AS EYE SEE IT

Greetings from SDAB Co-Presidents From the Presidents

Exciting, enlightening, and fun!! That is how I would describe the 46th Annual Convention of the American Council of the Blind held June 30-July 6 in Minneapolis, MN. Nine members/friends of SDAB attended all or part of this year’s ACB convention. They were Chelle and Steve Hart, Keith and Peggy Bundy, Ron and Mary Sjerven, Dawn Brush, Deb VerSteeg, and Ardell Fiedler. In addition to exciting and educational pre-convention and convention tours, there were exhibits galore showing the latest in aids and devices for the blind and visually impaired. There were also educational meetings of several affiliates of ACB, as well as the usual business of the annual convention. Each time I am privileged to attend the ACB Convention, I am reminded that we are a part of a nationwide group whose voice is heard by policymakers in both the public and private sectors. Together we truly can continue to work to better the lives of the blind and visually impaired in our nation. And, of course, there were plenty of fun things to do in Minneapolis. The fellowship was fantastic and the food was great!! Now let’s all get ready for our own annual convention to be held in Brookings Oct. 12-13. I hope that you are planning to join us!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

When: October 12-13, 2007

Where: Staurolite Inn in Brookings, 605-692-3111 http://www.stauroliteinn.com

Rate: $58 per night + tax (1-4 people). A block of rooms have been set-aside at the hotel. State rates will be honored with ID.

Theme: Where are we going?

Activities: Friday night will be the banquet and auction with a possible tour of a winery on Saturday.

Program will include a look at SDAB: past, present and future.

If you have any suggestions or ideas for activities, please share them with Linda Biffert at 605-627-5608 or 690-5447 or lbiffert@msn.com

Board Meeting The following are summaries of Board meetings; for complete copy of minutes contact the Secretary.

The Board of Directors met at the home of Chelle and Steve Hart on March 31, 2007. Members present included: Keith Bundy, Virginia Miller, Steve Hart, Linda Biffert, Mary Sjerven, Chelle Hart Jack Hogarth, Deb VerSteeg, and Lerae Olesen. Also in attendance at the meeting were Dawn Brush, Leighton Meyers, and Arnie Auch. The minutes the board meeting of January 8, 2007 were read and approved. The Treasurer’s Report was read and approved. Volunteer’s Tea: In the past, SDAB has helped sponsor a tea for volunteers at the Braille and Talking Book Library. A motion carried to donate $300 for the event which will be a catered meal, instead of a tea. Delbert Aman Scholarship: The committee has put together a list of the following requirements for students applying for the scholarship. 1) a student must be a resident of SD and attending post high school in SD; 2) a student must be blind or visual impaired; 3) the following must be included in application: a transcript from the previous academic year, summary of goals, references from teachers, and proof of registration from school the student is or will be attending. The student must attend the SDAB Convention, with SDAB paying for his/her hotel and registration. Information about the award has been sent to 24 post-secondary schools, colleges and universities in South Dakota. Application deadline is July 15. Information will also be sent to Rehab Counselors, SDSBVI Transition Specialist, Braillist, and Vision Teachers around the state. Update: so far, no applications have been received. In the future the application may be put online. ACB Convention in Minneapolis MN: Keith and Peggy Bundy, Steve Hart, Deb VerSteeg and, Mary and Ron Sjerven. Others who are going will be attending as part of their work. Motion made and carried for $300 stipends to be available to those SDAB members without other monetary assistance. ACB Auction: Virginia Miller made a motion, seconded by Jack Hogarth, to spend $100 on items for the ACB auction, either a piece of Black Hills Gold jewelry or South Dakota products or both. White Cane Week: Information will be sent to Governor Rounds for a proclamation on the state level. State Conventions: Keith stated that the SBVI Board will allocate $150 in support of first-time attendees at either organization’s convention, to encourage new members. The next board meeting will be May 21, 2007. Respectfully Submitted: Lerae Olesen, Secretary

Board of Directors Meeting Minutes: A phone conference was held on May 24, 2007. Members present: Keith Bundy, Chelle Hart, Steve Hart, Jack Hogarth, Deb VerSteeg, Lerae Olesen, Sharleen Meyers, Ed Pinkman, and Virginia Meyers. Also Jim Madsen, Leighton Meyers and Dawn Brush were on the phone. A motion carried to approve the minutes as sent via email. The Treasurer’s Report was given. SDSBVI: Consultants will be evaluating the School programs. They will be contacting people from the consumer groups related to employment skills.

