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In This Issue: Editor's Note. Zeze Miller; Older Blind Program Manager; State of Missouri, Editor MACRT Newsletter       The President's Message Latisha Houston, CVRT; Rehabilitation Instructor; Chicago, IL Access to Drug Labels Report Caitlin McFeely, AFB An Open Letter to Our VRT Colleagues Maureen A. Duffy, CVRT and Barbara Hunt, CVRT Seminars@Hadley Available Live or for Download Dawn E. Turco, Sr. Vice President, Hadley School for the Blind Putting Style into Your Professional Presentations Nancy Parkin-Bashizi, M.A., COMS, CVRT A Tug of War Rekha Nanchel, VRT Bringing People Together with the Human Connection to Success Detra Bannister, AFB CareerConnect Program Specialist, AFB From the Field of Vision Rehab Hindsight is not always 20/20 Susan M. Dalton, M.S. Ed., C "Save The Date From the Editor's Kitchen     Editor's Note Do you feel apprehensive about the changes that might come your way this year? Many of us may be experiencing great anxiety about the future and what this year will bring. A job loss, a home foreclosure, possible bankruptcy, dissolution of a marriage, loss of a relationship, etc, etc. If you are feeling anxious for any reason, here are some things you can do to welcome in the New Year with a sense of peace and calm. Write a letter to yourself, and have it come from your Higher Self. Go through what happened last year, and let your wiser self give you advice. Write a letter to a person with whom you have dissension and need closure. Do not send it; just write it for yourself and for your healing. Tell them exactly what you want to say, and do not hold back. It may be your employer who laid you off, your company that moved outside the country, hence your financial demise, or your spouse who decided to give up on you and your marriage. Give yourself the gift of forgiving someone who hurt you last year. Do it in person, over the phone, or quietly in your own space. Include forgiveness of yourself in this exercise. Accept your family and friends exactly the way they are. Have no expectations that they will be different this time around. Do not expect them to understand you, any choices or decisions you made or are planning to make. Figure out the few things you can do to reenergize yourself, since you will need to turn to these things during this year. Does walking in nature get you energized? Or will working get your energies running? Or perhaps meditation, writing, or maybe prayer? How about sleeping in once in a while? Be clear about what you need more of to continue on your path. What is the top excuse that gets in your way? Write it down and make friends with it. Ask yourself; is this really true? Who would you be and what would you do without this excuse? What ever the case may be, or what ever choice you make, be sure to have a very happy New Year.  We welcome your responses to any of the articles in this newsletter. If you wish to respond to any of the authors' opinions, ideas, reactions, or suggestions, please email them to zeze.o.miller@dss.mo.gov Do you have a story to tell? A helpful tip to offer? A homemade product to share? A funny blunder to laugh about with the rest of our readers? If so, email it to zeze.o.miller@dss.mo.gov We want to hear from you. Help us develop this new section of the newsletter, "From the Field of Vision Rehabilitation." To help expand this area, send us your stories, ideas, new products that work, jokes, or anything you would like to share with our readers. Include your full name and address if you wish to be recognized for the editorial. The deadline for the Spring 2009 edition of the MACRT newsletter is Friday, April 17, 2009. If you have any suggestions or ideas, please email them to the email listed above, or call 573-751-8903. You can have your newsletter e-mailed which will cut down on the cost of postage and paper.  If you are interested in a newsletter via e-mail please contact Sue Dalton or Lucille Dolan at trans_vis@att.net. Back To Top The President's Message Hello MACRT members: Last year the MACRT/ASERT Conference was held at the Sheraton Hotel in Birmingham, Alabama, on November 13-15, 2008. Rehabilitation teachers and professionals from over thirteen states attended the Conference.  The theme was "Rehab Rainbow: A Full Spectrum of Possibilities."  Some of the topics addressed at the conference were:  A Color Commentary on the Broad Spectrum of Light, Making the Most of Your Case Service Dollar, What Not to Say! Putting Style into Your Professional Presentations, Traumatic Brain Injury and Vision Loss, and Moon Over Miami (Moon Braille). The conference began with a focus group on transition services and there were various exhibitors displaying their products throughout the conference. The conference was another example of our continuing efforts to provide quality training to vision rehabilitation professionals across the land.  We would like to thank Lenore Dillon and the committee from Birmingham for hosting an outstanding conference and for all their hard work! Board elections were held at the business meeting during the Conference. Listed below are the results: President Latisha Houston, Vice President Suzanne Martin, Secretary Elaine Boykin, and Treasurer Susan Dalton. Elected to the Board of directors were: Jane Thompson, Lenore Dillon, Cardelia Cunningham and Ian Shadrick. I would like to welcome and congratulate the new board members. The 2008 MACRT scholarship recipient was Lisa Beilaga.  A stipend was awarded to Andrea Taylor for attending the MACRT Conference for the first time. Congratulations to Cardelia Cunningham who was presented with the 2008 Charlyn Allen Award. The MACRT Board of Directors and members want to send you their best wishes for a happy, healthy, and productive 2009!  Latisha Houston, CVRT  latisha.houston@illinois.gov Rehabilitation Instructor   312-633-1724 ICRE-Wood 1151 S. Wood, Chicago, IL 60612 Back To Top Access to Drug Labels Report By Caitlin McFeely  AFB Survey Finds Drug Labeling Puts People with Vision Loss at Serious Medical Risk Legally blind parents almost miss pharmacy error in child's medication; young man is hospitalized because he could not see insulin labels; small print on labels causes grandmother to confuse medications. Would you feel safe taking a dose of medication if you were not fully confident you were taking the correct amount?  What would you do if you couldn't read important drug information on prescription bottles or package inserts?  For the more than 20 million people living with vision loss, not being able to read drug container labels and package inserts is a scary reality and a significant public health challenge.    A recent survey by the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) found that people with vision loss were unable to read necessary instructions supplied with prescription and over-the-counter medications, often leading to taking the wrong medication, taking the improper dosage of a medication, and in some extreme cases, becoming ill or having to visit the emergency room. "Not having access to the information on prescription labels is extremely dangerous for people with vision loss," said Mark Richert, Director of Public Policy at AFB. "We need policy makers, retailers, and others to work together to ensure that prescription labeling is accessible, and that all people can take their medication effectively, independently, and most importantly, safely." The Access to Drug Labels Survey explored the personal stories of people who had trouble reading prescription or over-the-counter medication information.  