Submitted by Marilyn Brandt Smith

Football and chili go together, don’t they? It’s about that time again. Here’s a basic recipe. Texans would serve the beans separately. Kentuckians might serve the chili over spaghetti. Folks from Cincinnati add cinnamon. Lots of chili lovers crumble crackers, shred cheese, or scoop sour cream on top before digging in, so have it your way and enjoy!

Ingredients:

One and a half pounds ground beef

Two cans kidney or pinto beans

Two onions, chopped

One green pepper, chopped (optional)

One half bottle chili sauce

Two tablespoons chili powder

Three cups water or tomato juice

Salt and pepper to taste.

Directions:

Brown meat, onions, and green pepper together. Mix all ingredients in a large pot, and cook slowly, up to three or four hours on Low-Medium heat.

Recently, the Matilda Ziegler Magazine featured an article by Alena Roberts, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and MS Roberts’ opinion as to how she had personally benefitted from the ADA.  Since Ms. Roberts states that she was a child when the ADA was passed, perhaps she does not know of the successes of those of us who came before. 

Ms. Roberts almost implies that a blind person would not have been successful in obtaining a college education before the passage of the ADA.  I, and many others, did successfully complete college before this time, and, though some of the things which the ADA helped her obtain may have been good, I do not see her “list of accommodations” as an unmitigated positive thing.

Extra time for tests:  I see no reason why a blind person should have extra time for tests.  As I typed my exam essays, and my classmates wrote them by hand, I probably could put things on paper much faster than my sighted colleagues.  I didn’t need extra time.

Note takers:  I think the concept of providing a blind person with a note taker is one of the worst ideas that has ever come out of the so-called “disability services” which now flourish on college campuses.  I used to take my cassette recorder to class, record the relevant part of the lecture, then go to my room and take Braille notes while the class was fresh in my mind.  With the existence of the many very quiet note taking devices available to us, why can’t a blind student take his/her own notes!  Anyway, I would not want to take notes for another person, I would not want another person to take notes for me, only I could know what I want to write down, and what I didn’t need to record.

I don’t like the concept of “list of accommodations.”  It sounds very much like, “You had better help me, or else!”  When I attended college, and graduate school, I made my own arrangements by talking directly to the professor.  All professors were extremely helpful to me, and I didn’t need some office or agency on campus to intervene and do my negotiating.  This was the first time I had to work out for myself arrangements between a sighted person in authority; ie: the professor, and me.  It was very, very good training for later life. 

If not on college campus, then where does a young blind person learn to cope with, and move through the sighted world? I think the ADA does things we blind students can and should do for ourselves.

Tim Hendel

Huntsville, Alabama

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In response to Op Ed with Bob Branco – What Will Happen to Consumer Groups? (August 16, 2010)

I think I have to disagree somewhat. My brother and I first heard about the NFB and the ACB back in the summer of 1994, when our dad took us to part of the NFB convention when they were here in Chicago. We went to the exhibit hall, and that’s where we purchased Type n’ Speaks. We also attended part of the day’s general session, which was led by Marc Maurer. If memory serves me correct, we were taken aback by some things he said but I can’t remember exactly what they were. If my brother is reading this, he can feel free to correct me if I’m wrong. What I do remember, though, is that he and I were booted off one of the NFB’s email discussion lists for good just because we disagreed with them on the subject of audio description. I’m pretty sure we weren’t even given a fair warning either. Or if we were, it was done in a very harsh and unacceptable manner. Anyway, I began receiving publications in Braille from both organizations. I found myself agreeing more with the American Council of the Blind. They just seemed to have an open-door policy, where basically anything was accepted even if it was an opposing viewpoint. Most, if not all, of the literature from the NFB just didn’t sound right at all to me.

