[CentralOK] FW: [Brl-monitor] The Braille Monitor, August/September 2022

[Audrey Farnum]

See below for the latest issue of the Braille Monitor.

Audrey T. Farnum
President
National Federation of  the Blind Oklahoma
405-590-6110
President at nfbok.org<mailto:President at nfbok.org>
www.nfbok.org<http://www.nfbok.org>
www.facebook.com/nationalfederationoftheblindok/<http://www.facebook.com/nationalfederationoftheblindok/>
www.twitter.com/nfbok/

The Braille Monitor, August/September 2022
BRAILLE MONITOR

Vol. 65, No. 8 August/September 2022

Gary Wunder, Editor

Distributed by email, in inkprint, in Braille, and on USB flash drive, by the

NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND

Mark Riccobono, President

telephone: 410-659-9314

email address: nfb at nfb.org<mailto:nfb at nfb.org>

website address: http://www.nfb.org

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Letters to the President, address changes, subscription requests, and orders for NFB literature should be sent to the national office. Articles for the Monitor and letters to the editor may also be sent to the national office or may be emailed to gwunder at nfb.org<mailto:gwunder at nfb.org>.

Monitor subscriptions cost the Federation about forty dollars per year. Members are invited, and nonmembers are requested, to cover the subscription cost. Donations should be made payable to National Federation of the Blind and sent to:

National Federation of the Blind

200 East Wells Street at Jernigan Place
Baltimore, Maryland 21230-4998

THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND KNOWS THAT BLINDNESS IS NOT THE CHARACTERISTIC THAT DEFINES YOU OR YOUR FUTURE. EVERY DAY WE RAISE THE EXPECTATIONS OF BLIND PEOPLE, BECAUSE LOW EXPECTATIONS CREATE OBSTACLES BETWEEN BLIND PEOPLE AND OUR DREAMS. YOU CAN LIVE THE LIFE YOU WANT; BLINDNESS IS NOT WHAT HOLDS YOU BACK. THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND IS NOT AN ORGANIZATION SPEAKING FOR THE BLIND-IT IS THE BLIND SPEAKING FOR OURSELVES.

ISSN 0006-8829

© 2022 by the National Federation of the Blind

Each issue is recorded on a thumb drive (also called a memory stick or USB flash drive). You can read this audio edition using a computer or a National Library Service digital player. The NLS machine has two slots-the familiar book-cartridge slot just above the retractable carrying handle and a second slot located on the right side near the headphone jack. This smaller slot is used to play thumb drives. Remove the protective rubber pad covering this slot and insert the thumb drive. It will insert only in one position. If you encounter resistance, flip the drive over and try again. (Note: If the cartridge slot is not empty when you insert the thumb drive, the digital player will ignore the thumb drive.) Once the thumb drive is inserted, the player buttons will function as usual for reading digital materials. If you remove the thumb drive to use the player for cartridges, when you insert it again, reading should resume at the point you stopped.

You can transfer the recording of each issue from the thumb drive to your computer or preserve it on the thumb drive. However, because thumb drives can be used hundreds of times, we would appreciate their return in order to stretch our funding. Please use the return envelope enclosed with the drive when you return the device.

Vol. 65, No. 8 August/September 2022

Contents

Illustration: Engineering the Outcomes We Want

The 2022 Convention Roundup

by Gary Wunder

2022 Presidential Report

by Mark A. Riccobono

Presentation of the Jacobus tenBroek Awards

Distinguished Educator of Blind Students Award

Blind Educator of the Year

2022 Scholarship Awards

National Federation of the Blind 2022 Scholarships Winners List

Remarks by the Kenneth Jernigan Scholarship Recipient for 2022

Spirit, Togetherness, and Service: The Signature of the Blind People's Movement

by Mark A. Riccobono

The 2022 Dr. Jacob Bolotin Awards

by Everette Bacon

2022 Resolutions

Press Release: The Federation Continues to Work on Self-Driving Vehicles

Monitor Miniatures

[PHOTO CAPTION: Maddy (participant) feels the edges of one wall of her group's 3D house as Mausam (mentor) holds it steady.]

[PHOTO CAPTION: Two mentors and an EQ participant (Pierluca) using a Braille ruler to measure foam core board, which they will then cut to form the walls of their model house.]

[PHOTO CAPTION: Roman (mentor), adding multiple types of insulation to the house (black fabric and aluminum foil).]

Engineering the Outcomes We Want

NFB EQ (the National Federation of the Blind Engineering Quotient program) is a week-long summer engineering program for blind and low-vision teens from around the United States. NFB EQ is jam-packed with fun and learning. Participants spend each day engaged in activities designed to strengthen their knowledge of engineering as well as their problem-solving abilities. In the evenings, participants explore the local community and participate in various recreational activities.

This year we had students build a model house, a one-bedroom with a number of design constraints (minimum floor size, minimum roof height, a door able to accommodate a thermometer, etc. Of course, to make it as real-world as possible, there had to be time constraints. Students also visited Presbytère Museum in Jackson Square to learn about climate change, engineering failures, and the impact of hurricane Katrina on New Orleans.

[PHOTO CAPTION: Gary Wunder]

The 2022 Convention Roundup

by Gary Wunder

What do you think of when you hear the word July? For me it is summer heat, the season well underway, but mostly what I think of is the annual convention of the National Federation of the Blind. It is the time when I am both recharged for a year and at the same time temporarily exhausted by the effort of attending and then writing about it.

In 2020 and 2021, we harnessed the benefits of technology that let us meet together while remaining safely at home. We had spectacular events, but there is something no electronic involvement can replace: the sheer joy of being together, talking together, sharing meals together, and much of it beginning or ending with a handshake or a hug. In part, this is what 2022 will be remembered for, not so much in the record books but in the hearts and minds of those who attended.

For some of us the decision about whether to venture out was difficult, and people with spirit and loyalty were divided on the issue. Some of us decided the risk of COVID was still too great; others of us decided we would play the odds, risk the consequences, and restart being together again. More than two thousand of us made the decision to be together. We tested for the virus, and most of us wore masks to do what we could to avoid our event being a super-spreader. Although some of us did catch the disease, as we knew would be the case, we were fortunate that it was not widespread and didn't result in serious illness or death.

For many of us, the long season of COVID has meant a period of isolation that made mobility skills we normally consider second nature require more of our attention. Not only did the Convention pose unique mobility challenges, as in the case of the elevators, but it required us to "harness our inner patience" as President Riccobono remarked. The Convention experiences were like none other in terms of getting around. With that inner patience, the confidence that we can do it, and the determination not to be imprisoned by challenge but to be liberated by it, this, like other conventions, is what makes our gatherings so meaningful and life-changing.

Seminar Day began on Tuesday, July 5, and what a jam-packed offering of programs were available. During the Convention, one could attend more than 180 different meetings. In this article we cannot begin to describe all of them, nor can we do justice to any of them. It is the responsibility of those who conducted the meetings to do what they can to get us information that we can publish, and the Braille Monitor has every reason to believe they will.

The National Organization of Parents of Blind Children has what we have sometimes called a convention within a convention. While parents are certainly encouraged to attend our general sessions, this division has made certain that it is well worth the time and expense to attend a convention of the NFB, if your primary interest is in finding out information about where your child is now and how you can be more active in seeing that they receive quality service. The length of the parents' agenda exceeds that of many agendas used for state conventions, and it was absolutely filled to the brim with anything you might want to know as the parent of a blind child.

When the Convention began on Tuesday morning, the Parents Division hosted a seminar on math accessibility, independent movement and travel, and advocacy in difficult times. There were also sessions on remote Braille instruction, how to raise your expectations and defeat your fears, and even a session on blind kids and interacting with robots.

The Ambassadors Committee is comprised of volunteers who work hard to make the Convention run smoothly. While we certainly have paid staff who attend the Convention, there is no way that they can do all the work that needs doing without dedicated volunteers. The most visible role of the Ambassadors is to serve as human talking signs, and we proudly call these volunteers Marshals. On every morning from July 5 to July 10, this group met at 8:00 a.m. to coordinate the day's activities, discuss problems, and figure out innovative ways to address them.

Our Jernigan Institute conducted a number of seminars including a Structured Discovery approach to access technology training, advocating for accessibility, and discussing the accessibility of the Chromebook, an Android computer that is much cheaper than many Windows equivalents. There was even a fascinating seminar on how to produce tactile graphics and 3D models.

Freedom Scientific was back with its ever-popular seminar on "What's New with JAWS, Fusion, and ZoomText." The always anticipated update from HumanWare also took place, its title being "Glad to Be Back: News from HumanWare." As a retailer, that has made a significant effort to see that its products and services are accessible, Target was once again presenting and asking for feedback from its customers.

The National Federation of the Blind Sports and Recreation Division held a number of seminars, one of them being "Making Health and Fitness a Lifestyle" in which we were encouraged to learn about being lean and how we do that as part of our everyday activity.

As we work harder to recruit people with intersecting disabilities, it is important for us to learn about other resources, networking possibilities, and deepening our understanding of members. A session was devoted to this activity. The NFB Employment Committee held a Job Seekers Seminar, a session devoted to making and reading art tactilely was offered, and the National Association of Guide Dog Users conducted a session on how guide dog users could become their own best advocates. Since websites are often the first contact people will have with us, we need to increase the number of people who can make significant contributions to them, so a seminar was held for affiliates and divisions to discuss how to go about learning how to do this work.

Since a big part of reaching out and including others involves communication, we had a session on the importance of learning about inclusive and consensual language. The Technology Evaluation Committee's Exhibitor Showcase gave all interested exhibitors a chance to talk about what could be seen when people came to the exhibit hall, and a report of that meeting will be found elsewhere in this issue.

Given that our organization is diverse in the religious beliefs of its members, the agenda was filled with meetings such as The NFB in Judaism, the second annual meeting of the NFB Muslims Group, and the meeting of our Communities of Faith. We also took the time to celebrate the Islamic Eid al-Adha, one of the major holidays in the Islamic calendar.

The students helped to finish off Tuesday evening by holding a division mix and mingle event, a Rookie Roundup was available for newcomers to the Convention or those who wanted a refresher, and, of course, many of us created our own activities with walks, meals, and much conversation.

Wednesday morning began with a discussion of Braille by the Committee for Advancement and Promotion of Braille. Given how important this tool is to us, the committee discussed its teaching, its delivery, and strategies for bringing more improvements to increase its availability. To provide an environment of inspiration, mentorship, and strategies for success to the next generation of blind Latina trailblazers, Mujeres of the Federation also held an early morning meeting. "Blind and Mina: A Different Type of Brown" held a seminar for members who are American Arab, North African, Middle Eastern, South Asian, Muslim, and Sikh. Their goal was to discuss unique challenges in post 9/11 America. Blind Asian Americans also met to connect and to share practices and strategies for approaching vision loss in a culture in which blind people are too often hidden away and discouraged from involvement outside the family.

The National Federation of the Blind Resolutions Committee conducted its annual meeting, and anyone who observed it learned a great deal about the issues confronting blind people and the strategies proposed to address them. Equally important, however, we learned that people with greatly diverging opinions can talk with and not around one another and share their disagreements without being disagreeable. The great resolve to come from the committee was that we would do our best to be positive, constructive, and, after all of our competing opinions were heard, we would leave with a unity of purpose that can shine for other movements in the country.

One of the flashier titles on the agenda was "Apple, Alexa, or Alexander Graham Bell," and the subject of this intriguing title was NFB-NEWSLINE®. For several decades this invaluable service has been helping blind people get information in a free-of-charge, easy-to-use package. Many people's favorite way to use the service is over a cup of coffee, but human beings cannot live on liquid alone, so a session on "NFB in the Kitchen" was held to discuss how to put some spark and inspiration into one's daily bread.

Mostly when we think about the work of the Sports and Recreation Division, we think about physical activity. At this convention, however, the division sponsored a workshop on "Mindfulness and Meditation." The relaxation techniques they taught might be really helpful if one decides to "Learn to Host an NFB Youth Program," a learning session sponsored by successful coordinators of our numerous youth events.

When Thursday morning came, so did the meeting of the National Federation of the Blind Board of Directors. President Riccobono began the board meeting with the traditional roll call, and all of our members were present with the exception of our dearly departed treasurer, Jeannie Massay. In her honor, the board was wearing the color purple. To commemorate Jeannie and others, we began with the traditional moment of silence, noting that this year we have lost many Federationists and a significant number who were prominent leaders in the organization.

After the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag and the Federation Pledge, the President expressed his enthusiasm for how great it was to be back together. This convention, like all others before it, came with certain strains: for some of us it meant being mobile after a long period of immobility; for others it meant wearing a mask when we weren't always comfortable with one; for still others it meant exercising patience as we navigated a noisy hotel, an elevator system that was different from many we have faced before, and the heat of the outdoors and the chilliness of the indoors. Many of us believe we are best when we are challenged, and this convention provided just the right balance of challenge and nurture.

We next reviewed positions on the Board of Directors, noting first those that would continue and then those that would be up for election this year. Of course, this year would require us to fill one extra position, being the one formerly held by Jeannie Massay. Amy Buresh called for the floor and announced that she would not seek another term. She said that sixteen years ago she was elected to this board, and she cannot fully express the honor of the assignment and the confidence that it brought to her knowing that so many people believed in her leadership ability. She believes she should now pass that honor to someone else, and she gladly forfeits the title of board member for the title of member, knowing that this is the backbone of what makes up the National Federation of the Blind.

John Fritz called for the floor, welcomed everyone to the Convention, and announced that he has attended more than thirty conventions. He became a board member fourteen years ago, but one of his core beliefs is that it is very important for us to train and pass on responsibilities and skills to others. He learned this as a parent. As a parent, he has learned about passing the torch from other life activities, and this is what he intends to do by no longer seeking election.

Amy Ruell asked for the floor and began by expressing her appreciation for being able to serve on the Board of Directors. She wishes not to stand for reelection. She very much respects our addressing issues of injustice while at the same time remaining true to our traditions. President Riccobono recognized Amy's service, some of her roles being less visible than the one she played as a board member. The Convention gave all of those who decided not to run in 2022 a big round of applause, both in appreciation for all they have done, and what we know they will continue to do.

Normally we hear from the chairperson of the board at the end of the board meeting, but in this case the chairperson was also the president of the host affiliate, the National Federation of the Blind of Louisiana. Here is some of what she said:

Good morning and welcome to New Orleans! Your Louisiana crew is so honored and delighted to be your host for our 2022 National Convention as we welcome you to the Big Easy where there is something for everyone ... from our world-renowned restaurants (hundreds within just a short distance from our hotel) to the vibrant nightlife to our rich cultural heritage and music... there is so much to explore. Isn't it uplifting and restorative to be together again?

Whether you are joining us virtually-and we want to give a special shout-out to our First Lady Melissa and all of those online, or you are here in person-isn't it refreshing to step out of our daily routine and join together at this convention, the world's largest gathering of blind people, in a spirit of unity and love? Together, we share our message that blindness does not stop us from living the lives we want.

President Riccobono, your unwavering faith, steadfast commitment to listening to our members, attention to hearing all voices and experiences, openness to change and growth, your democratic and loving leadership has moved our organization to the next level. During the past three years since we last gathered in-person, we have faced challenging and difficult times, and our transformative work is more far-reaching because of your leadership and because of the courage and work of so many! As demonstrated in the history of New Orleans, our diversity and resiliency make us stronger! And, like this incredible city steeped in so many diverse traditions, the most important part of the Federation is the people, our members, who are the driving force behind our revolutionary work! I also want to take a moment to acknowledge and welcome those attending their first convention-so happy you are here with us to share your hopes and ideas! Thanks to Tracy Soforenko and our Jernigan Fund Committee and all who helped with our Rookie Roundup last night!

As we gather together and experience all that New Orleans has to offer, you will notice the influence of our multi-cultural history-Native American, Acadian, African, Spanish, French, Irish, Italian, and Haitian. This diversity is reflected in the food, architecture, and music of our city! Whether you are sampling some jambalaya, étouffée, a po'boy, a muffuletta, or enjoying some beignets-those delicious squares of fried dough covered generously with powdered sugar at Café du Monde, the café of the world, while sipping café au lait-or cruising on the mighty Mississippi listening to jazz, or simply being entertained by any of the amazingly talented musicians who perform all around the city, including on the streets of the French Quarter, we are sure this trip to the Crescent City will keep you coming back again and again! Don't forget our convention t-shirts designed by our beloved artist, Merilynn Whittle. T-shirts are gold with black writing and feature the NFB logo on the front with a picture of a beautifully detailed riverboat on the back and the New Orleans skyline along with New Orleans and laissez les bons temps rouler, which means, let the good times roll, and we are certainly doing that! Shirts can be purchased online at nfbla.org. You'll want to purchase yours to commemorate this wonderful week!

I want to express my sincere gratitude to all of our dedicated NFB of Louisiana members and LCB staff, students, and alumni who have so generously given of their time, creativity, and energy leading up to this convention and throughout this week. They exemplify the heart of our Federation, and I commend them for their tireless hard work!

We are carrying out the work of those who came before us who are no longer present, most recently in our Louisiana family: Don Banning and Tolita Mitchell, whom we have lost in this last year. But we feel their pride and strength, and it gives us motivation and hope!

As we reflect today on our past and dream together for our future, our dedication to each other and our belief in what is possible are restored! We hope that you feel energized, that your commitment will be renewed, and that you will take that spirit home as you work each day in chapters and affiliates to listen to each other's stories and to help transform the dreams of all blind people into reality! Thanks to everyone for being here and for taking part in our convention! You are the reason we are here! Laissez les bons temps rouler, and let's go build the National Federation of the Blind!

President Riccobono thanked the hundreds of volunteers who make the Convention work smoothly and also recognized that a big part of the success we have is due to the staff who do so much behind the scenes to make things work. To talk about convention organization and activities, he introduced the Chairman of Convention Organization and Activities, John Berggren. John said that one of his most exciting challenges for this convention would be to talk about things the way they used to be before Zoom. He noted that there were almost ten ways for people to access the agenda, everything from hardcopy Braille and print to a scheduling app. When it comes to the agenda, we shamelessly parrot Burger King: you can have it your way. John offered a big thank-you to the National Association of Guide Dog Users for sponsoring two guide dog relief areas. It is no easy matter to develop and maintain relief areas that will satisfy all of the guide dogs who come to the Convention, but every report this writer has heard offers tremendous commendation to the division and its leaders.

There are two restaurants in the hotel, but to make things more convenient and affordable, a grab-and-go facility was created for us. Lunch was available from twelve until two, and dinner from five until seven. At twelve dollars and fifteen dollars respectively, this was a bargain given hotel prices. The food was also excellent.

In addition to our in-person session, the board meeting and the general sessions of the Convention were broadcast on Zoom in both English and Spanish. Information was also captioned so that it could be read. As usual, Daniel Martinez was very active in bringing our convention to Spanish speakers, and this he continued to do even while he undertook the rigors of being a scholarship winner and the demands that this involves.

Dan Burke serves as the chairperson of our Ambassadors Committee, the core of volunteers that helps to deal with issues before they become problems, address problems once they surface, and help all of us navigate through areas with which we are unfamiliar with voice marshaling and other activities. This year Dan was assisted by Co-chair Corbb O'Connor, and both gave a superior effort that made the Convention pleasurable for us all.

President Riccobono reviewed the top ten states and concluded by announcing that registration as of the board meeting stood at 2,322 attendees. Given the concerns about the virus and those among us who judged it unwise to travel, we considered this a very good initial number.

The president announced that our next convention, that being 2023, will be held in Houston, Texas, from July 1 to July 6. The rates for the Convention will be $119 for up to four in a room, and the Texans amongst us vowed that it will be one of the greatest conventions we have ever seen.

President Riccobono made his traditional announcement about the respect with which we treat all of those who come to our stage. Division that we see in our country is no excuse for bad behavior on our part, and, whatever the message, we want the messenger to go away knowing they were treated with dignity and respect. When we disagree, ours is a contest of ideas, not a judgment on the worthiness of someone who may hold a different opinion.

Much to the glee of yours truly, President Riccobono requested articles for the Braille Monitor, our flagship publication, as well as encouraging people to be active readers. This magazine belongs to all of us, so let us make it the valued resource it can be by reflecting who we are and the future we intend to shape.

Last year we rebranded Meet the Blind Month and now call it Blind Equality Achievement Month. This is our chance to get out into the world and to share our message of hope and opportunity for the blind. Now is a great time to start thinking about the projects we will do and to share the good news about who we are and what we do in the world. To begin that month, we are going to take the Presidential Release on the road, and chapters are encouraged to make a proposal that President Riccobono and Vice President Pam Allen come to their location for the release. Chapters interested in hosting the Presidential Release should write to membership at nfb.org<mailto:membership at nfb.org> no later than August 28.

Our Code of Conduct was the next topic of discussion, and President Riccobono noted that everyone attending the Convention was asked to agree to it. Those unfamiliar with it can find it on our NFB website, and it was available at the Convention in Braille and print as well. From December 1, 2021, to present, 131 complaints were filed. Ninety-four of those concerned sexual misconduct or abuse. Of those ninety-four, eight led to expulsions, twenty-four people were suspended, five people were put on probation, and seven reports led to other disciplinary action. Thirty-four of the ninety-four reports were not substantiated. One report was withdrawn, and seven reports resulted in people being banned from further participation in the Federation. Banned is a term we use when people who committed offenses were not members of the organization so cannot be removed from membership. Instead, they are prohibited from participating in Federation activities. Of these ninety-four, we still have eight pending reports that are being processed.

Last year the Federation created a SAFE Fund for those who have been victims and who may benefit from financial assistance. This fund is being administered by a third party. We do not get involved in the details of what each person gets or why, but we do get information about how many people were assisted and how many dollars were spent. So far sixty-six people have been contacted about using the fund, but the fact that they have been invited does not mean they will use the offered assistance. So far we have distributed no money from the SAFE Fund because its activity has just commenced, but the fund remains for people who have suffered abuse in the past and for those who may experience misconduct in the future. While we hope this doesn't happen, we believe that the Fund remains as a positive support to create healing within the organization.

A constitutional amendment was recommended by the Board of Directors, and the announcement was that it would be considered on Saturday and read during general session on July 8. It appeared in the June issue of the Braille Monitor and was discussed on the Presidential Release. President Riccobono urged everyone to read it, think about it, and if the Convention decides that the proposed amendment is not what we need, reject it and help devise one that is. Otherwise, the amendment should be passed, and the Constitution will further clarify how we deal with the alleged misconduct of members.

In an attempt to recognize all religious holidays and not plan events that conflict with them, we have generated a five-year calendar listing them. This convention falls on a significant Muslim holiday, so we will try to avoid that in the future, and the agenda shows a number of activities throughout the week for Muslims to honor the holiday.

Shawn Callaway is one of the co-chairs of our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, and the other is Collin Wong. Shawn addressed the gathering, observing that our DEI efforts have helped to build the Federation and have helped those who are already members to feel more comfortable in our organization. Shawn announced that Mr. Malcolm Greene is a new member of our staff who has been hired to coordinate our national efforts to support diversity, equity, and inclusion. Anyone with questions or suggestions about our efforts should write to diversity at nfb.org<mailto:diversity at nfb.org> or write directly to Malcolm at mgreene at nfb.org<mailto:mgreene at nfb.org>. Please note that Mr. Greene spells his name with an E at the end.

Denise Avant addressed the board on the subject of membership. The co-chair of the Membership Committee is Tarik Williams. Given that Jeannie Massey was the previous chairperson of the Membership Committee, Denise began by recognizing her, noting that her name will forever be synonymous with the phrase "Federation family." Every day Denise, Tarik, and all of the members of the Membership Committee are motivated by Jeannie's spirit as we build the National Federation of the Blind. We want to use the programs that we have already created and at the same time be open to innovations that will increase our effectiveness. The committee has several requests: that chapter presidents participate in monthly calls, that affiliate presidents appoint a membership chair for their affiliate, and that all of us advertise the open house which is available for those who are not yet members but wish to ask questions of our leadership. When we say that we want to expand and innovate, this really means that we want to hear from you. Please write to us at membership at nfb.org<mailto:membership at nfb.org>.

The Distinguished Educator of Blind Children is an annual award we proudly present to recognize someone truly outstanding, and Carla McQuillan took the microphone to present this award. Her presentation and the remarks of the 2022 winner are found elsewhere in this issue.

This day is often known as Board Meeting Day, but it is also known as Division Day. President Riccobono reminded divisions that they have reports that are due on August 15 and that we want to know about changes in officers and board members. These should be given to Beth Braun, and if she receives them in Braille, the President will be her reader.

Much of the work of the Federation is done by committees, and all are appointed by the President with the exception of the Nominating Committee. Every member is invited to express their interest in serving on committees. This can be done at the information desk when at the Convention or by filling out a form on our website, the address being https://nfb.org/about-us/divisions-committees-and-groups/committee-interest-form.

Sponsors and exhibitors play an important role at our convention, and one of our sponsors this year was Netflix. It announced that it would be hosting an exclusive showing of Stranger Things a few blocks from the hotel, and free concessions would be available.

Another of our significant partners is the World Blind Union, and President Riccobono mentioned the concert that was held in April to raise funds for blind Ukrainians. There is a new chief executive officer at the World Blind Union, and although he was invited and accepted our invitation, the coronavirus he contracted in his world travels necessitated some change in plans. Given this, he joined us by connecting through the Zoom platform, and he expressed the hope that, since he was already in New Orleans and his symptoms were declining, he might be able to join us before the end of the Convention. CEO Marc Workman said that he first learned about the National Federation of the Blind as a college student, using this new tool called Google. It led him to speeches that virtually consumed days of his time. He said that it is safe to say that he would not be in work with the blind had it not been for the speeches and the philosophy that he found from the National Federation of the Blind. Marc concluded his remarks by thanking the Federation for its participation in the concert and the check that came from that participation. He said, "because of you, thousands of Ukrainians, inside and outside Ukraine, are going to receive support and assistance that they would otherwise not have received. So please, Twitter, YouTube, or whatever you prefer. That is the best way to keep in touch with us and to stay updated on and hear the latest on the Ukrainian Unity Fund. Thank you, President Riccobono; thank you to everyone, and I hope to be able to join with you soon."

Patti Chang came to the microphone to discuss many of our outreach efforts. She asked that all convention attendees do what we can to thank the sponsors and exhibitors who are supporting us. She then thanked each sponsor individually, and we take this opportunity to do the same:

Elite: Kellogg

Platinum: eSSENTIAL Accessibility, Google, Horizon Therapeutics, Meta, Microsoft, UPS Foundation, Vanda Pharmaceuticals, Vispero, and Wells Fargo

Gold: Amazon; Brown, Goldstein & Levy, LLP; Oracle; Target; and Waymo

Silver: Aira Tech Corp, APH ConnectCenter, AT&T, Cruise, HumanWare, iSenpai, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Market Development Group, and Pearson

Bronze: American Printing House for the Blind, Chris Park Design, Charter Communications, Educational Testing Service, Election Systems & Software, McDonald's Corporation, Tusk Philanthropies, and VitalSource Technologies

White Cane: The Chicago Lighthouse; Clusiv; D2L Corporation; Democracy Live; Duxbury Systems, Inc; En-Vision America; Envision, Inc.; GoodMaps, Inc.; HIMS, Inc.; IKE Smart City, LLC; Independence Science Tactile Engineering; Leader Dogs for the Blind; McGraw Hill; National Industries for the Blind; Personal.ai; and Rosen, Bien, Galvan & Grunfeld, LLP.

We have a new donate page that is easier to use and integrates with our Connections Database. The Federation still operates our vehicle donation program, and anyone we can get to donate a vehicle should call 855-659-9314. Green Drop still operates in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and the District of Columbia. Anyone who can get donations from those states should call 888-944-3767. Patty concluded by mentioning our legacy society, the Dream Makers Circle. Anyone interested in leaving a legacy gift and joining the Dream Makers Circle should contact Patty at extension 2422 or writing to pchang at nfb.org<mailto:pchang at nfb.org>. One of the benefits of being a member of this group was a special chance to meet and participate in a question-and-answer session with Dan Parker, the man who broke the land speed record that was discussed extensively in the May issue and which would be featured in a presentation by Dan later in the Convention.

Everette Bacon took the microphone to talk about the Give $20 program, the goal being to match a most generous donation from HumanWare of $50,000. This we were able to do using generous contributions from our members and a very nice donation from Netflix.

At the end of his presentation, Everette proudly presented from the National Federation of the Blind of Utah a check in the amount of $14,250 received from a bequest. President Riccobono thanked all donors to the Give $20 campaign and expressed appreciation for the spirit of sharing that the donation from Utah represents.

Sandy Halverson chairs our Shares Unlimited in the National Federation of the Blind Fund, which we affectionately refer to as the SUN Fund. In this fund we accumulate money to provide sunshine should we encounter rainy days in our financing. As much as we hope this will never happen, it is prudent that we have a savings account, and Sandy Halverson is a tremendous champion for reminding us that having savings on hand is prudent whether we are talking about individuals or our organization. Currently there is just over $1.6 million in the fund, so if we are to sustain our programs for a significant period of time, it is clear that we need to pay more attention to this effort.

Scott LaBarre next addressed the board and the audience with a report on the Preauthorized Contribution Program known as PAC. This fund is supported by members who wish to give a monthly contribution to the Federation. It is a substantial part of our member-generated income, and one of its greatest values is that it is predictable. Last year we were very proud that we reached over half-a-million dollars annually in this program. Unfortunately, that amount has declined some, and our goal, of course, is to match and exceed it as the year goes along.

After Scott's PAC report came a presentation of the Blind Educator of the Year Award. The chairperson of the committee is Robin House, and her remarks and those of the winner will be found elsewhere in this issue.

One of our closest working partners is the American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults, and President Riccobono announced that calendars for 2023 are now available. Calendars can be ordered from the Action Fund website starting in August or by writing to actionfund at actionfund.org<mailto:actionfund at actionfund.org>. The Action Fund sponsored a Braille Book Fair, and 132 boxes of Braille books were shipped to New Orleans for this event. Our partner operates the largest free Braille book program in the world, and more information is available on the website.

Last but not least, the Action Fund sponsors the Braille Readers are Leaders Contest, and more information about it will be available in the fall. Watch the Braille Monitor for more details as they emerge.

Tracy Soforenko is the chairman of our Jernigan Fund, which for more than twenty years has supported first-time attendees to come to the national convention. This year eighty-nine individuals and families were supported in their effort to attend. Our only request of winners is that you share with us your stories. Please send your story to rookie at nfb.org<mailto:rookie at nfb.org> or by calling 410-659-9314, extension 2020. As an example, Tracy gave his own story. He wanted to become a blind parent but was a little unsure about whether he could do it. His first convention of the National Federation of the Blind dispelled his doubts. Not only is the Federation a family, but it helps us build our own.

Kathryn Webster chairs the Jacobus tenBroek Memorial Committee. The tenBroek Fund owns the building at 200 East Wells Street, and many programs serving the blind operate from this location, including our national headquarters. As many will know, significant renovations were made to our national headquarters for hosting events. This work, as well as the maintenance and the upkeep of any facility, requires that we pay attention to its funding.

