Matilda Ziegler Magazine for the Blind the source for blindness news and information since 1907

For your convenience, all Reader’s Forum submissions are separated by the ## symbol.
In response to Feature Writer John Christie – Advanced Accessible Pedestrian System, Erin said:
I live in Moscow, so I’ll have to go try it. I’m pretty sure it’s located on Deakin Street, not Beacon, as there is no Beacon street in Moscow. You might want to correct that.
My overall opinion is that audible walk announcements make an intersection less safe for a visually impaired person, as it lends a false sense of security. I think listening to traffic flow and judging that it is safe to cross, and that there are no cars running the light or turning right on red, is a much safer way to go.
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In response to Feature Writer John Christie – Advanced Accessible Pedestrian System, Tommy said:
Here in Lewes, Delaware, I was able to get the APS units installed on Coastal Highway US 1 and its associated cross street. When I moved here in 1995, the highway was 2 directions in each way with corn and soybean fields on 2 of the 4 corners. Traffic was relatively light and the highway was easy to cross. I cross the highway many times a week as the gym and my chiropractor are on the opposite side. In 2011, the highway now has 3 lanes of traffic and 2 turning lanes on each side. So to cross the street you have to cross 10 lanes of traffic, insanity at its best.
It got that I had to take a taxi to cross the street whenever I wanted to get to the other side. The taxi fare from my home to the gym, a whopping mile and a quarter, cost, with tip, 5 bucks in each direction. It just became financially impossible to go to the gym as often as I was. I contacted my state representative and explained my situation and asked if it was possible to install talking crosswalks. Within 2 months, we had a meeting at the corner with my rep, Delaware DOT, and my mobility instructor from the state. It turned out that they were actually looking for intersections to test the new APS systems. It took about 8 months to get installed and when they were, we had another meeting to test and tweak the systems.
The push buttons have raised arrows on them to tell you which crosswalk they are for. When pressed, a voice says “Wait to cross Route 1…” and states “Wait” until the lights change. It then states “OK to cross Route 1,” then I have about 28 seconds to cross the highway, before traffic gets the green light again. It also lets you know when an ambulance or emergency vehicle is heading down the road when the cross signal is on with a loud whoop sound and the voice says “Clear the intersection, emergency vehicle,” very loudly about 4 times.
They are a vast improvement and I get stopped constantly by neighbors and people who see me constantly crossing the highway about how impressed they are that my guide dog and I maneuver the crossing so well. Many have told me that they have sight and would not even attempt to cross the highway even with the signals.
The few issues I particularly don’t like is that to have the arrows make sense, they have to be placed on the side away from where the crossing is, to be able to point to the crosswalk. This means the speaker is not positioned towards the crossing and at times when traffic is loud or there is a lot of wind, the announcements cannot always be heard. In those instances you need to rely on your knowledge of the traffic patterns. However if that is the biggest problem I face crossing 10 lanes of highway, I think I can live with it.
The state is now installing them in many locations–my intersection was the 2nd one in the state.
It also goes to prove that your elected officials do listen and do act upon their constituent’s issues.
Tommy Gibson and GEB guide Opus, Lewes, Delaware
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In response to Feature Writer John Christie – Advanced Accessible Pedestrian System, Tim said:
We were asked to comment on the Advanced Accessible Pedestrian System in Moscow, Idaho, described by John Christie. Of course, I have not seen or tried this system, so my comments will be based on what I have read and my experiences with traffic in 2011.
I feel that street crossings are much less safe for us blind people in 2011 than they have been before. No, this is not because there is a great increase in intoxicated drivers. In part, it is due to the more complicated traffic patterns which have been put in place at many intersections, to allow more cars to move efficiently, regardless of how these systems impact pedestrians of all types.
Much worse than this, however, is the attitude of so many drivers who feel it is their God-given right to use their cell phones while driving, not only to talk, but to dial, text, and surf the net. I know very responsible, middle-aged people, who, no matter what you tell them, absolutely refuse to stop using their cell phones while driving. There should be a very, very severe penalty in every state for anyone even talking on a cell phone while driving.
Since this is not likely to be brought into our laws, I feel that any system, such as the one in Idaho, is bound to increase our safety, even if minimally. There is no substitute for good mobility training and good attention while walking, but we blind people can use all the extra help we can get in this increasingly dangerous and uncaring environment.
