The Braille Examiner

A Publication of the National Federation of the Blind of Illinois

Winter 2005

Editor:  Connie J. Davis

Co-Editor:  Deborah Kent Stein

President:  Lois Montgomery

Contact Information

President: Lois Montgomery, (309) 762-NFBI (6324), Lmm3527@aol.com. 

Editor: Connie Davis,  (773) 338-6922, condav850@sbcglobal.net.

Co-Editor:  Deborah Kent Stein, (773) 631-1093, dkent5817@worldnet.att.net. 

Print & Braille Duplication:  Carmen Dennis, (773) 583-0899, carmen88@comcast.net. 

E-mail & IL-talk Distribution :  Connie Davis, (773) 338-6922, condav850@sbcglobal.net

Tape duplication & Distribution:  Pittman Enterprises & Associates, pittman.e.a@cometlink.com, (773) 779-1856, fax (773) 779-2763, Debbie Pittman

***ALL SUBSCRIPTION & FORMAT CHANGES SHOULD BE MADE EITHER THROUGH DEBBIE STEIN OR CONNIE DAVIS

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

Lois Montgomery

The 2005 NFBI state convention is now a fond memory. I fervently thank all of you who participated in any way for your support and contribution. It's not too early to start planning for next year. If you have ideas or suggestions I invite you to pass them on to me.

Conference calls for state presidents continue to be held on the second Tuesday of each month. Dr. Betsy Zaborowski and Kevan Worley, moderators, update us on the Imagination Fund and activities at the Jernigan Institute. All state presidents are encouraged to participate.

We're still working on HR2872. This bill calls for the creation, in 2009, of a commemorative coin to honor the 200th anniversary of Louis Braille's birth. The coin would help to focus national attention on the importance of Braille literacy. So far seven of our nineteen Illinois legislators have signed on as cosponsors of the bill. We still have much work ahead of us to make the Louis Braille coin a reality. If you haven't yet contacted your legislator, please do so right away.

Washington Seminar is fast approaching. The Gathering-In Meeting is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. on Monday evening, January 30, 2006. Those seeking assistance from the Affiliate must submit a request no later than December 20, 2005. I look forward to sharing in this event once again with others from Illinois.

For those of you who might not yet have heard, I am delighted to announce that Imagination Funding has been approved for the grant proposal submitted by the Illinois affiliate. Plans are underway to hold a mini seminar in Springfield in the spring to educate public officials about rehabilitation services and other issues. This event will be modeled on the Washington Seminar.

State and national scholarship applications will soon be hitting the mailboxes. The forms can also be downloaded from our web site, www.nfbillinois.org (http://www.nfbillinois.org) . I encourage all students attending an accredited college or university to apply.

In addition to our scholarship program, the NFB of Illinois is offering an exciting new opportunity to blind high school and college students in 2006. We will provide stipends to support two students' internships during the summer. These internships can be arranged at any organization or agency, which can provide the student with hands-on experience in his/her field of interest. For more information, check out our website, or contact Debbie Stein (773-631-1093) or Patti Chang pattisgregory@aol.com.

Let me take this opportunity to wish everyone a most joyous holiday season and a prosperous and healthy New Year. I look forward to strengthening the affiliate in the year ahead.

I am here to serve you. Please feel free to contact me with any questions, suggestions, concerns, or comments at:

CHAPTER NEWS

Blackhawk Chapter

By Robert Gardner

The NFBI Blackhawk Chapter holds monthly meetings the second Saturday of each month at 1:30 p.m. We meet in the South Moline Township Center located at 637-17th Avenue, East Moline. People wishing to attend the chapter meeting can arrange a ride to attend.

Our November meeting featured a program by Envision America, Inc., a company in Bloomington, Illinois. A company representative demonstrated a portable scanner that read the bar codes of products, and then identified the product through speech. Other information was also given, such as product size and preparation instructions. In addition, another scanner was demonstrated which read and spoke label information on prescription bottles.

