Sports & Rec Division Offers "Yoga Body" Seminar

Join the National Federation of the Blind Sports and Recreation Division for a fun day of health and wellness designed for YOU!

Based on popular demand from our Find Your Fit seminar we are offering an opportunity to participate in different types of yoga and body work at our first Yoga Body Workshop.

Come participate in
-high energy flow yoga
-kundalini yoga
-Pilates
-body analysis and nutrition consultation

When: September 19 from 12:30pm-5:00pm
Where: Colorado Center for the Blind
2233 W Shepperd Ave
Littleton, CO 80120
Cost: 15.00 per person

Please send $15 cash or check made out to NFBCO sports and Rec to reserve your spot.

Attention: Maureen Nietfeld
2233 W Shepperd Ave
Littleton CO 80120

Space is limited to 45 participants. When we receive your payment, your spot will be reserved.

The Yoga Body workshop is more than an opportunity to exercise. You will leave with tools to improve your mind, body, and spirit including nutrition advice, new workouts, and more. You will also have the opportunity to purchase delicious and nutritious artisan snacks by Frosted Lotus Bakery!

This is an opportunity you will not want to miss. If you have questions contact Jessica Beecham at 615-497-0435.

Best Wishes

Jessica Beecham

LaBarre Sets the Stage for Interim Study Committee

(Editor's Note: Last Wednesday, August 12 was the opening meeting of the 2015 Interim Study Committee on Vocational Rehabilitation Services for the Blind. NFB of Colorado President Scott LaBarre led off the agenda and with his testimony set the stage for the Committee's work. Below is his revised testimony, which was submitted to the Committee for the official record.

TESTIMONY OF SCOTT C. LABARRE

Before the Vocational Rehabilitation Services for the Blind Interim Study Committee

Delivered in Person Wednesday, August 12, 2015
Testimony Submitted to Record August 18, 2015

INTRODUCTION

Greetings!
I am Scott LaBarre, President of the National Federation of the Blind of Colorado. I wish to begin by thanking Representative Danielson, Representative Primavera, Representative Windholz, Senator Balmer, Senator Aguilar, and Senator Lundberg for this tremendous opportunity to offer testimony before what we believe to be a very important committee and process, the result of which has the potential to usher in a new era of services to the blind in our state, a model that could be emulated all over the world. I would be remiss if I did not offer special thanks and extend our gratitude to Representative Pete Lee and Senator Michael Merrifield for originally sponsoring the legislative request which led to this Committee and this process. Originally, I had prepared this testimony prior to the hearing on the 12th, but given the extra time, I have revised my comments to incorporate thoughts and questions voiced by the Committee and to respond to some items covered by other witnesses on the 12th.
In way of background, The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) is the oldest and largest organization of the blind in the United States and in Colorado. The primary mission of the Federation is to allow the blind to live the lives they want in all areas of life from insuring basic civil rights to securing employment and education for the blind. Founded officially in 1955, the NFB of Colorado engages in a number of programs specifically designed to create greater opportunities for the blind. For example, the Federation is the chief sponsor of the Colorado Center for the Blind. The Colorado Center provides training in the alternative skills blind people need to become fully participating members of society. Additionally, NFB offers national and statewide academic scholarships. We provide a free talking newspaper called NFB-NEWSLINE® which allows the blind of our state to read the daily newspaper just as easily as their sighted peers. We advocate for the rights of the blind in all areas ranging from education to employment. Where positive changes are happening in the blindness field, there is a good chance that the Federation is involved.

GENERAL BACKGROUND

In part, the reason we are all gathered here today is that the NFB of Colorado passed a resolution in early November of 2014 calling upon the General Assembly to study the delivery of vocational rehabilitation services to the blind in our state. The Committee already has that Resolution in its materials, Resolution 2014-07. The reason why we adopted such a resolution is that we had observed a long term degradation of services to the blind in our state. Then, the circumstances giving rise to the 2013 legislative audit of the Colorado Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) under the Department of Human Services (CDHS) evolved which only brought greater turmoil to programs affecting the blind. Not only did new blind clients of Colorado DVR have to wait for years to even be deemed eligible, the services received once accepted into the program were diluted and disorganized.
After we adopted our resolution and began to implement our 2015 legislative priorities, we learned of this Assembly’s consideration of moving DVR from CDHS into the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE). This is a transfer that we applaud and favor along with its corresponding process of gaining input from stakeholders. Nevertheless, we still believe it is critically important that this Committee study the unique barriers faced by the blind and seize the opportunity to fashion recommendations that could become the envy of the world.
Blindness is not well understood and greatly feared. Polls taken in recent times still suggest that people fear going blind more than anything else except contracting potentially lethal diseases. This fear has led to low expectations and misunderstanding regarding the true capacity of and barriers faced by the blind. When we use the word blind, we mean a wide spectrum of those having some form of visual disability. Legal blindness is regarded as essentially ten percent of normal vision or less either in visual acuity or visual field and often both. Most blind people possess some level of residual vision but their vision is sufficiently impaired that the use of alternative, nonvisual techniques are required to address daily tasks.
The problems of blindness lead to lack of access to appropriate training to adjust to blindness, good education, and employment. For example, the working age blind face an unemployment rate of seventy-five percent in some studies and sixty-three percent by the most optimistic study out there. Pause for a moment and think about that. The general public seems to panic any time unemployment exceeds six or seven percent. Imagine if our society faced a sixty-five to seventy-five percent unemployment rate. We called the unemployment rate of the 1930’s of twenty-five to thirty percent the Great Depression and declared a national emergency. Yet the blind of our state and nation face an unemployment rate over two times the worst ever faced by the general society and we complacently stand by and permit this to occur.
The governmental response to the situation faced by the blind and others with disabilities has largely been focused through the vocational rehabilitation system. This system is funded mostly by the federal government through the United States Department of Education, Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA). RSA provides approximately eighty percent of the funding to the states in order to operate vocational rehabilitation agencies. The states are required to provide about twenty percent of the funding. A state can only receive all available federal dollars if it puts up the full approximated twenty percent of matching funds according to a formula set in statute and largely based on population and other demographic factors. Unfortunately, over the last few years, Colorado has not been receiving the maximum amount of federal funds. We learned on the 12th that DVR would be returning some eight million dollars to RSA for this fiscal year. This is absolutely unacceptable and constitutes a great waste of opportunity! If nothing else, this Committee and the General Assembly should work with CDLE/DVR going forward to make sure we capture the maximum level of federal funding possible and put that money into client services.
Overall, the focus of this Committee is essentially to determine the best way or manner in which to deliver vocational rehabilitation services to the blind in our state. There are several models and possibilities. Here in Colorado, we have no specialized services for the blind under our current DVR structure. By this I mean that we do not have a separate agency, division, or unit of vocational rehabilitation designed to address the unique barriers faced by the blind. Title I of the federal Rehabilitation Act allows for states to establish a separate designated state unit serving the blind. Twenty-four states have such separate agencies. In other states that have one general vocational rehabilitation agency, there is often a separate unit or division within that agency focused on the blind. The research and anecdotal evidence suggest that more focused and targeted services for the blind lead to a higher level of successful outcomes.