Jump ahead a few years, when I read that “People of Vision: A History of the American Council of the Blind” was available. So I ordered it on cassette from my local talking book center. These two organizations used to be one, until some pretty major turmoil occurred. They split in the summer of 1961 at the convention. While it is certainly true that the NFB has accomplished some good things, I strongly disagree with their approach on many levels. It seems to me that a whole lot more good could and would be accomplished if these organizations would reunite.

I don’t want to sound like a whiner and complainer, but why don’t the NFB and ACB just reunite? I think other disability organizations have done more today for our cause. Even in the deaf community, some of whom oppose cochlear implants have done a lot of good things.

Jake

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In response to Feature Writer Steven Famiglietti – Overview of LEEP 2010 (August 16, 2010)

It sounds like the students had a terrific week.  I would hope that, in the future, students would meet representatives from both the National Federation of the Blind and the American Council of the Blind.  People should be exposed to the philosophies of both organizations so that they can make educated choices about whether they wish to become involved in the consumer movement and which organization suits their beliefs and advocacy style.

I’m glad to learn of the experiences of the students and I know that they will look back at the week with many fond memories.

Don

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In response to Tech Corner with Steven Famiglietti (August 23, 2010)

I just read your tech section and you might put into future issues of the magazine about the new Samsung Haven cell phone.  I have one; it comes with speech, and is available through Verizon. It speaks everything, is perfect for the blind, and only cost me $43 with the signing of a contract.  It even does the sub menus.

Lynn Rosenberg

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In response to Feature Writer Alena Roberts – The Ups and Downs of Self-Employment (August 23, 2010)

I very much enjoyed reading this. I am this close to just throwing in the towel with regards to employment, but everyone wants me to pursue it so I guess I may somehow. I am just freaked out by the thought of going through vocational rehabilitation, due in part to my state being ranked dead worst concerning services for people with disabilities. I have two nonprofit jobs which I love, and I previously worked at a nonprofit which is more or less defunct. I love all this assistive technology, so perhaps I’ll someday be able to start my own tech business. Who knows? Anyway, this is great information.

Jake

There are many ways to extract electricity from the environment.  We have windmills, solar panels, wave generators, hydroelectric dams, even geothermal heating in some homes.  But what if we could harness the energy present in still air?

For the longest time, scientists believed that water droplets in the air were electrically neutral.  However, they constantly observed electrical discharges–aside from lightning–that led them to think that something was going on.  They noticed that sparks of static electricity would pulse out of steam boilers and those who dared to go close enough received a healthy shock. 

Now, though, with new technology and a better understanding of the way that water droplets and dust particles interact in the air, scientists have discovered that there is a charge present.  Silica, when injected in a humid environment, becomes more negatively charged.  Aluminum phosphate becomes more positively charged in the same environment.  Moreover, these charged combinations of water and dust can transfer their energy to other materials. 

They are now working on developing certain collection materials that would work similar to a solar cell; collecting the electrical charge present in the atmosphere that’s created as a result of the interaction between water and dust.  They have dubbed this process “Hygroelectrcity.”

Even more impressive, they want to test out these hygroelectric panels to see if they can suck enough electricity out of the air to eliminate lightning strikes in areas that receive a large amount of thunderstorms.  By eliminating lightning, they can preserve the local electrical grid and prevent fires.

While this study is very preliminary and there is much more research to be done, it’s no longer a far-fetched idea that we may be able to suck power out of thin air for our uses.

To read the original article, please go to http://www.physorg.com/news201958072.html

Researchers have discovered that exposure to secondhand smoke can actually alter your genetic makeup.  For a long time there was a belief that prolonged exposure to secondhand smoke led to an increased chance for lung diseases and even lung cancer, but there was never any clinical proof of why that was occurring.  Now, there’s a smoking gun–no pun intended.

