Fortunately, things are now changing for the better. Beginning in 2007, state affiliates of the American Council of the Blind entered into negotiations with MLB officials to make their website accessible for blind and visually impaired users. These efforts began to bear fruit back in January of this year. With the assistance of attorneys Lainey Feingold and Linda Dardarian, advocates have achieved success in convincing MLB officials to make their website accessible. While the site is still quite large, accessibility has improved markedly with more improvements to come. For example, I just went to mlb.com and clicked standings and learned that my Boston Red Sox have the best record in the American League and that only the Los Angeles Dodgers have a higher winning percentage. The standings are presented in a perfectly labeled table that works flawlessly using JAWS table reading commands. I probably could have obtained this information two years ago, but it would have taken considerably more time.

Advocates and MLB officials agreed that the first priority for accessibility should be Game day Audio. Firstly, it is nice to know in these days of diminishing customer service that MLB has made concerted efforts to train its customer service representatives to work with users of screen readers and screen magnification. I’ve been in contact with users who were pleasantly surprised that MLB customer service representatives were able to assist them. When MLB officials discovered that their new player could not be made accessible, they quickly devised an alternative player. MLB officials have promised that by next season, blind and sighted users alike will be using an accessible player. The original player is usable, but not as flexible. The accessible player allows for easier transition between different games and adjustability of the volume independent of the system volume which is a must if you’re using a screen reader. To subscribe to game Day Audio perform the following steps:

1. go to www.mlb.com
2. Click on audio and Video
3. Click Game Day Audio and then you will be prompted to enter your contact info, user name, password and billing information.

Once you have subscribed, perform the following steps to listen to games:

1. go to www.mlb.com
2. Click audio and video
3. click current subscribers
4. click Accessible Game day Audio

At this point you will be presented with a table containing all of the games for the current date. Note that Game Day Audio selections are presented along with video options. Use the table reading commands in order to more easily find what you’re looking for. In order to listen to the games you must first log in, then click on the appropriate radio station feed for the game of your choice.

Allstar Ballot casting

It was decided that the second priority issue should be Allstar Game voting. For the first time, blind and visually impaired baseball fans can cast Allstar ballots independently. While I was unable to get the audio captcha to work on my system, I know of at least three persons using screen readers who have been able to do so. I’m currently using JAWS 8, internet Explorer 7 and Comcast is my Internet provider. Since I had my popup blocker turned off, I was surprised that the audio Captcha was somehow blocked. If anyone tries to vote and experiences the same problem, I’d appreciate an email at bhachey@comcast.net. Please note that Allstar voting closes at midnight on July 2, (sorry for the short notice.) Also, be sure that your popup blocker is off before voting.

Here’s how to vote for the 2009 Allstar game.

1. Go to mlb.com
2. Click 2009 Allstar game Vote
3. You will be presented with a form that you will need to fill out with email, birthday, country and zip code. Note that when filling out this form, you will keep hearing the welcome message for the Allstar ballot. I found this a bit annoying. Below the zip code, find the link for the audio version of the Captcha, (for our blind and visually impaired guests. Click it and make note of the 5-digit number. The speech for this audio Captcha is one of the clearest I’ve heard. You will need to tab to the edit box to enter in the 5 digits you just heard.
4. Click on Vote Now and you will be taken to the Allstar ballot. MLB has really done a nice job making the ballot talk well and easy to navigate.
5. Go to the top of the page and then go to the first heading which will be First base. Note that all the positions are nicely labeled as headings.
6. Under each heading, you will be presented with a list of candidates for the given position. Read through the list and select your choice by checking the checkbox directly above the player’s name you want. Then go to the next heading for second base and repeat the process. Note that you will be given the opportunity to vote for all of the infield positions separately. Also, note that the outfielders are presented in a long list and you should choose three from the list for the three outfield positions.
7. After voting for the American League outfielders, click on the go to National League ballot to select National League players.
8. When you are done, click the submit ballot and your vote will be cast.

