EDITOR: Roger Petersen, petersen@svpal.org.
ADDRESS: P.O. Box 493, Mountain View, CA 94042-0493.
DEADLINE: for the May issue: noon, April 27.
VOLUNTEERS: Bernice Kandarian,
bernice@tsoft.net..
MEMBERSHIP: Lorraine Brown, morezipp@sbcglobal.net.
URL: www.svcb.cc.
Legislative Hotlines, current issues for blind persons:
CALIFORNIA CONNECTION: 800-221-6359, after 4 p.m. & weekends.
WASHINGTON CONNECTION: 800-424-8666, 3-9 p.m. & 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.
MEETING LOCATION: SVCB's monthly meetings are held in the dining room of the Monte Vista Terrace Apts. at 1101 Grant Road, Mountain View. Meetings run 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. the third Saturday of the month and are open to all. Monte Vista Terrace is one block from the intersection of Grant Road and El Camino Real and is accessible by bus #22.
Note: Local contact information is removed except when requested to remain. For local contact info, access www.svcb.cc.
"What's that?" you say. "President's message by Roger Petersen?"
Well, I spoke by phone with Madame President today and she told me of some major problems she is having, not the least of which is a computer crash. She asked me to be the presidential messenger.
So, from President Lupe, I bring you regrets that she could not attend the convention or our April meeting, along with wishes for a successful Human Race and a happy Mother's Day. And she asked me to be sure to remind you to come to our May 19 meeting and to be involved.
It is my pleasure to announce that the speaker at our May 19 meeting will be our new member and my long-time friend and colleague, Deborah (Debee) Armstrong (formerly Norling), Alternate Media Specialist at DeAnza College. Debee's and my paths have crossed several times, beginning in the 1970s and continuing through the old Baytalk computer users group and as co-workers at TeleSensory. She has a lot to say about assistive technology, having run a business in the field for a while, and is generally a fascinating person that I want all of you to know better.
Happy May birthdays to Judy Barnes, Brian Connors, Dinesh Desai, Trish Foley, John Glass, Vernon Phillips, Steve Schnur, and Susan Schulter!
We are pleased to welcome new member Eleine Skidmore.
Rain or shine, Saturday morning, May 12, is The Human Race walk-a-thon. Mike Keithley, Michelle McGrew, Margaret Hardy and her granddaughter, and Naomi Grubb and a friend of hers will all be walking in the 5K walk at Shoreline Park in Mountain View. If you read this before the day of the walk-a-thon, and decide that you would like to participate, please contact me for details. I can be reached at 650-964-7973 or at michelle@svcb.cc..
To give a contribution, you may give your donation to someone who is walking in the race, you may mail it to SVCB's post office box, or you may contribute online by going to www.vcsv.us/humanrace/recipients.shtml. and clicking on the button next to our organization's name. Checks should be made payable to "The Human Race--Volunteer Center" and should have SVCB in the memo. If you are giving the check to someone who is walking/ running in the race, please also include that person's name in the memo.
Our cookbook committee is hard at work preparing our long-awaited cookbook featuring potluck dishes enjoyed by our members at our picnics and holiday parties. If you have contributed recipes to the cookbook, expect to hear from someone on the cookbook committee in the near future if you haven't already. The committee is conducting interviews to find out interesting stories about our recipes to include in the cookbook. We hope to send the cookbook to the printer in June if possible.
Remember to save your recyclable aluminum cans and plastic water bottles. Donna Sanchez (408-377-8311) is collecting plastic water bottles, and Charlie Stein (650-494-3258) is collecting aluminum cans. You may bring these items to an upcoming meeting, or call the appropriate contact to make other arrangements. Donna and Charlie redeem the bottles and cans for funds which are then used to support SVCB activities.
And finally, remember that you may still purchase the talking thermometer key chains ($10 each) and the white cane safety awareness T-shirts ($15 for those we have in stock or $17 for those we must order). To place an order or to request info, please contact me at 650-964-7973 or at michelle@svcb.cc.. We have received some requests for T-shirts that we do not have in stock, so if you are interested, please do let me know. Once we have enough requests, I can send in another order.
See you at our next meeting!
The Spring Convention of the California Council of the Blind (CCB) was held at the Arden West Hilton Hotel in Sacramento, April 12-15, 2007, and the theme was "Opportunity Through Advocacy".
It was a well attended get- together, and it was good seeing old friends and meeting new ones.
At the Technology Workshop, a representative of G. W. Micro gave an overview of WindowEyes and how it works with Microsoft Vista. Also during this session, Emdad Khan of Internet Speech told about a service called Net Echo (Internet via the telephone).
The Board of Directors held their meeting at 7:00 p.m. Thursday evening. It was announced that the state office will be moving to Sacramento at the end of next month.
Friday morning, California Council of Citizens with Low Vision (CCCLV) and the Committee on Access and Transportation (CAT) held a joint program on what are the new ADA requirements for transit facilities and the public right-of-way, presented by the US Access Board.
