Disabled American Veterans
Blind Veterans
National Chapter
OFFICERS
OF THE BLIND CHAPTER
Commander
Eddie Humphrey
Senior
Vice Commander Floyd Britting
1st
Junior Vice Commander Dan Holden
2nd
Junior Vice Commander Dennis O’Connell
3rd
Junior Vice Commander Paul Kaminsky
4th
Junior Vice Commander Dave May
Judge
Advocate Gerard Boucher
Chaplain
Tony Martino
Adjutant/Treasurer
Steve Moffitt
DECEASED
Wilson Rourke, of N Eastham MA
Around
the Internet: Since Al Gore invented the
Internet it has gain so mulch interest he should get a Nobel for what he
achieved. Oh that’s right he did get a Nobel. Anyway if folks have not realized
this yet, the Internet is a great asset for persons with vision loss. Get in
the dog house go to the Internet, check out those online stores, pick up a fake
diamond necklace or a new bass rig depending on which doghouse you might be in.
Need some new vitamins, head for drugstore (dot) com. Birthdays, Holiday, get
well, go to the Internet and send an E-Greeting. Want music, online again and
at a far better price than one can buy music tracks in the store. Talking Books
from the talking books Library, you guessed it, right there online. Here’s a
good one, for most of your life you thought Fran Tarkington and the New York
Giants got preempted by a show called Heidi and at the end of the game scored
like three scores to pull out a win in the last few minutes. To settle a
dispute that your recollection was quite incorrect as told to you by some New York
Giants fan, you guessed it again, according to the Internet it wasn’t good old
Fran, it was Oakland Raider’s Daryle Lamonica.
Too quote Wikipedia (dot) com: In professional American football, the Heidi
Game (often referred to, facetiously, as the "Heidi Bowl") refers to
a famous American Football League (AFL) game between the New York Jets and the
Oakland Raiders, played on November 17, 1968 in Oakland, California. This game
is memorable largely as the result of a decision by the NBC television network
to terminate the broadcast in the Eastern and Central time zones with 65
seconds left to play in the game in favor of broadcasting a pre-scheduled
airing of Heidi, a new made-for-TV version of the classic children's story.
With the Jets leading 32-29 with only 65 seconds left in the game, NBC programmers, eager to maintain their evening schedule, switched off the ostensibly decided game. However, the Raiders came back and scored 14 points, winning 43-32. Because of NBC's decision, no fan following the match on TV was able to see Oakland's comeback live. The complaints to the network indicated a new height of popularity for the game in the United States.
While millions of stunned football fans east of Denver suddenly found themselves watching Jennifer Edwards in Heidi, the Raiders scored two touchdowns on three plays and won the game 43-32 in what has been voted by fans as one of the 10 most memorable games in American football history. Daryle Lamonica completed a 20-yard pass to Charlie Smith. Jet Mike D’Amato grabbed Smith's facemask on the play and the 15-yard penalty put the Raiders into Jets territory on the 43-yard line. On the next play Smith caught a pass and ran by D'Amato for a 43-yard touchdown with 42 seconds left, putting Oakland ahead 36-32. Then, on the ensuing kickoff, Jet Earl Christy fumbled the ball at the 10-yard line. The ball landed on the two-yard line where Raiders special teamer Preston Ridlehuber recovered it and took it in for a touchdown with 33 seconds left in the game.
Lucky for the speed of the Internet one can instantly research almost any topic prior to the establishment of a wager. Excellent research tool, too say the least.
Too old too learn new tricks? Not a chance! We got one blind veteran in Georgia, a young 97, and keeps up just fine with the rest of us. Actually has passed by most of us. After getting his computer from the VA he sat down and wrote a book and became a published author.
Come join the rest of the World-Wide-Web. It is an excellent adventure. A way to communicate, or just a tool to keep one’s mind active. It is not hard to learn, and the VA will set you up with all the tools and train you on how to get started. Talk with your VIST Coordinator to get started. Once you’re started connect to the web and venture over to the DAV Blind Veterans National Chapter’s website at www.davbvnc.com. From there you can link to other interesting sites or just find out what’s happening within the Blind Veterans National Chapter.
Hope to hear from you in Cyber-Space, Paul Kaminsky.
Poem Written By Joyce Johnson Merryweather
Of Orem, Utah
The American Veteran
As I enjoy the
rights of freedom I can't help but stop and pause. It was the sacrifice of veterans that protected Freedom's cause.
As I breathe the air of freedom,
and travel freedom's lands,
I know that human
freedoms were won by veterans' hands.
The world still
cries of bondage, "Down with tyrants cruel reign!" And the veteran will be called upon to protect mankind
again.
A veteran never
talks or boasts of battles that were fought. No one will ever know the scars
their fight for freedom brought. No one will ever know the pain those left at
home endured. The waiting-watching-praying, until freedom was secured.
