Sports & Recreation calendar & More

The following information is being forwarded by the National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey Sports & Recreation Division as a courtesy, in accordance with our continued efforts to share information that may be of interest or of benefit to individuals who are blind and vision impaired.

Sports & Recreational Photos & Videos

Do you want to see the members of the National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey doing sports and recreational activities? If so, please visit our Sports & Recreational Photos & Videos page. If you want a picture or video to be added to this page, please contact Linda Melendez at lindamelendez220@gmail.com for details.

Upcoming Events

2020 Winter Challenge, Sponsored by the Sports and Recreation Division

Feeling a bit let-down after the rush of holidays just past?

Get your endorphins back in gear by joining our Winter Challenge from January 15 through March 31, 2020. This year we are offering three amazing opportunities; participate in one, two or all of the challenges.

The first challenge is to learn or brush up on your Braille skills: It is important for us as NFB members to not only promote the use of Braille but to also use it in our daily lives. There are resources to help you get materials and start learning.

The second challenge is to learn a new independent living Skill: We likely all have something in our daily lives that someone does for us and which we could learn to do for ourselves independently. Independence builds confidence and strength. Independence is freedom.

The third challenge is to be realistic about our physical health and take action to improve it. The most important thing we have as humans is our health. Regardless of what health issue we may have, there are many resources out there to give us the information we need to best understand and do what we can to make ourselves healthier. Let’s seek out some of these resources and start incorporating some of them into our lives. Lack of well-being can create a barrier to reaching our goals. The healthier and stronger we are as individuals, the healthier and stronger we are as a community.

All three challenges require sacrifice, effort and most importantly, a good support system. We have some knowledgeable individuals in our organization and affiliate so let’s help each other with ideas, resources or just positive words of encouragement.

Also, please consider sharing this challenge with other blind or vision impaired individuals so they can enjoy participating too. Non NFBNJ members are welcomed, let’s share the gift of the federation with them.

For challenge questions please contact Tony Santiago, Board Member and Chair of the Activities and Events Committee, at 732-947-2429 or ts.128@icloud.com, or Annemarie Cooke, NFBNJ Sports and Recreation Division Vice President, at 609-859-4084 or aec732@gmail.com.

To register, please complete the Winter Challenge Registration Form at www.nfbnj.org/sports-and-recreation-challenge-registration-form. If you are experiencing technical difficulty with the registration form, please contact NFBNJ Webmaster Brian Mackey at 609-680-8488 or webmaster@nfbnj.org.

New Jersey NFB Book Club Registration Form

Are you interested in reading books that explain and promote the National Federation of the Blind philosophy of raising expectations and living the lives we want? This year, the Sports and Recreation book discussion group, sponsored by the NFBNJ Sports & Recreation Division, read and talked about three such books by conference call. In 2020, we’re looking forward to another year of book club meetings and all are invited.

Want to learn more about the National Federation of the Blind? Well you can by participating in the New Jersey NFB Book Club, sponsored by the Sports and Recreation Division. Jane Degenshein, our book moderator will host quarterly conference calls to discuss books from our recommended NFB reading list. Our goal is to learn about the Federation and our members through reading, discussions and sharing. All Are Welcome!

So that we have a general idea of who to expect, please complete the Book Club Registration Form. The meeting will take place on April 15th at 6:00pm. To access the call, please dial 515 604 9570 and then use the access code of 612068 followed by the pound sign. Please dial in 10 to 15 minutes prior for roll call and follow our conference call etiquette listed in the registration form’s confirmation email.

This quarters book is:



Title:	“Life without sight: my journey into the world of the sighted and the blind”
Author:	Agnes Allen
NLS Book Number:	DBC01887
Reading time:	3 hours, 18 minutes
Book Description:	A memoir of a blind woman’s road to success in overcoming life’s obstacles.

About The Author

Agnes Allen was born on the 18th of January 1924, the sixth and last child born to Mary and Louis Stone. When she was just five years old, she had a terrible fall off a porch swing. The doctors told Agnes’ mother she had six months to live. She obviously survived but the accident left her totally blind. Agnes thrived at the Pittsburgh School for the Blind where she learned to love education. The school taught Agnes many things but most of all it enabled her to be independent, confident, capable and optimistic. After graduating from the Pittsburgh School for the Blind, Agnes became the first blind graduate of Mount Mercy College. She graduated Suma Cum Laude. The formation provided by the Mercy Sisters is rarely found in education today. They taught their students that a life of service is a life well lived. Agnes took this instruction to heart and strived to obtain this virtuous life.

