Heather Abel, Editor
Expressions from the
President’s Desk
Kenneth Semien, Sr.
ACBT Membership Committee Report Blake Lindsay
Good Times
Tales from the Treasurer
Kevin Ratliff
Sheila Derrick
Alamo Council of the Blind
Austin Chapter Happenings
Dallas Council Doings
Fort Worth Chapter April-June 2013
Curtis Dameron
Chris Prentice
Marci Duty
Jean Russell
Houston Council Happenings
Stories from South Plains Council
Marching Toward the Future
Computer Users Report
News from GDUTX
Bob Bartlett
Cindy Finley
Gigi Firth
Bob Bartlett
Cindy Finley
Member Morale Committee
Nominating Committee
Cindy Finley
Cindy Finley
ACBT 35th Anniversary Conference/Convention
“Applauding the Past: Embracing the Future”
Peggy Garrett
Who’s Who Among Blind Texans
Cindy Finley
Resolutions Committee Report Bob Bartlett
Scholarship Committee Report Rev. Michael E. Garrett
Constitution/Bylaws Committee Report Carol Edwards
ACBT Survey-2013
Texas Author Published in Behind Our Eyes:
A Second Look
Destination II Wonderland 2013
Donna Grahmann
Barbara J. Madrigal
Thanks to our Sponsors
Toll-free number: 866-929-2228
[Note: Articles printed in The Texas Star are submitted by the subscribers and are not necessarily reflective of the membership as a whole. The articles express only the opinion of the author.]

*****
Expressions from the Presidents' Desk Kenneth Semien, Sr.
Greetings ACBT members and friends. I trust that all is well and you are expecting great things to happen for you during the last six months of 2013, as you place an emphasis on achieving personal goals. Always remember that nothing or no one can forfeit your success without your consent. I encourage you to live well, love much, and laugh often. Be all you can be.
We had an amazing time during the 35th Annual ACBT
Conference in Houston as the Houston Council of the Blind (HCB) hosted a very informative and interesting conference filled with very beneficial seminars and workshops. The special guests made us proud as they shared life-enhancing material and techniques. Special thanks to Peggy Garrett, ACBT Conference
Coordinator and HCB President, for leading and contributing countless hours of her time to ensure that we would have a memorable conference. In addition, I ask that you join me in showing appreciation to all of the HCB members for their time and dedication as they shared responsibilities. HCB members, please know that I would love to have mentioned each of your names in this article and thank you personally for each task in which you participated. We really appreciate Judy Scott, Director of the AFB
Center on Vision Loss, and Lex Frieden, Professor at the
University of Texas in Houston, for presenting the first ever
"Framing Our Future Through Leadership and Advocacy" workshop. Much appreciation is given to ACBT Board Member
Larry Johnson for his assistance in facilitating our quest to identify future leaders for ACBT.
The ACBT Charter Member Award was presented to Joan
Cox of San Angelo and Bernice Klepac of Houston.
Congratulations to Robert L. Bartlett of Houston and Joseph
Muniz of Harlingen for their significant contributions to impact the lives of Texans who are blind and visually impaired. These guys are recipients of the 2013 Who's Who Among Blind Texans
Award. Let's also congratulate ACBT Scholarship recipients,
Conswella Bates of Beaumont who received the Durward K.
McDaniel Scholarship and Lindsay Long of Deer Park-Houston

who was presented with the Carolyn M. Garrett Scholarship.
Ogulcan Kalkanli of Plano received a scholarship from the Braille
Revival League of Texas. I am still surprised, however, appreciative to have been presented with the Outstanding
Member of the Year Award. Thanks to the ACBT Membership
Committee and all who assisted ACBT in increasing its membership for the year 2013. These efforts afforded ACBT to be the recipient of the Membership Growth Award from ACB.
One week following the ACBT Conference, ACBT Members
Curtis Dameron, Walley Guerra, Larry Roser, and Dennis Sims joined me in participating in the Destination II Wonderland Family
Conference in San Antonio. It was a great experience and we were able to speak to families about the mission and purpose of
ACBT. This event was hosted by DARS/Division for Blind
Services, and we are grateful to have been given the opportunity to be invited along with a number of other consumer organizations. This experience will always be remembered, especially the trip to Morgan's Wonderland, the world's only accessible theme park for children with disabilities.
There is so much more that I can share with you. Always feel free to ask questions concerning ACBT endeavors by sending email to semien@sbcglobal.net or call (409) 866-5838. I urge you to read all additional articles below and visit www.acbtexas.org for more ACBT news.
*****
ACBT Membership Committee Report Blake Lindsay
Hello ACBT family! I hope you are all healthy, energized, and enjoying a super summer. Again, I want to express my sincere gratitude for you permitting me to serve you as your First Vice
President. This responsibility has certainly been as enlightening as I anticipated. I’m taking my service for ACBT with team pride and plenty of pleasure. I have not only enjoyed contributing on numerous committees, but I also gain from your help with increasing my knowledge on significant subjects that matter to people who are blind. I continue to be pleased each month with

