KABVI Newsletter

Membership Secretary, KABVI, 712 S. Kansas Ave. Suite 410, Topeka, KS 66603-3080

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Annual meeting notices and membership renewal letters are sent to all persons on KABVI’s mailing list. If notices are returned as undeliverable, those names are removed from the mailing list and their subscriptions to KABVI NEWS discontinued. Membership is open to everyone interested but is not required for receipt of KABVI NEWS. A membership renewal form on which to indicate your current information and format preference is included at the end of each issue of KABVI NEWS. Thank you for helping us keep KABVI’s records current.

Plans for our next KABVI convention are ongoing. As you may know, we have re-scheduled it for January 20-22, 2022. Thursday’s program will be a half day with full days on Friday and Saturday. The plan is to focus on parents/kids for a section, employment for a section, a variety of technologies including GoodMaps, AT Guys and, of course, NanoPac and Mikel McCary with Assistive Technology for Kansas. We also hope to hear from the KS State School for the Blind, Talking Books and the braille EReader and Audio-Reader. Members of the Lions’ Club will discuss a new cane repair project, and Kelly Meyer, the new CEO of KSDS will join us. We will have door prizes for those who register and maybe some other surprises, too.

Look for your pre-registration letter during the last week of October or the first week of November. Again this year, everything will be virtual, available by telephone, Zoom, Facebook, or on ACB radio. Registering allows you to get the Zoom links, telephone dialing information, other advance information for each day, and will make you eligible for door prizes. As happened last year, your registration fees will cover 2022 membership. By then, we may have some legislative activities to report on, as well as new fundraising initiatives.

Also, I hope to spotlight a variety of ACB podcasts from the 2021 convention on our Facebook page. Of the 166 breakout sessions which many of you could not attend, I will share some that I found most informative.

Again, my goal is to get one hundred participants! Y’all come, and again, you can do so this year without ever leaving your own living quarters.

I usually use this space to discuss some national or State issue related to blindness, visual impairment, and/or our government at some level. This time, I am instead going to write about a program which we operate out of the KABVI office.

The CCTV Renovation and Redistribution program is something we started a few years ago. For those of you who do not make a habit of keeping abbreviation initials for equipment in your heads, CCTV stands for Closed circuit television. It actually should be called “magnification through closed circuit television.” A CCTV is, in some form, an enlarging camera hooked to a television or computer monitor. They can feature large television monitors or tiny ones, and any size in between. Some of them are made to hook to an existing television set, while most have the monitor as a part of the system. Some are full color, some are just black and white, and some occupy a middle ground where they may not be able to show pictures in full color, but they can change the foreground and background colors for printed items being magnified. The one thing that all CCTVs have in common is that they can often restore the ability to read small print for people who otherwise can not see small print at all.

Although some of the CCTVs with tiny monitors, or that do not have monitors at all because they hook to an existing television, may sell new for anywhere from perhaps $100.00 to a few hundred dollars, most of the larger, full color systems are around $3,000.00 when purchased new. This is financially prohibitive for many people who need high levels of magnification in order to read.

This cost circumstance has created a rather robust market for used CCTVs. Even at the costs the for- profit dealers charge for used systems, however, their expense often makes them out of reach financially for many people.

KABVI has tried to address some of these issues. It is a fact, that many people who buy CCTVs are older folks. It is also a fact that, when people get old, some of them eventually die. Often, their families do not know what to do with the CCTV which belonged to a person who has moved onward, or who can no longer use it for any of a number of other reasons. We encourage those families and owners who can no longer use their CCTV to give the system to KABVI. We then try to service the system and make sure it is working well, and then give it to a person in need of the equipment for whatever they can afford to contribute to us. Sometimes the person in need can not afford to contribute anything, and we still give them a unit, but we do encourage recipients to contribute what they can because we have to keep the rent paid on our offices, and keep up other expenses, and that is becoming more and more of a challenge.

