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AERizona View September 2012ASSOCIATION FOR EDUCATION AND REHABILITATION OF THE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED-ARIZONA CHAPTER
Everywhere is within walking distance if you have the time. ~Steven Wright
Save The Date!AZ AER Fall Conference 2012
Thursday& FridayNovember1st & 2nd
Know someone who goes the extra mile?Let us know so we can recognize their contributions to the field!
IN THIS ISSUE:Important Info…President’s Message… AZ Fall Conference … Recognizing Arizona's Best…Abilities Optimist Club...What's happening around the state...News from UofA… Meet Your Board… .... AND MORE!
The AZ AER Board has been busy planning our Fall “Setting Your Sights on the Future” Conference November 1st and 2nd at the Poco Diablo Resort in Sedona. Our Keynote Speaker will be Dr. Barry Kran. Conference information will be posted on the AZ AER website, AZ AER listserv and yes, on Facebook at Arizona AER.
ContentsPresident’s Message.........................................................................................................................................3
Conference Info..................................................................................................................................................5Recognizing Arizona's Best............................................................................................................................6Abilities Optimist Club......................................................................................................................................7STUDENT OF THE MONTH APPLICATION....................................................................................................9
Sights & Sounds—A NEW Fall Event.........................................................................................................10CHOICE MAGAZINE LISTENING....................................................................................................................11
Arizona State Braille and Talking Book Library.....................................................................................13News from the University of Arizona........................................................................................................14Mike Armstrong................................................................................................................................................16Blind Musician, Adventurer, and Martial Arts Instructor....................................................................16National leaders in AER.................................................................................................................................17Business meeting news.................................................................................................................................18Free Services provided by Digital Apex...................................................................................................19Resources:..........................................................................................................................................................20AZ-AER BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR 2011-2013..................................................................................21
President’s MessageFrom Rajiv K. Panikkar
Dear Arizona-AER Members and Friends,I hope this letter finds you all well and busy with the start of the 2012-2013 school year for some of you.
To recap our Spring Workshop on March 30th held at the Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and Blind in Tucson. It was a huge success! AZ-AER thanks our speakers Michael Hartley, Charlotte Cushman, Mark Nelson, Joanne Szabo, Megan Morgan, Roger Early, Eileen Bagnall, Sheryl Katzen, Dr. Jane Erin, Dawn Smiddy, Ed Gervasoni, Dr. Chih-Chin Chou, Jennifer Wheeler, Jon Howe, Faye Gonzales and Diane Raab.
Thanks to Program Committee (DeEtte, Penny, Colleen, Lenetta and Rajiv) for putting together a wonderful Program and thanks to ASDB for the use of their facility. A special thank you goes out to Katy Porras from ASDB, Tucson Campus for all the copies, Luke Howell from ASDB Tucson Campus for preparing all the workshop CDs, Daniel Greene from SAAVI for coordinating with ASDB’s IT department to make sure we were all connected and in focus, Fred Leslie from ASDB Tucson Campus for braille copies. Your Executive Board of Directors: Rajiv K. Panikkar- President; DeEtte Snyder- Vice-President; Colleen Oakes – Secretary; Jenny Wheeler –Treasurer and Members-at-Large: Deb Duby, Suzanne Canole, Lenetta Lefko, Todd Steen, Amy Lewis and Tracy Mosbarger.
Changes to the Board- Karen Aron who held the position of Treasurer, term ends on 7-31-12. We thank her for all the years of service she has dedicated to AZ AER in a variety of capacities. Karen, thanks for keeping us on track and financially sound!
Jenny Wheeler was elected to the Treasurer position. With Jenny moving into the Treasurer position, her Member-at Large position was vacant. Tracy Mosbarger was appointed to fill Jenny’s vacant position for the remainder of Jenny’s term (7-31-13). Colleen Oakes was fulfilling DeEtte Snyder’s Secretary position (term ends 7-31-12) as DeEtte was elected to the Vice-President position in April 8th, 2011. Colleen was elected to the Secretary position.
