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THE PROGRESSIVE VOICE
ACB OF SOUTH CAROLINA
September 1999 News Letter
OFFICERS
President: Patsy Jones: Columbia
(803) 791-3368
First Vice President: Karen Bays:
Charleston (843) 571-2778
Second Vice President: Susan Jones: Charleston (843) 577-6670
Secretary: Gwynette Hatcher: Charleston
(843) 766-0528
Treasurer: Todd Turansky: Augusta, GA
(706) 868-5832
The American Council of the Blind is the nation's leading membership
organization of blind and visually impaired people. It was founded in 1961
and incorporated in the District of Columbia.
The Council strives to improve the well-being of all blind and visually
impaired people by: serving as a representative national organization of
blind people; elevating the social, economic and cultural levels of blind
people; improving educational and rehabilitation facilities and
opportunities; cooperating with the public and private institutions and
organizations concerned with blind services; encouraging and assisting all
blind persons to develop their abilities and conducting a public education
program to promote greater understanding of blindness and the capabilities
of blind people.
A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
Hi, Again, ACB Members and Friends,
Welcome to another edition of the newsletter of the American Council of the
Blind of South Carolina. I truly hope you are finding this newsletter
informative and helpful.
First, I want to thank the state organization for the kind gift of funds
given to Susan and myself to help defray the expenses in attending the
national ACB convention in Los Angeles, California last July. It was an
outstanding convention. We enjoyed it a lot and learned a lot of things
that will be helpful to us here in South Carolina.
I must tell you that one of the most interesting things I learned at the
Convention concerns the remarkable singing talents of our second vice
president. I had heard that Susan had a great voice, but I didn't have any
idea just how good she really is. I think she was the hit of the
Performing Arts Showcase. Before she was even halfway through her solo, the
crowd was screaming and clapping for her. Unfortunately, the 1999
Performing Arts Showcase disks and cassette tapes will not be available for
sale until the 2000 national convention. SO SAVE YOUR PENNIES AND NICKELS
FRIENDS AND BE READY TO BUY IN LOUISVILLE!
On Sunday, July 4, I attended a meeting concerning membership development.
The meeting was conducted by ACB members Kim Charlson and Debbie Grubb. We
divided into groups and discussed different issues from our state
affiliates regarding membership growth, and how we believed we could be
helped by the National Office. The group came up with five different
suggested items that we believed the National Office could do to help us
increase membership in the affiliates. I should be receiving a copy of
this list of suggestions shortly and will elaborate on them at our business
meeting at the state convention in November.
By the way, enclosed with this edition of the newsletter is registration
information for the convention. Please complete your registration form and
turn it in promptly. We need to know numbers attending the convention as
soon as possible. If you have any questions concerning registration or the
Convention hotel, please contact Robert Rogers (803 732-3277) or John
Harden (803 796-4887), the hotel and registration coordinators.
I need to make one more announcement about the hotel and the State
Convention. The hotel has been very specific about having "no smoking" in
the meeting rooms. If anyone needs to take a smoke break, please step into
the atrium just outside the meeting room and catch a smoke and then return
to the meeting. I know that this ruling may be offensive to some of our
members, but the hotel has been firm in its position. Please remember that
there are many more non smokers around now than there are smokers and most
non smokers are avid about smokers not smoking in closed in areas.
One of the big issues discussed at the national convention was
transportation and pedestrian safety. The national ACB is encouraging all
state affiliates to take a stand on these issues. A new federal
transportation law has some excellent regulations concerning pedestrian
safety. There is now lots of money available to cities and states to allow
for improvements in this area. Many people in the blindness communities
across the nation are working on this issue. If you have any unsafe street
crossings in your town, be sure to contact the South Carolina State
Department of Transportation. Mr. Tom Dodds is the state coordinator of
pedestrian and bicycle safety. He would love to hear from you. He can be
reached at (803) 737-1052. It would also be a good idea to meet with your
local city and town transportation officials to let them know that you are
aware of the new regulations and that you expect them to sincerely consider
these regulations when making decisions regarding sidewalk construction,
curb cuts, installation of traffic lights and the like. Even small towns
can make changes. The funds are available to them, so there is no excuse
for them not to follow the regulations.