Our chapter had a busy November, with over 20 members and friends attending the NFBI state convention in Rock Island. Later in the month, nearly a dozen members attended a descriptive-audio production of "It's a Wonderful Life" at the Playcrafters Theater in Moline.

Our January meeting will be held on Saturday, January 14. Our program will feature a demonstration of portable, closed circuit TV systems manufactured by OPTRON Assistive Technologies, a company in Morton, Illinois. In addition to their use in reading, these CCTVs are designed so they can be used for activities such as crafts, sewing, etc.

The NFBI Blackhawk Chapter publishes a monthly newsletter, the "Hawk Talk". The newsletter is available on the NFB IL-Talk listserv and on the NFBI website. It can also be sent by E-mail or snail mail to anyone who wishes to read it.

We are the blind speaking for the blind, and are changing what it means to be blind in the Quad-Cities and northwestern Illinois.

Chicago Chapter

By Brian Johnson

The Chicago Chapter meets on the second Saturday of each month. Our next meetings will be held on January 14 and February 11, 2006. We will certainly have discussions about the Washington Seminar and other important matters. So come join us at Exchequer Pub, 226 S. Wabash, Chicago. We begin at 1 p.m. and many of us stay for a meal afterward. See you in Chicago in 2006.

We have been concerned about the CTA's proposed fare increases for Para transit riders in 2006. Mayor Daley has recently instructed the agency not to raise fares. However, fare increases may still lie in the future. The Regional Transportation Authority is scheduled to assume operation of Para transit in June of 2006.

Watch for updates as to the fate of Para transit on IL-talk and upcoming issues of the Examiner.

Ferris Wheel Chapter

By Cathy Randall

The NFBI Ferris Wheel Chapter has recruited three new members during the past year and we are duly proud of our growth. We continue to work hard to reach out to blind people throughout the Morgan, Scott, Cass and Greene Counties. These counties are sponsored by the Prairieland United Way, which also donates generously to our chapter.

I have been working with Lori Bell and Valerie Brandon at the Alliance Library System, who have mailed over 350 print and Braille letters to library patrons for us throughout our four-county area. I would like to thank Carmen Dennis and LeAnne Mayne for brailing the letters for us. We also have a long paragraph in a print newsletter, which Valerie sends out, that will reach Sangamon County BPH patrons.

We have also started to send meeting press releases to at least fifteen area newspapers, TV and radio stations. Daryl Darnell and I passed out literature for five hours at our Jacksonville Wal-Mart on Saturday, October 22nd.

Our December Christmas dinner will be held at Vic's Pasta and Pizza Restaurant in Jacksonville on December 19.

Four Rivers Chapter

By Annette Grove

To celebrate "Meet The Blind Month" and White Cane Safety Day, the Four Rivers Chapter of the NFBI, which serves members living in southwestern Illinois, held a Metro-thon on Saturday, October 15.

Fifteen blind persons and their friends met at the St. Clair Square Metrobus stop at 10:55 a.m. in order to board the bus for Metrolink.

From there, the group continued to downtown St. Louis to meet a group of twelve NFB Missourians coming from the Lambert Airport Metrolink stop. During our stop at the park, we met with local dignitaries.

The cities of Belleville, Collinsville, Fairview Heights, and Waterloo in Illinois and the City of St. Louis all proclaimed the day as White Cane Day and the Month as Meet the Blind Month. Local news coverage was very generous. After a brief stop for a picnic lunch, furnished by MERS/Goodwill, the group of blind "white cane" travelers proceeded to the Arch for a personalized hands-on tour of our region's most recognized symbol of growth and expansion. Our group attracted much attention, as we toured the Museum of Westward Expansion, not so much because of the white canes, but because of the wonderful information being shared by the Park Ranger with our group.

Yes, we touched everything from buffalo bones to buffalo chips! We took the opportunity to hand out NFB literature to all our newfound friends. All in all, it was a enjoyable way to demonstrate and educate.

