arrive and pick out one or two articles that might increase your knowledge or improve the strategies that you use to teach. As an example, the latest issue of RE:view (AER's official publication) includes a little something for everyone: a delightful description of a functional academics program implemented by a creative TVI in California, two articles on unique transition programs designed for two components of our population, college-bound students and those with more severe disabilities, and a heart-warming reminder of the lessons in independence with which rehabilitation teachers struggle. There are even ideas for providing O&M instruction on rainy days in the Springboard column (always the first place I look when my RE:view arrives).

Or look at a recent JVIB: there is an article on encouraging problem solving in O&M, one on the benefits of teaching tai chi to people with visual impairments, one on selecting home based leisure activities to older adults with visual impairments, and one on increasing students' reading rates by using optical character readers. Again, something for everyone.

Our professional journals provide us with the easiest-to-access method of updating our skills and knowledge, keep us connected to the thinking of others in the field, and help us to improve the skills of our students and clients. If you haven't had a chance to browse through one recently, make time to do sothe professional in you will be glad that you did!

APOLOGY AND CORRECTION

I wish to apologize to Melba Kert, for the misspelling of her name in the last issue. I have known Melba for quite a few years and do know how to spell her name, however my spellcheck does not!

Therefore, the winner of the 2003 Outstanding Rehabilitation Professional was Melba Kert!
page3
International AER Conference

July 13-19, 2004

Orlando, FL

by Moe Floegel and Jennifer Hadsell, Co-chairs of the Host Committee

How many of you have attended any of the biannual International AER Conferences? Having gone to the last two (Toronto and Denver), I can tell you that they are a wonderful way to get the most up-to-date information related to visually impaired people. You now have the opportunity to attend the international conference _ right in your own backyard!! The conference location is the Disney Hilton, which is adjacent to Downtown Disney. The theme this year is AER _ Where Dreams Come True. This, as well as the location of the conference in the Disney area will be started off with a Beach Birthday Party. Along with multiple sessions involving topics related to each of the division topics of AER, you also have the chance to participate in the University Night. Many university training programs offer a gathering for their alumni in vision related fields. The sessions, the night activities, the vendors, town hall meetings, and the participant gatherings all lead to morning-to-night learning and fun.

Now, if you are interested in attending the conference, there will be registration information sent to AER members. You will soon be able to see the conference information and registration info on the AER website: www.aerbvi.org

Because this international conference is in Orlando, you may also want to participate in one or more of the subcommittees to help in preparing to make this conference another success. Or you may want to offer some of your time during the conference to serve as a volunteer. The various subcommittees are:

Accessibility

Publicity

Information Booth

Volunteer

Host Night Activities

If any of these subcommittees interest you, and you haven't already signed up to help, please send an email to hostaer2004@yahoo.com telling us how you would like to help.

One more area related to conference help that may interest you involves sponsoring a gift basket to be raffled during the conference. To assist our local chapter FAER in fundraising to help support the conference, we have decided to develop several large gift baskets to be on display for raffle at the conference. Some of the ideas and baskets already being developed are:

Beach Party Basket
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AER International Continued

Pasta Basket

Coffee Theme Basket

Cookie Basket

Cooking Basket

Disney Themed Basket

Teacher Resource Basket

If you would like to help sponsor a basket by selecting a theme and gathering items that are donated, please email your theme and name to hostaer2004@yahoo.com. We are hoping to have all basket items by the end of April. This is so that we can put the baskets together and develop accessible lists of items that are in the baskets.

CONTACT!!

Do you have an idea for an article or a regular column for the newsletter?

Is there something you would like to contribute? Do you have a new and innovative idea you would like to share? Do you have a problem that you would like help with from others? Please feel free to let me know. Your articles are welcome!

The deadline for the next newsletter is Memorial Day weekend (May 31). Contact me at the following:

e-mail - amyfaer@earthlink.net

phone - 904-633-8222

FAX - 904-632-5107

Hope to hear from you, and see you all in July.
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Braille Literacy Month

by Kelly Hendrickson, Itinerant Vision Teacher, Pinellas County Schools

I just wanted to take this time to share some of the activities we did at Forest Lakes Elementary School in Oldsmar, Florida to celebrate National Braille Literacy Month. I used this time to organize school wide activities to educate students, staff and parents about blind and visually impaired people and some literacy mediums they use such as Braille.

I collaborated with the PE, Art and Music teachers to plan activities designed for VI students, so the sighted students would have to be accommodated to do the activity. For example, in PE the instructors had sighted students wear blindfolds to complete obstacle courses and play Beeper Ball. In Art, students made touch collages, which encouraged the sighted students to use their sense of touch instead of vision to complete a craft activity. In Music, students played "Name that Tune or Instrument" to give sighted students an opportunity to experience what it is like to use their hearing to accomplish an activity. They also discussed famous blind musicians such as Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles.

I put a packet of instructional resources and information together for all of the regular education teachers to use in their classes to teach about Braille and the technology Visually Impaired people use. It included information about different websites the students could access in the classroom that contained more information about Braille Literacy and activities to promote it. All students received braille alphabet cards to help them complete the activities.

