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“The Blind Spot”
Newsletter
of the Oklahoma Council of the Blind, an Affiliate of the American Council of
the Blind
P.O.
Box 1476
Oklahoma
City, OK 73101
1-877-578-6212
-- Website: www.okcb.org
August 2016
2016 Convention
Newsletter
****
Oklahoma
Council of the Blind
2016 Annual
Conference and Convention
September
23-25, 2016
The Wyndham
Hotel
10918
E. 41st Street, Tulsa, OK 74146
President’s
Message
By Joe Fallin
Here
we go! It’s almost time for the 2015 State Conference and Convention of the
Oklahoma Council of the Blind at the Wyndham Hotel in Tulsa on September 23-25.
This convention promises to be a good one. A tentative agenda is elsewhere in
this newsletter. There’s plenty to keep you involved, no matter your interest.
This
is a time of fun, learning, as well as meeting old and new friends. In addition,
we have a lot to celebrate. OCB had the most successful legislative and
advocacy year in a generation.
We’re
entering a time of hope, both for blind and visually impaired Oklahomans, as
well as OCB. However, there’s plenty left to be done. State budget cuts are
expected to continue, so we must be ever watchful. We can do that and celebrate
our success too. We welcome you, whether this is your first convention or your
twenty-first. I look forward to meeting you there
Convention
Notes
By Allison
Fallin, 2016 Convention Chairman
It's
getting closer! Of course, I am talking about our Annual OCB Conference and
Convention, held in Tulsa at the Wyndham hotel. The address is 10918 E. 41st
Street. We will have the usual updates, as well as plenty of good food, good
fun, and good facts.
There
will be a Friday afternoon session for both consumers and Visual Services
staff. Featured will be hands-on training on various technological devices,
which will help consumers master their iPhones, iPads, fire devices, etc. This
session will also assist Visual Services staff when they deal with clients.
Please be sure to bring your own devices. More on that later in the newsletter.
We'll
have a fun night in the hospitality suite with a light supper and movies and/or
games.
Sharon
Giovinazzo will be our speaker, who is the CEO of World Services for the Blind
in Little Rock. I can tell you that she is a dynamic speaker. How can I be so
sure about Sharon? She was my boss when I lived in New York State. You won't
want to miss her presentations.
Of
course, we'll have our usual updates, and the all-important business meeting
Sunday morning.
We
will have an informative and fun convention, with something for everyone. Our
theme is "Partners in Progress” and we're eager to have you as a partner.
There's strength in numbers, so show your support by coming for a busy and
rewarding weekend in Tulsa, September
23-25.
2016 Convention
Highlights:
Allison Fallin, Convention
Chair &
Jeanne Meyer, Convention
Co-Chair
“Partners
in Progress” - What a wonderful theme for this year’s convention. We are
firm believers that no matter who you are or what you do in your professional
and personal life, there is always room for new partnerships. We hope to
emphasize our theme, “Partners in Progress,” starting with our Friday
Educational Program. Below you will find information about what you can expect
throughout the weekend.
·
Friday afternoon there will be a hands-on
training seminar on popular adaptive technology such as the iPhone, iPad, fire
devices, popular apps, and much more. The ability to efficiently operate
assistive technology empowers us to succeed in competitive employment, as well
as enjoy networking with others in your personal life.
·
Friday night you will be welcomed by the OCB
officers and Conference Committee Chairs, Allison Fallin and Jeanne Meyer.
·
You will have the opportunity to give your input
on important OCB resolutions and constitution/bylaws. Come be a part of OCB’s
future and learn what each of us can do to improve the lives of blind and
visually impaired Oklahomans.
·
You can also choose to socialize and network
with fellow OCB members while playing bingo or watching a popular described
movie. So, don’t miss the fun!
·
Vendors will exhibit Saturday from 8 am to 5 pm.
Exhibitors include: high-tech computers and CCTVs, low-tech independent
living aids, arts and crafts, home decorating aids and some vendors you have
not seen before.
·
It does not end on Friday; no, we are just
getting started. On Saturday you will hear updates from Interim Visual
Services Administrator Paul Adams, Library Director Kevin Treese, and Tulsa
Regional Director Brandi Bynum from NewView Oklahoma.
·
Much, much more will take place on Saturday with
additional speakers, our awards luncheon, banquet and evening activities.
·
A silent auction will be held all day Saturday,
an excellent opportunity for you to help OCB by donating items to bid on and
then opening your wallets to purchase your favorite basket, purse, jewelry,
device, etc. These funds keep OCB going during its mission of advocacy for
Oklahomans with blindness and low vision.