For some of our group, this was their first experience on the light rail system or their first adventure using public transportation as a blind person. The day was an encouraging accomplishment for all.

We also used the day's activity as a fundraiser. The two chapters raised over $300 in pledges.

Now that we've gotten our feet wet without even touching the waters of the Mississippi, we'd like to make this an annual trek. We hope that next year Federationists from throughout Illinois will join us for this event.

Future events planned by the Four Rivers Chapter include the annual Holiday Cookie Walk and Gift Exchange during the regularly scheduled meeting on December 10th. January is being reserved as a Snow Month, so no major activities have been planned. Chapter President Annette Grove will be the featured speaker at our February's meeting. She will discuss her trip to Central America to work in the coffee fields and support families devastated by mudslides that occurred during this year's hurricane season. For more information regarding these events or other chapter activities, please call Alma Hinkle at 618-234-5598 or Annette Grove at 314-304-9634.

STATE CONVENTION 2005

Significant Others Breakfast

By Linda Villa

A Significant Others Breakfast was held at the 2005 NFBI convention in Rock Island. Among those who spoke were Linda Villa, Mary Monti, Francisco Chang, Russ Montgomery and D. J. Brown. Thirty people attended, which exceeded all expectations. We received positive feedback during this session, and many people volunteered to be a part of next year's breakfast. Thanks to all who attended and lent their support to this new endeavor.

2005 NFBI Scholarship Awards

By Debbie Kent Stein

At the Convention Banquet on Saturday, November 5, the NationalFederation of the Blind of Illinois was pleased to award academic scholarships to five outstanding students. Friends of the NFBI Anne W. Emerick and Harold Knapheide, as well as an anonymous donor, gave generous donations, which provided funding for this year's scholarship. In addition, the unflagging support of the members of the affiliate makes our scholarship program possible.

This year the Scholarship Committee awarded two Kenneth Jernigan Scholarships in the amount of $1250 each. These awards went to Stephen Kissel, a freshman at McKendree College, and to Josh Morrison, a freshman at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.

The first of two Mary MacDill Knapheide Scholarships, each valued at $1500, went to Colleen Kozubowski, who is earning a master's degree in journalism and creative writing at Northwestern University. The second Knapheide Scholarship was awarded to David Wright, a freshman at the University of Illinois/Chicago. Ronza Othman won the Peter Grunwald Scholarship for $1750. Ronza is working toward a double degree in law and public health policy at DePaul University.

Congratulations to all of our 2005 NFBI Scholarship winners, and heartfelt thanks to our generous donors and supporters!

Let Freedom Ring

By Laura Mannon

[As presented at the NFB of Illinois Convention, November 5, 2005]

"I am here from the great city of Denver. I attended my first Illinois state convention two years ago, and it was at that time that I heard about the NFB training centers. I never even knew there were other training options available to me! I was introduced to the NFB not too much before the state convention. I am so glad that I went! As soon as I got home, we went to the Colorado Center for the Blind website. I knew at that point - I was determined! - I was going to get out to the CCB! I got hold of Julie Deden, I contacted Brian Johnson and Steve Handschu, and we were on our way!

A little under a year later I wound up in Littleton. My parents drove me out there and dropped me off at my apartment. I was scared! I had just lost my sight two years earlier, and I was thinking, oh no! What am I in for? The next morning I heard a knock on my door, and it was the residential manager. He said, "Okay, we're going to go in to the center now". I thought, all right, it can't be that far away ... "We're going to walk to the bus stop," he said. I thought, okay - no problem. Little did I know! The next words to come out of his mouth were, "We don't do sighted guide around here". I said, "But I don't have any cane travel experience! I don't know anything!" " That's all right," he said. "Just follow me."

