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

Submitted by Dave Hutchins

Yield: 4 Servings
Preparation Time: 30 Minutes

Ingredients:

8 ounces uncooked whole wheat spaghetti
1 head bok choy (16 ounces)
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
2 Tablespoons canola oil, divided
1 celery rib, sliced
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper
1/3 cup chopped onion
6 Tablespoons reduced-sodium teriyaki sauce

Directions:

Cook spaghetti according to package directions; drain.

Meanwhile, cut off and discard root end of bok choy.

Cut leaves from stalks; coarsely chop and set aside.

Cut stalks into 1-inch pieces.

In a large skillet or wok, stir-fry chicken in 1 tablespoon oil until no longer pink.

Remove and keep warm.

Stir-fry the bok choy stalks, celery, peppers and onion in remaining oil for 4 minutes.

Add bok choy leaves; stir-fry 2 to 4 minutes longer or until vegetables are crisp-tender.

Stir in teriyaki sauce.

Add chicken and spaghetti; heat through.

Nutritional Facts:

1-1/2 cups equals 434 calories; 11 g fat (1 g saturated fat); 63 mg cholesterol; 623 mg sodium; 53 g carbohydrate; 9 g fiber; 35 g protein.

For your convenience, all Reader’s Forum submissions are separated by the ## symbol.

In response to Contributor Erin Jepsen – One of the Gang, Christine wrote:

I was brought up as an only child, with other problems in that my mum was seriously ill for part of my early childhood and eventually I spent time with elderly grandparents in my school holidays after she passed away. I was also sent away to boarding school for the partially sighted at age five. So yes, almost certainly I did not reach my full potential as my relatives were too ’soft’ during my holidays. All I did was ‘light’ housework and helped with cooking. No one introduced me to things like a gas cooker until I was 15.

My husband, on the other hand, grew up in a family of four children, he the only one with a visual impairment. His dad trained as a ’special needs teacher’ – and Mike was expected to do all the chores his siblings did during the holidays. He was allowed not to if he went home for just a weekend 3 times a year – and his siblings objected vociferously, as two of them were almost his age you can imagine they found it hard to stomach. Mike still talks proudly of his helping his mum with the cake making at age 3, and being the only sibling with strong enough wrists to beat sponge cakes which even his mum couldn’t do. And today I have a husband registered blind, who cooks as well as a chef (a career he decided not to pursue on account of long hours and poor pay, though he’d not have got a sniff of a job I have no doubt in 1960s England). He handles the same woodworking tools as a sighted DIY person, and although he dislikes DIY, believing he’s not as good, he certainly did a great deal in our first house and no one would have known it was by someone who couldn’t see.

To this day, I am far less likely to pull my weight if I think I can get away with something, and there are many tasks I simply do not know how to do but which many young visually impaired people will have learned at school along with their peers I’m quite sure. A sort of spoiled child mentality. Thank goodness most children – even in the UK – now live at home, attend the local schools, if they have minor impairments certainly get no ‘mollycoddling’, and even when children have very severe impairments, their special needs schools now expect them to gain the everyday skills their more able peers will gain from parental and teaching adults in specially designed ‘houses’ within their school campus.

It may not lead them into getting a lifelong job (neither of our countries seem to have licked that hurdle), but an awful lot more people can run their own home, do their own housework, cook, and be totally independent or be able to look after themselves with the help of a paid caregiver.

I have many visually impaired friends who are parents: some are totally blind, married to totally blind people, and our children are now grown up with children of their own and leading lives as well as any child brought up by parents with no impairments.

Our generation has a lot to be proud of.