It was conducted as part of AFB's Rx Label Enable Campaign, an initiative to ensure that people with vision loss have access to the vital information available to all consumers via prescription labeling and related documentation and to enable them to take medications safely, effectively, and independently.  Data indicated that the inability to access necessary instructions supplied with prescription and over-the-counter medications often resulted in people with vision loss: taking the wrong medication; becoming ill due to taking the wrong medication or taking the incorrect dosage of medication; visiting the emergency room or hospitalization; dependence on sighted companions or complete strangers to convey necessary drug information. Below are some specific examples of participants' experiences: Parents unable to detect pharmacy error made to their infant's medication A husband and wife who are both legally blind are parents of an infant and are unable to read drug labeling information. They had been given the wrong medication for their baby by a pharmacy and the only reason they figured this out was because they had been prescribed the medication on a previous occasion and the packaging was so different that they asked a sighted neighbor who happened to be visiting to read the label. The mistake made by the pharmacy could have been lethal. Young man has to visit the emergency room because he could not read insulin label A 20-year-old respondent explained he had received the wrong dosage of insulin due to not being able to read the label. The prescription was for 50-unit insulin syringes and the pharmacy filled it with 100-unit syringes. He passed out from hypoglycemia and ended up in the hospital.  65-year-old grandmother confuses blood pressure and antidepressant medication A respondent who has low vision regularly takes prescriptions with labels that have very small print. She often confuses blood pressure medicine with stomach or antidepressant medication. She has developed her own method of labeling her pill bottles in an effort to avoid further confusion. Even though people of all ages with different degrees of vision loss are affected by the negative consequences of inaccessible drug labeling information, there are currently no federal or state requirements for the format of information on prescription labels.  "While some assistive devices can help people with vision loss manage medications, these technologies are not widely available," said Dr. Stacy Kelly, Policy Research Associate, AFB. "It is our hope that as Congress takes up healthcare reform legislation this year, one of its priorities will be to ensure that prescription drug labels and instructions are accessible to people with vision loss." For the full report, including other personal stories, visit http://www.afb.org/Section.asp?SectionID=3&TopicID=135&DocumentID=4520. The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) is a national nonprofit that expands possibilities for people with vision loss. AFB's priorities include broadening access to technology; elevating the quality of information and tools for the professionals who serve people with vision loss; and promoting independent and healthy living for people with vision loss by providing them and their families with relevant and timely resources. AFB is also proud to house the Helen Keller Archives and honor the more than forty years that Helen Keller worked tirelessly with AFB. For more information visit us online at http://www.afb.org/. AFB has embarked on the Rx Label Enable campaign to ensure that people with vision loss have ready access to the vital information available to all consumers via prescription labeling and consumer medication information, enabling them to take medications safely, effectively, and independently. AFB is reaching out to all stakeholders, including consumers experiencing vision loss, policymakers, federal regulators, doctors, the pharmaceutical industry, retailers, assistive technology providers, and public and private insurers to promote solutions, build consensus, and take action. For more information visit AFB at www.afb.org/labels. For more information, contact: Caitlin McFeely American Foundation for the Blind 212-502-7674 cmcfeely@afb.net Back To Top An Open Letter to Our VRT Colleagues  This is Maureen Duffy and Barbara Hunt from the ACVREP Board of Directors. We are writing to you because we would like feedback from our VRT colleagues about the new certification standards and criteria that have been proposed by ACVREP. Recently, ACVREP released a proposed new set of certification standards for VRT, Orientation and Mobility, and Low Vision Therapy. If you go to the ACVREP web site, you can download these new proposed standards in several formats. For each professional discipline, ACVREP has proposed two new certification tracks: Full Certification and Provisional Certification. You can read the details of each proposed certification track after our signatures below. What are your thoughts about these new proposed certification standards? Are you in favor? Are you not in favor? Are there provisions you'd like to see changed? Please give us your feedback by February 23, 2009.   As ACVREP Board members, we want (and need) to hear from you. Maureen A. Duffy, CVRT                   Barbara Hunt, CVRT Editorial Director                                Visual Impairment Serv. Team Coordinator http://www.visionaware.org/                    Hines VA Hospital maureen.duffy@visionaware.org         Barbara.Hunt@va.gov  You can also post your thoughts and reactions on the VRT Listserv. _____________________________________________________________ Full Certification The requirements for Track I (Full Certification) are based on the traditional criteria established by ACVREP. To establish eligibility to sit for the applicable certification examination under Full Certification, the candidate must have a Bachelors degree (or higher) in the applicable field of study and successfully completed their supervised internship experience. In recognizing this education and the internship experience, the length of term for Full Certification is five (5) years. In addition, there is no limit for the number of times a Full Certification candidate can sit for the applicable certification exam.  Also, those who obtain Full Certification do not have to undergo a review process.  Provisional Certification 1. Earn a Bachelor's degree (in any field of study) 2. Obtain a minimum of 60 hours of discipline-specific training / 2000 hours of discipline-specific experience (within five years of submitting the Eligibility Application) and currently provide discipline-specific services. 3. Letter of sponsorship from current employer (to be submitted with the Eligibility Application). ** CLVT Provisional Certification candidates must also submit a letter of sponsorship from a physician and must submit and receive a passing rating on five sample case reports. Rating of the sample case reports is the responsibility of the CLVT Certification Committee (using a rubric). Multiple raters are utilized for inter-rater reliability.  