=  NOW 25 WPM  =  TEXT IS FROM DECEMBER 2022  QST  PAGE 80 =

WAS A GREAT CHANCE FOR SIGHTED HAMS TO MEET AND WORK CLOSELY WITH HAMS WITH
DIFFERENT ABILITIES.  WE HOPED TO BRING AWARENESS TO THIS OFTEN UNTAPPED
POTENTIAL OF THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED.  MANY SUGGESTIONS WERE OFFERED FROM
BOTH LMARS AND OARC MEMBERS.  WE ALSO HAD WONDERFUL SUPPORT FROM OTHER
VISUALLY IMPAIRED AND PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED PEOPLE.  FIELD DAY OPERATIONS
AS THE PLAN EVOLVED, EVERYONE PITCHED IN, WHILE ALSO LETTING THE BLIND
OPERATORS BE AS INDEPENDENT AS THEY WISHED.  FOR EXAMPLE, OUR STATION SETUP
TEAMS PROVIDE A TRAILER AND THE ANTENNA, BUT THE STATION ITSELF IS THE
RESPONSIBILITY OF EACH STATIONS CAPTAIN.  THE BGCW STATION WAS TO BE NO
DIFFERENT THEY BROUGHT THEIR OWN EQUIPMENT AND INSTALLED IT COMPLETELY
INDEPENDENTLY.  OUR EVENT WAS HELD IN A LARGE LOCAL PARK, AND THE CLUB TOOK
EXTRA CARE TO PLACE THE BLIND HAM STATION CLOSE TO PUBLIC RESTROOMS, WHICH
ALLOWED THEM TO OPERATE AUTONOMOUSLY BY USING A ROPE TO GUIDE THEM TO THE
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