Up there on top is the NFB of Colorado Logo followed by
“Live the life you want.”
Blind Coloradoan Blog June 2019
Writer, aggregator Kevan Worley. Contributing editor Dan Burke.
Here is what you need to know
May is for mother, June
is for dad.
There is no question that mom is the most important,
honored, and loved but, hey, dads were there too. The May issue of the Blind
Coloradoan was dedicated to the mothers of the movement. Of course, the
wonderful woman who many of us call mom in the NFBCO is Diane McGeorge. As we
dedicate the June issue to the fathers it is natural that those of us who have
been around very long remember Ray. Ray truly was the principle founder of our
affiliate in 1955. How many of us were taken under Ray’s wing for guidance,
encouragement, and love? He taught this writer how to tie a tie among other
things. He and Diane raised a family and they took the time and tremendous
effort to raise an affiliate. We lost Ray at the beginning of this decade. We
do have an extensive recording in which Ray recounts the history of our
movement in Colorado. It would be worth your time. So, to all the dads, Happy
Father’s Day! This issue is for fathers and the big daddy with the strong grip
and the deep voice, Raymond W. McGeorge.
Littleton Mayor Debbie
Brinkman to serve as NFBCO 6 Dot Dash Co-Chair.
The Colorado Center for the Blind
has been a big part of the Littleton, Colorado community for almost 2 decades.
During that time, the Center has received extraordinarily good will, support,
and great generosity from Littleton and Arapahoe County leaders. Mayor Brinkman
has been one of the CCB’s best friends. More than a cheerleader, she genuinely
cares about the people and the programs we operate. On Saturday morning, June
29 she will be with us to celebrate at the starting line. Her support and that
of the Littleton City Council will help make our big event another in a series
of big successes. WE LOVE LITTLETON! AND WE LOVE MAYOR DEBBIE BRINKMAN!
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| The front of the Colorado Center for the Blind, showing the new landscaping and patio with picnic tables, with iris, lilacs and other flowers in bloom. The sign on the side of the building with “Colorado Center for the Blind” and “National Federation of the Blind” is visible |
Dan Burke offers us the following CCB News.
Read the update
below and you will know why so many people in our community support our
Colorado Center for the Blind and do so with great pride.
It’s
June and Colorado snowmelt is roaring down canyons and creeks, as our rock
climbers experienced yesterday in Clear Creek Canyon. Things are in rapid
motion at CCB too. We’ve had a bunch of graduations in May, with more
coming this month. And as those students leave, a new group of students
arrive to begin the Independence Training Program. We are also expecting
14 “No Limits to Learning” summer students on Friday. Their 7 summer
counselors have been with us for a week, subjected to the enforced luxury of
staying at the Hampton Inn while their apartments get new sheet rock, paint,
and carpet. This is the residual repair work following our January roof
failure. "By the skin of our teeth" is the phrase most often
heard when this topic comes up this week.
Spring
rock climbing ends, summer gardening begins. Tuesday was a big planting
day. Just think of all those tomatoes and basil, hot peppers and
tomatillos coming in July.
On
Monday the building will be rocking with confidence/BELL kids.
We'll
have eight DVR counselors come to CCB the week of June 17th for training on the
basics of blindness. Thanks to Christa Headlund, Manager, Blindness and
Low Vision Services (BLVS), and Executive Director, Division of Vocational
Rehabilitation (DVR) Steve Anton for helping make this happen. When the
DVR counselors are with us we'll have our annual ice cream social, which will
include all the staff and students from Confidence/BELL, No Limits to Learning,
ITP, and Seniors. We're hoping to break the record of 126 attendees that
day!
CCB
staff and students will be heavily involved with the 6 Dot Dash on June 29,
running, walking and volunteering.
And
then we'll head off to Las Vegas in early July for the NFB Convention!
Yes,
it’s a torrent of activity at the Colorado Center for the Blind, a lot like
June runoff!