The entire Board is looking forward to serving the members of AZ AER. If you have any questions, concerns or suggestions please contact one of the Board Members. The contact information for the Board is listed on the AZ AER website: http://azaer.aerbvi.org/
AZ AER needs you! Please consider volunteering some your time (a few hours approximately once a month) to one of the many committees available. Please seek out a Board Member for more
information. Our hope is to get involvement from all of you so that we can keep bringing you the great conferences and workshops that you have come to expect. This can only be achieved through your involvement on the Board and the various committees. Involvement on any of the Committees would be a good start if you are considering becoming a Board Member. Once again, AZ AER Needs You!!The International Conference in Bellevue, WA from July 18-22 was excellent. There were so many great sessions, and poster sessions to attend. It was also a great time to network with professionals throughout the country including professionals from other countries.
We had a huge contingent from AZ: Sandy Benson, Yahui Chang, Vasant Garcia, Edward Gervasoni, Venetia Hayden, Lindsey Hegg, Rebecca Hole, Amy Huck, Amy Hyman, Theresa Jimenez, Cherie Johnston, Kartar Khalsa, Bill Koehler, Tieu Kohler, Mary Jo Martinez, William, McConnell, Diane McElmury, Tracy Mosbarger, Susan Olson, Rajiv Panikkar, Julie Rock, Penny Rosenblum, Eileen Sifferman, Jennifer Skay, DeEtte Snyder, Jenny Wheeler, Cynthia Woods. My apologies if I missed anyone else who attended.
In closing, I would like to add that I’m extremely proud to be a member of AZ AER and to have the opportunity to work with so many outstanding and dedicated professionals.
Respectfully,Rajiv K. PanikkarPresident AZ AERConference InfoPayPal now available! For Conference Registration Registration LinksAZ AER Fall ConferenceNovember 1st and 2nd 2012Sedona, AZ
Vendor Registration is now available on-line. Please follow the link to submit your registration. Space is limited! Vendor Registration Deadline: October 12th, 2012.
AER Conference Hotel Registration Link(OR copy and paste the following link into a web browser) https://reservations.ihotelier.com/crs/g_reservation.cfm?groupID=745449&hotelID=73864
Poco Diablo Resort1752 State Route 179, Sedona, AZTeL: 928-282-7333Toll Free: 877-282-5755Website: www.pocodiablo.com
All registration links will also be available on-line at the AZ AER website: http://azaer.aerbvi.org/
Recognizing Arizona's Best Know someone who belongs on this page?Send it to [email protected]
logo: hands resting on the left page of a book, on the right page is 'fbc' in braille. Underneath is "Foundation for Blind Children"In the Spring of 2012, FBC honored Elaine Baldridge by naming a board room after her for 45 years of dedicated service to FBC and the Arizona Community.
logo: capitol letters 'TUSD' with the shape of a "1" sitting in the print U. The "T" and the "D" are blue and the US is red.Tucson Unified School District's Malinda Moquin nominated Greer Martin-Parrish and Kamryn Becker for the Exceptional Ed Award for Community Outreach. The two won the award because of the VI Fair they coordinated in the Spring of 2012.
logo: In print "Laveen Elementary" arches over a mountain and saguaro. School District No. 59 Laveen Schools... Building Excellence!Arizona Scholarship Recipient at M.C. CashCongratulations to Shaduan, a student in Ms. Ray’s seventh grade class at M.C. Cash Elementary!He is the recipient of the 2012 Arizona Space Camp Scholarship for the Space Camp for Interested Visually Impaired Students (SCI-VIS). Shaduan entered the contest by submitting two essays, one in Braille and the other in print that he typed using his new skills with his laptop & JAWS screenreading software. One of the essays was about a famous astronaut named Michael James Adams and one was about his own personal experience being visually impaired.SCIVIS will be held at the US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama on September 22-27, 2012. It is coordinated by teachers of the visually impaired. Shaduan will be joined at the camp by other students who are blind or visually impaired from all around the United States.