You can vote up to 25 different times. Since time is running out to vote, it’s too late to vote early, but it’s not to late to vote often! If you decide to vote more than once your information on the initial form will be filled in for you, but you must redo the audio Captcha. After clicking the vote now, you will notice that check boxes are already selected for the players you voted for the first time. If you wish to vote the exact same ballot, you can bring up the links list and click on submit ballot. If you wish to choose different players, you must uncheck the checked boxes and select the players you want. I guess that when it comes to Allstar Game voting, I’ll have to make like a Cubs fan and wait till next year. Please give this a try if you have the time and let me know how it worked for you.

MLB and ACB officials will be continuing to work together to make the mlb.com website more accessible for us. I have personally been a party to this effort and believe strongly that MLB is committed to make their website more accessible and easier for us to use. To learn more about structured negotiations and all the work that Lainey Feingold and Linda Dardarian have done on our behalf, go to www.fllegal.com. Their accessibility work has ranged from automatic teller machines, bank statements in accessible formats, to point of sale devices and websites.

However, newer, smaller displays began coming onto the market late in 2008 that just might give my neck and shoulders some relief. Let’s take a look at three of these displays, the Alva BC640, the Seika and the Focus 40 Blue.

The Alva BC640

This display hit the market in the spring of 2008 and is the most feature rich and most expensive of the three I am covering. It comes in two flavors; the display alone, and the display with feature pack. It is available without the feature Pack for $4,795.00. and including the feature Pack for $5,495.00. With the Feature Pack, the user gets an 8-dot Braille keyboard, function keys and stereo audio output. This configuration gives the user full access to Smart Phones and Windows-based computers. This display offers USB and Blue Tooth connectivity. The Blue Tooth offers a nice 300 foot range allowing the user to control the computer from an easy chair in the living room or out on the deck on a nice day or evening. Alternatively, the user can leave the laptop or phone in a backpack or briefcase and operate the device via the display while commuting to and from work. The sturdy carrying case even allows the user to operate the device while standing and waiting for the bus. This feature is one that I especially like about the PAC Mate and BrailleNote and is one I would not care to lose in search of a smaller and lighter portable. The Alva BC640 is also the only Braille display that will work with System Access. Vision Cue is the exclusive vendor for this display in the United States. To learn more about the Alva BC640, go to alva bc640

The Seika

This display is easily the most affordable 40-cell model on the market at $2,495.00. However, it lacks some of the features available with the Alva and Focus displays. It has movement keys and a few programmable keys on the front but no Braille keyboard. It also lacks its own power supply and Bluetooth connectivity. It interfaces with laptops and other portables using USB. Seika is due to release a new model later this summer which will offer both Bluetooth and rechargeable power supply. While this display is very small and lightweight, I wouldn’t recommend it for use while in transit on a bus or plane. I have heard of folks who added Velcro to the seika and installed it into a laptop case so there are workarounds for those who want to use the Seika on the go. Adaptive Technology Consulting, a division of Perkins School for the Blind is the exclusive vendor for the Seika in the United States, Mexico and in the Caribbean. To learn more about the Seika, go to Seika Braille display

The Focus 40 Blue

This display is scheduled to be available for sale some time in July of 2009 at a price of $4,495 and will be featured at both upcoming consumer conventions. This display offers many of the features included in the Alva BC 640 at a lower price. It offers a Braille keyboard, full access to Windows commands and Bluetooth and USB connectivity. The Focus 40 Blue can be used out on your deck or on the go, but note that the bluetooth range is only 30 feet. It is unclear if it can be used while you’re standing waiting for the bus given the lack of information available about the carrying case, though it’s likely that this could be done using workarounds. This display will also work with certain cell phones. To learn more about the Focus 40 Blue, go to Focus 40 blue

In conclusion, refreshable Braille displays are becoming smaller and lighter. The three described here are around 13 inches long, by 4 inches deep and 1 inch thick. The Alva including Feature Pack is the heaviest, weighing in at just over two pounds. The Focus weighs in at 1.8 pounds and the Seika checks in at a feathery 1.3 pounds. Finally, this old dog is actually thinking more seriously about switching to a smaller lighter portable, or perhaps a fully functional laptop PC and one of these cutting edge Braille displays. Time to do some grant writing!

Ms. Kara B Ahern, COMS in the Education Services Department, was recently named the recipient of the 2009 Orientation and Mobility Vision Studies Award for Academic Achievement in the Graduate College of Education at the University of Massachusetts in Boston. Kara received her award at the convocation ceremony on Thursday, May 28th.

