Published by the
IOWA COUNCIL OF THE UNITED BLIND
An American Council of the Blind Affiliate
Website: www.icublind.org
Bettina Dolinsek, President
304 W. Cedar St.
Goldfield, IA 50542
866-436-0141
E-mail: president@icublind.org
Karen Keninger, Co-Editor
515-333-9612
E-mail: kakeninger@gmail.com
Sandy Tigges, Co-Editor
515-277-1256
Email: tigges@dwx.com
Table of Contents
President’s Report
By Bettina Dolinsek, ICUB President
Summer is my favorite time of year. I love having the windows open, sitting outside on our deck, grilling, and all the fun that comes with this season. I hope you have been enjoying your summer, too. I know that this year we have had flooding in Iowa, and if you have been affected, we are praying for you. Please reach out if you need anything.
This year was my first to attend the National ACB, (American Council of the Blind), Conference and Convention, which was held in Jacksonville, Florida. I hope you were able to keep up the communications you received from the ACB, as well as the ones Lori Trujillo-Roush and I were sending out regarding how you could vote at this year’s National Convention. I am looking forward to reporting to you on the ACB Convention at the upcoming ICUB annual State Convention and in a future issue of the Bulletin.
The ICUB Convention Planning Committee is busy preparing for our own State Convention in August. You should have received your Convention packet by now. It includes important participation information, the agenda, and the registration form. Please let us know if you did not get your copy, and we will send you one.
This year’s Convention theme is “Honoring Our Past and Building Our Future.” I look forward to our breakout sessions as well as hearing from our speakers. We will be joined by our ACB Representative, David Trott. I know we will appreciate hearing from him and being updated on what is going on nationally. I hope all of you can join us August 23 -24 at the Courtyard Marriott in Ankeny. Read the article below for more details.
I hope you all had a chance to enjoy time with your family and friends as we celebrated Independence Day. It is important to take time once in a while to relax from all the business of life. See you all at the Convention. Cheers!
Bettina Dolinsek, President
Those Who Cannot Remember the Past
By Sandy Tigges
As our President, Bettina Dolinsek, noted above, the 2024 Annual ICUB Conference and Convention will be held at the Courtyard Marriott in Ankeny on August 23-24. The theme this year is “Honoring Our Past and Building Our Future.” The history of blindness in Iowa is fascinating, and as the Spanish-American philosopher George Santayana once wrote, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
Iowa was and continues to be in the forefront of implementing a positive approach to blindness. It is critical that we learn about the negative attitudes toward blindness that had preceded this approach, so we can identify them and never go back. Whether we are refreshing our memories or learning about the history of blindness for the first time, attending the Convention will help us keep from making that mistake.
On the afternoon of Friday, August 23, there will be two breakout sessions. In one, you can learn hands-on about the amazing evolution of blindness-related technology, and in the other, you can learn about the efforts of the Des Moines Historical Society to make their exhibits more accessible to those with vision loss. Among other presentations that evening, Cody Dolinsek and Robert Martin will talk about the benefits of knowing about our history and why it’s important to blind Iowans. On Saturday, divisions of the Iowa Department for the Blind will give updates, including a presentation on the beginnings and future of the Business Enterprise Program. Mary Clarke and I will also talk about living the history of blindness in Iowa and the lessons we should learn from it. Sprinkled throughout the Convention will be other presentations, ICUB business, exhibits, awards, door prizes, and lots of opportunities to socialize. The Convention will be topped off with the banquet on Saturday evening with an address by David Trott, our ACB representative.
You can attend the Convention either in person or through Zoom. Read through the registration packet for more details and get registered. To make your hotel reservation, call the Courtyard Marriott in Ankeny by August 2 at 515-422-5555 and let them know you will be attending the ICUB Convention so you will get the nightly room rate of $109.00 plus tax. We’ll see you there!
Meet New Commissioner Sara Coleman
By Karen Keninger
Effective May 1, 2024, the Governor appointed Sara Coleman to a one-year term on the Iowa Commission for the Blind’s three-member board. She joins Amy Salger and Mike Hoenig. Sara was elected to serve as Commission Board Chair for the rest of the term.