Cayte Mendez was next introduced in her capacity as the chairperson of our Scholarship Committee. Each finalist in the 2022 class was given an opportunity to address the assembled, and those remarks, as well as ones made by the chairman, will appear elsewhere in this issue.

After hearing from our scholarship finalists, the Board of Directors voted to fund a similar program in 2023. The motion passed unanimously.

As the organization's legal counsel, Scott LaBarre was given a few moments to discuss cases. He started by urging that anyone having legal issues they wish to discuss begin by contacting Valerie Yingling at extension 2440 or by writing to her at vyingling at nfb.org<mailto:vyingling at nfb.org>. Scott can also be reached by writing to slabarre at nfb.org<mailto:slabarre at nfb.org> or by calling him at extension 2424.

USA Hire is a company that does employment assessments, and our understanding is that they are not accessible. People having information about this are encouraged to contact us. Anyone who has encountered barriers in Section 508 compliance is likewise encouraged to reach out to us. We are quite concerned that problems in Section 508 compliance seem to be getting worse, even though it has been thirty-six years since the law was enacted. We intend to turn this around.

The Federation has been promised by the Social Security Administration that they will make all of their kiosks accessible, but experience does not bear this out even though the promise was made several years ago. Please let us know about your experiences with these kiosks and whether or not you have found them usable.

Anyone interested in our legal services should go to NFB.org/legal. There you will find toolkits that can be used to help resolve commonly encountered problems. Of equal importance are the numerous surveys we have that help us set legal priorities and develop strategies.

Scott ended his report by encouraging everyone to pay attention to the Presidential Report for a sampling of the cases in which we are involved.

President Riccobono adjourned the meeting, urging all to participate in the activities of the afternoon and evening and to be with us for the opening session that would occur on the following day.

The afternoon and evening of Thursday were filled with meetings, many of them discussed in the general overview presented earlier. Our DeafBlind Division met to discuss relationship building, communication challenges, and DeafBlind-friendly alternative techniques. Our ever-present and active Merchants Division met to discuss new and creative ways to flourish in a difficult and ever-changing economy. The Assistive Technology Trainers Division met to encourage current and aspiring technology trainers and to discuss how to build sustainable literacy skills through remote training. The Performing Arts Division held a workshop on voice acting and voiceover work. The Diabetes Action Network invited blind diabetics to learn about being self-sufficient and managing their disease while at the same time recognizing the deficiencies in medical technology and doing what they can to address them.

Each of our three training centers held an open house where their students could meet, reunite, and discuss the unique program offerings for those thinking about center training. These three events did not occur on the same day or at the same time, but all of them offered the opportunity to turn NFB philosophy into everyday life skills that further our ability to live the lives we want.

The American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults held its Annual Braille Book Fair, and books selected were boxed and shipped to happy Braille readers by volunteers.

The Science and Engineering Division presented an ambitious program featuring several interactive graphics methods, blind-friendly math education strategies, a discussion of the NFB SABER project for students, The Pearson Nemeth Code Curriculum, and the mentoring available through the division. The always active Employment Committee presented yet another seminar, this one for blind people who are employed but who wish upward mobility. Earlier this year President Riccobono encouraged each affiliate to appoint a historian, and a session to introduce these volunteers to their new jobs and to one another was held.

The first inaugural meeting of the Blind Survivors Group was held, the intention being to reflect, support, and plan for future survivor and victim-centered programming within the Federation. "LGBT+: Let's Talk about the Plus" held a hybrid meeting to discuss definitions that sometimes confuse people who are not sure whether or not they belong.

Since money provides the way for us to purchase the tools required by our builders, a meeting of the White Cane Committee was held to discuss fundraising both at the national and the state level.

On Friday morning, with enthusiasm President Riccobono dropped the gavel on the first general session of the Convention by announcing, "The 2022 convention of the National Federation of the Blind in person is in order! We're back together again!" Referring to the last two years in which we used the Zoom platform, he flippantly remarked, "no mute button required," but then proceeded to repeatedly ask for our attention, the in-person opportunity to chat having built up over our prolonged absence from one another.

The chairman of the NFB Judaism group was called on to do the invocation, and Stewart Prost asked that we join him in thanking God for all that we have and for all that may be given to us. After the invocation, the Convention was treated to a $200 door prize. Some of the prizes were for those in attendance and some for those who registered to participate online.

Pam Allen was introduced to kick off the formal welcoming ceremonies offered by the National Federation of the Blind of Louisiana. Much of the presentation featured the Jackson All-Stars Band, who marched up and down the hall with a variety of music found in the Big Easy. Darryl Durham gave us an additional welcome, he being from the Treme Artists Collective, an organization that does much to promote the city and its rich heritage.

We were treated to the attention of some New Orleans majesty, her name being Queen Kalinda Marie Laveaux. She defines herself as a Mardi Gras Indian, a black Indian, and right now she is a renegade queen. She came dressed in a suit made of cloth, beads, and feathers, it being quite attractive. The suit took her six months to make, and she said the work is difficult enough that some people take up to a year to construct their apparel. But, as the Queen is quick to point out, this is not really a matter of construction but a matter of creation, because as one is beading her suit, she is adding spirit through meditation, putting her intention inside the suit, putting her energy inside the suit.

Chef Harriet, a woman of eighty-one years, talked about the food traditions captured by New Orleans and prepared pralines on stage. Those close enough to the stage could smell them as they cooked, and what a treat they turned out to be.

The celebration ended with moving remarks by a most precocious ten-year-old named Narjis Karimipour. Her remarks were well-written and quite moving. Like all of this celebration, it is best heard and not read. Experience it for yourself by going to https://nfb.org/sites/nfb.org/files/2022-08/01_welcoming_ceremonies.mp3

Our celebration of freedom was hosted by the National Association of Blind Veterans and its president, Master Sergeant Vernon Humphrey, Retired. The ceremony began with the entrance of the color guard and our reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. We sang the National Anthem, led by Angelina Angelcyk.

A group from the Performing Arts Division sang "God Bless America," and President Humphrey concluded his remarks as follows: "The thing I learned while I was in the Army is that it's about family; it's about taking care of one another. The Marine Corps has a wonderful saying, Semper Fi, Simper Fidelis, meaning, always faithful, and we are faithful to our family. When I got out of the Army, I was looking for that family that I no longer had, and I found it here at the Federation. So, I thank you. We greatly appreciate the Federation, we greatly appreciate you, Mr. President. Thank you all for what you have done for us, and hopefully we can continue to do for one another."

In our roll call of states, there were a number of prominent themes. The most prominent of these was a special callout to President Riccobono and Vice President Pam Allen for all they have done over the last several years to see the Federation through difficult times with generosity, optimism, compassion, and a desire that all be heard. The second theme was that many states brought a large number of first-timers to the Convention.

Others who answered the roll call made comments that are deserving of notice here:

The state of Alabama acknowledged with sadness the passing of Joy Harris, but she was assured that her work in Alabama and beyond would forever live on. After California gave its requested information, Tim Elder said, "I personally know the heart, the commitment, and the passion that Pam and Mark have for all blind people. Both of you have received unfair personal attacks and criticism of you as you have been working hard to improve our movement. Any winning leadership regards constructive criticism as useful, but unproductive criticism is detrimental to the whole community. Yelling from the sidelines is easy: leading from the front lines is harder. Mark, Pam: I stand with you, I support your leadership, and I'm excited to see where you are taking us. As long as the Federation is fighting to ensure the rights of blind people to live the life that we want to live, California will be at your side, and so will I. Let's keep building the Federation."

When Colorado got its turn, Scott LaBarre started to take the floor and was reminded by Jessica Beecham that there had been an election. She began her presentation by sending a special thank-you to Door Prize Queen Diane McGeorge who was listening to the presentation from her new home, which is still in Colorado. The state of Connecticut expressed its sadness at the passing of longtime member and former president Jackie Billy, a person who worked so hard not only to strengthen the affiliate but to lead the membership efforts of the National Federation of the Blind. Idaho expressed special appreciation for and recognition of Jan Gawith, the sister of James Omvig. Jan is celebrating her sixty-first consecutive convention in 2022. She celebrated her ninetieth birthday in June.

Iowa acknowledged the passing of James Omvig, Ted Hart, and others. Tom Page announced that the governor of Kansas signed the Parents Rights Bill into law on June 8 of this year. Amongst all of the progressive programs that are being conducted in New Jersey that were recited, President Linda Melendez acknowledged the passing of Joe Ruffalo.

Missouri was represented by President Shelia Wright, who announced with pride that Missouri has passed the BRITE Act. President Audrey Farnum of Oklahoma acknowledged with sadness the passing of former president Jeannie Massay. The great state of Rhode Island announced that at the end of June, the governor of that state signed a bill that will allow blind people to vote by mail accessibly and to return their ballots accessibly. Tennessee announced that it is now celebrating two independence days, one of them being July 4, and the second being July 1. The reason for the new Independence Day on July 1 is because this is when the governor of Tennessee, with the concurrence of the state legislature, made the payment of subminimum wages in Tennessee illegal. In this legislative session the affiliate also got an accessible prescription label bill passed, so it is clear that legislatively they are on the move, and once again it was great to hear James Brown at the microphone.

When Utah came to make its presentation, Everette Bacon acknowledged Karl Smith for the attendance at his forty-fifth national convention.

The roll call of states was concluded with the acknowledgment of fifty-one delegates, there being no person present from the state of Wyoming. The President announced that our virtual registrations numbered 1,454 at the conclusion of the morning session. He concluded the morning session with a reading of the top ten states that registered the most participants, a generous door prize was drawn, and we adjourned for a lunch break, knowing that the afternoon session would begin with the Presidential Report.

When the gavel fell and the first general session of the Convention was adjourned, in addition to grabbing lunch, attendees could attend a session on "What's New with Amazon Accessibility." One might have been hard-pressed to decide what session to attend given that "What's New in Google Accessibility" was held at the same time. It is gratifying to see these and other high-tech corporations paying attention to access for the blind, and the Federation has played a large part in urging the creation of and supporting these efforts within our nation's technology industry.

A "Leader Dog Meet and Greet" session was held so that those attending could learn about free services provided by Leader Dogs for the Blind. "New Aira Desktop App Enhances School and Work" was the title of a session where this innovative company could talk about enhancements to its visual interpreting service that now go beyond the smartphone.

Promptly at 2 p.m., the second session of the Convention was called to order. First on the agenda was a report from our President. As it always does, the Presidential Report both describes our victories and our challenges over the last twelve months and at the same time begins to set the course for what our next twelve months will involve. The magic of hearing this report presented with live feedback from the audience is one which we missed for too long and one which audio readers of the Braille Monitor will recognize immediately. The well-written prose is not only evidenced in the delivery but can be felt under the fingers of every Braille reader and seen by all who take this magazine in print. The Presidential Report will immediately follow this article.

The conclusion of the report was greeted by prolonged applause and the repetition of the president's name in the rhythmic style that articulates each syllable. The standing ovation not only represented appreciation for a good report, but it was equally important for sending the message that our determination to stand strong for the principles of the National Federation of the Blind and those with the courage and wisdom to lead it is unshakable.

Next to talk about the power and magic of partnerships were the CEO of HumanWare, Bruce Miles, and the president of the American Printing House for the Blind, Craig Meador. Before the presentation, everyone in the audience was given a wand-like device that was in fact a noisemaker and a lightbulb. The challenge to us was to raise this device in the air and press its button anytime we heard the word "partner." It was great fun. The partnership of these two giants in the blindness field and the National Federation of the Blind is to develop "The holy Braille," a multiline tablet capable of displaying Braille and graphics. A full report of the partnership between the American Printing House for the Blind, HumanWare, and the National Federation of the Blind to build this innovative device will appear elsewhere in the fall.

Moving on is a good transition phrase to describe our next agenda item, which began with a video presentation about the record-breaking effort of Dan Parker and the National Federation of the Blind to set a new land speed Guinness World Record for the fastest car driven blindfolded. The video was a splendid introduction to what would be an even better presentation by Dan Parker himself. The video and Dan's remarks will appear later in the fall, but part of what made his presentation really special is that Dan Parker did not consider the Federation just a sponsor; Dan Parker is a Federationist who remained with us throughout the Convention and actively participated in activities that went beyond his racing and his accomplishments. He is one of us and believes in all of us.

The constitutional amendment proposed by the board of directors was next on the agenda, and it was read by the assistant to the president, Beth Braun. President Riccobono announced that discussion of the amendment and a vote would occur on the following day.

The three training centers of the National Federation of the Blind are an important part of providing the training that makes the philosophy we espouse real. They demonstrate that actions come from words spoken with intention and commitment. In turn, new words come from those actions and take us to greater heights. To make this presentation were Joanne Wilson, Julie Deden, Pam Allen, and Jennifer Kennedy. Their remarks will appear in full later in the fall.

"Federation Safe: Blind Survivors Leadership and Our Shared Commitment" was the last item to appear on the afternoon program. This presentation was made by Kathryn Webster and Danielle Montour. Making sure that people are safe is as important a task as any we can perform when conducting Federation events, and so clearly was this articulated in this presentation that it will appear in an upcoming issue.

President Riccobono announced the sad news that Ruth Stewart of Maryland came to the Convention, suffered a heart attack, was taken to intensive care, and there she died. We are all saddened by the loss of Ruth and can only hope that her recent memories of preparing for, coming to, and beginning to participate in the Convention were an ending she would have desired to a life well-lived.

With the drawing of a door prize, the Friday afternoon session of the Convention was adjourned.

As soon as the gavel fell, a meeting of the National Federation of the Blind Research Advisory Council was held to discuss current research, getting published in the Journal of Blindness Innovation and Research, and sharing ideas for increasing the research and academic presence of the NFB. Those wishing to talk more about the code of conduct process were encouraged to have a discussion with our chief investigator, Tonya Baña. There was a two-hour opportunity for those who wanted to visit the exhibit hall, while a number of us interested in communication got together to discuss best practices and tools for getting out our message. The big event of the evening was the "Welcome Dance and Reception" sponsored by our Louisiana affiliate, who constantly urged us to "let the good times roll!"

To begin Saturday morning, President Riccobono announced that today, Saturday, July 9, 2022, was the Muslim holiday al-Adha, and we very much appreciate our blind and sighted members who participate in the Muslim faith and still made the sacrifice to be with us during this holiday.

The person who presented our invocation is a staff member at SAAVI Services for the Blind, and the prayer was given by Abdul Schooley. He said that the Muslim holiday we celebrate today is a time to spend with family and loved ones, and there is no bigger family than the Federation family.

Our first item of business was the financial report, and, as might be expected, it was a mixed bag. The report for 2021 found our income up for the year, both in terms of what we generated and what came from our investments. Even with our increased expenses, we finished the year a little over $2 million ahead. All of the information that is contained in the report can be found online for those wanting more detail.

Given the reversals in the stock market, the financial picture from January 1 through June 30 of 2022 are not as positive. Despite the diversity of the investments we have, some losses in today's market are inevitable. Of the $3.2 million we are down, most is attributable to changes in the stock market, but we are in the stock market for the long haul, and experience suggests that it does have its ups and downs but is good for those who can maintain their course. Our revenue numbers look good for this time of the year, and our expenses are below those expected. So, while we are certainly concerned and keeping a watch on our finances, no one need hit the panic button. We must continue to do what we do to fund the programs of the organization, and we should all take pride in the way we raise money and manage our financial resources.

Traditionally we have done a roll call of states, but this year we have asked that contributions and pledges be made ahead of time. Contributions are crucial to what we do, and we appreciate the fact that state affiliates and divisions have thus far donated $109,275. Some divisions and affiliates intend to donate later, so although your contribution is not listed in this number, it is nonetheless appreciated. A list of these numbers will appear prominently in a future issue.

Elections were our next item of business, and Pam Allen was acknowledged to give the report of the Nominating Committee. The recommendations were as follows: president, Mark Riccobono; first vice president, Pam Allen; second vice president, Ron Brown; secretary, Everette Bacon; treasurer, Norma Crosby; board position number one, Shawn Callaway; board position number two, Carla McQuillan; board position number three, Adelmo Vigil; board position number Four, Shelia Wright; board position number five, Donald Porterfield; board position number six, Barbara Manuel; and, if Everette Bacon was elected to the office of secretary, the Committee recommended Grace Pires of Rhode Island for board position seven. This would be a one-year term.

The chairman kept the floor while the position of president was elected. Mark Riccobono was elected unanimously. He thanked everyone for the faith and the trust that we have placed in him through this election and noted that none of the work that he does would be possible without the support of his family. The love, the commitment, and the honest caring we share is what nurtures his promise to serve as president and to do so in whatever capacity we may wish in the future.

Pam Allen was nominated and elected by acclamation. Pam thanked those who had unanimously elected her, talked about the special bond she feels when called to service, and pledged to do everything she can, along with President Riccobono and the rest of the board, to advance the cause of blind people.

Ron Brown was nominated for the position of second vice president, and he was elected by acclamation. Ron introduced himself as the husband of Jean, said that his motto is "living is giving," and expressed his sincere appreciation for being allowed to serve on the Board of Directors since 2001. The day of this election happened to be the thirty-fifth anniversary for Ron and Jean, and he gave her special thanks for not only allowing him to do the work that he does but helping him in it.

Everette Bacon was elected by acclamation to the position of secretary. Everett said that not only was he proud to be elected to the office and to accept all the work that comes with the job, but he is elated to be serving with people who are not only his colleagues but his friends. He gave a special callout to Jim Gashel, a person who served for a long time as secretary, and said that he was delighted to follow in his footsteps.

Norma Crosby was nominated by the committee and was elected to the position of treasurer unanimously. Norma said that this day was a bittersweet day for her. She is always willing to serve, and yet she is sad for taking over from a woman she loves so much. Norma promises to do the same work with the same enthusiasm that Jeannie did, and she expressed her appreciation to all who have shown their trust in her.

Shawn Callaway was elected to fill board position number one, and his election was unanimous. Shawn acknowledged the three departing board members, his wife Latonya, and President Riccobono. Shawn notes that the Federation has given him many titles that he values, but the one which means most to him is the title of father. Before he became a Federationist, he did not believe he could be a father, but through joining the organization and meeting a lot of outstanding parents, he decided that he could. His daughter Camille appeared with him as he made his acceptance speech. Both received a tremendous round of applause.

Adelmo Vigil was nominated to fill board position two and was elected by acclamation. He thanked the Convention for allowing him to serve, gave great credit to his wife for her support, and promised to do everything in his power to help us transform dreams into reality.

For board position three, the committee nominated Carla McQuillan, and she was elected by acclamation. Carla related that she lost her vision when she was ten years old, and the only person she knew who had similar vision loss was her brother. He believed that blindness was the reason why one could not do what he or she wanted. Because this was her impression of what blindness would mean, Carla spent twenty years pretending she was not blind. In 1988, she came in contact with the National Federation of the Blind through a scholarship, having every expectation that she would take the money and run. Instead, she found competent and capable blind people who gave her a new lease on life and a commitment to give as well as to receive. Next month Carla and her husband celebrate their forty-first anniversary, and she credits him with much of what she has been able to do for the Federation.

President Riccobono noted that, not only should we congratulate Carla and thank her for her previous board service, but we should also acknowledge that she has been running NFB Day Camp for twenty-six years, an accomplishment worthy of tremendous praise in itself.

For board position four, the name of Shelia Wright was placed in nomination. Without opposition, she was elected by acclamation. She said that she came to the Federation as a struggling blind person, having been told that she would never make it through half a semester in college. When the National Federation of the Blind, through its then-President Donald Capps, weighed in on her behalf, rehabilitation services in South Carolina looked at Shelia in a whole new light. The Federation believed in her so much that frequently it asked her to do things she thought she could not do, but with every accomplishment, she became the woman she is today. She expressed her appreciation for being elected to the board and promised to give everything she has to the position.

Donald Porterfield was nominated to fill board position five. He was elected by acclamation. He attended his first national convention in 2011 and realized that this was exactly where he belonged. He thinks it is very important that the story of the blind be told, and he is certain that he wants to play a part in telling it through the organization. He concluded by thanking his Federation family for giving him the opportunity to serve.

For board position six, the committee submitted the name of Barbara Manuel. Barbara was elected by acclamation. In accepting, she said: "I stand before you honored yet humbled by this tremendous opportunity to serve in this remarkable organization at a greater level. . . . I don't believe that any blind individual in the United States has not been positively touched by our organization, and it is our mission to advance this further and further until equality is the norm and not the exception."

The last nomination from the committee was to fill the board position vacated by Everette Bacon. The name of Grace Pires was placed in nomination, and she was elected by acclamation. Grace recounted the warmth with which she was received at her first chapter meeting and her first state convention. She knew she was dealing with family, and it is to advance the cause of this family that she proudly pledges herself.

The Convention gave yet another round of applause for our board members who will relinquish their seats at the end of the Convention. Their service has been stellar, their commitment unshakable, and what they have given from their hearts will assure that they continue to hold a space in ours.

Denna Lambert next came to the microphone to address us on the topic of "Living the Life She Wants: Staying Grounded and Shooting for the Moon with Federation Philosophy." She is a former scholarship winner and has been a member of the Federation for about twenty-five years. She now works for NASA, and as she looks at the proposals they are encouraged to fund, she sees efforts like the Blind Driver Challenge differently from the way she did eleven years ago. Dena's presentation was first-rate, and it will appear later in the fall.

Jack Chen followed Dena to the microphone to address us on a similar topic: "Living the Life He Wants: Stoking Employment Opportunities through Movies, Sports, and Achievement." He is an important lawyer who works at Meta, but we invited him to talk about raising expectations through athletic challenge, teamwork, and occasionally not only exceeding one's comfort zone but doing so way beyond what he thought he could do.

Jack began his story by saying that both he and his brother were mostly written off by their parents because in the Chinese culture in Taiwan, the belief was that blind people could accomplish next to nothing. He went on to explain how he raised those expectations for himself and decided that he needed to help raise the expectations for all blind people. To do this he would engage in a great cycling challenge and would invite the National Federation of the Blind to be an executive producer of a movie that he hopes will reach the minds and the hearts of the business community and of blind people. The movie is entitled Surpassing Sight, and members were invited to an exclusive showing later in the evening. Jack's remarks will appear in this magazine later in the fall.

The Convention next turned its attention to the constitutional amendment that was read on the previous day. It was read once again, and the floor was opened for debate. President Riccobono reminded us that a constitutional amendment must pass with a super majority, meaning that at least two thirds of the delegates present and voting must approve it. After several members spoke for and against the amendment, the Convention moved to a vote. The results of the voice vote being unclear, a vote of the delegates occurred, and the amendment passed with 80 percent of the delegates voting yes.

At the conclusion of the Saturday morning session, there was another chance to visit the exhibit hall and the Independence Market. Those wanting to know what was new with Instagram and Facebook were invited to a session in which accessibility was discussed. For some there was the matter of getting lunch, a process made much easier by the arrangements made for an on-the-go meal.

When President Riccobono convened this session on Saturday afternoon, he began by asking whether we had anyone in attendance who was at a convention in the 1950s. Tom Bickford shouted out; he will turn ninety years old later in July. As noted earlier, Jan Gawith is attending her sixty-first national convention, is ninety years old, and was a longtime Idaho resident who now lives in Kentucky. Of all the decades called out, the group, which seem to be the loudest were the First-Timers, definitely a good sign for the Federation.

We next heard from the Honorable Troy A. Carter, a congressman representing the Second District of Louisiana, the first African-American to be elected from the District to the United States Congress. His topic was "A Champion for Equal Opportunities: Making a Difference from Louisiana's Second Congressional District." Congressman Carter represents the city of New Orleans and served as the youngest-ever floor leader in the Louisiana House of Representatives. He is a champion for advancing civil rights and eliminating economic disparities. It is pleasant to observe that Representative Carter's cousin attended and joined a Federation meeting last month. Congressman Carter supports all of our legislation, and his remarks will appear later in the fall. He concluded them by saying: "Thank you for your attention, thank you for your advocacy, and thank you for what you do to make our world a more equal and accessible place. I am proud to be your partner in this work to extend equal opportunities to all, and I stand ready to assist in every possible way. God bless you, and thank you for the opportunity to be with you today."

Everette Bacon has long been interested in movies and in particular seeing that those movies have descriptive audio. The Federation has also been interested in this topic, first concerning ourselves with whether emergency information scrolling across the bottom of the screen would be articulated and later coming to demand that description not be considered as a nice, charitable thing to do but something that is essential in both education and entertainment. To moderate the panel "Who Owns This Story: Audio Description as Art Not Charity," Everette came to the stage. He was joined by Elisa Beniero, dubbing title manager for Netflix; Rick Boggs, CEO and founder, Audio Eyes; and Roy Samuelson, founder, The Audio Description Network Alliance and Kevin's Way. This panel discussed the history of audio description, the expertise required to do it right, the importance of providing good training to develop that expertise, and the special role that Netflix has played, not based on government mandates but on its own decision to provide quality entertainment for all. The questions and answers that were discussed will certainly be of interest to those who did not hear them, and they are available at https://nfb.org/sites/nfb.org/files/2022-08/12_who_owns_this_story.mp3

No convention would be complete without a review of our advocacy and policy efforts, and to present it was our capable advocacy and policy team. John Paré has been its executive director for fifteen years. The presentation he and his team addressed was "Owning the Change We Want: A Report from the Federation's Advocacy and Policy Department." John's talk focused on the importance of persistence and not confusing temporary setbacks with defeat. As a nonpartisan force fighting for the rights of blind people, we are unstoppable. John's presentation will appear later in the fall, as will the comments of two of his capable staff members: Jeff Kaloc and Justin Young.

Eighteen resolutions were passed by the Resolutions Committee and presented for consideration by the Convention. Resolutions are the way we make clear our Federation policies, and they do much to help us decide on the programs that we will pursue. As you would expect, some resolutions were passed unanimously, and others generated some debate. All of the resolutions that were passed will appear elsewhere in this issue.

With the passage of the final resolution, the afternoon session was adjourned, and members were invited to attend a screening of Surpassing Sight, a film that documents the journey of Jack Chen and Dan Berlin. The Twentieth Annual Showcase of Talent was held and provided an enjoyable evening of entertainment.

Sunday morning began with an Eid al-Adha prayer service in honor of this major Islamic holiday. Devotions were also held for those of the Christian faith, and at 9 a.m. sharp the gavel dropped and the Sunday morning session was called to order.

The session began with an invocation by Treva Olivero, the first vice president of the National Federation of the Blind of Louisiana. Two door prizes were given: one for a virtual attendee and one for someone in the room.

Our first presentation of the morning was given by Suman Kanuganti, the title of it being "Owning Your Creative Content: Crypto Currency, Accessibility, and the Organized Blind Movement." In his remarks Suman talked about the evolution of the internet; first, people simply read what was posted on mainframes; then came the ability to interact through applications; now we have what Suman calls Web3, the ability to be creative and to put our own data on the internet to share with the world. Now that we can and do put it there, the question is who should own that data and the extent to which we should be able to access and control it. Suman's remarks will appear later in the fall.

Because our Executive Director of Blindness Initiatives Anil Lewis fell ill, we moved to the next presentation on the agenda which was entitled "Stretching the Dimensions of Nonvisual Learning: Blind-Led Youth Programming and Engineering." It was hosted by none other than Dr. Natalie Shaheen, the project director of the NFB SABER project, the NFB EQ Program, and an assistant professor at Illinois State University. Each chair in the convention hall contained four pieces of origami paper and six index cards. The object was to be creative while at the same time following directions to make something of these objects. As we were given instructions, music was played while we carried them out, and in some cases former students presented videos talking about their experience with these programs. Madeline Mau is a high school junior who lives in New Jersey. She talked about the difficulty of actively participating in STEM programs given the attempt of her teachers to steer her away from courses, the lack of accessible materials, and a mindset that was conditioned to say that perhaps this work was fit only for people with vision. She told us about the NFB EQ program and how it has changed her perception about what she can do in the STEM field. Her remarks will appear elsewhere in the fall.

At the end of a complicated set of instructions in which members of the Convention created and then helped others, the result after folding and tearing was the creation of a cube. The point of the presentation was for us to come to understand that STEM isn't visual; STEM is spatial. To listen to this presentation and attempt to follow its instructions, go to

https://nfb.org/sites/nfb.org/files/2022-08/15_stretching_the_dimensions_of_nonvisual_learning.mp3

The next agenda item was "Accessibility Awareness on a Global Scale," and its presenter was Jennison Asuncion. Jennison is one of the motivating forces behind the creation of Global Accessibility Awareness Day. After his experiences with several events dedicated to bringing an understanding of accessibility to the tech community, Jennison tried having one of his own. It was mildly successful, but he wasn't satisfied. One evening while reading through Twitter, he came across a person who thought that the effort should be a global one, and together he and Joe Devon decided that they would declare May 9 Global Awareness Accessibility Day. Jennison contacted his accessibility friends, Joe did the same for his technical friends, and on May 9 of 2011, there were about fifteen events that took place around the world. Global Awareness Accessibility Day has now been moved to the third Thursday of May, and the hope is that in 2023 we will see GAAD events in all fifty states and in many local communities where we have chapters. To learn more about GAAD and how to participate, go to accessibility.day. The website name was recommended to Jennison by President Riccobono, who thought that there could be no effort better deserving of this name than the one headed by Jennison and Joe. To hear this presentation as it was delivered, go to https://nfb.org/sites/nfb.org/files/2022-08/16_accessible_awareness_on_a_global_scale.mp3.

"Creating Content with Accessibility as the Default: Celebrating Drupal's Olivero Theme and Calling for More Blind Contributors" was the next topic on our agenda, and it was ably presented by Mike Gifford, senior strategist, CivicActions and Drupal Core Accessibility Maintainer. Mr. Gifford talked about his intention to make Drupal accessible when he started in 2009, believing that it might take one or two years. It has now taken well over a decade and is an ongoing process. Drupal accessibility was given great visibility by Rachel Olivero, and a version of Drupal bears her name. Mr. Gifford's remarks will appear later in the fall.

Being quite concerned about websites, and believing that both by law and the need to set an example the federal government should be a model of accessibility, the message of the next presenter was especially welcomed. Anne Raish is the principal deputy chief for the Disability Rights Section at the United States Department of Justice, and the topic that she brought was "The Right to Participate Fully in Twenty-First Century America: Civil Rights Advancement at the United States Department of Justice." She began by saying that at the Justice Department they recognize that nothing is more fundamental to participation in the twenty-first century than technology. If there was any question about the truthfulness of this statement, the pandemic provided any evidence we might need. Her goal in addressing us was to share the department's role and tools as it relates to enforcing the ADA, recent work done in this area, and the way we can work together in advancing participation. While the Justice Department is currently working on regulations to make clear the obligation of all entities to be accessible, it believes that such requirements already have the force of law. Her remarks will appear in full later this fall.

At the end of her presentation, President Riccobono asked that the crowd affirm its belief that the Department of Justice has lots of tools at its disposal to bring about web and application accessibility and that these should be used with vigor. The crowd responded affirmatively and enthusiastically.

Registration having closed, President Riccobono announced that our final in-person attendance was 2,478, and fifty-seven of those came from foreign nations. In addition, 1,497 people registered for the Convention virtually, and we can see that many more listened and learned.

