The UCB Buzz
A publication of
Utah Council of the Blind
June 2023
For the latest news updates, check out the website at utahblind.org
Mail correspondence to:
UCB
PO Box 1415
Bountiful, UT 84011-1415
E-mail us at utahblind@gmail.com
For credit card payments, to make reservations, or for other business,
call the business office at 801-245-9264.
In This Issue
2023
ACB Conference and Convention
IEP
Process & Eligibility Determination
Board
of Directors and Management
2023
Meeting Schedule and Calendar
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.
We are now coming up on what is usually a very busy time for the Utah Council of the Blind. On September 16, we will have our Annual Business Meeting where new officers and members of the Board of Directors will be elected. And so nominations for those offices are shortly going to be taking place. We will be nominating a new vice-president and treasurer, and probably about half of the board of directors. Those of you who wish to run for those offices will have to contact the Nominations Committee and let them know that you wish to run for office, and which offices you are interested in. You will be required to submit nomination statements to the Nominations Committee for inclusion in the August issue of this magazine. And on October 14, we will have our annual Halloween party, and I expect that next month we will have more information about that upcoming activity. In short, I expect that the next several issues of this magazine are going to be full of lots of information pertaining to the present and future of our organization, and so I hope you pay close attention to the articles we will have. I also look forward to the articles in our two on-going series by Shelly Hendriksen and Mindi Larson.
So please, as they used to say in radio and early television “Stay tuned!”
Tom Mitchell
The Annual Business Meeting of the Utah Council
of the Blind will be held at the Division of Services for the Blind and Visually
Impaired, 250 N 1950 W, Salt Lake City, UT at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, September
16, 2023. Reservations are required so that we can have enough food for everyone.
Please call the business office at 801-245-9264 or email utahblind@gmail.com with
your name, the names of others in your party, and your telephone number, no later
than Friday, September 8th. When you make your reservation, please indicate whether or not each person in your party is a member of the UCB,
whether each person uses large print or braille, any dietary restrictions you or
a member of your party may have, and if you will need an asl interpreter, assistive
listening device, or any other accommodation.
Membership Verification: In order to vote
at the annual business meeting a member's dues for 2023 must be paid no later than
September 8, 2023. If you have any questions about your membership status, please
contact us at (801) 245-9264 or via e-mail at utahblind@gmail.com to check your
status.
Watch future issues of The UCB Buzz
for information regarding participation by Zoom link and absentee voting
procedures.
During this year's Annual Business Meeting
we will be electing the vice president, treasurer, and approximately half of our
directors. As specified in the UCB Bylaws: "All Officers and Directors must be paid-up members of the UCB, at least
18 years of age, and support its purposes. A majority of
the Board of Directors must be legally blind. No more than two members of the
Board of Directors may be close family members, i.e.
spouse, child, grandchild, sibling, aunt, uncle, first cousin, etc., and no
more than one family member may hold an officer position…
“In order to be eligible for election to
an officer position a person must have been a member of the organization for
not less than one year and served on a committee. In order to be elected to a
board position a person must have been a member of the organization for not
less than six months…
"No member who agrees to serve on
the Election Committee may run for office in the current election. Any member
of the organization may nominate themself or another qualified member by
submitting a written statement of one to two pages concerning the
qualifications of the nominee… No nominations from the floor or write-in
candidates will be allowed…
"Officers and Directors elected at the
annual business meeting are expected to attend meetings of the Board of Directors
and training activities held between the time of their election and the date they
take office…
"The regular term of office for each
Officer and Director shall commence January 1st and be two years or until a successor
is elected or appointed as outlined in these Bylaws.”
Election Committee: We are pleased to announce
that the Election Committee
chair for this year is Anna Jeffery. Her committee members are Cindi Vega and
Dennie Clark.
Nomination statements must be submitted to
the Election Committee by email to:
utahblind@gmail.com
or by standard mail to:
UCB
Election Committee
PO
Box 1415
Bountiful UT 84011-1415
Nomination statements must be received no
later than July 10, 2023, in order to be processed and published in the August newsletter.
Proposed Bylaws amendments may be submitted
to:
Utah
Council of the Blind
Secretary
PO
Box 1415
Bountiful UT 84011-1415
or by e-mail to:
utahblind@gmail.com
Proposals must be received on or before July
10, 2023, in order for them to be prepared for publication
in the August newsletter.
By Vicki Flake
Those of you who receive our ACB national publications are already aware of the annual ACB Conference and Convention that is coming up very quickly. If you would like a lovely vacation with the opportunity to network with other folks who are blind, see much of the cutting-edge technology that is available to help make your life easier, and gain a great deal of interesting and helpful information, a trip to Schaumburg, Illinois is just the ticket. On the other hand, if you are more like me and not inclined to spend a couple of thousand dollars on traveling across the country, you can now enjoy most of the benefits of attending the conference right in the comfort of your own home and at a very low cost. I would encourage everyone who is not going to the conference in person to take advantage of the great opportunity to participate in the ACB Conference and Convention via Zoom.
