O&M DIVISION ~ AERBVI

BUSINESS MEETING

AGENDA

July 22, 2016

Jacksonville, FL

I)CALL TO ORDER

II)WELCOME

  1. Roll-Call
  2. Parliamentarian – Meg Robertson
  3. Meeting Agenda
  4. Approval of July 2014 Business Meeting Minutes
  5. Announcements
  1. Consent Agenda:
  1. Old Business:
  2. AER International Conference Update
  3. 2017 O&M Division Conference
  1. New Business:
  2. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE REPORT

i)AER Bylaws Proposed Changes

ii)ACVREP Task Force

iii)Watercooler Sessions

iv)EAC Webinar

v)Forum Group andProposedName Change Of Vision Professionals

vi)Division Presence At Conferences

(1)IMC 15

(2)SOMA

vii)Change In Policy Manual For Vacancy In Chair-Elect

  1. COMMITTEE REPORTS

i)Environmental Access Committee – Janet Barlow

ii)International Committee – Committee Chair Dr. Laura Bozeman

iii)Blasch Scholarship Committee 2016 winners

(1)Kirsten “Rishi” Connelly UMASS Boston

(2)Allison Zocchi UMASS Boston

  1. Nominations and Elections Committee – Meg Robertson
  2. AD HOC COMMITTEE REPORTS

i)O&M dIVISION Ad Hoc Committee on Strategic Planning and Initiatives – Kevin Hollinger, Justin Kaiser

  1. PRESENTATION OF THE NEWCOMER-HILL AWARD
  2. Introduction of the 2016-2018 Orientation & Mobility Executive Committee – Justin Kaiser
  1. FrOM the floor
  1. adjourn

O&M DIVSION BUSINESS MEETING

CONSENT AGENDA

July 22, 2016

  1. TREASURER’S REPORT – StephanieChmielinski

EXPENSES / 2015 / 2016 / YTD 7/2016
Total Budget / $9,600.00 / $15,441.00
TELEPHONE (calls, webinar calls) / $500.00 / $600.00 / $21.00
PRINTING / $50.00
IT SERVICES (e-blasts, conference calls) / $360.00 / $480.00 / $262.00
AWARDS / SCHOLARSHIPS (Blasch) / $2,000.00 / $2,000.00
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES (webinars) / $2,000.00 / $500.00
COMMITTEE ACTIVITIES / $3840.00 / $3,600.00 / $275.00
Other / $900.00 / $1,147.00
2016 Intl Conference / $8,211.00
Total Expensed / $9,600.00 / $1,742.00

A$1,500 donation from Polara Engineering in both 2014 and 2015 was used to pay the hotel and travel expenses for several members of the Environmental Access Committee to attend the Transportation Research Board meetings in January of 2015 and 2016 in Washington, D.C.

  1. ADDITIONAL COMMITTEE REPORTS
  2. O&M Division Ad Hoc Committee on Best Practice in Collaboration: O&M and OT & PT Scope of Practice – Although this committee worked diligently for almost a year to develop a paper outlining the scope of practice of Orientation and Mobility Specialists, the resulting paper was not well received by the initial reviewers. Committee members decided to table the project for the time being. Committee members included: Bill Penrod/Michelle Antinarelli Co-Chairs, Sandy Rosen, Bill Hixon, Susan Langendonk.
  3. Archives Committee –Rod Kossick- My warmest greetings to all the hewers, haulers, fetchers and doers; and yes, the stormy petrels. If you are not familiar with these pronouns and their author, it underscores the need for our Archives Committee and its mission.

We had our beginnings at Hines VA Hospital in 1948 and now 68 years later this type of Orientation and Mobility service has spread throughout the world.

Every profession goes through growing pains and changes, which includes opportunities for dilution of purpose and product. One of the best preventions is to know and understand the philosophy and methods that our pioneers and leaders developed. Some of this is written but I suspect there is a significant amount yet to be discovered and recorded.