The last presentation of the morning was presented by the new director of the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled. The new director, Jason Broughton, did not just show up for his presentation but was present throughout the Convention. He was warmly welcomed to speak on the topic "Leading through Literacy: A New Library Director Committed to Partnership with the Organized Blind Movement." His was unquestionably a very spirited presentation filled with humor as well as very meaningful quotations such as "accessibility leads to discoverability which aids in literacy. Democracy depends on literate people navigating through the bureaucracy, dealing with the hypocrisy, being pushy about equality, ensuring there is diversity, while keeping their curiosity." This presentation will appear in full in an upcoming issue.

At the conclusion of Mr. Broughton's remarks, President Riccobono expressed his appreciation for the presentation and said that we would definitely stand with the library in our joint efforts to see that it is once again located on Capitol Hill. The morning session was then adjourned.

A number of divisions and affiliates had conducted raffles during the Convention, and on the adjournment of the morning session those drawings were held. Meanwhile "Help Us Shape the Future" was a listening session held by the National Library Service to show its latest technology and to recruit beta testers for the technology that is being developed. A session was held to get those interested in web technology to contribute to making Drupal even more accessible, and those attending the banquet had their last opportunity to do banquet exchange.

The Sunday afternoon session began with the annual presentation of the Dr. Jacob Bolotin Awards. Everette Bacon is the chairman of that committee, and this year was the first in which he could present these awards in person. The introductory remarks he made, the video with the comments of winners, a description of the information that appears on the award, and the remarks of the winner who won the largest prize of $20,000 appear in an article elsewhere in this issue.

"Going My Way: Driving Accessibility through Innovative Autonomous Transportation" was our second presentation of the afternoon, offered by Michelle Peacock, global public policy director for Waymo. We are putting ever more energy and attention into the topic of self-driving vehicles, and our work in this area has helped us build relationships with leading developers in the industry, Waymo being one of them. Waymo stands for a new way forward in mobility, with a mission to make it safe and easy for people and things to move around. The vehicles that Waymo develops run the gamut from fancy cars to large trucks, but the goal is not to sell one but to operate a fleet of these vehicles. This is the first company to have a blind person ride on public roads in a fully autonomous vehicle, and the presentation will appear in an upcoming issue.

President Riccobono moved the agenda along by saying: "Now we're moving from transportation to "Transformation in Employment." We first really got to know our next speaker through her legal work helping to advance civil rights for people with disabilities, including serving as our legal counsel in important efforts to advance competitive, integrated employment. We value her expertise and, equally as important, she values ours; that's why our partnership together is really powerful. As you heard in the Presidential Report, we are working together to find new, innovative ways to raise expectations. She is the founder and managing partner of Enable Ventures as well as founder and chair of SmartJob. Here is our friend and innovative partner, Gina Kline:

It is clear from her presentation that Ms. Kline believes that we have plenty of qualified and employable blind people, and what we need is to connect those people with the money that will allow them to become entrepreneurs. It is estimated that hundreds of thousands of jobs will be gone by 2030 due to automation and artificial intelligence, so it is up to us to make sure that we have quality access to technology and that we are part of creating replacements for the jobs that are lost. It is obvious through her companies that this woman believes in blind people, believes in the power of being an entrepreneur, and has many strategies to see that talent combined with opportunity and investment forges careers and economic success. Her remarks will appear in full later this year.

President Riccobono made these introductory remarks before our next presenter took the stage: "Our partnership with Kellogg has been growing over the years. I think the first time they participated in this convention is when they launched our partnership on the Braille Love Notes-yeah, that was pretty cool wasn't it? This year they are our Elite sponsor, which is our top sponsorship level. Now some of you may not realize that to get to stand on the stage and speak to this audience, you don't get to pay for that privilege. So, as much as we love our Elite sponsor, it does not earn them the opportunity to come speak. That means that the fact we have invited Kellogg to speak indicates a deeper and more substantial partnership. We do not have a pay-to-play model in the National Federation of the Blind; you have to earn it!

Our presenter is the senior director of retail operations at Kellogg Corporation based in Battle Creek, Michigan. He has been at Kellogg for over twenty-eight years. In addition to his professional credentials, he exhibits the spirit of determination that we share in the National Federation of the Blind. During the COVID pandemic, he set a goal of running the Chicago Marathon, and in October, he did so, his third Marathon. Here to present "Diversity at Kellogg: a Commitment that Raises Expectations for Blind Empowerment" is a gentleman who I should tell you is also, in observance of our mask policy, wearing a mask that makes him look like Tony the Tiger. So please, welcome our grrrrrrrreat Elite sponsor, Wilson Ray."

It was obvious from the beginning that Mr. Ray not only came with prepared remarks that were delivered enthusiastically, but he was well aware of convention happenings and was a part of them in the days leading up to his presentation. He is proud of his time at Kellogg, proud of its direction, and proud that it is a good corporate citizen. His remarks will appear later in the fall.

Everyone in the world has been somewhat inconvenienced by the coronavirus, but as blind people we have found it particularly difficult when it comes to testing. First was the difficulty of getting tested when testing was a public affair. How could we get to a testing site? How far away would it be? Who would be willing to take us? Then came the advent of at-home testing, and we thought that at last we might have turned a corner. But our relief was premature because the at-home tests delivered by the government and made available for sale were not ones that blind people could use independently. The questions were remarkably familiar: who will help us administer the test, and who will be around to read it? While we certainly value our health, do we have the right to put others at risk in order to determine the nature of our sickness? So we went to the government, told them that our needs were not being addressed, and though the progress has been slower than we might like, we observe good faith responsiveness being made in the creation and distribution of at-home tests that blind people can administer and read.

The advent of the coronavirus is not only changing where we take tests but is expanding the number of tests that will be available for at-home administration. In the month of February 2022, more Americans took at-home COVID tests than took at-home pregnancy tests in all of 2021. This means that this is a great time to innovate and to work with the innovators to see that these tests can be administered and read by the blind. Through the persistence of the National Federation of the Blind and to the credit of the federal government, we have formed yet another partnership, one that will have a direct effect on our ability to remain independent and healthy. To speak to us on this issue was Dr. Jill Heemskerk, the deputy director at the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering at the National Institutes of Health. Her topic was "Engineering a New Response: Transforming At-Home Testing through Partnerships with the Blind." The intro music played for her was, of course, Hit Me with Your Best Shot by Pat Benatar.

Dr. Heemskerk began her remarks by saying "Wow, what a hoot!" She explained the transformative nature of home testing and the improvement in health that should be derived from it, but this cannot be done without us, and, as she said, "The big story today is our partnership with NFB to make home tests more accessible for people with blindness and low vision. . . . We completely agree and recognize that everybody needs tests that can be taken easily, independently, and confidentially." She stressed that all of the work around this testing must not stop with a single engagement but must result in long-term relationships with organizations that want to play an active part, and she said that NFB has been incredibly generous with its time, education, and resources. Her remarks will be published in their entirety in an upcoming issue.

Our next-to-last presentation of the day was introduced in this way by President Riccobono: "We've talked during this convention about the difficulties in getting support through the courts of this nation for the viewpoints that we hold about disability and equal access. One reason that we struggle with the courts is that, when you look at the judiciary, especially at the federal level, you don't see any people who exhibit the qualities that we have, especially as it relates to disability. In fact you might think by the folks who are serving on the bench that America doesn't have any people with disabilities. Well, our speaker here is a blind person, and he is serving in a significant position in the courts. And he's doing so in the state of Michigan. He's bringing his lived experience to our effort. You will recall that, in our lead-up to the 2020 elections, one of the states we worked in was Michigan on accessible voting. Blind people face trouble with voting all the time, but when one of the blind people who has trouble voting is a justice to the State Supreme Court, it gets a lot of people's attention. Don't think that just because he serves in a significant position that he is immune from the problems that blind people have; he is still a blind person, and he brings that authenticity, that lived experience to the work he does every day. It drives his passion, and he uses his legal talents to advance our nation. Also through his lived experience, he advances our cause. He has come to our convention, we are glad to have him, and he is someone who is at this convention for the first time. Here is the Honorable Richard Bernstein."

The topic the justice addressed enthusiastically was "Supreme Action to Shatter Low Expectations: Living Blind and Serving on the Bench." He began with a story about a recently received call from a young prosecutor who wanted to become a judge but was told that he could not because he was blind. The justice asked the obvious question: "In what other group would that be okay-to say to somebody the only reason you can't have this job, the only reason you can't be promoted, the only reason you can't have advancement is solely and exclusively because of the way that God made you and the way that you were ultimately created?" I am certain that every single person in this room throughout their educational process or at their workplace has had to contend with that self-appointed expert that feels that they know everything about blindness when they have no knowledge, no training, and no expertise. And yet, so often in our workplaces, we have to be subservient to this mindset and to these types of people." With this fiery start, the justice proceeded to deliver the kind of speech we have become accustomed to hear from civil rights leaders, and the fact that it came from an influential member of the judiciary was a refreshing change for all of us who believe that it is far too difficult to be heard and truly understood by this branch of government. The justice's remarks will run later in the fall.

The last session of the afternoon was presented by a woman who has become known to most Federationists as the Blind History Lady. Her name is Peggy Chong, and the topic she addressed was "Owning Our Stories: Raising the Impact of Individuals by Sharing the History of Our Movement." In her presentation, Peggy made it clear that assembling the history of blind people is much like putting together a puzzle, but we have to be smart enough to know when we have the puzzle pieces that can be used to tell our story. If we don't, it won't be told. The remarks she made will be found later in the fall.

While many of us were excited by meeting in person, we have noted several times that much of the convention was available virtually. What we have not discussed is the special program we provided for these attendees. A week or so before the Convention, we held an exhibitor showcase and a showcase of our sponsors. On the first day of convention, those attending virtually got an orientation to the convention featuring President Riccobono, Vice President Allen, and then board member Amy Buresh. There was a presentation about the Give $20 program, and several people talked about the joy of attending physically. On the second day, we held a division showcase in which each division was invited to submit a video or an audio clip describing the purpose of their division and its ongoing activities. On the third day (Thursday) Dan Parker was interviewed by Kevan Worley and Melissa Riccobono, and many who participated electronically thought this was a stellar offering.

At several points Melissa Riccobono offered her email address so she could answer questions, respond to comments, and ensure that the convention was more than just a one-way broadcast for those at home. As with all segments of the convention, we are looking for feedback. Please send it to nfb at nfb.org<mailto:nfb at nfb.org>, and be sure to say whether you are talking about the virtual or the in-person experience.

When the banquet was called to order by Mistress of Ceremonies Pam Allen, Ever Lee Hairston delivered the invocation. The banquet was then treated to interviews from those holding banquet parties virtually.

After a brief musical interlude, Scott LaBarre was called to the podium. He reported that we ended our drive by increasing our annualized PAC donations to $496,319. Though this is a little shy of the half-million dollar annualized income we have had before, these increases represent a remarkable stride forward on our path back to our all-time high.

Our mistress of ceremonies took this opportunity to thank everyone-individuals, chapters, and affiliates-who donated door prizes for our convention. Their generosity always helps make the Convention more fun, the hope always being that the name that will next be heard over the public address system will be yours.

Because the 2020 and 2021 Conventions were virtual, we offered the opportunity for scholarship winners from those years to come to a reunion. All of those who did were recognized by Pam and received the in-person applause that they would have gotten had we been able to express our enthusiasm for their accomplishments in person.

Tracy Soforenko briefly addressed the banquet about our Give $20 campaign and the attempt to match the most generous donation of $50,000 from HumanWare. At the time of the banquet, we had raised $38,043, and with the money from those who called to make their donation and a generous donation from Netflix, we met our $50,000 match, meaning that the Federation now has $100,000 to use in the service of blind people.

Donations made to the Jernigan Fund go toward helping someone attend the convention in the following year. Peter Tucic of HumanWare was the person who announced the winner of the package: two round-trip tickets to Houston, registration and banquet, and $1,000 in walking-around money. The lucky winner was Peg Halverson from Nebraska.

After Chairman Allen introduced the head table, she came back to the person she had skipped. She introduced our President, noting his hard work, commitment, and tremendous responsibility. President Riccobono spoke about the vitality of our movement, how it must be many things to many different people, and how it must embrace the needs and aspirations of those people. "The strength of the togetherness in a movement is measured by how well it reflects the values that are shared among the people of that movement. . . . The three questions we must address are: who are we? Are we different from what we were before? What do we want to be, and how critical is our working together?" In keeping with the finest traditions of the Federation and the Braille Monitor, President Riccobono's remarks will be featured prominently later in this issue.

After the banquet speech, Ray Kurzweil was introduced for thoughts he might have about the nature of our movement, the role we play in society, and the direction established by President Riccobono in his remarks. Dr. Kurzweil expressed his surprise and admiration for the number of people attending the banquet given the state of the COVID variants flourishing in the land, and he noted that this was a tribute to the kind of commitment we have in the Federation. He said that he appreciated the quotations used in President Riccobono's speech and that one very similar quotation from Lyndon Johnson was "There are no problems we cannot solve together and very few that we can solve by ourselves." He said that he met President Johnson in 1964 when, as a student, Dr. Kurzweil was recognized for inventing a machine that could make music. This pioneer in the development of the reading machine said that he was celebrating his forty-eighth year as a member of the National Federation of the Blind and that in that time he had only missed one banquet.

In addition to meeting Lyndon Johnson, Dr. Kurzweil also participated in marches led by Martin Luther King and was inspired by his view of how society could change. When he met Kenneth Jernigan in 1974, he felt right away that this man was the Martin Luther King of the blind civil rights movement.

Ray Kurzweil, who has been called the Restless Genius, believes he has made two significant contributions in the world: one is in the field of artificial intelligence; the other is in creating machines to give blind people access to more information and working closely with an organization that is run by blind people themselves.

Our mistress of ceremonies put on a different hat as she presented the Jacobus tenBroek Award for 2022. The comments she made as the committee's chairman and those made by the award recipient are found elsewhere in this issue.

Mrs. Jernigan came to the podium and announced that, in the absence of being able to meet in-person in 2020 and 2021, we withheld awarding the Jacobus tenBroek Award. 2022 is the time to set that right. Her presentation on behalf of Former Chairman Marc Maurer and the remarks of the winners will likewise be found elsewhere in this issue.

At the conclusion of the tenBroek Awards, our MC thanked committee members Ron Brown, Norma Crosby, Dr. Mauer, and Barbara Loos for their service. All of these awards were celebrated with the drawing of two door prizes, one being for virtual participants and the other for those in the audience.

President Riccobono took the microphone to announce the formation of two new divisions. We do not take the creation of these entities lightly, for all too often they can lead to the dispersing of energy that would otherwise go into other activities of the movement. In this case, however, the decision to create them has been made very deliberately. We have restructured the Government Employees Division and have created the National Federation of the Blind National Association of Blind Government Employees. Ronza Othman accepted the charter as the NABGE Division's president.

To elevate the work of Black leaders and to stimulate real conversations about the intersectionality of race and blindness, we have decided to acknowledge the unique challenges and contributions of our Black leaders by the creation of the National Federation of the Blind National Association of Black Leaders. A charter was given to its newly elected president, Shawn Callaway.

While he still had the microphone, President Riccobono took the opportunity to present to Pam Allen, director of the Louisiana Center for the Blind, a copy of the official certificate commemorating the fastest car driven blindfolded, which of course was piloted by a graduate of the Louisiana Center for the Blind.

To recognize the Scholarship Class of 2022 and to officially move them from finalists to scholarship winners, our mistress of ceremonies introduced Cayte Mendez, the chairperson of our Scholarship Committee. The remarks that Cayte made about changes in the scholarship program, her introduction of the thirty winners, and the remarks made by the winner of the Kenneth Jernigan Scholarship all appear elsewhere in this issue.

After the drawing of a generous door prize, Pam Allen turned the microphone over to President Riccobono. He expressed his joy at what we experienced at our 2022 Convention, thanked everyone who made it possible, and pledged to see us all in Houston for our 2023 gathering.

With the end of every convention I ask myself what my major impression was, and sometimes I've been brave enough to claim the convention had a theme and then announce what it was. Just how presumptuous that was came clear when Former President Maurer said he couldn't wait to see the Roundup to know what that convention theme was. He said he often agreed with the conclusion, so that felt good; but knowing I was just speculating and had no inside channel has given me pause.

If this convention had a theme, I think it was that there is beauty in being a part of the People's Movement of the Blind. Though we adapt to remain relevant in our ever-changing society, we don't have to accept the unacceptable; we don't have to focus more on division than unity. We can alter our direction without leaving our course. We need not leave some behind or push others out of our way. We are hard to categorize but even harder to stop. The brightest light pointing to the future for blind people is us, the National Federation of the Blind, and with love, hope, and determination, we will one day reach the place in which equity and equality for blind people are expected, and the long and difficult fight to get there will be a valued part of America's history and progress.

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[PHOTO CAPTION: Mark Riccobono]

2022 Presidential Report

An Address Delivered by

Mark A. Riccobono, President
At the Annual Convention
Of the National Federation of the Blind
New Orleans, Louisiana
July 8, 2022

During the past year, the strength of our determination and the power of our togetherness in the organized blind movement has transformed our challenges into opportunities. The blind of America have faced continued discrimination, limited access to critical information, and overwhelming barriers throughout society. These obstacles have persisted in a nation where all people have been isolated and where many systems have been significantly disrupted. But in the midst of these difficult times, the element that has made all the difference to the success of blind people has been our continued commitment to working together. We have not given up; we have continued to connect. We have not settled for second-class status; we have continued to protect our rights and responsibilities as Americans. We have not let others define us; we have continued to raise expectations. We are the National Federation of the Blind.

Our collective action has been essential in providing blind people with equal access as responses to the coronavirus have been developed. A primary example this year has been our effort to overcome the complete lack of accessibility to the Federal government's COVID-19 at-home-testing program. Nonvisual access to COVID testing has been a persistent disappointment since March 2020. But when the president of the United States announced government support for free at-home tests in December 2021, we recognized an opportunity for change. We initially reached out to government agencies to determine if, for once, accessibility had been planned in advance. When we found that no agency had been given responsibility for the program, we wrote directly to the president on January 3, 2022.

In the meantime, we utilized Federation resources to provide immediate support to blind people. We quickly put government testing information on NFB-NEWSLINE®, along with the other COVID resources we have curated over the past two years. We purchased and evaluated the majority of the tests being distributed by the federal government, as well as other commercially available tests, and shared objective reports detailing the inaccessibility with the relevant government and industry leaders. Only two companies built some degree of accessibility into their products and actively engaged with us to make additional improvements. Let us raise a cheer for Cue Health and Ellume! Cue Health also made free testing units available to each of our Federation training centers and national headquarters so our blind staff could independently manage COVID testing in our programs. We subsidized the use of the Aira service for COVID at-home testing during the spring of this year. In addition, we assisted affiliates in leveraging resources of local health departments to advocate for accessibility.

Our letter to the White House was followed by many others that we sent to key federal agency officials and all of the federal contractors that we found were contributing to the program. Federation members and our partners also raised awareness of the issue in social media. The White House got the message and began regular confidential meetings with us to seek our proposed solutions for blind Americans. The first public statement from the White House on this topic was one released exclusively to the Federation for the Great Gathering-In of our virtual Washington Seminar in February. Our organization was asked to be a partner in the Disability Information and Access Line (DIAL) to guide their response in assisting with the free, government-provided at-home tests. One direct result of this work was that we evaluated and assisted with the launch of the first effort targeted specifically to blind Americans related to the distribution of at-home tests-which was made public just a couple of weeks ago. We have also been invited to serve as an expert contractor in the Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx®) program at the National Institutes of Health, which seeks to speed innovation in the development, commercialization, and implementation of technologies for COVID-19 testing. Due to our efforts, accessibility is now a key value of their work. We will hear from the leadership at the NIH later in this convention. We can all be proud of these very positive results from our COVID testing advocacy efforts. By working together, we have forever enhanced the accessibility of at-home-testing products through the National Federation of the Blind.

When we join together, we accelerate the pace of progress, and we often shatter the perceived limits. Dan Parker is a member of the Federation who lives in Georgia. He was enjoying life as a racecar driver until March 31, 2012, when the car he was driving hit a wall at racing speed, which resulted in his blindness and a traumatic brain injury. Fortunate to have survived the crash, it was not long before Dan wondered if sitting at home was all that he could do. Learning about the Federation's Blind Driver Challenge rekindled his dreams and encouraged him to get training in the skills of blindness. On March 31, 2015, he received his Freedom Bell, signifying his completion of the rigorous training program at the Louisiana Center for the Blind.

Dan's Federation training and previous experience led him to imagine the possibilities for racing blind. He imagined setting a new Guinness World Record for fastest car driven blindfolded. He imagined the car and how he would build it. He learned from our previous work and developed a nonvisual interface that would work for him at high speeds, and he assembled a team to help transform his dream into reality-a team that included the National Federation of the Blind and our partners at Cruise. Through our work during the past dozen years, we have gained influence with many of the companies in the autonomous vehicle industry. Among those who have aligned with our message of early access for the blind, none have been more enthusiastic than Cruise. This spring, Dan arrived at Spaceport America in New Mexico with the car he had personally crafted for his mission and the team who believed in him. On March 31, 2022-exactly ten years to the day that an accident threatened to crash his dreams and seven years after being empowered with the philosophy of the organized blind movement-he represented all blind people as he clocked an average of 211.043 miles an hour driving his car with no sighted assistance. This significantly shattered the previous world record. Congratulations to Dan for putting the Federation philosophy into action and living the life he wants. We now have a second world record that is displayed proudly at our national headquarters, but, more importantly, we have the renewed energy that comes from once again raising expectations and transforming a dream into reality. This is the effect of working together in the National Federation of the Blind.

Our national leadership on equal access to voting for blind individuals continues. In the year leading up to the 2020 election, we worked to secure equal access to absentee ballots by the blind in nineteen states. Despite our ongoing efforts since that time, a number of states have continued to deny us equal access to our right to vote. Another election year has arrived, and we have not given up on delivering the access blind people deserve. During the past year, we reached agreements with New York, New Hampshire, and Illinois to implement remote, accessible, vote-by-mail ballot systems, which we are now monitoring. We have also filed complaints in federal court against Bexar County, Texas, and against the State of Alabama. We have further filed complaints with the United States Department of Justice against Connecticut, Iowa, and Missouri. In addition, we continue to support Federation affiliates that are pursuing voting reforms through state legislatures and boards of elections.

Through our Help America Vote Act project, we continue to monitor voting efforts around the nation, provide objective feedback on voting accessibility, and offer training to elections personnel. Central to this work is our effort to ensure that all blind voters are aware of their rights and responsibilities as citizens. During the past year our technical assistance and outreach activities have included meeting with voting system developers to ensure their technologies are accessible to us, creating videos to educate blind voters and poll workers about the accessibility features of ballot-marking devices, conducting trainings to improve poll worker interactions with blind voters, and continuing to share data we collect from surveying blind voters. We will leave no blind person behind in our quest for equality.

Our work together to confront the many persistent and unnecessary barriers that prevent blind people from full participation in education also continues. One example is a matter first shared in my 2020 report to this Convention. We filed suit against Duke University on behalf of Mary Fernandez for its failure to provide her with timely access to Braille, electronic, and tactile materials. In December 2021, we reached a settlement that commits Duke to retaining a consultant with expertise in providing accessible materials to blind students in higher education and to revising its policies and guidelines regarding the provision of these materials.

In another example, we continue to struggle with the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD). Our efforts go back to 2017, which is longer than most students would take to graduate. Why do they continue to fight equal access for their blind students? In August 2021, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit reaffirmed that disparate impact disability claims are enforceable through a private right of action under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. This decision preserved the right of blind students at the LACCD to seek relief for discrimination they are suffering at the school and has broader impacts for people with disabilities. In the balance of its opinion, the Ninth Circuit reversed the trial court's decision in favor of the blind students and the Federation, citing various other legal errors in the trial, and sent the case back to the district court. LACCD responded by threatening to file a petition to the United States Supreme Court. Their hostility toward blind students sparked a vigorous campaign from the disability-rights community with a clear hashtag: #BackOffLACCD. In March, the LACCD Board of Trustees did back off, and we are now completing the final steps in this journey. Blind students in Los Angeles and across the nation deserve an equal opportunity to benefit from all of the best educational institutions, and we will not let them be bullied into second-class status. We are the National Federation of the Blind.

Some educational systems choose to work with us rather than against us. Just last month we amicably resolved a case I shared with you last year involving a blind elementary school child, who we referred to as KW, from the Berkeley California school district. During the pandemic KW struggled to access inaccessible remote learning and digital classroom technology used by the district. With the support of the Federation, Berkeley Unified has agreed to implement a new model accessibility policy pertaining to the procurement and testing of instructional technology. The agreement and the model policies are available on the Federation's website as an instructional resource to other school districts across the nation. We hope others will follow Berkeley's lead. All of this is another lesson about the power of working together in the National Federation of the Blind.

Many testing entities put barriers in our way that challenge our determination to overcome adversity rather than measure our aptitude. An example from Florida is Jermesa Lee who has sought licensure as a mental health counselor. This license requires her to pass the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE). In 2021 and in 2022, she requested a version of the NCMHCE compatible with screen-reading software. The National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) denied her accommodation request, each time offering her use of a human reader and scribe instead. The Federation has intervened and, on behalf of Jermesa and other members planning to take these counseling licensure exams in the near future, we demanded that NBCC provide a screen-reader-compatible version of the test. Due to our work together, they agreed to make the exam available in a screen-reader-compatible format this fall, and we will ensure their deadline is met.

We are working with blind people to overcome discriminatory barriers on other tests. These include the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure for music, the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards' Massage and Bodywork Licensing Examination, the Uniform Securities Agent State Law Examination, the Society for Human Resource Management's certified professional exam, and online exams administered by PSI for the California Department of Insurance. Let there be no doubt: we will pass the test for effective advocacy, because, when we work together as blind people, we cannot fail.

Health care is a critical place where we are denied equal access to information. For more than a decade, NFB member Tim Miles has repeatedly asked his health-care providers at UNC Health Care for all documents to be provided in large print. Similarly, Federation member John Bone asked for Braille documents during ER visits at a hospital affiliated with the UNC Health Care network. Only standard print was provided. When our attempt to establish a collaborative solution failed, we filed suit against UNC Health Care to require it to ensure effective communication with blind patients through the consistent and timely provision of accessible formats. In January 2022, we received a favorable decision from the magistrate judge finding that UNC had violated the law-both directly and by failing to ensure that its contractors and affiliated hospitals provided effective communication. This decision should send a strong message to other medical providers-you must plan for and ensure the timely provision of accessible formats to blind patients throughout your entire enterprise.

In 2020 we established an agreement with the Internal Revenue Service to create a new process for providing automated and timely notices in accessible formats. As of January that system is operating, and blind people can establish an alternative media preference for all IRS notices by completing the new Form 9000 or calling the IRS. Additionally, since our agreement was signed, the IRS has granted more than eight thousand requests by blind taxpayers for abatement of interest or penalties accrued because of the agency's previous failure to provide notices in accessible formats. As blind people we know that working together pays.

We are unwavering in our work to secure full access to information on websites and mobile applications for blind people as a matter of right. Unfortunately, the Federal executive branch has failed to provide leadership in this area, giving businesses an excuse to shut the blind out, and the judicial branch has frequently gotten it wrong-requiring us to take action. In the Robles v. Domino's Pizza case, the federal court in California initially held that businesses need not have their websites and mobile apps comply with the ADA due to a lack of federal website accessibility regulations. Concerned about the ruling, we intervened in the appeal. In 2019, we secured an important favorable decision from the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit confirming that the ADA applies to websites and mobile apps and making clear that businesses must ensure that their digital assets comply with the ADA. After Domino's unsuccessfully attempted to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court, the case went back to the trial court where we helped support the plaintiff's legal team. Last summer, we received another victory: the court held that the Domino's website was inaccessible and in violation of the ADA and California law. The parties have now amicably resolved this matter. Domino's has confirmed its commitment to maintaining the accessibility of its website and mobile applications to individuals with disabilities through compliance with WCAG 2.0 level AA and by utilizing policies, procedures, and internal training. We will continue to use our expertise and our lived experience to argue the need for equal access in the courts across the nation.

The time has come for us to put significant pressure on the Federal legislative branch to demonstrate the leadership needed to secure our right to equal access in the digital economy. We have crafted the Website and Mobile Applications Accessibility Act, which would codify in law a mandated accessibility standard applicable to employers, public accommodations, and public entities. Our leadership in this work is informed and endorsed by nearly twenty disability advocacy groups. We expect this bill to be introduced before the end of the month, and we intend to use all of the tools to encourage Congress to act swiftly including social media campaigns, visits to Capitol Hill, letters to the editors of the nation's top news outlets, and, if necessary, assembling the largest informational protest ever held by people with disabilities. It is time for equal access, not extraordinary excuses. Both the Americans with Disabilities Act and the World Wide Web have passed their thirtieth anniversaries. We demand our right to equal access, and we will continue to work together to secure the protections we deserve from each branch of the Federal government. While this is our most urgent priority, it is only one of many in our advocacy program. A full report of our advocacy and policy work will be featured later in this convention.

More than forty years ago, we established Baltimore, Maryland, as the home for our national headquarters. Known as the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute, this center of innovation belongs to blind people. While many components of Federation work happen at the building, the bulk of the work is implemented in local communities in every diverse part of this nation. The coordination and synergy that is found in all of these components working together is what makes us unstoppable.

Through our Center for Employment Opportunities initiative, we bridge the gaps leading to unemployment and underemployment among the nation's blind. Examples of our work in this area include the NFB Career Mentoring Program, which provides transition-age blind youth with empowering training experiences, career resources, and a network of role models. During the past year we have delivered virtual pre-employment training sessions three times each month, on thirty-five different topics. During October, now branded as Blind Equality Achievement Month, we released the Self-Advocacy in Employment Tool Kit and launched a new Where the Blind Work webinar series featuring blind professionals in a range of careers. In February, we held a successful career fair during the virtual Washington Seminar that brought together 181 blind job seekers and 19 employers. An extensive career fair and related activities are also part of this convention.

This year we were a founding ambassador in the global launch of SmartJob, LLC and the SmartJob Fund hosted by Impact Assets. SmartJob is a unique global company dedicated to closing the disability wealth gap by catalyzing employment through innovation. We will hear from its founder later in this convention.

In addition to serving as a trusted advisor to SmartJob about the blind community, we have made initial investments in raising the expectations for blind entrepreneurs. One example is Synergies Work-a one-of-a-kind program designed to support microbusinesses run by and for people with disabilities and to provide business development support to entrepreneurs. Through our partnership with SmartJob, we have opened applications for a ten-week training program to incubate and provide business development support to a cohort of blind entrepreneurs. An additional example is our support to develop a six-week, venture-capital-readiness course for blind founders to learn the critical concepts for effectively securing financing for an early stage company. Through our partnership with SmartJob, this course will be available later this year and will strengthen the capacity of blind entrepreneurs to compete in the investment community. We anticipate other innovative impact projects by working together with similar strategic partners in the future.

