April 2007 Issue

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From Hugh Pharis, Conyers, GA:

I enjoyed the February 2007 issue of the Ziegler Magazine, especially the editorial about Bookshare.org and the article, "Melatonin Effective in Totally Blind People."

Reading the Letter from the Editor, I am aware that I may be what some call an avid reader, having loved books from early childhood--both fiction and nonfiction. For several years, I've been following the progress of the National Library Service (NLS) on introducing digital talking books, which will take effect in January 2008. And that makes me wonder: The books one can download from Bookshare will more than likely make it to the NLS in a year or two. So unless a reader is in a big hurry, why pay $25 to join Bookshare and then $50 to download a book? It is my understanding that even NLS books will be downloadable beginning next year. Even now, Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic books can be downloaded for a price if one has their special reading machine. Personally, I think I can wait for the NLS to meet my reading needs.

Melatonin is a wonderful thing. I've been taking a 3-milligram tablet for several years now, and they work. But here's a strange phenomenon. Although I can't prove it, I wonder if the lunar cycle each month might have any bearing on those infernal sleepless nights. It seems to me that when the moon is waxing to full, I have my sleepless nights, which I call "howlers." From what I remember of biology class, there is such a thing as lunar cycles having an effect on the human body. So why wouldn't that affect our sleep--whether we are blind or not?

From Ken Stewart, Warwick, NY:

Greg Evanina must have chosen "The Fire Next Door" article for the January issue because he considered it a tale of divine inspiration and heroism, just as the editor of Guideposts, its original source, no doubt did.

My opinion is quite to the contrary. I believe that Guideposts deserved a scolding in an editorial, rather than the flattery of being reproduced in another magazine.

For me the behavior of both the author and his neighbor exemplified, at best, poor judgment. More likely, it illustrated irresponsibility. The neighbor asked the author to monitor her aged and very limited mother, apparently without any instructions on what to do in an emergency. The author, in turn, was seriously remiss by failing to call 911 the moment his ward reported the fire via the electronic monitoring device. Precious minutes were lost while he made his way from his house, through the gate and yard of the other house, and inside, after locking the door. Then he "flailed" his arms around helplessly until he bumped into his charge.

Indeed, each time this story appears, it may be reinforcing a negative stereotype of the blind guy groping about in a near-daze anytime he is out of his own nest. I know no one who would have been nearly so inept in these circumstances. As a regular visitor, a blind man certainly would have already been quite familiar with the physical details of the elderly woman's living quarters, at least enough to find an escape route efficiently-- all the more, having accepted a helper's role.

From Miriam Vieni, Westbury, NY:

I would like to respond to Karen Clark's letter in January's Readers Forum, expressing the wish that the National Federation of the Blind and the American Council of the Blind would work together cooperatively on behalf of blind people.

But these two organizations are very different from each other. I would guess that the only goals on which they might presently agree are the need for accessible Web sites and the importance of braille for blind people.

Someone interested in a history of the two organizations might read People of Vision (RC56115), an objective account of how and why ACB separated from NFB.

From Michelle Murphy, Lanarkshire, Scotland:

I was interested to read the December editorial about blind people sailing. I would like to learn to sail. I love water sports, especially canoeing. I have also done traditional canal boating, where I lived on a boat for a week. I enjoyed steering the boat and doing the logs. It sounds as if sailing could be a relaxing sport. I suffer from severe depression, and it might help me to relax.

From Ayn Apelman, Pittsburgh, PA:

Thank you for publishing the short piece in December about Hanukkah (sometimes spelled Chanukah) from Knight-Ridder Newspapers. I thought it was so good that I read it to the residents where I live.

Did anyone get the answer to Karen Edwards's riddle in November's Special Notices? If not, I have the answer: The word is "ballet." It has six letters and the "t" is silent. My only problem is that I couldn't contact her since I don't have long-distance phone service. As a result I probably missed out on the puzzle book prize. I would appreciate Ziegler readers including their mailing address in Special Notices. They must not assume that everyone has e-mail or long-distance phone service.

