Dennis Taylor has been elected to the board of directors of Covenant House of West Virginia. Covenant House is dedicated to working for justice by offering direct services for people in need while creating social change through advocacy and education. Among other things, Covenant House operates a drop-in center for the homeless, provides people with housing-related assistance, and runs a clothing closet and food pantry.
10 January 2010
17 September 2009
Today marks the 222d anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Constitution. And thanks in large part to Senator Robert C. Byrd, celebrations and reflections will occur across the country. In West Virginia alone, there will be events at the West Virginia State Capitol; at the United States Courthouse in Charleston and the Boone County Courthouse in Madison; and at Shepherd University, where you can hear a lecture titled “Restoring the Constitution in the Wake of the ‘War on Terror,’” and West Virginia University, where you can learn about recent U.S. Supreme Court cases interpreting the Constitution.
At the State Capitol, we will read the most amazing part of the U.S. Constitution – a part not in the original, but quickly added by a wise citizenry – The Bill of Rights. Democracy is premised on the notion of majority rule; the Bill of Rights seeks to ensure that the majority’s rule is not tyrannical – that the minority have certain rights that cannot be trampled upon by a rabble-rousing majority: the right to go to the church or synagogue or mosque of your choosing, the right to scream from the rooftops that the majority’s rule is corrupt, the right to a home generally free of government intrusion, protection against lynch mob justice and cruel and unusual punishment.
In the Bible, Christ says: “Inasmuch as you have done it unto one the least of these my brothers, you have done it to me.” That’s what the Bill of Rights is all about – how we treat the least of these – our brothers and sisters with whom we may not always agree.
Take a few minutes and read the Bill of Rights.
19 July 2009
Having had the pleasure of working around several people with disabilities over the years, I have gained an appreciation for the difficulties they face … whether it be trying to maneuver around the halls of the West Virginia State Capitol in a wheelchair or reading textbooks if blind.
Two weeks ago Inside Higher Ed reported on a lawsuit brought by the National Federation for the Blind and the American Council of the Blind against Arizona State University for implementing a pilot program that will use Amazon’s new Kindle e-reader to distribute books to students. Why the lawsuit? While the Kindle can translate digital books into audio, “users can access the feature only through on-screen menus that are not accessible to the blind.” (Emphasis in original.)
The article intrigued me because West Virginia has a chapter of a little-known organization, Recording For the Blind and Dyslexic (RFB&D), which takes textbooks and converts them into audio form with the help of volunteer readers. The audio texts are then made available to blind and dyslexic individuals.
I encourage each of you to learn more about RFB&D and consider attending the local chapter’s Black, White and Read All Over Ball at Huntington’s Big Sandy Superstore Arena on 25 September 2009.
Governor Joe Manchin has appointed Dennis Taylor to the West Virginia Library Commission. The Library Commission is the state coordinating agency for public libraries.
8 July 2009
At its meeting on Tuesday, July 7, the Board of Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic – West Virginia elected Dennis Taylor as one of its newest members. RFB&D-WV makes audiobooks available to students with visual impairment, dyslexia and other disabilities.