Often, the units we receive have been in storage for a while. Many families are unfamiliar with the CCTV systems, We thus sometimes receive only the camera unit portion of a CCTV, or only the monitor unit. It then becomes our challenge to figure out what camera units can be successfully wired to work with what monitor units. We have had some success with thus creating functional CCTV units out of pieces of two other units that did not originally go together. We, of course are able to make a quicker turn-around with units that are complete, or that have both the camera and monitor built into one unit.

As I am the KABVI volunteer who spends the most time in our offices, I have the pleasure, and the challenge, of attempting to keep restoring, or creating working CCTVs out of the stuff we receive. Sometimes I do not have as much time as I would like to do this, but it is a real sense of accomplishment when I get a unit into working condition.

Our program is not particularly fair in that, sometimes we have fairly new and fancy units available. At other times, we may only have older, black and white units available. That is just the nature of volunteer equipment donation programs such as is ours.

People who have CCTVs, or parts thereof, to donate should contact our office. We are a 501)C)(3) Organization, so a tax deduction can be taken for the donation. Likewise, people in need of a CCTV should also contact us. We do not always have working units ready to go, but we often do. If we do not have a unit that will meet the need of the person requesting, we will keep the information about the person and let them know when we have a unit available that might meet their requirements.

(Editor’s Note: Kevin Burton is a professional journalist who has written for several newspapers throughout the United States. He now resides in Wichita. Kevin publishes a blog, Page 7 Blog, published through Burtonmedia7. He has given this editor permission to occasionally use copy from this blog for The KABVI News just so long as appropriate credit is given. This article is lifted from his July 31, 2021 Blog.)

Public law 89-522 is the law under which copyrighted books can be read on tape and distributed for the benefit of blind readers. I am one of those blind readers.

The earliest voice I can remember bringing me stories that placed me in a larger world and opened my imagination was that of Mitzi Friedlander. She died Aug. 11 at the age of 91.

She read a lot of children’s books, among the more than 1,100 she put on tape, that I found in a talking books database recently.

As I grew up and started reading other things I heard her voice less, but when I hear her to this day, that voice is unmistakable.

Think of your favorite radio baseball broadcaster and imagine that voice was with you all year round.

“Mitzi was a performer (actress and singer), narrator of Talking Books, social activist, teacher, mentor and friend to many across Louisville,” reads her obituary in the Louisville Courier-Journal. “Her light brightened many rooms and lives. She loved big parties with friends, especially the legendary Friedlander Christmas parties.”

The Talking Books program is one of the few perks of being blind. The convenience of having books sent right to you is exceeded now by being able to get them from a website. No waiting at all.

Hearing the work of the best writers helped me become a better writer. The books and magazines have also been a huge source of information and entertainment.

Talking books are the reason my television is almost never turned on. The content is so much more elevated. It’s like getting your meals from a skilled chef, as opposed to absorbing fast food.

Of course a lot of drivel has been recorded on talking book too, but there aren’t international corporations attempting to force feed you that.

The Talking Books program is administered by the Library of Congress’s National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. The service provides recorded literature to half a million Americans. The books are prepared by the American Printing House for the Blind in Louisville.

Friedlander had the voice of a mother or a favorite librarian. When she spoke, she took you away from your world and transported you to the lands the author had created.

In a television interview she called the challenge of capturing the author’s intent, “not easy, but a joy.” She said she heard from a lot of listeners. She said one blind person even made her a quilt to thank her.

“Mitzi Friedlander has recorded more titles for the National Library Service than any other Talking Book narrator in history,” reads a passage from the American Printing House for the Blind website.

“She is a former singer whose first performance was at the age of twenty-two, when she played Madam Flora in The Medium for the Kentucky Opera Association. Born in Louisville, Mitzi sang in countless operas and musicals, and acted in numerous plays. She says she is “almost conversant” in French and has sung a lot in Italian and German.

“Mitzi began reading for APH about 1960. She received the Alexander Scourby Award for nonfiction in 1993.”

“A well-known figure in Louisville’s theatrical world, Mitzi earned the first Master’s Degree in Theatre Arts given by the University of Louisville,” wrote Talking Books Library News on the occasion of her 2015 retirement ceremony. “She has performed with the Actor’s Theatre of Louisville, the Louisville Ballet, the Kentucky Opera Association and the Louisville Children’s Theatre.”

