Fall 2012 Bulletin

ICUB BULLETIN

FALL 2012

Published by

IOWA COUNCIL OF THE UNITED BLIND

Web Site: www.acb.org/iowa

Affiliate of the American Council of the Blind

Frank Strong, Jr., President

PO Box 93233

Des Moines, IA 50393

(515) 243-1742, Extension 3 - work

(888) 503-2287 – toll-free

E-Mail: frank@frankstrong.net

Mike Hoenig, Editor

3119 Spring St.

Davenport, IA 52807

(563) 344-8787

E-Mail: mhoenig@q.com

Jo Ann Slayton, Secretary

4013 - 30th St.

Des Moines, IA 50310

(515) 279-4284 – home

(515) 710-7875 – cell

E-Mail: slayton4284@msn.com

Gary Patterson, Treasurer

6311 Franklin

Windsor Heights, IA 50324

(515) 278-2686 - home

(515) 991-2613 - cell

E-Mail: gpatterson002@mchsi.com

ICUB OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS

Frank Strong, President – Des Moines, (515) 243-1742, Ext. 3

Robert Spangler, Immediate Past President -Vinton,

(319) 472-4843

Creig Slayton, First Vice President – Des Moines, (515) 279-4284

Mike Hoenig, Second Vice-President - Davenport, (563) 344-8787

Jo Ann Slayton, Secretary - Des Moines, (515) 279-4284

Gary Patterson, Treasurer – Des Moines, (515) 278-2686

Joyce Davis, Director - Fort Dodge, (515) 955-1634

Donna Seliger, Director – Des Moines, (515) 284-0505

Elsie Monthei, Director –Des Moines, (515) 277-0442

Arlo Monthei, Director –Des Moines, (515) 277-0442

Norma Boge-Conyers, Director –Des Moines, (515) 288-1938

Rose Stratton, Director - Maquoketa, (563) 652-2546

Stephanie Hunolt, Director – Vinton, (660) 216-4369

Shirley Wiggins, Director - Cedar Rapids, (319) 362-7138

CHANGE OF FORMAT OR RETURNING CASSETTES

Anyone who cannot read this print bulletin finds it difficult to have it read or wishes an e-mail or cassette may receive a copy at no charge. Please contact Jo Slayton at (515) 279-4284 to request an alternative format. Cassette readers are always invited to keep their copy of the Bulletin. However, if you would like to return cassettes when you are finished with them, please place in a NEW standard mailing envelope, write “Free Matter for the Blind” in the upper right hand corner, and return to the editor using the address on the front of this Bulletin. Also, please remember to contact the editor if your address changes. The Post Office rarely provides us with a new address when someone moves. We want to make sure that anyone who wants to receive a Bulletin gets one!

SELECTING ICUB AS A BENEFICIARY

If you or a friend would like to remember the Iowa Council of the United Blind in your will, you may do so by using the following language: “I grant, devise, or bequeath unto the Iowa Council of the United Blind, a non-profit charitable organization, the sum of ______ dollars, ____ percent of my net estate, or the following stocks and bonds (please list them) to be used for its worthy purposes on behalf of blind persons.” If your wishes are more complex, you may have your attorney call (515) 279-4284, or write Iowa Council of the United Blind, 4013 30TH Street, Des Moines, Iowa 50310.

DONATING YOUR VEHICLE TO BENEFIT ICUB

Are you trying to decide how to dispose of a used vehicle? ICUB's Used Vehicle Donation Program offers the perfect solution. Your vehicle will be picked up from your home and sold at auction, with a portion of the proceeds going directly to ICUB. You claim a tax deduction equal to the dollar value of the vehicle. To donate or to learn more, call 800-899-4925.

