Kentucky Cardinal Winter 2018

 

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Table of Contents

 

Meet Our NFB of Kentucky State President

Cathy Jackson has served as president of the NFB of Kentucky since the year 2000, and she has served on the board of directors of the National Federation of the Blind since 2002. Below is her biography which appears on the National Federation of the Blind web site.

Cathy Jackson, Board Member
Advocate, Braille Specialist, Mother

Mary Catherine Brothers (Cathy) was born on October 25, 1949, in Louisville, Kentucky to Charles and Catherine Brothers. She is the third of nine children, four girls and five boys. Cathy was born with congenital cataracts. In 1949, few resources were available to parents of blind children. The National Federation of the Blind was only nine years old, and the Kentucky affiliate was only two years old. The Brothers family had not heard of either. Her parents had never known any other blind people and couldn't imagine what the future might hold for their daughter. However, they decided that a common-sense approach was their best avenue. Luckily for Cathy, they never considered any approach to raising their blind daughter other than the methods they were using to raise their two older boys.

After several eye surgeries, Cathy gained some usable vision in her right eye. At age five she was enrolled in a Roman Catholic school. Her parents chose this educational setting since the school offered a sight-saving class, where she would have access to large-print books and other materials that would make classroom work easier. Then, in the fall of 1960, Cathy was enrolled at the Kentucky School for the Blind, where she remained until graduating from high school in 1967. Her parents and teachers decided that it would be more beneficial for her to attend school where she would have access to all of her textbooks in large print and, perhaps more important, where she could learn Braille. This was Cathy's first exposure to totally blind peers and adults. Although she had been around other visually impaired students at her elementary school, the majority of them could see considerably better than she. She and her parents soon learned that blindness was simply a physical condition, certainly not one that would keep her from achieving whatever goals she set for herself. During these seven years while attending the Kentucky School for the Blind, Cathy began to learn not to be ashamed of her blindness. She learned to advocate for herself and others. Being student council president during her junior and senior years launched her political career. During the summer of 1967, Cathy attended the Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind. An ill-advised rehabilitation counselor thought this training would be the crowning touch to prepare her for college in the fall. That summer school Lighthouse class of 1967 was comprised of very bright, outgoing, normal young adults, who turned the tables on the Lighthouse staff and teachers. As Cathy remembers the experience, the adults were the ones to get the education when the students refused to be bound by the low expectations and negative attitudes of the staff. At this point in her life, she still had not heard about the National Federation of the Blind but was already preaching and practicing NFB philosophy.

Upon graduation from high school, Cathy attended Spalding University, formerly Catherine Spalding College in Louisville, Kentucky. She majored in psychology, minored in sociology, and took an active part in academic, student government, and social organizations. The blindness skills and attitudes she had learned at the Kentucky School for the Blind and even the negative attitudes she had been exposed to at the Lighthouse the summer before college were beginning to pay dividends. Cathy was growing into an adult with increasingly resolute convictions and positive attitudes.

In 1972, Cathy met Betty Niceley, the longtime leader of the Kentucky affiliate, and for many years a member of the NFB board of directors. The rest is history. This friendship began her formal Federation education. Although Cathy was slow to join the Federation, Betty never gave up on recruiting her. In 1975, Cathy became a member of the Louisville Association of the Blind, the former name of the local NFB chapter. Through the years, Cathy eventually served as secretary, vice president, and president of the National Federation of the Blind of Greater Louisville. She was also treasurer of the National Association to Promote the Use of Braille of Kentucky. In the Kentucky affiliate, she has served as board member, treasurer, first vice president, and now president. At the 2002 annual convention of the National Federation of the Blind held in Louisville, Cathy Jackson was elected to the board of directors of the National Federation of the Blind. Cathy has held a variety of jobs through the years. During college, she was employed at the Kentucky Industries for the Blind (now LC Industries for the Blind) to do seasonal contract work. For a short time after college, Cathy worked for the state of Kentucky as a social worker in the Food Stamp Office. After staying home to raise her daughter, Cathy worked successfully as the program coordinator for the National Federation of the Blind of Kentucky Braille Service Center, a clerical support staff member in a law office, and the Braille clerk for the Jefferson County school system. But her favorite job of all was stay-at-home mom to her daughter Dana Nicole. She volunteered as a classroom aide, did substitute teaching, and worked as a secretary in the principal's office. Cathy served as president of the school Parent Teacher Association, secretary of the athletic club, and member of the parish council. In addition, she coached both the peewee basketball team and the cheerleading squad.

