Legislative Hotlines, Current Issues for Blind Persons
CALIFORNIA CONNECTION:
800-221-6359, after 5 PM and weekends
WASHINGTON CONNECTION:
800-424-8666, 3-9 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 from 9:30 AM to 1 PM, the third Saturday of the month and are open to all.
June has arrived, and with it comes the halfway mark of the year. I always find this a reflective time. On one hand, it reminds me to revisit the goals I set back in January and to get moving on the ones I’ve yet to tackle! On the other hand, it’s the beginning of summer, bringing with it the anticipation of vacations and relaxing getaways.
I recently spent a weekend in San Rafael visiting a dear friend I’ve known since we were 18. Over the years, despite the miles between Sunnyvale and San Rafael, we’ve stayed close, sharing life’s milestones and everyday moments alike. This trip brought something new for me. An unexpected experience around my vision loss.
Years ago, when I lived in San Francisco and Burlingame, I often visited Susan, and Marin felt like a second home. This time, however, I noticed the Golden Gate Bridge, the Robin Williams Tunnel, and the view of Sausalito were no longer visible to me. At first, this brought sadness. But as the visit continued, something wonderful happened. My brain began to fill in the missing images. While walking in Tiburon and sitting on a restaurant deck, I could hear the seagulls, feel the ocean breeze, and feel the warmth of the moment. My focus shifted from what I couldn’t see to a deep sense of gratitude—for the sensory memories still with me, and for the muscle memory that helped guide me through familiar streets and places. I knew where we were in Mill Valley, even before we stepped into our favorite coffee shop. It was as though my mind was painting the pictures I could no longer see, just as it recalls the faces of family and friends.
Living with blindness or low vision means navigating transitions. For me, it's been the gradual loss of functional sight. For others, it may be adjusting to challenges like crossing busy streets. But living here in beautiful Northern California gives us so much to be thankful for. When we experience progressive vision loss, we can learn to embrace the world differently—by letting our other senses and memories help us “see” in new ways.
As a bonus, I also got to visit my retired guide dog, Cora, in her new home in San Rafael. Cora now lives with Barbara, a foster guardian who has been caring for senior dogs through Guide Dogs for the Blind for over 20 years. Barbara is in her 70s and absolutely devoted to her labs. Cora shares her home with Vivaldi, another 14-year-old lab. The visit warmed my heart. Cora did her happy dance when she saw me, and we spent time on the floor together just as we used to. Barbara’s house says it all: there’s a sign at the front that reads “Labs Live Here,” and even her mailbox is decorated with pictures of labs. A sliding glass door leads out to a ramp that enters into a vast and beautiful backyard. Cora walks with Barbara and Vivaldi every day and suns herself in the fragrant grass. I’m deeply grateful to her and to the Guide Dogs for the Blind community for giving our beloved guides the retirement they so richly deserve.
I’m looking forward to the summer ahead, and as always, I’m thankful for our warm and welcoming community here at the Silicon Valley Council of the Blind.
Registration for the 2025 American Council of the Blind Conference and Convention opened for members on Thursday, May 15th. Registration for the general public opened on Thursday, May 22nd at 7 a.m. Central time. Registration will close on Tuesday, June 17th, at 11:59 p.m. Central time.
The discounted registration fee is $55 for ACB members and $70 for non-members. If you are not a member, you can join ACB as a member-at-large for $10. In addition to the discounted registration fee, members are also given priority for tours offered at the convention; so, join ACB right away by calling:
612-332-3242
There are two ways to register: online at:
https://members.acb.org/
or you can register via telephone. If you have not created a member account at that website, select the link labeled "Create an Account" and provide the information requested. After creating an account, ACB needs to link your member account to their database; it may take up to 24 business hours before you will be able to login and complete a convention registration. If you do not know your username and password or if the password reset does not work, please call:
612-332-3242
If you would like assistance registering, please call Janet Dickelman at:
651-428-5059
and leave a message with your name, phone number, time zone, and whether you plan to attend the convention in-person or virtually. Calls will be returned as quickly as possible.
-ACB Brenda Dillon Memorial Walk
Come "Step by Step Together" with ACB and participate in the 2025 ACB Walk. The Walk serves as an opportunity for us to raise much-needed funds for ACB and our affiliate at the same time. Our goal is to raise at least $64,000 in honor of ACB's 64th birthday. The Walk website is at:
www.acb.org/2025-acb-brenda-dillon-memorial-walk
You can participate in this year's Walk in any or all of the following ways:
Make a general donation to ACB by clicking on the Walk page. There is also a link to download a paper donation form on the main page.
Create a team for your affiliate or committee. 50% of donations for affiliate teams can be designated to go back to that affiliate. Click on the above link and scroll down to "Create my own fundraising page." In the name field, insert your team name only. In the email field, enter the email address where you want notifications of donations to your team to be received. Upon submission of the form, you will receive an email with the link to your team page, which is used to seek donations. Be sure to share that link with your affiliate members.
