KCB NEWS
February, 2020
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
Website: www.kentucky-acb.info
President: Debbie Deatherage
Editors: Rick Boggess and Carla Ruschival
CROSSROADS 2020
The Kentucky Council of the Blind is planning a one-day Crossroads training on Saturday, April 25 at United Crescent Hill Ministries in Louisville. The day will begin with a continental breakfast at 9:00 AM Eastern, and conclude with dinner that evening. Participants will perfect specific skills that will help us strengthen and grow our chapters and organizations. The day will be packed with activities and practical information you can use, and you will receive takeaways that will help you keep your skills sharp throughout the year.
Crossroads details will be posted on the KCB website and on the kcbnews email list as soon as they are available. For more information, call us at 502-895-4598 or email kcb@kentucky-acb.org.
JOIN THE KCB TEAM
KCB and its chapters help people with vision loss learn about services, products and resources that improve their daily lives. Our free weekly audio magazine, our website, our Facebook page, our newsletter, our in-person and telephone support groups, and our chapter meetings and programs all combine to touch the lives of people with vision loss throughout the state.
The power of numbers and working together is clear. Together we are advocating for Medicare coverage of low-vision devices. Together we are making it safer for blind people to travel in their local communities. Together we are increasing the number of movies and DVD’s and TV programs with audio description. Together we are helping to make technology, websites, and electronic books more accessible to blind and visually impaired people.
Help us make a difference. Take a few minutes to complete the enclosed form and be part of the KCB team; blind, visually impaired, and sighted Kentuckians are welcome. Dues are only $8.00 for one year or $40.00 for a life membership.
If you are already a 2020 or life member of our team, you can use the form to update your contact information, join one or more KCB chapters, make a donation to support our good work, and update your newsletter, Sound Prints and ACB Braille Forum subscriptions.
Checks for dues and/or donations should be made payable to KCB. Mail, along with your completed form, in the enclosed self-addressed envelope; be sure to add a stamp. Or pay by credit card via phone; just call (502) 895-4598.
Help us touch lives and reach our goals. Together Everyone Accomplishes More.
KCB EMAIL LIST CHANGES
In response to reader requests, KCB has made major changes to its email lists.
The kcbnews list brings you publications such as the KCB newsletter and keep you updated on ACB, KCB and chapter meetings and activities. Watch for one or two messages each day; it’s a great way to stay in the know about what’s going on. Subscribe by sending a blank email to kcbnews-subscribe@kentucky-acb.org.
Join the new kcb-articles list to receive press releases and selected articles each day. Topics range from travel and transportation to new products to research, legislation and regulations of interest to people who are blind or visually impaired. Join the list by sending a blank message to kcb-articles-subscribe@kentucky-acb.org.
CONTINUING ED CREDITS AT ACB
Rehabilitation teachers and counselors, teachers of the visually impaired, low vision therapists, orientation and mobility instructors, and others can earn continuing education credits at the 2020 ACB Conference and Convention. Credits will be offered for a wide range of programs, workshops, seminars, and other events presented by ACB and its committees, special-interest affiliates, and representatives of government agencies and private industry. Subjects may include employment, technology, orientation and mobility, self-advocacy, braille, low vision issues, daily living skills, social skills etc.
Programs offering CE credits will begin on Friday, July 3 and continue through Wednesday, July 8. A complete list of CE sessions will be posted on the ACB website (www.acb.org) as soon as it is available.
Sign up for CE’s when you register for the convention. Pre-registration opens for ACB members on May 21, and for all others on May 28. For more information, contact Carla Ruschival, CE Chair, by phone at (877) 630-7190 or by email at continuingeducation@acb.org.
KCB STIPEND FOR ACB CONVENTION
The 2020 ACB convention is July 3 to July 10 in Schaumburg, a suburb of Chicago. The week will be packed with an amazing line-up of programs, workshops and seminars, exhibits, tours and events. Networking, friends, fun – it’s all part of this incredible week designed especially for people with vision loss.
A national convention is a fabulous experience, and KCB wants to help our members be there. A major cost of attending a convention is the hotel. Room rates at the Renaissance Convention Center Hotel are $94/night plus tax; up to four people per room.
KCB will cover up to seven nights lodging (double occupancy) at the Renaissance Hotel for anyone who is a KCB one-year or life member by March 13 and satisfies attendance requirements set forth by the KCB board of Directors. Whether you can attend two days or the entire week, we want you to be there.
For more details about how you can go to Schaumburg with KCB, call us at 502-895-4598.
If you are not a member of KCB, or if you do not wish to receive the KCB hotel stipend, you can make reservations at the convention hotel by calling (847) 303-4100. Be sure to mention you are with the American Council of the Blind to receive the convention rate.
Convention pre-registration opens May 21. Visit www.acb.org for more details.