In June of 2010, Cathy joined the ranks of the retired. She is enjoying retirement to the fullest. She says it affords her more time to concentrate on her NFB obligations. She is also enjoying spending precious time with her family, especially her two granddaughters, Hana and Haley.

Cathy has received a number of awards for academic and athletic achievement, but the awards she cherishes most are the Susan B. Rarick, Harold L. Reagan and T. V. Cranmer awards presented to her by the National Federation of the Blind of Kentucky. Cathy commented that her roots and commitment to the NFB go deep, and that the past forty-three years are just the beginning.

2018 Washington Seminar in Review

Angela Dehart serves on the board of directors of the NFB of Kentucky. She holds offices in several of our state divisions as well. She, along with NFB of Kentucky President, Cathy Jackson, Michael Freholm, second vice-president, and Jayne Seif, NFBK board member, represented the state of Kentucky at the NFB Washington Seminar this January. Here is what Angela has to say about their efforts at this year's legislative and advocacy event.

The 2018 Washington Seminar kicked off on Monday, January 28th with the great gathering in at the Holiday Inn Capitol. We heard from the NFB legislative committee as well as President Riccobono about the issues we were to discuss on the hill over the next few days. ON Tuesday and Wednesday, Cathy, Michael, Jayne and I headed off to the hill to speak with our Kentucky Congressmen and Senators about the three legislative issues we were bringing to their attention this year. The legislative issues we discussed are as follows;
Opposition to the ADA Education and Reform Act of 2017 (H.R.
620)
Accessible Instructional Materials in Higher Education Act (S. 2138/H.R. 1772)
Access Technology Affordability Act (S. 732/H.R. 1734)

Cathy, Michael, Jayne and I made a good team when it came to discussing our legislative issues. We were each able to bring unique perspectives and share personal insights related to each issue. HR 620, also entitled the ADA Education and Reform Act of 2017, was one of the main issues on the table. We were trying to persuade our congressmen to vote "no" to HR 620 and to change the minds of those that had already co-sponsored the bill. It seemed that many of the congressmen we spoke with had some very skewed views of this bill and how it would be of "help" to the United States. One of our congressmen even asked in seeming disbelief, after our well thought presentations "I signed that?" Only to have his aide remind him that the particular bill we discussed would "help the hotels and other businesses prevent lawsuits." She then went on to explain to us that many hotels were receiving calls about accessible access to hotel amenities and that this bill would prevent such businesses from getting sued "unnecessarily." I was quick to point out that in their so called attempt to aide businesses; they were jeopardizing the rights of the disabled community. Rights that the ADA has granted us for 27 years and by doing so, would further marginalize the disabled community by making it easier for businesses to deny access and accommodations to those who need it. I am very disheartened and simultaneously fired up after seeing the news on Thursday and finding out that HR 620 passed the House in a vote of 225-192. It is because of this, that I earnestly implore you to call your senators and ask them to say "NO" to this bill once it comes up for a vote on the senate floor. Alone we can only do so much, but together we can fight this battle!

Accessible Instructional Materials in Higher Education Act (S. 2138/H.R. 1772). Was an issue that I was able to speak to on a personal level. I am a professional educator, and I am also a graduate student. Due to a recent exponential rate of vision loss I have to adjust to a whole new way of doing things than I have done the majority of my life. One of which is learning to use screen reading technologies vs the screen enlargement programs I have used up until this point. This became an issue when I was no longer able to access my course material in a timely manner due to formatting issues and the case studies and documents required for me to read were not able to be read with my screen reader. Long story short, I chose to take a leave of absence from my masters classes in order to better learn my technology and to better prepare myself to be able to explain to my professors exactly what I needed them to do so I could access their course materials. The accessible instructional materials in higher education act would create a commission of sorts that would provide colleges and universities assistance in accommodating students when they have run out of options themselves. This commission would be comprised of professors, technological innovators and persons with a disability to offer firsthand knowledge of how to provide and troubleshoot for accommodations. The majority of the congressmen and senators we spoke with seemed to feel this was a good idea.