During the general sessions, there were many excellent presentations. There was hopeful information shared about research at University of California, Davis, in the ?Prevention and Treatment of Blinding Eye Diseases," by John L. Keltner, M.D., of the UCD School of Medicine. There was also a presentation about Section 8 Rent Increases: What People With Disabilities Can Do About It.
There were many special interest meetings, and you always wanted to clone yourself so you could attend various meetings, and also visit the exhibits.
Catherine Skivers, Immediate Past CCB President, was the excellent Mistress of Ceremonies for the banquet.
The keynote speaker was Mr. Michael Hingson, a survivor of 9/11, and he told a truly riveting and uplifting story of his experience that day.
Assemblymember Jim Beall's Healthcare Town Hall, May 17: Assemblymember Jim Beall, Jr. would like to invite you to a Town Hall on Healthcare. The Governor and leadership from both houses of the State Legislature have made fixing California's healthcare system a top priority this year. This Town Hall will help educate and raise awareness about the various healthcare reform proposals that are currently being considered in Sacramento. The event will also provide an opportunity to meet with elected officials, learn how the Governor's May Revise impacts the proposals, and express your thoughts on which proposals you think would work best in California.
Bring your family and friends to learn and enjoy!
Thursday, May 17, 2007; 6-8 p.m.. Camden Community Center, Multi-Purpose Room; 3369 Union Avenue; San Jose, CA.
Free parking available on site. RSVP appreciated: 408- 282-8920.
Hello, I am an intern with the American Foundation for the Blind, and am working on a project related to cell phone accessibility. I have begun, and would like to continue, to compile a list of persons with vision loss who have had difficulty with obtaining and using their past, and/or current, cell phone.
Some of the problems I have found are the lack of knowledge of store employees about which phones are the most accessible, and how to obtain them. Some other problems are phones that have buttons that are hard to distinguish by touch, lack of documen-tation in accessible format, and difficulty in accessing on- screen information such as caller ID and phonebook.
Another finding was that there are few phones that have off-the-shelf access- ibility features, and many that did proved to be only partially accessible. Lastly, the phones that could run accessibility software programs, such as Talks and Mobile Speak, were a small number, and quite expensive.
Due to the large number of dissatisfied people, AFB is considering filing a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) about lack of upholding Section 255 of the Telecommunications Act, which requires that cell phone manufacturers and service providers do all that is readily achievable to make each product or service accessible.
If you would like to voice your input, I would love to hear your concerns and ideas.
Please call me at 1-888-824-2184, or e-mail me at tannis@afb.net.
Thank you,
Tara Annis; American Foundation for the Blind; 1-888-824-2184; www.afb.org..
Menus That Talk(TM)-Restaurant Menus Get Table Smarts 4/18/2007; From: PR Newswire;
Miami company introduces portable electronic menus that speak; uniquely serves the special needs of the visually impaired, elderly and non-English speaking guests
MIAMI, April 18 /PR Newswire--Taylannas Inc. announces the launch of an electronic restaurant menu system, Menus That Talk(TM), a portable, compact device, approximately the size of a DVD case, that speaks to restaurant guests, describing selected food items from the hand-held unit's illuminated buttons.
A lighted array of buttons displays major menu categories like DRINKS, APPETIZERS and SEAFOOD. Guests simply press a button corresponding to a category and hear brief descriptions of cuisine, wine suggestions, sides and prices. At the touch of a button, Menus That Talk describes what's for dinner.
No habla ingles? No problem: Just press the language button for Spanish or another language. No more squinting in dim light or turning page after page of complex printed menus. No more awkward conferences with busy waiters.
Ready to order: A Service button pages your waiter. For the visually disabled, the buttons are also imprinted in Braille. Guests who can't see the button names and don't use Braille can browse the menu simply by tapping buttons to hear categories. Another tap brings up the details.
In noisy restaurants or for the hearing-impaired, Menus That Talk features a detachable hand-held earphone. The earphone also interfaces with Tele-coil equipped hearing-aids.
Menus That Talk(TM) serves the needs and comforts of all restaurant patrons with its simple layout, ease of use and ability to deliver voice anywhere in the restaurant. Benefits for the restaurants include streamlining menu selections, reducing server assistance time and bringing the menu to a larger, appreciative audience.
"Menus should be able to communicate without being a challenge," said President and CEO Susan Perry. "We're making a restaurant's entire menu available to all its customers, and we're making it a pleasurable experience."
The idea originated in an Olive Garden restaurant where Ms. Perry was having lunch with her niece Jessica, a pretty 24-year-old with advanced macular degener-ation who cannot read a menu from any distance. Jessica asked her aunt to please read the menu to her. Susan had forgotten to bring her reading glasses. They laughed about it, but Susan thought, "Why shouldn't menus be able to talk?"
Menus That Talk(TM) premieres to the public at the National Restaurant Association show in Chicago, May 19-22, 2007.
More: www.menusthattalk.com.
Contacts: Susan Perry, President, CEO: susan.perry@menusthattalk.com., 305-255-9600; Richard Herbst, VP Marketing: richard.herbst@menusthattalk.com., cell: 786-449-9351.