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| Governor Polis signs SB19-202 as NFBCO members and bill sponsors look on |
"SB19-202 is now
the law of Colorado!"
That's what Governor Polis said Wednesday morning in his office at the
Capitol, with NFB of Colorado members from Denver and Colorado Springs standing
behind him at his desk with the bill sponsors. Dan Burke is not only the
contributing editor of this blog he is also Legislative Chair for NFBCO. Dan
develops strategy, communicates with our members, meets with Legislators, helps
formulate messaging, and does much of the important research necessary to
support our initiatives. He certainly managed this bill with creativity and
capacity. But it took all of us from the deliberation at the state convention
to the Day at the Capitol, all of the phone calls, financial contributions, and
chapter building to make this happen. Here is what Dan says about SB19-202: Voting Rights for
Voters with Disabilities:
Of course, thanks to Gov. Polis and those sponsors -
Sens. Danielson and Zenzinger and Rep. Froelich. And thanks to the Colorado
Assembly - nobody voted against the rights of Coloradans with disabilities to
have equal access to the mail ballot!
But thanks first to us in the National Federation of the
Blind of Colorado, because we identified that the time was right, that the
technology was now capable of securely delivering a mail ballot option to
Coloradans with disabilities so we can vote at home or on-the-go privately and
independently.
It was our own Curtis Chong who pointed out last fall
that the technology was now ready for this, and that other states had passed
such bills. That became a resolution at our 2018 NFB of Colorado
convention, which of course passed. And with our resolve set, we went to
our friend Senator Jessie Danielson who carried our parents' rights bill
(HB18-1104) successfully into law last year. She said she'd love to carry
this bill. Once again, her legislative prowess carried SB19-202 into law.
Like the parents' rights bill, this bill benefits all
Coloradans with disabilities in equal access to the mail ballot of
Colorado. So, thanks to the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition for their
support and testimony in favor of the bill in the Senate hearing, and to the
Disability Law Clinic and others. Thanks to Secretary of State Gina
Griswold's staff and to the Colorado County Commissioners Association for their
contributions to the final shape of the bill, and to the support of the
Governor's Office of Information Technology which, in the person of Theresa
Montano who oversees accessibility in the state's IT, took an active interest
in SB19-202.
Yes, with the help of all these key people and
organizations, we took this from resolution to equal voting rights for
Coloradans with disabilities. So that's why, when Gov. Polis made the
statement quoted at the top of this article announcing that SB19-202 was now
the law, it felt so good.
This issue is in appreciation of NFBCO 6 Dot Dash 5k sponsors and
supporters.
This
year, we proudly welcome Platinum Sponsor Garth Braun Associates, P.C. (GBA).
GBA is an architectural, planning, and development consulting firm providing
services from along the front range of Colorado to the shores of Belize,
Central America, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and beyond. GBA has been a part of
our Colorado Center for the Blind family for many years. Thanks to our Gold
Sponsors Sysco; Southern Food Service Management, Inc.; Philadelphia Insurance;
LaBarre Law; Zimmer Cox Commercial Builders; R3NG/CP&M; Comcast; First
Bank; Business Enterprise Program (BEP); Blackstone Consulting, Inc.; and Aira.
Thank you for your support and join us on June 29.
Steve says.
Serving for only a few hours in
his new capacity, leading the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. Having
come directly from private sector management to public service, Steve Anton
addressed a state convention of the National Federation of the Blind of
Colorado. It was a rocky time for DVR. Service to blind consumers was dismal.
There was a long list of people with disabilities waiting for VR services. Mr.
Anton was not yet able to comment officially on the many questions posed by the
membership. Steve was a little coy. He would preface his responses by saying,
“I don’t know the official policies at this time, but Steve says.” He answered
in a manner that let us know he would get it. He understood and no matter the
“official” positions of the agency. He would act. He has.
On May 14th, Steve Anton announced that after
4 years he would be retiring as of September 30th.
