SCAVI News

A new report from the U.S. Senate Aging Committee is taking U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to task for neglecting accessibility issues on its websites. Despite the fact that 27 percent of all veterans have a service-connected disability ¨ and more than 1 million veterans are blind or have low vision ¨ only 8 percent of VAãs public-facing websites and 6 percent of its internal sites are fully compliant with federal accessibility law. The issue with VA websites is a sign of a larger problem with accessibility at the federal level that has persisted for years. Read the full Washington Post Article

SCAVI MINUTES

The SCAVI meeting was held on November 7 at 9:30 AM. The meeting was called to order by Cindy Brooking. Our president, Regina Vonderhaar and our secretary, Rich Vonderhaar have relocated to Indianapolis. Those present for this meeting included Cindy Brooking, Doug and Brenda Eads, Ida Galey, Rita Kersh, Mike and Dolly Sowder, James and Karen Veen and Denise Mullis. Dolly Sowder moved that we accept the October minutes. Brenda Eads seconded it. The minutes were approved.

The balance for SCAVI is currently $4581.38. Recent expenditures include convention fees. The fee for our Post Office Box will increase to $166 in 2023. It has been paid with the help of American Council of the Blind of Indiana (ACBI). The cost is covered by 50% ACBI and 50% SCAVI. The council does not want to mail any items to homes. Rita Kersh moved that we accept the treasurerãs report. It was seconded by Brenda Eads. It was approved.

For the auction, we are submitting two items that the convention will benefit from and four items that will benefit SCAVI. We discussed our Christmas Party. It will be December 10 at noon at our usual meeting place. It was suggested that we invite the minister and his wife. Cindy will be bringing drinks and pulled pork. Mike and Dolly will bring paper products and those attending will pitch in additional food.

The annual convention will begin on Friday, November 11 at noon. Cindy reviewed the schedule of events. Our annual dues are $9. Some members paid at the meeting. Those who havenãt paid yet, can bring their dues to the Christmas party. An election of officers was held. Rita Kersh was elected president. Vice President is Brenda Eads. Denise Mullis is the new secretary. Cindy Brooking retains her position of treasurer. Board members will include Ida Galey for a one year term, Jim Veen for a two year term, and Loney Galey for a 3 year term. A motion was made to adjourn and seconded. All agreed. Minutes were submitted by Denise Mullis

SCAVI NEWS for December 2022

A monthly newsletter of the South Central Association of the Visually Impaired
SCAVI, P.O. Box 2216, Bedford, IN 47421
SCAVI on Facebook

Newsletter written and produced by President Rita Kersh
Rita can be reached at 812-278-3038 or e-mail at hoosierrita60@gmail.com

WHAT IS HAPPENING IN SCAVI

Our next meeting will be our Christmas party on Saturday, December 10 at noon at the Bedford Free Methodist Church, 630 R Street, in the basement Fellowship Hall. Weãre having a pot luck lunch so bring a side dish or dessert. SCAVI will furnish the meat and drinks, plus the plastic/paper products. If youãd like to play our ¶Dirty Santa÷ game, bring a wrapped gift valued at $10. Weãre also going to give a prize to the person who is dressed the most Christmassy, so put on your bells and bows!

SCAVI BIRTHDAYS

Kari Goodman Dec. 28

DUES ARE DUE

If you havenãt already done so, please pay your dues of $9. If you cannot be at the Christmas party, , mail your dues to:
SCAVI, PO Box 2216, Bedford, IN 47421

HOLIDAY RECIPES: Winter Shortbread Cookie Bites

Candied Pecans, One Pound

Holiday Sugar Cookies

Snowman Soup

Effortless Eggnog

1/2 gallon milk, divided
1 (4 serving size) box instant French vanilla pudding mix
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
In large bowl, whisk together 3/4 cup milk and pudding mix until smooth.
Whisk in sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir in remaining milk.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Makes 2 quarts.

SCAVI MINUTES

The SCAVI meeting was held on November 7 at 9:30 AM. The meeting was called to order by Cindy Brooking. Our president, Regina Vonderhaar and our secretary, Rich Vonderhaar have relocated to Indianapolis. Those present for this meeting included Cindy Brooking, Doug and Brenda Eads, Ida Galey, Rita Kersh, Mike and Dolly Sowder, James and Karen Veen and Denise Mullis.

Dolly Sowder moved that we accept the October minutes. Brenda Eads seconded it. The minutes were approved. The balance for SCAVI is currently $4581.38. Recent expenditures include convention fees. The fee for our Post Office Box will increase to $166 in 2023. It has been paid with the help of American Council of the Blind of Indiana (ACBI). The cost is covered by 50% ACBI and 50% SCAVI. The council does not want to mail any items to homes. Rita Kersh moved that we accept the treasurerãs report. It was seconded by Brenda Eads. It was approved. For the auction, we are submitting two items that the convention will benefit from and four items that will benefit SCAVI. We discussed our Christmas Party. It will be December 10 at noon at our usual meeting place. It was suggested that we invite the minister and his wife. Cindy will be bringing drinks and pulled pork. Mike and Dolly will bring paper products and those attending will pitch in additional food.

The annual convention will begin on Friday, November 11 at noon. Cindy reviewed the schedule of events. Our annual dues are $9. Some members paid at the meeting. Those who havenãt paid yet, can bring their dues to the Christmas party. An election of officers was held. Rita Kersh was elected president. Vice President is Brenda Eads. Denise Mullis is the new secretary. Cindy Brooking retains her position of treasurer. Board members will include Ida Galey for a one year term, Jim Veen for a two year term, and Loney Galey for a 3 year term. A motion was made to adjourn and seconded. All agreed. Minutes were submitted by Denise Mullis

SCAVI News for November 2022

A monthly newsletter of the South Central Association of the Visually Impaired
SCAVI, P.O. Box 2216, Bedford, IN 47421
SCAVI on Facebook

Newsletter written and produced by President Regina Vonderhaar and Edited by Rita Kersh.
Regina may be reached at 812-675-0065 | Cell 317-435-8216
e-mail rvonderhaar@att.net

WHAT IS HAPPENING IN SCAVI

Our next meeting will be Monday, November 7 at the Bedford Free Methodist Church, 630 R Street, in the Fellowship Hall in the basement at 9:30 A.M. It is time for elections, so if you would like to be an officer or board member, speak up at the meeting.

SCAVI BIRTHDAYS

Rita Kersh Nov. 2

DUES ARE DUE

It is that time of the year once again to pay your dues of $9 ($5 to ACB, $2 to ACBI and $2 to SCAVI). If you cannot be at the meeting, mail your dues to:
SCAVI PO Box 2216 Bedford, IN 47421

SCAVI MINUTES

The meeting of the South Central Association of the Visually Impaired was held on Monday, October 3, 2022 at 9:30 am in the basement of the Bedford Free Methodist Church. Present at the meeting were Rich and Regina Vonderhaar, Mike and Dolly Sowder, Doug and Brenda Eads, Jim and Karen Veam, Loney and Ida Galey, Kathy Reising, Rita Kersh, and Denise Mullis.

Rita made a motion that we approve the September minutes, Brenda seconded. Motion was approved. We celebrated our 40th anniversary with Rich giving a brief summary of the formation of SCAVI. We all ate snacks and told stories about some of the fun times we have had as a group and some of the wonderful people who have participated over the years. We forgot to make a motion to adjourn. We adjourned the meeting at 10:30 am. Respectfully Submitted by Secretary Rich Vonderhaar

SCAVI NEWS for October 2022

A monthly newsletter of the South Central Association of the Visually Impaired
SCAVI, P.O. Box 2216, Bedford, IN 47421
SCAVI on Facebook

WHAT IS HAPPENING IN SCAVI

Our next meeting will be Monday, October 3 at the Bedford Free Methodist Church, 630 R Street, in the Fellowship Hall in the basement at 9:30 A.M. We will be celebrating our 40th anniversary. We will provide a snack, and anyone can bring a snack.

SCAVI BIRTHDAYS

Sue Fleener Oct. 10
Cindy Brooking Oct. 16
Rich Vonderhaar Oct. 17

40TH ANNIVERSARY: History of the South Central Association of the Visually Impaired (SCAVI)

In the early 1970s, a group of people who had vision problems in the Lawrence County area began getting together at the Stone City Mall in Bedford, where they use the conference room in the Southern Indiana Center for Independent Livingãs offices. These people met once a month to share stories and suggestions as to how to cope with their vision loss.

As the group began to grow, Harvey and Marie Jeffries from Oolitic helped form this group of people into a chapter of the American Council of the Blind of Indiana (ACBI), which is an affiliate of the American Council of the Blind. They decided to name this new chapter the South Central Association of the Visually Impaired, SCAVI for short.

The Constitution and Bylaws established for the South Central Association of the Visually Impaired (SCAVI) was adopted on May 3, 1982 with chapter status subject to acceptance by the American Council of the Blind of Indiana (ACBI) The Charter was received on October 1, 1982 at the ACBI State Convention in Scottsburg, Indiana.

Throughout the years we have gained new members and we have lost members for various reasons. The membership has stayed fairly steady at 20-25 members for most of the years our chapter has been in existence. Our members ages have ranged from the 20ãs to the late 90ãs and most have maintained active participation in SCAVI.

Today, our chapter meets in the basement of the Free Methodist Church, 630 R Street in Bedford. Our members continue to encourage others with visual impairments to join us at one of our meetings or an activity to get a feel for who we are as an organization. We also encourage those without vision loss to consider joining us, especially those with an interest in what we do and how we try to assist others with visual impairments.

USEFUL PHONE NUMBERS FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED

Amazon: Accessibility Customer Service 888-283-1678
Call to speak with an accessibility specialist who can help you buy books and other products, or get you directly to tech support for Amazon devices and services including Alexa, Kindle & Fire Tablet.

Audible Support: 888-283-5051.

Apple: Accessibility Support Line 877-204-3930
For users of Appleãs iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Apple Watch, or Mac
Special support line reserved for customers with vision, hearing, motor, and learning impairments. Senior AppleCare specialists are available 24/7 to help you get your Accessibility Settings right, answer your questions, and resolve your technical issues.

AT&T: National Center for Citizens with Disabilities (NCCD) 866-241-6568
Wireless customers with vision loss can get answers to questions about accessibility features and services available from AT&T.

Comcast: Accessibility 866-668-6703
Direct line to a dedicated team, specially trained to support customers who rely on accessibility services including voice guidance and video description.

