Table of Contents

Spotlight

Personnel Actions

Tech Tip

Success Stories

Around the State

End Zone

Spotlight

Business Recognition

By Patrick Regalado

Stephen Butaski, Bruce Miles, Aleisa McKinlay and Patrick RegaladoDuring the April 25, 2013, meeting of the Florida Rehabilitation Council for the Blind, Teleperformance was presented with the Council Employer Award for their long-time commitment to hiring Division of Blind Services’ (DBS) clients. The district has been working with the company since 2006, and the company has hired eight DBS clients in customer service positions. Teleperformance has been very accommodating and understanding of DBS blind and visually-impaired clients.

Teleperformance is a worldwide provider of customer service, technical support, call centers and debt collection services. The company is headquartered in Paris, and operates about 100,000 computerized workstations, with more than 138,000 employees across 270 contact centers in 46 countries. Stephen Butaski, human resource director, accepted the award plaque on behalf of Teleperformance.

Personnel Actions

We welcome our newest employees to the DBS family

Congratulations to employees who received a promotion

We wish our retirees the best in their future endeavors

Missing You All

By Julia Diaz

Julia Diaz photo on poster with quote. 'Retirement – Hey…You’ll never get there unless you stop looking at this poster and get back to work!'When I started working at DBS in 1978, little did I know, I would work for 35 long years. I have seen people come and go, and made friends with a lot of them. Some have gone and some passed away, but are never forgotten.

Many changes have come during this time, some good and some bad (smile). One major change was transitioning from a typewriter to a computer. At first I hated it, and then learned to make corrections without the messy correction tape, and I loved it. One thing for sure, I will not miss My Florida Marketplace!

It has been a pleasure working with everyone, especially my District 10 family. In some ways we have shared more with one another than with our own family. Bobbie, our director, united us together since she came aboard. Herbert, our computer guru, God bless you, you’ve taught me many things, always with a smile. Sharon, Grace, Christina, Zunaira, Sam, Stael, Mauva and Steve, you all have a special place in my heart. Jannelle, you know why I won’t have any stress after May 31, 2013, (laughing out loud).

It is impossible to mention everyone special to me and all the funny old stories. I will mention Sheila and Erica, you are the greatest; always there to assist us, sometimes with a lot of patience. I wish the best to everyone.

Tech Tip

"CTRL + Z" Shortcut

By Kendra Jahnke

Have you ever accidentally deleted a file or duplicated files while copying them? Maybe you went to copy something in a document and accidentally deleted it. You can undo most mistakes by using the “CTRL + Z” shortcut.

Screen shot of control Z on keyboardPress “CTRL” and “Z” on your keyboard to quickly fix most mistakes such as those described above. This shortcut acts as an “undo” button and can quickly restore your desktop or file to its previous state. This only works for the last action you have taken, so it will not restore something that was deleted or moved if you have made additional changes.

Here are some situations where you may find using “CTRL + Z” helpful.

While this doesn’t work for everything, it is a handy tool to know and can save you time and frustration.

Success Stories

Anything is Possible

By Mireya Hernandez

Steve Melone sitting at desk, on telephoneSteve Melone may be a man with a visual disability, but he has an unrestrained outlook of his capabilities. He endured and conquered the challenges of seeking employment, and has successfully been employed for more than two years with Able Medical Aids in Largo, Fla.

When discussing the challenges of seeking employment when one has a visual impairment, Melone explains that in today’s economy, with so many people searching for a job, he felt behind the eight ball. However, he found different ways to capitalize on things that were his forte. He explained, “I do not pat myself on the back, but what I do, I do very well.” He gave an example of a technical problem that came up at work regarding their online shopping cart. He was able to troubleshoot the problem and had it fixed within a couple of weeks.

He also helped increase sales within the company. He received calls about a “walking boot,” but because the company did not carry the item, he referred the callers elsewhere. Eventually, he suggested they start carrying the walking boot, rather than sending people to other stores. They now carry the product and the walking boots are flying off the shelf.

“Be persistent. You want to focus on what you can do, what you can bring to the company, and what you have to offer,” Melone advises other job seekers. “It is not that you have a limitation, but rather a different way of doing things and different outcomes. Anything is possible,” he added.

Kooky Bird Café

By Janet Chernoff

Carla Sue Chambers in caféOn May 7, 2013, Carla Sue Chambers hosted a grand opening of the Kooky Bird Café, a snack bar in the Jacksonville Service Center. Carla was assisted by her husband, Kenny Hepp, and their employee Diane Walker. Carla offered a hot dog and drink special for a dollar, along with complimentary samples of cookies, brownies and cheese biscuits. A number of guests enjoyed the hot dog special. Another favorite was the seafood chili, a savory blend of mixed seafood and white beans with just the right amount of spice. The recipe, a creation of Kenny’s, is a closely guarded secret. During the grand opening, guests were encouraged to participate in a drawing for a free meal.

Maureen Fink, Bureau of Business Enterprise (BBE) operations manager and Bernie Kaiserian, Region 2 business consultant, were on hand to help with the event. More than 100 hot dogs were served, and sales that day were the highest the snack bar had seen in some time.

