We are seeking English Speakers with visual impairment for a study examining differences in communication styles of blind and sighted individuals. To participate in this study you must be at least 19 years old, English must be your native language, you must be blind from birth or lost your sight before age 5, you must have no existing cognitive or language disabilities.

Please call 404 413 6257 or email LanguageLab@gsu.edu for more information or to participate.

Thanks for your help.

In addition to visiting www.blinddriverchallenge.org, you can get updates on the Blind Driver Challenge and the Race for Independence by becoming a fan on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Blind-Driver-Challenge/108549352515974 ), following us on Twitter (www.twitter.com/nfb_voice ) or visiting our YouTube page (www.youtube.com/nations_blind).

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Nfbnet-master-list@nfbnet.org

Look out for more of these quick tips under The Hotness in the near future.

Wow! Another awesome meeting this month! We are making tremendous strides as our chapter grows by leaps and bounds. Let us welcome Kim Jones as our newest member to the chapter. Elections were held at this month’s meeting and the results are as follows: President – VaShaun Jones; 1^st Vice President – Georgeo Vickers; 2^nd Vice President – Marcia Robinson; Treasurer – LaKeisha Holmes; and Secretary – Lori Reber. The Board Members are Beau Broton, Angela Pratt, Lafayette Wood and Tamara Greenwood. We each take our positions very seriously and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for allowing us to serve as your officers, as we continue to work together to produce a truly dynamic and effective chapter.

The time has come for us to stand as a chapter and be proud of our accomplishments. We have all the minutes from November 2008 to date. Understand them and realize that you were recruited to invoke change. You must find and recruit others that are willing to work for the betterment of all blind and visually impaired persons.

We are a group of unique individuals and we know it. Jamilla said she would win the title of Ms. NFB and she did; Ricky said he would win the title for Mr. NFB and he did; Beau said he would be on our board of directors and he was elected. The power is in the tongue. Say what you want to see even though you are blind and watch it manifest itself. Read the minutes of the earlier meetings, look at the goals, observe the posture and recognize that we accomplish all of them one by one. We are strong, we are confident, we are financially independent, we are living in financial peace, we seek to really make a change in the lives of the blind community. We are dedicated to the success of the Chapter; we are socially accepted because we are not afraid to take a stand. We are free of gossip and distractions; we handle business even though it’s voluntary and we are looking better every time you see us.

I have always been of the mindset to get out of my home zones, so to speak, and shake up our assumptions and ideas. That is one reason for our chapter’s success. I urge you to fight on, believe in yourselves and prove anyone and everyone wrong if they even look like they are thinking you can’t do whatever you put your mind to. Now that’s powerful because you can’t see them thinking, but they are thinking it.

Remember there are no Big “I’s” and little “U’s”; there is only empowered “we”.

I am leaving you wonderful people for a while for a well deserved break and as my friend Cara Quin says “See you on the flip!”

Your faithful servant,

I asked as the lady dashed away to assist someone else. “Uh huh,” said the driver as I gained my balance.

Well I am sure you already guessed it. It was not the Route 10 that I thought it was. It was the Route 110 going in the opposite direction.

Tip: Never ask a bus driver a “yes/no” question. Ask what time you will arrive at a certain location. Make the driver think about what you are asking instead of an automatic acquiescence. You’ll get there faster.

Life Through the Eyes of Jamila Walker, Help to Crown Her Miss NFB

Melissa Bettess, DC Student

“The real problem of blindness is not the loss of eyesight. The real problem is the misunderstanding and lack of information that exist. If a blind person has proper training and opportunity, blindness can be reduced to a physical nuisance.” (www.nfb.org).

Each of us has come to Life with our own unique story. We have forged our own path that has led us here. Jamila Walker’s journey towards becoming a chiropractor is one extraordinary story that will inspire you. Her endeavors to make her dream become reality make most of our struggles seem petty and insignificant. Yet, she embraces each challenge with grace and thankfulness. Now she is asking for the school body of Life University to rally behind her to help her become the first chiropractic student crowned Ms NFB (Ms National Federation of the Blind)!

Jamila’s life was completely turned upside-down in 7^th grade. She was finally diagnosed with Stargardt’s Disease after two years of undergoing a series of tests and doctor visits to figure out her mysterious failing eyesight. Stargardt’s Disease is a very rare, genetically inherited juvenile macular degeneration that causes progressive vision loss, usually to the point of legal blindness. Jamila described her vision as having two beaten copper pennies placed in the center of her eyes. She has some peripheral vision, but has blind spots directly in front of her gaze.

