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SPRING 2008

Table of Contents

From the President’s Desk

The Great American Sojourn
by Donna Wood

CHAPTER REPORTS

FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK

What a great year 2007 was and now we are well into 2008 and the year is shaping up nicely. We as an organization have some hard work and big fun ahead of us for the year.

That hard work and big fun began in the latter part of January when four of our members attended the Washington, D.C. seminar. Those members made calls on our two senators and four congressional representatives, to bring to their attention the three priority issues for the blind of this nation. Our issues were Quiet cars and the safety of the blind and other pedestrians, talking books digital change-over funding, and Social Security earnings limits increase for the blind. The trip appears to have been successful in the fact that these issues were brought to the attention of our leaders in Washington and we are seeing some reaction and interest in our issues from our legislative representatives.

In February and March we began a write-in campaign to our state representatives to allocate funding for the continuation of Newsline in the talking books budget. One of the NFBK’s accomplishments for 2007 was to bring Newsline to the blind citizens of Kansas. Newsline is a program that provides the blind and print impaired access to local and nationwide newspapers, magazines and more, through your telephone. If you have not heard of Newsline or don’t know how to get it, just call your local talking books library and they can sign you up.

Each of our members continues to work hard for the NFB. We have members that do presentations to the public on blindness and what it really is, get involved in the political process, leading chapters and divisions, supporting one another, and participating in fund raisers. Every day NFB of Kansas members go out into their communities and show those that they meet that blindness is not stopping them from leading a full, productive and self-sufficient life.

There are some up-coming events you will want to put on your calendar.

We have our NFB National Convention in Dallas, Texas from June 29th to July 5, 2008. The affiliate is planning to provide one or two large vans available for transportation to the convention. We will ask that each person riding the van give a donation to the purchase of fuel for the trip. Please contact the NFB of Kansas telephone at (913) 339-9341, if you would like to ride in one of the vans. Let’s not forget our own state convention, to be held November 7, 8, and 9, 2008, in Emporia, Kansas. There will be further details coming on these events and other events the National Federation of the Blind of Kansas are planning.

AS WE ARE GOING TO PRESS HERE IS QUIET CAR LEGISLATION!!!

Fellow Federationists:

It pleases me to write to you announcing that our silent car legislation has been introduced in the House of Representatives. Ed Towns, Democrat of New York, and Cliff Stearns, Republican of Florida, has introduced H.R. 5734, the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2008. Therefore, your help is needed to gain cosponsors of this important legislation.

This legislation assures that blind and other pedestrians will receive the information needed to make proper judgments regarding the presence of vehicles,in order that we can travel safely. It does so by:

• Requiring the Department of Transportation to convene a study within ninety days of its enactment;
• Requiring the study to determine whether a minimum sound standard or some other approach will provide blind and other pedestrians the most accurate information regarding speed, location, and direction of travel for the vehicles;
• Requiring that, when making this consideration, the study must evaluate the cost of each method examined, including
  • the cost of providing all pedestrians any technology they must possess under each approach; and
• Requiring that the study consider which approach permits the greatest amount of independent spontaneous travel for blind and other pedestrians.

Once the study reaches its conclusions, the Department of Transportation must report its findings to Congress, and within ninety days of the study’s end, the Department of Transportation must establish a vehicle safety standard that implements the results of the study.

Finally, two years after the safety standard is implemented, all new cars sold in the United States must comply.

This legislation is under jurisdiction of the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. This subcommittee and its full committee are the most important members for this bill, though we want all the members that we can get to cosponsor this legislation. Both of our original sponsors are members of the subcommittee, and Stearns was its chair when republicans controlled the House of Representatives.

Now that the bill has been introduced, we need cosponsors. This is so because the attention gained will push Committee and House leadership to conduct hearings that will help us get out the message that, if solutions are not promptly found and implemented, silent cars will place the independence of blind Americans in real peril. To help with this task, it is critical that you get your representatives to sign on to H.R. 5734. Recall that you can reach the Capitol switchboard by calling (202) 225-3121. I am providing lists of the subcommittee and full committee members, but you are urged to get all members of the House to join as cosponsors.

