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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Black",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><h1 align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:41.5pt;color:black'>Braille Monitor<o:p></o:p></span></h1><p align=center style='text-align:center;font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Vol. 65, No. 3 March 2022<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align=center style='text-align:center;font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><em><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>Gary Wunder, Editor</span></em><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p align=center style='text-align:center;font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Distributed by email, in inkprint, in Braille, and on USB flash drive, by the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align=center style='text-align:center;font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>The National Federation of the Blind<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align=center style='text-align:center;font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Mark Riccobono, President<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align=center style='text-align:center;font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>telephone: 410-659-9314<br>email address: <a href="mailto:nfb@nfb.org">nfb@nfb.org</a><br>website address: <a href="http://www.nfb.org/">http://www.nfb.org</a><br>NFBnet.org: <a href="http://www.nfbnet.org/">http://www.nfbnet.org</a><br>NFB-NEWSLINEŪ information: 866-504-7300<br>Like us on Facebook: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/nationalfederationoftheblind">Facebook.com/nationalfederationoftheblind</a><br>Follow us on Twitter: @NFB_Voice<br>Watch and share our videos: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/NationsBlind">YouTube.com/NationsBlind</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Letters to the President, address changes, subscription requests, and orders for NFB literature should be sent to the national office. Articles for the <em><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Monitor</span></em> and letters to the editor may also be sent to the national office or may be emailed to <a href="mailto:gwunder@nfb.org">gwunder@nfb.org</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align=center style='text-align:center;font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><i><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Monitor </span></i><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>subscriptions cost the Federation about forty dollars per year. Members are invited,<br>and nonmembers are requested, to cover the subscription cost. Donations should be<br>made payable to <strong><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>National Federation of the Blind</span></strong> and sent to:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>National Federation of the Blind<br>200 East Wells Street <em><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>at Jernigan Place</span></em><br>Baltimore, Maryland 21230-4998<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align=center style='text-align:center;font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>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.</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><em><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>ISSN 0006-8829</span></em><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><hr size=2 width="100%" align=center></span></div><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Each issue is recorded on a thumb drive (also called a memory stick or USB flash drive). You can read this audio edition using a computer or a National Library Service digital player. The NLS machine has two slots--the familiar book-cartridge slot just above the retractable carrying handle and a second slot located on the right side near the headphone jack. This smaller slot is used to play thumb drives. Remove the protective rubber pad covering this slot and insert the thumb drive. It will insert only in one position. If you encounter resistance, flip the drive over and try again. (Note: If the cartridge slot is not empty when you insert the thumb drive, the digital player will ignore the thumb drive.) Once the thumb drive is inserted, the player buttons will function as usual for reading digital materials. If you remove the thumb drive to use the player for cartridges, when you insert it again, reading should resume at the point you stopped.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>You can transfer the recording of each issue from the thumb drive to your computer or preserve it on the thumb drive. However, because thumb drives can be used hundreds of times, we would appreciate their return in order to stretch our funding. Please use the return envelope enclosed with the drive when you return the device.<o:p></o:p></span></p><div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><hr size=2 width="100%" align=center></span></div><h2><a name=contents></a><span style='font-size:30.0pt;color:black'>Contents<o:p></o:p></span></h2><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Vol. 65, No. 3 March 2022<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>New Orleans: Site of 2022 Convention<br>by John Berggren<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Returning to the Trail<br>by John Paré<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>The Purpose of Discussion in our Braille Monitor<br>by Gary Wunder<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>You Can Make a Difference<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Technology Can't Solve the Problems Ableism Creates<br>by Cricket Xiao Jiu Bidleman<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>A Response to Colleen Roth, "Are Conservatives Welcome in the National Federation of the Blind?" <em><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Braille Monitor</span></em>, January 2022<br>by Albert Elia<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Another Response to Roth, "Are Conservatives Welcome in the National Federation of the Blind?"<br>by Sanho Steele-Louchart<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>What's Love Got to Do with It?<br>by Jennifer Bazer<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>COVID Testing for the Blind Remains a Problem<br>by Gary Wunder<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Requesting Alternative Format Communication from the IRS through Form 9000<br>by Valerie Yingling<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>But Is Voting a Blindness Issue Really?<br>by Nathanael Wales<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>The First Time I Never Voted<br>by Tom Page<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>The Benefits of Immersion Training<br>by Joanne Gabias<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Update on the National Blindness Professional Certification Board<br>by Edward Bell<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Who Speaks For the 1Touch Project and Why Should We Care?<br>by Stephen Hanschu<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>The BrailleSense 6: Better, Faster, Familiar<br>by Karl Belanger<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Recipes<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><em><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>Monitor</span></em><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'> Miniatures<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align=center style='text-align:center;font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Copyright 2022 by the National Federation of the Blind<o:p></o:p></span></p><h2 style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:30.0pt;color:black'>New Orleans: Site of 2022 Convention<o:p></o:p></span></h2><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>by John Berggren</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>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 800-654-3990, 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.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>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.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>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.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>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.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>The schedule for the 2022 convention is:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Tuesday, July 5 Seminar Day<br>Wednesday, July 6 Registration and Resolutions Day<br>Thursday, July 7 Board Meeting and Division Day<br>Friday, July 8 Opening Session<br>Saturday, July 9 Business Session<br>Sunday, July 10 Banquet Day and Adjournment<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>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.<o:p></o:p></span></p><h2 style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:30.0pt;color:black'>Returning to the Trail<o:p></o:p></span></h2><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>by John Paré</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>From the Editor: We have people in our organization who make me feel blessed whenever I meet or talk with them. John is one of these fine people. Mostly he is an optimist, believing despite some of his real-world experience that right will be done, that he has a hand in making it happen, and that when it does he should be modest about his own role.</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>This article is appearing first in this issue because most of our March edition is heavier than usual. So for this issue we’re going to do the unthinkable and eat our desert first. Thank you, John, not only for your hard work but for your vacations and, through your article, taking us along:</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>I do not know why I have always wanted to visit Death Valley. Maybe it’s because it is the trifecta of atmospheric and geographic extremes. It holds the record for the hottest temperature recorded on earth, 134 degrees Fahrenheit. It is also the driest and lowest elevation in North America. The Greenland Ranch Weather Station in Death Valley averages 1.58 inches of rain per year, and the elevation of Bad Water Basin is 282 feet below sea level. Maybe it is because the terrain is so different from any place I have ever lived; but, for whatever reason, on my birthday, January 5, 2022, I found myself crossing the boundary into Death Valley National Park.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>A few months earlier my partner, Ann-Marie, asked me what I wanted to do for my birthday. I said I wanted to go hiking. She asked where, and I responded half-way jokingly, “Death Valley.” I could tell she was a bit apprehensive, and I quickly reminded her that it was winter and the temperature should not be that bad. To my surprise she agreed (it was my birthday after all). Before either one of us could change our minds, we booked the trip. The plan was to fly to Las Vegas from our homes in Baltimore, rent a car, and drive two and a half hours to Death Valley National Park. We wanted to stay inside the park to help minimize traveling time to the hiking trails and booked the centrally located Stovepipe Wells Village Hotel.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>The timing made our Christmas shopping easy—we bought each other backpacks and other hiking gear items we thought would be helpful on the trip. Our first stop was at a local REI (an outdoors store known for its experienced and knowledgeable sales staff). Ann-Marie told the salesperson that we were going on our first hike together. He asked where, and Ann-Marie replied, “Death Valley.” He seemed incredulous that we had picked Death Valley as our first hike, and with renewed apprehension Ann-Marie turned to me, and I quickly reminded them both that it was winter, and it would not be that hot. He still seemed skeptical, and with hesitation he wished us well.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>It was not literally my first hike, but it was going to be my first hike as a blind person. After my sophomore year in college, my brother and I had hiked for ten weeks on the Appalachian Trail. We completed the southern half, 1,000 miles. We carried all our gear including sleeping bags and a tent. We hiked off the trail every four or five days to purchase food. I was sighted back then. I would begin going blind about fifteen years later from cone-rod retina degeneration, a progressive and incurable eye condition.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Maybe this is why I really wanted to go hiking in Death Valley. Could I still hike as I did when I was sighted? If I was going to prove to myself that I could, I needed to make it challenging, and Death Valley fit the bill for me.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Death Valley National Park is located on the Nevada-California border in the northern Mojave Desert. It is 5,270 square miles of sand and rock, and most of Death Valley is devoid of vegetation. In the winter of 1849, a group of pioneers became lost while traveling through the forbidding conditions of the valley, and one of the party died. Against the odds, the rest of the group finally found their way out, and upon exiting, one of the pioneers said, “Goodbye, Death Valley,” giving birth to the name we use today.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>While I walk five or six miles a day, and sometimes more on the weekend, all of this walking is on unobstructed and relatively flat sidewalks. Both Ann-Marie and I were in for a big surprise.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Our first hike was through Mosaic Canyon. It is a two-mile drive up a very bumpy and dusty unpaved road to reach the trailhead. We confidently headed up the canyon trail, carrying between the two of us two quarts of water, snacks, a first aid kit, compass, maps, an external iPhone charger, and identification.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>The path was dirt and rocks. Sometimes the rocks were like gravel, sometimes like small stones, and at other times quite large. Sometimes the rocks were loose, and other times they were anchored in the ground. I expected the path to be steep but not so rocky. I used my white cane, which helped find the larger rocks and ensure that I was stepping into a clear spot. The canyon was typically about twenty feet wide—sometimes it would narrow to only three or four feet wide and other times it would widen to thirty or forty feet.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Our tour book warned there would be a need for some light scrambling—which when hiking means to use your hands to balance and traverse a steep incline. When Ann-Marie and I were in our twenties, that probably would have been a good description of what we did, but since our twenties are a few decades behind us, a better description would be rock climbing.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Most of the “scrambling” was up four-to-six-foot ledges. In one case there were some intermediate steps, but the steps were sloped, and the rock had been polished into a smooth and dangerously slippery surface. I would feel around for handholds and then try to secure myself well enough to move up a step. At other times the rocks were quite jagged, which I mostly avoided to prevent injury but sometimes used as handholds. We were seldom at risk of falling very far, but if we did fall, the rock landing was not going to be good.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Ann-Marie did a great job describing the landscape and geological features including the “noonday dolomite,” a light, tan-colored bedrock which covers most of the canyon and was formed 750 million years ago, as well as the rock formation known as the “mosaic breccia,” which is rock consisting of angular fragments cemented together and which inspired the name of the canyon.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>We reached the end of the canyon trail after two miles and then hiked back. While the weather had been no problem—it was probably in the high fifties that day—the trail surface and the “scrambling” were not what we expected. Although we were a little surprised about how challenging it had been, we were still ready for more.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Next, we drove thirty miles to Bad Water Basin, the lowest point in North America. It was an easy walk from our car onto the salt flat. The surface is relatively smooth, and yes, it is literally salt. After spending about thirty minutes wandering around on the salt flat, I was ready to get back on a hiking trail.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>We still had about an hour of daylight, which was enough time for a quick hike to the Natural Bridge—just a short distance from Bad Water Basin. Compared to Mosaic Canyon, the road to the trailhead was much bumpier and difficult to navigate; the tires would occasionally spin out, but the hike was shorter—two miles round trip. This trail was a little steeper than Mosaic Canyon and was again very rocky; however, there was no “scrambling.” Reaching the fifty-foot natural bridge was worth the effort. A natural bridge occurs when the water flows through a hole in a rock formation, and then over time the hole gets larger due to erosion, but the rock over the hole remains intact.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>After the hike we drove back to Stovepipe Wells Village and had dinner at the hotel’s restaurant. Our next two days were similar with a variety of hikes, scenic lookouts, and dinners at the hotel.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black;background:white'>Overall, the trip was fun, challenging, rewarding, exhausting, and empowering. My goal, in addition to celebrating my birthday, was to prove to myself I could complete a challenging hike as a blind person. I could have gone back to the Appalachian Trail, but I wanted something new, exciting, and potentially more difficult. I would not have had the confidence to attempt such a trip if it had not been for the National Federation of the Blind. When I first went blind, my expectations for my life were comparable to the elevation at Bad Water Basin, but the philosophy, mentors, and lifelong friends of the National Federation of the Blind changed all that. So, when Ann-Marie and I crossed the boundary out of Death Valley National Park on January 9, I said “goodbye low expectations.”</span><o:p></o:p></p><h2><span style='font-size:30.0pt;color:black'>The Purpose of Discussion in our <em><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Braille Monitor</span></em><o:p></o:p></span></h2><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>by Gary Wunder</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>For a number of years I have had a goal of getting people to discuss things that might or should become policy in the Federation. I have thought we should have an avenue for this even before I edited this magazine, and since I have been the editor, I’ve tried to push for constructive discussions.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>When people hear about an important resolution and complain that they don't know much about the subject or wish they had more time to think about it, I've often felt that the <em><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Braille Monitor</span></em> could have filled a need by providing information and perspective. What I have not wanted to do is set up the environment I too often see on network television in which people argue rather than discuss, in which they spin more ideology than real thought. Discussion should not mean that someone wins and someone loses. What I have wanted to foster is the sharing of ideas in which everyone is open to learning and coming closer together. In my desire to create discussion, please help me avoid our magazine being the place where people come to argue. Instead, let us place communication as one of our major goals. Let it be respectful, and let us be clear about what communication is and is not. Communication lets you articulate a position. If you have done it well enough, and if I've listened with an open mind and heart, I can articulate your view and the reasons you've given for it. But communication hasn't failed if, after reading your position, it still isn't my position. Maybe what you write moves me a bit. Perhaps it sowed a seed that makes me think and leads me to do more research. That research may harden my position or may bring me closer to yours, but our measure of success can't be to convert but to offer perspectives and leave final decisions to the good will and good sense of our readers.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>So when you see an article and a response to it, please understand that we're not trying to get ratings and reader participation through sensationalism. Our goal is to provide another way for people to talk with one another, to understand one another, and to help show that our little part of the world still believes in the exchange of ideas without having the heads of those who espouse them.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>After expressing this view to one of my dearest friends, he offered this as a possible disclaimer to put in each issue. What do readers think?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>The <em><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Braille Monitor</span></em> strives to be a place in which respectful debate about emerging issues affecting blind people and the organized blind movement can take place, while also supporting and amplifying the decisions arrived at through our democratic process and our supreme governing authority, the National Convention. Consequently, except for verbatim copies of our adopted resolutions, policies, and constitution, content in the <em><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Monitor</span></em> may or may not reflect the organization’s policies or the collective opinion of the National Federation of the Blind.<o:p></o:p></span></p><h2 style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:30.0pt;color:black'>You Can Make a Difference<o:p></o:p></span></h2><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>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.