PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
by Mike Keithley

This issue of IN TOUCH is dedicated to the memory of Kenneth Frasse, a longtime member of our chapter.

Very soon now I'll be off to the CCB spring convention. Among the things I'm looking forward to checking out is the new NLS talking book player. The Braille and Talking Book Library in Sacramento is sponsoring a tour of its facilities, and a highlight is a hands-on presentation of this machine. Another player-related item I'd like to examine is the new BookSense, just out from GWMicro/Hims. This device can play NLS books, and it's been suggested that it is in direct competition with the Victor Reader Stream.

During our March meeting's program segment, Lyn Saunders, Systems Advocate from the Silicon Valley Independent Living Center (SVILC), described what it is like to do front-line advocating for Independent Living Centers, which are consumer-driven organizations that serve a wide range of customers with different disabilities. Roger Petersen has just been elected to the SVILC Board of Directors; and Carol Silveria, an SVCB member who recently had an article in the San Jose Mercury about her cooking class, works there. SVCB donated $100 to that class.

In the business section, the membership directed our CCB convention delegate, Susan Schulter, to vote to keep the bi-annual conventions CCB now has. It is expected that the question of whether there should be spring and fall conventions, or just one annual convention, will be formally resolved.

Victor Clifford told us that the placemats are ready to be shown to restaurant owners. These placemats are intended to be a membership recruiting tool encouraging those struggling with vision loss to join SVCB. and we're now looking for places to display them. For example, some senior centers, like the one in Mountain View, have daily lunches, and this kind of event might be just the environment to display these mats. To get some samples and specific information, contact Victor. The placemat project was approved by the membership in 2008, and Lorraine Brown, with help from Brian Higgins and Victor, designed the placemats.

And let's all congratulate Victor! He is now on the Board of Directors at the Sensory Access Foundation.

I hear that the development of SVCB's business card is moving along. At the March Board meeting, an ad hoc committee (comprised of Rob Turner, Steve Nakagawa and Susan Schulter) was formed to complete the project by the end of April and have samples to show to the membership at the May meeting. Hopefully we'll soon have cards we can show to the public.

PROGRAM
by Roger Petersen

Over the years that I have been active in civic affairs in Mountain View, one of my favorite political leaders has been Art Takahara, who was a city council member and mayor of Mountain View. As it turns out, Art now has glaucoma and is visually impaired. I have been mentoring and encouraging him a bit and he is showing interest in bringing his knowledge and background to bear on blindness issues, notably transportation.

Art Takahara will be our speaker on April 18. He will tell us something about his political life and how he is adjusting to vision impairment. He told me that he has already had the experience of being denied Outreach eligibility and appealing successfully. Let's welcome him to our minority group!

MEMBERSHIP CORNER

This month we get to wish Happy Birthday to Linda Alviti, Debee Armstrong, Anna Bolino, Kathy Bonilla, Tom Thompson, and Dawn Wilcox!

FUND-RAISING REPORT
by Michelle McGrew

Greetings!

Plans for our new T-shirt are well underway. We made several important decisions about the shirts at our March meeting, and we are now in the process of getting additional bid information based on our decisions. Darin is also revising the artwork for the shirts based on the feedback we received at the meeting. The shirts will be white with the artwork done in black, and they will have short sleeves. The shirts will say, "reading is for everyone" in print and braille, and now we also hope to include a large print font. Instead of the writing appearing on a page of an open book, we think it will be on the front cover of a closed book, and the book will be wearing a pair of headphones to include the idea of audiobooks. We are requesting bids for shirts with and without pockets. Shirts without pockets will have the artwork on the front. Shirts with pockets will have the pocket on the front left and will most likely have the artwork on the back as we do not currently believe that the artwork will look right on the front along with the pocket. We are also considering the addition of a small clipart picture showing a person reading a book. If we include this, shirts with pockets would have the clipart on the pocket, and shirts without pockets would have it on a sleeve. We decided not to include SVCB's name on the shirt so that we can sell the shirts to a larger market. If you have any questions or additional comments regarding this project, please call me.

Remember to continue saving your recyclable aluminum cans and plastic water bottles. Donna Sanchez collects plastic water bottles, and Charlie Stein collects 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.

Only five large print/braille calendars for 2009 remain! They feature artwork by blind and visually impaired people of all ages. They cost $9 each.

And, at this writing, we have five white cane safety awareness T-shirts remaining. We have two small in black with white lettering and two small and one large in white with black lettering. They cost $15 each.

See's candy bars are also available from SVCB! Dark chocolate with almonds, milk chocolate with almonds, milk chocolate with toffee, and plain milk chocolate cost $1.50 each, and walnut squares and nut and chew bars cost $1 each. Contact me to place your orders for candy, T-shirts, or calendars.

