KCB NEWS
August, 2019
Published by the
Kentucky Council of the Blind
148 Vernon Avenue
Louisville, KY 40206
Phone: (502) 895-4598
e-mail: kcb@kentucky-acb.org
Facebook: kcbonline
Twitter: @KYCouncilBlind
Website: www.kentucky-acb.info
President: Debbie Deatherage
Editors: Rick Boggess and Carla Ruschival
ACB ELCTS NEW LEADERS
Kim Charlson (Watertown, MA), ACB’s first woman president, was elected at the Columbus (OH) convention in 2013. She has been a great leader for the past six years, but her term was up this July and it was time to elect a new president.
ACB’s new leaders, elected in Rochester (NY) this July, are: President, Dan Spoone (FL); first vice president, Mark Richert (VA); Second Vice President, Ray Campbell (IL); Secretary, Denise Colley (WA); and Treasurer, David Trott (AL). Donna Brown (WV) filled a one-year unexpired term as a Director on the ACB Board which became available when Denise Colley moved up to Secretary.
Dan Spoone appointed Deb Cook Lewis (WA) as the new chair of the ACB Board of Publications, and so Zelda Gephart (ND) was elected to fill Deb’s seat on the BOP.
AIRA FREE FOR ALL
You’ve probably heard about Aira, the service that uses your smartphone to connect you with a live agent who can see your surroundings using your phone’s camera. The agent can help with many different tasks, such as reading mail, screens on gym equipment, or instructions on packages; matching clothes; sorting cans of food; finding a dropped item on the floor; locating a room in an office building; and so much more.
Aira has been available for some time as a subscription service – usually about $1 a minute, depending on your plan. Aira Access has given free service in several airports and retail locations such as all Walgreens and AT&T stores.
But now anyone can use Aira for free! You can make short calls (five minutes or less) to Aira all day, every day, for free. Just make sure you have the latest version of the free Aira app on your iPhone or Android smartphone, set up your free account or choose a subscription if you want to use Aira for longer tasks as well, and you’re good to go.
For more information, visit www.aira.io or call them at (800) 835-1934.
TWO NEW ACCESSIBLE PHONES
There are two new cell phones with lots of accessibility features, including tactile keypads. The Lucia phone, which costs $299, is unlocked and works on US carriers GSM networks such as AT&T and T-Mobile. For more information, contact RAZ Mobility at 1-800-729-0083 or visit www.razmobility.com.
This fall BlindShell is expected to make the BlindShell Classic available through U.S. distributors. According to Sam Seavey, BlindShell representative, the phone has lots of built-in features and apps and works on GSM networks; it should cost around $349. For more information visit www.blindshell.com.
Important: Neither phone is a smartphone. You cannot add apps to these phones. According to Sam Seavey, BlindShell will be adding new features to its phone, but he says that apps such as Aira and Be My Eyes cannot be included because the phone does not have a high-quality camera required for such apps to work.
NEW KCB TECH GRANTS
The Kentucky Council of the Blind is proud to announce a great opportunity for its members. We will award up to $500.00 to assist members with purchasing assistive technology devices or services.
Whether it is a computer or other electronic device, software, or subscription service, KCB may be able to help you through its grant program.
Please note that only new items will be considered for a grant and all applications are due by Oct 1, 2019. For program requirements and an application, please contact Scholarship and Technology Grants Chair Matt Selm at 859-802-1358 or by e-mail at mpselm@gmail.com.
HOW ACCESSIBLE IS YOUR SCHOOL?
Have you recently attended, or are you currently attending, one of the 16 colleges in the Kentucky Community Technical College system (KCTCS)? If you have attended a KCTCS school, have you faced significant accessibility issues that have prevented you from either passing courses or completing your degree?
If you answered “yes” to these questions, KCB would like to hear about your experiences. Please call us at (502) 895-4598 or email us at kcb@kentucky-acb.org to share your experiences.
ACB’S NEW STAFF
Cindy Van Winkle is the American Council of the Blind’s new Membership Services Coordinator, based in the Minneapolis office.
Since 2016 Cindy has served as Development and Community Outreach Coordinator at the Seattle Lighthouse for the Blind. She has been an active ACB member for over 30 years. She has served as President of the Washington Council of the Blind, has chaired the ACB Leadership Institute Committee, played a major role in the ACB summer auction since it began in 2007, and much more.
PILL BOTTLES THAT TALK
At the ACB conference and convention in Rochester, En-Vision America and Walmart announced that ScripTalk will be available on request at all Wal-Mart and Sams Club locations nationwide.