Friedlander also taught theater arts at the University of Louisville and at Indiana University Southeast.

I plan to listen to a few of her books soon. I will likely mix in some fiction and titles I wouldn’t go for ordinarily, just to hear that voice again.

(Editor’s Note: Kevin provides information about the National Talking Books program in the above article. It should be noted also, however, that Kansas has an affiliated talking books program which benefits from the national efforts. The Kansas Talking Books Program, which makes any of the books recorded through the national talking books program, or other State affiliated programs, available, is based in Emporia, Kansas and their State offices are located in the basement of the Emporia State University Union. This program features an in-house recording studio where books, particularly of interest to the Midwest, or written by Kansas authors, are recorded and their availability is added to the nationally available collection of talking books. If you need more information about books added to the national collection through the Kansas studios, or need to sign up to receive talking books in the mail, free matter for the blind, contact (800) 362-0699.)

The American Council of the Blind and KABVI have long supported in concept the idea of low vision aids being covered by Medicare. The latest attempt to bring this about, through national legislation, is underway. KAVBVI has signed on to a letter crafted by Clark Rachfal, ACB’s Director of Governmental Relations, along with some other national Organizations supporting this expansion of coverage. The letter was sent to the three Chairpersons listed below, as well as a number of ranking Committee members.

The letter in total is too long and detailed to hold the interest of most readers, because it quotes very specific legal language. Provided below, however, are excerpts from the letter. These reflect the saliant points. Omitted parts of the letter are represented with ellipsis. Footnotes provided in the original letter are also not included.

Dear Chairmen Wyden, Neal, and Pallone and Ranking Members Crapo, Brady, and McMorris Rodgers:

On behalf of the Independence Through Enhancement of Medicare and Medicaid (ITEM) Coalition, we thank you for your ongoing work on behalf of individuals with disabilities and chronic conditions, and for the opportunity to provide recommendations on your committee’s work to develop legislation pursuant to the Fiscal Year 2022 budget resolution. Our members are encouraged by the Policies indicated in the resolution, including the expansion of health care coverage under the Affordable Care Act, addressing gaps in basic health coverage for Medicare beneficiaries, and the enhancement of long-term care for seniors and people with disabilities. As you continue to develop the accompanying reconciliation package, we urge you to consider the needs of individuals with low vision and include specific language advancing coverage for important assistive technology to address these conditions.

Low vision encompasses a range of visual impairments that can be caused by genetics, developmental issues,

disease, or injury that reduces an individual’s visual acuity or visual field. These disorders are not responsive to treatment with conventional eyeglasses, contacts, medication, or surgery. Low vision aids encompass a wide range of assistive technology and devices that are prescribed and customized to meet the specific medical and functional needs of individuals with visual impairments. Clinical literature clearly establishes that individuals with uncorrected or unaddressed low vision face significant negative impact on their health and function, including impairment of daily activities, loss of independence, increased risk of falls, negative mental health impacts, and reduced quality of life and life expectancy. Further, individuals with low vision may benefit from low vision interventions, such as vision rehabilitation services and assistive technology that can provide magnification, minification, increased contrast, and visual field enhancements.

Unfortunately, many visually impaired Medicare beneficiaries are unable to access appropriately prescribed low vision aids if they cannot afford the devices out of pocket, as Medicare prohibits coverage of low vision aids under the eyeglasses exception to Medicare coverage, which has been interpreted as a “low vision aid exclusion.” Recent analyses of data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) demonstrate the breadth of the impact of low vision in the United States. Among older adults, there were 1.48 million individuals with low vision or worse in 2017. When examining populations of all ages, there were nearly 1.85 million individuals with low vision in 2017. Of course, the visually impaired population is not static; the prevalence of low vision and blindness is growing quickly, with approximately 480,000 new cases of mild low vision or worse and 180,000 cases of moderate low vision or worse each year. By 2030, there are expected to be 2.45 million cases of low vision or worse; this number will continue to grow to nearly 3.3 million by 2050.