PERSONAL BACKGROUND

Let me digress for a moment with a bit of my personal story. I began my journey into the world of blindness at age ten due to a childhood virus which had the nasty habit of destroying key components of my eyes. At first and for a number of years, I thought my life had come to a very tragic and premature end. I believed wholeheartedly that there was no meaningful path to success for someone who was blind. All my childhood dreams were crushed, never to be realized. This occurred because everything that I had learned about blindness in my brief life was negative, pictures of the blind begging on the street and TV shows suggesting that we should pity the blind.
Thank God that my original picture of blindness turned out not to be true. I am an attorney running my own law practice. I have a wonderful family, a wife, Anahit, who originally hails from Armenia and my children, Alex who began seventh grade on the 13th at West Middle School in the Cherry Creek School District and my daughter, Emily, starting fifth grade at Heritage Elementary at the same time and in the same school district. We own two homes, one in which we live and one which we rent out. We are healthy and deeply involved in our community. In other words, we are living the life we want. Otherwise put and as some might say, we are living the American dream.
I credit my family for insisting that I receive a quality education and insisting that I receive the adaptive skills of blindness. Then, the NFB entered my life and provided the philosophy and positive blind role models which gave me the belief and self-confidence that I need to live the life I want. However, this amazing system of support and belief could have only translate into success if I had the ability to receive the training, education, and other resources necessary. These were provided for me largely by Minnesota State Services for the Blind. Minnesota is in fact one of the twenty-four states with a separate agency for the blind with highly focused programs and well trained staff. Without the services I received in Minnesota, I don’t know that I would be before you with the track record of success and accomplishment that I fortunately possess.

DISCUSSION OF AGENCY STRUCTURES AND CORRESPONDING

RESEARCH

In the National Federation of the Blind we believe in the capacity of blind people, but we know that the blind require a unique set of Vocational Rehabilitation services to be successful. In Colorado blind clients are often served by vocational rehabilitation (VR) Counselors who, though otherwise qualified in serving general rehabilitation clients, may only have one or two blind clients and no specific training in how to serve them. Thus, they may never gain the necessary skill set to provide the high quality of specific services their clients require for success. They may not receive the support they need from their supervisors either, because there is no supervisor in Colorado's DVR who is tasked with coordinating and supervising VR Counselors who are serving blind clients. We learned on the 12th that there are only fifteen counselors statewide who have a caseload including blind clients, only one having a caseload comprised entirely of blind clients. DVR has a “statewide coordinator” for blind service, but that individual is not at the supervisory level nor involved in senior management of DVR.
We know that separate agencies for the blind perform better than combined agencies. The data suggests that separate agencies serve more significantly disabled clients, achieve more successful closures into competitive employment, acquire fewer “homemaker” closures, and possess fewer placements in sheltered, segregated, subminimum wage, employment.
Within the list of general/combined agencies there is a continuum of organization and dedication of highly trained personnel to providing services for the blind. Colorado's current lack of structure is at the lower end of that spectrum, with essentially no specialized services inherent in the structure. Other states with general agencies have separate units or offices dedicated specifically to blindness services which have senior management and identifiable budgets. We believe that this level of specification leads to better, more effective service. This in turn leads to a higher success rate of placing the blind into competitive employment, the end result of which is more blind tax payers and fewer relying on government benefits. On the 12th, Interim Director Anton of DVR agreed that higher levels of specification and focus lead to better results.
We believe that services for the blind in this state must become more highly focused and delivered with greater specificity. The lack of focus and specification is impairing the ability to move blind vocational rehabilitation clients out of unemployment, often poverty, into meaningful employment. This can be achieved in a number of ways, at least three. First, Colorado could create an entirely separate agency for the blind which would report directly to the Governor. Second, a division could be created under the CDLE reporting directly to the Executive Director of that Department. Third, a separate office or unit could be established within DVR with its own specialized staff and senior management along with a separate, identifiable budget.

Of course, one of the questions that always rises when these alternatives are considered is that of higher cost. The data referenced below suggests that separate agencies for the blind provide services at a similar cost as compared to those same services provided by a general agency. In the long run, investment in separate services lead to tax savings because of the higher rates of employment and independence.
We believe that DVR has been doing its best in recent times to serve its blind clients, but its current structure and level of staffing do not come close to providing optimal and more effective services. Only one person is responsible for training all other counselors in the state regarding the special needs and barriers faced by the blind. That person is Laverne Dell who testified before you on the 12th, and we know she does an excellent job. Her task, however, is overwhelming and unfairly placed on one individual.
Additionally, studies suggest that one of the barriers faced by blind clients who are on a general caseload is that the general counselor is so overwhelmed by the size of the caseload and thus do not give enough attention to the blind clients. Oftentimes decisions by general counselors are fueled by lower expectations for blind clients. We expect that you will hear public testimony from blind individuals here in Colorado who have encountered these low expectations from DVR staff. This is not a design calculated to lead to higher levels of success in placing blind people into competitive employment or otherwise allowing the blind to lead independent lives.
Immediately below are excerpts and a synopsis from research that has been conducted by the National Council of State Agencies Serving the Blind (NCSAB). We believe same is instructive.
National Council of State Agencies for the Blind (NCSAB)
NCSAB Position Paper: Why Separate Agencies for the Blind?
http://www.afb.org/info/justification-of-separate-state-agencies/ncsab-position-paper-why-separate-agencies-for-the-blind/25.
THE PROBLEM
Because of the myths and stereotypes of blindness, rehabilitation agencies for blind persons must take a different approach than agencies that serve persons with other disabilities. Agencies serving the blind must deal with two problems. Of course, they must address the physical loss of vision by teaching specialized skills and techniques. But, they must also address the misconceptions. The second aspect involves creating attitudinal changes in their clientele and in society. This requires that rehabilitation professionals working with blind persons possess in- depth knowledge about the abilities of blind people. In addition, they must possess the ability to teach blind persons how to deal positively with public attitudes, and must be prepared to deal with those attitudes themselves.
Here is a report from NCSAB on separate services for the blind, updated March 2010.  It was conducted using RSA 911 reporting form data from 2007 and 2008, and is a study that has been periodically updated since 1971.  Thus, it gives something of a longitudinal look at specialized services for the blind.
www.ncsab.org/Docs/final-report-replication-study.doc.
First, at the time of the study in 2010, there were 24 states that have separate agencies for the blind.  This does not include a model like Montana’s, which has a separate division for services to blind citizens under the VR umbrella, making it a “combined agency” and which is a higher level of organization than we have in Colorado currently.
The conclusions are summarized in the bullet-points below:

?  Separate blindness agencies continue to serve a higher percentage of consumers with demographic/disability characteristics associated with lower labor force participation rates.
o Applicants have more severe visual impairments (blindness vs. other visual impairments).
o Blind and visually impaired applicants have lower educational levels (not high school graduates).
o Visually impaired applicants are more likely to have secondary disabilities. 
?  Separate and General/Combined agencies provide similar number of services to blind and VI consumers at similar costs (suggesting that separate agencies for the blind do not lead to greater expense).
?  Separate blindness agencies continue to close a higher percentage of legally blind consumers into competitive employment.
o Separate blindness agencies close a higher percentage of legally blind consumers into employment without supports in integrated work settings.
o Separate blindness agencies close a higher percentage of legally blind consumers into self-employment.
o Separate blindness agencies close a lower percentage of legally blind consumers as homemakers.

