Legislative Hotlines, current issues for blind persons:
CALIFORNIA CONNECTION:
800-221-6359, after 5 PM and weekends
WASHINGTON CONNECTION:
800-424-8666, 3 to 9 PM and weekends
DISCLAIMER: This publication contains announcements from the Silicon Valley Council of the Blind and is also a forum for opinions relating to blindness issues. Signed articles reflect the views, and research, of their authors.
STATUS: SVCB is a 501(c)3 non-profit, tax-exempt organization under the California Council of the Blind.
Monthly in-person meetings are held at the Santa Clara Valley Blind Center (Vista Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired San Jose). Meetings run 9:30 AM to 1 PM the third Saturday of the month and are open to all.
Our parent organization, the California Council of the Blind, publishes a quarterly magazine titled "The Blind Californian." The California Council of the Blind is an affiliate of the American Council of the Blind, a national organization. It publishes a monthly magazine titled "The Braille Forum." I regularly read both publications and find them to be educational and entertaining. These magazines are available in four formats: Braille, large print, audio, and email. Starting this year, CCB has implemented a new system to collect roster data from its affiliates. Be sure to specify the format choice that best meets your needs. Every member of SVCB is entitled to receive both these publications. If you specified an email address on last year's SVCB roster, you should have received an email with instructions concerning this new roster form. If you did not specify an email address, Victor has already contacted you or will do so shortly.
On a personal note, I'm proud to state that thanks to a clinic held at the Vista Center San Jose branch, I am now fully vaccinated. There were many volunteers there, and the clinic ran as smoothly as a well-oiled machine. Unfortunately, the booster kicked my butt, and I was down for the count for a couple days. I think we are all looking forward to the day when we don't have to wear masks, and meeting in person is done without hesitation.
Hey guys, it's February. Where did January go. "What's January? And for that matter, what's February?" It's just the calendar we use to keep track of the seasons. "Yeah, I can see that, but it's a silly thing to be doing, especially since now is now." Well, King, I think we're just kinda stuck. "Poor babies!"
But where did January go? "How about time goes fast when you're having fun?" Well, we did have a lot of fun at Roger Petersen's 80th birthday party. Twelve people got together at Marie Calender's for a great dinner and socializing. The Home Style Beef Stroganoff is one of my favorites there. "And it always tastes better when I get some." And it's even better when I catch him. "Not easy now: when he tries, he catches air."
Happy February birthday to Ruth Fisher. Kinda cold for birthdays, or is it rainy? Get warm at the meeting. She's no longer a member, too bad.
Unfortunately, our January membership meeting was held virtually instead of in person, and we're not sure of the status of the February meeting. Read the upcoming Phone Tree message for that. But we hope to have Tom Brennan, a blind audiologist from Texas, talk to us during February's program segment. Getting properly fitted with hearing aids is a tricky business, especially when audiologists often don't understand how the needs of visually impaired people are different from everyone else. "They don't understand dogs either!" Plus, hearing devices are getting cheaper, and health insurance programs are beginning to cover them. So make sure you come to the February meeting! "Oops, master, you mean the April meeting. The Febroary meeting will feature Bob Acosta from Helping Hands for the Blind." That's very true, my bad! "Yes, bad!"
SVCB's 2022 budget will be distributed with this newsletter. We'll approve it in the business section of February's meeting. This budget is rather curious in that we still can't do fundraising until CCB's tax-exempt status is reinstated, a thing dependent on luck and COVID.
As I write this report, January is already more than halfway over. And there is no news to report concerning CCB’s 501C3 tax-exempt status. We are still at a standstill concerning fundraising. Our hope is that the income tax season that is upon us doesn’t cause more delays.
I want to thank all of you who have kept my brother John Vandervort in your thoughts and prayers. This has been a difficult month for him and our family. He was moved to a nursing care center on December 22, 2021, and he is still there. I feel like we are in a medical quagmire, and what is worse, John recently tested positive for COVID. His current phone number is 408-899-7036. He'll enjoy talking to you.
I hope you all had a joyous holiday season and a happy New Year and, as always, that you continued to stay safe and well!
