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Association of Blind Citizens Holiday Party

The Association of Blind Citizens will sponsor a Holiday party on Saturday, December 3 at the VFW hall located at 11316 Fern Street in Wheaton , Maryland . The hall is located near the Wheaton Metro station on the Red Line.

A variety of sandwiches, sweet treats and snacks will be available and sure to please all.A cash bar will be available so that you may enjoy your favorite adult beverage. A local DJ will be spinning your favorite holiday songs and dance music.

Come and join us and be part of a holiday Yankee Swap. If you wish to participate in the Yankee Swap, you must bring a wrapped gift valued at $15 to $20. Gift cards should also be wrapped.

Come and join us for a great afternoon of fun and help us continue a holiday tradition that was started by Skip Sharp many years ago.

ABC's holiday party will be free to all. Bring your friends and be part of this memorable holiday event.

Please register by calling 781-654-2000 to notify us regarding who will be attending and the number of guests in your party. Be sure to leave a telephone number in your message. This will assist us in food and hall preparation.

To learn more about the Association of Blind Citizens, please visit www.blindcitizens.org.

Association of Blind Citizens Free Annual Holiday Luncheon

The Association of Blind Citizens will hold its annual Holiday Luncheon on Saturday December 10th at the Fours Restaurant located at 166 Canal Street Boston . The Restaurant is a short walk from the MBTAs North Station.

The expanded luncheon menu will include a variety of choices sure to please all. A cash bar will be available so that you may enjoy your favorite adult beverage. The party will begin at 12:00 PM and end at 4:00 PM.

Come and join us for a great lunch and be part of a traditional Yankee Swap. If you wish to participate in the Yankee Swap, you must bring a wrapped gift valued at 10 to 12 dollars.

ABC's holiday luncheon will be free to the blind community. Bring your friends and be part of this memorable holiday event.

Please be sure to notify us regarding who will be attending and the number of guests in your party. Register by calling 781-654-2000 and be sure to leave a telephone number in your message.

Association of Blind Citizens Awards Scholarships to Exceptional Students With Vision Loss

Boston (August 31, 2011)- The Association of Blind Citizens (ABC) today announced the 2011 recipients of its annual scholarships for students in higher education who are legally blind.

Academic scholarships were awarded this year totaling $5,000. The grants bring together two of ABC's important areas of work for legally blind people - living independently and employment. "Education is vital to people who are blind in order to secure employment and to maintain an independent lifestyle," said John Oliveira, President of the Association of Blind Citizens. "ABC is proud that we can be a part of the personal and professional advancement of people who are blind."

• Sarah Gonzales of Atlantic Beach, Florida attending Georgia Institute of Technology
• Catherine Lei of Elk Grove, California attending Princeton University
• Timothy Gottlieb of Wrentham, Massachusetts attending Becker College
• Morgayne Mulkern of Bridgewater, Massachusetts attending St. Mary's College of California

The Association of Blind Citizens is a nonprofit organization that works to create opportunity for blind people. For more information visit our website

Association of Blind Citizens Awards Scholarships to Exceptional Students With Vision Loss

Boston (August 31, 2011)- The Association of Blind Citizens (ABC) today announced the 2011 recipients of its annual scholarships for students in higher education who are legally blind.

Academic scholarships were awarded this year totaling $5,000. The grants bring together two of ABC's important areas of work for legally blind people - living independently and employment. "Education is vital to people who are blind in order to secure employment and to maintain an independent lifestyle," said John Oliveira, President of the Association of Blind Citizens. "ABC is proud that we can be a part of the personal and professional advancement of people who are blind."

• Sarah Gonzales of Atlantic Beach, Florida attending Georgia Institute of Technology
• Catherine Lei of Elk Grove, California attending Princeton University
• Timothy Gottlieb of Wrentham, Massachusetts attending Becker College
• Morgayne Mulkern of Bridgewater, Massachusetts attending St. Mary's College of California

The Association of Blind Citizens is a nonprofit organization that works to create opportunity for blind people. For more information visit our website at www.blindcitizens.org.

Announcing Upcoming Sleep Studies in Totally Blind Individuals

Are you blind with no light perception?