Google: To request a call back, from a Google Disability support specialist, complete their online form.
Call an accessibility specialist at Google through the BeMyEyes app on a smartphone or tablet. Click the µSpecialized Helpã button on the appãs home page, select Google in the Technical tab.
Google Technical Support: 855-971-9121 may or may not be able to help with accessibility questions, depends on specialist you connect with.

Hewlett Packard: HP Accessibility Support 888-259-5707
Technical support for customers with accessibility needs, for HP Hewlett Packard products, available from 6am to 9pm Mountain Time.

Microsoft Disability Answer Desk: 800-936-5900 or via the Be My Eyes app.
Microsoft offers a support team specialized in accessibility. You can even allow them remote access to your PC.

Peloton Accessibility Team: answers your questions and will give you a call, if you email a request to: accessibility@onepeloton.com

Spectrum Accessibility Support: 844-762-1301
Call this support line to learn about and take advantage of Spectrum cable accessibility accommodations.

Spotify: Call on Be My Eyes app
Get help from your smartphone or tablet with any questions you may have about the Spotify music streaming service.
Speak to a trained customer service specialist; go to Specialized Help, Technical, then Spotify.

T-Mobile Accessibility: 833-428-1785
Provides accessible support for wireless network service, billing inquiries and special assistance.

Verizon Center for Customers with Disabilities: 800-974-6006 Verizon.com/Disabilities
Get your bills in the format of your choice; large print or digital, or anything else pertaining to your home phone service.

Verizon Wireless National Accessibility Center: 888-262-1999
Help with enlarging text, using voice commands effectively, using the screen reader, and helping you maximize accessibility features built into Verizon mobile devices.
Call from 8am ¹ 9pm EST, Monday ¹ Friday.

Vote.org: Call on Be My Eyes app
Get help on a smartphone or tablet, registering to vote, checking your registration status, and requesting a mail-in ballot.
Go to Specialized Help on the home page, then Civic Engagement, then select vote.org.

SCAVI MINUTES

The meeting of the South Central Association of the Visually Impaired was held on Monday, September 12, 2022 at 9:30 am in the basement of the Bedford Free Methodist Church. Present at the meeting were Rich and Regina Vonderhaar, Rita Kersh, Cindy Brooking, Jim Vean, Denise Mullis and Loney and Ida Galey.

Rich made a motion that we approve the August minutes, Jim seconded. Motion was approved. Cindy gave the treasurers report covering July and August. We had income of $15 from the sunshine basket and $.21 interest. Expenses of $65.08 for picnic and $25 to ACB for the Brenda Dillon Walk. Account balance is $4,474. Loney motioned that we approve treasurers report, Ida seconded. Motion was approved.

Rita told us she had six items we could buy then put in auction at State convention, but we did not decide. We also suggested other auction items such as sugar free brownies and a wine basket. Cindy talked about opportunity grants available from both SCAVI and ACBI. Denise made a motion that we have three $10 door prizes for the convention, Rich seconded. Motion was approved. Cindy motioned that we adjourn the meeting. Denise seconded. motion was approved. Meting was adjourned at 10:25 am. Respectfully Submitted by Secretary Rich Vonderhaar

SCAVI NEWS for September 2022

A monthly newsletter of the South Central Association of the Visually Impaired
SCAVI, P.O. Box 2216, Bedford, IN 47421
SCAVI on Facebook

Newsletter written and produced by President Regina Vonderhaar and Edited by Rita Kersh.
Regina may be reached at 812-675-0065 | Cell 317-435-8216
e-mail rvonderhaar@att.net

WHAT IS HAPPENING IN SCAVI

Our next meeting will be Monday, September 12 at the Bedford Free Methodist Church, 630 R Street, in the Fellowship Hall in the basement at 9:30 A.M. That is the second Monday in September as the first Monday is Labor Day. We will be planning for the American Council of the Blind of Indiana November convention.

SCAVI BIRTHDAYS

ACB NEWS

Fitness and exercise is now more accessible with the introduction of the Google Talkback screen reader on the Peloton Tread. The American Council of the Blind is proud to have collaborated with Peloton to establish the new Tread accessibility features. ACB is working to shine a spotlight on the inaccessibility and inequities of all aspects of health and wellness, like at-home COVID testing, patient portals and telehealth, or exercise and fitness equipment. We are thankful for the collaboration of partners, like Peloton, who recognize accessibility is an opportunity to grow their community and enhance the lives of people with disabilities. learn more about how TalkBack on Tread works at https://tinyurl.com/peloton-talkback
The work of ACBãs Get Up and Get Moving Campaign continues! Learn more about our Get Up and Get Moving Campaign at https://acb.org/GUGM

SCAVI MINUTES

The meeting of the South Central Association of the Visually Impaired was held on Monday, August 1, 2022 at 9:30 am in the basement of the Bedford Free Methodist Church. Present at the meeting were Rich and Regina Vonderhaar, Mike and Dolly Sowder, Doug and Brenda Eads, Rita Kersh, Sue Fleener, Cindy Brooking, Jim Vean, Shirley Daugherty and Diane Coulter.

Our speaker was Diane Coulter who talked about her recent trip to Israel. She also played some videos she made during her trip and described them for us. Brenda made a motion that Rita replace Cliff Goodman on the SCAVI board, Cindy seconded. The motion was approved. Cindy Motioned that we not have our chili supper this year, since some of our members are experiencing health problems. Brenda seconded. Motion was approved. Rich motioned that we adjourn the meeting. Doug seconded. motion was approved. We adjourned the meeting at 11:00 am. Respectfully Submitted by Secretary Rich Vonderhaar

SCAVI NEWS for August, 2022

A monthly newsletter of the South Central Association of the Visually Impaired

SCAVI, P.O. Box 2216, Bedford, IN 47421
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/The-South-Central-Association-of-the-Visually-Impaired

Newsletter written and produced by President Regina Vonderhaar and Edited by Rita Kersh.
Regina may be reached at 812-675-0065
Cell 317-435-8216
Email rvonderhaar@att.net

August 2022

WHAT IS HAPPENING IN SCAVI

Our next meeting will be Monday, August 1 at the Bedford Free Methodist Church, 630 R Street, in the Fellowship Hall in the basement at 9:30 A.M. Our speaker will be Diane Coulter, a friend of Regina's and volunteer with Lawrence County Cancer Patient Services who will be talking about her recent trip to Israel.

SCAVI BIRTHDAYS

Mike Sowder Aug. 5
Denise Mullis Aug. 16

ACB NEWS

On June 22, 2022, the federal government announced a new initiative to expand the availability of testing options that are more accessible for people who are blind or low vision and who use a smartphone. When connected to a smartphone application, these tests are capable of providing audible testing instructions and results to make the COVID-19 testing process more private and independent for people who are blind or low vision.
Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has announced the number of tests people will receive with each order of the more-accessible tests has been increased from two to 12. They will ship in six separate packages of two, each with its own tracking number.
People who placed orders before this change took effect will need to place a new order to receive the additional tests. Shipping information from orders is not being saved, in accordance with the privacy/security policies of the USPS website, so there is no way for additional tests to be shipped automatically.
The phone number to order COVID tests is 1-800-232-0233.

SCAVI MINUTES

The meeting of the South Central Association of the Visually Impaired was held on Monday, May 2, 2022 at 9:30 am in the basement of the Bedford Free Methodist Church. Present at the meeting were Rich and Regina Vonderhaar, Denise Mullis, Mike and Dolly Sowder, Doug and Brenda Eads, Rita Kersh and Ida Galey.

Our speaker was Joni Godsey who talked about some of the mental and psychological hardships caused by the pandemic. She told us about her daughters serious illness as well as other situations she worked with. Then she gave us the opportunity to ask questions and discuss the topic.
Rita then made a motion that we approve the March minutes and Dolly seconded. Motion was approved.
Brenda made motion that we give $25 to ACB Brenda Dillon memorial walk. Dolly seconded. Motion was approved. Dolly motioned that we give $25 to Amazon gift card for ACB national convention, Denise seconded. Motion was approved.
Cindy gave the treasurers report. We spent $114 to have brochures printed by Copy Trolley and have an ending balance of $4,474.
Rita made a motion that we adjourn the meeting. Rich seconded. Motion was approved.
We adjourned the meeting at 10:30 am.

Respectfully Submitted by Secretary Rich Vonderhaar

SCAVI NEWS for July, 2022

A monthly newsletter of the South Central Association of the Visually Impaired

SCAVI, P.O. Box 2216, Bedford, IN 47421
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/The-South-Central-Association-of-the-Visually-Impaired
Newsletter written and produced by President Regina Vonderhaar and Edited by Rita Kersh.
Regina may be reached at 812-675-0065
Cell 317-435-8216
e-mail rvonderhaar@att.net

July 2022

WHAT'S HAPPENING IN SCAVI

Our next meeting will be Monday, August 1 at the Bedford Free Methodist Church, 630 R Street, in the Fellowship Hall in the basement at 9:30 A.M. With the Fourth of July holiday and because some of our members are busy participating in the American Council of the Blind national convention the first week in July, we have decided to cancel our July meeting. Hope to see you in August.

SCAVI BIRTHDAYS

Loney Galey July 10

ACB NEWS

On June 22, 2022, the federal government announced a new initiative to expand the availability of testing options that are more accessible for people who are blind or low vision and who use a smartphone. Now, people who are blind or low vision may order more accessible COVID-19 at-home tests. When connected to a smartphone application, these tests are capable of providing audible testing instructions and results to make the COVID-19 testing process more private and independent for people who are blind or low vision.
ôACB and our members have long fought for accessibility improvements to our nation's healthcare system, including accessible home diagnostic tests and durable medical equipmentö, said ACB President Dan Spoone. ôThis announcement and program marks an important first step to provide more accessible COVID-19 at-home tests for people who are blind or low vision.ö
ôSimilar to other aspects of our lives and advocacy work, we realize that the accessibility of at-home medical testing is a journey, not a destination, and that these improved offerings from the federal COVID-19 at-home testing service will reduce but not eliminate accessibility barriers for people who are blind or low vision, especially for ACB members and the broader community of people who do not use a smartphone and who do not have access to broadband servicesö, said ACB Executive Director Eric Bridges. ôACB remains resolute in our advocacy efforts to make all forms of at-home medical testing, remote monitoring, and diagnostic equipment and services independently and privately accessible for people who are blind or low vision.ö
To receive the more accessible COVID-19 at-home tests from the federal government, consumers may click here to order online or call 1-800-232-0233. Each order will include two rapid-antigen tests that are more accessible for people who are blind or low vision. Orders will ship free, while supplies last. The tests work with the free Ellume COVID-19 Home Test app for Apple or Android smartphones to provide users with audible instructions and test results. For additional information regarding this more accessible at-home testing option, including additional resources from the Department of Health and Human Services, please visit: https://acb.org/accessible-COVID-tests.
If these more accessible tests will not meet your at-home testing needs, please contact the Disability Information and Access Line of the Administration on Community Living for additional COVID-19 testing resources: 1-888-677-1199.