Through our Center of Excellence in Nonvisual Access, we have concentrated expertise, best practices, and resources that enables businesses, governments, and educational institutions to more effectively provide accessible information and services to the blind community. A long-standing partner in this work continues to be the Maryland Department of Disabilities. We continue to produce monthly ninety-minute boutiques and quarterly four-hour presentations on various accessibility topics as part of our outreach and engagement strategy. Our staff continue to perform technology evaluations and engage Federation members in providing feedback to manufacturers of hardware and software. Our technology efforts serve as a critical resource in carrying out policies passed by this convention. One example is our hosting a summit for overlay companies and access technology experts to establish strategies to move forward more collaboratively and eliminate the use of detrimental marketing tactics. In addition, we continue to work closely with product producers in the blindness field to evaluate and provide guidance on the development of their specialized tools.

Through our educational initiative, we seek to create the strongest opportunities for the next generation of blind people. Our largest program is the NFB Braille Enrichment for Literacy and Learning Academies. These powerful in-person educational sessions were converted to in-home virtual sessions in 2020, and our success allowed us to continue the in-home training in 2021. Last summer we provided instruction to 232 participants from 40 states during three, two-week programs and, significantly, half of those youth were completely new to the program. In addition to Federation staff, nearly one hundred Federation members worked directly with the youth as mentors, coordinators, or program volunteers. Per our extensive youth program protection policy, all of these individuals were background checked and supported to ensure the highest level of appropriate engagement in our programs. This summer, for the first time, NFB BELL will be offered both in-person in more than a dozen of our state affiliates, as well as in-home, allowing virtual participation from any state. While the in-home model allows us to connect with families that we might otherwise not be able to serve, many are energized by the opportunity to work together in person. For example, last month our Arizona NFB BELL Academy generated so much joy by bringing people back together that a spontaneous conga line broke out while the blind students and blind mentors were decorating canes. This is the power of our commitment to working together in the National Federation of the Blind.

We are also strategically investing in the development of the next generation of teachers of blind students. Through our NFB Teachers of Tomorrow program, we provide enrichment to early career teachers of blind students. Our goal is to connect participants with a professional community of practice through the blind people's movement. In 2021 we had twenty-two educators from thirteen states in the program, with most interactions happening through virtual monthly sessions. Shortly before this convention, we invited twenty more teachers to our next cohort, which will start in the fall and will include more in-person interaction.

We have also launched an innovative teacher-training model in partnership with the Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness at Louisiana Tech University. With support from the Maryland State Department of Education and the American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults, we established a cohort of individuals in the state of Maryland to receive coursework leading to licensure in teaching blind students. The cohort of thirteen individuals began online courses with Louisiana Tech University earlier this year and will continue through next spring before beginning their internships in the fall of 2023. Some of these individuals are here at this convention. It is our hope that this pilot project might be a collaborative model that we can use to develop outstanding educators of blind children in other states.

There are many other programs and services driven by the people of this movement that we do not have time to discuss in detail. Just a few of these include our work to train and certify Braille transcribers and proofreaders; our distribution of thousands of long white canes to encourage independent travel and hundreds of slates to support Braille literacy. We have continued development of the most extensive access to information system available, NFB NEWSLINE®, including the launch of parental controls to allow a more customized experience for blind children. However, our most important work is to build a movement of blind people.

We continue to invest in tools to onboard members, strengthen our network of chapters, and cultivate a diverse leadership across each of our state affiliates.

Lead by our Committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), we continue to identify strategic opportunities to develop resources and forge a welcoming environment for broad participation in our movement. One example of a new resource is our five-year diversity calendar to assist in planning events at times that do not conflict with major holidays observed by those in our community. The Federation's board of directors has initiated a strategic planning process that will take place over the next year, and our DEI commitment will be an important component of this planning. However, we are continuously reviewing all of our programs to determine if we can make them more reflective of our collective values. Examples include our December 2021 expansion of our Braille Letters from Santa program to provide a version in Spanish, and an option for a Braille Winter Celebration letter for those who do not observe the Christmas holiday. The effect was more than a 60 percent increase in participation over 2020 and more than 50 percent of participants being completely new to the program.

Similarly, for a number of years we have been evaluating our Federation scholarship program and its effectiveness. Upon review, the Federation's board of directors substantially increased our investment in the program. We have raised the minimum amount of our merit scholarships from $3,000 to $8,000 and eliminated the previous tiered structure in order to provide each of our thirty finalists the same award. This change is particularly valuable in the intense time of inflation that we are currently experiencing. Most importantly, the program changes are intended to emphasize even further the mentoring and community building that has always been the core value of the program. Investing in the blind leaders of the future and supporting their dreams is among the most important elements of our movement.

Our work to strengthen our safety and support efforts has continued to make our organization better. After our last convention, we established our NFB Blind Survivors Group, the Federation's Special Committee completed its detailed investigations and produced a final report released publically by our board in December 2021, and we updated the organization's Code of Conduct based upon thoughtful feedback from members. We continue to administer those procedures and regularly review their effectiveness. We offered additional training to members on sexual misconduct, including updated scenarios that are more relevant to the Federation community. We are currently developing additional training modules to further increase the competency of elected leaders in a variety of critical topics related to power dynamics, organization culture, consent, and inclusive leadership. At the direction of this convention, the board established the Survivor Assistance to Facilitate Empowerment (SAFE) Fund to assist anyone we find has been harmed by members of our community. Before this convention, sixty-six individuals were invited to utilize the resources of this fund based upon our prior work to identify and heal the impact of misconduct by members of our movement. Although we hope that no person is harmed in the future by members of our movement, the SAFE Fund will remain as our standing commitment to anyone who might be. Let there be no doubt: we expect our community to be a respectful, open, and safe space for all blind people, and we will take the actions necessary to make that a reality. Federation SAFE will be the result of our commitment to working together.

The Federation's hopeful message reaches further every year. Some highlights from our communications effort this year include launching new English and Spanish radio PSAs in October with a new landing page at blind.org to welcome people unfamiliar with our movement; participating in the initial launch of the .day domains by offering Braille.day and WhiteCane.day to promote independence and literacy; and establishing the nations_blind TikTok account on the world's most popular microvideo sharing platform. As of June, our TikTok presence included thirty-five videos, and our most successful had reached 4.8 million views.

We use our communications tools to lift up blind people in many ways, and the most important of the past year was mobilizing our movement in America to benefit blind people affected by the war in Ukraine. In partnership with Jonathan Mosen, founder of the online station Mushroom FM, and the World Blind Union (WBU), we collaborated on a global benefit concert of blind performers held on April 16, 2022. Through the "We're With U!" effort, 114 performances provided almost twelve hours of powerful and loving entertainment including a cappella, three-part harmony, Mozart and Chopin, Cole Porter, and rap. By the end of the live stream of the concert, we had raised more than $80,000, and after an additional two weeks over $100,000 for the WBU's Ukrainian Unity Fund. In addition to the many contributions from individual Federation members, our organization donated staff time and absorbed all of the transaction fees in collecting donations so that every dollar went directly to helping blind people affected by the war. We are proud to provide global leadership to the blind people's movement in other parts of the world. We continue to send a message of love to the blind of Ukraine: we are with you!

At the center of our work are the individual stories of blind people and the power of bringing those lives together for collective action. Since 1940 we have been collecting the historical record of the blind people's movement. We have refreshed these efforts by asking each Federation affiliate to have a designated historian to ensure we preserve the stories and the actions of the blind community. We have increased our efforts to capture oral histories, and this year we granted an internship to an American University undergraduate specifically to capture the stories of some of our Black leaders. Our ever-growing collection of historical archives now occupy 20,500 square feet of space at our building in Baltimore.

Now is the time for us to do even more. Our history is rich, but our stories are rarely known. Our actions are highly impactful, but our struggles to overcome society's low expectations are often overlooked. Our progress has been great, but our future must be greater. America has no cultural institution that centers the experience of blind individuals of diverse backgrounds and celebrates how those people worked together to rise above centuries of misconceptions. Who lives, who dies, who tells our stories? We do! We must!

Now is the time for us to pursue the Museum of the Blind People's Movement. We must do this while continuing to do all of the other work that advances our movement. We must do this because it is critical to our future. Our integration in society on terms of equality demands that we be elevated and celebrated for our contributions to the human experience. Our normalization in society requires us to open our stories to the public in powerful ways that affect both the hearts and minds of those who experience them. The Museum of the Blind People's Movement will be challenging to accomplish, but we have never backed down from working together to achieve our dreams. In this year when we have lost some of the most outstanding voices from our previous generations, the most meaningful action we can take in honoring their contributions to us is to celebrate and share that bond of service and use it to forge the future. Imagine a museum that is ours, that teaches all other institutions about inclusion and equal access, and that extends our message wider than we have ever imagined. We are calling on every blind person, Federation member or not, to bring your story, your aspirations, and your talents to the preservation of our shared history and advancement of our future by participating in the development of the Museum of the Blind People's Movement. You are all cordially invited to come to the grand opening of this museum before this decade is over. Imagine the celebration of the power of working together in the National Federation of the Blind.

I attended my first convention in 1996. I have observed the spirit of the Federation for more than a quarter of a century. The methods used by the Federation to conduct its business are fascinating to me, but the spirit is the heart of the organization. The overwhelming central element in the spirit of the organization is a precept in our Constitution that declares that the Convention is the supreme authority of the Federation. The people of the movement who come together in Convention assembled decide what the policies shall be and determine who will be selected to carry them out. The people of the movement are the deciding voice. You are the ones who determine what we shall do and where we shall go.

In our movement, with its extensive scope, the broad array of its demanding programs, and our determination to bring into being an understanding of our principles in all segments of our society, we inevitably encounter complexity. However, some principles of our movement remain straightforward. If we are to create the plan to make of our organization what we want it to be, we must have faith in each other. We must know that we can and will find the determination to change the negative factors that face us. We must know that we can muster the fortitude to believe even when challenged. We must know in the depths of our souls that Federation members are willing to share the burden and to give all that is necessary to make our future our own. I know from the innermost part of me that I trust this Convention. We will not fail. We will not permit doubt to deter us from our purpose. I know you, and I have faith. We will prevail.

I have had the honor of serving as your President for four terms, and it continues to be the greatest privilege, challenge, and joy of my life. At every moment, I have given to you, our members, all my best effort. I strive to reflect all of the high expectations that you demand of our leaders and to make each of you proud. The members of this movement-my chosen community of friends-will always have my deepest gratitude for the effect that you have on making me better and on making the changes that will ensure a brighter future for my own family. The decision as to whether I continue to serve you in this capacity is entirely yours. I am prepared to rise to your high expectations and represent you in all that we do together, if that is your choice. I will never ask of you anything that I am not completely willing to do myself. This movement will continue to have the best of my efforts regardless of where you want me to serve. This is the blind people's movement, and you found me when I did not even recognize I was a blind person. First and foremost, I am a member in this movement; and my commitment will always be to link arms with you, share the bond of faith that brings us together, and march confidently in the direction that this Convention builds for our future. This is my commitment to working together for a brighter tomorrow.

My Federation family, this is my report for 2022. This is our progress in coming back together again. This is our bond as the blind people's movement. This is the future we build with love, hope, and determination, by transforming dreams into reality.

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[PHOTO CAPTION: Judy Sanders holding her Jacobus tenBroek Award.]

[PHOTO CAPTION: Joe and Patricia Miller]

Presentation of the Jacobus tenBroek Awards

PAM ALLEN: It is now my pleasure to make a special presentation. Jacobus tenBroek was one of the most influential minds in the field of civil rights. He was a staunch advocate and respected attorney and legal scholar whose legacy continues even fifty-four years after his death. His writings and teachings on equality were pivotal to the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court decision that desegregated schools in America.

He founded the National Federation of the Blind and served as our first president. His work in the blindness field, shattered stereotypes and revolutionized how the blind live in the world. His contributions to society are so immense and lasting that we hold an annual disability law conference which carries his name.

The National Federation of the Blind awards the Jacobus tenBroek Award periodically, and 2022 is one such year. As an organization, this award is the highest overall honor that we bestow, and we only award it when we feel someone exemplifies the characteristics that are synonymous with Dr. Jacobus tenBroek himself, including an unwavering commitment to civil rights and the work that results in meaningful change for all blind people. I'm honored to present this award tonight.

In 1970 this individual joined the National Federation of the Blind and attended their first convention in 1971 in Houston, Texas. They have been involved in organizing many different state affiliates. In every state in which they have lived, they have given generously, lovingly, and freely of their time and energy to the National Federation of the Blind-sometimes as a leader in their chapter or on state boards, many times behind the scenes, but always giving. They have worked on national and state legislation and have been a mentor to thousands of future and current Federationists. This individual has worked in many different fields and has been a trailblazer as a teacher in a western state. In 1982 this individual began coordinating the information desk outside of the convention hall at our national conventions. This individual was also once arrested on a plane for sitting in an exit row. Maybe you can guess who this individual is.

Judy Sanders grew up in Boston [cheers and applause] and Denver, and graduated from the University of Colorado, where she studied to be a teacher of public speaking and social studies. Judy experienced a rude awakening when the Denver public schools would not hire anyone with less than 20/40 vision in the better eye. It was because of this problem that she discovered the National Federation of the Blind. Through her connection with the National Federation of the Blind, she obtained a position as a substitute teacher. Some other careers in which she has been involved include serving as the director of the Minnesota Office of Congressman Gerry Sikorski and working with blind children and adults through BLIND, Incorporated and with state services for the blind. I remember meeting Judy when I first joined the National Federation of the Blind and traveled to Minnesota for an organizing trip, and she had lots of great advice. Though Judy is retired, she is never not busy and continues to volunteer in so many ways and to serve in her state by working, advocating, speaking, sharing her voice, and making sure that the message of the National Federation of the Blind is heard. She serves on the Independent Living Council and the State Rehabilitation Council. She has been a champion for seniors and has also served as president of our Senior Division most recently.

Some adjectives that have been used to describe Judy when talking to people include "wise, generous, opinionated [laughter], tenacious, self-sacrificing, and caring. I understand that she has been known to share the cost of big-ticket items at convention auctions with others so that they can partake and raise money for the National Federation of the Blind. You may have seen her this week at the NFB information desk outside the ballroom. Judy works hard every day in all she does to share our message, not only through her words but through her example and purposeful actions. Judy, you have touched my life and the lives of so many and helped us collectively transform our dreams into reality. It is now my pleasure to present to you this 2022 Jacobus tenBroek Award. [applause]

As Judy is making her way up, I'm going to hold this plaque up just for a moment. It's a big room, so make your way up. [audience members chanting "Judy"] The text on the award reads: Jacobus tenBroek Award presented to Judy Sanders for your dedication, sacrifice, and commitment on behalf of the blind of this nation. Your contribution is measured not in steps but in miles, not by individual experiences but by your impact on the lives of the blind of the nation. Whenever we have asked, you have answered. We call you our colleague with respect. We call you our friend with love. July 10th, 2022. Judy: [cheers and applause]

JUDY SANDERS: I want to thank you. I'm not sure what to be most proud of-that I have been given this award or that I made it to the stage twice. [laughing]

All the things that Pam just mentioned cause me to think about when I first started to get involved in the NFB. It was actually for very selfish reasons. I wanted to teach, I knew I could, and I was convinced that I would be so good that they would hire me and change their policies. Well, I was so good, and they didn't. [chuckling]

So that's how I got involved in the NFB. I remember when I finally got a job as a substitute teacher, the first person to be employed as a fulltime teacher was not a member of the NFB. She was a member of something else that didn't lend any help to what we did. She called me to thank me, and I said, "I'm not the one you have to thank. You have to thank the National Federation of the Blind for three reasons. One is I wouldn't have had the know-how about where to begin to solve this problem. Number two, I wouldn't have had the money to do it." So, thank you, seniors, for those extra donations. "And number three, I wouldn't have had the nerve. It was much easier to say the National Federation of the Blind did this, and then go from there. It wasn't me."

So as I went through all my time in the NFB, it's always been like that. When I got my job with Congressman Gerry Sikorski, he was the first member of Congress to employ a blind person fulltime. That was to his credit, not mine. I was the lucky one who benefitted from it. I want to thank you for putting all these things together in one place, because it took a long time for all this to happen. I thank you, and I will continue to do what I have been doing. Thank you. [applause]

PAM ALLEN: Congratulations, Judy. Thank you so much for your service and your leadership.

I would now like to introduce Mrs. Jernigan for a special presentation.

MARY ELLEN JERNIGAN: First I want to congratulate Judy Sanders on her well-deserved award. [applause] Day in and day out I have watched her serve this organization with steadfast love, self sacrifice, and more for more than four decades.

Because the Jacobus tenBroek Award holds such significance, one might almost say "sacred significance" to us in this organization, we deliberately chose not to present the award in 2020 or 2021. And I'm glad we didn't. It would not have seemed right for us not to be together as a family to express our love, respect, and gratitude for Judy as we have just done. Don't you think it's such a joyful thing to do? [applause] Yeah, I agree. So you know what? We're going to do it again, right now.

First I need to tell you, I'm just the setup person for the second tenBroek Award we're about to present, a role it gives me great joy to have been assigned this evening. Because, again, I have seen firsthand, up close, and for many decades the selfless service that occasions the presentation of this second award tonight. Speaking of roles, I want to talk a little bit about the roles members of the Federation are called to fill. They are many in number, diverse in skills required, and complex in nature. Some are so highly visible that it would be virtually impossible not to know who is performing that role, as well as having a fair bit of knowledge about what the task entails. Take the national President or your state affiliate, or local chapter president, for instance. You know precisely who these people are, and you see what they do. But take something like our national convention. Ever wonder about the literally thousands of specific individual details involved in planning and then bringing off an event as complex as this one? Well, obviously, you know, I have. [laughter] You saw me, and now you see John Berggren. But what about all those people you don't see working just as hard, taking incredible responsibilities, performing the hidden tasks that you never even thought about? These are tasks you would become acutely and painfully aware of the instant someone was not taking care of them. I use the national convention because the convention is a common experience that all of us here can relate to. But what about the rest of the year? What are the other things being done day by day, year after year, by someone-someone we do not see and may not even know.

But back to the tenBroek Award, and you see where I'm going.

This award is going to two individuals. They are a couple. Added together, they have a combined seventy-three years of experience to this organization. [applause] Some of you know them; many of you won't. One of them has been a bit more visible than the other. Both have served in roles critical to the essential day-to-day operation of the Federation. One has let us know that it is time for us to find another way to accomplish his tasks. The other has not-not yet at least.

At this point in my remarks, I had intended to say, lest I exceed my assigned role, I'm going to stop here and turn the mic over to Dr. Maurer. However, he and Mrs. Maurer found it necessary earlier today to begin quarantining in their room. [sorrow and concern from the audience] So I will share with you some of the things I know he would have said.

I think the first thing he would have said would be to ask Joe and Pat Miller to join me on the podium. [cheers and applause] And then he would have said, "Come on, you two... get up here!" [continuing applause]

MARY ELLEN JERNIGAN: As they are coming, then he would have said, "The two people being recognized for their extraordinary service tonight are the longest serving fulltime staff of our organization." [applause] And the Federation would not be as responsive or as capable as it is without them.

Mrs. Miller, Pat, has served in many capacities in the Federation, more often than not in a supporting role to an executive at our headquarters. Now, this is Dr. Maurer speaking directly:

"My favorite of her positions is as primary assistant to me. I have dictated tens of thousands of pages of documents to her. I have asked her tens of thousands of questions. I have expected her to find for me facts from legal cases, from census figures, from organizations of the blind anywhere in the world, from government archives, or from business. She has never been dismayed by these requests, and she has often made suggestions that enhance the research. I have asked her to tour sheltered workshops and to notice what I might want to know. I have asked her to travel with me early and late, although she was raising a family."

Mr. Miller, Joe, has also served in many capacities. These days he is probably best known for his mastery of our computer systems that are the heart of the public information campaigns that we conduct. Millions of letters are sent each year to give people information about the correct understanding of blindness and to enlist the support of such recipients who believe learning the truth about blindness can help build a better society for the blind and for the sighted as well. However, Mr. Miller has undertaken many other roles. He has been our truck driver for the tons of material we need at convention. He has helped organize computer systems to conduct convention activities. And he has been available when extraordinary services have been needed. At one time he created all the print masters for every publication we needed to print. At one time he was our entire Information Technology Department [chuckles] and was a master at creating and using databases before most of us knew what that term meant or what they could do. Just give him an assignment, and he did it.

Eighteen months ago Mr. Miller gave us notice that he was ready to retire. We asked him to wait until we could find a way to reassign everything he was doing. Only now, as this convention ends this evening, we have told him that he is going to be permitted to retire. [applause]

Mr. and Mrs. Miller met at the Federation and were married a couple of years later. They have given of themselves without reserve for the work of our organization, even while raising their two girls. I, who have had a demanding part in the Federation, know that to do this is no easy task. It requires a belief that balancing home life with work life will require understanding from all family members. The pressures are great, and doing both at the same time demands not just talent but genuine commitment as well. That commitment, that spirit of giving, that faith in the certainty that we can build a brighter tomorrow is the very essence of all that we know Patricia and Joseph Miller to be. [applause]

So, now, on behalf of this organization, I present to the two of you this plaque, which reads... "National Federation of the Blind Jacobus tenBroek Award presented to Patricia and Joe Miller for your dedication, sacrifice, and commitment on behalf of the blind of this nation. Your contribution is measured not in steps but in miles, not by individual experiences but by your impact on the lives of the blind of the nation. Whenever we have asked, you have answered. We call you our colleague with respect. We call you our friend with love. July 10, 2022." [applause]

MARY ELLEN JERNIGAN: And Mr. Miller is asking, are you to say something? You got it. Of course we're asking you to say something.

JOSEPH MILLER: I am stunned. The NFB gave me a job, a career, and a family. And I will always be grateful. Thank you. [applause]

PATRICIA MILLER: Thank you, my family. It's impossible to know what to say right now. It's such a great honor that I never would have expected, and I love all of you. It's a pleasure to serve. [applause]

PAM ALLEN: Congratulations to our tenBroek winners. Let's give them a round of applause. [applause]

I want to thank Ron Brown, Norma Crosby, Dr. Maurer, and Barbara Loos for serving on our tenBroek Committee.

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[PHOTO CAPTION: Scott McCallum]

Distinguished Educator of Blind Students Award

For a presentation on the Distinguished Educator of Blind Students, Carla McQuillan!

CARLA MCQUILLAN: Good morning, fellow Federationists. It is great to be here in person. I'd like to begin by thanking the members of the committee who selected this year's recipient of the Distinguished Educator of Blind Students Award. We had Emily Gibbs from Texas, Michelle Chacon from New Mexico, Paul Howard from California, and Conchita Hernandez, who is, even as we speak, giving dance lessons to our kids in NFB Camp. Thank you very much, committee.

I'm going to start by saying that when we met to discuss the several applications that we received for this award, I kept my thoughts to myself, because our recipient is someone I have known for many years. He, without a doubt, stood head and shoulders above the other nominations we received. Back in the late 1990s, early 2000s, we had a totally blind student at our Montessori school. I later found that in this person's early years of his teaching career, he worked with this student and on through his high school. So I met him when he drew the short straw and had to present for the Department of Education at our state convention, and he was warned by his colleagues how ruthless and horrible we would be to him. He confessed later that he found just the opposite to be true, and we developed a wonderful, collaborative relationship, focusing on the importance of education for our blind students.

He also chaired a fund that we had in Oregon, established after the closure of our Oregon School for the Blind, and we received $5,000 for our first BELL Academy in 2014. I served with this individual on the Oregon Commission for the Blind, and when he applied to be the superintendent of the Washington State School for the Blind, I was contacted for my recommendation. I give two types of references: One is glowing to the extent that one believes no human being is capable of such accomplishments. The other is "My attorney has advised I say nothing to you on this person." [laughter] You might guess which I gave for this individual.

His state president, Marci Carpenter, said that at the school for the blind, they had a contest to see how many digits of pi the students could recite. The winner got to throw a pie in the superintendent's face! [laughter] I wish I'd have been there for that.

Marci says, "I have pictures!" [laughter] We'll post them.

The other thing that I find particularly great about this individual is that he attends the state conventions entirely, through the end of the business sessions on Sunday. I know, because I've been there.

Oregon is going to claim part of this guy, because he lives in Oregon, he works in Washington, so "Go Northwest," right? [cheering]

The National Federation of the Blind honors Scott McCallum, Distinguished Educator of Blind Students [applause] for your skills in teaching Braille-oh, I have a plaque-I should show the plaque, huh? Sorry, Suzanne.

It reads:

THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND

Honors

Scott McCallum

DISTINGUISHED EDUCATOR OF BLIND STUDENTS

For your skills in teaching Braille and other alternative techniques of blindness,
For graciously dedicating extra time to meet the needs of your students, and for empowering your students to perform beyond their expectations.

You champion our movement.
You strengthen our hopes.
You share our dreams.

July 7, 2022

I also have a check for $1,000, and Scott will be presenting at the meeting of the Parents of Blind Children this afternoon. So now, Scott, a few words. [applause]

SCOTT MCCALLUM: Thank you, Carla-I wasn't going to cry [voice breaking]-and you started it. [laughter] Okay, I'll get through this. Thank you, Carla, President Riccobono, and members of the National Federation of the Blind for such incredible recognition and award. It's really hard to read my notes through my tears here-[laughter].

As was stated during the introduction, my name is Scott McCallum. I'm currently living-I actually moved, Carla-and working in Washington State, serving in my seventh year as the superintendent of the Washington State School for the Blind. Before I say much more, I'd also like to recognize and thank my good friend Marci Carpenter. [applause] Yeah, give her a round. [applause] Many of you may know Marci as a devoted and very engaged member of the NFB and president of the NFB of Washington. Marci serves on my ex officio board of trustees representing the National Federation of the Blind. Marci, thank you for nominating me for this very distinguished award. [sniffling, voice breaking]

I'm so incredibly grateful and honored to be selected as this year's Distinguished Educator of Blind Students. While there are a number of awards in education spaces that recognize effective and positively impactful teachers and administrators, being recognized with such distinction by the oldest and largest organization led by blind people is incredibly significant to me. I work hard to center the voices of the children we serve, as well as blind adults in the work we do at WSSB. So, this recognition, coming from all of you, is not taken lightly. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. [cheering and applause]

Oops, I still have more to say! [laughter] I've spent nearly twenty-five years in the field of education of blind children. The honest truth is that I've loved every step of the way, from teacher to program coordinator to school and agency superintendent. With every step I've benefited by having great support and influences that helped me learn, grow, change, and improve my craft. Thank you to everyone who has supported me along the way. I especially offer my heartfelt appreciation to all my former and current students [voice breaking] who have taught me every bit as much about life as I have taught them. Thank you to all the families who have trusted me to work with their most precious resource-their children. Thank you to my colleagues and friends who have constantly supported, challenged, and inspired me. And finally, while they aren't here with me today, I'd also like to thank my mother and my wonderful wife, Jennifer. Thanks. [applause] Thank you. Both my mother and my wife have been there to provide support at critical times behind the scenes that have allowed me to flourish and thrive in my professional roles.

After finishing my undergrad in elementary education and my graduate training in education of blind children at the University of North Dakota, I started my career in the late 1990s working as an itinerant teacher of blind students in school districts across Lane County, Oregon. During those early teaching years, I immediately saw the need for and pursued additional training, eventually earning my master's degree in orientation and mobility in early 2000s. I loved serving as a teacher and an O&M specialist.

Here it may also be fitting to recognize and thank Carla McQuillan. Carla happens to own and operate a few Montessori programs in the area where I started teaching, and one of my first students of Braille started his education at one of Carla's schools. I remember meeting with Carla in the early days of my teaching career. Carla was a strong advocate for my student and a fantastic example of a blind adult living their best life for everyone else involved. Later on in my career I had the opportunity, as Carla mentioned, to serve on the board of directors for the Oregon Commission for the Blind. Carla, you've been such an excellent role model for me and so many others. Thank you. [applause]

I served as a teacher and an O&M specialist until 2010, when I made the transition to administration. I was hired to coordinate one of Oregon's eight regional blind and low-vision education programs and managed the implementation of legislation that had resulted in the closing of the Oregon School for the Blind. As a new administrator, one of the efforts that I'm most proud of resulted in helping Oregon design and implement the nation's first online adaptive state assessment accessible to Braille readers.

Those efforts led to the purchase, related training, and distribution of a Braille embosser capable of producing tactile graphics, a forty-cell refreshable Braille display, an updated version of the JAWS screen reader, and Braille transcription software for every single student reading Braille in Oregon's public schools. [applause]

I've spent the last six years serving as the superintendent of the Washington State School for the Blind. Serving at WSSB has allowed me to have a statewide and national impact on improving services and supports for blind children. At WSSB, we are able to provide the full continuum of services and supports, all in the name of accomplishing our mission of empowering blind individuals to reach their full potential. We offer a wide range of short and long-term service options which include but are not limited to residential, day, short courses, online as well as itinerant, direct and indirect options to meet the needs of the students we serve. We also partner with others to provide a range of transition options as well as a materials production and distribution center that reaches well beyond the borders of Washington.

Today, while I serve as superintendent of WSSB, I also continue to learn as I work towards a doctorate in educational leadership. This fall, I hope to begin the formal dissertation stage of my program as I aim to complete a qualitative study about the educational experiences of blind children of color in the Pacific Northwest. My proposed study will seek to center the voices of these young adults so that we can learn more about their complexities associated with their intersectional identities and lived experiences. [applause]

I'm almost done, I promise! [laughter] It's been quite a run for me so far, and I look forward to the future. I've been fortunate to have the opportunity to serve and positively impact blind children throughout the entirety of my career. I've loved and appreciated every opportunity I have had, and I couldn't have done it without the support and guidance from others, such as all of you, the NFB, as well as my fellow teachers and administrators, and the many regional and national partners that exist in this space.

Oh, and a little update about that student who attended one of Carla's Montessori schools: He's in college pursuing his dreams and passions connected to his interests in biochemistry and becoming a doctor some day. [applause] He recently coauthored an article published in the scholarly journal called Free Radical Biology in Medicine. His article is titled "Strategies to Protect Against Age-related Mitochondrial Decay: Do Natural Products and their Derivatives Help?" I have no idea what that all really means, but what I do know is that he's doing pretty well, and I'm honored to continue to be a mentor and friend long after the days when I served as his teacher and O&M specialist.

In closing, thank you for choosing me as the 2022 Distinguished Educator of Blind Students. It's an incredible honor just to be nominated, let alone chosen to receive this award. I can't thank you enough and will cherish this award and this moment as affirmation that I'm headed in the right direction. Thank you! [applause and cheering]

MARK RICCOBONO: Thank you, Scott, thank you, Carla, to the committee. Everything you said was worth it, so don't worry about that! [laughter]

SCOTT MCCALLUM: I have one more thing. [laughter]

The $1,000 check, which I'm grateful to receive as a gift, I'll be donating that back to the Washington State chapter of the National Federation of the Blind.

MARK RICCOBONO: Very nice, thank you! [applause]

I'm sure Marci will take it! [laughter]

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[PHOTO CAPTION: Corey Grandstaff and Robin House]

Blind Educator of the Year

MARK RICCOBONO: Here to give a presentation on behalf of our Blind Educator of the Year award, from the committee, from the State of Missouri, Robin House.