Do you have problems sleeping or trouble with daytime sleepiness?

Non-24-hour sleep wake disorder occurs in some individuals who are totally blind and lack the light sensitivity necessary to reset the "body clock". This can lead to problems with sleep and/or daytime excessive sleepiness.

You can help researchers understand non-24-hour sleep wake disorder by taking a brief phone survey. In addition, you will have the opportunity to be informed of upcoming clinical studies recruiting in your area.

Survey Participants Need to:

• be over 18 years of age
• be blind with no light perception
• have sleep problems and/or daytime sleepiness

Collected information will be kept strictly confidential.

For each completed survey, a donation of $25 up to $50,000 will be made to the Association of Blind Citizens.

If you want to participate in the survey, please call toll-free
1-888-387-0986 Monday-Friday between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM ET.

Thank you!

Association of Blind Citizens Recreational Bowling

The Association of Blind Citizens will again be sponsoring recreational bowling. Bowling is a great Fall and Winter activity so join us and have some fun. We plan to gather on the first and third Saturday of the month.

If you are interested in participating please leave your name and number at 781-654-2000. We will call you with all of the details. Space is limited so do not hesitate.

Association of Blind Citizens needs your old mobile phones!

• Save on taxes.
• Save the environment.
• Help our organization.
• Donate your cell phone!

The Association of Blind Citizens is conducting a cell phone recycling fundraiser. There's nothing to buy. We are simply asking you to protect the environment by donating your used digital cell phone(s). Your used cell phone(s) may be tax deductible and will be recycled in accordance with EPA regulations or refurbished and sold. 100% of the proceeds will help fund programs for the blind.

Please spread the word at work school or any organization that you belong to and collect the phones. Collect only phones and batteries.

Please do not collect accessories or chargers. When you have finished collecting, call the ABC news and activities line at 781-654-2000 and we will make arrangements for pick up. We are scheduling our next shipment for December 5.

We greatly appreciate your support!

New Sponsorship to Promote Literacy Skills and Job Readiness Among Blind Children

The Association of Blind Citizens, is proud to announce the sponsorship of the reprint of the popular book the Goblet of Fire in braille format for blind Children. The sponsorship of this children's favorite is another step in ABC's continued commitment to the equality and equal opportunity of all blind citizens. ABC’s founder and president John Oliveira and the ABC board of Directors believe in the importance of building literacy skills and promoting job readiness among children. ABC believes that the sponsorship of this braille project, will reinforce the importance of literacy for blind children.. Braille literacy will provide much enjoyment and a skill that will be essential for job readiness and future employment.

ABC's sponsorship will assist the National Braille Press in reprinting one thousand braille copies of the Goblet of Fire. To order your copy please call National Braille Press at (617) 266-6160 or Toll-free: (888) 965-8965.

To join the Association of Blind Citizens visit www.blindcitizens.org or call (781) 654-2000 and leave the requested information on our voice mail system.

ABC Receives Grant For ESL Program

The Board of Directors of the Association of Blind Citizens would like to express our sincere thanks to Citizens Bank of Massachusetts. Citizens Bank of Massachusetts has awarded ABC a grant to develop an audio English as a Second Language program for blind or visually impaired people. A qualified ESL instructor has been retained and is presently developing the curriculum and recording the lessons. ABC is developing this audio educational program because public ESL programs do not provide blind or visually impaired non-English speaking individuals with an opportunity to learn basic English. This idea was brought to ABC's board by ABC member, Cheryl Cumings.

Ms. Cumings and John Oliveira co-wrote a proposal and submitted to Citizens Bank of Massachusetts. In it's award notification letter to ABC they stated "the resources and services of the Association of Blind Citizens make a notable difference in our community by addressing important concerns that touch us all". The award letter indicated that Citizens Bank of Massachusetts shares our excitement in producing what we all hope will be a useful and important program.

More details on the availability of this program will be released in several weeks. Additional funding is being sought to distribute and market this ESL program.

If you wish to support this program you can make a tax deductible donation. Send a check or money order to:
The Association of Blind Citizens
PO Box 246
Holbrook, MA 02343