[Colorado-Talk] The Braille Monitor, May 2022
Curtis Chong
chong.curtis at gmail.com
Tue May 3 17:54:39 UTC 2022
The Braille Monitor, May 2022
BRAILLE MONITOR
Vol. 65, No. 5 May 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
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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
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Vol. 65, No. 5 May 2022
Contents
Illustration: Welcome to Truth or Consequences
New Orleans Site of 2022 Convention
by John Berggren
Welcoming Participants to the 2022 Jacobus tenBroek Law Symposium
by Mark Riccobono
Dan Parker and the National Federation of the Blind Make History
Chapter Chatter: Listen, Speak, Repeat
by Christine Faltz Grassman
True Vision
by Richard Ensign
The Quest for a COVID-19 Test
by Valerie Yingling
Resolution and Concerted Action: Colorado Business Enterprise Program in Disarray
by Kevan Worley
Light in Darkness: My Journey through Depression
by Rachel Grider
A Part of the Blind Community Assists—Bringing Technology to Help in a Time of Crisis
Commenting Without Committing: A Reminder that Members Are Part of “They”
by Gary Wunder and Danielle McCann
Announcing the 2022 NAGDU National Convention Sponsorship
by Stacie Gallegos
What do I Really Want from a Self-driving Car: Reflections on the Less Dramatic and Life-Changing Impact of Control
by Gary Wunder
Power Up—Double Your Dollars in the Give $20 Gift Matching Campaign with HumanWare
Resolution Reminders
by Sharon Maneki
The Russian Translator from Montan
by Peggy Chong
Van Hollen, Hyde-Smith, Peters, Portman Make Bipartisan Push for Independent Investigation into USPS Delivery of Free Materials for the Blind & Physically Handicapped
Our Beloved Charlie Brown
Modeling a Positive Philosophy on Blindness Today for the Teachers of Tomorrow
by Karen Anderson
Recipes
Monitor Miniatures
[PHOTO/CAPTION: President Riccobono, Anil Lewis, Pam and Roland Allen pose for a picture at the Welcome to Truth or Consequences town sign.
[PHOTO/CAPTION: Leaders follow the metal wall that continues to rise as they get closer to the Gateway to Space building.
[PHOTO/CAPTION: Group shot of Dan Parker—holding his GWR certificate—his crew, and the NFB leadership and staff at the Guinness World Record attempt. The Guinness World Records official smiles along with the group.
Welcome to Truth or Consequences
When leaders of the National Federation of the Blind visited Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, for the Blind Driver Challenge, we did not just sit on the bleachers as spectators. Truth or Consequences, also known as T or C, is a small resort town with a year-round population of slightly more than six thousand, and it got its name in 1950 as part of a publicity scheme to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Ralph Edwards’s hugely successful game show on NBC radio. It’s also home of Spaceport America, which is the location of the recent Blind Driver Challenge efforts.
Spaceport America has six thousand square miles of restricted airspace, low population density, a twelve thousand-foot by two-hundred-foot runway, vertical launch complexes, and the world’s first purpose-built space terminal, Virgin Galactic’s “Gateway to Space.” The Gateway to Space terminal is dug into the desert on one side with two floors of the building primarily focused on spaceflight operations. Federation leaders explored the unique building’s visitor gallery and the runway to where the Guinness World Records title was achieved.
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[PHOTO CAPTION: John Berggren]
[PHOTO CAPTION: Convention Hotel]
New Orleans Site of 2022 Convention
by John Berggren
The 2022 Convention of the National Federation of the Blind will take place in New Orleans, Louisiana, July 5 to July 10, at the New Orleans Marriott at 555 Canal Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70130. You can reserve a room now at the Marriott by calling 855-821-4288, ensuring you’ll be in our headquarters hotel. If you wish to stay in our overflow hotel directly across Canal Street, call 855-516-1090 to book a room at the Sheraton New Orleans. When booking your room with either hotel, tell the reservations agent that our group is listed as “NFB Convention.”
The nightly rate for both the Marriott and the Sheraton is $109 for singles and doubles. Triples and quads can be booked for $119 per night. You should also anticipate the combined sales tax and tourism support rate of 16.2 percent, and note there is a hotel occupancy fee of $3.00 per night.
Both hotels will take a deposit of the first night’s room rate, taxes, and fees and will require a credit card or a personal check. If you use a credit card, the deposit will be charged against your card immediately. If a reservation is cancelled before Monday, June 1, 2022, half of the deposit will be returned. Refunds will not be issued for cancellations made beyond that date.
The hotels sit astride the storied Canal Street at 555 and 500 Canal Street respectively, only blocks from the mighty Mississippi River and even closer to the historic French Quarter. Both hotels offer a range of dining options as well as twenty-four-hour fitness centers. You’ll find a rooftop pool at the Marriott while the Sheraton features a Starbucks in its atrium lobby.
The schedule for the 2022 convention is:
Tuesday, July 5 Seminar Day
Wednesday, July 6 Registration and Resolutions Day
Thursday, July 7 Board Meeting and Division Day
Friday, July 8 Opening Session
Saturday, July 9 Business Session
Sunday, July 10 Banquet Day and Adjournment
The health of our members is of paramount importance as we plan for our first in-person convention in three years. Both of our convention hotels are committed to ensuring the safety of guests and have implemented cleaning protocols and elevated practices to deliver on this commitment. The National Federation of the Blind will continually monitor masking policies, vaccination requirements, and other health guidelines that may apply to our convention. Updates will be shared with members throughout the months leading up to convention, so members can plan accordingly.
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[PHOTO CAPTION: Mark Riccobono]
Welcoming Participants to the 2022 Jacobus tenBroek Law Symposium
by Mark Riccobono
>From the Editor: Every two years the National Federation of the Blind gathers the best legal minds on disability, race relations, and other practitioners who work on advancing civil rights to share their thoughts about the current state of the law and what we must do to advance the cause of equality of opportunity and equity for all. It is our intent to deliver several in-depth articles about this year’s symposium, “The Right of People with Disabilities to Live in a World of Pandemics, Political Polarization, and Natural Disasters.” Please look for those in coming issues. President Riccobono opened the event with these moving remarks:
Thank you very much, Lou Ann. I appreciate the introduction, and it's great to be together with everybody again for this law symposium. It's always a great honor to gather together with everybody to kick this event off.
The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future and that every day we raise the expectations of blind people because we recognize that low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams, that you can live the life you want, and that blindness is not what holds you back.
The title for our symposium this year has some obvious implications, and the fact that the essential struggle to ensure the rights of people with disabilities are maintained and our dignity is not diminished is really at the core of what you all work with on a daily basis. While the difficulties and the circumstances that we've faced have affected all Americans today, we recognize that the impact on people with disabilities has been even more significant because of the low expectations that exist. And because of those struggles, the potential for diminishing resources that are targeted at the work of this community has been a real threat. Your continued work to ensure that people with disabilities continue to be recognized and receive the support they need to live the lives they want is really important, and I want to thank you for the work that you all are doing in that regard.
My screen reader is telling me everybody who has joined. It's great to hear the crowd that has come in.
There is an even stronger bond implied in the title of our symposium this year. Like all good movements, disability rights is a movement of ordinary people coming together to overcome extraordinary barriers. Despite the pandemic, political polarization, natural disasters, and war, the community here is contributing and continues to contribute to persist in advocating for the rights, respect, understanding, and achievements of a significant class of people who would otherwise be left behind if not completely forgotten in certain corners of our society. This movement seeks not to stand simply outside of other movements, but this movement works to demonstrate that disability, very uniquely amongst all other movements, really touches all of the civil rights movements that are recognized in society.
This morning I'm compelled to imagine how poorly equipped our nation and really the global community would have been to navigate the difficult times that we have been through without the meaningful contributions of people with disabilities, as amplified by the work that happens in the disability rights movement. This symposium is designed to bring together those seeking to make the movement even stronger and, through collective action, to amplify the everyday voices, hopes, dreams, and struggles of people with disabilities in a way that improves society for all of us.
Given the past couple of years and the difficult circumstances they have brought, it's hard sometimes to be optimistic about where we are and what the future might hold. But I for one—and I hope you share this sentiment—I am filled with hope. Why? Well, because our community of activists continues to come together in our Disability Law Symposium to keep marching forward, to keep the focus on where we want to go, and on what we want to do to keep disability at the center of these conversations.
I want to thank you for continuing to give me and so many others hope through the work that you do on a daily basis to strengthen and build the movement in which we all have the honor of participating. Your commitment and persistence makes a real difference, and you're building this space that we share. It makes such a difference to the work that we can do in the disability rights space and to many people with disabilities who haven't otherwise found support. Too often the value they bring has not been recognized in those corners where they live. But you and your work help them to know that their life and their contributions make a difference and inspires them to pursue their dreams. So thank you for the work that you do.
I want to say thank you to a couple of others before we move on this morning. I want to thank our steering committee. If you have suggestions of people who should be considered for the future for our steering committee, please send those to us. Thank you to this year's steering committee, including Zainab Alkebsi from the National Association of the Deaf; Selene Almazan from the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates; Tim Elder from TRE Legal; Deepa Goraya from the Delaware Department of Justice; Jasmine Harris from the University of Pennsylvania Law School; Sharon Krevor-Weisbaum from Brown, Goldstein & Levy; Cathy Kudlick from San Francisco State University; Scott LaBarre from the National Federation of the Blind; Kathy Martinez from the AAPD; and Silvia Yee from Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund.
Thank you also to our presenters and those who are contributing by doing work behind the scenes as Zoom hosts or working on the captioning or other aspects of our meeting.
This symposium has been made possible by our generous sponsors, whom I would like to thank for contributing to this law symposium. At the gold level, Brown, Goldstein & Levy. At the silver level, Rosen, Bien, Galvan & Grunfeld. At the bronze level, we have the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law; the Burton Blatt Institute; Derby, McGuinness & Goldsmith, LLP; LaBarre Law Offices; Rosenberg, Martin, Greenberg LLP; and Whiteford Taylor Preston LLP.
At the white cane level, we would like to thank the Law School Admissions Council for your support. Thank you to all of our sponsors for helping to make this gathering possible.
Before we get underway, I wanted to acknowledge the work that we're doing in the National Federation of the Blind as part of the global community of blind people to bring together individuals to support blind people who have been displaced by the horrific actions happening in the Ukraine. We are participating in a concert called “We're with U,” with funds for the World Blind Union in what has been designated as the Ukrainian Unity Fund. So I want to raise up to you that on April 16th there will be a global benefit concert with the blind communities coming together to raise funds for this Unity Fund. You can learn more about the activities, how you can get involved as a performer, and how you can contribute by going to our website at www.nfb.org/blindwithu <http://www.nfb.org/blindwithu> . That's the letter U. You can also follow the hashtag #blindwithu on social media. I encourage you to join these or other organizations helping those impacted by the activities in the Ukraine. I know that's just one of the many things we'll be talking about at this symposium, so thank you for your time—looking forward to our first presentation.
Have a great week, and thank you for contributing to this community.
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[PHOTO CAPTION: Dan Parker]
Dan Parker and the National Federation of the Blind Make History
>From the Editor: Reprinted here substantially as written is a press release highlighting the speed record broken by Federationist Dan Parker. In the June issue we will feature an article with a lot more detail, and we know it will be good because its author is Chris Danielsen. In the meantime, enjoy the news that was released to the press shortly after this historic event:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dan Parker, a Blind Man,
Breaks Driving Speed Record
Truth or Consequences, New Mexico (April 5, 2022): Dan Parker, a blind racecar driver, achieved the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS® title for the “Fastest Speed for a Car Driven Blindfolded” on Thursday, March 31. Parker set a new speed record of 211.043 miles per hour on the runway at Spaceport America in his custom-built Corvette, which included an innovative audio guidance system designed to his specifications. The previous record was held by Mike Newman of the United Kingdom, who achieved a speed of 200.51 miles per hour in 2014. Parker went blind as the result of a racing accident that took place ten years before, on March 31, 2012, and graduated from the Louisiana Center for the Blind seven years ago on March 31 as well. The record attempt was made as part of the acceleration of the National Federation of the Blind’s Blind Driver Challenge™, an initiative that aims to call attention to the importance of breaking barriers in mobility and to demonstrate the incredible achievements of blind people. It was sponsored by San Francisco-based zero emission self-driving company Cruise and certified by Guinness World Records official Michael Empric.