Rick Welsh was always aware of this need is our field, and wisely enlisted the wondrously codified talents of Micheal Hudson; and secured the cooperation of the American Printing House for the Blind through Tuck Tinsley, its president. And that brings us to our current need and challenge.

Many of our leaders and heroes have already passed on, and a number are approaching retirement (Please, even though it is said “He is older than dirt,” don’t think of me that way just yet!).

We do have a number of audio and video recordings for posterity, but there is still much to be collected. Each of us should reach out to seniors we know, and beyond that to their families, co-workers and friends to find the back-stories and truths old enough to tell, regarding the development of our profession.

A handwritten note, conversation, anecdote, secret strategy or tactic and legislative/funding skirmish could all be important to our developmental history. Artifacts such as canes and electronic mobility devices are also being sought after. Anybody have an Oleometer or a Twersky tweeter?

APH and Micheal Hudson are ready for you to begin sending contributions, which they will sort, classify and store.

Now I wonder—who will become one with all these new finding and begin to write new chapters for our historical development?

I apologize that I am not at our Conference, having just organized our earthly possessions and moved from California to my home state of Minnesota. The original copy of this report was gobbled up by the fog of packing and is roaming this great country with our furniture, cookware, etc. and will arrive sometime in future.

So I sit on the deck of our new home in Rochester, taking in the woods, creatures and songs of many beautiful birds; cobbling this report and request.

Best wishes to all,

Rod Kossick.

  1. Communications Committee – Viki Poole- It has been my pleasure to edit the last three O&M Division Newsletters (Summer 2015, Fall 2015, and Spring 2016). I am happy to report that each issue was chocked full of news from our members about the good things that are happening in Orientation & Mobility. The Newsletter provides a painless way to keep up-to-date on all the happenings in our Division. Also good news is the support from many vendors from our community. We've had ads from Ambutech, HumanWare, George Zimmerman Low Vision Kit, and Fork in the Road. Please remember to support these vendors whenever possible - we want them to know how much we appreciate their support of the O&M Division Newsletter.
  2. Membership Committee - Meredith Griffin - Division membership has declined, as has total AER membership. The O&M Division membership count as of February was 1001, down from 1037 at the end of 2015. In 2007, the O&M Division membership was 1428.
  1. DISTRICT REPORTS
  2. District 1 – Mark Carter – (Alaska, Alberta, Arizona, British Columbia, Colorado, Hawaii, New Mexico, California, Nevada, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Northwest Territories, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Yukon Territories.)

It has been my pleasure to fill a partial term (due to the resignation of the elected representative) as district director representing District One of the O&M Division. I provided input and worked with the O&M Division on responses to important issues that came up recently around ACVREP certification and proposed bylaw changes with AER. District 1 is a very large district and it would have been nice to travel to meetings and meet with COMS in the entire region but this was not possible for me. I look forward to attending the AER conference in Jacksonville and meeting with anyone who would like to discuss O&M issues in their state/region and I can be found at the O&M Division table or contacted by email at:.

Dr. Loana Mason will be the next District 1 O&M Division representative and I look forward to working with her. New Mexico will be conducting a state NM-AER conference February 9-10, 2017 with a focus on CVI and it will be held in Albuquerque.

  1. District 2– Sherry Holder–(Arkansas, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Manitoba, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Saskatchewan, Texas)

