Seeking Nominations for Outstanding Volunteers

The UCB is still seeking nominations for outstanding volunteers who have regularly, and for no charge, helped blind or visually impaired people. These awards will be given at the UCB conference on April 29. Please get these nominations in by April 21 so they can be considered. To do so, call 801-292-1156 or leave your name and phone number on the Utah Connection.

Scholarships Available

It is that time of year again, the time to apply for one of the UCB scholarships. However, you need to act quickly, because all applications and information must be in the office by April 21. If you are attending a place of higher education in Utah, you could be eligible. Leave your contact information on the Utah Connection, and an application will be sent directly to you.

Sign Up for Upcoming and Amazing Technology Fair

Saturday, April 29, 2017, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Division of Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired
250 North 1950 West
Salt Lake City, Utah

Want to get hands-on experience and training with the latest in technology for people who are blind or visually impaired? Then plan to attend the technology fair being sponsored by the Utah Council of the Blind on Saturday, April 29. The cost is only $12.00.

What will you see?

· BrailleNote Touch (HumanWare, Inc.) with amazing training by Quintin Williams from USDB

· B2G presented by Brian Mac Donald who has volunteered to fly in from National Braille Press to demo this new product.

· The newest BrailleSense notetaker will be shown by Damien Pickering who is flying in from California just for you!

· Orbit 20 reader to be distributed by the American Printing House for the Blind, an amazingly low cost Braille display, for around $500.

· VarioUltra from BAUM, Inc. to be presented by Sandra Ruconich.

· An exciting demonstration of the often-overlooked aspect of using better lighting for those with low vision will be run by JD Seely and Laura Brown.

· Adam Reynolds of Rocky Mountain Low Vision will be presenting devices from Enhanced Vision including the DaVinci magnifier, the Jori Electronic Glasses, Mojo Electronic Monocular, and the Transformer.

· Optometrist Dr. Michael Judkins will be showing the Orcam MyEye from Orcamtec. This product reads whatever is put in front of it and does facial recognition.

· Kimberly Cline and Joe McDaniel flying in from VFO (formerly Freedom Scientific, GWMicro, AI Squared, and Optelec), will also be here showing off ZoomText 11, ZoomText Fusion, ZoomText Mac, JAWS, OpenBook, ImageReader, CamReader, RUBY Family of Products, and a new low vision device that will be announced in the next few months.

· We are also planning on having a selection of lower tech items available for your perusal. A new favorite is a talking clock which can give you both the indoor and outdoor temperatures.

· In addition, you can attend such seminars as a demonstration of several different reading programs available for smart phones presented by Tina Terry; JAWS Tips and Tricks presented by Karl Smith; the usefulness of ham radios in emergency situations; etc.

· Perhaps most exciting of all, we have planned an informational talk on how to get your devices funded, and we hope to make the application process available for some of these options!

And of course, we will be having drawings for some exciting items such as a beautiful queen size American Indian motif afghan and your choice of an iPhone or iPad, donated by Dr. Angela Longboat. You do not have to attend the conference to win. All donations support the UCB programs. Tickets are $1.00 each or 6 tickets for $5.00. You may request 1 ticket for free. So, bring your checkbook!

Finally, you don't want to miss our great lunch which will include chicken cordon bleu, baked potato, and something amazing for dessert.

See you there for a great hands-on learning experience!

Registration Form for Utah Council of the Blind's Technology Fair

Saturday, April 29, 2017, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Name:

Phone:

Name/guide/total in party:

Address:

Early bird registration (includes lunch)

If paid by April 12th is only $12.00 each

Total:

Late registration (includes lunch) $15.00 each

Total:

Drawing $1.00 each ticket or 6 tickets for $5.00

Total:

Grand total:

Make your check out to: UCB. Mail to: PO Box 1415, Bountiful, Utah 84011-1415

Or call Aunilie at 801-244-5505 to use your credit card.

Utah Council of the Blind Technology Training and Certification

Friday, April 28, 2017, 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Division of Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired
250 North 1950 West
Salt Lake City, Utah 84116

Teachers, get hands-on experience, training and certification for ACVREP and through USOE with the latest in technology for people who are blind or visually impaired. Plan to attend the technology training being sponsored by the Utah Council of the Blind on Friday, April 28^th.

Braille Devices:

BrailleNote Touch (HumanWare, Inc.) with amazing training by Quintin Williams from USDB

· B2G presented by Brian Mac Donald who has volunteered to fly in from National Braille Press to demo this new product

· The newest BrailleSense notetaker will be shown by Damien Pickering who is flying in from California just for you!