So we walked down to the bus stop and got onto the bus. He said, "Metro Light Rail Station, please." I said, "What? We have to take the train? You're kidding, right? A bus AND a train, all in one day? Just to get to school? I haven't even started yet!" We got to the light rail station. We maneuvered between all the bus stops and newspaper stands and then I had to cross the train tracks ... We finally got off the light rail, climbed all the stairs and then we had to walk a quarter of a mile to the school! I thought, oh my goodness! I'm still not even at the school yet!

Well, I finally got to the center and met the wonderful people there. I thought, great! I'm safe! I'm in the building! I went to my first class, Braille. I thought Braille would be easy. But I was pushed! Braille was very challenging, but the sense of accomplishment I got from that class was wonderful! I had already pretty much mastered Grade Two Braille, but I needed to work on my contractions. Tom Anderson, our Braille instructor, really helped me do that. He also stressed writing with the slate and stylus. I more than doubled my writing speed with the slate. Last November I started reading The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe in Braille. By the time we came back from break in January, I leaned over the rail and shouted to Tom. (Our center is a refurbished YMCA, and the Braille room is actually an old racquetball court, so you can lean over the rail above the Braille room and yell down.) So I leaned over the rail and shouted to Tom, "Guess what! I finished my first Grade Two Braille book!" During announcements that day I heard the most glorious sound I have ever heard. A Freedom Bell is always rung for big accomplishments at our centers, and the Freedom !

Bell rang for me that day.

From then on I could not get enough. I always wanted to be reading. I'd say, "Hey Tom, have you got another book for me? What shall we pick out of the library?" We have a wonderful Braille library in our Braille room that was created by the Elks Lodge, so I was always trying to pick out a new book. The more I read, the more my reading speed increased. Reading was always encouraged at our center. Even now as a graduate I'm still a feverish reader. I notice improvement every day. I so much enjoy reading again! It's a wonderful skill that the Colorado Center has given back to me!

But back to my first day. My next class on my first day was Home Management. You'd think that in Home Management they'd give you something easy to start with, like boiling water. (Actually, boiling water is especially easy in Colorado. You never have to worry about anything boiling over because of the altitude.) Well, on my first day they said, "We just got a whole bunch of corn, so we're going to go cook corn outside on the grill!" I said, "What? We're going to touch a grill? A hot grill? Think again - I'm not touching a hot grill!" But on my first day at the center I learned how to grill corn, and being an Illinois girl it suited me just fine!

From learning to boil water and be comfortable with the stove again to learning how to cook the way I used to and make sophisticated meals again - it's been wonderful to get that freedom back! Well, the secret got out that I was a good cook, so when I had to make my meal for fifty, my graduation meal, I was kind of put up to the challenge to make something really special. My recipes for raspberry chicken and apple cake, from my graduation meal, were both printed in the Braille Monitor last summer. I really don't want to have to pan-fry fifty pieces of chicken again in my life! Or peel twenty pounds of potatoes! But I know that if I can pan-fry fifty pieces of chicken, four is not such a big deal. I have the confidence now to cook anything.

In computer class I started out with touch-typing. I said, "Why? I know how to type!" But my teacher said, "Do you really? Let's just try this!" I'm really glad, because now I can type very quickly. Also I learned the JAWS commands very well, and I can really maneuver with the computer. I not only learned to use JAWS with Word and the Internet, I also learned to use it with Excel. I even listened to the tutorial on how to use JAWS with Power Point, which will help me in my college career and even in the business world. As a little aside, I also learned that there are computer games for blind people. To reassert my competence with computers was amazing.

The area where my confidence grew the most, where I really rediscovered my independence, was travel. At first I traveled with my instructors, who were blind themselves. They taught me to cross streets. They taught me to get to and from the center on my own in just two weeks. That little accomplishment felt good! But pretty soon they told me, "You're going to go to Mile High Coffee Shop all by yourself". I said, "No, I don't think so! You don't understand - blind people should not be traveling by themselves!" That idea somehow didn't fly. I sat in the travel office arguing for about ten minutes.

