Unlabeled images

I noticed on the Higher Balance site that soome images were not labeled. Once I clicked on the six images, I could view them, and that was great, but the images before I did that had no label. I noticed that after I could not get some other things to work such as the A. I. 2 meditation, or whatever it was, and the Thursday class did not have part of it from the meditation and scientific Kairos had either. When links are not labelled and things are not clear, it messes up accessibility. I think it's past bedtime. Koraling Lynne I'll stop posting.

Good to hear From Friends

A friend called me, and she had introduced me to the computer person who died recently. She had been gone for two months and did not know that. She said she would get together with me next week. Putting together the program and brainstorming was really good tonight. Koraling Llynne

Website accessibility on the 21 Anniversary of the ADA

Today, the President offered a proclamation about training for employment of disabled persons. The White House is holding a conference call tomorrow. All the plattitudes will not improve employment prospects on the job tightrope. I will post that article about accessibility standards delays, which was ostedlast week. I noticed that the paratransit services website was not accessible had arrows without labelling them. (Sigh). I have friends all over the country, but I have lost touch with some. Thanks for reading. We need respect, dignity, funds to help the economy and pay our taxes instead of taking. Koraling Lynne The ADA int his alphabet soup is the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Reflections on whatever

I have always felt different. I thought it was because I was blind, and so few of us are congenitallly blind. We are a distinct minority. Then I realize that I am Jewish or was born that way, and that was a miniscule minority, also 2%, i learned in 1983 or so of the world's population. Now, I know I am also considered a "white cell" a person who reflects and tries to solve problems of others and find a better way for everyone, without rancor or remorse. I feel wise sometimes, as if I could teach and train and be an instructor, but I did not like being an instructor so much of Braille and technology for four years. I thought I would like it and the students, but many complained about me, and I'd fall asleep because there was so much repetition, and it was boring teaching touch typing. Even though every student was different, some were complaining and blaming, and I had enough of that, and others' naivete and quirks, and passivity and some phoniness, or eruptions. The condo meeting was pretty good yesterday, but it was when one person started getting angry that my stomach ended up in knots. Tyler is a good facilitator. I thank Pual, our neighbor, for walking me over to the next building. Well, much to do before I embark on my trip for the internet marketing conference. Thanks for listening. Koraling Lynne

Trauma

In the last two months, I have listened to stories of people who are traumatized. One person had phoned Alaska Independent Blind and I could tell when I finally received an answer that this woman might be being abused or had been abused. I feel good when I can intuitively tell about an unsafe situation. One of my friends in Missouri says I am like a sister to her. She ahs made her decision about where to go and what to do with her life. I think it is good. There is so much violence and lying and disrespect right now in the world. I want to change it, and create a support community for depressed or low-income blind women. There must be a way we can help each other. We all need a way to vent and get our issues out there. Koraling Lynne

today was a good day

I attended both classes in the Higher Balance classes. All of a sudden, I remembered some successes I had had. They just gushed out as if a waterfall was being tapped. I thought of being the first blind intern and professional in the Legislature in 2009. I thought about the Progress Award I received after my first or second year on the violin, or was it for piano? I had made more progress than any other or than I had made before. I was about 10 or something like that. I remembered going to Social Work school in Industrial Social Work as a single mother and my third year was full-time as I also planned for my son's 16th birthday and his great bar mitzvah. I was told that I should take four years to finish Social Work school, and not three because I could not handle going full-time. I had taken the first two years part-time. I came to Alaska in 1991 over everyone's protestations. There are items I remembered for the book and for this blog about my life, such as tandem biking when I was about thirteen. People would say: "A two-people bicycle." We would go to Grandpa's house, or to Aunt Sylvia's house, I think. Our family was more close-knit back then with people living closer to their relatives. Mobility has really changed all that. Yesterday, I had trouble with e-mail. I am seriously thinking of changing the Internet Service Provider. I don't know how I would do that, with so many people using this account. But, it is possible. I don't think the people at GCI know very much. I was grateful to Steve for giving me a number of a woman who was very helpful. I was told to click on "system restore" and also on AVG free download. It was the AVG download that did the trick. I was not getting e-mail from about 1:20 or so until after about 7:00 or so. I thanked Steve, and let Linda know that her fix had worked. She does not like Microsoft Outlook. Well, it's time to go to bed. Yesterday, I was selected to be a beta tester for google music, so I have to get back to that, and look at a website that Mike G. sent for a technique we use in Higher Balance. Koraling Lynne

