Through the generosity of others, building on the past, bringing life-changing services to future generations

s p r i n g 2 0 0 7

generationsT h e h a d l e y s c h o o l f o r T h e b l i n d — e s T. 1 9 2 0

Winnetka gets an eyeful at Hadley during TV Tuneout

Reds,Whites and Braille

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ith the rapid growth of the Internet, email and the use of voice recognition software to access the World Wide Web, is there

still a need for braille? Will it soon be replaced by computers or speech technology?

E-Hadley (our online courses) and our creative simulation of teaching braille via the Internet have been phenomenally successful. Each day, more and more students are registering for online courses. However, braille is and will remain a popular and essential medium; braille courses are Hadley’s “bread and butter” courses. Just as sighted individuals enjoy composing handwritten notes and letters, those who are blind or visually impaired enjoy using braille to learn, take notes and correspond.

In 2009, Hadley will celebrate the 200th birthday of Louis Braille, who brought literacy to blind individuals throughout the world. His marvelous braille code remains as valued today as it was in 1829, when he published the first braille book and then, many years later, added symbols for math and music. Throughout the decades, others have attempted to develop a better means of literacy for blind persons—to no avail.

On February 14, Hadley, in partnership with the Winnetka Rotary Club, hosted “Reds, Whites and Braille,” a wine and chocolate tasting to celebrate braille literacy. Proceeds from this successful event will help fund Hadley’s braille curriculum.

Author and humorist Jim Fiebig has been quoted as saying, “There is a wonder in reading braille that the sighted will never know: to touch words and have them touch you back.”

In the hearts and minds of blind individuals, these poignant words explain why braille is needed and will never be replaced.

Charles E. Young, President

A letter from the president

2-3 Donorspotlight

3 PensionProtectionAct

4 Valentineeventsupportsbrailleliteracy

4 Hadleywinstechnologyaward

5 PiratesandfunaplentyatHadleyduringTVTuneoutweek

6-7 Whoaretheseyoungvisionaries?

8-9 E-Hadleyfillsaneedforcomputerliteracy

Backpage:UpcomingHadleyevents

In this

issue

Dear Ms. Karen Woodfork,

Thank you very much

for enrolling me in Braille

Literacy 3. The Hadley

School has been a great

blessing to me. I am very

grateful and appreciative

of the excellent services

you provide. Thank you!

Imtiaz Moosa

W

Above: Jeanine, Effie, the late Irene Papanicholas and Renee.

Right: Effie Bekas (r) with daughter Jeanine.

Opposite page: The building that formerly housed Chris’ Grill.�

The Bekas familyhas a history of service

donor spotlight

or Christ and Efthymia Bekas of Niles, Illinois, family means more than just getting together at the holidays—it means passing

along your commitment to supporting the Hadley School. In 1964, when Effie was president of Zoe Chapter 311 of the Greek service organization, the Daughters of Penelope, the group “adopted” Hadley as their charity. When Effie’s mother, Irene Papanicholas, passed away in 2004, Hadley received numerous gifts in her honor and it was during this time that Effie’s daughter, Jeanine, also started giving to Hadley in her grandmother’s memory

and through her employer, Johnson & Johnson, via United Way.

Caring about others is something Christ and Effie are known for and this was deeply felt when their popular restau-rant, Chris’ Grill on the near west side of Chicago, closed in 1999.

The restaurant, once owned by Christ’s father, was where Christ began working at the age of 10 when he could barely see over the griddle. He continued to help his father until his father’s failing health led him to take over the grill with Effie, and eventually their children, working beside him. The family knew most of their

F

Pension Protection Act signed into law

l ast fall, President Bush signed the Pension Protection Act of 2006 into law. We wanted to make you aware

of some of its provisions and the benefits of making charitable gifts to the Hadley School via Qualified Charitable Distributions from IRAs. You can take advantage of these charitable opportunities through the end of 2007. Please consult your financial advisor before making any distributions from an Individual Retirement Account. (This information does not constitute legal or financial advice.)

The gift must be a direct transfer from the IRA to the charity (i.e., the check for the gift is made out directly to the charity, not from the IRA provider to the donor).

The IRA owner (the donor) must be age 70½ or older.

The IRA owner may transfer up to $100,000 from an IRA directly to a qualified public charity in 2007.

