2009 Brings ADA Changes

by

,

From the Editor: Greg Trapp is an attorney by training. He is the director of the New Mexico Commission for the Blind and a longtime member of the National Federation of the Blind. In the following brief article he explains in layman’s language the impact of the recent important amendments to the Americans with Disabilities Act. This is what he says:

Cruising Then and Now

by

,

From the Editor: Here is another cruising article. Jim Babb is president of the Albuquerque Chapter of the NFB of New Mexico. This is what he says:

Canadian Cool to Tropical Tan

by

,

From the Editor: Nancy Burns is the past president of the NFB of California. She and her husband Don have retired to New Mexico. As we settle into summer, Nancy offers a vacation report. This is what she says: Packing for a twelve-day cruise in a midsize suitcase and one carry-on became more challenging than I had anticipated. Adding to this challenge was the fact that we would board the ship in Vancouver, British Columbia, sail around the Hawaiian Islands, and disembark in Honolulu.

Greg Trapp

by

,

From the Editor: Greg Trapp is an attorney by training. He is the director of the New Mexico Commission for the Blind and a longtime member of the National Federation of the Blind. In the following brief article he explains in layman’s language the impact of the recent important amendments to the Americans with Disabilities Act. This is what he says:

Identity Theft and You Update

by

,

From the Editor: Jim Babb is a leader of the NFB of New Mexico. He has also become something of an expert on credit protection for the average citizen. This is his latest advice:

A Report on the Quiet Car Emergency

by

,

The Media Weigh in

From the Editor: As Monitor readers know, we have been increasingly concerned over the past several years about the growing threat electric and hybrid cars pose to all pedestrians, but particularly to those who depend on hearing the sound of vehicle engines to travel safely.

The Precinct The Riveting Story of a Blind Man, a Blonde, and a Ballot

by

,

From the Editor: If you are old enough to remember the radio and television program from the fifties, Dragnet , the following description of voting day last November will tickle you. Jim Salas is a leader of the NFB of New Mexico. Here is his tale of a nonevent as told by a fictional poll worker:

My name is Harlow, Bill Harlow. I was working the 375th Precinct on the east side, Albuquerque. It was Election Day 2006. I'm a poll worker. In my day I've worked the polls many times, and I take my job seriously. I'm like that.

A Reporter Reports on Blindness

by

,

From the Editor: Art Schreiber is a first-class example of what adopting the NFB’s positive philosophy of blindness can do for a senior suddenly faced with vision loss. He now serves as president of the NFB of New Mexico and still broadcasts two radio programs a week in Albuquerque. Here is the speech he made at the 2005 meeting of the National Organization of the Senior Blind in Louisville. It is reprinted from the Winter/Spring 2006 issue of the NOSB Newsletter . This is what he said:

Air Force’s Best

by

,

From the Editor: The following article is reprinted from the May 4, 2005, edition of the Albuquerque Tribune . The subject of the article, Robert Vick, is an active Federationist who lives in Albuquerque and is a successful businessman who manages Vick’s Vittles, the contract food provider for an air force dining facility. Robert has overcome great odds to get to where he is, and he now has a trophy to prove it.

Education: More Than Academics

by

,

From the Editor: At the National Association of Blind Students midwinter conference on January 31, 2004, the final panel presentation of the morning focused on the educational value of various kinds of nonacademic student activities. The opportunities open to today's students and the stories these three told about their personal experiences were fascinating and inspiring.