conference and convention

Last wek from the 8 of July until the 16 of July was one of the better conventions and conferences I have attended. First, at the airport we ran into Anna Olsen, wife of the departed James R. Olsen, and that was great to see her, and we never did get together for dinner. Then we ran into Rex when we had secured our luggage. We were on the plane all night or 2:40 we got on the plane instead of 1:45. I think we had dinner with Chris and Marvelena at the Oyster House, I guess after we had something to eat, and we did get into our room right away. It was a nice room. We were in Room 1168, I believe. I did not rest, because I was reading the stuff about restaurants and such. Luckily, we had no worshops on Friday, but Saturday, I checked in to the computer, and someone wanted to check his also, and his wife worked for Bookshare. I went to the Information Access Committee and ran into Sarita Holliday, (if spelled right) who I have always liked since we met her at a mid-year meeting. She was sitting to my left. Many people have iphones, and ipads, I guess also, and all sorts of Apple devices. The panelists were good about the Levelstar product, and all sorts of other products. I spoke to Don Horne, who is a rehabilitation Counselor in New York. He is now using a wheelchair, and I spoke to him and Sarita about addiction in the blind community, which is connected to trauma and though it was brought 15 years ago, it did not go anywhere because so many on the ACB Board did have addictions. I believe there are alcohol addictions, sex addictions, and process addictions. I also believe that there is more depression. I went to a women's circle, and that was good also on Wednesday, I think. I met some cool women named Sylvia, Sandy and Nancy from Venetia, California during a safety on the internet discussion. That was great! They were going to exhibits, and I asked to tag along. Nancy and I had a whale of a time going from booth to booth, etc. I picked up about six CD'S and had one from the Public Relations seminar on Sunday. I did not go to the fund-raising for non-profits one, or the employment seminar because I went to "How to Work a Room" for the Human Service Providers. I saw two movies that were described by professional describers, where the narrator's explanations are imbedded in the film. I finally saw "Social Networking" on Thursday, and that was good. There was a flight simjulator which was audible and it is software and you use the keyboard to go left or avoid collisions. I saw the Bureau and Engraving folks also, and that was fun andI could see the two designs. Well, I'm fading fast, so I'd better go. It was wonderful to meet some new friends, and hang out and have them be interested in phoning me to check my schedule. Koraling Lynne This was the 50th anniversary of the American Council of the Blind. The awards presentations were stellar, and the ACB jeopardy was great. The general session which spoke about HIPAA and safety was great. I also enjoyed the panel on newer members.

ponderings

I could lisgten to Anugama all day. I understand he is used in yoga, and he is so soothing, nurturing, and relaxing the body, nerves, mind and spirit. It is healing music at its best. It is truly wonderful! Music changes my brain waves, I'm sure. It speaks to the rigt side of my brain. I have always liked poetry. It is that which will heal me and make me whole and thankful to God which is the self-organizing way the universe is shaped. God is all around us if we just pay attention and listen.

freedom and self-determination

When I was at Pacific Oaks in perhaps 1984 or 1983, I read books by Thurow with Stan, I think his name was, and George Will and others but cannot remember the classes except for a class on education and Learning and Teaching Peace-Making which Caryl and I both took. I remember that a man in the class and I had freedom and self-determination as values we espoused above quality of life, reverance for life, and a few others. There were six values I think. Now, I don't know what I think except that attitudes have not improved very much towards disabled folk. I may be intelligent, and impressive, but what do I have to show for it? I love to sing, and love to encourage people, and work as a team. I had good conversations today, and wished my long-time friend (we have known each other since I was in sixth grade) a happy 58th birthday. I need to get on with things, but just do not know how. Koraling Lynne