Tim Hendel
Huntsville, Alabama
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In response to Feature Writer Lynne Tatum – Classical Music, Anyone?, Beth said:
Hey, all, wonder if Lynne and the rest of you remember Victor Borge? He was a true musical humorist and I will never forget him! Hope you all get to hear stuff he did, either via purchase or online.
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In response to Feature Writer Alena Roberts – When Care Should Take Precedence, Jarrod wrote:
We actually discussed this one a show of mine. There was some rather colorful language on that show, as my station is uncensored. The opinion of just about everyone during this show was that the lady should have lost her guide dog. This means that we felt the school where she got her dog should have come and taken the dog. My personal opinion is that she just gave guide dog handlers a bad reputation. I had a guide dog a long time ago, back in late 1995 through early 1997. I was almost refused service in a couple restaurants because of my dog, but when I calmly showed managers the little book you get with laws in it, I was no longer refused service. One time, I did have to start threatening a lawsuit, but even that situation resolved itself. If I had a cab driver even attempt that with me, I would have asked for their cab number, and their name, I would have reported them right away, and I would have skipped my appointment. No appointment is more important than the safety of your dog.
Jarrod Jicha
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In response to Feature Writer Alena Roberts – When Care Should Take Precedence, Cindy wrote:
I am a fellow guide dog user, and I’ve actually had a taxi driver do the same thing to me and 2 friends of mine that happened to the lady in the story. There were actually 3 people, and 3 guide dogs. We all looked at him and basically asked him what he would think if someone asked him to put his wife there. Then he left and we called dispatch, who did nothing. When we called the head hancho the next business day, he did! I’m sorry, but any appointment to me, is not as important as Mesa’s safety. Bottom line!
Cindy Detro
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In response to Feature Writer Alena Roberts – When Care Should Take Precedence, Chris wrote:
I have had my guide dog, X-Celerator, for five years this month. Together we have travelled all over the place. I have run into situations where I was refused rides by taxi drivers and, once, chased out of a restaurant.
In all of these situations, the individual was Muslim and claimed that their religion viewed dogs as filthy and that they could not allow even a guide dog in their cab or restaurant. Now, most Islamic people are fine, but some who hold fairly extreme, fundamentalist views, will refuse to service a blind person with a dog.
In London, a Muslim man got himself a guide dog. In response to others within his faith causing trouble, the lead clerics there issued an official religious document stating that guide dogs were exempt as they do God’s work. Similar statements have been made here in the states and cab drivers in New York and Minneapolis are especially nice. Unfortunately, San Francisco, a city I visit often, seems to have more extreme people driving cabs.
No matter where I am, though, I really do not want to get into a cab with someone who doesn’t want to take me where I am going with my dog. Yes, I know it is my right to bring my dog with me, but I do not feel safe being blind and alone in a city that I may not know too well with a driver who thinks I am forcing him to abandon his faith. I will wait until the next cab.
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In response to Feature Writer Alena Roberts – When Care Should Take Precedence, Mary wrote:
I find that most cab drivers who refuse to take service animals are from foreign countries where guide dogs are never heard of and blind people are not seen or heard of much.
I am an ex-handler. I have been discriminated against so much that I finally had to give up my guide dog and no longer have one or want one. I have been refused apartments because of the dog; I could only live in the worst and slummiest places which I hated so much. One landlord wanted to rent me a house because she said the dog would bite other tenants, and I could not convince her that the dog would not bite, and this woman was an American.
Too many people have preconceived ideas about blindness and blind people and guide dogs, and this is why it is so difficult to have a dog. The White Cane law does nothing to protect us–and yes, I had several store owners call the police on me because I would not leave their businesses fast enough. One store owner, a man from Vietnam, pulled a gun on my guide dog and threatened to shoot. We were standing on the apron outside the store at the time. One cab driver refused me a ride because he claimed my guide dog shed even though I groomed it every day. Yet, it was alright for this person to take someone else who vomited in their car instead, someone high on drugs who could not control themselves.
It doesn’t matter what guide dog school you go to, what state you live in, etc. there will always be those people who don’t want our business, don’t want us riding in their cars or cabs, and don’t want us living in their apartment buildings. Of course, though, low income housing subsidized by HUD doesn’t dare discriminate against service animals because they know the law.