From Tim Hendel, Huntsville, AL:

In February's Readers Forum, Jasmine Parrish wrote about the difficulty of practicing Christianity in the Islamic state of Iran. There are many U.S. Christian fundamentalists who want to make Christianity some kind of state religion in our country. They use phrases such as "take America back," but rarely explain exactly what they intend by this. Under the regime such people wish for, would a non-Christian like me experience the same kind of discrimination portrayed in the letter from Iran? I very much fear that the answer is yes. If we refuse to believe as they do, might we lose our government jobs, Social Security money, or the right to live where we wish? John Forster's letter in the same issue, proposing that the motto "In God We Trust" be required in public and private schools, gives substance to my fears.

I would like to object to a practice that is becoming more common in the Special Notices section of the Ziegler--namely, giving only Internet contact information for those offering goods and services. This leaves out a large portion of Ziegler readers. I wanted to purchase one of the Miami Lighthouse CD's announced in the January issue. I used to work for this organization and probably know some of the performers. I am, however, completely unable to buy the disks because only a Web address was given. Though I can do e-mail, I cannot surf the Net. Perhaps the Ziegler should request phone or postal contact information before running a Special Notice..

[Editor's Note: We publish the contact information that is provided to us. Readers who lack a way to respond are welcome to ask for our assistance.]

From Bashir Masoodi, Crown Point, IN:

Mort Schlein's story about Camp Wapanacki in December's Readers Forum brought back many pleasant memories. I worked with Mort at the New York Institute for Education of the Blind in the late 1950's, when he was director of physical education and I was a scholarship student there. It was at his suggestion that I applied and was hired as a counselor at Camp Wapanacki during the summer of 1957. Dr. Frampton was head of the Institute, the sponsor of the camp. Paul Mitchell was the camp director. There were many international campers and staff and great educational and cultural activities, in addition to the usual boating, swimming, hiking, sleepouts, and other camp programs. There was lots of singing and fun games. Blind children and youth were greatly challenged and motivated. Many made lifelong friendships. They were taught to live independently. There were many tears when the session ended in August. Male campers came for the month of July and female campers for the month of August. I rode the train from New York City to Burlington, VT, where a bus picked us up for the camp in Hardwick. Yet all this was totally free. Dr. Frampton was a great man of vision who later opened a summer school for the gifted blind students at the camp.

I was to spend 40 more years working at summer camps, including being a counselor at the Vacation Camp for the Blind at Spring Valley, NY, and Highbrook Lodge Camp at Chardon, OH, where I became camp director until 1997. I have many fond memories of these summers. The Vacation Camp and Highbrook Lodge also served adults. Both had a special program for newly blinded persons, many of whom literally found a new life in a caring environment. At Highbrook, I also started family and intergenerational camping programs. We had a weeklong session for blind babies and infants with their parents and siblings, and sighted family camp with blind adults. There was mutual support and sharing. I met a loving woman who worked as a nurse at Highbrook and became my wife. Both of our children also worked at Camp Wapanacki and Highbrook Lodge. We are all thankful for the opportunity.

Many of the camps for the blind closed their doors in the 1980's, along with many agencies and schools, thus depriving blind children, youth, adults and seniors of great educational, cultural, social and recreational opportunities.

From Jim Boswell, York, PA:

Thanks for publishing the lyrics to Van Morrison's "Moondance" in October's Ziegler. Songs are poetry set to music. When I read the words, I couldn't remember what the music sounded like, but did remember hearing it on WSOX, the classic hits station in York. Having the lyrics in braille, I wanted to sing along with Van, karaoke-style. I phoned WSOX to request the song on Oct. 22. I was the "dashboard DJ" that day and won two tickets to see the musical, Man of La Mancha, performed at Penn State in York.

From a reader in Oklahoma:

In response to Mike Lantz's letter in the September Readers Forum about the difficulty of entering broadcasting, it would seem easy for a blind person to read news, weather and sports--but how about interviewing a celebrity, such as Larry King? A blind person could certainly be a disc jockey and play cassettes. The problem is getting hired. This seems to be true in every field where we have no prior experience. I thought this is where the National Federation of the Blind would come in.

The magazine called Guideposts is no longer available in braille. Does anyone know where to get a similar magazine? The stories are great, whether you are religious or not.

