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"Supporting
Students; Encouraging Leadership."
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THE STUDENT
ADVOCATE
Volume XVII Number I
Autumn 1998
Inside This Issue:
Message From the President
From the Editor
ACB Convention Report
Meet the NABS Board of Directors
Meet the ACB Staff Liaison for NABS
ACB Awards Scholarships to 29 Outstanding Students
ACB Scholarship Winners Speak
News from NABS State Affiliates
Working With Readers
Working with Disabled Students Services
Requests
Blind Teacher, Sighted Student
Career In Graphic Design
ACB Scholarships Available
Published by the American Council of the Blind in September, January, and April. Available in large print and cassette. Please direct all address changes, format changes, and subscription requests to the NABS liaison at 1155 15th St. NW, Suite 720, Washington, DC 20005, (202) 467 5081, Fa (202) 467 5085.
NABS Mission Statement
To encourage educational equity and excellence; To seek opportunity and worldwide
accessibility; To promote participation in this mission; To provide a forum
for blind and visually impaired students to discuss issues of concern to them;
To hold annual meetings to focus on topics of interest to blind and visually
impaired students throughout the United States; To participate in and create
meetings with professional organizations of interest to blind and visually impaired
students; And to provide the means by which the National Alliance of Blind Students
and its constituency may achieve.
National Alliance of Blind Students Board of Directors
President: Paulette Monthei - Iowa City, Iowa
Vice President: Samantha Schmucker - Alexandria, Virginia
Secretary: Jonathan Avila - Manassas, Virginia
Treasurer: Peter Ince - Los Angeles, California
Editor: Sarah Blake - Anderson, Indiana
Governors:
Stephen Speicher, Lincoln, Nebraska
Michael Byington, Topeka, Kansas
Mike Gravitt, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
ACB Liaison
Barbara Hayes, Falls Church, Virginia
Billie Jean Keith, Arlington, Virginia
MESSAGE FROM THE
PRESIDENT
by Paulette Monthei
As this upcoming year is the 25th anniversary of the National Alliance of Blind Students, it is my hope to reaffirm what NABS stands for and why its originators felt there was a need for such an organization. These are very different times from what our founders encountered. However, it is still necessary for blind students to unite and to have a place to express opinions, concerns, and to share experiences with other blind/visually impaired students. This is still the foundation for NABS. Our organization is committed to develop and implement change in response to your needs as students with visual impairments. Change is a fine feathered thing, but it can not take flight without help, ideas and imagination. As president of NABS I can do only so much without your input. The NABS officers and myself encourage you to contact us to express your ideas. (See contact information in this issue).
Because of our geographical diversity, it's easy for NABS members to lose touch with one another. Currently I am working on compiling an e-mail list to keep each other abreast of activities going on in each state. Affiliate officers as well as members can find updated information from the NABS board of directors, and the ACB national office. We need instant access to legislative issues, fundraising ideas, and upcoming events.
We hope you will enjoy the content and diversity of new STUDENT ADVOCATE articles. We planned them to provide information and tools to help make your college career much more satisfactory. We hope they will assist you on issues such as communication with college faculty and staff, accommodations, working with readers, and much more. And of course, we have included articles by students to express the uniqueness and challenges of being students who are blind and visually impaired. (Paulette Monthei's e-mail address is bmonthei@blue.weeg.uiowa.edu).
FROM THE EDITOR
by Sarah J. Blake
I am very honored to have the opportunity to serve as the editor of the STUDENT ADVOCATE. This is my first opportunity to try my hand at editing, and I hope that you will enjoy the results and find these issues full of interesting and helpful information. My hope is to create a newsletter which will reflect the diversity of the NABS membership. We come from all walks of life, areas of study, and various age groups. We have varying levels of disability and needs for accommodations in our lives as students. As the national publication of NABS, the Student Advocate should be a source of information which enhances the lives of all its readers and improves the quality of life as students. As the editor of this publication, I hope to include articles on various aspects of college life as well as help you get to know one another and increase the networking potential of the NABS membership. that None of this is possible without you. I need to hear your ideas. If you enjoy writing, I hope you'll even consider sending in an article. This is your opportunity to let your voice be heard. If you wish to send in an idea or article, there are several ways of contacting me. I can be contacted via email at grayce@iquest.net. My phone is (765) 640 5567. You can contact me in braille, on cassette, or in print. Please type your print correspondence or use a word processor. My address: 3718 Tulip, Anderson, Indiana 46011.
