« January 2024
Welcome to the January
2024 Newsletter for ACB Maine. Many thanks to Cheryl Peabody and Courtney
Tabor for suggestions, ideas, and proofing.
Please share this newsletter with other interested people and organizations.
President's Message - Amanda Frost
In case you do not know I am the President of ACB Maine for the year 2024. I am looking forward to this wonderful year that will hold so many great things. First, forming and tending to committees, Second, a well overdue Website reconstruction and third, revisiting fund raising as I know it's been successful in the past but hasn’t been done in a while. In addition, many more items of business will be tackled, and my wonderful board members will assist with making each meeting productive. I am also looking forward to getting to know all ACB Maine members as you make the solid foundation in which we stand up and advocate for change. Please remember Change is Productive and being productive is progress.
Board Members and Committees
Finance:
Cheryl Pebody and Nichole Sukeforth
Constitution and Bylaws: Linda Porelle, Cheryl Peabody and Linda Richards.
Convention: Linda Porelle and Courtney Tabor for programming; Cheryl Peabody, Linda Richards and Mary Ellen Frost for travel, hotel accommodation and location.
Fund Raising: Amanda and Bruce.
Legislative:
Roger Fuller and Nichole Sukeforth.
Members: Roger Fuller and Amanda Frost.
Newsletter:
Roger Fuller, Courtney Tabor and Mary Ellen Frost.
Website: Cheryl Peabody, Nichole Sukeforth, and Nathanael Batson.
Survey
Opportunity
My name is Aziz Zeidieh and I am a graduate student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. I am joined by Filipo Sharevski, PhD, an Associate Professor at DePaul University.
We are conducting a study to understand perception of audio deepfakes among blind and low vision people as well as sighted people. We are seeking individuals who are 18 years or older, blind or low vision, reside in the United States of America, and are able to perceive audio output from their device where they will be taking the survey. Participants will be asked to take an online survey on the Qualtrics platform, linked below, and will be presented with a list of questions. Each question consists of an audio clip, and the participant is asked to choose whether that audio clip is authentic or fake.
Participants will also be asked
a set of demographic questions. https://depaul.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4IY1vU0uCh0onqe
Your participation is completely voluntary, and if you choose to cease participation at any moment, you are free to do so without any repercussions. There is no cost to you as a participant to take part in this study, and we offer no compensation for those who chose to participate, though we greatly appreciate the time and insight shared by all individuals who do choose to take part.
Please feel free to forward this email to fellow blind and low vision individuals who would be interested in participating. If you have any questions or concerns, please email fsharevs@cdm.depaul.edu. Thank you for your time in reading this, and we hope you will consider participating in this study. Warm regards, Aziz Zeidieh, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign Filipo Sharevski, PhD, DePaul University
Flight for Sight
Flight for Sight Inc. is a 501(c)(3) education nonprofit organization. We are giving away three $10,000 travel grants to individuals who areblind or have low vision to Explore the world, Engage with people and organizations, and Educate others about their lifestyles and experiences. Qualifying candidates can apply here by pitching their trip idea along with how they will educate others. We are looking for curious individuals who seek adventure and knowledge. They will create educational content and share lessons.
There are several ideas for travel pitches listed on their website, and here is a link to their helpful FAQ page:
https://www.flightforsight.net/faq/
Teacher of Students with Visual Impairment - Orientation and Mobility Specialist
Do you or someone you know want to learn more about becoming a Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments or an Orientation and Mobility Specialist in Maine?
All interested persons are invited to attend a webinar on Tuesday, January 30th from 4-5 pm to learn about these two exciting and fulfilling careers. Jointly presented in partnership with the Maine Department of Education Office of Special Services and Inclusive Education ,
To
register for the webinar please go to https://mainestate.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAqcuyqqDstGtf04fmGPex39t6hFTNIJBXo
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. This webinar will be recorded for you to view at your convenience.
For
additional information or questions contact Amanda Castner at amanda.castner@maine.gov
Feel free to share this information.
Alexa for the Blind and Visually Impaired - (BaVIP)
In some ways, if you are reading this, then you are either blind and visually impaired - or - interested in the world of the blind and visually impaired.
I'm a big supporter of the help we can get from Alexa. Once it's set up and working, it is easy to use for a whole variety of tasks.
Here is an interesting website that examines how Alexa can help.
This is the end of the
January 2024 ACBMaine Newsletter.
