GCB Digest GCB Digest Fall 2013 (Text Version)
THE GCB DIGEST
A publication of the GEORGIA COUNCIL OF THE BLIND
An Affiliate of the AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND
An Organization Promoting a Hand Up, Not a Hand Out
FALL 2013
Georgia Council of the Blind
145 Barrington Drive, Athens GA 30605
706-850-4025 Mail: gcbfyi@yahoo.co
GCB Web Site: www.georgiacounciloftheblind.org
GCB President: William Holley
185 Weatherly Woods Drive, Winterville GA 30683
706-410-4945 gcbill850@yahoo.com
GCB Webmaster: Steven Longmire Email: info@sunbright.biz
GCB Digest Editor: Amanda Wilson
45 Rocky Circle NE, White GA 30184
770-547-4700 moonrocks@bellsouth.net
GCB Digest Assistant Editor: Suzanne Jackson
131 Cannongate Circle. Sharpsburg GA 30277
770-463-1127 susieb@numail.org
TABLE OF CONTENTS
From Your Editor, Amanda Wilson
GCB Presidential Message, William Holley
GCB Board Meeting Minutes, Robin Oliver
GCB Treasurer’s Report, Jerrie Toney
GCB Chapter News
GCB Member Profiles
GCB Georgia Council of the Blind One Day Event overview
GCB Passing:
GCB Celebrations
BARD Mobile
From Your Editor, Amanda Wilson
Hello, GCB Family. We thank each one who has submitted articles in this issue of our magazine. If you have any change of address, telephone number, email address, or desired change of format, please inform our GCB treasurer, Jerrie Toney at 706-208-7132 or via Email at jerriemt2@gmail.com. Thanks to everyone who makes our GCB Digest such a big success. I particularly want to thank Suzanne Jackson, assistant editor, for the many hours she has worked on the magazine, for her editing skills and for her outstanding reading of the cassette tapes. I want to thank our president, William Holley, for his presidential messages with information about important events, legislation, and projects. I also appreciate the contributions from each member who sent articles, who made suggestions to make the magazine better, and supported me in so many ways. We are now sending the GCB Digest on CD; if you would like to receive your GCB Digest on CD, please let us know.
GCB Presidential Message, William Holley
GCB Community’ Together Reaching Beyond Ourselves
“Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Greetings GCB Members!
I pray this presidents’ message finds you and your family members in the best of health and spirits. Over the past three (3) years we have talked about the growth and development of GCB. However, are GCB members serious about growing and developing our organization? On August 3, 2013, during our one day event, we heard two presentations about the need for us to unite for our purpose. Do you remember the purpose of GCB? Let us take the time to review our purpose which can be found in our state constitution.
Article II: Purpose
The purpose of GCB is to promote the general welfare of the legally blind people of Georgia and to cooperate with ACB in activities to promote the well-being of all blind people:
A. By providing a forum for the views of blind people from all walks of life throughout Georgia;
B. By helping to elevate the social, economic and cultural level of blind people;
C. By improving education and rehabilitation services and by expanding vocational opportunities;
D. By encouraging and assisting the newly blind people, through peer support to develop their abilities and potentials;
E. By cooperating with the public and private institutions and agencies of and for the blind; and
F. By conducting a program of public education aimed toward improving the understanding of the problems of blindness and the capabilities of blind people.
If these written words are our reason for existence, why can’t we cooperate among ourselves to grow our membership? We know there are well over 100,000 individuals with vision loss in the state of Georgia. We only represent 215 of those individuals in GCB. If our purpose is to help the blind community, we should be promoting our organization to anyone who will help us reach that goal. WE should be focused on the survival of our organization to help the blind community. While social events are essential in developing unification in the blind community, such festivities cannot take place without organization. Unfortunately, organization cannot survive without the participation of people and people with different points of view will encourage politics. It is OUR responsibility to encourage members of GCB to continue to participate in the decision making process of the organization despite the politics. Organizations and individuals who volunteer to support the efforts of the blind community WILL NOT and SHOULD NOT be held responsible in carrying out our purpose. WE should have learned by now that people are not likely to help you if you fail to help yourself. AS GCB members how do we move forward to address the concerns of the Blind Community?
1. Communicate with each other about the lack of services for the legally blind in the state of Georgia
2. Continue to educate ourselves, blind individuals (who are not members of GCB), sighted volunteers, and other stakeholders (including other individuals with disabilities with common goals) about our purpose.
3. Conduct programs to educate the public about your organization and purpose
4. Provide forums to help disseminate information to educate the broader community about the lack of services for the blind in Georgia.
GCB cannot grow and develop if we continue to isolate ourselves from other blind individuals and the broader community. Our survival as GCB will be determined by our effort to grow outside of ourselves. If we unite with the underrepresented blind community and other stake holders, who knows the results, since we have never accomplished this union in the past.
