are: President, Tim Huff; Vice President, Ronnie Patrick; Secretary, Rachel Williams; and Treasurer, Rhonda Noble.

For more information about EKCCB, contact Tim Huff at (606) 666-5422 ext. 141, or Email Tim

New Chapter in Northern Kentucky, by Bill Deatherage

The Northern Kentucky Council of the Blind held its first meeting on Saturday, March 19 in Covington.

In spite of a rainy day, 21 people attended the meeting, counting those who came up from Louisville. We enjoyed a delicious meal of meat loaf, mashed potatoes and green beans, arranged for us at the Point restaurant by Gerry Rader. We then divided into six teams for a game of Categories; team 4 (Jennifer Holladay, David Perry, Patti Cox and Cecil Cox) and team 6 (Dorothy Pruitt, Rhonda Spurlock and Darrell Buford) tied for winning honors.

We had a short business meeting to organize the chapter. Officers were elected: President, Bill Deatherage; First vice President, David Perry; Second Vice President, Cisco Slusher; Treasurer, Jennifer Holiday; and Secretary, Shirley Townsley.

Our chapter will meet on the second Tuesday of every month at 7:00 pm.

For more information about NKCB, contact Bill Deatherage at (859)372-0101, or Email Bill

Activity Report from SCKCB, by Ron Milliman

The last quarter of 2004 was a busy one for the South Central Kentucky Council of the Blind of Bowling Green.

A fundraising concert starring Jimmy Hall and the Prisoners of Love was held at the Ellis Place Night Club on Nov. 26. To promote the concert, we distributed promotional flyers and made guest appearances on local TV and radio programs. We solicited donated items for our big raffle held during the concert. We received nearly $1400 in items for the raffle. SCKCB received a minimum guarantee of money from Ellis Place, plus we kept all of the raffle proceeds. We also received a generous donation from the local Wal-Mart Super Center. All and all, it was a very successful fundraiser, and we are very grateful for Ellis Place and thank the owners, Steve and Amy Ellis, for working with us.

The SCKCB Christmas party was held on Saturday, December 11. We had an excellent turnout with nearly all of our members attending, and we were also delighted that a contingent of KCB members made the trip from Louisville: Adam & Carla Ruschival, Jim Shaw, and their delightful driver, Mary Nash. As usual, we had plenty of food. Everyone brought a dish, and we received a very generous donation of finger sandwiches from Chick-Fil-A. We played dirty Santa, and as it turned out we had several Dirty Santas, and it was lots of fun. We greatly appreciate the support we have consistently received from the KCB members.

The SCKCB has a very busy schedule for 2005. Our January meeting was conducted by Kim Parsley and Lisa McKinley and focused on an exercise program for the blind, something we all needed after the holiday eating binge. In February Max Robinson made a presentation on shopping services and assistance available to the blind from various stores in the greater Bowling Green area.

Future plans include a presentation by Amy Ellis and Ron Milliman on restaurants in the Bowling Green area that have Braille menus, provide assistance for reading their print menus, offer delivery services, etc.

Lori Piorkowski will make a presentation on "Supper to Go," a business owned and operated by her mother. Another program will focus on transportation services available to the blind in Bowling Green. We are hoping to have one more fundraiser and work on our plans for the ACB convention and summer picnic along the way.

For more information on SCKCB, contact Ron Milliman, President, at (270)782-9325. Or send an email to Ron, or visit the website.

Calendar of Events

Apr. 5, 5:00 PM: KSB Alumni board meeting; McDowell History House, KSB. Contact: Darrell Buford, (502)899-2238.

Apr. 8, 6:30-9:30 PM: KCB spring party; Hartford Hall Food Center, KSB. Contact: Patti Cox, (502)897-3864.

April 12, 4:00 PM: KSB School Based Decision Making Council (SBDM) meeting; McDaniel Building conference room, KSB. Contact: Jeanette Wicker, (502)897-1583.

Apr. 12, 7:00 pm: Northern Kentucky Council of the Blind meeting; Covington. Contact: Bill Deatherage, (859)372-0101.

Apr. 19, 9:15 PM: KCB board meeting; conference call. Contact: Carla Ruschival, (502)897-1472.

April 22-24: Lions District 43N Convention; Louisville Executive Inn. Contact: Lion District Governor Marty Mills, (502)897-1583.

Apr. 23, 1:00 pm: Eastern Kentucky Christian Council of the Blind meeting; library, Oakdale Christian Academy (Jackson). Contact: Tim Huff, (606)666-5422 ext. 141.

Apr. 28, 3:15 PM: Audio Studio for the Reading Impaired board meeting; Anchorage Presbyterian Church. Contact: Adam Ruschival, (502)721-9929.

April 29-30: North Central Association of Schools for the Blind forensics and swimming tournament; KSB. Contact: Terri Weston, (502)897-1583.

May 3, 4:00 PM: SBDM meeting; McDaniel Building conference room, KSB. Contact: Jeanette Wicker, (502)897-1583.

May 9, 10:30 AM: KSB Founders' Day program; Richie Auditorium, KSB. Contact: Kathy Jones, (502)897-1583.