GOJI BERRY INTAKE INCREASES MACULAR PIGMENT OPTICAL DENSITY IN HEALTHY ADULTS: A RANDOMIZED PILOT TRIAL

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the third leading cause of blindness worldwide. Macular pigment optical density (MPOD), a biomarker for AMD, is a non-invasive measure to assess risk. The macula xanthophyll pigments lutein (L) and zeaxanthin (Z) protect against blue light and provide oxidant defense, which can be indexed by MPOD. This study examined the effects of Z-rich goji berry intake on MPOD and skin carotenoids in healthy individuals. A randomized, unmasked, parallel-arm study was conducted with 27 participants, aged 45û65, who consumed either 28 g of goji berries or a supplement containing 6 mg L and 4 mg Z (LZ), five times weekly for 90 days. After 90 days, MPOD was significantly increased in the goji berry group at 0.25 and 1.75 retinal eccentricities (p = 0.029 and p = 0.044, respectively), while no changes were noted in the LZ group. Skin carotenoids were significantly increased in the goji berry group at day 45 (p = 0.025) and day 90 (p = 0.006), but not in the LZ group. Regular intake of goji berries in a healthy middle-aged population increases MPOD may help prevent or delay the development of AMD.
Keywords: goji berry, zeaxanthin, lutein, carotenoids, age-related macular degeneration, macular pigment optical density

1. Introduction
   Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness among seniors in developed countries, and third worldwide after uncorrected refractive errors and cataracts. In early stages, the disease is characterized by small to intermediate drusen with pigmentary changes that may progress rapidly to more advanced forms such as choroidal neovascularization or central geographic atrophy with loss of central vision. Lutein (L), zeaxanthin (Z), and the isomer meso-zeaxanthin (meso-Z) are macular pigments that filter damaging blue light and provide oxidative defense in the macula. These pigments are found in plants as xanthophylls, with increased dietary intake proposed to reduce the development and progression of AMD. The relative concentration of xanthophyll carotenoids in the retina can be measured non-invasively by psychophysical and objective methods, expressed as macular pigment optical density (MPOD). Numerous epidemiological studies reports that individuals with a low MPOD level are at an increased risk of AMD.
   Dietary L and Z are found in certain fruits and vegetables with red, yellow, or orange color, egg yolk, and in some green leafy vegetables. The dietary intake of Z is lower than L in all age groups and ethnicities in the U.S. Dietary intakes of L and Z are strongly associated with their serum levels, as well as with MPOD. Previous studies have shown that high intakes of these carotenoids from dietary sources or supplements can increase plasma L and Z, and MPOD. Once early AMD has progressed to the intermediate stage, dietary supplements are indicated, but no clinical evidence yet exists for interventions that can address the prevention of small-intermediate drusen with pigmentary changes, the initial clinical signs of macular disruption.
   Goji berry (Lycium barbarum L. and L. chinense), also termed wolfberry or Go Chi Zi, has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for more than 2000 years. The bright red berry contains the highest amount of Z among all known dietary sources and is mainly present in a dipalmitate form. The intake of zeaxanthin dipalmitate (ZD) extracts from goji berry increases plasma Z to a greater extent than non-esterified Z supplementation. The berries also contain unique carbohydrates that are present as conjugates with peptides or proteins, which are often referred to L. barbarum polysaccharides (LBP). These have shown anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects in animal and cell culture studies.
   The typical adult human eye has approximately 2.4 times more Z than L in the central fovea of the macula, making goji berry intake a prime candidate for increasing MPOD. Nevertheless, there is a paucity of clinical evidence on goji berry and MPOD particularly for the prevention or delay of progression from early to intermediate AMD. In individuals from China with signs of early AMD, 25 g of daily consumption of goji berries for 90 days significantly increased both serum Z and MPOD. However, this study had a broad age range (51 to 92 years of age), some participants smoked, and others had certain pre-existing medical conditions. Additionally, the authors only reported central MPOD values up to 0.5 retinal eccentricity (RE), whereas macular pathology and visual dysfunction in AMD may extend beyond that central region. Therefore, to provide a more complete understanding of the influence of goji berry intake on the progression AMD, data is needed on for different population groups that measures MPOD at eccentricities over the entirety of the macula.
   In the current study, we prospectively evaluated if the daily intake of 28 g of goji berries or a commercially available supplement providing 6 mg of L and 4 mg for 90 days can improve MPOD and skin carotenoid levels, an index of total carotenoid intake, among healthy middle-aged adults, 45 to 65 years old, with no signs of drusen or early AMD.
2. Materials and Methods
   2.1. Participants
   Eighty-eight volunteers, ages from 45 to 65 years old, were recruited from an online website and public advertisements in the area of greater Sacramento, California. Participants provided informed consent and were screened with a questionnaire. Inclusion criteria were being generally healthy (not currently under medical supervision, free from self-reported diabetes, cancer, heart, kidney or liver diseases and gastrointestinal disorders), having a normal macular condition as verified by an optometrist, and if relevant, being prescribed the same medication regimen for at least 6 months that was not related to carotenoid metabolism and was approved by the study physician. Exclusion criteria were a dislike of, or allergy to goji berries, diseases of the eye, malabsorption problems, substance or alcohol abuse, smoking, drugs for management of lipids, glucose, or blood pressure, use of dietary supplements other than multivitamins and minerals that provided greater than 100% of the U.S. Dietary Reference Intake, or any supplement containing L or Z. The intervention was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03983525) (accessed on 21 July 2020), with the first posted date of 6 December 2019, complied with the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki, was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the University of California (UC), Davis (IRB #1220178) and was conducted at the UC Davis Ragle Human Nutrition Research Center.
   2.2. Study Design
   Qualified participants were randomized into a prospective, parallel-arm, unmasked study to consume either 28 g of goji berries or a commercially available supplement of L and Z five days per week for 90 days. Study measurements were collected at baseline (prior to supplement or goji berry intake; day 0), at 45 2 days and 90 2 days after intake.
   Twenty-eight grams of goji berries is considered a single serving size. The berries in this study were USDA-certified organic goji berries grown in the Ningxia region of northern China and provided by Navitas Organics, Novato CA, USA. The goji berries were portioned into clean, single-serving plastic bags and provided in 45-day allotments. The commercially available supplements (Source Naturals, Scotts Valley, CA, USA, lot #FG-91753) were purchased online, contained 6 mg of L and 4 mg of Z per serving and were repackaged into 45-day supplies in clean plastic bottles. Compliance was monitored by a self-administered log. Habitual dietary information was collected with the Automated Self-Administered 24 h dietary assessment web-based tool (ASA24; https://epi.grants.cancer.gov/asa24, accessed on 10 August 2020) once between day 0 and 45, and once again between day 45 and 90.
   The MPOD was assessed by the psychophysical method of customized heterochromatic flicker photometry using a macular densitometer (Macular Metrics, Providence, RI, USA). After participants viewed a 5-minute video detailing the measurement procedures, they were dark-adapted for 7 minutes and then began the test. The light intensity of each relevant wavelength was calibrated with a photodiode. The flicker frequency was selected based on a preliminary test of the participant's sensitivity. The task was to eliminate or minimize the flicker in the visual field three times by turning a dial that changed the intensity of a 460 nm light. Each participant performed the test while looking directly at the flickering light at 0.25, 0.5, 1, and 1.75 RE degrees, representing the MPOD level from the center to the periphery of the macula.
   Skin carotenoid content was measured by reflection spectroscopy (ôVeggie Meterö, Longevity Link Corporation, Salt Lake City, UT, USA). After cleaning, the tip of the right index finger was inserted into the spectrophotometer and three measurements were collected. A skin carotenoid score was calculated by the system software. Carotenoids that exist in human plasma, including -carotene, lycopene, L, Z, and their isomers have been successfully detected in toto and quantified by this device, which has been validated to reflect fruit and vegetable consumption.

SCAVI MINUTES

The meeting of the South Central Association of the Visually Impaired was held on Monday, May 2, 2022 at 9:30 am in the basement of the Bedford Free Methodist Church. Present at the meeting were Rich and Regina Vonderhaar, Denise Mullis, Mike and Dolly Sowder, Doug and Brenda Eads, Rita Kersh and Ida Galey.

Our speaker was Joni Godsey who talked about some of the mental and psychological hardships caused by the pandemic. She told us about her daughter's serious illness as well as other situations she worked with. Then she gave us the opportunity to ask questions and discuss the topic.
Rita then made a motion that we approve the March minutes and Dolly seconded. Motion was approved.
Brenda made a motion that we give $25 to ACB Brenda Dillon memorial walk. Dolly seconded. Motion was approved. Dolly motioned that we give $25 to Amazon gift card for ACB national convention, Denise seconded. Motion was approved.
Cindy gave the treasurer's report. We spent $114 to have brochures printed by Copy Trolley and have an ending balance of $4,474.
Rita made a motion that we adjourn the meeting. Rich seconded. Motion was approved.
We adjourned the meeting at 10:30 am.

Respectfully Submitted by Secretary Rich Vonderhaar

SCAVI NEWS for June, 2022

A monthly newsletter of the South Central Association of the Visually Impaired

SCAVI, P.O. Box 2216, Bedford, IN 47421
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/The-South-Central-Association-of-the-Visually-Impaired

Newsletter written and produced by President Regina Vonderhaar and Edited by Rita Kersh.
Regina may be reached at 812-675-0065
Cell 317-435-8216
e-mail rvonderhaar@att.net

June 2022

WHAT'S HAPPENING IN SCAVI

Our next meeting will be our picnic Saturday, June 11 at 12:00 P.M. in the enclosed shelter house at Thornton Park in Bedford. SCAVI will furnish the meat, drinks and paper products. Members are encouraged to bring a side dish or dessert. Guests are always welcome.
If you'd like to take part in the game, bring a ôwhite elephantö prize in a sack. This could be anything gently used or new.

SCAVI BIRTHDAYS

There are no June birthdays.

SCAVI BROCHURES

Recently with the help of the wonderful folks at Copy Trolley here in Bedford we had 500 new brochures printed. Distributing these is a great way to both increase our membership as well as helping visually impaired people learn about what we do. These are helpful to individuals as well as organizations because often people with vision loss do not know where to go for help. Many people have friends or family members needing this type of assistance. That is in short what we do. To obtain brochures, reach us at the above contact information. We are always happy to help.