As Congress considers the potential expansion of Medicare to include vision benefits, along with dental and hearing, it is critical that the population of individuals with low vision not be excluded. Therefore, we strongly support the low vision language included in H.R. 4187, the Medicare Vision Act of 2021 and encourage you to replicate this language in any legislation creating a -Medicare vision benefit or otherwise expanding the Medicare program.

This legislation, introduced in June by Reps. Kim Schrier (D-WA), Tom O’Halleran (D-AZ), Suzan DelBene (D-WA), and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), would lift the low vision aid exclusion by repealing the statutory ban on Medicare coverage for eyeglasses. Further, it would direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), working through the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), to undergo a “review and analysis” of low vision aids that are appropriate for Medicare coverage and advance coverage for devices identified by the Secretary. . . .

We urge you to include language lifting the low vision aid exclusion and mandating a review of low vision devices eligible for Medicare coverage in the Fiscal Year 2022 budget reconciliation package. This language will help ensure that Medicare beneficiaries with a visual impairment will have an opportunity to access the vision rehabilitation services and assistive technology they require. Improving coverage of these critical devices will help Medicare beneficiaries more fully participate in their medical care, achieve better health outcomes, live more independently, work, care for their loved ones, engage in civic functions, and perform everyday activities. . . .

(Editor’s Note: Kevin Burton is a professional journalist who has written for several newspapers throughout the United States. He now resides in Wichita. Full credit to Kevin’s blog is given earlier in this issue.)

The USA women’s goalball team will come home with silver medals after a 9-2 loss to Turkey in the Paralympic final in Tokyo this morning.

The now two-time defending champion Turkey avenged its only loss of the tournament, a 4-3 loss to the US in the group stage.

Asya Miller and Eliana mason scored one goal each for the USA. Sevda Altunoluk, the only player remaining from the team that won Paralympic gold at Rio De Janeiro in 2016, scored all nine goals for Turkey.

Meanwhile the men’s team fell just short of a medal after a 10-7 loss to defending champion Lithuania in the bronze medal game this morning.

When these two met in preliminary round play Lithuania won 13-3. This game proved much closer. The USA had balanced scoring with Daryl Walker, Matt Simpson and Callahan Young all scoring two goals and John Kusku scoring once.

Overall it was a strong showing for USA goalball, with both teams making it to the final day of competition.

To advance those final two miles down that golden road, the US women would have to defeat teams they had already beaten in Group D play, Brasil and Turkey.

The semifinal win over Brasil Thursday was a 5-4 double overtime thriller won in extra throws.

Trailing 2-1 with less than 20 seconds left in regulation, US coach Jake Czechowski called timeout to strategize possibly the final throw, according to the United States Association of Blind Athletes website. He put the ball in the hands of leading scorer Amanda Dennis.

“Dennis, who’s been thriving in pressure situations all tournament, came through in the clutch once again as she drilled a throw down the line past the Brazilian defense with 15.4 ticks on the clock to send the game into sudden-death overtime,” the website reported.

“Every once in a while, you get lucky enough to have an athlete who not only has the heart, the determination and the fight of a true champion but she’s also got the athletic skill to back that up,” Czechowski said.

“Amanda’s just one of those rare athletes. She’s never going to give up. She’s never gonna say die, and she’s able to do exactly what she needs to when she needs to do it. We called a shot out of that play and she was able to execute it. As soon as she let it go, she knew it was going to hit the back of the net.”

The 2-2 tie lasted through two three-minute overtime periods. That sent the game to extra throws, the equivalent of a shootout in soccer. The US won 5-4 in extra throws with Mindy Cook from Columbus, Ohio making the save that sealed the win for the Americans.

The final pitted the most successful team in goalball history with the defending Paralympic champion.

The woman finished second to Turkey in group D on goal differential. In the group stage, USA came from behind to beat Turkey 4-3, on two second-half goals from Dennis.

There would be no such heroics this morning, as the US fell under the onslaught of goals from Altunoluk. The score was 6-1 Turkey at halftime and finished 9-2.

The silver marks the seventh time USA women’s goalball has earned a medal at the Paralympic games, according to the USABA Facebook page.