Kara graduated magna cum laude from Bridgewater State College in 2005 as a major in physical education/motor development therapy with a minor in psychology. She excelled in the graduate O&M program at UMass, maintaining a 3.98 GPA. After completing one of her practicum requirements at the Carroll Center, Kara moved into a full-time position as an itinerant Orientation and Mobility Specialist for students in their local schools and communities. She has also coordinated a number of fitness and recreational activities for our CarrollKids Enrichment Programs on weekends, school vacations and during the summers.

Kara is a sensitive, creative and enthusiastic instructor with a true gift for teaching. Her work is much appreciated by her students and peers alike. Congratulations Kara!

Each year approximately 35 blind students from the six New England states participate in this exciting Braille reading and writing contest with the support of their parents, teachers, friends and numerous volunteers and donors who make it possible for the Carroll Center to offer this program at no charge to families. Next year’s 10th Anniversary Event will take place in February 2010 in Newton MA.

The Carroll Center proudly sends CONGRATULATIONS and GOOD LUCK to Daisy and Marisa for their outstanding achievement, and we gratefully acknowledge their families, local school districts and their specialist teachers, Ms. Marcia Dresser and Ms. Kris Lincoln for their dedication and support.

For related articles, search our site for braille challenge

The past few months have brought about two developments which I would say are very positive for persons with print disabilities. Firstly, the Reading Rights Coalition was established in order to encourage Amazon to make the Kindle II truly accessible and to convince authors to allow the “read to me” function to work on their titles. Secondly, the Reading Rights Coalition has facilitated support for a treaty being considered by the United Nation’s World Intellectual Property Organization that would facilitate the transfer of electronic documents and documents in specialized formats for persons with print disabilities by easing copyright restrictions.

Formation of the Reading Writes Coalition

Shortly after Amazon announced that it would allow publishers and authors to turn off the “read to me” function on the Kindle II, Daniel Goldstein, an attorney representing the National Federation of the Blind tried to negotiate with the Author’s Guild in an attempt to convince the Guild that anyone who pays for a Kindle book should have the right to listen to the book using Kindle II’s text to speech function. Goldstein pointed out to the Authors Guild that allowing this function might actually increase author profits as blind and visually impaired persons would then purchase books which were not available in any other accessible formats. The Authors Guild would not budge. At that point, in early March, the NFB sparked the creation of the Reading Rights Coalition. It is the mission of the Coalition to increase the availability of books in alternative formats to persons with print disabilities. The Coalition promotes the idea of persons with print disabilities paying for titles on devices such as the Kindle II and then being able to read them in the same time frame enjoyed by print readers. The coalition now has 33 members. Here is a partial list of members: American Foundation for the Blind, American Council of the Blind, National Federation of the Blind, Lighthouse International, American Association of People with Disabilities, Arc of the United States, Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, DAISY Consortium, Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, International Dyslexia Association, National Spinal Cord Injury Association and United Cerebral Palsy. As you can see, this coalition is made up of a wide variety of organizations representing persons with print disabilities.

On April 7, the Coalition organized a well-attended protest outside the headquarters of the Authors Guild in New York City to spotlight this issue. The Coalition argued that anyone who pays for an eBook for a device such as the Kindle II should have the right to listen to the text read by a text to speech device. Coalition members pointed out that the new “read to me” function of the Kindle II would increase author profits as persons with print disabilities would purchase titles not yet available in accessible formats. One of their protest signs read “ Don’t Gag the Kindle, Throw the E-book at the Authors Guild”. Apparently, the Authors Guild chose not to respond to the Coalition’s protest.

The coalition has also promoted an online petition that has garnered 7424 signatures. This petition urges Amazon to reconsider its decision to allow authors and publishers to turn off the text to speech capabilities and opposes the Author’s Guild demand that caused Amazon to take this position. If you have not already signed this petition please do so at www.thepetitionsite.com/1/We-Want-To-Read

On May 20, the Reading Rights Coalition put out a press release denouncing the decision of Random House to turn off text to speech on all of its Kindle titles. It contains quotes from the presidents of both the National Federation of the Blind and the American Council of the Blind. The press release urged president Barack Obama whose books are published by Random House to put pressure on the publisher to urge them to reconsider this decision. To learn more about the Reading Rights Coalition, go to www.readingrights.org.