ACB CONVENTION REPORT
by Monty J. Cassellius
[Editor's Note: Monty attended the convention in Orlando both as a student and as alternate delegate for his state. He provided this summary of some activities he attended.]
A kick-off party was held on Saturday, July 4, at 8:00 PM. A good time was shared by all. There was plenty of time to spend with old friends and meet new students. At the NABS business meeting, Mike Gravitt spoke on the future of NABS and what he has done as president in the last two years. A proposed amendment to the constitution to allow NABS junior members to run for office was defeated. Two new affiliates, the Ohio Alliance of Visually Impaired Students and the Florida Alliance of Blind Students, were initiated. During the seminar hosted by the Visually Impaired Data Processors, International (VIDPI), representatives from several technology development companies spoke about their new products and what is being introduced in the near future.
The NABS breakfast on July 5, featured a brief report from each NABS affiliate representative about events in his/her state during the past year. This led to a discussion on ways to improve NABS affiliates and NABS as a whole. On Monday afternoon, following the ACB general session, Mike Gravitt presented an overview of NABS. John Buckley, ACB Scholarship Committee Chairperson, moderated a discussion focusing on the ACB scholarship process. Then Sarah Blake led a discussion on study skills. NABS elections were held (see list of officers in this issue).
ACB president Paul Edwards and Don Brown presented a report on accessing services from disabled students offices. Don is an ADA compliance officer at San Francisco State University and addressed several issues related to disabled students offices. Paul discussed ideas and strategies to make the teacher/student relationship better, how to approach the needs of disabled/blind students, and how to avoid using the DSS if a professor can provide the services needed. That evening, I attended the VIDPI mixer, enjoyed refreshments, and met several people who exchanged ideas related to VIDPI and technology.
On Wednesday afternoon, I attended a seminar called "The ABC's of Starting and Running Your Own Business." A business plan was distributed and we discussed main points of the business plan. Questions and answers session followed. Wednesday night, I attended a demonstration of Descriptive Video Service (DVS) showcasing programs from CBS TV. An episode of "The Cosby Show", a clip from "48 Hours", and an episode of "Brooklyn South" were presented with descriptive video followed by a questions and answers session. Staff from WGBH in Boston who produce descriptive video services will take our feedback to CBS to urge national television producers to provide descriptive video services nationwide. I hope this gives you an idea of the variety of interesting seminars and social activities enjoyed by blind and visually impaired students attending the NABS sessions during the ACB convention.
MEET THE NABS BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Paulette Monthei, President
I am from Iowa, attending the University of Iowa in my senior year majoring
in social work with a double minor in psychology and sociology. I Have worked
for the disability student services for three years, and have recently been
hired full time as the Alternative Print Specialist and Assistive Technology
Coordinator. Along with classes, this keeps me busy, but I always make time
for NABS. This is your organization, not just the Board's. We may have ideas
about where we would like to see NABS in the next few years, but we would really
like to hear from you--any time. Remember to specify in which format a response
from me should be. My address is: 233 Hawkeye Court, Iowa City, Iowa 52246,
phone home (319) 353 5245, work (319) 335 1462, e-mail bmonthei@blue.weeg.uiowa.edu
Samantha Schmucker, Vice President
I am a senior at Mary Washington College, in Fredericksburg, Virginia, pursuing
a degree in business administration and biology. My plan is to graduate in May,
2000. Along with being NABS vice president, I am the vice president on campus,
of the disability awareness club called SUCCESS, and president of the Old Dominion
Alliance of Blind Students (ODABS), the Virginia affiliate of NABS. In the last
two years, I have attended the Josephine L. Taylor Leadership Institute (legislative
seminar) in Washington, D.C. and worked at National Industries for the Blind
as a secretary in Alexandria, Virginia, which is my hometown. My contact information:
School, Box MWC 2187, 1701 College Ave., Fredericksburg, Virginia 22401-4666,
phone (540) 654 4479, e-mail sschm6ih@mwc.edu Home, 5914 Beech Tree Dr., Alexandria,
Virginia 22310 (703) 960 3014, e-mail donalds@erols.com.