After finishing third in the group stage, the USA men’s team vaulted into the semi-finals in dramatic fashion Tuesday with a 5-4 win in sudden death overtime vs. Ukraine. Calahan Young scored a goal on the first throw of OT to seal the win. It was his fourth goal of the game and capped a comeback from 4-1 down in the second half.

Thursday’s semifinal held none of that drama, as China crushed the US 8-1. Young score the game’s opening goal just 13 second in, but after that it was all China. Three of China’s goals came on penalty throws.

October 15^th of each year is proclaimed as White Cane Safety Day by both President Biden, and Kansas Governor Laura Kelly. The entire month of October is considered to be White Cane Safety Month.

The Kansas State School for the Blind sponsored a White Cane Day Awareness panel on Friday, October 1 at 10:00 a.m. The meeting was conducted via Zoom. Over 70 blind cane users and professionals in the field of blindness registered and followed the Zoom link. Bios of the panelists who were featured for the event are as follows:

Kelly Miller is the independent owner and operator of Massage by Kelly in Hutchinson, KS. She is the current chair of the Board of Directors of Prairie Independent Living Resource Center and the creator of Blindcraft Crochet, a side-business that keeps her hands busy while she eagerly awaits the call that her first dog guide placement is ready to train. In her spare time, Kelly enjoys spending time outdoors and attending live music events.

Christian Puett is a Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments, and Community Support and Accessibility Specialist at the Kansas State School for the Blind. He is also the coach of KSSB’s speech and debate program. When he is not working, Christian is very involved with the Kansas City Kansas Chamber of Commerce’s Young Professionals organization. Christian loves water sports, especially Table Rock Lake in Missouri and the Golf Coast beaches in Texas/Mississippi/Alabama and is a fan of finding good food, especially local Kansas City BBQ.

Sheila Styron works as Blindness Low Vision specialist for The Whole Person, a center for independent living in Kansas City MO, and was the first person who is blind to have become certified as an ADA Coordinator and trainer. Sheila is a strong advocate for eliminating barriers for people living with disabilities, promotes public transportation and worked with the Department of Justice on its revised definition of service animals. Formerly a professional musician, Sheila enjoys playing the ukulele, yoga and cross-country skiing as well as pursuing adventures like swimming with dolphins and skydiving.

Again this year, KABVI attempted to assist KSSB with advocating for complementary events celebrating White Cane Safety Day recognition. KSA 39-1106 requires the Governor to proclaim October 15^th of each year to be White Cane Safety Day. Last year, KSSB assisted in providing their press outlet connections to circulate copies of the proclamation signed by Governor Kelly. This received some promotional recognition, but not as much as was hoped. This year, KSSB sent the following letter to law enforcement entities throughout the State.

Dear Community Law Enforcement Agencies,

On behalf of the Kansas State School for the Blind, we would like to thank you for your service in protecting our cities, neighborhoods, schools, and communities.

In celebration of White Cane Day on October 15th, 2021, we are providing awareness about White Cane Safety Laws in Kansas to communities all across our state during the month of October. People who use white canes and dog guides live throughout our great state, and we believe it is important for people, especially drivers, to understand the laws that protect these individuals. The Kansas White Cane Safety Law states:

The operator of a vehicle shall yield the right-of-way to any blind pedestrian carrying a clearly visible white cane or accompanied by an assistance dog.

Instructors who teach persons who are blind or visually impaired how to safely travel in their communities are called Orientation and Mobility Specialists. We have come together to have a statewide celebration where students can meet their local law enforcement in hopes of building lasting partnerships.

We would be grateful if you could share this information on your social media pages or other community resource pages to help us spread the word. You can tag us on our Facebook page at Kansas State School for the Blind or use the hashtag #KSWhiteCaneDay.”

At the bottom of the letter, contact information for Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialists near each law enforcement entity contacted was provided.

KABVI usually submits the proposed wording for the Governor’s official White Cane Safety Day Proclamation each year. The KABVI wording has always been accepted. This year, that wording included recognition of KSSB’s educational efforts through the above letter.