We had a situation come up in 2008 on Paratransit here in Sacramento. A driver refused to take one blind person who has a guide dog on the van and held us up for a whole hour, standing in the hot sun. When another van could not be found, he grudgingly let us board, but would not turn on the air conditioning. It was hot. I sat next to the guide dog person and was angry. I refused to speak to the driver when he asked my name in his lousy English. Well, next thing you know, Paratransit was flooded with phone calls from the California Council of the Blind and they were told just what happened. They called me and I told them just how I felt about this particular driver. I let it be known that the driver should be fired, and he was. I asked the supervisor how long the training for the drivers lasted, and they told me eight weeks. “And you mean to tell me in eight weeks, this man did not know about the White Cane law and that the guide dog handler has the right to ride Paratransit with their dog?”
I made my point. Yet I was the last one who had a chance to express my opinion; this is why I don’t want a guide dog today. I don’t even shop in convenience stores; and I wouldn’t ever put a dog in the trunk of a car. This is dreadful. How would you like it if the dog was able to put you in the trunk of a car? Honestly, the more of this I hear about, the more it makes me not want a service dog.
Sincerely,
Marie Rudys
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In response to Feature Writer Alena Roberts – When Care Should Take Precedence, Marie wrote:
This concerns me on so many different levels. I live in the UK and have been a Guide Dog handler for over five years now. The one thing I’m curious to know is if it was conventional “trunk,” or boot as we call them in the UK, or if it was a hatchback trunk, which many people use to transport dogs safely in. With the attention this has received, I’m guessing the latter is not the case in this situation.
Something else I’d like to say, having experienced many situations where my dog has been refused access both to establishments and in taxis or where I have received negative reactions from some taxi drivers is this–we as UK owners have a very supportive network from our association. If we are refused, not only does the law support us but we have a designated discrimination rights officer we can report incidences to. Also, continual contact with our guide dog mobility instructors on at least an annual basis means confidence and support feels continual.
At least this is my and many others experience. It’s not to say we do not have refusals or negative situations happen, but it seems, from what I know about you guys in the US, the continual support from the association or school is not always there. If this is not true for some, my apologies, but it has come across this way from some I have spoken to. On that point, not only are the channels in place to support the owner in difficult situations but there is a clear channel for complaints. If such a thing had happened here, this situation would have been quickly brought to the district team’s attention that the client fell under and an investigation of her care of the animal would have been assessed. If they felt the partnership could continue with support, they would find a way to assist the continued mobility and partnership.
Sadly, and this is no criticism of your article as it was well written and I agree in essence that her decision was wrong and not in the best interest of the animal (which for me would be paramount), but I’ve seen and heard some nasty things said about this story. I couldn’t ever imagine placing my beloved dog in the trunk space of a car, or putting him in any situation that would cause him discomfort or distress, but attacking this woman as some have done is not right or helpful either. It just worries me that she may not have the support to deal with what has happened and more to the point, the welfare of the poor dog may never be assessed by a professional. If the aftercare for some of you guys is present and efficient, that’s great and my apologies for my ignorance, but the people I’ve spoken to in the past tell a different story about the support once you’ve qualified with a guide.
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In response to Feature Writer Alena Roberts – When Care Should Take Precedence, Shannon wrote:
I agree with you here. I’ve had to report cab drivers, and they were always fired. The biggest problem is those cab drivers are not trained in service dog education. And many of them do not speak English, or at least not very well. I’ve even had problems with paratransit drivers that also haven’t been educated. It is a big problem. But I’d never subject my dog to something like that! If the school hears of it, I wouldn’t doubt they’d remove her dog from her possession.
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I am responding to Valerie Moreno’s contribution in the June 6th Ziegler and Lynne Tatum’s piece in the June 13th issue.
I agree with Valerie about the therapeutic value of the babies she described and found the article informative. I was aware that there were babies used to teach teen parenting by crying until the teen picked the baby up to hold, feed or change it, but I had never heard of the babies Valerie wrote about and other readers commented on in the June 13th Reader’s Forum.
To Feature Writer Lynne Tatum, your item about classical music in the June 13th Ziegler inspired me to write about Handel, best known for composing the Messiah. What many may not know, though, is that George Frederick became blind later in life.
To everyone who makes the Matilda Ziegler such a quality magazine, keep up the great work.
Terri Winaught,
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

What would you say if I told you that part of who we are, not personality-wise, but actually a physical part of us as a species is owned by someone else? I’m not talking about a higher power, either, but actually individuals and corporations.