ScripTalk is a small, battery operated device that reads prescription information out loud from a special label placed on the medicine bottle by the pharmacist. Participating pharmacies, such as Wal-mart, Sams Club and others, provide the unit at no charge to their customers upon request. ScripTalk is very easy to use; it does not require any computer knowledge or technology skills.
For more information, contact En-Vision America at (800) 890-1180 or visit www.envisionamerica.com.
NEW LOW VISION SUPPORT GROUPS
Do you have vision problems due to diabetes, glaucoma, macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa etc.? Do you wonder if it is possible to handle everyday tasks around the house, to use your computer or phone, or to enjoy a favorite movie or hobby? Do you sometimes feel as if you are the only person out there with a vision problem?
The Kentucky Council of Citizens with Low Vision sponsors in-person and telephone support groups that let you share tips and ideas for living with low vision. Programs sometimes include speakers and product demonstrations; they always include tips, information and a chance to discover low-vision devices and services that might be helpful to you.
KCCLV’s new telephone support groups meet the first and third Wednesday of each month at 8:00 PM Eastern; you can join the calls, no
matter where you live. Just dial 669-900-6833 and enter code 3572595193; everyone is welcome.
KCCLV also holds in-person support groups from 1:30 to 3:30 PM on the second and fourth Thursday of each month at United Crescent Hill Ministries in Louisville. Again, all are welcome.
For more information, call us at 502-895-4598.
2019 KCB STATE CONVENTION
The 46th annual Kentucky Council of the Blind conference and convention will be November 15 – 16 at United Crescent Hill Ministries, 150 S. State Street in Louisville. Sarah Conrad, member of the ACB Board of Directors and president of the Council of Citizens with Low Vision International, will be our official ACB guest. The weekend will be packed with exhibits, technology, workshops and information. And of course there will be good food, fun and friends.
Hotel accommodations are available at the nearby Ramada Inn North, 1041 Zorn Avenue. KCB will provide Uber and Lyft rides upon request between the hotel and conference site. Room rates are $79 a night plus tax for up to 4 people in a room. Included with your room are free wi-fi and free breakfast. Call the Ramada at (502) 897-5101 to make reservations by October 26; be sure to let them know you are with the Kentucky Council of the Blind to receive our discounted rate.
Convention details and pre-registration information will be in the mail and posted on-line by mid-October.
ACB RECOGNIZES OBJECTIVEED
The American Council of the Blind presented the 2019 Vernon Henley Media Award to ObjectiveEd for “developing accessible educational games that help blind students learn a variety of useful skills”. ObjectiveEd aims to provide teachers and kids with a suite of learning games accessible to all vision levels, along with tools to track and promote progress. This new venture is being guided by Marty Schultz, the creator of Blindfold Games, a company that has made nearly 100 iPhone games for the blind and visually impaired.
According to Schultz, “Most teachers report an increase in student engagement when using educational video games. Gamification works because students own their learning. They have the freedom to fail, and try again, until they succeed. By doing this, students discover intrinsic motivation and learn without realizing it.”
Schultz says teachers already use Blindfold Games as rewards and for practicing key skills. This information led him to partner with several groups to try to determine whether games based on the Expanded Core Curriculum would be a viable business model. Based on input, he formed a new company, ObjectiveEd, whose objective will be to make learning more fun for visually impaired students.
The games, which will be based on the goals and objectives in the student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP), will be stored in a secure cloud to allow ongoing evaluation of progress in real time and to permit necessary adjustments to difficulty levels.
The plan now is to finalize and test the interface and build out the games library. With luck, in a year or two, visually impaired students might have a new platform for education and fun.
Find Marty’s games, such as BlindFold Barnyard, BlindFold Crazy Eights, BlindFold Pinball, Blindfold Bowling, and Ears Word Cookie and much more in the iTunes store. Download one app and open it to find a complete list of available games.
NEW SCHEDULE FOR SOUND PRINTS
There’s a new broadcast schedule for Sound Prints, KCB’s weekly audio magazine filled with features, articles, news and information about blindness and visual impairment.
ACB RADIO – Sound Prints used to be heard on Sunday night and throughout the day on Monday on ACB Radio’s Mainstream channel. Now it has new days and new times. Here’s the schedule; all times are Eastern.
Thursday – 10:00 PM; new show posted for the week
Friday – 1:00 AM, 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM
Sunday – 8:00 PM and 11:00 PM
Monday – 8:00 AM and 11:00 AM
Wednesday – 4:00 AM, 7:00 AM, 4:00 PM and 7:00 PM
To listen, visit www.acbradio.org/mainstream, listen through the ACB Link app on your iPhone or the ACB Radio Mainstream skill on your Alexa device, or by calling (605) 475-8130 and pressing 1.