Any of the cookbooks featured here are available through National Braille Press. Addresses are below and telephone contact information are below. If you are reading the email version of this magazine, the titles of the last four cookbooks listed are links to the ordering sites.

Weeknight dinner has just become wonderfully easy! With these scrumptious triple-tested recipes, all you need is one sheet pan to cook foolproof, tasty, and healthy meals. There's something to satisfy everyone in the crowd: enjoy delectable Light Chicken Parm, Fish & Chips, Pepper-Crusted Steak with Roasted

Veggies, BBQ Chickpea and Cauliflower Flatbreads with Avocado Mash, and, to finish, Pumpkin Slab Pie. Along with the recipes, there's advice on how to

care for your sheet pan and a variety of surefire cooking methods for delicious perfection every time.

r*** More cookbooks!

Reduced price: Good and Cheap: Eat Well on $4/Day
By Leanne Brown
Braille (3 vols.) or BRF: Now $10.00! (Usually $16.95)

Allrecipes Air Fryer Recipes

By The Editors of Allrecipes
In Braille (2 vols.) and BRF: $12.99

Cooking Light: Make-Ahead Recipes
By Editors of Cooking Light Magazine
Braille (2 vols.): $12.00

And don't miss our newest CanDo braille labels set: CanDo Braille Labels: Baking Box Labels
By Candoable
1 label each of baking soda, baking powder, corn meal, powdered sugar, brown sugar, cake mix: $18.00

To order any books, send payment to: National Braille Press, 88 St. Stephen Street, Boston, MA 02115

Phone: (888) 965-8965

*** NanoPac will be invited to our next convention. If there is a product in which you are interested, let us know and they will probably be able to demonstrate it!

NanoPacserves AR, CO, IA, KS, MO, NE, NM and OK.

Low Vision Products: Magnification Software, Desktop Magnifiers, Portable Magnifiers, Handheld Optical Magnifiers, GPS, Wearables, Keyboards and Keycaps.

Blindness Products: Software, Braille Translators, Notetakers, Braille Displays, Braille Printers, Braille Learning Systems, Keycaps

Other Blindness Products: Scanning, Reading Machines and eBook Readers, GPS.

Furniture ADA Compliant: Adjustable Tables, Ergo Rest

Computer Access: Voice Recognition, One-handed Keyboard

Computer Access: Learning and Reading Disabilities

Hearing Loss Products: TTY’s

Contact Nanopac (800) 580-6086

Darlene Louise Huerter, 93. Seneca, died August 26, 2021 at the Life Care Center of Seneca. Darlene was born on September 12, 1927 at Americus, Kansas, to Charles Curtis and Francis E. Viles Miller. Darlene was born with cataracts, and was legally blind. She attended the Kansas State School for the Blind in Kansas City, Kansas, where she graduated in 1945.

On May 3, 1948, she married Norbert L. Huerter at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Emporia. She was mother to six sons and one daughter. When her children reached school age, she joined HDU Sunflower Unit, and also served as President of the VFW Ladies Auxiliary. She worked at a café, cleaned the variety store, and also a number of schools. She also enjoyed helping out at a Meals on Wheels site.

She was a member of the Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church of Seneca, The Saint Ann’s Alter Society, And a very active member of the SPPS Church choir. She loved to sing, and enjoyed listening to a broad variety of music.

She was proceeded in death by her Husband, Norbert, of over 50 years, on September 10^th, 1998. She was also proceeded in death by two sisters, Erma Jean Piper, and Kathrine (Kay). Saints Peter and Paul Church of Seneca, and the Kansas State School for the Blind were named for memorials.

Howard Kidd, 93, died Friday, September 3, 2021 at the Via Christy Village, Manhattan, Kansas. Howard was the father of Claudia Kidd-Criss, who was a KABVI member for many years before moving to Juneau, Alaska, where

she continues to reside. Claudia continues to be an ACB member through the Alaska affiliate.

Howard owned the Fashion Master Cleaners in Junction City, Kansas. He retired in 1989, and devoted much of his time to many service organizations in Manhattan. He has been a member of the First Christian Church of Manhattan sense 1968.

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