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>With your help, the NFB will continue to:<o:p></o:p></span></p><ul type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l13 level1 lfo1'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>Give blind children the gift of literacy through Braille.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l13 level1 lfo1'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>Promote independent travel by providing free, long white canes to blind people in need.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l13 level1 lfo1'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>Develop dynamic educational projects and programs to show blind youth that science and math careers are within their reach.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l13 level1 lfo1'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>Deliver hundreds of accessible newspapers and magazines to provide blind people the essential information necessary to be actively involved in their communities.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l13 level1 lfo1'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>Offer aids and appliances that help seniors losing vision maintain their independence.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul><h3 style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:22.5pt;color:black'>Plan to Leave a Legacy<o:p></o:p></span></h3><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>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.<o:p></o:p></span></p><h4 align=center style='text-align:center;font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:17.5pt;color:black'>Fixed Sum of Assets<o:p></o:p></span></h4><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>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.<o:p></o:p></span></p><h4 align=center style='text-align:center;font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:17.5pt;color:black'>Percentage of Assets<o:p></o:p></span></h4><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>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.<o:p></o:p></span></p><h4 align=center style='text-align:center;font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:17.5pt;color:black'>Payable on Death (POD) Account<o:p></o:p></span></h4><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>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.<o:p></o:p></span></p><h4 align=center style='text-align:center;font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:17.5pt;color:black'>Will or Trust<o:p></o:p></span></h4><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>If you do decide to create or revise your will, consider the National Federation of the Blind as a partial beneficiary.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Visit our Planned Giving webpage (<a href="https://www.nfb.org/get-involved/ways-give/planned-giving">https://www.nfb.org/get-involved/ways-give/planned-giving</a>) or call 410-659-9314, extension 2422, for more information.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Together with love, hope, determination, and your support, we will continue to transform dreams into reality.<o:p></o:p></span></p><h3 style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:22.5pt;color:black'>Ways to Contribute Now<o:p></o:p></span></h3><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Throughout 2021, the NFB:<o:p></o:p></span></p><ul type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>Sent nearly one thousand Braille Santa and Winter Celebration letters to blind children, encouraging excitement for Braille literacy.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>Distributed over five thousand canes to blind people across the United States, empowering them to travel safely and independently throughout their communities.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>Delivered audio newspaper and magazine services to 126,823 subscribers, providing free access to over five hundred local, national, and international publications.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>Gave over six hundred Braille-writing slates and styluses free of charge to blind users.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>Mentored 232 blind youth during our Braille Enrichment for Literacy and LearningŪ Academy in-home editions.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>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.<o:p></o:p></span></p><h4 align=center style='text-align:center;font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:17.5pt;color:black'>Vehicle Donation Program<o:p></o:p></span></h4><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>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.<o:p></o:p></span></p><h4 align=center style='text-align:center;font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:17.5pt;color:black'>General Donation<o:p></o:p></span></h4><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>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 (<a href="https://www.nfb.org/get-involved/ways-give">https://www.nfb.org/get-involved/ways-give</a>) for more information. <o:p></o:p></span></p><h4 align=center style='text-align:center;font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:17.5pt;color:black'>Pre-Authorized Contribution<o:p></o:p></span></h4><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>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 (<a href="https://www.nfb.org/pac">https://www.nfb.org/pac</a>) online.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black;background:white'>If you have questions about giving, please send an email to </span><a href="mailto:outreach@nfb.org"><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>outreach@nfb.org</span></a><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black;background:white'> or call 410-659-9314, extension 2422.</span><o:p></o:p></p><h2><span style='font-size:30.0pt;color:black'>Technology Can't Solve the Problems Ableism Creates<o:p></o:p></span></h2><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>by Cricket Xiao Jiu Bidleman</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>From the Editor: Cricket is new to these pages except for the convention speech she gave in 2016 and the scholarship she won in 2017. What a pleasure it is to see her as a contributor. So often people are ready to replace our canes, noting that they are only light and well-made sticks, but few who seek to replace them really understand their use and in fact the abuse they take. Here is Cricket’s contribution to the discussion:</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>“Did you read that story in the <em><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Stanford Report</span></em> about the affordable “smart cane” that uses robotics? Wasn’t it cool?” Whenever articles about disability technology come out, I’m asked for my thoughts and feelings on the innovation at hand. People expect me, a blind person, to share their excitement. Most find my frustration and lack of enthusiasm perplexing. They don’t understand that, in the midst of the excitement that comes with applying technology to the disability community, the true harm, ableism, is often overlooked.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>This “smart cane” is a good example of technology ignoring ableism. The developers intend to help the blind community. However, this product is not necessary for blind people to live and work successfully. In fact, this product can in some ways be harmful. Canes tell blind people what obstacles are in our walking paths, what terrains we’re walking on, etc. They are used daily. The heavier weight of the “smart cane” puts undue stress on users’ wrists and arms. Canes like mine weigh significantly less than a single pound, whereas, according to the article, this “smart cane” weighs a whopping three pounds. Repetitive stress injuries and carpal tunnel syndrome often result from muscle fatigue and repetitive motion. Using a cane that heavy every day could be catastrophic for anyone.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>This article emphasizes the <em><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>affordability</span></em> of the “smart cane.” It says that similar products cost $6,000, and this one costs only $400. Perhaps they don’t realize that blind people can get canes free here through the National Federation of the Blind and the American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults—it doesn’t get much more affordable than that. Almost ten million Americans received Social Security disability benefits in 2019; that’s the only income that a lot of us get. Many disabled Americans live at home or with caretakers, or they work for subminimum wages or in sheltered workshops. They don’t have $400 to spare. I don’t find $400 easy to part with, either. I would rather save that to help with post-graduation moving expenses, donate it to a philanthropic organization, or save it for my hypothetical children’s college education.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>People get caught up in the “smart” aspect of technology like the “smart cane.” My cane isn’t smart, but I don’t need it to be. The article and accompanying video talk about a wheel that pulls the user around obstacles, and while I certainly don’t like running into things, it’s nice to know that those things are there. I don’t want to be skating along sidewalks without knowing where those tables outside Old Union are, for example. Maybe I’m trying to meet a friend or using a traffic light as a landmark. The wheel on the tip of this cane might interfere with the textural elements of the terrain. People often ask me whether the sound of my cane’s metal tip dragging on the ground is grating to my ears, and while I do find it mildly annoying, there’s more to it than that. It’s nice knowing whether I’m walking on tile or bricks or carpet, etc. Other blind people agree. Awareness is good; people shouldn’t take that away from us.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Even Stanford’s videos about the “smart cane” display the ableism and inaccessibility that pervade our society. The videos are not audio-described, so while the developers believe that they are engaging diversity and increasing accessibility, they are not doing so properly. It is extremely hypocritical to brag about accessibility efforts for blind people in videos that don’t contain audio description.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Moreover, the “smart cane” assumes misguided notions of quality of life. The developers cite improvements in walking speed for both sighted and blind users while using this cane, associating faster walking speed with quality of life. The video claims, “This [greater walking speed] can provide a significant improvement in terms of their quality of life, due to improvement in mobility.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>This kind of assumption is deeply troubling because it’s a person or a group of people projecting their image of “quality of life” onto the disabled. It’s incredibly offensive, and falling into this pattern can be dangerous.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>This “smart cane” is perhaps less lethal than other examples of the same behavior. For example, even as recently as this year, people with disabilities have been denied life-saving healthcare when doctors projected their bigoted opinions about “quality of life” onto disabled patients. Both are examples of ableism. No one should assume that others have a lesser “quality of life” just because they live differently. The developers of the “smart cane” are likely trying to be helpful, but there are better ways to do that using products that already exist.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Ableism and inaccessibility have always been huge societal issues. Developers think that they can solve those issues by creating something new or that they can get around future issues by doing something innovative. Technology isn’t always the solution, though. Here are some better ones.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>In terms of “quality of life,” the disabled do not have equal access to aspects of society due to inaccessibility, and that’s much more damaging than inability to walk quickly or the existence of disabilities. Despite the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), some buildings don’t have wheelchair-accessible rooms or entrances or correct Braille signage, even here at Stanford.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>This inaccessibility extends to the internet: there is no legislation specifically mandating web accessibility, only a collection of unenforced guidelines. Making websites accessible could vastly improve “quality of life” for the disabled; we should concentrate less on innovating and more on establishing effective legislation and enforcing it.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Then, the bigger problem: ableism. It exists in every aspect of society, though others choose not to recognize it. Able-bodied people physically manipulate the disabled without asking us for consent. People drag the disabled across streets or grab us to show us how to find things—the examples are endless. The disabled are sometimes forced to work in sheltered workshops, where far too many do so for subminimum wages. Workplaces that do pay above minimum wages still sometimes pay the disabled even less than our non-disabled counterparts. Assistive technology isn’t affordable, and developers concentrate on high-tech solutions rather than making what already exists more affordable. There’s a high rate of sexual assault toward the disabled because we’re viewed as inferior, and we’re not taught what consent is. A lot of public transportation in America is not accessible, and ride-sharing services like Lyft and Uber are still refusing passengers with disabilities.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>These are just some of the endless examples of problems that urgently need solving. Let’s get off those high horses of high tech, and instead let us spend our energy on fixing these issues.<o:p></o:p></span></p><h2 style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:30.0pt;color:black'>A Response to Colleen Roth, "Are Conservatives Welcome in the National Federation of the Blind?" <em><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Braille Monitor</span></em>, January 2022<o:p></o:p></span></h2><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>by Albert Elia</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>From the Editor: Albert Elia is a former scholarship winner who has taken to our cause and now works as part of a legal team that routinely and superbly defends the rights of blind people. He read Colleen Roth’s article, and though he wants to assure her that conservatives are indeed needed and welcome in the NFB, he stresses that our Federation is concerned more with our behavior than our beliefs. In all of this writing, when we go below the 30,000-foot level, we find that the difficulty is indeed in the detail. My hope is that, in working through the detail, we come to a place of tolerance and understanding, a tolerance that doesn’t depend solely on the movement of others but on our own kindness and respect for the frailty of being humans. Our Code of Conduct indeed mandates how we will behave toward others. Its spirit is to bring about an environment of tolerance and acceptance; only as a last resort is it punitive. Here is what Al has to say:</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>I agree wholeheartedly with Ms. Roth’s opening in her article in the January 2022 <em><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Braille Monitor</span></em>, wherein she states that she believes “we should all treat each other with respect and welcome those who join with us.” However, in my opinion she goes on to state that she will not treat some members with the same respect that she treats others, and that is where the NFB draws the line regarding its expectations of the conduct of its members and leaders.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>According to Ms. Roth’s article, she is “a very traditional Roman Catholic.” She indicates that because same-sex marriage “is not in keeping with the scriptures” she follows, she would refuse to introduce a same-sex couple as married at a Federation event. That is certainly her choice, but assuming Ms. Roth is in the habit of introducing married couples who are not part of a protected class, as a member and leader of the NFB who has pledged to uphold the NFB’s Code of Conduct, she must recognize that making that choice could disqualify her from leadership and may result in her sanction by the NFB. She would face similar sanction should she refuse to introduce a civilly-married mixed Catholic/Jewish opposite-sex couple as married on the grounds that such a marriage is invalid under Canon law. See Canons 1086 (invalidity of marriage between Catholic and non-baptized person), 1108 and 1125 (requirement of ecclesiastic celebrant and explicit permission by bishop for validity). In either case, she would be in violation of Section IV of the NFB Code of Conduct because her conduct “denigrates or shows aversion” toward the putative couple because of their “religion, sex, [or] sexual orientation.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>To be clear, the NFB Code of Conduct only regulates conduct, not thoughts or beliefs. Ms. Roth and others are welcome to participate and hold leadership positions in the NFB regardless of their beliefs. They may believe in the invalidity of same-sex marriage. They may believe in the invalidity of the lived experience of transgender persons or persons with other gender identities or expressions. They may believe in the invalidity of the lived experience of persons whose race is different from theirs or the invalidity of any beliefs not in keeping with their own. They may believe in Yahweh, Allah, or the Flying Spaghetti Monster as the one true God, or they may believe in no God at all. What they and no member or leader of the NFB may do is conduct themselves in accordance with any beliefs where such conduct “denigrates or shows hostility or aversion toward an individual, or their relatives, friends, or associates, because of their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, marital status, citizenship, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.” It is that conduct, not the coincident belief that is prohibited.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>In answer to Ms. Roth’s question: Yes, conservatives are welcome in the National Federation of the Blind, just as liberals and everyone in-between are welcome, as long as they abide by the Federation’s Code of Conduct. All members, leaders, and participants in the Federation must understand and recognize that their beliefs—no matter how deeply held—do not excuse them from complying with that Code of Conduct. Let us all conduct ourselves in a manner that is respectful to our shared humanity and our shared goals of security, equality, and opportunity.<o:p></o:p></span></p><h2 style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:30.0pt;color:black'>Another Response to Roth, "Are Conservatives Welcome in the National Federation of the Blind?"<o:p></o:p></span></h2><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>by Sanho Steele-Louchart</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>From the Editor: Sanho Steele-Louchart is the chairman of our LGBTQIA group and is familiar to readers as a result of his article about NFB philosophy that appeared in February of 2021. Here is his take on the question of “Are Conservatives Welcome in the NFB.”</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>A recent article in the <em><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Braille Monitor</span></em> posed the question “Are conservatives welcome in the NFB?” The answer, with neither hesitation nor equivocation, is a resounding yes.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>At its core, the Federation is an organization dedicated to embracing the natural diversity of human experiences. Assuming that such diversity falls within the guidelines of our Code of Conduct, all people are welcome within the NFB. We are a cross-section of society at large. The Federation includes blind people, sighted people, gay people, straight people, cis people, trans people, Christians, atheists, and, yes—Conservatives.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>It’s my understanding that some Federation members have felt alienated in recent years due to leadership’s open acceptance of groups such as the LGBT+ community, the emphasis on inclusivity, and a fear that conservative viewpoints will be denigrated. With genuine warmth, I refer those members back to our Code of Conduct. Conservativism is most certainly welcome within the Federation. What’s prohibited by our Code of Conduct is bigotry.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>To borrow an example from the article that appeared in the January 2022 issue, it makes sense that a Catholic leader within the Federation might be uncomfortable introducing a same-sex couple as spouses at a chapter meeting. It would even make sense for that person to ask another Federationist to introduce them, instead. Where our Code of Conduct would apply is if that leader made a practice of introducing straight couples, then purposefully denied that respect to the people who identified as LGBT. That would be discrimination, and discrimination is not synonymous with conservativism.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Unfortunately, what we as a Federation have not yet fully grappled with is what to do once that hurt is out there in the world. NFB LGBT Group members and members of color tell me horror stories of what happened years ago. Even today, what do our trans and nonbinary family members do once their core identities have been invalidated on a national stage? Being polite to their faces is a great start, but when they meet us in person, they remember what we wrote. That pain doesn’t just go away. We caused that pain, and our Code of Conduct demands we take responsibility for it.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>I issue our membership this friendly challenge: Don’t normalize discrimination within our ranks. We’ve fought for eighty-two years to get to where we are. Celebrate the progress, but remember always to keep marching on. The work has just begun.