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.
On June 21, 2026, we experienced the Summer Solstice, which marks the beginning of my favorite months of the year. It is also the longest day of the year, and many of us may remember it from childhood as the true beginning of summer.
The Summer Solstice represents the earth's annual journey around the sun as it moves through four phases marked by two equinoxes and two solstices. It falls in the second phase, following the Spring Equinox. If spring is the season of planting new seeds and taking action, summer is the season of patience and trust. I encourage us to practice gratitude for what we have planted, and to trust that we are prepared for what lies ahead as we move toward the Fall Equinox.
At SVCB, we have planted many seeds since January 2026, and I encourage each of us to rest, relax, play, and recognize the contributions we have made to the continued growth of our chapter. We have increased our membership since 2025, and our committees have worked beautifully together. They have kept us informed through the In Touch newsletter and our programs, educated us on transportation and advocacy issues, provided monthly treats through Goodies and Cookies of the Month, and connected us socially through Wednesday Zoom check-in meetings and fun in-person events. A note of thanks to the SVCB Board of Directors for your leadership, and to our dedicated volunteers who are always by our side, offering capable assistance along with kind and welcoming words.
At our June meeting, we welcomed Debra Erickson, MS, Executive Chef and founder of The Blind Kitchen, who presented virtually. Debra shared her professional journey as a chef living with retinitis pigmentosa (RP), and discussed her journey as a professional chef from her home in Portland, Oregon. She answered members' questions, and offered valuable cooking tips for blind and low-vision individuals who want to be creative while staying safe in the kitchen.
Debra's website contains many of the tips and techniques she discussed during the meeting, along with a variety of free resources. She also offers products specifically designed for blind and low-vision cooks, and has assured us that her website is fully accessible. Please consider visiting her website and signing up for one of her newsletters. I have my eye on a few products.
"So, master, I hear they're going to kick you out of the house soon for a day so they can put down new carpet."
That's right! You have only a few days to roll around in the living room absorbing old, old smells.
"Very sad that that's going away, it was so much fun rolling in the day!"
How about the new carpet?
"In-door/out-door carpet! That stuff is too thin to absorb interesting odors."
Well, King, guess you'll just have to be satisfied with a human choice.
"Too bad."
But then there's the cooking presentation at the June meeting.
"O yeah, I really liked the recipe for softening kibble in cod liver oil. Yum… yum!"
Folks, he's dreamin'.
"True, but that technique to make sure your pan was centered on a flat-top stove burner was pretty good, much better than what you did."
And what was that?
"Ask Lancer."
Chicken?
"No, dog."
Chicken dog?
"Guide dog."
"OK, you guys, I'm Kola of yester-year, telling you to cool it."
"OK, Cool-it Kola; that's what they called her during Master's college years."
The cooking presentation was a fine event, and you can check it out after it's posted on our website.
Let's wish happy July birthdays to Suzanne Smith, Susan Williams, Lynette Kersey, Carol Silveria, and Joe Silveria.
The 2026 SVCB Picnic
From Rob Turner: The 2026 SVCB Picnic will take place on Saturday, September 19, at the Edith Lester picnic site in Marshall Cottle Park. Maps and driving directions will be available as we get closer to the event.
Options to sign up and pay are listed below.
We are doing things a little differently this year, in an effort to make the event run more smoothly and to make sure both guests and volunteers can enjoy the day. The cost of the event is $20 for SVCB members and $25 for nonmembers.
As usual, if non-members join SVCB when signing up for the picnic by paying their dues of twenty dollars, their membership is valid through 2027 and they have paid for the picnic.
The cost of the picnic includes the choices of 2 proteins, hamburgers, hot dogs or veggie burgers. If anyone wants more than 2 of these they can pay an extra $5 for two additional proteins and have the choice of taking the extra home.
After you sign up and pay, someone from the picnic committee will contact you to get your choice of proteins, condiments and side dishes.
We are offering the following condiments: sliced American cheese, mustard, mayonnaise, ketchup, relish and chopped onions.
Your choice of side dishes will be any or all of the following: potato salad, coleslaw and fruit salad.
For snacks we will provide the usual individual containers of things like Pringles.
For beverages we will provide the usual regular and diet soda, bottled water, unsweetened iced tea; and if you have a particular beverage you like, you are encouraged to bring it with you.
Deadline for signing up will be Friday, September 11. Payment can be made as follows, and please, if at all possible, do not wait until the last minute to register. We know life gets busy and we will be as flexible as possible.
Pay by check or cash in person at an SVCB meeting. An announcement will be made at each meeting so you know who to give your payment to. Make checks payable to SVCB and write in the memo area what the payment is for.
Payment through PayPal can be made to the following address:
SVCB@SVCB.CC
Please make sure you enter this correctly in PayPal as, in most cases, money sent to incorrect recipients cannot be retrieved.
You can also mail your check to our PO Box. Again, write in the memo line of the check that it is for the 2026 SVCB picnic and make the check payable to SVCB. It is also very important to address the envelope to Silicon Valley Council of the Blind so the check reaches our PO Box.
Our mailing address is:
Silicon Valley Council of the Blind
P.O. Box 4116
San Jose, CA 95125.
ACB just hit an incredible milestone with our use of the Speak4 platform. We are thrilled to announce that we have surpassed 13,000 messages sent through ACB national and ACB affiliate Speak4 campaigns. Over 13,000 messages have been sent from people across the United States to senators and representatives at the national level, as well as members of state legislatures, state governors, and even state attorneys general!
Every single message sent is impactful, and to get to a number as high as 13,000 is an achievement that this membership organization can be proud of. Congratulations to everyone who has ever participated in a Speak4 campaign, for helping us hit this milestone! If you'd like to participate in more campaigns, you can find a list of open national Speak4 campaigns at:
https://www.acb.org/advocacy
-Feel of Play Survey Seeks Your Feedback
My name is Peyton Botich, and I am part of a team of masters students at Ohio University, currently working on a graduate entrepreneurship project, focused on improving the live sports experience for blind and low-vision sports fans.