About working from home: I was a sales rep for a time, and had to make appointments by phone. It was very hard because no one knew anything about the product, Mellaleuca, so that job ended after a year. Does any Ziegler reader have other ideas for telephone employment? Is there such a thing as phone advertising, where you could leave messages telling people about something like a new restaurant, and get paid? I don't know how employers would know how many calls you had made from the home phone. Home-based business is a part-time job at best. Many readers are trying to sell computer parts, books or music tapes. All these are good ideas, but how could using a home phone bring in a regular steady income? Telemarketing rarely works because people hang up. Secretaries and switchboards can be polite, but we can't call them all the time. Would a hospital hire people? Counseling by phone makes sense. I would like to hear some ideas from other readers.

From a reader in Alabama:

I live with an aunt, or at least I've been trying to live with her for 10 years. Sure, she loves me. She takes me to the doctor whenever I need to go. She does a lot for me, but I'm having to pay too high a price for it. She's verbally abusive. She tells me that I act childish or retarded. I've taken independent living classes, but she won't let me practice the skills I learned. Nothing pleases her, so it's impossible for her to appreciate me at all. After my mother's death, I was in therapy, and my counselor offered to have therapy sessions for both my aunt and me, but she refused. I just feel so alone. There is no advocacy agency for blind people in this area to my knowledge, and VRS does not deal with verbal abuse. My fear is that if I call DHR, they will put me with someone even worse. If a Ziegler reader has any advice, please contact me by e-mail at ckimnbay@bellsouth.net.

From Clifford Cromwell, Bronx, NY:

It is sad that blind people in the developing countries feel dependent on modern technology for survival. Louis Braille's invention has served the blind community for so long. The advent of the computer is stupendous, but we should stop there.

On seeking a cure for eye problems: Today everyone is health-conscious. Herbs and natural remedies are ubiquitous. In the developing world, herbs are abundant. Animals have very good night vision, and their diet contributes to this. New generations of the blind should look to nature for cures.

From Joyce Fortune, Mountain View, CA:

I am astonished and a little disgusted at the high prices people want for technology--especially outdated technology--and the low prices people charge for hand-made items. I think sellers of technology do not understand that as soon as you take something out of the box, it loses most of its value. I have occasionally come across items for sale in the Ziegler that are so old that the companies do not even support them anymore, yet the sellers want to get the price they paid for them four or five years ago.

As for hand-made items, I knit and I know how long it takes to make a baby blanket, sweater or booties. When people charge so little for their time and hard work, it makes me sad: $35 for a baby blanket is $1 per hour at most, less the cost of materials. I live in California, where everything is expensive; a hand-made baby blanket would sell at an art fair here for at least $100. It is sad that craftspeople--women, mostly--undervalue their art and their hard work.

From Charles Biebl, Baltimore, MD:

Sometime last December, a controversy arose in the blind community concerning whether money should be available in different sizes. The American Council of the Blind (ACB) wants our money changed and the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) does not. The solution proposed by the Department of the Treasury was that blind people should use credit cards and some kind of talking reading device. Well, how many Ziegler readers took the time to let their opinions be known to the Treasury department? You can count me as one of the few--if not the only--blind persons who made their views known.

I told them politely that not all blind people have credit cards, and most of us are on limited incomes and can't afford those talking note tellers. I suggested that they be provided to those of us on low incomes, such as SSI or SSDI. Of course, we would have to prove that we are on low income, by producing a letter from Social Security, for example. As poor as most of us are, there are no free lunches in life. Someone has to pay (in this case the taxpayers) for us to have such a gift.

I did this for a reason, realizing it will never happen. I wanted to show them how unreasonable they were being in making this statement. But I can give several reasons why most blind people did nothing:

1. They were exchanging messages on the Philmore system.

2. They were too busy telephone conferencing, looking for a mate they will never meet (because most of us have no money).

3. They were gossiping about each other with their friends.

Is it any wonder we're in this situation?

From Doranna Robertson, Fargo, ND:

I am writing to thank you for a really interesting and informative magazine. It has a good choice of articles. Also, I was encouraged by the letters of caring and sharing in Readers Forum in December and January. For so long, the letters in this column have been low-key and complaining. Now, we are on a new roll. Let's keep it up! We all need uplifting contacts in our lives.