Quarterly Conference Call: A call was held with Keith Bundy, Ed Pinkman, Leighton Meyers, and Gaye Mattke to discuss issues relating to the organization, SBVI board, and Rehab Center. United Airlines: Jack Hogarth mentioned that they no longer do pre-boarding as a blind person. We will look into that. Gadgetry Program: Sharleen Meyers reported spending approximately $475 for the computer for the Gadgetry Program. Brenda Fish reported it is going well. The QuickBooks program has been installed. Bylaws: Amendments have been reviewed and written for updating. They will be read at the convention. Most of the changes are with regard to wording/clarification. They will take effect immediately. Bylaw I: Meetings - no change

Bylaw II: Objectives

1) Change the word welfare to well-being.

2) Original: To bring the public a better understand- ding of the efforts and aims of those persons with disabilities. Amendment: To provide the public with a better understanding of the efforts and aims of people with disabilities.

3. Change the word blind to visually impaired.

4. Make this sentence more succinct and change the word blind to visually impaired.

Bylaw III: MEMBERSHIP Eliminate Category I, which is Memorial Membership

Bylaw IV: Board of Directors, no change.

Bylaw V: Officers, wherever the term President occurs, change to President/Co-Presidents.

The committee consists of: Lerae Olesen, Keith Bundy, Sharleen Meyers, Leighton Meyers, and Deb VerSteeg.

Brochure: A draft of the brochure has been written. Keith Bundy is looking into info on getting a toll-free number for SDAB that could be transferred from one place to another. Sharleen Meyers will work with the layout of the brochure. There was discussion of a logo for SDAB—possibly an outline picture of the state of South Dakota with the letters SDAB going through it. Steve Hart will check on pricing for printing. The committee consists of: Lerae Olesen, Mary Sjerven, Keith Bundy, Leighton Meyers, and Chelle Hart.

3rd Annual CraftAbility Fair: The VFW has been secured at no cost. Sandwiches and beverages can not be sold, but rolls or baked items can be sold in packages. The date is Nov. 17. The cost to each vendor will be $20 plus one donated item for the raffle. The hours of the fair will be 9 AM to 3 PM with set-up at 8:00 AM. Motion carried that the craft fair be as Virginia has arranged. There was discussion about having a kids’ corner with face painting, possibly something the Aberdeen group could do. Virginia Miller will email the information to Sharleen Meyers for the website. The suggestion was made that SDAB have a booth for information and to hand out braille alphabets. Advertising will be important. Committee will decide on advertising budget. Jim Madsen will work with advertising. Deadline for booths will be Oct. 19.

The next board meeting will be possibly in August. Respectfully submitted: Lerae Olesen, Secretary

Transition Week 2007 By Dawn Backer

Beginning Sunday, July 22, 11 students, ages 14 to 21, will be attending Transition Week, held at the SD Rehabilitation Center for the Blind. The students will enjoy a week of activities at the Rehabilitation Center for the Blind and other locations around Sioux Falls designed to foster career goals and introduce skills for independent living. The students will have the chance to experience classes at SDRC while learning new skills such as money management and check writing, cooking, home maintenance and crafts, and for mobility training riding the city bus to the center from the dorm. The vocation team will be emphasizing career activities to include job searches, interviewing techniques, appropriate job etiquette, and the education and experience needed for different careers. Students will tour four different businesses to include Omnitech, EROS, Central States, and Show Place Cabinetry. Keith Bundy and Jeff Kisecker will encourage the students by talking about their successes and experiences of going to college and work after high school. Exciting evening events will give the students a chance to let loose. On Wednesday, July 25, a game of beepball and a picnic are planned to take place at the SDRC on 2900 W. 11th St. Other activities include Mall Night, Pizza and Movie Night, and the ADA picnic on Thursday, July 26, which will provide a large crowd with live music and food, celebrating the passage of the ADA!