To reach the coffee shop I had to get on the light rail - similar to the El in Chicago - and travel down to a light rail station that is somewhat complex to negotiate. Then I had to cross a street to Mile High Coffee. I got a little turned around and was getting very frustrated. There was traffic next to me and I knew it shouldn't be there. My travel instructor had said he was only a cell-phone call away, so I pulled out my cell phone and called him. I got his voice mail! I was ready to curse up a storm! But finally I asked someone for directions, went back to the corner - and all of a sudden I smelled coffee! It was right there! I went inside and got the business card. Then I turned back around, crossed the street, negotiated my way back up the stairs and onto the platform, and gave my instructor another call. This time I left him a message, "Hey, I'm on the platform! I can make my way back now!" When I got to the center they made a huge announcement and rang that bell so hard - I was so proud of myself! My confidence really went up after that! I felt I could do anything.

I did my "drop", where they turn you around and drop you off somewhere and you have to get yourself back. You're only allowed to ask one question. Well, I never even asked my question, I got back with no problem. Then I did my "reverse monster route". Mapping out my route on the bus system, I stopped at six different stores all in one day. Doing that gave me such a sense of competence and independence! I had my freedom!

The Colorado Center for the Blind taught me that I can travel, read Braille, cook, clean, and build a shelf. I can carve a piece of stone into a horse's head, climb a rock face in Eldora Canyon, go skiing and whitewater rafting, and even do shark dissection. All of these things are possible. The center taught me that blind people truly can, with the right training and opportunity, compete with our sighted peers on terms of equality. I'd like to ring my Freedom Bell today, not only for my freedom, but also for all people, and all blind people's freedom."

[Laura's speech ended with the ringing of a Freedom Bell and resounding applause.]

White Flag Flying

By Colleen Kozubowski

[The following piece is excerpted from Colleen's memoir, a work in progress.]

"How far are you going?" a woman beside me asks. I can't be certain that she's talking to me, so I decide not to respond. (Maybe I'll get lucky.)

"Excuse me, Miss?" she touches my arm. "How far are you going?"

(So much for luck.)

I turn toward her and point to my building. "There", I say.

The pointing is petty, and I know it. I do it partially because the building really is right there, but also to confuse her, since blind people generally don't point.

"Do you work there?" she asks, seemingly amazed.

"I do."

"Are they good to you?"

"Very""

(How long is this light?)

"Well," she says, patting my arm. "I think it's just incredible that you do so well."

There are countless responses I could make to this statement. Part of me wants to scream at her that blind people are not stupid, mentally challenged charity cases that need to be pitied for their lot in life, nor marveled at for surviving like everyone else. Another part of me wants to walk away and pretend this conversation never happened. Still another corner of my psyche tells me to bury my head in my hands and cry, because I know that I'll be dealing with people like this all my life. And in the back of my mind I am pleading with God to give me a break already. Yet with all of these thoughts swirling around in my mind, I choose a simple "thanks" as my response. Then I cross the street to begin yet another workday.

As I squeeze onto the overcrowded elevator, my left arm collides with the briefcase of another government employee. On cue, the utomaton Jane announces to all inside our cramped quarters that it is 8:25 a.m. My right hand jerks instinctively toward my left wrist, ready to muffle the robotic admission that I am different; separate; disabled. But I force my arm to once again go slack.

I fix my gaze on the glowing balls of light that I know to be the elevator buttons. As we glide slowly up, I remember a time when I could distinguish the numbers on each, and consider the reality that before long, even these blurry globules of white light will fade to darkness. My mind comprehends the fact that total blindness is most likely inevitable, yet I wonder if it is possible to truly accept this fate. I have spent most of my twenty-five years resisting the concept of acceptance, because to me it has always coincided with surrender - giving up the fight. Lately, however, I've begun to consider the fact that surrender might actually have its benefits.

