Attorneys Timothy Elder and Scott LaBarre are interested in speaking with any blind business owners or employees who have attempted to open or use a business bank account at Citibank. They are particularly interested to hear if you have had any problems with accessing the website interface for your account or entering your password without sighted assistance. Interested individuals can contact Timothy Elder by email at telder@trelegal.com or by phone at 410-415-3493.
LightHouse News
High School Chemistry Camp to be Bigger and Better than Ever – Deadline to Apply is April 5
Would you like to learn how blind people tackle the supposedly visual-only subject of organic chemistry successfully? Do you have a general love for science? Do you want to learn how you can do chemistry as a blind person just as successfully as your sighted peers? Do you want to apply the chemistry you learned to food such as olive oil? Are you interested in how blind professionals use science in their careers every day? Then the 2012 California Chemistry Camp is for you!
Join the LightHouse for the Blind, National Federation of the Blind of California, California Association of Blind Students, University of California, Davis, chemistry department, TPG Capital, and up to 15 blind and low vision high school students for an educational, exciting and fun-filled weekend of science.
Join the LightHouse for the Blind, National Federation of the Blind of California, California Association of Blind Students, University of California Davis Chemistry Department, TPG Capital, and up to 15 blind and low vision high school students for an educational, exciting and fun-filled weekend of science.
Where: Enchanted Hills Camp, 3410 Mount Veeder Rd., Napa, CA 94558
Who: Up to 15 blind high school students ages 14 to 18 will be selected to participate
Cost: There is no cost to apply for the program
Application deadline has been extended to April 5, 2012.
To read more about Chemistry Camp and apply online today, visit http://sixdots.org/2012/02/2012-chemistry-camp/. All applications will be reviewed, and each applicant will be informed whether he or she has been accepted. Travel to and from camp will be provided.
Read about last year’s Chemistry Camp here: http://conta.cc/youthandmentors2011.
St. Patrick’s Day Yoga Workshop at the LightHouse
Join instructor Nancy Yates this Saturday for a wonderful, happy workshop of stretching, breathing and giggling.
When: Saturday, March 17, 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Where: LightHouse San Francisco Headquarters
Contact: Brandon Young, byoung@lighthouse-sf.org, 415-694-7372
Refreshments (chai and strawberries) will be served. RSVPs are encouraged.
Date Change: Volunteer at Enchanted Hills – Now on April 7
PLEASE NOTE: MARCH 17 DATE CHANGED DUE TO RAIN: Our next Enchanted Hills Camp Volunteer Day will be Saturday, April 7, when we will continue to work on a variety of fun camp-improvement projects. From unskilled field cleanup to semi-skilled painting and fire abatement, we’ll match what you can do to the needs of a place beloved in our community. We hope you or your group will join us. For more information or to sign up, contact LightHouse Volunteer Coordinator Don Franklin at dmfranklin@lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7371.
“I just want to say thank you for the opportunity to support the LightHouse for the Blind last weekend. Our students enjoyed their experience, and we greatly appreciate the transportation and lunch you provided.” — Chad Zibelman, buildOn
Editor’s note: If you know of a company team with skills in contracting, electrical, heating, plumbing or other construction expertise, we’ll always find important work for them to do to help our blind community. At camp they can stay overnight, enjoy nature, and bond with each other and our staff. Please contact Tony Fletcher at 415-694-7319 or afletcher@lighthouse-sf.org to see how the skills your company might take for granted could be of enormous help for our camp and facilities.
Scholarship to Attend NFB Convention in Dallas – Apply by March 16
The East Bay Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of California is granting $500 to a lucky somebody to help get them to their first national convention of the National Federation of the Blind, NFB. The convention will be held in Dallas, Texas, from June 30 to July 5, 2012.
If you are blind, at least 18 years of age, a legal resident of California and have never been to an NFB national convention, then you may qualify to receive $500 to go to your first one. (Minors will be considered only with the understanding that they MUST be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian and that there will be no additional grant funds to supplement the additional individual.)
How to Apply
The grantee will be selected by the board of the East Bay Chapter and notified thereafter. Submissions must be received/postmarked by March 16th, 2012. Electronic submissions should be emailed to nfbceastbay@gmail.com. Please include “Grant for Dallas” in the subject line. Print or braille submissions are also welcome and should be mailed to Serena Olsen, President, NFBC East Bay, 34904 Herringbone Ct., Union City, CA 94587.
Please provide your name, address, phone number and email. In 50 words or less, write something fun or interesting about yourself and in 250 words or less, answer the following two questions:
- Why is attending national convention important to you?
- What kinds of things do you hope to learn from the national convention experience?
If selected, preliminary expenses (airfare, registration, etc.) must be covered by the grantee. Grant funds will be disbursed upon arrival at the convention. By accepting the grant, you are committed to attending the rookie roundup, general session, banquet and a local chapter meeting immediately following convention to share your experience.