<o:p></o:p></span></p><h2 style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:30.0pt;color:black'>What's Love Got to Do with It?<o:p></o:p></span></h2><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>by Jennifer Bazer</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>From the Editor: The </span></strong><em><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>Positive Note</span></b></em><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'> is a weekly update by NFB of South Carolina President Jennifer Bazer that has been published at least 1,853 times, this piece coming from number 1,853. In each issue is a note from the president, and Jennifer Bazer writes some good ones. Given this was published on Valentine’s Day and we are focused on love every day of the year, I thought it a splendid addition. Here is what she says:</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>The values of our NFB brand represent the essence of us, the National Federation of the Blind, the code that carries the brand—the guiding principles upon which we make our decisions. They are the heart and soul of the organization. Our core values are courage, respect, full participation, democracy, collective action, and love. We define love in our core values this way: The NFB provides a loving, supportive, and encouraging family that shares in the challenges and triumphs of our blind brothers and sisters. This deeply held faith in one another sustains members during times of challenge and cheers on individual and collective successes. Love is the feeling that permeates our organization and pushes us to expect the best from each other.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Today is Valentine’s Day, the day we think of love, the day that more flowers are bought than on any other holiday, the day we most associate red with love. As we celebrate Valentine’s Day, let’s focus on love in our Federation family. Let’s exemplify love in everything we do in the Federation and beyond.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Some may feel it is hard to love someone who disagrees with our viewpoint. Some may find it hard to love those who turn their backs on us. Some may find it challenging to love those who lash out with their words in anger or hurt. Some find it impossible to love those who spread rumors or say unkind things about us. Some people may find it uninviting to love those who talk behind our backs without saying what they mean directly to us. Some people may wish to carry a burden of unforgiveness on their shoulders rather than carrying love in their hearts. Well, it is not impossible to forgive those who may have hurt us. Love can help us forgive, bring peace, foster understanding, and strengthen our connections with each other.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>On this Valentine’s Day, let’s adopt the pinks and reds as our NFB colors to show our love for our Federation Family. Let’s remember the reason we are family. We have come together because we all want a brighter future, legal and social equality, public awareness, and respect as blind people. We have more things in common than we will ever have differences. When in doubt, pull out your NFB coin and read the Braille; it spells “together.” That is who we are: a group of like-minded, capable, passionate, enthusiastic, and driven blind people. When we clash with each other, it is because we care so much about the outcome. We just differ sometimes about the best path to get us there. We should do our best to remember that we are all doing what we think is right.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black;background:white'>Let’s strive each day to live and to exemplify and encourage our brothers and sisters to keep uppermost our NFB promise. Together with love, hope, and determination, we transform dreams into reality. Let’s go build the National Federation of the Blind with love this Valentine’s Day and every day thereafter!</span><o:p></o:p></p><h2><span style='font-size:30.0pt;color:black'>COVID Testing for the Blind Remains a Problem<o:p></o:p></span></h2><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>by Gary Wunder</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Since the start of the pandemic, blind people have found ourselves at a significant disadvantage relative to those who can see. Determining that one has COVID is the first step, and it is here that we find our first stumbling block. In many places tests were administered in outside venues: drive up, stay in your car, wait in line for hours regardless the weather, roll down your window, and have the test administered without any contact between you and the person doing the swab. For blind people getting access to a vehicle has been difficult; one does not call an Uber or Lyft and suggest, “I may be sick. Please come to pick me up, and then let’s sit for hours in a line. If I am right and I’m sick, you too will get a chance to be exposed. Oh, and about the cost of the ride: do you have any options for monthly payments?”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Now we have the promised at-home tests, but wouldn’t you know it, their interpretation is based on color, and it is up to the blind person to figure out how to get it read. You will find that you and we, through our National Federation of the Blind, are addressing it in several ways, including this article and one other that discusses our work with Aira to see that we can read our tests. If you want to jump right to that information, you may go to <a href="https://nfb.org/resources/covid-19-resources/covid-19-home-test-information">https://nfb.org/resources/covid-19-resources/covid-19-home-test-information</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Here is what we have received as a result of our concerns addressed to the White House. Let us be proud of our role in working on testing, realizing this is but the first of many steps that need to be taken to make testing equitable.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><br>February 24, 2022<o:p></o:p></span></p><h3 style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:22.5pt;color:black'>FACT SHEET:<o:p></o:p></span></h3><h3 style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:22.5pt;color:black'>Administration Announces New Actions to Address the Needs of People with Disabilities and Older Adults in Response to and Recovery from COVID-19<o:p></o:p></span></h3><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>The Administration recognizes that the COVID-19 pandemic has had tremendous impacts on disabled individuals and has resulted in new members of the disability community.<br>Over the past year, the Administration has collaborated and consulted with the disability community and taken several key actions to address the unique needs of individuals with disabilities. Among other actions, the U.S. government released key civil rights guidance to protect disabled individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic or any public health emergency; prioritized Long COVID services, supports, and research in the context of disability; established a call line dedicated to ensuring individuals with disabilities can equitably utilize the Administration’s at-home test distribution program; ensured disabled individuals and other high-risk individuals have access to at-home testing; and invested American Rescue Plan (ARP) resources to build COVID-19 vaccine confidence and access among people with disabilities.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Moving forward, the Administration will take several key steps to further our work to ensure that disabled individuals, regardless of where they live or the level of community transmission of the virus, have equitable access to COVID-19 testing, masks, and other critical mitigation strategies. The Administration remains committed to implementing these policies and developing additional policies in close collaboration with the disability community—keeping equity and accessibility at the center of our COVID-19 response and beyond. The Administration will:<o:p></o:p></span></p><ul type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l9 level1 lfo3'><strong><u><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Equip schools with guidance and support to keep vulnerable students safe and learning in-person.</span></u></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt'> The Department of Education (ED) will work with school administrators and educators on strategies they can use to continue providing safe, in-person instruction for all students in their classes. ED will engage the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to ensure that its guidance is fully aligned with the latest public health guidance and that schools have clear recommendations and strategies to help protect the safety of and access to rigorous learning that all children deserve. ED will also provide resources for parents who would like additional support in understanding how to navigate their child’s in-person learning experience through local regional parent training and information centers. Parents may find their local center here (<a href="https://www.parentcenterhub.org/find-your-center/">https://www.parentcenterhub.org/find-your-center/</a>) and reach out for direct assistance and referrals to other organizations, as well as to gain skills to effectively participate in the education and development of their children. States and school districts should use the unprecedented resources provided through the ARP to implement these recommendations and ensure access to a high-quality education for all students, including students with disabilities. Children learn best in-person, and are better able to engage with rigorous instruction and access services and supports tailored to their needs when they are learning alongside their peers. The President has been clear since Day One that we need students back to school for full-time, in-person learning, and thanks to the unprecedented resources provided through the ARP, schools have what they need to safely remain open, keep students and staff safe, and address the impact of the pandemic on student learning and mental health. Some students may need additional protections to ensure they can remain safe in the classroom—including students who are immunocompromised, with complex medical conditions, or with other disabilities that may put them at higher risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19. For nearly two years, educators across the country have provided services and supports to children with disabilities in ways never anticipated prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Administration is committed to ensuring that children with disabilities continue to receive the services and supports they need so they can reach their highest potential.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul><ul type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo4'><strong><u><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Expand the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Administration for Community Living’s Disability Information and Access Line to support people with disabilities who face difficulty using or cannot use a self-test.</span></u></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt'> The Disability Information and Access Line (DIAL) (<a href="https://acl.gov/DIAL">https://acl.gov/DIAL</a>), available at 1-888-677-1199, is launching a new initiative to support disabled individuals who need assistance using at-home tests distributed by the Administration or support in finding alternatives to at-home testing. For individuals who can use an at-home test, DIAL operators are available to assist with ordering free tests; understanding instructions for test administration and test results; or providing alternative instructions for those unable to access, read, or understand the manufacturer’s version. For those who cannot use an at-home test, DIAL operators can assist individuals with ordering tests to collect a specimen that can be mailed back for results. For individuals who cannot use either an at-home test or an alternative “swab and send” test, DIAL operators can assist callers with locating their state or local health department and/or aging and disability resources for additional assistance with other testing options that may be available in their community, including identifying potential in-home testing options or assistance with transportation or companion support to visit a community-based testing site.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul><ul type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:13.5pt;mso-list:l8 level1 lfo5'><strong><u><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Launch new COVID-19 testing guidance in American Sign Language and review all existing COVID-19 guidance to confirm accessibility for all disabled individuals.</span></u></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt'> CDC recently released “How to Interpret Positive Self-Test Results” guidance (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eN9abSiscac">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eN9abSiscac</a>) in American Sign Language (ASL), a first step towards ensuring that deaf or hard of hearing individuals can access key information about how to protect themselves and their communities. CDC is also collaborating with the CDC Foundation, Georgia Tech’s Center for Inclusive Design and Innovation, and their partners across HHS to pursue key improvements for all COVID-19 guidance available on CDC’s website that cannot be accessed elsewhere: information in Braille, ASL translation, simplified text, and other alternative formats.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l8 level1 lfo5'><strong><u><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Execute a new effort to develop at-home COVID-19 tests that are accessible to all. The National Institutes of Health (NIH)’s RADx program has launched a new effort to seek both short- and long-term solutions to improve at-home test accessibility.</span></u></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt'> RADx will consult and work with national organizations who represent communities in need of accessible tests, and test manufacturers to inform the modification or development of more accessible at-home tests, including device design, packaging, and modes of instruction, and challenges. Though at-home COVID-19 tests were only invented last year, the Administration’s investment in this technology has rapidly scaled up manufacturing to the millions per day. This effort strives to ensure that all individuals have an option for at-home testing that can be used and interpreted without assistance, and will set the course towards accessible testing in the weeks and months to come.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul><ul type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l14 level1 lfo6'><strong><u><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Incentivize all at-home test manufacturers to prioritize accessibility of at-home tests.</span></u></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt'> The Administration has published a formal Request for Information (RFI) to ensure the preservation and expansion of current domestic manufacturing capacities for at-home rapid tests and point-of-care tests. The RFI specifically asks manufacturers to prioritize the accessibility of at-home tests for people who are blind or visually-impaired; individuals with physical, cognitive, or other disabilities; and individuals who need non-English language or literacy support. The Administration will use the information gathered in March 2022 to inform near-term investments—towards ensuring that accessible at-home tests are available for federal purchase.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul><ul type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l10 level1 lfo7'><strong><u><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Request accessible instructions from manufacturers who have received a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Emergency Use Authorization (EUA).</span></u></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt'> The FDA has reached out to all test developers that have received an EUA to request that they provide instructions that are accessible and compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, including alternative text for all images as well as html versions. FDA will use all authority available to receive these accessible instructions as quickly as possible, while working with RADx to identify other wraparound services that can be provided immediately to make existing at-home tests more accessible.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul><ul type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:13.5pt;mso-list:l4 level1 lfo8'><strong><u><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Distribute masks to disabled individuals through community-based organizations and jurisdictions.</span></u></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt'> HHS will support health centers and aging and disability networks as they collaborate on efforts to distribute N95 masks to individuals with disabilities who cannot leave their homes. As the President announced in January 2022, the Administration is making 400 million N95 masks from the Strategic National Stockpile available to all individuals in the United States for free. HHS is sending tens of millions of free, high-quality masks to community health centers and rural health clinics—organizations that play a critical role in serving communities across the country, including individuals with disabilities.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l4 level1 lfo8'><strong><u><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Call on states to directly distribute high-quality masks through community-based organizations serving individuals with disabilities.</span></u></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt'> Over the past year, the Administration has also sent millions of high-quality masks to states and territories across the country. We encourage all jurisdictions to work in partnership with community-based organizations to expand access for the hardest-hit and highest-risk individuals—including people with disabilities who may be unable to leave their homes.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul><h2 style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:30.0pt;color:black'>Requesting Alternative Format Communication from the IRS through Form 9000<o:p></o:p></span></h2><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>by Valerie Yingling</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>From the Editor: Besides the extension for the President and perhaps the Independence Market, I suspect that none rings more than the one for Valerie. National representatives say it repeatedly as the digits to dial to report an act of discrimination, inquire about with whom to talk about a potential case, or to give your thoughts about a current survey. Extension 2440 is magic, not because of the digits but because of the kind, courteous, and competent person taking the calls. Here is the latest contribution from Valerie, just in time for tax season:</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Good news from the IRS is always welcome, including that a key term in the NFB’s 2020 settlement agreement with the IRS is now available to blind taxpayers. IRS Form 9000: Alternative Media Preference is newly available for requesting notices from the IRS in large print, Braille, MP3 audio file, plain text file, or Braille ready file.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Taxpayers can submit Form 9000 with their tax return, or can mail the form in as a stand-alone document. Important instructions at <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-access/f9000_accessible.pdf">https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-access/f9000_accessible.pdf</a>, following the form, include the mailing address and how to complete the form depending on your method of submission.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>As identified in the NFB’s agreement, taxpayers are not limited to the formats listed on Form 9000. Requests for other formats will be evaluated under requirements in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Furthermore, taxpayers are not required to use Form 9000, but can instead request alternative format communication from the IRS by telephone: 800-829-1040. Also, taxpayers may change their request at any time. It may take two weeks or longer for the IRS to process the alternative format request, depending on the requesting method. In the interim, taxpayers can call the same number (800-829-1040) for assistance with print communication they receive from the IRS.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>These developments are important, and we expect that they will prevent situations in which inaccessible notices lead to unknown fees and penalties. As President Riccobono stated in 2020, “We are pleased that the IRS has recognized that both the law and fundamental fairness demand that blind taxpayers receive notices that we can read and act upon while protecting our privacy and preserving our independence.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>NFB members should also note that per the settlement:<o:p></o:p></span></p><ul type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l15 level1 lfo9'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>The IRS has reviewed its policies and guidance regarding <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f843.pdf">Form 843</a>, Claim for Refund and Request for Abatement. Blind taxpayers can use Form 843 to request a refund or reduction in taxes, interest, or penalties, including for fees resulting from when a notice was not sent in the requested alternative format.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l15 level1 lfo9'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>The IRS has established an Accessibility Helpline as a part of its Alternative Media Center. Blind taxpayers can call 833-690-0598 for accessibility assistance.