Treading water

In a peer counseling session, I was asked how long had I ever felt stagnant, or when was the first time? I always felt that my opinions did not matter, or that I was ignored, or that no one noticed me. She suggested thta I form a posse of sorts, or a pack of people who would surround me and be there for me. People would encourage and acknowledge me, and notice who I could be, not act as if I was in the way. A pack, school, flock, swarm, or other groups who count on each other. We are not single, but multiple connected beings. I don't want to be sad, disconnected, angry, or bitter, or unhealthy or alone or isolated any more. I have had enough of all that, and I am tired of people not processing and working on themselves. We cannot drown it out, or use addicitions to push it down so we don't have to process it, or change the subject. I am a healing being, and a loving being, who has multiple skills and don't know what to do. I can help people figure out where they need to improve processes and there are new technologies coming online all the time. Just let me work with people to enhance their work. Koraling Genius Consultants is at the ready for you. Koraling Lynne

connections

In Anchorage, I have a few connections, but not as many as I want. It's just that I have not gone to many events or attended concerts as I did in the 1990's. I would do what I wanted, and feel confident, and I did feel confident as the Accessibility Coordinator. But now, I feel great about last week and the scientific spiritual workshop, and i feel hopeless sometimes also. It's a seesaw and an oscillation. It's amazing that the Freedom Rides were 50 years ago, and I was in high school when my parents would take me out of school for the boycotts during the desegregation struggle, and I knew about teachers then like Mrs. Bruno at Grover Cleveland High School, I think who were in SNCC, and I would go to events where African-American students were speaking about their rights. In college, I took Pan-African studies and read literature by people of color and I was one of the only white students in the class. I always wondered why people of color did not always understand that when prejudice effects one, it effects all peoples. It's just that with this Folkstage on www.wfmt.com, it's bringing back high school, where we had a "blind power movement" and the Village Vooice wrote this article about us, and we adopted the fierceness of the movements at that time. We were in high school, and we would want parent education, jobs without judgment, we wrote on a sign, and bread not breadcrumbs. Judgment has been dogging me all my life. We must learn to chart our own course, and decide for ourselves. We would adapt Phil Ochs songs or whatever to mold them for blindness advocacy purposes. We were just spunky youngsters, in 1968 and 1969, and I guess I was highly impressionable. This does not mean that we do not need to work on our own stereotypes, biases, and prejudices. We all have them. We live in an oppressive society which must be improved with the assistance of everyone. Koraling Lynne

Good energy etc.

Kim and Reggie Harris are singing from a live concert on WFMT Folkstage in Illinois, and it reminds me of going to concerts, swaying and feeling so good! I really miss being at concerts, and I remember the Michigan Women's Music Festival and that was in Mount Pleasant, Michigan and then the Bay Area Women's Festival where we camped, and I had a dog and sleeping bag, maybe Ragu, and maybe Hesper. I cannot remember. I went with Julie, a friend of Cheryl's. I received help, and I remember going to the showers and getting food in the outdoors, and the showers were cold! We walked out of some concernt, or got word of some racism and we all organized with Sweet HOney in the Rock and protested the racism there. I cannot remember all the details. Some neighbors at the time were also there at the Festival. That was my life as a feminist. I still believe in dignity for women, people of color, disabled people and everyone who has been shunted aside by society. Kim and Reggie were singing a song which we used to sing about "We have the right to the tree of life." So, where do we go from here? We must respect each other, and have dignity for every human being. We must not let our emotions win, but must think before we say something. We must also use meditation to calm our minds and realize that we live on a living planet. Happy Independence Day everybody! Spirituality is becoming more evident, and science and spirituality are merging. The scientific knowledge that was "downloaded" to us last week is still percolating and that is great. Koraling Lynne There is such great energy when people get together and sing, etc.