The only member of her family to graduate high school and college, Agnes had the opportunity to attend graduate school at the University of Pittsburgh. Upon finishing her Master’s degree in English, Agnes embarked on a career of teaching. She instructed blind and deaf blind students, young children and adults to accept their impairment and tackle any obstacle that stood in the way of achieving independence. She taught Braille, English, math, music, and many other necessary life skills. Her dedication to the advancement of blind persons is evident in the fact that she was still tutoring blind students after her 90th birthday. Agnes has been a long-standing member and served as an officer of both the New Jersey and Connecticut chapters of the National Federation of the Blind. Agnes has a grave concern for blind individuals that cannot read braille and raised awareness through her many Braille Literacy campaigns and events. Her book, “Life Without Sight” was written to encourage all blind persons and their families to make the most out of the life they were given. Agnes’ message to all is “It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.” She also held positions as a Social Worker for the Division of Family Services, a proofreader, and a salesman.

Agnes Allen is the mother of three daughters and the grandmother of nine grandchildren. Her example of generosity, love of neighbor and her joyful positive attitude has been a great blessing to her family. She is dearly loved.

Archived New Jersey NFB Book Club Meetings

To listen to the archived meetings, please dial 515-604-9651, and entering the access code 612068 pound followed by the call reference code. You can also listen to the recordings on your computer or smart phone with the link listed with each archived meeting.

2019

• September 18, 2019 – “Thunder Dog: a true story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust at ground zero”
  Moderator: Jane Degenshein
  Reference Code: 15
  Audio Archive: FreeConferenceCall.com
• May 15, 2019 – “Out of Sight: Blind & Doing All Right”
  Moderator: Jane Degenshein
  Reference Code: 13
  Audio Archive: FreeConferenceCall.com
• March 20, 2019 – “Outside Myself”
  Moderator: Jane Degenshein
  Reference Code: 11
  Audio Archive: FreeConferenceCall.com
• January 16, 2019 – “The Power of Love: how Kenneth Jernigan changed the world for the blind”
  Moderator: Jane Degenshein
  Reference Code: 9 pound
  Audio Archive: FreeConferenceCall.com

2018

• October 10, 2018 – “Blind Ambition
  Moderator: Jane Degenshein
  Reference Code: 8 pound
  Audio archive: FreeConferenceCall.com
• June 25, 2018 – “The Blind Doctor”
  Moderator: Jane Degenshein
  Reference Code: 6 pound
  Audio Archive: FreeConferenceCall.com

NJ Theater Alliance

The websites and contact information for all NJ professional theaters associated with the NJ Theater Alliance can be found at https://www.njtheatrealliance.org. You can call to see if there are any audio described shows currently being offered.

Middle Atlantic Blind Golf Association’s Golf Schedule

To learn what courses the Middle Atlantic Blind Golf Association plays at during its season and when the outings are taking place, please visit www.mabga.org/golf-schedule.

Calendar of Events

Our calendar allows for easy access and one central location to find everything Sports and Recreation related such as upcoming meetings, events, and activities. If you wish an event to be added to the calendar, please contact Linda Melendez at 732-421-7063 or lindamelendez220@gmail.com to learn what details is required for posting to the calendar.

Blind Alive Workout Podcasts

• Balance Series
• Barre Method Level One
• Boot Camp
• Cardio Level One
• Cardio Level Two
• Chair Yoga
• Floor Yoga for Strength
• Gentle Workout Set
• Gentle Yoga for Beginners
• Interval Training Level One
• Meditation Series
• Mini Workout
• Pilates Chair with Ring
• Pilates Mat Level 1
• Pilates Mat Level 2
• Sculpting with Weights One
• Sculpting with Weights Two
• Slow Flow Yoga
• Stability Ball
• Stretch Series
• Whole Body Stretch

You can view additional videos on the Eyes-Free Fitness YouTube channel.