GCB Board Meeting Minutes, Robin Oliver
GCB April 20, 2013 Board Meeting Minutes
MULTIPLE choices CIL Athens, GA 11:00 AM
GCB President Bill Holley called the meeting to order. After a moment of silent prayer, including a return to health of Chris Chavous’ son, the roll was called. Members present: President Bill Holley, 1st vice Keith Morris, 2nd Vice Steve Longmire, Secretary Robin Oliver, Treasurer Jerrie Toney, Daniel Myers (Athens), Heather Lopez (Augusta), Tonya Wright (Bainbridge)(via phone) Marsha Farrow (Chattooga)(via phone), Greg McDuffie (Greater Columbus), Chester Thrash (Metro Atlanta), Fred McDade (Northwest Georgia), Amanda Wilson (Rome/Floyd), Kim Harrison (Savannah) (via phone) We had 14/19 of officers and chapters represented, which gave us a quorum. The Secretary asked if there were any corrections and or amendments to the minutes that had been emailed earlier. There were none, and Amanda Wilson moved that the minutes be accepted as sent out. Motion was seconded. And the Board voted to approve the minutes. The Treasury report had also been emailed out. It was noted that there will be a separate financial convention/conference committee which will handle the finances of the conventions/conferences, with a separate banking account. This will make life smoother on the convention/conference committee, as well as relieve some stress from the treasurer, as all they will have to do is pay the Bills. It was motioned that the report be filed to audit, seconded and the board voted to file it. GCB Community-Together Reaching beyond Ourselves One Day Event Report was given by Amanda in the absence of Chris Chavous. All the registration information will be email or US Postal Service, as well as available online. You can do the usual, send in your registration or go online and use PayPal. Hopefully we will see you in Augusta on August 3, 2013. Steve Longmire reported that the website is a work in progress that is making some really good strides. It has a growing resource page, news located on the home page for quick references, event page, and with help from the chapters, the chapter pages are really informative. We still need membership help in the continuing effort of making our website really great. Please feel free to give Steve your ideas and feedback on the website. GCB Digest Editor reported that the Digest has an editorial team that will help in making sure that we have a great publication. You will get a chance to get to know your fellow members better through the interviews you will find. Your articles are always needed so don't be afraid to share. Amanda also gave the membership report. The focus is to attract new members through brochures and group forums. We will retain members by using present members more, Heather Lopez may be moving to South Georgia and she may be able to establish a chapter there. Remember even though we have a membership committee, each one of us is a membership recruiter. President Holley asked if we believed that we strive to elevate the social, economic and cultural levels of the blind, the mission of GCB. The Board answered, yes, and Bill challenged us to prove it and make certain that GCB has a future. Not only through membership, but we must pay attention to the legislative issues. We have got to get the name of GCB out there. “Let's Talk GCB” could be a vital tool if used. The secretary will send out another request for topics and the “Let's Talk GCB’ website will continue to ask for topics. As far as fundraising is concerned, we need to get with the times. A lot of us Google and we should use their ads. It is given that times are tougher now, but Marsha, Amanda, Heather and Louise are willing to participate in a fund raising committee. Again as in everything else, even though we have a committee, each member’s ideas are welcomed. This could be the start of a good fund fundraising campaign. This lead up to the GCB 50/50 raffle. Fred McDade won $10; the pot at this time stands at $88. We will sell tickets at the GCB Community-Together Reaching beyond Ourselves 1 Day Event in Augusta on August 3. The proceeds from this raffle go to the Al Camp Scholarship Fund. The meeting was adjourned. Respectfully submitted, Robin Oliver, GCB Secretary
GCB Treasurer’s Report, Jerrie Toney
April 1 through April 30, 2013: Beginning Balance: $8,083.15 Total Amount of Deposits: $1,277.00 Total Amount of Checks: $15.00 Total Debts: $18.00 Total Combined Amounts of Checks and Debits: $33.00 Ending Balance: $9,327.15 Al Camp Memorial Scholarship Balance: $5,385.13 Savings Account Balance: $11,415.56 Ending Savings Account Balance: $11,415.94 CD Balance: $11,335.41 Ending CD Balance: $ 11,336.56 Total Combined Amounts: $37,464.78 Portfolio: $75,764.13
May 1 through May 31, 2013: Beginning Balance: $9,327.15 Total Amount of Deposits: $1,613.80 Total Amount of Checks: $0.00 Total Debts: $0.00 Total Combined Amounts of Checks and Debits: $0.00 Ending Balance: $10,940.95
Al Camp Memorial Scholarship Balance: $5,444.13 Savings Account Balance: $11,415.94 Ending Savings Account Balance: $11,416.33 CD Balance: $11,336.56 Ending CD Balance: $ 11,337.68 Total Combined Amounts: $39,139.09 Portfolio: $76,012.35
June 1 through June 30, 2013: Beginning Balance: $10,940.95 Total Amount of Deposits: $100.00 Total Amount of Checks: $0.00 Total Debts: $0.00 Total Combined Amounts of Checks and Debits: $0.00 Ending Balance: $11,040.95
Al Camp Memorial Scholarship Balance: $5,752.18 Savings Account Balance: $11,416.33 Ending Savings Account Balance: $11,416.71 CD Balance: $ 11,337.68 Ending CD Balance: $11,338.80 Total Combined Amounts: $39,548.26 Portfolio: $74,670.70
July 1, 2013 through July 31, 2013 Beginning Balance: $11,040.95 Total Amount of Deposits: $ Total Amount of Checks: $ Total Combined Amounts of Checks and Debits: $ Ending Balance: $
Al Camp Memorial Scholarship Balance: $6,010.23 Savings Account Balance: $ 11,416.71 Ending Savings Account Balance: $ CD Balance: $ 11,338.80 Ending CD Balance: $ Total Combined Amounts: $ Portfolio: $
Anyone interested in acquiring copies of the 2013 treasurer’s reports, budget and/or 2013 convention report? Please contact the GCB office or call 706-850-4025 info@georgiacounciloftheblind.org.