the variety of talents we share mixed with pure passion in service with ACBT.
Working alongside Ginger Kraft, Peggy Garrett, and Ed
Bradley, your ACBT Membership Committee is enthusiastic about launching brand new chapters in both Waco and Corpus Christi.
At present, our strongest advancement is in Waco. These opportunities for added chapters maintain our expectation to comfortably meet our 25% statewide membership growth goal for
2013. Our Corpus Christi prospect was delayed for the summer; however, we are prepared to move forward in September. We have also begun talks with the blind and visually impaired community in Tyler. I want to personally thank Michelle Boyd for assisting us in proceeding.
So far this year, we have climbed from 397 to 437 registered memberships. This is primarily due to our friends with the relaunched El Paso chapter. Our membership committee will continue to remain accountable on our duties to grow ACBT to the next level. Thank you, ACBT team, for everything you have done this year to help us grow. Please do your best to bring in at least one potential member during the second half of 2013. You will be doing a good act for the person, as well as for the American
Council of the Blind of Texas. Achieving growth is important to our present and future.
I want to conclude by thanking all who recently participated in the short, helpful ACBT survey. It will certainly be instrumental in connecting us all with our leading purpose to serve. Our objective is to have everyone assisting in your best ability. We’ll be calling on your support soon. Thankfully, many of you already are helping.
This assessment also will identify most of our strong points in our organization, as well as areas we want to improve in. If you haven’t had a chance to participate, please complete our survey in this addition of the Texas Star.
I am thrilled about our headway on improvements we all are striving to accomplish this year. Thank you for your individual contributions to the advancement of the American Council of the
Blind of Texas.

*****
Good Times Kevin Ratliff
Well, another ACBT State Convention has come and gone, and with it, the 2013 Auction. Thanks to the Fundraising
Committee and many of you, this year’s event was once again a huge success. As promised, we had a large catalog of items that ranged from arts and crafts to apparel and jewelry; from audio books and CDs to food and drink. The doggy items and electronics were once again the crowd pleasers and favorites among auction attendees. An afghan with paw prints, made by
Gigi Firth and donated by her and Guide Dog Users of Texas, took the evening’s prize for the highest bid. This hand-made afghan brought in an impressive $195. In total, the auction brought in a little under $2000, a figure we are very pleased with.
We were also excited about taking electronic payments for the first time at this yea r’s auction. There were some glitches at first, but once we got it working, it was a very smooth and quick process. It will be a smooth and pleasant process next time, with little to no waiting. I would like to extend a sincere apology to those who waited patiently while we fought with the Square App and Voiceover to try to process your payments. Most of you were really good sports, and I appreciate your thoughtfulness and consideration. I also extend heartfelt thanks to Valerie Grimm and all of the auctioneers who make these events so much fun.
Thanks to Larry and Linda Lewis for helping with cataloging and storage and to Neil Finley for all of his assistance during the auction. To President Kenneth Semien, thanks to you, I almost know how to do an auction now. Last, and certainly not least, in fact, most of all, a big thank you to the outstanding members of the Fundraising committee: Peggy Garrett, Sheila Derrick, Belinda
Skloss, and Ashley Prentice for a job well done. This year’s auction took a lot of hard work and required members to dedicate several hours to make the event a success. We put in the work.
We raised some money for our great organization, but most of all, we had a really, really good time!
*****

Tales from the Treasurer Sheila Derrick
Hello everyone. Hope you are enjoying a great summer and have recovered from the whirlwind of events at the 35 th
ACBT
Annual Conference in Houston last month. Thank you to the
Houston Council of the Blind for hosting another successful conference.
There is some exciting news that did not make the deadline for the April issue of The Texas Star. Thanks to the hard work of
Larry Johnson of the Alamo Council of the Blind and our president, Kenneth Semien, Sr., three sponsorships were obtained in April for this and the next several issues of The Texas
Star. Our new sponsors are Amerigroup Community Care,
Superior HealthPlan, and HealthSpring. Please look for information about these generous companies in The Texas Star.
I also would like to express my thanks to Larry and Linda
Lewis of the Houston Council of the Blind for their help and support of the Fundraising Committee during this year’s auction at the conference. It was a very successful year, raising $2,000.00.
My thanks also to all who contributed items and all who bought those items. It was a lot of fun and the auctioneers were great.
As you recruit new members, please send the following information with dues: name, address, phone number, Braille
Forum format (large print, Braille, email), The Texas Star format
(large print, CD, or email, or it can be read from the ACBT listserv), fully sighted (yes or no), and email address. If you have any questions, please contact me: Sheila Derrick, ACBT
Treasurer, 309 Paloverde Ln. Fort Worth, TX 76112-1122, phone
817-507-3964 or email sjderrick212@hotmail.com.
*****
Alamo Council of the Blind Curtis Dameron
Hello from San Antonio, the Alamo Council of the Blind is looking forward to giving out some scholarships within the next month. We are planning on giving out anywhere from two to four scholarships this year, not too exceed $2,000.00. We are also planning a BBQ in August to boost the morale and raise some