Another issue that the ACB of SC must continue to keep informed on is the
situation at the Commission for the Blind. The new interim commissioner is
not very knowledgeable about blindness matters and neither are most of the
new Commission Board members. Even several of the visually impaired
members admit that they have little knowledge about agency services. It is
up to us to educate them and to encourage them to take a strong stand on
improving Commission services.
The Commission Board has worked with the state personnel department in
developing a position description for the new commissioner. They are very
much aware that finding a good strong commissioner is not going to be an
easy task. This is especially true since the Mrs. Miller fiasco.
This year's Ellen Beach Mack Scholarship winner is Mr. Justin Griffin a
student at the Columbia International University. Mr. Griffin has
retinitis pigmentosa and is almost totally blind. He hopes to be able to
attend the Convention in November and thank all of you personally for the
scholarship. We presented him with the $1000 check at the August board
meeting in Columbia. Mr. Griffin stated that the money would go directly
to CIU to complete his tuition payment for the Fall semester. We had some
outstanding candidates for the scholarship this year and making a decision
on a winner was very difficult.
The Awards committee is now taking nominations for our traditional awards.
The Marvin S. Lowe Award is presented to a sighted person or persons in
recognition of the work they have done voluntarily to assist ACB in the
local chapter or who has done much to improve the quality of life for blind
folks statewide. The Archie D. Kraft award is presented to a blind
individual who has contributed much to an ACB chapter, the state chapter or
just for blind people throughout the state.
This year the Board has agreed to the creation of two new awards. We
haven't quite got the name of the awards down yet, but one is for
professionals in the field of blindness and visual impairments who has made
significant contributions to the well-being of these folks throughout the
state. The other award is for professionals not in the field of blindness
and visual impairment who through their actions have increased the
knowledge and awareness of issues related to the well being of blind and
visually impaired individuals. The awards committee eagerly awaits your
nominations. You can find out which of our members make up this committee
and how to contact them in another area of this newsletter.
This year, all of the state offices are open for nominations. A couple of
board positions need to be filled as well. Please contact the members of
this nominations committee and give them your choices for any or all of
these positions. You can find the nominations committee member list
elsewhere in this newsletter. If you have any issues you wish to have
discussed in our business meeting on Sunday morning during the Convention,
please let me hear from you as soon as possible. I know I speak for the
members of the Board and your state officers in saying that we are eager to
hear from you. It is very helpful to hear what you think the ACB of SC
should be doing to help you and other blind folks. I HOPE TO SEE YOU IN
NOVEMBER! God be with you and bless you always.
Patsy Jones, President
MEMORANDUM FROM THE HOME OFFICE
From: Charles H. Crawford: Executive Director
Re: White Cane Safety Day strategic considerations
Date: September 4, 1999.
There is little doubt that the American intersection is becoming more and
more hazardous to blind pedestrians. In one week alone there were 5
incidents of persons struck by motor vehicles with 1 killed, 1 critically
injured and expected to be in the hospital for up to a year, 1 suffering a
broken knee with his dog guide more seriously injured, and 2 with lesser
injuries, but never-the-less having been at risk of greater harm.
One classic counter measure taken by blind people over the years has been
calling public attention to the white cane laws that are present in state
statutes. This strategy has been very productive, but has become more
obscure and less effective of late. The primary reasons for the decreased
impact of white cane laws has been the dated nature of their existence, a
complacent blindness community, and the rise of other public interests that
have over shadowed this law of critical concern to blind folks.
The American Council of the blind must now regenerate public attention to
October 15, as white cane safety day as an important component to our
overall pedestrian safety strategy. Here are some ideas you may wish to
incorporate into your white cane safety day activities.