SVCB's Tech Grant Committee will be awarding its next Barbara Rhodes Assistive Technology Grant in 2022.
We will convene in January 2022, at which time we will send out information about the grant to many sources that have served us well in the past. They will then notify their visually impaired and blind clients, members, and students that this grant is available, and that there is an application form and instructions on our SVCB website that can be either downloaded or printed. Completed applications for the grant will be due by March 31. The Tech Grant Committee will review the applications in April, and conduct applicant interviews in April and May. The award recipient will be notified in May and invited to attend our June 2022 SVCB membership meeting, at which time we will present the award.
The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) is proud to announce the release of the Workplace Technology Study, the culmination of survey findings from 323 U.S. participants who are blind, visually impaired, or deaf-blind focus groups, and 25 personal interviews.
In this study, employed participants shared their experiences with technology used for hiring and onboarding, required work-related training, and productivity, receipt of workplace accommodations, interactions with Information Technology (IT) staff, and experiences with telework. Self-employed participants also reported on the methods they use to access technology they needed for their work.
The Workplace Technology Study findings reveal that key employee support staff, especially Human Resources (HR) managers and IT managers, as well as technology developers, must improve their practices to achieve full inclusion for blind, low vision, and deaf-blind employees and applicants. The recommendations provide actionable steps derived from the research that outline a path forward.
There Is Still Time Left to Apply for an ACB Scholarship!
ACB and the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) have partnered to offer educational scholarships ranging from $2,000 to $7,500. This program awards students with scholarships to help with post-secondary education financial needs such as tuition, fees, room and board, or assistive technology.
To be eligible for a scholarship, applicants need to be legally blind, maintain a 3.0 GPA, and be involved in their school/local community. Scholarships are available for both full-time and part-time students, as well as those who are working and attending school. Applications will be accepted until February 14th, 2022.
February is Black History Month, and begins with the celebration of the Lunar New Year. We invite ACB members to submit a blog post about their experience, commemoration, or celebration of the Lunar New Year and/or Black History Month to the ACB Voices blog, by sending an email to voices@acb.org.
ACB in 2021 on the ACB Advocacy Update
ACB's advocacy team, along with ACB President Dan Spoone and ACB Executive Director Eric Bridges, took a look back at our organization's accomplishments in 2021. They discussed ACB's advocacy work, conventions and conferences, and community milestones. Listen by visiting:
Last week, we celebrated World Braille Day on January 4th. In honor of this day, the ACB Voices blog featured two posts about braille written by ACB members. Judy Dixon wrote about the history of braille in "Have We Had It Wrong All These Years?" Read Judy's post by visiting:
"How Braille Changed My Life," by Jan Lavine, originally published in ACB's Braille Forum, discusses her personal experience with braille. Read Jan's post by visiting:
The Tech Industry's Accessibility Report Card for 2021
ACB's Director of Advocacy and Governmental Affairs, Clark Rachfal, is quoted throughout this article by Engadget about how accessibility fared in the tech industry in 2021:
Last week on the ACB Advocacy Update, ACB's Advocacy and Outreach Specialist Swatha Nandhakumar kicked off 2022 with Tom Tobin and Sheila Styron, from ACB's Get Up and Get Moving Campaign, to discuss plans and goals the committee has for the year ahead. Listen by visiting:
ACB is hiring! We are searching for applicants for an ACB Media and IT Manager position, as well as an ACB Media Coordinator position. To view the full position descriptions and find instructions on how to apply, visit:
Join Accessible Pharmacy Services for the Blind on Friday, February 25 from 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM EST, as they discuss accessible breast cancer information, detection, and prevention for blind women and their families. If you are unable to attend, be sure to register after the event to receive access to the webinar audio and video, as well as an audio description of a breast self-exam for women who are blind or have low vision. This webinar will have captioning and a live ASL interpreter, and eligible attendees can receive CE credit through The Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC).
This recipe comes from The Pacific Grove Feast of Lanterns Cookbook.
Ingredients
1 flank steak
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 small onion, minced
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
Directions
Partially freeze meat for easy slicing. Cut into thin strips. Marinate meat in all other ingredients overnight. Place in single layers on oven rack. Crack oven door, and bake at the lowest oven temperature for 6 to 8 hours.
