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News & Announcements FLU SHOT CLINIC WHAT: The Lions Center for the Blind and the Over 60 Health Center will be holding a Flu Shot Clinic to provide free flu shots to seniors 55 and over. WHEN: Monday, October 27, 2008 9:00 A.M. to 11:30 A.M. WHERE: 3834 Opal Street, Oakland 510-450-1580 SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS: Please bring your Medicare card and ID card. A $3.00 donation is suggested to help offset supplies costs and would be much appreciated. Free Canes The National Federation of the Blind (NFB), has developed a program to ensure that any blind person in the United States and Puerto Rico who needs a long white cane will have one, regardless of ability to pay. The NFB will provide a free cane to anyone in the fifty states, the District of Columbia, or Puerto Rico who is blind or has low vision. Straight, light fiberglass canes are available in the following lengths: 53, 55, 57, 59, 61, or 63 inches. Individuals may only request one free cane in any six-month period. For more information on the National Federation of the Blind Free Cane Program, please visit www.nfb.org. Education Advancement Grant Sponsored by The California Council of the Blind, San Francisco Chapter What: The San Francisco Chapter of the CCB will give a grant of up to $2,500 to a Bay Area blind or visually-impaired person who can best demonstrate the need to improve his or her educational or employment opportunities. Who: A legally-blind student in grades 6-12, college, graduate school, or a certificate program who lives in San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, or San Mateo counties. Where: Submit completed application and essay to: The Alice Fund Committee C/o Charlie Dorris 966 Union Street San Francisco CA 94133 When: Submit a completed application form and essay postmarked by October 31, 2008. To request an application and instruction form or for further details contact: Charlie Dorris: 415-775-0487 tyreedorris@aol.com or Ellie Lee: 415-378-6079 elliesf@hotmail.com Silent Hybrids Pose Danger for Blind Pedestrians On June 23, 2008, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration held a daylong hearing to discuss the issue of dangers that hybrid cars pose for the blind, runners, cyclists, small children, and others. The cars are a danger, because at speeds below 20 miles per hour, they emit no noise. Although no blind pedestrians have been killed by hybrid vehicles during the last five years in the United States, Christopher S. Danielsen, spokesperson for the National Federation of the Blind, believes that it’s just “a matter of time." Hybrid vehicle sales continue to increase—sales jumped by 38 percent in 2007. General Motors predicts that at least 80 percent of its vehicles will be hybrids by 2020. Bills have been introduced in Congress and in New York, Arizona, Hawaii, and Virginia to set minimum sound levels. University of California Riverside researchers are developing a relatively inexpensive device that could keep pedestrians safe by emitting a subtle sound. The devices will retail for about $300 and could be installed in as little as 15 minutes. Treasury Ordered to Make U.S. Bills Blind-Friendly On May 20, 2008, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld a ruling that U.S. banknotes are discriminatory to the blind. The decision could force the Treasury Department to make bills easier to tell apart, either by different sizes and colors, or the use of embossed dots, raised ink, foils, or embedded watermarks. The American Council of the Blind sued for these changes six year ago. The Treasury Department has 10 days to decide whether to ask for a rehearing by the full appeals court or challenge the decision to the Supreme Court. The government has been fighting the case on the basis that these changes are too expensive, even though millions have already been spent in redesigning bills in recent years. The appeals court ruled that given the recent design changes, the government failed to prove that adding more changes would be an undue burden. "Of the more than 180 countries that issue paper currency," Judge James Robertson wrote in his decision, "only the United States prints bills that are identical in size and color in all their denominations. Every other issuer includes at least some features that help the visually impaired." The Treasury Department did consider making bills of different sizes, but faced strong opposition from makers of vending and change machines, who say it could cost billions to redesign their equipment. The court rejected this argument, stating that such data are inconclusive, especially since the $1 bills, the one most commonly used in vending machines, could remain unchanged. The government also argued that blind people can use portable reading devices and credit cards, as well as relying on store clerks for help. The Court rejected these arguments, because reading devices can cost upwards of $400, and credit cards are neither universally accepted or issued. In arguing that the blind could rely on the help of store clerks, the court said that the government could as easily argue that there's no need to make buildings accessible to wheelchairs, because handicapped people can crawl on all fours or ask