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ASB Visions Newsletter |
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September 2004:
ASB to honor the outstanding on November 10th The 45th Annual Louis Braille Awards Ceremony will be held on Wednesday, November 10, 2004, at the Hyatt Regency at Penn’s Landing, and with extraordinary honorees, this is an event not to be missed. The Louis Braille Awards celebrate the accomplishments of people who are blind and visually impaired and the efforts of organizations to promote the independence of those with visual disabilities. This year, eleven year-old Timmy Kelly will receive the Individual Award, and is the youngest recipient in the 45 year history of the award. Timmy was born at 26 weeks, weighing 1 lb 15 ounces. When he was 3 months old, Timmy began having problems with his eyes. Despite numerous eye surgeries and the valiant efforts of doctors, Timmy is blind. Blindness has only proven to be "a bump in the road" for this talented young man, who has been gifted with a beautiful voice. He has an impressive resume, which includes performances for President George W. Bush and Governor Ed Rendell, and for fans at the Philadelphia Eagles, Camden Riversharks, Philadelphia 76ers, Phillies, and Philadelphia Soul games. For its part in addressing the needs of people who are blind and visually impaired, General Electric will be presented with the Corporate Award. To aid people who are blind or visually impaired, GE's appliance business designed instructions for specific washers and dryers; and, GE's security technologies business introduced a home security system with a braille keypad and user manual, and voice confirmation responses. GE also received a web accessibility certificate from the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) for providing full and equal access to GE.com for users who are blind and visually impaired. Receiving this year’s Special Recognition Award, is the Pennsylvania Center for Adaptive Sports. Founded in 1995, the Center is a non-profit organization that provides adapted sports and recreation programs for people with physical disabilities. Adaptive equipment and techniques give individuals who are blind, visually impaired, or physically handicapped the ability to bike, row, rock climb, and ski. The benefits to the participants in the various activities offered by the Center include increased confidence, independence, greater participation in a community's recreation options, and improved health and physical abilities. RICB kicks off a milestone anniversary year How would you like receiving happy anniversary wishes from Patti Labelle, Bill Cosby, Mark Schweiker, and even Ben Franklin? Well that's what started on August 19, 2004 and will be happening all year long as ASB's Radio Information Center for the Blind (RICB) celebrates thirty years on the air. At ASB's invitation, a cross section of area and national celebrities, elected officials, and community leaders are all recording messages congratulating RICB for 30 years of delivering news and information to people throughout the Delaware Valley who are blind, visually impaired, or otherwise unable to read regular print. In addition to Patti, Bill, Mark, and Ben (aka Ralph Archbold), messages are already airing from blind adventurer Erik Weihenmayer, Philadelphia Inquirer editor Amanda Bennett, American Foundation for the Blind President and CEO Carl Augusto, and Helen Keller's great grandniece Keller Johnson Thompson. As it had 30 years ago, RICB starts each day with the very popular Philadelphia Inquirer. Other programming includes best selling books, local department and food store advertisements, daily television listings, as well as informative programs covering health, gardening, fashion, and entertainment. If you or someone you know would enjoy listening to RICB or would like to become a volunteer for the station, contact ASB at 215-627-0600, ext. 3206. It’s back to school for future braille transcribers Schools throughout the country are preparing for the start of the school year this month, and ASB will join them as it prepares for its newest class of braille transcribers. ASB’s braille transcription course is a hands-on training class that meets two hours a week over an eight month period. Throughout the course, students learn how to transcribe print into braille. Materials that will be transcribed include textbooks for students, job-related documents, individual requests, such as instruction manuals, cookbooks, and computer manuals, and books for the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. According to the American Foundation for the Blind, there is a significant shortage of braille transcribers throughout the country, which is why it is so important for new students to enroll in the class this year. This shortage results in blind and visually impaired schoolchildren receiving their accessible textbooks weeks and sometimes months after their sighted peers. Prerequisites for taking the course including being computer literate, owning a computer, a minimum high school education, and a willingness to be a volunteer braille transcriber for ASB once the course concludes. ASB is still accepting students for this year’s class. To enroll, call 215-627-0600, ext. 3330 today! Give the gift that keeps on giving by making a donation in memory of a friend or loved one. Your thoughtful memorial contribution will help ASB make a difference in the life of a person who is blind or visually impaired. Every gift is acknowledged with a gift card sent with your personalized message and every donor receives a thank you letter with receipt for tax purposes. Your gift is also memorialized in ASB's Tribute Book, prominently displayed in ASB's Executive Offices. And we try to make giving to ASB convenient! We can accept donations via check, credit card, and even on-line at www.asb.org. If you have any questions, please contact the development office for more details (215)627-0600 ext. 3278. It’s time to designate Associated Services for the Blind & Visually Impaired #02541 as the agency you wish to support through the United Way’s Donor Choice Program. Please call the United Way Donor Choice Helpline at (215) 665-2598 and ask for a Donor Choice Specific Care Option Form. ASB’s Donor Designate Number is #02541. Boscov's Friends helping friends fundraiser ASB is participating in Boscov’s “Friends Helping Friends” fundraiser event on Tuesday, October 5, 2004. ASB is selling tickets for $5.00, which will give you a 20% shopping pass on purchases made all day on October 5th. Contact the volunteer office at 215-627-0600, ext. 3275 to reserve your shopping pass! ASB client proves she ‘can do’ anything Born with a visual impairment, Christy Lynch decided early on that she was not going to let anything stand in her way. This “can do” spirit has helped her to fulfill one of her biggest dreams - singing with the Philly Pops. Christy’s condition known as Microphthalmia or “small eyes,” is a disorder in which one or both eyes are abnormally small. Due to this condition, she lost all of her useful vision at age 18. Although she had been visually impaired all her life, the total loss of her vision presented her with new challenges, and she was directed to Associated Services for the Blind for support and guidance. Reluctant at first because she did not know what to expect, Christy joined ASB’s Low Vision Support Group and was pleasantly surprised to meet many, many people moving forward in their lives just like she was encouraged to do. Christy is taking advantage of other programs at ASB including assertiveness training classes and is a regular at the Drop-in-Center, which has weekly recreational activities. Recently, Christy lost 90% of her hearing in one ear, but like other obstacles she has encountered, she hasn’t let that hold her back. Singing with the Philly Pops had always been a dream of Christy’s, so she recently auditioned and was selected to be a member of this prestigious musical group. This achievement does not come as a surprise. She graduated in the top 20 of her class at Philadelphia's High School for the Performing Arts and studied music and languages at Temple University. Christy credits her family for her positive spirit. "I've never known the word 'can't.' My mother and grandmother would always say, 'It's not where you start in life, it's where you finish." |
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| Copyright 1995-2003. All rights reserved. Associated Services for the Blind, 919 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107 Phone: (215) 627-0600 | Fax: (215) 922-0692 |
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