The Treaty

On May 25, Brazil, Ecuador and Paraguay introduced a treaty proposal to the United Nations World Intellectual Property Organization. Originally introduced by the World Blind Union in October of 2008, this treaty would facilitate the transfer of electronic documents and documents in specialized formats across national borders for the purpose of increasing the availability of books for persons with print disabilities. This treaty would ease copyright restrictions which presently hamper the ability of organizations in developed nations to transfer their specialized format books to persons with print disabilities living in less developed nations. To illustrate, if this treaty were approved by the WIPO, organizations such as the National Library Service for the blind and Physically Handicapped in the United States and the Canadian National Institute for the Blind could offer their titles to persons with print disabilities in South America, Asia and Africa without obtaining special permission from copyright holders. While we who live in developed nations complain about the small percentage of books available in accessible formats, we might consider the plight of less developed nations where books in accessible formats are extremely rare. To learn more about the proposed treaty, go to Treaty to Increase Availability of Accessible books In Third World

Publishers in the United States, Canada and Europe quickly expressed their disapproval of this proposal. An article in the Huffington Post indicated that these publishers exerted tremendous pressure on the governments of the United States, Europe and Canada to block this proposal. To read the article, go to Obama joins group to block treaty for blind and other reading disabilities

Here’s where the Reading Rights Coalition swung into action. This recently formed coalition was able to generate pressure upon the governments of the United States, Canada and Europe urging them to support the proposal. On June 5, The United States, Canada and the European Union agreed not to block this proposal despite all the pressure from publishers and the WIPO agreed to continue to work on the proposal with the aim of increasing reading material for persons with print disabilities living in South America, Asia and Africa. Three cheers for the Reading Rights Coalition! For further details, go to Copyright treaty backing e-books for disabled readers survives US and EU resistance

All of this brings a big smile to my face! That’s right folks! Score a major victory for advocates for persons with print disabilities over publishers who would put personal profit over making their works available to us who cannot read the printed word. It was feared that president Obama might cave in to pressure from these publishers. But Kareem Dale, Special Assistant to the President for Disability Policy expressed his support for the proposed treaty in a blog written by Jim Fruchterman, founder of BookShare. To read his blog, go to Dale supports WIPO Treaty While this is a victory, the battle will not be won until this proposal is approved by the WIPO. As always, we advocates must be ever vigilant.

In March of 2009, Levelstar released version two of its software. The most important new features included an internet radio tuner, twitter capability and support for Braille displays. The internet radio tuner offers the user an extremely intuitive method for finding and listening to internet radio stations. The user can go to a list of musical and other genres or perform key word searches. The Icon keeps track of a list of recently played stations. The user can also establish preset stations, pause the stream and adjust the speed of play. This tuner offers the user a tremendous ease of use when it comes to internet radio. For example using a typical web browser on a PC is far less intuitive and less efficient. There are software options such as Klango that offer similar capabilities on the PC. For more on Klango, go to www.klango.com.

Users of Twitter will enjoy the ability to tweet on the Icon. Twitter is a social networking site that has become very popular. Twitter allows users to tell the world what they’re doing in 140 characters or less. You can follow your friends, get updates from news and informational services and learn interesting tidbits about the famous people who have chosen to tweet about their lives. To learn more about Twitter, go to www.twitter.com.

Icon now supports Braille displays. Braille displays are connected to the Icon via USB, Bluetooth or Serial over USB. Among the supported displays are the Braille connect and Brailliant displays from HumanWare, the Pacmate and Focus displays from Freedom Scientific, displays from Handy Tech, Alva displays, the EuroBraille,
Papenmeir displays, Voyager 44 and 70, the Seika Trans Braille 40, and APH’s brand new Refreshabraille. This upgrade gives Icon an important feature that is a part of most other personal data assistants for the blind. A friend of mine is using his Braille + with the Seika which is a good fit given the Seika’s small size. He says that functionality is satisfactory, but not as good as that using his BrailleNote. For example, he reports that the user cannot untether the Braille cursor and the active cursor. He finds this feature to be useful when editing documents and hopes that Icon will add this feature in the next upgrade.