Who should be involved?
At a minimum, every state affiliate should be involved. Working with
special interest affiliates, other interested blindness groups, larger
pedestrian safety interest groups, and even church or civic groups can be a
plus if they are committed to advancing the pedestrian safety interests of
blind people.
Volunteers and individual members can also be of real assistance in an
affiliate coordinated campaign.
What are we trying to say?
Getting the message clear on what you want to tell folks is real important
to the success of your campaign. Let folks know that approximately 5,500
pedestrians in the United States are killed each year in pedestrian
accidents and a disproportionate amount of them are blind. Tell them about
how ACB has reported the 5 blind folks in a week being either killed,
seriously injured or hurt by being struck by motor vehicles. Remind them
of your state white cane law and its provisions. Describe dangerous
pedestrian situations at the local level. Tell them how blind folks must
often rely upon our hearing to make good judgements which may not work with
newer cars and especially with the advent of electric vehicles which may
not make much noise at all. Tell them about people you know who were
struck and what happened to them and their families. Tell them that white
cane safety day is everyday. Tell them that white cane safety day is for
pedestrian safety and that everyone from kids to elderly folks benefit from
attention to this fact.
What is the best way to get the story out?
Send letters to your local and state elected and appointed officials asking
them to participate in media events where they would take a cane and try to
cross a busy intersection. Make sure that you advise the media including
TV, Radio, Newspapers and news wire services of events where the public
officials agree to do it. Get a few members to go and witness the event.
Be ready to talk about white cane safety day to the officials and the media.
Another way to get the word out is to meet with editorial boards of larger
newspapers or the editors of home town or smaller papers. Tell them of
your affiliate concerns and ask them to endorse White Cane Safety day and
do a story on it or write an editorial.
You can also have members write or talk with their local church people to
present a sermon about community and our responsibility to each other as
evidenced by white cane safety day or pedestrian safety issues.
Finally, you can get in touch with parent teachers associations or other
community groups to have them take on a project for white cane safety day.
How to make it all work.
It's important to consider who will be responsible for what? A planning or
steering committee of the affiliate can design the scope of what the
affiliate would be able to do and assign responsibilities to various parts
of the affiliate for implementation. One or more members will need to
monitor progress and assist folks where problems come up. This needs to be
a project that the affiliate can get done with the resources it has. It
does not have to be the pedestrian safety campaign of the century. The
important thing is to have a chain of responsibilities and make sure folks
are only given enough to do that they realistically can get done.
What happens next?
Follow up is real important . If we get the attention of groups or
politicians then we can work with them to advance a model state law for
pedestrian safety. We can further get their help with other projects and
activities of the affiliate. We could even get financial contributions to
further our efforts.
Finally, remember thank you notes! There is the need to thank all who have
helped. Whether it is a lone member who writes to his or her local
newspaper or the Governor taking the message seriously, we need to make
sure they are thanked for their effort. These are the soldiers in a battle
for the pedestrian safety of blind people and together we can win. Let's
be thankful for everything we all do and let me be the first to thank you
for reading this and getting your affiliate moving to make the difference
for all of us.
Should you need any further assistance from the national office or have any
ideas to share with us, then please call and let us hear from you!
ACB CONVENTION UPDATE
November 5, 6, and 7: Reserve these dates for the 1999 annual convention
of ACB-SC. Bigger and better than ever and thanks to the hard work of the
convention committees a real money saver. The convention theme this year
is Positive Motions.
The program committee has an exciting program starting out with our
keynote speaker, Brian Charlson, ACB first Vice President. After the
luncheon there will be special interest meetings for those interested in
Guide Dogs led by Brian Charlson's wife, Kim; the Internet led by John
Harden; Blind Veterans Lonnie Thompson; and maybe something that is still
being planned.
