Center for the Visually Impaired InfoLink

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             Click here to have the InfoLink delivered to your email address each week. To have your event or information included in InfoLink, please contact Empish Thomas at 404-875-9011 ext. 4277 or email at infolink@cviga.org with InfoLink in the subject line. Information must be received the Tuesday prior to publication.

Here are the announcements as of Thursday, July 2, 2009:

*New information: The next meeting of the Metro Atlanta Chapter of GCB will be held on Friday July 10, 2009 at Manuals Tavern, 602 N. Highland Avenue, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. The meeting will take place in the North Room. Phone is: 404-525-3447. The guest speaker will be Linda Pogue from Disability Link. For further information please call Diane Healy at 770-935-4082.

*New Information: The Decatur Area Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of Georgia will be having their next chapter meeting on Saturday, July 11^th. The meeting will be held at the Decatur Recreational Center at 231 Sycamore Street, Decatur, Georgia from 12:00 – 2:00 p.m. Refreshments will be served. If you are traveling by MARTA rail from Five Points take the East bound train to Decatur Station, exit on the Church Street side and cross Church Street and proceed up Sycamore to the second building on the right which will be the Decatur Recreational Center. For more information contact Wayne High, president, at 404-768-3206 or Vonnie Roberson, 1^st vice president at 404-371-8095.

*New information: The new Blind and Visually Impaired Men’s Organization/Support Group meetings are held on the 2^nd Saturday of the month from 2-4 p.m. at Manuel’s Tavern, 602 North Highland Ave. Phone is: 404–525–3447 for information and directions. This support group provides the opportunity for blind and visually-impaired men to discuss topics and issues that affect them. The next meeting date is July 11^th. At this time, the group has not chosen a name. For more information you can contact Willard Walker at 770-981-8766 or Adam Shapiro at 404-874-3005.

*New information: The NFB Jernigan Institute presents the Braille Enrichment Through Literacy and Non-visual Learning (BELL) program, a free demonstration program during the summer providing intensive Braille instruction to children with low vision. This program is designed to provide children ages four through twelve with two weeks of intense Braille instruction through fun, hands-on learning and activities, led by the NFB BELL Core Team.

This two week program will take place from July 13 thru July 24; Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (after care is available). A parent piece will also accompany the program wherein parents will learn strategies to support their child in the learning and use of Braille. Parents will also gain valuable information to aid them in the empowerment of their child as they interact with other parents of blind children and successful blind adults.

For more information contact the National Federation of the Blind of Georgia, 315 West Ponce de Leon Ave., Suite 1020, Decatur, GA 30030. Phone is 404-371-1000; fax is 404-371-1002.

*The Beyond Sight Communicators will meet on the first Thursday of the month, July 2, at 11:50 AM in the Center for the Visually Impaired’s Bellsouth conference room. Officers for 2009 – 2010 will be installed to kickoff the new Toastmaster year. Everyone is invited to the meeting to learn how Toastmasters can help you become comfortable speakers one-on-one or before large audiences. Bring your lunch and join us at CVI 739 W. Peachtree St, Atlanta GA. For more information contact Beverley Foster by e-mail at bfoster7712@comcast.net.

*You are invited to volunteer for a psychology research project conducted by the GT Sonification Lab. The purpose of the research is to determine and evaluate what type of auditory assistance in the auditory menus is more proper for people with visual impairments. You will be asked to navigate the phonebook list using a laptop or a cell phone provided by the researcher. The session will last around one hour and will be held at the Center for the Visually Impaired, 739 W. Peachtree Street, NE. The payment for participation is $20. To participate in the experiment or if you have any questions, please contact the researcher, Philart Myounghoon Jeon, by e-mail at philart@gmail.com or by phone at 404-894-7314.

*CVI hosts the Open Window Book Group on the first Monday of every month from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. in CVI's BellSouth Community Room. Participants must be blind or visually impaired and at least 18 years old. Light refreshments will be available. The next book selections are:

July 13^th- Someone to Love Me by Francis Ray, RC 60233
August 3^rd- Dreams of My Father by Barack Obama, RC 43877
September 14^th- Waking with Enemies by Eric Jerome Dickey, RC 66023

For more information contact Melissa Imtiaz at 404-875-9011, ext. 4433 if you have any questions.

*Just us Blind Girls will be hosting their 9^th annual blind women’s conference. This year’s theme is “What’s love got to do with it? -- Who’s loving who, how and why.” The conference will provide information, fun, networking, presentations and in a location like never before. Don’t miss it!

Date: Saturday September 26, 2009

Location: Executive Park Courtyard by Marriott

1236 Executive Park Dr. NE, Atlanta, GA 30329

404-728-0708

Please register now. Conference fee is $40 (all women planning to stay overnight must call the hotel at 800-321-2211 by the September 7th deadline to register yourself). The hotel room rate is $89 per room (up to 4 women per room).

On Friday night, September 25^th, the Chairman of the Board will host a welcome party/early registration by RSVP only, from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. The location will be given upon your call to RSVP. For more information about the conference or to RSVP call Virginia Gray at 404-755-5190. Or send your registration forms and check to Just us Blind Girls, P.O. Box 56691, Atlanta, GA 30343.

*Are you visually impaired and looking for a career? Call Winston Salem Industries for the Blind's toll free HR job hotline at (888) 781-9034 to learn about our company and openings at our 41 locations throughout the southeastern United States. WSIFB can make the transition to work easy and can help subsidize relocation. No experience is necessary; we'll provide all the training.

* Are you interested in being the first to know about upcoming savings and specials at CVI’s VisAbility store? Send you name and email address to visability@cviga.organd we’ll be sure to send you email promotions and special announcements.

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