Version 2 of the software also includes many important usability enhancements. The calendar and contacts have been expanded so as to more closely mimic the functionality found in Microsoft Outlook. This means more flexibility for setting appointments, managing conflicts and more categories of contacts. It also means much smoother syncing with a PC. The user can now unzip files on the Icon. This is especially handy for use with NLS books which are in zip form when downloaded. Improvements have been made to the bookshare utility which now automatically unpacks books and puts them into the book shelf. For more information on version 2 of this software including how to download it, go to icon version two

In terms of small size and large storage capacity for a personal data assistant, the Icon is hard to beat. The user may also wish to consider purchasing the docking station which enhances the Icon with a full qwerty keyboard for more efficient writing capabilities. If I had the funds, would I purchase the Icon or Braille +? Maybe. My hesitation goes back to being an old dog. I love the idea of the PAC Mate or BrailleNote which contains the PDA, keyboard and Braille display all in one self-contained unit. So, for now, I’ll continue to lug that bigger PAC Mate around. One more concern for high school students considering the Icon. I’m told that it is impossible to send a document from the Icon to a printer.

Responsibilities:

1. Implement an internship/training program with an industry so that clients can be trained and placed.
2. Develop, with staff, a training program to prepare clients for internships/jobs.
3. Create a vocational assessment that includes on the job assessments and evaluation components.
4. Meet with staff and VR counselors to discuss clients.
5. Assist in grant finding/development to support vocational services.
6. Interview, evaluate and place consumers in jobs.
7. Coordinate job coaches.
8. Foster good employer relationships.
9. Arrange and oversee job internships for summer youth and transition students.

Required Qualifications:

• College degree in Rehabilitation, education or human services-related field.
• Four plus years experience in the field of Rehabilitation and/or employment of persons with disabilities.
• Understanding of Vision Rehabilitation system.
• Self-motivation and the ability to perform without extensive direct supervision.
• Respect for confidentiality in regards to student data.
• Strong interpersonal, communication and presentation skills.
• Exceptional organizational and problem solving skills.
• Computer literate in Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Outstanding customer service and relationship management skills
• Available for regular evening and weekend hours, programs and activities.

To Apply: Send Resumes to

rabih.dow@carroll.org

Blindness services are funded with a combination of federal, state and private dollars. Services are provided directly by state agencies and indirectly by private nonprofit agencies that contract with the various state agencies. The Carroll center for the Blind is an example of such a nonprofit agency. Like other nonprofits, the Carroll Center is funded through both state contracts and independent fundraising initiatives. It is interesting to note that in many other developed countries, comparable services are provided solely by government agencies. I must say that I have mixed feelings about the way we fund such services here in the united States. On the positive side, the nonprofit model offers donors the opportunity to support such services through tax-deductible donations. On the other hand, many nonprofits live on a shoestring budget that does not always bode well for the stability of provided services. Increasingly, nonprofit agencies have found it necessary to put a greater emphasis on fundraising in order to continue to be able to provide quality services. This recession has made things even tougher for nonprofits while threatening the stability of government agencies.

I will focus today on four states and their struggles to deal with the recession and provide quality blindness services at the same time. I have chosen to take a brief look at the states of Kentucky, Oregon and California. I’ll also take a more in depth look at Massachusetts where the Carroll Center for the Blind is located. I encourage readers of this blog from states not covered here to let us know how blindness services are doing in their states by leaving brief summaries in the comments section.

Kentucky

On April 7, the Kentucky Department of Education unexpectedly announced the cancellation of summer youth enrichment and work programs due to lack of funding. This cut would adversely impact over 100 blind children in the state. These programs offer blind students, many of whom are mainstreamed in regular public schools, the opportunity to interact with other blind children and work on blindness skills such as Braille, cane travel and access technology. While mainstreaming is a good thing, it causes blind children to become somewhat isolated from other blind children. Opportunities for social interaction are of tremendous benefit to the self-esteem of blind children. Furthermore, some mainstreamed children do not have ample opportunities to work on the skills of blindness in their home communities. These programs also offer older children work experience similar to work experiences of non-blind high school students. This work experience is valuable in terms of the experience itself and as a crucial addition to the student’s resume. I believe that my lack of work experience in high school and during my college years made it much more difficult to find my first job after graduating from college.

