[Ctabs] FW: The Student Slate, Winter 2013

[Nathanael T. Wales]

Justin,

Would you send out this recent Student Slate issue?  Only the fall 2012 and 
summer 2012 issues are posted on NABS' website, and neither contain an 
article by Rose Sloan of Illinois.  What I think you're talking about could 
be a powerful idea...

Thanks,
Nathanael


-----Original Message----- 
From: Justin Salisbury
Sent: Friday, February 08, 2013 10:31 PM
To: ctabs at nfbnet.org
Subject: [Ctabs] FW: The Student Slate, Winter 2013

Fellow CT Students:

In anticipation of our next monthly conference call (this Wednesday at 9:05 
pm Eastern), you may want to read the article in the recent Student Slate by 
Rose Sloan, President of the Illinois Association of Blind Students.

I say this because our call will feature guest speaker Gabriel Cazares, 
President of the Texas Association of Blind Students, who will be talking 
about the very successful mentoring program in Texas.

Yours,

Justin

Justin M. Salisbury
B.A. in Mathematics
Class of 2012
East Carolina University
president at alumni.ecu.edu

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change 
the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”    —MARGARET MEAD

________________________________________
From: Nobody [nobody at host.nfbnet.org] on behalf of National Association of 
Blind Students [nabs at nabslink.org]
Sent: Tuesday, January 29, 2013 9:50 PM
To: Justin Salisbury
Subject: The Student Slate, Winter 2013

Having difficulty reading this in your e-mail? You can also read the Student 
Slate on the NABS 
website<http://www.nabslink.org/drupal/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=16&qid=889> 
or download a Microsoft Word version.

THE STUDENT SLATE
Winter 2013

Edited by Karen Anderson, Cindy Bennett, Candice Chapman and Sean Whalen

Published by
The National Association of Blind Students
Sean Whalen, President

Contents

  *   Editor's Introduction
  *   Experiencing Washington Seminar by Tony Olivero
  *   Washington Seminar 2013
  *   Running for Congress by Parnell diggs
  *   For the Blind, Kindle good for Nothing but Kindling by cindy Bennett 
and Natalie Shaheen
  *   Mentoring Toward the Future: Spotlight on the Illinois Association of 
Blind Students by Rose Sloan
  *   Self-Advocacy in Spain: Curiosity, Confidence, and Commitment by 
Chelsey Duranleau

Editor's Introduction

Now that we're crawling out of our candy comas, sadly reacquainting 
ourselves with those loud boxes that rudely wake us up in the morning, and 
remembering to date everything 2012, I mean, 2013, we bring you some much 
needed warmth. So as you sit by the fake candles in your dorm room, be 
filled with the smooth, meandering words of fellow blind students and NFB 
members that are almost as sweet as hot coco...almost.

Before the flames engulf your attention, we have a few announcements for 
you. As many of you know, the 2013 Washington Seminar is fast approaching. 
It will be held at the Holiday Inn Capitol hotel in Washington D.C. Monday, 
February 4 through Thursday, February 7. Reservations should have been made 
through your state affiliate by now, and information about the seminar 
itself and the issues that we are supporting can be found later in this 
newsletter. But we want to highlight the NABS events. NABS will hold its 
annual winter meeting Monday, February 4 from 9:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. please 
preregister online! It takes 30 seconds, and it will allow you more time to 
decide between a venti caramel macchiato and a short chai with soy before 
the meeting. Visit 
http://www.nabslink.org/drupal/civicrm/event/register?reset=1&id=3<http://www.nabslink.org/drupal/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=9&qid=889> 
to register. Registration the morning of the meeting will open at 8:00 A.M. 
We will have tons of great speakers, breakout sessions, a chance for you to 
meet with your regional rep and with students from your neck of the woods, 
and everyone's favorite, door prizes! Don't worry, the Slate committee won't 
be too offended if you put this down to register right now so you won't 
forget.