GCB Chapter News
Athens chapter
The Athens chapter held their annual picnic on Saturday,, July 27, 2013, at Memorial Park in Athens. We had a good time socializing and eating. They had a brief meeting On Saturday, August 3, 2013. Bill Holley, Jerrie Toney, Robin Oliver, and Daniel Myers, attended the GCB One Day Event in Augusta, Georgia. Our August meeting was at Multiple Choices on Saturday, August 24, 2013. September meeting will be held via phone. The call in number is: 1-267-507-0370-pin number is 2222013 (ACB2013). A fund raiser will be on Friday, September27 and 28th in Athens. October meeting will be on Saturday, October 26, 2013 at Multiple Choices, 10:00 am. Our November meeting will be via phone. The same phone number and pin will be used for the November meeting as for the September meeting. The December meeting is not finalized yet, and a Christmas party which is usually held at Multiple Choices. A notice will be given if that changes. The Athens chapter meetings are held at Multiple Choices Center for Independent Living. For information, please contact Daniel Myers at 706/850-7472 or danielhmye@live.com.
Augusta Chapter
The September meeting was about Safety for people who are blind or visually impaired. A Columbia County Sheriff's Department representative spoke to our group. We are hoping that this can be a topic for the Annual 3-Day Convention. We also have 5 people to inquire about The Georgia Council of the Blind. Keith Morris had a milestone birthday on August 9th, his 60th birthday. Our annual picnic was September 28, 2013 at the covered pavilion at Diamond Lakes Park. Chapter meetings are at the Columbia County Main Library, Evans Town Center Boulevard, Evans, Georgia on the second Saturday at 1:00. Please contact Chris Chavous at 706-737-4341, or via email at cccmayo@yahoo.com.
Bainbridge Chapter
The Bainbridge chapter reported that Tonya Wright, Paddy Dale and Keith Carter went to the Georgia Lions Camp for the Blind this summer Sunday, June 23 until Sunday, June 30, 2013. They rode horses, went swimming and did arts and crafts. One night they had this activity called very messy night. They had to wear old clothes and shoes and had an old fashioned food fight. They threw food at each other and had a good time getting dirty. Then they ran through the sprinklers to cool off and to wash off some of the junk on their bodies. Tonya sang in the talent show and received the award for being the most outgoing camper. Paddy received an award for being the most determined camper. Keith received an award for being the camp veteran which meant he had been coming to camp the longer than anyone else there. Tonya said that they had a wonderful time. She is looking forward to going back next year. The Bainbridge chapter meetings are on the second Saturday of each month at the library. For more information, contact Tonya Wright at 229/248-0087.
Chattooga County Chapter
The Chattooga County Chapter meetings are at the Chattooga County Library, 360 Farrar Drive, Summerville GA 30747. Meeting dates might change due to availability of space at the library, and meetings may be held at a local restaurant. Please contact Marsha Farrow at 706/859-2624 or marshafarrow@windstream.net.
East Georgia Chapter
The East Georgia chapter has been quite busy this summer and plans to be even busier for the rest of the year. In July we had a fantastic picnic. Twenty six people attended for a great of time fun games and plenty of super good food. Our September meeting will feature a guest speaker, the new executive director of GARRS, Brent Bass. In October, in addition to elections, we plan to see a described movie. In November Judy Presley from the Hall County will be our guest speaker. In December we'll have our annual Christmas Party. The Chapter meetings are held in Conyers on the second Saturday of each month. Please contact Phil Jones at 770/713-3306 or brilman1952@bellsouth.net.
Greater Columbus Chapter
The Greater Columbus Chapter hosted a talk and demonstration entitled "Coping with vision Loss, A clearer Perspective". The talk was held at the Covenant Woods Assisted Living Home in Columbus. Several members of the Greater Columbus chapter attended. The activities director and staff welcomed us by inviting us to eat lunch before the talk. During the talk and demonstration, William Miles, Otis Smith, Kara English and Clifford Jones spoke to the audience about coping with vision loss and how it's not a death sentence to lose your vision. William Miles spoke on the importance of mobility and organization as key components to remaining active despite vision loss. He also highlighted recreation such beep ball – a mentioned the dynamic of the sport and its growing popularity. In addition he talked about Braille, and he brought several devices including a beep ball and stylus to pass around to the audience. Otis Smith discussed the uses of the CCTV and its advantages. He asked someone from the audience to come up and demonstrate the different functions such as magnification and contrast. Kara English focused more on adaptive technologies in using the computer namely Zoom Text, web cam, and the Transformer. She let the audience see the rotating camera on the Transformer to show how its uses are vast. She demonstrated how the transformer can be used for ladies to give themselves manicures and pedicures, painting their nails with ease and the Transformer can be used to assist in applying make-up, hair, maintenance and shaving for men. She also featured Zoom Text. Being at a retirement home the majority of the patrons read books for entertainment. Kara related about talking books at the local library and how Zoom Text enables fluid reading allowing them to enjoy their favorite book, magazines and newspapers. Clifford Jones acted as the commentator throughout the program by introducing each speaker and their levels of vision. Clifford told the audience how it is important to have a sense of humor and be accepting of your vision loss and not to be afraid to ask for help. He spoke about different devices to help in everyday life such as the money identifier, color detector, a medication identifier and features/apps that are on the iPhone. The purpose of the talk was to inform the residents that losing some of all of your sight is not the end of the world. We let them know that there are devices to assist them with any varying amount of vision loss. The director and the residents invited us back. Chapter meetings are on the third Friday Columbus Public Library, 10:30 AM-12PM. Please contact Gregory McDuffie at 706/330-8185 or gregory.mcduffie@yahoo.com.