My VI students each gave a speech on the morning announcements about a famous blind person who has had a strong impact on their life or who they admire for their accomplishments such as Louis Braille and Erik Weihenmayer. I set up a Braille book display in the library with the history of how Braille came to be the written language that Visually Impaired people use to communicate. The display also included some of the equipment and technology used by visually impaired people. For example, the display included a Perkins Braillewriter, a slate and stylus, and a Braille and Speak.

I held a poster contest for 3rd through 5th graders. The students were encouraged to create a poster that showed the importance of Braille or that gave information about a famous blind person. Students came up with phrases such as "Get on the right trail and learn Braille!" and "Don't let your ship sail without learning Braille!" These posters were displayed around the school during Braille Literacy Week and two winners were picked from each grade and given a T-shirt with the alphabet in braille on the back.

I sent information packets home to the parents of my Blind and Visually Impaired students educating them on the importance of Braille Literacy and activities that they could do at home with their children to help them improve their Literacy skills. Finally, I had information about Braille Literacy Week put in the school newsletter that goes home to all the parents at my school.

These were all great activities that helped to promote diversity at our school and create a supportive environment which encourages students to accept each other. It helped to increase my VI students' self-esteem and build their confidence. Please feel free to use any of these ideas at your schools next year for Braille Literacy Month.

page 6

Top 10 Reasons Not to be an AER Member

This being reprinted from AER Report, Year-End 2003

Use Executive Director Mark Richert's tongue-in-cheek list of reasons not to join AER as a fun way to remind non-members of the benefits and opportunities of AER membership.

10. I'm doing just fine out here on my own, really.

9. I have no insight or professional experience that anyone would want to hear about.

8. I've got tons of knowledge and experience that I had to work very hard to acquire -- I'm not just going to share that with anyone.

7. As a practitioner in this field, I feel that my professional needs, interests and point of view are adequately represented by the other agencies and organization in our field, in spite of the fact that none of them may be directly accountable to me.

6. I only join an organization when I am completely sure that I'll be in total agreement with it and all of its members all of the time. That way I can be absolutely confident that my membership dollars are being spent for all the right reasons.

5. I actually enjoy paying over $150 for annual subscriptions to our field's leading professional journals, RE-view and the Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness. It gives me a sense of rugged individualism to know that I am willingly forsaking the opportunity to receive these journals and other benefits as part of my membership.

4. Journals, poo! I don't need to bother with any of that kind of stuff. The way I do my job now was good enough in 1978 and it's good enough today.

3. I'm already a member of four other professional organizations. Why do I need to belong to yet another one -- one that is only focused on my professional discipline. I mean, after all, I have my priorities.

2. Who needs professional development, learning from one's peers and networking? None of that stuff puts food on the table.

And the #1 reason not to be an AER member...

AER...Ba humbug!
page 7

10 Great Benefits

Also reprinted from AER Report.

And now the good news! Ten great benefits from your membership in AER.

¨ Frontline advocacy for legislation and services that best serve people with visual impairments.

¨ Networking with other professionals in the VI field.

¨ Subscriptions to professional journals, RE-view and the

Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness.

¨ Discounts on continuing education opportunities.

¨ Access to online classes and other resources through

www.aerbvi.org.

¨ Member-only access to Job Exchange, postings of open posi- tions in the field.

¨ Preferred registration for the AER Biennial International Con- ference and other events.

¨ Participation in chapter and division meetings and confer- ences.

¨ Discounts on professional liability and other insurance pro- grams.

¨ Support of initiatives to recruit and prepare qualified profes- sionals for service in our field.

page 8

From ACVREP Newsletter

ACVREP will be moving its office on March 30th and 31th. Effective April 1, 2004, ACVREP's new address will be:

ACVREP
330 N. Commerce Park Loop, #200
Tucson, AZ 85754

The phone numbers will remain the same:

520-887-6816
520-887-6826 - fax

The email addresses will also remain the same:

info@acvrep.org - general email box
smikrut@acvrep.org - Sharon Mikrut, President
lworden@acvrep.org - Lisa Worden, Administrative Assistant

CE Hour Verification - What Documentation Is Needed?

Lately, we have had a lot of questions related to the type(s) of documentation needed for the verification of CE hours. We need the following three items on the documentation you submit:

1. The name of the CE program, activity or course/class.

2. The date(s) of the CE program, activity or courses/class.

3. The number of CE hours obtained by completing the program, activity or course/class.

Please remember that 60 minutes of instruction is equivalent to one (1) CE hour or one (1) CE point. If you attend a workshop or conference, please use the agenda/program to calculate the number of CE hours obtained, unless the CE provider issues you a Certificate of Completion or Certificate of Attendance that provides this information. When calculating CE hours, do not include breaks, lunches, dinners, etc. unless the lunch or dinner was a "working" event.