Coping with a Bad Situation By DJ Steckelberg, Capital Journal Staff

Mayhlon Satrang was married with two kids, managing the grocery department of a Super Valu in Britton when suddenly the world started to get dimmer. In Feb. 1974, he was diagnosed with two inoperable benign tumors on his optic nerves. By 1976, he had lost his eyesight completely. The scariest thought I had, was how do I take care of my family? Not long after the diagnosis, when it was apparent that his sight loss was inevitable, Satrang went to the Sioux Falls Blind Center for job training and placement, and in 1975 he was running a coffee shop at the Pierre Regional Airport. His wife Cheryl landed a job as a purchasing assistant for the Department of Social Services where she has worked for the last 31 years. Satrang took over his current business in the basement of the Becker-Hansen building in 1976, which also includes several vending machines in other state and federal buildings in Pierre. He has an employee who stocks them most of the time.
Early morning is his favorite time of day and after he gets to work he starts setting out the muffins and rolls, makes the coffee and prepares the ingredients for the breakfast sandwiches he is about to make for the state employees. The English muffin, egg, and sausage sandwiches are a popular item on his menu. I'm a half way decent cook. We make different lunches every day, sometimes my employees cook them, but I make a lot of them. said Satrang. One gets the feeling from Satrang that he wouldn't change anything about his life. In fact he says that losing his sight was a blessing. In the long run this may have been the best thing that could have happened, my wife and I have better jobs than we did in Britton. We love Pierre and now our daughters live in Rapid City so we can visit them all the time. said Satrang. Retirement isn't far off for Satrang; December 31, 2008 is the date he has set. He will be 62 next year, and he wants to do some traveling. Satrang has a sister in Florida who has season tickets for the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers that he wants to help her use. They are great seats, right on the 50-yard line. said Satrang. He said they will spend a few weeks with her every year. Going blind in the middle of life would not be an easy development for anyone, yet Satrang will have you believe it wasn't that hard. The good Lord always gave me skills to survive. Some of this has come easy for me. said Satrang. It was a shock when they told me that I was going blind. I was going blind and that was it, I could sit in a corner and hate it - or I could accept it and enjoy life. It is obvious which route he chose. Satrang exudes that same attitude to all that encounter him every day in his small coffee shop in the basement of one of Pierre's many state buildings. And though everyone will not have a chance to meet Satrang, those who do, walk away with a smile on their faces and a laugh in their hearts.

APH Launches New Catalog The American Printing House for the Blind is proud to debut it’s first-ever Assessment Catalog 2007-2008, in response to the pressing need for accessibility to assessment tools and materials for students who are blind or visually impaired. The catalog features standardized accessible tests, tools and manipulative that can be used in assessment situations, as well as information about APH's custom production of assessment materials. The accessible materials advertised not only allow students who are blind or visually impaired to undergo the same assessment evaluations as their sighted counterparts, but also provide them with specific tools and materials to support their individual learning experience. Featured products in the catalog include ISAVE, a visual acuity assessment test, and the popular Sense of Science Series, which introduces young students to the natural world of science. The Assessment Catalog is available in regular print, on an accessible CD-ROM (the APH Demo Disc), and in accessible editions on our website. To receive a free copy: Fill out the form on our website at http://sun1.aph.org/catalogs/catalog_form.html; Email us at catalogs@aph.org; Call our toll free number at 800-223-1839.

Keep the Books Talking? Wednesday, 5/30/07 Congress should fund the digitization of a vital audio library for the blind. A half-million Americans stand in danger of losing their public library. They are the nation's blind, and their library is Talking Books, through which the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped of the Library of Congress (NLS) provides 500,000 Americans with free audio recordings of about as many books. Unlike the books on tape that are sold at retail bookstores, these recordings are unabridged, extensive and diverse -- and are designed for people who have no other way of reading print. Unfortunately, today's Talking Books technology is ready to meet its maker. The program currently uses half-speed audiotapes that patrons listen to on special devices. These tape players, like the Talking Books record players that preceded them, are obsolete, and are no longer even being manufactured. To bring the program into the 21st century, the NLS hopes to digitize its entire library and create new players. It has spent 17 years researching, building and testing new products, and it is ready to manufacture a fully accessible flash-drive player. The Library of Congress has asked Congress to appropriate about $76.4 million to produce the players and digitize thousands more books. A forthcoming Government Accountability Office report, however, may derail the NLS's plans. In a draft version of the report completed several weeks ago, the GAO faulted the NLS for not considering existing commercial products such as CD players and iPods instead of creating a new device. This sounds like a reasonable concern, given tales of exorbitant government spending on $792 doormats and $400 hammers. But creating special, noncommercial players is crucial to the continued existence of Talking Books. Commercially available products, which often use visual screens and are not labeled in Braille, are not accessible to the visually impaired. More important, to comply with U.S. copyright law, Talking Books can record
and distribute only audio books that cannot be played by commercial devices. Should the GAO keep this misguided criticism in its final report, lawmakers should not be swayed by it. Instead, Congress should fully fund Talking Books' digital upgrade, a project that will grant many disabled Americans the same literary access afforded to the sighted.