“I was surprised and honored to be appointed,” she says. “It’s an important job. I see my work on the Commission as a way to pay it forward.” Regarding specific goals, she says she’s still working that out in her mind. The Commission is an oversight body, and she believes that careful attention to policies will be an important part of her role as Commissioner.
On the immediate front, Sara says, “With Emily Wharton retiring, and since we are under new rules with the Governor appointing the Director, we need to make sure to encourage the Governor to have an open process with community engagement.”
A native of Sioux City, Sara graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in biology and then decided to make teaching her career. Today she lives in Norwalk, where she taught high school biology for 25 years. She also holds a Doctorate in Education Leadership from Drake University. Sara retired in 2019 with a total of 32 years of teaching experience. Since retirement, she has worked part-time for Drake University as a Student Teaching Supervisor. Throughout her teaching career, Sara received several state and national awards, including Physical Science Teacher of the Year from the Iowa Academy of Science and the Milken National Educator Award in 2003.
Due to Usher Syndrome, a genetic condition that impacts both vision and hearing, Sara deals with dual sensory impairments. As early as kindergarten, she was diagnosed with a hearing loss, and in 1991 she received a diagnosis of retinitis pigmentosa. Successful cochlear implants have helped to mitigate her hearing loss, and she began working with staff at the Iowa Department for the Blind when her vision got to a point where, she says, she could no longer compensate for it. Sara was encouraged to commit to the full Iowa Empowerment and Independence Center training program, but she was reluctant to do so. “What shifted me,” she says, “was that I went to SELF Week in March of 2020. For the first time, I was surrounded by competent blind people. I had seen enough. This is a skill thing.”
Sara entered the Center at the Department for the Blind in October of 2020. It was during the time that COVID kept most people away. “I got a lot of individual attention,” she said, “and that was good for me. It took me a long time before I got to the point of accepting that this [blindness] is a skill issue, not a personal weakness issue.”
Sara sees skills training as the foundation for success as a blind person and hopes to influence the Department as new and more effective ways of delivering training are developed. She is particularly interested in ways to address blindness training for people losing their vision in their fifties and sixties who want to continue to work. As a sidebar, she says making sure blind children learn Braille and study both reading and math is a critical interest. “Reading and math are the keys to the kingdom,” she says, referencing her background teaching the sciences.
In her spare time, Sara enjoys extensive travel, family genealogy, and serving as the treasurer of the National NFB, (National Federation of the Blind), DeafBlind Division.
The ACB Monthly Monetary Support Program
By Don Wirth
Have you ever considered supporting ICUB or ACB with a financial gift but were concerned that you couldn’t make a gift large enough to make a difference? What if you could make a gift of $5.00 per month? Would your budget allow you to do that? Well, have we got a deal for you!
The ACB’s Monthly Monetary Support Program (MMS) allows you to set up a payment for as little as $5.00 a month. And you can even set up your plan so that one-half of your gift can be designated to be sent to ICUB. That way you are helping both ACB and ICUB.
You can set up a plan so that, each month, the funds are either automatically withdrawn from your bank account or charged to your credit card. To find out more about the program and how to sign up, call 888-999-3190 or e-mail askacbmms@gmail.com.
A Summer Garden
By Karen Keninger
“If it grows straight and tall and fast, it’s a weed.” That’s what my sister Teresa Haifley says, laughing, when I asked her how she, as a blind gardener, distinguishes the weeds from the plants.
Teresa lives in Washington, Iowa, and has been gardening for the past decade. “I’ve always been interested in food,” she says. “I have a passion for food, cooking, baking, and experimenting with different ingredients. I enjoy studying recipes to see what works well together.”
Teresa’s first foray into gardening was prompted by her desire to make pesto. The recipes all called for basil, but the only basil she was familiar with was the dried herb in her spice drawer. She needed fresh basil, so she decided to grow some. She started with a pot of basil, one of chervil and one of cilantro. “I didn’t know cilantro doesn’t take heat,” she says. That got her started researching the plants she wanted to grow by reading up on things on the internet.