ROBIN HOUSE: Thank you, President Riccobono. Good morning to each and every one of you. I'm proud to announce the recipient of the Blind Educator Award. I wanted to let you know that this award is a significant award and has been for many years. It began in the Blind Educators Division, and it recognizes blind educators for their hard work, dedication, and commitment in the difficult and challenging field of education.

I want to thank the Committee for the Blind Educator of the Year Award and those who served on it. This year's committee included Melissa Riccobono, Dr. Edward Bell, Cayte Mendez, Adelmo Vigil, and Vernon Humphreys. Thank you for serving on the Committee.

I want to share a quote with you from Albert Einstein. He said that "The supreme art of the teacher is to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge." This award is given annually if a suitable candidate is recognized and selected by the Committee, and this year we do have a person who has gone above and beyond in the field of education.

I want to share a little bit about his background. It is said about him that the students that he works with lighten up when they see him and talk to him, and he is always available to put the students' needs first and let them share who they are and become all that they can be. He encourages them to do that by listening, by sharing his experiences, and by teaching them. He's always there to go above and beyond to meet their needs. He has compassion and love for his students, which I think he shares with many of the previous recipients of this award.

I want to share his credentials. He holds a bachelor's degree in history and social studies. He also holds a graduate degree in orientation and mobility and teacher of the visually impaired. He currently is the associate director of Transition and Residential Programs at the Washington State School for the Blind. [cheering] They have some wonderful educators there, right? [crowd agreeing] So please congratulate Corey Grandstaff. [cheering and applause] Corey also is very active in the state of Washington. He serves on their state scholarship committee as the chairperson. He also is the chapter president of the Clark County Chapter in Washington State. I am presenting him with a plaque and a check for $1,000. Let me read the inscription on the plaque.

It says:

THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND

BLIND EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR

Presented to

Corey Grandstaff

In recognition of outstanding accomplishments to the teaching profession.

You enhance the present. You inspire your colleagues. You build the future.

July 7, 2022

Congratulations, Corey. [cheering and applause] Corey will now say a few words.

COREY GRANDSTAFF: I wasn't even this nervous when I went skydiving... [laughter]. But here we go.

I'd first like to say that it's an honor to receive this award. I'd be remiss if I did not thank a few individuals in my life that have made it possible for me to sit here with you all today. First, I'd like to thank my state president, Marci Carpenter, who nominated me for this award. [applause] I'm honored to call Marci a friend and a mentor in my life. So thank you, Marci. [applause]

As was stated, I currently work at the Washington State School for the Blind. It sounds like a really fancy title, but the way I like to describe it is that I'm the vice principal during the evening time. I thank my wife, Arabia, and there's many nights when I'm supposed to be home for dinner or we're supposed to go on dates or we're sitting down to watch our favorite TV show, and I get that call that says I need to come back to work, or I need to stay later to handle situations. She handles that all in stride: supporting me to the end, listening when I come home and share those stories about the struggles my students are having or the successes they've had. She even volunteers for my students. They love when she comes and does their hair and nails for prom. [crowd awwwing and applause] Without Arabia, I would not be standing here today.

I want to share some stories about some important individuals who have made me the educator I am. I grew up on a horse-breeding farm in central Ohio and let me tell you-the conversations we had around the dinner table were interesting and honestly embarrassing if you had friends over, especially when you invited your first girlfriend over for dinner. [laughter]

What I learned and have to thank both my brothers, my sister, and my parents for is "can't" was not a word in our home. I was never told I could not do something. In fact, when I said I couldn't do something, the response I got was "You can. You just have to find a way to do it."

So I say the same thing to my students on a daily basis. "Can't" cannot be a word that is part of their vocabulary, because the world already expects that, as blind people, we can't do things. [crowd agreeing and applauding]

I'm a proud alumnus of the Ohio State School for the Blind, and I want to talk about some teachers that influenced me as an educator. Dan was one of my blind teachers, and he taught me that blind people can do anything we want to do. There was nothing we couldn't do, nothing that could hold us back. Another teacher I had, Jeff, was one of my sighted teachers, and he taught me to take it to the limit and always give it 110 percent.

In my tenth grade in high school, I had the opportunity to attend public school part-time. During my junior year, I decided to take AP English. I honestly can't even tell you the teacher's name, but I remember the conversation we had. We sat down one day because I was getting an F in her class, the first F of my life. She told me, "You can go back to regular English, and you can get an A, or you can sit in my class, and you're going to have to work very hard, and you may get a C, but probably not." What I took away from her was that she held me to the same high expectations as my peers. [applause] It was the first time in my life I had a sighted teacher in a public school hold me to those same high expectations. Although I can't tell you her name, I'll never forget that. [applause]

I have one more story; it's kind of a negative one, but I want to share. In my undergrad school, I had a teacher; we'll call him Dennis. He taught me a valuable lesson. Right before I took his class, we had a meeting. We sat down and he said these exact words to me: "Corey, no matter how you do in my class, no matter what grade you get or how great a teacher you demonstrate to be, I am the one who approves student teaching, and I will never approve you to student teach."

What he didn't know is that when you tell us we can't do something, me and the other Grandstaff's in my family-you have just triple motivated us! We're very stubborn individuals. [applause]

So, while this was a negative experience, it taught me to encourage my students in whatever they want to do. I believe that blind people can do anything. I hope when I get on my plane tomorrow, my pilot walks into the cockpit with their white cane tapping. [laughter and applause].

So, again, this is an honor. What even makes it more of an honor is that I have some of my coworkers and some of my former and current students in the audience today. I've even had the honor of hiring some of those former students to work for me; that was a goal of mine when I took this job. Blind people need to be employed, and I have the ability to do that in the privileged position that I'm in. So educators, do not allow your students to say they can't. Encourage them in whatever their future goal is. Hold your students to those high expectations no matter what. Push them to that limit to give 110 percent, and don't hold them back. I'd like to thank you, National Federation of the Blind, for this great honor and for the ability to continue the life that I want to live. [applause]

Thank you.

MARK RICCOBONO: Congratulations and thank you to Robin and the committee for great work. It's so inspiring to observe recognition of these great educators.

I think there are other ones outside of Washington, though! So this is a challenge to other affiliates, these awards will come around again next year! [laughter]

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[PHOTO CAPTION: 2022 Scholarship Winners: Front row (left to right): Jennifer Doran, Jovan Campbell, Colin Wong, Sarah Menefee, Emily Schlenker, Stephanie Valdes, Katie Lester, Julia Murray, Katelyn Beresic, and Nancy Aguilera; Middle row: Michael Hardin, Renae Hemmings, Natasha Ishaq, Bhavya Shah, Izzi Guzman, Tasnim Alshuli, Casey Martin, Selene Monjaraz, Katelyn Siple, and Justin Champagne; Back Row: Shawn Abraham, Hunter Kuester, Finn Paynich, Carla Scroggins, Maura Kutnyak, Robert Lamm, Abigail Duffy, Ethan Fung, Daniel Martinez, and Teresa Fabre]

2022 Scholarship Awards

PRESIDENT RICCOBONO: Okay, we've now come to a part of the convention which I know has continued to be interesting while we were in the virtual convention, but we really missed having it live and in person, and that's our scholarship program! [cheering and applause]

By the way, please give a quick shout out to our 2020 and 2021 scholarship award recipients who are here. Where are you? [a few whoops and laughter]

They're all in the corner, or they're in the elevator! Maybe that's what it is. [laughter]

They are here! I got to meet many of them in person for the first time at a reception last evening. So make sure you congratulate them as well.

This is a dynamic committee. It takes a lot of work, and the person that coordinates it is from New York. She's an educator as well. And I can't say enough about the tremendous effort she makes to make this program fly. Even as we've thrown new changes at her this year, she worked through it all during the pandemic. She's a great chair. Here is Cayte Mendez! [applause]

CAYTE MENDEZ: Okay! Good morning, President Riccobono and members of the board. There are so many wonderful parts of convention every year, but this is one of my favorites. This is a program of which I was a beneficiary in 2001. It's a program that the board generously agrees to maintain and continue every year. The board voted to make some changes to the program that I think will make the program more about mentorship, more about making and finding a home in the Federation, finding a place, and celebrating the folks that are honored by our named scholarships rather than worrying about what digits are before the comma. [laughter]

So this year, the scholarship class is blazing trails with the new iteration of this program, and I hope that they're as excited as I am to be a part of this work.

This program honors academic aptitude, scholastic excellence, leadership, community service, creativity, mentorship, and all of the things that we value here in the Federation. So it is always my privilege every year to introduce these thirty finalists to all of you.

I'll announce the finalists by their first name, last name, their home state, and for some of these folks they've also asked that I identify a home country, and I'll do that as well. As usual, I'll tell you their state where they're going to school and their vocational goal. We have three folks in the class this year who are tenBroeks. Dr. tenBroek was a founder and renowned member of our organization, and we honor his memory by awarding folks who are receiving their second scholarship with the tenBroek fellowships.

The first one of our finalists this year is Shawn Abraham, Maryland, Maryland, United States: diplomat.

SHAWN: Hello, everyone. It has always been my goal to fight the limiting attitudes about disability in society, and I've done this through my intense passion for fashion, serving as a resident assistant on my campus, and competing in college wrestling at the national level. Mentoring youth and helping others has always been extremely important to me, both in the blind community and beyond. I have a love for learning languages, a deep belief in cultural inclusion, and a strong pride in my own South Asian identity. This is why I'm focusing my education on international relations: to continue to fight the stereotypes we all face across the globe and to build a better future for everyone. So, thank you.

CAYTE MENDEZ: Nancy Aguilera, Missouri, Missouri: researcher and professor of political science.

NANCY: Good morning, everybody. I would say that one of my defining characteristics is determination. Determination has led me to raise two wonderful people in my life, earn my bachelor's degree in political science, and another bachelor's in psychology, and do the everyday, mundane things that people think blind people can't do. You know, even things that are challenging, like traveling alone or riding trains. You know, crazy stuff like that, right? Why do you do it? And it's like, determination. I definitely believe that without this characteristic, I would totally be a different person. I've enjoyed every minute of being so determined. Thank you.

CAYTE MENDEZ: Tasnim Alshuli is one of our tenBroek Fellows this year, Arizona, Arizona: professor and consultant.

TASNIM: Hello, everyone. It's an honor to be a scholarship finalist, and I'm so grateful for this opportunity again for a second time. I am a doctoral student at the University of Arizona focusing on math education, visual impairments, and cognitive science as well as STEM in general. My passion is to pave ways for opportunities centered around diversity, equity, and inclusion for the blind and other intersectionalities. Also, I enjoy very much planning, organizing, and being involved. Hence I'm involved in various advisory boards, committees, and so on in the Federation as well as in my community. Specifically, I'm the chair of the NFB Muslims, an active member in Arizona, and a scholarship recipient nationally in 2018 and the state scholarship in Arizona in 2017. Thank you.

CAYTE MENDEZ: Katelyn Beresic, West Virginia, West Virginia: social worker for LGBTQ youth and disabled individuals.

KATELYN: Thank you, everybody. I'm going to go ahead and start off by saying that my pronouns are she/they, and I identify as nonbinary and bisexual. I'm also on the asexual spectrum. Yes, there are LGBTQ people in West Virginia. Very shocking! [some laughter] I will be an upcoming freshman this year at West Virginia University. I was newly diagnosed with RP about four years ago, and since then I have worked in combination with my TVI, Megan Hoover, who lives in West Virginia and works in West Virginia and Maryland to learn more about myself, and she's the main reason why I am pursuing social work, as well as advocacy, for a range of individuals with a range of disabilities, including but not limited to visual impairments, hearing impairments, and other mobility-related disabilities. One thing that I do hope to do is learn sign language in the future, and I really, really want to work in combination with LGBTQ youth, as I do know that is a large portion that kind of gets overlooked a lot, especially coming from West Virginia, where it's just not talked about at all.

CAYTE MENDEZ: Jovan Campbell, New York, New York: community education.

JOVAN: Good morning, everyone. How is everyone doing? In 2007, I went from totally sighted to totally blind, and I was totally hopeless. In 2011, I got sepsis and ended up as a partial wheelchair user. I say all of this to say, I didn't know what I was going to do, but I knew I was going to go back to school. I didn't know how I was going to do it. I just had this promise to myself. In 2021, I figured it out-how to go back to school. My arduous journey with my health led me to my beloved major of public health, of which I want to educate my community how to not just live, but live a life of quality-not just quantity, but quality. So I just thank you for the opportunity to meet all of you guys, meet my class of scholarship winners, and I'm honored and encouraged to just keep going. I want not just to keep my promise to finish this degree but go on and get another degree and another degree. Thank you so much, guys.

CAYTE MENDEZ: Justin Champagne, Louisiana, Louisiana, professor of mathematics.

JUSTIN: Laissez les bon temps rouler, New Orleans! I am so glad to welcome you to my home state of Louisiana, and I am honored to have been selected as a finalist. I'm sure that Pam Allen had many protests-no, I'm kidding, I love you, Pam. I'm pursuing my PhD in mathematics from LSU. My greatest passion is to make math accessible to everyone. So, you know, math is known to be inaccessible to blind people, but the truth is, it's inaccessible to everyone. That's a problem that I want to help solve for everybody.

CAYTE MENDEZ: Jenn Doran, Virginia, Oregon: PhD to help vulnerable communities survive climate change.

JENN: Hi, everyone. My academic research actually involves sediment flux in the boundary layer. This is a fancy way to say I play with ocean muds. I picked my PhD advisor because he has open access books with everything we would ever need to know about climate change, but it's not accessible. In fact, climate change data is not accessible. In 2020 I found myself in a very vulnerable position as Beachy Creek fire was not too far from me, Holiday Fire was south of me, there was a fire on the other side of Corvallis, and Harrisburg just set on fire, and my husband was not home. So I called my local ADA office, my local mayor and councilmen and women-all of that to see what happens if I'm an independent person living by myself, not in a group home or assisted living home, and I need to evacuate and there's nobody. Let's just say what I found there left a lot to be desired. So my goal is to work with my PhD advisor to make this data accessible so that we can be empowered to advocate for policies to mitigate the dangers of climate change that we face so that no one in our community will perish because of climate change.

CAYTE MENDEZ: Abbie Duffy, New Hampshire, New Hampshire: psychology and criminal justice.

ABIGAIL: Hello, fellow Federationists. I'm eighteen years old, this is actually my eleventh national convention ever, and my first was when I was seven years old. I'm an alpine ski racer when I'm not doing school, and I did skiing in high school when I was on the high school ski team. I will be skiing collegiately, and I'm also the current women's blind national champion in three different para-alpine disciplines, so that's a fun fact. I have been a very proud Federationist for much of my life, and I'm very glad to have this opportunity to be here today. I've met a lot of blind leaders throughout my time as a Federationist, and I just want to thank everyone that I've met along the way for helping me get to where I am now.

CAYTE MENDEZ: This class has representatives from several countries outside of the US. The first of these is coming up next, Teresa Fabre, currently residing in Illinois, but she's originally from Mexico and going to school in Illinois in vision rehab.

TERESA: Hello, my Federation family. When I graduated from college in culinary arts in 2013, I was definitely not planning to go back to school. Then, in 2016, I moved to Chicago, and I had to find a new family there, so that was a lot of fun. That helped me be aware of the importance of having a community. And then, three years later, I lost my vision, and I decided that I wanted to go back to school because I noticed there were a lot of things that needed to be done regarding our blind and visually impaired community but also the disability community in general. One of my personal goals is to generate awareness within the general public about us so we can have a conversation with them and sit with them at the table. I want them to know us, know that we are people, that we have dreams, that we have goals, that we are not lesser people, and that we deserve equality and the same opportunities as they do. So that's my passion. Thank you all.

CAYTE MENDEZ: Ethan Fung, California, California: operations management and environmental sustainability.

ETHAN: Hi, everyone. I'm sure that many of you feel that many of the world's largest businesses and corporations are environmentally draining, self-serving, and cash-hungry cows. But rather than beating a dead cow, I would like to draw your attention to the progress we have made over the last few decades. Among our most innovative companies, we have those who are putting a new emphasis on environmentally sustainable practices, which is fostering not only economic but social benefits as well. This is why I would like to dedicate my career to helping these forward-thinking companies achieve their goal of making this world more sustainable. And I implore you to help where you can and to join together and take responsibility for our future together. Thank you.

CAYTE MENDEZ: Izzi Guzman, Florida, Florida: music educator, composer, entrepreneur.

IZZI: Hi, everyone. My name is Izzi and my pronouns are she/her. I'm diagnosed with albinism, and I play the trombone and trumpet. I compose and arrange jazz and popular music, but most importantly, I want to be a music educator for elementary and middle school students, ensuring that all students from different cultures, backgrounds, and abilities have access to music education and that music education is accessible for everybody with jazz and popular music centered in the curriculum. When you think about it, what's the kind of music that you grew up with and you love: songs that you listen to on the radio. Think about it. It's jazz and popular music. It's songs from R and B, funk, pop. Those are the songs that I want to incorporate for students to learn music and fall in love with music education. Thank you.

CAYTE MENDEZ: Michael Hardin, Indiana, Indiana: social work.

MICHAEL: Hello, everyone. It is truly an honor to be here. I would like to start by saying I'm an active member in the NFB Circle City Chapter in Indianapolis. I'm a proud father and role model to three children. Prior to blindness, I worked seven years as a diesel technician. Right now, I'm transitioning into a new career where I plan to work as a generalist social worker upon graduation, with the ultimate goal of starting my own practice. I would like to leave you guys with a famous quote from Helen Keller that says: "The only thing worse than being blind is being sighted with no vision."

Thank you.

CAYTE MENDEZ: Renae Hemmings, New Jersey but is originally from Jamaica, going to school in New Jersey: psychologist and therapist.

RENAE: Hello, everyone. I will be majoring in psychology at Kean University in the fall. I hope to become a psychologist to help people achieve mental stability and be able to function daily and able to heal from past traumas.

CAYTE MENDEZ: Natasha Ishaq, New Jersey, New Jersey: and she has the longest vocational goal-paleoanthropological studies or law. [laughter]

NATASHA: Hi, everybody. If I've learned anything over the last several years, it's that blindness does not have to translate to living a life of low ambitions and limitations. I've been conducting original research in paleoanthropology since the spring of my sophomore year, and in a few short weeks I will be taking part in my first excavation. Come fall, I will be interning with the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice since I do have an interest in law, and I'm looking to gain more experience in the legal field to determine if it's a direction I want to go in. I'm also involved in multiple organizations both on and off campus, and I am very fortunate to be able to hold leadership positions in almost all of them, including a disability advocacy and accessibility advocacy organization. Thank you very much for this opportunity. I am eternally grateful.

CAYTE MENDEZ: Hunter Kuester, Wisconsin, Wisconsin: business student, brewery and kitchen owner.

HUNTER: Good afternoon, my Federation family. I am studying hospitality management and getting a double major in real estate. I'm also picking up a minor in business. I hold a number of titles from president of the Brewing Craft Sciences Association on my campus to being president of the Wisconsin Association of Blind Students, a board member of NFB of Wisconsin and newly elected board member of the National Association of Blind Students. But the title I hold dearest to my heart is five years ago, I became a member of this dynamic organization and I only look to see how far my connections will let me go in my career. Thank you again.

CAYTE MENDEZ: We have quite a few members of this class who are parents. We've heard from some of them. Another is this next finalist. Maura Kutnyak, New York, New York: attorney.

MAURA: Hello. These are the loves of my life and the cornerstones of my success: my three bright and beautiful children, my beloved husband, and my friends. Cultivating strong mind-body connections through aerial dance and acrobatics, my long and winding education journey which will end at the University of Buffalo School of Law, by living a dream as a teaching fellow with my constitutional law professor. Currently I am serving as president of the New York Parents of Blind Children, as secretary of my chapter, as NEWSLINE outreach coordinator in New York, among other things. For all of this I am tremendously grateful. Thank you.

CAYTE MENDEZ: Robert Lamm, Colorado, Colorado: environmental engineer.

ROBERT: Hello, everybody. Prior to my vision loss, I was one of the youngest certified master gardeners in Colorado. After my vision loss, that led me to deciding to become an environmental engineer, to scale up desalination processes, to try to help fix the water crisis in the West. Secondarily, I want to work on pollution with microplastics. Besides giving back to the world, I look forward to giving back to the blind as well, so thank you.

CAYTE MENDEZ: Katie Lester. Before I announce our next winner, I do want to say our Scholarship class represents twenty-six different states-they range from all over the country-big states, small states, very populous states to small states that would rattle if you shook them. But the person who came from the farthest state for this scholarship class is Katie Lester, student, Alaska, Alaska: social worker, therapist.

KATIE: Hi everyone. Thanks. I recently lost my vision in 2018 in my early thirties. I have had various personal experiences that led me to my degree that I'm currently working on, my bachelors and masters to be able to counsel and work with others who have lost their vision or have another disability or who are struggling to live the lives that they want.

So helping them to do that and going through more education and bringing more access into the education arena on the college level are my top goals. Personally, I am just amazed at how often I have to remind myself that, with everyone's help, I'm never alone. So I remind you that there's always someone willing to help you and support you. I am a board member of the Alaska division of the NFB, as well as a volunteer at the Alaska Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Thank you very much.

CAYTE MENDEZ: Casey Martin, North Dakota, North Dakota: speech language therapist.

CASEY: Hello. My current master's research topic is regarding the issue of people with disabilities and health care practitioners in the speech language profession. I'm also open and looking to an externship somewhere-hopefully in a school for the blind-this coming spring, as well as a clinical fellowship starting next summer. Through a number of different social science courses, one of my main philosophies is that personal autonomy and independence or freedom comes from choice, and in order to exhibit choice, we need to work on enhancing and empowering communication.

CAYTE MENDEZ: This next finalist is another one of our tenBroek Fellows. I know it's going to be really hard for some of you in here, but I'm going to ask you again to hold your applause. Daniel Martinez, Texas, Texas. They're trying valiantly, but they're struggling. I can hear them there. Daniel: educator of blind students.

DANIEL: I was entered into the Disability Hall of Fame from the National Disability Mentoring Coalition in 2019, because of my efforts in mentoring. I value peer mentoring. In this convention, I'm mentoring six students from the Texas Mentoring Program-the best program in the state and in the nation, and in the NFB. It is led by Norma Crosby and, well, I'm looking for mentors. I'm a student and I can help you, and I'm connecting with all of you. But I'm a new parent, so I'm looking for parents to talk to.

Thank you.

CAYTE MENDEZ: Sarah Menefee, Texas, Oklahoma: registered dietitian.

SARAH: Hi, everyone. I will be attending the University of Tulsa next year, majoring in biology. I was recruited to row on their Division I team, and I'm very excited about that because it was one of my more important goals in life. As a rower, I have achieved two national championships. I enjoy hobbies such as ceramics, hiking, biking, swimming-just generally being outdoors, and I'm so excited to be here this week. Thank you.

CAYTE MENDEZ: Selene Monjaraz, Tennessee, Connecticut: mental health and therapist.

SELENE: I was the only student at my school to pass all my state dual credit exams. They're useless now because I'm studying out of state, so those credits don't matter. [laughter]

But less than 2 percent of people pass exams like the world history one, and I was one of that 2 percent in my state that did. So I learned that I'm smarter and more capable than I thought I was before.

I have the honor of serving as vice president of our chapter of Special Olympics, serve in Key Club, Honor Society, and other organizations like that. And that taught me that I am capable of leading, and I shouldn't be afraid of that.

I don't really have a goal right now. I'm in this weird place where I'm about to start college in the fall. So I've finished high school, about to start college. I just hope that whatever I do, I can serve the world around me, and that includes everyone in this room. You are part of the world, and I hope to serve as best I can.

CAYTE MENDEZ: Julia Murray, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania: occupational therapist.

JULIA: Good afternoon, Federation. Growing up, I've had many supports, such as my teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing who has taught me how to advocate with the world around me. I also had the teacher of the visually impaired and an orientation and mobility teacher that have taught me how to navigate the world around me, and also the director of the adapted sports program for the blind and visually impaired has given me so many different opportunities to play so many different sports such as skiing, paddleboarding, and blind ice hockey. Because of these people, I want to be able to do the same things they did for me for other people. The reason I chose occupational therapy specifically is because I like to call it daily driven because their ultimate goal is to work with people with daily skills that they need every single day.

CAYTE MENDEZ: Finn Paynich, Washington, Washington: musical theater.

FINN: Hi. As stated, my name is Finn, and my pronouns are they/them. That's something that sometimes sets me apart from others. If it isn't my transness, then it's my blindness or my queer sexuality or my neuro divergence. I've been working on feeling pride in all my intersectional identities, and safe spaces such as the theater community, Pride events, and this convention are all teaching me to really take up space as a queer disabled person. In the presence of such great community, I often feel that I'm able to truly be myself. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to stand up here and take up that space and for the opportunity to attend the art school of my dreams. It will give me the skills I need to be a professional theater artist. I will use that platform as an artist to advocate for fellow disabled and LGBTQ people, as well as continue to be politically active.

CAYTE MENDEZ: Emily Schlenker, Kansas, Kansas: pharmacy.

EMILY: Hello, everyone. We had such an amazing and dynamic NABS session last night, and one of the things that was talked about a lot was building bridges. I want to share something with all of you that happened to me in the last two years that really brought this home for me. In 2020 I received a very clear denial of my application to pharmacy school based specifically on my blindness. I was pretty much told in this letter that there were three things I could not do. I could not give vaccines, I could not look at prescriptions, and I could not find errors in those prescriptions. So I called the National Federation of the Blind, and as we talked about last night, we're always building bridges in one way or another. But what I would like to say to go along with that is that every bridge needs shoring up, and every person building bridges sometimes needs shoring up. I was so privileged and honored to have a meeting that was basically between myself and the pharmacy school and Scott LaBarre and Tom Page, and they shored me up, and I had a very rare opportunity to advocate for myself to the same people who had denied my entrance into the pharmacy program. I can also say now that, not only am I a proud student of the Kansas University School of Pharmacy, but I have in fact passed three of those milestones they said I could not pass. I have given an injection. I have drawn and dosed the vaccine. I have also checked prescriptions, and I have also found errors and corrected them. Thank you very much. [cheering and applause]

CAYTE MENDEZ: Carla Scroggins, is also a tenBroek Fellow, California, California: global security analyst and diplomatic strategist.

CARLA: Good morning, everybody. Board, thank you for this opportunity. I cannot tell you what it means to me to once again be believed in by my Federation family and my tribe. I am just starting my master's program at Johns Hopkins University for a master's in global security, strategic studies. Some of the values that we fight for so much in this organization come from our liberal values of equality and equity. That is based in security, and I want to find ways to understand that and make that security impactful and real on a global scale, not just for a specific country or region. Thank you.

CAYTE MENDEZ: Bhavya Shah, originally from India, California: data science.

BHAVYA: Hello, I'm a regular geek. I'm majoring in mathematics and computational science at college, a bunch of cool buzzwords. When I'm not obsessing about code, I participate in debate-very cool. I won the world championship, so people don't like to get into arguments with me, except my mother, and she always wins. [laughter]

I care about giving back. I'm a longtime contributor to the NVDA screen reader project, and I also serve on my university's disability task force. I also care about learning and growing and living my best life, which is why I moved halfway across the world from the corners of Mumbai to pursue my studies at my dream school, Stanford University. This is why I'm spending this summer acquiring blindness skills and confidence at the Louisiana Center for the Blind. Thank you. [cheering]

CAYTE MENDEZ: Kateyln Siple, Maryland, Pennsylvania: communication and leadership in not-for-profits or ministries.

KATELYN: One of my goals this year is to grow in confidence and become a better version of me. This includes making decisions and being more decisive in going after what I want. My goal is to travel and to do what I love. Hello, fellow Federationists, it's great to be with you. I'm twenty-four years old, a senior in communications, at Lancaster Bible College in Pennsylvania, and a recent graduate of the Louisiana Center for the Blind. My goal is to help people in whatever I do whether in nonprofit or ministry work. I'm starting up a platform on social media to be a positive role model, to encourage, and inspire, and thank you very much for this opportunity.

CAYTE MENDEZ: Stephanie Valdes, Massachusetts, Massachusetts: interpreter and translating.

STEPHANIE: Good afternoon, Federation family. I want to start off by saying that I was actually one of those sighted people at one point who thought that blind people couldn't do much. When I lost my vision after graduating high school, I thought that my world had collapsed, and that was pretty much it for my life. I soon realized that was not it, and that blindness was not the characteristic that defined me. So, I am now majoring in French, and am bilingual in English and Spanish. I'm determined to break the barriers that are put in place by languages in society to give the opportunity for people to have a better quality of life and equality. At the same time, I strive to do that same thing for the blindness community with my everyday actions and changing people's perception of blind people one person at a time just by doing normal things like being a mother, being a wife, and attempting to launch my own business of self-care products.

I hope to be an example, an inspiration to not only the current generation but to the next generations, not by my achievements but by my determination to simply live the life I want how I want to live it. Thank you.

CAYTE MENDEZ: Colin Wong, Washington, Washington: adult education and blindness education researcher.

COLIN: Thank you so much. I told myself I wasn't going to go back to school, but life has a way of doing this to me. In the fall I'll be pursuing a PhD in teaching and leadership with a concentration in adult education and professional development. My greatest accomplishment so far has always been my National Orientation and Mobility Certification, because it has provided me with an opportunity to witness how a quality education can change the impact and trajectory of a student's life. It also has also taught me that there are many students who do not get the opportunity to get the quality education that they deserve, and that there are gaps in education that are not discussed outside of this room, including the gap of quality educators needed in rehabilitation education and nontraditional students who are adults with and without disabilities.

So my goal is to become a university professor and develop research to improve the educational system in both of these concentrations. Thank you.

CAYTE MENDEZ: All right, Mr. President, members of the board, [applause] I present to you the Class of 2022. [cheering and applause]

MARK RICCOBONO: Congratulations to our finalists, and thank you to Cayte and the committee for an excellent selection of a class and for the work that's being done to mentor these young folks throughout the convention. Let's give them another round of applause. [applause]

I wonder how the board feels about continuing the program next year.

It's been moved and seconded by many to continue the scholarship program next year. Any discussion? All those in favor say aye. [many board members saying aye]

Opposed? [silence]

All right, it shall be done.