FIRST-TIMERS AND LEADERSHIP FELLOWS
Two ACB members, one from east and one from west of the Mississippi River, who have never attended an ACB national convention will be selected to attend the 2020 ACB conference and convention in Schaumburg, IL as Durward K. McDaniel First-timers. Five other individuals will be chosen as JPMorgan Chase Leadership Fellows, and will also attend the convention as guests of ACB. Each First-timer and Leadership Fellow will receive round-trip airfare, hotel accommodations (double occupancy), per diem meal allowance, and convention registration fee. First-timers and Leadership Fellows are expected to attend the entire convention and participate in all general sessions; tickets are also provided for required selected events, such as the ACB banquet.
Applicants must be age 18 or older, be blind or visually impaired, and be a member in good standing of ACB. Applicants are expected to be actively involved in their local chapter, state or special-interest affiliate, and in their community.
Several KCB members have been DKM First-Timers in the past, including Bill Wright (2001, Des Moines, IA), Eric Frey (2002, Houston, TX), Darren Harbour (2006, Jacksonville, FL), and Shirley Cain (2015, Dallas, TX). Debbie Deatherage (2016, Minneapolis, MN) and Amanda Selm (2019, Rochester, NY) were both outstanding Leadership Fellows from Kentucky.
To apply, submit a letter introducing yourself and the work you have done in your chapter, KCB and community. Ask Debbie Deatherage, KCB president, to write a letter of recommendation for you. All letters must be submitted to Kelly Gasque in the ACB National Office by April 3. Applicants will be interviewed by phone by the ACB DKM First-timers Committee in mid-April. Winners will be selected in late April.
For more information contact the KCB office at 502-895-4598.
ACB AUDIO DESCRIPTION PROJECT
Are you missing out on the action in movies? Do you wonder what’s so special about a famous painting or national monument? Are you frustrated when there’s no information about visual details during live events?
The American Council of the Blind (ACB) and its Audio Description Project (ADP) bring more meaning and enjoyment to entertainment, cultural, and educational experiences for blind and visually impaired people. Audio Description – live or as a voiceover narrative – makes visual imagery accessible to people who are blind or visually impaired. The Audio Description Project promotes and advocates for the use of high-quality audio description in television, movies, performing arts, museums, educational materials and other venues where visual media is critical to the understanding and appreciation of the content. These visual elements can include action, costumes, settings, gestures, facial expressions and other important images.
The Audio Description Project maintains a list of described DVDs, broadcast television, movies, performing arts, museums, and national parks on the ADP website at www.acb.org/adp. As the only repository of all audio described titles on DVD and the video streaming services (Amazon, iTunes, Apple TV+, Disney+, Netflix etc.), the ADP has created a master index of ALL the titles. This index allows you to look up any movie or TV series to see if it is available anywhere for purchase or with a subscription.
3368 described videos are now available. For an up-to-date and complete list of audio described programs and information about the Aduio Description Prplect, visit www.acb.org/adp.
LOW VISION SUPPORT GROUPS
Do you have vision problems due to diabetes, glaucoma, macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa etc.? Do you have questions about how to handle everyday tasks around the house, use your computer or phone, or enjoy a favorite movie or hobby? Does it seem 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 telephone support groups meet the first and third Wednesday of each month at 8:00 PM Eastern; join the calls, no matter where you live, by dialing (669) 900-6833 and entering the code 3572595193.
KCCLV’s in-person support groups meet from 1:30 to 3:30 PM on the second and fourth Thursday of each month at United Crescent Hill Ministries in Louisville. For more information, call us at (502) 895-4598.
SOUND PRINTS AUDIO MAGAZINE
Sound Prints is KCB’s weekly audio magazine filled with features, articles, news and information about blindness and visual impairment. Listen on your iPhone, Alexa device, Victor Stream, telephone, or computer. Visit www.kentucky-acb.org for details, or call us at (502) 895-4598.
Sound Prints is available on audio CD; request a free subscription by calling (502) 895-4598.
MEETINGS BY PHONE
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. (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 – program and support, first Sunday; meeting, third 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) 900-6833, enter code 3572595193
IN-PERSON 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. Call (270) 684-4418 or (270) 686-8689 for information.
TRI-STATE LIBRARY USERS – Page Turners, 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: Shirley Cain, Bellevue, first term; Joey Couch, Louisville, second term; Sheryl Lott, Owensboro, second term; Jonathon McCarty, Louisville, second term; Bill Wright, Louisville, second term
Chapter Representatives: Frank Campbell, Eastern Kentucky, Hardshell; David Smith, Greater Louisville, Louisville; Josh Gentry, Guide Dog Users of Kentuckiana, Louisville; Alan Shrebtienko, Kentucky Council of Citizens with Low Vision, Sellersburg, IN; Matt Selm, KCB Next Generation, Louisville; Gerry Slusher, Northern Kentucky, Covington; Bill Roberts, Support Alliance of the Visually Impaired, Owensboro; Melanie Peskoe, Tri-state Library Users, Louisville
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