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Celebrate White Cane Awareness! Happy Holidays!

Illuminations Newsletter

Volume 11, Issue 4 October – December, 2011

Apple Store

Accessibility

Workshops

The Apple Store in the Palm Beach Gardens Mall has graciously hosted two workshops on accessibility of their iOS devices, including the iPad, the iPod touch and the iPhone. The first workshop was held as part of our Summer Camp on July 29, 2011 and the second was held on September 16, 2011 for the Boot Up Club Technology meeting. Participants were able to experience the accessibility of these iOS devices firsthand! Many thanks to the Apple Store and their management for arranging these workshops with the Lighthouse. Stay tuned for future workshops!

Participants and staff at the Apple Store

HIGHLIGHTS INSIDE THIS ISSUE

1 Apple Store Accessibility Workshops

2 White Cane Awareness and Community Events

3 Summer Camp Highlights - Pictures

4 Summer Camp Highlights continued

5 LITE Club Youth Club

6 Calendar, Focus Group, Book Club

7 Gavel Club, Employee Highlight

8 Recycling Program, Board of Directors

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White Cane Awareness

White Cane Law (316.1301) states: “Whenever a pedestrian is crossing,

or attempting to cross, a public street or highway, guided by a dog guide or carrying in a raised or extended position a cane or walking stick which is white in color or white tipped with red, the driver of every

vehicle approaching the intersection or place where the pedestrian is attempting to cross shall bring his or her vehicle to a full stop before arriving at such intersection or place of crossing and, before proceeding, shall take such precautions as may be necessary to avoid injuring such pedestrian. A person who is convicted of a violation of this subsection is guilty of a moving violation punishable as provided in chapter 318.”

It takes more than a white cane to travel safely if someone is blind or visually impaired. It requires training by a qualified orientation and mobility instructor who teaches the individual how to use the cane properly. If you or someone you know needs orientation and mobility training, please contact the Lighthouse.

Community Events

October 4, 2011 (9:30 a.m.) Proclamation for White Cane Day and Blindness Awareness Month by County Commissioner Karen Marcus at 9:30 a.m. at the Palm Beach County Commissioners Meeting.

October 5, 2011 (6:30 p.m.) City of Riviera Beach – City Council Meeting at the Riviera Beach City Hall. Proclamation for White Cane Day and Blindness Awareness Month.

White Cane Awareness Walks

Thursday, October 13, 2011 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 pm

This year, FCB Chapter 67 is organizing two walks with Cathy-Alice Koyanagi as the chairperson. Please contact Cathy-Alice at 321-474-0721 for information. After the walk, all are welcomed to the Braille club for pizza and soft drinks.

There are additional White Cane Day events listed in the Lighthouse Calendar on pages 6 and 7.

For additional information on White Cane Safety Awareness, here is a link from the White House: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2010/10/15/presidential-proclamation-white-cane-safety-day.

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Summer Camp Highlights

Norton Museum Field Trip

Bus to Downtown West Palm Beach

Camper holding Clay Face Sculpture

Rules for the Mall Scavenger Hunt

Apple Store Accessibility Workshop

Okeeheelee Nature Center

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More Summer Camp Highlights

Mounted Police Visit at Okeeheelee

Museum of Discovery and Science Recycling Game

Building Magnet Structures at MODS

A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR SUMMER CAMP 2011 SPONSORS!

Florida Division of Blind Services

Belle Glade Lions Club Boca Raton Lions Club Lake Worth Lions Club Sebastian Lions Club

West Palm Beach Lions Club Society of the Palm Beaches Southern Dames of America

Florida Eye Microsurgical Institute Monroe Benaim, M.D.

Retina Care Specialists Cano and Manning Eye Center Retinal Eye Care Associates

Artwork by Michael, one of our Summer Camp 2011 Participants!

Facebook

Lighthouse for the Blind of the Palm Beaches – Group Page

Twitter www.twitter.com/LighthousePB

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(Learning Independence through Experience)

The Lighthouse is happy to announce our new youth

program. Eligible participants include youth with visual

impairments, Kindergarten through 12th grade, residing in

our 5-county area. For more information or to register a

participant, please contact Lighthouse for the Blind of the

Palm Beaches. Registration is FREE for eligible participants!

Past event: Cooking without Looking filming at Zoo Miami

Thursday, September 29, 2011 - 7:00 a.m. to 6:25 p.m.

Save the Date and call to register for future events: October 19, 2011 – Workshop in Martin County for Students and Vision Teachers: Assistive Technology Resources and Freeware, 12:00 p.m.

December 3, 2011 – Holiday Party at the Lighthouse February 20, 2012 - TBA (To Be Announced)

April TBA - TBA June 2, 2012 – TBA

We are seeking sponsors for this new program. Thank you to the West Palm Beach Lions Club for becoming the first sponsor for the LITE Club!

For more information on donating to the Lighthouse for this or other programs, please contact us at (561) 586-5600 or (888) 399-1129.