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l15 level1 lfo9'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>Twice annually for the duration of the agreement the IRS reports to NFB discrimination complaints made by blind taxpayers. Taxpayers who experience disability discrimination through IRS programs, including a failure to receive requested alternative formats, can submit a complaint to the IRS’s Civil Rights Division via email: <a href="mailto:edi.civil.rights.division@irs.gov">edi.civil.rights.division@irs.gov</a>, webform: <a href="http://www.irs.gov/about-irs/your-civil-rights-are-protected">www.irs.gov/about-irs/your-civil-rights-are-protected</a>, or mail: Operations Director, Civil Rights Division, Internal Revenue Service, Room 2413, 1111 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20224.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l15 level1 lfo9'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>The IRS provides an overview on its website of its Alternative Media Center and links to accessible versions of IRS publications, forms, and instructions. Blind taxpayers can visit <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/accessible-irs-tax-products">https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/accessible-irs-tax-products</a> or call 800-829-3676 to request forms, instructions, and publications in Braille or large print.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>For more information, please visit:<o:p></o:p></span></p><ul type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l5 level1 lfo10'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>Form 9000, Alternative Media Preference: <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-access/f9000_accessible.pdf">https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-access/f9000_accessible.pdf</a><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l5 level1 lfo10'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>Form 843, Claim for Refund and Request for Abatement: <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f843.pdf">https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f843.pdf</a><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l5 level1 lfo10'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>IRS Alternative Media Center: <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/information-about-the-alternative-media-center">https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/information-about-the-alternative-media-center</a><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l5 level1 lfo10'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>Accessible Forms and Publications: <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/accessible-irs-tax-products">https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/accessible-irs-tax-products</a><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l5 level1 lfo10'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>Protecting Taxpayer Civil Rights: <a href="https://www.irs.gov/about-irs/protecting-taxpayer-civil-rights">https://www.irs.gov/about-irs/protecting-taxpayer-civil-rights</a><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l5 level1 lfo10'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>July 15, 2020, IRS to Implement Process to Provide Accessible Tax Notices to the Blind: <a href="https://nfb.org/about-us/press-room/irs-implement-process-provide-accessible-tax-notices-blind">https://nfb.org/about-us/press-room/irs-implement-process-provide-accessible-tax-notices-blind</a><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l5 level1 lfo10'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>July 15, 2020, Rose v. Mnuchin Settlement Agreement: <a href="https://nfb.org/sites/www.nfb.org/files/files-pdf/rose-v-irs-settlement-agreement-section-504-fully-executed-with-exhibits-ace.PDF">https://nfb.org/sites/www.nfb.org/files/files-pdf/rose-v-irs-settlement-agreement-section-504-fully-executed-with-exhibits-ace.PDF</a><o:p></o:p></span></li></ul><h2 style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:30.0pt;color:black'>But Is Voting a Blindness Issue Really?<o:p></o:p></span></h2><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>by Nathanael Wales</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>From the Editor: Nathanael Wales is a longtime member of the National Federation of the Blind who is held in high regard by all of us who know him. In this article he discusses the issue of voting and makes an effort to discern what is and is not a blindness issue. This is sometimes thorny. There are those who would contend that the requirement of a driver’s license is not discriminatory because it is applied to the blind and the sighted alike. Since blind people can’t get a driver’s license, this is an easily refuted argument. Other issues are more difficult to discern. Our author has been very kind in letting me edit his work. He was prompted to write in part because he had problems with a resolution we passed in 2021. But, by policy, we do not debate previously passed resolutions. We can talk about an issue before it is policy, but once it is, the </span></strong><em><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>Monitor</span></b></em><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'> is not the place to argue against it. Once the convention has spoken, it has articulated the view of the Federation until our supreme body changes its mind. Here is what Nathanael has to say:</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>But is voting a blindness issue really? My question is not about whether there are blindness issues in voting, such as casting a ballot or accessing voter registration forms. The answer to this latter question is that there are and that there have been for decades. We have addressed them. Examples include allowing a blind voter to bring a person of her or his or their choice into the polling booth to pull the chosen levers of democracy decades ago, and having accessibility to electronic voting machines and ballot-marking machines since at least as far back as the late 1990s. I specifically recall authoring and serving as the proponent for a resolution on this topic in 1999, which became our Resolution 1999-19, calling upon Congress to ensure that electronic voting machines (then very new) be accessible to blind residents. And, of course, there are our most recent efforts: encouraging the distribution of absentee ballots (most notably during the COVID-19 pandemic) that can be marked and cast accessibly and privately by blind and disabled voters. The National Federation of the Blind has overwhelmingly agreed and led the way on these blindness issues in voting, and I am proud to have played and to continue playing my own part in the effort and appreciate the support and trust of fellow Federation leaders at all levels, including Lou Ann Blake herself.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>What is surprising about Ms. Blake’s article in the January 2022 <em><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Braille Monitor</span></em> is that she expresses surprise at the controversy over her and Jeff Kaloc’s resolution, 2021-02, considered and passed by the convention. This resolution deals with the issues of voter ID requirements and reducing the number of locations of polling places and ballot drop boxes and days for early voting. These issues are new to us as blindness issues, but they are not at all new to anyone following the news over the past few years. These issues are controversial and divide people in our nation; so, as a cross-section of people in our country, it is no surprise to me that we were not all of one mind. The prevention of voter fraud is a big concern to many, whether blind or not, and I should note that no study of which I am aware showed evidence of voter fraud that would have altered the outcome of any of our elections.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>On the issue of reducing the number of locations of polling places and ballot drop boxes and days for early voting, the practices of states vary widely: for example, Connecticut has never had early voting and no-excuse absentee voting (Concerns about COVID were legislatively added as an acceptable excuse at least in 2020 and for the short term). My fellow Federation members and I in Connecticut didn’t believe that not having early voting—ever—nor having to provide an excuse to vote absentee (even if that excuse was concerns about COVID exposure) suppressed our votes; we know for ourselves what issues for blind voters in our state are. One of my greatest joys in having been a part of the National Federation of the Blind for some twenty-seven years has been getting to know fellow members from every part of our nation and from a wide diversity of backgrounds. Politically, I have met Republicans and Democrats, Libertarians and Greens, Marxists and Christian Democrats (Christian Democrats, for example, being the leaders in the organization of Solidarity who drove the authoritarian, Soviet-backed government out of Poland in the 1980s). Among this diversity of blind people would be those who believe in states’ rights and those who believe in distributism. Before my colleagues and I in the Federation consider taking a side on a broadly hotly debated current issue, I remind myself of an important point that Dr. Jernigan made in his article “Reflections on Race, Religion, Disability, Sex, and Broader Issues” in the October 1994 <em><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Braille Monitor</span></em>. This was one of the first of many then-fresh pieces of Dr. Jernigan’s wisdom that I read. I am struck by the beginning of his second paragraph: “We deal with only one set of issues—those related to blindness. As an organization we deal with nothing else.” In decisions about when to become involved in an issue of the day, we begin by asking ourselves whether the issue is of special concern because we are blind. If so, we engage; if not, we leave it to members to get involved in other ways to express their views. Remember the issue Dr. Jernigan had to wrestle with, that being the Vietnam War? The Federation decided this was not a blindness issue or at least decided not to resolve anything about it.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>I have been heartened to read how Maurice Peret (a colleague with whom I may have differences on matters not related to blindness—and perhaps some surprising agreements) also takes wisdom from Dr. Jernigan’s article, and I was glad to see it reprinted in the December issue to edify all of us.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>I was concerned to read the following assertion in Ms. Blake’s article:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>The exercise of our fundamental right to vote is how we, as members of the blind civil rights movement, elect government leaders who will adopt policies and pass legislation that may improve the ability of blind children to receive a free and appropriate public education, improve the ability of blind adults to receive training in the alternative techniques of blindness, improve the ability of a blind employee to receive accommodations in the workplace, and improve the ability of a newly blind senior to receive books and newspapers in audio format. Any legislation that could adversely affect our ability to exercise our fundamental right to vote is absolutely a blindness issue because it may impede our ability to elect government leaders who support legislation that will improve the lives of blind Americans.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>First, it seems that the word “may” does some heavy lifting in this argument. More importantly, this assertion implies that members—and perhaps our Federation as an organization—should support particular candidates, even in partisan elections, presumably because those candidates have agreed to support our positions on blindness issues such as those that Ms. Blake lists. Are we to score candidates on their support, much like both gun rights and gun control advocacy organizations do? I strongly suspect that the blind vote would not sway an election anyway because we are, admittedly, an incidental minority. I do not see that providing the sort of leadership we’ve already earned on voting accessibility and many, many other issues (such as, again, the ones Ms. Blake lists). I continue to believe that the best way to achieve our legislative objectives, including all of the ones that Ms. Blake lists, is by having positions based in facts and with the goals of equality, security, and opportunity. Political leaders on almost every part of the political spectrum can be convinced by the rightness of our data and the righteous desire for equality.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Taking as an example an issue that Ms. Blake did not list, I believe that we can—and should—convince the most conservative legislators that subminimum wages are unequal, unfair, and not supported by ever-increasing data—even if those same legislators are eagerly awaiting the elimination of all minimum wages for everyone.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>The concern that a person may impersonate another for her or his or their own benefit exists in the broader society. For example, to dine indoors at a restaurant that I frequent near my office in New York City, I was asked to show my photo ID along with my COVID vaccine card in accordance with NYC regulations. For months photo ID along with a vaccine card was similarly required in Washington, DC (Ah, how I’ve missed the Holiday Inn Capitol’s peanut butter pie the past two years). And for two decades or more photo ID has been expected of passengers to travel by air or even by Amtrak (which aspires to provide essential transportation to many remote communities many hours by car from commercial airports). I think that we should do our best to address the concerns on both sides about the issue of identification. Maybe the way to address the blindness issues is to advocate for exceptions for all blind people. Blind people could produce a proof of legal blindness with their name, a determination from Social Security with their name and address matching their voter registration, or an NLS (National Library Service for the Blind and Print-Disabled) registration with a matching address. For some blind veterans, perhaps a statement from the Veterans Administration would fill the bill. Maybe, as in the case for other programs, a statement from our doctor might meet the need. Such exceptions could be extended to our allies and comrades with other disabilities if they wish, much like we have done on the issue of subminimum wages. This would simply be a request for a reasonable accommodation like those we have made before and would fall clearly in our concern that we deal with blindness issues.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black;background:white'>I stand ready to carry on our decades-long work to solve blindness-related accessibility issues in exercising our right to vote. I write with the hope that I have stated both what we are against and what alternatives we could consider to ensure our right to vote.</span><o:p></o:p></p><h2><span style='font-size:30.0pt;color:black'>The First Time I Never Voted<o:p></o:p></span></h2><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>by Tom Page</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>From the Editor: Tom Page is the president of the National Federation of the Blind of Kansas, a member of our National Scholarship Committee, a musician, and, of course, an American citizen with certain inalienable rights. Here is what he has to say about voting:</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Growing up as the child of a political scientist father and an MD mother, I was taught the importance of voting at an early age. Until I was old enough to wait while my parents voted (six or seven years old), my little sister and I were in the voting booth with one or the other parent. Before their marriage they both were active in the civil rights movement of the 1960s, and later as a family we were actively engaged in the peace and social justice movements of the 1970s and 1980s. I developed much of my understanding of the nature of politics from my parents’ “hands-on” approach for which I am grateful. I also must credit two great books that I read as a young person which shaped my perceptions regarding voting. The first is <em><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Who Gets What</span></em> by Harold Laswell, the second is <em><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>A People’s History of the United States</span></em> by Howard Zinn.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Therefore, I grew up thinking of voting as not only a mechanism to influence policy-making; I considered it a social responsibility and a civic duty. I remember well the first time that I voted. I was in my second semester of college and had returned to my familiar hometown. I walked to a nearby grade school and along the way wondered how in fact I would be able to get it done. Will the lighting be bright enough? Will the font be large enough? Will I be able to work the machine? These were some of the questions running through my brain.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>In 1991 I did not understand that I was blind, nor did I picture myself as blind. I had no exposure to blindness skills. What’s more, the Help America Vote Act had not been passed. Therefore, filled with worry and armed with nothing but hope, I made my way to the check-in table. When I got there, a loving voice called out “Hello, Tommy!” Come over here.” The voice belonged to Bobbie Gonzales, one of my favorite next door neighbors. Bobbie was familiar with my blindness (probably she was more aware than was I). She checked me in and suggested that if I wanted, she could orient me to the machine since this was my first voting experience. It turned out that the buttons on the machine were soft switches with lights that lit to inform the voter of the button’s state. Unfortunately, the buttons and lights were not lined up to the tiny text in a way I could understand. Mrs. Gonzales saw I was having difficulty and told me that she could run the machine for me if I wished. I agreed to this idea, and for the next five years I continued voting in this way. Mrs. Gonzales was there every time.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>The passage of HAVA in 2002 prompted states to adopt accessible voting machines. I was not connected with the NFB at that time, so I was unaware of the work put in by blind Americans to pass this important legislation. Among other things, it for the first time mandated that blind voters be able to vote independently and privately (rights that others had enjoyed since the 1700s in the case of men, 1920 in the case of women, and 1965 in the case of voters of color.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Although I was not part of bringing HAVA about, I certainly have benefited from its passage. The first year that the new machines were available in Kansas was coincidentally the year my dear old friend Mrs. Gonzales retired as a poll worker. Thanks to her and the NFB, I never was put into the situation so many have faced where they must trust and rely on strangers to help them access the ballot.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>I never had to face that fear in fact until the year 2020. In response to the COVID-19 virus emergence, the state of Kansas decided to turn the scheduled 2020 democratic primary into a mail-in-only election. Sadly, there was little or no consideration given to accessibility for blind and print disabled voters. This was despite many attempts by the Kansas affiliate to draw attention to the gaps that already existed in absentee voting, early voting, and online registration in the state. I found out about this decision or chain of decisions when I called the party headquarters to request an accessible ballot. Not only was I told there were no accessible options at all; they never even sent me the inaccessible one.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black;background:white'>This is how I came to the first time I never voted. I was, of course, not alone. Many active NFB members in the Kansas affiliate found themselves in the same situation. Working under Mark Riccobono’s leadership, we are taking action to protect our rights in future elections. I sincerely hope that the infamous spring of 2020 will be the only election in which I never voted and that I can enjoy private and independent balloting in the future!</span><o:p></o:p></p><h2><span style='font-size:30.0pt;color:black'>The Benefits of Immersion Training<o:p></o:p></span></h2><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>by Joanne Gabias</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>From the Editor: Joanne has written several articles for the </span></strong><em><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>Braille Monitor, </span></b></em><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>and her speech about growing up as a child of blind parents was a convention highlight in 2018. Here is what she has to say about the benefits of immersion training, the pluses and minuses that spring from living with people who already had perfected their blindness skills, and the fears of a father who worried about his daughter going out into the world. Enjoy what Joanne has to say:</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>“What if you go to Louisiana and figure out that you don’t actually want to be an O&M?” These were the words of a worried father who was not ready to let his little girl move to another country and 2,365 miles away from her family.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>I knew there was a chance that this career path was not going to be for me, but I knew either way I needed to go and figure it out on my own. With the help of my best friend and her boyfriend, like a life-sized game of Tetris, we packed all of my belongings into my Mini Cooper along with my mattress topper! I set off on the road with my little brother who graciously offered to keep me company along the drive to start this new life path. Although I have travelled all over the US and Canada as well as France, Mexico, and Guatemala, my home address had always been in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. For the first time ever, I was going to be completely on my own. For those of you who are reading this, you may or may not know, but when you are part of the Federation Family, you are never truly alone.