The effort built on the inaugural Blind Driver Challenge event that took place on January 29, 2011, when Mark Riccobono, now President of the National Federation of the Blind, independently operated a modified Ford Escape hybrid on the Daytona International Speedway Road Course. Mr. Riccobono navigated the course’s turns and steered the car around dynamic obstacles by following haptic prompts generated by input from the vehicle’s GPS, cameras, and LIDAR sensors.
“Our Daytona Blind Driver Challenge demonstration changed the perceptions of blindness held by society, including the perceptions that we ourselves held as blind people,” said Mark Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind. “It further demonstrated to the world that the expertise of the blind is critical to the development of nonvisual vehicle interfaces. NFB member Dan Parker has now raised the expectations of blind people even higher by independently driving a vehicle faster than any blind person has done before, proving that the combination of accessible technology and our own capacity allows blind people to safely operate motor vehicles even at high speed. This demonstration reinforces our determination to work with Cruise and other partners to make cars that can be operated independently by blind people on America’s roadways a reality. Transportation is a critical barrier faced by blind people across the nation, and we seek the increased availability of all transportation options in order to successfully live the lives we want.”
Dan Parker said: “With the help of my Federation family, my outstanding pit crew, and our partners at Cruise, I am proud to bring the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for fastest speed for a car driven blindfolded to America. We have not only demonstrated that a blind person can operate a vehicle safely but that we can do it at over two hundred miles per hour. We hope this success inspires blind people and shows the world the potential of modern technology like self-driving cars to help the blind break barriers in everyday mobility and beyond.”
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[PHOTO CAPTION: Christine Faltz Grassman]
Chapter Chatter: Listen, Speak, Repeat
by Christine Faltz Grassman
>From the Editor: Christine Faltz Grassman is a native New Yorker who moved to Virginia three years ago to take a job as a conflict resolution specialist in the federal government. She has been active in the Federation for thirty-five years and is the president of the Potomac Chapter of the NFB of Virginia and a Project RISE mentor. A 1987 scholarship recipient, Christine is an attorney and teacher, a member of her community’s Emergency Response team, and is a secular celebrant certified by the Center for Inquiry. She lives with her spouse, Gary Grassman, and their ruler, a Norwegian forest cat named Pixie. Here is the first in what I hope will be many such articles:
"One of the hardest things in life is having words in your heart that you can't utter."
—James Earl Jones
As individuals and as members of the NFB community, a significant focus over the past few years has been ensuring safety for ourselves and our diverse community. One of the elements of this effort is bystander intervention: learning ways that you can intervene when you witness a problem in which an individual or several individuals are harassed, bullied, or otherwise placed in physical or other jeopardy.
It is difficult to be the person who decides to step in. It could get messy. What if the person turns on you? What if you are misunderstanding the situation? What if you make it worse? How can one stand up for another if one cannot stand up for one’s self?
Before you can become an effective advocate, ally, or intervener, you must be one for yourself. When you are comfortable (or comfortable enough) in your own skin and with your own voice, it is much easier to step in and be there for others.
Of course, you may be an extremely introverted person who just is not someone who speaks up, even when something bothers you or if you think something else might be done more efficiently or effectively. You might feel, for the most part, quite happy with who you are and how you handle things, and if this is so, that is fine; those who care about you and know you well will realize that.
I want those of you who feel silenced, unheard, or uncomfortable to consider what is lost when you do not speak up, when you speak up or react confrontationally, or when you decide you do not want to bother any longer, and we lose your voice, your perspective, your strength and skills.
You are at a chapter meeting. Someone says something about how much more difficult it is for a blind woman than for a blind man to receive assistance in a store when shopping. You are a blind woman, and you think this is ridiculous. Just because this person has trouble doesn’t mean it is because she is a blind woman. You do not have trouble receiving assistance when you go out. You are sick of the whining, the statements you deem to be overblown victimhood. You want to yell out something like “Stop it already. Enough!”
While I do not recommend that strategy, healthy, respectful, and fruitful debate of such issues makes communication and collaboration stronger while fostering a spirit of honesty and bringing all to a place where they can get past hindrances and find common ground. It is excellent practice to expose others to differing points of view and to have them do the same for you. As long as the discussions are thoughtful and honest, and if you talk to the person the way you wish to be talked to, this is a wonderful mechanism for clarifying priorities and strengthening relationships in a group that must marshal its resources toward common goals that help all of us.
How might you direct this discussion to something fruitful? “Excuse me,” you might say, “I have not really witnessed a difference in the treatment of blind women or blind men when I am out shopping. It is true that salespeople might have to be sought out rather than their coming to us, but I think this is true for any blind person. People just do not know how to approach us sometimes.”
“No, no,” you are informed, “It happens all the time. I hear of it often. It’s definitely worse for women.”
How might you steer this forward?
“How can we actually know that?” you might ask. “Has anyone actually compiled statistics, any sort of data on this, even informally? Are there studies or surveys? Have people been interviewed?”
One of you is definitively stating something as a fact, as something obvious, as something with which she believes there is no quarrel and no other perspective. You, on the other hand, are requesting data; you want proof for this assertion. You are not making it personal.
This does not, of course, prevent her from taking it personally or from feeling attacked. That is not your problem, since you did not belittle her, cast aspersions, or tell her to be quiet and stop making a fuss about something so trivial.
It is often the way we deliver our opposition to an idea—or our challenges to what another might state as obvious to all—which often creates problems. If you sound impatient or angry, or if you and the individual often clash on issues, you or she may be tempted to take this all personally, which helps neither of you and sets the chapter back.
Past relationships, past arguments, or various alliances might lead to factionalization and an “us” and “them” situation, which can be fatal to groups large and small.
If you are angry, upset, or if you feel yourself cringing or otherwise physiologically aggravated, take a deep breath before you decide to say anything. Think about the most neutral way to frame your question or addition to the discussion. If someone responded to you the way you are about to respond, how would you feel? Would you become defensive? Would others perceive your response as reasonable? Where do you want to take this discussion? Do you want to “win” points or humiliate someone you deem an “opponent,” or are you more interested in hashing things out in a level-headed and meaningful way? If you and this individual are typically at odds, are you doing this simply to get under her skin? If there are new or potential members at the meeting, will the manner in which the discussion progresses frighten them away and leave them with a poor impression of the chapter, affiliate, or the entire organization?
You must be clear about your motivations, whether you have something constructive to say, and how it will be perceived both in the short and the long term. You do not want to alienate; you want to generate.
No one does any of this perfectly, but everyone can improve their communication skills, especially when it comes to thorny topics and situations. Speak up, and allow others to speak up. Listen to each other, really listen. Answer what is actually put out there for discussion; do not bring in tangential topics or try to derail the discussion because you do not like where it is going. Remain respectful. If you become too upset or angry, state that you would like to have time to consider the subject further, but you feel a break would be beneficial. Keep in mind that, if you do this often, it will appear to be a stalling mechanism and will manifest as not wanting to communicate better.
The larger a group gets, the more complicated relationships and communication become. It is vital, however, that there is ample opportunity for practice of such skills. In my next post, I will discuss how others can assist when things go awry during a chapter meeting discussion.
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True Vision
by Richard Ensign
>From the Editor: Richard has a long friendship with Ken Duke, who is a longtime leader in our Utah Affiliate. The relationship goes beyond friends since Ken is Richard’s brother-in-law. Here is what Ken has to say about an event dreamed up by Ken that took place in September of 2021. Enjoy the ride:
Ken Duke, who is an NFB of Utah board member and also the Salt Lake Chapter president, sets his sights high in everything he does even though he was born with a disease leading to blindness called retinitis pigmentosa. Ken is a true visionary and dreamer when it comes to setting lofty goals. Apparently completing fifty-eight marathons and five RAGNARS was not challenging enough. He wanted to plan something even more ambitious, and as his friend and brother-in-law, I got invited to go along for the ride.
For the past twenty years, Ken has been the president and board member of the Achilles International Utah Chapter. I love the symbolism in the story of this Greek god since Achilles was a perfect specimen except for his darn heal. Like Achilles, each member of this organization has one or more challenges such as amputation, cancer, or vision. Yet through great determination and grit, each seems to rise above their trials to become stronger.
Ken has been a big part of helping individuals set ambitious goals and then helping them reach them. About six months ago, he approached me with one of his hairbrained ideas. He thought it would be fun to bike 365 miles over five days to St. George, Utah, and then run 26.2 miles after only one day of rest. I thought he was joking at first, but he was dead serious.
Over the next few weeks and months, he began recruiting our team. This team consisted of six blind riders, six bike captains, and our support staff or SAG. He also secured the use of six tandem bikes.
By definition, a tandem is a bicycle in which two people work in partnership or conjunction to ride. Our tandems were a lot like the people that rode them—all different; yet somehow, we worked together to make this miracle happen. These bikes were different colors, makes, and designs. Some were newer and others faster. Each member of our team was also unique. We had contractors, computer engineers, firemen, and substitute teachers. We had athletes as well as beginner riders.
The story I would like to tell is not about the ride but rather the journey and what I learned along the way. I left Salt Lake last week telling family and friends I was riding with six blind people. Now I tell people I rode with six amazing, inspiring, determined individuals who happened to be blind. My attitude toward disabilities changed as I got to know each one of them a little better. I began to see them for who they are instead of for their disability. I hope you can too. Here is their story.
Lexie Eddington was born in Romania in 1991 to a young Turkish mother but was immediately given up for adoption. Lucky for her, she was adopted by a loving mother and raised in Evanston, Wyoming. With a graduating class of only ninty-nine, she had plenty of opportunities to shine as she ran track and was a cheerleader.
I met Lexie about a month before our event for our first serious ride. It was an eighty-mile mountainous course, where we climbed over four thousand vertical feet. The event was called the Summit Challenge and was sponsored by the National Ability Center in Park City, Utah. Prior to this event, the farthest Lexie had ridden was only thirty miles. Most of her training was sitting on a stationary bike in the gym.
Lexie is one of the most positive, bubbly people I have ever met. She is also a talker. Mile after mile I got to learn about her family, her substitute teaching, and her love life. She told me about her best dates as well as her worst. Story after story entertained me as we pedaled from town to town.
On our last day, we were in a particularly bad stretch of road. I was doing everything I could to concentrate on not hitting the rumble strip as well as staying out of the way of the speeding semis while we flew down the road. We had not said much over the course of ten minutes when Lexie finally broke the silence and said, "I guess after five days of riding we've run out of things to talk about." This made me laugh since I was just trying to stay alive at that point.
Once we got out of danger, we started up our conversation again. Every time we hit a hill, Lexie would blurt out, "We got this. We're going to dominate this hill!" She never complained and always had a positive attitude. She told me at least a hundred times how wonderful I was and how much she appreciated me. How can you not like someone who praises you like that?
My greatest joy of the ride was seeing the love and support that Lexie received from her family at the finish line. Her ninety-year-old grandparents as well as her sister and brother-in-law had driven down from Salt Lake to cheer her on. Her mother Jan spent the week following us from stop to stop as a member of the SAG team offering support and encouragement. Lexie told me that she is a "mama's girl," and I could tell they truly loved each other. Lexie taught me about being positive, the importance of family, and a little bit about swearing when we hit the rumble strips.
Stephanie and Nick Cordova are Irish twins. They were born eleven months apart with Stephanie being the older, wiser blind sister. I did not talk to them as much as Lexie, but I did admire them from afar. After day two I thought that they might want to quit. They struggled over those eighty-one miles and looked exhausted at the end. However, the next morning they were back on their bikes ready to roll with a determined look in their eyes.
Nick and Stephanie had bike issues throughout the ride. Their chain kept falling off at the most inopportune times. We even gave them the nickname of the "chain gang." Through it all they never complained and pushed through.
This brother/sister duo taught me several lessons. You hear about siblings that grow apart as they get older. I could tell that Nick and Stephanie have grown closer together as they serve one another. They are not complainers. They were not the fastest of all the groups, but they were certainly steady and are not quitters. At the end of the ride, Stephanie posted a special shout out to her brother, thanking him for always being willing to join her and being so supportive.
[PHOTO CAPTION: Terri and Aaron Rupp with their kids, Marley and Jackson.]
Terri and Aaron Rupp joined us from the Las Vegas Chapter, and we are really glad they did. Not only did they supply one of the coolest camper vans ever made, but they also brought a lot of encouragement and fun. Aaron is an excellent cook and spent a lot of time sharing his skills with us. He is a fireman/EMT and had lots of entertaining stories and dance moves. I especially liked the story about what he did with his grandpa's inheritance money. I am pretty sure grandpa may be rolling over in his grave.