Abilities Optimist Club
logo: "Optimist International" Abilities Optimist Club Tucson, Arizona. Two shadows reach for the sun with the words "Optimists- Bringing out the best in kids"TO: Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments, Orientation and Mobility Specialists and Other School Personnel in Southern ArizonaFROM: The Abilities Optimist ClubRE: Student of the Month Program & Nomination ProcedureDATE: September 5, 2012
The Abilities Optimist Club of Tucson is a group that promotes programs for youth in southern Arizona, specifically youth with visual impairments. Our group has participated in ASDB’s Homecoming, Trunk or Treat, and taken a group of children for a behind-the-scenes tour at Reid Park Zoo. Each month at our Thursday evening meeting (typically the third Thursday of the month from 6-7:30 PM) we honor a local student who is visually impaired. Last year our honorees all attended ASDB’s Main Campus. This year, we are expanding our Student of the Month program to all students with visual impairments in Pima County. Students can be nominated by their TVI or O&M specialist. We will continue to honor an ASDB Main Campus student each month and ASDB Main Campus teacher will utilize the same nomination process they used last year. Professionals in Pima County serving students through the itinerant model are being asked to nominate youth.The following criteria should be used when selecting a student to nominate for the Student of the Month:The student consistently follows school expectations.The student demonstrates leadership skills.The student has made academic progress in his/her educational program.The student advocates for himself/herself when appropriate.The student uses any “vision specific tools” appropriately to promote his/her independence (e.g., cane, assistive technology).Preference will be given to students with visual impairments; however, other students may be nominated by TVIs, O&M specialists or other school personnel.IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO NOMINATE A STUDENT PLEASE COMPLETE THE SHORT FORM ON THE FOLLOWING PAGE.
If your student is selected, the student, his/her immediate family, and you will be invited to attend the Abilities Optimist meeting. Those in attendance will learn about the student through the information you provide on the form. The student will be presented with a plaque, coupon for pizza, and a backpack with school supplies.In the 2012-2013 academic year, we will be sponsoring other programs for youth in addition to having several fundraisers. If you’re coming to Oktoberfest (September 27-29 at Reid Park) stop by our booth and buy a bratwurst and support our programs! We also are always looking for new members so if you’d like membership information contact: Murry Everson at <[email protected]>.
Return the completed form to Dr. L. Penny Rosenblum by email to <[email protected]>, fax to 520-621-3821, or US mail to University of Arizona, Dept. of DPS, Box 210069, Tucson, AZ 85721. Forms are accepted from September through March. You will be notified if your student is selected to be the Student of the Month
STUDENT OF THE MONTH APPLICATIONABOUT THE NOMINATOR (YOU):Name: Employer: Email Address: Phone: ABOUT THE NOMINEE (STUDENT):Student’s FIRST Name: Where does student attend school?
What district does he/she attend? Student’s grade in school: The criteria for nominees are:The student consistently follows school expectations.The student demonstrates leadership skills.The student has made academic progress in his/her educational program.The student advocates for himself/herself when appropriate.The student uses any “vision specific tools” appropriately to promote his/her independence (e.g., cane, assistive technology).
Please describe in the area below why you are nominating this student for the Abilities Optimist’s Student of the Month Award giving consideration to the above criteria. Write your comments here:
Sights & Sounds—A NEW Fall EventBenefiting blind and deaf children throughout Arizona
logo: brightly colored shapes in a square form curtains and masks- one happy, one sad.
“This was the most powerful thing I’ve ever seen—it truly captured the spirit, talent and promise of the youth who wrote the stories, and it was beautifully produced” —Audience member
Imagine 200 blind and deaf children writing stories and poems depicting how they see and hear the world. Then imagine experiencing those stories, brought vividly to life by a professional theatre troupe.
Stories That Soar! and Pima County Supervisor Richard Elias imagined this experience, and, in 2010, Stories That Soar!, along with students on the campus of Arizona Schools for the Deaf and Blind, created the first production, shown live for all students on the ASDB campus.
In the past, the collaboration has simply been a great program for the students of ASDB to enjoy, along with their families. Arizona Blind & Deaf Children’s Foundation has been a proud supporter of this effort since the beginning.