Findings are based on analyses of two RSA-911 databases: FY 2007 and FY 2008 RSA-911. Comparisons are made with findings from analyses of 1996, 1994, 1989, 1977, and 1971 RSA data. Our conclusions are corroborated with previous studies which also reported that Separate blindness agencies serve consumers who are more likely to be legally blind and to have less education (Cavenaugh & Pierce, 1998; Cavenaugh, 1999; Cavenaugh et al., 2000; Kirchner & Peterson, 1982).Findings are also consistent with earlier studies indicating that consumers in Separate agencies with less severe visual impairments (visually impaired but not legally blind) are more likely than those in General/Combined agencies to have secondary disabilities (Cavenaugh & Pierce; Cavenaugh et al.; NAC, 1997).

**

(Cavenaugh, 2010, found at http://www.ncsab.org/Docs/final-report-replication-study.doc)
National Council of State Agencies for the Blind, “An Update on Services and Outcomes of Blind and Visually Impaired Consumers Served in Separate and General/Combined VR Agencies, Prepared by Brenda Cavenaugh, Ph.D., CRC
March 2010
This research was conducted by the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Blindness and Low Vision under a contract from the National Council of State Agencies for the Blind, Inc., 4733 Bethesda Avenue, Suite 330, Bethesda, MD 20814.
Mississippi State University

So, there you have some data from the national association representing state agencies for the blind and from Mississippi State. There is also data from Louisiana Tech which suggests that specialized training in comprehensive blindness skills leads to an employment rate of seventy-five percent for the blind, entirely reversing the tragic numbers I shared with you earlier. An employment rate of seventy-five percent is still unacceptable but a trend in the right direction.

Over the next couple of months, we hope to provide to you an overview of services to the blind over the last few decades. There was a time, for example, when Colorado DVR had a separate unit for the blind with a separate budget. Witnesses from whom you will hear will tell you how this system led to better outcomes. We intend upon providing to you information about access technology for the blind, youth transition services, services to the elder blind, employment programs for the blind, and adjustment to blindness training. We will suggest how these programs can best be delivered and thereby allow Colorado to start leading the way.
I also want to take a moment to reflect upon some very insightful questions and comments posed by the Committee on the 12th. We agree that we must find ways to encourage blind Coloradans to establish and operate their own businesses. Some work is being done on this front but not nearly enough. This issue of entrepreneurial opportunity for the blind touches in part the Business Enterprise Program operated by DVR. Although blind business managers under this program are realizing their highest level of average salary ever, many more blind people could be placed in this program and enjoy the same level of success.
We also appreciate comments about the independent living program. The Older Individuals for the Blind Program under Title VII of the Rehabilitation Act provides critical funding for blind seniors all over the state. Although this program is administered through independent living centers, the experts in blindness and thus independent living for the blind, reside or should reside within DVR. Consequently, we believe it is imperative that the OIB program be housed with blindness services, however they are structured.
Everyone knows that information technology continues to change our world radically. It provides great opportunity to the blind but significant barriers as well. The provision of access technology and creating the proper environment for same is critical to placing the blind into competitive employment. We must bolster our ability to provide such technology and target same in the employment setting.
The issue of services for blind veterans was addressed. We agree that this is another area of critical importance. Although DVR appears to work with the federal Veterans Administration to some degree, we think there must be a higher level of coordination. We are not satisfied that we are doing enough for blind individuals who have served their country.
We believe that Committee members were correct to raise the issue of transition services for blind youth. The handoff from the special education system for blind children to the VR system is a critical one. In several states, that transition starts at age fourteen but not here. We must find a way to transition our blind youth much more effectively. Long term this leads to higher rates of success in placing younger blind people into employment and less time spent as clients of VR.

QUESTIONS THIS COMMITTEE SHOULD CONSIDER

Some questions that we suggest you might consider are:

o What is the best structure through which to deliver vocational rehabilitation services to the blind in Colorado: through a separate agency reporting directly to the Governor; through a separate agency reporting directly to the Executive Director of CDLE; or through a separate unit within DVR with its own staff and identifiable budget?
o How many vocational rehabilitation counselors are there in total working for Colorado DVR?
o How many of these counselors have blind or visually impaired clients on their caseload - a viewed through a snapshot of one day or some period of time?
o How many of DVR's Counselors have caseloads specifically dedicated to serving blind or visually impaired clients?
o How many caseloads are comprised of 50 percent or more, blind and visually impaired clients?
o How many counselors are serving blind and visually impaired clients whose caseloads are under 50 percent blind/visually impaired cases?
o Of these latter caseloads, what is the average on the snapshot day of blind and visually impaired persons per caseload?
o Are there supervisors to whom counselors serving blind and visually impaired counselors report? For caseloads of 50 percent or more blind cases, or dedicated caseloads?
o How many management staff are dedicated to coordinating services and counselors serving blind and visually impaired caseloads?
o What specific training is there for working with blind and visually impaired clients and what resources exist?
o What new innovative services can be attempted to turn the blind and low vision of this state into tax payers rather than the recipient of tax dollars?
o How can we promote greater opportunity for blind persons to establish and own their own businesses: though tax credits; low cost loans; more specialized training?
o How can we better coordinate services for blind veterans and maximize opportunities for those who have been blinded in service to their country?
o How can we integrate services for blind seniors leading to greater independence and the ability to return to the workforce if desired? Should services for older individuals who are blind remain within CDHS or transfer also to CDLE?
o Are we maximizing opportunities for blind Coloradans in the state’s Randolph-Sheppard Program also known as the Business Enterprises Program?
o What can we do to augment transition services for blind youth leaving the secondary education system transitioning into vocational rehabilitation? Should we lower the age at which VR serves blind youth to fourteen as several other states have done?
o How can we augment placement of blind VR clients into competitive employment? What new innovative approaches and strategies exist?
o How do we provide the most meaningful and effective access technology to blind persons and how can we work with employers to create environments where that technology can be best put to use?

Certainly there are other questions that should be asked, and the Committee process will undoubtedly unearth these. However, we feel the above is a good place to start.

CONCLUSION

Finally, I want to thank this Committee for an historic opportunity to tackle the barriers faced by the blind. We are emerging from a very difficult period for vocational rehabilitation services in our state. However, as often is true, periods of great struggle provide opportunity for meaningful change. Let us seize this moment and fashion programs for the blind which all the world will wish to replicate! We look forward to working with you on this exciting project and stand ready to provide whatever assistance we can.