PRESCRIPTION HELP

Many pharmacies today provide some type of accessible prescription label, unfortunately not many people are using them. End-Vision America needs to hear from you! Even if your pharmacy does NOT offer ScripTalk they will help you get set up with the option your pharmacy provides.

1. Reach out to End-Vision America by calling 800-890-1180 or emailing customerservice@envisionameric a.com 2. Tell them what pharmacy you use
2. Let them do the rest! They will help you get set up with the option that is provided OR they will contact your pharmacy to see if they will provide ScripTalk to you. 4. ALL of these options are FREE to you
   It is common that your pharmacy staff will not be aware of the options available. End-Vision America will take the frustration out of getting set up!
   Amanda Tolson
   Vice President of Sales, End-Vision America
   825 4th Street W, Palmetto FL 34221
   Toll Free: 800-890-1180
   Web: www.envisionamerica.com

SCAVI MINUTES

The meeting of the South Central Association of the Visually Impaired was held on Monday, May 2, 2022 at 9:30 am in the basement of the Bedford Free Methodist Church. Present at the meeting were Rich and Regina Vonderhaar, Denise Mullis, Mike and Dolly Sowder, Doug and Brenda Eads, Rita Kersh and Ida Galey.

Our speaker was Joni Godsey who talked about some of the mental and psychological hardships caused by the pandemic. She told us about her daughter's serious illness as well as other situations she worked with. Then she gave us the opportunity to ask questions and discuss the topic.

Rita then made a motion that we approve the March minutes and Dolly seconded. Motion was approved.
Brenda made motion that we give $25 to ACB Brenda Dillon memorial walk. Dolly seconded. Motion was approved. Dolly motioned that we give $25 to Amazon gift card for ACB national convention auction item, Denise seconded. Motion was approved.
Cindy gave treasure's report. We spent $114 to have brochures printed by Copy Trolley and have an ending balance of $4,474.

Rita made a motion that we adjourn the meeting. Rich seconded. Motion was approved. We adjourned the meeting at 10:30 am.

Respectfully Submitted by Secretary Rich Vonderhaar

SCAVI NEWS for May, 2022

A monthly newsletter of the South Central Association of the Visually Impaired

SCAVI, P.O. Box 2216, Bedford, IN 47421
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/The-South-Central-Association-of-the-Visually-Impaired
Newsletter written and produced by President Regina Vonderhaar and Edited by Rita Kersh.
Regina may be reached at 812-675-0065
Cell 317-435-8216
e-mail rvonderhaar@att.net

May 2022

WHAT'S HAPPENING IN SCAVI

Our next meeting will be Monday, May 2 at 9:30 P.M. at the Bedford Free Methodist Church, 630 R Street, in the fellowship hall in the basement. Our speaker will be Joan Godsey, an independent counselor, who will talk about the mental health and psychological aspects of the pandemic.

SCAVI BIRTHDAYS

There were no May birthdays.

ABSENTEE VOTING

In 2020, Disability Rights Advocates, Indiana Disability Rights, the American Council of the Blind of Indiana, and several individual Indiana voters brought a lawsuit under federal law challenging Indiana's absentee voting system for discriminating against voters with print disabilities by failing to have a method by which they could vote privately and independently. On March 9, 2022, a federal judge ordered Indiana to open new avenues for voters with print disabilities to cast absentee ballots from home in the upcoming 2022 primary election.
What does this mean for the 2022 primary election? Make your voting plans and submit the relevant forms early! This is especially important if you plan to vote absentee from home. There are new procedures in place for the first time for the May 3, 2022, election. That means that things may not work as intended, and you want to be sure you can address any problems that arise in time to make your vote count! Please be aware that a lot of the Indiana Election Division and Secretary of State's resources for voters are inaccessible PDFs, including some documents linked in this info sheet. If you encounter any problems while voting, please contact Indiana Disability Rights at (317)-722-5555, (800) 622-4845 (toll free), or at info@indianadisabilityrights.org. Please also contact your local County Clerk's Office to report any issues. You can find a directory of County Clerks on the last page of absentee ballot application for voters with print disabilities here: Combined Voter Registration and Absentee Ballot Application Form for Voters with Print Disabilities.
Following the Court's order, voters with print disabilities have the following options to vote absentee:

1. In person absentee voting: Also known as ôearly voting,ö voters can vote in person at the Clerk's Office from April 5, 2022, through 6 p.m. (local prevailing time), Monday, May 2, 2022. Contact your local Clerk's office for address, directions, and any questions.
2. Voting by mail-in paper ballot: Apply for a mail-in paper ballot on or before April 21, 2022, at 11:59 p.m. (local prevailing time). The Clerk's office will mail you a ballot, which you must return to the Clerk's office prior to the closing of the polls on election day. Completed ballots can be returned in person or by mail, but if mailed must be received by the Clerk (and not merely post-marked) by the close of polls on election day. While these mail-in ballots will be paper ballots, and thus not accessible to voters with print disabilities, voters with print disabilities can rely on the assistance of a person of their choosing (other than an employer or representative of the voter's union) to complete the ballots. They will need to sign the affidavit of assistance on the ballot envelope. The mail-in absentee ballot application and additional information can be found in two places:
3. PDF form to mail in
4. Online at IndianaVoters.com
5. Traveling board: The application to request assistance from a traveling board is due no later than May 2, 2022, at 12:00 p.m. (local prevailing time). Voters will need to coordinate with the members of the traveling board to arrange for a time for the board members to visit the voter's home and assist in completion of the ballots. The traveling board application and additional information can be found at the linked PDF form to mail in.
6. Voting by email or fax: By new law passed in 2021, voters with print disabilities will be eligible to receive and return ballots by email or fax. Under this system, voters will have to complete, sign, and return a separate document called a secrecy waiver with their completed ballots. At this time, we do not expect that the secrecy waiver and ballots provided under this system will be accessible for voters with print disabilities. However, we depend on you to try out the new system and report any issues you encounter so that we can make sure it is improved for future elections. The Indiana Election Division and Secretary of State are finalizing the procedures for applying for this program.
7. The PDF form to mail in to register for this program can be found here: Combined Voter Registration and Absentee Ballot Application Form for Voters with Print Disabilities.
8. The online registration form for this program is expected to go live on IndianaVoters.com on April 18, 2022.
9. Tip: Remember that if your default settings open PDF documents in your web browser, like Chrome, Edge, or Safari, you will not be able to fill out the PDF no matter how accessible it is. If you receive a PDF document you want to fill out, save it somewhere on your computer that you can find again, open your document-reading program (Adobe, Preview, etc.), and use the document-reading program to open the PDF. For additional assistance in JAWS, see this document at the heading ôReading PDFs in a Web Browser VS the Desktop App.ö
   If you request to receive and return a ballot by email, and any necessary document that you receive is inaccessible, like the ballot, secrecy waiver, or instructions, here is what you can do to preserve your vote:
10. Save a blank version of the ballot or other inaccessible document to your personal device.
11. Contact Indiana Disability Rights to report the issues you encounter. This includes if you encounter any inaccessible forms or online processes, if you do not receive an email ballot that you registered for, and/or if you receive a ballot and/or secrecy waiver that is inaccessible and that you cannot complete using your assistive technology.
12. Contact your County Clerk's Office to seek guidance on how they recommend you vote in light of the inaccessibility of your ballot. We expect that County Clerks will propose the following options, though it's possible that they will recommend different procedures:
13. Print out a blank ballot and bring it to your local polls to surrender so that you may vote in-person.
14. Complete the electronic ballot with the assistance of a person of your choosing (other than an employer or representative of the voter's union). This could include:
15. Printing a blank electronic ballot and marking it in hard copy with the assistance of a person of your choice, then submitting that with a secrecy waiver in-person;
16. Marking the ballot electronically with the assistance of a person of your choice, then printing the completed ballot with the secrecy waiver to submit in-person;
17. Submitting the completed ballot and secrecy waiver via email to your County Clerk.
18. Request that the County Clerk send you a mail-in paper ballot and complete it with the assistance of a person of your choosing, like the standard mail-in procedure described above.
    Information about voting in Indiana, and absentee voting in particular, can be found at https://indianavoters.in.gov/, or by contacting your local County Clerk's office.
    If you encounter any issues with mail or email ballots, please contact Indiana Disability Rights at (317) 722-5555, (800) 622-4845 (toll free), or at info@indianadisabilityrights.org.

ACB NEWS

ACB Commends CBS on Expanding Description

Alexandria, Va. (March 24, 2022) ù The American Council of the Blind congratulates the CBS Television Network for significantly increasing the amount of programming it makes available on CBS with Audio Description (AD). In keeping with its ongoing commitment to accessibility, CBS recently added AD to seven primetime series: Bull, Ghosts, United States of Al, S.W.A.T., Good Sam, Magnum P.I., and Undercover Boss. With these additions, CBS now offers AD with nearly all of its regularly scheduled scripted primetime programs.

CBS has consistently exceeded the government-mandated hourly requirement for AD programming over the past 20 years. With these expanded AD offerings, it has once again shown its leadership in the provision of accessible media to blind and low-vision consumers.

ôAs co-chair of the Audio Description Project and an avid consumer of Audio Description, I am thrilled that CBS is furthering its already robust commitment to quality Audio Description. Paramount Global has always been a leader in Audio Description, and it continues to show others that there is a need for even more Audio Description programming. I look forward to watching more of Paramount Global's programming,ö said Carl Richardson, ACB's Audio Description Project Co-Chair.

ôCBS is proud to provide Audio Description to audiences of nearly our entire primetime lineup and will continue to work to expand this important access for fans of our shows. It reflects many of Paramount Global's core values including inclusivity, collaboration, determination, agility and adaptability. We thank the American Council of the Blind for their continued commitment and advocacy,ö said Mark Turits, Vice President, Captioning & Audio Description at Paramount Global.

ACB sincerely hopes that other broadcasters and entertainment services providers will follow their lead and join Paramount Global in providing increased accessible content to our community.

For more information about accessible programming with Audio Description, please visit ACB's Audio Description Project website at https://adp.acb.org.

SCAVI MINUTES

The meeting of the South Central Association of the Visually Impaired was held on Monday, March 7, 2022 at 9:30 am in the basement of the Bedford Free Methodist Church. Present at the meeting were Rich and Regina Vonderhaar, Denise Mullis, Mike and Dolly Sowder and Loney and Ida Galey.