Types of documentation that verify CE hours can include, but are not limited to, a Certificate of Completion, Certificate of Attendance, workshop/conference program/agenda/brochure, in-service/staff training agenda, official transcripts from courses/classes taken (with a course description or syllabi), etc. If you are unable to locate documentation that verifies CE hours, you can always have your supervisor write a letter (on agency letterhead) verifying the three items mentioned above (name of CE activity, date or dates attended , and number of CE hours obtained).
page 9

Eligibility, Certification, and Recertification Application Deadlines

Deadlines for the submittal of eligibility applications are different than those for certification or recertification applications. Eligibility applications can be submitted at any time as they are reviewed and approved by the ACVREP office (and/or one of its certification committees, if needed). However, certification applications (for individuals who have taken and passed the exam and are applying for certification for the first time) and recertification applications(for individuals who are seeking recertification for another five year period) need to be submitted by March 1st, June 1st, September 1st or December 1st as the ACVREP Board of Directors approves these applications on a quarterly basis. Please note: If you need a certification or recertification application approved by a specific deadline, as certification is needed to secure or maintain a job, please let us know and we will ask the ACVREP Board of Directors to make an exception in your case.

Medicare Bill Update

Many of our certificants have asked about the Medicare Bill and what passed or didn't pass. Lorraine Lidoff, Executive Director of the National Vision Rehabilitation Cooperative, sent me the following information that I think will answer some of your questions. Also, please visit the www.medicarenow.org website periodically as it provides current information regarding the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 and related activities.

As a result of the bill passing, we need to be aware of two significant recommendations. The first recommendation pertains to a study that will be conducted relating to vision impairments and the second recommendation pertains to a nationwide outpatient vision rehabilitation services demonstration project. The information provided below will describe the study and demonstration project in some detail.

STUDY - "By January 1, 2005, the Secretary shall develop policy recommendations and issue a report to Congress by which vision rehabilitation services would be provided by vision rehabilitation professionals in an appropriate setting, including the patient's home environs, acting under a qualified physician's general supervision. The report may include adopting a national credentialing measure, or other steps deemed necessary by the Secretary, that would ensure patient quality of care. In developing the recommendations, the Secretary should consult with the National Vision Rehabilitation Cooperative, the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind, the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals, the American Academy of Ophthalmology, and the American Optometric Association and other interested organizations."
page 10

In other words, a study will be conducted to determine the feasibility and advisability of providing for payment for vision rehabilitation services furnished by vision rehabilitation professionals. Vision rehabilitation professionals are defined as orientation and mobility specialists, rehabilitation teachers or low vision therapists. The report on this study that the Secretary will submit to Congress will include "recommendations for such legislation or administrative action as the Secretary determines to be appropriate."

DEMONSTRATION PROJECT - "The Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services is directed to carry out a nationwide outpatient vision rehabilitation services demonstration project. The purpose of this demonstration project is to examine the impact of standardized national coverage for vision rehabilitation services provided in the home by physicians, occupational therapists, and certified vision rehabilitation teachers. This demonstration project should be conducted over a period of five years beginning July 1, 2004. The Secretary shall expend from available funds appropriated to him in FY 2004, including transfers authorized under existing authorities from the Federal Supplementary Insurance Trust Fund, an amount not to exceed $2 million for FY 2004 to carry out this demonstration project." At this time, it is unclear as to what the demonstration project will look like or where the demonstration sites will be located.

Please know that as we get additional information about the study and/or demonstration project, we will share it with you.

This was written by an 83 year old...The last line says it all.
Dear Bertha,
I'm reading more and dusting less. I'm sitting in the yard and admiring the view without fussing about the weeds in the garden. I'm spending more time with my family and friends and less time working. Whenever possible, life should be a pattern of experiences to savor, not to endure. I'm trying to recognize these moments now and cherish them.
I'm not "saving" anything; we use our good china and crystal for every special event such as losing a pound, getting the sink unstopped, or the first Amaryllis blossom.
I wear my good blazer to the market. My theory is if I look prosperous, I can shell out $28.49 for one small bag of groceries..
I'm not saving my good perfume for special parties, but wearing it for clerks in the hardware store and tellers at the bank.
"Someday" and "one of these days" are losing their grip on my vocabulary; if it's worth seeing or hearing or doing, I want to see and hear and do it now.
I'm not sure what others would've done had they known they wouldn't be here for the tomorrow that we all take for granted.
I think they would have called family members and a few close friends. They might have called a few former friends to apologize and mend fences for past squabbles.
I like to think they would have gone out for a Chinese dinner or for whatever their favorite food was.
I'm guessing; I'll never know.
It's those little things left undone that would make me angry if I knew my hours were limited. Angry because I hadn't written certain letters that I intended to write one of these days. Angry and sorry that I didn't tell my husband and parents often enough how much I truly love them. I'm trying very hard not to put off, hold back, or save anything that would add laughter and luster to our lives.
And every morning when I open my eyes, I tell myself that it is special. Every day, every minute, every breath truly is a gift from God.

Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance.