Good Works Wednesday
A newsletter celebrating ASB progress, programs and people
At Associated Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired, we work every day to help individuals build skills and gain access to the information, experiences and resources they need to live the lives they wish to lead. We are an agency for anyone, anywhere on the vision loss continuum and offer education, training, community-based enrichment opportunities and referrals to help them achieve their individual goals.
ASB Closed on Monday Following Independence Day
ASB will be closed on Monday, July 5, following Independence Day. We will resume regular business hours on Tuesday, July 6. We hope everyone has a wonderful holiday weekend!
ASB’s Speaker Series — New July Dates
ASB welcomes professionals from health care and other fields to speak with participants about topics such as health and welfare, insurance and finances, legal assistance and much more!Review the upcoming July schedule below, and contact ASB’s Director of Participant Engagement and Outreach, Lexi Jones, at ajones@asb.org if any of the participants you work with are interested in attending any sessions.
Topic: Member Benefits, including Health and Wellness, Travel, Employment, Volunteering and Discounts
Presenter: American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)
Date: July 9, 2021
Time: 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Topic: Protecting Yourself from Fraud
Presenter: American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)
Date: July 16, 2021
Time: 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Topic: Diabetes: It’s a Family Matter
Presenter: Health Partners
Date: July 23, 2021
Time: 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Topic: Cholesterol: Keeping it Under Control
Presenter: Health Partners
Date: June 30, 2021
Time: 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Professional Development Workshops — July Dates
ASB will be working with Kevin E. O’Connor, CSP, a leadership and communications expert, to lead sessions teaching the tools and techniques needed to provide the best experience for our participants. One session per month will be for all staff, agency-wide, focusing on improving individual and team professionalism and the provision of high-quality service. The Department of Education and Enrichment Programming (DEEP) will have an additional session per month, focusing specifically on skills to improve working relationships with our participants and learners.
Calendar invitations and Zoom links will be sent to you according to the schedule. Please plan to attend and fully participate in all the sessions on your calendar. Each session will be held remotely on Fridays from 9 – 10:30 a.m.
A schedule of July’s upcoming sessions can be found below.
- July 9 – All Staff – The Helper’s Personal Experience: Self-Reflection and Self-Disclosure and Emotional Intelligence
- July 23 – DEEP – The Skills of Empathy and Encouragement: Dealing with Participant Setbacks, Resistance, and Discouragement
We are looking forward to joining you at the next session! If you have a scheduling conflict, please let your manager know as soon as possible to make arrangements for you to make up the session. If you have any specific questions about the training schedule, please contact Emily Yaskowski at eyaskowski@asb.org.
NOW ENROLLING: Free Internet Access with Internet Essentials by Comcast
ASB is offering free internet access to participants through a new partnership with Comcast’s Internet Essentials Partnership Program (IEPP). Qualifying participants can sign up on a rolling basis and receive free internet for six months.
Eligible participants must: qualify for programs such as the National School Lunch Program, housing assistance, Medicaid, SNAP, SSI or others; live in an area where Comcast Internet service is available; have not had Comcast Internet Services in 90 days; have no outstanding debt to Comcast that is less than one year old; and meet at least one of the following vision requirements:
- Visual acuity of 20/70 or poorer in better-seeing eye that cannot be corrected or improved with regular eyeglasses.
- Corresponding loss of visual fields.
- Progressive sight-threatening eye diseases, such as diabetes.
- Diagnosis of a degenerative eye or sight disorder.
In July, ASB will host a Comcast IEPP Q&A on Zoom for participants interested in the program. We will keep everyone posted once we have a set date and time for this upcoming session.
Participants can determine their eligibility by contacting ASB’s Director of Participant Engagement and Outreach Lexi Jones at ajones@asb.org or by calling 267-551-0561.
ASB is sharing the events below as a courtesy to ASB participants. These are non-ASB events. Please be mindful of any requirements, including COVID-19 requirements, that may apply.
Braille Music Classes from Miami Lighthouse
ASB is pleased to be able to connect our participants with Miami Lighthouse’s Distance Learning Braille Music program, a braille music curriculum designed for people who are interested in pursuing a music career.
Over 10 years ago, Miami Lighthouse created a unique Distance Learning Braille Music curriculum, bringing music instruction to students who are experiencing vision loss worldwide. Miami Lighthouse designed the curriculum for people of all ages who have advanced braille skills and a goal of working in the music industry. Using Expert Learning License, the Braille Music curriculum is an at-home learning experience, perfect for social distancing.
Braille Music makes mainstream music industry employment an option for people experiencing vision loss. The curriculum is the only way for a blind musician to gain comprehensive training in the U.S. and learn to read music scores directly. Students learn basic computer technology and develop proficiency in Literary Braille Grade 2, which are standards in the music industry.
Instructor Jin Ho Choi, a musician who is blind and certified braille music transcriber by the Library of Congress, teaches the Braille Music curriculum at Miami Lighthouse. Now available online, each of the 26 lessons can be completed in 45 minutes and enable the braille reader, as well as sighted helpers, to learn the basic concepts of musical notation.
If any of the participants you work with are interested in learning more about this program, please contact Beth Deering at Bdeering@asb.org.