After the meeting, run to Quiznos, but don't be too long, because from 2:30 
until 4:00, you'll have the chance to meet with representatives from a 
variety of student-related companies and training centers at our resource 
fair.

The NABS events will culminate in our famous NABS Cafe Monday night from 
8:00 until midnight. Buy your ticket ahead of time from a NABS board member 
for $5 or, for all of the procrastinators, at the door for $7. You'll be 
getting a great deal, because many of the NFB's finest musical entertainers 
will perform live. Last year, our NABS president even graced us with his 
sultry voice, and some rumors have circulated about him singing again this 
year. At the door, you'll have the opportunity to vote for who you want to 
see pied at the end of the night with your extra bills. It will be a hard 
choice between NABS president Sean Whalen, Executive Director of The 
Jernigan Institute Mark Riccobono, former president of the Georgia affiliate 
of the NFB Anil Lewis, and former Imagination Fund Chair, Executive Director 
of the National Association of Blind Merchants and member of our Colorado 
affiliate Kevan Worley. Vote for as many of them as often as you like! There 
will be a cash bar for your convenience and an amazing auction. Bring your 
credit cards, forget about your student loans and bid on great items like 
cosmetics, chocolates, and wine to support the best division for blind 
students in America! This event is not just for students, so make sure 
everyone going to Washington Seminar from your affiliate knows!

Now, back to the proverbial fire that accompanies you while you read the 
articles. Slate committee member Cindy Bennett and education expert Natalie 
Shaheen will explain to you what the NFB thinks about the fact that you 
can't read this newsletter on a Kindle. Not to worry though, Chelsey 
Duranleau's inspiring piece about her study abroad experience will stir the 
coals and send flames flying. Tony Olivero tells us why he keeps going to 
Washington Seminar, and the Slate team makes sure you know what to talk 
about during your short 15 minutes of fame with your congressmen next week. 
If you can't make Washington Seminar, read on anyway so you can advocate on 
the home front, which is just as important. But before your trek up the 
Hill, learn a thing or two from Parnell Diggs's congressional campaign 
highlights. Finally, incorporate some new tips for your student division 
after reading Rose Sloan's update on how Illinois keeps the motivational 
molecules moving during the Midwest winter that we all shiver from just 
hearing stories about.

And when you're done, if you haven't already, click that link and register 
for our winter meeting!

Experiencing Washington Seminar

by Tony Olivero

>From the Editor: Tony Olivero has been a member of the NFB since 2001. He 
>has worn several hats during his time with the organization, including 
>Chapter president, affiliate board member, IBTC Technology Analyst, and 
>Legislative Coordinator for the Nebraska Affiliate. Here is Tony's 
>recollection of his first Washington Seminar experience and his thoughts on 
>why attending matters:

In February 2002, I was given the opportunity by two of my Federation 
mentors, Larry and Kathy Sebrenek, to attend the Washington Seminar. Having 
been a member of the Federation for slightly less than a year at that point, 
I wasn't really sure what to expect. I had actually been to Washington, D.C. 
as part of a civic educational program for high school students the year 
before, and had the opportunity to meet with my Congressman as part of that 
program. However, that experience was nothing compared to the power that is 
our annual Washington Seminar.

As in Philadelphia the summer before, stepping into the hotel was almost an 
overwhelming experience. For the second time, I was surrounded by other 
people who shared two things in common with me: blindness, and the desire to 
make a difference for others. The palpable energy in the Great Gathering In 
as Dr. Maurer, and the NFB Governmental Affairs staff briefed us on that 
year's Legislative Agenda for Blind Americans, launched us all into an 
excited frenzy, eager and anxious to take Capitol Hill by storm over the 
next two days. I think it hit me that night, as I read through the fact 
sheets, the thought that approximately five hundred of my Federation family 
were going to be talking to Senators and Congressmen, trying to educate them 
on what mattered to us, and hopefully getting them to sign on to our 
legislation. It seemed an impossible task, and I wondered at least once why 
I (a college freshman) was there. No one else (at least in the venerable, 
veteran Wisconsin delegation I was with) seemed daunted in the least. I took 
strength in that, and decided I'd eventually figure out what I was doing.