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Calendar of Events

Focus Group

Focus Group provides socialization opportunities, educational speakers and other activities. Meetings are on the 1st Friday of the month from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Upcoming Focus Group Meetings: 10/7/2011 Descriptive Video Movie and Popcorn, White Cane Day Information.

11/4/2011 Thanksgiving Celebration Potluck – Please sign up with Rosemary Mulero. We need a volunteer to cook the Turkey.

12/2/2011 Holiday Celebration.

1/6/2012 Jacqueline Nicholson with the American Cancer Society.

Highlight from last quarter: Florida Power & Light Company 6001 Village Blvd. CSC/CSE West Palm Beach, FL 33407

Dianne Verner, Area Special Consumer Services Manager for Florida Power & Light Company addressed the Focus Group for the Lighthouse on Sept. 2nd. She explained that Energy assistance programs are available locally for low-income residents, seniors and others who are having difficulty paying their electric bill.

Assistance programs include the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), the Emergency Home Energy Assistance for the Elderly Program (EHEAEP) and FPL's own program called FPL Care To Share ®. Applicants must meet set criteria and funds are sometimes limited. Details, including criteria requirements and local providers, are available on www.FPL.com. Information can also be obtained by dialing 2-1-1 or calling the local Elder Helpline at 1-866-684-5885. Tips to save money on your bill by using energy more efficiently are available at www.FPL.com or by calling 1-800-DIAL-FPL.

Book Club Update

The Book Club meets on the third Friday of the month at 12:00 p.m. We are selecting titles from the Talking Book Library and most of them will be available for download. Contact the Lighthouse for information or to register.

Upcoming Meetings: October 21, 2011, November 18, 2011, December 16, 2011 and January 20, 2012.

The November 18, 2011 meeting will start early at 11:30 a.m. We will have a mixer potluck with both the Book Club and the Boot Up Club!

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Gavel Club

Want to become a more effective communicator and listener? Toastmasters International is dedicated to making better

communication a worldwide reality. Meets on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays

from 1:30 P.M. to 3:00 P.M.

Meeting Dates for Gavel Club: October 11 and 25, 2011 November 8 and 22, 2011 December 13 and 27, 2011 January 10 and 24, 2012

The Gavel Club invites you to a Blindness Awareness and White Cane Day Celebration on October 11th from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Gavel Club members will speak on diabetes, the leading cause of blindness, guide dogs vs. white canes, self advocacy, as well as the ADA and you. Please RSVP for Gavel Club Meetings to Cathy-Alice.

Cathy-Alice Koyanagi contact information:

561-586-5600 or cakoyanagi@lighthousepalmbeaches.org.

Employee Highlight

Please help us welcome Cathy-Alice Koyanagi, our new Adjustment to Blindness Counselor. Cathy-Alice graduated with a Bachelor of Social Work (B.S.W.) from Central Michigan University and a Master of Science (M.S.) in Child Development Administration from Nova Southeastern University. Cathy-Alice states that she is legally blind due to eye cancer. She and her family have been Toastmasters for many years and she helped to form the Lighthouse Gavel Club for our community. She recently attended the Division of Blind Services (DBS) Adjustment to Blindness Center in Daytona Beach. Cathy-Alice states, “The most valuable knowledge that I gained was orientation and mobility.” At first, she states that she was timid and anxious about travel, but she states that training helped her to gradually gain the confidence needed to be an independent traveler.

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The “Florida a State of Vision” license plate helps blind

and visually impaired residents in our 5-county area. Lighthouse for the Blind of the Palm Beaches will receive $25.00 for each tag purchased in Palm Beach, Martin, Indian River, St. Lucie and Okeechobee counties. Contact the tax collectors office in your area to get your own STATE OF VISION license plate or ask about purchasing it as a gift.

Lighthouse Board of Directors

President and CEO, Marvin A. Tanck

• Stanley D. Klett, Jr., Chairman

• John R. Banister, Vice Chairman WWW.RMLAWYER.COM

• Ronald F. Albano, Secretary

• David Cano, MD WWW.CANOVISION.COM

• April Jasper, OD, FAAO WWW.AESWPB.COM

• Mark Michels, MD, FACS

• Allen Preston

• Maurice Jacobson

• E. William Quinette, Ed.D.

Illuminations is a publication from the Lighthouse for the Blind of the Palm Beaches. It is edited by Rachael Trinkowsky and Mary Allen.

Recycling Fundraiser

Expands to Include

Other Electronic

Devices!

Help us by donating your used ink cartridges, cell phones, MP3 Players, iPods, digital cameras and Laptop computers. This program will help us acquire FREE technology and/or money to support our programs and services! The program won’t work without your support. Let’s make this recycling program a huge success by working together to collect as many empty ink cartridges, used cell phones, digital cameras, MP3 Players, iPods and Laptops. You can donate any of the recycled electronics mentioned at the Lighthouse.

Thank you!