· Orbit 20 reader to be distributed by the American Printing House for the Blind, an amazingly low cost braille display, for around $500

· VarioUltra from BAUM, Inc. to be presented by Sandra Ruconich

· JAWS Tips and Tricks presented by Karl Smith

Low Vision Devices:

· An exciting demonstration of the often-overlooked aspect of using better lighting for those with low vision will be run by JD Seely and Laura Brown.

· Adam Reynolds will be presenting devices from Enhanced Vision including the DaVinci magnifier, the Jori Electronic Glasses, Mojo Electronic Monocular, and the Transformer.

· Optometrist Dr. Michael Judkins will be showing the Orcam MyEye from Orcamtec. This product reads whatever is put in front of it and does facial recognition.

· Kimberly Cline and Joe McDaniel from VFO (formerly Freedom Scientific, GW Micro, AI Squared, and Optelec), will also be here showing off ZoomText 11, ZoomText Fusion, ZoomText Mac, JAWS, OpenBook, ImageReader, CamReader, RUBY Family of Products, and a new low vision device that will be announced in the next few months.

And of course, we will be having drawings for some exciting items such as a beautiful queen size American Indian motif afghan. There will also be your choice of an iPhone or iPad, donated by Dr. Angela Longboat. You do not have to attend the conference to win. All donations support the UCB programs. Tickets are $1.00 each or 6 tickets for $5.00. You may request 1 ticket for free. So, bring your checkbook!

Registration form: *essential for certification*

Name:

Address:

Phone:

Email:

Please mail your registration to: UCB at PO Box 1415, Bountiful, Utah 84011-1415

A Night at the Opera

Utah Opera invites people with visual impairment to a special dress rehearsal event of ...

Don Giovanni
By Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Wednesday, May 10, 2017
Doors open at 5:45 pm
Presentation begins promptly at 6:00 pm
Opera starts at 7:00 pm
The Capitol Theatre, 50 West 200 South, Salt Lake City

He takes what he wants. And gets what he deserves.

Whether it's an act of lust or an act of violence Don Giovanni does whatever he wants, to whomever he pleases. You might be surprised by how much his angst and unrest resonates with you in this hypnotic tale of a man who refuses to change, damn the consequences.

This exciting event is offered free of charge to persons with visual impairment, plus a driver. At 6 PM, Education Director Paula Fowler and Artistic Director Christopher McBeth will describe the opera, staging, composer, costuming and sets. Props from the stage and costume samples will be available to touch and inspect up close. Then, enjoy the production with Braille supertitle scripts and headsets to describe the action on stage.

Reservations are required. Please RSVP by Monday, May 8. Space is limited-call soon:

· Moran Eye Center-Ann 801-585-2213

· Or Utah Council of the Blind - Utah Connection 801-299-0670

· Online registration available at www.usuoeducation.org/specialneeds

Beginning April 17, the Library for the Blind will have Braille supertitle scripts/libretti that can be picked up at the library before the event.

Call Jan Sonshine for this service. 801-715-6789.

Receive Free Training in Your Home

The UCB has teams consisting of one blind person and one sighted person who can come to your home and provide training and other services for no cost to you. They can help you cook safely, walk around your neighborhood independently, and organize your food and clothing. They can connect you with services and special programs and inform you about technology for people with sight loss. They can also provide training on this technology. If you wish to hear more or want a team to visit you, please leave your name and contact information on the Utah Connection.

Book Review Written by Tom Mitchell

Sky Walking By Tom Jones

Remember the old Space Shuttles? You know, those ships that took off infrequently from 1981 to 2011?

What were they like? What was training like? And what was it like to fly in one, this time with the ability to actually float around, transfer to the International Space Station, and perform an extravehicular activity? And how hard was the training? And what did it take to qualify?

All of those questions have different answers. One astronaut, Dr. Tom Jones, a Ph.D., who flew in the shuttle on four different flights, gives an experienced astronaut's view of life aboard the shuttle and in the space program during the 1990s into the 2000s. He does so in an almost chatty style, laced with humor, and beautifully descriptive of the various environments in which he lived in worked. At the same time, for those who want technical information, he includes it in appendices at the end of the book which do not detract from the narrative. The book is available in Braille only from the library, and intrigued me so much I found it hard to put down. It's a wonderful book and well worth the time it will take you to read.

Note: This book is only available in Braille, but Tom writes: “If you really want an audio version, I'll record it for you if you're willing to wait, because it's a long book.”