Jonathan Avila, NABS Secretary
Once again I'm your NABS secretary, Jon. I am a senior computer science major
with a minor in k-12 education. I also manage our NABS web page which is part
of affiliate pages at the ACB Web site. My College is Mary Washington College
in Fredericksburg, VA and when not in school, I like to travel around the country.
This summer I worked at Vacation Camp for the Blind as a counselor and computer
instructor--a great experience. Additionally, this summer I worked as a senate
intern for the Honorable Senator Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico. I had a great
time doing congressional research as part of the visually impaired congressional
intern program with ACB. Everyone--have a great semester! Fourth week is already
here!If anyone has questions, email me at javil6ci@paprika.mwc.edu.
Peter Ince, Treasurer
I am currently a student at Los Angeles City college. My majors are cinema production
and Japanese language. In the fall of 1999 I will be transferring hopefully
to UC Berkeley. There, my major will be film studies and Japanese. Upon graduating
from Berkeley, I plan to go to law school and practice entertainment law, working
for a Japanese production company. I have two part-time jobs, one in the student
information center on campus and one as a trainer in weight-lifting at the Hollywood
YMCA. Other activities include serving as administrative vice president of my
student government and being active in the California Council of the Blind (CCB)
with plans to run for president of the California Alliance of Blind Students
in November. You can contact me via e-mail at pji2@hotmail.com, or by fax at
(323) 876 4623.
Sarah Blake, Student Advocate editor
I am 26 years old and have spent seven of the last eight years as a full-time
student trying out various majors. My first two years were spent at Anderson
University, which is a private Christian college in Indiana. I left there in
1992 due to lack of financial aid. After I had registered for classes at Stephen
F. Austin State University in Texas, I got a letter from AU informing me of
my financial aid status for the coming school year. They were offering me funding
for the total cost of attending school. I didn't take it because I was registered
at SFA. I should have stayed at AU. After all these years at SFA, I've decided
to switch gears once more and finish at AU. My hope is to focus on church work
with people who have disabilities. Those years at SFA steered me toward this
goal. Despite all the form filling for college admission paperwork, I'm honored
to serve as editor of the STUDENT ADVOCATE.
Mike Gravitt, governor elected by NABS
After serving two years as president of this fine organization, it was time
for me to step down after finishing my bachelor's degree in December. I moved
on into the world of employment. Following graduation with a B.S. in business
administration, specifically management information systems from Longwood College
in Farmville, Virginia, I started my career with Bender Consulting Services,
Inc., in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as an Associate Systems Consultant. Bender
Consulting Services provides information technology consultants to various companies
in Pittsburgh and Wilmington, Delaware. Eighty per cent of our employees are
people with disabilities. We strive to increase employment opportunities for
people with disabilities, and are the only for-profit company in the country
that provides opportunities to people with disabilities. We plan to expand our
company nationwide. I hope each of you will take an opportunity to contact me
with ideas and suggestions. Finally, I am proud to be serving this organization
once again, as your elected governor. The new NABS president, Paulette Monthei,
is a great leader. I have full faith in Paulette, knowing that she will carry
the torch that I have tried diligently to keep brightly lit.I can be reached
via e-mail at mgravitt@cwis.com. or by phone at (412) 344-2313. I may be reached
via postal mail at 528 Chatham Park Dr., #1-C, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15220.
MEET THE ACB STAFF LIAISON FOR NABS
Barbara Hayes - Billie Jean Keith, Coordinators of Affiliate and Membership
Services
Hello NABS Members and Friends. As you know, Sarah DeYoung has left ACB to return
to law school. We miss her and appreciate the work she did to maintain NABS
records and for the ACB scholarship program. We are assuming Sarah's duties
on a job-sharing basis. Our work started officially on September 1, and if we
can be of assistance to you or your chapter, please get in touch with us. Both
of us are visually impaired and have been since childhood, and were once blind
students. To get a message to us, either call the ACB office and ask for our
voice mail, or you can email us at bjkeith@concentric.net and bdhayes@netcom.com.