Our speaker was Denise Mullis who talked about her career as a social worker. She explained how her love of helping people got her started. She talked about some of the organizations she had been involved with and her work with the disabled.
Rich then made a motion that we approve the February minutes and Dolly seconded. Motion was approved.
Rich then gave report on contact with Uber, explained that Bedford was not on their list of cities and still looking in to confirming what our status is and finding out what to do next, still waiting on Uber's response.
Rich then gave a brief summary about ACBI Information calls.
Loney then demonstrated his Smart Reader which he brought to the meeting
Regina asked the group about having a social event for April at a restaurant. Group was in favor and location will be determined.
Dolly and Mike had to leave promptly at 10:30. Meeting adjourned without formal vote.
We adjourned the meeting at 10:30 am.

Respectfully Submitted by Secretary Rich Vonderhaar

SCAVI NEWS for April, 2022

A monthly newsletter of the South Central Association of the Visually Impaired

SCAVI, P.O. Box 2216, Bedford, IN 47421
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/The-South-Central-Association-of-the-Visually-Impaired

Newsletter written and produced by President Regina Vonderhaar and Edited by Rita Kersh.
Regina may be reached at 812-675-0065 Cell 317-435-8216
e-mail rvonderhaar@att.net

April 2022

WHAT'S HAPPENING IN SCAVI

Our next meeting will be Monday, April 4. We are going to have a restaurant outing at Wings & Rings, 3230 John Williams Blvd. We'll meet at 5:00 p.m. and if the weather is nice, we'll sit outside on the patio, otherwise we'll all sit together inside.

SCAVI BIRTHDAYS

There were no April birthdays.

SHOE TECHNOLOGY FOR THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED

Honda and Ashirase, Inc. have developed a navigation system that allows people who are visually impaired to navigate around the city with the help of an app and a vibrating in-shoe device. The system is called Ashirase and it was created by Ashirase, Inc. when company founder, Wataru Chino, had a family member suffer an accident. It consists of two parts: the app and the wearable device. It provides vibration clues to the user on where to move: like front, left, and right to help guide movements.

TREASURER'S REPORT

The following is the treasurer's report that we were not able to discuss at our last couple of meetings.
January 2022
Beginning Balance $4,905.30
Expenses - Bedford Parks Department to reserve shelter house for June, $50.00
Income - Interest - $0.18
Ending balance $4,855.51
February 2022
Beginning balance $4,855.51
Expenses - donation to the Hofstetter Scholarship fund - $250.00
Income - Lions club donation - $400.00
Donation - $25.00
Dues - $27.00
Interest - $0.18
Total income - $452.18
Ending balance - $5,072.69
Respectfully,
Cindy Brooking

SCAVI MINUTES

The meeting of the South Central Association of the Visually Impaired was held on Monday, March 7, 2022 at 9:30 am in the basement of the Bedford Free Methodist Church. Present at the meeting were Rich and Regina Vonderhaar, Denise Mullis, Mike and Dolly Sowder and Loney and Ida Galey.

Our speaker was Denise Mullis who talked about her career as a social worker. She explained how her love of helping people got her started. She talked about some of the organizations she had been involved with and her work with the disabled.
Rich then made a motion that we approve the February minutes and Dolly seconded. Motion was approved.
Rich then gave report on contact with Uber, explained that Bedford was not on their list of cities and still looking in to confirming what our status is and finding out what to do next, still waiting on Uber's response.
Rich then gave a brief summary about ACBI Information calls.
Loney then demonstrated his Smart Reader which he brought to the meeting
Regina asked the group about having a social event for April at a restaurant. Group was in favor and location will be determined.
Dolly and Mike had to leave promptly at 10:30. Meeting adjourned without formal vote.
We adjourned the meeting at 10:30 am.

Respectfully Submitted by Secretary Rich Vonderhaar

SCAVI NEWS for March, 2022

A monthly newsletter of the South Central Association of the Visually Impaired

SCAVI, P.O. Box 2216, Bedford, IN 47421
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/The-South-Central-Association-of-the-Visually-Impaired
Newsletter written and produced by President Regina Vonderhaar and Edited by Rita Kersh.
Regina may be reached at 812-675-0065
Cell 317-435-8216
e-mail rvonderhaar@att.net

March 2022

WHAT'S HAPPENING IN SCAVI

Our next meeting will be Monday, March 7, at the Bedford Free Methodist Church, 630 R Street in the Fellowship Hall in the basement at 9:30 A.M. Our speaker will be Denise Mullis talking about her social work career.

SCAVI BIRTHDAYS

Dolly Sowder March 10
Kathy Reising March 10

ACB NEWS

Today, the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx«) Tech program announced a new effort to seek both short- and long-term solutions to improve at-home test accessibility. RADx« will consult and work with experts from NIH, national organizations who represent communities in need of accessible tests, and test manufacturers to inform the modification or development of more accessible at-home tests, including device design, packaging, modes of instruction, and other challenges. Though at-home COVID-19 tests were only invented last year, the Administration's investment in this technology has rapidly scaled up manufacturing to the millions per day.

This effort strives to ensure that all individuals have an option for at-home testing that can be used and interpreted without assistance.

ò Calling on all rapid test manufacturers to prioritize accessibility.
Yesterday, the Department of Health and Human Services issued a formal request for information (RFI) to ensure the preservation and expansion of current domestic manufacturing capacities for over-the-counter rapid antigen and point-of-care COVID-19 tests. The RFI specifically asks manufacturers to include an assessment of the accessibility of their testsùincluding self-administration and result interpretationùfor people
who are blind or visually-impaired; individuals with physical, cognitive, or other disabilities; and individuals who need non-English language or literacy support? The RFI states, ôIf your company's product is largely inaccessible for these individuals, please provide a clear and definitive description of how you can improve accessibility.ö The Administration will use the RFI submissions to inform near-term investments.

ò Updated COVID-19 guidance. In an effort to raise awareness around the importance of protecting people at high-risk for COVID-19, including people with disabilities, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reviewed the latest science and published an updated list of certain medical conditions that put people at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19 to include people with disabilities. Yesterday, CDC also released the agency's ôHow to Interpret Positive Self-Test Resultsö guidance in American Sign Language (ASL), a first step towards ensuring that individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing can access key information about how to protect themselves and their communities by using rapid self-tests.
The Administration will continue to build on today's announcements.

Osaremen Okolo and Kim Knackstedt
White House Office of the COVID-19 Response and Domestic Policy Council

HELPFUL TECH SUPPORT

Most of us have probably been in those situations where we had a question about using our iPhone or computer. There is free assistance available for the visually impaired over the phone. For windows computer tech support call 800-936-5900. For Apple iPhone tech support call 877-204-3930.

SCAVI MINUTES

The meeting of the South Central Association of the Visually Impaired was held on Monday, February 7, 2022 at 9:43 am in the basement of the Bedford Free Methodist Church. Present at the meeting were Rich and Regina Vonderhaar, Denise Mullis, Rita Kersh, Doug and Brenda Eads, Mike and Dolly Sowder and Loney and Ida Galey.

Regina led a discussion on how to increase membership. We decided to have 500 new brochures printed. Dolly made the motion to approve printing of brochures, Brenda seconded. The motion passed. We then decided to attend the Senior Fair for an outreach event.
We then talked about State convention plans. Dolly said she would contact State library to get talking book applications to give out at our table.
Last we talked about transportation in Lawrence County. Rich agreed to contact Uber to see if we had it here.

Brenda made the motion to adjourn, and Rita seconded.
We adjourned the meeting at 10:30 am.

Respectfully Submitted by Secretary Rich Vonderhaar

SCAVI NEWS for February, 2022

A monthly newsletter of the South Central Association of the Visually Impaired

SCAVI, P.O. Box 2216, Bedford, IN 47421
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/The-South-Central-Association-of-the-Visually-Impaired
Newsletter written and produced by President Regina Vonderhaar and Edited by Rita Kersh.
Regina may be reached at 812-675-0065
Cell 317-435-8216
e-mail rvonderhaar@att.net

February 2022

WHAT'S HAPPENING IN SCAVI

Our next meeting will be Monday, February 7, at the Bedford Free Methodist Church, 630 R Street in the Fellowship Hall in the basement at 9:30 A.M. Regina is going to lead a discussion on ideas to attract new members. So be thinking, and have those ideas ready.

SCAVI BIRTHDAYS

Maggie King Feb. 10

ACB NEWS

Spoken Rx is the first in-app prescription reader to be developed by a national retail pharmacy

WOONSOCKET, RI, November 30, 2021 û CVS Pharmacy, the retail division of CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) is now offering Spoken RxÖ, its proprietary audio prescription label solution, in all its nearly 10,000 pharmacy locations nationwide, including more than 1,700 CVS Pharmacy locations within Target. Developed in collaboration with the American Council of the Blind, Spoken Rx is a technology that allows patients to have their prescription information read aloud, designed for those with visual impairments and those who cannot read standard print labels. It is available at no extra cost to patients.
The Spoken Rx feature, available in the CVS Pharmacy App and easily accessible using Voiceover for iOS, or self-voicing with Siri or Google Assistant on a smartphone, can read a specific type of label which is affixed to the bottom of each prescription container for patients who have enrolled in the program. When these RFID (radio-frequency identification) labels are scanned using the Spoken Rx tab in the CVS App, important prescription information, including patient name, medication name, and directions, will be read aloud in either English or Spanish. Identiv, Inc. (NASDAQ: INVE), a global leader in digital identification and security, powers this groundbreaking program, which CVS developed as part of its commitment to digital health innovation.
ôWe continue to remove barriers to health care for all patients, and this in-app technology furthers our commitment by providing patients added flexibility and independence,ö said Jared Tancrelle, Senior Vice President, Store Operations at CVS Health. ôOur patients are increasingly digitally connected, so digital tools like Spoken Rx are a priority for us as we listen to feedback and adapt our suite of pharmacy services and programs to ensure we're best meeting the needs of all consumers.ö
Developed in collaboration with the American Council of the Blind, Spoken Rx launched in 1,700 stores in 2020 and is now available chainwide. ôThis is a positive step that offers same-day, access for prescriptions filled in CVS stores. Spoken Rx allows for a greater level of privacy, safety, and independence for blind and visually impaired customers,ö said Eric Bridges, Executive Director for the American Council of the Blind.
With the CVS App and a registered CVS account, patients can enroll in Spoken Rx for free over the phone by calling their local pharmacy, or in-store, where a pharmacist can ensure the patient's app is appropriately set up for the service. For patients without a smart phone, CVS offers an alternative in the form of a stand-alone speaker device that can read the Spoken Rx labels. For more information, visit www.cvs.com/content/pharmacy/spoken-rx or call 1-888-287-5654.
Spoken Rx adds to the existing braille, audio, and large-print accessible prescription label options already available through cvs.com. It is one of the latest features integrated into the CVS App, which makes it easy for patients to stay connected to health resources, refill prescriptions, and make appointments for health services such as vaccinations and testing.