Teresa discovered there are many varieties of basil, but they all pretty much look alike. How to tell them apart? The answer was Braille labels. She bought plastic garden labels that you push into the ground and Brailled on them with a Braille slate and stylus. Putting the labels into the pots or next to the plants in the ground made it possible to keep them all straight.
One of the hardest things at first, she says, was knowing which plants were weeds and which plants were herbs. She learned to study the stems and leaves of her plants. For example, she says, basil has a square stem, and the leaves grow two by two on the stem. “I can also tell them apart by the ridges and shapes of the leaves and the way they smell.”
Teresa started out with just a few pots, and each year she added new varieties. Last year it was squash and cucumbers. This year it’s green beans. Today she has an in-ground garden, a vertical planter with room for up to 30 plants, and a variety of pots in different sizes.
She has rows of peppers in her garden. “How do you keep from stepping on them?” I asked her. She puts every fifth plant in a tomato cage. Then she strings bird tape between the cages. The bird tape keeps the birds from eating the young plants. It also serves as a guide in the garden.
And advice for other gardeners? First, she says, decide what you want out of a garden. Do you want a lot or a little? Do you want to can tomatoes or just eat them from the garden? Next, she says, start small. Figure out your own techniques for finding, growing, and identifying your favorite plants. Start with nursery plants so you can become really familiar with your favorites. Later you can move up to planting seeds.
“Don’t be afraid to try it,” she says. “You’ll figure out ways to manage it, what things look like, and how they’re different.” And her favorite part of gardening? Her passion comes through her voice as she answers: “Watching things grow; watching them produce; harvesting; cooking; creating—it’s hard to say what my favorite is.” And that basil? This year she’s growing a dozen different varieties of it, and her family is definitely addicted to pesto.
Summer Reading Programs for All Ages At the IDB Library for the Blind and Print Disabled
By Sarah Willeford
The IDB Library has a variety of reading programs available this summer for our patrons of all ages. Our Youth Summer Reading program is off to a great start. June was a busy month full of activities for young readers to learn all about gardening, recycling, and more! The program is centered on three incredible words: READ, RENEW, REPEAT. Participants become a Planet Superhero as they learn about endangered animals, grow their very own native plant garden, get the buzz on bees, build homes for butterflies, recycle “Braille is Beautiful” t-shirts into “No-Sew Shirt Bags,” make nature rubbings, and mix ocean adventures with art and colors. Meeting new guests at every corner takes them on an unforgettable journey all centered around making our world a better place!
The program meets via Zoom on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 1:30 PM – 2:15 PM. It will run through July, so it’s not too late to sign up. Learn more about the summer reading program at https://iowalibrary.blog/summer-reading-program .
Another exciting library program began last month as well. The STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) library program kicked off on June 13 for the teens participating in the summer IDB LEAP, (Leadership Education Advocacy Program), program. They have had a visit from a CSI, (Crime Scene Investigator), investigator, a NASA, (National Aeronautics and Space Administration), employee, and an individual from Upland who explained different plants that could lift your spirits. They also got to create a nature loom. We look forward to having many more guests this summer!
The National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, (NLS), is also hosting another great reading program this summer! Programs are held via Zoom and online activities. It was kicked off in June with a great program that included the Librarian of Congress, Dr. Carla Hayden. July events include story time and music by Turtle Dance Music on the 28th, and a talk with best-selling author Angeline Boulley on the 25th. Boulley is the author of Firekeeper’s Daughter (DB102762 and BR24040) and Warrior Girl Unearthed (DB114761 and BR25116). Online activities are available until August and include a virtual tour of the Jefferson building at the Library of Congress, Whispering Library Escape Room, and Choose Your Reading Adventure for youth and adults. These programs are all held via Zoom and registration is required. More information about NLS’s summer reading program events and activities can be found at https://www.loc.gov/nls/summerreading2024 .
you don't already, be sure to follow the Library on social media. You can find us on Facebook, @idblibrary on Instagram, @IDBlibrary on X (Twitter), Library News Podcast on Spotify/Castos, and Iowa Department for the Blind on YouTube. You will find important updates and fun and exciting posts, as well as help increase awareness of the IDB and its services! Information can also be found on the library’s two blogs: Turning the Pages Library blog, (https://iowalibrary.blog/ ) and the Instructional Materials Center blog, (https://idbimclibrary.blog/ ).
