AERizona View
Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired ARIZONA CHAPTER
September 2011
Contents
Important Info… 3
Save The Date! 3
New to the AER Newsletter 3
Know someone who goes the extra mile 3
President’s Message 4
AZ AER needs you! 5
"Thank You" to the Arizona Blind & Deaf Children's Foundation 6
Conference Info 7
AER Conference Hotel Registration 7
THE MARGARET BLUHM WORKER OF THE YEAR AWARD 8
Nomination Criteria 8
Picture of Tamara Bishop-Amavilah 10
Picture of past recipients 10
Upcoming Events 11
ARIZONA BRAILLE & TALKING BOOK LIBRARY 11
White Cane Awareness Walk 11
2011 Regional Conference 12
Getting In Touch With Literacy Conference 13
Annual Blind Olympics 14
SHARP Summer Camp 2011 15
ViewFinder Advertisement 16
Foundation for Blind Children Low Vision Advertisement 17
Foundation for Blind Children Technology Advertisement 17
TVI Program at the UofA 18
University of Arizona News 19
TUCSON CAMPUS 20
TEACHING VISUALLY IMPAIRED STUDENTS 20
ORIENTATION AND MOBILITY 20
PHOENIX CAMPUS 21
NEVADA CAMPUS 22
A-Wright Place Advertisement 24
Meet Garrison Tsinajinie 24
The Hodgepodge 27
Bureau of Engraving and Printing Launches EyeNote™App 28
Arizona Centennial Resources for Education 29
directions for me TM 30
INTRODUCING YOUR AZ-AER BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR 2011-2012 31
PRESIDENT : RAJIV K. PANIKKAR 31
VICE-PRESIDENT DEETTE SNYDER 31
TREASURER KAREN ARON 32
SECRETARY COLLEEN OAKES 32
BOARD MEMBER SUZANNE CANOLE 33
BOARD MEMBER LENETTA LEFKO 33
BOARD MEMBER AMY LEWIS 34
BOARD MEMBER DEB DUBY 34
BOARD MEMBER TODD STEEN 34
Page 1
Important Info…
In this Issue:
Important Info...
President's Message...
A Special Thanks...
AZ Fall Conference...
MARGARET BLUHM...
Upcoming Events...
What's happening around the state...
News from UofA...
Profile of a UofA student...
Meet Your Board...
... AND MORE!
Save The Date!
AZ AER Fall Conference 2011
Thursday and Friday November 3rd & 4th
New to the AER Newsletter: Trade, Sale and Barter Section- Put unused items in the hands of someone who CAN put them to good use! Send a brief description of the item to for listing in the next newsletter.
Know someone who goes the extra mile? Let us know so we can recognize their contributions to the field!
"Everywhere is within walking distance if you have the time." ~Steven Wright
Photo- a sunset seen through a couple of saguaro cacti
Photo- a close-up of a section of saguaro
Logo- AZ-AER black on white with saguaro
Page 2
President’s Message
From Rajiv K. Panikkar
Dear Arizona-AER Members, Colleagues, and Friends,
I hope you had a relaxing and enjoyable summer, and this letter finds you all well and busy with the start of the 2011-2012 school year for some of you!
Our Spring Workshop on April 8th held at the Foundation for Blind Children in Phoenix, was a huge success. AZ-AER thanks our speakers Marc Ashton, Dr. Holly Lawson, Mark Nelson, Amy Lewis, Dr. Lisa Chiles, Amy Hyman, Karen Aron, Dr. Amy Lobben, and Rene’ Kladzyk.
Thanks to DeEtte and Kartar for putting together a wonderful program and thanks to FBC for the use of their facility. Due to the great turn out at the workshop, some participants did not receive a copy of the presentations CD. The presentations have been posted on the AZ AER website (http://azaer.aerbvi.org ). Please take some time to review these great presentations.
Please welcome your new Executive Board of Directors: Rajiv K. Panikkar- President; DeEtte Snyder- Vice-President; Colleen Oakes – Secretary; Karen Aron –Treasurer. The Past-President position held by Venetia Hayden was not filled at the end of her term in July of 2011. We thank Venetia for her years of dedicated service to AZ AER. The duties of the Past-President will be shared among the new Board until 2013, when I will rotate into the Past-President position in July, 2013.
A very special thank you to Matt Hogel and Carolyn Chenault for their dedicated service as Members at Large. Please welcome your new Members-at-Large: Carolyn Chenault, Deb Duby, Suzanne Canole, Lenetta Lefko, Amy Lewis, and Todd Steen.
Page 3
Changes to the Board- Beverly Benjamin who held the position of Treasurer has decided to resign due to personal and health reasons. The following appointments were made at the Board meeting on May 14th 2011: Karen Aron has been appointed to the position of Treasurer for the remainder of Beverly’s term which ends July of 2012. Carolyn Chenault was appointed to Karen Aron’s Member-at-Large position. Carolyn’s term will end July of 2013.