SCAVI MINUTES

The meeting of the South Central Association of the Visually Impaired was held on Monday, January 3, 2022 at 9:30 am in the basement of the Bedford Free Methodist Church. Present at the meeting were Rich and Regina Vonderhaar, Cindy Brooking, Denise Mullis, and Rita Kersh.

Speaker
Jennifer Stevens from Southern Indiana Center for Independent Living, (SICIL) spoke to the group about services the organization provides to disabled people to help them live independently such as housing, employment, transportation and financial assistance.

Rich made a motion to approve the November minutes, Denise seconded, motion was approved.

Cindy gave treasurer's report. We paid $165 to Smokin Jims for Christmas party food. There is $4905 in savings account.

Rita made motion to adjourn, and Cindy seconded.
We adjourned the meeting at 11:00 am.

Respectfully Submitted by Secretary Rich Vonderhaar

SCAVI NEWS for January, 2022

A monthly newsletter of the South Central Association of the Visually Impaired

SCAVI, P.O. Box 2216, Bedford, IN 47421
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/The-South-Central-Association-of-the-Visually-Impaired
Newsletter written and produced by President Regina Vonderhaar and Edited by Rita Kersh.
Regina may be reached at 812-675-0065
Cell 317-435-8216
e-mail rvonderhaar@att.net

January 2022

WHAT'S HAPPENING IN SCAVI

Our next meeting will be Monday, January 3, at the Bedford Free Methodist Church, 630 R Street in the Fellowship Hall in the basement at 9:30 A.M.

SCAVI BIRTHDAYS

Doug Eads Jan. 1

ENDING THE YEAR ON A HIGH NOTE

Our members and friends ended 2021 with a wonderful Christmas party on Dec. 11. We began the day with a short business meeting where we chose officers for the next two-year term. Regina Vonderhaar remained president, Sue Fleener remained vice president, and Cindy Brooking remained treasurer. Rich Vonderhaar replaced Kari Goodman as secretary. Board members are still Cliff Goodman, Denise Mullis and Brenda Eads. We also made a motion to donate $250 to the Hofstetter fund of ACBI which provides opportunity grants, Rita Kersh made motion and Brenda Eads seconded.
Then the party began. We had a lively group of 22 people, lots of great food and gifts. We all had fun laughing and talking. After the meal, we played the left-right game and sang songs. It was definitely a happy, healthy group of friends.

NEED READING GLASSES? NEW FDA APPROVED EYE DROPS COULD REPLACE THEM
BY DARCIE LORENO, NEXSTAR MEDIA WIRE

A new prescription eye drop that could allow many to put down their readers is now on the market.
Viti, approved by the Food and Drug Administration in October, was developed to treat presbyopia, or age-related blurry near vision, according to a release from biopharmaceutical company AbbVie.
According to the release, presbyopia affects most adults after age 40 ù nearly 128 million Americans ù making seeing or reading up close more challenging.
Pill panic: experts, lawmakers concerned over gas station supplement ?
The drops are meant to be used daily and start to work in about 15 minutes. The effects last up to six hours.
The drops use the eye's ability to reduce pupil size, which improves near vision without affecting distance vision.
ôMost adults cope with presbyopia, or difficulty with near vision, as we age. Beginning around the age of 40, many find themselves using reading glasses, holding text further away, or even increasing the font size and lighting on screens to try to see more clearly,ö said Dr. Michael Severino, AbbVie vice chairman and president.
According to an October release from AbbVie, the clinical trial involved 750 people between the ages of 40 and 55. A ôstatistically significant proportionö of those treated with the drops gained the ability to read three additional lines on a reading charge.
The most common side effects, according to the release, are headache and eye redness.

SCAVI MINUTES

The meeting of the South Central Association of the Visually Impaired was held on Monday, November 1, 2021 at 9:30 am in the basement of the Bedford Free Methodist Church. Present at the meeting were Kari and Cliff Goodman, Rich and Regina Vonderhaar, Cindy Brooking, Denise Mullis, Doug and Brenda Eads, Rita Kersh, Jim Veen, and Mike and Dolly Sowder.

Speaker
Jenny Lyman from Vanda Pharmaceuticals spoke to the group about Non 24 sleep disorder and answered questions from the group.

October Minutes

Cindy gave a brief treasurer's report. Balance for October was $3505.95. We had a $50 refund from the park and $30 in the sunshine bag. Interest was 17 cents and the total for the chili supper so far is $1298. Expenses are $134 for the PO box and $34.94 for drinks for the chili supper. That makes the ending balance $4716.13. Rita made a motion to accept the treasurer's report. Cliff seconded the motion. All were in favor. None opposed. The motion passed.

The group discussed plans for the Christmas party which will be held on December 11 at noon in the Basement of the Bedford Free Methodist Church. Meat and drinks will be provided. Side and desserts are welcome!

Rita made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Cindy seconded the motion. The motion passed.

We adjourned the meeting at 10:38 am.

Respectfully Submitted by Secretary Kari Goodman

SCAVI NEWS for December, 2021

A monthly newsletter of the South Central Association of the Visually Impaired

SCAVI, P.O. Box 2216, Bedford, IN 47421
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/The-South-Central-Association-of-the-Visually-Impaired
Newsletter written and produced by President Regina Vonderhaar and Edited by Rita Kersh.
Regina may be reached at 812-675-0065
Cell 317-435-8216
e-mail rvonderhaar@att.net

December 2021

WHAT'S HAPPENING IN SCAVI

Our next meeting will be our Christmas party Saturday, December 11, at the Bedford Free Methodist Church, 630 R Street in the Fellowship Hall in the basement at 12:00 P.M. We'll have a brief business meeting to hold elections and discuss a couple of items. Then we will have our party. SCAVI will provide the meat, drinks and paper products. Members can bring a side dish or dessert. If you'd like to participate in our gift swap game, please bring a wrapped gift of around a $10 value.

SCAVI BIRTHDAYS

Kari Goodman Dec. 28

DUES

Anyone who wants to be a member of the South Central Association of the Visually Impaired, the American Council of the Blind of Indiana and the American Council of the Blind in 2022 and didn't pay dues at our November meeting can still do so by either paying at our Christmas party or mailing the $9 to the above post office box in this newsletter. Growing our membership is going to be one of our projects in 2022. If anyone reading or sharing this newsletter has a friend, co-worker or family member with a visual impairment, our group offers assistance as a helpful support group for resources and education.

SAFETY TIPS

Improving Home Safety for Individuals with Visual Impairments
By John Burfield

Vision loss occurs gradually as we age. The American Academy of Family Physicians reports that the leading cause of vision loss is Cataracts. Cataracts affect half of the individuals who are 75 years or older. More accidents happen inside the home than anywhere else, even for individuals who are not blind or otherwise visually impaired. Consequently, it's imperative that everyone develops and maintains strong safety habits in and around the home. For those who are starting to experience vision loss, this is especially true.
There are many practical and inexpensive ways of making a home safer for individuals with visual impairment.
Lighting and Glare Reduction
Make sure their home is well lit, with high-wattage light bulbs and additional lamps or task lighting. The kitchen, bathroom and work areas all should be fully and evenly illuminated.
Under-counter lighting is another type that works well for illuminating the kitchen and other larger work areas.
Different qualities of light (more white or yellow, for example) might make it easier to see depending on the type of vision loss someone lives with. It is beneficial to determine which types of bulbs produce the best kind of lighting to help your loved one see most clearly.
Consider adding gooseneck or clip-on lights to provide adjustable lighting options in work areas.
Keeping lights on during daytime hours helps to equalize lighting from both indoor and outdoor sources.
Reduce Fall Risks
Eliminate small throw rugs.
Keep electrical cords as close to the baseboards as possible and out of walkways.
Keep floor lamps and small items such as low tables, magazine racks, and plants out of walkways.
Clean up spills immediately. If you forget the spill is there, it could become a slipping hazard.
Make sure your bath mat has a non-skid backing.
Think Bigger
Look for items that come with larger buttons and print. These items include books, clocks, calendars, checkbooks, remote controls and much more.
Magnifiers come in handy for items that do not come in large print.
Create a list of important phone numbers in large print on bold-lined paper. Include doctors, transportation, and emergency contacts, and put the list in a convenient place.
Clearly, mark stove dials and label all medications.
Label cleaning and toxic products to make them easily identifiable, and store them and any flammable or combustible items away from the kitchen or heating units.
Contrasting Colors are Key
For people with low vision, it is often difficult to find doorways, outlets, furniture, and stairs
Choose outlet covers whose colors contrast with the color of the wall
Select towels with colors that contrast with the bathroom wall and kitchen cabinets or stove
Cups, plates, bowls, and utensils of a color that contrasts with the table and countertop aids in food preparation and dining
Utilize cutting boards whose color contrasts with the food item: dark cutting boards for light foods like onions and cheese; light cutting boards for dark foods like tomatoes and apples.
Pick area rugs that have a solid color. Patterns can make it difficult for the visually impaired to identify edges.
Mark stairs or slopes with brightly colored tape. Eye-catching colors that contrast with the flooring work best.
Suggest purchasing a large-screen television that produces high-contrast images.
Use brightly colored, fluorescent tape to mark the settings you typically use on your thermostat.
Organization
Remove unnecessary household clutter. Offer to help with organizing important items and packing up others.
Organize cupboards and specify exact locations for important things. If the cereal is always on the middle shelf of the pantry, for example, your loved one will not need to strain to try to determine if it is cereal or something else.
Set up consistent places for mail, keys, and other important items.
Use markers to print large labels for such everyday items as cleaning or cooking supplies. Be sure to keep cleaning supplies separate from food storage areas.