Rather than trying to give you all the details myself, I have included below the homepage of the ACBConvention.org website. Please take a few minutes to get onto the internet and explore all that is available.
2023 ACB Conference and Convention
JUNE 19, 2023 to JULY 7, 2023
Join us at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel in Schaumburg, Illinois for the 62nd Annual Conference and Convention of the American Council of the Blind.
Once again, ACB will be holding a hybrid conference and convention where we will be offering virtual only sessions, in-person only sessions, and virtual and in-person sessions together.
The virtual portion of the Conference and Convention begins June 19th with the Call to Order. Resolutions are heard June 20th-22nd. Constitution and Bylaws will be heard June 23rd. More specific information will be posted soon.
The in-person Conference and Convention begins June 30 and runs until July 7th.
For information about registering for the 2023 ACB Conference and Convention, go to https://acbconvention.org and follow the link to “browse sessions”.
The Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel is located at 1551 N. Thoreau Dr., Schaumburg, IL, 60173. The standard room rate at the Renaissance is $98.00 (single or double occupancy) with an additional $20.00 for each additional person. Room tax is currently 15%.
To make reservations online visit: https://book.passkey.com/go/AmericanCounciloftheBlind2023
For telephone reservations call (800) 468-3571, this is a central reservations number so please indicate you are with the American Council of the Blind 2023 conference and convention at the Renaissance Hotel in Schaumburg IL.
The Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel is located approximately 15 miles from O'Hare International Airport and approximately 40 miles from Chicago Midway International Airport.
All major and regional airlines serve both airports.
Schaumburg is also served by Amtrak and Greyhound.
More information on traveling to Schaumburg will be posted here at a later date.
The convention announce list will be filled with information about the convention; subscribe to the list by sending a blank e-mail to acbConvention+subscribe@acblists.org.
If you received updates for the 2022 convention you do not need to subscribe to the list.
More information will be posted on this website as it becomes available.
2023 Exhibit information: Michael Smitherman, (601) 331-7740, exhibitors@acb.org.
For any other convention related questions please contact Janet Dickelman, convention chair, (651) 428-5059, janet.dickelman@gmail.com
By Shelly Hendriksen
Have you ever had someone come up to you and say “Oh, does your child have something wrong with them?” or have you had a sneaky suspicion that your child has a disability? In this article we will look at the ways of getting these questions answered.
The first step is to talk to your primary care provider about any concerns you may have. In many cases the doctor will be able to answer questions or make a medical diagnosis. In some cases, they will refer you to a specialist. In either case it is important to follow up with any medical diagnosis. A word to the wise, if your doctor has determined that your child has a diagnosis of a disability, it does not mean that it equates to an educational determination. This begs the question what is the difference? The difference is in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 2004).
In April’s edition of the Buzz, I wrote about the 13 categories of disabilities. Within each of those categories there are specific requirements that need to be met in order for a child to have an educational diagnosis. One requirement of all IEP’s is the need for special education. So, how do you go about learning if your child needs special education? Here are the steps that need to be followed to find out.
1. REFERRAL
A referral is a brief letter requesting the evaluation be done and why you feel it is necessary. Here is a brief example:
Dear Mrs. Coordinator,
I am requesting a Special Education evaluation for my son, who is in the 1st grade. His name is John Doe, and he is having difficulties with the following:
*difficulty concentrating
*Has trouble understanding what the teacher is teaching
*Can’t see the board
Please let me know if there is anything I can do to assist you with the evaluation.
Sincerely,
Jane Doe
In this fictional example of a referral, I used 3 different examples of issues a student may have. Be as specific as possible. When you send it in to the school, you can do so via email or in person. It needs to be addressed to the special Education Coordinator or Principal if there is no coordinator. Once you turn in the referral the school has 45 school days to do the evaluation or to respond to you in writing why they feel they do not qualify.
Who can make a referral? Anyone can make a referral that has a direct connection with the child such as parent, teacher, doctor, or principal.
Please do not ask your primary care physician for a prescription for an IEP. The IEP team will send the doctor a request for any documentation regarding possible diagnosis.
2. EVALUATION:
There are numerous evaluation tools that can be used in the evaluation process. An example of someone who is evaluating for a student with a visual impairment might be: Letters from optometrist or ophthalmologist, classroom observations, in-person tests to name a few. The more information the evaluation team can receive the better informed they are to make a proper recommendation.