Respectfully submitted,

Scott C. LaBarre

President, NFB Colorado

Request for interim study committee regarding vocational rehabilitative services for the blind

(Editor's Note: This is the Legislative Council's final document with respect to the creation of the Interim Committee to Study Vocational Rehabilitative Services for the Blind. It is taken from the official PDF which can be found at https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/sites/default/files/2015-3ServicesforBlindFINALRequest.pdf.)

COLORADO GENERAL ASSEMBLY
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Sen. Bill Cadman, Chairman
Rep. Dickey Lee Hullinghorst, Vice Chairman
Sen. Morgan Carroll
Sen. Mark Scheffel
Rep. Brian DelGrosso
Rep. Crisanta Duran
STAFF
Mike Mauer, Director
Amy Zook, Deputy Director
COMMITTEE
Sen. Rollie Heath
Sen. Matt Jones
Sen. Kevin Lundberg
Sen. Vicki Marble
Sen. Ellen Roberts
Rep. Jessie Ulibarri
Rep. Perry Buck
Rep. Lois Court
Rep. Lois Landgraf
Rep. Polly Lawrence
Rep. Jovan Melton
Rep. Angela Williams
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
ROOM 029 STATE CAPITOL
DENVER, COLORADO 80203-1784
E-mail:
lcs.ga@state.co.us
303-866-3521 FAX: 303-866-3855 TDD: 303-866-3472
This letter reflects the authorization for the committee as approved by Legislative
Council at its meeting on April 24, 2015.
Requested by: Representative Lee
With support of: Senator Merrifield
Re: Request for interim study committee regarding vocational rehabilitative
services for the blind
Date: 04/24/2015
Information Required Pursuant to Section 2-3-303.3, C.R.S.
The Legislative Council approves the creation of an interim study committee to study vocational
rehabilitative services for the blind through the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR)
during the interim between the 2015 and 2016 legislative sessions. The interim study
committee is named the “Interim Committee to Study Vocational Rehabilitative Services for the
Blind.”
The Joint Budget Committee (JBC) is sponsoring Senate Bill 15-239, which concerns the
transfer of vocational rehabilitation programs, including the business enterprise program, from
the Department of Human Services (DHS) to the Department of Labor and Employment
(CDLE), effective July 1, 2016. The sponsors commend the commitment, evidenced by this
move, on placing people with disabilities into competitive employment. However, in view of
concerns about DVR’s operations and delivery of vocational rehabilitative services for the blind,
the sponsors requested the interim study committee be created, as described below. The
interim study committee is to augment the quarterly reports from CDLE to the JBC, as required
by Senate Bill 15-239. The work of the interim study committee is in addition to the other
stakeholder outreach being done by the CDLE concerning the transfer of the DVR to the CDLE
Scope of the policy issues to be studied. In order to build a strong foundation for DVR in
CDLE and improve accountability and the delivery of vocational rehabilitative services for the
blind, the sponsors requested the creation of an interim committee to study the vocational
rehabilitative services for the blind is appropriate. The interim study committee will determine
the most effective structure and delivery model for vocational rehabilitative services and
supports for the blind from the DVR within CDLE. Specifically, the interim study committee is
mandated to make recommendations based on the following:
• the findings and recommendations of the November 2013 Legislative Audit, as those findings and recommendations concern the blind, including identification
of “…pervasive problems in the Program that raise questions about the Division’s oversight, system of internal controls, and culture of accountability”;

• evaluation of the delays in delivery of vocational rehabilitative services to the blind;
• assessment of the efficacy of the application, receipt, and use of federal 1973 Rehabilitation Act “110” funding for the blind;
• consideration of any and all issues identified in the National Federation of the Blind Colorado Resolution 2014-11-2, Resolution 2014-01 (Attachment
A); and
• consideration of any other issues related to the effective delivery of vocational rehabilitative services to the blind to assist them in obtaining job
skills and long-term high paying jobs.
list end nesting level 1
list end
Committee meeting requirements and structure. The interim study committee should meet
as determined by the interim study committee, but may hold up to 6 meetings during
July through November and report to Legislative Council by November 15, 2015. The interim
study committee should hold a meeting on the Western Slope, possibly Grand Junction, or
arrange for remote testimony. The interim study committee can refer up to 3 bills to Legislative
Council.
The interim study committee consists of 6 members:
• 3 members of the Senate, with 2 appointed by the President of the Senate and 1 appointed by the minority leader of the Senate; and
• 3 members of the House of Representatives, with 2 appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and 1 appointed by the minority leader of
the House of Representatives; and
list end
When appointing the legislative members, consideration should be given to the membership of
the committees of reference responsible for business, employment, and human services. The
appointments must be made by July 1, 2015. The chair shall be appointed by the Speaker of
the House of Representatives, and the sponsors suggest Representative Jessie Danielson be
appointed as the chair of the interim study committee. The interim study committee shall elect
a vice-chair from its members.
Nonlegislative members will not be appointed to the interim committee, but are encouraged to
provide information, testify, and work with the committee. It is critical for stakeholders and
activists in the blind community participate with the interim study committee. A task force is not
necessary because of the work being done by the CDLE pursuant to Senate Bill 15-239.
Other Information Related to the Interim Study Committee
Other agencies that may be called upon to provide assistance or information include: DHS;
CDLE; Colorado Department of Education; Colorado Department of Higher Education; National
Federation of the Blind; business advocates, such as the Colorado Association of Commerce
and Industry, National Federation of Independent Business, and various chambers of
commerce; and others entities as determined by the interim study committee.

Resolution 2014-07 Regarding a Request that the State Legislature Convene an Interim Committee to Study Services for the Blind

(Editor's Note: August 12, 2015 marks the first meeting of the Legislature's Interim Study Committee on Vocational Rehabilitation Services for the Blind. This Resolution passed in our November 2014 Convention was our first statement of resolve to improve the opportunities for blind Coloradans by striving to improve the Vocational Rehabilitation services tasked with assisting us to become integrated in the economic fabric of the state.)