On April 20, representatives from the American Printing House for the Blind, the Kentucky School for the Blind, the National Federation of the Blind of Kentucky and the Kentucky Council of the Blind organized a town hall meeting to advocate for continuation of these services and possible solutions to the funding crisis. It was decided that these programs would continue and that they would be done over a shorter time period so as to save on costs. To listen to this town hall meeting, go to Kentucky town hall meeting

Adam Ruschival, immediate past president of the Kentucky Council of the Blind spoke to me briefly about other threats to services for Kentucky’s blind and visually impaired persons. He informed me that there have been recent cuts to the Braille and Talking Book Library such that a regional library was forced to close. He also indicated that he has had to repeatedly advocate for full funding for vocational rehabilitation and independent living services for blind Kentuckians as various members of the Kentucky legislature have sought to reduce funding for these services.

Oregon

I would say that Oregon has earned the dubious distinction of being the state where blindness services have been under the gun to a higher degree than in any other state during this recession. On May 15, Oregon’s governor issued a statement in which he expressed his desire to close the Oregon Commission for the Blind. This agency has served blind Oregonians for over 50 years. This statement brought about quick and decisive action on the part of both the Oregon Council of the Blind and the National Federation of the Blind of Oregon. On Monday, May 18, the Capitol Building was inundated with hundreds of emails and phone calls from concerned Oregonians asking that the Oregon Commission for the Blind be preserved. State senators and representatives were not aware that the governor wished to close the Commission.

At that point, a rally to support the Oregon Commission for the Blind was scheduled for Wednesday, May 20. But, on Tuesday, May 19, a member of the Budget Committee informed the director of the Oregon Commission for the Blind that the legislature would not be following the Governor’s recommendation. This resulted in cancellation of the scheduled rally. However, the good news was tempered somewhat by the specter of possible budget cuts to the Oregon Commission for the Blind. It is the belief of this writer that services to the blind are best provided by a separate agency. The skills of blindness such as Braille, cane travel and the use of assistive technology are highly specialized. States in which blindness services are provided by a generic disability or social services agency do not fare as well in terms of serving blind persons as states with categorical services. Since it is more expensive to serve blind persons, states with generic agencies tend to provide watered down versions of what is needed to ensure that blind persons maximize skills so as to be more likely to find good jobs.

If that weren’t enough, the powers that be in Salem, Oregon have floated a bill which would close the Oregon School for the Blind. If House Bill 2834 passes, the school will be closed prior to September 1. The bill has already been approved by the House ways and Means Committee and will be taken up by the full House which is expected to act upon it by June 1. The bill would then move on to the Senate. Kae Seth, immediate past president of the Oregon Council of the Blind believes that this bill is a done deal and that majorities in both houses and the Governor wish to close the school. Officials say they wish to sell the valuable property upon which the school is located in order to provide quality educational services to blind children in their communities. But according to a recent press release from the National federation of the Blind of Oregon, there are restrictions on the property that will not allow the state to move forward with the sale. This press release indicates a clear bait and switch whereby blind students will not receive needed services as the state and local school districts wrangle over money.

I agree strongly with the major blindness consumer organizations in the value of a continuum of options for the education of blind children ranging from mainstreaming to placement in a residential setting such as the Oregon School for the Blind. Since there are a limited number of qualified teachers of specialized skills such as Braille and cane travel, I don’t see how students, particularly those living in rural areas will get good training if the school is closed. There is a possibility that some of Oregon’s blind students will be able to get this training at the Washington School for the Blind, but this means traveling considerable distances for these students. Overall, mainstreaming is a good thing as it helps blind students to be integrated into their communities. But there are times and circumstances that warrant either permanent or temporary placements in residential settings, particularly for blind students with other disabilities. Temporary placements ensure that students get a good grounding in the basics of crucial skills such as Braille and cane travel. From a personal perspective, I believe that I got the best of both worlds. I went to Perkins school for the Blind through seventh grade and then was mainstreamed for the remainder of my schooling through high school. It has been proven that blind students who are not proficient in Braille and cane travel are really up against it when it comes to future employment.

