IFB Beat – Week of April 11 2022

News to Know

Wondering how Steps to S.E.E. Walkathon is going?

Super wonderful for the half-way mark! All S.E.E. participants across NC have walked over 120 miles! Way to go, S.E.E. team!
We are also close to $8K with kids’ online and off-line fundraising and over $17K with sponsor dollars, so $25K total – wow! CONGRATULATIONS to all fundraisers and supporters for reaching this milestone! And THANK YOU to all sponsors and donors who have come forward so far to support our S.E.E. students who are raising funds to send their peers to S.E.E. camps!
Follow our progress here.

Questions? Contact Ksenia Richards at krichards@ifbsolutions.org or 336-245-5655.

 

Come Join the Red Cross Blood Drive

Hosted by AAA Committee

During the past two years, our local and nationwide Red Cross donations has been at an all-time low. Every 2 seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood. Your donations assist with heart surgeries, revitalizing accident victims, organ transplant recipients, and patients needing lifesaving procedures. So, will you raise your sleeve and save a life?

When: April 13, 2022
Where: Winston-Salem Tad’s Room
Time: 10:00am-2:30pm.
Manufacturing and optical contact your supervisor to set up an appointment to donate.
Admin contact Anastasia Powell at: APowell@ifbsolutions.org or Shonn Redmond at: SRedmond@ifbsolutions.org

All participants will receive a Red Cross T-Shirt and ice cream coupon for Mike’s cafeteria.

Programs and Services

NFB Support Group

The NFB Support Group is hosting a phone conference with John Pare a representative of National Federation for the Blind. He will be discussing the Ticket to Work Program and the difference between SSI and SSDI. If interested join the conversation on Wednesday, April 13 at 7:00pm.

Conference-line: 1-757-841-1696
Access code: 1040814

Adult Support Group Meetings:

• Tuesday, April 12 Transportation support group meeting from 12:00-12:45 in TADS Room.

Community Low Vision Center

CLVC Item of the Week:

Low Vision Spiral Notebook – $6.95 and up
Our spiral bound, wide line notebook has bold lines which are three-fourths” apart. With a heavy cardboard cover, this notebook becomes a great tool for a visually impaired person to keep, collect, and organize various notes. 8 1/2″ x 11″ Notebook has seventy single sided pages, with thirteen lines per page.

CLVC April item of the month:

Oven Mitts – From $4.95 and up
Protect your hands! With the best multi-purpose kitchen mitt available. Choose safety first. Avoid painful and costly burns.

If you are interested in purchasing Low Vision Equipment through our Loan Program (3rd Party), please contact a Low Vision Coordinator for assistance.

Insider Corner

New Website Offers 200 Accessible Windows Programs

Laufware.com is a new website that provides links to over two hundred accessible Windows programs. Software is divided in to twenty-five categories with descriptions for each program. Specialty pages include keyboard shortcuts, top forty accessible programs, fifty portable programs with no installation required, and podcasts created by and for the blind and low vision community. Current categories include Audio Players, Backup, Broadcasting, Browsers-Email, CD-DVD, Databases-Spreadsheets, Editors, File Management, Hardware, Keyboard shortcuts, MP3, Portable, Radio, Reading, Recorders, Screen Readers, Screen Sharing, Security, Servers, social media, Utilities, Video, Voice Chat, Website Tools, and Wireless. A software submission form is available for persons to share their favorite accessible Windows programs, and the contact page allows persons to provide comments and suggestions. Michael Lauf, the website creator, hopes you will visit, bookmark and share the website with those who may benefit: https://www.laufware.com

Idaho Turns to Tech to Boost Safety for Blind Hunters

The Idaho Fish and Game Commission on Thursday moved forward with a rule change that could allow visually impaired hunters to use adaptive technology they say is crucial for them to be able to hunt safely: https://www.govtech.com/products/idaho-turns-to-tech-to-boost-safety-for-blind-hunters

Have some interesting information to share or topic you would like to see in the Insider Corner? Whether it is your favorite podcast, website, or article that caught your attention, send to Faith Harding at fharding@ifbsolutions.org and we will post it!

Community Connections

Do you want to learn about improv, share your creative side, and have fun with us all while strengthening your self-advocacy skills? Mark your calendars and join us on Tuesday, April 19th from 7PM-8PM for an improv class led via zoom by Scott Pacitti, the founder of an organization called Planet Improv. Come to learn and see what improv is all about!

Improv is an acting technique where you make it up as you go! While it is a fun way to express yourself, it can also help you become a better leader and self-advocate because it teaches you to think on your feet. Please share with any youth or young people with disabilities who are 30 years old or younger! If you are planning to attend, please contact Anastasia Powell for the zoom information by Friday, April 15th!

Let us stand with Ukraine.

On Saturday, April 16 at 2PM Eastern time in North America, 7PM in the UK, 4AM in Eastern Australia, the global online blind community is joining together for a virtual benefit concert to help blind Ukrainian refugees, and of course we welcome sighted people.

We welcome all styles of music, as well as poets and storytellers.

The event will be carried across several Internet radio stations in the blind community including Mushroom FM, as we all unite to show our solidarity and support.
If you would like to learn more, whether it be about how to be a part of the line-up or how to listen, please visit http://mushroomfm.com/withyou

More to come, as we stand with Ukraine.