The last bill on the docket was Access Technology Affordability Act (S. 732/H.R. 1734). This bill if passed would provide a tax credit amounting to $2,500 over the course of 3 years to offset the costs of accessible technology. Jane provided a fantastic visual demonstration for our congressmen and senators with the technology devices she pulled out of her bag to demonstrate to them just how expensive technology can be just to enable us to access the sighted world. Many seemed very receptive to her demonstration.

There is a lot of work that goes into lobbying on the hill. However, there is some fun to be had too. On Tuesday evening, we had the opportunity to go to The Newseum to watch history unfold. The NFB partnered with photographer John Olson, who is the founder of 3DPhotoWorks, to create tactile images of photographs he had taken as a combat photographer during the Vietnam War. We were able to hear from Mr. Olson himself as well as the Assistant Commandant of the Navy prior to the unveiling of the photos. The pictures were beautiful, not only visually, but tactfully as well. The sensors located in the photos brought the pictures to life, told the story of the photographs; not only describing the photos, but providing the background story as well. It was a moving experience to be able to tactually explore these historic photos that, until this exhibit, were inaccessible to the blind community. I would encourage anyone who has the chance to explore this exhibit to do so.

Before boarding planes to go our separate ways Wednesday evening, the four of us decided to do some sightseeing and decided to go tour the Holocaust Museum. This was a bone-chilling, heart wrenching experience from start to finish. Thanks to my KNFB reader I was able to read all displays and informational text that otherwise would have been unavailable to me. It was a somber end to what was otherwise a very busy if not exciting trip to our Nation's Capital.

A Perspective on DeafBlindness

Danielle Burton is a former NFB of Kentucky scholarship winner and a national scholarship winner. She currently serves as secretary of the NFB DeafBlind Division. She reflects on her transition from a Blind individual to one who considers herself DeafBlind.

Mastering the Skills of DeafBlindness By: Danielle Burton

For many of us who have been in and around the National Federation of the Blind for a while, we know that one of the unique things about the Federation is its belief in having mastered the alternative techniques of blindness. These blindness skills such as independent living, cane travel, assistive technology and braille, that are taught in our three training centers, are important skills needed in order to be a successful blind person. However, sometimes blindness skills alone are not enough for us to be able to compete on equal terms with the larger society.

I was born DeafBlind. I currently have no vision and have a mild to moderate hearing loss which causes my hearing to vary from day to day. Back in 2011 when I joined the NFB I did not consider myself as DeafBlind. I knew my hearing wasn't normal as I've been fitted with 2 hearing aids my entire life. I simply kept trying to pass as a hearing blind person while struggling over and over to cross streets, use sound for orientation while traveling. Trying to follow people in a group by hearing alone is equally ineffective. With traveling becoming more and more exhausting, I began to realize that relying on blindness skills alone wasn't working. Particularly in the area of communicating with hearing people, sighted or blind where there is background noise.

After many months of thinking, and evaluating my situation, I came to the decision to learn Tactile American Sign Language or ASL. I attended the Helen Keller National Center, located in Sands Point, New York to begin the process of learning ASL. After eight months there, I learned the basics of ASL, its grammar, structure and Deaf culture. I spent time learning from other DeafBlind individuals and practicing with native signers in my spare time as a student at Helen Keller National Center. Upon returning home to Kentucky, I had attained basic ASL communication.

Many people might think that this basic knowledge would be plenty. However, growing up in the Federation has taught me otherwise. I am now attending Eastern Kentucky University, double majoring in Deaf studies and Deaf education and am currently enrolled in ASL 101.

The ASL courses offered here are total immersion classrooms. They are similar to how we teach blindness skills to blind students at our training centers. In this case you are learning how to communicate without using your hearing. In the classroom you use ASL and written communication with your classmates and your professor.

I have found immersion to be an excellent way to master the skills of DeafBlindness, while signing in the areas designated as sign specific spaces. I do not use my vision or my hearing which allows me to really focus on being able to communicate as a DeafBlind person only. I have found immersion to be challenging and rewarding.

I am slowly beginning to experience the ease of communication that tactile sign language provides. I can chat with friends at gatherings in the dining hall and other areas with background noise with a new level of ease. I don't have to struggle to understand what is being said or sit on the sidelines of the group, not knowing what the conversation is about. Since many of my new friends on campus can sign to some degree, I have been able to interact with them in a way that allows us all to enjoy doing what every college student does while not doing homework, having fun with friends.