Greater Hall County Chapter
The Greater Hall County chapter reports that our yearly project, our chapter partnered with the Hall County vision resource teacher to assist three visually impaired students to attend the Lions Camp in Waycross GA. The Lions camp for children is financed by Georgia Lions but sometimes it is a financial and logistical burden for some families to provide transportation to the camp. We provided gas money and a stipend for sunscreen, sun glasses, shower shoes and other items. We assisted one child in 2012 and 3 children in 2013. It was gratifying to hear what a wonderful experience it was for them. Guest speaker at our next meeting will be Anne Wheeler who will teach our chapter some fun games for the visually impaired. Judy will be returning the favor by being the guest speaker at the East Georgia Chapter in November. Judy will be talking about the Oral Hull Adventure Camp that I attended in Oregon. At our annual June picnic we honored our President Richard Bagley and his wife Edwina for their many years of service. We declared them King Richard and Queen Edwina for the day. Judy Presley, Wanda and Jerry Vandiver wrote and sang a special song dedicated to Richard. Sheila Rousey led the members in some fun games. Our bar-b-queen meal was catered by Johnny's Bar-b-queen Chapter meetings are held at the Smokey Springs Retirement Residence, 940 South Enota Drive, in Gainesville on the second Saturday. Please contact Virginia Doane at 678/971-4271.
Metro Atlanta Chapter
The Metro Atlanta chapter reports that they held our annual auction on September 12, 2013, at the Center for the Visually Impaired (CVI) in Atlanta. Lunch was from 12:00 pm to 1:00 Pm. The auction was from 1:00 pm to 2:30. There was a short business meeting at 2:30. Chapter meetings are held at the Piccadilly Cafeteria at 2226 North Druid Hills Road on the second Friday from 4:30 to 7:00 pm. Please contact Brent Reynolds at 404/814-0768 or jbr@samobile.net.
The Northwest Chapter
The Northwest Chapter meetings are on the first Tuesday of every other month at the Bank of Lafayette Community room, 104 North Main Street, Lafayette GA 30728, at 7:00 PM. Please contact Ron Burgess at 706-638-1132.
Rome Floyd county Chapter
The Rome Floyd County chapter held its June meeting on June 18, 2013, at the Cave Spring Rehab Center. It is a beautiful new facility and was perfect for our meeting place. Rebecca Cowan-Story welcomed us and also introduced us to some of her constituents at the center--Barbara Chandler, Savannah and Dana Tarter. We met in the cafeteria area of the facility, and it served our purposes beautifully. We began the meeting by being introduced to these new friends, and then quickly became interested in their contributions to the world of disabilities. We were particularly fascinated with Dana Tarter (Rebecca’s self-described best friend), who has Usher’s Syndrome and is both blind and deaf. Dana teaches at Model High School. She is highly verbal, but only communicates through a system of hand signals. We asked her to tell us more of her story, and she gave an inspirational presentation, downplaying her disabilities and urging us all to communicate and stay in touch with others. Martha’s daughter-in-law, Danalee, knew Dana because she worked with Danalee’s son, who has Asperger’s, when he was in high school. They had a lovely reunion. Others enjoyed sharing their stories with her. Dana was a true inspiration, and we look forward to seeing her at future meetings. After the meeting, many enjoyed touring the facility, including the greenhouse. Our July meeting was on Tuesday, July 16, 2013. Once again we met at the Rehab Center at Cave Spring. Rebecca Cowan-Story presented our program, which further explored our new interest in the deaf/blind sector of Georgians with disabilities. Rebecca and Bob Greene traveled from Dalton to Bainbridge to interview 42 deaf and blind individuals--some young (14-21 years old), some working age, and some senior citizens. Five of these were invited to come to Cave Spring for a week, living in the dorm and developing strategies for simplifying life at home. Rebecca gave us some guidelines to follow when wishing to communicate with a deaf/blind person, such as tap on shoulder and wait, stand in front, shake hands, thumbs up for OK, thumbs down for no. Write standard block letters with an eraser in the person’s palm (Dana uses this with her students). In case of emergency, an X on the back means act immediately. She also gave us handouts showing the manual alphabet and went through each letter. We were relieved that she did not assign mastery of this before our next meeting.
Our August meeting was on Tuesday, August 20, 2013, at the Rome Floyd county Library. Amanda gave us a report on the state convention held in Augusta earlier this month. She said that about 30 were in attendance for this event. They had speakers, interactive discussions, awards presentations and lunch. Dale spoke briefly about his history of seizures and taking a drug similar to Vitamin A has been effective. We were pleased that Dana Tarter joined us again, but distressed to learn that she has been placed on administrative leave, citing students’ safety and “Of course, yours, Mrs. Tarter”. She asked for prayers for Danalee Harrison, who is now working with those students and also for her own children who are perplexed with the situation. Dana also reported on her mission trip to Peru. Rebecca went as her interpreter. She told of several instances where blindness and deafness had been misdiagnosed or mistreated. Maia asked us to save the date--October 17--for an Emergency Preparedness workshop. Kristina Holtzclaw is going to Southeastern Guide Dog School on September 1, 2013. Tonia and Amanda are going to get their new guide dogs sometime in the near future. We look forward to meeting these new members of our group. Chapter meetings are held at the Rome Floyd County library 205 Riverside Parkway NE, Rome, GA 30161, on the 3rd Tuesday at 11:00 am. Please contact Amanda Wilson, 770/547-4700 or moonrocks@bellsouth.net.