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Ruston, Louisiana, is the home of the Louisiana Center for the Blind (LCB) and the Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness (PDRIB) at Louisiana Tech University. These two world-class institutions’ missions are to change what it means to be blind. At LCB, this means training blind people in the skills of blindness so that they can be successful in their personal lives and in their professional careers. At PDRIB, they train individuals seeking careers in the field of blindness to have the proper skills and philosophy to be able to empower blind people and give them the tools for success.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Ruston is a town very different from anything I had ever experienced. It is a small town in the Bible Belt with deep Southern roots and a lot of history. One of my favorite movies growing up was <em><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Gone with the Wind</span></em>. I always thought that it was so different from anything I would ever experience, but when I went to Ruston, I felt like I was in a modern-day <em><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Gone with the Wind</span></em> when it came to culture, tradition, and accent. I almost felt like I went through a time machine! The town I grew up in is very modern, nicknamed “Kelownafornia” because it is like the California of Canada with the beaches, tourists, golfing, and wineries. This might not be important to many people, but when you hear of a college town, you might think of Penn State or NYU. When you think of Louisiana, you might think of New Orleans or Mardi Gras. If those are your expectations of Ruston, you will feel extremely deceived. Many modern things have come to Ruston since I left, but I remember the biggest new thing when I was there was getting a Dairy Queen!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Since I got my undergraduate degree in anthropology, I was excited to get the opportunity to experience a new culture, but this is not why I moved to Ruston. I had decided that if I was going to have to move away from my hometown and my family, I wanted to go to the best program for training orientation and mobility instructors out there. This world-class program just happens to be in Ruston at the Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness at Louisiana Tech University. I really don’t think the faculty, students, staff, or even the community really realizes what an amazing gem they have at their university. Because of this program, I was given the opportunity to go through three months of immersion training at the Louisiana Center for the Blind, another world-class gem in Ruston. This opportunity is something that some blind people fight for years to receive.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>I knew that the skills that they teach at LCB were not difficult. I watched my parents read Braille, use the Jaws screen-reading software, travel around the country with four children, take care of a home, and work fulltime. There was never a doubt in my mind that these skills were attainable. I guess I was at somewhat of an advantage because most students who come to training do not always believe in the capabilities of blind people or at least their own capabilities as a blind person. I was ahead of the curve in that sense.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>My difficulty was that I put unrealistic pressure on myself. It took me a long time to get open palm. [Open palm is a cane technique in which the handle of the cane lies in the palm and the cane is moved left and right by the fingers and not the wrist.] I don’t think I ever used my hands like that ever! My hands were weak. I spent my first six hours of O&M class just doing open palm. I remember thinking that “I don’t know if I can ever be a cane travel instructor since I can’t even hold the cane properly.” Reflecting a bit, I don’t think I was that bad, but I believe that my instructor, Marco Carranza, wanted to grill me. If I was going to be an instructor, I had to master everything. He wasn’t only teaching me, but he was teaching all my future students. I will forever be thankful for these trials that he put me through because I would not be the instructor I am today if he didn’t push me personally to be the best traveler I could be.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>My instructor also helped me realize that mastery takes time, and it is okay to struggle. When I finally made it outside, I was tasked to walk from the corner of Trenton and Railroad east to the corner of Vienna and Railroad and back. I am a perfectionist, so after letting myself practice the first couple of times, I was no longer happy with my progress. Why am I struggling to walk up and down a sidewalk? I have watched my parents gracefully walk my whole life, and here I am, stumbling around like a drunk person. My instructor noticed my frustration and finally stopped me. He said, “I know you have known blind people your whole life. How long do you think they have been working on their skills?” Well, my parents didn’t get their canes until they were in their late teens because, even though they were totally blind since birth, back then you didn’t give canes to kids or even teenagers until they were “responsible” enough to use them. That being said, they had been using a cane for at least a good twenty years before I came along. Then he asked me how long I had been using a cane? At that point I had only been at the center for two weeks. He said, “How can you expect yourself to be as good as me or your parents in just two weeks? Give yourself time to learn.” After that conversation, not only did I let myself learn, experience, and struggle. I gave myself the permission to thrive!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>The next class in which I probably learned the most was in home management. I had already learned how to cook and clean from my mother, so I didn’t really learn many new skills or techniques. But I did learn a lot about the individuality of students and how much your life experiences can affect you. My first day in the kitchen was also the first day that Arlene Hill started teaching kitchen after retiring from decades of teaching travel. We worked together to learn the layout of the kitchen. Arlene did not like how the kitchen was organized and decided that, together with the students, we would organize it in a way that seemed to function better. This taught me that you do not always have to keep the status quo and that you can always make adjustments for the betterment of everyone. As an instructor, you learn the skills and techniques that are to be taught to the students, but you have to make those your own, and give yourself the opportunity to be the best teacher you can be. If students could learn just from a textbook, we wouldn’t need instructors. The instructor’s individuality, dedication, and problem-solving skills are just as important as the skills themselves.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>There is always this misconception that visual skills are superior to non-visual skills. This is always expressed by students in home management class, especially if they used to cook before losing their vision. I remember one day Ms. Arlene told me “Okay, I am going to teach you the non-visual way of doing X.” I can’t even remember what it was. All I can remember was my response.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>“That is the way I have always done it. What is the visual way of doing it?” Everything I learned to do in the kitchen was from my mother. My mother only knows how to check things non-visually, so this is the way she taught me. I never knew there was any other way. We never talked about the visual or non-visual way of doing things. It was just the way to function in the kitchen. These skills will be what I teach my future children. They have always been efficient for me, and in the end, efficiency is all that matters, no matter if it is visual or non-visual.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>In Braille, to be frank, I was always exhausted. I usually had it at the end of the day after all of my other classes, so it was really hard for me to stay alert. My sole interest in Braille at the time of my immersion was to be able to discern all the Braille that was in my parents’ house. I always thought that, when my parents passed away, I would have to hire a Braille reader to come and help me sort through all of it to settle their estate. I couldn’t tell the difference between my dad’s lecture notes, a recipe book, or a love letter. My parents never taught us kids Braille because they were so concerned to teach us print. My grandmother was not happy that my father married a blind woman because she thought that their kids would not learn to do things visually. This is an obnoxious thought since no one teaches people how to use vision unless you are already blind and people are trying to make you use your unreliable vision. Nevertheless, my parents focused on teaching us print. I thought Braille was cool, but I never thought to learn it myself while growing up. You would think that I would’ve learned at least how to read my own name so I could figure out which presents from Santa were for me. Instead, until I went to LCB as a graduate student, I would always shove the present into my parents’ hands saying “what does this one say?”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>I wish I had focused more on Braille during immersion because, immediately after I finished my immersion training, I was informed that Louisiana Tech was going to start the rehab teaching program, and I could get dual certified, which I decided to do. If I had focused more during training, I wouldn’t have had to work as hard to learn the whole Braille code in nine weeks during the Braille 1 course while taking two other graduate level classes and teaching orientation and mobility during the day. This really taught me never to take any opportunity for granted because you never know when it will be useful to you.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>I remember my first day of computers so vividly. My instructor, Jewels, wanted me to set up my account to be able to access the computer. I turned it on, and JAWS started talking. Jewels asked me a very simple question that I know is the bane of every student’s existence in computer class: “What did JAWS say?” I had been hearing JAWS for as long as we have had a computer in our home. To me, JAWS is the most annoying sound, and I literally taught myself to tune it out. My friends would assume that my mother was listening to her JAWS in French because it was so fast that it was not discernable to the untrained ear. I told my instructor, “I have no idea what it said; I have literally spent my whole life trying to ignore JAWS.” It took me some time to train myself to pay attention to what it was telling me, but I am so happy I did. I wish I had learned to use screen readers in college. I have never been a fast reader, and because I worked full-time while going to school full-time, by the time I sat down to read all the chapters and articles I needed, I was so exhausted that I would fall asleep with my book as a pillow. I would’ve saved so much time and energy as an undergrad if I had learned to use it. To this day, if I get a long email, I usually turn on VoiceOver on my phone to read it because I can read it ten times faster than if I do it visually. I would like to note that I have 20/15 vision, which is above average, but even though it is so good, this non-visual technique is far superior in my life experience.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>The class that most people do not understand is industrial arts or shop class. Its functionality especially eludes VR counselors who don’t see its utility and just want students to get job skills. In this class you learn to use power tools and do everything from building something to taking on a bit of home maintenance. Creating something from nothing is such a powerful experience. I had never used power tools or done any type of woodworking before. But the perfectionist in me loved the precision required in using these tools to make things. I loved the fact that it was not only my hands but my mind that created the beautiful Braille blocks that I still have to this day. I have kept every single one of them. This class let me just focus on the task at hand and made me forget about everything else that was happening outside of that moment. As in travel, you have to remain focused.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'> I did not get to do a final project like most students get to do in their nine- month program, but I was determined to finish all my Braille blocks before the end of my immersion because I wanted to learn the home maintenance piece. My dad has always been of the mindset that you should make enough money that you can pay someone to deal with your maintenance needs. I have always been of the mindset that I want to know how things work, and then I can choose whether or not I want to do it on my own. In my opinion, the lack of knowledge is your worst enemy because it deprives you of choice. Even if you don’t want to do it yourself, you need to make sure that you know enough to know when someone is cheating you. Unfortunately, in this world people pray on the naïve. I am a natural blonde, and the thing I hate most in life are dumb blonde jokes. I even dyed my hair for almost ten years dark brown so that I was not associated with the misconceptions about blondes. In the last year or so, I returned to my natural color. After years of telling my students that the misconceptions about blindness do not have to define you, I realized I was being a hypocrite and needed to own my blonde because blonde does not define me. Also, it was way less maintenance to keep it natural than trying to fake it.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>This leads into the last class at LCB, which they call Seminar. Some places call it Business Class; where I work we call it the Positive Philosophy of Blindness Class or Philosophy for short. No matter what you call it, this is the class that really works to get at the root of everything, especially the misconceptions about blindness.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Growing up with competent, independent blind people, I never held the misconceptions about blind people that are all too common. I had to deal with other people’s misconceptions, but I had already lived the truth about blindness every day, so people couldn’t tell me blind people can’t cook when my mom made me my school lunch every day until the day I graduated from high school. People couldn’t tell me that blind people can’t be successful when my dad was a university professor, on the board of trustees for the provincial French school board, and recipient of an honorary doctorate for his advocacy efforts for blind Canadians. This class was extremely interesting for me because it gave me an opportunity to connect with people who did not live through the same life experiences as I have and who were struggling with their blindness or struggling with getting their family or society to accept their blindness. I think this class isn’t only about listening to the subject matter, but the power of this class is to listen to the other students and staff members for their thoughts on the topic at hand. I think we have power in numbers, and being able to talk about the issues of the day, of society, or of the blindness community is so important for the emotional adjustment to blindness. Students might start off as the ones who need to be mentored, but throughout the program the students start becoming mentors to each other.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>I am not going to tell you that everything was easy for me. I had my fair share of struggles. A few times my dad said, “why are you putting up with this? Just come home!” First off, I am not a quitter. But, more importantly, the skills I was learning during training were not simply to become a good O&M instructor; they were helping me become a better human being. I was learning how to think critically about situations in ways that I had never done before. I was learning problem-solving skills that I use in my personal life every single day. I was learning how to gather information, filter information, and advocate for what I needed. These skills are not limited only to the blind who want to succeed. These are the skills that all successful people possess. These are skills that I think everyone should gain. Before I went to training, while I was in training, and even to this day, I think that every single person should go through the training that is offered at LCB whether you are sighted or blind because the skills that you learn are the skills to help you succeed at life; the blindness part is just an added bonus.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black;background:white'>It has been over seven years since I went to LCB for my immersion training. Currently, I am the deputy operations officer at Southern Arizona Association for the Visually Impaired Services for the Blind in Arizona. I often think back on my experiences during my immersion. These experiences have made me a better teacher, a better mentor, and a better staff trainer. Professionally, the experience was crucial to my success and to the success of my future students. I know so many people who think they want to go into the field of blindness. But when they realize they must move to Ruston for fifteen months to get their graduate degree, they have a tendency to change their mind. Ruston is not the hip town of Los Angeles or fast-paced like New York City. There are not a lot of shopping options, but you have a lot of options when choosing a church. Public transportation is lacking, but the variety of the food you can get is slowly improving. Now I must tell you that if these are the requirements for you to go into the blindness field, choose another profession. But, if working with the blind as a teacher of blind students, a rehabilitation teacher, or an orientation and mobility instructor is your goal, you could not find a better program to help you become the best teacher you can be. None exists anywhere else in the world.</span><o:p></o:p></p><h2><span style='font-size:30.0pt;color:black'>Update on the National Blindness Professional Certification Board<o:p></o:p></span></h2><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>by Edward Bell</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>From the Editor: Dr. Edward Bell, or Eddie as many of us have known him, is the director of our certification program for professionals working with and for blind people. He has been the bridge between the philosophy of a people’s movement and the hallowed halls of academia where skills and attitudes are presented to minds who will share them with the people they serve. Here is Dr. Bell’s update on a program that means so much to people wanting to work in our field and to those of us who are the beneficiaries of their caring, innovation, and talent:</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>The National Blindness Professional Certification Board (NBPCB) was incorporated in June of 2001 for the purpose of certifying individuals who work with adults and children who are blind or low vision in education and rehabilitation. The certification board provides certification for professionals trained in the use of Structured Discovery methods and principles. This training is grounded in a consumer-based perspective that emphasizes that people with significant sight loss are normal people who can learn to use alternative skills and techniques to function competently and be productive members of their communities.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>At present, NBPCB oversees three certifications which are based on Structured Discovery Training—the National Orientation and Mobility Certification (NOMC), National Certification in Rehabilitation Teaching for the Blind (NCRTB), and the National Certification in Access Technology for the Blind (NCATB). Additionally, the board oversees one credential that measures Braille proficiency—the National Certification in Unified English Braille (NCUEB). NBPCB also credentials community-based rehabilitation-training programs which conduct immersion and training of Structured Discovery professionals and provide adjustment training for those experiencing significant sight loss—Certified Structured Discovery Training Centers (CSDTC).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>The NOMC Certification is a five-year renewable certification and is the only certification which can attest to an individual’s having met rigorous standards in the area of orientation and mobility teaching for the blind using Structured Discovery Cane Travel™ methods and principles. The NCRTB Certification is a five-year renewable certification and is the only certification which can attest to an individual’s having met rigorous standards in the area of rehabilitation teaching for the blind using Structured Discovery methods and principles.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>The NCATB Certification is a three-year renewable certification and is the only certification which can attest to an individual's having met rigorous standards in the area of teaching access and mainstream technology using Structured Discovery methods and principles. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>The NCUEB is a five-year renewable certification that is specifically intended for professionals working with blind children or adults. This certification is not Structured Discovery-based, but attests only to the skill and knowledge in the use of Braille. Actual teaching ability is not assessed.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>The Certified Structured Discovery Training Center (CSDTC) certification is a three-year renewal accreditation. Facilities holding this designation have demonstrated their use of Structured Discovery methods and principles and are approved to provide immersion, apprenticeship, and internship opportunities for individuals training to become Structured Discovery Professionals.<br>The National Blindness Professional Certification Board (NBPCB) also maintains a Code of Conduct. The Code of Conduct is a public statement of the common set of values and principles used to promote and maintain high standards of behavior among those specialists in work with the blind who elect and are accepted to become Structured Discovery (SD) Professionals or those training facilities that are certified through this Board's certification processes.