extra funds for our treasury.
*****
Austin Chapter Happenings Chris Prentice
Spring brought more activities to the Austin Council. In April, we held a Board Meeting and then in our full meeting, we had a guest speak to us about her continued work as a triage nurse, despite the fact that she has lost her vision. She helps people who call the nurse hotline at the medical facility where she works.
On April 4, several of our chapter members attended the
Open House and Tour of the all new campus of the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired. For those who have not taken a tour, it is nothing like it was when many of us attended school there. All but one small warehouse building on the campus is totally new! The new facilities are amazing! Our chapter now holds most of our monthly meetings on the campus.
In May, we held our annual Dining in the Dark event at the
Crowne Plaza Hotel near I-35 and Highway 290. We had a wonderful night, entertaining over 50 people this year! In case you wondered, our total funds raised were almost $7,200 and our net profit from the event was close to $4,900. We are already planning for next year’s event.
In April and May, our chapter continued its efforts through our members to work on the Junior Membership Initiative, thereby encouraging the students to finish school. Dennis Sims is our member in charge of this activity. The final activity for the semester was an evening Tea for the teachers at TSBVI. It was well-attended by the teachers, and the students enjoyed the evening as well. Dennis is doing great work on this program!
In May, we also heard from Gabriel, a student at TSBVI, who gave us a short presentation about his then upcoming competition in Braille Challenge. Our chapter voted to provide a partial scholarship for his trip to the national finals for Braille Challenge in
Los Angeles, California. He was one of 12 in the nation in his age group to compete. TSBVI also had a younger student competing in the event as well. This is a wonderful program in which to get
ACBT involved for next year.

In June, many of our members attended the annual ACBT
Conference in Houston. Two of our members squared off for a position on the Board of Directors. Dennis Sims and Chris
Prentice ran a positive and uplifting race. Chris was re-elected to the Board; however, Dennis will continue to serve as the Austin
Council Chapter Representative for the foreseeable future.
Dennis is a great asset to our chapter.
Finally, we had sad news in June. Two of our fine members lost loved ones within hours of one another. Margarine Beaman lost her husband, Bob, and Stephen Kerr lost his mother. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with these great members of our group.
We are planning our Second Annual Domino Tournament for
October. If you are interested in coming, please stay tuned for more information in the next Texas Star. Watch out for the heat and bad drivers! We hope to see you in Columbus, Ohio, for the
ACB Conference. Happy Summer Vacation!!
*****
Dallas Council Doings Marci Duty
The Dallas Council was well represented at our state conference in Houston. We sent 11 members to enjoy conference activities and to represent the interests of our chapter at the state meeting on the first weekend of June. Our June 20 meeting was full of exciting stories about the conference.
Fundraising has been the aim of the Dallas chapter this quarter. We raised over $300 with the Tupperware fund raiser and we held a Catalog show on May 26, which will bring in a few more dollars. Please know that I am happy to help chapters have a fund raiser with Tupperware. Contact me by phone at (214) 732-5788 or by e-mail at marci4bowls@gmail.com
. We’re currently in the midst of an Avon fundraiser. We are selling Bug Guard at two products for $14. This fundraiser ends on Saturday, July 20, the date of our July meeting. Liz Rochester can provide details. She is currently on her way to national convention to provide an Avon exhibit for national conference participants.
Our June 29 picnic was a blast. We catered barbecue and

every member was encouraged to bring items to auction to raise money for the chapter. Our auction table was packed with items.
We had baked goods, which we sold before lunch to the hungriest high bidders. We had jewelry, Avon products, candles, plants, gift cards from restaurants and department stores, and a beautiful handmade afghan with paw prints which members enjoyed bidding on to bring our chapter some resources. Stuart Swartz, a member who recently joined us from Cleburne, Texas, served as our auctioneer. He did a wonderful job describing items for our bidding pleasure. It will be fun to learn how much we raised. Our members and their families showed terrific spirit and support with the great items they brought for the chapter auction and picnic.
We had several new members join us on picnic day.
Our chapter plans to reward some stellar students with scholarships in August of this year. We are encouraging students to apply and to make the Dallas chapter proud of their academic achievements, and to let us help them finance their education. We are excited about these upcoming awards to deserving scholars who are vision-impaired.
The Meadows Museum provided some accessible art to some of our members. We had Braille description of famous paintings and sculptures. Blind artist, John Bramblet, let members and other participants experience the delight of painting with tactile paint. Each paint color was represented by a different texture.
We are focusing on getting special speakers for upcoming meetings. We hope to hear about the plans individuals who are vision-impaired can make to prepare for emergencies. Dallas
Council doings are truly bringing delightful times.
*****
Fort Worth Chapter April-June 2013 Jean Russell
The Fort Worth Chapter had an interesting and informative time this spring. Our meetings are educational, and we hope that our visitors will become members.
Our April meeting covered transportation at the local and state level. Our speaker, Mr. Gerrit Spieker, told us many facts

