Guest Author - Carla Ruschival
The Kentucky Council of the Blind, KCB, is an organization of blind, visually impaired and sighted people who come together to improve the lives of people with vision loss.
Chartered as the fifth affiliate of the American Council of the Blind in 1965 and reorganized in 1974, the Kentucky Council of the Blind is today the largest and the leading organization of the blind and visually impaired in the Commonwealth. KCB's membership is well over 300 persons and local chapters are active in Bowling Green, Jackson, Louisville, and northern Kentucky.
Major programs and activities of the Council include:
(1) The Talking Newspaper: KCB's information service delivers newspapers, magazines, TV schedules, grocery ads and much more to people who cannot read standard print. Just by using a touch-tone telephone, people who are blind or visually impaired, who have learning disabilities, or who have physical disabilities that prevent them from using printed books can listen to daily news, sports, features, business and more. A special section for children includes popular magazines for the younger set. Volunteers read TV schedules and weekly ads.
(2) Sound Prints: KCB produces a weekly talk show that brings listeners the latest information on programs, services and products for the blind and visually impaired. Broadcast live each Monday evening on WKJK 1080-AM in Louisville, Sound Prints is also heard:
* On The Talking Newspaper;
* On a delay basis on the KCB website at www.kentucky-acb.org; and
* On ACB Radio each Wednesday evening at 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time, and repeating every other hour through Thursday at 7:00 p.m.; and
* On the ACB Radio podcast for Wednesday broadcasts (find out more at www.acbradio.org).
(3) Opportunities for association with peers: KCB and its local chapters offer informative meetings and social events for both members and nonmembers. Relatives are encouraged to attend along with their visually impaired family members. Individuals new to vision loss have the opportunity to learn what visually impaired people can do. Everyone has the chance to make new friends and to learn about new programs and services.
(4) Advocacy: KCB helps parents of blind children, blind and visually adults, and families of seniors with low vision to obtain the services they need. Examples of advocacy include:
* Attending IEP meetings with parents so their children can receive appropriate educational services;
* Intervening on behalf of blind and visually impaired clients with state agencies;
* Meeting with government representatives and private businesses to improve access to buildings, transportation, and the environment.
There are many other types of advocacy. KCB works for:
* The installation of audible traffic signals so people with impaired vision know when to safely cross the street;
* Better public transportation so people who cannot drive a car can get to work, to school, to the grocery, and to all the places other people like to go;
* Textured curb cuts so that blind people will know where the sidewalk ends and the street begins, and so that visually impaired pedestrians can easily locate crosswalks;
* Accessible voting equipment so people who cannot read the print ballot can cast a secret vote;
* Accessible technology with buttons that can be felt, menus that talk, and output that speaks so blind people can use kiosks in airports, check-outs in grocery stores, home electronics such as microwaves and DVD players; and
* TV shows and movies with video description so blind and visually impaired people know what is happening on the screen.
(5) Newsletter: The Kentucky Council of the Blind publishes a newsletter in braille, large print and on cassette. The newsletter is free, and is available to anyone who wishes to receive it.
(6) Pocket Pages: KCB publishes a handy little resource guide containing local, state and national listings. Entries include name, telephone number, email or website, and type of product or service. Available in braille, on cassette, and in large print.
Membership in the Kentucky Council of the Blind is $8.00/year; a life membership is available for $40.00. Membership is open to anyone interested in issues, programs and activities related to blindness and visual impairment in Kentucky.
To join KCB, send check or money order, made payable to the Kentucky Council of the Blind, to:
Kentucky Council of the Blind
148 Vernon Avenue
Louisville, KY 40206
To find out more about the Kentucky Council of the Blind, to request our newsletter, or to register for the Talking Newspaper, visit our website at:
www.kentucky-acb.org.
Or email KCB at:
kcb@iglou.com