We had all of our meetings the following day. It was quite an experience to 
sit in the offices of men and women who had the ability to change the course 
of our country with their words and actions, especially when you're told 
“Okay, it's your turn. You take the next issue.” Sometimes we met with 
staffers; occasionally we met with the member of Congress themselves. In all 
cases, they wanted to hear what we had to say. They might not always have 
agreed, but just being there and having the opportunity to demonstrate to 
them that blind people were engaged and had a desire to be civically 
involved was a powerful feeling.

I still go to Washington Seminar every chance I get, and I still experience 
the same enthusiasm for what we do. Our legislative agenda has changed over 
the past 11 years: we have secured funding to help develop the first 
portable reading machine for the blind, we have helped create the National 
Instructional Materials Center providing textbooks to K-12 students, and we 
have ensured that silent cars will soon pose no threat to blind pedestrians. 
This year, we will ensure access to higher education materials and systems, 
remove the unfair labor practices allowing blind workers to be paid 
subminimum wages, and gain the right of disabled military veterans to access 
services their nonmedically retired colleagues have access to. The NFB 
Washington Seminar is our chance to make a huge impact on issues affecting 
the blind of America. Our National Convention is an inspiring and 
spirit-building event, but Washington Seminar is where work gets done. If 
you want to make a difference, if you want to change what it means to be 
blind, if you want to make sure that we are treated equally and have access 
to the same programs and systems as our sighted peers, Washington Seminar is 
for you! Yes, there is the annual Winter Student meeting, and many other 
social gathering opportunities, but nothing will give you a stronger sense 
of accomplishment than hearing the words, “yes, I will cosponsor your bill” 
after a meeting you just had with your legislator. I strongly encourage you 
all to find the opportunity to attend the Seminar. You won't regret it.

Washington Seminar 2013

>From the Editor: It is once again time for the National Federation of the 
>Blind to carry our message of equality and opportunity to Capitol Hill. Our 
>annual Washington Seminar is not only a great opportunity for blind 
>students to help to educate our legislators on issues of importance to the 
>blind, but also an excellent opportunity to learn about our government, se 
>how grass roots advocacy can influence public policy, and take in all that 
>Washington DC has to offer.

This year's festivities will kick off with the annual NABS winter meeting on 
Monday February 4, 2013, and at 5:00pm, that evening the Great Gathering In 
will launch the week's legislative efforts. The various state affiliates of 
the NFB will be heading to the Hill to meet with Members of Congress and 
their staffers on Tuesday through Thursday, February 5 to 7 to raise 
awareness and call for legislative action on three issues. The following is 
a brief summary of each issue about which we will be educating our 
legislators:

Increase Access to Education

The first issue on this year's agenda is one we students can play a pivotal 
role in promoting. We are endeavoring to pass a bill called the Technology, 
Education and Accessibility in College and Higher Education (TEACH) Act. 
This bill would direct the Access Board, a small federal entity, to consult 
steakholders and agree upon a set of access standards for electronic 
textbooks, e-readers, course management software, and other technology used 
in higher education. The digitization of education and content can be an 
extremely positive development for blind students, but only of the makers of 
technology build accessibility into their products. The ADA, as well as 
section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, require schools to make education 
accessible to all students, and this bill will allow the Department of 
Justice to promulgate guidelines instructing educational institutions on how 
to meet their legal obligations to procure technologies that are usable by 
all of their students. As blind students, we all have stories of 
inaccessible technologies acting as barriers to our education. It is vital 
that we share our stories with Congress and educate them about the crucial 
nature of equal access to education for all!