If you email to one, please email also to the other. The ACB toll-free number
is 1-800-424-8666 from 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm (EST) on weekdays. The regular phone
number is (202) 467 5081. Good luck for the school year. If we don't hear from
you, we'll assume everything is just great.
ACB AWARDS SCHOLARSHIPS TO 29 OUTSTANDING
STUDENTS
by John Buckley
[Editor's note: Reprinted from THE BRAILLE FORUM with permission from editor, Nolan Crabb.]
The voice mail indicated that I had two messages. I was mildly surprised because it was late on the last day of the Orlando convention, and only a handful of ACB members remained in the hotel. The lobby was already filling with next week's convention attendees. The first message was from one of the scholarship winners who said, "I just wanted to thank you and ACB again for my scholarship. There is now more light in my life. The second message was from another student who, after expressing appreciation for her scholarship, added, "I think, no, I know my parents will find a different person than the one they put on the plane a week ago."
This year, ACB awarded 29 scholarships totaling approximately $60,000. Twenty of these students were able to attend the convention, and I had the privilege of introducing them during the Thursday general session.
Kaye Holmberg and Peter Ince are the winners of the Floyd Qualls Memorial Scholarships in the vocational category. Kaye, who lives in a rural Kansas community, is using a computer to take classes in medical transcription from the California College of Health Sciences. Peter is majoring in Japanese and cinema at Los Angeles City College and plans a career in Japanese entertainment law.
In the freshman category of the Qualls scholarships, the winners are Patrick Vogt and Ben Guenther. Patrick plans to attend the University of Missouri-Kansas City and major in business. Ben plans to study political science at Lawrence University in Wisconsin. Lucille Stern was the winner in the graduate category. Already the holder of one Ph.D., she is returning for a second Ph.D., this one in clinical psychology, a field she was discouraged from entering years before because of her vision.
The Melva T. Owen Memorial Scholarship goes to Terri Evans, a history major at Olivet College in Michigan. Prior to losing her vision, Terri owned and ran a racing stable for 15 years.
Brad Kadel is the recipient of the Mae Davidow Memorial Scholarship. He is studying for his Ph.D. in history at the University of Wisconsin.
Ana Aviles, a Ph.D. candidate in industrial engineering at Northwestern University, is the winner of the NIB Grant M. Mack Memorial Scholarship. In addition to working as a quality control engineer for Johnson and Johnson, she has been a research fellow with NASA.
The winner of the Arnold Ostwald Memorial Science Scholarship is Tiffany Wakefield, who is a freshman majoring in molecular biology and literature at Randolph Macon College in Virginia.
Jason Ackiss is the winner of the Kellie Cannon Memorial Scholarship. He was the valedictorian of his high school class, and is working on a degree in computer science from Gardner-Webb University in North Carolina.
This year marks the first year of the Dr. Nicholas DiCaprio Memorial Scholarship. The winner is Heidi Pfau, a human services major at Trinity College in Vermont. In addition to an outstanding academic record, Heidi is involved in a variety of activities outside the classroom. She is a member of a bridge club, an investment club, and a student in martial arts.
Jessica Rickabaugh and Debra DeWitt are the recipients of William G. Corey Memorial Scholarships. Jessica will be entering Swarthmore College in the fall, and plans to major in English and political science. Debra was raising a family when she lost her vision. She returned to get her GED and is now an elementary education major at Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia.
Jonathan Avila, a computer science major at Mary Washington College, is the winner of the first annual Roy J. Ward-Commonwealth Council of the Blind Scholarship. In addition to being an officer in NABS, he has been an intern with NASA. Grayson Chinn, an entering biology major at the University of Virginia, received the other Commonwealth Council of the Blind Scholarship.
The Bay State Council of the Blind Scholarship winner is Darrell Harrison, a political science and economics major at the University of Massachusetts-Boston. He runs track for his college team and competed internationally over the summer.
The Oregon Council of the Blind Scholarship winner is Brooke Strand, an entering freshman studying drama and education at Portland State University.
The John Hebner Memorial Scholarship, given to an individual who is working full-time while attending school, goes to Linda Fugate. In addition to being active in her community, Linda has taught school while studying social sciences at Indiana University Southeastern.