4. Submit Eligibility Application to be reviewed.Any questions or concerns regarding the activities utilized by a Provisional Certification candidate to demonstrate the minimum 60-hour education requirement and/or the 2000 hours of experience are referred to the applicable Certification Committee. The Certification Committee reserves the right to request further information regarding activities utilized to demonstrate these requirements. The committee makes the determination if said activities fulfill the requirements. 5. If the Provisional Certification candidate is found to have met eligibility requirements, they may then sit for the applicable certification examination. If they do not pass the examination within two attempts, they must acquire 10 additional hours of discipline-specific education/training before they may sit for the examination again. 6. If the Provisional Certification candidate passes the applicable exam, he/she will be afforded Provisional Certification (1month term) based on approval of the full Board. 7. Prior to the conclusion of the Provisional Certification term, the Provisional Certificant must undergo a review process. This review includes the endorsement of the sponsor employer, a performance review (specific form - aligned with the professional competencies) completed by the immediate supervisor, acquire an additional minimum of 10 instructional hours of discipline-specific education/training, and have no reported infractions of the Code of Ethics. ** CLVT Provisional Certificants must also submit a letter of endorsement                        from the sponsor physician. 8. If the Provisional Certificant is found to have met all review process requirements, he or she will be afforded Full Certification based on approval of the full Board. If a Provisional Certificant is found to have not met the review process requirements, Full Certification is not granted and the individual may only reapply for ACVREP certification under Track I (Full Certification) requiring the individual to obtain a Bachelors degree (or higher) in the applicable field and successfully complete a supervised internship. Provisional Certification Requirements Track II (Provisional Certification Candidates) must meet the following requirements to establish eligibility to sit for the applicable ACVREP certification examination. Proof of a Bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university (or foreign equivalent, as verified through an independent credential evaluation company) in any field of study; or (Non-U.S. Trained Candidates Only) Proof of a post-secondary diploma or degree from an accredited college or university. Proof of a minimum of 60 instructional hours of discipline-specific education/training within five (5) years prior to submitting the ACVREP Vision Rehabilitation Therapist Eligibility Application. Note: One (1) instructional contact hour is awarded for each hour of learner participation in an organized educational/training activity. Proof of providing vision rehabilitation therapy services in a professional work setting with a minimum of 2000 hours of vision rehabilitation therapy experience within (5) years prior to submitting the ACVREP Vision Rehabilitation Therapist Eligibility Application. Sponsorship from current employer to endorse Provisional Certification candidacy and attest good professional standing within the organization.  ** CLVT candidates for Provisional Certification are also required to have a sponsor physician and must submit five (5) sample case reports and receive a   passing score on said case reports prior to sitting for the LVT certification       examination. Provisional Certification candidates must pass the applicable certification       examination prior to being afforded Provisional Certification. Furthermore,    Provisional Certification candidates are allowed two (2) attempts to pass the        applicable certification examination.  If a Provisional Certification candidate does      not pass the applicable certification examination within two (2) attempts, they are   then required to obtain an additional minimum of 10 instructional hours of           discipline-specific education/training before they can sit for the certification exam    again. The length of term for Provisional Certification is 18 months. Prior to the completion of the term, the Provisional Certificant must undergo a review process. If the Provisional Certificant is found to have met the requirements set forth in the review process, then he/she will be afforded Full Certification. If the Provisional Certificant is found to have not met the requirements of the review process, then he/she may only reapply for ACVREP certification under Track I (Full Certification). Back To Top Seminars@Hadley Available Live or for Download By Dawn E. Turco, Senior Vice President, Hadley School for the Blind  Hadley is now providing free, live, online seminars twice a month. Many of the topics presented are of interest to you and your customers/clients. If you miss a live seminar due to a conflict in your schedule, catch up on all the topics of interest by listening to the streaming audio recording or downloading the podcast version. Go to www.hadley.edu and follow the Events/Seminars@Hadley/Past Seminars links to access all of Hadley’s past seminars.   Past topics include: Ø      Mobile Access and Your Adaptive Technology Ø      Seven Important Ideas for Positive Life Change Ø      Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Survival Ø      Sharing Experiences: High and Low Tech Solutions that Help Make My Day Back To Top Putting Style into Your Professional Presentations                            By Nancy Parkin-Bashizi, M.A., COMS, CVRT   How many times as professionals in our field are we asked to "Come and do a presentation on what exactly it is we do?" Do you find yourself avoiding these opportunities? Do your palms get sweaty at the thought of talking for an hour with a group of strangers? Do you find yourself "putting off" preparing for your speaking engagements because it just is not your Favorite thing to do? Well the good news is that all of these feelings are perfectly natural and the even better news is that YOU can do something about it! It is absolutely imperative that we in this field learn to share our inspirational message and career with our communities. We all know that funding is drying up, that the numbers of potential teachers is decreasing and all at the same time as the numbers of clients needing help is growing. Having the skills to go out and advocate for your services or agency and convince the community that you are a vital service will pay-off. I see the results of such efforts everyday! At the ASERT/MACRT conference held in Birmingham, AL in November I had the wonderful opportunity to share my presentation with the attendees. Although I had more than an hour's worth of information to share, I decided that I would weave my ideas and information around what the audience needed. We had a "guided discussion," in which audience members gladly shared their fears about speaking: "I'm afraid I will forget my speech," "I'm afraid I will be unprepared," "I'm afraid I will