Savannah Chapter
The Savannah chapter reported that they met for their annual picnic on June 15, 2013 at Loretta Thomson's home. The meeting was held on her back porch. I didn't take any pictures this time, but, I assure you that porch was gorgeous. Unfortunately, not all of our members were able to attend. Of those of us who did attend, we had a good time. We shared lots of good food and good company. We had a rare chance to hang out and talk to each other on a social level. Chapter meetings are held at the J. C. Lewis Ford Center, 9505 Abercorn St, Savannah, Georgia 31419 on the first Thursday at 6:00 pm. Please contact Kim Harrison at 912-228-1190 or dkimharrison@gmail.com.
West Georgia Chapter
For more information about the West Georgia chapter please contact Steve Estes, at 770-456-7709 or stestes@bellsouth.net
GCB Member Profiles
Cecily Nipper is a member of the East Georgia chapter. She found out about the Georgia Council of the Blind by searching on the internet. She was looking for a place to meet other people with visual impairments when she found our wonderful website. She emailed the President of the East Georgia Chapter and has been a part of GCB ever since. She said that she has so enjoyed being able to be a part of that chapter. She looks forward to each meeting and to seeing her new friends there. Cecily said that her vision is 20/400 in her left eye and almost no vision on her right eye. She has glaucoma, so she has tunnel vision, which means she has no peripheral vision and her best vision is in the center. With this central vision, she cannot read unless it is very large print. Since she also deals with migraine headaches from eyestrain if she tries to use her remaining vision, she does many tasks with non-visual methods. Cecily says that she has only had low vision since 2010. She feels like she is still learning to cope. Her friends at GCB have helped her to realize that she is not alone and make her feel welcome. She has a wonderful, supportive family, and she is always learning new coping skills. She is taking classes through the Hadley School. She is learning Braille as well as taking some other classes that they offer. She is still at “Grade One” Braille and she is working on “Grade Two” now. She says that it is a challenge, but she really enjoys it. Cecily likes to walk her dog, Chester. She likes to cook. She has outfitted her kitchen with lots of “dots” so that she can still cook even with low vision. Her kitchen is organized with Braille and large print labels. A funny story in her house is the time she almost ate dog treats since they felt like and smelled like beef jerky. She also likes to sing in her church choir with the words to the songs written out in Braille. Cecily uses a cane. She is still experimenting with different lengths of canes and different types of tips. At the moment, the Ambutech graphite cane with a rolling ball tip is her favorite.
GCB One-Day Event Overview
Growing, Changing, Building GCB Community Together Reaching Beyond Us 1 Day Event Augusta Marriott Hotel Augusta, Georgia August 3, 2013. GCB President Bill Holley welcomed us to our one-day event by leading us in moment of silence.
He asked Fred McDade to say a short prayer for us.
The host chapter: the Augusta Chapter, President Chris Chavous welcomed us to Augusta. He told us that there were restrooms down the hall to the right. He told us that we should have a bag with snacks and water. He told us that there was more water and ice and cups in the back of the room. He thanked the convention committee for all of their hard work, and said he would be looking forward to working with us for next year’s three day convention in Augusta in August.
GVRAGeorgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency Board Member Louise Hill told us about what is going on with the Georgia vocational Rehabilitation Agency.
Georgia Vision Program for seniors: Kay McGill, Manager
GEORGIA VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION AGENCY
VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION PROGRAM 755 Commerce Drive, Suite 615, Decatur, Georgia 30030-2619, Voice/TTY (404) 638-5208, FAX (404) 638-5201
GREG SCHMIEG, Executive Director, NATHAN DEAL GOVERNOR Project Independence: Georgia Vision Program for seniors. Are you or is someone you know at least 55 years of age and experiencing vision loss or a combined vision and hearing loss? Project Independence could help. This vision program for seniors is administered by the Georgia Rehabilitation Agency and provides services that can help you remain independent. Services may include: comprehensive low vision evaluations by qualified professionals to assess your needs, skills training in your home community by certified rehabilitation specialists, mobility training by certified instructors, support groups that offer opportunities to learn from and interact with peers, and assistive devices such as talking watches, big button phones and magnifiers.
The Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency contracts with these Project Independence Service Providers:
Center for the Visually Impaired 39 West Peachtree Street NW, Atlanta, Georgia 30308, 404-875-9011, 1-800-558-5451 (for infolink only) www.cviga.org. Serves Northeast and Central Georgia
Savannah Center for Blind and Low Vision 214 Drayton Street, Savannah, Georgia 31401, 912-236-4473, www.SavannahCBLV.org, info@SavannahCBLV.org, Serves Southeast Georgia
Vision Rehabilitation Services of Georgia 3830 South Cobb Drive SE, Smyrna, Georgia 30080, 770-432-7280, www.vrsaa.org, Serves Northwest Georgia
Visually Impaired Foundation of Georgia 6595 Roswell Road #224, Atlanta 30328, 770-551-8455, 1-800-541-7903, www.magnifiers.com, Serves Southwest Georgia
Visually Impaired Specialized Training and Advocacy Services (VISTAS) 337 South Milledge Avenue, Suite 114, Athens, Georgia 30605-5662, 706-995-2216, www.vistascenter.com Serves Northeast Georgia
Walton Options for Independent Living 948 Walton Way, Augusta, Georgia 30903-0519, 706-724-6262, 1-877-821-8400, www.waltonoptions.org Serves East Georgia
Kay McGill, Project Independence Program Manager. Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency 755 Commerce Drive, Suite 615, Decatur, Georgia 30030-2627 and 404-638-5208, TTY: Call GA Relay 711, Fax: 404-638-5201, kay.mcgill@gvra.ga.gov, www.gvra.ga.gov
Paul Raymond, Director of Blindness Services Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency 2720 Riverside Drive, Suite 132, P.O. Box 7566 Macon, Georgia 31209-7566, 478-751-6234, Fax: 478-314-6814, paul.raymond@gvra.ga.gov, www.gvra.ga.gov
Introduction of Guest Speaker Presentation: Kate Gainer retired Director of Advocacy for the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities. Kate Gainer is the Managing Principal of the Georgia Disability Advocate Consulting Group. Nationally recognized as a disability rights leader and speaker, Kate organized the first Long Road Home Project, an annual week of events throughout Georgia to raise awareness of the Olmstead decision. Kate was born with cerebral palsy and grew into a life of advocacy as a black woman with a disability in the South. She was very inspiring.