Chris (Reading, UK)
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In response to Feature Writer Lynne Tatum – The Kindness of Strangers, Denise wrote:

Two days ago my friend and I went into the city to eat at Burger King. We took the subway in to 34th Street and got off the train looking for an exit. Both of us had guide dogs so we walked around a little trying to find the way out and then a gentleman came along and showed us the exit. He wanted to know where we were going so I asked him to point us toward 7th Ave. He asked again where we were going so I told him to Burger King and he insisted on walking us there. I said I didn’t want to take him out of his way but he said he was just catching a train to NJ and that there’d be another one. The exit we came out of caused us to have to walk four blocks up and one Avenue block over to get to the restaurant. After we got there, we ordered our food while he waited. Then he took us to a table and waited until our order was ready and brought it to us. He even went back when my friend didn’t get the French fries he had ordered and got them. He was reluctant to leave us even then but we told him we travel all the time so he told us to enjoy our meal and then left. Although I felt a bit uncomfortable and paranoid with that whole situation like a typical New Yorker wondering what his ulterior motive might be, we had a nice conversation while we walked and I felt it was really a nice thing for him to have done for us. You don’t find many people like that in NYC.
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In response to Feature Writer Lynne Tatum – The Kindness of Strangers, Mary wrote:

I would feel very uncomfortable and insulted if somebody tried to give me cash for providing them directions or advice. Would these people offer money to a sighted person? Probably not.

This is the 21st century; we’re not begging on the street; many of us are employed or otherwise successful. I would definitely refuse the cash, politely but firmly.
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In response to Contributor M. L. Liu – Harsh Criticism for Blind Pianist, Debra wrote:

I am responding to the article about the blind pianist. My name is Debra Saylor, and I am a totally blind pianist. I competed three times in the Van Cliburn Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs. Although this competition is for so-called amateurs, the level of competition is very high. The people who compete often have advanced degrees in piano performance, but they do not make their living as concert pianists, although they could. In 2000 when I competed, I was awarded third prize, and won the award for the most outstanding performance of a piece in the Romantic period for my performance of Debussy’s Clair de Lune. Clair de Lune means moonlight, and I was told many times that I was able to create the image of moonlight through my interpretation of the piece.

Also, I heard Mr. Tsujii, the subject of the original article in this magazine, perform here in Huntsville, at a concert of all three of the Van Cliburn professional competition winners. He was fantastic, and also, my piano teacher, who is a concert pianist himself, said that Mr. Tsujii was an exceptionally wonderful pianist. I think the critics just want to use their power to express a bias that they have had all their lives.

Debra Saylor, Huntsville Alabama
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In response to Contributor M. L. Liu – Harsh Criticism for Blind Pianist, Edward wrote:

My favorite blind piano player is Derek of England. I call him the “human jukebox” because of his ability to play hundreds of musical pieces if not more.

Derek Paravicini was born prematurely 32 years ago, and doctors did not think he would survive.
He is blind and severely autistic, but has a unique talent that has stunned the music world – he can play any piece of music after hearing it only once.
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Rosetta wrote in to say:

Greetings Ziegler Readers,

I wish to telecommute in the Customer Service arena. The rehabilitation establishment has told me it is my responsibility to research the world, locating companies to hire me. I am informed by this establishment that they are not aware of companies hiring a blind person who does this. Have any of you ever faced such a dilemma? Do any of you telecommute using JAWS in Customer Service? Perhaps you know of someone who does, or are you aware of companies that will hire telecommuters using JAWS in the Customer Service arena.

How is it that the blind are subjected to such ill informed rehabilitation counselors, who attempt to get us to perform their jobs for them? Please respond with your comments, information, and opinions.

Sincerely,
Rosetta Brown
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Ann Bliss wrote in to say:

Creativity is in all of us although we might not recognize it as such. It may take the form of writing, sculpting, speaking, cooking, a business or anything else. Often there are blocks to our creativity and I have found a sure way to work through them.
The secret to unblocking is through journaling. This is not right brain journaling but merely stream of consciousness writing. Try it: for ten minutes every morning, just write either in long hand or on your computer. Anything that comes into your mind is valid. It might be happy or sad or garbled or misspelled. You might have to write “I don’t know what to write” for ten minutes. It will open the channels for you. The emotions and blocks will pour out and before long, the creativity will emerge.