Repeal the Fair Labor Standards Act

The second issue will be familiar to many of you; we pushed for the same 
bill last year. We are attempting to introduce and pass a bill that would 
make it illegal to pay subminimum wages to blind or otherwise disabled 
employees. As the law stands, a decades-old provision 14(c) of the Fair 
labor Standards Act, allows certain employers to obtain certifications to 
pay people with disabilities at less than the federal minimum wage. It is 
unfair and must be repealed. Our bill will discontinue the practice of 
issuing special wage certificates immediately, and will phase out current 
certificates over three years and protect blind Americans by making clear 
that we deserve the federal minimum wage and equal protection under the law.

Allow Disabled Veterans the Same Privileges as their Retired Peers

The final issue relates to the Space Available program, which allows active 
and retired military to travel for free on military aircraft when there is 
space available. Because of an inadvertent oversight, disabled veterans who 
are discharged from service are not eligible for this program. H.R. 164 
would expand the program to include veterans who are blinded or otherwise 
disabled in the service of our country.

To learn more about all of the 2013 legislative initiatives, you can go to 
http://www.nfb.org/nfb/Washington_Seminar.asp<http://www.nabslink.org/drupal/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=10&qid=889> 
to check out the fact sheets prepared by the NFB governmental affairs team. 
The issues will also be discussed in detail at the Great Gathering In 
meeting, being held at 5:00 in the Columbia Room on Monday, February 4.

We look forward to seeing a strong contingent of students in Washington DC 
to help change what it means to be blind in the United States. Together we 
can educate Congress, influence public policy, and make meaningful changes 
in the lives of blind individuals across the country!

Running for Congress

by Parnell Diggs

>From the Editor: Parnell Diggs is the president of the National Federation 
>of the Blind of South Carolina as well as a board member of the National 
>Federation of the Blind. Here's what he has to say about his experience 
>running for Congress.

Many people will tell you that filling out Census data is a big fat pain. 
But every ten years, politicians look forward to scrutinizing Census data to 
redraw district lines for the United States House of Representatives and 
state legislatures across the nation. Once the Census is taken, each state 
is allotted a number of US House seats. It is then up to the states to draw 
their own federal and state districts.

Each political party wants to create districts favoring its own candidates. 
The major parties can afford to hire experts, who can break down voter 
characteristics such as age, ethnicity, and gender to make fairly reliable 
predictions about how groups of individuals, i.e. those groups that make up 
potential US House districts as well as state legislative districts, are 
likely to vote.

Likewise, the same analysis can be performed by individual candidates 
deciding whether to seek public office in a particular district. I used this 
analysis before deciding to throw my hat into the ring in the race for South 
Carolina's newly created Congressional District 7 seat.

After reviewing the demographics of the voters in District 7, and the 
history of how the precincts in District 7 have voted in recent elections, I 
concluded that a Democrat would receive at least forty percent of the vote 
no matter who that candidate might be. If I could win among the 
independents, or pull in a mere one fifth of the remaining voters, I would 
have it in the bag.

Some of my friends asked me why I decided to run for Congress rather than 
the State Legislature or County Council; however, in these smaller 
districts, with fewer precincts and fewer voters, the analysis remained the 
same but yielded less favorable results. Ultimately, would a Democrat have a 
mathematical chance in one of the other races? I did not think so.

Thus, I decided to seek the Nomination to be the Democratic candidate for 
Congress in the November General Election. Several other Democratic 
candidates, to my chagrin, eventually crunched the numbers and got the same 
idea. Nevertheless, after talking with Dr. Maurer, I became the first 
Democrat to announce in late September, 2011, in front of Myrtle Beach City 
Hall.

Within a week of announcing my candidacy, I was invited to a barbecue hosted 
by a local Democratic club, and the campaign (which would ultimately cover 
over ten thousand miles within the District) began. The several dozen 
Democrats there on that first Saturday in October were pleased to have a 
Democrat in the race but apprehensive about a blind candidate.

“Hello, Parnell Diggs: I'm running for Congress. Good to see you”, I said to 
the folks at the registration table. That was easy. More difficult, however, 
was figuring out how to work the room and greet everyone there. Structured 
discovery? Maybe. But when sighted people see an unaccompanied blind person; 
they don't want an introduction, they want to offer help.