·
A non-denominational church service on Sunday
morning is where we can give praise to our Lord for all that he has created and
for our lives.
·
Then we have the most important part of OCB, our
Annual Business Meeting where we take care of important OCB business. We
discuss and pass resolutions to make this world accessible to all. We decide on
our leaders of OCB to lead us into the future. This is a time to advocate for
the Oklahoma Council of the Blind.
Please
register as soon as possible so the Conference and Convention Committee has
time to prepare your name tags and registration packets in advance.
Please complete the form at the end of this newsletter
and mail, along with your payment, to Jeanne Meyer, 814 North F Street, Muskogee, OK 74403.
Make checks payable to "The Oklahoma Council of the Blind."
You can also find the registration form on the OCB website okcb.org.
The
$85 registration fee for the convention is an excellent deal. If you only plan
to attend the Friday educational/training seminar, registration is $30. Please
remember that the Oklahoma Council of the Blind must cover the expense of
meeting rooms, printing the convention program, paying for incidentals such as
meals and lodging for speakers, etc. Also, the cost of our meeting rooms is
impacted by how many people reserve sleeping rooms at the hotel. We appreciate
your support.
Make
Those Reservations NOW!!!!
Hotel rooms run $85 a night plus tax for
up to 4 people. This room rate is guaranteed if reservations are made by
September 16, 2016. The Wyndham Hotel is located at 10918 E. 41st Street,
Tulsa, Oklahoma. The phone number is (918) 627-5000. Please remember to let the
hotel staff know you are with the Oklahoma Council of the Blind to receive the
special rate of $85 per night plus applicable taxes.
First-Timers Scholarships Available
Is this your first time to
go to an OCB Convention? Do you need a little help with the
financial burden of attending the convention? If you are blind and would like
to apply for one of five scholarships for first-timers at our convention, please email or write a letter telling us why you
would like to attend. The scholarship will cover the $85 registration fee, which includes a light dinner on Friday night and
four meals. Scholarships will be awarded to
individuals who are first-timers depending on the
date applications are received. Contact Vicky Golightly, 425 N.W. 27th,
Oklahoma City, OK 73103 or email her at vgolight@yahoo.com. You can also contact her at (405) 740-6227. Applications must be
received by August
30.
Convention Sponsorship
Opportunity
Sponsorships support the OCB and help us
with printing our convention program
and weekend expenses. Your name will appear in the
program as a sponsor and you will also be recognized at the convention during
one of the general sessions. Convention sponsorship levels are: Patron,
$5; Silver, $10; Gold, $20; and Platinum, $30. Send your check to our
treasurer, Jeanne Meyer (address listed above) and be sure to tell us of your
wish to become a sponsor and at what level. The OCB sincerely appreciates your
generosity.
Convention Advertising
Do you have a business you’d like to
advertise? What about those arts and crafts you’d like to sell? Do our OCB
chapters feel this urgent need to tout their outstanding programs? Place an
advertisement in the cconvention program at the following rates: quarter page, $25;
half page, $50; and full page, $100. Please make checks payable to the Oklahoma
Council of the Blind and send them to Treasurer Jeanne Meyer, indicating the
money is to be used for an advertisement. If you are an
exhibitor, check with Convention Chairman Allison Fallin for combined exhibitor
charges plus an advertisement.
Meet Our
Feature Speaker
Sharon Giovinazzo
CEO of World Services for the Blind
On August 3rd, 2015,
Sharon was named the new President and CEO of World Services for the Blind in
Little Rock, Arkansas. Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2001, her
determination was strengthened as she entered into an unknown world, the world
of blindness. One of the lessons learned is that everyone has a story.
Sharon received her BS
degree in Human Services Management at SUNY Empire State College, as well as
her MBA and Masters of Social Work, both of which she graduated Summa Cum
Laude. She is a certified trainer for the National Deaf-Blind Equipment
Distribution Program, as well as, an Assistive Technology Practitioner as
certified by the Rehabilitation Engineering Society of North America She is the
recipient of multiple awards, including the American Legion Award for Military
Excellence, The American Legion Award for Academic Excellence, and the Marjorie
Thorpe Award for Excellence in Research and Writing, as well as, a veteran of
the US Army where she served as a combat medic.
Time for Awards Nominations!!!
It is almost time for the 2016 Conference and Convention of the Oklahoma Council of the Blind and
once again, we have the chance to say “thank you” to the people that help us
all year long.
OCB has two awards when we honor
individuals we feel have been helpful above and beyond each year. Below are the
guidelines for the two awards. Letters of recommendation should be sent
to Frances
Poindexter
at:lisspo@aol.com.