May 10, 7:00 pm: NKCB meeting; Covington. Contact: Bill Deatherage, (859)372-0101.

May 13-May 14: Lions Multiple District State Convention; Bowling Green. Contact: Lion District Governor Marty Mills, (502)897-1583.

May 17, 9:15 PM: KCB board meeting; conference call. Contact: Carla Ruschival, (502)897-1472.

May 19, 2:00 PM: Charles W. McDowell Center Advisory Board meeting; McDowell Center. Contact: Derrick Cox, (502)429-4429.

May 20, 9:00 AM: Office for the Blind State Rehabilitation Council meeting; Lexington. Contact: Carla Ruschival, (502)897-1472.

May 23: KSB Charitable Foundation 7th Annual Golf Tournament; Oxmoor Country Club. Contact: Allan M. Steinberg, (502)897-3990.

May 24, 6:30 PM: KSB graduation program; Richie Auditorium, KSB. Contact: Jeanette Wicker, (502)897-1583.

June 3-5: KSB Alumni weekend; KSB. Contact: Darrell Buford, (502)899-2238.

June 6, 1:00 PM: KSB Advisory Board meeting; KSB. Contact Kathy Jones, (502)897-1583.

June 6-8: Gateways Conference for education professionals for the blind and visually-impaired. Contact: Kathy Johnson, (502)897-1583.

June 14, 7:00 pm: NKCB meeting; Covington. Contact: Bill Deatherage, (859)372-0101.

June 18, 5:00 PM CST: Girls and Boys Kentucky Lions Eye Foundation Kentucky/Indiana Allstar Basketball Game; Diddle Arena, Bowling Green. Contact: Kay Mills, (502)583-0564.

June 19: KSB summer programs begin.

June 21, 11:30 AM: LDLC Girls and Boys Kentucky Allstar Basketball Luncheon fund-raiser; Galt House, Louisville. Contact: Kay Mills, (502)583-0564.

June 21, 9:15 PM: KCB Board meeting; conference call. Contact: Carla Ruschival, (502)897-1472.

July 2-9: 44th annual ACB convention; Las Vegas. Contact: Carla Ruschival, (502)897-1472.

KCB Committees

Information and publicity: Ron Milliman, Chair; Jennifer Holladay, Carole Jones, Michael McCarty, Max Robinson, Carla Ruschival

Membership: Cecil Cox, Chair; Jennifer Holladay, Tim Huff, Carole Jones, Debbie Lewis, Ron Milliman, Tom Rider, Eugene Willis

Development: Darrell Buford, Chair; Deanna Scoggins, Adam Ruschival

Constitution and Bylaws: Kathy Carpenter

Resolutions: Dan McCarthy, Chair; Frank Cameron, Ben Robinson, Jim Shaw

Legislation and Advocacy: Gerry Rader, Chaair; Ira Grupper, Tim Huff, Cass Irvin, Debbie Kuczwara, Marcellus Mayes, Dan McCarthy, Max Robinson, Eugene Willis, Bill Wright

Activities: Patti Cox, Chair; Sue Dotson, Debbie Kuczwara, Angie McCarty, Beth Wagoner

Awards: Lewis Cain; Gerry Rader

Nominating: Debbie Kuczwara, Chair; Bill Deatherage, Deanna Scoggins

Convention: Carla Ruschival, Chair (Registration); Darrell Buford (Facilities), Patti Cox (FOOD, Decorating); Lisa McKinley (Public relations), Peggy Peak (Recruiting), Bill Wright (Exhibits), Beth Wagoner (Program)

Budget: Jim Tyrrell, chair; Jim Shaw

KCB Board of Directors

President: Adam Ruschival (Louisville)
First Vice President: Dr. Ron Milliman (Bowling Green)
Second Vice President: Debbie Kuczwara (Louisville)
Secretary: Jennifer Holladay (Burlington)
Treasurer: Carla Ruschival (Louisville)

Directors:
Darrell Buford (Louisville)
Patti Cox (Louisville)
Michael McCarty (Louisville)
Peggy Peak (Louisville)
Ben Robinson (Louisville)

Chapter Representatives:
Eastern Kentucky Christian Council of the Blind: Tim Huff (Breathitt County)
South Central Kentucky Council of the Blind: Max Robinson (Bowling Green)

Immediate Past President: James Shaw (Louisville)

Newsletter Supporters

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.

Frances Bennett, Beverly Bernard, Bluegrass Council of the Blind, Ernie and Maggie Bourne, Imogene Bradley, Helen Broxon, Lewis Cain, Robert Cain, Charles Conder, Nina Coyle, Winifred Downing, Pat Fager, Betty and Fred Gissoni, Patti Johnson, Carole Jones, Louise Kimbrough, Debbie Kuczwara, Britt Lincoln, Gail Lincoln, Thomas Lutes, Angela and Michael McCarty, Oral Miller, Dr. Ronald Milliman, Peggy Peak, Brenda Pearson, Kendall Perry, Susan Robertson, Alma and Ben Robinson, Florence Spalding, Chris Stevens, Byron Sykes, Carol Taylor, Mike Taylor, Virginia Wade, Leonard Watkins, Crystal Williams, Ed Williams, Eugene Willis, Bill Wright.

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

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