The entire Board is looking forward to serving the members of AZ AER. If you have any questions, concerns or suggestions please contact one of the Board Members. The contact information for the Board is listed on the AZ AER website.
AZ AER needs you! Please consider volunteering some your time (a few hours approximately once a month) to one of the many committees available. Please seek out a Board Member for more information. Our hope is to get involvement from all of you so that we can keep bringing you the great conferences and workshops that you have come to expect. This can only be achieved through your involvement on the Board and the various committees. Involvement on any of the Committees would be a good start if you are considering becoming a Board Member. Once again, AZ AER Needs You!!
The board has been busy planning our Fall “Across The Life Span… Transitions and More!” Conference on November 3rd and 4th at the Sheraton Phoenix Airport Hotel in vibrant Tempe. Our Keynote Speaker will be Dr. Kay Ferrell. Conference information will be posted on the AZ AER website, AZ AER listserv, and yes, on Facebook at Arizona AER.
In closing, I would like to add that I’m extremely proud to be a member of AZ AER and to have the opportunity to work with so many outstanding and dedicated professionals.
Respectfully,
Rajiv K. Panikkar,
President AZ AER
Photo- telescope observatory tower
Page 4
"Thank You" to the Arizona Blind & Deaf Children's Foundation for their support!
A TRIP TO REMEMBER... Nine middle school students from ASDB traveled to Wet Beaver Creek Wilderness just north of Camp Verde for a 4 day camping trip. The trip included plenty of opportunities for students to hike while learning how to use trekking poles, gather firewood, cook on a campfire, swim in the creek and do school work... some activities were more popular than others!
Photo, upper left- a student uses a braille writer to complete a writing assignment, trees and a tent are visible in the background.
Photo, upper right- 6 of the students swim in a deep pool in the creek, a fallen tree forms a bridge from shore to shore over their heads.
Photo, lower left- 6 of the students wearing backpacks hike a trail that winds between tall trees. The students are using trekking poles to navigate the rocky terrain.
Photo, lower center- students examine a tactile graph representing a food chain of desert animals.
Photo, lower right- 6 of the students wearing backpacks hike up a steep trail that leads towards a red sandstone cliff in the distance.
Page 5
Conference Info
PayPal now available! For Conference Registration
Across the Lifespan… Transitions and More!
November 3rd and 4th
Tempe, AZ
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Kay Ferrell
All conference registration links and the Program Description will be available on-line at the AZ AER website: http://azaer.aerbvi.org/
AER Conference Hotel Registration
Room rates are $109.00 and will be held at the discounted rate until October 7th.
If you plan to check in the day before the registration (November 2nd), hotel reservations will need to be made by calling Chris Robertson at 480-293-9057.
Sheraton Phoenix Airport Hotel Tempe
1600 S. 52nd Street
Tempe, AZ 85281
480-967-6600 or 800-325-3535
www.sheratonphoenixairport.com
Page 6
THE MARGARET BLUHM WORKER OF THE YEAR AWARD
NOMINATIONS ARE NOW BEING ACCEPTED!
Nominate a colleague for the Margaret Bluhm Worker of the Year Award. Let all the members of AZ-AER know who the dedicated movers and shakers are in the field here in Arizona. Tamara Bishop-Amavilah, our winner from last year, will be accepting nominations until September 30th. *Deadline now extended to October 9th! So, get those nominations submitted and recognize someone special whose contributions to the field of visual impairment have been outstanding! Fill out the form:
Click here to download the Word File - 2011 Bluhm Nomination and send your nominations to Tamara through email at:
Nomination Criteria
On February 1, 1989, the Arizona Chapter of the Association for Education & Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired voted to honor Margaret Bluhm by naming the award the Margaret Bluhm Worker of the Year Award. Any Chapter member in good standing who is not a previous winner of this Award shall be eligible for nomination. Selection criteria (in order of priority):
1. Service to blind and visually impaired persons, primarily in Arizona
2. Service to AER, primarily the Arizona Chapter
3. Service to his/her profession or the “blindness system”
4. Service to another special needs group or to the community; other relevant accomplishments.
Evaluation shall be based on the individual’s total career, with emphasis on the most recent years.
Fill out the form outlining reasons why the nominee is eligible for the award, so the selection committee, composed of the last 5 recipients, can choose this year’s winner!
graphic- circle with “deadline extended to October 9th
Picture of Tamara Bishop-Amavilah, Margaret Bluhm Worker of the Year 2010! With the 2009 award recipient, Jacki Daniels (right)
Picture of past recipients of the Margaret Bluhm Award
Page 7
Upcoming Events
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2011 – 9:00 to 3:00
ARIZONA BRAILLE & TALKING BOOK LIBRARY
Open House
Arizona State Library, a Division of the Secretary of State
1030 North 32nd Street, Phoenix, Arizona 85008
Celebrating the 80th Anniversary of the National Library Service
And Reading Our Way to The Arizona Centennial
Tours of the library every 10 minutes starting at 9 am RSVP by Oct. 17, 2011
Groups of 8 or more must call for a reservation –
Group tours start at 10:30 am
RSVP 602-255-5578 or 1-800-255-5578 •
To RSVP by email please respond to
White Cane Awareness Walk
Come help us raise awareness of Arizona’s White Cane Law: Drivers must yield to pedestrians using a white cane, while supporting the Foundation for Blind Children! This year’s activities will include a raffle, face painting, a blind fold obstacle course and much more!