Thank you for all you do. Let us now make a difference in assuring that we can hear cars now and in the future.

Most Cordially,

James McCarthy

Government Program Specialist
National Federation of the Blind

The Great American Sojourn

by Donna Wood

This year the state of Kansas sent four representatives to the Washington Seminar on January 28, 29, and 30, 2008. Those representatives were myself, Donna Wood, president; Tom Page, Second vice-president; Andrew Chapman, KABS president; and Schelby Young KABS vice-president. My fellow sojourners and I were well received in Washington D.C. by our legislators.

I’m sure most of us still remember our high school government class and how, when we learned what we needed to pass the class, it all seemed so distant to us. Government was in Washington D.C., a thousand or more miles away from most of our high schools. To participate in a Washington D.C. seminar is to see our Government in action and to be a part of it. We as citizens of Kansas and the United States of America went to Washington D.C. the seat of our Government, walked into the capitol building and into our legislative representative’s offices. We sat down with most of them and told them of the issues blind citizens are facing and how they, as our representatives, could resolve our issues through legislation.

We began with our first appointment on Tuesday morning meeting with Congressman Jerry Moran and his legislative correspondent. Congressman Moran was unfamiliar with the quiet car issue, but Andrew and Shelby quickly and competently made him more aware of the issue. He was extremely supportive of our funding of the talking books digital upgrade project. He could see how the earnings limit was a disincentive for work for the blind. Our second meeting was with Congresswoman Nancy Boyda. She was pleased and very interested in talking with our youth, Shelby and Andrew, and we shared our issues with her. If she was not fully supportive of our issues she at least showed interest in them. Our third appointment for the day was with Representative Dennis Moore. He, too, was unfamiliar with the quiet car issue, but seemed interested in learning about it. He verbally supported us on the funding of the talking books project and offered to cosponsor the Social Security earnings increase for the blind. The highlight of our meeting with Dennis Moore was probably his playing the guitar while we all sang “This Land Is Your Land”. We then met Todd Tiahrt long enough to shake hands with him and met with his aide in the hallway to discuss our issues.

On Wednesday we met first with Senator Sam Brownback and were able to present our issues to him in a condensed version. Senator Brownback has hired one of our own NFB members, Stacy Cervenca, who we met with after the Senator and had a delightful conversation about the issues that she was quite familiar with and she felt that Senator B, as she called him, would be very interested in and perhaps cosponsoring a bill. Our sixth and final appointment was with Senator Pat Roberts' legislative aides, who asked lots of questions about each of our issues and promised to take our issues to present to the Senator.

We arrived back in Wichita late Wednesday evening and were feeling good about our trip and our participation in the political process. We went as citizens of Kansas with issues that affected us and the blind of Kansas and was given the opportunity to make a difference for blind people in general. If I could wax patriotic for a moment, there are not many countries on this earth where the citizens have the freedom and the right to lobby their legislators to make change for the better. So members, be looking ahead to next year’s Washington D.C. seminar and if you are interested you should get your name in the hat early.

CHAPTER REPORTS

KAW VALLEY CHAPTER

By Raymond Peed

The Kaw Valley Chapter meets on the third Thursday of every month from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. Our meeting is held at Naomi Bowen’s home; located at 1731 Oakland Ave. Kansas City Kansas. We are gearing up for activities in 2008. Spring is a very active time for our involvement with the School for the Blind. The chapter will donate funds to the school to help purchase a Perkins Brailer for the best Braille student and a talking calculator for the best math student at the school. Many of us attend the Awards Assembly and enjoy the opportunity to help recognize these students for their achievement.

We have high hopes that many of us will get to see many of our friends in the Federation at the convention in Dallas. At this time we are uncertain exactly how many from our chapter can make it, but we hope to have good representation from Kaw Valley.