Gordon P. Stevens Award
The Gordon P. Stephens Award has been
established by the Oklahoma Federation of the Blind (now the Oklahoma Council
of the Blind) to honor and memorialize a long time member of this organization.
His kind, generous, unassuming manner graced the lives of many blind people
within and outside of the organization. The following guidelines have been
established for selection of the recipient of this award:
(1) This award shall be
conferred only at such time as a fully qualified and deserving candidate is
selected. (Not on a regular basis).
(2) The recipient of
the award shall be an individual, or
individuals, whose voluntary services to
blind persons and/or organizations of and for the blind have been meritorious,
unselfish, and without personal remuneration.
(3) The President of
the Oklahoma Council of the Blind shall appoint an Awards Committee consisting
of a chairman and two additional members of the Oklahoma Council of the Blind;
and
(4) The Committee
shall select a recipient of this award not less than thirty days prior to the
Oklahoma Council of the Blind Annual Convention at which the award is to be
conferred. The committee may use its discretion in notifying the recipient in
advance of the presentation. A plaque or some other appropriate item shall be
selected by the committee as a tangible recognition of the award.
An award nomination form will be
accompanied by a letter enumerating the qualifications of the candidate. The
nomination shall further be supported by two additional letters of
recommendation.
Gordon P. Stephens Award Nomination Form
NAME OF NOMINEE:
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ADDRESS:
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City, State, Zip:
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Phone:
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REASON FOR NOMINATION
(use more space if
necessary):
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NOMINATED
BY:
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NAME:
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ADDRESS:
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City, State, Zip:
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Phone:
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All nominations must be submitted either by mail or e-mail to the
Chair of the Awards Committee no later than 30 days prior to the OCB
State Convention.
LeRoy F. Saunders Award
The Oklahoma Council of the Blind
instituted the LeRoy Saunders award in 2002. This award is in honor of Mr.
Leroy Saunders who contributed a lifetime of dedicated effort in promoting the
abilities of individuals who are blind and to improve their quality of life.
His professional endeavors expanded employment opportunities for Oklahomans who
are blind. His national advocacy role through active participation in the
American Council of the Blind and the President's Committee For Purchase From
People Who are Blind or Severely Disabled exemplifies his lifelong achievements
in the field of blindness.
The guidelines for nominations are as
follows:
Nominees for this prestigious award
should demonstrate extraordinary effort in promoting employment and advocacy activities,
which promotes the abilities of Oklahomans who are blind.
1. Any person employed
and/or residing within the state
of Oklahoma is eligible. The award may be made posthumously provided that death
has not taken place more than twelve months prior to the nomination.
2. Persons nominated for the
award should be considered carefully. The person must have made some
outstanding contribution to services in the field of work for the blind. The
nominee should be selected solely on merit and performance. Any member of OCB
in the state is eligible to submit the name of a nominee.
3. Nominations shall be
submitted on a form provided by the awards committee (also found on the OCB
website) and supporting statements should adequately justify the person's nomination.
4. A person who has retired
or resigned from his employment or volunteer services may be nominated provided
that they have left within five years of nomination.
LeRoy F. Saunders Award Nomination Form
NAME OF NOMINEE:
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ADDRESS:
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City, State, Zip:
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Phone:
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REASON FOR NOMINATION
(use more space if
necessary):
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NOMINATED
BY:
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NAME:
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ADDRESS:
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City, State, Zip:
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Phone:
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All nominations must be submitted either by mail or e-mail to the
Chair of the Awards Committee no later than 30 days prior to the OCB
State Convention. Email Frances Poindexter at lisspo@aol.com.
2016
Annual Conference and Convention of the
Oklahoma
Council of the Blind
Wyndham
Tulsa Hotel, Tulsa, OK
September
23-25, 2016
TENTATIVE AGENDA
Note: This agenda does not include
locations of meetings and other details. The Conference and Convention Program
will feature the entire agenda.
Friday, September 23, 2016
12:00 pm-7:00 pm
Registration
1:00 pm-1:30 pm
Update on
ABLE-Tech: Kim
Berry
1:30
pm-3:00 pm
Concurrent Sessions:
IOS: How do we learn its function?
Julie Bailey and Marilyn Sanders
iPhone and iPad: How do we help our consumers use
these?
Julie Brantley and Elaine Boykin
3:15
pm-4:45 pm
Concurrent Sessions:
Fire Devices: How do they work?