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT NEWS

Wednesday, November 10, 2021
Justice Department Sues Uber for Overcharging People with Disabilities

The Justice Department today filed a lawsuit against Uber Technologies Inc. (Uber) for charging ôwait timeö fees to passengers who, because of disability, need more time to enter a car. Uber's policies and practices of charging wait time fees based on disability have harmed many passengers and potential passengers with disabilities throughout the country. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, alleges that Uber violated Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which prohibits discrimination by private transportation companies like Uber.
In April 2016, Uber began charging passengers wait time fees in a number of cities, eventually expanding the policy nationwide. Wait time fees start two minutes after the Uber car arrives at the pickup location and are charged until the car begins its trip.
The department's complaint alleges that Uber violates the ADA by failing to reasonably modify its wait time fee policy for passengers who, because of disability, need more than two minutes to get in an Uber car. Passengers with disabilities may need additional time to enter a car for various reasons. A passenger may, for example, use a wheelchair or walker that needs to be broken down and stored in the car. Or a passenger who is blind may need additional time to safely walk from the pickup location to the car itself. The department's lawsuit alleges that, even when Uber is aware that a passenger's need for additional time is clearly disability-based, Uber starts charging a wait time fee at the two-minute mark.
The lawsuit seeks relief from the court, including ordering Uber to stop discriminating against individuals with disabilities. Additionally, the department asks the court to order Uber to modify its wait time fee policy to comply with the ADA; train its staff and drivers on the ADA; pay money damages to people subjected to the illegal wait time fees; and pay a civil penalty to vindicate the public's interest in eliminating disability discrimination.
ôPeople with disabilities deserve equal access to all areas of community life, including the private transportation services provided by companies like Uber,ö said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. ôThis lawsuit seeks to bring Uber into compliance with the mandate of the Americans with Disabilities Act while sending a powerful message that Uber cannot penalize passengers with disabilities simply because they need more time to get into a car. Uber and other companies that provide transportation services must ensure equal access for all people, including those with disabilities.ö
ôUber's wait time fees take a significant toll on people with disabilities,ö said Acting U.S. Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds for the Northern District of California. ôPassengers with disabilities who need additional boarding time are entitled to access ridesharing services without discrimination. This lawsuit seeks to assist people with disabilities to live their lives with independence and dignity, as the ADA guarantees.ö
If you believe you have been a victim of disability discrimination by Uber because you, or someone you were traveling with, were charged wait time fees, please contact 833-591-0425 (toll-free), 202-305-6786, or send an email to Uber.Fee@usdoj.gov

SCAVI MINUTES

The meeting of the South Central Association of the Visually Impaired was held on Monday, November 1, 2021 at 9:30 am in the basement of the Bedford Free Methodist Church. Present at the meeting were Kari and Cliff Goodman, Rich and Regina Vonderhaar, Cindy Brooking, Denise Mullis, Doug and Brenda Eads, Rita Kersh, Jim Veem, and Mike and Dolly Sowder.

Speaker
Jenny Lyman from Vanda Pharmaceuticals spoke to the group about Non 24 sleep disorder and answered questions from the group.

October Minutes

Cindy gave a brief treasurer's report. Balance for October was $3505.95. We had a $50 refund from the park and $30 in the sunshine bag. Interest was 17 cents and the total for the chili supper so far is $1298. Expenses are $134 for the PO box and $34.94 for drinks for the chili supper. That makes the ending balance $4716.13. Rita made a motion to accept the treasurer's report. Cliff seconded the motion. All were in favor. None opposed. The motion passed.

The group discussed plans for the Christmas party which will be held on December 11 at noon in the Basement of the Bedford Free Methodist Church. Meat and drinks will be provided. Side and desserts are welcome!

Rita made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Cindy seconded the motion. The motion passed.

We adjourned the meeting at 10:38 am.

Respectfully Submitted by Secretary Kari Goodman

SCAVI NEWS November 2021

A monthly newsletter of the South Central Association of the Visually Impaired

SCAVI, P.O. Box 2216, Bedford, IN 47421
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/The-South-Central-Association-of-the-Visually-Impaired
Newsletter written and produced by President Regina Vonderhaar and Edited by Rita Kersh.
Regina may be reached at 812-675-0065
Cell 317-435-8216
e-mail rvonderhaar@att.net

WHAT'S HAPPENING IN SCAVI

Our next meeting will be Monday, November 1, at 9:30 A.M. at the Bedford Free Methodist Church, 630 R Street, in the Fellowship Hall in the basement.
We will hold elections and give a report on the state convention. It will be time to plan our Christmas party, too!

SCAVI BIRTHDAYS

Rita Kersh Nov. 2
Joy Goen Nov. 29

FANTASTIC CHILI SUPPER

We are happy to report that our October 9 chili supper and silent auction were a huge success. First, many thanks to all of our members, friends and volunteers who planned, cooked, served and cleaned up to make it all possible. The best news is that we had a great crowd, the food was wonderful, and everyone had fun. The event could not have been such a success without so many wonderful people working together.

ACB NEWS

On Wednesday, November 3 at 6:30pm ET/3:30pm PT, join the American Council of the Blind and Stanford University for a webinar, Audio Description: If Your Eyes Could Speak.
Audio Description (AD) is a translation of images to words ù the visual is made verbal and aural. Using words that are succinct, vivid, and imaginative, audio describers convey the visual images in media, the performing arts and in museum exhibits that are not fully accessible to a significant segment of the population. AD also provides benefits for the sighted audience who may never fully realize all that can be perceived with the eyesùwho see but who may not observe. For media and performing arts, the process weaves succinct and vivid language around pieces of dialogue or critical sound elements. News broadcasters benefit as well û ôover hereö becomes ôjust to the eastö and ôAs you can seeö is more effectively ôthe back-up extends for miles.
Speakers:
Joel Snyder, PhD û President, Audio Description Associates, LLC; Founder/Senior Consultant, Audio Description Project, American Council of the Blind
Jo Lynn Bailey-Page û Coordinator, Audio Description Project, American Council of the Blind
Susan Glass û Free-lance writer; Chair, BADIE subcommittee (Benefits of Audio Description in Education), Audio Description Project, American Council of the Blind
For details on how to join this webinar, visit: https://events.stanford.edu/events/930/93067/ .

SCAVI MINUTES

The meeting of the South Central Association of the Visually Impaired was held on Monday, October4, 2021 at 9:30 am in the basement of the Bedford Free Methodist Church. Present at the meeting were Kari and Cliff Goodman, Rich and Regina Vonderhaar, Cindy Brooking, Denise Mullis, Doug and Brenda Eads, Rita Kersh, Ida Galey, and Mike and Dolly Sowder.
September Minutes
Rita made a motion to approve the minutes from the September meeting. Brenda seconded the motion. All were in favor. None opposed. The motion passed.
The group discussed plans for the chili supper and confirmed who was responsible for what items.
Cindy reported that there she reimbursed Rita $150 for the church rental for the chili supper.
The group talked about convention and agreed that SCAVI would pay $50 towards each member's registration. Rita made a motion to approve the $50. Kari seconded the motion. All were in favor. None opposed. The motion passed
The next meeting will be November 1 at 9:30 am in the basement of the Bedford Free Methodist Church
Dolly made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Kari seconded the motion. The motion passed.
We adjourned the meeting at 10:38 am.
Respectfully Submitted by Secretary Kari Goodman

SCAVI NEWS October 2021

A monthly newsletter of the South Central Association of the Visually Impaired

SCAVI, P.O. Box 2216, Bedford, IN 47421
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/The-South-Central-Association-of-the-Visually-Impaired
Newsletter written and produced by President Regina Vonderhaar and Edited by Rita Kersh.
Regina may be reached at 812-675-0065
Cell 317-435-8216
e-mail rvonderhaar@att.net

WHAT'S HAPPENING IN SCAVI

Our next meeting will be Monday, October 4, at 9:30 A.M. at the Bedford Free Methodist Church, 630 R Street, in the Fellowship Hall in the basement. Since we have a lot to discuss, we will not be having a speaker. Items on the agenda include: chili supper, transportation for upcoming State Convention and upcoming election in November.

SCAVI BIRTHDAYS

Sue Fleener Oct. 10
Cindy Brooking Oct. 16
Rich Vonderhaar Oct. 17

CHILI SUPPER & SILENT AUCTION

This event is hosted by the South Central Association of the Visually Impaired (SCAVI). It will be held Saturday, October 9, 2021 from 4:00-7:00 p.m. at the First Baptist Church, 1515 20th St., Bedford. Tickets are $7 for diners 12 years and older, children under 12 years eat free.
Be ready to place your bids on a variety of unique auction items and put your name in the hat for a door prize!
Menu includes four types of chili, corn muffins, sandwiches, desserts and your choice of drink.
Help SCAVI raise funds to help people with vision loss in our community!!

THE 7 BEST APPS TO HELP PEOPLE WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS RECOGNIZE OBJECTS

Living with low vision or blindness can present numerous challenges on a day-to-day basis. Simply running errands, preparing meals, recognizing objects, and performing tasks at home or work can become overly complicated and frustrating, to say the least. Thankfully, there are plenty of mobile applications available to offer assistance to people with visual impairments. Many of these are low-cost or free.
These image recognition apps let you identify currency, plants, products, and more using your Android or iPhone camera.
So, without any further ado, let's dive right into the details!

TapTapSee

Lookout by Google

Seeing AI

Supersense

Be My Eyes

Bespecular

Cash Reader

"What Is This?" These Apps Have the Answer!

SCAVI MINUTES

The meeting of the South Central Association of the Visually Impaired was held on Monday, September 13, 2021 at 9:30 am in the basement of the Bedford Free Methodist Church. Present at the meeting were Kari and Cliff Goodman, Rich and Regina Vonderhaar, Cindy Brooking, Denise Mullis, Rita Kersh, Kathy Reising, Lonnie and Ida Galey, and Mike and Dolly Sowder.

August Minutes

The group discussed plans for the chili supper to be held on October 9 from 4:00-7:00 pm. We will have a silent auction and door prizes. The following is what members have committed to bringing:
Kari û Corn Muffins
Denise û Peanut Butter Sandwiches and Dessert
Cindy û tea, lemonade, water and chili
Dolly û White Chili
Brenda û Chili (2 types, ham salad sandwiches, brownies, crackers
Regina û chili with spaghetti
Ida - cheese and sour cream
Rita - cookies
We will work on getting some teenagers to help serve, setup and clean up.

Treasurer's Report

The group talked about convention and agreed that SCAVI would pay $50 towards each member's registration. The group also decided to donate a $50 gift basket to the auction that contains Hoover's Candy and a gift card.

The next meeting will be October 4 at 9:30 am in the basement of the Bedford Free Methodist Church

Dolly made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Kari seconded the motion. The motion passed.

We adjourned the meeting at 10:38 am.