Too many have forgotten
the sacrifices
veterans made. They've forgotten health and lives were the price that veterans paid.
Let us keep the
memory of the ones who answered freedom's call .let us remember it was veterans
who won freedom for us all.
Above poem presented
by: Gerard Boucher
LEGAL BLINDNESS DEFINITION
UPDATED
The Social Security
Administration published new rules for visual disorders in the Federal Register
(71 FR 67037) on November 20, 2006. These rules became effective on February
20, 2007. As in he past, statutory/legal blindness continues to be defined as
best corrected visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye; or a visual
field limitation such that the widest diameter of the visual field, in the
better eye, subtends an angle no greater than 20 degrees, as measured with a
Goldmann II14e or equivalent size stimulus. Under the new rules, how visual
acuity and visual field can be tested to meet this definition has changed. For
visual field testing, the following measurements can be used:
1- Automated static threshold perimetry (Humphrey 30-2 and
24-2) a. For Humphrey Field Analyzers, a 10dB
stimulus is equivalent to a 4e stimulus. A dB level that is higher than 10
represents a dimmer stimulus, while a dB level that is lower than 10 represents
a brighter stimulus. Therefore, for automated
static threshold tests performed on
Humphrey Field Analyzers, any point seen at 10dB or higher are a point
that would be seen with a 4e stimulus.
2- Kinetic perimetry, such as
the Humphrey "SSA Test Kinetic" a. The kinetic test must use a
white II14e stimulus projected on a white 31.5 apostilb (10 cd/m2) background.
3- Goldmann perimetry a. With a II14e target.
SSA
will not use the results of visual field screening tests, such as confrontation
tests, tangent screen tests, or automated static screening tests, to determine
legal blindness.
For
visual acuity testing, the criteria changed because most test charts that use Snellen methodology do not have
lines that measure visual acuity
between 20/100 and 20/200. Newer test charts, such as the Bailey-Lovie
or the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS), do have lines that measure visual acuity between 20/100 and
20/200.
Under the new criteria, if a person's visual acuity is
measured with one of the newer charts, and they
cannot read any of the letters on the 20/100
line, they will qualify as legally blind, based on a visual acuity of 20/200 or
less. For example, if the person's best-corrected visual
acuity for distance in the better eye was determined to be 20/160 using an ETDRS chart, they would now be
classified as legally blind.
Regardless of the type of test chart used, the person will not be classified as
legally blind if they can read at least one letter on the 20/100 line. For example, if a person's
best-corrected visual acuity for
distance in the better eye was determined to be 20/125+1 using an ETDRS
chart, they would not be classified as legally blind because they were able to read one letter on the 20/100 line. To
view the new rules please use the following link:
http://www.ssa.gov/disability/professionals/bluebook/2.00-
pecialSensesandSpeech-Adult.htm
It
is not uncommon to see a DD-214 form from a potential member that doesn't
reflect any qualifying awards. If you have access to the Internet, you can
check eligibility. All you need to know is what unit the potential member was
assigned to and when, along with the name of the ship or boat he/she was
assigned to. There may be some former Navy people who are eligible for the
Veterans of Foreign Wars and not know it. The Navy has a Web site that
has information on Navy unit awards. It is an alphabetical listings of ships,
units and shore activities which have received awards and the dates earned.
There is also a listing of units from the other branches that have received
Navy awards. To access the information, please follow the steps below:
1.
Go to
www.navy.mil
2.
At the Web site, select "Site Index"
3.
The Site Index is an alphabetical listing. Either select the letter
"D" or scroll down to the "D" section. Select
"Directives, Navy"
4.
Then select "Navy Directives Index"
5.
There will be a box with the word "SEARCH" in it. Below that, there
will be a listing of tables. Select "Table 6. OPNAV
1640.7A
to 1740.4A"
6.
Next, select "1650 Unit Awards"
7.
Follow the instructions on the screen
Time to read the topics. Your friend in the
cause, Kirk Harmon
(This is a long article so I cut it down to
send as different parts in future issues-the Editor)
Legislative
Agenda of Blind Americans:
Priorities
for the 111th Congress, FIRST Session
The
National Federation of the Blind (NFB) is the oldest and largest organization of blind people in the United States.
As the Voice
Of
the Nation's Blind, we present the collective views of blind people throughout
society. All of our leaders and the vast majority of our members
Are
blind, but anyone can participate in our movement. There are an estimated
1.3 million blind people in the United States, and every year
Approximately
75,000 Americans become blind. The social and economic consequences of
blindness affect not only blind people, but also our
Families,
our friends, and our coworkers.
Three
legislative initiatives demand
The
immediate attention of the 111th Congress in its first session:
1.