Several winners were not able to be present in Orlando. They were: Elizabeth Castellano, a studio art major at Manhattanville College; Suleyman Gokyigit, a computer science and engineering major at the University of Toledo (Ohio); Monica Summitt, a global finance major at George Mason University; Nick Giudice, a psychology major at the University of Minnesota; Sarah Gales, an equine science major at Colorado State University; Melissa Weiser-Rose, an occupational therapy major at Colorado State University; Jim Powers, a human services major at the University of Maine- Augusta; Penny Reeder, a special education major at George Washington University; Dawn Flewwellin, a student at Northern State University; and Kim Morrow, an education major at the University of Kansas.
Of special note was the awarding of a Floyd Qualls Memorial Scholarship to Tim Cordes. A repeat winner, he is currently enrolled in medical school at the University of Wisconsin.
A few days after I returned from the convention, unpacked and caught up on sleep, I received a thank-you note from one of the winners that summarized the convention experience: "I had such a great time in Orlando. ... Encountering masses of strong, productive blind people really helped me renew my hope and focus on life. It gave me an opportunity to meet a lot of great people with similar disabilities. I hope I will be able to attend the L.A. convention next year." As ACB members, we should be proud of the encouragement and support provided to these deserving students through our scholarship program.
My name is Jessica Rickabaugh and I am a first-year student at Swarthmore College, outside Philadelphia. I plan to go to law school after college. I am undecided in my major. Most likely, I will major in political science. If I were to give other students any advice on how to approach college, I would say to stay positive and make sure that you enjoy what you are doing.
My name is Debra DeWitt. I'm a junior at Chestnut Hill College majoring in elementary education. My minor is theology. We are all required to take some Bible study classes. Because I really like studying the Bible, I decided to minor in theology. I have six children. Four of my children are living at home, but I find myself counseling those who are away. When things get tough, I hang in and somehow pull through to the end. Editor's Note: We hope to hear from other scholarship winners.
NEWS FROM NABS STATE AFFILIATES
As new state affiliates of NABS are being formed, the ability of NABS to impact the quality of life for blind college students directly is increasing. In the hope of increasing the networking potential of NABS, we would like to encourage you to submit any piece of news which might have implications for other blind students or people who are serving blind students. Whether it is information about what your state affiliate is doing or a summary of a noteworthy event such as the piece submitted by Paulette Monthei, PLEASE let us know what is happening in your area.
Old Dominion Alliance of Blind Students News
by Samantha Schmucker
Despite some communication trouble, ODABS has had an active year. ODABS sent out membership letters to current members, disability services, service providers, and new prospective members/friends throughout Virginia. Then, we participated in the Josephine L. Taylor Leadership Institute (JLTLI), sponsored by the American Council of the Blind and the American Foundation for the Blind. In July, we had a good turnout at the ACB National Convention in Orlando, Florida including three scholarship winners from Virginia.
In August, ODABS participated at King's Dominion, a well- known local theme park, for the first Blind/Visually Impaired Awareness Day. We passed out brochures and flyers, and had other materials on display. Now, we are gearing up for the 1998 state convention in Rosslyn, Virginia, (just across the Potomac River from Washington, DC. We are working on getting students from Maryland and Washington to join in too. The convention date is October 30 - November 1.
WORKING WITH READERS
by Sarah J. Blake
Recruiting
These ideas may help you to find volunteers or paid readers.
1. Put signs in the office of Disabled Student Services. If the university has
a DSS office, it can be a valuable resource, but don't rely entirely on this
office.
2. Place notices on bulletin boards on campus.
3. Register with the office of student employment.
4. Register with the employment commission in your community. 5. Get an ad in
the paper.
6. place an announcement in a church bulletin.
7. Tell your friends you're looking for a reader.
Interviewing
It is essential to interview potential readers. Ask about applicants' areas
of interest and ability. Some types of reading are best handled by a person
with some knowledge in the subject area, such as foreign languages, mathematics,
science, etc. Check that applicants' schedules are compatible with yours. Are
they available during class hours to read tests? Are they available to assist
you with library research? A person with a very busy social life may not have
much extra time. Have applicants read materials they will actually be reading.