Accessible America Contest Source: Dialogue, March-April, 2007

Berkley, California and Chicago, Illinois have won the sixth annual Accessible America contest. The cities are being heralded as national models for their focus on disability issues and successful design of programs, services and facilities that are accessible for citizens and visitors who have disabilities. The Accessible America Contest, by National Organization on Disability's Community Partnership Program, is supported by generous grants from UPS and Wal-Mart. Other 2006 contest finalists were: Alexandria, Virginia; Bloomington, Indiana; Indianapolis, Indiana; Louisville, Kentucky; Miami Beach, Florida; New Haven, Connecticut; San Francisco, California; and Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Sioux Land Chapter Meeting The following are summaries of meetings; for complete copy of minutes contact the Secretary.

Siouxland Association of the Blind meeting January 20, 2007 minutes. President Jim Madsen called the meeting to order at Dow Rummel Village with 12 people present. Minutes of the November meeting were read and approved. Treasurer's Report was read, with the addition of Ski for Light Transportation funds of $2,526.20, the balance was $2,801.67. Old Business: Letter from SDAB Board was read. Siouxland Chapter has existed for many years but had not been meeting on a regular basis. In order to meet the needs of the Board, motion was made, seconded, and passed to send minutes of meetings to co-presidents of SDAB and to Dawn LaMee to be included in newsletter. It was suggested that a program on ACB would be helpful to current Siouxland members. Jeanne Olson gave report on Ski for Light. The bus is not full. However, fund raising efforts made it possible to charge only $50 per person for the transportation. New Business: President Madsen expressed the need to have calendars so members keep track of up-coming events. Deb VerSteeg made a motion, seconded and passed, to have a Club Calendar. Deb VerSteeg also volunteered to research ways to teach the public about white canes; suggestions included little pins, contacting TV stations, distributing white candy canes, and contacting the Lions Foundation to find out about their program. Membership: Suggestion to have a card with large print on one side and Braille on the other to give out about dog guide and cane users. President Madsen will investigate cost and will contact the Help Line (211) to see if the Siouxland group can be included in their listings. Charlene Meyer will look into the cost of having SDAB site linked on the Sioux Falls website. Motion was made, seconded, and passed to request permission to attach a local chapter page to the state SDAB web site. Dawn LaMee is the Chair of the committee for a new brochure for SDAB. It was also suggested that information about SDAB be sent with each Gadgetry Program order, and that the local chapter card be included in orders for Sioux Falls and area. Chelle Hart stated that the information could not be sent with orders being paid by SBVI. Dawn Srstka informed the group that Gil Koetzle, a state representative, is very open to listening to constituent's concerns. There will be coffee meetings with the legislators each Saturday they are in session. Motion to move the meeting to February 24 was seconded and passed. It was suggested that a possible program for that meeting could be safety tips for home from an EMS. Deb VerSteeg will arrange for speaker. Siouxland Association of the Blind Meeting Minutes for March 17, 2007. Deb VerSteeg called the meeting to order with 6 people present. Guest speaker Attorney Carolyn Dick talking about living wills, wills, and power of attorneys. Minutes were approved from the January 20, 2007 meeting. Treasurer's Report: Balance as of February 15 2007: $2,911.67 Ski for Light check to Reading Bus Company will be written for $1,955. Two checks were written one for $50 for the Olson's and $60 for the lunch. Old Business: No updates from Deb VerSteeg on White Cane Week observed on May 15-21. Jeanne Olson suggested an article be e-mailed to TV & radio stations. Lerae volunteered to contact Mr. Ramos at the Argus about White Cane Week. Also looking into large print/braille cards to hand out with info on white canes and service animal. New Business: Andrea mentioned getting the SAP channel turned on, she will talk to Midco.