Scientists working at the Weill Cornell Medical College performed a study with both non-smokers and smokers to determine the difference between those who smoke regularly, and those who are exposed to secondhand smoke in the environment.  When the study was completed, it revealed that the non-smokers who only had minimal exposure to cigarette smoke, some of whom only had secondhand exposure, were found to have genetic changes in bronchial tissue that mimicked the tissue of regular smokers.  These genetic changes represent the beginning stages for various lung diseases.  While the study did not follow the subjects long enough to find out what affect those genetic changes had on their lung tissue, more studies are coming in the future.

The most interesting piece of the study was that it revealed how sensitive tissue is to any cigarette smoke at all and that exposure will result in changes at a genetic level.

While the study’s results do seem grim, it may actually help doctors to determine who is genetically predisposed to have an increased risk of lung disease and administer the proper drugs to counteract those symptoms.  This will also add massive amounts of legitimacy to those endorsing public smoking bans who have been saying that secondhand smoke is harmful but simply haven’t had the proof to back that statement up.  It seems that there is no question now.

To read the original article, please go to http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,2012103,00.html

So why is Shell looking into sugar?  They haven’t gone crazy, but rather they are investigating another revenue channel that will help them branch out and start utilizing other energy sources that have nothing to do with oil.  Brazil happens to use a ton of sugarcane ethanol, and it represents over 17 percent of the entire country’s source of energy.  It is also a very efficient fuel to produce.  For every unit of fossil fuel used in the production process, 8 units of sugarcane ethanol are produced. 

Shell isn’t the only one getting into the biofuel game, though.  Other energy giants like Exxon and BP have spent tens and sometimes hundreds of millions of dollars acquiring other biofuel companies.  Their sources of fuel range from producing biofuel from algae to producing it from forest biomass.  It seems that if they can squeeze fuel out of it, they will.

While the idea isn’t new, Shell’s joint venture is certainly the largest to date.  Should it prove successful, the other oil giants might be tempted to toss their billions around in an effort to keep up.

It’s always interesting to watch companies, especially oil companies publically attempt to secure their future.  You can almost already hear their commercials about how diverse and environmentally friendly they are now that they’re working on new sustainable fuel sources to reduce our dependence on oil.  The funny part is that they always seem to leave out the fact that while we may be reducing our dependence on fossil fuels, we will always have to depend on them. 

Don’t get me wrong, I like to see that big oil companies are trying to find creative ways to produce energy in our future instead of drilling in Antarctica (something that BP just decided would be a bad idea).  I think that it’s a positive direction to be looking, especially considering the long-term negative affects of the Deepwater incident in the Gulf.  I just hope that they balance the quest for increased profits through new ventures with good business practices.

To read the original article, please go to http://www.fastcompany.com/node/1685007/print

Today, Irv has nearly 2.8 million miles on his car, a world record.  In fact, Irv set the record back in 1998 when his car reached the 1.69 million mile mark.  But Irv still plans to squeeze some more mileage out of his little red car.  3 million miles is his goal, and if history is any gauge of the future, it would be surprising if he chose to stop there. 

Irv has a great sense of humor about his car.  The seatbelts confuse nearly every passenger and when asked if his car has air conditioning, Irv replies, “Yeah, the 465.  Four windows at sixty-five miles per hour.”

As he reminisced about the days when he first started driving his car, he recalled that gas was 18 cents a gallon, and that he was shocked when it rose to 25 cents.  Oh how far we’ve come.

Irv’s journey has had some bumpy times, though, as you would expect when you drive the same car for over forty years.  He’s been backed into in parking lots, bumped by trucks while driving, even had incidents with a school bus, twice.  In all the mishaps, the nose has been crushed and the sides popped inwards.  “But that’s why they put paint in a can,” said Irv.

Surprisingly, Irv’s car is only on its second engine.  They certainly don’t make cars like that anymore.  No car company would ever make any money.  Irv does all of the routine maintenance himself, but does rely on a trusted mechanic to take care of the big jobs.  After all, he’s got a goal to meet.