For our project, we are developing a concept called "Feel of Play," a tactile sports board designed to help blind and low-vision fans better understand live sporting events through touch, real-time haptic feedback, and additional game context. Our goal is to explore how live sports can become more accessible, independent, and engaging for fans, who may not be able to fully follow the action through traditional broadcasts, stadium announcements, or visual cues.
We would greatly appreciate it if you would be willing to complete our short survey or share it with anyone in your network who may be able to provide insight, including blind or low-vision sports fans, athletes, advocates, family members, volunteers, or professionals working in accessibility.
The purpose of the survey is to better understand how blind and low-vision individuals currently experience sports, what challenges they face when watching or attending live events, and what improvements would be most meaningful to them.
This survey should only take a few minutes to complete. Any feedback would be extremely helpful as we work to better understand the needs of the blind and low-vision sports community before developing our concept further.
-The ACB 2026 Candidates Page Is Now Live!
The ACB 2026 Candidates Page is now up and available for all to read. Visit
https://www.acb.org/candidates-pages-2026-elections
to see the questions the candidates answered, then scroll down and choose the candidate whose page you'd like to read. There are six people vying for seats on the Board of Directors, and three running for seats on the Board of Publications.
Your next opportunity to meet the candidates is the Candidates Forum, which will be held on Wednesday, July 8 at 7 p.m. Central time. Mark your calendars, and keep an eye on the community events schedule!
Elections will be held throughout the convention. The Candidates Page will remain up through the end of convention.
-Audio-Described Tour Channel to Begin on ACB Media 7
The Audio Described Tour Channel is scheduled to begin on ACB Media 7 on Sunday, July 5, 2026, and will run through mid-August. Each day features a different set of tours, with each tour airing three times daily at eight-hour intervals.
Register for this important community meeting about the personal delivery devices in San José.
The robots are among us! In May 2026, delivery robots started roaming San José sidewalks, delivering food to residents and workers. Now, some companies are considering deploying larger, faster delivery robots in our bike lanes. These proposals raise questions about the future of mobility and delivery services in San José. Will the robots make life easier? Will they bring new safety concerns to our streets? Can I ride one? (No, you cannot ride one.)
Join staff from the City of San José Department of Transportation and representatives from the delivery robot industry to learn about and share your input on draft city rules to regulate the devices. Ask questions and share your thoughts about sharing the street and sidewalk with the devices.
Join us on July 21, 2026, 5:30 p.m., on Zoom. Spanish and Vietnamese interpretation will be available. To request interpretation in other languages, or for other accommodations, please email:
colin.heyne@sanjoseca.gov
Recipes contributed by Suzanne Smith from The Wheel of Fortune Collectible Cookbook
-Crowd-Pleasing Cobb Salad
Ingredients
1 head iceberg lettuce, chopped
8 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
3 hardboiled eggs, cut into wedges
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced
2 tomatoes, diced
1 (2.25-ounce) can sliced black olives, drained
1/4-pound Blue Cheese, crumbled
2 1/4-inch-thick slices Deli turkey, diced (about 1/2 pound)
2 1/4-inch-thick slices Deli ham, diced (about 1/2 pound)
1 cup Thousand Island dressing
Directions
Place the lettuce in a large bowl or on a platter. Arrange each topping in a section over lettuce.
Pour dressing over salad, and serve. Makes 6 servings.
Test Kitchen Tips: To make your own Thousand Island dressing, simply mix together 2 cups mayonnaise, 1/4 cup ketchup, and 1/2 cup pickle relish that you've drained really well. Serve immediately, or store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
-Granny's Sour Cream Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
3 sticks butter, softened, divided
3 cups granulated sugar
1 (8-ounce) container sour cream
6 eggs
3 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons rum extract
For the icing:
1 (16-ounce) package confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons almond extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 325°. Generously coat a tube pan with cooking spray, and dust with flour.
In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, cream together 2 sticks butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Blend in sour cream. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a small bowl, combine flour and baking soda, and gradually add to batter. Mix well. Then add rum extract, and pour batter into pan.
Bake for 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 30 minutes, then turn out onto a serving plate. Let cool completely.
To make icing: In a large bowl, beat the remaining butter and confectioners' sugar with the almond extract until well blended. Spread evenly over cake.
Serves 10
Test Kitchen Tip: If you don't have a tube pan, you can make this in two 9-by-5-inch loaf pans. Bake for 75 to 80 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
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
July
July 7, 5:30 to 7 PM: Breast cancer support group. For questions, call Lori Scharff at:
516-887-1336
or email:
lorischarff@gmail.com.
July 18, 9:30 AM to 1 PM: SVCB monthly membership meeting, Vista San Jose. Please schedule your return ride home before 1 PM. Begin plans for White Cane Safety Day and Employment of People with Disabilities Awareness Month.
July 19, 1 PM: The Employee Dharma Handbook, with descriptions by Gravity, MVCPA; see notes.
July 20, noon: August newsletter deadline.
Friday July 24 through Friday July 31: ACB 65th Annual Conference and Convention. Hotel: St. Louis Hyatt Regency Arch Hotel.
Reservations: Call (888) 591-1234, group code G-ACBL.
August 4, 5:30 to 7 PM: Breast cancer support group meeting.
August 6, 7 to 9 PM: SVCB Board Meeting. All SVCB members are invited, contact President Alice Turner.
August 15, 9:30 AM to 1 PM: SVCB monthly membership meeting, Vista San Jose. Schedule your ride to leave before 1 PM.