Siouxland Association of the Blind Meeting Minutes for April 21. 2007. Minutes were approved from the March 2007 meeting. Treasurer's Report: was approved as read, balance as of April 21 is $1,062.17. Half of this balance is ours and half is Ski for Light's.Old Business: Membership cards, Virginia Miller suggested little white canes with braille tags. These cards can be used to promote club membership.

Next meeting will be May 19, 2007.

Keychain Fundraiser

The Association is still selling talking thermometer keychains for $10 each. If you would like to purchase one or are interested in selling some, contact Brenda Fish at the Gadgetry Program.

Thoughts and Prayers

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the following families and friends on the passing of some very special people.

On the mend: Our thoughts go out to Jim DeBoer, an 1977 SDSBVI graduate from Clear Lake, who is on the mend after a fall out of a tree and subsequent surgery to repair several broken bones. Jim is currently recovering at the Good Samaritan Society - Deuel County, 913 Col Pete St, Clear Lake, SD 57226-2124, phone # 605-874-2159. Calls and letters are Welcome.

Our Thoughts and Prayers go out to Leighton Meyers from Sioux Falls who has been battling health problems.

June Campbell of Rapid City passed away on May 30, 2007 at the age of 82. Many will remember Jackie’s mother from the SDAB conventions they attended.

Daniel Michael Lauritsen of Mitchell passed away on July 23, 2007 at the age of 65. Dan was a 1962 SDSBVI graduate.

RadioShack’s Commitment

In a move praised by state and national blindness organizations, RadioShack (NYSE:RSH) today announced it has undertaken a nationwide initiative to improve services for RadioShack’s customers with visual impairments. As part of the program, RadioShack will install new point of sale equipment with tactile keypads to protect the privacy and security of visually impaired shoppers and will make improvements to its Website that will benefit visually impaired shoppers and other customers with disabilities. Today’s announcement is the result of collaboration between RadioShack and major blindness organizations including the American Foundation for the Blind, American Council of the Blind, and California Council of the Blind.

Point of Sale Improvements It is anticipated that by the end of September of this year, every RadioShack store will have the new device, which is designed to protect the financial privacy of blind and visually impaired shoppers. The devices, manufactured by Ingenico (www.ingenico.com), have tactile keys arranged like a standard telephone keypad and plug easily into existing point of sale payment terminals. The new units will allow RadioShack shoppers who have difficulty reading information on a touch screen to privately and independently enter their PIN, telephone number, and other confidential information. Blind community representatives praised RadioShack’s plan to upgrade its point of sale devices. Point of sale devices must have tactile keys so blind people do not have to share their PIN with strangers, explained Melanie Brunson, executive director of the ACB. Today’s announcement, and the collaboration that led to it, demonstrates RadioShack’s understanding of this fact and its strong commitment to blind and visually impaired customers. WebSite Access

Today’s initiative includes RadioShack’s commitment to design www.RadioShack.com in accordance with guidelines issued by the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) of the World Wide Web Consortium (w3c) (www.w3.org/wai). The guidelines, which do not affect the content or look and feel of a Website, ensure that Websites are accessible to persons with a wide range of disabilities. The guidelines are of particular benefit to blind computer users who use a screen reader or magnification technology on their computers and who rely on a keyboard instead of a mouse. Website accessibility is of critical importance to both the blind community and to people with disabilities generally, said Paul Schroeder, vice president, programs and policy group of the American Foundation for the Blind. We applaud RadioShack's leadership role in committing to address the accessibility of its Website, thereby improving the browsing and shopping experience for a broad range of on-line shoppers. he program announced today is one way we can help customers who are blind or visually impaired enjoy a better shopping experience in their neighborhood RadioShack stores as well as on www.RadioShack.com and complements our on-going efforts to improve the shopping experience of all our customers with disabilities, said Frank Espinoza, vice president–store operations of RadioShack Corporation. RadioShack would like to thank the American Council of the Blind, the California Council of the Blind, and the American Foundation for the Blind, for their cooperation and expertise in making RadioShack a better place to shop for our customers with disabilities.