Terri's background is incredibly inspiring. Her family had to flee Cambodia because of the Pol Pot regime in the 1970s. Terri was born in Thailand in a refugee camp, and then her family immigrated to the United States when she was very young. Both Terri and her young daughter have the same eye condition. Terri sits on several national boards, including the board of the National Federation of the Blind. She has spent countless hours traveling the country speaking and motivating others.
One story that stood out to me is that when she travels through airports, many people offer help in well-intended but inappropriate ways. Some people talk excessively loudly as if she is deaf, or they bring a wheelchair to push her around. She will typically put her suitcase in the wheelchair and begin to walk toward the departure gate using her cane. She wants people to realize she can do almost anything. She has even run a hundred miler!
Terri and Aaron taught me that with or without sight you can enjoy life to the fullest. They camp, bike, run, and hike almost every month. She is teaching her daughter by example that anything is possible if you put your mind to it, and that you can have a great time along the way.
Gail Yarker and Tyler Fredsall met each other just a week or two before the ride. Gail currently lives in St. George and had only trained a few times with her seventy-four-year-old father on an e-bike, so we were a little nervous for her. Luckily, Tyler ran track in college and is in excellent shape, which made for a great pair. Gail is a kindhearted, softspoken person which I'm sure served her well as a nurse until her vision declined. One fun memory of the ride is seeing Gail's dog at the finish line. This dog loved Gail and had missed her over the past five days!
Tyler's story is inspiring as well. He moved to Utah from Connecticut seven years ago to learn how to ski. Most single guys seem to be more concerned about themselves, but Tyler is always looking for ways to serve others. He ran a race back East, where he was so inspired by an Achilles athlete that when he arrived in Utah, he went to the effort to look up the Achilles Utah chapter and reached out to see how he could help. He has been involved for four years now guiding runners around Sugarhouse Park most Saturdays. He is also very talented and funny; he entertained us with voice impressions of Yoda and Forest Gump among others.
Tyler must have learned his serving ways from his incredible parents. Ed and Rosalee Fredsall flew out all the way from Florida to help with the SAG team. They kept us hydrated along the road as well as providing help in fixing our flats. Over the course of five days, there were thirteen flats and three tires destroyed, so their help and tools were lifesavers.
What I learned from Tyler and his parents is that serving others is easy if you love it. I could tell serving brings them great joy. Gail taught me a little about faith and determination. With very little training, she trusted Tyler and did not back out like some others. She also never complained. In the end she wrote "My deepest gratitude to each and every one of you on this epic adventure. I enjoyed every moment from start to finish."
Steve and Becky Andrews were the veteran team of our group. They both have been riding tandems for many years and recently returned from a two hundred mile training ride across Missouri. However, when they were first learning to ride (with clip peddles) many years ago, their tandem fell over and Becky broke her arm. Not to be discouraged, a few weeks later she got back on and fell again, this time breaking the other arm! You would think one would see that as a bad omen and quit, but not Becky. She replaced the clip peddles with baskets and has been riding ever since.
Steve also inspired me as he was the oldest of the group at age sixty-three. I am not far behind him, so it gave me hope. Steve and Becky reminded me of the children's story "The Tortoise and the Hare." There were multiple times that Lexie and I passed them on a hill, only to be passed up when we were resting at the top. These guys never quit! They just kept plodding along until they reached their destination.
Steve and Becky have taught me that when you fall, you get back up. I also learned that sometimes "slow and steady wins the race." They seem to live their life this way and have accomplished a lot along the way. They both are successful business owners; Becky is a published author and they have successfully raised several kids (and guide dogs).
Ken Duke and Ben Alvord were the masterminds behind this event. Ken was the dreamer, but Ben was right behind him figuring out all the details and logistics. They made an excellent team both on and off the bike.
Ken has been inspiring me for over thirty years. We have run, skied, and climbed mountains together, but we have also laughed, mourned, and listened to each other's challenges for most of our adult lives. Ken is a true friend and has taught me a great deal about how to handle adversity. He is the reason why I have completed eighteen marathons; I have never run one without him. I would say he is my guide and mentor as he helps me see life through another's prospective.
Ken has told me several times that Ben is the true hero of this event. He mapped out the route, ordered the shirts, thought of the idea for the medals, and even spent a weekend with Ken driving the course a few months ago. Ben has sacrificed a lot to train with Ken over the past several years and has become a good friend to Ken and me.
What did I learn from Ken and Ben? I learned that some crazy ideas are worth pursuing, that hard work and planning pay off, and that we should not let anything like not having sight get in the way of our dreams.
Conclusion: Each morning Ken would lead us in a group cheer before we headed off on our seventy-mile ride. We would all follow Ken's lead as he yelled at the top of his lungs, "You got to want it!" We all laughed about it, but in reality, this has been Ken's motto his whole life. He sets his sights high and goes for it each day against all odds. He typically accomplishes his goals if he wants to badly enough.
I love the coincidence that the ride was 365 miles, since it is the same as the number of days in a year. To me, this ride seemed like a metaphor for life. We experienced rain, sun, hills, valleys, good times, and bad. When we hit a hill, I would tell Lexie, "What goes up, must come down." So it is with life. I am convinced we all have different challenges in life. Some are physical, like blindness, but others are emotional or mental. We just need to remember there is hope on the other side of the hill.
What did I learn from this ride and run? That not everything you think is impossible is. I thought there was absolutely no way I would be able to run a full marathon after riding my bike to St. George. I had not trained because of a foot injury and had not run over five miles in a year. Yet, Ken was gently persistent and got me registered and to the starting line. I had to do the running, but it took Ken to give me that little extra push and encouragement, and I am glad that he did.
I also learned once again that people with disabilities have a lot to add to this life. I was inspired by the attitude, tenacity, drive, and passion of each of the six riders who completed this journey. Hopefully, this is something they will remember the rest of their lives, and it will act as a springboard for other goals and aspirations they might have.
Finally, I learned that synergy is a real thing. Our little band of riders and support staff were greater than adding our number would indicate. We lifted each other up and became better people because of it. I am grateful that I was able to share this experience with these amazing individuals and be inspired by their example of not letting anything get in their way—not even a little 365-mile bike ride and marathon.
The Quest for a COVID-19 Test
by Valerie Yingling
>From the Editor: As a national representative, I repeat no telephone number more than the one that rings Valerie. She is friendly, thorough, and competent. We couldn’t have a better person to handle the many legal issues she does, and an added benefit is that she writes articles such as this one. Here is what she has to say about COVID testing:
NFB of Nebraska member Barbara Loos was pleased to learn recently that the Nebraska Health Department was developing a process to distribute at-home COVID-19 tests for school, business, or personal use. She was eager to offer her assistance when asked to trial the system and its accessibility features. But when the Health Department brought her an inaccessible Abbott Binax test and when the online proctor she engaged through Abbott’s NAVICA system disconnected their chat after Barbara explained that she was blind and that she did not have sighted in-home assistance to help her correctly place the solution drops on her test card, Barbara was less than pleased. She understood that her state’s health department and Abbott had failed to consider how blind people can access at-home COVID tests.
Barbara has been advocating to her state for accessible in-home COVID testing solutions since August 2020 and has documented the experience as her “Quest for a Test.”
Securing at-home COVID-19 tests that blind people can use privately and independently should not be a quest, neither should finding accessible instructions for these tests or connecting with adequate live-remote support for administering the tests. As our nation, states, and municipalities shift focus to at-home testing as a way to prevent transmission of COVID-19, blind people must be afforded equal access to these critical tests.
NFB has highlighted in this publication the work we’ve done at the national level to advocate for equal access to COVID tests. Through our advocacy we have connected with resources at the National Institutes of Health, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and Administration for Community Living, among other agencies. We are providing feedback during listening sessions and training on blindness and the NFB for federal call center employees. Yet, there is still not a process in place for distributing accessible at-home tests to blind Americans.
Our path does not serve the singular goal of receiving equal access to federal services. The work we’ve done lays foundation for NFB affiliate and member advocacy in your town, school, county, or state for these potentially life-saving tests, and we urge you to reference the national organization’s work in your own advocacy.
How to Advocate
Tests
At-home COVID-19 tests should be privately and independently usable by the blind. Tests that rely on the user visually interpreting the result, be it a colored line or some other mark, do not meet these criteria. The NFB has reviewed the majority of FDA-approved tests and determined that the following tests in their current format require visual interpretation and cannot be used independently by blind Americans:
* DiaTrust COVID-19 test
* InteliSwab COVID-19 Rapid Test
* BinaxNOW COVID-19 Antigen Self Test
* Intrivo Diagnostics, Inc.’s On/Go Rapid COVID Test
* BD Veritor At-Home COVID-19 Test
* CareStart COVID-19 Antigen Home Test
* Flowflex COVID-19 Antigen Home Test
* iHealth COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test
* QuickVue At-Home OTC COVID-19 Test
The following two tests can be administered nonvisually, but they require a smartphone to upload and access test results:
* Cue Health’s COVID-19 Test
* Ellume COVID-19 Home Test
If your local government is procuring tests for residents, you can urge officials to make these accessible tests available to blind individuals. Though these tests can be more expensive than the inaccessible versions, the costs would not constitute an undue burden.
Virtual Assistance
Regardless of which test you use, if your local government makes available virtual or call center assistance for tests takers, then this service must be equally available to blind residents. Nonvisual instructions should be presented, and the representative should not demand that you locate sighted assistance to help you with the test.
Template Letter
The NFB has created a sample letter you can use or modify for your advocacy, available at https://nfb.org/resources/covid-19-resources/covid-19-home-test-information/template-letter-your-state-secretary. Please coordinate with your affiliate and chapter president if you intend to send a letter to your local government officials.
In the Meantime
Advocacy takes time, and we know that the coronavirus does not wait. Should you need or want to take an at-home COVID-19 test before your local government or the federal government begins distributing accessible tests, there is support in place. The NFB has gathered resources at https://nfb.org/resources/covid-19-resources/covid-19-home-test-information and on NFB-NEWSLINE, including the contact information for the federal Disability Information and Assistance Line (DIAL), 888-677-1199 and dial at usaginganddisability.org <mailto:dial at usaginganddisability.org> , and information about Aira support for at-home COVID-19 test takers.
Share Your Experience
Understanding your experiences is a critical part of our collective efforts to create systemic change. Please take time to let us know about your experience with at-home COVID-19 tests by completing NFB’s Access to COVID-19 Vaccine and Testing Survey, available at https://nfb.org/programs-services/legal-program/access-covid-19-vaccine-and-testing-survey.
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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, and
* 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, and
* 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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[PHOTO CAPTION: Kevan Worley]
Resolution and Concerted Action: Colorado Business Enterprise Program in Disarray
by Kevan Worley
>From the Editor: Kevan Worley is a longtime Federationist and leader. He is well known for his work on our Independence March, his leadership in the National Association of Blind Merchants, and his service as a national representative. He wears many hats, one of them being a blind merchant. Here is what he said in the March issue of The Blind Coloradan:
The Blind Coloradan Blog has been relatively silent regarding the Colorado Business Enterprise Program over the past year. We have heard from operators and staff about challenges that are seemingly crippling the program from meeting both its statutory and human mission. As members of our Federation may recall, at its 2019 in-person convention this affiliate unanimously passed a resolution expressing our concerns about the lack of transparency, lack of progress, and lack of active participation in the Business Enterprise Program. At that time no progress had been made to meet the expectations of the general assembly that passed a sweeping piece of legislation in 2016 that should have dramatically expanded the program. (Note, after the passage of HB 16-1048, with the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) under the stewardship of the then-director of the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (DLE) Ellen Golombek and the director of DVR Steve Anton, a group of blind operators, staff, and other stakeholders was convened to develop the procedures and marketing efforts to expand the program consistent with the legislative mandate. However, changes in management and staff at the agency left that initiative moribund.)
[Taken from the Colorado Legislature]: (HB 16-1048 Expand Scope Business Enterprise Program. Concerning modifications to the Business Enterprise Program to be administered by the Department of Labor and Employment under its authority to administer Vocational Rehabilitation programs. Governor Signed 5/4/16 Sponsors: Representatives Primavera and Lundberg).