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National Federation of the Blind 2022 Scholarships Winners List

Kenneth Jernigan Scholarship, $8,000: Colin Wong

American Action Fund Scholarship, $8,000: Abigail Duffy

Mimi and Marvin Sandler Scholarship, $8,000: Stephanie Valdes

Oracle Scholarship for Excellence in Computer Science: $8,000: Bhavya Shah

Oracle Scholarship for Excellence in a STEM Field, $8,000: Justin Champagne

JAWS Scholarship, $8,000: Julia Murray

Jeannette C. Eyerly Scholarship, $8,000: Teresa Fabre

Lillian S. Edelstein Scholarship, $8,000: (2) Jennifer Doran, Finn Paynich

Pearson Scholarship, $8,000: Tasnim Alshuli

Jesse and Hertha Adams Scholarship, $8,000: Natasha Ishaq

National Federation of the Blind STEM Scholarship, $8,000: Emily Schlenker

Edith R. and Alvin Domroe Foundation Scholarship, $8,000: Shawn Abraham, Katie Lester

Charles and Betty Allen Scholarship, $8,000: Carla Scroggins

Adrienne Asch Memorial Scholarship, $8,000: Maura Kutnyak

Charles and Melva T. Owen Memorial Scholarship, $8,000: (3) Hunter Kuester, Sarah Menefee, Katelyn Siple

E. U. and Gene Parker Scholarship, $8,000: Ethan Fung

Jacquilyn Billey Memorial Scholarship, $8,000: Daniel Martinez

National Federation of the Blind Scholarship, $8,000: (9) Nancy Aguilera, Katelyn Beresic, Jovan Campbell, Izzi Guzman, Michael Hardin Sr., Renae Hemmings, Robert Lamm, Casey Martin, Selene Monjaraz

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[PHOTO/CAPTION: Colin Wong]

Remarks by the Kenneth Jernigan Scholarship Recipient for 2022

COLIN WONG: Thank you so much for this tremendous honor. I am very blessed to be able to represent the Scholarship Class of 2022. Each of these individuals also deserve this prestigious award, and I am grateful to be here and accept this award today.

I want to start off by thanking President Mark Riccobono, the National Board of Directors, the sponsors that made this possible, Kate Mendez and the Scholarship Committee and all the support that they have provided in making this scholarship a reality. There are a couple individuals I want to make sure to thank because, without their support and their ability to listen to all of my frustrations in this journey we call life, this Ph.D. definitely would not be possible. I want to start off by thanking Ashley Moon, Shawn Callaway, Marcie Carpenter, Marco Carranza, and Dr. Edward Bell. I want to thank my beautiful wife, Destiny Wong. [applause] Next week we will have been together for nine years. [applause] In this journey, as I'm sure we all have done, I have stumbled and made mistakes, and without her support and her love and dedication, I would have definitely fallen, but she has picked me back up every single time. [cheers and applause]

While I have not met Dr. Kenneth Jernigan personally, his influence on me cannot be understated. It is an honor and I am humbled to accept an award in his name. His influence in my life has not only influenced my professional career but also my personal career. I started going to Louisiana Tech University, the Louisiana Center for the Blind, and I serve on the National Blindness Professional Certification Board, each of whom involve the Structured Discovery methodology that Dr. Jernigan created. Without his influence in the area of adult rehabilitation and blindness, I can honestly say I would not have a career or a passion in order to shape the next generation of blind individuals.

I also want to note the impact that the National Federation of the Blind has on me. Dr. Kenneth Jernigan said that there has to be a day after civil rights, and that's the most powerful gift that the Federation has given me, an opportunity for dreaming and looking towards the future. It's so easy to focus on the present and the challenges that we have to overcome, but it's a lot easier when we know what the future has to hold, and I cannot thank the Federation enough for the expectations that they have instilled in me and the opportunities that they have provided. The Federation is a place of support. It's a place of love, hope, and determination. The Federation has given me so much more than I have been able to give to it. Today it has given me an educational opportunity. Collectively it has given all of us standing on this stage a future. For that I am eternally grateful. Thank you so much, and let's go build the National Federation of the Blind! [cheers and applause]

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[PHOTO CAPTION: Mark Riccobono]

Spirit, Togetherness, and Service: The Signature of the Blind People's Movement

An Address Delivered by

Mark A. Riccobono, President
At the Banquet of the Annual Convention
Of the National Federation of the Blind
New Orleans, Louisiana
July 10, 2022

Listen! Feel the energy! Let the understanding warm your heart! We are back; we are together again; in coming together we experience the collective heartbeat of our movement as blind people.

David Whyte offers us the following in his poem entitled "Working Together":

"We shape our self
to fit this world

and by the world
are shaped again.

The visible
and the invisible

working together
in common cause,

to produce
the miraculous.

I am thinking of the way
the intangible air

traveled at speed
round a shaped wing

easily
holds our weight.

So may we, in this life
trust

to those elements
we have yet to see

or imagine,
and look for the true

shape of our own self,
by forming it well

to the great
intangibles about us."

The COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly disrupted our ability to harness the power we have when we gather together in the organized blind movement. The intersecting social, economic, cultural, and philosophical challenges in our communities have been further heightened by the physical distancing that was a necessary response to the worldwide pandemic. Despite the uncertainty, the power of our ideas, the strength of our determination, and the wisdom of our collective lived experience continues to drive this unparalleled movement-a movement that serves as a space for us to come together. This is a space where equity and inclusion are valued; a space where respect and active participation are expected; a space where we believe in our own capacities to determine the future; a space from which we show the world that we belong. We are the National Federation of the Blind.

Martin Luther King Jr. said, "A social movement that only moves people is merely a revolt. A movement that changes both people and institutions is a revolution."

Margaret Mead warned, "Never depend upon institutions or government to solve any problem. All social movements are founded by, guided by, motivated and seen through by the passion of individuals."

President Lyndon B. Johnson said that "there are no problems we cannot solve together, and very few that we can solve by ourselves."

Malcolm Forbes defined diversity as "the art of thinking independently together."

While Yoko Ono mused that "A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality."

As humans, we seek to classify aspects of our world to create order and understanding. In general, a movement is defined as a group of people who share the same beliefs, ideas, or aims. Sociologists have classified movements often by the nature and extent of the change being sought. Examples of classifications include reform, revolutionary, reactionary, religious, and self-help movements. Others prefer classifications based on the area of concern that brings the movement together. Examples might include environmental, civil rights, anti-war, LGBTQ, and gun control movements. One real issue with these classifications is that when a movement is shaped by a diverse group of people, it may not fit neatly into a single category. Especially if a movement is to be sustained, it must continue to be a living reflection of the people within that movement and their aspirations to cause change in the current society. For a movement to be successful its targets for change must evolve or there will be no motivation for the people to take further action. The strength of the togetherness in a movement is measured by how well it reflects the values that are shared among the people of that movement.

With that in mind, what reflections can we make on the National Federation of the Blind-America's organized blind movement? Now in our ninth decade, we emerge again into local communities after a prolonged period of physical distancing. Who are we? Are we different from what we were before? What do we want to be? And how critical is our working together?

The societal patterns of thought about blindness were built into human consciousness many centuries before the founding of the National Federation of the Blind. Misconceptions about the impact of blindness on the physical, mental, emotional, and social capacity of humans had become an understood truth, much like the fact that the sun would rise and fall in a predictable place. Yet throughout all human existence there have been people living with blindness who have known the errors of these misconceptions. While not every blind person was able to overcome the internalization of these myths, many did find imaginative ways to rise above the social stigma and limited expectations in order to live meaningful lives. When opportunities for blind people to band together arose, the misconceptions shattered at an even greater pace. However, historically these opportunities to come together were created through institutional systems built for us, not by us-schools for the blind, sheltered employment settings, and even homes for the blind. While these institutions afforded us the opportunity to bond together, they also had the effect of reinforcing the very misconceptions that held us back. By the time we entered the twentieth-century, blind people were a long way from being recognized and respected as a class of capable citizens who deserve the equal rights and responsibilities of our nation.

Locally organized groups of blind people began to emerge across the country in the early 1900s. At the same time, our nation was maturing in its governmental structures and federal programs, which created new opportunities. Blind leaders across the country found ways to connect with each other to discuss these opportunities, strategize ways for blind people to gain equal access, and to dream about overcoming the persistent low expectations. Connecting was not as easy as sending a Tweet, posting to a Facebook group, or writing a blog post, but the value of sharing ideas, concerns, hopes, and dreams was as powerful as it is today.

As changes in American society made the need for organizing on a national basis more important, a young blind scholar of the United States Constitution gave meaning, motivation, and voice to the need for a vehicle for collective action by the blind themselves. Jacobus tenBroek, blinded as a boy, had been shaped into a man of purpose by a determined blind mentor from the California School for the Blind. Dr. Newel Perry lived through the painful effects of unequal treatment and low expectations without a national organization of blind people to have his back. Motivated by Dr. Perry's high expectations, Jacobus tenBroek studied the law and found power in the roots of the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution-protections resulting from the work of the abolitionist movement of the previous century. These blind men, mentor and mentee, shared a belief in self-determination that empowered representatives of seven state organizations of the blind to work together, resulting in the founding of the National Federation of the Blind in November 1940 and the election of Jacobus tenBroek as the first President of the organized blind movement.

An initial priority of our movement was to influence the development of policies for the newly established federal Social Security program-earning us an early classification as a reform movement. Alternatively, since one aim was to establish a basic level of support for blind people, it might have been equally accurate to say welfare movement. Still others might believe that the nature of blind people working together to support each other made it a self-help or self-determination movement. These classifications, and others we might consider, miss the unique and singularly powerful reason for the movement. No one else was to set the direction and priorities-only the blind. No one else was to speak for the movement-only the blind representatives elected by the blind. No other aspect was more critical than the reality that it was a blind people's movement.

The nature of our work during the 1950s may have justified the classification of organizing movement. As we grew in participation and success, efforts to resist our movement emerged. This is similar to the resistance that most powerful movements have experienced. In the case of the blind people's movement, the resistance came out of institutionalized charity and low expectations. The idea that we should or could speak and act for ourselves was a direct contradiction to the narrative upon which many agencies for the blind had built their services. The resistance was so severe that, in the late 1950s, we needed to compel the United States Congress to consider bills to protect our right to organize-a right already widely enjoyed by other Americans.

>From our perspective today, some may find it difficult to imagine firm resistance to the basic idea that blind people can and will speak and act for ourselves. However, it still emerges in our daily lives today. How often in public does someone talk about you rather than to you or express surprise that you can manage your own affairs? What is the root of such treatment? I regularly encounter this myself. A couple of months ago, I was traveling with a non-blind colleague of mine for the Federation. Breakfast being essential to a long day of Federation business, we went to a local restaurant before our planned meeting with the local affiliate leadership. I ordered the local specialty of peach pancakes. When the plate arrived, the server firmly addressed my colleague by saying, "Now ma'am, what I want you to do is cut this up so that he gets a taste of all the flavors in every bite." Some people brush these experiences off as mere ignorance. However, they are an echo from previous centuries-a persistent obstacle that we must actively work to overcome. We must continue to speak and act for ourselves and to assert that it is normal and reasonable for us to do so. We must also be prepared to do our part to assist others when it is necessary. My non-blind colleague, who is an active participant in the blind people's movement, told the server that her plan was to enjoy her own food, knowing that help was not needed. We enjoyed our meal after shaking off the awkwardness of the situation, but I continued to wonder what negative impact that server might have on the experience of blind people in her community.

These experiences happen to us every day in traveling the streets, shopping in stores, participating in educational programs, attending religious services, performing our jobs, enjoying leisure activities, and exercising our rights and responsibilities in society. While we can have some positive influence on individuals when we address these low expectations, it is the wider movement of blind people working together that advances our status as a class of people. We belong, we have the right to speak and act for ourselves, and when we bring our individual efforts together, we make the world better for everyone.

These low expectations persist as systemic problems. How often are agencies for the blind led by blind individuals who provide positive philosophical as well as administrative direction to their agency staff? How many boards of agencies for the blind have more than one blind person? How many are majority-controlled by the blind? How many times do agencies, technology developers, city planners, or employers consult with us in a meaningful way and incorporate our perspective prior to making significant plans? The answer to all these questions is rarely. When blind people are not a part of the leadership decisions made about us, rarely is there a departure from the vision-centered bias that continues to create obstacles for us. Without a doubt, we continue to need a movement to advance the idea that we speak and act for ourselves-and to transform that idea into reality. That movement is the National Federation of the Blind.

During the second and third decades of our movement, as America experienced a disruptive period of civil rights reform, we were rapidly raising expectations for the blind in education, rehabilitation, and employment. The blindness system responded to our efforts by using the institutional structures of the field to attempt to slow our progress. One example was the establishment of a system of accreditation for agencies serving the blind based on the misconceptions of the past. This effort did not include us in a meaningful way; thus, we pushed back using the effective strategies and tactics that characterized the civil rights movements of the time-aggressive organizing, wide dissemination of our message, and protesting in the streets. It was this period of our development that helped us to be known as a civil rights movement or, for those less friendly to us, a militant or radical movement. Regardless of the label chosen, the most important factor was that blind people determined for themselves what strategies and tactics would be used.

Under the dynamic leadership of Kenneth Jernigan, our second long-term President, the period of the 1970s and early 1980s focused on growing the local structure and membership of the movement by finding new ways to bring blind people together. We began forming affinities between blind people through their positions as students, teachers, or workers in other professions. We established more regular training of leaders at the national level. We increased our communication channels. The result was more blind people finding our movement. Those people stayed because the Federation offered an authentic place where blind people could work together on terms of equality to advance our own future. They found a community that believed in blind people more than anywhere else in the world. Our movement was the space where the blind were the priority.

As we worked through the 1980s, the maturity of our movement gave us the confidence to grow in new dimensions. For example, in 1983 we established the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children as a purposeful action to expand the impact of the blind people's movement. This was not the first attempt to incorporate families of blind children into our movement. From our earliest days, we provided both mentorship and advocacy for blind youth. We established Future Reflections-a publication for parents and educators sharing the lived experience of blind people. Our state affiliates held seminars for families and found ways to partner with schools for the blind. However, the establishment of this national division marked a significant new aspect to the blind people's movement. The division was permitted by the Federation to have a membership and president who were not blind. Had the movement gone soft? Had it abandoned its core values? Quite the opposite: the movement was now confident enough in its position as a blind-led movement to create mechanisms to encourage the participation of non-blind family members within our mission.

We are now approaching the forty-year milestone of parents of blind children benefiting from and contributing to the blind people's movement. The result has been a significant increase in the expectations for blind youth in America's educational system, an abundance of resources for families generated from our lived experience, and multiple generations of blind youth who have grown to be leaders in the blind people's movement. Yet even today, parents have to fight to have blind advocates attend their child's IEP meetings; very few blind people are serving as administrators in public education programs; many teacher-training programs lack the philosophy of high expectations we share; and discrimination in employment continues based upon the misconception that the blind are not capable of safely supervising children. Despite the challenges, we persist in raising expectations. We now have our own extensive network of education programs, teacher-training projects, and family outreach and support efforts. This is the result of working together. This is the uniqueness and power of the blind people's movement. This is the nature of the National Federation of the Blind.

Since the 1980s, our position of leadership in integrating the blind into society on terms of equality has been unmatched. These efforts were shaped by the imaginative leadership of Marc Maurer who gave more time and energy to the leadership of our movement than any President we have followed. During this time, we established model training centers in Louisiana, Colorado, and Minnesota, which remain the only training centers in the nation that operate within the blind people's movement. These centers provide the most comprehensive training available to blind individuals, allowing graduates to pursue their dreams, contribute to the wisdom of the movement, and expand the reach of our shared network. Furthermore, the leaders of these centers have an expectation that their blind graduates will share their perspectives to improve the training program for the future. NFB centers are built on the value that they are both accountable to blind people and contributing to the overall movement of blind people. It is a commitment of working together-give and take-that is rarely made by those operating at a distance from the blind people's movement.

Through our movement we have built programs and services to provide blind people with equal access to information, such as NFB NEWSLINE®, and to shape the laws to protect the twenty-first-century access needs of the blind. We have expanded our public education efforts through wide distribution of our message and have found imaginative projects to highlight the capacity of blind people. We have offered scholarships and employment opportunities. We have partnered in research projects, and we have even led our own. We have created reading machines, digital talking book players, and explored the development of innovative tactile interfaces. We have developed educational programs that have inspired blind people to be scientists, engineers, technology developers, mathematicians, or to pursue careers in other challenging fields.

Through our advocacy we have established our movement as the voice of the nation's blind in the halls of power. We have shaped the copyright laws of the nation to include us, improved our access to voting, protected our ability to travel independently on the streets of America, and raised the awareness of Braille literacy. In local communities we have improved the protections for blind parents and caregivers, increased access to accessible technology, improved educational standards, and raised wages. Are we an educational movement, an access-to-information movement, a workers' movement, a public-awareness movement, or a government-reform movement? Frequently our efforts have benefited not only the blind but all people with disabilities-does that simply make it a part of the disability-rights movement? Knowing Federation members, there will be someone who can eloquently argue for any or all of the above, but there is no need for debate. In everything that matters, our effort has been developed, led, and executed by the blind. We are a movement representative of the blind people of our day, inclusive and responsive to the issues of our day, and ever adapting to the dynamic circumstances each new day presents. We are the National Federation of the Blind.



In case you needed justification for why we commit to continually adapting our movement together, remember March of 2020. Our togetherness was challenged, our practices were disrupted, our systems were altered, but our spirit was never broken. This was not the first period when our movement marched forward in extreme adversity. However, the past two years have been different from any other our movement has endured. In a matter of weeks, our in-person conventions were cancelled, our chapter meetings were postponed, our access to public information and services were diminished, and our togetherness was disrupted. As individuals, we felt uncertain, scattered, and without the resources we needed. In many ways, we were not unlike the blind people of 1940. Think about it: in that brief moment, many among us experienced what our blind predecessors experienced before the establishment of the National Federation of the Blind. However, we had the advantage of decades of experience working together in the organized blind movement to draw upon as a resource in fueling our response.

Remember what we, blind people, did in those early moments of the COVID-19 pandemic, because it is the signature of what we must continue to do. It reflects the best intangible qualities that are the foundation of the blind people's movement. We built a new form of our network. We quickly began connecting with each other in new ways. Blind person to blind person, we checked on each other, shared resources and ideas, applied our philosophy to unforeseen circumstances, challenged ourselves not to accept the status quo, and developed new opportunities for teaching each other. We continued to raise expectations every day in an America that seemed, at the time, completely unfamiliar to us. Except that I believe deep down it was all too familiar.

The isolation, the uncertainty, the lack of information access, the inability to find transportation, the barriers to voting and other public services, and the fear of not knowing the techniques that would keep us safe are all things we have experienced before as blind people. These are symptoms of the deeply embedded misconception in our society that blindness exclusively defines and limits us. However, they are also echoes of where we have been in our personal journey with blindness. Many blind people were still working through their own understanding of blindness when the pandemic put everything on hold. Others of us had their confidence shaken by becoming disconnected and withdrawn. This evening we shake off the struggles and renew our work together. Our message to each other tonight is "You will be fine." You will be fine because we will work together. You will be fine because the National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we, together, raise the expectations of blind people because low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back. The intangible bond we share in our movement is what lifts us up from the depths of loneliness to the joy of participation. Our bond of faith lifts us from the isolation of despair to the comprehension that we can build a brighter tomorrow. Our belief in one another lifts us to know that we can make our lives what we want them to be. Our shared commitment is the spirit of our movement that lifts all of us up.

Tonight we gather to acknowledge the difficult period of setbacks we have experienced all over this nation. It has deeply affected us, blind and non-blind alike. It has triggered those deeply held misconceptions about the human experience that we have worked for decades to change. It has forever shaped our perspectives.

This leaves us with the question "Are we different from what we were before?" Yes and no. Yes, because the society around us is different, and we must continue to operate within that society even as we seek to change it. As blind people, we seek to live in the world not apart from it. We are not immune from the broader trends in society; we live within them. Our movement of blind people represents all intersectionalities.



Are we different from what we were before? In one real sense the answer is no, because our foundation continues to be a diversity of blind people working together in a movement to make a tomorrow full of greater opportunities.

Tonight we also join together to celebrate the spirit of support, action, love, and determination that has continued to sustain us in these times. Whether you are in this room tonight or participating virtually from anywhere else, this moment is one for celebrating the togetherness of the blind people's movement. For as challenging as our recent times have been, we know how much more challenging they would have been without the family that is the National Federation of the Blind. In coming together, we again affirm the truth-normal is our experience in the space we build and share together. Our working together is the single most powerful force for transforming our normal into the normal everywhere else in the world. The blind people's movement is our shield against those deeply held misconceptions invading our own consciousness and preventing us from realizing our dreams. In everything that matters, we have one another. No matter the distance, the span of time, or the disruptive forces, we can continue to choose progress together in our movement.

We can be certain that, as we emerge back into the world, there will continue to be great challenges in achieving our goals. There is still resistance in many places to the idea that blind people can and should speak and act for ourselves. There are still many entities in the blindness field that feel they know better than we do what would be meaningful to our future. The general public and government officials still operate on outdated misconceptions about how blindness limits our value and ability to participate fully. Many competing societal issues make it challenging for our message of independence, self-determination, and equal protection to be adequately addressed by those in power. All of this is made more complicated by living in a society that is increasingly polarized by people self-selecting into limited information channels.

Despite the challenges, tonight I am filled with hope, energy, and love by participating in the National Federation of the Blind, because my expectations are raised, my contributions make a difference to me and to others, and I can celebrate the realization of our dreams with my Federation family. This movement has made all the difference to me in what has, without a doubt, been the most challenging years of my life so far. I have observed people in this movement respond to the challenges of the past few years with a spirit that I wish we had observed more widely in other parts of our society. It is not that we are better than others in society, but rather that we have made an honest and deep commitment to working together. Even when it is imperfect and difficult, it is always together-blind people together. I honor tonight the difference this movement makes in our lives and show gratitude for the opportunity to share it with you. During the past year we have shared the pain of losing some of our closest Federation family members. Yet, in leaving us, they have asked us to remember that the most important tool we have for both progress and success is the bond of faith we share through the blind people's movement.

So, are we a reform movement? A self-determination movement? An organizing movement? A civil-rights movement? An educational movement? Tonight we again declare with certainty that we are all of these and more. We, as the blind speaking for ourselves, are defined more by our collective action than by the form that action takes. We are not limited by any action, because we can and will use any tools at our disposal and the wisdom from our shared history to meet the challenges of the day.

We are a one-of-a-kind movement: a movement where every day blind people and our friends and family are blessed to make extraordinary contributions to our human experience; a movement fueled by the heart, strength, determination, and thoughtfulness shared between members; a movement built on our lived experience rather than the misconceptions about us. While our philosophy, our strategies, and our diversity give us strength, it is the intangible bond of faith we share that makes us unstoppable. Those who choose not to work together with us will use other terms to describe the shape of our movement, but we who make up the blind people's movement, with all our diverse characteristics, share the truth common in our individual stories. We celebrate the power of our march together, and we recommit ourselves to working together for an even better future. To repurpose the ending of David Whyte's poem, we come together to seek the true shape of our own self, by forming it well, to the great intangibles about us in the National Federation of the Blind.

My Federation family, the struggles we have endured since we last gathered in person were unprecedented, but together we remain unbroken. We continue to possess the collective wisdom, power, and determination to overcome all that stands in the way of our dreams. We have more to gain together than any time in our history, and, equally, we have more we will lose should we fail to work together. While we are far removed from the struggles that compelled us to first join together in 1940, in our hearts and minds we will never forget from where we have come. Progress has been ours because at every moment the movement has been ours. In everything that matters, the blind have made this movement all that it is. We have taken ownership of telling our story and determining our own future. We will continue to use all of the tools necessary to complete our march to freedom, but, most importantly, we will never be divided as a class of people committed to each other. The lesson in coming back together is to remember the spirit of how our movement worked together when the world was turned upside down. This is the commitment we make to each other. This is the love, hope, and determination felt in our movement. This is the bond of faith where coming together today makes us hopeful for our tomorrows. Let us go together to find the blind who have not yet shared our strength. Let us show that we belong in the world and make it better. Let us never be divided. Let us go build the National Federation of the Blind.

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[PHOTO CAPTION: Everette Bacon]

[PHOTO CAPTION: The Bolotin Award Winners: Shanta Danielle Arul and Elisa Beniero of Netflix, Jenetta Price of Blind Girl Magic, Everette Bacon (presenter), Caroline Karbowski of See3D, Tyler Merren of ReVision Fitness, and Karen Anderson accepting for 64 Ounce Games.]

The 2022 Dr. Jacob Bolotin Awards

by Everette Bacon

>From the Editor: Brave, pioneering, and full of perseverance would begin to draw the picture of Dr. Jacob Bolotin. Decisive, hardworking, and thrilled with their task would describe the committee that selects the winners of the annual awards that recognize Dr. Bolotin. Here is the ceremony that took place to honor the pioneers and innovators of today who are recognized for their work, Dr. Bolotin's example, the generosity of Dr. Bolotin's family, and the hopes for blind people that all of this represents:

EVERETTE BACON: Welcome, Federationists, to the fifteenth annual Dr. Jacob Bolotin Awards! Are you excited? [cheering and applause] All right, I know I am.

How many of you in this room have read The Blind Doctor? [applause] Good, I'm glad to hear it. It's a fabulous book about a man who has faced so much adversity in his life. Starting from birth when he was first recognized as being blind, he faced bullying and discrimination in his early years. Then, when he went on to public school, he faced tons of discrimination and not being able to get his materials. Then, when he went on to college, he was kicked out, it was said he'd never make it, he had to fight his way through and get his materials. Then, when he gets out of college, he announces that he wants to become a medical doctor, and he has to fight with programs to get into medical school, gets denied, gets told he's not going to be able to get there, and he makes sure to never lose that ambition, lose that tenacity. He gets there eventually and becomes a medical doctor.

After he becomes a medical doctor, he tries to get hired. What does he get told? No, we can't hire you. You're blind. We can't hire a blind doctor. Finally, he gets to the point where he's a practicing medical doctor, and he gets to where he's running a veterans services hospital in Chicago, Illinois.

This man was the epitome of what the National Federation of the Blind stood for before there was ever a National Federation of the Blind. I believe this man put the militant in NFB! He was militant before any of us were militant! This is an exciting book. It's an honor to be able to present this award in his name.

We are so excited about the different honorees that you're going to hear about in just a second. We have five outstanding honorees for the 2022 Dr. Jacob Bolotin Awards. Will, why don't you run that tape! [video playing]

NARRATOR: Federationists and guests, The National Federation of the Blind is proud to introduce the 2022 recipients of our Dr. Jacob Bolotin Awards, made possible in part by the generous support of the Alfred and Rosalyn Pearlman Trust and the Santa Barbara Foundation. These individuals and organizations have broken down barriers faced by blind people in innovative ways, changed negative perceptions of blindness and blind people, and pushed past existing boundaries to inspire blind people to achieve new heights.

The three individual winners are: Caroline Karbowski, founder of See3D.

CAROLINE: See3D is a 501c[3] nonprofit that I started back in 2017 when I was in high school, and we organized the printing and distribution of 3D printed models for blind people. We send them to people, mainly in the United States, but all over the world. We've sent them to people in seventeen countries and twenty-seven states.

So I saw an article when I was in eighth grade about 3D printing telescope and microscope images so blind people could make their own scientific observations and not just have to rely on descriptions made by sighted people on the scientific data. They were 3D printing labels of the telescope and microscope images. When I saw those photos, I thought, "Wow, like I know Braille; I can use my Braille skills to add Braille to 3D models. Because in eighth grade a lot of people were asking me, why are you learning Braille? You're a sighted person; you don't need this. I was always looking to find some extra uses to apply my Braille skills, so seeing this article really inspired me then to think about 3D printing. My high school had 3D printers, and I wanted people to use them. A lot of my friends wanted to use them, but we weren't sure what to make. They were just devices that we had. So I thought, well why don't we make models for blind people, and I can add some Braille labels to them, and we can submit the idea to our tech competition that happens for high schools each year in Cincinnati, Ohio. So I had my tech club work on having a website, and they made some models that they designed. I worked with my mom, who had some friends who are TVI's, and we gave models to their students. I met some blind people in Cincinnati just by chance. I just happened to see them in the community, and I told them about my project, and they connected me with the NFB. Some people wrote articles about See3D that really helped us gain more publicity so more people knew about our program. It all started out by us posting a website with a Google form where people could make requests for models and we'd print them at our high school. Then people would give us feedback on the models, and we've improved them since then.

Now, being at OSU, which is Ohio State University, we then got funding to become a nonprofit, really develop our program, and now we ship models all over the world and have a community of people who 3D print and distribute models.

Tyler Merren, athlete, trainer, and founder of ReVision Fitness:

TYLER: It's extremely difficult for someone who is blind and visually impaired to get their hands on the knowledge and experience that they need for doing regular fitness. I knew this from my experience learning through classes, but I realized how much of a need there was out there. A few years ago, I started tumbling around this idea in my head, the idea of creating a fitness program specifically for people who were blind and visually impaired. I started talking to some people and doing some interviews of folks who had gone before me and made the same attempts and learned what worked and what didn't. Now I have a project up and running called ReVision Fitness, and it's a fitness program specifically designed to help people who are blind and visually impaired step into the fitness world and not just step into it but advance as well.

Jeanetta Price, blind poet and founder of Blind Girl Magic:

JEANETTA: Blind Girl Magic is the type of magic that struts in the room with her white cane extended, her hips shifting like the motion of the eyes of the sighted. Who would have guessed that this blind girl possessed magic? Abracadabra.

Now that you're convinced that I have magical superpowers, would a supernatural add so much as well? That would, will be, a yes for success.

As I leap over obstacles in life, dodge negativity, slam misconceptions of society, slap "I can't" in the face with "I did that," is the fact that Blind Girl Magic goes back to Harriet Tubman. [cheering in the crowd] Yes, way back to Harriet Tubman. She was born into slavery, escaped to freedom, but she did not stop. She went back and back and back to lead others to freedom. Blind Girl Magic is built on the shoulders of phenomenal women. Blind Girl Magic is the independent movement that is leading our blind sisters to freedom from depression, low self-esteem, lack of confidence, anger, bitterness, rejection. Then, abracadabra; you are set free. Blind Girl Magic lives within me. [applause.]

Our two organizational winners are 64 Ounce Games, for advancing inclusion in Braille literacy through accessible play. Here are the company cofounders, Richard and Emily Gibbs:

RICHARD: 64 Ounce Games is the campaign that designs what we've been calling accessibility kits. We do a lot of other things now, but that's where we started. An accessibility kit is used once you purchase a retail game, and then you purchase a copy of our accessibility kit. It has Braille stickers, 3D printed pieces, board overlays-anything that might be required for that particular game in order to play. These are board games; don't get them confused with video games. We don't do that; I don't know how to program enough to make that happen.

EMILY: So our accessibility kits take a board game off the shelf, and you put it together with our kit to make a completely accessible game.

RICHARD: We're firm believers in Braille. We believe that Braille gaming is Braille literacy. My wife is a teacher of blind students, I know the Braille code myself and have been using it for years. We are firm believers that Braille opens up opportunities, and by making these games accessible, we hope by extension that we are making people realize that Braille is useful and Braille is important, and Braille offers opportunities that you would not get otherwise.

EMILY: Absolutely. One of the major tenets of our company and what we want to do is support Braille literacy, and we firmly believe that through fun and through games is one of the best ways to learn Braille.

NARRATOR: Our other organizational winner is Netflix, for excellence in audio description, accessibility, and disability representation. Here is dubbing and accessibility team member, Elisa Beniero.