look or sound unprofessional." Then I asked the audience to identify 1 or 2 areas that they wanted to improve on: "learning to use props more effectively," "learning to speak more slowly and clearly," and "learning to organize my material better so that I do not go over my time." This exercise helped me to see what was most important to my audience, while having them "practice speaking in public" - they were gently duped into presenting without even thinking too much about it!! Some simple lessons shared in the body of my presentation included five steps for outlining your presentations: 1. Develop your presentation objectives 2. Design the Presentation closing 3. Design the Presentation opening 4. Create the Body of your presentation A. Do I need support materials - (YES) create the materials B. Do I need Visual/Auditory Aids - (YES) create the aids 5. PRACTICE - PRACTICE - PRACTICE Most of us do not like to do the work needed to create an effective presentation. However after 10 years in Toastmasters and even longer in this field, I have found this formula to be very effective; most importantly by becoming prepared, you eliminate the biggest fear factor: which is nervousness. Also we covered several main topic points including: 1. How to Know your Audience 2. How to prepare and organize your materials 3. How to use gestures 4. How to use props and visual aids 5. How to use vocal variety My goal in presenting on these topics included giving some helpful pointers and tips, such as the importance of breathing. As well, the importance of practicing everything from your opening to your gestures, and even practicing how you will move through any visual aids you have to show. Despite the usefulness of all of this information however, for me the most effective and interesting parts of this presentation was when I had the audience share their ideas. I really wanted this presentation to pull on the multitudes of experiences of the participants and have them share what worked and did not work for them. Being sighted, I also charged my large numbers of participants who are visually impaired to share with the others the tricks they use while presenting. Here are some of the more memorable ones that were shared: 1. Sometimes when I am speaking I will "slide" in a joke, maybe slightly off-topic. The response I get lets me know how much of the audience is paying attention. 2. I use a lot of audience participation. When I ask questions and people answer, I can get a better idea of who is in the room, where they are sitting and who is interested. 3. I always have help from a sighted peer to review my materials to make sure there is nothing mis-typed or missing. 4. I like to have as much information ahead of time, to help me prepare. One time I got to the presentation place and they gave me a really small room and I had to set things up in a completely different way. In conclusion, I am so glad that I took the opportunity to prepare and present on this topic. In the process I learned as much as my participants and most importantly, I think together we made "speaking in public" something a lot less scary. Thank you to everyone who was there and participated and I hope each one of you is putting into practice at least some of the things we all learned. Presentation notes available in electronic format by request at: Nancy@bashizi.com  Back To Top  A Tug of War By Rekha Nanchel, VRT VRTs and OTs are always playing a match, with Medicare as the BIG REFEREE!! OTs get a lot of penalty corners and yet win the game. VRTs are always like a step child! Have you ever wondered WHY? VRT vs. OT: The question still remains unanswered.  Medicare has instigated a tug of war between two equally competent professionals in their respective fields who can work wonders if they work as a team. An OT's services can be billed. But there are many cracks in the case of Rehabilitation for the Blind. A VRT's services are not considered worth the effort perhaps. Has anybody ever pondered that an OT does not have the knowledge base of low vision? And that they are not qualified to train clients in the use of low vision aids? Of course, they can, if they have an additional certification as Low Vision Therapists. To make sure I'm clear on the qualifications of an OT, I looked up the duties of the profession on the internet and this is what I found. An OT shall consult with a rehabilitation team to select activity programs and coordinate occupational therapy with other therapeutic activities.  In a long description of an OT's duties, nowhere has it been mentioned that an OT will have knowledge or perception of low vision.  Whereas for a rehabilitation teacher for the blind it is necessary to learn about implications of low vision which includes visual perception development; implications of visual field losses; knowledge of optics; optical, non-optics low-vision aids, procedures for vision screening; vision stimulation activities and low-vision simulation experiences. Still Medicare does not see the light. Does it belong to that segment of blind community who is totally uncooperative and is not willing to learn any "ALTERNATIVE SKILLS?" This point is underscored by the following case. Ms.K was a client of our agency who had lost vision due to a stroke. She was told by her doctor that she had no usable vision. When she was referred to Rehabilitation Services for the blind she was sent to a PVA facility for job assessment and low vision training. During the assessment, some low vision aids including a CCTV were demonstrated.  A verdict was passed that she had no usable vision and therefore would not benefit from any low vision aids. In the mean time, Ms. K became quite frustrated because at times, she thought that she saw a letter or two and occasionally a big object, but then they would disappear. It was fortunate that Ms. K shared her frustrations with her counselor who then referred her to a vision rehabilitation therapist. The VRT went out to see Ms. K to conduct her own low vision assessment. The result was unexpectedly positive for the client. It revealed that by using the eccentric viewing technique, Ms. K was able to find that little spot of functional vision that proved to be quite beneficial. To maximize the use of her vision, a line marker was used to define the lines within her range of vision and highlight only one line at a time. The progress was slow, but with a great deal of practice, Ms. K gradually learned to find the spot where she had good vision and concentrate on it. With a combination of eccentric viewing technique and scanning she was able to read a whole sentence after a strenuous work of two hours. Comprehension was low but reading by using these adaptive techniques had been introduced. Ms. K broke down with joy and said "I never thought I would be able to read anything ever again in my life." She was very much encouraged and determined to make it work. It was also determined that she actually did not need as much magnification as better contrast and better lighting. A loaner CCTV was provided so that the effectiveness of her reading could be determined and more training provided. She did not need much magnification on the CCTV but it helped with line markers, better contrast and helped in practicing writing. What the VRT was able to achieve, unfortunately