PODCAST – The new Sound Prints podcast for the week is now posted on Wednesday evening instead of Sunday. Don’t miss a single show; subscribe to the podcast on your Victor Reader Stream, in the iTunes store or on the KCB website at www.kentucky-acb.org.
CD DISTRIBUTION – Free subscriptions are available on audio CD, playable on any standard CD player. The new show for the week is mailed to subscribers on the Monday or Tuesday before the podcast is posted so that these listeners receive their CD’s about the same time as others hear the show on the Internet.
For more information, call us at (502) 895-4598 or visit our website at www.kentucky-acb.org.
JUST A PHONE CALL AWAY
Take part in these regular monthly events, no matter where you live; no transportation needed. All times are Eastern. To join calls, dial the number shown, enter the call code and then press the pound key. Please note that these are not toll-free numbers.
GUIDE DOG USERS OF KENTUCKIANA – meeting and support; open to all. Fourth Monday; 7:00 PM. 605-475-6006, code 294444
KENTUCKY COUNCIL OF CITIZENS WITH LOW VISION – telephone support groups with tips, ideas, and resources on living with low vision. First and third Wednesdays; 8:00 PM. Chapter business meeting, first Tuesday; 8:00 PM. 669-900-6833, code 3572595193
KCB NEXT GENERATION – meeting for everyone 40 and under. Second Sunday; 8:00 PM. 669-900-6833, code 3572595193
NORTHERN KENTUCKY COUNCIL OF THE BLIND – chapter meeting. Second Wednesday; 7:00 PM. 605-475-4700, code 155619
AMERICAN COUNCIL OF BLIND LIONS – for visually impaired Lions from all states. First Thursday; 9:00 PM. 712-432-3900, code 796096
ACB FAMILIES – meeting and program, second Sunday; family support group, fourth Sunday. Both at 9:00 PM. 712-432-3900, code 796096
ACB NEXT GENERATION – Saturday Night Live Chat, fourth Saturday; affiliate organizational meeting, fourth Tuesday; both at 8:00 PM. 669-900-8033, enter code 3572595193
IN-PERSON CHAPTER EVENTS
GREATER LOUISVILLE COUNCIL OF THE BLIND – weekly Roundabouts include one-on-one help with low vision skills, notetakers, iPhones, braille, genealogy, crafts etc.; group time for speakers, tips and resources; dinner, games, and peer support. Fridays, 3:30 to 9:30 PM; United Crescent Hill Ministries in Louisville. Call (502) 895-4598 to sign up.
KENTUCKY COUNCIL OF CITIZENS WITH LOW VISION – low vision support group; second and fourth Thursdays, 1:30 to 3:30 PM; United Crescent Hill Ministries in Louisville. Call (502) 895-4598 for more information.
SUPPORT ALLIANCE OF THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED (Owensboro) – chapter meeting; second Tuesday, 1:00 to 3:00 PM Central; Wesleyan Heights United Methodist Church, 1215 Scherm Road in Owensboro. Additional activities, such as iPhone accessibility workshops and bowling, also available. Call 270-684-4418 or 270-686-8689 for more information.
TRI-STATE LIBRARY USERS – Page Turners, a chance to share good books, followed by a dinner meeting; fourth Friday, 5:30 PM, at the Greater Louisville Council Roundabout, United Crescent Hill Ministries in Louisville. Call (502) 895-4598 for details.
KCB BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President: Debbie Deatherage, Louisville; second term
First Vice President: Josh Gentry, Louisville; first term
Second Vice President: Gerry Slusher, Covington; second term
Secretary: Natalie Couch, Louisville
Treasurer: Carla Ruschival, Louisville
Immediate Past President: Deb Lewis, Louisville
Directors: Joey Couch, Louisville, first term; Sheryl Lott, Owensboro, first term; Jonathon McCarty, Louisville, first term; Amanda Selm, Louisville, second term; Bill Wright, Louisville, first term
Chapter Representatives: Frank Campbell, Eastern Kentucky, Hardshell; David Smith, Greater Louisville, Louisville; Josh Gentry, Guide Dog Users of Kentuckiana, Louisville; Winter Renfrow, Kentucky Council of Citizens with Low Vision, Horse Branch; Matt Selm, KCB Next Generation, Louisville; Gerry Slusher, Northern Kentucky, Covington; Bill Roberts, Support Alliance of the Visually Impaired, Owensboro; Adam Ruschival, Tri-state Library Users, Louisville
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