The UCB
Buzz
A publication of
Utah Council
of the Blind
February
2020
For the latest news updates call the Utah Connection 801-299-0670
or 1‑800-273-4569. (You may also leave a message at the end of the announcement.)
Check out the website at
utahcounciloftheblind.org.
Mail correspondence to: UCB, PO Box 1415, Bountiful, UT 84011-1415. E-mail us at ucb.board@gmail.com.
The UCB Buzz is available in large print, Braille, audio CD, as a
data (Microsoft Word and a plain text file) 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.
In
This Issue
From the
Editor........................................................................................... 3
President's Message.................................................................................. 8
Upcoming Activities.................................................................................... 9
Annual Easter Egg Hunt........................................................................... 11
Ceramic News.......................................................................................... 11
A Unique Guide Dog Training Experience................................................ 13
Numeric Alphabet for Victor Reader and Flip phones............................... 19
Blindshell Classic: A Smarter Flip Phone................................................. 20
General UCB
Information......................................................................... 25
Board of Directors................................... 26
Upcoming Board Meetings...................... 27
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.
You probably noticed right off the bat something new about this newsletter. It has a new name: The UCB Buzz. You may remember some months ago we asked readers to submit a new name for the newsletter. The Board of Directors looked at the submissions we received and chose The UCB Buzz, submitted by Scott Stanger. The newsletter has had several names since it was started and several editors, as well, and has gone through many changes, too, all of which editors and boards of directors felt would fit the needs of the UCB at the time. And this is simply one more of those changes. Thanks, Scott, for the new name.
Your editor now is Tom
Mitchell. I hope I don't write a “From the Editor” column very often, but there
are some things I want to tell you, that I hope will excite, and maybe
challenge, many of you. I actually started editing the newsletter last month,
but I didn't want to change the name then because of Leslie's passing. It just
didn't feel like the right time.
My one goal is to bring to you each month a
little entertainment, but mostly information you can use or that will interest
you. But to do this, I'm going to need your help. You know, there are an awful
lot of people outside the
Do any of you readers
have a book that you recently read that you liked? Would you like to share a
book review about that book with us? Or maybe you had a book you didn't like, and you hate to see anyone
waste their time reading it. Tell us about that, too.
Apparently, recipes and
household hints are very popular with some of you. That's fine, but there are
some things I'd like to see. I don't like to see recipes you may have gotten
from a recipe book or from the Internet just to fill up a recipe column. I'd
like to see recipes you use, like,
and have great success with in your own
cooking. You may have found ways when you use these recipes that make them
easier for you to use, and if you do, tell us what they are. And in the
kitchen, maybe you've found a way of organizing your pantry or cupboards so you
can find the foods or ingredients you want. What works for you in organizing or
labeling boxes, bags or cans? What works for you in organizing your closets, or
drawers so that you can find clothes in colors that match? What makes cleaning
easier for you?
Some of you may be
thinking, well blind people already know all that stuff. Mostly, that's true.
But there are, no doubt, newly-blind people who may be reading this magazine,
who are looking for precisely this kind of information. How do you long-time blind people cope with everyday living? What
works for you? This is a way we can help each other and make life a little
easier for all of us. Even us oldsters can learn something new.
Send your articles by
e-mail to: tommit60@gmail.com. If you would rather use Braille, audio or print,
send them to: The UCB Buzz, PO Box 1415, Bountiful, UT 84011-1415.
Perhaps some of you younger people are reading this and saying, what dull
stuff. Okay, what should the UCB be doing to interest younger people. You know,
it's unfortunate, but most of the people on the Board of Directors are 50 years
old or older. We need you young people to become
active in this organization and help bring new life into our group.