Selecting ICUB as a Beneficiary
If you or a friend would like to remember the Iowa Council of the United Blind in your will, you may do so by using the following language: “I grant, devise, or bequeath unto the Iowa Council of the United Blind, a non-profit charitable organization, the sum of ______ dollars, ____ percent of my net estate, or the following stocks and bonds (please list them) to be used for its worthy purposes on behalf of blind persons.” If you have questions or your wishes are more complex, you or your attorney can contact ICUB by calling 866-436-0141 or through the webpage at: www.icublind.org .
You Got Mail!
By LaDonna Seliger
Have you often wondered what might be coming in your mailbox before the mail carrier delivers it? Well, you don't have to wonder any longer if you sign up for a handy service from the U.S. Postal Service by going to:
After you set up your account, you will receive an e-mail notice each day with scanned images showing you what will be delivered to your mail box, including letters and packages.
The U.S. Postal Service site is accessible with a screen reader, except for the scanned images of the envelopes. One way to read them is to use the recently released BeMyEyes for Windows and have it read the screen. It will describe the screen and read the pertinent information on the scanned envelope. Asking it to read the mail piece image will give you the entire printed contents of the envelope, including postage, return address and any other information printed on the envelope.
Pick Myself Up, Dust Myself Off, and Start All Over Again
By Don Wirth
The other day I was standing in our building’s parking lot talking to another resident. We ended our discussion and I turned to go into the building. I started walking and walking and walking. I realized that I was going much farther than the building should be. I am lost in my own parking lot. What the heck am I going to do before my neighbors see me out fumbling around?
Pick myself up, dust myself off and start all over again. I pull out my phone and open the compass app. I find that I am walking away from the building instead of toward it. I turn around and find the door. Home safe.
On another occasion, I dropped something on the floor and couldn’t find it. What to do? Pick myself up, dust myself off and start all over again. And there it is--I find it right away.
A mobility instructor once told me he was walking a route that he had travelled hundreds of times with his night shades on. Suddenly he stepped over the edge of a twelve-inch drop-off that wasn’t supposed to be there and fell down. I asked him what he did. He replied, “Pick myself up, dust myself off and start all over again.” And he did so without ever removing his night shades.
So what does this all mean? Well, this is how I remind myself that I am always going to run into issues with my blindness, and no matter how hard I try, I won’t be able to open my eyes and see the solution. I am going to need to work it out without seeing anything. Sometimes the problems are something that has happened before, like, “Where’s that thing I just dropped on the floor?” Over time, though, I have developed road maps to help me remember how I solved problems in the past.
Sometimes I encounter a new and trickier problem. Frustrations start to build along with anger about why I can’t figure it out. That’s when I…Pick myself up, dust myself off and start all over again.
For inspiration, I think of other problems I have encountered and worked through. Other times, I think of other blind folks I have met and talked with, who have told me of problems and solutions they have experienced. And I think, “If they can do it, why can’t I?” This is another great thing about ICUB—there are a lot of folks who are willing to share experiences with each other.
As blind people, we will constantly be running into difficult situations that we will need to work through ourselves. But when you do, don’t give up. Just always remember the words to the old song:
“Pick myself up, dust myself off and start all over again”.
