Welcome - Welcome to the May 2022 ACB Maine Newsletter. 

Reminder - Our Tech Talk for May is scheduled for May 10, 2022, at 7PM.

Tech Talk

Facebook Page -

ACB Maine has a new Facebook Page.  It's an evolving process, and is growing - albeit slowly.

You can visit the page at -  https://www.facebook.com/ACBofMaine

The "page" is a public page.  That means that anyone can find the page and read its contents.  At the current time, posts are moderated, which means that all posts to the "page" must be approved.  Roger Fuller is the current administrator of this new page, and he is looking for another person to help.  If you are interested in being a Facebook administrator for this page, please contact Roger at rfuller@mainenet.org

Facebook Group

ACB Maine has a new Facebook Group - This too is evolving and growing.

You can visit the group at - https://www.facebook.com/groups/acbofmaine

Note that the only difference in the web address is the addition of the word "groups" after the primary address of Facebook.com.  It might be a good idea to bookmark both addresses in your browser.

A "group" is different than a page. This is a private group, open only to members of ACB Maine.  You can request membership to the Facebook group and it will be approved. 

A private group provides members with the opportunity to "chat" among themselves.  Because it is a private group, only members can participate - creating a more free and interactive web space.

Think of page as a "newspaper" and a group as a "coffee break" with friends.

Again, currently, Roger Fuller is the group administrator, and he would love to have a fellow member of ACB Maine help out as a group moderator.  You can write to him at - rfuller@mainenet.org

Hadley Resources

As many of us know, Hadley provides many resources to enhance learning and communication for the blind community

You can see more about the group here - https://hadley.edu/

AND, you can click this link to hear a 23 minute presentation on the various dicussion groups from

One of the popular resources is the Monthly Discussion Groups with Carol Mackey.

Here is again the 23 minute incredible interview on discussion groups with Carol Mackey!

Presentation on Discussion Groups

Hadley Discussion Groups for May 2022

 All discussion groups use the following phone number: (US) 1 929-205-6099; (Canada) 1 587 328 1099. Once dialed, you will be prompted to enter in the unique meeting ID. Please note: your phone carrier may charge per minute or add long-distance charges for this call. To find more local phone numbers for your location go to Zoom Dial-In Numbers. To join a discussion group live or listen to the archives, first sign up for a free login at www.hadley.edu or call 800-323-4238 to register free by phone.

 Tuesday, May 3 – Get Up and Go 7 PM CST – Fuel Your Fitness

 Wednesday, May 4 – Travel Talk 4 PM CST – Tips for First-Time Travelers

Thursday, May 5 –Embracing Braille 11:30 AM CST – Jumping the Hurdles

Tuesday, May 10 – Writers’ Circle 7 PM CST – Writing Classes, Conferences, and More

Wednesday, May 11 –Crafting Circle 4 PM CST - Sorting and Stowing Your Stuff

Thursday, May 12 – Book Nook 11:30 AM CST – Finding the Best Books with BARD

Tuesday, May 17 –Resource Roundtable 7 PM CST – Personal Safety Tips

Wednesday, May 18 –Hadley Growers 4 PM CST– Kitchen Gardening 101

Tuesday, May 24 – Tech It Out 7 PM CST – Tech for Health and Wellness

Wednesday, May 25 –What’s Cooking 4 PM CST – Homemade Mixes

 Questions? Call Hadley 800-323-4238 or emailinfo@hadley.edu

 Join us live at Hadley Discussion Groups! Call 800-323-4238 to be part of  the conversation!

 DISCLAIMER: The language, views, or products in articles, podcasts, videos, posts, or links from other sources are not associated with The Iris Network.

Traveling and The Cane - A Personal Story

by Roger Fuller

I am legally blind. That means, as we all know, that there is some sight, but that it's not safe to drive.The doctors tell me that I see about 14% of what most people see, and well, I guess that's better than nothing, for sure.  They say over and over again "Good acuity within a very narrow field."  It is what it is - complaining doesn't seem to work much.

When I was declared legally blind, I received all the mobility training offered here in Maine. Nevertheless, I was a reluctant cane user, and preferred to leave it at home.

When we were invited to a 30th Anniversary Gala at our former school in Los Angeles, I decided to use the cane, and went from a reluctant cane user to an enthusiastic cane user.  It's not just that the cane helps in navigating, but it is a signal to others that I don't see so well and helps us all avoid collisions. The telescoping cane was must useful.

Obstacles became opportunities as I was able to navigate between cars, and busses, and planes and airports with all the confusing traffic and unreadable small print documents. The cane signaled everyone that I could use a bit of help, and everyone I saw was more than willing to help.  The people at United Airlines were especially helpful as I traveled home early from Los Angeles, and alone.

I'm sure we all have personal anecdotes and success stories to share.  Please feel free to send me your own success story - at rfuller@mainenet.org

Thank you for reading.

End of Newsletter.