Well that’s about all from us for now. Please remember to drop in and see us if you have the opportunity. We would love to have you.

JOHNSON COUNTY CHAPTER

By Susie Stanzel

The Johnson County Chapter and friends met in my home for a joy filled Christmas celebration. Father Christmas made a surprise appearance. We said since he had come such a long way to be with us the least we could offer was a grand feast. We had much to celebrate. As you have read elsewhere in this issue, Newsline had arrived in Kansas. As you might remember, December was quite a white and icy month. As I recall each weekend greeted us with another bunch of unwanted weather. Those of us who got to the party snuggled around the dining room table and filled up on goodies.

In the last few years the Johnson County Chapter has had its share of people moving away, becoming ill (and a little older), and two members passed away. Those members were Carol Clark who passed away in January of 2006 and Dean Stanzel who passed away in June of last year. Carol and Dean didn’t just come to meetings. Carol had been a member of the federation since the early 1960’s and was our President at the time she died. In 1975 my husband Dean jumped right into the federation when our relationship became serious. Both Carol and Dean were active on the local, state, and national levels of our organization and are greatly missed.

Now, it is time to pick up the pieces and move on. I am the President of our chapter and have been talking to a few people about a reorganizational dinner. It is time to revitalize the chapter. Now it’s your turn. Please give me a call at (913) 339-9114 to tell me of your interest. Don’t be surprised if you hear from me.

SOUTH CENTROL CHAPTER

By Billie Melugin

The South Central Kansas Chapter has been busy this past quarter. Elections were held for officers and the role is now:

Chapter Officers

Member	Position
Billie  Melugin	President
Leonard Silkey	Vice President
Jennifer and Russell Romine	Secretary
Tom Page	Treasurer

We are making plans for speakers to come to our meetings so that we can learn what is going on around Wichita. A new member, Donna Penley, is a retired Parole officer and she is coming in April to share her experience with us. She also owns horses that are for disabled riders. Groups will come to her home and experience the thrill of riding horses.

Our state President is getting us all excited to attend the National Convention in July which, as you know, will be in Dallas. Several of us are planning to attend this year. It helps that it is closer and transportation easier. It would be great for everyone to come.

We have fund-raisers planned for May at some of the Sam’s Clubs around town. And, we have our annual picnic planned for May. So, we do have lots of wonderful things coming up. Have a great Spring!

DOUGLAS COUNTY AREA CHAPTER

By Lynda Canaday

Chapter Officers

Position	Member Name
President:	Lynda canaday
Vice President:	James Canaday: M.A.  (Jim,)
Secretary/Treasurer:	Robert Fuller  (Bob,)

The Douglas County Area Chapter chartered with 5 members on September 16, 2006. We spent that year learning about NFB, advertising our presence in the Lawrence community, building our membership, lobbying our senators for the passage of Newsline and participating in the Candidate’s Forum held for those running for election to the Lawrence Board of Education.

Bob and I had no experience as organization officers. Jim and another member have experience in this area and they graciously coached us through those first meetings, and they still guide us through parliamentary procedure. The late Dean Stanzel and his wife, then NFBK President, Susie Stanzel were present at as many meetings as possible, answering our questions. As the “new kids on the block,” we were grateful for their guidance.

Dean requested and was granted $500.00 as “seed money,” for us during the 2006 state convention. With these funds, we were able to start our advertising campaign. Fliers were designed by sighted members of the chapter. These were distributed to banks, churches, doctor’s offices, retirement communities, the Seniors’ Center, and as many other public places as we could think of.

I sent monthly meeting announcements to Audio Reader which were broadcast on their Community Calendar. Jim was interviewed on KLWN- AM, our local radio station, for the purpose of informing the Lawrence listeners about the federation generally and particularly about the local chapter. Some meeting announcements were published in the “Lawrence Journal World.” Monthly. notices went to KU’s Disability Resources officer who had agreed to get them to the students as privacy laws prevented my obtaining their contact information from her.

