Parent to Parent For Parents and Families of Students in Kentucky who are Blind and Visually Impaired Summer 2011 Kentucky School for the Blind Family Support Center Member of Parent Resource Centers of KY Families have Great Time at Center for Courageous Kids By: Mitch Dahmke, KSB Family Support Specialist On March 4-6, The Center for Courageous Kids (CCK) in Scottsville held their first Family Retreat Weekend exclusively for families of children who are blind and visually impaired or deaf and hard of hearing. If you are familiar with CCK, you know this non-profit was formed and designed exclusively for the use of medically fragile children and their family members. Their staff is highly trained pediatric professionals with expertise in medicine and therapeutic programs. CCK is able to provide continuing care while the children are at the center. This is why it is so terrific for blind and visually impaired children. CCK has reached out to other disability groups to provide them with experiences they may not otherwise be able to participate. Two families that attended the retreat in March jotted down their experiences. I share them with you. First, Sarah Rister from Lewis County writes: It’s raining as we take the five hour journey to the little town of Scottsville to spend the weekend at CCK. It’s the first weekend that CCK has hosted visually and hearing impaired children and their families. The kids are excited to be a part of the very first group. It’s not a hard place to find (with a GPS). The only wrong turn we made was to a McDonald’s where we stopped to eat. We arrived early at CCK and were taken back by the sheer beauty of the place. We knew that CCK hosted terminally ill children in the summer, but our expectations were surpassed as we drove up to the gate. To put it mildly, CCK is immense. There were buildings everywhere and we were soon to realize they were full of activities for the kids. Check-in was simple and we were soon in our dorm. The four of us had a private room, with eight twin beds and a bathroom with four bathroom stalls and two large showers. I’ve decided that this is the set-up I need at home! I know it really matters to some people, so I’ll tell you now that the beds were not the soft, comfy ones you might have at home, but they were regular mattresses. After the kids dragged us from activity to activity, we were just glad to relax so the mattresses were sufficient. The activities that the kids enjoyed the most were swimming, woodworking and the horses. Be prepared to visit the horses on multiple occasions! The first place my boys wanted to go was to the horse barn, which I should mention is humongous. The kids were surprised because it didn’t stink, and honestly, it didn’t. Oh, and the bragging my kids did, bragging that they went swimming in March was heard for weeks afterwards. Surprisingly, both of my kids loved woodworking. This was surprising to many knowing that my children are visually impaired. The purpose of the retreat was to allow the children to experience the life of a camper. Camping experiences are not always open to children with visual impairments. As a mother of a child with a visual impairment, I’ve taken offense to that, but I’ve also seen the logic of it. It’s also reassuring that a child’s parents are welcome to come with them. If you’ve ever had to tell your son or daughter that they can’t do something while other kids rush past them to do it, then you’ll relish that chance that CCK provides your children. Everything at CCK was suitable for our children, that’s the wonder of it. There’s nothing they can’t do. I didn’t even get into the other activities, the fishing, cooking, arts and crafts, free play (in a giant gym) with balls, scooters and numerous other types of toys, boating, campfires, a carnival and lots of dancing (most kids loved the dancing after EVERY meal). Then there was the activity center. The activity center is always packed. It consists of a bowling alley, air hockey, pool tables and numerous other arcade style games. So let me ask you this, “Would your child get bored?” For a child who isn’t able to participate in most “everyday” activities, CCK is a breath of fresh air. I would take my kids here every day if it were possible so that they would have the chance to experience “normal”. My kids thrived at CCK. They weren’t put in a position where they couldn’t do something. That was like a whole new world for them. They, for once, were able to do everything available to them. As a mother, I will forever be grateful to CCK. We were given the opportunity to have a camping expedition in a safe and wonderful environment. CCK’s mission is to uplift children who have life threatening illnesses or impairments by creating experiences year round that are memorable, exciting, fun, build self-esteem and are physically safe and medically sound. I can vouch that they are successful in this mission. The Rash family from Jefferson County also attended the retreat weekend and echoed many of Rister’s feelings. They felt it was an excellent experience. The whole family admired the beauty and cleanliness of CCK. Jerry and Betty Rash noted that every child had an assistant to help out when needed and that the assistant stayed with the child at all times. They were equally impressed with the meals and that you could get snacks anytime you wanted them. “We cannot praise CCK enough for all they did for our family to make it so the parents and children could relax without having to worry. Thanks CCK, it was great!” echoes Jerry Rash. Editor’s Note: There is CCK logo and a photo in the print edition regarding CCK. The logo shows a cartoon like lion in blue scrubs with a stethoscope around his neck. The caption under the logo reads: Dr Cubby, the Courageous Lion is the mascot for The Center for Courageous for Kids. He greets campers upon arrival. The photo shows a boy sitting in a saddle on a horse. There are two CCK staff members on either side of him. The caption reads: The Center for Courageous Kids offers a variety of activities for children with disabilities, including horseback riding. Givens Receives Honorable Mention in Justice McAnulty, Jr. Essay Competition Sophomore Kyle Givens received an Honorable Mention Award in the Justice William E. McAnulty, Jr. Essay Contest. The award was presented during a Scholarly Tribute honoring Justice William McAnulty, Jr. in February at the Louisville Bar Association. The competition was sponsored by the University of Louisville, Louis D. Brandeis School of Law for Central High School (Louisville) students. Givens attends KSB and Central High School on a part-day basis. He wrote the essay as an assignment in his law/government class. Kyle hopes to