Imagine this scene. “Where are you trying to go...?” “Parnell Diggs how are 
you? I'm running for Congress.” “You're what?” In the words of Dr. Joanne 
Wilson, “What a Meet the Blind Month activity”! I also noticed one other 
thing. Those who were not offering help desperately wanted to get out of my 
way. But the voters were not the only people who were apprehensive at first.

I found myself somewhat out of my comfort zone because, while talking about 
blindness comes pretty easily to me, I was there to talk about building the 
economy from the middle-class out, job creation, protecting Social Security, 
solving the deficit, and tax rates for the very wealthy.

These subjects became quite comfortable as the campaign progressed; but in 
October of 2011, I was still transitioning from nonpartisan advocate to 
partisan candidate. While working the room at that first event, I came to a 
table with some people eating at it. I put my hand on a gentleman's 
shoulder, “Parnell Diggs: how are you”? ”I just met you in the food line,” 
he said good naturedly.

The novelty of a blind person running for Congress drove public interest at 
first, much like news stories with titles such as (and these examples are 
totally made up) "Blind Student Goes to College", or “Blind Boy Scout 
Inspiration to All." These types of stories about blind people can be 
helpful, but they are mostly heartwarming, special interest stories about 
people beating the odds.

As a blind person, I was offering to help the sighted improve their quality 
of life. This was the new novelty in the campaign. By the time we got to the 
Election, members of the media were not using words like brave and 
inspiring, nor did the fact that I am blind seem newsworthy at all.

Instead, people were talking about my skills as a debater, my knowledge of 
domestic and foreign policy, and whether my ideas about creating jobs and 
preserving the Social Security system were realistic. Blindness had become 
just a characteristic, nothing more and nothing less.

But let me conclude with one final campaign anecdote. About a week before 
the Election, I participated in a televised debate featuring the four 
candidates seeking the nomination. During the debate, I was asked a question 
and participated in a dialogue that went something like this.

"Mr. Diggs, you have served for twelve years as President of the National 
Federation of the Blind of South Carolina. (I pause here to point out that 
this may have been the first time that the National Federation of the Blind 
has ever been the subject of a question in a Congressional debate, but the 
dialogue continued.) If you are elected to Congress, how much time would you 
spend on blindness issues?" I was delighted to get the question.

My answer went something like this. "I'm proud of my service in the National 
Federation of the Blind; however, as your Congressman, I will concentrate 
not just on blindness issues, but on protecting the poor and 
underprivileged, those who are underrepresented, seniors, the disabled, and 
anyone else who comes through my door." We didn't win the Election, but we 
sure made a difference.

Over the years, we have become quite effective at getting blind leaders 
appointed to positions of authority within the disability field. This trend 
must continue because we know more about blindness than anyone else, and we 
need to be in positions where we can affect blindness and disability policy. 
But we must not allow society to limit our influence. That is why this 
campaign was so important.

In the National Federation of the Blind, we have an abundance of young 
leaders who are capable of exceeding the limits of society's expectations. 
Can a blind person be President of the United States? What about a member of 
the Cabinet, Social Security Commissioner, or Director of the CIA? Let us 
not be satisfied with the limitations which society places upon us, or even 
with those goals that we believe are barely within the realm of possibility. 
We are limited only by the boundaries of our imagination.

