| The
National Federation of the Blind of Connecticut |
| Annoucements |
|
Upcoming 2004 National Convention Join Federationists from all
over the nation at the National Federation of the Blind Convention!
Where: The Ramada Plaza in
Shelton, CT
Wanted: Opticon II Reader with battery pack in excellent condition. Please contact Dreda at (860) 289-4044.
The Talking Remote Control
is indeed on the market. The Voice Remote Control is made by Accenda Technologies.
You can learn more by visiting http://www.accenda.tv
The first cell phone fully accessible to people who are blind or have low vision, the Toshiba VM4050 became available. Among other things, the phone has the ability to talk and to tell users in a recorded voice that, for example, the battery is low or the phone is in roaming mode. The production of this phone and similar models to come is the result of a formal complaint filed with the FCC last February by Dr. Bonnie O'Day, a researcher at the Cornell Center for Policy Research in Washington. Dr.. O'Day has impaired vision and had contended that her Audiovox mobile telephone equipment was not accessible to people with visual disabilities to the extent required by Section 255 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. Verizon Wireless offers LG
VX 4500 with speech output. For more information, contact Verizon or check
out the product pages at www.phonescoop.com
Many of us are waiting anxiously
for descriptive language in order to see Mel Gibson's new movie, "The
Passion of the Christ". Unhappily there is no accessible technology
in any Connecticut movie theatre.
Please check out our TVI resources pages for more information regarding career opportunities in the field of teaching the visually impaired and for grants for current students, including the Brian Cummins Memorial Scholarship offered through the NFBCT - www.nfbct.org
The BESB Oversight
Council continues to meet and is working on setting benchmarks for the
agency. The council was set up to monitor the activities of he agency
for the blind. Current legislation, however, is set for February 2004
and calls for the formation of a Steering council to implement consolidation
plans for BESB amongst other service agencies.
Donna Balaski has stepped down
as the Executive Director at the Board of Education and Services for the
Blind. Balaski took a position at DSS and is replaced, effective February
20, 2004, by Brian Sigman.
Charles Smith, a member of the Southern Connecticut chapter died at the age of 49, having finally succumbed to congestive heart failure on Tuesday, February 3rd at his home in Bridgeport. He was born in the state of Georgia on January 3rd, 1955. Services were held on Monday, February 8th, and many family and friends were in attendance. Chapter vice president Joyce Kane, members Ellen Bedford, and Patty Walker were able to attend the service, and bid our friend farewell. Charles was a kind, gentle man, and it was a great pleasure to know him. He will be missed.
All inPlay announces new family
game, Crazy Eights. Try it FREE! All inPlay (formerly known as ZForm)
has done it again. Recently the company has launched All inPlay Crazy
Eights. Now the world's most popular card game is available, completely
accessible for the blind and visually impaired. All inPlay has faithfully
reproduced the classic game of Crazy Eights so that the blind and the
sighted can play together as equals.
Joyce is the proud grandmother
of Bryana Marie Kane. Born July 17, 2003, Bryana weighed in at 6 pounds
15 ounces and was 19 inches long with dark hair. We send our best wishes
to Joyce and her family.
The Iowa Department of the
Blind is developing a distance learning program that will offer instructor-led
classes for blind and visually impaired users of computer software focusing
on the Microsoft Office Suite. The instruction and information provided
will focus on keyboard commands, operational strategies for screen access
software and information uniquely relevant to blind and visually impaired
computer users. The Coccomo-NFBC Grant Program Brought to you through the generosity of the John A. Coccomo Foundation in partnership with the National Federation of the Blind of Connecticut. For more information about this grant program or if you haven't received your copy of the application in the mail, call the Outreach Office to request one! (860) 289-1971.
Waterbury Chapter: Suzanne Westhaver, (203) 723-8838, swesthaver@earthlink.net. Waterbury meetings are held on the first Saturday of the month at the Brass Horse on the Green in Waterbury. Meetings begin at 1 PM and run approximately 2 hours. Southern Connecticut Chapter:
Alfonse Delucia (860) 563-3931, lookatme81@juno.com.
Southern Connecticut meetings are held every third Saturday of the month
at 3 PM at the Fowler Memorial Building Bristol Area: Anyone
interested in attending meetings in the Bristol area should contact Gary
Allen at (860) 589-2241. Greater Hartford Chapter: Carolyn Dodd, (860) 236-8072. Hartford meetings are held every third Saturday at 10:00 AM at the Capitol Community College, Conference Room 211, 950 Main Street, Hartford. Stamford Area Chapter:
John Padilla, (203)325-4695. Stamford meetings are held every second Saturday
at 1:00 PM at the Stamford Hospital, Shelburne & West Broad, Stamford.
The National Federation of
the Blind of Connecticut has revitalized the "White Cane Bank".
If any blind individual needs a new long white cane or if a blind child
needs to exchange his/her white cane for a longer one, please call our
community outreach office at 860-289-1971. Volunteer Readers The community outreach office of the National Federation of the Blind of Connecticut has compiled a list of volunteer readers throughout the state. Through a public service announcement on radio and television, many people have called our office and have offered their time to read to blind people. Any blind person who is in need of a reader for any purpose, call our office at (860) 289-1971
Scholarships are available for legally blind individuals who live in or are attending school in Connecticut. Call the Outreach Office for application and have it in by September. (860) 289-1971. Contribute to The Connecticut Federationist
Or if you're short on cash,
The Federationist in Connecticut
|
| Return to The National Federation of the Blind of Connecticut Home Page |
|
|
|
For more information, E-mail us at: info@nfbct.org |
|
|
| The National
Federation of the Blind of Connecticut 477 Connecticut Boulevard, Suite 217 East Hartford, CT 06108 (860) 289-1971 |
|
|
| Updated April 20, 2004 |