Finally, if you have any suggestions for other possible fund raisers, please pass them along. And, we'll see you at the April meeting!

REMINDER: PARATRANSIT SEMINAR
by Steve Nakagawa

Editor's Note: This issue of In Touch is almost too late for this item, but we are including it in hopes it will get into your hands in time.

Paratransit Seminar

Tuesday April 7, 2009

10 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Vista Center Palo Alto Large Conference Room. representatives from Outreach and Redi Wheels will be available to answer questions and present any new paratransit information.

BAYVIEW LASAGNA
by Steve Fort

Dear Silicon Valley Council Of The Blind:

Welcome to the Bayview Chapter CCB annual lasagna fundraising dinner on Saturday May 9, 2009 at the Lion's Blind Center 3834 Opal Street in Oakland, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Attitude adjustment hour will begin at 5 p.m. and dinner will be served around 6 with many door and raffle prizes to follow. Vegetarian lasagna is available upon request. The cost for dinner is $10.

Please enter the side door directly into the auditorium located in the parking lot as the front door is closed for security reasons.

Please call Steve Fort at 510-521-4386, or Catherine Skivers at 510-357-1986 for information and reservations no later than Wednesday May 6th.

Cordially, Steve Fort President: Bayview Chapter -- CCB

LEGISLATION: GETTING STARTED
by Mike Keithley

Sam Chen, who has been SVCB's Legislation Committee chair, has resigned. He believes it's time for someone else to assume this responsibility; and until I find someone who wants to do this, I am acting as the Legislation Committee chair. If you are interested in spear-heading SVCB's advocacy efforts, please contact Mike Keithley.

Advocating to improve the lives of blind and visually impaired people in Santa Clara County is a primary goal of SVCB's mission. Likewise, this is also an important goal of the California Council of the Blind (CCB), of which SVCB is a local chapter. And CCB is an affiliate of the American Council of the Blind (ACB), which advocates to improve the lives of blind and visually impaired people nationwide.

So what's this mean to you? Well, if you can and feel inclined, work on blindness- related issues at the local, state and national levels. It might seem that this is a lot of work for small return, but remember that advocating for issues of concern to blind and visually impaired people really does improve your future and gives you a chance to inject your energy into the community.

So how do you get started? First, be aware of the issues, then know how to contact the local city hall. In addition, know who represents you at the state and national levels. You can familiarize yourself with local issues by just talking to people and reading local newspapers, many of which are quite accessible on the Internet. You then familiarize yourself as to when city council and agency meetings are held and attend them. If you need some kind of accommodations to do this, let the appropriate people know of your needs and patiently insist that they be met.

SOME INTERESTING DATA FROM THE U.S CENSUS BUREAU
submitted by Doctor Ronald E Milliman

Number of Americans With a Disability Reaches 54.4 Million

About one in five U.S. residents - 19 percent - reported some level of disability in 2005, according to a U.S Census Bureau report.

These 54.4 million Americans are roughly equal to the combined total populations of California and Florida.

Nearly half (46 percent) of people age 21 to 64 with a disability were employed, compared with 84 percent of people in this age group without a disability.

Among those with disabilities, 31 percent with severe disabilities and 75 percent with nonsevere disabilities were employed.

People with difficulty hearing were more likely to be employed than those with difficulty seeing (59 percent compared with 41 percent).

Nearly 7.8 million people age 15 and older had difficulty seeing words or letters in ordinary newspaper print, including 1.8 million being completely unable to see.

Source: U.S Census Bureau, Public Information Office. Last revised: December 18, 2008

Robert Bernstein
Public Information Office
301-763-3030/763-3762 (fax)

DRA NEEDS FEEDBACK FROM BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED IHSS RECIPIENTS
Submitted by Lillian Scaife

Attention: Blind and Visually Impaired In-Home Support Services (IHSS) Recipients: We Want to Hear About Your Experiences

Disability Rights Advocates (DRA), a non-profit legal center whose mission is to advance equal rights and opportunity for people with disabilities, is currently investigating whether In-Home Support Services (IHSS) provides documents in an accessible format to blind and visually impaired IHSS recipients.

DRA would like to hear any comments and concerns you have about: Not receiving IHSS documents, including bills, in an accessible format; Difficulty reading IHSS documents including bills; Having benefits and services cut because you did not receive documents including bills in an accessible format

We will keep all replies confidential. Please contact us at: Disability Rights Advocates; 2001 Center Street, Fourth Floor; Berkeley, California 94704;

Telephone: 510-665-8644

Fax: 510-665-8511

TTY: 510-665-8716

EVENT CALENDAR
compiled by Mike Keithley

Bowling: every Saturday at Moonlight Lanes in Santa Clara. Contact Tom Keiser.