This year, we’re prouder still to bring this powerful experience to the entire community as a collaboration to benefit blind and deaf children throughout Arizona.
The evening begins at 6:00pm with a VIP reception at Agustin Brasserie, 100 South Avenida del Convento, featuring delicious appetizers, cocktails, and a silent auction featuring items unique to our mission. VIP guests will then be transported to the Berger Performing Arts Center to enjoy the 8:00pm performance.
So join us on November 9, 2012 at the beautiful Berger Performing Arts Center, as the curtain draws on the inaugural community performance of Sights & Sounds, celebrating the promise of our state’s blind and deaf children.
What: Sights & Sounds—benefiting blind and deaf children throughout ArizonaWhen: Friday, November 9, 2012 VIP Reception at begins at 6:00pm Stage performance begins at 8:00pmWhere: VIP Reception: Agustin Brasserie, 100 South Avenida del Convento Stage performance: Berger Performing Arts Center, 1200 West Speedway Blvd.Cost: General Admission: $50 (100% tax deductible) General Admission packets of 10: $450 (100% tax deductible) VIP Tickets: $100 (80% tax deductible)Please visit: http://www.azblinddeafchildren.org/SightsandSounds.htm for further information
CHOICE MAGAZINE LISTENINGSELECTED MAGAZINE ARTICLES, STORIES AND POETRY • RECORDED FREE FOR THE BLIND • PROJECT OF LUCERNA FUND
Choice Magazine Listening celebrates 50 years of free service to the blind, visually impaired, and physically disabled throughout the countryPORT WASHINGTON, NY -- Choice Magazine Listening, a free, nationwide service that provides current, outstanding magazine writing
on audio, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. The quarterly audio anthologies are offered at no cost to any resident of the United States who is unable to read standard print due to a loss of vision or other disability. Four times a year, professional editors select 12 hours of unabridged articles, short stories, and poetry from leading publications such as The New Yorker, National Geographic, Sports Illustrated, Time, New York Times, Granta, and many others.
Choice Magazine Listening was the brainchild of the late LuEsther Mertz, a New York- area philanthropist who felt that people who are blind should have access to the same noteworthy magazine writing as sighted people. So in 1962 she created the nonprofit Lucerna Fund specifically to bring great magazine writing to this special population, completely free of charge. Authors from CML’s early years included such greats as James Thurber, Maxine Kumin, John Kenneth Galbraith, John Updike, Arthur Miller, Rachel Carson, James Michener, Brendan Behan and Arthur Toynbee.
In recent years, our subscribers have been treated to the words of hundreds of talented writers, such as Stephen King, Susan Orlean, Michael Chabon, Calvin Trillin, Annie Proulx, Alice Munro, Ian Frazier, and Philip Levine, to name a few. Our recordings are every bit as memorable as ever.
Today the editors at CML read more than 100 publications, searching for memorable writing to bring to their subscribers throughout the country.
Choice Magazine Listening (www.choicemagazinelistening.org) is recorded on formats compatible with the National Library Service’s digital talking-book players. To subscribe free of charge or for more information, please call 1-888-724-6423 or email us at [email protected].
Celebrating our 50th Anniversary! 1962 - 201285 CHANNEL DR • PORT WASHINGTON, NEW YORK 11050 • (516) 883-8280 • TOLL FREE: (888) 724-6423 FAX: (516) 944-6849www.choicemagazinelistening.org • E-mail: [email protected]
Arizona State Braille and Talking Book Library Outreach LibrarianChristine Tuttle [email protected] N. 32nd St. – Phoenix, AZ 85008Phone: 602-255-5578 – Fax: 602-286-0444
Outreach provides presentations to the public. The session includes a description of service, how to qualify, concluding with a question and answer session. In total, please allow for one hour to be scheduled when making arrangements with the library. Contact for Outreach Presentation: Name: ______________________________________________ Email: ______________________________________________ Organization:_________________________________________ Position: ____________________________________________ Address:____________________________________________ City:__________________ State: ______ Postal Code: _________ Phone Number: ________________________ ext:_____________ Alternative Phone:________________________ ext:___________ Estimated Number of Attendees:_____________ Address of the Presentation: ______________________________ City: _____________________ Postal Code: ________________ Comments: * Please provide proposed dates and times in comments box. * The library schedule events 3 – 4 months in advanced. Proposed Dates and 1 hour block Times: 1st Choice – Date: _____________ and Time:___________________ 2nd Choice – Date:_____________ and Time:___________________ 3rd Choice – Date: _____________ and Time:___________________ Please refer the library to other organizations. Please mail or fax in your request and Christine will be in contact with you soon.