IDB Director’s Report
By Emily Wharton
As most folks are aware, I am retiring as Director of the Iowa Department for the Blind on July 18th. The treatments I have been undergoing for stage IV kidney cancer have reduced my stamina and energy level to a point where I cannot continue in this position. This was a very difficult decision for me to make. My biggest fear was that the Governor's office would use my retirement as an opportunity to move IDB under another agency or break apart the agency and put Independent Living under the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and vocational rehabilitation under Iowa Workforce Development (IWD). The day that I found out that I had cancer was the same day that IDB's policy liaison at the Governor's office, Jane Dufoe, called to tell me that under the realignment bill, the position of IDB Director would serve at the pleasure of the Governor.
For the past 18 months, I have been torn between doing what is best for my health and fighting for the agency I care so deeply about. Ultimately I have to do what will allow me to extend my life and quality of life as much as possible.
Over the past few years, I have been very impressed by ICUB’s and NFBI's ability to work together on issues that impact blind Iowans. Maintaining a free-standing agency that is accountable to the people it serves will undoubtedly be the most difficult and most important challenge facing blind Iowans in the coming years. I urge everyone to put aside any minor disagreements, egos, or rivalries and focus on working together on what really matters. If you don't, Iowa will end up like Pennsylvania, Texas or other states where the need for adjustment to blindness training and other specialized services gets lost within the bureaucracy of a combined agency. Whether you love or hate Kenneth Jernigan, he built something extraordinary here in Iowa. Don't let it be destroyed by politics and crushed by bureaucracy masquerading as efficiency. IDB is a shining example of the benefits of a small government. Giant agencies like DHHS avoid responsibility by making it impossible to know who is making the decisions. In a faceless bureaucracy, no one can be held accountable.
Although there were times where it was very hard, every year I stood up in front of both consumer groups and took responsibility for everything our agency did or did not do that people did not like. I made mistakes and any mistakes that were made within the agency are ultimately mine. All the things that we got right were due to the work of the team. I truly believe that government should be accountable to the citizens it exists to serve. I also believe one of the primary functions of consumer groups is to serve as a watch dog of blindness agencies. They should support the good things an agency does and call out harmful actions. I hope that the next IDB Director will share this philosophy, and I hope that ICUB and NFBI will continue to stand up for blind Iowans’ right to an agency that empowers them to be gainfully employed and live independently.
Donating Your Vehicle to Benefit ICUB
Do you need to dispose of a used vehicle? ICUB's Used Vehicle Donation Program offers a perfect solution. Your vehicle will be picked up from your home and sold at auction. A portion of the proceeds go directly to ICUB. You can claim a tax deduction equal to the dollar value of the vehicle. Call 800-899-4925 for more information.
“Philosophy, Huh?
What Are You Going To Do With That?”
By Cody Dolinsek
When meeting new people, the question we most often begin with is, “What do you do?” When I tell people that I teach philosophy, I get varying responses. Some people say that philosophy put them to sleep while they were in college; others react with awe, thinking that I must be a colossally smart guy; still others want to know what philosophy is all about. In what follows, let me explain what it is I do for a living. I love teaching philosophy so much that part of me can’t believe I get paid to do it. Perhaps what follows will stir your own enthusiasm.
I teach for both Drake University and the Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC). Most of the students I teach are between the ages of 18 and 22. When they come into my Intro to Philosophy course, they often don’t know what to expect. Many of them are taking the course simply to fulfill a requirement.
What I tell my students is that philosophy is an attempt to ask and to answer general and fundamental questions. I start by giving them an example of what a general and fundamental question is: What is love? Wow! What a broad question this is! We say we love everything from cats and music to human beings and sunsets. Is it really possible to provide an answer to such a question? Well, that is in fact a debate within some philosophical circles.
Here’s another general question: What is the meaning of life? Again, is it really possible to answer such a question? Perhaps. Perhaps not. Not only are these two questions about love and the meaning of life general but they are fundamental. Give human beings a chance to talk about themselves, and before long, they will be talking about what they love and what their purposes are. In other words, what and how we love and what our purposes are can often be assumed in what we say to other people about these things. What philosophy tries to do is to help us get clear about just what our beliefs are in any area of human life.