ELISA: Since Daredevil launched in May 2015, our library has grown exponentially, not only in English but in other languages as well. We have started providing audio description in other languages, starting with Narcos, which had audio description in neutral Spanish, and then we had Marseilles, which was in French. The number of local audio description titles is constantly growing with the number of local productions. I don't know if you know this, but we have created at least one audio description in over fifty languages. Our latest addition was Pashto audio description, which we created for a short documentary, Three Songs for Benazir, ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Songs_for_Benazir#:~:text=Three%20Songs%20for%20Benazir%20(%D8%AF%D8%B1%DB%8C,Elizabeth%20Mirzaei%20and%20Gulistan%20Mirzaei) and we're currently working on Punjabi audio description which will be available later this year for a thriller that is going to launch about longtime gangs and their rivalries in the south of Punjab. So we're excited for all this growth that we have. At the moment we have 18,146 hours of audio description, and I checked this morning and we have 18,000 hours of audio-described programming and of these 11,728 are in English.

NARRATOR: These winners will each receive a trophy and a monetary prize to advance their work to help blind people live the lives we want. Now the National Federation of the Blind proudly presents them with their 2022 Dr. Jacob Bolotin Awards. [applause]

EVERETTE BACON: What an outstanding group of award winners. Aren't you excited! [applause]

Great. We received over fifty applications for this year's award. So if you did not get an award or the person or organization you nominated did not, you can do that again next year. The Rosalind and Alfred Perlman Trust is so awesome and gives us the ability to give these awards each year, so again, please continue to send in those applications. We want to give them, individual or organizational awards.

Now I want to recognize the committee members who helped me choose these award recipients. Mary Ellen Jernigan of Maryland, Dr. Natalie Shaheen of Illinois, Second Vice President Ron Brown of Indiana, Steve Jacobson of Minnesota, and new board member-elect Donald Porterfield of Arizona. [applause] Now before we go to the awards and how much they're getting, let's read what is on their trophy. Beth:

BETH BRAUN: "Presented to" applicant "by the National Federation of the Blind and the Santa Barbara Foundation, July 2022." There's a medallion at the top of the award, and one side of that medallion reads: "Dr. Jacob Bolotin," and then there is his likeness, "1888-1924," and then the inscription below that reads: "Celebrating his life, the Alfred and Rosalind Perlman Trust." The back of the medallion says: "The Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award," then there's the NFB logo, and it says: "Celebrating Achievement, Creating Opportunity."

EVERETTE BACON: Thank you, Beth. We'll do the individual awards first. The first winner, winning the amount of $5,000, Caroline Karbowski! [cheering and applause] Eric Duffy, who nominated her, said this: "She does not ask if it is possible for a blind person to accomplish a specific task. Rather, instead, she asks, 'How can we make this task more accessible?'" [cheering] Caroline, congratulations.

CAROLINE: Thank you so much.

EVERETTE BACON: Our next award winner, again, winning the amount of $5,000, Tyler Merren, ReVision Fitness. [cheering and applause] Now, J.J. Meddaugh, who nominated Tyler, says this: "We've known blind people for many years who have mastered fitness, workouts, and athletics. That part isn't new. What Tyler has done, however, is create a platform that is usable and applicable to people at any level of fitness. Where previously you would need to find an existing fitness coach or someone willing to explain various workouts, Tyler has brought this information into an engaging and accessible app which can be used by virtually anyone at any time. Whether it's a simple exercise like a pushup, or a more advanced routine, the app likely has you covered." [cheering and applause] Tyler, here you go my friend, congratulations.

TYLER: Thank you, I really appreciate this, thank you.

EVERETTE BACON: Our next and final individual award winner is Jeanetta Price of Blind Girl Magic. [cheering and applause] Jeanetta, we are giving a $15,000 award to you. [cheering] Blind Girl Magic provides blind support groups, workshops, and retreats that taps into the magic of a world of out-of-sight possibilities. Her mission in life is to help others tap into their vision by utilizing writing as an instrument of healing. She volunteers by sharing her gift of poetry in person that inspires the blind community and beyond. Jeanetta Price, congratulations, my friend.

JEANETTA: Thank you.

EVERETTE BACON: Now we'll go on to our organizational winners. The first one is something that's been near and dear to my heart because I've been using their services since 2006-actually, no, sorry, let me take that back-Since 2003, when a certain Blockbuster Video fired me. I immediately cut up my membership and joined Netflix. I've been a member ever since! [applause.] And I've watched them bring audio description and all kinds of other accessibility to their platform. So I'm so honored and excited to give them this award.

Netflix is an honorarium award. They told us they didn't want to take any funding, but they're excited to receive the award. They want to put the funding back into the National Federation of the Blind. [applause] Not only does Netflix guarantee audio description (AD) for all its original content, but it listens to blind customers and is adding audio description to other popular series such as Breaking Bad and Mad Men. Netflix offers audio description in numerous languages and even offers AD in English for some of its foreign titles.

Whenever the organized blind has brought an issue to Netflix, such as making Squid Game accessible with English AD [cheering] or offering guidance on screenplays featuring a blind character, Netflix has listened. Netflix even has an upcoming feature that will have an authentic blind person playing a blind character! [cheering and applause] How is that for authenticity! [applause] Elisa and Shanta, this is such a pleasure to give to you. Thank you.

Now, our final organizational award winner: 64 Ounce Games! [applause] We are awarding 64 Ounce Games with our largest award, $20,000. [applause] Karen Anderson, who nominated them, said this: "We in the National Federation of the Blind know that Braille and tactile literacy open endless possibilities, and for nearly a decade, 64 Ounce Games has worked to unlock that world of possibilities and fun by putting Braille and tactile graphics at the fingertips of more blind children and adults. To do so in a fun and engaging way, they created and sell accessibility kits that, when paired with a mainstream game sold at any retailer, make that game fully accessible!" [cheering and applause] So, unfortunately, Richard and Emily Gibbs, who are the owners of 64 Ounce Games, contracted COVID a couple of days ago and had to go home. Now, accepting their award and making sure that they'll get their award is Karen Anderson, who nominated them. [cheering and applause]

Thank you, Karen. Emily, are you there?

EMILY: Yes, we're here.

EVERETTE BACON: Would you like to say a few words, Emily?

RICHARD: I'm here as well, this is Richard Gibbs. Thank you so much for this honor. We're happy to be able to be here with you today virtually. We want to thank our family, especially both of our parents, who have supported us over the years. They've helped us to make more games for BELL Academy, they've been invaluable to help with our five kids, and despite being skeptical, they trusted us when we left two days after our wedding to start a new adventure in a small city. Perhaps you've heard of it-Ruston, Louisiana! [cheering and applause] There, Emily completed her TBS. We made many blind friends, and we saw the need for accessible board games in this community. In particular, we'd like to thank Dr. Ruby Riles, who is the reason that we both know Braille. From there we moved on to teaching, and eventually we found ourselves on a new mission-to help make the games that I love accessible.

EMILY: Our initial Kickstarter found support in the sighted board game community and the organized blind movement. So many people in this room have helped make our dream a reality. We have always had the support of our Federation family. Rachel Olivero, and Karen Anderson have been there from the very beginning supporting and playing our games. We would not be here today without their confidence in us. The Texas affiliate-especially Norma and Glenn Crosby-they have been our play testers and our advisors from the very start. We intend to use this award to continue to bring games to the blind community, to expand our Braille teaching tools, and to refine our tactile graphics. We have big plans for the future. Thank you again.

EVERETTE BACON: Let's give all of these winners a huge Federation cheer! Mr. President, these are the 2022 Bolotin Awards.

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2022 Resolutions
RESOLUTION 2022-01
Regarding Need for Federal Legislation Requiring All Websites and Applications to be Accessible

WHEREAS, the activities of a vast number of employers, retailers, restaurants, other public accommodations, educational institutions, state and local governments, other public entities, and many other entities now occur in whole or in part through websites and applications, a shift that has been greatly accelerated by a global pandemic; and

WHEREAS, according to a report with statistics covering the period from 2005 to 2020 conducted by the United States Bureau of Economic Analysis, the digital economy alone accounts for nearly 10 percent of the gross domestic product of the United States; and

WHEREAS, according to a study published in March 2021 by the Pew Research Center, 85 percent of American adults visit the internet at least once per day; and

WHEREAS, equal access to digital spaces is necessary for the blind and others with disabilities to participate in the mainstream of economic, cultural, and political life; and

WHEREAS, the vast majority of the entities identified above want their websites and applications to be accessible and usable by all, including the blind and others with disabilities; and

WHEREAS, the blind and others with disabilities constantly face access barriers to websites and applications as indicated by a recent survey of the one million most visited websites, which revealed that at least one access barrier existed on over ninety-seven percent of those million websites; and

WHEREAS, according to numerous news sources, the United States has approximately two open jobs for every unemployed American, yet unemployment and underemployment of the blind has not improved due in part to accessibility barriers; and

WHEREAS, many, including the Federation, believe that Congress intended for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to apply to websites of those entities covered by the ADA when it said the ADA "should keep pace with the rapidly changing technology of the times"; and

WHEREAS, despite such clear legislative intent, the courts of our land have varied wildly in their opinions deciding whether the ADA covers websites, with some courts saying that websites and digital spaces of any entity are not covered by the ADA, others saying that only websites of covered entities with a physical presence are covered, and yet other courts saying that all websites of covered entities are covered regardless of whether those exist entirely in cyberspace or whether they have both physical and digital locations; and

WHEREAS, we had fervently hoped that the United States Department of Justice would clarify these legal uncertainties when, in 2010, it published an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rule Making with the intention of ultimately promulgating regulations clarifying that websites of covered entities fell within the scope of the ADA's protection, regardless of whether such entities existed entirely in cyberspace; and

WHEREAS, to the great sorrow of the disability community and others, no further action has been taken on the proposed regulations since 2010, and in fact the proposed rulemaking was canceled in 2017; and

WHEREAS, neither current law nor the proposed regulations from 2010 clearly cover applications used on mobile phones and other devices; and

WHEREAS, many businesses, employers, educational institutions, and other entities rely on third-party commercial entities, which are not currently covered by the law, to design and implement their websites and applications; and

WHEREAS, it has become abundantly clear that there is a critical need for federal legislation to clarify exactly who must offer accessible websites and applications and how they must do it: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this ninth day of July, 2022, in the City of New Orleans, Louisiana, that we urge Congress to adopt a law requiring websites and applications of employers, retailers, restaurants, other public accommodations, educational institutions, state and local governments, other public entities, and any other entity currently covered by the ADA to be accessible to the blind and others with disabilities through compliance with an accessibility standard defined by Congress; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we call upon Congress to require those commercial entities that design and implement websites and applications and then sell them to all other covered entities to design and implement websites and applications which are accessible to the blind and others with disabilities in compliance with the accessibility standard defined by Congress; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization urge Congress to direct the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to develop and then promulgate an accessibility standard in which accessibility shall mean perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust websites and applications that enable persons with disabilities to access the same information as, to engage in the same interactions as, and to enjoy the same services offered to other persons with the same privacy, same independence, and same ease of use as nondisabled persons; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization urge Congress, in the new law, to include provisions that allow the law to be enforced by EEOC and DOJ acting on complaints filed with them or on their own initiative and that private individuals and organizations may also enforce the law by instituting private causes of actions in our courts with the full array of legal remedies and damages available to them.

RESOLUTION 2022-02
Regarding State Legislation Guaranteeing Fully Accessible Vote by Mail

WHEREAS, the ability to cast a secret ballot independently is a cornerstone of our democracy that enables citizens to vote their conscience without fear; and

WHEREAS, Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in services, programs, and activities provided by state and local government entities; and

WHEREAS, this requirement extends to voting privately and independently by mail; and

WHEREAS, only twenty-eight states require an accessible way to mark a vote-by-mail ballot; and

WHEREAS, in 2022, as a direct result of the advocacy efforts of the National Federation of the Blind of Illinois, Access Living Chicago, Equip for Equality, and the Illinois Council of the Blind, Illinois became the latest example when the state's general assembly passed legislation requiring that voters with print disabilities be provided an accessible way to mark their vote-by-mail ballot; and

WHEREAS, only the states of Colorado, Hawaii, and West Virginia have passed legislation to require an accessible way for voters with print disabilities to mark and return their vote-by-mail ballot; and

WHEREAS, voters with print disabilities in jurisdictions that do not provide an accessible way to mark and return their vote-by-mail ballot must either tell their choices to a sighted person and trust that person to mark the ballot as instructed, or they must go to a physical polling place to use an accessible ballot-marking device: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this ninth day of July, 2022, in the City of New Orleans, Louisiana, that this organization demand that all US states, territories, and districts that have not yet enacted legislation to require an accessible way to mark and return vote-by-mail ballots pass such legislation so that all voters with print disabilities have the same opportunity to vote by mail privately and independently as voters without disabilities, as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

RESOLUTION 2022-03
Regarding Manufacturers' Development of Accessible Medical Devices

WHEREAS, an increasing number of medical devices are being developed that provide individuals with the ability to practice independent self-care at home, leading to better patient outcomes; and

WHEREAS, as stated in the study, Improved Cost and Utilization Among Medicare Beneficiaries Dispositioned From the ED to Receive Home Health Care Compared With Inpatient Hospitalization, "Not only is home healthcare more effective at improving patient outcomes, but it is also a cost-effective alternative to hospitalization, saving both Medicare and taxpayers money"; and

WHEREAS, most medical device manufacturers are not working to integrate nonvisual accessibility features into the design and development of these medical devices, leaving far too many of them inaccessible to blind individuals; and

WHEREAS, many of these inaccessible devices-such as insulin pumps, home dialysis machines, and chemotherapy machines-are used to assist those with critical healthcare concerns, leaving the health, safety, and independence of many blind Americans in imminent danger; and

WHEREAS, accessibility is relatively easy and inexpensive to implement when it is incorporated in the design of a product from the outset and results in a product with a multimodal interface that is more useable by everyone; and

WHEREAS, members of the National Federation of the Blind are actively working with some manufacturers who have come to realize that the active participation of the blind is essential in the design and development of devices that will be nonvisually accessible, usable, and useful to the blind: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this ninth day of July, 2022, in the City of New Orleans, Louisiana, that this organization demand that manufacturers work collaboratively with the blind to incorporate nonvisual accessibility in the design and development of their existing and emerging medical devices so that blind people can benefit from the improved quality of healthcare and cost-effective alternatives to hospitalization that they offer.

RESOLUTION 2022-04
Regarding the Rights of Blind Prisoners

WHEREAS, the Bureau of Justice Statistics identified in 2016 that 11 percent of state and federal prisoners report having a vision disability; and

WHEREAS, the Rehabilitation Act and Americans with Disabilities Act protect the rights of individuals with disabilities, including those who are incarcerated; and

WHEREAS, the United States Constitution guarantees citizens' right to due process of law and prohibits cruel and unusual punishment; and

WHEREAS, blind prisoners nationwide have reported disparate and discriminatory treatment by departments of corrections, including the denial of necessary medical care and prescriptions, failure to provide accommodations and effective communication, lack of equal access to training and work programs, and inclusion among dangerous prisoners; and

WHEREAS, this disparate and discriminatory treatment has forced many blind prisoners to purchase their own accommodations or to rely on the help of sighted prisoners, causing the blind prisoners to be beholden to other prisoners to read and write mail, navigate to the dining hall and other areas, read posted prison rules, use the law library, prepare grievances, and complete commissary sheets, among other tasks; and

WHEREAS, this has compromised blind prisoners' privacy and exposed them to extortion, stealing, and other harm; and

WHEREAS, the lack of equal access to prison-based training and vocational programs has resulted in blind prisoners' inability to earn wages, reduce their sentences through participation credits, and engage in work release; and

WHEREAS, blind prisoners who advocate for equal access and their other rights risk retaliation from prison staff and receive limited to no support from prison ADA coordinators, ombudsmen, and state and federal lawmakers; and

WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind has sued on behalf of blind prisoners in Maryland and Colorado and secured systemic relief within both states; and

WHEREAS, discrimination against blind prisoners persists outside of this relief: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this ninth day of July, 2022, in the City of New Orleans, Louisiana, that this organization demand that state and federal prisons comply with requirements of the United States Constitution, Rehabilitation Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, and other state and national disability rights laws; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization urge active state and federal oversight of the treatment of blind prisoners, including the provision of medical care, accommodations, and effective communication; equal access to training and work programs; and separation from dangerous prisoners.

RESOLUTION 2022-05
Regarding Discriminatory Driver's License Requirements in Non-Transportation-Related Jobs

WHEREAS, for generations blind employees have worked effectively in jobs that require travel by using mass transit and other forms of public and private transportation; and

WHEREAS, the job postings of many employers require applicants to possess a valid driver's license to be eligible for the position, even though the essential functions of the position do not involve operating an automobile or other mode of transportation; and

WHEREAS, the Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits employers from requiring a driver's license unless one of the essential functions of the position includes driving; and

WHEREAS, modern job application software can automatically exclude applicants who do not have a driver's license, denying the applicant the opportunity to discuss the possibility of a reasonable accommodation; and

WHEREAS, these driver's license requirements discriminate against blind people as a class because blindness makes a person ineligible to receive a driver's license; and

WHEREAS, the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is the leading federal law enforcement agency dedicated to preventing and remedying employment discrimination and advancing equal employment opportunity; and

WHEREAS, Objective I of EEOC's 2018 to 2022 Strategic Plan states in Outcome Goal I.A: "Discriminatory employment practices are stopped and remedied, and victims of discrimination receive meaningful relief"; and

WHEREAS, since at least 2006, the EEOC has prioritized the elimination of systemic discrimination when it created its "Systemic Initiative" which identified, investigated, and litigated systemic discrimination cases; and

WHEREAS, having a systematic, apparently neutral policy on driver's licenses that eliminates disabled individuals from consideration is discriminatory; and

WHEREAS, on June 21, 2005, the EEOC issued a memo stating, in part, that driver's licenses can be required only where transportation of goods or people is the objective to be accomplished by the position; and

WHEREAS, EEOC guidance is not binding law: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this ninth day of July, 2022, in the City of New Orleans, Louisiana, that this organization strongly urge the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to elevate the importance of eliminating the driver's license employment barrier by issuing a rule that clearly prohibits discrimination by employers who require a driver's license when driving is not part of the essential functions of a job.

RESOLUTION 2022-06
Regarding Audio Description and Text-To-Speech

WHEREAS, audio description is an auxiliary service for blind movie and television viewers that provides narration of key visual elements such as actions, facial expressions, scene changes, costumes, scenery, on-screen text, and other purely visual elements of a film or television program; and

WHEREAS, a growing number of broadcast and cable channels, as well as streaming services, are increasing the hours of audio description they provide in response to federal law and regulation, legal agreements, and expanding consumer demand; and

WHEREAS, some providers, such as cable television's The Hallmark Channel and streaming service Amazon Prime Video, are increasingly or exclusively using text-to-speech (TTS) voices rather than human narrators to verbalize scripted audio description; and

WHEREAS, in some cases TTS may be appropriate, for example in purely informational programming, but overall it is problematic for a number of reasons: (1) TTS often mispronounces character and place names and other important story elements, creating confusion; (2) TTS introduces awkward or incorrect phrasing; and (3) the tone of the TTS narration is often at sharp variance from the tone of the content, e.g. an overly robotic delivery for a light comedy; and

WHEREAS, regardless of how well the underlying audio-description script is written, all of these issues and others have the effect of jolting most blind viewers, distracting them from the content, and forcing them to focus on the delivery of the TTS narration, thereby defeating the purpose of enhancing the entertainment experience for these viewers that is the very reason for audio description; and

WHEREAS, while some providers justify the use of TTS in the name of providing more hours of audio description, there are thousands of professional voice talents, including many blind professionals, who are willing and able to do this work; and

WHEREAS, some defenders of TTS make the insulting suggestion that blind viewers ought to be grateful for the audio-described programming that is provided rather than complaining about the methods by which it is done, but blind users have every right to expect a quality audio-description experience just as sighted viewers have the right to expect full color, high definition, accurate subtitles and captioning, and other markers of quality, and are not and would never be expected to accept an inferior viewing experience: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this ninth day of July, 2022, in the City of New Orleans, Louisiana, that this organization demand that television channels and streaming providers deploying audio description using TTS stop the use of this technology in the narration of audio description for content intended for entertainment; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization demand that, before resuming any use of TTS, providers meaningfully consult with blind Americans in determining whether and when its use may be appropriate.

RESOLUTION 2022-07
Regarding the Participation of Individuals with Disabilities in Medical Research

WHEREAS, federal public health policies and resource distribution are based on data; and

WHEREAS, the Revitalization Act of 1993 and National Institutes of Health (NIH) created guidelines for including women and racial and ethnic minorities in medical research; and

WHEREAS, the Revitalization Act does not require inclusion of individuals with disabilities in NIH-funded studies, leading to an absence of data regarding individuals with disabilities; and

WHEREAS, blind Americans have been denied participation in critical medical studies by research institutions based on an individual's blindness, inaccessible components of the studies, and the institution's refusal to provide appropriate accommodations; and

WHEREAS, this denial of participation and subsequent lack of disability-related data prolong ableist attitudes about disability and further marginalize individuals with disabilities within the medical system; and

WHEREAS, research institutions such as Johns Hopkins Disability Health Research Center and Bloomberg School of Public Health have proposed strategies to increase participation of individuals with disabilities in medical trials, including adherence to universal design principles, incorporation of auxiliary aids in research protocols, and establishment of a federal disability-centered organization similar to the Office of Research on Women's Health or the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this ninth day of July, 2022, in the City of New Orleans, Louisiana, that this organization commend those research institutions that have voluntarily included individuals with disabilities in their definitions of inclusivity and related research procedures and have called for national guidance to increase the participation of people with disabilities in medical research; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization call upon Congress and the National Institutes of Health to mandate inclusion of individuals with disabilities in NIH-funded research studies; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization demand that all research institutions implement policies and processes that include and accommodate blind individuals in medical research.

RESOLUTION 2022-08
Regarding Consent Culture

FRAMING STATEMENT - Pause and read this aloud whenever this Resolution is discussed.

Please note that, due to the purpose of this Resolution, it contains discussions of sexual misconduct. Its intent is that they be examples of why this Resolution is necessary.

WHEREAS, Consent culture affirms and normalizes the following in both social and sexual interactions: that each individual has bodily autonomy, that the action of asking for consent is an expected practice, that boundaries stated in response are to be respected, that each person has the right to choose what is comfortable for them, and that the lack of consent or a clear and affirmative response constitutes a "no"; and

WHEREAS, consent violations, sexual misconduct, and sexual violence affect everyone, including blind and low-vision individuals; and

WHEREAS, The Climate Assessment commissioned by the National Federation of the Blind and conducted by the Rape Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN) shows that of the respondents:

  *   58.8 percent believe that sexual misconduct is somewhat of a problem or a big problem within the NFB.
  *   55.7 percent have concerns about power dynamics,
  *   53.1 percent have concerns about difficulty communicating, understanding, and respecting interpersonal boundaries,
  *   46.1 percent have a lack of understanding about consent, and
  *   48 percent are confused about what sexual misconduct is; and

WHEREAS, many of these areas of concern reported in the RAINN survey are also concerns for the entire blindness community generally, including interactions not associated with Federation activities; and

WHEREAS, blind people are not only physically and mentally harmed when they experience sexual misconduct or consent violations within the blindness community, they are also restricted from reaching their full potential and living the lives they want in their quest to receive necessary blindness services; and

WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind is the leader in advocating for, creating cultural change for, and promoting bodily autonomy for the blind, and is actively working to establish a culture of consent through advocacy, education, curriculum development and incorporation, consent language development, and the implementation of accountability practices: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this ninth day of July, 2022, in the City of New Orleans, Louisiana, that this organization call on all other providers of services for the blind to join the Federation in incorporating consent education and language into their curricula, policies, and procedures to foster a more general understanding and confidence in the blindness community around matters of consent and bodily autonomy.

RESOLUTION 2022-09
Regarding Accessible At-home Medical/COVID-19 Testing

WHEREAS, the COVID-19 virus continues to cause significant illness and death; and

WHEREAS, despite all efforts to mitigate this pandemic through vaccinations and masking, COVID-19 continues to mutate and spread around the world; and

WHEREAS, at-home tests are a critical resource in stopping the spread of the COVID-19 virus, and no one, including blind people, should be excluded from such important and potentially lifesaving testing opportunities; and

WHEREAS, we appreciate the current administration's effort to offer free at-home COVID-19 tests to all Americans, but are extremely frustrated that no effort has been taken to ensure that blind Americans have the ability to use any of the tests being distributed independently; and

WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind has been able to engage with the administration and is currently collaborating on the development of home COVID-19 tests that have accessible instructions and their ability to be used independently by blind people; and

WHEREAS, our experience has shown that, given the proper commitment to innovation, most technology available on the market can be made accessible to those who are blind or have low vision, including at-home COVID-19 tests; and

WHEREAS, unfortunately, based on our testing to date of the many home COVID-19 test kits on the market, we have found only the Cue Health and Ellume Limited tests currently to be nonvisually accessible to the blind, and both these kits require the use of a smartphone, leaving blind people who lack the knowledge and/or the technology unable to use the tests independently; and

WHEREAS, accessibility is relatively easy and inexpensive to implement when it is incorporated into the design of a product from the outset and in collaboration with the National Federation of the Blind, and results in a product with a multimodal interface that is more useable by everyone: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this ninth day of July, 2022, in the City of New Orleans, Louisiana, that this organization strongly urge companies working to develop at-home COVID-19 tests to work with the National Federation of the Blind to ensure that the tests, instructions, packaging, execution, and test results are nonvisually accessible to blind Americans.

RESOLUTION 2022-10
Regarding Increased Funding for the Independent Living Services for Older Individuals Who Are Blind Program

WHEREAS, the Independent Living Services for Older Individuals Who Are Blind program (IL-OIB) is authorized under Title VII, Chapter 2, of the Rehabilitation Act and managed by the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA); and

WHEREAS, according to the RSA's Report on Federal Activities Under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 for Fiscal Years 2017-2020, the IL-OIB program allows grantees to "deliver training and independent living services to individuals who are 55 years of age or older and whose significant visual impairment makes competitive integrated employment difficult to attain but for whom independent living goals are feasible"; and

WHEREAS, in fiscal year 2020, the IL-OIB Program served 47,764 individuals nationwide, with federal funding of $33,317,000, which is an average of $697.53 per person served; and

WHEREAS, the RSA states in its report that these funds are used to provide services intended to promote adjustment to blindness and assist older individuals who are blind with "managing activities of daily living and increasing their functional independence by providing adaptive aids and services, orientation and mobility training, training in communication skills and Braille instruction, information and referral services, peer counseling, and individual advocacy instruction"; and

WHEREAS, the current level of funding provided through this program makes it impossible for the nation's vocational rehabilitation agencies to provide more than cursory access to adjustment to blindness training; and

WHEREAS, the intent of the program is to preserve or increase independence and extend the quality of life for older blind Americans while offering alternatives to costly long-term institutionalization and care; and

WHEREAS, an essential element for accomplishing this goal is allowing for access to meaningful, long-term training like that offered at a residential center for the blind; and

WHEREAS, in order to make that option available to older blind Americans, a substantial increase in funding for this critical program is required; and

WHEREAS, prioritizing enhanced funding for IL-OIB by the Department of Education and the Rehabilitation Services Administration could spur Congress to action on this issue: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this ninth day of July, 2022, in the City of New Orleans, Louisiana, that this organization urge the Department of Education to request additional funding for this much needed program in order to make substantive training available to older blind Americans; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we urge Congress to amend the Rehabilitation Act to mandate that all older blind Americans be offered the opportunity to receive long-term adjustment-to-blindness training at a center of their choice so that they can reach the goal of preserving their independence, improving their quality of life, and allowing them to age in place as opposed to spending the last years of their lives in a nursing home or other care facility; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we strongly urge Congress to provide funding sufficient to allow this choice to become a reality for all older blind Americans who wish to take advantage of the opportunity for true independence.

RESOLUTION 2022-11
Regarding Access to Cryptocurrency Exchanges

WHEREAS, on March 9, 2022, President Biden signed an executive order on Ensuring Responsible Development of Digital Assets, laying out a national policy for digital assets with six key priorities: consumer and investor protection, financial stability, illicit finance, US leadership in the global financial system and economic competitiveness, financial inclusion, and responsible innovation; and

WHEREAS, inaccessibility is a problem among the various cryptocurrency platforms and exchanges, as well as media platforms that report the performance of digital assets; and

WHEREAS, most cryptocurrency platforms and exchange services do not offer blind or deafblind investors appropriate accessibility for signup and account maintenance, nor are their infographics, charts, graphs, and other data and metadata accessible to the blind; and

WHEREAS, blind and deafblind investors should have all the benefits of data available to other investors on cryptocurrency platforms to manage their digital assets: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this ninth day of July, 2022, in the City of New Orleans, Louisiana, that this organization call upon the Administration to incorporate accessibility in any regulation of this technology, requiring that all major cryptocurrency platforms and exchanges in the United States develop and implement accessibility strategies, including web and mobile app accessibility and other components designed to be fully and equally accessible to blind and deafblind consumers; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization demand that cryptocurrency platforms build their online and mobile applications in a manner that allows blind and deafblind users full financial inclusion, including the ability to access the same information, engage in the same interactions, and enjoy with equivalent privacy, security, independence, and ease of use the same services offered to other users.

RESOLUTION 2022-13
Regarding the Continued Denials Experienced by Service Dog Handlers When Using the Lyft Platform

WHEREAS, Lyft is a rideshare company which offers automobile transportation services; and

WHEREAS, according to its own terms of service, Lyft riders cannot be discriminated against based on race, religion, or disability; and

WHEREAS, despite attempted educational efforts, service dog handlers everywhere continue to experience ongoing and flagrant discrimination by Lyft drivers when traveling with their service dogs; and

WHEREAS, these denials often result in the service dog handler being stranded in unfamiliar areas, thus compromising their safety; and

WHEREAS, these denials also result in service dog handlers being late to important medical appointments, work, or picking up their children from daycare, often leading to added monetary cost and undue stress and frustration; and

WHEREAS, the process to report a Lyft denial has become increasingly complicated due to the trip disappearing from the user's ride history; and

WHEREAS, when service dog handlers attempt to report their denial using the Lyft platform, they are unable to provide pertinent information that will help to identify the driver accurately; and

WHEREAS, many drivers claim that allergies, religious beliefs, or their fear of dogs prevent them from transporting service dog handlers and their dogs, despite agreeing to Lyft's driver terms of service: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this ninth day of July, 2022, in the City of New Orleans, Louisiana, that this organization condemn and deplore Lyft's continued discriminatory practices against service dog handlers; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization demand that Lyft not remove any denied or refused trips from the rider history, and contact any person who submits a denial-of-service complaint within twenty-four hours and provide the person with confirmation that the report was received and will be addressed with due diligence; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization demand that Lyft require prospective drivers to participate in mandatory service dog awareness training before being activated on its platform and that drivers be properly educated about the Americans with Disabilities Act, with an emphasis on the two questions that drivers can legally ask service dog handlers about their dogs; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization demand that Lyft forbid their drivers from using allergies, religious beliefs, and fear of dogs as excuses not to transport service dog handlers and their dogs in their vehicles; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization demand that Lyft permanently remove any driver from the platform who discriminates by denying service to a service dog handler.