The transfer is not included in taxable income.

The transfer qualifies for the IRA owner’s required minimum distribution.

The IRA custodian may transfer the funds by check or electronic transfer directly to the charity. Alternatively, the IRA custodian may issue a check payable to the charity but send the check to the donor for forwarding to the charity.

Transfers to donor advised funds do not qualify.

The gift is not included in taxable income and consequently there is no income tax deduction. However, the donor must still comply with substantiation requirements by obtaining a receipt for the gift from the charity.

To make a gift of this type, contact your IRA provider.

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eclectic clientele by name, as well as what they usually ate. When the grill was forced to close because of rising taxes and neighborhood gentrification, it was to the dismay of its faithful customers, who lost not only a neighborhood institution, but the warmth of the Bekas family.

Married for 45 years, Christ and Effie have been blessed with three children—Dean, Renee and Jeanine—and five grandchildren (including a set of triplets!) Today the entire Bekas family gives gifts to Hadley in memory of loved ones or in honor of birthdays and anniversaries of their friends and family. As this youngest generation grows up, we’re sure that Christ and Effie will continue to share their tradition of giving back to help others.

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Hadley wins technology award

On March 10, The Hadley School for the Blind received the 2007 Runner-Up Technology Leadership Award, presented by Lumity and Accenture, for its interactive online braille courses

that use braillewriter and slate and stylus simulator software.The black tie affair, held at the Museum of Science and

Industry, was a celebration and fundraiser for Lumity, formerly known as IT Resource Center, recognizing the 2007 technology leadership award winners. This year’s theme was “Cracking the Code.”

“The day we came up with the idea to put our braille-instruction courses online was a momentous one,” says Ruth Rozen, Hadley curriculum designer. “We knew we were onto something special; that’s what kept us going through all the problem-solving and revisions it took to make the online simulators and the content work smoothly. We created a unique and motivating way to learn braille. It’s so rewarding to see the incredible success of these courses in teaching people to use braille and promote braille literacy.”

“Hadley started teaching braille by mail in 1920—and we still do today, 87 years later,” says Andre Lukatsky, director of computer services. “The breakthrough Web-integrated braille simulator software allows us to teach braille online, which is much more effective and efficient than by mail. It’s a great honor for the Hadley School to be recognized by Lumity for this new technology.”

Hadley’s Braille courses, “Introduction to Braille,” and “Contracted Braille,” teach families and professionals to read and write braille so they can communicate with blind relatives and clients. The Hadley School will receive a $2,500 grant from Accenture, a one-year Lumity membership including $2,000 worth of consulting services and a donation of Microsoft Software.

Lumity is a nonprofit organization that catalyzes Chicago’s nonprofit community to do more philanthropic work.

Valentine event supports braille literacy

Romance filled the air at The Hadley School for the Blind’s first “Reds, Whites and Braille” event, a wine and choco-

late tasting to support Hadley’s braille literacy courses. The Winnetka Rotary Club co-spon-sored the event.

Guests sampled chocolates provided by The Chocolate Box and Cheesecakes by Tina Mar-shall while listening to jazz by the Marty Jacobs Trio. Silpada jewelry by Dyan Lalley was avail-able for purchase. The Wine Discount Center of Highland Park poured glasses of whites and reds for tasting.

“We are excited about this new event at Hadley,” said Susan Dennison, director of development and communications. “It’s a wonderful opportunity to partner with a local organization like Rotary and provide an enchanting evening for our community.”

“Braille literacy is essential to

sharpen reading and writing skills, which are necessary to fulfill everyday tasks, such as reading for pleasure, following recipes, labeling items and keeping financial records,” said George Abbott, Hadley’s dean of educational programs and instructon. “Braille is also critical for those who cannot rely on print to fully participate in required functions of work, volunteerism and community involvement. I think it’s great that Hadley held this event to raise awareness on the importance of braille literacy.”

There were plenty of tasty treats to sample and

purchase at the Hadley Valentine event to support

braille literacy.

Hadley Director of Computer Services Andre Lukatsky, Vice President of Development and Communications Tom Tobin, President Chuck Young and Grant Writer Linda Dunlavy attended the award ceremony at the Museum of Science and Industry.