Paul Miller
Apps for your iPhone and iPad
Julie Brantley and Les Barr
Using Braille with
your Mobile Device
Mike Harvey & Jeri Cooper
Presentational style will be limited
lecture, facilitated group participation and discussion. Participants are
encouraged to bring their own devices and earphones. Breaks will be provided at
appropriate times.
6:00 pm-7:00 pm
Light dinner
consisting of sandwiches, chips & drink
7:00 pm-7:30 pm
Welcome: Joe
Fallin
8:00 pm-9:00 pm
Developing
resolutions and constitution & by-laws
7:30 pm?
Hospitality Room
Open
Saturday, September 24,
2015
Exhibits from
8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
6:30 am-10:00 am
Registration
7:00 am-8:00 am
Breakfast
8:45 am-9:15 am
Welcome and
Presentation of Colors
9:15 am-10:00 am
Sharon Giovinazzo,
President and CEO of World Services for the
Blind,
Little Rock, Arkansas.
10:00 am-10:20
am
Legislative
Report, Jean Jones
10:20 am-10:40
am
Break; Visit
Vendors and Silent Auction
10:40 am-11:50
am
Updates:
Paul Adams,
Interim Administrator of Visual Services
Kevin Treese,
OLBPH Director
Brandi Bynum,
Tulsa Regional Director of NewView
Oklahoma
11:50 am-12 Noon
Nominating
Committee Report, Frances Poindexter
12:00 pm-1:00 pm
Lunch
1:00 pm-2:00 pm
Technology Trends:
From Parchment to PC, Sharon Giovinazzo
This session will
provide a broad overview of the evolution of technology for persons who are
blind and visually impaired. Additionally, we will talk about everything from
no tech, to low tech, to high tech items that are the most popular among the
blind population.
2:00 pm-2:30 pm
Sharon Giovinazzo,
Why do you use what you use?
2:30 pm-3:00 pm
Break; Visit the
exhibitors and silent auction
3:15 pm-4:00 pm
Sharon Giovinazzo,
Healthy, Happy Retirement – Financial
Literacy
4:00 pm-5:00 pm
Break; Visit the
exhibitors & silent auction
6:00 pm-8:30 pm
Banquet:
Emcee: Jay Doudna
Featured
Presentation - Sharon’s Story: Each journey begins
with just one step. Is blindness a career choice? It was for Sharon. Sharon
will share her story of how she went from having perfect sight to no sight in a
short seven months, and how she went from the manufacturing line to the CEO's
chair in fifteen short years. After being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in
May of 2001, her determination and drive has allowed her to become the
President/CEO at World Services for the Blind in Little Rock.
Awards
Presentation, Frances Poindexter
Make your final
bids on the silent auction items.
Silent Auction
will close just before the end of the Banquet.
Music, dancing
and visiting with friends will immediately follow
the Banquet.
Sunday, September 25, 2015
7:30 am-8:15 am
Breakfast
8:15 am-9:00 am
Nondenominational
Service
9:15 am-12:00 pm
Business Meeting,
Oklahoma Council of the Blind
2016
Oklahoma Council of the Blind Conference and Convention Registration
Please complete the form below and
mail, with your payment, to Jeanne Meyer, 814 North F Street,
Muskogee, OK 74403. Make check payable to OCB "The Oklahoma Council of the
Blind" Registration deadline is September 19, 2016.
Name ____________________________________________
Address__________________________________________
City_______________ State__________ Zip____________
Work Phone (
)___________________________________
Home Phone (___)__________________________________
Cell Phone (___)___________________________________
E-Mail ____________________________________________
____ Friday
Only Workshops
$30.00
____ OCB Convention
and Workshops
$85.00
____ OCB Registration after
9-19-16
$95.00
____
Extra Saturday Breakfast
Ticket $15.00
____
Extra Sunday Breakfast Ticket
$15.00
____ Extra Saturday Lunch Ticket
$20.00
____ Extra Saturday Banquet Ticket
$30.00
____
I would like Vegetarian meals (applies to entire weekend).
I need my program in __ Large Print __
Braille __ Electronic
(If electronic make sure we have
your Email address above)
_____ I need an assistive listening device
_____Other Special
Needs____________________________
_____I applied for a
Scholarship-Verified by Vicky Golightly
The Hotel is $85 a night plus tax for up to 4 people. Guaranteed
room rate if reservation is made by September 16, 2015. The Wyndham Hotel
is in Tulsa, 10918 E. 41st Street, Tulsa, OK 74146. Phone: 918 627-5000. Check-in
time is 3:00 pm. Check-out is 12:00 noon. Let the hotel staff know you are with
OCB by 9-16-16.