Attitudinal Access

I need more people to speak with about my plight. I want to feel good about things, and when I hear things that I don't know all the answers to certainn things, I feel so stupid. How can I change my brain function? When I spoke to someone last night, I know there are ways to rewire the brain, and keep myself on a forward track, and not backtrack. It seems as if I should make some appointments, and try to connect with people to see just what I can accomplish. I certainly have enough skills. I think I'll meditate and clear my head. Koraling Lynne

Wheelchair user on the bus

The whellchair users can view computers, and their issues are architectural barriers where blind people, who are low-incidence, have problems with attitudes. This woman seemed like an extremely intelligent young person, who had talents, dreams and skills. Untapped talent, and untapped market, and why aren't we employed and why aren't we leaders making decisions? I just shake my head. Koraling Lynne

On AnchorRides

I really like many of the drivers. I especially like the ones who respect us and speak to us as real people. Cliff, Tony, and some of the drivers such as Pano, talk to us as equals, and like their jobs because of the disabled folks they work with. I have always wondered why they are not earning what the people Mover bus drivers make. People Mover is the name of the public buses that pick people up. Why should the AnchorRides drivers, also in a union, be paid less? You know the answer? It's because even though the job is harder, we are the "throw-aways" and not worth as much. It's a sick thing--the way we are treated. I still care about the drivers, because they are the front lines with us. They get paid less, and we pay more than on a bus, and we earn less. What's the matter with that picture? Koraling Lynne

Accessizing

Were people who told me I could start a business wrong? Telling me and having a strategy for it, or a marketing plan are two different things. How can one be successful if people are not mentoring us? We all need mentors, and people who really believe in us. But, first, we must believe in ourselves. Accessizing--the route to self-fulfillment, and nourishing our bodies, minds and spirits. Koraling Lynne

AnchorRides last Night

Last night going home I met a woman using a wheelchair named Irene. She said something about having to work for five years for nothing and learning about corporations or something and then maybe she could make $20 or $30 an hour after that. She said that all people want to do is pat her on the head. She has a cat that ate through cords, and she has no computer and has to check her stuff on the computer at the library. Her cat makes people bleed because it bites and scratches. Hmm. She says she has four books she is writing, etc. etc. I thought of a song, and will have to reprise it. I said it was wrong the way she is treated and the way we are all treated. We need respect. I was going to tel her about the training concerning the reducing the risk of interpersonal violence concerning disabled persons, and gave her a business card. She said she wants to die rich. I liked her spunk. I met a young woman on the AnchorRides bus, who was disabled like the rest of us, she said she was working for five years for free, and that was killing any dignity, and she said a cat had cut thorugh her electric cords, and could not repair the computer because it was more than she could afford. She said that she did not want a pat on the head, but wanted to die rich and earn good money instead. Value and respect is what we crave, and understanding of the skills that we have. Okay, I know I saved this already but I gave this woman my phone number, and she has not phoned me yet. I hope she does. We have to work together to change the status of disabled women in Alaska and everywhere. We cannot wait and sit by the sidelines while others don't think we have any worth. Koraling LynneKoraling Genius Consultants

Accessizing

I still like the word "accessizing" for what I like to do. I love music and singing, also, and think that music and meditation can help people improve their well-being and thinking. Koraling Lynne

Values

It's July 1. What is the matter with people when they complain to authoriaties instead of to us as human beings? We have become so litigious and think laws or policies will solve things. No, not so much, but communication between human beings is the ticket. I never wnated to work with clinical social work, because when I hear about people's struggles and pain, it reminds me of my own, or the emotional abuse I have witnessed and been a survivor of. I just can't take any more stress, and people have such low frustration tolerance, and they lash out, instead of reflecting, breathing and meditating. I don't be responsible for anyone else's pain or suffering any more. I care too much about people. I want to rescue them and help them. Sometimes, I give up or put up the "white flag" because trying to really get my points across with a dog guide school, when they tend to be paternalistic or condescending and teach us "learned helplessness." I want a dog guide again, but don't know if I can handle any more crap from anyone. After the abuse with certain teachers and social workers trying to make decisions for me, what can I do? I feel bad when Sandy is attacked, and I do all I can to minimize things for people I love, even if I get frustrated about people's behavior. I just must model good behavior. I am an extrovert and passionate, and I am intelligent enough to know certain things, but not everything. I can tell people why websites are accessible and how it will help improve their bottom line and their relationships, etc. So, what can I do now? I don't have much motivation, and that is because I am so afraid that someone I contact will be angry with me, and criticize me. That is why I meditate, and do what I can. The people at the VA Health Systems organization are really impressed with me. Who knows? Something may pan out from that. I'll just have to see what happens. Koraling Lynne