About RadioShack Corporation RadioShack Corporation (NYSE: RSH) is one of the nation's most experienced and trusted consumer electronics specialty retailers. The company has a presence through more than 6,000 company-operated stores and dealer outlets in the United States, over 100 RadioShack locations in Mexico and nearly 800 wireless phone kiosks. RadioShack's dedicated force of knowledgeable and helpful sales associates has been consistently recognized by several independent groups as providing the best customer service in the consumer electronics and wireless industries. Operating from convenient and comfortable neighborhood and mall locations, RadioShack stores deliver personalized product and service solutions within a few short minutes of where most Americans either live or work. For more information on RadioShack Corporation, or to purchase items online, visit www.radioshack.com.

About American Council of the Blind (ACB) and California Council of the Blind (CCB)

American Council of the Blind is a national consumer-based advocacy organization working on behalf of blind and visually impaired Americans throughout the country, with members organized through 70 state and special interest affiliates. California Council of the Blind is the California affiliate of the ACB, and is a statewide membership organization, with 40 local chapters and statewide special interest associations. ACB and CCB are dedicated to improving the quality of life, equality of opportunity and independence of all people who have visual impairments. Their members and affiliated organizations have a long history of commitment to the advancement of policies and programs which will enhance independence for people who are blind and visually impaired. More information about ACB and CCB can be found by visiting www.acb.org and http://www.ccbnet.org/.

About American Foundation for the Blind

The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) is a national nonprofit that expands possibilities for people with vision loss. AFB's priorities include broadening access to technology, elevating the quality of information and tools for the professionals who serve people with vision loss, and promoting independent and healthy living for people with vision loss by providing them and their families with relevant and timely resources. AFB is also proud to house the Helen Keller Archives and honor the over 40 years that Helen Keller worked tirelessly with AFB. For more information visit us online at www.afb.org.

Remote Control

Make your channel surfing more fun than a day at the beach. Hands-free, voice operation, user-friendly, push-button operation remote control. Like any remote with the large, ergonomic buttons, or hands free with just the sound of your voice. The SurfBoard will respond to your voice right out of the box! SurfBoard's Smart Source (tm) technology knows when to send commands to your TV and when to send them to your Cable/Satellite box. No more fumbling for source buttons. The only remote control with a surf button… bounce back and forth between channels, or surf all your favorite channels. The SurfBoard is the only remote control with a built-in Help system. Turn on its voice-response and never wonder what button you pressed, even in a dark room. In addition to its comprehensive library of codes, the SurfBoard can easily learn buttons from the latest remote controls. Cost $49.95 http://www.innotech.com/surf board/index.html

Ferguson Enterprises

The Olympus Digital Voice Recorder is ready to be shipped! This OLYMPUS DS-50 has audible menus and was designed with the visually impaired in mind. The buttons are very easy to feel, and the recorder is very accessible. The software talks during the installation, and it is very accessible with any screen reader. Cost $249.99

OLYMPUS DS-40 DIGITAL VOICE RECORDER: Comes with 512 MB of storage space and an external stereo microphone, ear buds, software, and USB cable. Cost $199.00

OLYMPUS DS-30 DIGITAL VOICE RECORDER: Comes with 256 MB storage space, an external stereo microphone, ear buds, USB cable and software. Cost $169.99

TELEPHONE RECORDING DEVICE (TP-7): Just plug the TP-7 jack into the MIC jack of your recorder, and put the earphone side into your ear. When speaking on the telephone, the TP-7 will capture both sides of the conversation for recording by your voice recorder. Cost $24.99

SCANACAN for Windows is now more affordable than ever! With the new and improved technology of the latest Omni Directional laser USB Barcode scanner makes scanning a breeze. Cost $549.99!

To get more information on any of the above items, please call or write: Ferguson Enterprises, 205 Joliet Ave., SE Suite 101, DeSmet SD. 57231-2411: call 605-854-9280 or website: www.scanacan.com

Membership

We realize how IMPORTANT our supporters are, and would like to recognize the following that have graciously contributed to our organization since the last newsletter was published.

Regular Members:

Dorothea Peterson

George and Joyce Jones

Associated Members: $10 - $24

Elaine Roberts

Sustaining Members: $25 - $99

Support Members: $100 or more

Clark Lions Club