These are just a few
ideas of what I'd like to see. But what I really want is articles from you readers
about things that interest you; things you care about. I really want to read
what you write. Now, you may say "I'm a lousy writer." But you know,
most of us can put a sentence or two together, and by re-reading what you've
written, put to together an article, story, even poetry that somebody else
would like to see. And that's what this newsletter is about. So, what you see
will be what you readers put into the Buzz. We'll feature national information,
of course, but I want the majority of our material to come from
The UCB has a number of
programs which we offer to all of you. But perhaps you don't know what they all
are. So, during the next several months, we're going to try and highlight one
program each month and tell you what it does and how you can apply for it. This
month we’re featuring the Ceramics class. This is just another way of trying to
get the word out about what we do and who we are.
That's all I have to say
for now, except that I hope you enjoy this issue of The UCB Buzz.
Tom Mitchell
This
year has started off with many changes to the Utah Council of the Blind. I want
to take a moment to thank the Board of Directors for taking the time that they
did to make the decisions that have been made. Everyone was willing to step up
and participate. Sandy Ruconich will make a great interim Executive Director
and Kate Schofield is wonderful to work with as Chief Operating Officer. I also
want to thank Vicki Flake for her tireless effort as Chief Financial Officer. She
has been an integral part of our organization. We have a great group of people
on the board right now and each one has so much to contribute.
I
also want to take a moment to announce that the Conference that we had
scheduled for October has been rescheduled for Saturday, May 2nd. It will be
held from 9:00-3:00 at the Division of Services for the Blind and Visually
Impaired, 250 N 1950 W, Salt Lake City. Thanks for your patience in the delay
of this event. I will talk more next month about the topics that we will be
covering. I will let you know that we will be showing different ways to label
and identify items. We will also talk about smart products versus talking
products. If anyone has anything to share on these topics, I would appreciate
any emails or calls. Please contact me at 801-245-9264, or email tinakt67@live.com.
There
will be other interesting, and helpful topics, as well. I would encourage
families to attend.
Thanks,
Tina
By
Monica Youngdell
Hello,
all wonderful people near and far. You are all welcome to attend the social
with fun and excitement on Saturday, April 18, 2020, held at the DSBVI.
multipurpose room from 11 a.m. to 1 pm. There will be pizza provided for anyone
who will reserve and an alternative food for those who cannot have pizza. We
will have games and just plain old fashioned fun
getting to know our fellow UCB members, family, friends or neighbors. Please
reserve by no later than March 28 so we know how many are eating and what your
dietary restrictions are. Also, please let us know how many are coming in your
group and if you will be paying with card, check or cash. Reservations will be
$3 a plate. Please encourage all new friends, family or neighbors who would
like to come and participate. Please call Tina with any reservations at
801-245-9264 or Monica at 801-364-2311, and if we don't answer, please leave a
message, and we'll get back with you. We hope to see you there.
Other
dates: Thanksgiving Point Museum trip, June 6; Alpine Slide, July 18; tandem
bicycle ride, August 1.
Unless
otherwise noted, all activities will be meeting at DSBVI. and then going to
other locations mentioned above. More information coming up in later articles. Please
let Tina or Monica know if you would be interested in any of these activities
so we can get a head count as soon as possible The sooner we get a head count,
the sooner we can plan and get a reservation for transportation, volunteer
accommodations, and more. Thanks for your participation and consideration.
The
annual Easter egg hunt for blind children and adults is scheduled this year for
April 4 at the Division of Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired, 250 N
1950 W, Salt Lake City. The event, sponsored each year by Legacy Pioneers,
begins at 10:00 and will run till approximately 2:00.
by
Gerri Smith
We've
had a great year in ceramic class this last year. We have been busy making many
beautiful items that include: mugs, pots, decorator items, holiday decorations
and many more.
Some
of our students chose to donate the ceramics they made to the Festival of
Trees. These donated items were sold in the Festival gift shop and 100% of the
money made was used to benefit Primary Children's Hospital.
We
are all looking forward to another great year this year, and many of our
student have already started new and exciting projects. Some of the student are
working on Valentine gifts, Easter decorations, and dinnerware. Others have
chosen items with a religious or patriotic theme. Many new items have become
available, as we look for new and exciting ideas or requests from our students.