BTBL Outreach - Contact Outreach Form 2.2012
News from the University of Arizona
logo: A capitol "A" in red and highlighted in blue. Text reads "The University of Arizona"
The UofA football team has hit the ground running winning their first three games of the season. Like the football team, we’ve hit the ground running in the Specialization in Visual Impairment. Dr. Erin is nearing retirement (yes for real!) and thus Dr. Topor has taken over many of the day-to-day responsibilities of student advisement, attending meetings, and keeping us all on the right track. Our numbers are small but our program is strong! Orientation and Mobility: Dr. Zwald and her 5 on-campus O&M students are walking the halls of the College of Education and about to move out into the great outdoors. Her distance education students are nearing the end of their program and working to complete internships. This will be the last year of our O&M program as our current state grant funds end this summer and we do not currently have federal funds to support this program. If there is a need for an O&M specialist in your school or agency please contact Dr. Zwald at [email protected]. Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments: This year we have one full-time and six part-time students preparing to be TVIs. Several are employed and completing certification requirements and/or master’s degrees. In our Phoenix-based program we have 7 students who are currently taking the Low Vision and Visual Functioning course with Dr. Topor. The group meets for 2 weekends and uses Elluminate Live®, a web conferencing tool, for meetings every 2 weeks. Dr. Erin is working with our Nevada cohort, all of whom now has completed all their course work and are completing their internship requirements. This group is in their fourth year of funding through our federal grant that finishes this summer. We are recruiting both for our Phoenix-based program and on-campus program. Interested individuals should contact Dr. Topor at [email protected] VI Suite: Drs. Erin and Rosenblum have paired up with Dr. Carole Beal, a professor at UofA in the School of Information, Science, Technology and Art (SISTA). They are working on an accessible version of a pre-algebra tutoring program called AnimalWatch. In the months to come many of you will be contacted to ask for your support in field
testing our iPad app and accessible graphics. If you’d like to learn more about AnimalWatch VI Suite, visit our web page at www.awvis.org or send Dr. Rosenblum a note if you’d like more information ([email protected]).It’s never too early to mention our summer school plans as our courses are a great way for those not in the VI field to get some knowledge. We plan to offer two courses during June 2013/early July 2013, Introduction to Visual Impairment and Deafblindness and Orientation and Mobility for Classroom Teachers. One of the best parts of our job is hearing from our past students who share with us their successes (and sometimes challenges). Please don’t be a stranger! Let us know how you are doing.Jane Erin, Program Coordinator
[email protected] 520-621-0945L. Penny Rosenblum, Coordinator of Nevada TVI project, [email protected] 520-621-1223Irene Topor, Coordinator of Phoenix TVI program,[email protected] 520-626-3863Kathy Zwald, Coordinator of Orientation and Mobility program, [email protected] 520-621-3887Pam de Steiguer, Administrative Coordinator, [email protected] 520-626-3580
Mike ArmstrongBlind Musician, Adventurer, and Martial Arts InstructorArticle located on Blindmotivation.com
A photo shows a smiling Mike with a blue bandana on his head, clouds form the backdrop of his profile.