RESOLUTION 2022-14
Regarding the Continued Denials Experienced by Service Dog Handlers When Using the Uber Platform

WHEREAS, Uber is a rideshare company which offers automobile transportation services; and

WHEREAS, according to its own terms of service, Uber cannot discriminate against riders on the basis of race, religion, or disability; and

WHEREAS, despite past litigation and a settlement agreement with the National Federation of the Blind, signed by Uber in April 2016, service dog handlers everywhere continue to experience ongoing and flagrant discrimination by Uber drivers when traveling with their service dogs; and

WHEREAS, these denials of service often result in service dog handlers being stranded in unfamiliar areas, thus compromising their safety; and

WHEREAS, service dog handlers are often late to important medical appointments, work, or picking up their children from daycare, which leads to added monetary cost and undue stress and frustration when Uber drivers refuse to transport them; and

WHEREAS, the process to report an Uber denial has become increasingly complicated due to the trip disappearing from the user's ride history; and

WHEREAS, when service dog handlers attempt to report their denial using the Uber platform, they are unable to provide pertinent information that will help to identify the driver accurately; and

WHEREAS, because Uber now offers a pet-friendly ride choice, many drivers insist that service dog handlers use this feature of Uber, which is discriminatory because service dogs are not pets and because it results in service dog handlers' having to pay more for rides; and

WHEREAS, many drivers claim that allergies, religious beliefs, or their fear of dogs prevent them from transporting service dog handlers and their dogs, despite agreeing to the terms of service of Uber: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this ninth day of July, 2022, in the City of New Orleans, Louisiana, that this organization condemn and deplore Uber's continued discriminatory practices against service dog handlers; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization demand that Uber not remove any denied or refused trips from the rider history, and contact any person who submits a denial-of-service complaint within twenty-four hours and provide the person with confirmation that the report was received and will be addressed with due diligence; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization demand that Uber require prospective drivers to participate in mandatory service dog awareness training before being activated on its platform and that drivers be properly educated about the Americans with Disabilities Act, with an emphasis on the two questions they can legally ask service dog handlers about their dogs; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization demand that Uber forbid their drivers from using allergies, religious beliefs, and fear of dogs as excuses not to transport service dog handlers and their dogs in their vehicles; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization demand that Uber permanently remove any driver from the platform who discriminates by denying service to a service dog handler.

RESOLUTION 2022-15
Regarding the Accessibility of Peacock

WHEREAS, Peacock is a streaming service provided by NBCUniversal, which in turn is owned by Comcast Corporation; and

WHEREAS, Peacock offers NBCUniversal shows and movies, as well as original and third-party content; and

WHEREAS, live sporting events, such as the Olympics and World Wrestling Entertainment programs, are also part of the Peacock content; and

WHEREAS, Peacock is not accessible to blind customers using a screen reader to access the service, some examples of this include unlabeled buttons, lack of organization using headings, and playback controls that are not visible to a screen reader; and

WHEREAS, even though Peacock offers auxiliary services like audio description for some of its content, these services are difficult, if not impossible, to access due to the screen-reader issues mentioned above; and

WHEREAS, Peacock can be accessed with less difficulty on Comcast's own Xfinity and Flex platforms, but because Peacock is available to customers who do not have Comcast, blind users should not be forced to maintain a Comcast subscription to have equal access, since this puts a premium on accessibility; and

WHEREAS, this popular streaming service has over 50 million free signups and 13 million paid subscribers, and it should go without saying that the blind should have the same opportunities as the sighted to use its content: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this ninth day of July, 2022, in the City of New Orleans, Louisiana, that this organization demand that Peacock and NBCUniversal make a commitment to full and consistent accessibility across all platforms, including initial set-up and using all aspects of the service; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization urge Peacock and NBCUniversal to work with the National Federation of the Blind to ensure that all Peacock apps, its website, and all other access methods across all platforms are fully accessible to the blind.

RESOLUTION 2022-16
Regarding Audio Description in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines

WHEREAS, for blind Americans the lack of equal access to information continues to be one of our greatest barriers to living the lives we want; and

WHEREAS, audio description can be an effective tool to provide access to visual information in video presentations; and

WHEREAS, in society today, especially in such arenas as education and employment, there is an emphasis on presenting information visually, using inaccessible screen-sharing technology in both live presentations and online platforms; and

WHEREAS, even though audio description is a good solution to the information gap problem, many people overlook the importance of employing audio description when they display informational text or graphics (PowerPoint presentations, Word documents, spreadsheets, graphics, etc.) via inaccessible visual-only means in training videos, educational presentations, business conferences, etc., because they view audio description primarily as a source for entertainment information from movies and television; and

WHEREAS, presentations that rely on the visual display of information place blind people at a serious disadvantage, in their ability both to participate and to acquire knowledge; and

WHEREAS, the World Wide Web Consortium recognizes the value of audio description and has included a definition and examples of its use in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, but these guidelines are weak and imprecise; and

WHEREAS, the current WCAG does not require the presenter to read shared documents, interpret graphics, or describe other written signs or messages that appear on the screen but are not accessible; and

WHEREAS, if the identical informational text or graphics are presented in a non-accessible manner in a video, existing standard WCAG (2.1, Levels A and AA) require that this information to be described only to the extent that those descriptions fit into "existing pauses in dialogue" which may not allow enough time for all of the information to be communicated; and

WHEREAS, the World Wide Web Consortium has the perfect opportunity to strengthen these guidelines since they are currently revising WCAG; and

WHEREAS, according to its website, the US Access Board "promotes equality for people with disabilities through leadership in accessible design and the development of accessibility guidelines and standards," placing it in a position to help ensure that the revised WCAG guidelines grant greater access to information through audio description for blind people: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this ninth day of July, 2022, in the City of New Orleans, Louisiana, that this organization strongly urge the World Wide Web Consortium to revise its guidelines to enhance the use of audio description in live and recorded presentations so that blind people have the same access to all information as their sighted peers; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization insist that the US Access Board engage in dialogue to strengthen the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines to promote access for the blind to all visual information in live or recorded presentations.

RESOLUTION 2022-17
Regarding the Accessibility of TikTok

WHEREAS, according to various websites such as Investopedia.com, TikTok is a social media app dedicated to short-form videos of fifteen to sixty seconds created by users, emphasizing comedy and other forms of entertainment, as well as self-promotion and information about fashion, personal finance, and cooking; and

WHEREAS, TikTok is extremely popular with young people and claims to have one billion users and growing; and

WHEREAS, to participate fully in society, blind people must have equal access to the same social media platforms used by all to consume content and to contribute their own content if they wish; and

WHEREAS, according to tiktok.com/accessibility, TikTok offers accessibility features, including photosensitive epilepsy toggle and warning, text to speech that reads embedded text, benefiting blind or visually impaired users, animated thumbnails, and auto captions, but while these features are a step in the right direction, more features are needed to provide true accessibility; and

WHEREAS, TikTok makes no mention of following or attempting to follow any accessibility guidelines or standards, including WCAG, the internationally developed and widely recognized guidelines commonly adopted by those wishing to make digital experiences accessible; and

WHEREAS, blind and deafblind people are denied the opportunity to participate in this medium on an equal basis with their sighted peers because some buttons and controls within the TikTok app have not been properly coded to interact with screen readers, making it very difficult to access content and use features; and

WHEREAS, blind and deafblind content creators are denied the opportunity to engage with followers during live broadcasts without delays or difficulties because of the lack of accessible navigation and controls; and

WHEREAS, the accessibility barriers on the platform prohibit blind and deafblind individuals from creating content on social media as a form of employment, thus helping to perpetuate the nearly 70 percent unemployment and underemployment rate among blind people; and

WHEREAS, TikTok's website presents many other accessibility challenges, including unlabeled elements, automatically playing videos with no obvious mechanism to control them, and many others; and

WHEREAS, too many videos on TikTok lack auxiliary services such as closed captioning and audio description, making many of them inaccessible to blind and deafblind users because content creators need more education about the need and use of these features: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this ninth day of July, 2022, in the City of New Orleans, Louisiana, that this organization call upon TikTok to commit to make all of its digital experiences, including its apps and website, fully accessible by developing the teams and processes necessary to comply with the industry standard WCAG 2.1 AA guidelines; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization urge TikTok to eliminate the option to forego audio description, closed captioning, and other auxiliary services to creators and instead allow the end user to opt in or out of these services; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization strongly urge TikTok to partner with the National Federation of the Blind to ensure that its efforts create and maintain an accessible experience for blind and deafblind TikTok users who consume and create content.

RESOLUTION 2022-18
Regarding the European Accessibility Act and Accessible eBooks

WHEREAS, eBooks now represent over 20 percent of all publications currently sold in the United States, with publishers reporting the percentage of eBooks sold increasing every year; and

WHEREAS, it is possible for each of those eBooks to be fully accessible to the blind and other persons with disabilities through the use of nonvisual and other access technology; and

WHEREAS, there is no law in the United States which directly mandates that all eBooks be accessible from the beginning of their existence; and

WHEREAS, the European Union adopted the European Accessibility Act, which requires that all eBooks-among many other goods, services, facilities-be fully accessible to persons with disabilities by June 28, 2025; and

WHEREAS, the law also requires the entire supply chain for eBooks (retailers, e-commerce sites, hardware and software reading solutions, online platforms, digital rights management solutions, etc.) to provide accessible content; and

WHEREAS United States publishers will be subject to the European Accessibility Act and its requirement that eBooks be sold in an accessible format; and

WHEREAS, work is going on right now in Europe to plan how publishers will meet the requirements of the law by June 2025; and

WHEREAS, it only makes sense for United States publishers to engage in similar work, not only to be eligible to sell in the large European market but also to embrace inclusive publishing principles and thereby expand their markets: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this ninth day of July, 2022, in the City of New Orleans, Louisiana, that we urge Congress to adopt a law requiring that all eBooks being sold in the United States market must be fully accessible by June 28, 2025 and that the law also require the entire supply chain (retailers, e-commerce sites, hardware and software reading solutions, online platforms, digital rights management solutions, etc.) to provide accessible content; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we call upon United States publishers to work closely with their European counterparts to adopt the most robust standards, assuring that all eBooks are born accessible wherever they are sold.

RESOLUTION 2022-19
Regarding Disqualifying Subminimum-Wage Employers from Fair Trade Certification

WHEREAS, since 1998, Fair Trade USA® has empowered producers, promoted sustainable livelihoods, enabled more transparent business operations, and improved supply chain practices; and

WHEREAS, the purchase of products with the Fair Trade Certified(tm) seal has generated $846 million to farmers, workers, and fishers who have used those funds to directly improve their lives and communities; and

WHEREAS, Fairtrade America® is a similar organization offering similar certification, with social standards typically at the co-op or producer organization level, which do not allow exploitative child labor or any discriminatory employment practices; and

WHEREAS, when consumers purchase products which are fair trade certified by either entity, they commonly expect that fair trade principles have been monitored and practiced throughout the supply chain for that product; and

WHEREAS, Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, as amended, allows employers with special wage certificates from the United States Department of Labor to pay workers with disabilities less than the federal minimum wage based on their disabilities; and

WHEREAS, paying subminimum wages to workers with disabilities is unfair and discriminatory; and

WHEREAS, neither Fair Trade USA nor Fairtrade America include any mention of Section 14(c) subminimum wages for workers with disabilities in their certification standards: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this ninth day of July, 2022, in the City of New Orleans, Louisiana, that this organization urge Fair Trade USA and Fairtrade America to include language in their certification standards to disqualify any applicants for fair trade certification who use Section 14(c) special wage certificates allowing employers to pay subminimum wages to workers with disabilities at any point in their supply chain.

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You Can Make a Difference

Blind children, students, and adults are making powerful strides in education and leadership every day across the United States. For more than eighty years, the National Federation of the Blind has worked to transform the dreams of hundreds of thousands of blind people into reality. With support from individuals like you, we continue to provide powerful programs and critical resources for decades to come. We sincerely hope you will plan to be a part of our enduring movement by including the National Federation of the Blind in your charitable giving and in your estate planning. It is easier than you think.



With your help, the NFB will continue to:

  *   Give blind children the gift of literacy through Braille.
  *   Promote independent travel by providing free, long white canes to blind people in need.
  *   Develop dynamic educational projects and programs to show blind youth that science and math careers are within their reach.
  *   Deliver hundreds of accessible newspapers and magazines to provide blind people the essential information necessary to be actively involved in their communities.
  *   Offer aids and appliances that help seniors losing vision maintain their independence.

Plan to Leave a Legacy

The National Federation of the Blind legacy society, our Dream Makers Circle, honors and recognizes the generosity and vision of members and special friends of the National Federation of the Blind who have chosen to leave a legacy through a will or other planned giving option. You can join the Dream Makers Circle in a myriad of ways.

Fixed Sum of Assets

You can specify that a fixed sum of your assets or property goes to the National Federation of the Blind in your will, trust, pension, IRA, life insurance policy, brokerage account, or other accounts.

Percentage of Assets
You can specify that a percentage of your assets or property goes to the National Federation of the Blind in your will, trust, pension, IRA, life insurance policy, brokerage account, or other accounts.

Payable on Death (POD) Account

You can name the National Federation of the Blind as the beneficiary on a Payable on Death (POD) account through your bank. You can turn any checking or savings account into a POD account. This is one of the simplest ways to leave a legacy. The account is totally in your control during your lifetime and you can change the beneficiary or percentage at any time with ease.

Will or Trust

If you do decide to create or revise your will, consider the National Federation of the Blind as a partial beneficiary.

Visit our Planned Giving webpage (https://www.nfb.org/get-involved/ways-give/planned-giving) or call 410-659-9314, extension 2422, for more information.

Together with love, hope, determination, and your support, we will continue to transform dreams into reality.

Ways to Contribute Now

Throughout 2021, the NFB:

  *   Sent nearly one thousand Braille Santa and Winter Celebration letters to blind children, encouraging excitement for Braille literacy.
  *   Distributed over five thousand canes to blind people across the United States, empowering them to travel safely and independently throughout their communities.
  *   Delivered audio newspaper and magazine services to 126,823 subscribers, providing free access to over five hundred local, national, and international publications.
  *   Gave over six hundred Braille-writing slates and styluses free of charge to blind users.
  *   Mentored 232 blind youth during our Braille Enrichment for Literacy and Learning® Academy in-home editions.

Just imagine what we'll do next year and, with your help, what can be accomplished for years to come. Below are just a few of the many diverse, tax-deductible ways you can lend your support to the National Federation of the Blind.

Vehicle Donation Program

The NFB accepts donated vehicles, including cars, trucks, boats, motorcycles, or recreational vehicles. Just call 855-659-9314 toll-free, and a representative can make arrangements to pick up your donation. We can also answer any questions you have.

General Donation

General donations help support the ongoing programs of the NFB and the work to help blind people live the lives they want. You can call 410-659-9314 and elect option 4 to donate by phone. Donate online with a credit card or through the mail with check or money order. Visit our Ways to Give webpage (https://www.nfb.org/get-involved/ways-give) for more information.

Pre-Authorized Contribution

Through the Pre-Authorized Contribution (PAC) program, supporters sustain the efforts of the National Federation of the Blind by making recurring monthly donations by direct withdrawal of funds from a checking account or a charge to a credit card. To enroll, call 410-659-9314, extension 2213, or fill out our PAC Donation Form (https://www.nfb.org/pac) online.

If you have questions about giving, please send an email to outreach at nfb.org<mailto:outreach at nfb.org> or call 410-659-9314, extension 2422.

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The Federation Continues to Work on Self-Driving Vehicles

This press release is a testament to the ongoing work of Congress and the National Federation of the Blind to promote the development and deployment of autonomous vehicles.

Press Release

Latta, Dingell Shift into Drive the Bipartisan Autonomous Vehicle Caucus

Bowling Green, August 8, 2022 | Claire Hurley (202-225-6405)

Today, Representatives Bob Latta (R-OH) and Debbie Dingell (D-MI) launched the bipartisan Congressional Autonomous Vehicle Caucus. The purpose of this caucus is to educate Members and staff on autonomous vehicle technology that can improve the safety and accessibility of roadways. Representatives Latta and Dingell serve together on the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. You can read more about the significance of the Congressional Autonomous Vehicle Caucus in this article that launched today in Reuters.

"For generations, the United States has paved the way in innovative vehicle technology. Autonomous vehicles are the next step forward. In order for this technology to succeed, we must educate, advocate, and create a framework to implement their use," said Latta. "This technology will improve the lives of millions of Americans, while simultaneously providing people living with disabilities and seniors increased mobility and independence. That is why I am excited to announce the launch of the Congressional Autonomous Vehicle Caucus with Representative Dingell to educate Members of Congress on AV technology and to work towards a national framework so that AVs can continue to safely expand throughout the country."

"If the United States is going to stay the forefront of innovation, manufacturing, and safety, we must ensure our nation is engaging all stakeholders, making bold investments, and working across the aisle to get the necessary policies right to support the safe deployment of autonomous vehicles," said Dingell. "I'm proud to join Representative Latta to launch the bipartisan Congressional Autonomous Vehicle Caucus, which will aid us in this effort, as well as provide a space for likeminded members to learn, discuss, and collaborate on all the important issues and opportunities related to autonomous vehicles. The future of American mobility and leadership depends on us getting this right and working together."

"Autonomous vehicles, if properly designed, have the potential to dramatically enhance the independent mobility of blind Americans," said Mark Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind. "Collaborating with people who have lived experiences to inform the technology design and policymaking processes is critical. As the transformative membership and advocacy organization of blind Americans, we are excited about the opportunity to work with this new bipartisan caucus on promoting safe and accessible vehicles to benefit the blind and many others."

"There is no question that autonomous vehicles will change transportation as we know it - helping to reduce vehicle crashes and fatalities on our roads," said John Bozzella, President and CEO of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation. "The United States is home to innovative AV companies that are developing and pioneering this technology, and American ingenuity is setting the pace for the rest of the world. What we're lacking is a federal policy framework to expand AV testing and use across the country. That's what is so significant about Reps. Latta and Dingell teaming up to launch the bipartisan Congressional AV caucus - a dedicated voice in Congress committed to establishing the right policy conditions to increase the use of AVs and promote American leadership."

"Autonomous vehicles offer better opportunities for all Americans: safer roads, more mobility options for seniors and people with disabilities, improved access in food deserts, supply chain resilience, new jobs and economic development," said Ariel Wolf, general counsel to the Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association (AVIA). "We welcome the bipartisan Caucus's leadership on this technology and look forward to working with them to expand AVs' opportunities and ensure the US continues to lead in this critical technology."

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Monitor Miniatures
News from the Federation Family

[PHOTO CAPTION: Stewart Prost]

NFB in Judaism Group Meeting
by Stewart Prost

The NFB in Judaism Group met on Tuesday, July 5, 2022, starting at 7 p.m., CDT. The meeting was held in Studio 3 at the Marriott in New Orleans, Louisiana, and on Zoom. There were thirty-four people in attendance, half in person and half using Zoom. This was the largest gathering of this group in recent history. The meeting was international since we had one participant from Israel attend virtually.

After everyone had a chance to introduce themselves, several participants talked about their involvement in their local Jewish community. Next, there was a discussion of future programs and activities that the group could engage in during the coming year. Here are some of the ideas discussed:

  *   Contacting the Jewish Braille Institute (JBI) and having them join us in a Zoom Meeting.
  *   Reaching out to various Jewish organizations and getting ourselves on their convention agendas.
  *   Having the Conservative and Reform Jewish movements pass resolutions regarding people who are blind and have other disabilities.
  *   Getting information about this group on NFB-NEWSLINE.
  *   Increased interaction between Jews who are blind or have low vision in the US and those English-speaking Jews in Israel who are blind and have low vision.

Finally, there was a discussion of having a Shabbat (Sabbath) celebration Friday, July 9 after the afternoon General Session. This did not work out for this year. However, this will be something we can work on for next year's convention.

This group not only will meet during convention, but will plan to meet several times this year through Zoom.

Announcing the 2022-2023 NOPBC Board:

Our 2022 Annual Business Meeting was held on Thursday, July 7, 2022. We had two- to three-dozen NOPBC members in attendance, but we did not take the time to verify accurate numbers because all of our votes [voice] were unanimous.

This year, we had several members going off the board and we want to recognize them for all the work they contributed over the years. Departing board members include Carlton Anne Cook Walker, Sarah Erb, Donna Genelin, and Melissa Riccobono. We thanked each of them and are grateful for their years of dedicated service to the NOPBC. We reminded them that we are a family, and no one ever REALLY leaves.

At the NOPBC's Annual Meeting, held July 7, 2022, The following individuals were elected to serve two-year terms on the Executive Board of the NOPBC: President, Carla Keirns; first vice president, Penny Duffy; second vice president, Casey West Robertson; secretary, Carol Castellano; treasurer, Sandra Oliver; and those filling one-year terms are Jackie Anderson; Amira Assad-Lucas; Cindy Champagne; Emily Gindlesperger; Jeanette Jones; Sarah Kassim; Maura Kutnyak; Cassie McKinney; Tabby Mitchell; and Ashleigh Moon. Congratulations to all of you; we send our best wishes and know you will move our division forward.

NABV Social Hour and Division Meeting at the NFB 2022 Convention:

Our National Association of Blind Veterans had twenty-eight people present in person and eight connected in using ZOOM. The social hour was lively with meeting people and conversation, and the old guard greeted new members with enthusiasm. There was quite a bit of energy in the room both from the long separation and the excitement of meeting new people.

The business meeting started with the Pledge of Allegiance as we always do-once a service member, always a service member. Next, we enjoyed the national anthem sung by Angelina Angelcyk, followed by a moment of silence for Joe Ruffalo. We had a vacant board member position, and Jack Rupert, our secretary, asked to step down from his position into the vacant board slot. The membership approved this lateral move. We had nominations for a new secretary, and Suzette Casillas was nominated and approved by the membership.

We had guest presentations by:

Natasha's tribute to Joe Ruffalo

Lesa Kretschmer-Florida Vision Technology
Curtis from Patriot

A Lady from NLS

The meeting concluded with gratitude for our country, our Federation, and our veterans group.

A Report from the Senior Division
by Judy Sanders

>From the Editor: Judy Sanders needs little in the way of an introduction. Her initial meetup with the Federation more than four decades ago caused many of us to sit-up and take notice when a person we clearly determined to be a qualified teacher was summarily rejected. We gave Judy our help, she took it, and she has returned it tenfold. For this reason she was given the Dr. Jacobus tenBroek Award at the 2022 Convention. Here is the report she presents as the outgoing president of the National Federation of the Blind's Senior Division:

We began by hearing a statement affirming our safety protocol with COVID-19. Then a moment of silence was observed in memory of our former president, Ruth Sager, and all of our other seniors we will miss.

Our next task was introducing all the first-timers at our meeting. Some of them were attending our meeting for the first time, and some were also attending their first NFB convention.

On a healthy note, Jessica Beecham, who leads our Sports and Recreation Division, gave us helpful hints about exercises fit for seniors. Candice Chapman, president of our Human Services Division, inspired us to go out into a world after living through a pandemic.

One of the most important accomplishments of our division involves activities that teach blind seniors to continue to live the lives they want. We heard from a panel led by Shelley Coppel introducing us to the in-person and virtual retreats that teach the newly blind and those who have been blind for a long time about accomplishing things they never thought possible. Darryl Rice and Katie Pinkney are two retreat graduates who shared their experiences and insights.

Along with our retreats, some of our state affiliates' seniors are running their "Silver Bells" programs. Glenn Crosby of Texas and Sandy Halverson of Virginia introduced us to these new events. They are much like our retreats, but they are smaller. All these programs bolster the confidence of our seniors.

After a short business meeting, we held elections with the following results: president, Glenn Crosby of Texas; first vice president, Judy Sanders of Minnesota; second vice president, Suzanne Turner of Ohio; secretary, Shelley Coppel of South Carolina; and Treasurer, Duncan Larsen of Colorado. We have two board positions; neither of these positions were up for election this year. Therefore, Jane Degenshein of New Jersey will serve one more year. Glenn Crosby's board position became open when he was elected president. We welcome Sandy Halverson of Virginia to our board for a one-year term.

During our convention, there is a competition to see which division can raise the most money through our PAC (preauthorized contribution plan). Each individual who signs up to donate using this option can vote for their favorite division. Congratulations to us! The seniors did it! We are the proud owners of the PAC mule, which sits on my living room coffee table. The National Organization of Parents of Blind Children came in second, so we offer our congratulations to them on their effort.

It was our hope to stream our division meeting; we ran into difficulties. Hopefully, everyone can come in person next year, or we will have worked out our technical troubles.

Our Senior Division is alive and thriving. We urge everyone to join us for our conference calls in 2023; we look forward to many people joining us for our winter virtual retreat, and please pay attention to announcements on our listserv. If you are reading this on the listserv, tell your friends to subscribe to this website: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-seniors_nfbnet.org or email nfb-seniors-subscribe at nfbnet.org<mailto:nfb-seniors-subscribe at nfbnet.org>. The subject and the body do not have specific verbiage required, but a message will be sent back to you to confirm your interest. Reply to it, leaving everything else as it comes. We need and look forward to your participation.

A Showcase of Technology
by Mark Jones

>From the Editor: Mark is one of our most reliable reporters about the work he oversees at the national convention. He invites each technology representative in the exhibit hall to come to a presentation in which they will be given no more than three minutes to talk about their new and existing products. The goal of the showcase is to give just enough information to get folks to the exhibit hall to visit their booths or to get our readers to inquire if they have questions about products or services. Here is what the showcase featured this year:

A standing-room-only crowd enjoyed numerous presentations at our July 5 meeting in New Orleans. I invited each of our presenters an opportunity to talk for about five minutes.

Independent Science began our meeting explaining their new multiline Braille display that displays both Braille and tactile graphics. I saw it in the exhibit hall, but I am not sure if it is still in development or is actively being sold.

Aira next talked about their new ARX Vision Glasses that will now enable an Aira user to keep their phone in their pockets and make it easier to keep focus on what you want Aira to know. In addition, because a great number of Aira calls concern things on the computer screen, the company has now created Aira for Desktop so you can share your screen and documents with agents.

Envision-USA was next talking about their new College Success Program for access to mentoring and navigation in the college environment. They are also doing cybersecurity training to help one get a job in the cybersecurity industry, a field that is currently in demand.

HumanWare is now collaborating with the American Printing House for the Blind and the National Federation of the Blind on a digital dynamic tactile Braille display that shows texts and images on the same surface. They also have the twenty- and forty-cell intelligent Braille displays, and coming soon to the market, they will have the Stellar Trek, a new GPS product.

Vispero next told us about what's new in JAWS and with their Focus Braille displays. HIMS then discussed their products, which include the BrailleSense 6, which they claim is the fastest notetaker in the world. They also mentioned the Braille 6 mini, QBraille, a Braille keyboard with many added function keys.

The National Library Service for the Blind and Disabled talked about the new beta test for the new Alexa and Google skill for BARB. The Library is also signing people up for Braille on Demand so you can get a Braille book and keep it. They also have a new Braille EReader available for distribution in many states.

WayAround spoke about their new home and office product for labeling almost anything. They can now label public signs with their new app.

Folks at AT Guys now has a new speaker that can float, aftershock headphones, Orbit Writers, noise-canceling headphones, WayAround tags and much more. They stress they have low cost and accessible products to help anyone.

National Braille Press has hard copy Braille books related to technology including iPhone tutorials, books on Android, and books on how to use Windows. Coming soon will be Computer Basics for the Newly Blind User. Also new are books with emoji tactile graphics.

Computers for the Blind is a growing nonprofit that takes refurbished computers and adds accessibility programs like JAWS and sells them for $200 or less. This makes quality computers affordable to many for whom they would be out or reach.

Finally, Orbit Research told us about its graphical multiline Braille displays and their new Orbit speech. They also have the Graphiti, which can show pictures in different formats and allows one to make their own graphs through touch.

Please remember that we have tried here to present only brief summaries that will let you know if you want more information. The point of the showcase was to get people to the hall and not to explain each and every feature, so call or write these companies if you think you want to do some business with them. They'll be glad for your interest and just as glad for your money.

2022 As the Twig Is Bent Award Presentations
2020 Twig Medals

CARLTON ANN COOK WALKER: My friends, isn't President Riccobono wonderful? President Riccobono is one of the first blind people I ever met. Back in 2005, before him and his wife, Melissa, had any children of their own, his warmth, generosity, and wisdom comforted and strengthened my family's resolve to make certain that my child's opportunities would never be limited by what my child could or could not see.

Alexander Pope wrote, "As the twig is bent, so is the tree inclined." These words of Alexander Pope are the inspiration behind the title of the "Twig Award." The National Organization of Parents of Blind Children initiated the Twig Awards on our twenty-fifth anniversary in 2008. This is not an annual award; we bestow it to honor those whose work has influenced the direction in which our children grow.

The award itself is a medallion engraved with a tree and the words "As the Twig is Bent Award" and "NOPBC since 1983," with the word NOPBC in Braille and print. On the back of the medallion is the recipient's name and the year.

In 2020, we presented two Twig Awards. One was to NFB President Mark Riccobono and one to his wife, NOPBC Board Member and Conference Director Melissa Riccobono. Each of these individuals has worked tirelessly and supported blind children and their families and educators steadfastly for more than two decades. Each has shared insight, knowledge, and compassion with families struggling to ensure that their children receive a meaningful education that would prepare their children for the future. In other words, both Mark and Melissa have bent countless twigs to incline many, many trees toward the upward trajectory of achieving their dreams.

Even with all of the technological advances we have made, I still have not figured out how to present medals via Zoom. So I had to wait until we were back in person again. I take this opportunity to give Mark his Twig medal. We miss Melissa today, so Mark, would you take Melissa's medal to her? Thank you! Mark and Melissa, please know how much your work has enriched everyone in this virtual conference and so many more. Thank you.

But there's more!

At my first NFB Convention, in 2006, I had the opportunity to meet an author of some incredible books: The Bridge to Braille: Reading and School Success for the Young Blind Child; Because Books Matter; Making It Work Educating the Blind/Visually Impaired Student in the Regular School; and Getting Ready for College Begins in Third Grade: Working Toward an Independent Future for Your Young Blind Child. This person was my hero, and I assumed that she'd never know-or even be interested in knowing about my child and my family. I was so wrong! I found out that this parent-leader willingly and selflessly shared her experience and knowledge regarding the parenting of a blind child and truly wanted to know, understand, and support my blind child and my family. Over time, this person became my colleague and, to my great honor, a trusted and devoted friend-Carol Castellano. For more than three decades, she has epitomized the love, care, and concern you will find here in our organization.

Carol was one of twenty-six individuals who received our first Twig Awards at our twenty-fifth anniversary in 2008. Sadly, Carol's family suffered a frightening and destructive house fire. That fire consumed the Twig medal she received in 2008. I am honored and privileged to give Carol this Twig medal, engraved with her name and with the year 2008.

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NFB Pledge

I pledge to participate actively in the efforts of the National Federation of the Blind to achieve equality, opportunity, and security for the blind; to support the policies and programs of the Federation; and to abide by its constitution.
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