Ceramic Nativity sets, Christmas Trees, Halloween or Thanksgiving decorations
to name a few.
So,
how do we teach? Teaching is handled on an individual basis because of
individual skill levels and also sight level of each student. I teach about the
different mediums as students use the different products. It's not easy to
explain, but I try to make you easy to learn.
We
are excited to welcome a few new students to our class already this year and
would welcome anyone who has an interest to stop by for a visit. Many
friendships have been made as we discuss our projects, colors, and techniques
with each other.
We
have a lot of fun and find our projects very rewarding as they are removed from
the kiln or as they become totally different when they are finished. So, come
check us out or just stop by and say “Hello.” Our classes are held every
Wednesday from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at DSVBI, 250 N 1950 W, Salt Lake City. We
are looking forward to your visit.
by
Sandy Ruconich
In
late October, when I went back to The Seeing Eye in Morristown, New Jersey to
train with a new dog, I'd worked with eight previous dogs. So, I expected a fairly
routine training experience. Little did I know how different this experience
would be!
As
is typical Seeing Eye protocol, I arrived on Monday, walked with my trainer a
couple of times on Tuesday to be sure that the dog potentially matched with me
was the right one, and received the dog on Wednesday morning. Britney, a
52-pound Yellow Labrador, presented with a waggy tail
and an almost immediate flop onto her back so I could rub her belly. She was
easy to follow as we started working together, and she never ran me off of or
onto a curb; she stopped at the down or up curb without fail. I was delighted
with how smoothly things were going!
After
we returned from working on Saturday morning, I needed to go to the nurse's
office. I called and got directions there—and then something (I can't recall
what) intervened, and I didn't leave right away. As I left, I stood at my room
door, trying to remember whether the nurse had said to turn left or right. I
decided it was left and headed down the hall in that direction. She'd said we'd
go through a door, and we did—but that's when things went wrong. If I'd thought
about what I knew about the building instead of being in direction-following
mode, I'd have realized that the door we'd just gone through led to the stairs we
took every time we went outside with the dogs. Britney tried to stop me, but
since she wasn't in harness (we'd been told not to keep the dogs in harness
when we were in the dormitory part of the building), there was nothing she
could do. I fell down the first couple of stairs, tried to get up, realized I
couldn't, and decided to fall the rest of the way down the stairs (more gently
this time) because it would be easier to get up. Result? A broken collarbone. I
flew back to Salt Lake City for surgery and healing. The Seeing Eye was
wonderful throughout this process and said that as soon as I had fully
recovered, they'd send a dog and a trainer (hopefully Britney and my trainer)
to finish the training here in Utah. They did.
On
January 6 Britney and Senior Instructor Brian McKenna, my trainer, flew here,
arriving at my house at 1:30 that afternoon. Britney's tail started wagging as
soon as she saw me, and I was so grateful to know she still remembered me!
After walking around my block (our neighborhood has no sidewalks, so we walk
along the left edge of the road), we went to lunch, since neither of us had
eaten. I think that's when I learned the schedule for the next few days. Brian
said he wanted to just do what I'd do during that time, so that's what happened.
In addition to doing two trips every day with me, he had also been asked to see
the other six Seeing Eye graduates who live in Utah. Fortunately, they all live
no more than 45 minutes from Salt Lake, so he saw two of the six students each
day.
On
Tuesday morning we walked to and from church, since I'm organist for my
congregation and Britney needed to know how to guide me through the two hours
of services. We showed her the entrance she'd use and where she'd sit while I
played. I played a piece on the organ to see if she'd be frightened by the loud
sound. She didn't even move! Then we walked back to my house. It was a rather
long walk each way, so the church and the walks to and from it became trips 1
and 2 for the day.