Award Luncheon:
We had Subway sandwiches with chips, and drinks.
GCB Awards
Dr. Philip Dillard received the Rhoda Walker Award, suggested by Rhoda's sister, Helen Wasileski. The recipient can be a blind or sighted individual. Services rendered must be of non-paying status. Services may be any endeavor in the field of teaching, service, and betterment of life for the blind. The recipient must provide public awareness through speaking, seminars, and/or demonstration. There must be involvement of the educational field/teaching Braille. He was nominated by Martha Craig. It was received by the Rome Floyd county chapter and it will be presented to him at a chapter meeting in Rome.
Chapter Awards:
Presidential certificates: Anne Wheeler, East Georgia Mike Teal, Athens chapter Bonita Peek, Athens chapter
Loving cups: Anne Wheeler, East Georgia chapter Cecily Nipper, East Georgia Pete Hayek Athens Chapter Clifford Jones, Greater Columbus Chapter Kara English, Greater Columbus Chapter All Hermon Jones, Metro Atlanta Chapter
Scholarship winners; Marion Frankie Badie; Crystal Kinney; Nathan Palmer; Enedina Velez said to tell their GCB family thank you and that they are grateful for their support.
GCB 50/50 Reno Raffle: Jerrie Toney won the raffle. She gave the money back to GCB. We now have a total amount of $188 to go toward the next 50/50 raffle at the October board meeting. Many of our members received door prizes of different amount of money. There was one big door prize for a night at the Marriot for a one night stay which was given to Cathy Morris. It is valid until August of next year so maybe she will use it to come back to Augusta for our convention next year.
Workshops: Membership: We had a lively discussion about ways to find, keep, and use tools to support new and old members within our chapters.
Planning Session for the 2014 State wide Conference/Convention:
We discussed next year’s convention in Augusta in August of 2014. We are plannin Ivan Weevie, Chattooga County chapter; Mary Myers (Daniel Myers’ mother, East Georgia Chapter; Crawford Pike, Greater Columbus Chapter; Tom Hodge, Greater Hall County Chapter; Dale Albritton, Member at Large from Macon; Elizabeth Bickel, Member at Large from Macon; Paul Brown, Member at Large from Macon; Evelyn minick, Rome Floyd County Chapter; Thomas Allen Standridge, Rome Floyd County Chapter; David Rutenber, Doloris Rutenber’s husband, Stephens County Chapter.
GCB Board Meeting: The board meeting was short and to the point. We decide to meet in Athens at Multiple choices on Saturday, October 26, 2013.
GCB Passing
Mr. Thomas Weston Hodge, a pioneer in the early development of the North Georgia poultry industry, died Oct. 6, 2012. He was a resident of Lanier Village Estates, Gainesville. For 25 years, Tom Hodge was president of Hodge & Murphy Poultry Co. In other business ventures, he was president of Mulberry Farms and Braselton Packing Co., manager of the Georgia Poultry Exchange and general manager of Miller Poultry Co. Tom was an organizer of Lanier Park Hospital where he served on the board and as its chairman. He also served on the board of both the Gainesville Planning Commission and the Gainesville-Hall County Development Authority. A Navy veteran who served in the Pacific Theater during World War II, Tom was a commander of the Paul E. Bolding Post 7 of the American Legion. He was an exalted ruler of the Gainesville Elks Club No. 1126. He was past president of the Gainesville Civitan Club, the Rifle and Pistol Club and the North Georgia Sportsman’s Club. A member of the Gainesville First Presbyterian Church, he had served as an elder, deacon, Sunday school superintendent and on various boards at the Presbytery and Synod level. He also was a trustee of the Presbyterian Home in Quitman, Ga. Born in Beaufort County, South Carolina; Tom was raised in Gainesville by an aunt and uncle, Mr. and Mrs. J. Larry Kleckley. He attended Gainesville High School and graduated from Presbyterian College. He served on the founding board of Lakeview Academy. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Frances Powell Hodge and his three children and their spouses, Tom and Cathy Hodge of Athens, Georgia, Helen and Roger Fuller of Hartsville, South Carolina, and Jack and Patsy Hodge of Gainesville, Georgia, eight granddaughters, one grandson and one great-grandson. Services were held on Tuesday, Oct. 9, at First Presbyterian Church in Gainesville at 11 a.m. Visitation from 4-6 p.m. on Monday at Memorial Park North Riverside Chapel, 989 Riverside Drive, and Gainesville. In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that those wishing to make a donation to consider Eagle Ranch, P.O. Box 7200, Chestnut Mountain, Georgia 30502-0500. Good News Clinics or a charity of their choice.