the OT could not. And still OT's services are authenticated more by Medicare even when it comes to vision impairment!!! Why does everyone think that the percentage of blind and visually impaired people in the country does not call for it? The disastrous effect of vision loss that this population goes through, impacts their lives the same way as any other disability or illness. Amidst all of this there are many who could be deprived of professional services as it could have happened in the case of Ms. K, if she had not been vociferous enough and had accepted her fate! FOOD FOR THOUGHT! Back To Top Bringing People Together with the Human Connection to Success By Detra Bannister -AFB CareerConnect Program Specialist, American Foundation for the Blind Introduction: By now, chances are you have used or, at least, heard of the American Foundation for the Blind's CareerConnect® web site, which is a career education and exploration program that incorporates mentoring, is fully accessible, very informative, and highly interactive. But, did you know that we serve five major audiences with helpful information specific to each of them? Our audience outreach goes to Adult job seekers with vision loss Employers pursuing a diversified workforce Professionals who work with blind or visually impaired people Family and Friends of those with vision loss and Teens that are blind or visually impaired And, did you also know that CareerConnect has two highly interactive components to accompany all of the written materials and videos on employment and transition? Those components are a database to find mentors that allow direct communication from the registered user to the mentor, and a customized workstation that, to name a few features, includes a resume builder, electronic calendar and a private message board to send and receive messages between users and mentors. (Although this article focuses mainly on teens and adult job seekers, be sure to visit the other audience-specific areas if your needs fall into one of those categories.) Mentoring means future success: Data from research studies overwhelmingly support the effectiveness of mentoring, the conclusion being that youth supported by committed, responsible adults are more likely to make better decisions, engage in fewer risky behaviors, enjoy healthier relationships, graduate from high school, and succeed in achieving their goal(1)   And, Mary Dingee Fillmore, a twenty-five year veteran of developing adult mentoring programs states that "mentoring can save the world and careers!"(2) Through CareerConnect's unique mentoring approach and fun, educational materials job preparation for adults and transition planning and teaching for teens just got a little easier! This AFB program introduces students and clients to a large variety of occupations and helps them unravel the mystery of what they would enjoy and be good at doing as they explore and learn about jobs in today's labor market. Best of all, they can get support and first-hand advice in the form of a mentor with a like disability. (All CareerConnect Mentors are successfully employed adults with varying degrees of vision loss who work in over 300 occupational fields and have committed to share with those who contact them their knowledge and personal experiences in deciding on a career and securing the "right" job.) With this important connection to visually impaired workers, both adults and transition age students can learn from someone with similar attributes working in a job of special interest to them. Having your students or clients work with CareerConnect mentors is a great way to transfer knowledge; they get someone who can inspire and motivate them, talk about specific skills training, hands-on experiences, emphasize the importance of work ethics and attitudes, discuss self-advocacy techniques, and many other aspects of the wonderful world of work. Incorporating CareerConnect: Mentor access and materials into your transition activities gives you a way to showcase a group of new career education ideas, facts, data, etc. that can provide a basis for realistic vocational goal selection by helping students or clients determine what they would enjoy and be good at doing, information and tips about job-seeking skills, articles by and about other blind or visually impaired teens and adults videos of a first job interview and young blind adults talking about their first job a teen message board where teens can chat with one another about work and fun communication with successfully employed blind or visually impaired adults To borrow a definition of success from John C. Maxwell, the author of Teamwork Makes the Dream Work, "Success is the result of people pulling together to meet common goals."(3)  It goes without saying that all of us want to see people with vision loss succeed in their educational and career choices. So as you are putting your transition team together and writing IEPs or doing vocational skills assessments, why not consider some constituents you may not have thought of before to informally be a part of your team-CareerConnect mentors. This additional support can be a great help in preparing your students or clients to become successful workers, family members and citizens. Everyone on the team carries a piece of the puzzle. And, since mentoring is both value and career-oriented, a mentee's character and values have the potential for enrichment. An example might be learning how to assess personal strengths or behaviors or pick up other effective habits from the mentor. Skills that are relevant to educational or career goals might also be addressed on a deeper level because the mentee can learn about the specific, needed skills through conversation and given information that is relevant to a career goal by someone who has achieved theirs and can now share with the student or client what they like about their job (or not!).  The many nuances of job preparation and performance also often find opportunity for discussion. In other words, using mentoring through CareerConnect as a transition tool or an activity for adult clients can help with career information and exploration, social skills development, getting answers to questions about work or related topics and confidence building. Teens can enjoy tips on contacting mentors, articles and interviews by and for teens, learning about funding their education, discovering how a college degree can impact their future and finding out whether employers care if they have blue hair! They can also listen to conversations of other teens talking to mentors, see what it is employers are really looking for, learn about technology, use the TeenConnect Message Board and enjoy watching and listening to audio, video and other media designed especially for this age group. Tip: What young person doesn't love adventure? Engage your students with our two-part series, Aaron's Adventures in Employment and let them see whether his passion pays off. This production is a memorable, humorous two-part series (Part 1 is like old time radio, Part 2 a colorful video) that takes a teenager through the mire of creating a resume and going on a first job interview. A great, fun way for them to acquire new knowledge and retain what they've learned. Your adult clients will appreciate being able to do