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>During 2021, we made important changes to our procedures and policies that we feel better address the expectations we have for those whom we certify. Specifically, we want to be sure that proper Structured Discovery principles are practiced throughout the training experience. In addition, we made significant changes to our Code of Conduct, and we believe that it now more fully embodies our expectations for the professional and personal behavior of those who have successfully earned our Structured Discovery certifications. The Code of Conduct, our grievance process, and verification of SD professionals can be found by visiting our website, nbpcb.org.<br>If you, or someone you know feels that you may have been harmed by a professional who holds Structured Discovery certification through the NBPCB, please visit our web page and look under the link for the Code of Conduct to learn about our grievance process and how to file a complaint. If you are not certain whether an individual is currently certified through our organization, you can verify the certification status of any individual on this web page as well by visiting the link called “verify professional certification” and typing in the last name of any person to check their current status with our organization.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>If you represent an agency, school, or other employer who hires Structured Discovery Professionals, we would like to encourage you to put a link to our Code of Conduct on your web page or other prominent announcement lists. If you have any general questions about our organization, you may visit <a href="http://www.nbpcb.org/">www.nbpcb.org</a> or contact us at PO Box 2373, Ruston, LA 71273. You may call us at 318-299-7340 or write to us through email at <a href="mailto:admin@nbpcb.org">admin@nbpcb.org</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>While NBPCB has always maintained a good working relationship with the National Federation of the Blind, stakeholders should understand that the NFB is an entirely separate organization and operates independently from our organization. We recognize that our shared values and commitment to bettering the lives of blind individuals make us complementary allies, but the NFB is not responsible for any aspect of our certification or any decisions that we make as a certifying body, nor do we hold authority over any NFB member, other than those specifically certified through our organization.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black;background:white'>We invite members of the community to become familiar with our organization and the programs we offer. If you have suggestions on how we can improve our services, increase transparency of our policies and procedures, or improve our communication with our stakeholders, we would be glad to hear from you. Please call, email, or write with any comments or suggestions that you have for improving our services to ensure the highest quality of professionals who work with individuals who are blind or low vision.</span><o:p></o:p></p><h2><span style='font-size:30.0pt;color:black'>Who Speaks For the 1Touch Project, and Why Should We Care?<o:p></o:p></span></h2><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>by Stephen Hanschu</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>From the Editor: Anyone who has been around the Federation long is familiar with Stephen. He is known as an artist, a former chapter president, and has served a number of times on his affiliate’s board of directors. He now is the president of the 1Touch Board of Directors, and it is in this capacity that he writes to warn people about associating with its former director, Stephen Nicholls. Near the end of this article, I will add comments made by Mr. Nicholls in response to the </span></strong><em><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>Braille Monitor</span></b></em><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'> seeking him out. First, here is what Stephen Hanschu has to say:</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Many Federationists know the 1Touch Project organization through the self-defense seminars it has held at our national conventions. That is how I met the 1Touch Project. For most of us, these seminars were energizing. No one can teach or learn comprehensive self-defense in two hours. But these seminars did show that we, blind people, could learn to defend ourselves. We were shown basic principles of self-defense: how to recognize, avoid, leave, escape from, and defend ourselves from violence and unwanted attention.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>For me, meeting 1Touch was life-changing. For years I attended every convention seminar that I could fit into my schedule. In 2017 I took the 1Touch Certification Course. Several months later I became a certified 1Touch coach and began teaching ongoing classes in metro Detroit. In the fall of 2019 I was asked to join the 1Touch Board of Directors, by Mr. Stephen Nicholls. Mr. Nicholls is the founder of the 1Touch Project, and he was the director at that time. Several weeks later I became the 1Touch Project president.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>But from the moment I joined the Board of Directors, it became clear to me that things were not what they should be inside the 1Touch Project organization. Since much of this article will be critical of Stephen Nicholls, I want to state clearly that Mr. Nicholls did found the 1Touch organization. He worked very hard to link his name to the 1Touch Project so that one could hardly think of one without the other. When he asked me to become part of the board, I felt honored. I considered him to be both my teacher and friend. I looked forward to years of productive collaboration with him, having spent years furthering the organization’s mission, this mission being the creation and maintenance of a national organization whose purpose is to develop a practical system of self-defense for blind people, to develop teaching methods that are blind-friendly, and to certify instructors of this system. I continue to believe in this important mission; therefore, it is with the greatest sadness that I tell you that I have come to believe that, due to his own behavior, Mr. Stephen Nicholls has made it impossible to further this mission through the 1Touch Project. I further believe that continuing to associate myself with him would place my own reputation in jeopardy.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>By March 2020 the 1Touch Board of Directors terminated Mr. Nicholls’s position as director, board member, and coach. They also severed any and all connection between himself and the 1Touch organization. Unfortunately, he continues to claim that he is still the director of the 1Touch Project. This preposterous behavior has forced us to release the following statement publicly. We believe it documents the true situation of the 1Touch Project.<o:p></o:p></span></p><h3 style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:22.5pt;color:black'>PUBLIC STATEMENT<o:p></o:p></span></h3><ol start=1 type=1><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo11'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>It has become apparent to the members of the Board of Directors of the 1Touch Project, Inc. that it is both desirable and necessary to publish a position statement regarding the status of the Organization. This necessity has been forced upon us by the former Executive Director and founder of 1Touch Project, Stephen Henry Nicholls.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo11'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>The previous board of directors resigned their positions during 2019, more than one of them citing the conduct of Mr. Nicholls as pivotal to their decision to resign. Late in 2019 Mr. Nicholls approached Messrs. Handschu, Kociaba, and Levins with a request for each of them to support him by becoming members of the board of directors. Shortly after adopting these positions these new directors were again approached by Mr. Nicholls and asked, in the spirit of compassion, to authorize “reasonable living expenses.” The board voted to support Mr. Nicholls’ request for “reasonable living expenses” primarily on the basis of his statement to the individual members of the board that he was “owed” in the region of $40,000 in unpaid salary.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo11'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>Shortly after acceding to the request from Mr. Nicholls, it became apparent to Messrs. Handschu, Kociaba, and Levins that they were operating without any formal documentation. Accordingly, soon thereafter, their positions were formally ratified by the signing of contracts empowering them as directors of the company<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo11'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>The board, now being properly constituted, ratified all decisions made during the informal period of engagement and proceeded to strengthen their number with the addition of two further directors in the persons of Mark Melonson and Richard Warner. It is worthy of note that Mr. Melonson previously terminated his involvement with 1Touch Project, Inc., due to the conduct of Mr. Nicholls as has been stated to the other members of the board of directors.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo11'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>With the advent of the pandemic, the board decided to suspend all operations of the organization as it seemed at the time and indeed ultimately proved to be the case that face-to-face tuition or training would be impractical for some months to come<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo11'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>As part of the process of suspending operations, the board chose to undertake a high level audit of finances, looking primarily for outstanding matters that may have been inadvertently overlooked by the previous administration. Two things came to light almost immediately:<o:p></o:p></span></li><ol start=1 type=1><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l2 level2 lfo11'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>The previous board of directors had taken its fiduciary responsibility seriously and had prudently chosen to suspend Mr. Nicholl’s pay until such time as the organization could afford to resume paying him. Mr. Stephen Nicholls was properly informed of this decision and as such there can be no suggestion of any salary being owed to him, as all financial compensation had been suspended.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l2 level2 lfo11'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>The money that had been present in the organization’s account only a few weeks previously was being eroded at an alarming rate. The board immediately instituted a comprehensive analysis of 1Touch Project, Inc., financial affairs.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ol><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo11'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>Furthermore, the properly constituted board of directors resolved to remove Mr. Nicholls not only from its number but from any position of authority or employment with 1Touch Project, Inc. This resolution was made at the explicit request of Mr. Nicholls himself, to enable him to claim unemployment benefits in the State of California; furthermore, it was done with unanimous support from the board of directors.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo11'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>The aforementioned financial analysis quickly identified the fiduciary malfeasance of Mr. Stephen Henry Nicholls in that he and he alone had all but drained the finances of 1Touch Project over the period of just three months from being granted “reasonable living expenses.” The extent of his misappropriation of not-for-profit funds for purposes other than “reasonable living expenses” including:<o:p></o:p></span></li><ol start=1 type=1><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l2 level2 lfo11'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>Significant cash withdrawals in the order of 000’s (thousands) of dollars from a cash point in a bar local to his residence. The times showed that he was making multiple withdrawals on the same day separated by a few hours from within the same drinking establishment.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l2 level2 lfo11'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>Mr. Nicholls paid personal tax liabilities directly from 1Touch Project, Inc., funds.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l2 level2 lfo11'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>Mr. Nicholls paid administrative fines for the re-registration of an overseas company direct to the government of the United Kingdom, there being no relationship between 1Touch Project, Inc., and 1Touch Project CIC, a company registered in England and Wales.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l2 level2 lfo11'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>This constitutes Mr. Nicholls using 1Touch Project, Inc., funds to provide a vehicle for the maintenance in his sole name of a trademark for the use of the word 1Touch relating to printed or video training materials.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ol><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo11'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>This document is being released to maintain the integrity of the history of the 1Touch Project, Inc. The board of directors acknowledges that Stephen Henry Nicholls founded 1Touch and demonstrated the vision to anticipate the need for self-defense training within the visually impaired community. We further acknowledge that he will always be the founder of this organization, but we must also state that Stephen Henry Nicholls is no longer associated with or in any way represents 1Touch Project, Inc., his conduct toward the organization having precluded any possible hope of reconciliation. We remain committed to provide a resource for signposting members of the visually impaired community to the most appropriate avenues for them to access self-defense training in the United States.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo11'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>If any party wishes to see documentary evidence of any of the assertions contained within this document, that evidence will be provided upon receipt of a written request for the same.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ol><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>MK Levins Esq.<br>Secretary<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>For and on Behalf of the Board of Directors, 1Touch Project, Inc.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>This should answer the question of who speaks for 1Touch Project. Now the other question posed in the title, “Why does it matter.” Teaching self-defense is a serious business. You owe it to yourself to make sure that the person you choose to train with is of the highest competence and integrity. You need to be able to learn in a safe, secure environment. The public statement describes Stephen Nichols behavior toward the organization. There have also been repeated charges against him, including inappropriate behavior towards women, intoxication at 1Touch events, and other inappropriate treatment of students. Many of these charges are difficult to substantiate because the victims were unwilling to undergo formal or public investigations. Sadly, there have been too many charges over too many years to ignore safely. Stephen presents himself as an expert in “conflict resolution.” But the history of 1Touch under his leadership has been filled with conflict and controversy. We on the board were fooled, as were many others. We feel that we are ethically bound to warn the blind community that they should look very carefully before training with Mr. Nicholls or anyone who claims to be teaching under the 1Touch banner.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>So where do you go if you are blind and want self-defense training? There is a lot to be said on this subject. It deserves an article of its own. Some of the questions are: What is the difference between a self-defense system and a martial art? How do you choose your instructor? Can blind people train in a regular martial arts school? If we can find training with sighted people, are there benefits training in a system designed for a blind person? I will try to answer the first question and leave the other ones for another article.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>As our public statement said, 1Touch now has a two-part mission:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>1. To maintain the 1Touch archives and tell the true history of this once important movement.<br>2. To be a referral agency for people who seek competent self-defense training.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>In this spirit, I would refer all interested blind people to the SEED program. SEED stands for Safety Education Empowering Defense. SEED is a project within a larger organization named “Strive For You.” At this time Strive’s other focus is adaptive sports. There are also plans for a third project that will deal with advocacy, life skills, and reasonable accommodation training. It is the SEED program that I am talking about. It is very new. Our Director, Amy Wilson, is fond of reminding us that it is a work in progress. SEED promises to be a far more robust program for blind people’s self-defense than any of us have seen before. I can’t stress too much the fact that SEED is nothing like 1Touch. Comparing the two programs would be like comparing Waterford Crystal to Tupperware. It is an entirely new program.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>There are two components in the SEED program. One is the safety education program. This deals with all the non-physical aspects of personal safety and defense. These include recognizing, avoiding, and de-escalating problematic situations; how to make your home secure; how to stay safe in school, in the workplace or the street, and lots more. The other component is the physical techniques that you need to protect yourself. To become a SEED certified self-defense instructor, you must take and pass both of these components. It is also possible to become a safety education instructor, in which case you need not study the physical aspects of the program. SEED has far higher standards for certification of instructors than any previous program. There are far more training opportunities than programs of the past have offered. Student instructors get far more support than has been available in the past. At this time SEED is a system created by the blind for the blind. Since the larger organization, Strive For You, is a cross disability organization, the system will be expanded to serve people with other disabilities in the future. That need not frighten anybody away. With the exception of two sighted instructors and one student, SEED is entirely blind. I have no doubt that it will be hugely beneficial to us as it develops. Having said all this, you will not be surprised that I am a student instructor in the SEED program.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>In the beginning of this article I said that finding the 1Touch organization changed my life. That is true, even though it never lived up to its promise. We blind people are resilient. When 1Touch failed us, we buckled down and created SEED. I encourage all of you to join us in making it work. We are determined not to live in or repeat the mistakes of the past.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>Editor’s Note: Given that this article focused so much on Stephen Nicholls and his relationship with 1Touch, the </span></strong><em><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>Braille Monitor</span></b></em><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'> called on him for comment. For this he expressed tremendous appreciation, saying that he has not been accorded such courtesy by others. He did not wish to write anything in response to the article, but he did ask that we acknowledge his response. We have paraphrased what he said:</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>Stephen Nicholls:</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'> I have been at this business for twelve years and have helped countless blind people. I am very hurt by the allegations that now surround my name, and I have not yet decided whether to contest their truthfulness or forget it and leave the project alone. I don’t mind accusations, but there should be due process, and this I have been completely denied. I still claim a relationship with 1Touch, an organization which is incorporated in Britain as a community interest company (CIC). The corporation I head is neither a for-profit nor not-for-profit corporation, but under British law its dividends are strictly limited. I find that the charges that have been leveled against me are extremely vague. I have never threatened or slandered anyone, nor am I guilty of any kind of sexual misconduct. Contrary to what is rumored, I have no problem with alcohol, and anyone caught drinking during a program or even while in 1Touch clothing was immediately removed from the program. If you plan to provide contact information for those who purport to be the board of directors for 1Touch, I ask that you do me the same courtesy and list my contact information. <strong><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>[Editor: This concludes his remarks.]