Did you know that our creativity is channeled from the Divine? De Vinci, Mozart and many, many others just created from the flow of energy sent through them by Spirit. How cool is that? Hopefully, you will be eager to see what flows through you. No matter what it is, it will be great and perfect for you!
Now remember, ten minutes every morning. No need to ever read your journal or show it to anyone unless you choose to. If you would like more information on this, you might read any of the books written by Julia Cameron. “The Artists Way” is recorded on cassette from NLS and is also available from Bookshare. There are workshops all over the country usually held at holistic centers if you would like to participate in one.

The Readers Forum eagerly awaits your results.

Ann can be contacted at annbliss1@gmail.com

Little Annie Clark, just seven years old, has made a remarkable achievement. Born without hands, Annie has refused to let her disability hinder her in any way, and without breaking a sweat, has taken home first prize for none other than handwriting in a national contest.

The contest was put on by the Zaner-Bloser language arts and reading company, which awarded two national winners trophies and a $1,000 prize. This is the first year that awards were offered to disabled students, and Annie’s co-winner is another student from Ohio who is visually impaired. The award was created to honor Nicholas Maxim, a fifth-grade student born without hands or lower arms who entered the competition last year.

In a time when penmanship has been pushed aside by typing skills, Annie’s school still believes that it is very important, and encourages its students to enter the competition each year. Students who enter the contest are initially judged by teachers at the school and then the best example from each grade is sent to the company for the national contest. Annie was chosen as the winner of all of the first grade students, and her entry was sent to Zaner-Bloser without the knowledge that a disabled category existed, but with a letter explaining that Annie had no hands. Upon receiving her entry along with that letter, contest organizers immediately forwarded her writing sample to the people who managed the competition for disabled students.

Annie’s prize was given to her during an assembly held at her school. When the purpose of the assembly was announced and Annie heard her name called over the loud speaker, she was simply stunned as she quickly and quietly walked to the front to accept her prize and a trophy half as big as she was. At the conclusion of the assembly, she left with her fellow students so that she wouldn’t miss her math lesson, but returned shortly afterwards to speak with reporters about her award.

Annie’s ability to write so well stems from her determination for perfection and self sufficiency. Above and beyond common tasks like dressing and feeding herself, Annie rides a bike and swims, and even paints her toenails. She also has no problem typing on a keyboard or using an iPod Touch.

When writing with a pen or pencil, she exhibits incredible dexterity considering that she has no fingers. She pinches her writing instrument of choice between her arms and rocks it back and forth with dutiful concentration and will quickly flip a pencil over and erase any mistakes. As she relayed to reporters, she “learned to go slow.”

Annie is a shining example of what determination can give a person. Not just awards or recognition, but a quality of life that is beyond compare and the knowledge that anything is possible if you put your mind to it.

Source: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-south/first-grader-without-hands-wins-award-for-writing-632011/?p=2

Last week’s article by Lynne Tatum inspired me to think of instances of kindness in my own life. I’ve been the recipient of kindness and have also paid it forward. While it took me some time to think of acts of kindness from which I’ve benefitted, I can clearly recall one act performed for my daughter’s benefit. It happened while coming off the subway in Chinatown.

It was summer and my daughter’s sandaled heel became caught in the turnstile exit, resulting in a jagged cut. Once we got to the street, I pulled her over, brought out a tissue, and wiped her tears while my husband looked at her foot. Suddenly, a man dressed in white appeared next to us, knelt to look at her foot, and fished in his belt pack. He handed my husband antiseptic wipes and a bandage and helped clean the wound and cover it up. He told us he was a nurse and was glad to help such a brave kid. Before we could say thanks, he melted away into the crowd. It’s times like this that I am grateful for people who don’t mind helping people.