After being diagnosed, Jamila was told to prepare for a life with very limited bleak options such as: a vendor, a medical transcriptionist, or life long recipient of government aid. None of these options resonated with Jamila and she fell into a depression.

Jamila decided to attend the Rehabilitation Center for the Blind in Daytona Beach, Florida, to be trained to become a medical transcriptionist.

Jamila managed to pick herself up and carry on with life. She worked as a medical transcriptionist, typing up doctor’s notes. Within nine months of working, she had to start seeing a chiropractor for back pain due to the poor ergonomics of sitting at a desk all day. While at the chiropractor’s office, she took note of information given about massage therapist and chiropractic care. Her eyes were quickly opened to the idea of becoming a massage therapist, and Jamila researched the profession before starting school. Under the instruction and leadership of a Life graduate, Dr. Rudy Scarfalloto, DC, she graduated in 2003 from the Academy of Somatic Healing Arts in Norcross, GA. As a massage therapist, Jamila experienced many unique privileges. She was able to preform her work on a range of individuals including elite athletes, complex diagnoses, and famous people, with varying ages and issues. It was through massage therapy that Jamila fell in love with chiropractic and the amazing opportunity it gave for her to serve humanity.

Although Jamila’s reasons for becoming a chiropractor are altruistic, she still has to deal with the reality that being legally blind adds to the difficulties of jumping through the hoops necessary for getting a license. As Jamila’s situation is uncommon at Life, she has had her fair share of struggles getting the help and tools necessary for her success in the program, such as tests in an enlarged font or simply a class note-taker. When she informs the school of her needs to accommodate her disability, she is not only doing it for herself, but is hoping to be forging a path for future visual impaired students. She is striving to create an opportunity for better lives for the blind community. Despite her frustrations, she does it with a smile on her face and thankful heart for those that have already reached out to help her.

While the rest of us are kicking back and relaxing on our school breaks, Jamila is already prepping and studying for the next quarter. She has to hunt down textbooks that are in a format readable by her computer or audio recorded, which can be a challenge given the level of textbooks required. Some audio books she has been able to acquire through Recordings for the Blind and Dyslexic. If the book comes in PDF form, like Guyton and COA, she is able to use the reader on her computer and have it read to her. She also has a special program on her computer called ZoomText that will enlarge the font for her. Most of us dreaded the day we had to buy Guyton, but Jamila jumped for joy when she learned that Guyton was available on audio! Jamila is not only striving to become a chiropractor, but also strives to bring awareness to the struggles that come with being blind. Jamila envisions greater braille literacy rates for the blind community, as well as mobility training to allow individuals to live independently. She wants individuals to be able to maintain their pride and dignity while living with a disability and to have some chance at actually living a life. Support and service in these areas empowers the greatest functionality and independence for the blind and visually impaired.

Now we, as a school, have a great opportunity to show our support for this vision. We can place votes to help her be crowned Ms NFB. Every dollar raised is a vote for Jamila. On March 27^th the crowning ceremony will take place. The tickets are 35$ a piece. This is a tax deductible donation and will include dinner, drink, and prizes at the crowning ceremony. Your attendance at the ceremony is not mandatory, however, your donation can be used as a vote for Jamila, a tax deduction, or given to a blind or visually impaired person who can not afford a ticket to attend the ceremony. You can donate any amount towards a vote for Jamila and support of the NFB. All funds raised will go directly to support the Cobb County Empowerment Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind. These programs include braille literacy and education, accessibility and mobility/transportation training, independent living skills, and technology and employment goals. If you are interested in donating to the cause please contact Jamila Walker at HYPERLINK “mailto:perfecttouch1331@aol.com” perfecttouch1331@aol.com, HYPERLINK “mailto:jwalker1346@student.life.edu” jwalker1346@student.life.edu, or 407-235-8786. How great would that be for the public to hear the message of chiropractic through Jamila. Now imagine if there is one blind child or individual who hears Jamila’s story and finds a life worth living in the hope of one day, too, coming to Life to become a humble chiropractor or becoming under chiropractic care. Visit HYPERLINK “http://www.nfb.org” www.nfb.org, or HYPERLINK “http://www.ccecnfb.org” www.ccecnfb.org for more information.