As noted in several resolutions passed at our state
conventions, Steve Anton has been a true public servant. He has managed an
agency from tumult to tremendous achievement. He has led with innovation, hard
work, understanding, and vigilance. From day one, if “Steve said” there was a
very good chance we could count on it. Thank you, Director Steve Anton. We
salute you. And we say enjoy your retirement. Congratulations on many years of
service in both the private and public sector.
The next Springs City
Blind Meet Up!
Tuesday, June 18. The gang gathers anytime during the hours of 5 until 7
p.m. Springs Orleans, 123 East Pikes Peak Avenue. Two for one hors d'oeuvres.
Fellowship with members of our Federation. Meet community leaders. Share your
ideas. Share your hors d'oeuvres. Share this announcement with others in our
community. See you there. This note is on behalf of Chapter Vice President
Brian Smith. He usually gets there early.
MagniSight of the Rockies.
For more than 30 years Brian Smith
has been manufacturing, distributing, and representing product lines which
bring low vision and blindness technologies to legally blind Colorado citizens.
Brian and his son and partner, Matthew, have launched their newest company. No
longer in the manufacturing business, CEO Smith and his team will be focusing
on representing the best product lines in the industry. They have partnered
with NanoPac. NanoPac has been in the business over thirty years and are
the premier distributors for Freedom Scientific, Optelec, OrCam, IrisVision and
many other products. They have many new exciting devices that they would be
glad to demonstrate to you. MagniSight of the Rockies looks forward to
continuing the long tradition of serving the blind and low vision community
here in Colorado. For information, contact Brian Smith.
Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind concludes its 145th
year of service with commencement ceremony honoring an outstanding senior
class.
Brent
Batron serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees. Diane Covington is the
School/Community Liaison. Here is what she has to say.
“Colorado
School for the Deaf and the Blind seniors celebrated their graduation with
a poignant Commencement ceremony. Beautiful speeches by the school’s
Valedictorian, Quincie Mattick, and Salutatorian, TJ Bannister, were followed
by a commencement address given by CSDB alum Nicholas Elstad. We are
incredibly proud of the CSDB graduates of 2019!”
Quincie Mattick,
2019 CSDB Valedictorian.
CCDC strongly urges Governor Polis to commit to Colorado’s disabled
citizens.
NFBCO
often finds kindred spirits in the Colorado Cross Disability Coalition (CCDC).
Like us, they are people willing to engage in the rough and tumble of public
education, policy, advocacy, and politics. The Executive Director of CCDC wrote
a letter to Governor Jared Polis on May 13th. The letter addresses
proposed changes planned by the Governor. These changes would do significant
harm and we encourage you to read The Letter from CCDC.
The Aurora Chapter says... Check out our Caps
President
Dale Holden says: The Aurora Chapter of the NFBCO is selling caps that say "Live the Life You Want" in both print and Braille! They are available in dark blue with white lettering and white with dark blue lettering. We will be selling them locally and at National Convention. Join us in spreading our message of independence and buy a cap!
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| picture of Aurora chapter caps with navy cap on the left and white cap on the right. Caps appear as described above. |
NFBCO to Host Blind Parents Seminar August 23-24th
The Blind Parents Division will be hosting our first Blind Parents Seminar! The fun will kick off with a night of bowling on Friday, August 23 and will continue throughout the day on Saturday with an agenda including a keynote address from Melissa Riccobono, general sessions, tracks for parents of infants/perspective parents, elementary school children, pre/teen, and grandparents. This seminar offers something for everyone and our agenda can be found
HERE.
Recap of the 2018-2019 USABA/Anthem National Fitness Challenge.
This week the 2018-2019 National Fitness Challenge came to a close. From our kickoff at state convention where many of our participants received their FitBit Flex 2 devices to the Try It Seminar which was the final event of the fitness challenge, our participants really stepped up their fitness game. We participated in Olympic day, Santa Stampede, Super Half Game Day 5k, Climb for Courage, Cherry Creek Sneak, and the Try It Seminar which included self defense, group fitness, tandem cycling, and track and field. Our participants increased their daily physical activity through using the FitBit and even won the second group challenge against other National Fitness Challenge teams in our region. During the last challenge event, our Own Chaz Davis won a top performance award. Even though the challenge has come to a close for the year, all of the participants are invited to join us for the 6 Dot dash on June 29th!