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�) Senior Instructional Technologist Mike Harvey helps mateys select booty.

�) Charlie Gentzkow brailles a friend’s name.

�) Vicky Young helps this matey braille her name.

�) Digital Media Technician Mike Tutai fields questions from a curious pirate.

�) Access Technology Specialist Alan Maynard demonstrates to his crew how the speech output software on his computer assists people who are blind.

n March 6 more than 50 children and their parents hunted the halls of Hadley for clues to a treasure map as part of the 13th annual TV Tuneout Week sponsored by The Winnetka Alliance for Early Childhood. Visitors

learned about blindness and the unique school in their hometown.Guest speaker Charlie Gentzkow, 8, of Winnetka, shared his

experiences about being visually impaired and answered a flurry of questions from parents and kids. Visually impaired since he was 3 months, Charlie enjoys many of the same activities as sighted children. “It made Charlie’s day to see so many friends interested in learning about what it means to be visually impaired,” said his mother, Jennifer Gentzkow. “We’re grateful to the Hadley School

O for the chance to share his story.”Hands-on activities, such as trying on

goggles that simulate visual impairments, listening to talking computer software and having their names written in braille, helped children and adults experience what blindness feels like and how those who are blind communicate.

“As a distance education school, we don’t have students on site, so an event like TV Tuneout is fun for staff and the community,” said Susan Dennison, Hadley director of development and communications.

TV Tuneout involves local schools, families, organizations and businesses working to provide activities celebrating kids and their communities.

Pirates and fun aplenty at Hadley during TV Tuneout week

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Who are these Young Visionaries?

A group of young leaders find their place at The Hadley School for the Blind

n an effort to continue sharing Hadley’s mission and involve younger constituents in the Chicago area, Hadley School President Charles

Young selected entrepreneurs, professionals and emerging young leaders interested in community involvement to form a new committee, called Young Visionaries.

The committee began in January with a few initiatives in mind: to understand the experience of blindness, to share the

mission of the Hadley School and to experience the power of philanthropy in our society.

“I’m impressed with how interested and engaged the Young Visionaries are in learning about the capabilities of individuals who are blind,” Young said. “There’s genuine concern for promoting full participation of blind citizens in their communities. Blindness affects everyone, and these professionals will have a positive

I

Young Visionaries get comfortable at

Hadley. Top row: A. J. Gomberg, Jason

Anderson, Jim Ciarlette. Bottom

row: Jennifer Koch, Rebekah Soule,

Colleen Wunderlich. Not present: Matthew

Barden, Cerissa Bauer, Darrin Utynek.

Opposite page: George Abbott

demonstrates to committee members

the proper way to guide someone

who is blind.

Phot

os:T

ony

Ayer

s

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effect on how blindness is received in the Chi-cago community.”

The Young Visionaries will organize events annually where young professionals can support Hadley and its 10,000 students.

Committee members include: Jason Anderson, Matthew Barden, Cerissa Bauer, Jim Ciarlette, A.J. Gomberg, Rebekah Soule, Darrin Utynek and Colleen Wunderlich.

During a recent meeting, Woman’s Board President Sarah Barden discussed the upcoming Woman’s Board event, Reach for the Stars, and gave an overview of the board’s history and activites. George Abbott, dean of educational programs and instruction, demonstrated the proper etiquette when meeting a blind or visually impaired person, which led to a discussion on how he uses sensory cues, such as sound, to navigate his environment.

Members also viewed a lesson from “Blindness Basics,” a Hadley course, and afterwards discussed some of the causes of visual impairment. Committee member Colleen Wunderlich, who is blind, also demonstrated how reading software programs work for blind people.

Meetings will continue monthly as current and newly-recruited mem-bers learn “all-things Hadley.” Soon members will be able to participate in upcoming Hadley events and reach out to educate their communities about blindness.

“The Young Visionaries committee has given me and the other members a wonderful opportunity to increase educational awareness around blind-ness for ourselves,” said Jason Anderson. “More importantly the committee now has the ability to spread this awareness to others. While the group is in its early stages, I am very excited to see the impact we will have on an audience of young leaders.”

Meet Jason andersonTell us about your profession and how you chose it.I manage a banking center for JPMorgan Chase. I have been with Chase for almost five years and started with them as a financial advisor. I have an undergraduate

degree in economics and masters in business administration, which lends itself to finance.