For the Blind, Kindle good for Nothing but Kindling

by Cindy Bennett and Natalie shaheen

>From the Editor: Cindy Bennett is the secretary of NABS and is a member of 
>the committee that publishes the Student Slate. Furthermore, she is a new 
>Seattleite and was delighted to join the Amazon protest. Here is her 
>summary of the day's events along with a passionate breakdown of the issue 
>by The Jernigan Institute's Natalie Shaheen

This was my first protest. I had no idea what to expect, but I knew that I 
was excited about the cause. We marched to Amazon's headquarters, a hundred 
of my federation family and I, in Seattle's Southlake Union neighborhood. Of 
course it was raining, but that didn't dampen our spirits as a podium was 
erected and we raised our signs. We circled chanting phrases like “All I 
want for Christmas is a book to read!” and “same books, same time!” I met 
people I had known for years and newcomers who were invited to take part. I 
met some people who weren't even members of the NFB but who supported our 
cause. I marched and conversed with longtime federation leaders and students 
of all ages. We were convening in response to the inaccessibility of Kindles 
and their promotion in K12 schools. Below is an excerpt from the NFB's web 
page on the components of the issue.

Amazon.com is undertaking a massive effort to deploy its Kindle e-readers 
and Kindle e-books to K-12 schools across the United States. In some cases 
Kindle devices have been donated directly to schools, including schools that 
serve children who are blind or have other disabilities. More important, and 
more disturbing, is the fact that Amazon has also built a system called 
Whispercast that allows teachers and school administrators to distribute 
Kindle content to devices other than Kindles. The problem with all of these 
plans is that neither the Kindle devices nor the book files used in 
conjunction with them are accessible to students who are blind or who have 
other print disabilities. Since school districts have an obligation under 
federal law to purchase or deploy only accessible technology and content, 
Amazon must either make Kindle e-books accessible or cease and desist from 
its efforts to have them used in the classroom.

I marched because I was a privileged child who received braille instruction 
that kept me above grade level during my K12 education. And because of that 
I know that being literate is the cornerstone of future success. But I know 
that many children do not receive their rightful instruction, and putting 
Kindles and other inaccessible technologies in schools would set back 
continuing efforts that the NFB makes to level the educational playing 
field. I marched because even though I was lucky, I still encountered 
teachers who maintained lower expectations of me despite my success in the 
classroom. Inaccessible technology that does not promote braille use or 
spelling grammar instruction will reaffirm lower expectations like too many 
other things in our society.

I received the honor of interviewing with three media sources, and I wove 
this unfortunate reality into my conversations. As I educated, I was 
invigorated. Passing cars honked their horns; passersby stopped to look and 
even asked some questions; various leaders in the NFB and blindness-related 
fields dawned the mic and transmitted their passionate speeches to the 
surrounding blocks. My favorite of these came from Natalie Shaheen, the 
Director of Education at The Jernigan Institute. Below is a text copy of her 
speech.

I am a teacher and I am frustrated with the way Amazon is deceiving my 
colleagues regarding the effectiveness of Kindle content in the classroom.

I have been a teacher for several years now. So, I am familiar with the type 
of person who enters my profession. Educators are generally good-natured 
people who love learning and want to share that love with all of the 
children in their classes. I have not met a single teacher who would 
knowingly exclude a student from a learning opportunity.

Today, teachers are accustomed to adapting their instruction to meet the 
needs of diverse student groups. General educators have come to realize that 
the adaptations they make to accommodate students with disabilities, 
actually improve instruction for all of their pupils. As a result, some 
techniques which began as accommodations have become an integral part of 
many teachers' instructional methods.

In today's 21st century classrooms technology is central to instruction. It 
isn't just being used in the classroom as the new paper and pencil or slate 
and stylus. Technology is integral to the learning our children engage in 
daily. The Common Core State Standards specifically reference technology, 
demonstrating its significance to ensuring students are college and career 
ready.

With the increased use of technology in the classroom, accessibility is 
paramount. Without the features and functionality that make a device 
accessible, a student with a disability is left out. As is the case with 
other accommodations made for students with disabilities, the inclusion of 
accessibility benefits all users of a device. Recognizing the importance of 
the accessibility of technology used in the classroom, the Department of 
Education wrote a dear colleague letter and a frequently asked questions 
document to educate schools on their legal responsibility to use accessible 
technology in the classroom.

Unfortunately, many educators, including administrators, remain unfamiliar 
with the features that make a technology accessible to all students. 
Manufacturers like Amazon are taking advantage of the ignorance of educators 
with regards to accessibility and touting their Kindle products as 
revolutionary tools that will enhance the learning of all students.