ASL will also play an important part in my role as a student, future teacher, and as an active member of the National Federation of the Blind. By having interpreters to interpret for me in multiple settings, I can now have full access in the classroom, to presentations and meetings like never before. While still in transitions between the worlds of ASL and hearing, I will continue to work toward my goal of mastering ASL. Because I believe in the Federation philosophy, I will master this skill.

A Letter to Louis Braille

Lora Felty Stephens serves as secretary of the NFB of Kentucky and as president of the NFB Ashland Chapter. In 2012 she had the opportunity to travel to France to visit the birthplace of Louis Braille. In reflecting upon this experience, she wrote the following letter to Mr. Braille.

Dear Mr. Louis Braille,
I want you to know that you are my hero. That seems a little strange because you lived 200 years ago, far across the Atlantic Ocean in France, but yes, you are my hero. I am a literate blind adult. What a precious gift you gave to me, the gift of literacy. Every day I use the special code of raised dots that you created and that bare your name. I read these dots with my fingertips because I too am blind. Because of you I am a teacher, and I teach blind children to grow up and be literate blind adults. Your genius and ingenuity change the world for blind people everywhere! Thank you for being you!

Yes, you are my hero. My lifelong dream was to take a pilgrimage to France to visit your birthplace and to pay my respects at your tomb. In 2012, my dream became a reality. I and three other blind friends traveled to Paris and Coupvray, France.

Coupvray was a lovely little hillside village, and the residents were most friendly and helpful. Your sturdy stone home was welcoming and cozy. I imagined you as a little boy playing there in front of the fireplace while your mother cared for your family. As I walked around the house and up the hill to your father's harness shop, I imagined you as a youngster playing in the yard. In your father's shop I explored the various tools and harnesses like your father used in his trade. I remember the feel of your father's workbench under my fingertips. The wood was so old; it nearly seemed to feel like stone. I thought of you playing there. You would have felt quite big and important as you played with your father's tools and scraps of leather. Then, I thought of your injury: the pain, the tears and the blood after the sharp tool hit your eye. I imagined your parent's distress, as they could do nothing to relieve your pain. I thought of their fear and heartbreak at your loss of vision. But, little did they know the purpose that God had for your life. Through your pain and suffering, you have changed the lives of countless blind persons from all around the world for generations and for many generations to come.

Next, we went into the museum. I enjoyed seeing the different exhibits. I enjoyed seeing the slates. French slates are different from the ones we have in the United States. The one I remember was made from plastic, so it wasn't old. It was narrower than I have seen here. I also remember a tactile globe, but the most amazing thing that I saw was your tin cup. This was the tin cup that you used when you were a student at the National Institute for the Blind in Paris. There was a Braille number embossed on the side of the cup to indicate who it belonged to. As I held your cup in my hands, I thought of your hands holding this same cup. I was amazed and honored.

Back in Paris, I visited your tomb at the Pantheon. I know that you were originally buried in your hometown of Coupvray, but in 1952, your remains were brought to Paris to be entombed in a place of honor among France's notable figures. The guides at the Pantheon were so accommodating. They opened the gate that blocked the entrance to your tomb. We were allowed to go inside and stand beside your tomb. I reached up to touch your tomb...I had to reach high, but with my fingertips, I could touch the metal plate embossed with your name. As I read your name, tears began to stream down my face. As I cried, I thought of you, your life and the hardships you faced. I thought of your genius, your persistence and your courage. You made the most profound impact on my life. On the display just outside your tomb, there was a raised-line replica of your signature. As I traced your signature with my fingertips, I imagined you writing your name with your own hand. I listened to the recording of Helen Keller's speech that she gave on the day your remains were brought from Coupvray to the Pantheon. I spent quite a long time there by your tomb...thinking about you and your legacy. The guides were a bit curious about my emotional reaction to your tomb. They kept checking to see if we were ready to move on, but I needed time to be near you. As I planned my visit to Coupvray and the Pantheon, I never imagined what an emotional experience I would have. Thank you for being you. Thank you to your parents for their courage and love as they allowed you to attend the National Institute for the Blind, so far away in Paris where you could be educated. Their courage in allowing their young blind son to go so far away from home paved the way for you to invent your Braille Code. Thank you for taking a tragic experience and turning it into something so incredible. You lived your life in the fullest way possible in 19th century France. I owe you so much. Thank you for being who you are and for paving the way to make me who I am. You are my hero!