WHEREAS, a robust economy and healthy tax base require the inclusion of all Colorado citizens, who are willing and able to work, to actively participate in civic life, and pay their fair share; and

WHEREAS, the opportunity to take part in the social and economic fabric of our state is no less sought after by people who are blind than any other group of citizens; and

WHEREAS, our unique Colorado culture requires equality of opportunity for all; and

WHEREAS, such a requirement demands a variety of programs and services, which exist to bring appropriate regulation, the fostering of entrepreneurship, education, training and rehabilitation, and job placement to a diverse number of Colorado citizens; and

WHEREAS, people who are blind must have effective training in a discrete and specialized skill set in order to be successfully employed and integrated into the economic fabric of the state and nation; and

WHEREAS, state vocational rehabilitation programs are mandated by Federal and state law, and designated and monitored by the United States Department of Education Rehabilitation Services Administration to provide such services; and

WHEREAS, effective vocational rehabilitation requires that administrators,
supervisors, and counselors providing these necessary services to the blind absolutely must have a belief in the capacity of the blind, and possess a thorough understanding of the nonvisual and low vision strategies and adaptive technologies necessary for successful rehabilitation of their clients; and

WHEREAS, Colorado's Division of Vocational Rehabilitation has only a handful of counselors serving blind clients, and no distinct entity providing services to blind Coloradans nor supervisors specifically charged with providing services to the blind; and

WHEREAS, the extensive services often necessary for blind clients are rarely understood by Colorado Division of Vocational Rehabilitation supervisors and managers despite federal and state requirements for individualized services, leading to pernicious delays and unjust, immoral, and illegal denials of legitimate services, and the exercise of federally mandated Informed Choice; and

WHEREAS, a Division of Vocational Rehabilitation working group recently created new policies in answer to a Legislative Audit recommendation regarding time limits in which services must be provided, but admitted that no consideration was given to clients who are blind or the policy's impact on those blind clients when developing these arbitrary and capricious restrictions; and

WHEREAS, unlike almost every other single state in the nation, the Colorado Department of Human Services, which houses the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation has time and time, and time again submitted a budget, which does not allow the state to take full advantage of significant Federal “110” dollars, which can be drawn down in direct support of adjustment, training, and job placement for people who are blind; and

WHEREAS, the blind of Colorado can no longer stand by while inadequate services are delivered through the current administrative structure; and

WHEREAS, there is irrefutable evidence from the many states which have separate identifiable services for the blind that greater outcomes and reduced costs result from a separate state agency model: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind of Colorado in Convention assembled, this second day of November, 2014, in the City of Lone Tree, Colorado, that this organization calls upon the President of the Colorado Senate and the Speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives to convene a special interim committee of the General Assembly to consider how best to address the woeful service delivery system of the Colorado Division of Vocational Rehabilitation; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this committee be instructed to give strong consideration to the establishment of a separate, dedicated unit within state government to provide the targeted expertise necessary to enhance quality of life and improve employment outcomes for Colorado’s blind citizens.

No time to rest for NFBCO after #NFB15

Editor's Note: Many of us have just returned from our historic #NFB15 75th Anniversary convention in Orlando, where we broke the Guinness World Record for an umbrella mosaic as a way of celebrating. More than one hundred Colorado Federationists helped make up the 2480 record-breaking participants that spelled out our tag line, "Live the life you want." There's no time for rest though. Already two successful BELL Camps were held last week - in the north Metro area and in Colorado Springs - bringing Braille enrichment and fun to Colorado''s blind kids. Here are some events coming up in the next week.

Student Division

Hey there everybody -

Get ready. Colorado Association of Blind Students (CABS) will be having a meeting on Sunday July 19 at 8 pm (mountain time).  We will be discussing the upcoming student
seminar, Colorado's state convention and fundraisers. We want lots of input so come join and tell your friends to do the same.  The conference call number
is:



1 (832) 551-5900

enter the pin number: 140017#<

Hope to see you there!

Anna E Givens

Sports & Rec Division

Monthly Conference Call

Hi everyone,  The NFB of Colorado Sports and Rec division is having a conference call on Monday July 20 at 7:30 for anyone who wants to join us. 

The number to call is 712-432-1500 and the access code is 564151#. 

Talk to you then.

Monique Melton, Secretary

Mile High Chapter

The Mile High Chapter of the NFBCO moved our July meeting from 15 July to 22 July 2015.  The meeting will be at 5:45 p.m. at our usual location, 1020 Fifteenth Street, Recreation Room, Denver, CO 80202

Gary Van Dorn

President, Mile High NFBCO

Denver Chapter Picnic

July 25 will be the Denver Chapter picnic, with a short meeting at 10 a.m. There will be games on the lawn, chili dogs and a lot of fun! Picnic ends at 2 p.m.

Join us at the Colorado Center for the Blind next Saturday; 2233 W. Shepperd Avenue, Littleton.

North Metro Chapter Fundraiser

Join the North Metro Chapter for their annual wine-tasting on Saturday, July 25, 2015 from 6:00 PM  until  9:00 PM at



Spero Winery

3316 W 64th Avenue
Denver, CO 80221

Contact/RSVP: Jon Deden 

303.507.7677

We are hosting an National Federation of the Blind NFB Fundraiser to taste 22 different types of wine, enjoy fabulous food, decadent chocolate and desserts.

$55 at the door

North Metro Chapter meetings are held every third Saturday of the month, please visit
www.nfbco.org for more information.

Interim Study Committee Members Soon To Be Appointed

By: Kevan Worley

As readers of this Blind Coloradan blog are aware, prior to the adjournment of the recent session of the Colorado General Assembly, State Representative Pete Lee, with the support of Senator Michael Merrifield, requested that an interim committee to study services for the blind of Colorado be appointed. The committee appointment is subject to Joint Rule 24A, which governs interim committee requirements, voting requirements, and electronic requirements. Representative Lee’s request was approved. General Assembly leadership must appoint members to the committee by July 1, 2015. Public hearings will be scheduled around the state through the summer and fall. A report of the committee must be submitted to the Legislative Council by November 15. This committee will permit the voice of the blind of Colorado to be heard. Below, please find the text contained in Representative Lee’s request. --K.W.

I hereby request that an interim study committee be formed to study vocational rehabilitative services for the blind through the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) during the interim between the 2015 and 2016 legislative sessions.  The interim study committee would be named the "Interim Committee to Study Vocational Rehabilitative Services for the Blind.”



The Joint Budget Committee (JBC) is sponsoring Senate Bill 15-239, which concerns the transfer of vocational rehabilitation programs, including the business enterprise program, from the Department of Human Services (DHS) to the Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE), effective July 1, 2016.  I commend the commitment, evidenced by this move, on placing people with disabilities into competitive employment. However, in view of concerns about DVR’s operations and delivery of vocational rehabilitative services for the blind, I believe an interim study committee is necessary as described below.  The interim study committee would augment the quarterly reports from CDLE to the JBC, as required by Senate Bill 15-239.  The work of the interim study committee would be in addition to the other stakeholder outreach being done by the CDLE concerning the transfer of the DVR to the CDLE.



Scope of the policy issues to be studied.  In order to build a strong foundation for DVR in CDLE and improve accountability and the delivery of vocational rehabilitative services for the blind, I believe that an interim committee to study the vocational rehabilitative services for the blind is appropriate.  The interim study committee would determine the most effective structure and delivery model for vocational rehabilitative services and supports for the blind from the DVR within CDLE.  Specifically, the interim study committee should be mandated to make recommendations based on the following:

• the findings and recommendations of the November 2013 Legislative Audit, as those findings and recommendations concern the blind, including identification of “…pervasive problems in the Program that raise questions about the Division’s oversight, system of internal controls, and culture of accountability”;
• evaluation of the delays in delivery of vocational rehabilitative services to the blind;
• assessment of the efficacy of the application, receipt, and use of federal 1973 Rehabilitation Act “110” funding for the blind;
• consideration of any and all issues identified in the National Federation of the Blind Colorado Resolution 2014-11-2, Resolution 2014-01 (Attachment A); and
• consideration of any other issues related to the effective delivery of vocational rehabilitative services to the blind to assist them in obtaining job skills and long-term high paying jobs.