We will be convening this year at Travel Lodge Suites, 1539 Horseshoe
Drive, Columbia. For reservations call 803-736-1600. Regular rooms are
$39.95 and suites are $49.95 Single, Double, Triple, or Quad. The price of
the room includes a full breakfast. Reservations must be made before
October, 5th so make plans today to attend.
The convention registration fee of $45.00 will include your sit down
luncheon and full service banquet. We will have a surprise luncheon
speaker and a talent showcase at the banquet. After the banquet you can
plan on our annual auction.
The Travel Lodge Suites is conveniently located at the intersection of I-20
and Highway 1 in Columbia's northeast section. Leave I-20 at exit 74 and
if you are coming into Columbia on I-26 take I-77 north to exit 17 which is
Highway 1 (Two Notch Road.)
CHARLESTON CHAPTER NEWS
The Charleston chapter has had a busy summer. In June we held our annual picnic and pool party at the home of Harold and Emily Elrod. It was well
attended and everyone had a good time.
In August Ms Harris Mack who is with the South Carolina Commission for the Blind Children's Program was our guest speaker. The Charleston Chapter has
worked with Ms Mack in the past to identify a blind child we can sponsor at
Christmas time.
The Charleston chapter has also been active in working on transportation
issues here in the Low Country. Recently there was controversy over the
bus hours. It had been decided that the city bus service would end at 6
PM. Tel-A-Ride would have to follow suit with their hours. Several of the
members attended a public hearing and spoke out in regard to this issue.
Members also attended a CARTA (Charleston Area Rapid Transit Association)
board meeting.
We are pleased to announce that CARTA has kept the schedule at similar
times as before. Some routes will be changed but Tel-A-Ride will not be
effected.
Susan Jones has also been doing some advocacy work. She recently attended
a meeting of mayors of across the State of South Carolina. While at that
meeting she shared information about audible traffic signals with several
of the participants.
Editor's note: Congratulations to the Members of the Charleston chapter
of ACB on their work with CARTA. This is just another example of what a
few dedicated people can do.
GREENWOOD AREA NEWS
The Upper Savannah Regional chapter of the American Council of the Blind
(Greenwood chapter) has been active for the past few months.
We are still taking part in the community Food Bank. We have been able to
help a few families that are less fortunate than ourselves. This really
did give us a good feeling as it has been a long time since we have been
able to help others. Helping others really makes life worth living.
We all gathered at the home of Joyce and Keith Moreland for a social. We enjoyed a
meal of hot dogs and ice cream. After eating we all played Bingo, talked,
and had a good time.
We are planning a fund raiser to be held October first. We will be selling
hot dogs and ice cream at Wal-Mart. If you are in the area come out and
help us enjoy the day.
So long for now. The Greenwood Chapter.
COLUMBIA CHAPTER NEWS
During the past few months the Columbia chapter of ACB has been actively
working toward a safer environment for pedestrians. Toward this goal we
have had Tom Dodds from the State Department of Transportation speak to us
and get input from us on what we need. If any one would like to talk with
Tom he can be reached at 803-737-1052
One of our members, Neil Morehead, has been working with the State
Department of Transportation to get an audible traffic signal installed
outside Richland Fashion Mall. The light has been installed. Now Neil is
working with DOT to get tactile cross walk lines at the same crossing since
it is necessary to walk across the street at a forty-five degree angle to
avoid the side street and a storm sewer. Tom Dodds has assured us that
this work will be done. Neil was also in the lead news story on channel 19
news. He and guide dog Andy were shown using the new audible traffic
signal. He also wrote a letter to the editor and was published in The
State paper. The letter was about what the white cane and guide dog mean
to motorists. Now I leave it up to you, Is the Columbia chapter busy or is
Neil? Thanks Neil.
Another member, Nancy Burtron, has written a brochure that we are having
produced and will be distributing to the ophthalmologists' office waiting
rooms in Columbia. It tells about the work of ACB and gives names and
phone numbers of the ACB chapter presidents in South Carolina. Thanks to
Nancy for an excellent job.