We urge Congress to ensure the safety of blind and other pedestrians by passing
the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act. This legislation would require the
U.S. Secretary of Transportation to:
·
Begin a study within ninety days of its enactment to determine the most
practical means of assuring that blind and other pedestrians
Receive
essentially similar information to what they now receive from sound emitted by
internal combustion engines;
·
Determine the minimum amount of sound necessary to offer sufficient information
for blind pedestrians to make safe travel judgments
Based
on appropriate scientific research and consultation with blind Americans and
other affected groups;
·
Within two years of beginning the study, promulgate a motor vehicle safety
standard to address the needs of blind and other pedestrians
By
requiring either a minimum level of sound or an equally effective means of providing
the same information as is available from hearing internal combustion engines;
and
·
Apply the standard to all motor vehicles manufactured or sold in the United
States beginning no later than two years after the date it is promulgated.
2.
We urge Congress to work with blind Americans to create a Technology Bill of
Rights for the Blind that mandates consumer electronics,
Home
appliances, and office equipment to provide user interfaces that are accessible
through nonvisual means. This legislation should:
·
Mandate that all consumer electronics, home appliances, and office equipment be
designed so that blind people can access the same
Functions
as sighted people through nonvisual means and with substantially equivalent
ease of use;
·
Create a commission comprised of essential stakeholders to establish standards
for nonvisual accessibility of electronic devices
Intended
for use in the home or office;
·
Endow the commission with enforcement powers or locate it within a government
agency having such powers; and
·
Authorize it to reexamine and rewrite standards to keep pace with the evolution
of consumer electronic technology.
3.
We urge Congress to promote and facilitate the transition by blind Americans
from recipients of Social Security Disability Insurance benefits
To
income-earning, taxpaying, productive members of the American workforce by
enacting legislation to:
·
Replace the monthly earnings penalty with a graduated 3-for-1 phase-out (i.e.,
a $1 reduction in benefits for each $3 earned above the limit);
·
Replace the monthly earnings test with an annualized earnings test with an
amount equal to twelve times. Substantial Gainful Activity amount; and
·
Establish an impairment-related work expense deduction for blind Social
Security Disability Insurance beneficiaries equal to the
Amount
applicable for this deduction when determining an appropriate income subsidy
under Medicare Part D or 16.3 percent of earnings, whichever is greater.
Blind
Americans need your help to achieve our goals of economic security, increased
opportunity, and full integration into American
Society
on a basis of equality. Enactment of these legislative proposals will
represent important steps toward reaching these goals. We
Need
the help and support of each member of Congress. Our success benefits not
only us, but the whole of America as well. In this time of
National
economic insecurity, these measures will contribute to increasing the tax base
and encouraging the purchase of consumer goods.
ADA
CHANGES FOR 2009 BROADEN DEFINITION OF DISABILITY
If
you have access to a computer below is a link that is worth checking out for
several people with disabilities.
http://www.ere.net/2008/12/31/ada-changes-for-2009-broaden-definition-of-disability/
VA
DIRECT DEPOSIT
Every
month, 730,000 veterans or survivors look for their compensation, pension
checks or educational assistance payments in their mailboxes. Nearly all receive them, but theft and mail
delays cause problems for some veterans, which can be prevented by direct
deposits. The Department of Veterans
Affairs (VA) is urging those veterans and family members now receiving paper
checks to join nearly 3.1 million others whose VA payments are safely deposited
electronically. "VA is teaming up with the Treasury Department in a new
campaign to protect government beneficiaries against the theft of funds and of
their identities," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake.
"Veterans earned -- and rely on -- the financial support we send them
every month. I urge them to help VA
ensure they get those funds reliably and safely by signing up for direct
deposit." Peake cited several easy ways to sign up for direct deposit:
•
Calling VA toll-free at (800) 333-1795.
•
Enrolling online at www.GoDirect.org.
•
Contacting a VA regional benefits office or their financial institution.
Information
about direct deposits will be included in VA's monthly compensation and pension
envelopes throughout 2009. The VA Secretary urged veterans to remember that
direct deposits relieve worry about mail delivery being delayed by severe
weather or natural disasters. The
deposits also eliminate trips to banks or credit unions to deposit checks,
while providing immediate access to money at the same time each month.
THANK
YOU
I
want to take the time to thank Jim Fox for sending out the print version and
recording the tape version and then sending them out. If you read this
newsletter on line, then thank Paul Kaminsky for being our webmaster.
This
is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody,
Anybody,
and Nobody. There was an important job to be done, and
Everybody
was asked to do it. Everybody was sure Somebody would do it. Anybody could have
done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that, because it was
Everybody's job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized
that Everybody wouldn't do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when
Nobody did what Anybody could.........
Does
the above paragraph remind you of anyone? Please send articles for this
newsletter via email to: navy1vet@verizon.net
or by snail mailto: Dennis O’Connell, Editor BCDAV, 303 Carnation Avenue,
Floral Park, NY 11001-3435
GOD
BLESS AMERICA!