Committee meeting requirements and structure.  The interim study committee should meet as determined by the interim study committee, but should hold at least six meetings during July through November and report to Legislative Council by November 15, 2015.  The interim study committee should hold a meeting on the Western Slope, possibly Grand Junction, or arrange for remote testimony.  The interim study committee can refer up to three bills to Legislative Council. 



I suggest the interim study committee should consist of eleven members: four members of the Senate, with two appointed by the President of the Senate and two appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate; four members of the House of Representatives, with two appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and two appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives; and three nonlegislative members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives from statewide organizations representing the blind, independent living, and the State Rehabilitation Council.  When appointing the legislative members, consideration should be given to the membership of the committees of reference responsible for business, employment, and human services.  The appointments must be made by July 1, 2015.   The chair shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and I suggest Representative Jessie Danielson be appointed as the chair of the interim study committee.  The interim study committee shall elect a vice-chair from its members.   



It is critical for stakeholders and activists in the blind community participate with the interim study committee, as outlined above.

…

Thank you for your consideration of this request.

A Lifelong Habit of the Sunday Denver Post Enabled by NFB Newsline®

by Dan Burke

(Editor's Note: NFB Newsline® is an accessible newspaper and magazine delivery service open to blind and others with barriers to reading print. Developed by the National Federation of the Blind (NFB), it also receives support for some publications from the National Library Service for the Blind and is free to all its eligible subscribers. The NFB of Colorado sponsors the service here, and Jon Deden handles calls for information. You can call him at 303-778-1130, extension 303, or visit the NFB of Colorado's NFB Newsline® page. I want to give a shout out also to Ryan Osentowski who takes care of technical matters for Colorado's NFB Newsline® service, such as uploading blog posts from The Blind Coloradan to the local channel.)

One of my guilty pleasures is reading the Sunday Denver Post. It's a nearly-lifelong indulgence that is now enabled by NFB Newsline®.



Though I lived in Montana for over 30 years and joined the Federation there, I grew up in Loveland, Colorado. That's where the Sunday habit of the Denver Post began with my Dad's dramatized reading of the funnies - the excitingly colored comics that came in their own dedicated section as though just for my siblings and I as we piled on and around him on the couch after church. In a modulated voicing perhaps influenced by the radio-only entertainment of his own growing-up years in Depression-era South Dakota, he read and riffed on Beetle Bailey, Blondie and Dagwood, Dick "The Stick" Tracy (in his rendition), and Snuffy Smith.



I was able to struggle through the paper into my late teens, so before long I didn't have to wait till my Dad could be corraled on the couch to read to us, but I could read them for myself. The Sunday funny papers were the gateway drug to reading the Post on Sunday.



Next came the other special Sunday sections - the TV listings in the Roundup, Empire magazine, and ultimately the hard stuff - Oliphant's political cartoons , the front pages and the op-ed pages. I became a fifth grade news junkie. I was, for example, the only 11-year-old in my class in early 1968 that knew that Richard Nixon, then seeking the Republican nomination for President, had run against JFK in 1960 and, with the entry that spring of Bobby Kennedy into the Democratic primaries, an historic rematch of sorts might be in the offing for the November election.



Not long after, I actually delivered the Denver Post for a time, and the Sunday delivery was truly epic. Sunday-only subscribers more than doubled the number of papers to deliver (the Loveland Daily Reporter-Herald had no Sunday edition in those days), and the physical size of the paper was enormous - the size of a healthy Yule log and almost as dense. It was delivered to news carriers in three separate bundles - first the Classified section Saturday afternoon, and then the funnies and other special Sunday magazines and ads, and finally the Sunday news and sports sections. These all had to be inserted one into another before rolling the paper in half and rubber-banding it.

The route was large - too large - and would soon be split as the subdivision north of 29th Street continued to sprout new houses monthly. Kneeling on the garage floor to stuff the three sections into one and roll them, my hands and the thighs of my jeans would soon be plack with newsprint, and the stack of Sunday papers approaching the size of a half cord of firewood when I finished.



In those days, paperboys usually delivered from a bike or on foot, their papers loaded in a large canvas carrier's bag. Sunday was just too big for that. I could only carry about a dozen to twenty Sunday Denver Posts in my delivery bag, compared to the entire route of 60 or so papers of the daily run. The one time I tried this with the bag wound around the handlebars of my hand-painted one-speed, it took me hours as I returned home time and again to refill the bag and head out to resume deliveries.



From then on I loaded the papers into the trunk of our '62 Rambler Classic, which Dad backed into the driveway Saturday night. When the trunk filled I stacked them on the back seat and floor of the 4-door. I hired both of my younger brothers, and with Dad driving slowly through the sleepy streets, we trotted back and forth to the car for reloads and then worked our way up and down street after street.



By the time I was in college the print was too small for me to read much of the paper. Later I moved to Montana and sometimes read portions of the Sunday papers using a CCTV, but that was a dwindling return for my investment, and the pleasure of the Sunday paper became just a nagging void each week.



But we are the National Federation of the Blind, and it isn't our way to dwell on the things that blindness prevents us from doing or enjoying - we figure out ways to do and enjoy those things that our sighted peers do and enjoy. Enter NFB Newsline®.



When Newsline finally came to Montana in 2002 the newspaper famine for the blind ended. Yes, there were the two Montana papers, including the Missoulian, but also soon other treats - the New Yorker and the Denver Post. It would prove to be the end of the LAN line era, true, but I still bought a ten-dollar speaker phone at one of the sprawling mega-stores for the sole purpose of sitting beside it with a cup of coffee and reading the papers on Newsline. It wasn't long before the Sunday Denver Post became part of my regular reading list again.



I guess it just proves that an addict is always one hit away from relapse.

Nowadays the Sunday Denver Post isn't nearly as large as in the old days ... or maybe that's just the diffference in perspectives between childhood and adulthood. Nonetheless, it's still substantial and the the Sunday paper is still a shared thing at our house. I like to read Newsline on my laptop, using the clean web interface. Often Julie and I read things together, sports articles on the Broncos or Rockies, Ask Amy (like folksinger John Prine I regularly read Dear Abby) and any other items of interest.



I have a routine with the Sunday Post. There's no more Empire Magazine, though NFB Newsline does feature the weekly Sunday supplement Parade, but I have never found it interesting. Instead, I go right to the Book section, which is where I first read about the late Denver writer, Gary Reilly and the launching of his Asphalt Warrior series of comic novels. (The first book of the series was recorded by the Colorado Talking Book Library, and was its first book to be accepted on BARD - DBC00656).

Next, I read the Arts section. From there, what I read and in what order is more a matter of whimsy - I might start on the front page and Local sections, or the sports section. Finally, I might poke through some of the other sections for anything of interest.