My job, however, revolves much more around people than finance, which I enjoy.

Why have you chosen hadley as your focus point?

I chose to join Hadley for a number of reasons. The few people I knew at Hadley are people I highly

respect. These individuals have always had very impres-sive things to say about the organization. In addition, I think Hadley provides an excellent opportunity for growth professionally and more importantly growth as a person. I hope to use this opportunity to spread awareness about blindness, especially among a younger age group.

as a young professional, how do you see your role as a volunteer at hadley, especially as it relates to philanthropy—and what do you see is the role of young people in furthering corporate partnership and philanthropy?

As a volunteer at Hadley I see my role as someone who is here to bring new ideas to the table that have not been raised before. It then becomes our responsibility to implement these ideas in a manner that will benefit the school financially and increase general education and awareness about blindness.

What do you think is the biggest misconception about blindness today? There are many misconceptions I had myself and I think many others share, however two things really struck me. One is the unemployment rate for the blind. The second is the conception that this high rate is a result of blind individuals not being able to accomplish everyday tasks. Hadley has shown me that there is virtually no task or job that cannot be completed by a blind individual just as well or better than anyone else. The ability to succeed or

exceed at a job still relies on the individual to work hard.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? I enjoy spending time with my wife, family and friends. If this time is spent on the golf course or at a Michigan football game, then all the better.

my Salmon loves her job with Hadley. “I get to do the two things I love most,” she says, “teach, and work with technology.”

A self-described technology buff, Amy says her biggest frustration after losing her vision was finding adequate computer

instruction for a high-level com-puter-user.

“My dad first got me interested in computers,” she says. “We had the old Texas Instruments that he would program himself, and we would play Pong, so I literally grew up with computers in my home at a time when computers weren’t anywhere near what they are today. Technology came naturally to me. After I lost my vision, I decided I wanted to work for a blindness organization in the role of computer trainer.”

After her son Andrew was born, Amy went to work part time and pursued a master’s degree, her goal being to work for The Hadley School for the Blind. She sought software training from Freedom Scientific and from different software manufacturers.

“That helped me both personally and professionally,” she says, “because I was able to use the computer more effectively. It also allowed me to train people who were using the computer at an advanced level but who needed to know more advanced tricks for screen readers and screen magnifiers.

“I’ve been in the blindness services field for almost 10 years and have worked with a variety of nonprofits that serve people in the blindness services field,” she says. “Based on my experiences, I really felt Hadley was the next place I wanted to be. I have so much respect for the school.”

Amy began teaching part time at Hadley in July of last year. In April, she

increased her hours to accommodate the growing popularity of her courses, “Using Excel” and “Internet: Beyond the Basics.”

“Online teaching has been interesting and challenging,” she says. “I love the constant interaction with my Excel students. They may be doing the course online, but we still have this dialogue back and forth because I’m reviewing their assignments and giving them feedback. And because Excel is a little more complicated, if one of my students is having trouble, we set up a time when I can call and we walk through it together.

“I think ‘Using Excel’ has been popular because nobody’s put a course out there that teaches Excel at this level. There are a few other online courses out there, but they’re not cheap, and Excel is such a necessity if you want to secure employment. If you can go on an interview or put on your resume that you know Excel, that’s a big deal; it’s so important in today’s business world, and our students want that skill. I wish I’d had this course available to me four years ago. It’s far superior to what I was teaching in the field. It’s so well-written. It’s what the blind population has needed.”

Amy says students also want to learn Excel for personal reasons. They want to be able to track their investments, medical expenses, prescriptions or medications, and Excel provides a useful tool for managing that information. Students who are diabetic

Ae-hadley fills a need for computer literacy

“It’s great to teach online and not have to leave the house,” says Amy (with son,

Andrew, above). Amy was diagnosed with

Retinitis Pigmentosa, a genetic disease that

left her legally blind by age ��. “If I have a sick child, then I work

in the evening. The students still get their

problems addressed in a timely fashion, and my kids don’t get put on the back burner.”

“Nobody’s put a course out there that teaches Excel at this level. It’s what the blind population has needed.”

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and want to be able to monitor their blood sugar levels and insulin can use Excel to better manage their diabetes.