Make a donation to a specific team. Go to:
www.acb.org/2025-acb-brenda-dillon-memorial-walk
and click on top fundraisers, Scroll down to the list of teams. (They will be listed in order, based on the donations they've received.) Click on the link to the page of the desired team, and complete the donation form. If you need assistance, contact the Minnesota office at 612-332-3242. The on-site Walk will take place immediately after the Tailgate Party on Saturday, July 5. For questions about the Walk, contact Donna Brown, Walk Committee Chair, by phone at:
304-940-0292
or by emailing:
donnambrown59@gmail.com
(First two recipes contributed by Suzanne Smith; third recipe contributed by Bev Clifford)
Barbecue Sauce
From Cooking with Honey, by Joanne Barrett
Ingredients
1 cup tomato sauce
1/3 cup ketchup
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp prepared mustard
1 tsp molasses
2 tbsp minced onion (optional)
Directions
Combine all ingredients in a jar, and blend.
Keep refrigerated until ready to use. Makes about 1-3/4 cups.
Notes: For a sweeter sparerib, brush the ribs with warmed honey first, and then baste with the barbecue sauce during the last 30 minutes.
Use this sauce on chicken or spareribs.
Easy Souffles
From Favorite Brand Name Recipes Cookbook
Ingredients
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) Campbell's Condensed Cream of Celery soup
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
6 eggs, separated
Directions
In saucepan, combine soup and cheese. Heat slowly until cheese melts. Stir occasionally. Remove from heat.
Beat egg yolks until thick and lemon colored. Gradually stir in soup mixture.
In large bowl, using clean beater, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold in soup mixture.
Pour into ungreased 2-quart casserole.
Bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, or until soufflé is brown.
Serve immediately. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
(Copy editor's note: I'm contributing this recipe at the request of some of my buddies in our weekly SVCB social chat. They thought it sounded good—and it is!)
Southwestern Breakfast Casserole
Ingredients
1 (8-1/2 ounce) package corn muffin mix
3 cups (1/2-inch cubes) white bread
8 ounces sweet Turkey Italian Sausage
1 cup chopped onion
2-1/2 cups fat-free milk
1 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chiles, undrained
1 (8 ounce) carton egg substitute
cooking spray
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack or Sharp Cheddar cheese, divided
Directions
Prepare corn muffin mix according to package directions; cool. Crumble muffins into a large bowl; stir in bread cubes. Set aside.
Remove casings from sausage. Cook sausage and chopped onion in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until browned, stirring to crumble. (This seems to take longer than browning conventional sausage.) Drain.
Combine milk, cumin, pepper, tomatoes with chiles, and egg substitute; stir with a whisk until well-blended. Add sausage and onion; mix well. Pour into the bowl with the bread, and stir to combine.
Spoon half of this mixture into a 9 by 13-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with 1/2 cup cheese. Spoon remaining mixture over cheese, then top with the rest of the cheese. Cover, and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Uncover baking dish, and bake for an hour. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
When prompted for a participant code, press the Pound key.
Note that the above Zoom call-in information is used for SVCB's virtual link to monthly in-person membership meetings.
2. Shows Described by AudioVision Bay Area
For all productions (Golden Gate, Orpheum Theatres, Broadway San Francisco, and Broadway San Jose), 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
or visit:
www.theaudiovision.org.
3. TheatreWorks, with descriptions by Gravity Access Services.
Pre-register for tickets that include a free "show talk" 30 minutes before the show at the TheatreWorks box office at:
650-436-1960
or email:
boxoffice@theatreworks.org.
Shows are at the Lucie Stern Theatre or the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts. A webpage with a listing of audio described shows is at:
www.theatreworks.org/venues/accessibility.
4. San Francisco LightHouse
To hear weekly events at the San Francisco LightHouse, call:
415-694-7325.
5. 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 at the Council of Citizens with Low Vision International (CCLVI) Official website at:
www.cclvi.info/archive-lets-talk-low-vision/.
Zoom information is distributed through the ACB Community Schedule email list, or by emailing:
cclviwebmaster@gmail.com.
6. 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.
7. 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
June: Vision Research Month
June 3, 5:30 to 7 PM: Breast cancer support group. For questions, call Lori Scharff at:
516-887-1336
or email:
lorischarff@gmail.com.
June 5, 7:30 to 9 PM: SVCB Board meeting. Interested SVCB members are invited.
June 14, 1 PM: A BEAUTIFUL NOISE, with descriptions by AudioVision, Golden Gate Theatre, see note 2.
June 16, noon: July SVCB newsletter deadline.
June 21, 9:30 AM to 1 PM: SVCB Monthly membership meeting, Vista San Jose.
June 27: Helen Keller Day.
July
July 1, 5:30 to 7 PM: Breast cancer support group meeting.
July 3, 7:30 to 9 PM: SVCB Board Meeting.
July 4 through Jul 11: ACB 64th Annual Conference and Convention
Hyatt Regency Dallas
To reserve by phone, call:
214-651-1234
See Tidbits.
July 12 at 8 PM and 13 at 2 PM: FIVE AND DIME, with descriptions by Gravity, MVCPA, see notes.
July 13, 1 PM: MOULIN ROUGE, with descriptions by AudioVision, SJCPA, see notes.
July 19, 9:30 AM to 1 PM: SVCB Monthly membership meeting, Vista San Jose
Begin plans for White Cane Safety Day and Employment of People With Disabilities Awareness month.
July 19, 1 PM: & JULIET, with descriptions by AudioVision, see notes.