passers-by for help. Tara Cortes, president of Lighthouse International, an advocacy group for the blind, said the government's opposition to making accessible bills was “misguided and harmful to millions,” citing the 1.3 million people in the United States who are legally blind and the millions more who will fall victim to macular degeneration in the coming years as the baby boom generation ages. Americans are also experiencing an explosion in diabetes, a disease which can lead to blindness. However, not all blind people agree that U.S. currency should be changed. The National Federation of the Blind denounced the ruling, stating that it was “Profoundly misguided and may unintentionally do real harm to blind Americans.” Says NFB President Marc Maurer, “Hundreds of thousands of blind people use paper money every day without difficulty. We hope that this ruling will not have the unintended consequence of reinforcing society´s misconception that blind people are unable to function in the world as it currently is. Identifying items by touch (including currency) is convenient, but not essential to blind people being able to participate fully in society. For a court to say that if we cannot identify it by touch, we can´t use it, is a fiction and a dangerous one. Millions of items that cannot be identified by touch must be managed by the blind in business, industry, and education every day. We are successfully managing all of these endeavors, and the court´s ruling challenges our ability to do so without any supporting evidence.If America really wants to improve opportunities for education and employment of the blind, then it should focus on providing Braille instruction to the 90 percent of blind children who are not getting it, effective training for the 70 percent of blind adults who are unemployed, and books for the approximately 300,000 people who are about to be locked out of the only library for the blind." Braille Maps (T-Maps) Now Available Ever wanted to have a Braille map of your neighborhood? Now you can—and the LightHouse can help! In collaboration with the Smith-Kettlewell Eye Institute, the LightHouse now offers Braille maps upon request. The tactile maps (T-Maps) include a legend and are embossed using a View Plus embosser. To request a map call 415-694-7363. Please provide the address or intersection where you want to center the map and be prepared to provide the correct spelling of street names. East Bay Paratransit Tickets The Lions Center for the Blind is now a distribution center for Paratransit tickets. A book of ten tickets worth $1.00 each is available at the Center front desk at a cost of $10.00, and a book of ten tickets worth $3.00 each is available at a cost of $30.00. The Lions Center accepts cash and checks. If you plan to pay in cash, please do your utmost to have correct change. Happy Riding! Bingo! Come to the Lions Blind Center on the second and fourth Fridays each month for Bingo from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm at a cost of $2.50 for all gaming, a snack and a chance to win prizes. The Alta Bates Summit Diabetes Center The Alta Bates Summit Diabetes Center invites you to join their comprehensive programs on Diabetes Management. Among other services, the Diabetes Center provides group education courses on Self-Managing Diabetes; Dietary Counseling; assistance with Lifestyle Changes; an Insulin Pump Program; and free Support Groups. For more information on enrollment and participation, please phone the Diabetes Center at 510-204-1081. PG&E Braille Bill Program and Appliance Marking Blind and visually-impaired customers can request their PG&E monthly energy bills in Braille. For more information on the Braille Bill program, please call PG&E's customer service line at 1 (800) 743-5000. If you or someone you know is blind or visually impaired, contact PG&E about installing "Braille points." These special reference marks may be attached to dials on appliances such as ovens, thermostats and other household controls. To schedule an appointment, call PG&E at 1-(800)-743-5000. Mission of Mercy Brown Bag Program The Lions Center is a participant in the Mission of Mercy Brown Bag Program. For $10 a year, Alameda County residents age 60 and over may be eligible to receive a bag of groceries on the first and third Fridays of every month. The bag includes seasonal fresh vegetables and fruit, packaged foods, frozen foods, dairy products and fresh baked goods. This service is available through the Mission of Mercy for Alameda County. To see if you qualify to receive this service, please contact Anna Ortiz at 510-450-1580, ext. 226. Sierra Regional Ski for Light SRSFL provides snow shoeing and cross country skiing to blind and visually impaired persons of all ages. Blind skiers are paired with trained, experienced sighted guides who describe the trail and terrain. A three-day event and several one day trips are held each year. For more information regarding day trips, please contact Betsy Rowell at (916) 928-2711 or montbets@pacbell.net. For general information or to sign up for the three-day event, contact Cindy Quintana at (510) 483-2948 or cindyq12345@sbcglobal.net. For an Audio Version of the Lions Center News and Announcements please phone the Center Hotline at 510-450-1580 ext. 500.. |