Respectfully Submitted by Secretary Kari Goodman

SCAVI NEWS September 2021

A monthly newsletter of the South Central Association of the Visually Impaired

SCAVI, P.O. Box 2216, Bedford, IN 47421
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/The-South-Central-Association-of-the-Visually-Impaired
Newsletter written and produced by President Regina Vonderhaar and Edited by Rita Kersh.
Regina may be reached at 812-675-0065
Cell 317-435-8216
e-mail rvonderhaar@att.net

WHAT'S HAPPENING IN SCAVI

Our next meeting will be Monday, September 13, at 9:30 A.M. at the Bedford Free Methodist Church, 630 R Street, in the Fellowship Hall in the basement. We will be planning our chili supper which is scheduled to take place on Saturday, October 9 at the First Baptist Church in Bedford. It is important that everyone who is able to help with the chili supper try to be at this meeting.

SCAVI BIRTHDAYS

Ida Galey Sept. 15
Brenda Eads Sept. 15
Regina Vonderhaar Sep. 24

IBM UNVEILS APP TO HELP VISUALLY IMPAIRED USERS MAINTAIN DISTANCE IN LINES

During the pandemic, everyone is expected to stay socially distanced, with at least six feet between them and the person in front of them. For those with normal vision, standing in line while remaining at a safe distance from the person in front of you isn't a problem. However, for the blind or visually impaired, maintaining an appropriate distance can be a challenge. A team of IBM researchers have created an AI-driven smartphone application called LineChaser to solve this problem.
How does the app function?
The app is designed to help the blind or visually impaired people find the end of the line and continuously report the distance and direction of the last person in line so the user can follow them easily. The app uses the RGB camera integrated into the smartphone and detects nearby pedestrians. It also leverages the integrated infrared depth sensor to estimate their position.
How does the user get notified when to move in a line?
Combined, the data estimates whether nearby pedestrians are standing in line and audio and vibration signals notify the user when they should start or stop moving forward.
Has IBM developed similar systems for the blind or visually impaired?
IBM researchers note this isn't the first time they've worked on systems to help solve problems for the visually impaired. Last year they created a system that relied on LiDAR and RGB-D camera devices to create the AI Suitcase. That device was a suitcase-style navigation robot designed to guide the visually impaired around the city independently, intended to help them stand in lines, among other things. The goal of the new study was to simplify and reduce the size of the assistive device using an off-the-shelf smartphone.
How successful was the study?
IBM researchers trialed the system with participants who had various visual difficulties, and the app helped everyone. Using the app, users were able to successfully find the end of the line in the appropriate position, indicating that LineChaser can help blind users correctly stand in a line. The app was able to help the user stop at an acceptable position 91.7 percent of the time.
IBM notes the trial participants who tested LineChaser had various visual difficulties, but the app ôsuccessfully enabledö everyone to both find and follow a line. ôThey all successfully found the end of a line at appropriate positions, indicating that LineChaser can navigate a blind user properly to the end of a line,ö the company stated in a blog post. One of the challenges with the development is that smartphones need to ensure they come equipped with IR Blaster. IBM says it hopes that acceptance of the use of camera devices in public spaces will improve over time.
Is the app currently available?
The LineChaser app is not yet available on Google Play or Apple's App Store, but the company plans to share more details on its availability. A commercial rollout could be highly useful, at a time, when everyone is advised to follow strict social distancing rules to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
https://coolblindtech.com/ibm-unveils-app-to-help-visually-impaired-users-maintain-distance-in-lines/

SCAVI MINUTES

The South Central Association of the Visually Impaired met at 9:30 A.M. on Monday, August 2, 2021 in the Basement of the Bedford Free Methodist Church. Present were Regina Vonderhaar, Rich Vonderhaar, Brenda Eads, Doug Eads, Rita Kersh, Jim Vean, Dolly Sowder, Mike Sowder, and guest speaker, Heather Beasley. Heather spoke to the group about the Supporting People in Need, "SPIN" program which assists people in our community who need things like food, showers, laundry service, pop-up tents for homeless, clothing, referrals to other services or just someone to talk to. Since the program started in April, the program has assisted 85 people. Heather did not have the breakdown of how many were provided various services. Volunteers come from other churches and community churches also contribute with donations. Heather said one thing they need a lot of besides financial donations is laundry detergent. If anyone has donations, they can be dropped off at First Baptist Church, 1515 20th Street, Bedford.

In other business, there was a motion seconded and passed to approve the May minutes. There was no treasure's report since the treasurer was absent.

Regina informed the group that we will have a chili supper at First Baptist Church on Saturday, October 9. Doug made a motion to raise the ticket price from six dollars to seven dollars this year. Rita Seconded the motion. The motion passed. Brenda made a motion to reimburse our members who request it to cover the cost of ingredients for any food brought to the chili supper. Rich Seconded, and the motion passed. We'll have a silent auction again and it was decided that if anyone has auction items, send the list of items to Rita so she can make out the bidding sheet.

Rita mentioned the ACBI fiftieth anniversary picnic August 21 and wanted to know if any one needed rides and if anyone else wanted to go. Regina is going to check with a few people about rides.

A motion was made, seconded and passed to adjourn. The meeting was adjourned at 10:30 A.M.

Secretary pro tem- Rita Kersh

SCAVI NEWS August 2021

A monthly newsletter of the South Central Association of the Visually Impaired

SCAVI, P.O. Box 2216, Bedford, IN 47421
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/The-South-Central-Association-of-the-Visually-Impaired
Newsletter written and produced by President Regina Vonderhaar and Edited by Rita Kersh.
Regina may be reached at 812-675-0065, cell 317-435-8216 or
e-mail rvonderhaar@att.net

WHAT'S HAPPENING IN SCAVI

Our next meeting will be Monday, August 2, at 9:30 A.M. at the Bedford Free Methodist Church, 630 R Street, in the Fellowship Hall in the basement.
Our speaker will be Heather Beasley, Children & Family Minister at First Baptist Church, will talk to us about the Serving Individuals In Need (SPIN) program to support needy members of our community.

SCAVI BIRTHDAYS

Mike Sowder August 5
Denise Mullis August 16.

ACBI E-MAIL LIST

We want to share with our members the ACBI e-mail list. To sign up, go to the ACBI web site at www.acb-indiana.org and click on subscribe to e-mail list. Then scroll down to the form and enter your e-mail address, your name then hit the subscribe button. This will give you access to informative e-mails about ACBI activities as well as to articles and information for the visually impaired.

ACB NEWS

The new ACB Media Alexa Skill has now launched. If you are having issues launching the new ACB Media skill on your Alexa device, please follow the steps listed below to correct the error.
Before we outline these steps let's address what this command does exactly.
These steps will simply remove the history and recordings of your voice that you have made while talking to your Alexa device.
Here is a note directly from the Amazon site
Delete Alexa Voice Recordings Automatically
Set your account to automatically delete Alexa voice recordings.
Note: This feature is disabled by default.

1. Open the Alexa app.
2. Open More and select Settings.
3. Select Alexa Privacy.
4. Select Manage Your Alexa Data.
5. Go to Automatically delete recordings, then select Off to enable the setting.
6. Choose a time period to keep your voice recordings and then select Confirm.
   When choosing "Don't save recordings," it may take up to 36 hours for our systems to apply this setting. Voice recordings older than the selected time period are deleted automatically.
   Please Note: Voice recordings are used to improve the accuracy of your interactions with Alexa. Deleting voice recordings associated with your account may degrade your experience over time.
   We suggest you do this only once for each Alexa device and that it should not be required in the future for the ACB Media skill. Data associated with third-party services and devices that you may have linked to your home functions with your Alexa devices will not be deleted.
   Please follow these steps:
7. Approach your Alexa device and issue this command: ôAlexa, Delete Everything I've Ever Said on this deviceö Please Note: This will need to be done on each Alexa device in your home.
8. Wait 30 seconds and then say: ôAlexa, Open ACB Mediaö
   The new ACB Media skill will launch.
   As a reminder, ask for the name of the stream that you would like to hear. The list below are the names for each of the ACB Media stream designations:
   ACB Mainstream is now ACB 1
   ACB Mainstream 2 is now ACB 2
   ACB Treasure Trove is now ACB 3
   ACB CafÚ is now ACB 4
   ACB Community is now ACB 5
   ACB Live Event is now ACB 6
   ACB Special Event is now ACB 7
   (new) ACB Convention is now ACB 8
   (new) ACB Convention is now ACB 9
   (new) ACB Convention Information is now ACB 10

SCAVI MINUTES

The South Central Association of the Visually Impaired met at 9:30am on Monday, May 3rd, 2021 in the basement of the Bedford Free Methodist Church. Present was Regina Vonderhaar, Brenda and Doug Eads, Rita Kersh, Cindy Brooking, Sue Fleener, Jim Veen, Mike and Dolly Sowder, and Ida and Loney Galey. Marcy Tincher from Pinnacle Fire Protection was the featured speaker. She told a lot of statistics on home fires. Such that clothes dryers are a leading cause of fire. One quarter of fire-related deaths are In the bedroom. Also, 9-volt batteries can start a fire if stored in contact with other items. They should be replaced in the package or electrical tape placed over the electrodes. Marcy recommends 2 fire extinguishers in your home, one in the kitchen and one in your bedroom. She said that burn blankets are good to extinguish grease fires in the kitchen. Carbon monoxide detectors should be placed 4-6 feet off the floor on a wall, not on the ceiling and replace the batteries in your smoke alarms two times a year. Pinnacle fire Protection sells home fire alarms that are wirelessly connected and do not rely on the internet to warn of a smoke or carbon monoxide problem although you can connect them to your wifi in order to alert the app on your phone. Marcy will come talk to anyone in their home about fire protection. You can call her at 317-834-6599. In other business, there was a motion, second and passed to approve the April minutes. Treasurer's report:
Income: Dues $20.
Memorials $120 (from friends of Cliff Barnes)
Lions Club $400
Sunshine fund $12
Interest $0.14
Total Income $552.14
No Expenses.
Balance $3,873.10
Motion, seconded and passed to approve the Treasurer's report. It was reported that Rich would be meeting today with the Transit Committee to discuss bus issues. Rita reported that August 21 is ACBI's 50th anniversary celebration at Brown County State Park in Nashville Indiana. ACBI is providing lunch at 12 noon and entertainment. Rooms are available at the Brown County Inn for $115 per night. There is also a pool, horse-back riding and a water park. Deadline for RSVP is July 15 so we have a headcount for the meal. Rita reported that the ACBI-ACB Ohio joint convention is October29 and 30. Motion, seconded and passed to establish a policy to spend up to $50 to send a sympathy gift to any member suffering the loss of a direct family member. The Treasurer was directed to send a gift to Kathy Reising on the death of her mother and to Rich on the death of his brother. Meeting was adjourned at 10:50am.
Secretary Pro Tem û Cindy Brooking