Fellow educators, do not believe the lies Amazon is telling you. Instead, 
listen to teachers and other professionals who are experts in accessibility. 
As a teacher of the blind and a special educator, I know accessibility when 
I see it, and trust me kindle isn't it! Blind students cannot use kindles 
independently, access text with refreshable Braille, look up words in the 
dictionary, or complete dozens of other tasks using kindle content.

Amazon, it's time for you to wise up. My colleagues and I who are 
knowledgeable about accessibility will work tirelessly to ensure teachers 
and school administrators in the US are aware of the lack of accessibility 
in your products. Knowledgeable educators will not buy your products because 
as I mentioned earlier, educators won't knowingly exclude a student from a 
learning experience.

If you want Kindle content in the schools, incorporate full accessibility in 
all of your products. Then I will happily promote the use of your technology 
alongside other accessible technologies in the classroom.

I want my blind students to become successful blind adults, in order for 
that to happen, they must be Braille literate and technology literate. They 
cannot develop either type of literacy using your products.

It's the 21st century Amazon, separate and unequal doesn't cut it!

To sum up the profound impact the protest had on me personally, I will 
summarize a quote from an Amazon employee conversing with one of my fellow 
Seattle chapter members. “this is ridiculous. The newest Kindle was released 
and we just haven't had time to make it accessible.” This means that we need 
to keep fighting. There is no reason why accessibility should be a delayed 
afterthought. And this poor business decision should most certainly not be 
applied to technology that is meant to instruct students.

Access the NFB's page on Amazon's Kindle at 
https://nfb.org/kindle-books<http://www.nabslink.org/drupal/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=11&qid=889>, 
and access the quoted speech and other content on Natalie Shaheen's blog. 
The URL for this blog post is 
http://withoutaclassroom.wordpress.com/2012/12/12/kindle-books-for-all/<http://www.nabslink.org/drupal/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=12&qid=889>.

Mentoring Toward the Future:
Spotlight on the Illinois Association of Blind Students

by Rose Sloan

>From the Editor: Rose Sloan is the newly elected president of the Illinois 
>Association of Blind Students. In this article she talks about her hopes 
>and dreams for the Illinois student division, as well as her plans for 
>making them a reality.

The Illinois Association of Blind Students (IABS) has been working hard. The 
preparation started in July for the State Convention where all of our 
organizing and planning was put into action. IABS plays a big role in the 
Illinois affiliate, hosting a fundraising event, a breakfast, a lunch, and a 
breakout session for teens. As has become tradition, the fundraising event 
was IABS Idol, a karaoke night. This is, without a doubt, IABS's biggest 
fundraiser of the year because there are no upfront costs, just profit! 
Thankfully we have an amazing sound crew who is instrumental in making this 
event possible. Another fundraiser IABS took on this year, and one that is 
still going on, is a t-shirt sale. This is a joint fundraiser with the 
affiliate. Finally, we had a fifty-fifty raffle at the convention, which 
always brings in over $100.

Other events at the convention included the Student Lunch and Student 
Breakfast. During the lunch, Ms. Karen Anderson, who served as our NABS rep, 
gave a wonderful keynote speech. Additionally, an IABS member shared his 
internship experience, and the Illinois State Scholarship Class of 2012 
introduced themselves. The main highlight of the student breakfast the next 
morning was that the IABS board members for the 2012-13 term were elected. 
As it turns out, those elected to office are an enthusiastic group.