Mr. Richard Lee Jarnagin, 75, husband of Ursula H. Jarnagin, entered into rest Monday, April 8, 2013 at University Hospital. Memorial services were Saturday, April 13, 2013, at 2:00 PM from the chapel of Chance & Hydrick Funeral Directors; Pastor Michael Freed officiating. Mr. Jarnagin was born in Indiana and was the son of the late Frank and Dorothy Jarnagin. He was retired from the United States Army where he served in Vietnam. After retirement he was curator of the Signal Corps Museum at Fort Gordon. During his military career he earned the following medals: Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Services Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, and Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, and the Good Conduct Medal. He was a member of the Ascension Lutheran Church. In addition to his wife he is survived by sons, Robert E. Jarnagin, of Augusta, Phillip M. Jarnagin (Kim), of Hephzibah, and Kurt L Jarnagin (Petra), of Germany; daughters, Elizabeth D. Wloshinski (John), of Stafford VA, and Victoria E. Zerangue (Brennan), of Victoria, Texas, and grandchildren, John Paul Wloshinski, Victoria Wloshinski, Andrew Jarnagin, Garrett Jarnagin, Nikolaus Zerangue and Livia Jarnagin. The family received friends Saturday from 1:00 until just before the service which will be held at Chance and Hydrick Funeral Directors 2502 Richmond Hill Road, Augusta, Georgia 30906.
Mr. A. Dale Albritton Macon, Georgia, 77, died Tuesday, June 18, 2013. Memorial services were held Saturday, June 22, 2013 in Trojan Hall, at Tattnall Square Academy, 111 Trojan Trail, Macon, Georgia 31210 with the Rev. Helen Berenthien officiated. The family greeted friends one hour prior to service in Trojan Hall. In lieu of flowers contributions can be made to The Georgia Academy for the Blind, 2895 Vineville Avenue, Macon, Georgia 31204 or donor's favorite charity. Mr. Albritton was born in Plant City, Florida to the late Amos C. Albritton and Mardele Patterson. He was a graduate of The Georgia Academy of the Blind, The University of Georgia and Walter F. George Law School. Dale was admitted to The Georgia Bar Association in 1960 and served as an active member for the next 53 years. He was also a member of The American Council of the Blind, The Georgia Academy of the Blind Alumni and The Mickey Fuller Masonic Lodge. Governor Joe Frank Harris awarded him Disabled Person of the Year in the early 1990's. Mr. Albritton is predeceased by his first wife, Georgia W. Albritton and one sister, Shirley Logston. Survivors include his wife, Linda Albritton; son, Mark Albritton (Susan); step-children, Peggy Brewton, Ada Bailey, Richard Webster (Deborah), Sonja Franks (John), and Kerrie Trammell- Franklin (Mark); Grandchildren, Katie Albritton, Tiffani Honeycutt, Brian Harris (Heather), William Brewton Jr., Matthew Bailey, Victoria Bailey, Trevor Bailey, Richard Webster Jr., Rebecca Webster, Zackary Webster, Johnathan Webster, Sarah Smith, Rodney Mason Jr., Chris Solomon and Regina Franklin; four great grandchildren; sisters, Janet Elliott, Karen Pritchett, and June Yarborough; numerous nieces, nephews and extended family.
Mr. David Paul Brown was born on April 9, 1927 and died in Macon, Georgia on July 17, 2013, at the age of eighty-six. He lived in Danville, Georgia. Services will be Saturday, July 20, 2013 at 11:00AM in Cool Spring Primitive Baptist Church. Burial in the church cemetery. Elder Franklin Bryant will officiate. David Paul Brown was the son of the late Joe L. and Willie Ann Howell Brown. He was preceded in death by his Sister Corinne Jones. Mr. Brown was a retired sorter with the Georgia Industry for the Blind in Griffin, GA. He was an avid donor for the Red Cross having donated 72 times totaling 9 gallons of blood and was recognized by the Red Cross for his unselfish and caring way of giving to those in need. Paul was a member of the First Baptist Church in Griffin and the First Baptist Church of Christ in Macon. Survivors include his sister, Thelma B. Griffis of Macon, and his brothers, Joe L. Brown, Jr. and Milton Brown both of Danville. The family will receive friends Friday in the funeral home.
Mr. David Carl Rutenber, age 65, of Toccoa, Georgia, passed away Monday, June 17, 2013 at New Horizons Limestone in Gainesville, GA. He was born on March 31, 1948 in Oneonta NY and was a son of the late Norman Chester and Marjorie Squires Rutenber. Mr. Rutenber was a member of the Church of God, Worldwide Association and was a former employee of Bowen and Watson. He was a U. S. Navy Veteran. He loved cooking, car racing, and most of all, his wife and children. Family members include his wife, Dolores Camp Rutenber; daughters and a son-in-law, Leah and Shane Lawson, and Jennifer Rutenber, granddaughter Dayana Rutenber, sisters and a brother-in-law, Mary Ellen and Berdeen Hanson and Elaine Rutenber, brother and sister-in-law, Jon and Virginia Lynn Rutenber, his mother-in-law, Cora Camp, and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by a sister, Ruthie Rutenber.