Published on September 17th, 2012It is hard to believe that I am only a few days away from my ride across Arizona. The event is called The Blind Ride and is a charity effort to help the Foundation for Blind Children a 501c3 charity in Phoenix. The Blind Ride should make for an incredible yet challenging five day adventure for all of us. This tandem bike ride is 390 miles and starts at the New Mexico border and runs to the California state line. My goal is to raise funds and awareness for the FBC and hopefully inspire a few people along the way.Riding a tandem bike as a blind man is exhilarating. My first few rides were a bit rocky, but still a lot of fun. Being on the back of a road bike feels like something between flying and riding a roller coaster. The feel of the road under you as the wind flows by heightens all of your senses. Going down hill at over forty miles an hour will keep you having some constant communication with God. I have no idea of what is coming or what the terrain has in store for us, but I hold on and lean in to the turns with the bike. This makes for a scary and exciting experience not to mention a great workout. You really have to have a lot of trust in the Captain. My training schedule has had Scoob Schmidt (Captain) and me riding 50 to 130 miles a week for the last 5 months. We have now ridden well over 1000 miles together and have found a solid balance and rhythm on the bike. My training for this event has been amazing and I am looking forward to seeing how it pays off.The Blind Ride starts on September 25 and we plan on finishing on September 29th. This 390 mile route will have us riding a minimum of 80 miles a day to reach our 5 day goal. There are 4 of us riding the route and 2 support vehicles following. We have 2 Cannondale tandems thanks to team member Doug Bowden. Doug, Scoob and Gene Longwell will also have their standard road bikes along to ride when not working as the Captain. Ben Cane and Doug’s daughter Kelly
Bowden complete our 6 person team as drivers for the support vehicles.I started the Blind Ride as a fun way to help raise funds for the Foundation for Blind Children. Our hopes are that we will be able to raise $25,000 to help the FBC’s Braille program. If this sounds like something you would like to contribute to, thank you. To donate you can go to www.seeitourway.org… This is a truly worthy organization that made a huge impact in my life. Every little bit helps and will make a difference in a blind or visually impaired person’s life.To follow our progress you can go to my website www.blindmotivation.com or you can check us out on www.seeitourway.org…
National leaders in AERNational Executive Board:President: Jim Adams, Muskogee, OKPresident-Elect: Christy Shepard, Houston, TXImmediate Past-President: Patricia Leader, San Jose, CASecretary: Susan Jay Spungin, New York, NYTreasurer: Cliff Olstrom, Tampa, FL
National Directors:Canadian Representative: Douglas McJannet, Aurora, ONCouncil of Chapter Presidents: Matthew Hogel, San Juan, PR
Board Members At Large:District 1 Representative: Melva Stolhand, Sumner, WADistrict 2 Representative: Marjorie Wood, Austin, TXDistrict 3 Representative: Melinda (Mindy) Ely, Springfield, ILDistrict 4 Representative: Timothy Hindman, Concord, NHDistrict 5 Representative: Ike Presley, Atlanta, GADistrict 6 Representative: Julie Kay, Fredericksburg, VA
Division Representatives:Adult Services (22+): Divisions 2, 11, 15: Alberta, Orr, Starksville, MSRelated Services: Divisions 1,4,5,7,17: Neva Fairchild, Carrolton, TXInstructional Services (0-21): Divisions 3,8,10, 16: Joyce Stother, St. Louis, MOLarge Divisions: Division 9: Kevin Hollinger, Saint Charles, MD
Business meeting newsAt the Business Meetings on 7/21 and 7/23 the following by-law change was proposed, voted upon and passed:
ARTICLE XI. DivisionsSection 5. Governance. Each Division shall create and adopt a Policy Manual and use the existing AER bylaws as their governance document. The Policy and Procedure Manual will be filed at the AER International Central Office.
ARTICLE X. ChaptersSection 3. Financial Support to Chapters.Contingent upon the submission of a financial report as specified by the Board, Chapters will be reimbursed for 10% of the dues for all classes of individual membership.