With all love and respect,
Lora Felty Stephens

NFB-NEWSLINE Kentucky News

Within the last 36 months, NFB-NEWSLINE Kentucky has subscribed over 250 individuals to the service; there are now 2,069 current NFB-NEWSLINE Kentucky subscribers. We are well on our way to reaching the next milestone of 2100 subscribers! Now, this is the point where I want to give some props to a few individuals who make this project exciting and productive. Thanks to our very own Sandra Williams and Charles W. McDowell Center Manager, Steve Deeley for their contributions in consistently bringing new folks to the NFB-NEWSLINE audio reading service through their rehabilitation outreach. Branch manager, Barbara Penegor and her staff at KTBL are to be commended for their contributions to this project as well. Big thumbs up to KY OFB Independent Living Counselor, Nancy Harper down in Paducah who is always thinking about NFB-NEWSLINE when she performs her independent living assessments! An honorable mention goes to Iname Shalati for the wonderful referrals that she has made to the service of late. Inam has been a devoted NFB-NEWSLINE subscriber for many years now. Thank you Inam! Last, but certainly not least, thanks to Ginny Green, Diana Cline, Adam Adkins and Ramazani Mubelela for the crucial roles that you have all played in helping to keep this service running smoothly. It's great to have such a conscientious staff!

NFB-NEWSLINE Kentucky would like to introduce two new partners in our quest to provide essential outreach efforts as we continue to expand the service in Kentucky. These new partners are 1. Dr. Donna Brostek-Lee, VI Program Faculty Chair, University of Kentucky College of Education and Mary Kay Flege, Certified Ombudsman with Catholic Charities of Louisville. Dr. Donna Lee, staff and students will be working with us in our outreach efforts within the Kentucky Commonwealth as we continue to spread the good news about NFB-NEWSLINE, A Tool of Empowerment. The University of Kentucky VI Program Staff and students being aware of this unique audio reading service can inform their clients and consumers about NFB-NEWSLINE as a valuable resource as an accessible option to independently read the news and information that is important to them. Ombudsman Mary Kay Flege works with long term care patients and has 1,500 patients in her jurisdiction. Mary Kay feels confident that she can bring a ray of hope to some of these patients with a print impairment who just want to be able to read their news. NFB-NEWSLINE Kentucky is fortunate to have both of these institutions/organizations working with us on the NEWSLINE project. NFB-NEWSLINE has and continues to be an awesome tool in allowing those who have print impairments to gain free and independent access to current news and information 24-7.!

The NFB-NEWSLINE Kentucky team has also been busy with outreach events this year. Allow me to briefly summarize those events since our last update:

Thank you for your time and be sure to visit us and give us a Like on Facebook at: NFB NEWSLINE-KY Standard, or on Facebook Mobile at: NFB NEWSLINE-KY Mobile. You can also follow us on Twitter at: NFB NEWSLINE-KY Twitter
Todd E. Stephens, State Coordinator
NFB-NEWSLINE Kentucky

Chapter and Division News

Ashland Update

2017 was a great year for the NFB of Ashland, and 2018 promises to be even better. We are pleased to welcome several new members to our chapter, with our membership growing to 16 members, which is a record for our "little" chapter. Since several members of our chapter must travel for over an hour to attend meetings, we decided that bi-monthly meetings on Saturdays work best for our members. We held our first meeting of 2018 on February 10 at the home of Michael Freholm. At our February meeting we held election of officers with the results as follows: Lora Felty Stephens was re-elected as president, Michael Freholm as vice-president. Todd Stephens was elected secretary, and Diana Cline was elected as treasurer. At our February meeting we lined out some initial plans for 2018, with the group beginning plans for a community outreach event to be held during Meet the Blind Month in October. We hope to turn this event into a Pre-ETS event and invite several young people to participate and learn about the NFB and how we are helping blind individuals to "live the lives we want." as a way of helping to pull our chapter together, during our April meeting we are going to spend some time learning about the Federation and helping each other with technology issues. Plans for June include a Walk-A-Thon, which we hope to use as a fund raiser to help make money to get our members to state convention. Our annual picnic is scheduled for Saturday, August 11 at Armco Park in Ashland. We are excited that our chapter is growing, and we hope to reach out and make an impact on our community.
Lora Felty Stephens, President

