LightHouse News: Monthly Edition, October 2009

LightHouse News Online

A publication of the LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired.

Introduction to our new Online Newsletter
Welcome to the LightHouse News, a monthly electronic newsletter providing relevant information, resources and news of interest to the LightHouse community!

If you are on this mailing list, you will receive an e-newsletter from us every month, which includes a quarterly edition of the LightHouse News with in-depth content and a 3-month calendar of LightHouse programming.

- Privacy is important to us; therefore, we will not sell, rent, or give your name or address to anyone. Should you wish to unsubscribe at a later time, you will be able to do this easily by following the instructions at the bottom of each email.

In the News:

Insights 2009 exhibition in San Francisco City Hall
'Link up' with the LightHouse
Interactive Phone System Has Real-Time BART Info
TransLink on Muni Seeks Trial Participants
Share Your Experiences Using Post Office POS Devices
Swap Shop
LightHouse Holiday Bazaar November 18th

1. Insights exhibition in San Francisco City Hall

Amy Monthei and her piece "beloved", with LightHouse Director Anita Aaron

PHOTO CAPTION: Insights artist Amy Monthei stands by her mixed media piece "beloved" - Grade 2 Braille, as LightHouse Executive Director Anita Aaron reads the piece's oversized Braille.

You might have missed the Insights 2009 Opening Reception on October 15th, the exhibition of works by artists who are blind or visually impaired, but there is still time to visit the show on the ground floor of San Francisco City Hall. Special features include a wall of touchable art and an audio tour featuring recordings from Bay Area celebrities!

Visit the exhibition Monday through Friday,
between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. at the San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery in City Hall, Lower Level
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco, CA 94102

Or sign up for a staff-led group or individual audio tour of the Insights exhibition. Tours are available by appointment Monday through Friday, 8.am. to 6 p.m., from now through December 11, 2009.

For more information email insights@lighthouse-sf.org or call 415-431-1481, x335.

Stay tuned for more highlights from the Insights Artist Day and Public Reception on October 15th.

2. 'Link up' with the LightHouse
Many of you have been accustomed to receiving the Lantern newsletter on a monthly basis. We hope the LightHouse News reflects the spirit of the Lantern and that you will look forward to this communication with the same enthusiasm. We also hope that connecting with us through email will inspire you to "link" up with on-line LightHouse networks - communities that share affinity across geographic boundaries:

Visit the LightHouse blog and provide comments and input
Create a personal Facebook account and become a fan of the LightHouse
Follow us on Twitter

Thank you for staying connected to us in this way. Know that your support of increased electronic communication helps us not only stay in touch with you, but also supports our organizational efforts to be as "green" as possible.

If you have any questions about accessing this publication or its features, the LightHouse can help! Call 888-400-8933.

3. Interactive Phone System Has Real-Time BART Info

BART logo

BART now offers real-time arrival information through an Interactive
Voice Response (IVR) system, which is nicknamed "Ask Berta." Call your local Transit Information Center number, press 3, then press 6. You can call anytime - 24 hours a day/7 days a week - for automated information.

Local numbers are as follows:
Oakland/Berkeley/San Leandro: 510-465-2278
San Francisco/Daly City: 415-989-2278
South San Francisco/San Bruno/San Mateo: 650-992-2278
Concord/Walnut Creek/Lafayette
Antioch/Pittsburg/Livermore/Orinda: 925-676-2278
Hayward/San Leandro/Fremont
Union City/Dublin/Pleasanton: 510-441-2278
Richmond/El Cerrito: 510-236-2278

4. TransLink on Muni Seeks Trial Participants

SF MTA's TransLink logo

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) invites all Regional Transit Connection (RTC) Discount Card holders who ride Muni to be part of the TransLink on Muni trial program.

TransLink is the new, convenient way to pay for transit fares throughout the Bay Area. It is currently accepted on AC Transit, Dumbarton Express, Golden Gate Transit and Ferry, and all Muni vehicles except cable cars. BART began accepting TransLink for payment on August 3, and Caltrain began accepting it on August 17.

TransLink offers automatic loading of fares, online account management, and card and balance protection. TransLink also works with employee transit benefit programs such as Commuter Check and WageWorks.

Trial participants can load electronic cash ("e-cash") and/or a disabled monthly pass onto their card for transit fare payment. Trial participants will be asked to report incidents or problems, as well as to periodically respond to online surveys. This feedback is essential to helping SFMTA prepare TransLink for full availability to the public. Participants who complete surveys will also be eligible to win prizes.

If you do not have an RTC TransLink card, apply for one in person at:

Muni (San Francisco Municipal Railway)
2630 Geary Blvd.
San Francisco, CA 94118
415-923-6070, 415-701-4730 (TTY)
Applications accepted Monday through Wednesday, 10:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

To participate in the Muni TransLink trial group, sign up online at www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=u 50WGHnTtSib0vexdlULMg_3d_3d.

For general information about the program or to download a "Using your RTC TransLink Card on Muni" brochure, visit www.translink.org/muni or email translinkfeedback@sfmta.com

5. Share Your Experiences Using Post Office POS Devices
Disability Rights Advocates is interested in hearing about the experiences of blind and visually impaired people using point-of-sale (POS) devices at post offices in California. If you have tried to ship a package, buy packing supplies or engage in any other type of transaction at a post office counter and pay with a debit or credit card, they would like to hear how the process went for you. Did the device for swiping your card have a keypad to enter information such as a PIN number, or did it only have a flat touch screen? Was the sales transaction otherwise accessible? Please send your feedback to Karla Gilbride at kgilbride@dralegal.org, or call her at 510-665-8644, extension 117.

The LightHouse News is free to the community we serve: blind and visually impaired individuals and their families and friends. Please let us know what you think! To submit feedback about this newsletter, please send an email to publications@lighthouse-sf.org.