Arkansas Annual Conference Dates are Monday & Tuesday, November 7-8, 2016. Currently the Arkansas AER we will be having our state AER conferenceNovember 7-8 2016at the Wyndham in north Little Rock and we will be have a Transition Professional development.
AR-AER Summer 2016 Workshop Transition Resources for StudentsWho are Visually Impaired: A practical training seminar for Students & Parents, School District Staff, Assistive Technology Instructors, Low Vision Specialists, O&M Specialists and TVI's in the most recent initiatives, resources, technology, and trends available to students who are visually impaired and transitioning from high school to college and vocations.
August 1, 2016 from 9:30-4:00
Darragh Center Auditorium in the Central Arkansas Main Library
Downtown Little Rock
Presenters will include: Bonnie Boaz – Coordinator for Arkansas Transition Services; Calvin Churchwell – COMS/LVT/Technology; Sharon Giovinazzo – President of World Services for the Blind; Christy Lamas – Transition Coordinator for Division of Services for the Blind; \Registration fee is: $10 AER members & $20 non-members
ACVREP CE 6 credit hours
To register or for further information contact:

ByJuly 20, 2016

Camp Abilities 2016 happened this year in June. A group of 22 Iowa blind and visually impaired campers enjoyed a week of sports and games June 12-16. The campers participated in swimming, yoga, goalball, beep baseball, kayaking, skating, archery, fitness, one touch self-defense, biking, and golf and track and field activities. The theme of our camp week was “Try everything” and we focused on self-advocacy skills. The camp concluded with a picnic and demonstration for parents. It was a great week!

Kansas State School for the Blind Celebrated 150 years this year!

The Missouri School for the Blind is hosting the GATEWAY TO THE WEST Cane Quest Competition on Thursday, Oct 13, 2016 (registration will open soon) - this is a new partnership with the Braille Institute of America.Cane Quest is a competition challenging student's skills in orientation, mobility and problem-solving. The competition is open to any child grades 3-12 who is a B1 or B2 category living in any state - all are welcome! Sadly, the Missouri AER Conference was cancelled due to a lack of registration / attendance in November.The Missouri Rehabilitation Services for the Blind hosted the Children's Vision Summit.The Lighthouse for the Blind - St. Louis is sponsoring up to 40 kids to attend SCIVIS in Huntsville, AL.

Blanche Faulk, COMS is the new President of the Louisiana AER Chapter. The Louisiana School for the Visually Impaired will host its annual White Cane Safery Day on October 12th. A technology workshop is in the plans for the fall as well as a Bowl for Books fund raiser for Seedlings Books. A combined effort for Getting in Touch with Literacy Conference with APH is underway for December of 2017.

Scott Crawford’s book, O&M for Wheelchair Users with Vision Impairments is now available from APH. It is an e-book with a mixture of text and 191 short video loops demonstrating the techniques being presented. It is web based and currently it is selling for $4.99.

Special Program this year being offered in Nebraska: Summer Art Workshops for the Visually Impaired; series of four Saturday art workshops for the visually impaired. Each workshop will feature a different method of creating tactile art, art that can be touched and include, clay, tactile drawing, fabrics and textiles and more. Participants will receive instruction from artists and time to create their own pieces.

The South Dakota School for the Deaf and Blind hosted our Dakotas AER Conference in April featuring Robin Clarkfromthe Utah School for the Deaf and Blind. She spoke passionatelyabout every area of the ECC and was very well received.

North Dakota is contending with significant budget reduction due to our slumping oil economy. This is a challenge for us at NDVS/SB. Besides not filling open positions we have also had to halt out-of-state travel to conferences. This is especially difficult in a time when our field is changingso rapidly and we need to stay on the cutting edge. We are attempting to do more video conferencing for staff development as a result.

The Dakota Disc cane, a tip that works in snow, on grass, and even running on dirt roads, etc. is now available from Ambutech in red and White. Contact Paul Olsen at if you’re a COMS interested in testing it out with preschoolers.

Check out the Orientation and Mobility Pinterest board as part of the South Dakota School for the Blind Pinterest page.