As absurd as this sounds, it’s true. Among other things, roughly twenty percent of individual human genes are patented or have been filed for patenting. This has resulted in research concerning these genes only being performed by the individuals or companies who own the patent. If outside researchers wish to explore the gene, they are then subject to sometimes-astronomical licensing fees, which may halt their experiments before they even began.
This all falls under the umbrella of intellectual property rights, which are protected by laws and essentially controlled by the government patent office. While intellectual property rights are incredibly important for innovative businesses to survive and grow, the ability to patent something like an individual gene may be taking it too far.
The need for profit has become so high–or rather, has taken such high priority–that it creates a barrier for knowledge. This barrier, while a present hurdle for scientists in this country, is also seriously hampering scientific developments in low-income countries as well. While we have many different drugs and treatments for disease here, the poorer countries of the world are seen as markets which have no viability and corporations recognize that they can’t make as much money there. As a result, access to even basic medicines is highly restricted or entirely non-existent.
The biggest problem with intellectual property rights is that they can be purchased or traded, which often serves as another way for companies to generate revenue. This allows for a situation in which many patents can gradually be absorbed by a small group of entities who then have a say in how they are used, who is allowed to license their use, and the fees associated with that licensing.
What it boils down to is that crucial knowledge has become a commodity and is being discovered or purchased and then held, rather than being widely available in an open forum for anyone to access. When this happens, scientific development slows and the world, for seemingly no other purpose aside from profit, suffers from a lack of access to this information. This isn’t to say that intellectual property rights are inherently bad, just that it’s time to take a look at this situation and start reforming policy in an effort to allow expansion of scientific discovery.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/nov/26/science-shackles-intellectual-property/print

If you’ve ever guessed that your lightly-used hotel soaps were going to a factory in Atlanta to be sanitized and reshaped and sent off to poor African towns, you were absolutely right. If you never guessed that, no one blames you.
Derreck Kayongo started his unique foundation, Global Soap Project, back in 2009 and currently has about 300 hotels participating in an effort to provide free soap to people who do not have access to basic sanitation in Africa.
Kayongo, a Uganda native, came up with this idea during his first visit to America. While staying at his hotel, he noticed that even though he only used his bar of soap once, which barely reduced its size, a new one was in its place the following day. Worried that he was being charged for this extra soap, he went to the front desk to return it, only to be told that it was hotel policy to replace the soap daily. This confused him deeply.
Kayongo comes from a place where availability of soap isn’t an issue, but cost is. Most of the people around him only make about one dollar a day, and soap costs twenty-five cents. “I’m not a good mathematician,” he said. “But I’m telling you I’m not going to spend that 25 cents on a bar of soap. I’m going to buy sugar. I’m going to buy medicine. I’m going to do all the things I think are keeping me alive.” Each year, more than two million children become ill from diseases that could have been prevented by something as simple as washing their hands. When that happens, it’s even more expensive to go to the hospital. “And that’s where the problem begins and people end up dying,” Kayongo said.
When the soap bars are received from the hotels that participate with his foundation, they sanitize them first, and then heat them at very high temperatures, chill them, and cut them into bars. None of the soap is mixed, since each type of soap has different characteristics like pH, smells, and colors. The bars of soap are only released to be sent to Africa once a third-party lab has certified that they are pathogen-free. All of the soap is given to the recipients free of charge, and so far, over one hundred thousand bars (or one hundred tons total) has been distributed.
“When we were distributing the soap, I could sense that there was a lot of excitement, joy, a lot of happiness,” said Kayongo. “It’s a reminder again of that sense of decency. They have someone who knows about their situation, and is willing to come and visit them … to come and say, ‘We are sorry … We’re here to help.’ ”
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/06/16/cnnheroes.kayongo.hotel.soap/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

The son of a prairie homesteader in Canada, Jacobus tenBroek was born in 1911.
When Jacobus was seven, he had an accident with a bow and arrow which caused him to lose sight in one eye. tenBroek’s sight worsened until he was 14 and became totally blind.
He and his family then moved to Berkeley, California, where he attended the California School for the Blind, and was active in local blindness organizations by age seventeen.
By 1934, tenBroek had joined with Dr. Newel Perry and others to form the California Council of the Blind, which later became the National Federation of the Blind of California. This organization was a model for the nationwide federation that tenBroek founded in 1940.
Also in 1940, tenBroek received his doctorate in law from the University of California, completed a year as Brandeis Research Fellow at Harvard Law School, and was appointed to the faculty of the University of Chicago Law School.
In 1942, he began his teaching career at the University of California at Berkeley, moving steadily through the ranks to become full professor in 1953 and chairman of the speech department in 1955. In 1963, he accepted an appointment as professor of political science.
During this time, Professor tenBroek published several books and more than fifty articles in the fields of welfare, government, and law–establishing a reputation as one of the nation’s foremost Constitutional Law scholars.
One of his books, “Prejudice, War, and the Constitution,” won the Political Science Association’s Woodrow Wilson Award in 1955. The association regarded this work as the best book of the year on government and democracy. Additional books he published were: “Hope Deferred: Public Welfare and the Blind” (1959) and “The Antislavery Origins of the Fourteenth Amendment” (1951)–revised and republished in 1965 as “Equal Under Law.”
Dr. tenBroek’s lifelong companion was his wife, Hazel, with whom he raised three children and worked inseparably on writing, research and Federation activities. Although Jacobus tenBroek died of cancer at 56 in 1968, Mrs. tenBroek has remained active in the organized blind movement.
His multifaceted career as author, member of prestegious boards, NFB founder, recipient of several degrees, and university professor led some skeptics to claim that his achievements were beyond the reach of what they called the “ordinary blind person.” What tenBroek recognized in himself was not that he was exceptional, but that he was normal–that his blindness had nothing to do with his many achievements.
Tenbroek’s successor, Kenneth Jernigan, spoke eloquently in a memorial address about his predecessor. He said, “The relationship of this man to the organized blind movement, which he brought into being in the United States and around the world, was such that it would be accurate to say that the man was the embodiment of the movement, or the movement was the expression of the man.”
Did any of you have the priviledge to meet tenBroek? Let us know in the Reader’s Forum.

We all have challenges, so what is yours?
My story is unique, as many are. At age 10, I was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa; a progressive eye disorder that causes vision loss over time. Of course, I had no idea how this particular condition would affect me because I was too young to understand it. For many years, I helped my grandfather, who also had the same disorder, and I never knew I was preparing to understand my own condition.
I arrived in the United States in 1980 at age 10, and shortly thereafter began experiencing night vision loss. Doctors at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute told my parents about my condition. They had no idea what this condition was or what challenges it would create for me. Because of their lack of knowledge, I had a very fruitful and productive life. Sometimes parents knowing too much can do more harm than good. My parents allowed me to live a normal life even though I would eventually lose my sight. With all of this, I never realized that life was preparing me to face even more challenges.
At age 33, I stopped driving. I also began a new chapter of trials which I never imagined I would face. My daughter was already a little over two years and we had been told she had Cystic Fibrosis. I knew that I had to continue living and show her that life was filled with hardships that we must face. Now I know that I must help her prepare for her challenges as I have prepared for mine.
In my efforts to raise more funds to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, I am planning a paddling trip which will take me 65 miles (104 Kilometers) and 5 days to finish. I am looking for sponsors to help me get the many facets of this event completed. The uniqueness of this trip is one which I have pondered for some time; I am a blind man and father paddling down a river for a cause.
The goal is to start off 65 miles north of Arcadia, Florida on the Peace River. I will be paddling with a partner who will be my eyes. I am considering paddling the first 28 miles alone with my partner and at least two others that have joined my group.
Please visit me at http://www.paddleforcf.com or email me at paddleforcf@gmail.com to follow me on this wonderful journey.
Editor’s note: I’ve asked Jose to keep us updated with the progression of his project, so expect more articles to come in the future.

So who says we blind folks can’t draw? Not me. I’ve been making greeting cards for friends and my students for several months now and have started teaching others to draw.
I got started a couple of months ago when I bought a Braille book called “Drawing with Your Perkins Brailler.” I had heard about the book a while back and it was something that I’d wanted to explore, so one day I just decided to order it and I haven’t had so much fun with a new hobby for a long time.
“Drawing with Your Perkins Brailler,” by Kim Charlson, is like a recipe book of directions on how to draw 36 line drawings using nothing but heavyweight Braille or construction paper and your Classic Perkins Brailler. The book begins with a brief history of the Brailler and some other introductory material and then launches straight into the hands-on how-to.