NFBCO Sports and Rec Division still has a few tickets for the
Colorado Rockies vs. San Diego Padres Saturday evening, June 15.
Contact
Maureen.
Tickets are only $25, and you can sit with your NFBCO buddies. Rockies are
really on a roll of late. Let’s hope, Rockie Roll is here to stay!
The Mueller Report, the Mueller Report.
Not
to be left out. Your Blind Coloradoan can be right up there with CNN, Fox,
Washington Post, The Atlantic. We, too, have a Mueller Report item for you. You
can read the Mueller Report on NFB Newsline. Read it through the app, online,
or on your landline. If you are not a subscriber of NFB Newsline please
subscribe today. You will enjoy more than 400 publications, job ads, shopping
ads, your local weather, TV listings, and ripped from the headlines, the
Mueller Report.
The NFBCO 6 Dot Dash 5k continues to add interesting, exciting
elements.
Check
out this very cool offer from one of our outstanding Gold Sponsors.
Free
Aira Access for the 6 Dot Dash!
Aira
is proud to sponsor the 2019 6 Dot Dash. As part of our partnership, we are
offering Aira Access for this event.
What
is Aira Access? Individuals who are blind or have low vision can use Aira for
free through Aira Access. Aira has partnered with some of the most well-known
businesses in the world to provide free Aira Access to more people, in more
ways. It is the ability for anyone to download the Aira app and use Aira for
free; get instant descriptions of racecourse surroundings, identify aid
stations, and describe race day expos.
Download
the free Aira app as a Guest at www.aira.io/app so you can use
Aira for free while attending the event. Trouble downloading? Call
1-800-835-1934.
Aira
is on a mission to provide instant access to visual information for anyone,
anytime, anywhere. Learn more about Aira or watch this video.
Barela appoints Anton’s successor, by the Blind Coloradoan staff.
Stakeholders
left holding the bag? Time will tell.
For
many years, government agencies have sought meaningful input from stakeholders.
And more and more they have worked collaboratively with stakeholders
representing the interests of citizens being served by those agencies. Some of
these groups of interested and talented advisors are more formalized. Such as
the State Rehabilitation Council, SRC. The SRC is cemented in statute and
should be meeting regularly to support and advise the Division of Vocational
Rehabilitation. Some stakeholder engagement is less formal. Consumer group
leaders, experts in the fields of education and rehabilitation, and others with
significant interest in the work being done on behalf of Coloradoan’s with
disabilities have regularly met with management and staff of the Division of Vocational
Rehabilitation.
As
soon as Julia Zanon assumed management of Blindness and Low Vision Services,
BLVS, she assembled a group of stakeholders from across the state to provide
progress reports and gather their suggestions. This was only one reason that
the early development of BLVS was so successful so quickly.
People
with disabilities in Colorado have enjoyed and benefitted from this stakeholder
engagement. The agency has been enriched by the authentic experiences they
gained from this open process. This has become the norm since the absorption of
DVR into the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment in 2016. This approach
was a pledge made by the Executive Director of CDLE Ellen Golombek. Over the
past 3 years, stakeholders have served on panels to choose DVR managers,
including the hiring of Director Anton and the most recent promotion of Krista
Hedlund to succeed Julia Zanon as manager of BLVS.
This
is why organizations like NFBCO, CCDC, and other stakeholders were dismayed and
dumbfounded over the pronouncement made by CDLE Executive Director Joe Barela
on May 14. We have written on these pages about our excitement to welcome Joe
Barela. Director Barela was appointed by Governor Polis to head CDLE not long
after his election. Leaders of the Federation met with Barela and his team
early this Spring. Reports from our leaders were glowing. “He gets it.” He
pledged to support expansion of the Business Enterprise Program. He indicated
his understanding of client choice. He understood our conviction to expand BLVS
across the state based on that unit’s early successes. According to Scott
LaBarre, NFBCO President, “the new Executive Director has a background in
creating employment opportunities. It was clear that he had capacity, and no
one cares more about job opportunities for the blind than we do.”