Mr. Thomas Allen Standridge, age 61, of Rome, Georgia, passed away Saturday, July 27, 2013 at his residence following a long illness. A native of Atlanta, Georgia, Mr. Standridge was born July 1, 1952 son of Shirley Turner Standridge and the late Tommy Standridge. He was employed for several years as a maintenance technician at Piedmont Hospital and several real estate companies. Mr. Standridge was known as a man who lived life to the fullest in his own way and had a dry wit. He loved to fish, and was an avid movie enthusiast, who loved horror, adventure, and old westerns. He loved church and taking part in the children’s ministry and playing guitar. He had been a resident of Rome for the past ten years and in addition to his father, was preceded in death by his daughter Rosalea Standridge and grandparents Harley and Eve Turner. Survivors include his wife Terricia Logan Standridge, to whom he was married June 30, 1974, daughter and son in law Rebecca and Thomas Porterfield of Silver Creek, mother Shirley Standridge, sister and brother-in-law Karen and Jimmy Edmondson, two brothers and a sister-in-law Gary Standridge and Michael and Judy Standridge. Nephews Jeremy Edmondson, Michael Standridge and Daniel Standridge also survive. Funeral services were conducted at 11 A.M. Tuesday July 30 at the Trinity United Methodist Church, Dr. David Campbell officiating. The family received friends Tuesday from 10 until 11 A.M. Interment services were at the Crestlawn Cemetery in Atlanta. Parnick Jennings Sr.’s Good Shepherd Funeral Home served the family of Thomas Allen Standridge.
Mr. Aubrey Hardeman, age 96 passed on to his home in Heaven with his loving family at his bedside. He passed at 6:30 AM today. He had been a member of the Chattooga County Chapter of GCB for many years. He was a kind and gentle man. He served in World War II in China and India as a Radar Specialist. He was an outstanding football player during his high school years. He loved helping others especially individuals with vision loss and enjoyed the GCB Digest. He will be missed.
Virginia Tucker was his special friend and caregiver since 2001.
GCB Celebrations
We hope that the following people have a very happy birthday or a very happy anniversary: Heather Lopez 10-1; Quinn Smith 10-2; Chris Chavous 10-3; Maquatia Dutton 10-3; Martha Craig 10-4; Sheila Chavous 10-6; Roger and Shola Rousey 10-8; Robin Oliver 10-8; Richard Jehu 10-12; George Barton 10-17; Scott and Bronwyn Rumery’s anniversary 10-17; Ted Brackett 10-19; Judy Epps 11-1; Brent Reynolds 11-3; Lana Carter 11-7; Anita Thomas 11-10; Jacqueline Burks 11-14; David Everly 11-27; Melvin turner 11-27; Steve Longmire 11-27; don and Anne Dilley’s anniversary 11-30; Bronwyn Rumery 12-1; Jimmie Burks 12-1; Alicia Morris 12-3; Carolyn Dillard 12-3; Dana Tarter 12-13; Neal Hardin 12-18; Jon David Tysinger 12-18; Chris and Sheila Chavous’ anniversary 12-24; Dr. Philip Dillard 12-28; Bonita Peeks 12-29; Monica Sherrif 1-1; John M. Simms 1-2; Christina Holzclaw 1-7; don Dilley 1-8; Loretta Thompson 1-13; Eli Rousey 1-27; Sheila Rousey 1-31; Patricia Cox 2-4; Jerrie Toney 2-11; Jonathon Perry 2-15; Teresa Brenner 2-16; Chris Baldridge 2-16; Caty Cox 2-21; Annie Harris 2-23; Casey Owens 2-26;; John and Ann Sims anniversary 2-29.
BARD Mobile!
We are excited to tell you that the BARD mobile iOS app is out! There are several things which we thought those of you interested in the app would want to know before you download it, and things you might want to do in order to ensure that you'll be able to use the app right away without frustration. BARD Mobile will work on any iOS device running iOS 4.3.3 or later. This includes the iPhone 3GS and all later iPhones, all iPads, and fourth generation or later iPod touches. If you have one of these devices, be sure it is running iOS 4.3.3 or later. You can't use a temporary password when logging onto BARD from the app, so be sure you have a working BARD username and permanent password before you attempt to log in with BARD Mobile. The app also will not work if you need to agree to the BARD pledge. If you have a temporary password, log into the BARD website at
https://nlsbard.loc.gov to create a new password. And even if you have a working password, it's a good idea to log into the website and take the pledge if requested. Note that you can log into the BARD website using Safari on an iOS device if you like. The BARD Mobile app allows you to download items from the Recently Added Books and Recently Added Magazines sections of the BARD site and from your wish list. So if there are books you know you're going to want to read right away, add them to your wish list. It is also easy to add books to your wish list from within BARD Mobile because when you browse the site either from within the app or from Safari on your iOS device, the Download link following every book title changes to an Add to Wish List link. BARD Mobile must be open while books are downloading; if you switch to a different app, downloading will stop. Also, the screen must be unlocked throughout the download process. We encourage you to take a look at the BARD Mobile user guide. You can find it at: https://nlsbard.loc.gov/apidocs/BARDMobile.userguide.iOS.1.0.html. The manual is also available in the app, in the Help section of the BARD Mobile bookshelf. If you want to read braille books with BARD Mobile, you'll need a braille display. Be sure to read Section 7 of the user guide, as it explains how to configure your display and provides keystrokes that make reading braille a smooth experience. If you have BARD books or magazines on your computer, you can use iTunes file sharing or Dropbox to load them into BARD Mobile. Load them as zip files; BARD Mobile will unpack them automatically. When you open a talking book or magazine that you have loaded in this way for the first time, be sure BARD Mobile has access to the Internet, as the app will need to download an authorization file from the BARD website. This step is not necessary for braille files. This should be enough info to get you started. Enjoy the app!