Kindness is not limited to humans, though. I’m also reminded of a time when our apartment complex helped a fledgling bird find its way back to its nest. Enter the bird lady–me. A fledgling chick flew Woodstock-style into our pool area and was making a ruckus. I came out with my bird box and a towel, got someone to help me corner it, and I threw the towel on it. I picked it up and held it until its little heart slowed, then put it in the box and covered it.

One lady called the wild animal rescue hotline and obtained information on how to get the bird back near its tree and its parents. We took turns luring it near the fence where it first flew from, put down some seed and water, and then watched and waited. Eventually, we saw something. One neighbor described how the adult bird came down, reunited with its chick, and then hopped away into the trees with the chick following. Success!

Any way you look at it, taking action to help others, even animals, is making a positive difference in the world.

With some seriously wet weather coming our way this weekend, I decided to cook some comfort food that warms you up on damp and cold days. As I was going through my recipes, a perennial favorite of mine popped out–homemade macaroni and cheese.

Macaroni and cheese has always been one of my favorite dishes since I was a kid and my Mom would serve it on many Friday nights. As Catholics, eating meat was forbidden on this day, so some macaroni and cheese was a common go-to meal for us–not to mention that it was quick and easy to make in general. As an eager kitchen helper, my mother would normally have me stir the white sauce, since it was relatively simple to prepare.

Though simple in theory, that sauce did not always cooperate with me. At 21, as a budding cook, I attempted to make that same white sauce for my own mac and cheese. As a child, I was always in charge of stirring and not necessarily the adding of ingredients, or most importantly, the order they were added. I did not realize that I needed to blend the melted margarine with flour before adding the milk. So I added the flour to the melted margarine and assumed that the milk would thicken everything by itself after that. Imagine my surprise when I found a margarine and flour brick shortly thereafter. In a last ditch effort, I allowed it to simmer on the stove, but not even that would not resurrect it. My mom appreciated my attempts to save it, but the sauce had burned–badly. In tears, I gave up making macaroni and cheese. Perhaps it was just a dish for other cooks.

A year later, determined to not let the infamous sauce beat me, I invented an easy recipe. Using my Mom’s blender, after adding milk first, I added melted butter and flour and blended the mixture for a minute, adding the sauce to cooked pasta afterwards. Using that great appliance saved my dish (and my sanity) and reduced my prep time drastically. After spooning everything into a baking dish and topping it with cheddar cheese, it went into the oven for about a half hour. Thus my easy recipe was born, and for a new cook, I felt truly triumphant.

By my mid twenties, I was a voracious reader of Braille cookbooks, always learning as many new recipes as I possibly could. Having found a great method for mastering the art of making a successful white sauce, I was dead set on figuring out how to make new meals. I thank the Braille cookbooks and my mom for giving me specific directions about making white sauce and sticking with me when I felt that all hope for culinary success was lost.

Do you have any stories of kitchen blunders to share? Tell us about them in the Reader’s Forum.

As you all know, it has been an interesting year for me. First I retired Whitlee, my first guide dog, who worked with me for over eight years. Then, I got Meyer, my second guide dog, and we worked together for about twelve weeks before problems arose and he had to be returned. Now, I find myself waiting for a new dog, hanging in between and trying to regroup and adjust to a life I have not lived since 2003.

I’ve noticed several things in the absence of a dog. Around the apartment, it is quiet and there isn’t much to do besides my daily routine of working, exercising, and keeping things clean and neat. Last week, I became a couch potato because I injured my back and I found that I did more sleeping in my free time than anything else. Thankfully, my back is much better now and I am back to doing my daily exercise.

It occurred to me that I haven’t been doing any walking outside unless I have to walk to or from work. One day recently, I was thinking that it was a nice day and I hadn’t even stepped out the door. When you have a dog, you are outside several times a day just to give them time to relieve themselves. It used to be that every night, before I went to bed, I would take the dog out. Now, sometimes, I feel like I’m forgetting to do something.