Wednesday
morning we walked around my block again, since there's
one turn that can be confusing for a dog, and Britney still didn't quite get
it. Our second trip that day was to Whole Foods, a nearby grocery store, where
we could see how she did while being tempted by dog food and other delectables
that were right at her nose level! We also went to Petco, where I bought a
metal strip shaped like a bone on which we printed Britney's name and my phone
number; in the unlikely event that she and I ever become separated, someone
could phone me so we could get back together (she also has a chip inside her
that could be scanned in order to reunite us). Our last trip of the day was to
my ear, nose, and throat specialist so I could get my ears cleaned and do a
hearing test; Britney found the elevator easily and followed the nurse, the
doctor, and the audiologist beautifully!
Thursday we walked around my block one last
time, and Brian showed me a slight change in elevation that will tip me off to
where the difficult turn should be made. Then we did a longer walk down
Honeycut Road to 33rd South, just so Britney could go to a different
destination while Brian was here to let me know of any problems along the way.
The only problem was crossing Honeycut at 33rd South, because it's a very busy
lightless intersection, so you often have to wait patiently before you have a
clear opportunity to cross.
You
may be asking why we didn't do work at lighted intersections. It's because I
get most places via Lyft, and most of my neighborhood streets have no lights.
If I'd done all my training at The Seeing Eye, I would have crossed at a
plethora of lighted intersections! However, this training was designed for what
Britney and I would actually encounter on a regular basis, so we didn't worry
about lights.
I'm
incredibly grateful to The Seeing Eye for the professional way in which they
handled my accident and for their willingness to bring trainer and dog to me.
It was a fascinating experience, I learned a lot, and I have a well-trained dog
who proves that such personalized training can be truly effective. I don't know
that I'd recommend this kind of training for everyone (it's certainly not
cost-effective), but given my particular circumstances, it was a great way to
go!
Compiled
by Tina Terry
We
have had several requests for a chart of the numeric alphabet and punctuation. I
hope this helps.
2
a b c
3
d e f
4
g h i
5
j k l
6
m n o
7
p q r s
8
t u v
9
w x y z
0
space, 0, exclamation, at, pound, dollar, percent, circumflex, ampersand,
asterisk (sometimes called star), opening parenthesis, closing parenthesis,
underscore, plus, equals, pound (sometimes called hash), euro, yen
1
1, period, comma, question mark, dash, slash, colon, semicolon, single quote
(apostrophe), quotes, back slash, less than, greater than, opening bracket,
closing bracket. The Victor Reader says "single quote" instead of
apostrophe. I did put apostrophe in parenthesis to clarify. If you are
connecting to wi-fi with a Victor Reader Stream or Trek and need to use capital
letters or numbers you may press the bookmark button on the top right while
entering text and change from lowercase, uppercase, and numeric. Remember that
you must tap the bookmark button again to change them again.
By
Tom Mitchell
I'm
like a lot of you, I suppose. I've played around with an iPhone, and found that,
with some work, I could probably learn to use one. But why work so hard when
all I want to do is make a phone call? If I want to do e-mail, it's a whole lot
easier with a computer or notetaker, and I'm never in such a hurry that I can't
wait to get home, or if I'm traveling, to a hotel to send an e-mail. And if I
get an e-mail while I'm gone, I can answer it right back when I get to where
I'm going. I'm just not that
indispensable. And, besides all that, I hate
touch screens. Perhaps I'm a bad guy, but I can't wait till all those guys
who design appliances with touch screens get to be my age and start suffering
from some degenerative eye diseases where they can't see those screens and find
out what it's really like. But I digress. We started by talking about phones.
There's
a phone now that lets you do much, though not all, of the same things an iPhone
or Android will do. And it has buttons.
It's called the Blindshell Classic. With it, you can actually call a number by
dialing, or pushing the buttons, or by holding a key that serves as a voice
key, tell the phone to call that number, or perhaps a person in your contacts
list. This, of course, means you can build a contacts list, and that list may
contain, first and last name, mobile phone number, work phone number, home
phone number, address, and e-mail address. You don't have to fill all those in,
but they're available if you want them.