regarding transportation opportunities. Our May meeting was canceled as many of our members went to Houston to attend the
State Conference. Blake Lindsey, our First Vice President, and his wife Marci attended our June meeting.
Earlier this year, our Chapter held an event in Waco. This meeting was a follow-up to introduce Waco guests to members.
They have plans to start a Waco Chapter. That is great news for
ACBT! In July, we will be combining our meeting with the
Scholarship Awards Luncheon. The Fort Worth Chapter is looking forward to another exciting summer!
*****
Houston Council Happenings Bob Bartlett
Yes, we are glad to have the 2013 Conference behind us, and we hope you enjoyed it as a lot of Houston Council members worked very hard to make it a success. Our thanks to all who worked so hard and thanks to you for joining us in Houston. If you weren't here, you missed some terrific talent in the talent show, and some truly wonderful auctioneers that kept people laughing as well as spending their money.
We had a garage sale with a bunch of donated merchandise which turned out to be quite successful, thanks to Cuqui Soto (just call her Cookie). This was a good fund raiser. We sold popcorn at the conference and will be pushing that again. We also had a successful bake sale on May 4 with many members participating.
We had several members participate in a survey and meetings held by Houston Metro to get feedback before Metro made changes to the Metro Lift service. We'll let you know how this came out. As part of the City of Houston's Emergency
Preparedness Day held on May 1, President Peggy Garrett made a short presentation at the Visually Impaired Advocates support group meeting.
HCB participated in Morgan Wonderland's "Carnival and Hair
Cut-A-Thon" Fundraiser. This was a fundraising effort hosted by
DARS/DBS to raise funds to send 300 children who are blind or visually impaired and their parents to a two-day training conference in San Antonio! This conference included sending the

children and their families to an all accessible theme park called
Morgan's Wonderland and a training conference for the parents.
HCB had a table at the event and also contributed to the fund raiser to help make the activity available to as many children and their families as possible.
Yes, we are staying busy!
*****
Stories from South Plains Council Cindy Finley
Hello from the South Plains Council. Several weeks of planning and working were culminated with a garage sale fundraiser on June 1. Haven’t they always said that one person’s junk is another person’s treasure? It appeared that way as shoppers visited us that day and chose from furniture, wall hangings and pictures, housewares, baby clothes and toys, adult jackets and jeans, jewelry, quilting fabric, and notions, just to name several of the items for sale. South Plains Council raised over $600.00 and rated it a big success.
Whether from family, friends, or members’ own closets, we want to thank all contributors. We also want to thank all members of our chapter who participated that day. We especially want to thank Debra Dale, garage sale chairperson, for all of her hard work, and Mike Dale, her husband, for all of his time in picking up items that people donated.
*****
Marching Toward the Future Gigi Firth
The Braille Revival League of Texas hosted two wonderful programs at this last conference in Houston. We also awarded a scholarship to a deserving student for this upcoming school year.
Here is a brief description of those programs, and suggestions of how you can assist the Braille Revival League of Texas with our mission, making Braille the number one medium for those needing it.
On Friday, June 7, we invited Braille display venders and
BRLT officers to bring Braille displays so that attendees could

look at them and ask questions. The next day, we held our business meeting at which officers were elected for the upcoming year. Elected were: President, Eugenia Firth; Vice President,
Olivia Chavez; Secretary, Shelley McMullen; Treasurer,
Margarine Beaman; and, for Board positions, Neva Fairchild,
Nadine Saffel, and Lettie Jackson.
We also invited a guest, Joanne Rodgers with the Texas
School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, to present a program called Braille Challenge sponsored by the Braille Institute of
America. The Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired plus educational service centers throughout the state coordinate this program for children. The purpose of Braille Challenge is to encourage students while still in elementary or high school by allowing them to compete with each other using Braille at several skill levels.
Joanne discussed several ways that we, as adults, can assist children and their parents with Braille Challenge, thus improving their chances for success in the future. She also provided a Braille handout with details, including contact information in various Texas cities. If you did not receive one, contact me, Eugenia Firth, by email at gigifirth@sbcglobal.net or by phone at 214-827-7734.
Current plans are being made for the Braille Revival League of Texas to provide assistance, including fundraising, for Braille
Challenge. We will publish details in the next Texas Star concerning how you can participate with us in this worthy endeavor that, hopefully, will demonstrate to young people the value of becoming a member of the American Council of the Blind of Texas. Stay tuned, and let's work together for the future!
*****
Computer Users Report Bob Bartlett
Why is it that I constantly refer to the Computer Users as the best special interest affiliate in ACB of Texas? We have no officers, no treasury, no elections, no nominating committee (or any other kind of committee), we just have an abiding interest in technology, and that simplifies meetings considerably.