So what happens once he reaches three million?  Well, Irv jokes that he might try to sell it for a dollar per mile he’s put on it, that way he could retire.  He’s just waiting for the offers to come in.  If Volvo was smart, they’d buy the car from him and proudly display it in their headquarters.

To read the original article, please go to http://autos.aol.com/article/3-million-mile-volvo/

This process is incredibly important for a couple reasons.  For one, the process is designed so that the patient’s cells are regrowing and no artificial tissue is being used that might possibly be rejected by the body.  Also, this will allow doctors to treat more patients who have damaged corneas–either through infection or injury–because it does not require any transplant tissue from another person.  With 42,000 people a year receiving cornea transplants, one can only imagine how many more may be waiting on the sidelines who could be treated with this process as well.

While this study is just beginning, their trials have been very successful.  If future trials confirm those positive results, this treatment could realistically become commonplace in a few short years.

This is a very large step in the right direction.  With more research being conducted to eliminate vision loss, it encourages scientists and doctors to experiment on many different types of vision loss so that they can get the full picture, so to speak, on how the eye works and what treatments can be given to ensure that it works properly.

To read the original article, please go to http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20100825/NEWS02/100829917/-1/headlines

I invited my friend out with us to have dinner at one of his most favorite restaurants and, of course, he sincerely wanted to go.  The problem is, as is the case with many people in his situation, he can’t find an accessible and affordable ride to and from the restaurant.  I tried every means at my disposal to help him.  Yesterday, I found a company who provides transportation.  I called the owner and told her the situation about my friend.  She asked if he could transfer his body into a regular car, and I said he could.  In fact, it probably would be easier for him to do that because he can move his legs better than other people in wheelchairs who need an accessible van. 

I thought I was having a great conversation with the owner of this transportation company.  She was very sympathetic about my friend, and wanted to take him to the restaurant.  I gave her his address and the name of the restaurant, and then she quoted her price. 

As I said, my friend is on a fixed income.  He doesn’t work, and makes just enough money to survive.  Despite his limited finances, the owner of the transportation company wanted to charge him $80 for the ride to and from the restaurant.  I realize that the restaurant is 15 miles away, but I don’t think that fully excuses the company.  I can get to this same restaurant for $15, and I don’t live too far from my friend.

For the record, I want to point out that this particular transportation provider is not the only company that charges these outrageous prices. There are numerous providers who have no problem telling a person with a physical disability it will cost them close to $100 of their limited monthly income in order to meet a social need.  In other words, it’s simple: pay the $80 or stay home.  What if we all had those limited choices?  Could we survive socially?

I don’t know how these transportation providers can sleep well at night, knowing what they charge people with disabilities who struggle to make ends meet every month.  After all, we pay rent, buy groceries, pay the utility bills, pay medical co-payments, etc.

I’ve had numerous discussions with people over the years about this subject. I know all about insurance costs, operating costs, labor, and the like. Even though, as a businessman, I understand and respect everything that companies have to go through to be successful at what they do, I find it an injustice when a person with limitations, who wants to do the same things that the rest of us do, has to pay an outrageous amount of money that he doesn’t even have in order to keep up. 

Some of you may be asking about his family.  Well, if he can’t force his family to provide him with rides, then I can’t comment or make that argument.  Therefore, he, like everyone else in his situation, has to live with this terrible injustice.  I am tempted to ask a transportation provider what would happen if he had a loved one in a wheelchair who couldn’t get out that easily, and then had salt rubbed in their wounds by being told he had to spend $80 to go out, and that doesn’t even include his dinner.

I know that these transportation companies are private entities, and therefore, by definition, they can do what they want to do in order to compete with each other.  Again, why does this all have to be at the expense of someone who not only has a limited income, but is physically limited?  I honestly don’t get it, unless someone tries to justify it.  I know about the SRTA Bus Demand Response.  I use it myself.  However, the bus does not run in the evenings and on holidays.