</span></strong><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Those who want to contact the 1Touch Project can reach them at <a href="mailto:boardofdirectors@1touchproject.org">boardofdirectors@1touchproject.org</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Those who wish to learn more about the SEED program can contact us at Amy Wilson <a href="mailto:seed.director@strive4you.org">seed.director@strive4you.org</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>You can reach Stephen Nicholls at <a href="mailto:director@1touchproject.com">director@1touchproject.com</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><h2 style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:30.0pt;color:black'>The BrailleSense 6: Better, Faster, Familiar<o:p></o:p></span></h2><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>by Karl Belanger</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>From the Editor: Karl is a skilled user of technology who works for us at the Jernigan Institute. I use the equipment he critiques here, and this is a fantastic evaluation and a good piece of information for anyone looking for a notetaker. Here is what Karl said in a blog post that appeared on Monday, January 10, 2022:</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>The BrailleSense 6 is the latest in the BrailleSense line of notetakers from HIMS. The unit is an upgrade from the BrailleSense Polaris and shares a very similar look and feel. The 6 now runs on Android 10, has an Octa-core processor, six gigabytes of RAM, Bluetooth 5.1, and now has multiple USB-C ports. If you have used any BrailleSense model over the years, the interface will be very familiar, and if you used the Polaris, the Android implementation will be just about the same, only supporting more apps due to the updated version of Android. Some have expressed concerns about a new device launching with a version of Android that is already two years old. While this concern is not entirely unfounded, with how fragmented Android is and the number of devices running older versions of Android still on the market, the impact should be fairly minimal.<o:p></o:p></span></p><h3 style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:22.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>Physical Description</span></strong><span style='font-size:22.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></h3><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>The BrailleSense 6 shares many physical characteristics with the BrailleSense Polaris. The top of the unit contains the Perkins keyboard with Control and Alt on either side of the spacebar, F1 and F2 to the far left, and F3 and F4 to the far right. The function keys previously were much lower to the case and were very distinguishable from the other keys. On this unit, the function keys look similar to the Control and Alt keys, making it harder to tell them apart. In front of the keyboard is the Braille display with the usual two panning buttons on either end and the cursor routing buttons above each cell. Behind the keyboard are the two speakers with an LCD screen in the middle. The left side of the unit has the volume buttons closest to the front, followed by the headphone and microphone jacks, which have the Braille letters H and M above them to distinguish each jack, and an SD-Card slot. The only thing on the back is a standard USB port a couple of inches in from the left side. The right side has another standard USB port in the middle, with two USB-C ports, one on either side. The one toward the back of the unit is intended for charging the unit and connecting to computers and has a Braille P embossed above it, while the one toward the front, labeled with a Braille V, is used for video out and connecting to other accessories. The front panel, from left to right, contains the slider switch for key lock, then the mode switch for the media keys, followed by the media keys themselves, and lastly the power button. The bottom of the unit has the serial number in print and Braille near the front edge, then the battery taking up a large portion of the back half of the bottom, and the camera to the right of the battery. The case, just like the one for the Polaris, snaps over the unit. Most of both sides are cut out, exposing the USB and other ports. There is also a cutout on the bottom for the camera. The cover folds over from the back and attaches magnetically, and there are two metal rings on the front corners to attach the shoulder strap.<o:p></o:p></span></p><h3 style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:22.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>Basic Operation</span></strong><span style='font-size:22.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></h3><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Once you turn on the unit by pressing the power button for a couple of seconds, the BrailleSense goes through a boot sequence, then comes up to the main menu. As mentioned earlier, the main menu will instantly be familiar to any user of a previous BrailleSense product. The BrailleSense series also stays very close to the common Braille display commands, with Space+Dot1 and Space+Dot4 to move up and down the menu or a document, Space+Dot4,5 for Tab and Space+Dot1,2 for Shift+Tab. Space+E functions like Escape, and Space+Z functions similarly to Alt+F4. This will make it easy for users of other displays to pick up and use the BrailleSense with a minimal learning curve.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>The File Manager is the first item in the main menu, then Word Processor and Notepad, then the other options that are traditionally on the BrailleSense menu. The Play Store is near the bottom of the menu, as well as an all apps menu, which displays all installed Android apps.<o:p></o:p></span></p><h3 style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:22.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>Factory Resetting the BrailleSense 6</span></strong><span style='font-size:22.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></h3><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>If you need to wipe the unit for any reason, you can use the Android Backup and Reset option from the BrailleSense settings. Once the unit has been reset, it brings up the Android setup screens. While these are accessible, if a user is buying a unit second hand and is not familiar with how the BrailleSense handles Android applications, they may have some difficulties. It may be worth putting in a brief tutorial that discusses Android navigation at the start of this process.<o:p></o:p></span></p><h3 style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:22.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>File Manager</span></strong><span style='font-size:22.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></h3><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>The File manager lets you access the internal storage, called the Flashdisk, as well as any USB drives or SD cards you have inserted. It is also possible to connect your Google Drive account and manage files from there like any other drive. All the expected file operations are there, including copying and moving files and folders, opening files in specific programs, and more.<o:p></o:p></span></p><h3 style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:22.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>Word Processor and Notepad</span></strong><span style='font-size:22.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></h3><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>The BrailleSense contains two similar programs for writing documents, Word Processor and Notepad. The Word Processor is designed for handling more complex documents, and can open Word, PDF and PowerPoint files. The Notepad, in contrast, is designed for text files and handles TXT and Braille files. It lacks many of the formatting options that the Word Processor has, and it is intended for creating .brf files for embossing and documents without much formatting. Unfortunately, this is not entirely clear unless you take the time to look at the different settings and even these may confuse some users. While you cannot save in all formats in both programs, both will open most file types. This could potentially result in issues if, for example, a user opens a heavily formatted document in the Notepad, makes an edit, and saves the document. They will lose some of the formatting, requiring more editing later.<o:p></o:p></span></p><h3 style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:22.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>BrailleSense Math</span></strong><span style='font-size:22.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></h3><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Introduced with the Polaris, the math application allows for writing equations in Nemeth or UEB math. You can then graph the equation, and insert it into the Word Processor for doing math assignments or technical documents. You can also enter Math Mode directly from the Word Processor, type your equation and have it inserted directly. Despite the limitations of the single line display, the math app does an excellent job of conveying the shape of the graph. Students at all levels of math should find this utility very useful.<o:p></o:p></span></p><h3 style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:22.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>Other Internal Programs</span></strong><span style='font-size:22.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></h3><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Just as on previous BrailleSense models, the expected programs are all here. Email, web browser, Google search, Daisy player, FM radio, address manager, and more all make their appearance. Most of the programs are relatively unchanged, with a few exceptions. Email now handles exchange accounts without needing a separate app, the Dictionary app is now included, and the Bible app is now freely downloadable. There is also now a dedicated Bookshare downloader, a document reader, and a podcasts app. If you are familiar with any of these on previous models, you will be instantly comfortable with them on the BrailleSense 6.<o:p></o:p></span></p><h3 style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:22.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>Android Apps</span></strong><span style='font-size:22.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></h3><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>One of the biggest changes on the BrailleSense 6 is that it is now running Android 10 instead of Android 5 on the Polaris. This means that many more apps are compatible this time, and things generally run much more smoothly. Whether watching YouTube, reading books, or playing games, the Android performance on the BrailleSense 6 handled it well. There are just a couple areas where things could be improved. First, when focused on changing content such as a download progress, video timer, or a resource counter in a game, the content doesn’t automatically update on the Braille display. It would be nice if the Braille display could keep current, just as in the clock and other internal programs on the BrailleSense. Second, while it is possible to disable the mobile screen reader for self-voicing applications, there is no actual way to control the application unless you attach an external keyboard or other device. Once you do, it’s possible to use those applications, including fairly demanding games, with no issue. It would be nice to have the keyboard work for at least computer Braille and basic navigation when the screen reader is off. The app keys could also function as up, down, right, left, and Enter, to help enable self-voicing apps.<o:p></o:p></span></p><h3 style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:22.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>Using External Accessories with the BrailleSense 6</span></strong><span style='font-size:22.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></h3><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>The BrailleSense 6 works with a variety of accessories. As long as it works with a modern Android device, it will likely work with the BrailleSense. While we did not have many devices to test with, HIMS has produced videos demonstrating USB-C accessories. We did test with a Logitech wireless keyboard and the BrailleSense recognized the USB receiver immediately. The unit also works well with Bluetooth headsets, which can be paired through the Bluetooth manager in the settings menu.<o:p></o:p></span></p><h3 style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:22.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>Conclusion</span></strong><span style='font-size:22.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></h3><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>The BrailleSense 6 is a very capable device for any blind student or professional who wants an all-in-one device for productivity and gaming. While a Braille display and a smartphone is still the cheaper option by a good margin, there is definitely something to be said for the convenience of everything in one device designed for accessibility. While it is slightly concerning that the BrailleSense launched with a version of Android that is already nominally out of date, the impact is very minor, and HIMS has stated that they will update the version of Android in the future. If you’re a current Polaris user, the BrailleSense 6 is worth the upgrade for the significantly improved performance and app compatibility.<o:p></o:p></span></p><h2 style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:30.0pt;color:black'>Recipes<o:p></o:p></span></h2><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>Recipes this month were contributed by members of the National Federation of the Blind of Texas.</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p align=center style='text-align:center;font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>Instant Pot Mac & Cheese</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><br><strong><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>by Norma Crosby</span></strong><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>Ingredients:</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><br>16 ounces dried elbow pasta (2 cups)<br>2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth<br>2 cups water<br>2 tablespoons butter<br>1 teaspoon hot sauce (optional)<br>1/2 teaspoon kosher salt<br>1/2 teaspoon garlic powder<br>1/4 teaspoon black pepper<br>1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika<br>1/4 teaspoon dried mustard powder<br>1/4 teaspoon onion powder<br>2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (mild, medium, or sharp—use personal favorite)<br>1 cup shredded colby-jack cheese<br>1/2 - 1 cup heavy cream<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>Method:</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'> Add the dried pasta, chicken broth, water, butter, hot sauce, salt, garlic powder, pepper, smoked paprika, dried mustard, and onion powder to the liner of an Instant Pot. Use a wooden spoon to gently press down to make sure all pasta is submerged in the liquid. Don't stir. Secure Instant Pot lid, making sure the valve is set to "sealing." Press the Pressure Cook or Manual button and use the +/- buttons to set the timer for four minutes.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Once the timer beeps, let out the pressure by carefully moving the valve to “venting" to perform a quick release. Be aware, this recipe is starchy, and can sputter quite a bit when venting. I usually place a folded paper towel loosely over the vent to prevent any kitchen messes. When the pin drops, remove lid and set aside. Turn the Instant Pot OFF to avoid overcooking your pasta. There will be some water left in your pot—don't drain it. This helps create the smooth, cheesy sauce. Add heavy cream and stir. Add in cheeses, a handful or so at a time, stirring after each addition. Keep stirring until they have completely melted into a creamy sauce. As a side note, this mac and cheese does thicken as it sits, so if it seems on the thin side—just let it sit for a minute or so, and it will thicken up. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>Notes:</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><br>1. Other cheeses may be used—gruyere, gouda, fontina, mozzarella, monterey jack, colby, or all cheddar. These are all good melting cheeses and will give you a smooth sauce.<br>2. You may need slightly more or slightly less heavy cream.<br>3. Prep time does not account for the time your pot takes to come up to pressure or the time it takes to stir your cheese/cream into a sauce. These will vary a bit from individual to individual. For reference—my pot took about ten minutes to come up to pressure and it took about two minutes to turn into a creamy cheese sauce.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align=center style='text-align:center;font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>Jalapeņo Cornbread</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><br><strong><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>by Norma Crosby</span></strong><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>Ingredients:</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><br>1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter<br>1 cup plus 2 tablespoons stone-ground cornmeal<br>1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour<br>1 tablespoon baking powder<br>1 teaspoon table salt<br>1 cup buttermilk (substitute milk if you don’t have buttermilk)<br>2 tablespoons packed brown sugar<br>2 large eggs<br>1/4 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen<br>1-2 fresh jalapeņos, minced (seeded if you don’t like the heat)<br>1 green onions, diced (just the white part)<br>1 cup mild or medium cheddar, grated<br>1 tablespoon olive oil<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>Method:</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'> Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place an eleven or twelve-inch cast-iron skillet on the stovetop and melt the butter over medium heat. Cook, swirling the pan to coat the sides and bottom until the butter turns a deep nut brown and the foam subsides. Watch it carefully; you do not want it to burn. Pour the butter into a small bowl and let it cool slightly. Do not wipe out the skillet.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>In a medium bowl, mix one cup of the cornmeal along with flour, baking powder and salt. In the small bowl with the cooled butter, whisk together the buttermilk, brown sugar, and eggs.<br>Add the liquid mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just blended, then stir in the corn, green onions, jalapeņo, and cheddar cheese. If the skillet is no longer warm (cast iron should retain its heat), heat it up on the stovetop. Then pour the batter into the skillet. Place the skillet into the oven and bake until the top is golden brown and the edges pull away from the sides, about thirty to forty minutes. Allow to cool in the skillet for ten minutes before slicing and serving warm with butter. You can add honey if you like.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align=center style='text-align:center;font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>Allergy-Free Jumbo Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Smoothie Recipe</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><br><strong><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>by Liz Wisecarver</span></strong><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>You know the stereotypical Instagram girl who must have a pumpkin spice latte to go along with her slice of pumpkin loaf, with her freshly lit pumpkin apple candle she has been saving for her Autumn-themed hearth decorations, adorned with little orange and white porcelain pumpkins and a seasonal wreath? Yeah, that’s me. My friends know I absolutely love all things pumpkin, and have some pretty tasty recipes for treats like walnut pumpkin bread and snickerdoodle loaf affectionately named “Mentoring Bread” by Rosy Carranza when I brought a couple of loaves to one of our NFB of Texas career mentoring events.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Unfortunately for me, I started having some real problems with food and was diagnosed with several allergies just after the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown. So no experimenting with sourdough bread recipes for me. I’ve had to do a lot of learning about what kinds of foods do and don't work well for my body. Spoiler alert, it’s not processed foods.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Smoothies have become one of my breakfast and dessert staples, and I wanted to recreate a pumpkin pie flavor that I could enjoy without worrying. This jumbo-sized recipe is free from soy, gluten, dairy, egg, peanuts, and the rest of the top eight most common allergens. You can switch out the ingredients to suit your preferences or dietary needs. Plus, this is tasty and healthy even if you don’t have any allergy concerns.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>You could definitely cut this smoothie recipe in half or share it with a friend. But no judgment if you keep it all for yourself!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>Ingredients:</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><br>1 cup So Delicious brand coconut milk (or milk of your choice)<br>1 tablespoon cinnamon<br>1 can pumpkin puree<br>2 frozen bananas<br>1/8 cup allergy-free Enjoy Life Foods chocolate chips (or brand of your choice)<br>1 tablespoon flaxseeds<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>Method:</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'> Combine the frozen bananas (I like to break them apart into smaller pieces), coconut milk, cinnamon, and pumpkin into the blender. Blend until smooth. Add in the chocolate chips and flaxseeds if desired, then stir to combine. If the smoothie mixture is too thick, slowly add in more coconut milk and stir until it reaches desired consistency. Make sure you have a smoothie cup top or straw that is large enough to let the chocolate chips through as you are drinking it. Enjoy!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align=center style='text-align:center;font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>Goggy's True Cornbread</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><br><strong><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>by Mary Witherspoon</span></strong><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>No flour, so gluten free. Each generation of my family has an eight-inch cast-iron skillet that is devoted to baking cornbread. Nothing else ever touches the surface and it is kept well-seasoned! A deep eight- or nine-inch metal cake pan can work in a pinch.