SWOMA, 2016 is taking shape! The conference dates are November 3-5, 2016, and this year's event will occur in Fort Worth, TX at Region 11, Education Service Center (ESC). Pre-Conference: Dona Sauerburger, Teaching students to deal with uncontrolled crossings (part 2 offered during the full conference)

Keynote: Janet Barlow, Innovative Intersections and Implications for Pedestrians

Nora Griffin Shirley, Orientation and Mobility for Independent Living. Tanni Anthony, Learning to Move / Moving to Learn, Karen Wolffe, Transition to Work and Adult Life, Breakout sessions on Assistive Technology, Expanded Core Curriculum, Grant Writing to Obtain Equipment, and More...

(report submitted on behalf of Sherry Holder who is attending to family illness)

  1. District 3 – Sarah Arch - (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ontario and Wisconsin)

I have had the pleasure of serving as the District 3 Director for the O&M Division. When I first took on this position, I felt overwhelmed and underqualified but thanks to your support and mentorship I learned more about my role as District Director, AER, and most importantly, you. I have enjoyed meeting you and listening to your experiences and goals for the future. I believe that each of you have something valuable to offer towards the growth and development of our field and professional organizations. Therefore, I hope you can learn from me and not let doubts about your qualifications intimidate you and keep you from serving on or communicating with the Executive Committee about how to take our field to the next level. Thank you again for giving me this opportunity to serve you and I hope to see you on the listserv or at the next conference!

  1. District 4 – Kathy Clarrage – (Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, New Hampshire, New York, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Rhode Island, Vermont)
    The North East AER Chapter will be hosting their annual conferenceNov 16-18, 2016in south Portland Maine. Please go to:www.neaer.umb.edu for more info.We are also very pleased to announce that Julie Boren will be our new district 4 director. Her enthusiasm and energy for O&M will represent us well.As out-going Director, I thank you all for the opportunity to meet you and represent you.Thank you!
  2. District 5: JoAnne Chalom– (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Puerto Rico, Tennessee)

As the District 5 Director, it has been a privilege to serve as part of the Executive Committee. Topics that have been addressed during this term, ranged from the ACVREP’s One-time Alternative Pathway to Eligibility to finding a means to increase awareness of White Cane laws.

From my perspective, my primary responsibilities as a District Director have been two-fold. First and foremost, in order for the chair to complete her duties she should be supported by executive committee members. That assistance can vary from proof reading a document the chair has creating to leading a task force, evaluating abstracts for the Biennial International Conference or organizing a vendor table at a conference.

A secondary responsibility is networking and developing relationships with members. Many opportunities arise to attend conferences such as ranging from the Alabama Annual Conference, Georgia AER Annual Conference, Florida AER Conference (FAER) Conference, North Carolina Conference on Visual Impairment and Blindness (NCCVIB),La Conferencia AER-PR (Puerto Rico AER Conference) to the Southeastern Orientation and Mobility Association Conference (SOMA).

More networking opportunities abound as two state conferences are scheduled in the near future. The 2016 Tennessee AER Fall Conference is planned for September 17th, 2016 at the Tennessee School for the Blind. The theme for this conference is “I-M-ABLE.” The AER Mississippi Conference is scheduled for October 20-21st, 2016 at Mississippi Library Commission in Jackson, Mississippi.

Meeting someone in person changes the relationship from one developed through email or phone conferences. If it is not possible to meet in person, then I would like extend an invitation to share any concerns with me via email. Please contact me at . I am looking forward to continuing to serve as your District 5 Director.

District 6 – Audrey Dannenberg - (Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virgin Islands, Virginia, West Virginia, Washington D.C.)

After serving six years as District Director for Region 6 of the O&M Division, my 3 two-year term limits have expired.  I just wanted to share a few thoughts before leaving.

Once one is connected with the AER network as an active member, it becomes a healthy addiction for anyone who wants to contribute their talents on a national or local level. There are so many opportunities available for learning the ins-and-outs of how an organization and a Division work and contributing to the growth of the Division. Involvement with national conferences, working on short and long range goals of the Division, networking, etc. all are part of being a District Director. Consider joining the O&M leadership in the future!

Meanwhile, please welcome the next District 6 Director, Anthony Nigro.