« January 2022
Welcome - Here is
the newsletter of the American Council of the Blind - Maine
(ACB-ME) for January, 2022. To learn more about this site and
ACBMaine Newsletter, click HERE
Notes
from
President Leona McKenna
This past October, I was
granted the honor of leading an organization for which I have been a
part of for many years. In that time I have seen ACB of Maine go through
many changes. As president of ACB, I will encourage positive change and
promote the growth of this organization. It is the strength that comes
from an alliance among people who share adversity, an understanding of the
capabilities of blind individuals and a mission to bring about true
equality for all individuals that gives ACB of Maine a solid foundation on
which to stand. Our common bond as blind individuals and our goal to bring
about change that leads to a fully inclusive society keeps our
organization working toward a brighter future.
As we enter into a new and
challenging phase for our organization, I am hopeful that we can come
together again as an organization and as friends. I believe that
together we can accomplish more.
Board Meeting Dates
Board meetings always first Thursday of these months:
February
3, 2022
April 7, 2022
June 2, 2022
August 4, 2022
October (Fall Convention date to be determined)
December 1, 2022
All members are welcome to attend the board meetings. Contact Leona for the Zoom link. Inspirations1000@gmail.com
Tech Talk with
Steve Sawczyn
Want to learn more about accessible technology? Curious how technology might be able to help you live a more fulfilling life? Do you have questions about technology and just don’t know who to ask?
ACB of
Maine is launching a new technology-related program called Tech Talk,
hosted by Steve Sawczyn. Tech Talk is a program that will allow ACB
of Maine members to join, get technology questions answered, and have an
opportunity to learn something new. Tech
Talk will take place via Zoom on the second Tuesday of each month,
starting this February. Information for joining the Zoom meeting
will be sent out prior to each program.
Our first Tech Talk will
take place on 02/08 at 7:00 PM and will be a great opportunity for you to
provide input on the types of topics you would like to see covered during
future editions of the program. Also, we’ll review how to
effectively use the Zoom conferencing system which may be helpful to those
who are new to using Zoom, and to those who just might want a
refresher.
I hope
you will join me for Tech Talk, starting 02/08 at 7:00
PM, where, together, we can share information about accessible
technology, learn from one another, and find ways to use tech in ways that
can improve our lives. If you have any questions about Zoom, or how
to access the program, please reach out to Steve Sawczyn:
Email:
Steve@Sawczyn.com
Phone: (207)
458-8270
Guide Dog Users
-
Did You Know?
An Important Update for Guide Dog Users Traveling Internationally: CDC Relaxes Restrictions for Dogs Entering the United States from High Risk for Rabies Countries
On December 1, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention(CDC) announced revisions to rules regarding bringing dogs into
the United States from countries at high risk for rabies. The rule change
removes the previously announced requirement for a CDC Dog Import Permit,
which since July of 2021 and until December 1, was required for any dog
entering the United States from countries which have been determined to be
at high risk for rabies. This change, which exempts dogs whose
owners can verify their dogs’ having been immunized against rabies
by a licensed veterinarian in the United States, represents good
news for any guide and service dog handlers who plan to travel
internationally with their dogs, since they will no longer have to comply
with the time-consuming and somewhat burdensome process of obtaining a CDC
Dog Import permit even before they embark on travel outside the USA with
their dogs. If your guide dog has a current U.S.-issued rabies
vaccination certificate signed by a licensed veterinarian; if your dog has
been microchipped; if you can provide the printed certification of your
dog’s rabies-protected status, -- The rabies tag dangling from your
dog’s collar is not acceptable proof! – and, this is important too, if
you and your dog enter the United States through one of the 18 United
States airports equipped with a CDC quarantine station, then you should be
able to bring your guide dog into the USA without any difficulty.