And
so, it was with great anticipation that we joined a conference call with
Director Barela and his team. On the call, we were told that Steve Anton would
be retiring on September 30. (Read item elsewhere in this blog.) We were then
summarily informed that Kristen Corash would be assuming this post. Note,
Kristen Corash is a highly accomplished program administrator with many years
of experience. Although no vocational rehabilitation credential, she is regarded
as a more than competent manager who gets things done. We look forward to
introducing the new Director to you in future blogs. The unilateral decision
made by a member of Polis’s cabinet with little experience in the world of
vocational rehabilitation for people with disabilities was deeply troubling.
Stakeholders were not happy to be treated in, what we considered to be, a
cavalier manner. And we said so. We said so on the call. We said so in follow
up emails and phone calls. It soon became clear to us that the agency was
getting the message.
The
week following the conference call, Joe Barela and other members of his team
visited the Colorado Center for the Blind. They met with our leadership.
Director Barela took a tour of our best in class facility. He met the people of
the organized blind movement. He engaged students and asked meaningful
questions. The meeting we held with his team was extremely frank. The ideas
exchanged were real, substantive, and thoughtful. Joe and his team indicated
their understanding and further indicated a true commitment to growing programs
and re-establishing stakeholder trust.
Time
will tell. But partnerships are not always easy. Progress is replete with bumps
in the road. We hope this bumpy road is behind us. We are hopeful that Director
Barela has learned something from us. And, moving forward, we will learn from
each other so that the agency can continue to serve its mission.
NFBCO joins CCDC and other organizations on letter of protest.
Director
Barela:
We
are writing as organizations that are gravely concerned with the process of how
the new DVR director was chosen following the resignation of Steve Anton. We
represent a diverse collection of disability rights organizations that work
closely and represent people that should be able to benefit from DVR
services. Our concern is not necessarily with your pick for the new DVR
head, but with the lack of involvement by those most directly affected in the
process.
Find
the complete text HERE.
The Builders. True stories from the history of the Rocky Mountain
blind by Peggy Chong, The History Lady.
I thought I would pass this one on to you
as it is coming up to convention time and I find it funny. Sad, but
funny.
As
national convention approaches, we are all getting ready. Every affiliate
sends a delegate and many others in several affiliates have their way paid by
an affiliate, chapter, or division. Here is what happened to the very
first delegate from Colorado to the NFB convention.
The
United Workers for the Blind, (UWB) joined the NFB officially in January of
1941. The president, Lute Wilcox was most enthused about the philosophy
of the NFB and meeting tenBroek, (he was not Doctor yet). But he was also
more than 80 years old. So, a younger man was selected by the board at
the urging of Wilcox. We will just call him Mr. Delegate as he was
referred to in part, in the letter sent to tenBroek August 22, 1941 when Wilcox
explained why they had no delegate present.
“He….
Procured tickets and reservation. That night he had to go on a toot, had a
fight with his spouse and fell downstairs, injuring himself, badly.
Someone sent in a police call, the cops arrived about midnight, and Mr.
Delegate was packed off to the hoosgow (his spelling) where he was sent to the
bug house.”
After
a week or so in the hospital, he was called before the sanity court and found
to be not able to care for himself thanks to testimony by his wife. She
became his custodian and conservator. His wife returned the money they
had spent on the tickets to the UWB after being asked by the board. She
also had great fun with his money.
In
six months, Mr. Delegate appeared in sanity court once again. This time
the UWB testified on his behalf to discontinue his wife as conservator and
custodian as she was proving not to have Mr. Delegates interest at heart.
Mr. Delegate could not hold his liquor and lost the trust of the leadership of
the UWB.
