THE BRAILLE FORUM
Volume XLVIII February 2010 No. 8

Published by
the American Council of the Blind


THE AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND STRIVES TO INCREASE THE INDEPENDENCE, SECURITY, EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY, AND TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED PEOPLE.

Mitch Pomerantz, President
Melanie Brunson, Executive Director
Sharon Lovering, Editor

National Office:
2200 Wilson Blvd.
Suite 650
Arlington, VA 22201
(202) 467-5081
fax: (703) 465-5085
Web site: http://www.acb.org

THE BRAILLE FORUM (TM) is available in braille, large print, half-speed four-track cassette tape, and via e-mail. Subscription requests, address changes, and items intended for publication should be sent to Sharon Lovering at the address above, or via e-mail to [email protected].

The American Council of the Blind (TM) is a membership organization made up of more than 70 state and special-interest affiliates. To join, visit the ACB web site and complete an application form, or contact the national office at the number listed above.

Those much-needed contributions, which are tax-deductible, can be sent to Mike Godino at the above mailing address. If you wish to remember a relative or friend, the national office can make printed cards available for this purpose. To remember the American Council of the Blind in your Last Will and Testament, you may include a special paragraph for that purpose. If your wishes are complex, contact the ACB national office.

Join the Monthly Monetary Support (MMS) Program and help improve tomorrow today in ACB. Contact Ron Milliman by e-mail, [email protected], or by phone at (270) 782-9325 and get started making tomorrow look brighter today!

To make a contribution to ACB via the Combined Federal Campaign, use this number: 11155.

For the latest in legislative and governmental news, call the "Washington Connection" toll-free at (800) 424-8666, 5 p.m. to midnight Eastern time, or visit the Washington Connection online at http://www.acb.org.

Copyright 2010
American Council of the Blind


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

President's Message: Changing How Others See Us, by Mitch Pomerantz
A Reminder to Social Security Beneficiaries: You Have New Rights in the New Year, by Melanie Brunson
The Sunny Southwest: ACB Conference and Convention 2010, by Carla Ruschival
Second Annual ACB Walk, by Dan Dillon
Board of Publications Awards: This Year It Could Be You!
Spotlight Your Affiliate with a BOP Award!
The MMS Program Makes It Easier for You to Help ACB, by Dena Wilson
Affiliate News
Passings
My Very First Rehabilitation Lesson, by Carl Jarvis
Finding My Niche, by Barbara Mattson
Helping Hands, by Diane S. Ferrell
Letters to the Editor
Here and There, edited by Sue Lichtenfels
High Tech Swap Shop

FORUM SUBSCRIPTION NOTES
You can now get "The Braille Forum" by podcast! To subscribe, go to "The Braille Forum" page on www.acb.org. If you do not yet have a podcast client, you can download one from the Forum page.
To subscribe to "The Braille Forum" via e-mail, go to www.acb.org/mailman/listinfo/brailleforum-L.

ARE YOU MOVING? DO YOU WANT TO CHANGE YOUR SUBSCRIPTION?
Contact Sharon Lovering in the ACB national office, 1-800-424-8666, or via e-mail, [email protected]. Give her the information, and she'll take care of the changes for you.