WHEN:
Saturday, October 15th
7:30am registration
8:00am walk begins
WHERE:
CityScape 1 E. Washington St Phoenix AZ 85004
COST:
FREE to walk! T-shirts available for purchase day of event
RSVP:
Cody Alvarez 602-678-5817 or
Can’t make it to the event?
Join the raffle, you do not need to be present to win!
Tickets: 1 for $10 or 4 for $30
2011 Regional Conference
Featuring the AER Information & Technology Division
Conference Within a Conference
Crowne Plaza City Centre, Cleveland, Ohio ~ October 28-30
"Those that know, do. Those that understand, teach." -Aristotle
Page 8
Getting In Touch With Literacy Conference
Win, Place, and Show Up!
The 10th Biennial
Getting In Touch With Literacy Conference
December 7-10, 2011
Louisville, KY
Graphic= Getting In Touch With Literacy (in print and in braille) Louisville Kentucky 2011 (Picture of a horse rearing out of an open book) “Teaching reading IS rocket science.” “Today a reader, tomorrow a leader.”
This international conference draws attendees committed to improving literacy skills for students and adults who are visually impaired and blind. An impressive array of workshops and sessions will be offered, along with an exciting vendor hall, special events, and a celebrity auction!
Room rates at the historic Seelbach hotel are: $129 for a single room and $139 for a double room.
Registration available soon! www.gettingintouchwithliteracy.org Janie Blome, Jane Thompson, jthompson,
Like us on Facebook! (Facebook logo)
Follow us on Twitter! (Twitter logo)
Page 9
Annual Blind Olympics
Each year, Junior Blind and the Optimist Blind Youth Association host the Junior Blind Olympics, the premier sporting event for athletes from across the Western United States who are blind and visually impaired. The event allows access for all youth, despite their disabilities, to participate in challenging, fun and confidence-building activities. Competition includes shot put, archery, rowing, soccer throw, goal ball, rock wall climbing, running long jump and 50-yard dash. Nearly 1,000 athletes, family members, volunteers and supporters were at last year’s event on April 9, 2011. Children and youth from throughout California, Arizona, Nevada and Utah came to Junior Blind's Los Angeles campus to experience the thrill of competition and achievement. The Arizona State School for the Blind (ASB) took 62 students last year. ASB coordinates with the Coops so that students from all over Arizona will have the opportunity to participate. We take the students up for 5 days during which time they have the opportunity to go to the beach, amusement parks and an audio described movie. ASB encourages parents, Teacher and other vision professionals to contact the Junior Blind of America to obtain information: 323-295-4555. ASB is limited to taking students that are under their care but you can contact Ruth Parsons at 520-770-3439 to ask general questions.
Photo- a participant is throwing a shot-put ball while a coach looks on.
Photo- a participant readies for a shot with the bow and arrow, a target is visible in the background.
"Do not allow what you cannot do interfere with what you can do." -John Wooden
Page 10
SHARP Summer Camp 2011
By Cody Alvarez
This year, the Foundation for Blind Children offered its SHARP (Sports, Habilitation, Art & Recreation Program) Summer Camp from June 6th through June 30th. Thirty-eight participants experienced week long topics such as Wilderness, Technology, Fitness and Daily living skills. Each activity is specifically designed for children with visual impairments to increase their independence and confidence. The high school group got to participate in a robotics program held at ASU, instructed by Dr. Stephanie Ludi.
Some of the other highlights included:
Self-defense workshops by Sensei Mike Armstrong; planning and hosting a party in daily living skills; designing a web page in technology; pitching a tent and cooking hot dogs on a grill in wilderness. These are just a few of the many incredible memories created this summer.
Photo with caption- SHARP student, Carlos, uses the Voice Over function to independently access apps on the iPad.
"Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it. " -Lou Holtz
ViewFinder Advertisement
Low Vision Resource Center
HELPING THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED MAINTAIN THEIR INDEPENDENCE SINCE 1992
Lynne Noon, OD, FAAO Diplomate in Low Vision Rehabilitation
Kevin Huff, OD
1830 S. Alma School Road Suite 131
Mesa, Arizona 85210
480.924.8755
10001 West Bell Road
Suite 115
Sun City, Arizona 85351
623.583.2800
Practice Limited to Low Vision Rehabilitation