Here’s an example of a philosophical question related to blindness. What exactly is blindness? Is it a severe limitation that puts me in a position to rely on others since I can’t do things for myself? Or is it, like anything else in life, a limiting factor with both advantages and disadvantages? How we answer this question, this philosophical question, is important, for how we answer it will in large measure determine how we then want to live our lives.
Getting clear about what our assumptions are and how they influence our actions is a lifelong process. I thrill to the possibility that something I say to my students in class might be for them a key to liberation from assumptions that hinder them from becoming the best versions of themselves. What philosophy can do by helping us get clear about what our beliefs and assumptions are is to free us from false or unhelpful assumptions. It can help us, if we work at it, to become better versions of ourselves. This I take to be what I get paid to do. I can’t imagine for myself a more worthwhile job.
News You Can Use
By Norma A. Boge
Apple's highly anticipated iOS 18 is packed with exciting new features for everyone. Users can expect greater personalization options, a streamlined Passwords app, and powerful tools to manage their e-mail in Mail. But for the blind and low vision community, a true game-changer is the AI-powered Siri overhaul. This innovation allows users to control features within individual Apple apps using just their voice, providing a more intuitive and independent experience on their devices.
Ever wonder what makes our state so darn special? Look no further than "Only in Iowa!" This site is your one-stop shop for celebrating all things Iowa, from one-of-a-kind festivals to hidden historical gems and charming small towns. Explore articles, photos, and discover all the reasons why Iowa is truly unique. Subscribe to their e-mail list and Iowa’s best secrets will come directly into your in box. You might just rediscover why you love living here or wish you did! Go to: https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/iowa .
Passkeys are a brand new and more secure way to log in to websites. They are resistant to phishing and cannot be stolen in a data breach, giving stronger protection to your accounts. You can use them on many websites, but some still require a username and password for initial login. However, after the first time you log in, you can access a website using the passkey of your choice without having to keep track of email addresses, usernames or passwords.
While passkeys are a big step forward, some security experts recommend additional practices for ultimate online safety. For more information, go to: https://tinyurl.com/45xaj7u4 .
Show your support for live theatre and audio description by attending an upcoming audio-described performance. The IRIS, (Iowa Radio Reading Information Service), Sensation! AD, (Audio Description), Team will be describing School of Rock at the Des Moines Playhouse on Sunday, July 14, at 2:00 p.m., and Moulin Rouge at the Des Moines Civic Center on Sunday, August 25, at 1:00 p.m. For more information, contact IRIS at 515-243-6833 or iris@iowaradioreading.org .
We’ve all had those moments when we wanted to find out which streaming service has a specific film or show. Whether you realized you hadn’t seen a classic show after hearing your friends discuss it or you want to see if your favorite movie is streaming, you can save time by searching multiple streaming services to find what you want to watch. Go to https://tinyurl.com/4e2aex63 .
Be My Eyes, the popular app connecting you with volunteer sighted helpers, now offers "Be My AI." This built-in feature uses artificial intelligence to describe objects and answer questions about pictures you take with your phone. Whether you need help checking an outfit, reading a label, or deciphering a document, Be My AI provides quick and convenient assistance. You can even ask it to write a story or poem about the picture you have taken. If it can't answer further questions you might have, you can still connect with a friendly volunteer through the app for more complex needs. This app is available for Android, iOS and the BlindShell Classic 2.
Everyone who has ever swept the floor with a standard broom and dustpan knows about that annoying line of dust. It’s the line that just won’t disappear no matter how many times you try to sweep it up. To get rid of this annoying line, simply tape the front of the dustpan to the floor with blue painters’ tape, so no residue will be left on the floor. It will seal and cover the gap between the floor and your pan. This handy hint also works great for sweeping up more menacing items like glass. The dustpan and tape combo will ensure that all those little glass shards will be in the pan and not on the floor.