I’ve also noticed how much I relied on both of the dogs that were in my life. Funny that when I had the dogs, I didn’t think about how much work they did for me as we walked together. Now that I am back to using a white cane, I really notice how much harder it is when I get into areas that I’m not familiar with. I’ve noticed how important the white cane is for me and it is quite useful, but there is nothing like the love and trust I developed for the dogs. I’ve been trying to find things to fill my time and I’ve also been thinking about what it will be like when the next dog comes into my life.

I’ve promised myself that I will again put all of my efforts into getting to know the dog, work with the dog, be its partner, and always put its needs first. I think it is important to always remember that these dogs do an important job for us and they don’t have the ability to tell us what their needs are so, we must learn their non verbal communication cues and respond to them. I figure, the dog gives so much to me, the least I can do is give it what it needs.

Finally, I wanted to share with you all that I’ve kept in communication with Whitlee’s foster family and they have told me that she is doing well in her retirement. She likes to stretch out on the sun porch at her new home in North Carolina. She also enjoys her daily walks with Lucia, another German Shepherd from Fidelco. Each day as the two dogs walk together, they are stopped by people who say that both dogs look really beautiful! I guess after all her hard work, it is good for Whitlee’s ego to be stroked once in a while.

Computer user groups are important to join if you are blind or visually impaired. You can learn a lot of information from product demonstrations, question and answer sessions, and presentations. They often meet monthly and can be a wealth of information for both experienced and inexperienced computer users. You can learn about product or software updates, material covered at conferences that were held recently, or new products to try like new screen readers or hardware.

Another reason to join a computer user group is to have ongoing or practical training. Finding this type of training can be a challenge. Even if this training is being offered by a rehabilitation or disability agency, it may be a simple crash course in another city since there is no set standard. In addition, a particular agency’s computer may be configured differently, and once you complete their course, you’ll still have to solve many of the problems once you get back home, unless you brought the same computer setup.

This is where computer user groups come in to the picture because you can ask your questions at the meeting and get step by step answers on how to troubleshoot the issue from people who understand the computer setup you’re familiar with. You can also later go back and hear the discussion on the web, a feature offered by a computer user group in Boston (Vibug). In addition, if you are a member of this group, you can participate in the meeting at home if you are given a password.

The final reason for joining a computer user group is for peer support and social interaction. When you are disabled or blind, you can often feel isolated or lonely. People can relieve this isolation or loneliness by shopping on the web or going on Skype or obtaining a useful app for their iPhone–all things they can learn how to do through the group. People can also be members of their group’s email list or be a part of other email lists.

Computer user groups are a great way to learn new things, either through listening to demonstrations or by asking questions. You can also learn new things by being a part of the group’s email list. In addition, you get the chance to interact with people socially while learning new skills. Without these groups, people would have a much harder time learning new things as far as technology is concerned.

Are you a member of a computer user group? Let us hear about your group in the Reader’s Forum.

Source: http://assistivetechnology.about.com/od/ATCAT1/a/3-Reasons-To-Join-A-Computer-User-Group.htm

I am not an experienced cab rider by any means, but the few times I’ve taken one, I’ve had to trust that the driver was honest with me about how much I owed since there was no accessible way for me to know the cost per mile or how far I had traveled. This is just one example of the many situations where the blind have to trust their sighted peers to not lie to them about the cost of things.

Since many people who take cabs pay with their credit card, this problem can be even more dangerous. A blind passenger wouldn’t know until it was too late that they had been overcharged. Have recognized this issue, the company CMT and Lighthouse International have teamed up together to solve this problem. In a short time, they’ve designed an accessible credit card reader so that blind passengers can pay with ease and have the comfort that they’ve paid the proper amount.

In order to turn on the accessible features, the passenger can either ask their driver to turn it on or swipe a card provided by Lighthouse International. The cards can be ordered from the Lighthouse by calling 1-800-829-0500. The accessible interface can be turned on at any time during the ride. During the ride, the passenger can be updated on the current fare and then once they’ve reached their destination, the interface will allow them to pay using a credit card. Some of the features that they hope to incorporate in the future include being able to tap the screen and learn your current location and have the interface be available in other languages.