The book is divided into four theme-based sections–basic shapes (large and small squares, rectangles, triangles and diamonds), animals, holiday drawings, and drawings related to transportation. The directions are clear and line numbers make it easier to keep track of where you are as you complete the picture. After being drawn, the pictures can be colored in if desired. I use scented markers and scented colored pencils as well as crayons labeled in Braille if I color the pictures in.
This book is a wonderful resource which can appeal to a wide audience in the blindness community. For young children, it can be a way of reinforcing concepts of shape and of how things can be represented on paper. For newly blind adults learning Braille, the book can help them to stay motivated to learn new Braille symbols and to practice their writing skills. The thing I like best about the book is that sighted people actually recognize what I’ve drawn without my having to tell them!
It takes a little patience to do this, but as long as the directions are followed, the pictures come out great and give people a real sense of accomplishment. Recently, I taught a twelve-year-old boy how to draw a dog. He didn’t want to start with basic shape–he wanted to dive right into the more complex drawings. The first time we did one, I read him the directions while he worked the Brailler. This boy lost his sight due to a brain tumor, so still remembers what things look like. He fell in love with the pictures in the book and after he’d drawn the dog, he went on to draw a bear independently, using the Brailler with one hand while he read the directions with the other. By that time, he was hooked and wanted me to get him a book so he could draw on his own. When I told him how much the book cost, $24.95 from www.perkinsproducts.org, I thought that was the end of it, that he couldn’t afford the price. But the next week he showed up with $25 so he got his copy of the book.
I would encourage anyone, whether you think you have artistic talent or not, to try using this book to make your own Braille pictures. I’m very glad I did.

This time of year, memories of my dad always surface. My dad was a happy, mild-mannered man, entirely devoted to his family.
Two Father’s Days stand out in my mind–1963 and 1971. It was almost the first day of summer and the start of a heat wave in 1963. We had a delicious dinner just for dad and I recorded sounds from the outdoors on my small transistor recorder. The day was extra special, since my brother would be going on a cross country camping trip in early July.
Except for getting the flu every year, Dad was always conscientious about his health, but this would change by 1971. Because of his condition, which I realized was an issue but never knew of its severity, Mom decided to do something special for Father’s Day that year, and we went out to a lovely local restaurant for dinner.
As we walked into the carpeted and air-conditioned establishment, aromas of seafood tantalized us. We sat and relaxed in a comfortable booth and ordered Lazy Man’s Lobster. The lobster was tender and delicious in drawn butter topped with toasted buttery crumbs. Before going home, we walked along the quiet country road not too far from the restaurant as we enjoyed the scent of honey suckle and the gentle summer breezes on that perfect evening.
The Father’s Day of 1971 is special because it was the last one we celebrated with him. If I had been more aware of Dad’s failing health, I would have done things differently and spent more time with him. Mom always asked me to, but at 21, I was preoccupied with social activities and getting away from my parents.
All was not lost, though, and in mid-August of that year, Mom had to work on a Sunday, so I spent a memorable day with Dad. The following afternoon, my parents drove me to Lynn, Massachusetts to spend a couple of weeks with friends. I said goodbye, not knowing I would be home again that night. That evening dad passed away from a sudden heart attack–a complete shock to everyone.
As the years have gone by, I think of how his memories and gentle spirit are still with us, and how he is very much a part of who I am today.

At the American Printing House for the Blind, there is a museum made up of two galleries. The galleries include the “1883 Gallery” and the “Marie and Eugene Callahan Gallery”. The 1883 Gallery is made up of exhibits explaining the history of The American Printing House For The blind. The exhibits in the Callahan Gallery tell the history of the education of the blind.
Signs that are both in letters and in Braille make the exhibits accessible to all vision types. Each exhibit is accompanied with a speaker bar which recites the text on the longer exhibit display signs.
Kids will enjoy the tactile nature of the museum and will get a kick out of writing their names on a braillewriter. They will also like the idea of assembling a raised topographical map of The United States. There is also an exhibit where they can wear goggles that mimic vision disorders.
You can take a tour of the museum Monday through Saturday by appointment. You can also take a tour of the printing house factory Mondays through Thursdays from 10 to 2 p.m. Tours of the museum and facilities are free, though donations are welcome at the museum exit in the donation box. For more information call 1-800-223-1839 or (502) 895-2405.