Frankfort Update

On February 1, our chapter had a very special guest. He was a captain on the Frankfurt police force. His name was Chris choir. He came to talk to us about home security. He let us know how to sign up for Smart 911. Also, Frankfort is the second city in Kentucky to have 911 texting. He said mostly domestic cases use that feature, but it is a very handy thing to have. We are very proud of our city for that. A bunch of us are going to sign up for citizens Academy. I believe they're having the Academy in late April or early May. It sounds like a lot of fun. I would tell more about it now, but I don't know that much. In the next cardinal, I will give a full report. All I know is that you learn what the police do in an Academy, and plus you get to have dinner. It sounds like a lot of fun. I'm also very interested to know how law enforcement in our city of Frankfort works. We have been planning to have a social, but weather has not permitted us to do it yet. Hopefully we will be having one pretty soon.

Karen Mayne,
president

NFB of Greater Louisville Update

This winter has been a cold one, but as usual we are pushing forward and making the best of it. I've said it before and I'll say it again, this chapter and the friends of this chapter are extraordinary when it comes to giving and charity. For our Holiday giving project, we decided to collect gift cards for our fellow Federationists who had suffered great damage during the hurricanes last fall. We collected $565 worth of gift cards that would be distributed to Federation families in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico. I know these families were grateful for the financial help getting their homes and lives back in order. Thank you to all of you who gave to this project.

Social media has changed the world and most of the time we have a negative view of these new platforms, but when social media can bridge a gap in a positive way, it's awesome.

In January, a few of us Gl members got together and did a Facebook live video of some easy and low impact workouts that everyone can do. Using household items to create weight or elastic bands, it just shows with a little imagination, you can overcome obstacles. We received lots of positive feedback on that video and comments from friends wanting more.

Our first movie night was a success! We got together at our meeting spot and watched the audio described version of 23 Blast. 23 Blast is a story of a young high school football player from Corbin Kentucky. After an illness he wakes up totally blind. Thinking his life was over and struggling to cope with his new reality, a strong willed and out of the box type of O&M Instructor shows him differently. With the desire for the game and some imagination, he heads back onto the grid iron. I encourage everyone to watch this movie. We can all relate to the struggles and triumph in this movie.

The next couple of months are going to be some fun ones around here. On Saturday March 10th we will be hosting our annual Chili Supper and Auction. Check our social media for more info.

In April is our April Luncheon. We'll be presenting our first Mittie Lake Academic Scholarship to a well deserving high school student. Stay tuned to our social media for more information on this event as well.

Nickie Pearl,
President

Sports and Recreation Division Update

The Sports and Recreation Division hopes you're keeping warm this winter. To help you stay active, even if it's cold outside, please join us via social media as we post stories of inspiration, notices of events, and most importantly, workout and inspirational live videos uploaded by our members. It may be cold outside but we are staying warmed up on Facebook. Don't miss out!!

Jayne Seif,
President

NFB Technology Assistance Division (TAD) Update

Let me begin by introducing the board members for NFB Kentucky TAD for 2017 and 2018. Todd Stephens - President, Sandra Williams, Vice-President, Hellena Emery - Treasury, Angela Dehart - Secretary, Scott Spaulding - Communications Manager, Danielle Burton - Program manager, and Avery Baggett - Board Member. Nickie Pearl, Cindy Sheets, Jennifer Hall, Ryan Harvey, Ramazani Mubelela, and Justin Reagan all serve on this board as TAD Consultants under a presidential appointment.

I want to take this opportunity to express my appreciation and to give Danielle Burton a resounding round of applause for developing an awesome instructional Braille program. Danielle instructed 10 middle and high school aged students From the Kentucky School for the Blind (KSB). Danielle Burton, Gena Burton, Cathy Jackson and Todd Stephens were present for this training at KSB. We all witnessed Danielle at her best as she did a wonderful job of multi-tasking effectively between ten students to provide a great learning experience for those who participated in this training. Ringing endorsements were showered down upon Danielle and rightfully so! This specialized training focused on the instruction of the Braille Note Touch Note Taker for ten KSB students, which included six Pre-Employment Transition Students (Pre-ETS) on the KSB campus on December 6, 2017 from 11:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M.

TAD has gotten off to an early start to planning for the 2018 NFBK TAD Symposium. What I can tell you is that it will not follow the format of the prior symposiums, nor will it be a full day event due to the expansion of our two new NFBK Divisions. With this said, you will not be disappointed. At present, we are in communication with several community partners to bring something very special to the table for you on October 12th at the Hilton Garden Inn Northeast in Louisville. It will also be a morning event, so put this on your calendar and stay tuned for further details in the near future.