If, for any reason, you
cannot provide the certification, if your dog received their rabies
vaccination in a country other than the United States, if you cannot
produce the required paperwork, if your dog has not been microchipped or
the chip cannot be read, if the rabies certification has expired, or if
your plane is arriving at an airport that is not included on the list of
18 acceptable ports of entry, then you will be separated from your guide
dog, and the dog will be returned to the country from which you departed
(no matter how long or short your stay in that country was, and no matter
how many connecting flights you took on your return trip from the country
of departure), at your expense!
These are the 18 United States airports through which
you and your dog will be permitted to return to the USA from international
travel:
Anchorage (ANC)
Atlanta (ATL)
Boston (BOS)
Chicago (ORD)
Dallas (DFW)
Detroit (DTW)
Honolulu (HNL)
Houston (IAH)
Los Angeles (LAX)
Miami (MIA)
Minneapolis (MSP)
New York (JFK)
Newark (EWR)
Philadelphia (PHL)
San Francisco (SFO)
San Juan (SJU)
Seattle (SEA)
Washington DC (IAD).
Be sure to keep this list
of approved ports of entry in mind when you make your international travel
reservations.
GDUI recommends that you discuss the requirements for
microchipping and up-to-date printed certification of your dog’s
protected status against rabies with your veterinarian as soon as you
begin planning for your trip abroad. If you are traveling to one of the
countries at high risk of rabies, your dog must be microchipped before you
leave the United States. Check with your school and/or with your
veterinarian, to assure that your dog was chipped and that the chip is
still readable. Carry a record of the chip number along with the other
paperwork that you will be required to present when you and your dog
return to the United States. You will also, of course, need to
be aware of and comply with any U. S. Department of Agriculture
requirements or those of your destination country that apply to traveling
internationally with your guide dog.
We are pleased that the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention has removed what many guide dog users found to be overly
burdensome requirements for obtaining a special CDC Dog Import Permit to
bring dogs into the USA. After all, as blind and visually impaired people
who depend on our dogs for independence and safe travel, we are highly
committed to maintaining our dogs’ health and wellness and safety from
the first minute we grab onto that harness handle and from then on,
throughout our dogs’ lives.
If, for some reason – for example, if your dog received
their rabies immunization in a country different from the USA, or your dog
was never microchipped, or the chip is no longer readable – you
will still need to obtain a CDC Dog Import permit to bring your guide dog
with you into the United States, visit this link for detailed instructions
and further information: Bringing a Guide Dog Into the US
We encourage all guide dog
users who plan to travel internationally with their dogs to maintain an
awareness of CDC regulations that can impact your travel plans. Visit this
page for the latest regulations: Regulations
[
Important Federal Legislation
from Nancy Matulis
Accessibility Standards
for Certain Devices with Digital Interfaces
Good afternoon, I am asking for support of this bill - Accessiblity Standards . Thank you for sharing. This is an ACB bill
To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to establish nonvisual accessibility standards for certain devices with digital interfaces, and for other uses. We are talking about continuous glucose meters,blood pressure reading and others. This bill will allow blind people to care for themselves, at present they cannot do.
I am trying to get this word out to veterans also.
Rep. Golden
District Offices
Bangor, Maine Office
6 State Street
Suite 101
Bangor, ME 04401
Telephone: (207) 249-7400
Caribou, Maine Office
7 Hatch Drive
Suite 230
Caribou, ME 04736
Telephone
(207) 492-6009
Fax: (207) 493-4436
Lewiston, Maine
Office
179 Lisbon Street
Lewiston, ME 04240
Telephone: (207) 241-6767
Fax: (207) 241-6770
Rep. Pingree
Portland Office
2 Portland
Fish Pier, Suite 304
Portland, ME 04101
Telephone (207) 774-5019
Waterville Office
1 Silver Street
Waterville, ME 04901
Telephone - 873-5713
Submitting Stories and News
Here at ACB-Maine we like to hear from our membership. Feel free to send along information that is relevant and interesting. You can even send along pictures that you think others will enjoy.
Email your submissions to either of these email addresses
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