Moo-Less Chocolate Pie
Submitted by Bev Clifford
I received this recipe from a friend who is a vegan. She had served it to guests on Christmas Eve and it got rave reviews, so I asked her to send it to me. It's terrific!
1 12-ounce bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup coffee liqueur and 1 teaspoon vanilla (or 4 teaspoons vanilla)
1 pound silken tofu
1 tablespoon honey
1 9-inch prepared crust, either chocolate or graham cracker
Melt the chocolate chips with the liqueur or vanilla, stirring often. Combine the tofu, chocolate mixture, and honey in a food processor, and process until smooth, about 1 minute. Pour the filling into the crust, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Notes: I used 12 ounces of tofu because we couldn't find a 16-ounce package, and the recipe still came out beautifully. The chocolate mixture is incredibly smooth and thick, rather like a mousse. Enjoy!
A weekly SVCB Social Hour is scheduled for 4 PM every Wednesday afternoon until forever. Dates are February 2, 9, 15, and 22, plus March 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30.
When prompted for a participant code, press the Pound key.
Note that the above call-in information is used for SVCB's virtual link to in-person membership meetings.
Tabard Theatre Shows
To order tickets, call the Tabard box office at 408-679-2330 and speak to Marilyn Watts, or visit tabardtheatre.org. SVCB members and Vista Center clients should use Discount Code BC27 when ordering. Performances take place at The TABARD THEATRE, 29 North San Pedro Street, San Jose. The phrase "On Demand" means that the show can be viewed by services like Comcast.
(Copy Editor's note: The play TRIUMPH OF LOVE, which was scheduled for Feb 11 to Mar 6, has been cancelled due to the spread of the Omicron variant. Stay tuned for further info about upcoming plays.)
Shows Described by AudioVision
For all San Francisco productions (Golden Gate and Orpheum Theatres), tickets are generally on sale four weeks before the production opens. To charge tickets and reserve receivers, call 888-746-1799 (SHN Theaters), or fax your order to 415-581-2121 and ask for AudioVision tickets. If you have any questions, please email didisalvo@msn.com.
San Francisco LightHouse
To hear weekly events at the San Francisco LightHouse, call 415-694-7325.
Let's Talk Low Vision
The monthly "Let's Talk Low Vision" conferences are held on the third Tuesday of the month at 8:30 PM Eastern. Archives are available at:
Zoom information is distributed through the ACB Community Schedule email list, or by emailing: cclviwebmaster@gmail.com.
Bay Area Association of Disabled Sailors
Departs every Sunday at noon from Pier 40 in San Francisco. Call 415-281-0212 for information and reservations, or visit www.baads.org.
Bay Area Outreach and Recreation Program (BORP)
BORP believes that everyone should have access to the unique challenges that outdoor recreation provides, and makes every effort to accommodate each person's needs, including providing transportation and volunteer support. For event listings, call Lori Gray at 510-843-4398, or visit www.borp.org.
CALENDAR
February
February 1, 5:30 to 7 PM: Breast Cancer Support Group meeting. Call-in: 605-715-4920; ID: 2776167. For questions, call Lori Scharff at 516-887-1336, or lorischarff@gmail.com.
February 3, 7 to 9 PM: SVCB Board meeting. If you're not on the Board, call SVCB president Rob Turner to participate.
February 19, 9:30 AM to 1 PM: SVCB membership meeting. Approve budget.
February 21, noon: March SVCB newsletter deadline.
March: Eye Donor Awareness Month
March 3, 7 to 9 PM: SVCB Board meeting.
March 5: Northern California Braille Challenge at Vista Center San Jose.
March 11 through March 15: Virtual ACB Affiliate Presidents' Meeting and Legislative Seminar. Capitol Hill Day is Mar 15.
March 14 through March 18: 37th Annual CSUN Conference. Visit:
www.csun.edu/cod/conference/ for details.
March 19, 9:30 AM to 1 PM: Monthly SVCB meeting. Elect delegates and discuss resolutions for CCB Convention.
March 21, noon: April SVCB newsletter deadline. Distribute Spring membership list.