Thank you for your time and be sure to visit us on our website at:

• • The NFB-NEWSLINE Kentucky team ran a vendor table at the 2017 NFB Kentucky Technology and Business Symposium, which took place on Friday, September 22nd from 11:30 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. This time was designated during the symposium for vendors to interact with participants.

  • On Tuesday, September 26th, Todd was invited to the 2nd Annual Senior Summit: Reflect Today, Reshape Tomorrow, hosted by the Attorney General's Office of Senior Protection where there were 95 in attendance. Todd presented a NFB-NEWSLINE PowerPoint entitled, NFB-NEWSLINE - A Tool of Empowerment. This PowerPoint presentation overviewed the service and service features consisting of the four C's of NFB-NEWSLINE (as defined by Todd): Content, Convenience, Compliance, and Clarity. The Senior Summit was held on Tuesday, September 26th from 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.

  • On October 19, 2017, Todd Attended the Ashland Coalition Meeting entitled, Celebrating National Disability Employment Awareness Month at the Boyd County Library in Ashland, Ky. These types of events provide NFB-NEWSLINE the opportunity to reach those individuals who have print disabilities that may or may not include visual disabilities.

  • November events - the NFB-NEWSLINE Kentucky team participated in the Charles W. McDowell Rehabilitation Center outreach in Louisville on November 1st and the annual ENVISIONING the Future Day for Northeastern middle and high school visually impaired/blind students. This event took place on November 15th in Ashland.

  • December events - the NFB-NEWSLINE Kentucky team participated in the Kentucky Assistive Technology Services (KATS) Network Council meeting in Louisville at the Charles W. McDowell Rehabilitation center on Friday, December 15th. Todd was provided the opportunity to address the council members and guests that were in attendance.

• NFB Kentucky TAD and on Facebook at: NFBKentucky TAD Facebook.

   

  Todd Stephens,
  President
  NFB of Kentucky Technology Assistance Division (TAD)

  Have You Heard?

  As the seasons change from winter and we begin to look toward springtime sunshine, Our NFBK members are embarking on new adventures in their lives.

   

  Danielle Burton of the Ashland Chapter completed her training at the Helen Keller Center for the Deaf-Blind in New York in November, and is now well into her first semester at Eastern Kentucky University where she has begun the next chapter in her life as she embarks on a degree in Deaf Studies and Deaf Education. After completing her studies at EKU, she hopes to get her master's degree at the University of Kentucky in Blindness Education. She hopes to help others to understand the difficulties encountered by individuals who live with dual sensory deficits.

  Wedding bells are in the air...Angela Dehart is engaged to Ben Henderson. They plan to be married on September 22, 2018 at Meade Memorial Methodist Church in Russell, Kentucky. Angela is excited to be getting married in the church where she grew up, and she is looking forward to a long and happy life with Ben.

  Wesli Freholm, a junior at Raceland High School and daughter of Michael and Kennetta Freholm was selected to participate in the All-State Choir in Louisville this February. Wesli gave an amazingly soulful solo performance as a part of the choir performance. Both Michael and Kennetta are very proud of her accomplishments.

  Todd Stephens received his certification as a blind vendor in the Kentucky Business enterprise Program. Since there aren't many vending opportunities in eastern Kentucky, he hopes to secure a stand the he can commute to for a few years until Lora retires and they can relocate. He is looking forward to beginning his new career as a blind vendor.

  Todd and Lora Stephens had the opportunity to participate in the 86th NFB Leadership Seminar held at the Jernigan Institute in Baltimore, MD during the first weekend of March. They had a wonderful experience and came away rejuvenated and ready to jump right in and continue helping others to learn that they can live the lives they want.

  Jayne Seif will be traveling to the Jernigan institute during the third weekend of March to participate in the BELL Academy training, as she will once again coordinate the Kentucky BELL Academy this summer that will be held at the American Printing House for the Blind during the last week of July. She will certainly come back with new ideas and enthusiasm to share for the 2018 BELL Academy.

  Our condolences go out to Dennis Franklin and his family upon the loss of his mother, Thelma. She was a fighter, and now she is at peace. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Franklin family as they grieve the loss of a dear mother.