My parents first got involved in the federation back in 2000, with Maria Garcia, the current president of NYPOBC.  In 2002, we went to our first state convention. However, we were not active in the Federation on till 2007.

In that year I remember one of our NYS affiliate members commenting to us about a program called Blind Inc., run by a private corporation which had been certified by the NFB. She personally had attended the College Introduction Program, a 9 month program taught for adults entering college. However, she mentioned that there was a “life one on one” program, which ran for youth ages 13 to 17.

For the next three years we applied and researched the program, until at the start of 2010, I got an email from them letting me know I could go and should start talking with my CBVH counselor to start the process of requesting the funding.

When I first began the program, I was shocked to discover that all our counselors were blind. Not that I had any misgivings, as I had seen successful blind people before. The thing was, back then I had been used to “camps for the blind” run by the sighted.

Let me just start with the fact that the blind teaching the blind is perhaps one of the most unique experiences I’ve had, and at the same time one of the best.

To learn techniques certified by the NFB and corresponding authorities for everything from cooking, to industrial arts, to cane travel, and have these techniques taught by blind roll models with day-to-day enforcement in the various activities that we did after school and during the weekends is the best part of the camp.  To make it even better, we were learning everything with almost no modifications from the standard tools and techniques of the sighted.

It’s one of the best experiences I can remember, and I can say with full confidence that I truly began to believe in the NFB’s philosophy and gain real confidence and independence.  It was rewarding to both learn, and have to use these techniques, and be able to have people who could help me if I needed help.  Many times, I turned to my friends or counselors for quick help, and they always gave me exactly what I needed, while always challenging me to achieve new levels of independence.

I would certainly recommend this program to any parent of the blind for their kids, especially if their kids are between the ages of 13 and 17.  When sighted kids start gaining real independence from there parents, I think it’s crucial for our blind kids to learn and understand that they are not and should not be left behind, and just as their friends get to go to the movies by themselves, etc., so do they. The only exception is that there aren’t any blind drivers–yet. But who knows, with the blind-driver-challenge pushing onwards, someday we may be giving learner’s permits to 16 year old blind and low vision students.

The key is that you have to learn from these centers. Once you know the techniques and use them, your life is truly in your hands, and the road to independence begins.  It is a road that will lead you to success in every area of your life.

The Yankees who met her at her home and went to the train station included Manager Joe Girardi, pitchers Joba Chamberlain, David Robertson, Chad Gaudin, and former Yankee Tino Martinez.

To say the least, Lang was surprised to see them there.

The Yankees give back to the community as part of Hope Week, which stands for Helping Others Persevere and Excel.

Lang is totally blind but this doesn’t prevent her from enjoying the game. She brings a radio to the game and reacts to the action on the playing field by listening to Yankee broadcasts.

Lang doesn’t think of herself as totally blind, The Yankee manager agrees.

“She’s obviously a person who’s very humble,” Girardi said while waiting for the train. “She was saying she didn’t think Hope Week was for someone like her.”

Gaudin was also impressed by her approach to life. “She’s excited about being alive … That’s the inspiration she gives everybody,” he said.

While at her home, the Yankees gave her a bouquet of flowers. Lang couldn’t believe this was happening. She couldn’t see the Yankees but she knew them from hearing them on TV.

Everybody in the borough knew about the Yankee visit but Lang. “Hey guys! What do you think?” she called to them. “I was so surprised.”

Lang is an inspiration to everyone. She doesn’t let her blindness get the best of her and she enjoys her life to the fullest. She takes the train and enjoys the Yankee games both at home and at Yankee stadium.  She is a great example of what we should all be: easy going.

More people, sighted or not, should take a page from her book and realize that a positive and laid back attitude will simply make for a much better quality of life.

To read the original article, please go to

http://www.dailyrecord.com/article/20100817/UPDATES01/100817033/New-York-Yankees-surprise-blind-Morris-Plains-woman-ride-train-with-her-to-stadium