1. Do they read too fast or too slow?
2. How do they respond when you ask them to speed up or slow down?
3. How do they handle unfamiliar words?
4. Do they interrupt reading to make comments or summarize? 5. How clearly do
they describe pictures, diagrams, graphs, etc.?
Managing Your Business
You are, essentially, now an employer. Whether your employees are paid or volunteering
their time, you have the responsibilities of an employer. The reader needs to
know how often he/she will be paid. Some state agencies which pay for reader
services require the client to send in a form before they will Reimburse. In
this case, it is probably best to pay the reader and reimburse yourself when
the check comes from the state agency. Be sure the reader knows the pay rate.
You and your reader should keep a log of reading hours. When there are materials
to be read on cassette without supervision, I pay by the amount of cassette
time, not the amount of time the reader spends correcting errors. Accuracy is
a very important quality in a reader. If your readers are volunteering, find
some way to show appreciation for their time and energy. Reading is hard work.
Even if the reader is reading on tape, have the reader read while you are present.
This will allow you to monitor what is being read. If you do allow a reader
to record material without supervision, monitor progress by giving reasonable
deadlines and insist they be met. Your ability to access the information in
a timely manner is crucial to your success.
WORKING WITH DISABLED STUDENT SERVICES.
by Paulette Monthei
As a disabled student and an employee working in a disabled student services office, here are a few tips which could be useful. Bear these in mind when beginning a semester, entering or transferring to different universities. 1. When looking at universities it is important to know what services are available to students. What accommodations are provided, such as readers, note-takers, interpreters; assistive technology; brailling services, and tutorial services. 2. It is import that you are up to date on documentation of your disability. Keep extra copies for yourself and give the DSS office a copy well ahead of your first semester. If you are a transfer student, it is helpful to have copies of your accommodation forms from your previous college. 3. Many universities have student accommodation forms or letters that notify instructors of your accommodations. Try to obtain copies of your syllabus well in advance in order to fill your forms early in the semester. 4. The syllabus allows you to obtain information on required textbooks in alternative format. 5. Fill in all the information requested in the forms. Items often forgotten are requests for accommodations during exams, private rooms, readers, or word processors. Other requests to consider are flexible due dates for reading and writing assignments. Some students may need a flexible attendance schedule--important for conditions such as epilepsy or a similar disability. 6. When preparing for alternative exam accommodations, you may be required to turn in forms which illustrate the accommodations discussed between you and your professor. It is essential that you communicate with all your professors. Approach them as early as possible, preferably in the first week of class. Before the meeting with your instructor, it is vital to know exactly what accommodations you need. Instructors know their field of study but know what it means to be blind. You are the expert on being blind. This is a learning process for you and the professor. Instructors may not know you have the right to privacy to discuss how he/she may assist you. Most instructors want to see you succeed and will do anything to assist you. You are both a teacher and a student. And you must be an advocate for yourself.
Blind and visually impaired students are the people who know most about college and university programs for blind and visually impaired students. As a researcher trying to find out how to improve these programs, I need your input. I am a sociologist with few preconceptions about the programs. Even though I have been blind since infancy, I have done no previous research related to blindness, and my own student days were a long time ago, back in the 1950's and early 1960's. If you have had any recent experience with programs that are supposed to help blind and visually impaired college students, please take a few minutes to tell me about it by E-mail. Naturally, any communication with me will be voluntary, and I shall treat your communication as confidential and will not identify you individually in any published or unpublished material that will be shown to other people. Simply tell me where you are or have been a college student and answer the following three questions. First, what aspects of the program have been most useful to you, and why? Second, what aspects have been most annoying and/or frustrating, and why? Third, what changes in the program would you like, and why? Please contact Tom Smith, Professor of Sociology The University of South Carolina e-mail: smiths@infoave.net
I recently returned from spending a month in Columbia. On three separate occasions, I was asked to help blind people find reading materials in Spanish. If you have anything you could donate or know of a place I could contact to find some materials, please let me know. Thanks. Please contact Krista Erickson e-mail: kerickson@ambs.edu Phone: (219) 296-9179
BLIND TEACHER, SIGHTED STUDENT
by Juliana Raiche
[Editor's Note: This article is reprinted from the newsletter of the Music Education Network for the Visually Impaired.]