CMT is in charge of about half of the cabs in New York, and by May, 1,500 of their cabs will have the new accessible payment system. After those are complete, they plan to put it in the rest of their cabs in New York and then expand to other cities like Chicago and San Francisco. It is CMT’s hope that other companies will follow in their footsteps.

To read the full details of this exciting new technology visit this link: http://gothamist.com/2012/04/17/taxi_tv_for_the_blind_about_to_star.php#photo-1

Last year, we brought you the story of a Cuban cyclist who dreamed of competing in the 2012 Paralympic Games. The man, Damian Lopez Alfonso, did encounter immense obstacles as expected, but it came from an unsuspecting place. After being electrocuted at the age of 13, Mr. Alfonso was left without arms, so it may be safe to assume that balancing and steering his bike would be rather arduous. However, Mr. Alfonso figured that part out just fine, but the international rule makers were much more difficult to handle.

The judges considered his bike illegal because the handlebars were turned upside down to accommodate his riding style. Mr. Alfonso developed a method where he could lean forward and control the breaks and handlebars with his elbows. Luckily for Mr. Alfonso, he did find some people who were much more considerate than the panel of judges. After hearing of his plight, complete strangers provided Mr. Alfonso with essentials, such as finances, surgery, and shelter. The money brought him to New York City, where he received multiple surgeries, including being fitted for prosthetic arms.

Even with his new appendages, Mr. Alfonso faced a real uphill climb once again. His first qualifying race ended with an accident from which he would need stitches. Of course the 35-year-old got back on his bike again, and eventually received a letter informing him that the long and stressful journey was a success. He was granted a wild card slot, so we will have to check back in for a third time after the conclusion of the August Paralympic Games in London and give you all an update.

Best of luck, Damian!

As I breathe a sigh of relief, my mind drifts to what I believed to be an unattainable goal. I’ve longed to perform at the “Don’t Tell Mama Cabaret and Piano Bar” here in the heart of the Broadway District in New York City–and now I’ve caused that long-awaited dream to finally come true. It is a feeling like none other. As if this weren’t enough, I was awakened from a nap the following day to receive a notetaker that should thoroughly meet my needs. It’s been a weekend like no other and I am eager to share a bit with you.

Humming with excitement, the night had finally arrived when Maria, our band, and I would entertain our first audience at this famed cabaret spot. As I stepped in front of the microphone, I took a deep breath and Lynne, the experienced performer, took over. We had practiced, primped, and polished ourselves and the songs to the best of our ability. Now we simply had to hope that it went off as smoothly as possible. There were some truly magical moments and others that could have been improved, but the show went on and our incredibly responsive audience helped make it a smashing success. They laughed uproariously at the jokes and humorous tunes and were quietly respectful for the more reflective songs. Who could ask for anything more?

Motivation and hard work were major factors in achieving this goal. Often I found myself paraphrasing the quote about heavy being the head that wears the crown, but the numerous tasks and responsibilities also reinforced the fact that there are intrinsic rewards to be gained with respect to empowerment, pride, and experience. I’ve waited many years to feel this weighty yet important crown atop my expectant head and I will not abdicate my throne to anyone.

On Saturday afternoon, it was a satisfied but weary Lynne who lay down for a brief nap. Little did I know I would be awakened by the sound of our apartment intercom with news from security personnel announcing that the FedEx delivery man would be arriving with what appeared to be computer equipment. Soon our living room floor was strewn with empty boxes and computer paraphernalia. The most important box contained the HIMS VoiceSense Qwerty notetaker. I’d long since put my seldom-used PacMate on a shelf and only occasionally would I travel with my Asus Netbook. It’s light, but not light enough for my abused back. The VoiceSense weighs only 8 ounces. This means a huge step for me in terms of preparation for work in a completely mobile fashion. It also means more work for my weary brain, but again, I welcome the challenge.