LIST OF TOPICS

From the ICUB President 4

Editor's Line 6

Inspirational Athlete Faces Her Biggest Challenge Yet 7

100 Years of Service: IDB Celebrates the Rich 11

Century-Long History of Its Building

BANA Adopts Unified English Braille (UEB) 14

for the United States

Blind Contestant Wins "MasterChef" Season 3 16

In Memoriam 17

Dorothy Leonard Hieb Nemmers 17

LeRoy Saunders 18

Rosemary Higley 18

Chapter News 20

Des Moines Chapter Report 20

Des Moines Chapter ICUB Visits 22

DART Central Station

Cedar Rapids Chapter Report 23

News You Can Use from ACB Radio 24

Recipe Corner 24

New Wine for Seniors 24

FROM THE ICUB PRESIDENT

By Frank Strong

Greetings ICUB members and friends! I hope this article finds you well and getting ready for the holiday season. We are quickly approaching the end of this year's daylight savings time and we will be returning to Central Standard Time in the next couple of weeks. We also are getting closer to the holiday season. I hope you all are planning great holiday celebrations for your friends, family and loved ones.

I have some great news! The Iowa Council of the United Blind has received some unexpected financial support. Within the last couple of months, ICUB received a considerable financial bequest from the estate of Roger Larson of Eagle Grove. Although I never met Mr. Larson, he remembered ICUB and donated a significant amount of money to help us continue our much-needed work to help blind people in Iowa. We are pleased that folks like Roger Larson are out there supporting us both in life and afterwards.

As ICUB President, I have been asked to visit Mason City on Tuesday, October 30. The purpose of this visit is to meet with a group of blind folks who have regular meetings in Mason City. I will be providing the Mason City folks with information about ICUB and the American Council of the Blind. I look forward to providing you with a report following this meeting.

I am excited about the new service provided by the Iowa Department for the Blind Library. As many of you may know, the library now distributes a large number of books on digital cartridges. The transition from cassettes and other recorded media is taking place and quickly. The new cartridges are quite convenient, small and easy to use. The new digital talking book machine even has a built-in instructional training program. This training manual will explain how users can independently operate the digital talking book in the comfort of their home or business.

Another exciting development is that users can now download books and magazines through the Internet and read them on the digital talking book machine at home. These book titles are available through the BARD (Braille and Recorded Downloads) site and, with a little practice and patience, you can download books that were published in 2012. It's fantastic to be able to have access to currently published materials that are still on the New York Times Best Seller list. These downloadable books allow you to create a library of titles which you can read once and discard if you wish. Alternatively, you can keep these downloaded book titles in your collection for future reference and enjoyment. If you have questions about the digital talking book machines and access to downloadable books, you may wish to contact your reader advisor at the Iowa Department for the Blind Library.

For those of us who have been making use of recorded media for a long time, we can recall the days when we had slow playing vinyl records which were followed by open-faced reel tape machines. These open-faced reel machines were followed by the cassette which many of us have been using for years. I am pleased to see that through digital technology, access to information is becoming easier for those of us who can't read standard print. These are exciting times for those of us who love to read.

Here's to you and your festive holiday season. I hope to see you or talk to you soon.

EDITOR’S LINE

By Mike Hoenig

Season's Greetings, Bulletin Readers.

I'm writing this on Monday, November 19, just three days before Thanksgiving. I'm thankful for many things this year--a supportive family, a job which I enjoy, good friends with whom to share a Thanksgiving meal, and you, the Bulletin readership. I appreciate the time you take to read this publication and to let me know that you're enjoying it.

I have something extra to be thankful for this year. On November 17, I joined a group of blind adults to host Fun Time Saturday, an event for blind children and their families in Iowa City. Nearly 20 blind and sighted children and their families joined us for three hours of games and discussions. Through their stories of what it's like to raise a blind child in a "sighted world," parents let us know that events like this are sorely needed. One mom, for example, told us that her 13-year-old son felt accepted for the first time last summer while attending camps at the Braille School. Through their laughter, participation, and stories of how difficult it is to be accepted, the kids also made a strong case for programs like