SOURCE Taylannas Inc.
Come and enjoy a free, old-fashioned band concert in a beautiful park setting. Each month, Ye Olde Towne Band of Los Altos provides an enjoyable concert presenting music ranging from rousing marches to popular musicals. Spend a lazy Sunday afternoon sitting on the grass listening to your favorite concert music. A playground is available for the youngsters. Bring a picnic lunch to enjoy
Shoup Park, 390 University Avenue, Los Altos, CA, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., the last Sunday of each summer month.
May 27 - Concert 1:30 p.m. June 24 - Concert 1:30 p.m. July 4 - Los Altos 4th of July Ceremony 9:30 a.m. July 29 - Concert 1:30 p.m. Aug 26 - Concert 1:30 p.m. Sep 30 - Final Concert 1:30 p.m.
Questions? ye olde clarinetist Dawn Wilcox.
May: Healthy Vision Month.
Santa Clara Bowling Group: Every Saturday at Moonlight Lanes in Santa Clara, info@visionbeyondsight.org.
May 4, 10 a.m.-noon: SAF lab tour. Call 408-245-7330 for reservations.
May 5, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.: SMCB meeting. Contact Frank Welte at fwelte@sbcglobal.net.
May 5, 2 p.m.: AudioVision Presents: WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOLFF. Golden Gate Theatre; Sixth and Market Streets, SF. Tickets $50. To charge tickets and reserve a receiver, call 415-551-2027 or fax order to 415-551-2001 (ask for the AudioVision performance for the 5/5 matinee). You may also purchase tickets at the Orpheum Box Office Mon-Sat 10 a.m.-6 p.m. with no convenience fee. Questions? Call AV at 415-641-4589 or email katiemags@aol.com..
May 9, 7-9 p.m.: SVCB Board meeting; Meeting Place, 650-260-9029 ID 7822222.
May 9, 10, 11 at 8 p.m., 12 at 2 p.m., 13 at 1 and 6:30 p.m.: AMTSJ presents DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS with descriptions by AudioVision.
May 12: The Human Race Walk-a-thon, Shoreline Park, Mountain View.
May 12, 5-9 p.m.: Bay View Chapter annual lasagna fund-raising dinner, Lions Blind Center, 3834 Opal Street., Oakland. For reservations and additional information, call Ida Johnson at 510-655-1982.
May 16, 6:30-8 p.m.: ACB Open Forum; 800-633-8638, ID 53878255 (let's talk).
May 17, 6-8 p.m.: Assemblymember Jim Beall's Healthcare Town Hall meeting; Camden Community Center, Multi-Purpose Room; 3369 Union Avenue; San Jose, CA. RSVP is appreciated at 408- 282-8920.
May 19, 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m.: SVCB membership meeting; dining room, Monte Vista Terrace Apartments, 1101 Grant Road, Mountain View; Outreach reference: 650- 940-9769. Lunch orders must be made by 9:45. 9:30: Coffee and conversation, 10: Program, 11: Business, 12: lunch. Program: Speaker, Deborah Armstrong; Business: finalize picnic plans, remind members to acquire door prizes for picnic.
May 25, noon: SVCB In Touch newsletter deadline.
May 26: SMCB bowling.
May 27, 1:30-3:30 p.m.: Ye Olde Towne band free concert: see above article.
June: Vision Research Month.
Jun 1: Helen Keller Day.
Jun 1, 10 a.m.-noon: SAF lab tour.
Jun 2, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.: SMCB meeting.
Jun 6, 7-9 p.m.: SVCB Board meeting.
Jun 17, 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m.: SVCB membership meeting.
Jun 20, 6:30-8 p.m.: ACB Open Forum.
Jun 22, noon: SVCB In Touch newsletter deadline.
Jun 24, 1 and 6:30 p.m.: AMTSJ presents ALL SHOOK UP with descriptions by AudioVision.
Jun 24, 1:30-3:30 p.m.: Ye Olde Towne Band free concert.
Jun 29: SMCB bowling.
Jun 30-July 7: American Council of the Blind National Convention, Minneapolis. Convention hotels are the Hyatt Regency and the Millennium. They are located literally across the street from each other, and events will be held at both facilities. To make individual reservations at the Hyatt, call 1-800-233-1234; for reservations at the Millennium, call 612-332-6000 or 800-522-8856.
Jul 6, 10 a.m.-noon: SAF lab tour.
Jul 7, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.: SMCB meeting.
Jul 11, 7-9 p.m.: SVCB Board meeting.
Jul 18, 6:30-8 p.m.: ACB Open Forum.
Jul 21 9:30-1 p.m.: SVCB membership meeting. Begin plans for White Cane Safety Day and Employment of People with Disabilities Awareness Month, appoint Holiday Party Chair.
Jul 27, noon: SVCB In Touch newsletter deadline.
Jul 28: SMCB bowling.
Jul 29, 1:30-3:30: Ye Olde Towne Band free concert.