Following our 2019 resolution, our then-president, Scott LaBarre, had at least two meetings with the director of the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, Joe Barela, to express the concerns of our organization. Those meetings extensively focused on the manner in which the elected committee of blind operators was being excluded from having a significant role in the hiring of management and staff. Judging from the motion and resolution passed by the elected operators committee on March 18 of this year, little has changed in the program. (Note, Joe Barela remains the director of The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, CDLE).
Resolution and Motion
Elected Committee of Blind Operators
Adopted on March 18, 2022
WHEREAS, the Colorado Department of Labor, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, Blindness and Low Vision Services Unit, Business Enterprise Program (BLVS-BEP), also known as the State Licensing Agency (SLA), is subject to the Randolph-Sheppard Act (Act), 20 U.S.C. § 107 et seq.; and
WHEREAS, the Act mandates that the SLA actively participate with the elected committee of blind operators in all “major administrative decisions and policy and program development” of the Program, 20 U.S.C. § 107b-1(3); and
WHEREAS, currently, the position of Lead Business Consultant is vacant and needs to be filled carefully for the health of the Program; and
WHEREAS, next to the BEP Manager, the Lead Business Consultant is absolutely critical to the effective management of the Program, making the hiring of the Lead Business Consultant a “major administrative decision” for which the Act mandates that the SLA actively participate with the Elected Operators; and
WHEREAS, upon information and belief, there may be an effort by the SLA to fill this position internally and not go through a full employment search where the Elected Committee and operators would have input on such an important hiring decision which would be a violation of the Act: Now, therefore
Be It Resolved by the Elected Committee of Blind Operators of Colorado that we urge the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment through BLVS-BEP to engage a full employment search and process to identify and hire the next Lead Business Consultant; and
Be It Further Resolved that pursuant to the Randolph-Sheppard Act’s mandate of active participation, we insist that the Department through BLVS-BEP fully engage the Elected Committee in the process to search for and hire the next Lead Business Consultant in compliance with the Randolph-Sheppard Act.
By way of full disclosure, yours truly has been somewhat reluctant to write about the Business Enterprise Program for fear of reprisal. I am a licensed operator doing business under the program. Moreover, it must be said that, in large part, the program has met its responsibility to continue to pursue the military dining contracts at the Air Force Academy and Schriever Air Force Base. There have been no overt threats against me or other operators for our advocacy.
As we go to post, Krista Hedlund, manager of Blindness and Low Vision Services (BLVS), has responded to the operators’ resolution above, although she was not willing to clearly and forthrightly discuss the hiring of a new lead business consultant with the operators on Thursday, March 17, citing what she said was the necessity for her to get clearance to do so from State Human Resources. This posture seemed odd to committee participants and other long-time observers of state government. It seemed to lend credence to the Federation’s assertion of a complete lack of transparency and lack of an inclusive welcoming culture in the program. From the perspective of leading operators, the formalized mechanism for the hiring of a lead business consultant, with a short turnaround time from within state government was only one part of a larger and more insidious threat to the program. The current agency has been extremely effective and parsimonious in the way they have chosen to provide a “by the book” management of the program. Meanwhile, blind operators are engaged in the serious hard work of managing their businesses and working long hours under difficult circumstances throughout the pandemic. It is the contention of many, including former staff, that rather than seeking a culture of inclusion, uplift, and success, this agency seems committed to a paternalistic approach that condescends and denigrates the humanity, capacity, and former successes operators have brought to this program for decades. Operators and staff have commented that the current regime at the agency has acted as though the program was invented when they came to town. The real-life experiences of operators and recently departed staff have been treated with disrespect boarding on disdain.
The dust-up between operators and BEP management, as demonstrated by the resolution above, is just the latest in a long string of disagreements between operators and the current administration. Without significate change in the management of The Business Enterprise Program of Colorado, a dysfunctional culture and denial of opportunity will become normalized. The National Federation of the Blind of Colorado will not allow the behavior of the current management to continue. This is who we are; this is why we have The National Federation of the Blind.
As a concluding note, given the state of conflict within the program, we feel it is important to point out that this article is a statement of fact, reporting, and opinion. In no way should it be considered menacing or threatening. There is no place in our society for disrespectful behavior in the workplace.
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[PHOTO CAPTION: Rachel Grider]
Light in Darkness: My Journey through Depression
by Rachel Grider
Content Warning: mentions of self-harm, suicide, and sexual abuse
>From the Editor: This article first appeared on Monday, May 24, 2021, in our blog, Voice of the Nation’s Blind. This is a story of pain and suffering; praise be to everyone involved that it is also a story of continuing to live and with each day having the opportunity to live the life Rachel wants. When we Federationists count our blessings, certainly she is one. Thank you, friend, for your perseverance, your candor, and your ability to articulate hard things that many of us have not experienced but can begin to appreciate through your words. We also thank you for the honesty here that may save other lives:
On February 26, 2013, I entered my Baltimore townhouse with the intention of never leaving it again alive. For too long I had fought against the monster that was my depression, tried to run from the dark memories that held me captive, and presented a cheerful facade to the world, terrified that someone would see that I was falling apart inside. I knew that my facade was finally cracking; I was self-mutilating more and more frequently, pushing the limits to see how much damage I could cause myself without giving anything away. Now, however, I was done playing, done running away; I was giving into that monster because it wasn't worth fighting anymore.
For years I had believed that I was worthless. I blamed myself for my father's abandonment because I had been told that my blindness had driven him away, and I had always felt the need to try to make up for it by being unhealthily competitive in everything I did. I also had some more sinister memories of early childhood sexual abuse which haunted my nightmares and increased my feelings of worthlessness. I had punished myself when I felt that I had not performed adequately at a certain task, at first by denying myself things that I wanted or needed, then eventually by actively harming myself. I had tried to overcome the depression, anxiety, and overall feelings of worthlessness by overachieving and overwhelming myself with activities, but this method no longer seemed to be working; the monster had caught up with me at last.
At that time, I honestly believed that killing myself was my only escape from this miserable existence, and I would be doing everyone a favor by leaving this world; I know now that there was also a part of me which was tired and was staying silent and needed to be validated.
Needless to say, I did not succeed in suicide. I was taken to a hospital and eventually forced to spend a few days in a psychiatric ward, where I was stuck with little to distract me but my own dark thoughts. Those few days were agonizing, but being there forced me to face my monster head-on.
At first, I felt like a failure again because I had not killed myself after all. Slowly, however, I began to realize, through phone calls and visits, that there really were people who loved me. Even after finding out about my mental health problems, the small circle of friends and family in whom I confided did not seem to think any less of me; they just wanted to do all they could to help me. I began to understand, on an academic level at least, that I was not worthless and that I owed it to myself and to those who cared about me to do what was needed to pull myself out of this dark place.
I became more open with certain people about my struggle, allowing them to help me get through my darkest times; as I did this, I discovered that I was not alone, and I was able to help others who were also struggling with similar afflictions. I started going to therapy regularly, and I read books about psychology, trauma, and self-awareness. As I did these things, I slowly began to understand that I was not responsible for the things that had happened to me as a child and that I deserved to be loved like anyone else. I also became more comfortable with my identity as a blind person. Eventually, through study, meditation, painful realizations, forgiveness, and some profound personal experiences, I was able to stop self-mutilating and to let go of my anger and self-loathing.
If you can identify with any of the feelings I have described—if you are dealing with mental illness, whether it be circumstantial or biological, you are not alone, and you should not have to deal with it alone. Talk to someone you trust about your feelings. Reach out to mental health resources such as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, and find a therapist with whom you can be open and honest. Finding the right therapist to fit your needs and personality is crucial, so don't be discouraged if it takes a while to find one.
Everyone's journey is different. I still struggle every day with depression, anxiety, and fear—self-doubt, and self-criticism left by my earlier experiences. But I now have the tools I need to deal with these feelings in productive ways. No matter where you are in your personal journey, know that you are worth fighting for, and though your road may be difficult, scary, and painful, you too can find the light which will help you through the darkness.
You can reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255.
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A Part of the Blind Community Assists—Bringing Technology to Help in a Time of Crisis
>From the Editor: BlindSquare is a product many of us use on a regular basis. The company is reaching out to those affected by the war in Ukraine. With slight modification, we are running what it has published on its website. Here is what it is doing hand-in-hand with the World Blind Union:
Background:
On Thursday, March 31, 2022, we received a posting from a BlindSquare user in Kyiv, Ukraine. He was writing requesting help on behalf of persons in Ukraine who are blind.
"We are in tough and unprecedented conditions, and our cities are under severe attacks. Many people are forced to flee their homes. . . . The situation is very difficult for blind refugees as they flee to other countries, to cities they are not familiar with, and it is very difficult to navigate there, to find places with essential goods such as shops, pharmacies, ATMs, and so on. Therefore, I have decided to write to you and ask for help for blind refugees from Ukraine."
Igor Kushni, UTOS Training and Information Computer Center, Kyiv, Ukraine”
>From there:
Friday, April 1st. A 1000 km free region was defined including all of Ukraine, but also twenty-one other countries (Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Northern Albania, North Macedonia, Turkey, Thessaloniki, Slovenia, Eastern Austria, Czechia, Poland, Eastern Germany). Within this region parties can download and proceed to use a full-featured version of BlindSquare named "BlindSquare Event." The link is bit.ly/bsqevent <https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fprotect-us.mimecast.com%2Fs%2FetC0CG6QG1I1JVBNc1gXvu%3Fdomain%3Dbit.ly&data=04%7C01%7Cgwunder%40nfb.org%7Cffbde01c2a904d9630fb08da1e20fa15%7C538f3d4b739545cf93fa8dfc2b4a7f62%7C1%7C0%7C637855424557485514%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C2000&sdata=s0r72afrafc05kFbIOPMBXMZkHLvpr6tOSY9JJpATGk%3D&reserved=0> . This provision will be available for the duration of the war, plus ninety days, supporting the journeys from and return to Ukraine. When acquired in this free region, parties can continue to use BlindSquare EVENT for ninety days, anywhere on the globe (for example, Finland, Italy, Germany, UK, Canada, USA, all 185 countries we currently serve, and more). We have already noticed BlindSquare EVENT being downloaded from countries in our free region. If not in the free region but wanting to demo the app, it can be downloaded and will operate in demonstration mode.
We continued to listen. The correspondent does not speak English, but Google Translate rose to serve us well, translating to English as a common tongue. It was discussed that there is NO current Text-To-Speech (TTS) support for Ukrainian. Many Ukrainians use the Russian language as “close enough,” except that there are some significant barriers to the use of numbers and certain keywords. Our correspondent identified a willing assistant in language translation to enable improved access for Ukrainians. By the end of April, BlindSquare will have added Ukrainian as our twenty-seventh supported language.
We continued to listen. For occasions where there is a need to share a current location (example, meeting a friend, calling a taxi), this is static information, and a person's location could change. We are mounting a new BlindSquare feature named "FindMe." In the Ukrainian context, information about their current location can be shared in any of the many secure methods. The difference is that the location information displayed on a map or connected as a live information source is Dynamic. If the party moves, the up-to-date information is automatically shared with the supporting party. FindMe sharing can be started or stopped on demand. This solution will be implemented in the month of April.
We continued to listen. Following the model of a live (real-time) connection between parties, we are adding an inter-party chat to connect the sender and supporting party by text - a virtual "walkie talkie" to assist in providing ever-improving information. This solution will be implemented in the month of April.
We continued to listen. Secure communications is an imperative in this region. Information provided suggests that the Universal APP “Telegram Messenger” is the preferred method. Therefore, we have added Telegram Messenger as a feature within BlindSquare. This solution will be implemented in the month of April.
Organizations and people lending communications support:
World Blind Union
Martine Abel, President
Marc Workman, CEO
National Federation of the Blind
Mark Riccobono, President
James W. Sanders C.M; Past President and Chief Executive Officer, The Canadian National Institute for the Blind; Executive Director, The Sir Arthur Pearson Association of War Blinded
Jonathan Mosen, Mushroom FM
Quotation from Martine Abel: With millions of people displaced, we know there are tens of thousands of blind and partially sighted Ukrainians who are now living in unfamiliar settings. Apps like BlindSquare give helpful information to people about their surroundings. For many of us, this information makes it easier to get around and helps us navigate with confidence. For Ukrainians displaced by the war, this information could be the difference between getting to an evacuation point on time or not, getting to a shelter before the bombing starts or not, or getting to a grocery store before it closes or not. The service BlindSquare offers is a helpful convenience for most of us, but it can be an essential safety tool as well. I applaud the BlindSquare team for recognizing the value of their product during times of emergency and for taking the necessary steps to get it in the hands of as many people as possible.
