The President's Corner
By Jim Jirak, President
"Conversation is the fine art of
mutual consideration and communication about matters of common interest that
basically have some human importance," said Ordway Tead. What he neglected to mention was without
opening the lines of communication, it is next to impossible to exchange ideas
and better relationships.
With this philosophy immanent, Bob Doulas
and I had the distinct opportunity of meeting with Dr Pearl Van Zandt and Bob
Deaton prior to the Give-A-Lift dance this past January. And without reliving each subject matter
discussed, I feel it important to highlight two of the issues raised.
For starters, Dr Van Zandt committed to
having at least three staff members attend the ACBN state convention next
month. And unlike last year’s
convention, some staff members would be staying Saturday evening until the
start of the business meeting Sunday, thus giving the membership more of a
chance for one-on-one interaction with the staff. In addition, possible items
for her convention address were discussed.
Among some items on her agenda include the services as they relate to
Rule 72 and what has been done as a result of the client satisfaction survey.
As it was reported in the December
newsletter, it was learned that a significant contribution was made to the NFB
sponsored news line by the state services.
And as there have been numerous questions, by some, surrounding this contribution,
Bob Deaton happily explained how the service worked and how the contribution of
funds transpired.
He explained that a portion of the funds
donated came from the Older Independent Blind, or OIB, grant and the remaining
from basic supportive services. He also
explained that the news line was jointly supported by the Nebraska Talking Book
and Braille Services and NFB of Lincoln in the form of financial
contributions.
This news line service is housed in
Baltimore. The participating newspapers,
which include The Chicago Times, The
Washington Post, USA Today and The
Lincoln Journal Star, after the subscription fee is paid, electronically
transfer the data via phone lines. The data
is then reformatted for speech access then transferred back to the local
service center, the Lincoln SVI office, in this case. It was further explained that annual funding for this service
would come from newspaper subscription renewals as well as other consumer
groups. What about the budget, you ask?
An annual budget estimated at $27,000 would be needed to keep this
service operational per calendar year, with the initial start up cost for the
service centers being $64,000. And to
those that are concerned, it was also reported that, even though a message
prompt saying to the effect "Thank you for calling the NFB news
line," is heard prior to the reading of the newspaper of your choice, NFB
is not using this service for fund raising purposes. We were also assured there is no cost to the consumer, either.
So what do you think? Are state funds being used wisely? Does the appearance of a state agency
financially supporting an NFB sponsored project sit well with you? As a taxpayer, how do you feel? As a client of the agency, what do you
think? Is this service viable and
something you would benefit from?
Before you decide, come to the convention in Grand Island and observe
the demonstration by Amy Rutt. And yes, this concept has had the backing of The
American Council of the Blind nationally.
Next, I would like to remind you that the
event of a lifetime is fast approaching.
An event that will have the entire state, and yes, even NFB a buzz. Of course, I am referring to the state
convention next month in Grand Island.
You should be receiving shortly your registration material. Please be advised that the fee is $22 for
registration received prior to April 1 and $25 for any registration received
after that date. Reservations may be
made by calling the Midtown Holiday Inn direct at (800) 548-5542. To secure the $53 convention rate, please be
sure to identify yourself as being with ACBN.
All room rates are subject to a 9% tax.
Your convention committee has been working diligently to ensure this convention
is the best yet.
Why should I come to this
convention? Do you care about this
organization? Do you care what policies
this organization adopts? Or why not
meet the editor of The Braille Forum,
Nolan Crabb? Or how about the auction
following the business meeting? Reserve
your room now and don't miss the fun.
Thirdly, talk about a slap in the
face! In my September remarks, I
praised the AMC Oakview 24, in Omaha, for going above and beyond the call of
duty for showing a captioned version of The
Titanic for the hearing impaired.
The staff, remember, also went so far as to learn key sign language
phrases such as popcorn, soda and hot dogs.
On February 4, it was reported that the
U.S. Justice Department had filed suit against the owners of the theater as
several within the disabled community had complained that prime seating was not
accessible. Wheel chair users, no
doubt. And according to the report this
came as a shock to the owners as they had been working with the Justice
Department on a solution. Stay
tuned! This isn't over, yet.
Before I conclude, I would like to brag;
if I may? Last December, I, along with
40 of my colleagues, were rewarded for our hard work and dedication to the
company throughout the year with a fam, short for familiarization, trip to
Wichita. We left early that Friday
morning and were greeted with rainy weather upon our arrival nearly 6 hours
later.
Following dinner, a hotel tour and a
get-acquainted with the hotel staff reception late that evening, and a scrumptious
buffet breakfast Saturday morning, we were provided with a city tour followed
by an elaborate lunch catered by the group sales department. And as we had some
free time until Sunday brunch before departure, some chose to shop in Old Town,
spend time with relatives, work out in the health club, and reminisce with
music of the Cole Porter era at a local dinner theater, ice skate, or bar
hop.
Regardless of the activities during free
time, we all had a blast. Fam trips are
a great way to get to know co-workers you have never met, then be thankful some
work nights while you work days.
And finally, it is with great sorrow that
I report to the membership on the passing of Melita Sefren's husband, Don last
December. And our sympathies to Shirley
Allen on the passing of her mother in early January. Our thoughts and prayers are with you both.
Until the convention in Grand Island next
month, remember that service with a smile is the key to success and happiness.