The
lesson to take from this is to be sure you get a good night’s rest before
leaving for convention.
Editorial, by Kevan Worley.
We use this blog to spread our message of
love, encouragement, and accomplishment. We use it to announce our events. We
use it to offer our Federation perspective. But I don’t usually author
something as serious as an editorial! Bottom line, what I would like to say to
you is serious. We really cannot do the work we do for so many without your
donations. We need your contribution of time, energy, imagination, and money.
This note is to encourage you in the strongest terms I can to participate in
one way or another in our upcoming NFB of Colorado 6 Dot Dash 5k. First, with
no raffle this year your contribution made simply by registering for the event
is truly and absolutely essential if we plan to carry on our youth programs and
scholarship program. Whether or not you want to run the race please consider
registering. You can race on your own, you can pace it in your living room, walk
it on the treadmill, or run it as a local chapter activity. You will have made
your financial contribution by registering for the race. Here is the link! www.6dotdashco.com. Will you promise to encourage
others to register? I have written and called my family and friends all over
the country. I simply tell them that they didn’t win the raffle last year or
the year before. But they made a beautiful contribution to the work I care so
much about. For me, that work is making sure blind children have the love and
resources they need to build the futures they want. Next, we need volunteers.
Let us know if you or someone you know would like to spend some time Saturday
morning June 29 at the Colorado Center for the Blind helping us stage and
operate our NFBCO 6 Dot Dash 5k. We need folks to help with sound, our water
stations, the expo, registrations, check IDs for the blind beer tasting (you
must be an actual adult for this task). In short, we need you and your buddies
to be part of the action.
This
is our second annual NFBCO 6 Dot Dash 5k. It is our second annual blind beer
tasting at the event. This year, St. Patrick’s Brewing and Blind Faith Brewing
are back! We have added Jackass Hill Brewery from downtown Littleton. More than
a race, this is a real Colorado Center for the Blind Littleton community
festival. You will enjoy an expo of products and services. There will be great
activities for the kids. And our buddies with the band Stray Dog will be
entertaining.
No
raffle. Just serious fun at the Colorado Center for the Blind. If you haven’t
been to the Center in a while come, take a tour. The newly renovated grounds
are worth a visit. This will be a party and we need your participation. If you
have questions call me at 303-929-2369. You can also email
Jessica.
I can’t wait to see you Saturday morning, June 29. We will get started with
coffee donated by Elevation and the expo kickoff at 8 a.m. Race at 9. Stray Dog
begins at 10:30. If you would like to have a sighted guide for the race please
let Jessica know. Special thanks to Silver Sponsors Liberty Bell Vending;
Pawcuz, Inc.; The United State Association of Blind Athletes (USABA), and many
other community partners for their support. Do we have yours?
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| Guide dog German Shepherd Onyx sitting on the trail in Black Forest Colorado with the sun shining through the tall trees in the background. Picture taken using Aira. |
Doggonit.
Sometimes, members of the public are confused, misguided, or downright
obstreperous when it comes to allowing my guide dog and me entrance into this
or that restaurant, Lyft, or other public facilities. As a guide dog user, you
have certain rights and protections under federal law that allow for your use
of a guide dog. National Association of Guide Dog Users, NAGDU, can help you
protect your rights. Have questions about your legal rights as a service dog
user? Need an advocate to work with you regarding an access denial? You can now
call the NAGDU Information & Advocacy Hotline! Toll-Free 1-888-NAGDU-411
(1-888-624-3841). Or call 1- 813-658-5749. Thanks to Melissa Greene, President
of our Colorado Association of Guide Dog Users, COAGDU, for bringing this item
to our attention.
Submit
items to be considered for July Blind Coloradoan Blog by June 26.
Did Not See Your Item in This Issue? Be a contributor!
Send announcements, ideas, articles, and observations to either myself or Dan Burke. Enjoy this blog on NFB Newsline or read
it at blog spot.
Forward,
Always Forward!
“Live the Life You Want.”