pursue a career in the field of law. Editor’s Note: There is a photo in the print edition showing a woman presenting an award to Kyle Givens. In the background is a banner bearing the image of Justice MCAnulty. The caption reads: Jessica E. Green, from the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office, presents the Justice William E. McAnulty Honorable Mention Award to Kyle Givens. EyeNote App to Help the Blind/ Visually Impaired Denominate US Currency The Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) has developed a free downloadable application (app) to assist the blind and visually impaired denominate United States currency. The app is called EyeNote. EyeNote is a mobile device app designed for Apple iPhone (3G, 3Gs, 4), and the 4th Generation iPod Touch and iPad2 platforms, and is available through the Apple iTunes App Store. EyeNote uses image recognition technology to determine a note’s denomination. The mobile device’s camera requires 51 percent of a note’s scanned image, front or back, to process. In a matter of seconds, EyeNote can provide an audible or vibrating response, and can denominate all Federal Reserve notes issued since 1996. Free downloads will be available whenever new U.S. currency designs are introduced. Research indicates that more than 100,000 blind and visually impaired individuals could currently own an Apple iPhone. The EyeNote app is one of a variety of measures the government is working on to deploy to assist the visually impaired community to denominate currency, as proposed in a recent Federal Register notice. These measures include implementing a Currency Reader Program whereby a United States resident, who is blind or visually impaired, may obtain a coupon that can be applied toward the purchase of a device to denominate United States currency; continuing to add large high contrast numerals and different background colors to redesigned currency; and, raised tactile features may be added to redesigned currency, which would provide users with a means of identifying each denomination via touch. Kentucky Families of Children who are Blind/Visually Impaired Getting Involved in Regional Activities This is a round-up of regional events for families of children who are blind and visually impaired in Kentucky. Big East Families of Children who are Blind or Visually Impaired (BIG EAST-FCBVI) The Big East FCBVI met Mar. 26 at PJ’s Pizza in South Shore. The topic of this get-together was the Individual Education Plan (IEP) meeting. Verna Howell, Teacher of the Visually Impaired (TVI) from Greenup County, informed parents about IEP forms and walked them through the IEP process. Parents were also given a pamphlet relating to procedural safeguards relating to the IEP process. The group shared their experiences from previous IEP meetings. After the presentation, everyone enjoyed the terrific pizza made by Big East parent Phil Johnson. Attendees had ample time to socialize and families were given a few complimentary items from the American Printing House for the Blind and the KSB Family Support Center. The next meeting date for this group has not been set. MADISON COUNTY-Families Advocating for the Blind (FAB) Recently, FAB held their first meeting at the Richmond City Library. Parent Rebecca Lewis volunteered to lead the group in the inaugural year. Kristen Hammond, KSB Director of Outreach for Regional Programs and Services, made the first of a three part presentation concerning IEP’s and answered questions posed by parents. The next FAB meeting will be on Aug. 6 from 10 AM-12 PM. Food and drink will be provided. The location for the meeting has yet to be determined. For further information about FAB, contact Rebecca Lewis at bfljl@yahoo.com or call 859-756-3035, or Mitch Dahmke at mitch.dahmke@ksb.kyschools.us or call 502-897-1583 ext. 221. Kentucky Valley Educational Cooperative (KVEC) Families Families in Southeast Kentucky met recently in Floyd County for the first time to ask questions and become familiar with services that are available to their families and their children. Floyd County Teacher of the Visually Teresa Osborne, hosted the meeting along with KSB Family Support Specialist Mitch Dahmke. A future meeting will be scheduled in the fall. Owensboro Area Families News Owensboro Independent Schools Teacher of the Visually Impaired Rick Boggess and who is also a sponsor of the Owensboro Area Families recently retired from the teaching profession after many years of working with blind and visually impaired students. Rumor has it that Rick, along with wife Betty, will be found on the beaches of Mexico taking in the sun. Good luck and enjoy, Rick!! A Vendor’s Fair was held on May 10 for the Owensboro Area Families. The families perused the information and products and had ample time for discussion. Special Education Directors Kimberly Johnson (Owensboro Ind.) and Robin Bush (Daviess County) gave a presentation on the IEP process. The families expressed their appreciation to the directors for attending the meeting and explaining what can be a very complicated process. Future meeting dates will be announced in the fall. Western Kentucky Families Western Kentucky Families spent the day learning about recreation and leisure activities on May 14. The families learned about adaptations that could be made to recreational and leisure activities so that family members who are blind or visually impaired could participate. KSB Regional Consultant Nona Bazzell Walker and Western Kentucky teachers of the visually impaired provided a terrific lunch and wonderful door prizes for the families. For more information about regional family activities and meeting dates contact Mitch Dahmke, mitch.dahmke@ksb.kyschools.us or 502-897-1583, ext. 221. Editor’s Note: There are three photos in the print edition with the regional family meetings. Photo #1 shows a boy giving his mother a high-five on the lawn. They are on the lawn. The caption reads: Adam Stanley “high five’s” his mother after a game of corn hole at the Western Kentucky Families meeting. Photo #2 shows a parent looking over a table of informational items during the FAB family meeting in Richmond. The caption reads: Rebecca Lewis, parent from Madison County, looks through resources on the family support center display table during the FAB meeting in Richmond. Photo #3 shows a teacher showing a female student how to toss the bean bag on the lawn where the game of corn hole is being played. The caption reads: Marina Tatum and Marshall County Teacher of the Visually Impaired Teri George discuss the proper form for toss during a corn hole game at the Western Kentucky Families meeting. Kentucky School for the Blind 1867 Frankfort Avenue Louisville, KY 40206