As the elevator doors open, my cane precedes me into the dim corridor. I smile down at it, acknowledging it for what it has come to mean in my life. A symbol of disability, yes, but also a cherished appendage that dramatically levels the playing field. As I make my way to the conference room, I begin to enjoy the familiar side-to-side sweeping and tap tapping of the graphite tip against the tile floor. Almost without my realizing it, this cane has become my symbol of surrender. It is my white flag flying for all to see: my willful decision that the anger, sadness, and disbelief that once ruled my world, have given way to a growing desire for tranquility.

Resolutions

Resolution 2005-01: Concerning accessibility of computer programs purchased by state and local governments.

Whereas: Many blind government employees as well as those who receive government services have reported a decreasing level of accessibility in accessing information on the web and contained in both customer-made and off-the-shelf software; and,

Whereas accessibility is mandated by law; and

Whereas building or buying accessible software is easier than fixing inaccessible software after the fact; and

Whereas governments routinely fail to beta test software at the developmental or purchasing phase;

Now, therefore, be it resolved by the National Federation of the Blind of Illinois in convention assembled, this sixth day of November, 2005, in the city of Rock Island, Illinois, that this organization call upon both state and local governments to seek NFB certification and blind employee input during beta tests of all pre-packaged software before it is purchased; and

Be it further resolved by the National Federation of the Blind of Illinois in convention assembled the 6th day of November, 2005, in the city of Rock Island, Illinois, that this organization call upon both state and local governments to beta test all custom-made software while it is being considered for purchase; and

Be it further resolved that this organization call on state and local governments to mandate that if a beta test is not passed, inaccessible software implementation be delayed until it passes a beta test; and

Be it further resolved that this organization call on state and local governments to mandate that no inaccessible software be purchased, and that all software used by those governments be accessible.

Resolution 2005-02: in support of continued opportunities for blind vendors operating under the Randolph-Sheppard Act

WHEREAS: the Randolph-Sheppard Act, enacted in 1936, extends blind persons the opportunity to achieve self-sufficiency and success by granting the blind a preference in operating businesses that retail food and other items on federal property; AND,

WHEREAS: The thousands of blind men and women who have participated in this, the oldest job opportunity program for the blind, have demonstrated that adequately trained and skilled blind people are quite capable of managing successful businesses, often managing and supervising several employees and tracking considerable inventories; And

Whereas: the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) recently conducted a hearing at which testimony was presented regarding the success of the Randolph-Sheppard program, as well as testimony regarding a parallel but dissimilar program, established under the Javits-Wagner-O'Day (JWOD) Act

that offers the blind, and other persons regarded as being "severely disabled" what is often subsistence-level employment in a setting which more generously rewards those companies and persons that administer the program; AND,

WHEREAS: The staff of the HELP Committee wrote a report that attacks the Randolph-Sheppard Act and then recommends that the Randolph-Sheppard Act be combined with JWOD, basing this recommendation on a characterization of blind vendors and of the program that is scurrilous and inaccurate, AND,

Whereas: In contrast to the success experienced and exhibited by blind vendors, most disabled participants under the JWOD program continue to rely on government assistance, having neither the opportunity to experience success nor the opportunity to demonstrate, through their examples, that blind persons can compete as business owners on terms of equality; AND

WHEREAS: Many blind business owners, including those who operate vending facilities under the Randolph-Sheppard Act, employ blind persons and persons with other disabilities in percentages greater than those demonstrated by private industry generally; AND,

WHEREAS: the inaccurate report compiled by the HELP Committee has the potential to result in legislation that will dismantle this essential opportunity for so many blind persons;

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind of Illinois, in convention assembled this fifth day of November, 2005 in the city of Rock Island, Illinois, that this organization challenge the HELP Committee's distorted characterization of the Randolph-Sheppard program;

AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization oppose any legislation that would eliminate this opportunity in exchange for the limited opportunities available under JWOD.