Is it possible for a blind teacher to instruct a sighted student? Before my own personal experience in teaching, I was not certain of the answer. However, after teaching several private classic guitar students in my home, I began to develop a system of teaching. Yes it is possible for a blind teacher to successfully instruct sighted students. As a blind teacher, I used a variety of teaching methods and tools. One tool that worked remarkably well was a guitar instructional book that was in both print music for my sighted student and in braille music for me. As my student played, I read the music notation along with her. Often, I followed along and corrected any mistakes or clarified any confusion. In addition to reading music, I also focused on teaching guitar technique. This proved to be a little more challenging for me and my students. I used a number of different ways to teach technique. First, I used the sense of touch. I would physically position my students' hands, and then touch their hands occasionally as they played. I could tell if the student was playing in the style that I was teaching if the tone produced had a certain quality. Also, I would have my student place her hand on top of my hand as I played. In this way, the student could feel for herself the placement of my arm, wrist, and finger joints. Next, I used demonstration. I would have my sighted student look very carefully at my hands and fingers as I played so they could see how their hands should appear during practice. I suggested that students practice in front of a mirror watching their hands rather than looking down at their fingers. Finally, I would coach my students by giving them as many examples and descriptions as I could of the specific sensation needed to create beautiful tone and maintain a relaxed hand position. For example, in order for the student to understand finger movement when striking a single string, I would say, "pretend that your fingers are walking slowly, deliberately, step-by-step with no hesitation." If the student needed more coaching, I would have her put down the guitar and walk across the room the way I wanted the fingers to "walk across the strings." The students found this exercise silly, but consistently produced improved technique after the exercise.
As you are reading this article, you may be thinking: "That is not different than the way my teacher teaches, or not much different than the way I teach." That is precisely the point! With the senses of sight, touch, and hearing to instruct in the disciplines of classical guitar, it is possible for a blind teacher to have sighted students.
Juliana Raiche is a student at Virginia Commonwealth University. She developed braille music skills at the Southern California Conservatory of Music and worked along with sighted music majors. She is the student advisory chairperson for MENVI.
The Music Education Network for the Visually Impaired (MENVI) is an organization of parents and teachers of blind and visually impaired students, braille music transcribers, and blind and sighted music teachers. Membership in MENVI is free and can be of great benefit to college students who are studying music. Each member receives a copy of MENVI's quarterly newsletter as well as a list of names and addresses of all members. For more information, contact: Richard Taesch Southern California Conservatory of Music, MENVI Headquarters 8711 Sunland Blvd. Sun Valley, CA 91352 Phone: (818) 767-6554 e-mail taexchr@ix.netcom.com
A CAREER IN GRAPHIC DESIGN
by Miki Lindsey
I have had limited vision all my life from congenital cataracts. Most of my childhood, I wore very thick glasses. My family worried that I would not be able to find a useful vocation. I always loved to draw and read. My eyesight did not deter me from enjoying my favorite activities. Teachers and friends, encouraged me to go into the field of art, but my mother worried that I could not survive in a career that depended so much on seeing.
When the time came to select a major, I chose art. After graduating with a bachelor of fine arts degree in illustration, it was scary. What was scary was I could do the work, but I was afraid potential employers would not look beyond my thick glasses and see my ability not my disability.
So far, I have been quite fortunate. Now I'm working as a desktop publisher for an advertising company. I have recently purchased a Macintosh G3, for my home to run programs such as Adobe PhotoShop, Adobe Illustrator and QuarkXpress to advance my career prospects.
On reflection, I would like to say that every human being, sighted or blind, has a disability. Our disabilities can become our nemeses if we give them power over ourselves or let members of society force them upon us. The more receptive society becomes toward blind people the sooner the misconceptions and stereotypes that surround persons with disabilities will dissipate.
ACB SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE TO BLIND STUDENTS
The American Council of the Blind will award 25 scholarships to outstanding blind students in 1999. All legally blind people planning to attend academic and vocational training programs at the post-secondary level for the 1999/2000 school year are encouraged to apply for one of these scholarships.