We had a great turnout at this year's meeting and many interesting presenters. Thanks to Bobby Lakey of Freedom
Scientific who told us about Jaws 15, among other things. Thanks to Ken Ewing who brought us up-to-date on happenings at
Kewing Enterprises as well as Humanware and GW Micro.
More thanks to Michael McCulloch and his IBUG friends, as they showed us the wonders of the iPhone, and also to Sebastian
Whitaker who talked about his Android experience. We appreciate all of you and got a lot out of the presentations.
We look forward to seeing even more of you at our next conference. Remember, no qualifications or dues to become a member!
*****
News from GDUTX Cindy Finley
Hello from Guide Dog Users of Texas. GDUTX had two great meetings at our recent ACBT state conference. At Friday afternoon’s program meeting, Roseanne DeMoss, Executive
Director of Criss Cole Rehabilitation Center, presented a very informative program on guide dog accessibility at CCRC, as well as proposed policy changes. Thank you again, Roseanne. We want to thank our program committee, Gigi Firth, chairperson, and
Donna Grahmann, for all their hard work in arranging this year’s
Friday afternoon meeting. Also, thank you to all of our members who participated.
Our Saturday morning breakfast/business meeting gave our
GDUTX family who were attending the ACBT conference a time for fellowship, networking, and of course, a time for conducting our business. This year we had only one guide dog school represented at our breakfast. Becky Barnes from Guiding Eyes gave us an update, especially about the special needs program.
Members of Guide Dog Users of Texas represent several dog guide schools.
GDUTX strives to increase public awareness about dog guides and their role as a mobility aid for a person who is blind or visually impaired, as well as serving as a support network to fellow dog guide users. We also strive to promote accessibility and advocacy.

The majority of members of Guide Dog Users of Texas are people who use dog guides for mobility, but we also have several sighted members who support our organization. We welcome other guide dog users, their families and friends, and those who are interested in learning more about guide dogs. If you would like more information about Guide Dog Users of Texas, or guide dogs as an option for mobility, please contact Cindy at 806-795-0216, or email her at cpfinley@sbcglobal.net.
*****
Member Morale Committee Cindy Finley
Hope you enjoy the following trivia. Stay tuned for more in the next issue or two.
1) What’s the world’s tallest bird?
A male ostrich can grow as high as 9 feet, making it the tallest living bird. Even Big Bird falls short at 8 feet. Females lay the largest eggs of any creature, weighing in at 3 pounds. Adults can sprint at 45 miles per hour – faster than any other two-legged creature. And a good thing, too; ostriches can’t fly.
2) Since birds don’t have teeth, how are they able to chew?
Birds swallow their meals whole. And instead of chewing the food, they grind it up with pebbles in the gizzard, an organ at the base of the neck. How do the stones get there? The birds swallow them. How’s that for birdbrained?
3) I’ve heard that some fish fly. Is it true?
Fish don’t fly, exactly, but some tropical fish have large pectoral fins that spread out like wings, enabling them to glide several hundred feet above water. To achieve this, they reach high speeds underwater and rise upward, much like an airplane at takeoff.
4) Are wildcats related to house cats?
Some scientists say that domestic cats are descended from wild Libyan desert cats, which lived in Egypt about 4,000 years

ago.
5) Do butterflies have taste buds?
Well, sort of. Butterflies have foot sensors that detect sweet flavors. When nectar is discovered, a signal is sent to extend the feeding tube so they can drink.
*****
2013 Outstanding Member of the Year Cindy Finley
Congratulations to our ACBT 2013 outstanding member of the year! He has served on numerous local, state, and national committees, and held several local and state offices. He will always be able to remember that when ACBT celebrated its 35 th anniversary, he was celebrating receiving the Outstanding
Member of the Year award. Although he received this award at the Sunday morning breakfast of the recent 2013 state conference, we want to congratulate him in The Texas Star. So,
Kenneth Semien, Sr.,
ACBT says, “Thank you for all your hard work!!!”
*****
ACBT 35th Anniversary Conference/Convention “Applauding the Past: Embracing the Future”
Peggy Garrett
The 35 th anniversary conference of the American Council of the Blind of Texas was held in Houston on June 6-9. There were over 160 registered attendees, thirty-two vendors, and more than thirty volunteers over the four days of the conference.
The conference began on Thursday afternoon with the Pre-
Conference Board Meeting. Thursday evening continued with the arrival of members and vendors who gathered in the Hospitality
Room to greet each other and socialize.
Friday morning began with vendors setting up for the exhibit hall. There were thirty-two vendors displaying the latest in technology, a variety of canes, talking watches and clocks,
Tupperware, jewelry, purses, information on audio books, guide dogs, and more!