O&M study being done in Chapel Hill

The UNC Highway Safety Research Center in conjunction with Accessible Design for the Blind is looking for volunteers who are blind to participate in a study in April on the usability of tactile wayfinding surface indicators (TWSIs). TWSIs is the general name for raised surfaces such as the truncated dome detectable warning surfaces used at curb ramps and various bar tile guidance surfaces used in many European and Asian countries.

We want to find out more about how people who are vision disabled detect different patterns of TWSIs, by asking you to identify different surfaces with your cane and under foot and asking you to follow a path in our lab setting.

We are looking for experienced travelers who are comfortable using a long cane (even if you normally use a dog guide), who regularly travel independently outdoors, and who would be willing to participate in the research. If you decide to take part in the study, you may be asked to detect, identify, or follow different tactile surfaces with your cane or feet and make turns as instructed.

The research will be conducted outdoors, in an unused parking lot. To protect your health, we will follow current CDC and UNC guidelines regarding COVID-19, and you are welcome to wear a mask and/or have researchers wear a mask, even if policy does not currently require them.

If you are interested in participating in this study, please call Jack Mitchell at 919-260-8580 or email me at ilogix.nc@gmail.com to find out if you are eligible for the study.
There is a payment for participation if you are selected, and transportation costs will be reimbursed. For all Winston employees interested and need transportation contact Chris Flynt at 336-245-5620 or cflynt@ifbsolutions.org.

Opportunities

We are HeRe for you!

Did you know that helping others also helps you? Studies show that helping others including coworkers can help you live longer, make you happier, and helps one with feeling a sense of self-satisfaction! While at work, see how you can help out your peers. It may be something simple, but it may make someone else’s day 🙂. Another way you can help others is by volunteering to be a mentor for new hires! Being a mentor means assisting new hires with learning about IFB Solutions, the community, and being a friend! If you’re interested, please contact Haleigh Yarboro at 5635.

Just a friendly reminder!

The Winston Salem location has a $250 referral bonus program for any current employee that refers a blind or visually impaired candidate or sighted/temporary candidate to IFB.
Please contact HR for referral bonus program criteria. Associates at other locations should ask your HR Manager or supervisor for the specific programs available at your location.

Job Announcements

Warehouse Specialist- Winston Salem

Education and work experience:
• High School Diploma or GED equivalent
• 2-3 years equivalent work experience in a leadership or supervisory position.

External candidates may apply at
https://www.paycomonline.net/v4/ats/web.php/jobs/ViewJobDetails?job=35126&clientkey=8B43E6E34C5D5C9AA3D07BB04DBEB909
Internal candidates may apply at
https://www.paycomonline.net/v4/ats/web.php/jobs/ViewJobDetails?job=35127&clientkey=8B43E6E34C5D5C9AA3D07BB04DBEB909&jpt=ce8685cef740a6280b5fcb492b556fa5

BSC Store Clerk- Macdill

Education and work experience:
• High School Diploma
• No prior experience required

External candidates may apply at
https://www.paycomonline.net/v4/ats/web.php/jobs/ViewJobDetails?job=34926&clientkey=8B43E6E34C5D5C9AA3D07BB04DBEB909
Internal candidates may apply at
https://www.paycomonline.net/v4/ats/web.php/jobs/ViewJobDetails?job=34927&clientkey=8B43E6E34C5D5C9AA3D07BB04DBEB909&jpt=ce8685cef740a6280b5fcb492b556fa5

 

BSC Store Clerk- McGuire

Education and work experience:
• High School Diploma
• No prior experience required
Internal candidates may apply at
https://www.paycomonline.net/v4/ats/web.php/jobs/ViewJobDetails?job=34933&clientkey=8B43E6E34C5D5C9AA3D07BB04DBEB909&jpt=ce8685cef740a6280b5fcb492b556fa5
External candidates may apply at
https://www.paycomonline.net/v4/ats/web.php/jobs/ViewJobDetails?job=34932&clientkey=8B43E6E34C5D5C9AA3D07BB04DBEB909

 

BSC Store Manager- McGuire

Education and work experience:
• Bachelor’s degree or higher preferred.
• Minimum of 3 years prior retail management experience.
• Must have a valid driver’s license
• Must pass government background and drug tests.
Internal candidates may apply at
https://www.paycomonline.net/v4/ats/web.php/jobs/ViewJobDetails?job=34929&clientkey=8B43E6E34C5D5C9AA3D07BB04DBEB909&jpt=ce8685cef740a6280b5fcb492b556fa5
External candidates may apply at
https://www.paycomonline.net/v4/ats/web.php/jobs/ViewJobDetails?job=34928&clientkey=8B43E6E34C5D5C9AA3D07BB04DBEB909

 

For more information

Please contact Brent Burkholder at 336-245-5611 or bburkholder@ifbsolutions.org.

 

Join Zoom Meeting (Adult Support Groups)

https://ifbsolutions.zoom.us/j/99498078576?pwd=ODJzK0sxcXZrME9yN25YRTdiNXBSQT09
Meeting ID: 994 9807 8576
PASSWORD: 92638
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Meeting ID: 994 9807 8576