California

California gets the prize for most serious budget crisis. A recent New York times article paints a most gloomy picture. The state is $26 billion in the red and many important services such as healthcare, domestic violence prevention and education could endure drastic funding cuts. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is requesting a loan from the federal government and has recommended a state constitutional convention. California is strapped with some rather odd provisions such as a two-thirds requirement for taxation and budget items. This has made it impossible for the state to deal with the current crisis. Jeff Thom, president of the California Council of the Blind informed me of the following. The state supplement for Supplemental security Income has already been cut and will be cut again in July. Layoffs have occurred in the state agency serving California’s blind population. Thom expects further cuts unless major changes take place in the way that California handles budgets and taxation. These would include further cuts to services across the board. It is interesting to note that voters have simultaneously decried budget cuts while voting against any new taxes. To read the New York Times article referenced here, go to www.nytimes.com/2009/05/21/us/21calif.html

Massachusetts

Meanwhile, here in Massachusetts, we are also facing falling revenues and proposed cuts in services. For two years in a row, governor Deval Patrick has proposed cuts for both the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind and the Braille and Talking Book Library. Last year, the legislature rebuffed these proposals. After the governor’s proposed cuts were released this year, consumer and provider organizations got together to sponsor BLIND, (Blindness Legislative Informational and Networking Day). This event which took place at the State House on April 9 featured speakers discussing the importance of services provided by MCB and the Braille and Talking Book library. We also presented an award to a past MCB Commissioner, offered demonstrations of assistive technologies and provided lunch for the many visiting legislators and their staff. AT the conclusion of ceremonies, consumers were encouraged to visit with their legislators in support of our agencies.

The legislature has voted down most of Patrick’s proposed cuts. The House of Representatives voted not to cut either agency. But when the senate Ways and Means Committee produced its version of the budget, there were devastating cuts to Vocational Rehabilitation and Community services. Consumer advocates from both the NFB of Massachusetts and the Bay State Council of the Blind worked hard to convince senators to amend this budget. The amendment to fully fund Vocational Rehabilitation was passed. This line item includes funding for rehabilitation programs including the Carroll Center for the Blind. This cut would have devastated the VR program here in Massachusetts to the tune of almost $2 million. That’s $1 million in state funds and $1 million in federal funds. The VR program here in Massachusetts and in many other states is what’s known as a federal match program. This means that the federal government pays into the program a certain amount of money based on what the states will contribute. If states cut VR programs, the federal government will declare what’s known as “lack of maintenance of effort”. This will result in a similar federal cut. Unfortunately, our Senate amendment for Community services was not passed. This means that the Senate budget cuts community Services by around $500,000 while it is fully funded in the House budget.

Around June 10, a conference committee made up of members of the House and senate will work out their differences and produce a final budget. We will be fighting for House budget numbers in the Community Services account. This final budget then goes to the Governor for either signature or veto.

In conclusion, it is very sad that too many government officials seem to think that services to blind and visually impaired persons are luxuries that can be cut in hard times. These services are not as vital as funding for things like healthcare and money to feed the hungry, but here’s an example of a budget item that could certainly be cut in hard times. Here in Massachusetts, there are examples of powerful officials earning six figures who work for 20 to 25 years and then retire. Immediately, they begin receiving a very generous pension. At this point, some of them who are around 50 years old get lucrative consulting contracts and still continue to receive their pensions. The legislature will not vote for a proposal to delay pensions until after these folks are no-longer working. This is a glaring example of how the powers that be put the well-to-do above the rest of us during times of budget crisis.

Finally, I wish to end this most gloomy blog on a positive note. I give credit here to the many within the organized blind movement who have fought hard to maintain services to blind persons during this crisis. But, as I laud your efforts, I also admonish you not to relax because this recession is far from over and we will have to remain vigilant in the face of more proposed cuts to services.