Quotation from Marc Workman: I congratulate the BlindSquare team on their creative response to this terrible war. A crisis like the one facing Ukraine requires a collective response. No one organization can provide relief on their own. The World Blind Union has been working with numerous partners since the war began, and we are proud to work with BlindSquare as part of this effort. With the introduction of new features like FindMe and inter-party chat, BlindSquare has demonstrated their ability to innovate to solve immediate problems. By bringing different strengths to the table and working together, we can all do our part to provide relief and support to Ukrainians who are blind or partially sighted.
Quotation from Mark Riccobono: In this time of trial, we appreciate those businesses that do more than simply work with the blind. By leveraging their innovations and brand to provide meaningful access and to support the independence and safety of blind people facing unimagined circumstances, BlindSquare has demonstrated that its heart and commitment exceed its business interests. We commend those involved with BlindSquare for bringing their expertise and their monetary resources that are given freely, unselfishly, and even putting time and energy into the development of additional functionality. The National Federation of the Blind is proud to be a part of the effort to help the people of Ukraine and to publicly acknowledge the efforts of these exemplary corporate world citizens as they do the same.
Quotation from Jim Sanders: I have been a BlindSquare user for many years and find it invaluable when travelling in unfamiliar areas, or scouting future destinations using simulation! I can't imagine the impacts on those leaving Ukraine and in particular the absence of anything familiar on the journey or even on arrival. BlindSquare replaces the information darkness with information of value, relieving, to say the least. I applaud BlindSquare's innovative and supportive response to this pressing need."
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[PHOTO CAPTION: Gary Wunder]
[PHOTO CAPTION: Danielle McCann]
Commenting Without Committing: A Reminder that Members Are Part of “They”
by Gary Wunder and Danielle McCann
As an organization, the question for the National Federation of the Blind seldom should be “do we do this or that?” Instead, it is answering the question “How can we do both?” The answer often depends on you and me. How much time and energy am I willing to give to the organization? How much of my limited treasury should I give to our shared movement? The amount of time and treasure that each of us can give will vary, but the question is always the same: how much of who I am and what I have am I willing to contribute to a cause larger than myself?
Recently, as we ramped up promotion of the Blind Driver Challenge, a thread sprang up in the comments on one of our Facebook posts about the Challenge. They were not written for publication but were part of what we might call a spirited chat. We have exercised some liberty in making this look better on paper, but we have not wanted to change the flavor of the discussion in any way. We have fixed spelling and punctuation as a courtesy to those posting and appreciate their engagement on a subject of real currency and interest today. Omitted are the long website addresses that were included, our belief being that anyone can Google if they wish to read the source material. Here is the discussion:
Nimer Jaber: Just imagine: We throw so much money at a project to drive a car while blind, but we can't make accessible currency. We don't have requirements for accessible appliances. We can't independently traverse through an airport because we don't have a way to get directionality from signs. Some lose jobs daily because of inaccessible technology, inaccessible office equipment, etc. We have no requirements for accessible pathways, thus making it more difficult and time-consuming (not impossible) to traverse through unknown large spaces such as train stations independently, even though they exist in other countries. We lack access to directionality on trails, thus making it more difficult to hike independently.
Much of our public transit systems, while including audible stop announcements, have the announcements pretty much inaudible due to older systems, broken speakers, etc., not to mention that we can't find the stops as they are not uniformly located in the same places. Not all stops have bus shelters, and not all bus poles look the same. We still rely on canes and dogs to get around even though we have tech that can literally take off and land a plane autonomously. Most doctor's office forms still remain inaccessible to this day, not to mention government forms and offices, meaning that I must give up my right to medical privacy in order to get these forms filled out. COVID testing remains inaccessible. And yet . . . the best we can do is say that we can live the life we want, we can drive cars, and we should use Aira to be independent.
Jamie Principato Crane: We are actively working on projects to address everything you listed here. But this isn’t mutually exclusive of signal boosting a cool endeavor a fellow blind man is undertaking to showcase some cool technology and his confidence in his ability to leverage it.
Nimer Jaber: Actively working on those things, huh? Well, I'm sorry, but I don't see the progress, and moreover, all the hundreds of thousands of dollars being sunk into this "endeavor" could have been used for those "efforts." Keep smoking whatever you're smoking though, as can anyone else who hasn't smelled the Kool-Aid. We don't need more platitudes and inspiration; we need results. Fact is, if NFB wanted results on many of the points I mentioned, which only scratch the surface of the struggles blind people face, we would have much more progress.
NFB is no different than ACB, or most any big entity. . . . They have lots of power but actually accomplish little these days to advance accessibility. In so many ways, we are regressing and moving backwards, and NFB, if they are doing something about these things, is moving in reverse.
Once I see results and NFB not opposing many of the issues I've outlined, I will be the first to say I was wrong, but sadly, that just isn't the case.
Jamie Principato Crane: COVID-19 At-Home Test Information | National Federation of the Blind
Access Technology Affordability Act (ATAA) (H.R. 2086/S. 815) | National Federation of the Blind
Nimer Jaber: Two years into a pandemic, and we finally have this, yep, amazing progress. And I'm still not aware of any accessible test. Access technology isn't fixing many of the issues I raised above. . . . In fact, AT devices are woefully out of date and aren't usable by the majority of our population for various reasons. Cost is a barrier, but a small one. Again, instead of parroting what NFB tells you, use your brain and come up with links addressing my points. . . . But you can't. Anyway, I'm done engaging with this silliness as I've made my points clear.
Jamie Principato Crane: Twenty-First Century Websites & Applications Accessibility Act | National Federation of the Blind
Nimer Jaber: I said nothing about websites in my post. Even if I had, again, more than twenty years after online applications, we finally have this. . . .
Jamie Principato Crane: Medical Device Nonvisual Accessibility Act (H.R. 4853) | National Federation of the Blind
Nimer Jaber: Medical device accessibility isn't the same as walking into a doctor's office and registering accessibly. Although, I admit that this would be progress for sure.
Jamie Principato Crane: Accessibility of Home Appliances
Nimer Jaber: What is the status of this? How long will we wait until NFB prioritizes this? Why haven't they yet?
Jamie Principato Crane: Research Program | National Federation of the Blind - There is more, but you get the idea and can Google as easily as I can. You simultaneously overestimate the "power" you believe the organization has and underestimate the breadth and depth of the initiatives they undertake, which are all each carried out by a very small percentage of the members. When and which things get prioritized depends on members raising the matter and often on members voting on it or otherwise organizing efforts around it. Some things happen faster and with less formality—for example, moving to address issues regarding COVID or certain cases of egregious discrimination such as guide dog users being denied rideshare services. But even in those cases, the NFB relies on blind people to come forward and raise the issues. So, in a sense, your post here is helpful. But there is a lot going on, and it isn’t just a tiny handful of people with boatloads of influence and money calling all the shots. It's more like dozens of tiny Rotary clubs that try to coordinate the actions and preferences of their members into a cohesive whole that then still has to navigate the similar mess that is our country's mainstream political system, the various preferences and priorities of the entities that do have power and money (various corporations, granting and research institutions, etc.), and in some cases the legal system at multiple layers.
Basically, stop waiting. Take action. This thread is a great start. So is your particular job.
Editor: Two things to note in the above exchange. 1. As Jamie pointed out, “When and which things get prioritized depends on members raising the matter and often on members voting on it or otherwise organizing efforts around it.” This means that if you’re a member of the Federation, you can certainly raise concerns and take action from within the organized blind movement. President Riccobono challenges us to find what’s next frequently. 2. As members, when folks talk about the Federation in third person, they are leaving themselves out. “The NFB needs to. . .” or “They should. . .” should be more like “We need to. . .” or “We should. . .” As members, we pledge to participate in the efforts of the Federation. The Braille on the membership coin says “together.” That means that you are part of the movement; you are as welcome and encouraged to share your ideas to shape our priorities as board members and long-time leaders are.
Our collective tapping of canes and jingling of guide dogs’ collars are much louder than the clicks of a solitary keyboard. Could it be that it is safer to debate among ourselves, insulated by our keyboards and assistive technology, than it is to tackle the big problems, the big players, and the issues that will substantially change lives?
May we suggest that while dialog on social media is definitely appreciated, action is the only way we will continue to make progress.
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[PHOTO CAPTION: Stacie Gallegos]
Announcing the 2022 NAGDU National Convention Sponsorship
by Stacie Gallegos
Greetings from the National Association of Guide Dog Users. We are excited to announce that this year, NAGDU is sponsoring two guide dog user teams with $500 each to help cover a portion of their convention expenses. Applications are now being taken and will be until May 31, 2022.
Eligibility:
The sponsorships are open to new or existing NAGDU members and guide dog users who would benefit from monetary assistance to attend an in-person NFB National Convention. This year the committee will consider applications from all member applicants, whether they have attended an in-person national convention or not. The committee will then award one sponsorship to a guide-dog user who has never attended an in-person national convention and one sponsorship to a guide-dog user who will not be a first-time attendee of an in-person national convention this year.
Requirements for Applicants:
* Must be a guide dog user
* Must register for national convention by May 31, 2022
* Must be at least eighteen years old by the time of the convention
* Must provide the name of an affiliate president or guide dog user division president for a reference
* Must not already be receiving a Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship (It is okay if the person is receiving assistance from their local chapter or state affiliate.)
* Must attend both the NAGDU seminar and business meeting at convention
* Must submit an article by August 1 to be considered for the Braille Monitor which tells about the person’s convention experience
* Applicants must not already be chosen to receive a Kenneth Jernigan scholarship. *Note: Qualified applicants should apply for both. The committees will coordinate to ensure NAGDU sponsorship recipients do not also receive Kenneth Jernigan scholarship funds.
Notification of Award:
If you are chosen to receive a NAGDU Convention Sponsorship, you will receive an email with details that should answer most of your questions. The committee will make every effort to notify winners by June 17, 2022.
Receiving the Award:
If you are chosen for the NAGDU Convention Sponsorship, you will be given a prepaid debit or credit card loaded with five hundred dollars. This card can only be given in person. The time and location to pick up your card will be determined after you arrive. Please note, NAGDU will not be able to provide funds before the convention, so it will be your responsibility to pay your way there.
For more information and to apply, please visit https://www.nagdu.org/nagdu-convention-sponsorship <https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fprotect-us.mimecast.com%2Fs%2FWIaLCmZMB1Ij5voMuGbU0d%3Fdomain%3Dnagdu.org&data=04%7C01%7Cgwunder%40nfb.org%7C78d42981c9704a95987608da18dc1e99%7C538f3d4b739545cf93fa8dfc2b4a7f62%7C1%7C0%7C637849631374749100%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C2000&sdata=V9Va%2BL%2BgBwK9UgRj2XVRajBxhlM9Ur49XrBkk2Zc050%3D&reserved=0> or contact the sponsorship committee chair, Al Elia, AElia at nagdu.org <mailto:AElia at nagdu.org> .
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What do I Really Want from a Self-driving Car: Reflections on the Less Dramatic and Life-Changing Impact of Control
by Gary Wunder
When you read this, the Blind Driver Challenge will be history, the most recent but certainly not the last chapter to be written in our book that will chronicle moving blind people closer to independence. All of us are delighted that the speed record now belongs to Dan Parker and our Federation, and this we must take the time to celebrate. But the really big deal is that this event moves us just a bit closer to operating a vehicle on our own.
In preparation for the Blind Driver Challenge, we held a Twitter chat to discuss what the creation of a self-driving vehicle would mean for us. Although I loved every one of the comments that were made, it occurs to me that we were all looking to hit the ball deep and deal with our most profound thoughts and feelings about the subject.
But what if we back off just a bit and deal with the not so important, the not so life-changing, the thing that, while somewhat important, won't determine whether I can live in a new place, take a new job, or radically change my own self-concept. What are the lesser motives that inspire me to work for the self-driving car, and, when examined, how important are they? Are there motives my dark side has that are never acknowledged since I work so hard at keeping him in his cage?