Free Services provided by Digital Apex
logo: a blue box with a large "A" "Digital" in script to the right of it sits above "pex". All together it forms the logo of Digital Apex
Teacher WorkshopsFor the School year 2012/2013Digital Apex LLC is providing free workshopsWhere: Arizona Technology Access Program
2400 N Central, Suite 300 Phoenix AZ 85004 Time: 3:30 – 5:00pm Date: See each below October 9, 2012 What's new in IOS 6 on the iDevices and using braille with them? November 13, 2012 ZoomText the best and useful features you may not know about, and the i-loview hand-held video magnifier January 8, 2012 You have choices, knowing your screen reader options February 12, 2012 Conducting an assistive technology assessment to be ready for those spring IEP's March 12, 2012 Scanning options, know your choices
Resources:
logo: a drawing of a sun sitting on the horizon, "directions for me" in text belowdirections for me TM brought to you by HORIZONS for the BLINDNEW! Get directions instantly with our new Bar Code Scanner . Welcome to directions for me TM , your one stop source for accessible packaging information. Directions provides the information that’s on consumer packages or labels in a simple online format for anyone who has trouble reading the small print including people who are blind or visually impaired.Taken from: http://www.directionsforme.org/
logo: a spiral bound book with the letters "ViA" and the symbol for Braille Institute on the coverOn your Apple Product search for "Via Braille" and you will find: "Braille Institute is proud to present the FREE app ViA (Visually Impaired Apps) for iPhone and iPad. ViA has been designed to help blind and low-vision users easily sort through the 500,000+ apps in the iTunes App Store to locate the apps that were built specifically for visually impaired users, or apps that happen to provide functionality useful to this population."PLEASE WELCOME OUR NEW AND RETURNING AZ-AER BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR 2011-2013PRESIDENT : RAJIV K. PANIKKAR was born and raised in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Rajiv has been working with students with visual impairments and additional disabilities since 1987. He started at the Perkins School for the Blind as a houseparent (residential manager) and teacher aide. He received his Master’s degree at the University of Northern Colorado. He has had numerous experiences in residential schools, public schools and at the University of Colorado as an Assistive Technology Specialist. He is certified as a CLVT, COMS and TVI. He is currently serving as a CLVT with the Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and Blind. He has been an AER member since 1990. In his spare time he enjoys time with his wonderful wife-Kirstin; two sons- Jaron and Devin; and dog- Copper. He also enjoys golf, tennis and tending to his vegetable and herb garden. CONTACT INFO: (email) [email protected]; [email protected] Term Begins: 7-31-11 Term Ends: 7-31-13VICE-PRESIDENT DEETTE SNYDER is a certified teacher of the visually impaired for Infant Family Services at the Foundation for Blind Children and acts as the department’s service coordinator for ASDB. She is primarily responsible for new referrals, evaluations for eligibility for the AZ Early Intervention Program (AzEIP), as well as coordinating all vision
services provided in the department. She was previously a preschool teacher at FBC for 10 years. She received her certification and Master’s degree in the field from Portland State University in 1996 as well as her undergraduate degree in psychology specializing in child development from PSU in 1992. On the personal front she enjoys quilting, traveling with her husband, and playing with her 4-legged children.CONTACT INFO: (email) [email protected] Begins: 7-31-11 Term Ends: 7-31-13TREASURER JENNY WHEELER is a Certified Teacher of Visually Impaired students and an assistive technology specialist for Desert Valleys Regional Cooperative. She served for 8 years at the Foundation for Blind Children across the media, adult services, preschool, and itinerant departments, and continues to support FBC’s braille, remote instruction, recreation, and college prep services. She completed her vision resource studies through the University of Arizona and is pursuing an Orientation and Mobility certificate through the University of Northern Colorado. CONTACT INFO: (email) [email protected] Term Begins: 7-31-12 Term Ends: 7-31-14SECRETARY COLLEEN OAKES is a Certified Teacher of the Visually Impaired at the Foundation for Blind Children where she has worked for 5 years. Prior to working as an itinerant TVI, Colleen worked as an Early Interventionist in the Infant department. She completed her vision studies through the University of Arizona. Colleen also has an MFA degree in Book Arts from Arizona State University.CONTACT INFO: (email) [email protected] Term Begins: 7-31-12 Term Ends: 7-31-14BOARD MEMBER TRACY MOSBARGER is a Certified Teacher of the Visually Impaired for Desert Valleys Regional Cooperative. She started her work 15 years ago as a TVI and COMS in Cortez, Colorado. She worked for the Southwest BOCS in Cortez for about 5 years before taking a position as an Itinerant Outreach TVI/COMS for New Mexico Schools for the Blind. After working for New Mexico for 4 years, she went into her own private contract service position in Colorado. She provided contract VI, CLVT and O&M services for students 3-21 for the San Juan BOCES in Durango, CO, Uncompahgre BOCES in Ridgway, CO, and the San Luis Valley BOCES in Alamosa, CO. She also worked for the State of Colorado Vocational Rehabilitation Services for a year before coming to Arizona. In her spare time she enjoys spending time with her husband, Steve and their four children; Kaitlyn, Britt, Colin, and Madelyn.