their own self analysis, create and build a personal data sheet and printable resume, search for and communicate with mentors on their own, get tips on career exploration, do job searches, view worksite accommodations, learn what an employer needs to know about them, getting hired and succeeding in the workplace. They will also be able to enjoy many other helpful, timely articles pertinent to working successfully with vision loss. Tip: Job ready clients can check NIB CareerNet on CareerConnect's homepage to find a variety of jobs with the National Industries for the Blind. They can also check the Job Listings section for the latest postings placed by agencies, organizations and businesses from around the country. A Few Activities: Working together with your student/client and using a simple Labor Market Survey (found in the Job Seekers section) is one of the most helpful things you can do to help them avoid careers in declining industries or ones which may not exist in their home community. It's a great way to open a discussion to find out what they are willing to do in order to have the job they are after. Spend at least two or more years in college? Move away from home to where the job is? Once they get information on how much a career pays, learn what training requirements are in place and whether the job is available close to home, they can decide either to move forward or modify their choice. Do you have students/clients who like to read or hear a good story? Lead them to our spotlight on success and have them investigate Mentor Success Stories and report back by answering the question, "What do blind people do and how?" Mentor Success Stories showcases many interesting careers being done by people with vision loss, recreational and leisure activities, news articles of accomplished mentors and more. This activity is a smart way to stimulate discussion, practice Braille skills or assistive computer technology skills. In Summary: AFB CareerConnect is a bright, engaging idea that can help you simplify and improve your transition teaching or vocational counseling. Release the potential and unlock new doors of opportunity. Visit us at http://www.careerconnect.org/ and get started today! If you would like to subscribe to Connections, our Bi-Annual Newsletter bringing you up to date with the latest happenings from our Professional Development and CareerConnect Department (PDCC) contact Jill Alo at jalo@afb.net. For questions or to arrange for a career fair, transition training or CareerConnect workshop, please call 888.824.2184 or email careerconnect@afb.net. (1)DuBois, D.L. PhD & Silverthorn, N. PhD, March 2005, Vol 95, No. 3 | American Journal of Public Health 518-524 © 2005 Research and Practice: Natural Mentoring Relationships and Adolescent Health: Evidence From a National Study (2)Mary Dingee Fillmore, (2004). Founder of ChangingWork. Bringing People Together (3)Maxwell, John C. (2002). J. Countryman®, a division of Thomas Nelson Inc., Nashville, TN Back To Top From the Field of Vision Rehab Looking For Help We recently purchased a Whirl Pool washer and dryer because our old ones died. We knew that the life on our old washer and dryer was limited, so we have been searching the market for replacements that are accessible for the past six months. We visited every appliance store within a 30 mile radius and examined all the brands available at the stores. There were features that were a must-have, and others were a plus but not a necessity. For example, the washer had to be the front load style because it is gentler on the clothes. Both machines needed to have dials that did not rotate around without an end in sight. Since I am blind, I wanted to be able to turn the dial on the dryer and land on permanent press if that is what I wanted; rather than cotton and end up with a wrinkled mangled mess that is unrecognizable. Most important, the machines needed to be nice looking to satisfy my vanity issues. It has been over ten years since we purchased our last washer and dryer, and, oh my, how these appliances have advanced. They can do everything except sort your clothes. One very fascinating characteristic about some of the dryers was the steam feature. If you use the steam while drying your clothes, the wrinkles are removed and you don't have to iron them. I hate ironing, don't you? On Christmas Eve, I was doing my weekly laundry and low and behold, to my surprise, our dryer croaks. Since our washer is as old as the dryer and my vanity nags at me insisting that we buy a matching set, the search for the perfect machines was resumed in earnest. On New Year's Day, we went to Best Buy because they had placed an ad in the local paper indicating a sale on washers and dryers. They were not top of the line, but neither at the bottom. Both were the front load style, had one rotating dial, and several buttons that indicated the water temperature, type of load, cotton, delicate, etc., size of load, number of rinses, how dry you want the clothes, wrinkle free, and so on and so forth. The machines were not plugged in, so we could not tell how the buttons worked. However, they did not look too complicated. Although the dials rotated, they appeared simple to mark. Right price, nice looking, and simple to operate. No, the dryer did not have the steam feature, because it looked too complicated for a blind person. Yes, we thought we'd finally purchased the "perfect" machines. Too good to be true? Absolutely. They were delivered on January sixth, set up, plugged in, and were ready to go. I got home from work that evening ready to do our laundry which had collected for two weeks. What a disappointment! With the machines powered up, the gadgets were extremely complicated. For instance, 12 o'clock on the dial used for selecting the type of clothes to be washed indicated a different setting each time the dial landed there. One time 12 o'clock would be permanent press, another time pre-wash, and yet another time would be time delay. Each button had a menu from which to select a feature; such as, hot cold, warm cold, large, medium or small load, etc. One has to press a button to start the selection, press another button to choose a menu, select a feature from the menu, then press start for anything to happen. I am sure by now you can understand my dilemma. Now, I have a choice. Either I can have my husband be responsible for the laundry, or I can find a way to mark our washer and dryer. Which one would you choose? If you chose number two, then I need your help. If you have any ideas or suggestions on how to mark machines, please email them to zeze.o.miller@dss.mo.gov Do you have a problem that needs to be solved? Then let's ask an expert!  Email your problem or concerns to zeze.o.miller@dss.mo.gov  Funny Story I was surfing the internet one evening when I found this funny story. I thought it would be a good one to share.  A True Dog Story A man was flying from Seattle to San Francisco and the plane had a layover in Sacramento. The flight attendant explained that there would be a delay, and if the passengers wanted to get off the aircraft, the plane would re-board in one hour. Everybody got off the plane except one gentleman.  Another man had noticed him as he walked by and could tell the gentleman was blind because his Seeing Eye dog lay quietly underneath the seats in front of him throughout the entire flight.  