Let’s start with the lesser-known but nonetheless important power dynamics when you are in charge of the car. You determine whether the windows are up or down. If the windows are electric, you determine who has control. I was once riding with a passenger who was resting his hand on the door, the window was raised, he yelled for it to be let down, and the driver wanted to engage in a conversation as to why. After several pleas to put it down and the repeated question as to why, “Because my hand is in it,” was his reply. The driver relented, but it was slow, grudging, and without apology; why was his hand there in the first place? Though he was well into middle age, he got the mandatory lecture about one always keeping his hands inside the vehicle. I’ve also been in cars in which a woman’s long hair gets caught, not when she raises the window but when the driver does and has determined that he or she alone should have control and disables the controls on all the other doors.
Of course other prerogatives are enjoyed only by the captain: You determine the temperature in the car by deciding whether you need heat, air conditioning, or none of the above. In the first two cases, this means determining both the fan speed and the temperature of the air. Certainly, although you care about the people in the back, your prime consideration is how you, as the primary person in control and in the front, feel. You, lest anyone forget, are the captain, the one in charge, the one who holds all the cards and determines the hand each of your lowly passengers will be dealt.
Then comes the all-important question of when we stop for a restroom break, a cup of coffee, or a much-needed Hostess cupcake or candy bar? Who decides? The person in charge of the car, of course; up to this point, it has been the driver. If you are in charge, you can be the one saying: “you should’ve gone when we stopped earlier. We’ll be stopping at a restaurant soon; that will be healthier for you anyway. I really don’t want to spend all day on the road, so let’s get this trip done.”
In every human action there is some kind of pecking order, and in the case of the car, it is where one sits. When you run the car, your seat is not in question, and neither do you have to answer about how far back it is or how much it is reclined. All of this has traditionally been a matter of safety, but I suspect that some vestige of it will carry over. There is the door that only the driver uses, and then there are the passenger doors, those unassigned, and those who usually are operated by first come first served. Do you get to sit by one of them, or, as on the Southwest flights, are you the unlucky passenger who has to sit in the middle and make himself a couple of friends? It isn’t so much having a person on either side that is a problem, but that hump on the floor is never convenient. No one ever says, “Thank goodness for this bulge; my feet would otherwise not touch the floor.”
Now comes the real manifestation of power: you control the radio, the MP3 player, or what gets played from a streaming service. It is your music that gets played. It plays at the volume you wish. If a song comes along that you don't like, you don't ask the rest of the passengers; you skip it. If you want to play a song over again, you do. If anyone complains, you just smile, knowing that you have come into your own. When it is their car and they are in charge, they can have all of these perks that belong to you.
So as amazing as it might be that one day I might drive from Columbia, Missouri, to Olathe, Kansas, to see my grandchildren and perhaps take them for a spin, the big thrill will be the things that still remain under human control. And, if it isn’t clear already, how wonderful it will be that I am that human!
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Power Up—Double Your Dollars in the Give $20 Gift Matching Campaign with HumanWare
Each year thousands of Federation members make contributions during national convention. In 2022, your generosity is still needed to fund our great programs. When you give $20 or more between May 1 and July 10, 3:00 p.m. Central, you will be entered into the Give $20 Campaign Drawing to win the following:
* Round-trip transportation for two for the 2023 NFB National Convention
* Hotel at the convention
* Banquet tickets for two
* $1,000 in walking-around cash
OR take the cash!
* $2,000
And, thanks to the generous gift from HumanWare, every dollar contributed during this campaign will be matched up to $50,000! HumanWare https://www.humanware.com/en-usa/home is the global leader in assistive technology with a wide range of innovative products.
Federationist Peter Tucic, Director of Strategic Partnerships at HumanWare, said, “I am beyond thrilled that HumanWare is able to participate in the 2022 Give $20 Campaign. As a blind professional and parent, I have experienced firsthand both the challenges we face to achieve gainful employment and acceptance, as well as the sense of empowerment and confidence that the Federation instills through unity and its full spectrum of programs and opportunities.”
Contribution Details
Each $20 contribution is a chance to win. Your name will be placed in the drawing for each increment of $20 you give. Give $100 and you will be entered into the drawing five times. You must specify one of the following funds in order to be entered into the drawing:
* Kenneth Jernigan Fund: The proceeds from this fund are used to bring a number of attendees to their first national convention. It is named in honor of our former President and longtime leader to promote attendance at the national convention, where so much inspiration and learning occur. He planned our conventions for more than forty years and did so much to make them what they are today.
* SUN Fund: These funds are being set aside in the event that they are needed to support the Federation during difficult times.
* White Cane Fund: These dollars go directly to the general treasury of the Federation.
* tenBroek Fund: These dollars go to the tenBroek Memorial Fund which owns the property at 200 East Wells at Jernigan Place in Baltimore for the benefit of blind people.
If you are not sure, please select White Cane Fund because it gives the Federation more flexibility to apply your contribution where we need it most.
The funds and collaborations like this campaign with HumanWare help our work to change lives as it has for this Federationist:
“My name is Yasiah Hurtado, and I am a proud member of the Richmond Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind. I attended my first National Federation of the Blind convention thanks to the support of the Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship Fund. I was in a dark place in my life with no hope of a future and scared to death of losing custody of my kids. These concerns drove my decision to apply for the Jernigan award. The amazement and emotions I felt when I heard thousands upon thousands of canes tapping like mine left me breathless. This convention gave me hope to view things at a different angle and showed me my life was just about to begin.”
You can specify a fund by using our Give $20 online donation form or in the memo if giving by check. Your gift will be counted for the drawing regardless of which fund you designate.
* Contribute online at nfb.org/give20 <https://nfb.org/give20>
* Give via phone by calling our donation line at 410-659-9314, extension 2430
* Send a check to: National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute, 200 East Wells Street, Baltimore, MD 21230. Important: Be sure to designate “Give 20” and the fund to which you are contributing in the memo line.
The winner of the drawing will be announced July 10, 2022, at the banquet. Learn more at nfb.org/convention <https://nfb.org/get-involved/national-convention> . Thank you for your support.
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[PHOTO CAPTION: Sharon Maneki]
Resolution Reminders
by Sharon Maneki
>From the Editor: One of the toughest jobs one can have at our national convention is to chair the National Federation of the Blind’s Resolutions Committee. Work starts before the convention with advertising the process, where to send resolutions, and the deadline for receiving them. Then the chair must detail the exceptions—oh yes, we must have exceptions when we have rules. Then comes seeing that the resolution’s meaning is clear, that the grammar is correct, and then getting the resolutions to the committee for its consideration and possible changes prior to the convention. Next comes chairing the committee meeting, seeing that all of the resolutions are read and voted on, and finally writing yet another article telling our readers what was passed and the categories in which they fell.
Sharon Maneki does this year after year, and in every article she demonstrates the reason why she continues to serve this vital function for our organization. Here is what she says about resolutions for the 2022 National Convention:
Do you want to make a difference in the lives of blind people today and in the future? Do you think we should change a government policy, take a stand concerning an agency for the blind, or create new regulations? If you do, consider writing a resolution. Here are a few reminders to help you, as well as some questions to think about when writing a resolution.
* Has a resolution already been written on your subject? If so, are you really adding something new?
* Is the resolution necessary, or would a letter from the National President accomplish your goal? For example, a letter from the National President commending an organization might be a better alternative than a resolution.
* Did you do your research to ensure the accuracy of the resolution?
* If the subject of the resolution would be of interest to a division, did you discuss your resolution with the division president?
If you need some pointers on the format or construction of a resolution, consult the article “Time to Write Resolutions” in the May 2021 Edition of the Braille Monitor.
Please be mindful of our deadlines. To ensure that your resolution will be considered by the committee, please send it to President Riccobono or to me by June 6, 2022, one month before the committee meeting. Since things are always busy leading up to the convention, we appreciate your sending them earlier. If you send a resolution to me by email and do not receive a response acknowledging your email in two or three days, please call me at 410-715-9596 or send it again. If you miss the deadline, you must get three members of the Resolutions Committee to sponsor your resolution and then get it to the chairman before the meeting begins. I will be pleased to accept resolutions by email at resolutions at nfb.org <mailto:resolutions at nfb.org> or by mail at 9013 Nelson Way, Columbia, MD 21045.
All resolutions will be placed on the NFB website shortly before the committee meets at convention on July 6. This procedure will give the membership a chance to look over the resolutions before the meeting and lobby the committee members to support or defeat the resolutions.
The job of the membership is to make sure the committee has resolutions to consider. I look forward to receiving your resolution.
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[PHOTO CAPTION: Peggy Chong]
The Russian Translator from Montana
by Peggy Chong
>From the Editor: In 1975 many of us were intrigued when Dr. Kenneth Jernigan wrote “Blindness: Is History Against Us.” We knew that for many blind people history had consigned them to lives of boredom and dependence, just the kind of lives we were fighting collectively to see that we did not experience. But what that speech revealed was that there were a number of blind people who distinguished themselves in ways we had not imagined. Peggy Chong has gone beyond that work and revealed that not only does history hold the stories of those who had dramatically flourished in their time, but also what Peggy Chong has done is reveal that not only were there spectacular blind people in history but that many others achieved much more than was expected or thought possible in their time. In many respects they were average persons doing average jobs, but they were managing to do them without sight.
I find these stories both inspiring and humbling. They inspire me because they show that our belief in blind people has been justified over and over again, even without the programs that make it possible for so many of us to achieve what we do in today’s world. I find these accounts humbling because we so often think of ourselves as pioneers—people who are breaking the mold—when the reality is that we stand on the shoulders of people who’ve already made their way in the world. Our task is not so much to be pioneers but to be adaptive enough to survive in the world as we find it today. For many of us this is sufficient challenge, and I think that we too have an important role for the blind of the future, both in showing that we were productive and actively pushing for integration while at the same time making certain that opportunities for the blind of tomorrow continue to be nurtured and expanded. Here is Peggy’s most recent offering as she dons her costume as the Blind History Lady:
Hello Blind History Lady Fans:
In a vacant lot with cousins, just before his fourth birthday, Dale was playing baseball. The kids were using a broken table leg as a bat, when it splintered, driving a screw into Dale’s left eye. Blood came pouring down his cheeks. Little Dale ran to his aunt’s home, where his mother was visiting.
“Mommy, Mommy!” cried the little boy.
“Let me see,” his mother said as she took the little boy’s hands down from his face and looked into the space where only moments before Dale’s eye had been. Within weeks the second eye went dark from infection.
Dale was born May 24, 1933, in Conrad, Montana. His parents spent almost two years exhausting their savings and some of the savings of others to find a cure for his blindness. After recognizing defeat, they sent him to the Montana School for the Deaf and Blind in Great Falls. He dropped out at seventeen, married, and found the world was not ready for a blind man needing to support his family. Mostly Dale fixed cars out of his garage.
A man from vocational rehabilitation came in August of 1960 to visit him. He said there was a project in DC to recruit blind translators that was sponsored by President Kennedy. The intended result would be to open careers in the federal government for the blind. Was Dale interested?
The man from rehab explained that fifteen blind people who passed a series of tests would participate in a pilot program to learn Russian fluently and translate secret documents. If he passed the two-year program, he would be offered a job with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Dale had to make his mind up in two days since the test was in just a few days in Denver, Colorado. Aggie, his wife, said: “Go for it!”
Dale flew for the first time and did so by himself to Denver. He listened to sounds on the tapes and repeated them back to the testers. When he left Denver, Dale had no idea how he did.
Three weeks later he got the news that he was one of the fifteen. He had to be in DC in two weeks. Aggie said she would join him later after closing the house.
Dale found DC hot and humid, weather he was unaccustomed to. Someone met him at the airport and escorted him to the hotel.
The fifteen blind students were housed in a hotel for the first several days. The Department of Health, Education and Welfare provided a $43,000 grant to pay the expenses incurred by the university for accommodations for them. The Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind was contracted to provide travel training for the newcomers to acquaint them with the District. Dale did not bring a cane with him. The other students had a cane or dog guide and were college students or graduates.
The blind travel instructor who taught him to navigate the city, ride the street cars, and find an apartment was horrified that Dale did not have a cane and no travel experience. In Conrad, Dale rarely walked alone or carried a cane. Someone always offered to pick him up if Aggie could not drive. Dale took Aggie’s arm or the arm of someone when not at home. Now he was in a big city and expected to travel on public transportation on his own!
Three students took an apartment with Dale on the opposite side of Connecticut Avenue from the institute. Connecticut Avenue’s six lanes of traffic terrified Dale. One roommate had a little sight, and Dale thought that guy could lead them back and forth across the street each day. No such luck. His roommates expected Dale to be as independent as they were.