Instacart is expanding its delivery services to include restaurant meals! In addition to groceries, you'll soon be able to order food from hundreds of thousands of restaurants through the Instacart app. This partnership with Uber Eats lets you browse menus, place orders, and track deliveries—all within the familiar Instacart interface. Instacart+ members get the most out of this new feature. They can enjoy restaurant deliveries with no extra charge on orders over $35, adding to their existing benefit of free grocery delivery. So the next time you use Instacart for groceries, you can tack on dinner, too!
HIMS, Inc., a leader in assistive technology, is rebranding to Selvas North America to address ongoing confusion with a similarly-named pharmaceutical company. This change aligns with its parent company, Selvas Healthcare, and aims to prevent future identity mix-ups without impacting product quality or customer service.
Cake Shake Recipe
By Carrie Chapman
Ingredients:
2 cups vanilla ice cream
1 cup milk
1/4 cup dry cake mix, any flavor
Instructions:
Put all ingredients into a blender and mix until smooth.
Note: You can add more cake mix if desired. The original recipe calls for half a cup, but I thought this was too much.
Across Iowa Chapter Report
By Don Wirth, Chapter President
The Across Iowa Chapter continues to meet the first Thursday of each month at 7:00 p.m. using the ICUB zoom call system.
In May we talked about preparing for the ICUB State Convention and the ACB National Convention. We also talked about what members wanted to get from the Chapter in addition to business updates. We wanted to continue to hear from speakers but we also wanted to take more time to share personal experiences to better get to know each other since we don’t have many opportunities to meet in person.
In June we discussed our favorite vacation experiences. Some of them included school trips to the eastern portion of the nation, visiting the Gettysburg Battlefield, hiking trips, and riding in RAGBRAI.
We did not meet in July because of a time conflict with the ACB National Convention.
In August we will have our usual first Thursday meeting to share National Convention experiences and make final preparations for State Convention. We will also have our in-person meeting and pizza party on the first day of the State Convention.
Vice President Carrie Chapman is working on a special session about cooking that will take place in the fall. Watch for more information about that.
Des Moines Chapter Report
By Cody Dolinsek, Chapter President
The Des Moines Chapter continues to be an organization of blind people that believes in the abilities of blind people and in giving back to the community. In May, we invited Joy Johns, a student at Grand View University, to discuss her goal of being an accessibility advocate for blind people as well as for those with disabilities more generally.
In June, we did a mid-year checkup at the monthly meeting to decide how we wanted to continue to implement our vision for the remainder of the year. There was some discussion about putting meeting minutes online so that people could read them before the meeting, saving time during the meeting by simply voting on the minutes. Members who spoke also expressed their approval of how the Chapter is doing with regard to its goals of fostering a positive attitude toward blindness and engaging in community projects.
On July 28th, the Des Moines Chapter has secured a skybox at the Iowa Cubs game. This will provide us with a time for fun, fellowship, food, and baseball.
In September, probably during Labor Day weekend, the Des Moines Chapter will participate in packaging meals for Meals from the Heartland.
Finally, on October 5th, from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., we will be having our Des Moines Chapter picnic at Legion Park in West Des Moines. Everyone is invited to join us.
To obtain a current list of State Board members and Chapter Presidents, including contact information, go to our website, icublind.org , and click on the “Who We Are” link. You can also get this information by e-mailing us through the form at the bottom of our website page.
The ICUB Bulletin is available in large print and via e-mail, NFB Newsline, and the ICUB website at icublind.org .
You can also receive the Bulletin on an NLS-compliant digital audio cartridge. To subscribe to the cartridge edition, please contact the Iowa Department for the Blind Library at 515-281-1323 or 800-362-2587, option 2. Please direct other questions about format choice and address changes to Co-Editor Sandy Tigges.
ICUB offers its gratitude to the many people who contribute to the publication of the Bulletin. We especially want to give a BIG thank you to Catherine Witte for so meticulously proofreading each issue. We also wish to thank the Greater Iowa Credit Union (GICU) for its many years of financial assistance to ICUB, including the cost of printing and mailing the large-print issue of the Bulletin.
Copyright 2024 Iowa Council of the United Blind, Inc.
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