The meeting announcements continued to go to the two students who are personal friends of mine and one of them notified the rest of KU’s blind population. That student joined the chapter early in 2007 and actively serves in every capacity she can cram into her already over-booked, very busy schedule. Before the first year ended, we had four new members join the chapter. Three are blind, one is sighted.

We saw our work accomplish its purpose when Newsline service became a reality in July of 2007. Two candidates we had endorsed had been elected to sit on the Board of Education. How much we had learned about NFB is something I can’t quantify in terms of “chapter and verse,” as one would do with a textbook. I am in a “Structure Discovery Program,” learning about the NFB and how it works by my participation in it. In short, I learn to be a “Federationist,” by doing the work of a “Federationist.” I just discovered that as I wrote it just now!

We were growing in wonderful ways, beginning to thrive but not without the pains that accompany such growth. Where to meet is a question that we had to address more than once; having held our first 2 meetings in the public library before moving to Independence Incorporated, where we stayed until their need for classroom space necessitated another meeting location. A new member, (Charlotte Sanford,) opened her door to us during her first meeting in May of 2007, as we discussed what would be the third move for the original five charter members. That offer was made and accepted almost a year ago. We are a small chapter but we are very supportive of each other. Our first year was wonderful but difficult. One couple lost a close relative in Nigeria. The relative had to fire a man who subsequently came to his home and killed him in front of his wife and children. We supported these members in every way possible. Another member had back surgery and Jim was hospitalized three times that summer. We were just recovering our balance after the family’s relative had been killed and the other member’s back surgery when we got the news of Dean’s passing. Next came Jim’s three hospital stays and his surgery and diagnosis of Sarcoidosis. Then, I was hospitalized for an electrolyte imbalance. I was home in time for the meeting and celebration of our first anniversary but Jim was back in the hospital, unable to join the party.

We celebrated our anniversary and our survival on September 15, at Centennial Park with a barbecue picnic. Friends and family came to celebrate with us as did members of the Lawrence community. The barbecue was open to the public and also served as our “Meet The Blind,” month activity. Harold and Muriel Cook, owners/operators of Cook’s Barbecue donated grills and their time, giving the sighted members an on-site crash course in how to use professional grills. Checkers Foods, a local supermarket, owned by Jim and Linda Lewis, donated hot dogs and bratwurst. One of the Lawrence ice cream parlors, Sylas & Maddy’s donation of their fantabulous French Vanilla Ice Cream kept everyone cool. The rest of the meal was pot luck, provided by chapter members and others who brought dishes to share. Exactly who brought what, I cannot say but, I made at least thirty pounds of potato salad in my roasting pan that holds a dressed twenty pound turkey. The pan was filled to capacity. I started with ten pounds of potatoes and eighteen eggs. We were well prepared for a crowd. There were fifteen people who attended the picnic and we made sure that everyone took leftovers home. I took the picnic to Jim as he was lying in the hospital.

I can’t report on what happened in October and November of ’07. I was in the hospital during those meetings. However, I did learn that the chapter can grow under the leadership of our very capable Vice President, my husband, James Canaday. A new member joined during my absence, bringing our membership to ten.

As I have been typing this report, I have just learned that we have very recently lost one of our members, bringing our total back to 9 members. Our newest member, Charlotte Sanford has died of Cancer. From June of 2007 through March of 2008, she warmly welcomed us into the dining room of her retirement community for meetings. Charlotte’s greeting was as warm as the hot coffee and refreshments she always had waiting for us. She volunteered her home as a possible meeting place before her first meeting was over and before her membership dues had been handed to Bob, our Secretary/Treasurer. Charlotte was a Federationist from the minute she walked in the meeting room door, in the all too brief time she was with us. We will miss her.

Our focus will be securing a new place to meet. Then, we will concentrate on finding ways to do fund-raising. And so, again, the Lawrence chapter will be looking for yet another meeting place. As you have seen by what is written here, we will comfort and support each other as we pull through and survive another tragedy. And survive and thrive, we will.

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