  Cook's Nook

  The following recipes come to us from the kitchen of Diana Cline. Diana serves as treasurer of the Ashland Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of Kentucky. Diana is a wonderful cook, and the Ashland Chapter members always look forward to what delicious items Diana brings to pot luck meals or just for a surprise treat at chapter meetings.

  Old Fashioned Ghoulish

  2 lbs. ground beef
  2 tsp. minced garlic
  1 Onion, chopped
  2 1/2 c. water
  1/2 c. beef broth
  2 14 oz. cans tomato sauce
  30 oz. diced tomatoes
  1 tsp. Italian seasoning
  1 tsp. adobo seasoning or chili powder
  1 tsp. seasoned salt
  1/2 tsp. pepper
  2 c elbow noodles.

  Brown beef and onion until it is half done. Add garlic and cook until completely browned. Add all other ingredients except elbow noodles and cook for 20 minutes. Add noodles and cook until done.

  Serve with a salad, and this will make a hearty meal for a cold winter evening.

  RAVE REVIEWS CAKE

   

  1 yellow cake mix
  1 small box vanilla instant Pudding
  2 c. Coconut
  1 1/2 c. Water
  1/4 c. Oil
  4 eggs
  1/2 c. Chopped pecans

  Blend dry cake mix, oil, water and eggs together in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer on medium speed for 4 minutes. Stir in coconut. Spray nonstick spray in three round cake pans. Divide cake mixture evenly into the three pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

  Coconut Cream Cheese Icing

  1 8 oz. Package cream cheese
  4 Tbsp. Butter
  3 1/2 c. Powdered sugar
  2 c. Coconut
  2 Tbsp. Milk
  1/2 tsp. vanilla

  Melt 2 Tbsp. butter. Add 1/4 c. Coconut. Cook on low heat until browned. Set aside. Cream 2 Tbsp. butter with cream cheese. Add milk and beat in sugar. Stir in vanilla and coconut. Ice cake and sprinkle top with remaining coconut and chopped pecans.

  This cake is sure to get "Rave Reviews from anyone who loves the rich flavor of coconut.

  Danielle Burton is a member of the Ashland Chapter of the NFB. She serves as secretary of the national DeafBlind Division and as the vice-president of the Kentucky NAPUB Division. She shares this delicious Corn Bread Casserole that would go great alongside Diana's Goulash.

  Corn Bread Casserole
  Ingredients

  2 boxes Jiffy corn bread mix
  1 stick melted butter
  1 can cream corn
  1 can whole kernel corn, drained
  1 16 oz. sour cream
  1 egg

  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl combine all of the ingredients and mix well. Spray a '9x12 Baking pan with cooking spray. Pour mixture into baking pan. Bake for one hour. Enjoy hot out of the oven, or this even keeps well and is good cold.

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  National Federation Of The Blind Of Kentucky
  Officers And Board Of Directors

  Executive Officers:

  Cathy Jackson, President
  210 Cambridge Dr.
  Louisville, KY 40214
  (502) 366-2317
  Cathy.Jackson@nfbofky.org

  Katie Adkins, First-Vice President
  412 Clair Lane
  Louisville, KY 40206
  (502) 533-5933
  Katie@nfbofky.org

  Michael K. Freholm
  1510 Chestnut Drive
  Ashland, KY 41101
  (859) 608-2470
  Michael@nfbofky.org

  Lora Felty Stephens, Secretary
  1127 Sharon Ct.
  Ashland, KY 41101
  (606) 324-3394
  Lora@nfbofky.org

  J. Mike Freholm, Treasurer
  2012 Harris Way
  Russell, KY 41169
  (606) 839-0577
  Mike@nfbofky.org

  Board of Directors:

  Nickie Jackson Pearl
  1014 Camden Avenue.
  Louisville, KY 40215
  (502) 489-4457
  Nickie@nfbofky.org

  Jayne Seif
  4805 S Forth St
  Louisville, KY 40214
  (502) 500-7576
  Jayne@nfbofky.org

  Angela Dehart
  427 Wallace Ave. Apt 1
  Covington, KY 41014
  (606) 694-5096
  Angela@nfbofky.org

  George Stokes
  202 Manor House Ln.
  Frankfort, KY 40601
  (502) 875-3111
  George@nfbofky.org

  Todd Stephens
  1127 Sharon Ct.
  Ashland, KY 41101
  (859) 433-5023
  Todd@nfbofky.org

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