He could also tell that he had flown this very flight before because the pilot approached him, and calling him by name, said, "Keith, we're in Sacramento for an hour, would you like to get off and stretch your legs?"  The blind man replied, "No thanks, but maybe my dog would like to stretch his legs." Now picture this: All the people in the gate area came to a complete standstill when they looked up and saw the pilot walk off the plane with a Seeing Eye dog! The pilot was even wearing sunglasses. People scattered. They not only tried to change planes, but they were trying to change airlines!  True story....Have a great day and remember... Things aren't always as they seem. Back To Top Hindsight is not always 20/20 By Susan M. Dalton, M.S. Ed., CVRT Transition for youth with visual impairments has been a topic of great interest for the past several years.  Teachers, parents, and other vision professionals are often looking for better resources to assist them in working with their students to best prepare them for independence in their lives after high school.  Teens typically can be uninterested or questioning of the vast amount of advice that adults or teachers endlessly attempt to provide for them.  As a part of the TransVision program in Illinois, I recently initiated a transition project entitled, "Hindsight is not always 20/20."   The purpose is to get information from past participants on what they had done during high school that really helped them for their college or work experience, what they did wrong, what they wished they had done to have made them better prepared, and include any advice they may have for teens currently in school.  The end result is to compose a document to share with other vision professionals that hopefully can assist in working with youth in transition.  The information obtained comes straight from the horse's mouth -- the young adults - and hopefully this may have more credence for high school teens.  During the process of this endeavor, I had the opportunity to personally interview 25 students who were all past participants of TransVision Program activities.  All students have graduated from high school.  Some are still in college, some are currently working, and some are still attempting to find their way in society as an adult.   The summaries listed below are just a basic sketch of the interview results.  The topics will be detailed further in a presentation at the IAER Statewide Vision Conference in February, 2009.  This will give you a broad idea of the things that were discussed in our encounters. Things learned in high school that has given them more independence as a young adult: The topic mentioned the most by many students was technology, and several specified note-taking devices.  The next most frequent response was mobility skills.  Other topics included independent living skills, cooking, Braille, money management and organization.  Several also stated the benefit of attending ISVI (Illinois School for Visually Impaired) in addition to their community high school.  A few mentioned:  being your own advocate, being able to teach people how to help you, being patient, improving English skills, developing good study skills and having job opportunities. Challenges experienced since leaving high school: Most frequent response was having enough time to complete assignments.  Several said it was difficult advocating for themselves as well as feeling isolated, not a part of the group.  Transportation was a challenge expressed by many as well.  Some expressed boredom after leaving school and not being able to do things at home that they were allowed to do while in school.  There were difficulties getting materials in formats needed for school, not knowing more than basic PC skills, and learning to be more responsible.  Advice to other students: Surprisingly to me, many students said that current teens should be encouraged to study more math, and to pay better attention in both math and reading.  Several recommended staying an extra year in high school to learn additional skills.  Another common response included encouragement to explore new things, join more after school activities, and meet other people.  It was mentioned to not wait until the last minute to do things.  Some suggested learning more troubleshooting skills.  And a few strongly recommended learning Braille early on before their vision deteriorated due to the demands of reading in college.  Lastly, some students said to try to speak up for yourself more. What the students would like to say to their past vision teachers: Many expressed thanks for being tough on them and pushing them to do more.  They appreciated the extra time the VI teachers spent with them.  Thanks also was given for teachers who really cared, those who put up with them, taught them Grade 3 Braille, showed them how to adapt own materials so they could do things for themselves.  They encouraged teachers to be sure to stay on their students and don't give up on them.  They also said to get on a personal level with your students, tell them your personal experiences, and be supportive.  An unexpected statement that came from more than one student referred to teachers NOT pushing them.  "Do not discriminate or ignore students that are slow learners.  They know when you're not challenging them when they see others learning more."  And, "Teachers should assess you on where you are in a subject and then move forward instead of repeating things over and over.  Only one teacher taught me beyond what I knew." Things parents did - good or bad: They didn't do things for me, made me do things for myself and stayed on me about my grades.  Several said their parents were too overprotective, wouldn't let them do things on their own, and would discourage them to try new things.  Many said their parents really helped them by teaching them household skills, teaching them to try their best, helping with school work, and pushing them.  But, just as many said parents were too helpful, made kids rely on them too much, gave them a guilt trip if they tried things on their own.  Experiences with adult services: Just about every student shared the same comment of:  "Counselors do not answer calls or return calls."  They consistently said that it was difficult getting in touch with their counselors and they were slow to get things done.  A few suggested that counselors should be more caring.  Several wanted equipment and were unable to get it.  They said information given them was not clear, had no follow-through, and they were given the runaround.  Some said they always felt they had to fight for everything they needed, and some eventually went to other sources for help or just gave up altogether and went on their own.  Other comments: Several commented positively on TransVision experiences, especially the Summer in the City program, stating that it helped with obtaining information, meeting people, and was a good preparation for adult classes...and mainly, made them not feel alone.  Several mentioned positively about ICRE-Wood for computer skills and ADL - although some wished the instructors would not jump in so quickly to help - to let the student try to figure things out.  