About Convention
Every year, 3,000 people from around the country—and even from around the world—attend the NFB national convention. The convention agenda is action-packed and filled with workshops, seminars, division meetings and great speakers on just about any blindness-related topic you can imagine. From sports and recreation to education, from lawyers to guide dog users, from cane travel to braille, from assistive technology to employment, you’ll find students, working blind professionals and mentors and make lasting friendships and connections. To learn more go to http://www.nfb.org/nfb/national_convention.asp.
American Action Fund Free Braille Books Program
The American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults (AAF) is making its free braille books for blind children available online as downloadable BRF files.
Since 1997, the AAF has provided popular and award-winning children’s books, including titles from popular series, to blind children throughout the United States, as well as to libraries and other organizations that serve blind children.
The books have been and will continue to be distributed by mail, but now readers and libraries will be able to download them from the American Action Fund website. The BRF files are ready to be used on braille notetakers and other braille-aware devices.
For more information visit their site.
16- to 24-Year-Olds Will Learn How to Work and Play on a Team at This Year’s Transition Summit
As part of our new Future Professionals Training Program, the LightHouse is proud to present Team-Building and Effective Communication, the first of three Transition Summits for 2012. We are really interested in finding youth between the ages of 16 to 24 who are enrolled with the Department of Rehabilitation. Please join us at beautiful Enchanted Hills Camp for Transition Summit 2012.
This exciting three-day workshop promises to be an enriching and educational experience for anyone interested in learning the skills necessary for vocational, academic and personal success. Participants will explore, discuss and engage in a wide variety of adventurous and interactive activities covering such topics as:
• Team-building
• Ways to build group cooperation
• Effective verbal, non-verbal, written and aural communication
• Effective problem-solving
• Conflict resolution
• Leadership skills
• Strategic planning
• Goal-setting
• Networking
• Time management
Transition Summit 2012 is a fun-filled event including activities such as “Survival Hike,” Role Playing, Evening Team-Building Ropes Course, Tug-of-Wits (variation of tug-of-war) that you won’t want to miss!
When: Friday, May 4 through Sunday, May 6, 2012
Where: Enchanted Hills Camp, Napa, California
**Space is limited to 20 participants
Deadline to apply: April 15, 2012
There is no cost to apply for the summit; however, a referral and authorization from your Department of Rehabilitation counselor must be submitted with your application.
Read about last year’s Transition Summit here.
For more information please contact John Liang, Director of Community Services, at jliang@lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7334.
TSA Helpline for Travelers with Disabilities
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) recently announced the launch of TSA Cares, a new helpline designed to assist travelers with disabilities and medical conditions prior to getting to the airport.
Travelers may call TSA Cares toll-free at 1-855-787 2227 prior to traveling with questions about screening policies, procedures and what to expect at the security checkpoint. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, excluding federal holidays.
When a passenger with a disability or medical condition calls TSA Cares, a representative will provide assistance, either with information about screening that is relevant to the passenger’s specific disability or medical condition, or the passenger may be referred to disability experts at TSA.
TSA recommends that passengers call approximately 72 hours ahead of travel so that TSA Cares has the opportunity to coordinate checkpoint support with a TSA Customer Service Manager located at the airport when necessary.
More information about TSA Cares is available here.
Sign Up by March 6 for This Week’s Jobsite Series Visit
Each week the LightHouse is coordinating a group of individuals to meet with their employed counterparts working for the Bay Area’s leading businesses and institutions.
Our next jobsite excursion will take place on Friday, March 9. Our meeting is with Gene Chelberg, the Associate Vice President of Student Affairs at San Francisco State University.
Gene received his undergraduate degree from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, where he helped establish the country’s first cultural center for disabled students. After graduating in 1992, Chelberg stayed on to become Assistant Director for Disability Services and later ran a program for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender members of the university community.
Prior to becoming SFSU’s Associate Vice President of Student Affairs, Gene was the Director of SF State’s Disability Programs and Resource Center, where he led efforts to create accessible learning, working and living environments for SF State students with disabilities.
Gene also holds an executive master’s degree in management and disability services from the University of San Francisco, has consulted for the National Endowment for the Arts, and served as program chair for the 30th International Conference of the Association of Higher Education and Disability.
Please RSVP by Tuesday, March 6th, as space is limited.
To register for the Jobsite Conversation Series, or to find out more about it, please contact:
Rich Russo
Community Services Program Coordinator
(415) 694-7352
rrusso@lighthouse-sf.org
Access Advisors Open House and Disability Arts Festival
Saturday, March 31: 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
deYoung Museum, 50 Tea Garden Drive, San Francisco
Highlights include:
- Art Studio for a Day: Watch art demonstrations and artists at work
- Docent tours of the museum, including tours in which blind and visually impaired visitors can touch certain three-dimensional works on exhibit
- iPad self-guided tours for the visually impaired
- Art Slam, a slideshow of artwork created by disabled artists
The event is free to people who make a reservation before March 22. To make a reservation or to request additional information or specific accommodations, contact Tish Brown, Accessibility Coordinator at the de Young, at 415-750-7645 or tbrown@famsf.org.