The Floyd Qualls Memorial Scholarships will be awarded to the top two applicants in the following categories: entering freshmen in academic programs, undergraduates (sophomores, juniors and seniors) in academic programs, graduate students in academic programs, and vocational school students or students pursuing an associate's degree from a community college. Applicants will be compared with other applicants in their category. Each scholarship award is $2,500.
The $3,000 Melva T. Owen Memorial Scholarship, provided by the Tarver Memorial Fund, will be awarded to an undergraduate student.
The $1,000 Dr. Mae Davidow Memorial Scholarship will be awarded to an entering freshman.
The William G. Corey Memorial Scholarships will be awarded to two Pennsylvania residents. All qualified Pennsylvania residents are encouraged to apply. Each scholarship award is in the amount of $1,500.
The NIB Grant M. Mack Memorial Scholarships, sponsored by National Industries for the Blind, will be awarded to two undergraduate or graduate students majoring in business or management. The amount of each of these scholarships is $2,000.
The $2,500 Arnold Sadler Memorial Scholarship will be awarded to a student who is studying in a field of service to the disabled (i.e., rehabilitation, education, law, etc.). This scholarship is provided by the Arnold Sadler Memorial Scholarship Fund.
The $1,000 Kellie Cannon Memorial Scholarship will be awarded to a student studying in the field of computer information systems or data processing. This scholarship is provided by the Visually Impaired Data Processors International, an affiliate of the American Council of the Blind.
The $2,000 Arnold Ostwald Memorial Science Scholarship will be awarded to an entering freshman studying in the field of science. This scholarship is funded by a foundation established by the late Arnold Ostwald, a blind lawyer.
The $1,000 Alma Murphey Memorial Scholarship will be awarded to a graduate student. This scholarship is provided by the Braille Revival League of Missouri.
The $500 Delbert K. Aman Memorial Scholarship will be awarded to an undergraduate student who is either a resident of South Dakota or is planning to attend a South Dakota college or university. This scholarship is funded by the South Dakota Association of the Blind, an affiliate of the American Council of the Blind.
The Commonwealth Council of the Blind Scholarships will be awarded to two outstanding residents of the state of Virginia. Preference will be given to Virginia residents attending a Virginia college or university. One $2,000 scholarship will be awarded to an entering freshman and the other $2,000 scholarship will be awarded to an undergraduate. These scholarships are sponsored by the Commonwealth Council of the Blind, an affiliate of the American Council of the Blind.
The $1,000 Bay State Council of the Blind Scholarship will be awarded to a Massachusetts resident. Preference will be given to a Massachusetts resident attending a Massachusetts college or university. This scholarship is funded by the Bay State Council of the Blind, an affiliate of the American Council of the Blind.
The $1,500 ACB of Colorado Scholarship will be awarded to a resident of Colorado. This scholarship is sponsored by the American Council of the Blind of Colorado, an affiliate of the American Council of the Blind.
The $1,000 ACB of Maine Scholarship will be awarded to a Maine resident. This scholarship is funded by the American Council of the Blind of Maine, an affiliate of the American Council of the Blind.
The $1,000 Oregon Council of the Blind Scholarship will be awarded to an Oregon resident. This scholarship is provided by the Oregon Council of the Blind, an aaffiliate of the American Council of the Blind.
Scholarship applications are available from the American Council of the Blind, Attention: Billie Jean Keith, 1155 15th Street, NW, Suite 720, Washington, DC 20005, (202) 467-5081 or (800) 424-8666.
All completed applications and supporting documents must be postmarked no later than March 1, 1999.
In an effort to provide information in accessible media, the scholarship application will be available in braille, cassette and as an ASCII file on an MS-DOS 3.5 inch diskette for those students who request it. However, these versions of the scholarship application are for informational use only. Scholarship applications and supporting documentation must be typed or word processed. Applications submitted in any format other than typed or word processed WILL NOT be considered.
Leading scholarship candidates will be interviewed by telephone in April. The ACB scholarship winners will be notified no later than May 15, 1999. Scholarships will be presented at the 38th Annual National Convention of the American Council of the Blind to be held July 3 - 9, 1999, in Los Angeles, California. Scholarship winners are required to be present at the convention; ACB will cover all reasonable costs connected with convention attendance.
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