Of course, it's the year 2015, so I am alerted to a good deal of the news I consume via social media. I follow a couple of reporters for the Denver Post and public radio, and still follow reporters and bloggers from Montana. But you know, for fast and efficient access to the news, nothing beats NFB Newsline's web interface or the nimble mobile apps for getting my news fix. In fact, I love the iPhone app on workday mornings, when my newspaper reading is understandably more rushed.



Sunday though, that's a lock. I'll be logging in on NFB Newsline® to read the Denver Post!

“Blind Justice, but Broken”

by Ryan Osentowski



(Editor's Note: The online film and TV giant Netflix has been under pressure to provide audio descriptions with its streaming service for some time. This spring it announced audio description would become available and, interestingly enough, launched the new service with its newest TV series, "Daredevil," based on the Marvel Comics superhero who is blind. Guess Netflix figured blind folks are big Daredevil fans. Ryan O decided he'd find out if we should be, and here's his review of the first year of the program.)



In his 1974 banquet speech, “Blindness: Is Literature Against Us,” Dr. Kenneth Jernigan posed a question that resonates well into the 21st century. How accurately does the media portray the blind? A decade earlier, Daredevil sprang into being on the pages of Marvel Comics. In 1964, the character seemed to be born of forward thinking. A blind lawyer who doubles as a superhero? How cool! Fifty-one years later, the post modern depiction of Daredevil as offered in a Netflix original series seems weighed down by the same misconceptions that have plagued the blind since the days of scripture.



Charlie Cox plays Matt Murdock; struggling lawyer, martial arts expert and all-around angry blind guy. Murdock doesn’t find the daily grind of being a lawyer to be challenging enough, so he runs around New York City after dark as a masked vigilante doing battle with the forces of evil. Murdock was blinded at age nine in a car accident in which his eyes were burned by chemicals. The chemicals (we never learn exactly what they are) cause his other senses to be heightened, thereby rendering him supersensitive to sound, touch, taste and smell. As an adult, Murdock uses these abilities in tandem with his acrobatic and combat skills to fight crime. He faces a diverse arrayed of enemies including ruthless Russian mobsters, Japanese ninjas, a shadowy organization controlled by a psychotic rich white guy in a penthouse and an elderly Chinese woman with a mysterious agenda.



The approach that the writers take to the development of Matt Murdock as a blind character is summed up by a scene from the first episode. Matt is conversing with Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll), his first client and future girl Friday. She says, “Can I ask you a question?” Anticipating her he retorts, “I wasn’t born blind.” Every blind person can relate to this. It’s one of the favorite early openers I experience when sighted people are trying to get to know me. Sooner or later, the predictable question, “Were you born blind?” comes down the pike. By having Matt cut her off before she can ask, it seems as if the writers are making an early effort to address some of the stereotypes and misconceptions surrounding blindness.



Yet, in the very next bit of dialogue, my hopes are dashed. Karen asks Matt, “So how do you comb your hair?” He replies (straight-faced), “I hope for the best.” I comb my hair everyday and I also hope for the best, but it has more to do with covering over my bald spot, rather than my blindness. It’s possible that Matt was joking, but this seems unlikely given the taciturn nature of the character.



The rest of the series follows in this same vein. Matt seems to kick down one stereotype as readily as he kicks down his opponents, but for every myth about blindness that he shatters, he propagates two more. Matt’s alter ego is the personification of another long held stereotype. How many of us have been asked, “Do your other senses make up for your loss of sight?” The writers, of course, can explain this away. Daredevil is a character based in the superhero genre; a genre that is often tinged with elements of science fiction and fantasy. If he does embody those stereotypes, it is appropriate in this particular niche.



Matt carries a folding cane and sometimes uses it, yet discards it when he goes into Daredevil mode, casually tossing it into a conveniently handy trash can or alley. His sharpened senses allow him to travel without a mobility aid of any type. In the season finale, he sports a new and improved cane that can separate into a pair of fighting sticks.



On the positive side, we repeatedly see Matt reading Braille. He learns Braille in flashbacks as a child, he uses Braille law books as an adult and, in one scene, he uses a refreshable Braille display. This is a marked improvement over the comic version, in which Matt’s fingertips could detect print letters on the page.



Matt Murdock’s mentor is an angry old blind ninja known only as, Stick. (Insert your own obvious joke here.) Stick has no use for sentiment or emotion, and for that matter, eyesight. “He taught me that my blindness isn’t a disability; that sight is merely a distraction,” Matt says. This is a rare and unique viewpoint, but in the first episode, Matt admits to Karen that he misses his vision. “I’d give anything to see the sky one more time,” he says in his typical melancholy manner.



Stick (Scott Glenn) puts a fine point on the argument in his first conversation with young Matt after he is blinded. “You had nine years of looking up womens’ skirts. That’s nine years that I never had,” he chides. Personally, I’d like to think that this nice little boy wasn’t looking up anyone’s skirt in his first nine years of life.



Beneath the flippancy of Stick’s remark, the message is evident. Stop feeling sorry for yourself and move on. This is a noble notion, though the premise of, ‘sighted people have it better,’ still remains at the periphery. Post partum blindness brings with it a normal and understandable amount of grieving. Yet, it’s not hard to discern that despite his super abilities, Matt never really stopped grieving. In fact, Daredevil himself is a living, breathing symbol of grief; at least, the angry stage of it. There are valid reasons for this beyond the loss of his vision; the violent death of his father and the overall state of an unjust world. This is standard in the superhero universe, but the writers never fully deal with the resolution of Matt’s grief over his blindness as a solid concept.



But let’s turn our attention to the other side of the coin; Matt Murdock Esq. Again, the writers seem to be lost in a limbo land of conflicting clichés, many of which begin and end within the friendship between Matt and Franklin ‘Foggy’ Nelson (Elden Henson.) Matt and Foggy met as roommates in law school, where Foggy pulled the tired prank of moving the furniture on the blind guy. Thereafter, they become best friends and eventually, partners in their own law practice.



Despite his Braille skills, Matt doesn’t carry a watch and thus, has to ask Foggy the time. Yet, he does carry a talking cell phone. Foggy loves to describe beautiful women for Matt. Foggy routinely says, “She just shrugged,” or “She just curtsied.” I’ve never held conversations such as this with my sighted peers. Moreover, I’ve never known any blind person who has. All of the blind people I know would think it rude to talk around a sighted person in such a manner. It’s clear that much of Matt and Foggy’s interactions are intended to be comical, but comedy steeped in ignorance is no longer acceptable. Just ask Mr. Magoo.



Matt’s enhanced abilities allow him to hear a juror’s quickening heartbeat, yet he relies on Foggy to tell him when it’s safe to cross a busy street. Matt can stalk a moving car from rooftops by listening to the music coming from the car radio, but he relies on a realtor to walk him around his new law offices in order to become acclimated to the surroundings. He can take out a room full of armed Russian gangsters bare-handed, but he doesn’t know if his professional and residential dwellings are clean.