3. DETERMINATION:
After all the evaluations are finished there will be an eligibility determination meeting. In this meeting there will be someone there who can interpret the data, and the evaluation team will then determine whether or not the student meets the requirements for an Individualized Education Program (IEP). If you do not agree with the evaluation results, you may request an independent evaluation at no cost to you. If the determination is made that a child meets the requirements for an IEP there will then be an IEP meeting. This is where members of the IEP team will contribute their knowledge of the student to complete the IEP. This meeting is where parents get to contribute.
In the next article we will discuss what is needed to have a well-written document, and who are members of the IEP team.
For any questions regarding the IEP process feel free to go to www.utahparentcenter.org for a more detailed list. You can also go to the Utah State Department of Education website and search in their special education department.
Submitted by Cindi Vega
CAKE:
2 cups sugar
3 eggs (beaten with a fork)
3/4 cup cooking oil (just plain vegetable oil)
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon (I reduce to 1/4 teaspoon) cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon (I reduce to 1/8 teaspoon) cardamom
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1 20-ounce can crushed pineapple
2 cups chopped pecans
2-1/2 cups flour, packed
2 cups grated carrots, packed
Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 stick butter (room temperature)
1 8-ounce package cream cheese (room temperature)
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar
CAKE:
1. Set oven to 350 degrees
2. Grease 9 by 13-inch pan. Set aside.
3. Beat the sugar, eggs, vanilla and vegetable oil together in a large bowl.
4. Mix in the sour cream.
5. Add salt, baking soda, cinnamon and cardamom.
6. Mix thoroughly.
7. Add the pineapple and chopped nuts. Mix thoroughly.
8. Add the flour by 1/2-cup increments, stirring after each addition.
9. Add the grated carrots. Stir them in by hand, as they tend to stick to the mixer blades.
10. Cook the cake for 50 minutes or until the cake comes out clean, using a cake tester and/or food pick.
11. Cool the cake completely before icing.
Icing:
1. Combine butter, cream cheese and vanilla.
2. Mix in the powdered sugar in small increments until well blended.
3. Frost the completely cool carrot cake.
The UCB Buzz is available in large print, Braille, audio CD, and by e-mail. If you would prefer to receive your newsletter in a different format, please call the UCB business office at 801-245-9264 or send an e-mail to utahblind@gmail.com and let us know.
We are always looking for articles, book reviews, or interesting tidbits of information from our readers or other interested persons. You may e-mail any articles you wish to submit to tommit60@gmail.com; send Braille, print, or audio to UCB Buzz, PO Box 1415, Bountiful, UT 84011-1415. Please allow extra time for processing Braille, print, or audio.
Anna Jeffery, President, Skills Development Program Supervisor
Donni Mitchell, Vice President, Ceramics Board Liaison
Jeana Nielsen, Secretary
Vicki Flake, Treasurer
Sandy Ruconich, Director, Executive Director
Monica Youngdell, Director
Sandy England, Director, Awards Committee Chair
Kira Larkin, Director, Braille Committee Chair, Ceramics Class Liaison
Shelly Hendricksen, Director, Scholarship Committee Chair
Cindi Vega, Director, Election Committee Chair
Dennie Clark, Director, Skills Development Program Assistant Supervisor
Mindi Larson, Director, Holiday Celebration Committee Chair
Kate Balzly, Chief Operating Officer
Aunilie Hathaway, Membership Committee Chair
Tom Mitchell, Publications Committee Chair
Matt Barnhill, Adaptive Technology Committee Chair
JD Seely, Community Projects Chair
Members are invited and encouraged to attend meetings of the Board of Directors. Meetings will typically be held the first Thursday of each month at 4:45 p.m. via Zoom. To be placed on the agenda or attend a meeting, e-mail utahblind@gmail.com or call 801-245-9264.
Thursday, June 1, 2023, 4:45 p.m. – Board Meeting
Thursday, July 6, 2023, 4:45 p.m. – Board Meeting
Monday, July 10, 2023, 5:00 p.m. – deadline for receipt of nominations for officer and director candidates for election at the Annual Business Meeting and for proposed bylaw changes for publication
Thursday, August 3, 2023, 4:45 p.m. – Board Meeting
Thursday, September 7, 2023, 4:45 p.m. – Board Meeting
Friday, September 8, 2023, 5:00 p.m. – deadline for Annual Business Meeting reservations and payment of 2023 dues for voting privileges
Saturday, September 16, 2023, 10:00 a.m. – Annual Business Meeting at DSBVI
Thursday, October 5, 2023, 4:45 p.m. – Board Meeting
Saturday, October 7, 2023, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. – Budget and Training Meeting, location TBD (by invitation only)
Saturday, October 14, 2023, Halloween Party, watch for updates
Thursday, November 2, 2023, 4:45 p.m. – Board Meeting
Saturday, December 2, 2023, TBD – Holiday Celebration at DSBVI
Thursday, December 7, 2023, 4:45 p.m. – Board Meeting
Spring 2024, tentative new timeframe for Statewide Training Conference – watch for updates
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