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>Ingredients:</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><br>2 eggs, room temperature<br>2/3 cup buttermilk (I use powdered buttermilk with water. The canister of the mix is easy to store in the refrigerator)<br>4 tablespoons Crisco<br>1 cup cornmeal (preferably 1/4 to 1/3 is coarse ground and the rest is regular ground)<br>1 teaspoon baking powder<br>1/2 teaspoon salt<br>1/4 teaspoon baking soda<br>1/2 tablespoon sugar<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>Method:</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'> Place Crisco in the skillet or pan and place in 450 degree oven to melt and get really hot. In a small bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. In a medium metal or Pyrex bowl, lightly whisk the eggs then mix in buttermilk. Stir in the cornmeal mixture. Pour most of the hot Crisco into the mix and stir quickly. Leave some Crisco in the skillet. Pour mixture back into skillet and cook twelve to fifteen minutes. Top will be well browned. Turn out skillet onto a plate.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black;background:white'>Wipe down and re-season skillet. Place back in oven once oven is turned off. Heat will aid the re-seasoning.</span><o:p></o:p></p><h2><em><span style='font-size:30.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>Monitor</span></em><span style='font-size:30.0pt;color:black'> Miniatures<o:p></o:p></span></h2><h3 style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:22.5pt;color:black'>News from the Federation Family<o:p></o:p></span></h3><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>A Note About NFB in the Kitchen from Our Loyal Listserv Moderator:</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><br>This helpful correction comes from David Andrews, a man who rides herd over our many discussion lists:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>It was good to see an article in the <em><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Monitor</span></em> about the new NFB-InTheKitchen list. Unfortunately, the article gave the posting address and said see the link below to subscribe. I did not see any such link, and I have already gotten several messages from people trying to post to the list without subscribing to it.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>To subscribe to the list you can either send email to: <a href="mailto:nfb-inthekitchen-subscribe@nfbnet.org">nfb-inthekitchen-subscribe@nfbnet.org</a> and leave everything blank, or go to: <a href="http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-inthekitchen_nfbnet.org">http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-inthekitchen_nfbnet.org</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>Important Scholarship Program Reminder—Deadline Approaching:</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><br>As one of our longest-running and most important initiatives, the National Federation of the Blind Scholarship Program helps blind students reach their educational and employment goals and so much more. Building on its strong foundation, we are now significantly enhancing the awards granted to $8,000 for the thirty finalists and making the experience even more inclusive, engaging, and meaningful for the finalists. Deadline for complete applications is March 31. Learn more and encourage students to apply at <a href="https://nfb.org/scholarships">nfb.org/scholarships</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>COVID-19 At-home Test Update: Use Aira, Sponsored by the Federation:</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><br>The Biden administration is distributing free at-home COVID-19 tests to households in the United States. It is critical that these tests be non-visually accessible. The National Federation of the Blind is committed to providing solutions and holding the government accountable. As part of that commitment, we are sponsoring the use of Aira for any blind person in the United States taking an at-home COVID-19 test.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align=center style='text-align:center;font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>Aira Promotion for All Blind People</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Aira is committed to providing continued support to our community by making otherwise inaccessible information and processes related to the latest COVID-19 health concerns and vaccination requirements accessible. With the generous support and collaboration of the National Federation of the Blind, the transformative membership and advocacy organization of blind Americans, any blind person can use the Aira service free for the completion of COVID-19 at-home tests. It’s necessary to be an Aira Explorer to take advantage of this promotion, but becoming an Explorer is quick and easy, and you can try it for free. As part of the promotion, you’ll be asked a few questions that will help provide important data in the at-home test accessibility efforts.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Download the Aira app and try it free in three easy steps.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align=center style='text-align:center;font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>Additional Resources</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>You can now access government at-home COVID-19 testing information on NFB-NEWSLINE. For more information visit <a href="https://nfb.org/covidtests">https://nfb.org/covidtests</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>The Disability Information and Assistance Line (DIAL) is an additional resource connecting people with disabilities to COVID-19 information including testing instructions and other assistance with the at-home tests that can be ordered from the government. The National Federation of the Blind encourages contacting DIAL to inquire about accessible testing options. DIAL support can be reached by calling 888-677-1199 or by emailing <a href="mailto:dial@usaginganddisability.org">dial@usaginganddisability.org</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align=center style='text-align:center;font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>How You Can Help</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Twitter is a social media platform that provides a public opportunity to demand that the Biden administration put accessible systems in place for test distribution and work with us and test manufacturers to make the tests accessible. Here are some ways to help:<o:p></o:p></span></p><ul type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l11 level1 lfo12'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>Tweet to President Biden, @POTUS, and let him know that accessible COVID-19 at-home tests are vital for blind people.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l11 level1 lfo12'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>Share your concerns about the impact this will have and include the hashtag #COVID19 in your posts. (There is no hyphen in the hashtag.)<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l11 level1 lfo12'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>Like, comment on, and retweet posts from the National Federation of the Blind, @NFB_voice.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>A Twitter account will be needed to engage with this digital public push for answers. To learn more about Twitter, review our General Twitter Tips.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align=center style='text-align:center;font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>Additional Updates and Information</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>For more information on the advocacy work regarding at-home tests, visit <a href="https://nfb.org/covidtests">https://nfb.org/covidtests</a>. If you know of more information or additional resources regarding at-home tests, please email <a href="mailto:CommunicationsTeam@nfb.org">CommunicationsTeam@nfb.org</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>Attend 2022 NFB BELLŪ Academy In-Home Edition: Applications Now Open! Enhance Braille and Nonvisual Skills with Us:</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><br>The National Federation of the Blind is offering one three-week virtual program of the NFB BELL Academy In-Home Edition this summer to prepare blind and low-vision children to grow into confident and independent blind people by enhancing their education. Options are available for beginner, intermediate, and advanced students July 18 through August 5, 2022.<br>Additionally, in-person NFB BELL Academies will also be offered in a city near you!<br>Receive Braille and other fun materials for lessons. Connect with experienced teachers. Build relationships with other blind students and mentors.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align=center style='text-align:center;font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>About NFB BELL</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>NFB BELL Academy, an annual summer program, is appropriate for blind and low-vision children, ages 4-12, who:<o:p></o:p></span></p><ul type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l6 level1 lfo13'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>Do not receive enough Braille and nonvisual skills instruction in school<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l6 level1 lfo13'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>Could benefit from more Braille exposure over the summer<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l6 level1 lfo13'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>Would enjoy connecting with blind role models<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>In person locations coming soon!<br>Apply Today.<br>Take advantage of this opportunity for your child to connect with blind role models.<br>Limited space is available. Learn more and apply now! <a href="https://nfb.org/programs-services/nfb-bell-academy">https://nfb.org/programs-services/nfb-bell-academy</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award Applications Accepted:</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><br>The National Federation of the Blind is accepting nominations of individuals or organizations who are a positive force in the lives of blind people and help us transform dreams into reality. Each application must include a letter of recommendation.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Learn more and submit a nomination for the 2022 Dr. Jacob Bolotin Awards at <a href="https://nfb.org/bolotin">https://nfb.org/bolotin</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>New Opportunities for Careers in Rehabilitation of the Blind:</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Scholarships are now available!<br>*** the GRE requirement may now be permanently waived for applicants who qualify ***<br>Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness<br>Louisiana Tech University<br> <br>Structured Discovery Cane Travel (SDCT) and Structured Discovery Rehabilitation have been demonstrated to be among the most innovative and effective forms of rehabilitation training for individuals who are blind or visually impaired. Louisiana Tech University has operated its Orientation and Mobility program on this model successfully for 21 years, with upwards of 95% successful employment and employer satisfaction rates.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Scholarships are now available for qualified individuals seeking one of the following degree paths:<o:p></o:p></span></p><ul type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l16 level1 lfo14'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>Master of Arts in Counseling/Guidance with Concentration in Orientation and Mobility.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l16 level1 lfo14'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>Master of Arts in Counseling and Guidance with Concentration in Rehabilitation Teaching for the Blind<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul><p align=center style='text-align:center;font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>Why me?</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><ul type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l12 level1 lfo15'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>The field of educating and rehabilitating children and adults who are blind is deeply rewarding and life-changing.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l12 level1 lfo15'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>The job market is wide open; currently, we receive four times the number of employer requests than we have graduates to provide.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l12 level1 lfo15'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>Training occurs on campus in Ruston, Louisiana, and can be completed in as little as one year.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l12 level1 lfo15'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>No prior background or experience in blindness is necessary we’ll teach you everything you need to know.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l12 level1 lfo15'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>Scholarships are provided on a competitive basis to qualified persons and can cover costs for attending the university.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l12 level1 lfo15'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>Scholarships also support travel to conferences, trainings, and field-based experiences at Structured Discovery training programs. <o:p></o:p></span></li></ul><p align=center style='text-align:center;font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>Who can apply?</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Individuals must already possess a Bachelor’s (BA) degree from an accredited university, have a grade point average of at least 2.5, and obtain a minimum of 287 (Verbal and Quantitative) on the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE)*. Individuals must also be willing to attend courses on campus in Ruston, Louisiana, on a full-time basis. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>*Note: the GRE may now be waived for applicants who qualify. Please contact Edward Bell to determine if you are eligible at <a href="mailto:ebell@latech.edu">ebell@latech.edu</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align=center style='text-align:center;font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>What’s the catch?</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><ul type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo16'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>Payback through service is required. Agreement to receive scholarship funding requires commitment for you to work in the field of rehabilitation for two years for each year of scholarship support you obtain.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo16'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>Scholarships cover at least tuition and fees but may cover living and travel costs as well.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo16'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>You have to move to Ruston, work hard, study harder, and have the heart to be an O&M instructor or rehabilitation teacher of blind persons.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul><p align=center style='text-align:center;font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>Where do I get started?</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><ul type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l7 level1 lfo17'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>For program details, visit: <a href="http://www.pdrib.com/">www.pdrib.com</a> <o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l7 level1 lfo17'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>Send an email for more information to: <a href="mailto:ebell@latech.edu">ebell@latech.edu</a> or call Edward Bell to discuss your application: 318-257-4554<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>Post-secondary Readiness Empowerment Program (PREP) 2022:</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><br>Apply today to PREP 2022, a summer program for all blind/low vision high school students!<br>When: June 11, 2022 - July 31, 2022!<br>Where: BLIND, Inc. (Blindness: Learning In New Dimensions, Inc.)<br>100 East 22nd St., Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55404.<br>Application Deadline: March 31, 2022<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>What:</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'> This exciting summer program is designed to prepare students to reach their personal, academic, and professional goals as they transition to adulthood. The PREP curriculum empowers blind youth as they learn the alternative techniques of blindness and develop the self-confidence needed to become successful adults!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>Instruction:</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'> The core classes include Braille reading and writing; independent cane travel; adaptive technology; career exploration; and home management, which includes cooking, cleaning, personal care, and daily living skills. Students also participate in regularly-scheduled discussion groups designed to build confidence and learn from blind peers and adults. PREP students live with fellow students and adult counselors in apartments. Counselors and instructors serve as successful and positive role models. Students shop for groceries, prepare meals, and clean their apartments as part of their home and personal management training, while using public transportation on a regular basis. They begin to learn how to live independently while still in a supportive environment. Students develop problem-solving skills needed to take care of themselves and determine their own futures!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>World of Work:</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'> Students will create their professional profile, network, and gain hands-on experience through community projects. These opportunities will help you understand various fields, the process of obtaining a job, professional development, and professionalism.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>National Convention:</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'> In July, PREP students will enjoy the opportunity to accompanying BLIND, Inc., staff and adult students as we travel to New Orleans, Louisiana, to attend the week-long National Federation of the Blind (NFB) Convention. During this convention, our PREP students will join hundreds of other high school and college students from around the country when attending the National Association of Blind Students (NABS) meeting. Students will also attend other meetings and seminars, learn about new ground-breaking technology, and get involved in social and recreational activities. This annual convention is packed full of great learning opportunities and fun experiences.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>Confidence Building Activities:</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'> Throughout the summer, the PREP students will participate in a variety of fun activities, including adaptive cycling, kayaking, rock climbing, visiting amusement parks, shopping at various malls, and much more.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Contact Michell Gip, Youth Services Coordinator, at 612-872-0100, Extension 231, or email <a href="mailto:mgip@blindinc.org">mgip@blindinc.org</a> for more information or an application. We can assist you to work with your local vocational rehabilitation agency to attend the program.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Apply today to ensure your space in this program! Applications are due March 31, 2022. Applications received after this date will be on a first come, first served basis.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Michell Gip, MAT, NCUEB, NOMCT<br>Youth Services Coordinator<br>Blindness: Learning In New Dimensions (BLIND), Inc.<br>100 East 22nd St.<br>Minneapolis, MN 55404<br>Phone: 612-872-0100, ext. 231<br><a href="mailto:mgip@blindinc.org">mgip@blindinc.org</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>From Collene Roth:</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><br>Hello Gary,<br>I think that personal physical description of oneself can be uncomfortable. I also think that if many people have to describe themselves in the course of a meeting or convention, it is a waste of valuable time. I do understand that some people are interested in what people look like or what they are wearing. I find it helpful to ask a sighted person who knows the kind of things I want to know to share information with me at a later time.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>I do not want this conversation about one’s description to detract from the speaker's presentation. I do want to know if people who represent the NFB are unkempt and have poor hygiene and poor taste in their apparel.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>Elected:</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><br>Dave Hyde writes to say: Congratulations to the new officers in the Rock County Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of Wisconsin. They are Chelsea Dallen, president; Nikki Wolf, vice president; Amy Snow, secretary; Ben Dallen, treasurer. It is going to be exciting working with this new board!<o:p></o:p></span></p><h3 style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><em><span style='font-size:22.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>Monitor</span></em><span style='font-size:22.5pt;color:black'> Mart<o:p></o:p></span></h3><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>The notices in this section have been edited for clarity, but we can pass along only the information we were given. We are not responsible for the accuracy of the statements made or the quality of the products for sale.</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>Automatic Phone Dialer Wanted:</span></strong><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><br>I am looking for a phone dialer that will work with a landline phone. I am looking for something that has a memory so that a ten digit number can be dialed with the press of one or two digits.<br>If you can help, please call Dr. Myaziz at 858-997-7753.<o:p></o:p></span></p><h3 style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:22.5pt;color:black'>NFB Pledge<o:p></o:p></span></h3><p style='font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>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.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Black",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></body></html>