Friday activities included a motivational presentation, ballroom dancing, self-defense, and some affiliate meetings and programs. The highlight of the afternoon was a leadership workshop "Framing Our Future through Leadership and
Advocacy" with Judy Scott and Lex Frieden as facilitators. The workshop was well attended and participants stated that they found it very beneficial. On Friday evening everyone was entertained with the Showcase of Talents. Acts included solos, duets, instrumental renditions, hula hooping, poems, readings, and, of course, some great comedy!
Saturday morning events included a breakfast hosted by
Guide Dog Users of Texas, business meetings of LUAT and
BRLT, and an info rmative workshop “Alternatives to Cable.” The
Saturday luncheon began with the presentation of colors, Pledge of Allegiance, and the singing of the National Anthem. The keynote speaker was Eugene Brault, TSA Customer Service
Manager at Bush Intercontinental Airport. The luncheon was followed by the opening session with President Kenneth Semen,
Sr. presiding. ACBT received a Proclamation from the City of
Houston proclaiming Saturday, June 8, American Council of the
Blind of Texas Day in Houston, Texas.
Afternoon sessions included a technology workshop,
“Technology Today," discussing technology from phones to software to computers to your new iPhone, a First Timers
Reception, and an update on the 21 st
Century
Telecommunications Act. This was followed by the Candidates
Forum.
The Saturday Evening Banquet featured Houston City
Councilman James C. Burks. There was a tribute for ACBT’s 35 th anniversary including the reading of the resolution presented to
ACBT earlier this year. Plaques were presented to Joan Cox and
Bernice Klepac as charter members and in appreciation of their years of dedicated service. The banquet was followed by the auction with a variety of items donated by ACBT chapters and individuals, as well as companies.
Sunday morning began with the annual awards breakfast.
There were two scholarship winners: Conswella Bates of
Beaumont was awarded the Durward K. McDaniel Scholarship,

and Lindsay Long of Deer Park-Houston was awarded the
Carolyn M. Garrett Scholarship. The BRLT, All Blind Children of
Texas, and Chrystal Vision Scholarship was awarded to Golan
Alkali of Plano. The Who's Who Among Blind Texans Award went to Robert L. Bartlett of Houston and Joseph Muniz of Harlingen.
The Outstanding Member of the Year Award was presented to
Kenneth Semien, Sr. of Beaumont. The business meeting was called to order by President Semien. There were several
Constitution and Bylaw changes as well as Resolutions. Elections were held to elect two ACBT Board Members. They were Chris
Prentice and Marci Duty. The general session was followed by the
Post-Conference Board meeting. Plans are already being made for the 2014 Conference/Convention. Stay tuned for more information coming soon.
*****
Who’s Who Among Blind Texans Cindy Finley
Your Member Morale Committee would like to announce the
2013 winners of the Who’s Who Among Blind Texans awards.
They are Joseph Muniz and Robert (Bob) Bartlett. Joseph received the award given to a nonmember of ACBT. Bob is a longtime ACBT member.
Joseph is employed as assistant librarian in Harlingen,
Texas. He serves as President of the Governing Board for the
Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, and was appointed to the committee in 2009. In 2012, Governor Perry appointed him to the Board of Directors for Disability Rights
Texas. Mr. Muniz also holds the honor of having served on the
Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services Council, the
Governing Board of the Texas Commission for the Blind, and the
State Independent Living Council.
Bob has served ACBT as the Resolutions Committee chairperson for a number of years, and has served in numerous key positions on the state and local level. In 2004, he received the
ACBT Outstanding Member of the Year award. He was the first blind person on the board of Houston Taping for the Blind, now known as Sight into Sound, where he still volunteers. He served

on the Houston Commission on Disabilities for four years, three as Chairman. He received both the Savvy Award and the
Jefferson Award for outstanding community service. Bob has been married to Victoria for 47 years. They have two children and three grandchildren.
Congratulations to both of these men for their outstanding accomplishments and their significant contributions to the field of disabilities.
*****
Resolutions Committee Report Bob Bartlett
Another good year for resolutions as we dealt with seven in total, three of the "Thank you" variety (I was left wishing we had done another of these to thank the auctioneers who made the auction so much fun) and four others on diverse subjects.
The first dealt with working from home as a positive outcome for both clients and DBS advisors. The next one discussed promoting part-time work and suggesting that this was also a positive outcome as it resulted in employment. The third one we dealt with was attempting to define a policy regarding when a conflict of interest existed, but this one went down as the conference was not satisfied with the language. The fourth resolution was dealing with the dates for our conference. This one was the reverse of the resolution from 2012 that had moved the conference to June, and it suggested moving the conference back to September. Except as noted above, all resolutions were approved. By the time you read this in the Star the resolutions will be on our web site at acbtexas.org.
Thanks to LouAnn Williams of the Alamo Council for her able assistance on this committee.
*****
Scholarship Committee Report Rev. Michael E. Garrett
At this year's ACBT annual State Conference/Convention, the Scholarship Committee was authorized to award two scholarships. Many thanks are in order for the hard work of the