Walk for Vision And Beyond Sight

By Bryan Turner

On August 20, on the way home from the NFBI state board meeting in Rock Island, I decided to do something for October's "Meet the Blind" month that would raise awareness in the Kankakee area. Two days later I began to put together the idea for the Walk for Vision and Beyond Sight. The project required nearly two months of planning.

After many discussions with local authorities and with the NFB in Baltimore and the NFBI board, I began to design the flyers and to contact businesses about sponsorship. I contacted twenty-two media sources to notify them of the walk. The Kankakee Daily Journal ran articles before and after the event. WVLI radio recorded a thirty-second spot, which aired twice.

A veterinarian examined my guide dog Madison before and during the walk. Although she was in good health, I only used her for six-and-a-half of the thirty-nine miles due to the rough terrain. For most of the walk I used a cane. I also spoke with my doctor before undertaking the walk because I have kidney and pancreas transplants. The doctor assured me that I was fine, physically, and signed a release form to that effect. He did question my mental fitness, however, joking that he and his staff would never attempt such an endeavor.

A dealership in town donated an R.V. to be used as a support vehicle during the walk. The walk, which was scheduled to take place on October 14 and 15, started a little late due to foggy conditions. Despite that fact, I managed to cover eighteen miles on the first day. I finished fourteen miles on the second day, which left six-and-a-half miles for me to complete on Sunday, the 16th. The next day, we didn't start until noon. As I was walking a state trooper pulled up behind the R.V. and asked why they was making a blind man walk in front of them! I guess that he either didn't or couldn't read the banners, which were plainly visible on the side of the R.V.! After three days and thirty-nine miles, the walk ended at 3:00 p.m.

I am already beginning to plan for next year's Meet the Blind Month.

I am open to suggestions.

The fundraising portion of the walk didn't produce what I had hoped, but we did raise awareness about the National Federation of the Blind and about the capabilities of blind people. People now come to me in public to talk to me about vision loss in friends and loved ones. As an affiliate, if we put forth effort, we can and will make a difference in the lives of blind people in the state of Illinois.

I would like to thank chapter members Mark Manning, Don Mitchell and Mike Doris, all of whom rode in the RV, for their help and support.

Meet A Fellow Federationist: Bryan Turner

By Connie J. Davis

Bryan Turner, President of our newest chapter, the NFBI Kankakee Heartland Chapter, was born in Kankakee on March 6, 1969. Bryan grew up in Limestone Township, Illinois, just outside Kankakee. He attended Limestone Grade School and Hirscher High School, which are both in Limestone.

After graduation from Hirscher, Bryan obtained his Illinois Health Sanitation License through Kankakee Community College. He was working at his family's pizza restaurant at the time. His father used to brag to the customers that Bryan could make a pizza with a blindfold on. In fact, his father liked to make bets with people about Bryan's ability to do that. Little did they know, at the time, that Bryan would later lose his sight.

After working in his family's restaurant, Bryan took a job with a heating and air-conditioning business. He later went on to own his own business, Turner Heating and Cooling. That was two years prior to losing his sight. He has also worked at Yonker Implement in Orland Park and driven a school bus.

Bryan began losing his eyesight late in 1996 due to diabetic retinopathy and blunt head trauma. By May of 1997, his vision had deteriorated to the point where he was considered legally blind. Within months he only had light perception in one eye. On June 18, 1999, Bryan obtained kidney and pancreas transplants. The surgery cured Bryan's diabetes, but the damage to his eyes was irreversible.

Bryan went to ICRE Wood in 1998 for some basic training in blindness-related skills. He was unable to complete his training due to illness, but returned to ICRE in 2003. He admits that his training was adequate for his needs at that time, but that it was not exceptional. He says if he were to go there now, he probably would find the training less than adequate.

In March of 2002, Bryan went to Leader Dog in Rochester, Michigan to get his beloved guide dog Madison. He chose a guide dog over a cane mainly because he is an animal lover. In general he feels more comfortable traveling with a dog than with a cane.