Ray Rokita has been taking Hadley courses since 1970, and says he’s proud of the history he’s had with the school.

“Since last October I’ve taken six courses. I was just commenting to my wife that this is the longest run that I’ve had taking course after course with Hadley.”

He adds that having courses available online has helped. “In the word processing course I took, I had to send in my assign-ments by way of snail mail. I didn’t mind that, but with other courses I’ve been able to submit my assignments online, which I really like. It’s discouraging, in a way, when you have to submit your assignments by mail, then wait for your instructor to reply and get feedback in the mail. Having courses and feedback online really speeds things along.”

Ray, a self-taught musician, vocalist and songwriter, uses Excel to keep track of his music collection. “Right now I strictly use it for music databases, and to keep track of my DVD collection, but there are endless things that you can do with it. I can’t begin to try to list them all.”

Carol Lampe discovered Hadley just nine months ago, after a social worker sent her information about Hadley’s online courses. “I knew of Hadley,” she says, “but I thought I had to go to Winnetka to take a class. I didn’t know the school offered courses online.”

Carol has taken “Internet Basics,” “Internet: Beyond the Basics” and “Using Excel.” She is now enrolled in “Conversational Spanish” and is looking forward to taking “Container Gardening.”

Born legally blind, Carol says she struggled in school and in various jobs because no one was aware of the extent of

her visual impairment. “I remember one teacher telling me

she couldn’t understand why I was having such a difficult time with algebra when my IQ was so high,” she says. “I sat in the front row. I was too embarrassed to tell her I couldn’t see the board and didn’t know what she was doing.”

After graduating from high school, Carol says she wasn’t sure what to do. “My mother suggested I teach, because the print in children’s books is pretty large, and I could read it. So, I went to a community college, then applied for a job in the parochial school system and taught second and third grade for six years, which was probably five years too long. It was stressful. My class sizes were between 42 and 52 students. And I couldn’t see. It was overwhelming. But I didn’t know what else to do. I didn’t realize I was legally blind; I didn’t know there were services I could take advantage of. My family didn’t know. I’m surprised the optometrist didn’t tell me about the services that were available.”

At Hadley, Carol is discov-ering all that she can do. She says taking the online courses at Hadley has helped her self-esteem and given her a sense of accomplishment.

“I’m hooked,” she says. “It’s all going very well. I’m going to keep on taking courses.

“I think this is the greatest thing,” she adds. “Why didn’t I know about this sooner? I’ve been raving about the Hadley School ever since I started.”

“The past two years have been very good education-wise as far as using the computer,” Carol says. “I think a chat room would be a great idea—to be able to practice my Spanish with other Hadley students who are taking the course.”

e-hadley fills a need for computer literacy Currently,theHadleySchooloffers15coursesonline,withadditionalcoursesindevelopment.

AccessTechnology:Beginnings

BlindnessBasics

BusinessWriting

ContractedBraille

Diabetes:TowardSelf-Management

Glaucoma

GoingPlaces

InternetBasics

Internet:BeyondtheBasics

IntroductiontoBraille

LearningThroughPlay

MacularDegeneration

SafetyintheHome

UsingExcel

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upcoming hadley events

The Hadley School for the Blind700ElmStreetWinnetka,IL60093-2554USA

800-323-4238www.hadley.edu

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Henry, IL

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Woman’s Board Spring Luncheon June �

Hadley High School Graduation June ��

Sidewalk Sale July �0-��

Hounds for Hadley annual dog walk September ��

Woman’s Board Fall Clothing Benefit September

Annual Meeting, Student Awards and Woman’s Board Tribute Luncheon October ��

hadley thanks its florida donors

In January, Hadley President Chuck Young and Tom Tobin, vice president

of development and communications, participated in four Hadley receptions in Florida: Naples, Village of Golf, Loblolly and Vero Beach. Hosted by Hadley Trustees and Woman’s Board members,

these receptions offered Hadley’s many friends an opportunity to meet Chuck, learn about Hadley’s strategic initiatives and, perhaps most importantly, hear directly

from Hadley students whose lives have been impacted by the school’s distance education curriculum. These successful events have sparked enthusiasm to conduct these receptions annually.

Chuck Young and Hadley student Marjorie Travis.