committee itself for the time and effort it took to select who we believe were worthy recipients. The input of Cynthia Julun, John
Russo, Willie Barber, and Rosalyn Benavidez was critical in the selection process.
This year's scholarships were given in memory of two ACBT stalwarts, Durward K. McDaniel and Carolyn M. Garrett. The DKM
Scholarship was awarded to Conswella Bates, who is a member of the Beaumont Area Council of the Blind. She attends Lamar
University where she is majoring in Special Education. She hopes to work with people with disabilities and help them achieve their life's goals.
The Carolyn M. Garrett Scholarship, which is sponsored by the Houston chapter, was presented to Lindsay Long. Lindsay will be an entering freshman whose goal is to graduate from Texas
A&M, majoring in Special Education. She loves children and hopes to make a difference in their lives. Each recipient received
$1,500 to go toward their studies. The process was difficult as there were several worthy candidates.
As we look forward to 2014, please alert your local counselors, students, and educators about the ACBT Scholarship program. We'd like to see more students apply. These students are our future; they will represent the blindness community.
ACBT wants to see well-educated, well-informed individuals taking an active part in the community at large, and we want to be an inspiration in their educational development.
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Constitution/Bylaws Committee Report Carol Edwards
Hi. Hope everyone was able to attend our 35th State
Conference and had a great time. A thank you goes out to
President Kenneth Semien, Sr., Peggy Garrett, and all the members of the Houston Council for all the work they did making it a great conference.
We had many Constitutional Amendments and Bylaws changes this year. All were approved except for one from each category. They were withdrawn until next year. When there is an amendment or a change requested, it is because a member has

brought that to the attention of our committee. The committee does not initiate changes. Also, when doing business, if a member asks to ''Call for the Question"', that means discussion stops and a vote takes place immediately.
I would like to thank my committee members, Neil Finley and
Chris Prentice, for all their hard work. Thank you very much for your support and we look forward to seeing you next year.
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ACBT Survey-2013
1. What ACB goal or activity attracts you to being a current participant?
2. Where do you believe ACB needs the greatest improvement to attract possible participants into becoming documented members?
3. What talent do you possess that you are willing to contribute in advancing the mission of ACB? Please specify the skill below, which best suits your capability.
A. Telephone Communications Skills
B. Public Relations Skills
C. Specialized skills to support youth ACBT members ranging from 16 to 21 years old
D. Assistive Technology Skills
E. Advocacy Communications Skills which will help forward the mission of ACBT. This can include contacts you may have in your community, such as government, or corporations?
F. Fundraising
G. Design Graphics
H. Other skills you possess which were not mentioned above
4. If you aren’t currently contributing because we were not aware of your talent, how soon would you be prepared to contribute to our goals?
5. Will you personally commit to working toward the goals and

activities of ACB throughout the next 12 months?
6. Please share your email and telephone contacts so that we can be in touch for your service to ACBT.
Thank you for taking a moment to get even more involved with the mission of ACBT.
Your skills and contributions to ACBT’s objectives are appreciated.
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Texas Author Published in Behind Our Eyes: A Second Look
Donna Grahmann
Magnolia, Texas: The creative works of local writer, Donna
Grahmann, are in the latest anthology published by Behind Our
Eyes, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Behind Our Eyes: A
Second Look is the latest anthology by a unique collection of 65 writers with disabilities.
The topics range from humorous absurdity to tragic abuse, from cats and rabbits to guide dogs and even a guide horse, from medical fiascos to survival tactics, and through pangs of deprivation to heights of success. The vivid tapestry of life woven through their stories, poems, and essays demonstrates what a captivating and diverse group of writers they are; yet their creative writing collection showcases their similarities to each other and the world at large. This captivating anthology co-authored by 65 writers will pull at your heart strings, bring you to tears, and make your spirit bloom with laughter.
Behind Our Eyes: A Second Look is now available in paperback on Amazon.com, ISBN 978-1490304472. Kindle and Nook formats coming soon.
Find a copy waiting just for you at the following link: http://www.amazon.com/Behind-Our-Eyes-Second-
Look/dp/1490304479

To learn more about Behind Our Eyes and their online magazine, visit their web sites at: www.behindoureyes.org and www.magnetsandladders.org
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Destination II Wonderland 2013 Barbara J. Madrigal
Assistant Commissioner, DBS
Destination II Wonderland 2013 was a great success! Three hundred families came to San Antonio on June 13th-16th to learn new skills, build new support systems, and have the opportunity to be a “regular” family.
I want to express my appreciation for all our partners who joined us on this journey. We worked closely with Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, and Education Service
Centers 1, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, and 20. We received contributions from many private and corporate sponsors. Without our stakeholders, partners, sponsors, and volunteers, Destination
II Wonderland 2013 would not have been possible.
Thursday evening was the kickoff to the weekend events with a general session. After the excitement of a false fire alarm, the families enjoyed an evening of opening comments and brief description of services provided by 10 different resource organizations. We had two very special inspirational speakers.
Brittany Holland Wacasey is a champion barrel racer and industrial arts teacher who does not let her visual impairment get in her way. Her motto is, “Tell me that I can’t do it, that I shouldn’t even try, and I will.” Our second speaker was Susie Welch, who shared personal stories of the joys and struggles of raising her son,
Jaceson. She spoke of her family’s work with Deaf-Blind
Multi-handicapped Association of Texas (DBMAT), and testifying in legislative hearings on behalf of the deaf-blind community.
Over 1,700 consumers, family members, and volunteers spent Friday at Morgan’s Wonderland. Every activity in the park is adapted to accommodate special needs participants, and families were able to experience all that the park had to offer. There was pure joy on the faces of children and parents alike as they made their way through the park. They enjoyed many activities such as the carousel, the train, and the fishing wharf where they would