Bryan first heard about the NFB when he was invited to attend a state board meeting in the summer of 2003. He confesses that he wasn't sure what to think. Later that year, while he was at ICRE-Wood for the second time, he heard from us again. Carmen Dennis and LeAnne Mayne paid him a visit. After their visit, Lois Montgomery contacted him. As a result, he attended the NFBI State Convention in November and joined the affiliate. In March, 2004 Bryan was elected president of the newly reorganized Kankakee Heartland Chapter.

Bryan has done much in the Kankakee area to spread the word about the NFB. As a result, the Heartland Chapter has grown rapidly and has reached a membership of over 60! Under Bryan's leadership, the chapter has held several information days at the local Wal-Mart and various other locations. Bryan visits schools and educates the students about blindness. In October, he walked across Kankakee County to raise awareness about the capability of blind people and the existence of the NFB. He used a cane for most of the 39-mile walk out of concern that the stress might be too much for Madison.

As a blind person, Bryan feels that his biggest challenges are the lack of transportation and employment opportunities and issues around raising his 12-year-old son Seth. For the past two-and-a-half years Bryan has worked one day a week at Bradley Animal Hospital. He sorts newspapers, counts pills for medicine vials, stamps reminder cards and grooms the animals.

Bryan does not allow his blindness keep him from doing anything he wants or needs to do. He still cooks, does household chores and makes repairs in his home. Those repairs include working with electricity and troubleshooting his heating unit and air conditioner. He also helps friends with automobile repairs. He likes to collect and listen to music and enjoys learning to use the computer. Bryan took three semester courses on criminal justice as he was losing his sight. Getting books on cassette was probably the biggest challenge he faced as a student.

Bryan admits that some days are frustrating, but he doesn't give up.

He continues to share the NFB philosophy with others in the hope that it will make their lives a bit easier and strengthen their belief in themselves.

Eulogy

By Elizabeth Browne

"No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friends or of thine own were; any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee."

John Donne

Devotions XVII

What a fitting metaphor are these words of John Donne, capturing the essence of a very gentle man. Mr. Tom Porter, age 79, died of complications after heart surgery and a stroke, Sunday, June 12, 2005, at his home in Burbank, Illinois. His survivors include his wife Marie (seriously ill, once treasurer of the NFBI), five children, seventeen grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Son of blind parents and himself blind, Tom Porter was an extraordinary craftsman. His reputation as a skilled piano tuner spread throughout the music world from Leonard Bernstein to Judy Garland. The Chicago Tribune wrote a fitting obituary for Tom, describing him as a well-known man about town, noted by many a musical celebrity as the finest piano technician of our age. He worked all his life to help the famous stay on key and bring their finest performances to admiring audiences. His work on the ailing piano finished, he merged into the background to listen to the artist delight countless audiences.

Tom Porter tuned pianos for more than fifty years. He worked at Northwestern's Pick Staiger Hall, U of Chicago's Mandel Hall, at Grant Park and the Ravinia Festival, as well as in local homes and schools throughout the Chicago vicinity.

I am proud to have known Tom Porter as a friend. Once I had the good fortune to have him work on my player piano at my mother's home, listening to him marvel at this bit of antiquity as he plied his expert trade. Often he would gather a group of music lovers and haunt the concerts at Grant Park, discussing, arguing and commenting on the performances. I remember listening with him to the 6th symphony of Tschaikovsky. Tom decided that the second movement was nothing other than a three-legged waltz.

When hearing of his death, other professional tuners said, "We don't know what we're going to do now. He was always the one we called when we had questions." He worked all his life to make sure others hit the right notes.

Tom Porter has left all blind persons a powerful legacy. At a time when few professions were available for individuals who were blind, he made his skill something for all to follow and try to emulate. The recognition he achieved will help other individuals who are blind have an easier road to follow.

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