Three instructors at Georgetown from Russia immersed the students in their native language and culture in and out of classes. Not only were they taught to speak Russian; they had classes in Russian history, geography, politics, and spelling. This was to ensure that they knew the words, the phrases, the context in which they were used, and the idioms that make really understanding a language difficult. They even learned to use a Russian typewriter.
For two years they lived, ate, slept, drank, and played in Russian. Due to secrecy they were encouraged to stay within their group, even outside of classes.
Four months after Dale arrived, Aggie came to DC with the children. She and Dale rented a house in Virginia that provided an education on East Coast life. They learned about rats in garbage cans and cockroaches. Taking out the trash became his job. Dale hit the garbage cans with his cane before he opened them to scare the rats that were inside.
Dale found a lady who rode the same bus he did, and she helped him find the right bus and the stop to get off each day. Not confident in his travel skills, he carried a cane but relied on sighted travelers to help him.
Pat, one of the female students in the project, came to their house at night. She played with their kids until bedtime. Then the two studied. After a year, phase one was completed. Five of the participants were excused from the project.
>From the beginning, there was no Braille dictionary. Before the project began, officials voiced their concerns over its absence and the lack of Braille in Russian. Money allocated to the project did not cover the expense of transcribing a Braille dictionary. The library for the blind in the Library of Congress had neither the volunteers or expertise on staff to transcribe one. Sighted Georgetown students read the entire 50,000 word English to Russian dictionary onto tape, spelling almost every word so there would be no mistakes. The blind students listened to the tapes and Brailled the dictionary themselves. Dale was put in charge of the entire project.
At the end of the two-year training, the ten remaining students took their final audio tests. The recordings were garbled purposely. Each wrote out in English what was said on the tapes. Only three passed. What do you know: the hick from Montana was hired by the super agency!
The hours of his CIA job were nine to five. Dale took more interest in his family. They toured the city, visited the museums, and went on picnics. He built soap box derby cars with his son.
CIA offices were on the twelfth floor of a building in Arlington. Several interesting situations occurred there in which blindness played a part. Dale was in his office alone. There came a knocking sound from the window. “On the window! No way, I must be hearing things.” Dale thought. “We are on the twelfth floor.” The knocking persisted for several minutes. Then nothing. Dale went back to his work. Later, an angry man burst through the doors.
“Why the hell did you not open the window when I knocked?” the voice of a window washer yelled. Dale had no experience with tall buildings in Montana and never gave a thought about washing windows that high up. He tried to explain that he was blind, but the man walked away in frustration.
Another day, Dale was trapped in an elevator for hours with four others from their section. When the doors opened, Dale thought there would be some sympathy. Rather, the supervisor yelled at them. So many from the unit, with unique training, could have been killed, devastate the unit, and waste the time and money the government spent on them, he angrily proclaimed.
Out of the blue, their unit was disbanded. Dale was offered other jobs in the federal government on the East Coast. Now he had to choose his family or a job. Dale chose his family. He did not get a chance to say goodbye to many of his colleagues, partly because of the secrecy of their project and partly because Aggie was jealous of Pat and the time Dale and Pat spent together.
For the rest of his life, Dale did not speak Russian, except when he tutored a Conrad high school student.
Dale went on to become a county commissioner as well as an artist working in rock, wood, and bronze.
[Peggy Chong says: If you would like to schedule a presentation, contact me at theblindhistorylady at gmail.com <mailto:theblindhistorylady at gmail.com> . You can read more of my books at https://www.smashwords.com/books/byseries/24325
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Van Hollen, Hyde-Smith, Peters, Portman Make Bipartisan Push for Independent Investigation into USPS Delivery of Free Materials for the Blind & Physically Handicapped
>From the Editor: A number of blind people have noticed significant delays in receiving materials mailed under the FREE MATTER FOR THE BLIND program funded by Congress through a subsidy to the United States Postal Service. Here is a press release that describes testimony given about such delays, followed by the letter a bipartisan group of four senators sent to the USPS. We have not altered this release as we would had we been the creators of the material and followed normal Monitor style:
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) sent a letter to the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) Office of the Inspector General requesting that Inspector General Tammy Whitcomb investigate the USPS Free Matter for the Blind or Other Physically Handicapped Persons program. The Senators’ request follows testimony provided by a Marylander last year to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government, chaired by Senator Van Hollen, in which the Senator’s constituent described mail delays with materials she was supposed to receive from this program. The Senators’ letter notes that the National Federation of the Blind reports these delays are widespread and are causing significant hardship for members of the blind and physically handicapped communities. Senator Van Hollen is the Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government; Senator Hyde-Smith is the Ranking Member of the Committee; Senator Peters is the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs; and Senator Portman is the Ranking Member of the Committee—all of which have jurisdiction over USPS services.
The Senators begin, “We are writing to request that you conduct a review of USPS performance and operations with regard to Free Matter for the Blind or Other Physically Handicapped Persons. This program enables mail to be sent without charge if it is for the use of people who cannot read conventional print due to a disability. While the Postal Service is generally funded by revenues collected from postal customers, Congress appropriates a limited amount of funding to the Postal Service Fund to support certain programs, including free mail for the blind.”
“At a hearing of the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee on July 13, 2021, Ms. Rania Dima testified about delays she experienced with free mail for the blind that were significantly worse than what she experienced for other mail, even though USPS is supposed to process free mail for the blind like First-Class Mail. These delays impeded Ms. Dima’s process of relearning to read after she lost her sight, including to read her own testimony at the hearing. According to the National Federation of the Blind, these delays are a widespread problem that, ‘not only has a detrimental effect on the lives of blind and print-disabled Americans, but is also creating a loss of taxpayer dollars since digital players, Braille displays, and other valuable equipment are stuck in the post office, never reaching the people who need it,’” they continue.
“For those reasons, we ask that you review the procedures used by USPS to accept, process, and deliver Free Matter for the Blind or Other Physically Handicapped Persons, and provide recommendations to fix any problems identified by that review,” the Senators close.
The full text of the letter is available here and below.
Dear Ms. Whitcomb:
We are writing to request that you conduct a review of USPS performance and operations with regard to Free Matter for the Blind or Other Physically Handicapped Persons. This program enables mail to be sent without charge if it is for the use of people who cannot read conventional print due to a disability. While the Postal Service is generally funded by revenues collected from postal customers, Congress appropriates a limited amount of funding to the Postal Service Fund to support certain programs, including free mail for the blind.
At a hearing of the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee on July 13, 2021, Ms. Rania Dima testified about delays she experienced with free mail for the blind that were significantly worse than what she experienced for other mail, even though USPS is supposed to process free mail for the blind like First-Class Mail. These delays impeded Ms. Dima’s process of relearning to read after she lost her sight, including to read her own testimony at the hearing. According to the National Federation of the Blind, these delays are a widespread problem that, “not only has a detrimental effect on the lives of blind and print-disabled Americans, but is also creating a loss of taxpayer dollars since digital players, Braille displays, and other valuable equipment are stuck in the post office, never reaching the people who need it.”
For those reasons, we ask that you review the procedures used by USPS to accept, process, and deliver Free Matter for the Blind or Other Physically Handicapped Persons, and provide recommendations to fix any problems identified by that review. The Postal Service does not track delivery performance for free mail for the blind separately from First-Class Mail, so as part of this review, please conduct an analysis comparing the delivery times for similar mail pieces sent via free mail for the blind and via First-Class Mail.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
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[PHOTO CAPTION: Charlie Brown]
Our Beloved Charlie Brown Honored Posthumously
>From the Editor: Several months ago we ran an article about Charlie Brown, a towering figure to many of us. He demonstrated a significant commitment to his family, to the NFB, to his employer, and to his church. In so doing he lived the integrated life for which all of us strive. Here is the way the Commonwealth of Virginia has taken notice of his life and contributions:
2022 SESSION
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 312
Celebrating the life of Charles St. Clair Brown.
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, March 7, 2022
Agreed to by the Senate, March 9, 2022
WHEREAS, Charles St. Clair Brown, an esteemed attorney and disability rights advocate and a beloved member of the Arlington and Winchester communities, died on August 1, 2021; and
WHEREAS, legally blind from birth, Charles “Charlie” St. Clair Brown was the first blind graduate of Wellesley High School in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and later earned a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University and a juris doctor degree from Northwestern University; and
WHEREAS, passing the Illinois and Connecticut bars in 1970, Charlie Brown took a position with the Legislation and Legal Counsel Division of the Office of the Solicitor of the United States Department of Labor (DOL), rising through the ranks to ultimately become the division’s counsel for special legal services; and
WHEREAS, during his tenure with DOL, Charlie Brown oversaw and drafted proposed legislation, prepared Congressional testimony and internal directives for the department, served as counsel to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, managed the department’s ethics and financial disclosure program, and facilitated the United States Senate confirmation of numerous officials; for his efforts, he was awarded DOL’s Distinguished Career Service award in 1982; and
WHEREAS, Charlie Brown was appointed the designated agency ethics official at the National Science Foundation (NSF) in 1991, taking on the responsibility of writing and implementing NSF regulations related to conflicts of interest and financial disclosure requirements; in recognition of his work to safeguard the integrity of NSF’s peer-review process, he earned NSF’s Gold Medal award in 2006; and
WHEREAS, following his retirement from the United States Government in 2007, Charlie Brown opened a private practice in Washington, D.C., and later in Winchester, where he applied his extensive legal experience in the areas of disability rights, voting rights, and nonprofit administration; and
WHEREAS, dedicated to the legal profession and promoting access for disabled individuals, Charlie Brown served on the American Bar Association’s Commission on Disability Rights and its Standing Committee on Election Law and was a founding board member of the Disability Rights Bar Association, while holding various offices in the National Association of Blind Lawyers; and
WHEREAS, Charlie Brown’s advocacy for the disabled included a longstanding role with the National Federation of the Blind (NFB), as he served as the Virginia chapter president for 26 years and was both a member of the national organization’s board of directors and its treasurer; in recognition of his extraordinary efforts, he was presented with NFB’s most prestigious honor, the Jacobus tenBroek Award; and
WHEREAS, an active and engaged member of the community, Charlie Brown was involved with the Kiwanis Club of Arlington, which he served as president, sat on the Virginia Community Integration Advisory Commission, and was president of the Virginia Business Opportunities for the Blind, Inc.; and
WHEREAS, guided throughout his life by his faith, Charlie Brown enjoyed worship and fellowship with his community at Rock Spring Congregational Church in Arlington for many years, serving in various leadership positions both with the church and the United Church Board for Homeland Ministries; and
WHEREAS, Charlie Brown will be fondly remembered and dearly missed by his loving wife, Jacki; his children, Richard and Stephen, and their families; and numerous other family members and friends; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby note with great sadness the loss of Charles St. Clair Brown, an accomplished attorney whose years of advocacy and support affected countless lives; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Charles St. Clair Brown as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect for his memory.
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[PHOTO CAPTION: Karen Anderson]
[PHOTO CAPTION: Mark Riccobono helps a participant use the chainsaw to cut a long log. They both wear sleepshades and masks.]
[PHOTO CAPTION: A student wearing sleepshades pours brownie mix into a baking pan.]
Modeling a Positive Philosophy on Blindness Today for the Teachers of Tomorrow
by Karen Anderson
>From the Editor: Karen Anderson is one of our hard working staff at our Jernigan Institute. Many of us see her as she promotes and coordinates the BELL Academy, but her job duties are more diverse, and this is but one of many programs in which she is involved. Here is what she says:
One of the projects I am responsible for as the education programs coordinator for the National Federation of the Blind is Teachers of Tomorrow. The goal of the program is to help teachers of blind students gain a real connection to the lived experiences of blind people through the NFB and to help them recognize the incredible value that blind mentors bring to their students. The program kicked off in January 2021; we met with the group of twenty-two teachers from fourteen states virtually each month. Sessions covered topics such as working with diverse populations, the best strategies for teaching Braille, and how to help blind students succeed in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) related subjects. The virtual sessions were great, but meeting these teachers in person was something special.
In early December I got to meet up with fourteen of the Teachers of Tomorrow in Ruston, Louisiana, where they had the opportunity to spend time at the Louisiana Center for the Blind and the Professional Development Research Institute on Blindness at Louisiana Tech. A teacher from California had this to say about her experience.
“During the experience at the Louisiana Center for the Blind, we had the opportunity to make brownies from scratch while being blindfolded. The activity was called ‘Cooking without Looking.’