One wished she knew about ISVI sooner so she could have gone there to get more help.  Many also stated that going to visit the guide dog school gave them good information about this as an option for independent travel. Final comment: Based on this experience and the results of the personal interviews, I would highly encourage professionals to keep an open line of communication with their clients and take time to listen.  By hearing the comments and concerns of these young adults, and being able to share this information with the teens with whom I currently work, I feel that an important message can be conveyed that will be more highly valued by the youth. Back To Top “Save the Date” Save the date!  You are cordially invited to attend the 2009 MACRT/ASERT professional development conference, "Brewing Best Practices in Vision Rehabilitation" to be held November 12-14, 2009 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  Hotel information: The conference will be held at the Doubletree Hotel Milwaukee City Center, 611 W. Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53203 Tel: 1-414-273-2950   For your convenience, a website has been developed for the MACRT/ASERT conference to enable you to reserve rooms online.  The website is http://doubletree.hilton.com/en/dt/groups/personalized/MKECCDT-MAC-20091111/index.jhtml Room rates are $80.00 for a single room and $100 for a double. Please make room reservations separate from conference registration. The Doubletree Hotel Milwaukee City Center, in the heart of downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is adjacent to Midwest Airlines Center convention facilities and is within walking distance of the Bradley Center sports and entertainment complex, the Milwaukee Public Museum and IMAX Theater, and the many shops and eateries of Grand Avenue Mall. General Mitchell International Airport (MKE) is a ten minute drive from the centrally located downtown high rise Doubletree hotel, which offers reserved valet parking for your comfort and convenience.  At the Doubletree hotel in the center of vibrant downtown Milwaukee, guests experience warm Wisconsin hospitality in the perfect location. Attractions like the Milwaukee Art Museum & War Memorial Center, Discovery World at Pier Wisconsin on the shores of beautiful Lake Michigan, Potawatomi Bingo Casino with its Northern Lights Theater, the Summerfest/World Festival Grounds, U.S. Cellular Arena, Miller Park (home of the Milwaukee Brewers), the Milwaukee Mile, Wisconsin State Fair Park, and Pettit National Ice Rink are all less than ten minutes from The Doubletree Hotel Milwaukee City Center. Visit the microbreweries that carry on Milwaukee's proud beer heritage, experience an abundant array of ethnic eateries, or explore the Historic Third Ward neighborhood, with its many art galleries and antique shops.  The Miller Brewing Company and Harley Davidson museum are also nearby attractions. Transportation: The hotel can be accessed by a short cab ride from either General Mitchell airport or the Intermodal Station which houses commercial bus lines and Amtrak.  The Wisconsin Coachline bus service offers round trip service to Milwaukee from both Chicago's O'Hare and Midway airports as well.  From Milwaukee's General Mitchell airport, round trip service is also available directly to the hotel via the Airport Connect service.  For more information on this service please call 414-769-2444 or visit their website at http://www.mkelimo.com/. We are in the process of planning an exciting and informative conference.  So whether you prefer to brew coffee, tea, or a malt beverage, we hope that you will join us in the "Cream City" of Milwaukee, Wisconsin in November.  The snow doesn't usually start falling until December!  For more information please contact Jennifer Ottowitz at jottowitz@badgerassoc.org or call 414-615-0123. Back To Top From the editor's Kitchen I love trying new recipes. Here are three recipes that I have prepared for my family and they were very well received. If you have any to share, please email them to: zeze.o.miller@dss.mo.gov Quick Chicken and Wine Ingredients: 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into strips. You can use cutlets instead of cutting the strips. 2 eggs, beaten 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese 1 pinch salt 1 pinch ground black pepper 4 cloves crushed garlic Dried basil and oregano, optional 3/4 cup white wine, any will do 10 ounces Baby Bella mushrooms halved 4 tablespoons butter or margarine Directions: Wash chicken strips or cutlets and dry thoroughly. In a shallow plate, mix flour, salt and black pepper. In another shallow plate, spread Parmesan Cheese, sprinkle with basil, oregano and black pepper. Break eggs into a bowl and beat with a fork. Coat chicken in flour mixture. Dip seasoned chicken in eggs then coat well with Parmesan cheese mixture. Repeat until all of the chicken pieces are well coated. If you run short on egg and Parmesan, add one more egg and more Parmesan as needed.  In a skillet, melt butter or margarine over medium high heat. Cook chicken, stirring frequently, until golden brown. Reduce heat and add wine, garlic, and mushroom halves. Cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes serve with white rice or pasta.  Serves 6. For those veggie lovers, the next two recipes are for you. Vegetable Casserole Ingredients: 1 can French-style green beans, drained 1 cup celery, chopped 1/2 cup sour cream 1 can cream of celery soup 1 can corn, drained 1 cup green pepper, chopped 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated (or more if needed) Topping: 3/4 cup crushed Ritz or butter crackers 3 tablespoons melted butter Preparation: Combine first 7 ingredients and put in a greased casserole dish. Combine topping ingredients and sprinkle evenly over vegetable mixture. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes. Serves 8. Vegetable Cheese Bake Ingredients: 1 package (10 ounces) frozen broccoli spears 1 package (10 ounces) frozen Lima beans 6 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese 1 cup chopped onion 1/4 cup butter 2 tablespoons flour 1 can (14.5 ounces) tomatoes, drain and reserve liquid salt and pepper, to taste 1/4 teaspoon dried basil 1 cup soft bread crumbs 2 to 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese Preparation: Cook broccoli, following package directions. Remove with slotted spoon and arrange in a buttered shallow 2-quart baking dish. Add lima beans to the broccoli cooking liquid and cook until tender. Drain, reserving liquid. Spoon lima beans over the broccoli. Sprinkle Cheddar over vegetables. In a saucepan, sauté onion in 2 tablespoons of the butter. Stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes. Gradually stir in liquid from the tomatoes. Simmer, stirring, until smooth and thickened, adding some of the reserved vegetable cooking liquid if too thick. Dice the tomatoes and add to the sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in basil. Pour sauce over the cheese layer. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons of butter; add bread crumbs and toss. Stir in Parmesan cheese; sprinkle bread crumb mixture over the sauce layer. Bake in preheated 400° oven for 20 minutes, or until heated through and topping is browned. Broil for the last few minutes, if desired. Serves 4 to 6. Back To Top