CONTACT INFO: (email) [email protected] Term Begins: 12-12-11 Term Ends: 7-31-13BOARD MEMBER SUZANNE CANOLE was born and raised in a small town on the northern Oregon coast. Through the end of her eighth grade year, she was a student at the Oregon State School for the Blind in Salem, Oregon. After high school graduation with her non-disabled peers, she attended the University of Oregon where she majored in French and Secondary education. It was not until she moved to Yuma, Arizona with her military husband and 3 sons that she began her career as a Teacher of the Visually Impaired. During that time, she has worked with students of all grade levels and disability types. She loves empowering students by teaching them assistive technologies that will increase their level of independence and participation in their community. CONTACT INFO: (email) [email protected] Term Begins: 7-31-11 Term Ends: 7-31-13BOARD MEMBER LENETTA LEFKO was born and raised primarily in Michigan, but in the early 90’s she realized that the winter weather wasn’t for her so she headed to sunny Arizona. Since 1995 she has been working on the ASDB main campus as part of the VI residential program. While working and raising a son, she received a Masters from the UofA and a National Certification in Orientation and Mobility. She has been teaching O&M and Daily Living Skills at the Tucson Campus for the past 3 years. For two years she co-directed Project Freedom, a summer transition program for youth with visual impairments. Lenetta has also provided inservices in the field of Orientation and Mobility, as well as trainings and presentations to outside agencies such as Border Patrol and TROT. In what little spare time she finds, she loves doing pottery, painting, reading, camping, and exploring the desert in the family sandrail.CONTACT INFO: (email) [email protected] Term Begins: 7-31-11 Term Ends: 7-31-13BOARD MEMBER AMY LEWIS is a Teacher of Students w/ Visual Impairments and an Orientation & Mobility Instructor at the Foundation for Blind Children in Phoenix. As a professional in the vision field, as well as a person who is visually impaired, Amy is committed to keeping aspects of transition in the forefront so other students/consumers receive comprehensive services to further their success in life.CONTACT INFO: (email) [email protected] or [email protected] Term Begins: 7-31-11 Term Ends: 7-31-13
BOARD MEMBER DEB DUBY has been a teacher for over 28 years (18 years working with VI and multiply impaired students ranging in age from 3-22). The first ten years she worked as a self-contained teacher in a classroom with students with various disabilities. I received my Master’s Degree from the U of A in Visual Impairment and started working for ASDB (Southeast Regional Cooperative) while living in Safford. For the last 5 years I have worked in the Phoenix area and work for the Desert Valley Cooperative. CONTACT INFO: (email) [email protected] Term Begins: 7-31-11 Term Ends: 7-31-13BOARD MEMBER TODD STEEN holds a Masters and Certification as a Vision Rehabilitation Therapist. Todd has worked with the blind and visually impaired adult population of N. AZ since 1994. From 1994-1999 he worked part-time as an assistant to a Certified Rehabilitation Teacher at NAU/IHD/Sensory Services while obtaining his Bachelors Degree in Social Work. From 2000-2007 he worked as a full-time Rehabilitation Teacher at NAU/IHD/Sensory Services while completing his Masters through the UofA and obtaining Certification as a Vision Rehabilitation Therapist. From 2007 to present Todd works as an Itinerant CVRT with DES/RSA/RAES providing services to the adult blind/visually impaired of N.AZ.CONTACT INFO: (email) [email protected] ; [email protected] Term Begins: 7-31-11 Term Ends: 7-31-13
