THE BRAILLE FORUM Volume XLVIII January 2010 No. 7 Published by the American Council of the Blind THE AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND STRIVES TO INCREASE THE INDEPENDENCE, SECURITY, EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY, AND TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED PEOPLE. Mitch Pomerantz, President Melanie Brunson, Executive Director Sharon Lovering, Editor National Office: 2200 Wilson Blvd. Suite 650 Arlington, VA 22201 (202) 467-5081 fax: (703) 465-5085 Web site: http://www.acb.org THE BRAILLE FORUM (TM) is available in braille, large print, half-speed four-track cassette tape, and via e-mail. Subscription requests, address changes, and items intended for publication should be sent to Sharon Lovering at the address above, or via e-mail to slovering@acb.org. The American Council of the Blind (TM) is a membership organization made up of more than 70 state and special-interest affiliates. To join, visit the ACB web site and complete an application form, or contact the national office at the number listed above. Those much-needed contributions, which are tax-deductible, can be sent to Mike Godino at the above mailing address. If you wish to remember a relative or friend, the national office can make printed cards available for this purpose. To remember the American Council of the Blind in your Last Will and Testament, you may include a special paragraph for that purpose. If your wishes are complex, contact the ACB national office. Join the Monthly Monetary Support (MMS) Program and help improve tomorrow today in ACB. Contact Ron Milliman by e-mail, rmilliman@insightbb.com, or by phone at (270) 782-9325 and get started making tomorrow look brighter today! To make a contribution to ACB via the Combined Federal Campaign, use this number: 11155. For the latest in legislative and governmental news, call the "Washington Connection" toll-free at (800) 424-8666, 5 p.m. to midnight Eastern time, or visit the Washington Connection online at http://www.acb.org. Copyright 2009 American Council of the Blind TABLE OF CONTENTS President's Message: Some Personal Reflections on Braille, by Mitch Pomerantz The Earned Income Tax Credit, A Little-Known Benefit for People with Disabilities, by Melanie Brunson and Richard Keeling ACB Seeks Testing Accommodations Horror Stories 2010-2011 Scholarship Applications Available Now And the Scholarship Winners for 2009-2010 Are …, by Patty Slaby Good Will to All Through ACB Radio!, by Debbie Hazelton On with the Ironman Quest, or, Life as an Advocate, by Doug Powell Affiliate News ACB Membership Focus: Reactivating and Keeping Members, by Ardis Bazyn BFLAG's Evolution Leads to Its New Name, by Don Brown Banging the Drum Loudly, by Peter Altschul Blind Grandmother Goes Backpacking with Llamas in the Colorado Rockies, by Judy Presley Visit to the White House with Live Audio Description, by Jean Shiner Here and There, edited by Sue Lichtenfels High Tech Swap Shop