In the summer of 2008, Newsline added the option to have your favorite newspapers sent to your email inbox. This allowed Newsline subscribers to read newspapers using DAISY players such as the Victor Reader Stream. Subscribers had to save the files onto a PC and then transfer them to their Victor readers or play them using DAISY software players. While this feature offered increased options for Newsline subscribers, using the service involved a process considerably more complex than what is required for reading newspapers via the telephone. Additionally, since many newspapers are updated throughout the day, the entire process needed to be repeated for each of the updates if one wanted to read or peruse the entire newspaper. For example, the Boston Globe usually consists of 5 or 6 updates. I decided that using this feature might be nice, but for me it wasn’t worth all the effort just to get the daily newspaper.

On March 31, 2009, NFB announced Newsline Online, a major enhancement to its services including a much nicer way to get your newspapers into a portable player. To check out Newsline Online, go to www.nfbnewslineonline.org/ At this writing, there are three working options on this site with more options coming later in 2009. They are: Newsline In Your pocket, Web News On Demand and Yourline.

Newsline In Your Pocket

This option offers you a very slick method of downloading your favorite newspapers onto your Victor Reader Stream. After downloading and installing a small program, getting your favorite newspapers onto your Victor Stream couldn’t be easier. Keep in mind that in order for this feature to work, you must choose at least one favorite via the telephone.

Shortly after hopping out of the shower in the morning, I turn on my computer and plug my victor Stream into the USB port. Next, I go to the desktop and click on the Newsline In Your Pocket option. After putting on the morning coffee, I return to my computer and, presto! My favorite newspapers are ready to be read. I’ve tried this with two favorites and the newspapers take around 2 minutes to download. Bear in mind that the newspapers are in the form of DAISY text files so the text to speech voice will be used to do the reading. Navigation within the newspapers is just like navigation in any other DAISY text. It’s easy to locate the beginnings of sections and articles. This means I can read my newspapers on the bus or train just like my sighted counterparts. I used to try doing this with my cell phone before Newsline Online existed. My hand got tired holding that phone to my ear and those dropped Newsline calls were annoying. It’s also nice to be able to insert bookmarks into certain articles for later reading.

At the end of a busy day, I can run Newsline In Your Pocket again to see if there are updates to my favorite newspapers. If so, they are automatically downloaded to my stream. These updates are presented as separate books with distinguishable titles so that I can efficiently get to the updated content. At this time, Newsline In Your Pocket works only with the Victor Reader stream. Scott White, Director of Sponsor Technology for the National federation of the Blind informed me that this feature will work with other portable DAISY players in the future.

Web News On Demand

Clicking on this feature allows the subscriber to efficiently read newspapers, magazines and TV listings on the PC. Here you get all the same options you would if you connected to Newsline via the telephone. The content is presented in html format including convenient heading markers. You can even get the system to email you the text of whole newspapers, sections or individual articles. The requested content is pasted into the body of the email so you don’t need any DAISY software or player to read it.

Yourline

The third working option offers subscribers the chance to give feedback to the Newsline staff. This can include anything from what you like or don’t like about the service, which newspapers or columnists you like or anything else that’s on your mind. I found the polling place of particular interest. They’re looking for feedback on what magazines we subscribers are most interested in seeing added to Newsline.

In conclusion, Newsline Online is a major enhancement to the Newsline service. Now, I can truly say and believe that Newsline offers me the chance to read newspapers just as my sighted peers do. Happy reading.

On Sunday, April 26, 2009, Carroll Center clients and their families participated in Newton’s annual Newton Serves Day. Newton Serves Day is a day of community activities organized by Newton City Hall’s Volunteer Office. The Carroll Center group was among 1,500 other participants. The Carroll Center has been the beneficiary of volunteer services on past Newton Serve days. This year, however, the Carroll Center was on the volunteering side of the event, reaching out to the community. The Carroll Center group was led by Padma Rajagopal, Carroll Center’s Orientation and Mobility specialist. Joining Padma were Carroll Center students Danny, Sue Ann, Judy and Gil, all joined by family members. Danny comes from upstate New York, Sue Ann from Connecticut, and Judy, accompanied by her visiting nephew from Korea, from Lexington, MA. In addition, Laurie accompanied her husband, Rabih Dow, Carroll Center’s Vice President of Rehabilitation Services. We are all dependent on one another regardless of our abilities and disabilities. We all care and indeed have a responsibility to give what we can. At this time of economic hardship, it is reaffirming to acknowledge our strengths and share them with our neighbors.