April Eye on Summit Newsletter

EYE ON SUMMIT NEWSLETTER

SPRING 2011

 

EYE ON SUMMIT, THE LOCAL CHAPTER OF THE AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND, WOULD LIKE YOU TO JOIN US FOR OUR SPRING MEETINGS.  YOU NEED NOT BE VISUALLY IMPAIRED NOR MUST YOU BE A RESIDENT OF SUMMIT COUNTY TO ATTEND.  WE WELCOME ALL VISITORS! 

 

IF YOU WOULD LIKE FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT OUR CHAPTER, PLEASE CALL MICHELLE AT 330.686.0076 OR SAM AT 330.864.6369 OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.EYEONSUMMIT.ORG.  YOU MAY ALSO VISIT OUR BLOG WHICH IS LISTED ON OUR WEBSITE.

 

 

UPCOMING EVENTS

 

APRIL 9, 2011 10AM-NOON

THE AKRON BLIND CENTER, 325 E. MARKET ST.

BUSINESS/PLANNING MEETING

SPECIAL REPORT ON PREVIOUS WEEK'S ACB-O BOARD MEETING.

ALSO, CHECK OUT AN ACCESSIBLE TRAFFIC LIGHT IF YOU'VE NEVER EXPERIENCED ONE.

 

MAY 14, 2011 10AM-NOON

TRIP TO MEDINA TO SEE A MORE ADVANCED TYPE OF ACCESSIBLE TRAFFIC LIGHT.

PLAN ON JOINING US FOR LUNCH IN DOWNTOWN MEDINA.

 

JUNE 11 2011

JOIN US FOR OUR 4^TH ANNUAL EOS PICNIC!

TIME & LOCATION NOT DETERMINED YET.

 

PRESIDENT'S RANT

 

THERE IS A FEATURED "QUESTION OF THE WEEK" COLUMN IN MY LOCAL NEWSPAPER.  A FEW WEEKS AGO SEVERAL PEOPLE SHARED THEIR THOUGHTS ON WHICH SERVICES SHOULD BE CUT IN ORDER TO SAVE MONEY IN OUR COMMUNITY.  OF THE FIVE RESPONDENTS, FOUR OF THEM SAID THAT TRANSPORTATION SHOULD BE CUT.  VARIOUS REASONS WERE GIVEN BUT THEY REVOLVED AROUND THE IDEA THAT PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IS A RARELY USED SERVICE, WHICH IS NOT NECESSARY SINCE "EVERYONE HAS A CAR THESE DAYS." 

 

YES, THAT IS A DIRECT QUOTE FROM ONE OF THE RESPONDENTS.  YOU CAN PROBABLY GUESS THAT I WAS FURIOUS UPON HEARING THAT.  WE NEED TO GET THE WORD OUT THAT BLIND/VISUALLY IMPAIRED PEOPLE NEED RELIABLE TRANSPORTATION SO THAT WE CAN GET TO WORK, RUN OUR ERRANDS AND OTHERWISE DO OUR BIT TO KEEP OUR LOCAL ECONOMIES GOING.

 

I NEVER REALIZED THAT WHILE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IS SO IMPORTANT TO THOSE OF US WHO ARE UNABLE TO DRIVE, IT IS VIEWED AS UNNECESSARY BY THE DRIVING PUBLIC.  THERE IS NO BUS SERVICE IN MY IMMEDIATE AREA.  WITH THE PRICE OF GAS GOING UP AND UP, I HAD HOPES OF  SOME SERVICE RETURNING. 

AFTER LLISTENING TO THE RESPONSES IN THAT ARTICLE, I ASKED FRIENDS AND CO-WORKERS IF THEY THOUGHT THEY WOULD USE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IF IT WERE AVAILABLE.  EVERYONE SAID THEY WOULD NOT.  EACH ONE SAID THAT, DESPITE HIGHER GAS PRICES, THEY WOULD NOT GIVE UP THE CONVENIENCE OF BEING ABLE TO GO WHERE THEY WANT WHEN THEY WANT.  I CAN ONLY IMAGINE WHAT THAT IS LIKE…

 

 

NEW MEMBERS !

 

WE WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME OUR TWO NEW MEMBERS—CONNIE URY AND BARB PASCETTA.

 

A BIG THANK YOU!

 

MANY THANKS TO THE AKRON BLIND CENTER FOR ALLOWING US TO MEET AT THEIR SITE.  IT IS GREAT TO FINALLY HAVE A PERMANENT MEETING PLACE. IT'S BEEN ESPECIALLY NICE TO HAVE THAT HOT CUP OF COFFEE WAITING FOR US, TOO.  THANKS, BARB.

 

 

OUR LAST TWO MEETINGS HAVE FEATURED SPEAKERS.  IN FEBRUARY, BOB McDOWELL FROM THE AKRON LAW DEPARTMENT SPOKE ABOUT THE RIGHTS OF BLIND/VISUALLY IMPAIRED PEOPLE UNDER THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT.  IN MARCH, JOE MARTIN, A REGISTERED LIFE COACH, ANSWERED OUR NUTRITION AND EXERCISE QUESTIONS AND TOLD US HOW TO LEAD HEALTHIER LIVES.

 

WE WELCOME IDEAS FOR FUTURE TOPICS.  PLEASE CONTACT MICHELLE OR SAM AT THE ABOVE PHONE NUMBERS WITH YOUR SUGGESTIONS.