Probably the most troubling stereotype arises when we learn that Matt loves to feel the faces of other people. In a flashback to his childhood, we see Matt (Skylar Gaertner) feel his prize fighting father’s battered face as a way to gain the motivation to learn braille. As an adult, Matt continues the trend whenever he encounters an attractive woman. Foggy needles him for this behavior while simultaneously encouraging it. With only a few exceptions, feeling a woman’s face is a form of intimate familiarity. Yet, Matt seems to use it as a get-acquainted gesture in order to gage the appearance of a woman. Of all the myths we encounter on this series, this is the one that strikes me as the most antiquated, and perhaps the most harmful.



SPOILER ALERT!!!



At the beginning of the series, Foggy is unaware of Matt’s duel identity. Later, Foggy discovers the truth. Prior to this revelation, Matt would return from combat with one or more foes and Foggy would inquire as to the numerous cuts and bruises on Matt’s face. Matt would respond with a standard variant of the excuse, “I fell down.” Foggy buys it without question. When Matt’s secret is exposed, Foggy is outraged that Matt kept the truth from him. “All these years, I felt sorry for you,” Foggy says indignantly. A very telling statement, and one that changes the context of their already lopsided relationship. Is the betrayal Foggy feels that of a best friend who has been lied to for years, or that of a caregiver who’s subject has been far more independent than he previously thought?



I found the exploits of Matt Murdock Esq. to be far more engrossing than those of his nocturnal counterpart. In the third episode, (“Rabbit in a Snowstorm,”) Matt is given a chance to shine as an attorney. He delivers an excellent opening statement to a jury and pours over his Braille law books seeking a legal strategy. His powers inevitably come into play later in the story, but it was fun to sit and watch Matt just being a lawyer for once. Of course, it’s unrealistic to hope that Matt the lawyer will take center stage for a large portion of the story. Fans aren’t tuning in for a courtroom drama. Yet, as I watched Matt orate, I longed for a series in which a blind lawyer could actually be depicted in an accurate light.



The proliferation of movies, television programs and the rise of the internet have only added weight to the impact of the media on societal views of blindness. Daredevil serves as the latest example of the unfortunate answer to Dr. Jernigan’s question. Where the entertainment media is concerned, the fictional blind are moving forward, but only with baby steps. Given this reality, it is more important than ever that we of the National Federation of the Blind continue to educate our sighted peers that the blind are far more layered and nuanced than a cartoon spawned in the pages of a comic book.

Pueblo: The Little Chapter That Could

By James Beal

Here’s a bit of NFB of Colorado Trivia I bet you don’t know. Next to Denver, what chapter in Colorado has been in continuous operation the longest?



The answer: Pueblo, 37 years.



And there are a lot of good things happening down here, too!



Our chapter is composed of mostly seniors with our youngest member age 43 and our oldest 93, but we’ve been reaching out to new folks in the area.



During our March meeting we worked with area Teachers of the Visually Impaired and Connecting Computers for the Blind, a non-profit organization based in Colorado Springs, to secure two laptops with JAWS 16 for two deserving blind high school students in our area. In addition to the computers, each student received taped instructions on how to use JAWS and NVDA screen reading software, which were pre-installed.



Cole is a sophomore at Pueblo South high School with plans to attend CSU Fort Collins majoring in agriculture. He lives with his family in Beulah, Colorado and is interested in sports. He was unable to attend the recent expo sponsored by the Sports and Recreation division due to the deluge of rain we received here in southern Colorado. Cole is planning to try out for the football team as a kicker. He has the size and the strength for it. We will keep you informed on his progress.



Sara is a senior at Trinidad high School. She applied for state and national scholarships this year and plans to attend Trinidad State Junior College as a pre-law major. Sara is president of the Trinidad high School honor Society, has participated as one of two students from her school in the Colorado Close Up program in Washington D.C., and helps out every year with Vacation Bible School in her local church. She has already asked for Scott LaBarre to keep in touch with her as she wants to know how to best prepare herself for a career as a lawyer. She, her mother, and Kathy Gallena, the Teacher of the Visually Impaired who works with Sara, traveled the 90 miles each way to pick up the computer and to meet with Michael Massey, NFB of Pueblo president, to discuss her scholarship and scholastic ambitions. She is interested in becoming involved in our At Large Chapter.



We have another state and national scholarship applicant. Her name is Sandy Schlike. She is on our board. Sandy is a mother of three, one girl in middle school and two boys in grade school. She is a single parent who, besides being a full time student, has found the time to serve as scout leader for her daughter’s Girl Scout troop at Goodnight Elementary. Sandy is very heavily involved in her sons’ activities as well. She is studying to become either an elementary school math teacher or something related research dealing with epilepsy.



In April the chapter started a fundraiser. We are working with the Mountain man Company to sell their merchandise locally. They provide us with this under the name “River Trails” and even before our first fundraising outing, we already sold enough goodies to pay for our initial investment. Our first fundraising event was a table on Saturday, May 2, at the Big R Ranch Supply store. We raised a little money and met a lot of interesting people. Other fundraisers are planned for other locations.

When Pueblo Chapter Meets

We meet the second Saturday of each month starting at 1 p.m. Our May chapter meeting was scheduled for the same day as the fitness retreat in Littleton and, like Cole, we couldn’t get to the sessions. We also had to cancel the local meeting due to flooding.



Our chapter meets at the Wesley United Methodist Church, 85 Stanford Avenue in Pueblo, and has met there since 1995.



At our June 13 meeting, Pat Manzaneras, the business manager for pueblo Transit will be present to answer questions about changes being made in our fixed route service and in Citi-Lift, the local paratransit service. We have historically had an excellent relationship with City Council, Pueblo Transit, and Senior Resources for the Disabled (SRDA), the people who operate the paratransit.



We are in the process of planning our annual picnic and more details of this will be provided to you as we know them.

Contact the Pueblo Chapter

Michael Massey, President
719-542-3419
massey52@q.com

CO's Guide Dog Users' Seminar Coming Soon

The Colorado Association of Guide Dog Users (COAGDU)

Presents

Tails, Wags, & Pack Seminar

Guide Dog 102

Getting out From Behind the Fence

Saturday June 20, 2015

9:00 am – 4:30 pm

Colorado Center for the Blind

2233 West Shepperd Ave

Littleton, CO

Learn About

 Access Rights
 Is a Guide Dog for You?
 Care of Guide Dogs
 Guide Dogs and Your Life
 Guide Dog versus White Cane
And MUCH More!



Representatives Will Speak From ADA, TSA, RTD, Guide Dog Schools, Guide Dog Users & More.



RSVP by June 19th to Dishon Spears
Call: 303-778-1130 Ext. 246 or Email: dishonspears@comcast.net.



$10.00 fee includes Membership, Breakfast Lunch & Door Prize Drawings.
Dishon can answer questions about payment.

COAGDU is a proud division of the National Association of Guide Dog Users
and the NFB of Colorado