You
can send text, using the regular text methods that all flip phones have, or you
can use the voice key and dictate your text, just like a person using an iPhone
can. How about that!
It
has pleasant speaking voices, and you can select the one you want. You can set
alarms, a calendar into which you can enter appointments and be reminded of
them, a stopwatch, and a countdown timer. It has Wi-fi capability, so you can
listen to Internet radio stations, though your choice is not as comprehensive
as an iPhone or the Victor Reader Stream. Of course, you need to be connected
to a modem. It has bluetooth, so you can connect it to a bluetooth speaker or
headset. And if you have the right Internet, it does have e-mail capability.
The
instruction manual is stored right in the phone, so that if you have questions,
you can readily refer to it. When you first turn the phone on, you are taken to
an interactive tutorial that will help you learn what the keys do simply by
pressing them.
The
phone is menu-driven, which means that all its functions are activated in menus
and sub-menus, no more difficult than working on a computer. It's easy to
learn. It connects to most carriers, though I understand Verizon is an
exception.
The
only drawback I've found is that, even at high volume, if you're losing your
hearing as I am, it's not always possible to hear your phone ring if you're in
a noisy place. Other than that, it's a versatile phone, easy to operate and
worth the price.
The
only price I've seen is $349. I purchased mine from ATGuys.com, but I understand that it may be
available from LS&S and the Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind. An iPhone is
more than twice as much.
So,
if you can, check it out. You may find it a great investment.
Consumers with vision loss will no longer have to spend hours searching for products that fit their unique accessibility needs, thanks to the launch of the first-of-its-kind Accessible Products Hotline by Envision. The hotline will be operated by the William L. Hudson BVI Workforce Innovation Center, connecting callers with professional advice about purchasing and operating the top home, office and personal use products on the market today. The BVI Workforce Innovation Center is part of Envision Inc. with the objective to train and employ individuals with visual impairments, place them into skilled positions and provide accessibility inclusion expertise to businesses around the United States.
The new hotline, 316-252-2500, is staffed by trained customer service representatives who are blind or visually impaired.
Learn more at:
https://www.workforceforall.com/Accessible-Products-Hotline.
Donni Mitchell, our vice president, volunteers in the UCB Office at DSBVI, 250 N 1950 W, Salt Lake City, UT, from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. If you are making a special trip to visit the office, we recommend you give her a call at 801-520-3766 to be sure she is there when you come to make purchases or conduct other business.
We are always looking for articles, book reviews, or interesting tidbits of information from our readers or other interested persons. The deadline for submitting items for publication is the 15th of the month, e.g. the deadline for the March newsletter is February 15th. You may e-mail any articles you wish to submit to tommit60@gmail.com; send Braille, print, or audio to The UCB Buzz, PO Box 1415, Bountiful, UT 84011-1415; or drop them off to Donni at the office. Please allow extra time for processing Braille, print, or audio.
If you have questions or concerns for any board member or to be placed on the agenda of a board meeting, e-mail ucb.board@gmail.com or leave a message on the Utah Connection, and you will receive a timely reply.
Members are invited and encouraged to attend meetings of the Board of Directors. These are typically held the fourth Thursday of each month at 4:45 p.m. at DSBVI in Conference Room R (in the north hallway), except as noted.
Tina
Terry, President
Donni
Mitchell, Vice President
Tom
Mitchell, Secretary
Vicki
L Flake, Treasurer
Anna
Jeffery, Past President
Aunilie
Hathaway, Director
Cordie
Weed, Director
Monica
Youngdell, Director
Sandy
England, Director
Sandy
Ruconich, Director and Chief Executive Officer (interim)
Kathryn
E Schofield, Chief Operating Officer (interim)
February
27, 2020
March
26, 2020
April 23, 2020
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