Carla had visited the snack bar on a BBE class trip to Jacksonville, Fla. When she heard it was available for a new manager, she applied because she knew it was the right place for her to start a new business. The service center is downtown where a number of state agencies are located. This is not Carla’s first time operating a food service facility. Previously, she had several years of experience in the Michigan Business Enterprise Program before moving to Florida. Carla plans to use her experience, training and Kenny’s seafood chili recipe to build the business and provide good food and service to customers.

Around the State

Lighthouse Sails with Freedom Waters Foundation

By Christine Mastandrea

Freedom Waters Foundation LogoFreedom Waters Foundation hosted an exclusive boat ride for Lighthouse of Collier children Saturday, June 8, 2013. The children had a blast; they cruised along the waves, experiencing the dolphins near the boat. One of the children especially enjoyed helping the captain steer the boat during the excursion. Debra Frenkel at Freedom Waters organized the fabulous event.

Each month, Lighthouse of Collier schedules an event for the blind and visually-impaired children. If you are a parent of a blind or visually-impaired child, please contact Lighthouse of Collier for event information.

Lighthouse of Collier logoThe mission of the Lighthouse of Collier is to promote the development, implementation and on-going evaluation of programs and services that foster independence and enhance the quality of life for the blind, visually impaired and their caregivers. To learn more about Lighthouse of Collier, visit www.lighthouseofcollier.org.

Nathaniel's Hope - Make 'm Smile

By Kara Riley

Kara Riley standing at library public education displayIn June 2013, Al Peterson and I, from the Braille and Talking Books Library, attended the 11th Annual Nathaniel’s Hope - Make ‘m Smile event in Orlando, Fla. What makes Nathaniel’s Hope so special is its focus on children with special needs. The Make ‘m Smile day features games, activities, food and Florida-based organizations that offer support to people with disabilities.

Our goal in attending was to recruit new library patrons, educate people about braille and spread awareness of the library’s resources. We used muffin tins and tennis balls to simulate braille, and the activity was very popular among both children and adults. It is safe to say that everyone who visited our booth went away with a better understanding of braille than when they arrived.

We spoke with more than 100 children and their families. Many of these families include children who have conditions, other than visual impairment, that qualified them for library services. The parents had never considered our library because their children were not blind. As a result of the event, we signed up 11 new child patrons, and sent home more than 25 applications with interested parents. The day was a success, and I am already looking forward to our return next year.

If you want to learn more about Nathaniel’s Hope - Make ‘m Smile, and ways you can be involved, please visit its website at www.nathanielshope.org.

Gadsden Senior Center

By La' Verne B. Scott

Seniors gathered a public display tableSince 1963, May has been the month designated to honor and celebrate the elder population. Seniors were encouraged to celebrate contributions to their communities and to find out what additional services are available to them. This year the Gadsden County Senior Services hosted a Community Day Fair May 24, 2013, at the Simon Scott Senior Center in Quincy, Fla. Various agencies came to participate in this daylong activity. The seniors gathered around the vendor tables collecting resource information. The center also had its monthly yard sale set up, allowing the seniors to purchase items such as clothing, shoes, belts and purses. Funds are fund monthly and are used to help celebrate the birthday celebrations for the seniors.

Lisa Moore, vocational rehabilitation counselor in Tallahassee, accompanied me to this event, along with Shelanda Shaw, training coordinator from the District 2 office. It was an enjoyable day with the involvement of the seniors, and they enjoyed collecting all of the promotional items that were provided by all of the vendors!

15th Annual Family Café

By Shelanda Shaw

Photo of DBS representatives listed above (Pamela Jones not pictured.The 15th Annual Family Café Conference was held in Orlando, Fla., at the Hilton Orlando, June 7 - 9, 2013. The event presented a fun and informative event for people with disabilities and their families. There were dozens of great informational sessions and interesting keynote speeches.

The 15th Annual Governor’s Summit on Disabilities, hosted by Governor Rick Scott, was held the evening of the first day. During the conference, families networked with each other and learned what services are offered and the best ways to access these services. The conference provided a unique environment where families could connect with peers, commercial service providers and service agencies. The event organizers believe well-informed people make the best possible decisions for themselves and their loved ones.

DBS was represented by Shelanda Shaw, Chris DeBonis, Kelly James, Danette Maldonado, Vanessa Medina, Sharon Scurry and Pamela Jones.

End Zone

Publication and Submission Information

We hope you found this month’s newsletter interesting. Remember, we need your submissions each month. Let us know what’s going on in your district or facility. The publication date for the Visionary newsletter is the first week of each month. The deadline for submissions is the 15th of each month. Comments, suggestions, and submissions should be directed to:

DBS Communications:  Communications@dbs.fldoe.org

Additional useful links and telephone numbers:

To request a Braille version of this edition of the Visionary contact the Braille and Talking Book Library: al.peterson@dbs.fldoe.org or call 800-226-6075.

MIS Help Desk:
Phone: 850-245-0360
Email: DBS.HelpDesk@dbs.fldoe.org

AWARE Help Desk:
Phone: 850-245-0395 or 866-841-0912
Email: Aware.support@dbs.fldoe.org

Division of Blind Services website (external): dbs.fldoe.org.

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