cast a line in hopes of catching a fish. The mayor of San Antonio,
Julian Castro, even stopped by to welcome the families to his great city.
On Saturday, the families had an opportunity to engage in hands-on training. There were 45 different activities for the families to choose from that ranged from learning/practicing daily living skills to build educational experiences, which included: sorting and folding socks, emptying the dishwasher, making experience books, braille activities and playing adaptive games, the whole family learning Orientation and Mobility skills under blindfold, and even line dancing! Fifty vendors were on hand to share information about their program and/or products.
Educational partners, state agencies, consumer organizations, and parent/community based organizations were all together in one place. You would think that happens a lot, but it doesn’t. Speaking of consumer organizations, I specifically want to include a DBS shout out to the American Council of the Blind of
Texas, which was actively involved in this effort. We talked with one another, shared information about our programs, and brainstormed ways to form stronger partnerships to ensure that families get information they need and how to ensure this happens across the state. This resulted in better partnering, sharing information, and getting services to our consumers.
Destination II Wonderland 2013 gave families the opportunity to spend time as a family, to play, relax, and network with other families. One parent shared how their confidence increased after successfully traveling out of town with their child for the first time.
Siblings were able to hang out and have fun together and learned that they were not the only family with a special needs child. As one mom said, “We got to be normal this weekend and we loved it.” Families began to ask how they could become more involved, they volunteered to help with fund raising to ensure that the conference would happen again, and expressed an interest in how to start and get involved in parent support groups once they get back home.
A parent expressed this clearly when she said, “I want to become more involved, I am hungry for more information and meeting more families.”

The Division for Blind Services’ vision is a Texas where people who are blind and visually impaired enjoy the same opportunities as other Texans to pursue independence and employment. In order to do that, we look for opportunities to change people’s perceptions. Destination II Wonderland 2013 was a good illustration of how this happens. Let me give you a few examples: by the end of the weekend the large hotel staff knew that children with visual impairments were first and foremost kids. One bellman said, “This weekend we are working for hugs and I have already gotten three.” They saw young children using canes and getting around the hotel with no problems. They observed competent adults, who were blind or visually impaired, volunteering and working as hard as their sighted counterparts, resulting in a shift in their perception.
A business partner got involved on the local level looking for ways to “help blind children.” She enjoyed her interactions with the area staff and she volunteered to come to the event. She is now talking with us about how to create employment opportunities for our adult consumers in her business, resulting in a business partner ready to put someone to work.
The goal for the conference was to provide families with a meaningful event that would build confidence, strengthen skills, and increase independence so our consumers can reach their fullest potential. Seeing people change their perception about what blind and visually impaired Texans can do was an added bonus!
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Projects and activities are financed by annual dues, fundraisers, and tax deductible donations made to ACBT by members, friends, and other interested persons. ACBT appreciates the continued support of its members and friends. For more information about ACBT, please contact any state officer, director, or your nearest chapter, call 866-929-2228 and leave a message, or visit www.acbtexas.org.
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Thanks to our Sponsors

HealthSpring works with the State of Texas to help people with Medicaid get health care in the STAR+PLUS Program.
STAR+PLUS is a Texas Medicaid managed care program for people who have disabilities or are age 65 or older. People in
STAR+PLUS get Medicaid health care and long-term services and support through a medical plan they choose
.
The HealthSpring STAR+PLUS plan provides great value added services for our members. Members get a 24-hour nurse line, respite care, and over-the-counter medicine services.
HealthSpring also offers dental, vision, behavioral health services and our Fans of HealthSpring program for certain members. One of our newer value added services is the HealthSpring Active and
Fit Program. This program helps members reach their fitness goals. Members get a free membership to a local gym to exercise or they can work out at home with free exercise kits designed for their needs.
HealthSpring STAR+PLUS serves the Tarrant Service Area which includes: Tarrant, Denton, Hood, Johnson, Parker, and
Wise counties. HealthSpring also serves the Hidalgo Service Area which includes: Hidalgo, Cameron, Duval, Jim Hogg, Maverick,
McMullen, Starr, Webb, Willacy and Zapata counties.
HealthSpring has over 23,000 members in our STAR+PLUS plan. We are the second largest dual special needs plan in Texas.
Call HealthSpring today for more information. If you live in the
Hidalgo Service Area, call 1-877-653-0327, Monday to Friday,
8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Time. If you live in the Tarrant Service
Area, call 1-877-966-9272, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Central Time. To enroll in HealthSpring, call the STAR+PLUS
Helpline at 1-800-964-2777, Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Central Time.
-2700-9

Superior HealthPlan, Inc. (tm) (Superior) is a health maintenance organization that was created with the communities it serves in mind. Founded in partnership with the Texas
Association of Community Health Centers and Centene
Corporation, the company has been providing services in Texas since 1999. Superior prides itself on the programs it offers to
Members and the large network of Providers it has built by cultivating relationships in the communities it serves. Superior is a subsidiary of Centene Corporation, a leading, multi-line healthcare enterprise that provides programs and related services to individuals receiving benefits under Medicaid, including Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and the State
Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).
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