The museum at The American Printing House for the Blind is an excellent resource because it teaches both blind individuals and the general public about the blind community and the American Printing House for the Blind. It’s also great that one of the exhibits lets people write their name on a Braillewriter. I would bet the general public would get a kick out of that.
More importantly, though, the museum strives to involve kids and get them interested in learning more about the blind culture. With early education, the perpetuation of stereotypes later in life is reduced and knowledge is fostered through the younger generations who will shape tomorrow’s world.
Source: http://www.hellolouisville.com/commons/pages/articles/attraction/museum_of_the_american_printing_house_for_the_blind_history_you_can_feel/203012/

This year I went storm chasing for the fourth time and the second time with Silver Lining Tours. I left for my adventures on May 4 from Bradley Airport in Hartford, CT and had to change planes in Chicago, IL. The first plane I boarded was a larger plane with three seats on either side–I do like flying better on the larger planes.
Upon departing the first plane, I asked the flight attendant for assistance in finding my next departure gate and someone was already waiting for me. In Chicago, the airport is so large that it takes at least 30 minutes to get to your destination even if you are riding on one of the motorized carts, which I took full advantage of.
I arrived at my departure gate and still had to wait an hour, so I relaxed until it was time to board the plane. They are always kind enough to escort me and allow me to board the plane before the rest of the passengers. The second plane was quite small, maybe seating about 100 people. The flight attendant let me sit in front near her area.
We arrived in Oklahoma City and I got my shuttle to the hotel. I had a day to relax before the storm chasing tour began. I like to arrive a day early to get comfortable with the hotel, find my way around, and relax before the fun begins
On May 5, I met the other 5 guests on this year’s tour. This was a lecture tour, meaning the tour director gave eight lectures about the formation of storms, tornadoes, reading weather maps, and understanding cloud formations in the sky. If however, there are lots of storms to chase, the lectures have to wait.
The first few days of the trip were hot and dry and we found ourselves all the way in the middle of Texas, where the temperature was 102 without a cloud in the sky. We had the chance to eat some good southern food and get to know each other before Mother Nature began the fireworks. Our group consisted of six men and one woman. People came from Canada, the UK, New Zeeland, California, and Connecticut.
Stay tuned to read what happened in next week’s edition of the magazine. Our tour director, Roger Hill, told us after chasing one storm that he had never experienced anything like what we saw in the 25 years that he has chased storms–and he has seen over 500 tornadoes.

Were you like so many who started on an instrument at an early age and found practicing dreadfully dull and chose not to continue? The one instrument I have stuck with has been my beloved and sometimes bedraggled guitar. I have been strumming it over 30 years and it will no doubt follow me to the great beyond. It has shaken with my raucous laughter and caught my tears of longing, joy, and sorrow.
I started on the road to guitar-playing at the Hey, Brother, Hey, Sister Coffee House. This was a performance space where all who wished could express themselves through poetry and song. Our mother trooped us there every Saturday night. Consequently, we missed television’s prime-time lineup but we were unwittingly honing our own performance craft.
It was during this time that a kind young woman demonstrated some simple guitar chords to me. Our mother, immediately spotting the potential in my practice, purchased a second-hand guitar from a neighborhood pawn shop. I was nothing short of ecstatic as I held my very own instrument.
From there, I learned to play the guitar through a combination of books and intermittent instruction by talented and amiable guitar instructors, even studying the classical guitar style of playing for a few years. That was challenging, as my instructor also taught me to read guitar notation via large-print. I performed my best pieces in recital and became an avid listener of guitar music.
As so many singer-songwriters, I began writing songs in high school. The guitar was my vehicle and my roller-coaster emotions were the catalyst. Loss of memory (and my notebooks) have consigned all but a handful of my songs to the mists of time. However, I thoroughly enjoy performing my tunes to this day, even as recently as last month.
These days, I play a magnificent Fender Acoustic with a pick-up, meaning it can be plugged into an amplifier. Its sound is beautifully rich and full-bodied. Hmm, sounds like a commercial for a coffee, doesn’t it? We have also purchased guitars from that mega-shopping corporation, QVC. I’ll wait until your laughter subsides, but actually, the steel-stringed guitars are not too bad. That is all I’ll say about that.
As a new iPhone enthusiast, I have installed some free guitar-lesson apps. It’s not too late to try your fingers at some guitar picking. Once you get past the pain of newly-forming calluses, I guarantee you’ll find it a most satisfying pastime, and think how gratifying it will be to be able to serenade your love.