I took the recipe that we used during the experience and had my ninth grade student make the brownies. We added a Christmas touch to them by adding crushed candy canes. We made two pans for a total of forty-eight brownies to share with his classmates and to take home to his family. The brownies were gone in ten minutes. Comments from his family were that they could not believe that he had made such amazing brownies….”
She went on to say:
“Mark Riccobono, President of the NFB, assisted the Teachers of Tomorrow 2021 cohort in using a chainsaw blindfolded. As a souvenir, I brought home the piece of the tree that I cut off while blindfolded. I have never used a chainsaw, let alone blindfolded. This task helped me overcome my fear. On the piece of log I put ‘ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE 2021’ using black rhinestones to create Braille dots.”
Another teacher, who lives in New Jersey, said this after our Louisiana experience:
“As a sighted person I was unsure of where I fit in. I knew that people at the NFB had something to offer me as a new teacher and certainly something to offer my students that I couldn’t provide them with myself. But my participation in Teachers of Tomorrow not only benefits me professionally, but it benefits my students. One day my students will no longer be mine… They will graduate and have the rest of their lives ahead of them. Now that I relate to the NFB, I can connect my students with this huge network of people who share lived experiences as blind individuals. Their families can meet blind adults who are ‘living the lives they want,’ and have that same goal for their children.”
Finally, one of the Teachers of Tomorrow from Louisiana had this to say about her experience:
“From this visit I learned that you can achieve anything you want, but you need to trust yourself and try. One example was making brownies. It was a simple recipe but required us to use our sense of touch and listening to follow the steps of the recipe. I have a blind daughter who loves to help me out in the kitchen. I always complain at her for making a mess and wanting to touch everything. This experience was such a great reminder and awareness that touching is the only way such a task, without sight, can be completed.
Thank you again for allowing me to be a part of the NFB family and be one of the Teachers of Tomorrow. As I was always told from the wonderful NFB family in Ruston, it takes a village to build a village. I consider myself a part of this village and hope to help build the future.”
As someone who grew up as a blind student in a public school, I know that these teachers are changing the lives of their students in ways they can’t even imagine. Their belief in blind students, fueled by the philosophy of the National Federation of the Blind, means that their students will have that belief in themselves. I look forward to working with these teachers in future Federation events, and I look forward to getting to know their students and families when they become part of our Federation family!
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Recipes
Recipes this month were contributed by members of the National Federation of the Blind of Virginia.
African Peanut Stew
>From the book Oh, She Glows by Angela Lidden
Debra Prost is the secretary of our Tidewater Chapter, and she is a great vegan cook. Here are a couple of her favorites.
Ingredients:
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into one-inch pieces
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced (optional)
1 28-ounce can tomatoes with juice
Fine grain sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup natural peanut butter
4 cups vegetable broth (more if needed)
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 handfuls baby spinach (I have sometimes used kale instead)
Method: Sauté onion and garlic in water for 5 minutes. Add peppers, sweet potatoes, and tomatoes with juice; raise heat to medium high and simmer for 5 minutes more. Season vegetables with salt and black pepper. In a bowl, whisk together peanut butter and one cup of the vegetable broth until no clumps remain. Stir this into the vegetables, along with the remaining broth, chili powder, and cayenne. Cover and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer ten to twenty minutes or until sweet potato is fork tender. Stir in spinach or kale and cook until greens are wilted. If desired, you can serve this over brown rice or quinoa.
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Fudge
Ingredients:
1 cup vegan chocolate chips (Enjoy Life brand is good)
1/2 cup almond butter or any other type of nut butter, preferably without added salt or sugar
1/2 cup nuts such as pecans, cashews, walnuts, or hazelnuts, chopped but not fine.
Method: Melt chocolate chips in microwave. Add nut butter and nuts. Put mixture into an 8-inch square pan lined with parchment paper. Be sure there is parchment paper hanging over the pan’s edges so fudge can be lifted out easily. Put pan of fudge in freezer until it is firm enough to cut into squares—approximately 30 to 45 minutes. Remove and cut into squares. Put fudge back into freezer in a Ziploc bag or airtight container to store for the first day. It can then be stored in the refrigerator.
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No-Bake Cookies
by Chris Walker
Chris Walker is the president of the Winchester Chapter in Virginia. He's also known as Chef Christopher. Chris loves to cook and bake.
For the last several years Chris has been making no-bake cookies for the state convention for the live auction fundraising event. The no-bake cookies are also Chris's favorite childhood memory. He is sharing the recipe below from Simply Baking. It's quick and simple and of course delicious. Definitely give it a try and enjoy!
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup peanut butter, crunchy or smooth
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups oats (oatmeal)
Method: To begin place a sauce pan on a medium to high heat on your stove top. Then you'll add one stick of butter, one and a half cup of sugar, half cup of milk, then add three tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder. Then mix well until everything is combined. Bring to a boil then remove from stove top heat and add half cup of either crunchy or smooth peanut butter and one teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Once you have combined everything, add three cups of oats, then mix all together. You can use either wax paper or parchment paper and line your pan. To make things easier, use an ice cream scooper. You can also use a spoon. Scoop on to the pan and then place and put into freezer for thirty minutes. Then all you have to do is enjoy!
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Shipwrecked
by Jenny Blinsmon
Jenny Blinsmon is the vice president of our Tidewater Chapter. Jenny shares a family favorite from her childhood, a recipe she continues to make and savor.
Ingredients:
1.5 pounds hamburger
1 can tomato soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 onion, chopped
6 medium potatoes, sliced
Method: Brown hamburger and season with salt and pepper. Add onion and celery. Place in casserole dish. Pour tomato soup over meat layer. Then put potatoes on the meat and pour the mushroom soup over the potatoes. Pour milk over all. Bake 1.5 hours at 350 degrees. You can add corn or green beans if you want. Also I sometimes don’t pre-cook the hamburger.
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Creamy Chicken and Rice
by Joe Orozco
The next recipe comes to us from Joe Orozco. Joe wears many hats in our Virginia Affiliate, from operations coordinator for both our pre-employment transition service and our blindness skills for seniors programs to coordinator for our Virginia leadership development program and affiliate webmaster.
Ingredients:
4 cups cooked white rice
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
5 cups cooked, shredded chicken breast meat
12 ounces processed cheese food (e.g. Velveeta), cubed
2 cups sour cream
1/2 cup butter
2 cups crushed buttery round crackers
Method: Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Spread rice in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish; set aside. In a medium saucepan melt butter or margarine and stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add milk, bouillon granules, seasoned salt, garlic powder and pepper. Stir all together and bring to a boil. Let simmer and stir for two minutes or until thickened and bubbly.
Reduce heat; add chicken, cheese, and sour cream. Stir until cheese is melted. Mix all together and pour mixture over rice. Melt half-cup butter or margarine in saucepan and toss with crushed cracker crumbs. Sprinkle crumb mixture over casserole. Bake in the preheated oven for ten to fifteen minutes or until heated through.
Yield: 6 servings
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Banana Bread
by Jody Silverberg
Our final recipe is sent in from Jody Silverberg. Jody is a member of our Virginia At-Large Chapter and is a professional baker. Everyone loves our state conventions, in part because Jody always brings goodies to share.
Helpful tips: use very ripe bananas, or bananas that have been frozen and thawed completely. Always use room temperature eggs when baking.
Ingredients:
9.5 ounces all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
6.55 ounces granulated sugar
2 eggs, beaten
13.1 ounces mashed bananas
4 ounces canola oil
Method: Insert paddle attachment in stand mixer, or mix well by hand. Scale ingredients. Preheat oven to 350 F. In bowl of mixer, combine bananas, eggs and oil; mix thoroughly. In a separate bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. Add flour mixture to wet ingredients; mix on medium speed until combined; do not over mix. Portion by 1 cup measure into well of stoneware mini-loaf baking pans. Bake thirty minutes, until cake tester comes out clean. Cool completely on wire rack before removing from pan.
**If you choose to bake this as one loaf, please tent the bread with aluminum foil after twenty-five minutes. The top takes extra baking time to complete.
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Monitor Miniatures
News from the Federation Family
Dance! Dance! Dance!
This is taken from the March issue of The Blind Coloradan and begins with Kevan Worley’s note:
>From the Aggregator: As part of our suite of youth activities, our FAST (Fun Activities and Skills Training) provides monthly opportunities for youth and families to have fun and gain insight around blindness. Many times blind youngsters are left out of the usual social activities, such activities include dancing, traveling independently, playing games that are not easily accessible, and the like. FAST provides opportunities to fill gaps in learning social development. On Saturday, February 12, FAST families gathered at the Colorado Center for the Blind where, appropriate to Valentine’s Day, blind youth learned some great dance moves. Meanwhile, parents of blind children got some quick cane travel instruction.
How to Pay for Your Convention Hotel Stay
This helpful information comes from Tony Cobb, who for many years served as a fixture in the lobby of our convention hotels. Here is an important warning for those who may be considering how to pay for their stay:
Every year at our national convention we have serious trouble with use of debit cards or cash payments at hotel check-in, and, having worked to solve these problems for years, I can tell you they can nearly ruin the convention week for those experiencing them. Planning to attend our national convention should therefore include thinking seriously about how to pay the hotel, and I cannot urge you strongly enough to avoid using cash or a debit card as your payment method. Doing so may seem convenient, but you should not do so. If you do not have a credit card of your own to use instead, prevail upon a close friend or family member to let you use one just for convention. Here’s why:
If you are paying in actual currency, most hotels will want enough cash up front at check-in to cover your room and tax charges for the entire stay, plus a one-time advance incidentals deposit to cover meals, telephone calls, internet service, and other things you may charge to your room. The unused portion of the incidentals deposit may be returned at check-out or by mail after departure. Understand, however, that, if your incidentals charges exceed the incidentals deposit credited, you are responsible for payment of the full balance at check-out. The total can end up being a very large sum indeed.
If you use a debit card, however, you are really at a potentially painful disadvantage. The hotel will put a hold on money in your bank account linked to the debit card to cover the estimated balance of your stay—that is, for the entire week’s room and tax charges plus a one-time incidentals deposit to cover meals, movies, and so on charged to your room. You should be aware that the hold can therefore be a considerable amount of money and that you will not have access to that amount for any other purchases or payments with your card. (Hotels sometimes also put authorizations on credit cards, by the way, but those are not often a problem unless they exceed your card’s credit limit.)
Holds can remain in effect for three to five days or even a week after you check out. If you have pre-authorized payments from your bank account, for example your monthly mortgage payment, or if you try to make a purchase with your debit card and it's refused, the hold from the hotel can cause you trouble or result in very large overdraft fees for payments you thought you had money in your account to cover. I have seen this hit some of our members in the form of hundreds of dollars in overdraft fees.
This means that, if you use a debit card, you would have to be certain you have a high enough balance in your checking account when you come to convention to cover any debit card holds. This is a perilous practice since charges may exceed your estimate by a considerable amount. (Some frequent travelers even open a separate checking account used only for debits like these.) Remember, a hold is going to be placed on your debit card regardless of how you end up paying the bill, and the hold is not necessarily released right away, even if you pay with a credit card or cash when you check out of the hotel.
Planning ahead in this area can ensure an untroubled week at convention, leaving you free to enjoy fully the world’s largest and most exciting meeting of the blind.
In Brief
Notices and information in this section may be of interest to Monitor readers. We are not responsible for the accuracy of the information; we have edited only for space and clarity.
New Website Features Two-hundred Accessible Windows Programs:
Laufware.com is a new website that provides links to over two hundred accessible Windows programs. Software is divided into twenty-five categories with descriptions for each program. Specialty pages include keyboard shortcuts, top forty accessible programs, fifty portable programs with no installation required, and podcasts created by and for the blind and low vision community.
Current categories include: Audio Players, Backup, Broadcasting, Browsers-Email, CD-DVD, Databases-Spreadsheets, Editors, File Management, Hardware, Keyboard shortcuts, MP3, Portable, Radio, Reading, Recorders, Screen Readers, Screen Sharing, Security, Servers, Social Media, Utilities, Video, Voice Chat, Website Tools, and Wireless.
A software submission form is available for people to share their favorite accessible Windows programs, and the contact page allows one to provide comments and suggestions.
"Lauf" is a German word which means to run. Michael Lauf hopes you will visit, bookmark, and share the website with those who may benefit. Go to https://laufware.com.
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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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