For Braille readers, the BARD number is BR16597.

Free Braille Bible to Good Home

Available now: a copy of the King James Bible in non-UEB Braille. And, it is only sixteen volumes. If you are interested please call 801-292-1156 or leave your contact information on the Utah Connection.

Easy Fruit Cobbler Recipe

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. (If you do not have a glass pan, check cake mix recipe to determine appropriate baking temperature.)

In a 9-inch by 13-inch glass baking pan, place enough fruit to generously cover bottom (4-6 cups).

In a separate bowl melt 1 cube of unsalted butter. Then add a packaged yellow cake mix and stir or mix with your hands until the butter is evenly distributed. The mixture will still be somewhat crumbly. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the fruit.

Bake in the center of the oven for approximately 30 minutes or until top is golden brown. After removing from oven, let stand at least 5 minutes before serving.

Ways to Support the UCB at No Cost to You

Remember UCB in Your Will

Make a bequest to the Utah Council of the Blind in your will or trust. The executor will need to know that we are a non-profit charitable institution under IRS 501(c)(3) and that checks should be sent to:

Utah Council of the Blind
PO Box 1415
Bountiful, UT 84011-1415

Amazon.com

If you shop at amazon.com, just use the smile.amazon.com web address, where you have the opportunity to select a charity to support with your purchases. Amazon then contributes a small percentage of most of your purchase to the charity of your choice. The easiest way to set the UCB as your charity of choice is as follows:

· Go to www.smile.amazon.com and login as you normally would.
Activate the “Your Account” link

· Arrow down or use a links list to find “Change Your Charity”

· Go down to the form field (just before the search button) and type in “Utah Council of the Blind”

· Tab to the “Search” button and press the spacebar

· In the Results you will see “Utah Council of the Blind”, tab to the “Select” button immediately following it and press the spacebar.

· A pop-up window opens telling you that your purchases will now support “Utah Council of the Blind”

· Whenever you shop at Amazon, use the smile.amazon.com site, and it will remember your selected charity.

Smith’s Rewards

First, you must have a Smith’s rewards card. If you do not have this card, ask for one at a checkout or service desk when you are at Smith’s. For those of you who use your rewards cards to earn gasoline discounts, be aware that the Community Rewards do not affect those discounts at all. You will still be able to accumulate fuel points as before.

Second, you must have registered the card online. To do this, go to www.smithsfoodanddrug.com, follow the link to register and fill out the form with your email address, a password you create, your home store, etc.

To assign the UCB as your charitable organization:

· Sign in to your Smith’s account

· Open the “My Account” page if it does not take you there automatically

· Look for “Community Rewards” near the end of the page, find “Edit” below it, and activate that

· On the search page that opens, below “Find your Organization” you can type either our number, which is “32989”, or “Utah Council of the Blind”

· Tab to “Search” and activate that

· Go down to the results, find the checkbox in front of “Utah Council of the Blind”, and press the spacebar

· Tab to “Enroll” and activate that

· You will be taken back to your “My Account” page where you can see that you have set “Utah Council of the Blind” as your selected organization.

General UCB Information

We are always looking for articles or interesting tidbits of information from our readers or other interested persons. The deadline for submitting items for publication is the 1st of the month, e.g. the deadline for the May newsletter is April 1st. You may e-mail any articles you wish to submit for our newsletter to our editor, TerriLynne Pomeroy, at tl1@ml1.net, or send Braille or print to UCB Newsletter, PO Box 1415, Bountiful, UT 84011-1415; please allow extra time for processing Braille or print.

Members are invited and encouraged to attend meetings of the Board of Directors. These are typically held the fourth Monday of each month at 3:15 p.m. in the DSBVI Board Room (in the southeast corner of the building).

Upcoming Board Meetings

· Monday, April 24, 2017

· Monday, May 22, 2017

· Monday, June 26, 2017

· Monday, July 31, 2017

· Monday, August 28, 2017

The UCB Flier is available in large print, Braille, audio cassette tape, audio CD, as a Microsoft Word and a plain text file on CD, and by e-mail. If you would prefer to receive your newsletter in a different format, please call the Utah Connection or send an e-mail to ucb.board@gmail.com and let us know.

Disclaimer: Articles and announcements included in this publication are presented for your information and interest. They reflect the opinions of the respective authors and are not necessarily endorsed by the UCB.

Utah Council of the Blind FREE MATTER

1301 W 500 S FOR THE BLIND

Woods Cross UT 84087-2224 AND DISABLED