IABS started our monthly conference calls just a week after the State 
Convention. Immediately, the Mentoring Committee and the Membership and 
Outreach Committee were formed. Since their formation, The Mentoring 
Committee has started three programs: one in which the members of IABS are 
going to be paired with mentors within NFBI, a second in which IABS members 
are going to mentor younger students, a third in which a block of four 
people will be formed consisting of an IABS member, an active NFB parent, 
and a new parent/student pair. In order to get these programs going, each 
IABS board member wrote a short paragraph about him/herself. These 
paragraphs are very useful for matching IABS members with their NFBI 
mentors. Additionally, these bios are useful to future mentees so they can 
pick the IABS member who has similar interests. So far, two high school 
students have been matched up with IABS mentors. The NFBI/IABS mentoring 
program is being developed now, and should be formally in place by March. 
One of the main goals of this program is to bridge the gap between 
generations within the Illinois affiliate. The more of a community the 
Illinois affiliate can be, the stronger and more united we will be.

The Membership and Outreach Committee has also been busy. In December, IABS 
went on a bowling outing. This was not only a fun event for current IABS 
members, but we also had a new member attend. This was a great way to 
introduce him to the NFB. This outing was very fun, and IABS will likely 
plan another event to take place during spring break.

In the meantime, IABS is looking forward to sending two members to 
Washington Seminar. We are also considering dedicating a conference call to 
scholarships, in which many different organizations that award scholarships 
to blind students can be represented. This way, potential applicants are 
aware of all the different funds that they can apply for. Although the call 
will focus on organizations based in Illinois, many of these scholarships 
are open to applicants nationwide.

It looks as if IABS will be as active as ever in the year to come!

Self-Advocacy in Spain:
Curiosity, Confidence, and Commitment

by Chelsey Duranleau

>From the Editor: Chelsey Duranleau is a current student at BLIND, Inc. Here 
>is what she has to say about her experiences traveling abroad as well as 
>her advice for anyone who endeavors to do so.

On a cold snowy night in January of 2009, I fastened my seat belt as 
instructed by the all too familiar fasten seat belt sign. The captain came 
over the loud speaker announcing in a pleasant English accent that all 
electronic devices needed to be powered down. After the last few cell phones 
had chimed and last-minute seat belts had been clicked into place, we slowly 
pulled back down the runway. "It's really happening,” I thought. "I'm really 
going to a country that I have wanted to visit since I was in the sixth 
grade." But it would be more than just a visit as a tourist - I would be 
living there, living and breathing the Spanish culture and lifestyle for 
almost four months. As the runway disappeared beneath us, my mind became 
flooded with questions: How will I access my textbooks? Will I be able to 
get worksheets and assignments in the appropriate format? How will I learn 
to navigate this strange city? What happens if I get lost?

Admittedly, the answers to the first 3 questions were still unclear. 
However, thanks to a fellow Federationist at the national convention in 
2008, I learned the answer to question 4. What if I get lost? He said: “It's 
ok to get lost and you will get lost; it happens to everyone. The trick is 
to take a step back, acknowledge that you are lost and that you need help, 
and then ask for it.” "Of course!" I thought. It really is that simple!" 
That is self-advocacy. As blind people, we want to be as independent as 
possible. We want to have the power to make decisions about our lives and 
about what is best for us. Part of this power is having the confidence to 
ask for assistance if necessary and being committed to following through in 
order to get what we desire or to achieve a goal. Never had these concepts 
rang more true for me than while studying abroad in Seville Spain. To sum it 
up in one phrase: It is the perfect city to get literally lost in! Not to 
mention to test your mobility skills in if you are a cane user. The streets 
are narrow and seem to flow into one another and there are plenty of parked 
cars, mopeds, and motorcycles aligning side streets and sometimes even 
blocking the Spanish equivalent of a "sidewalk." My entire experience in 
Spain was a test of my self-advocacy skills.

I informed all of my professors and faculty at my school that I would need 
my textbooks and assignments in Microsoft Word so I could read them 
independently using JAWS. Since it was a small school and I was the only 
blind student, my professors and other faculty members were easily able to 
scan materials into a computer and convert them to word so I could access 
them. It is much easier for me to read Spanish in Braille so I contacted 
ONCE, a national organization made up of blind and sighted volunteers to 
obtain a Braille copy of a novel I needed to read for a Spanish literature 
class. Before I arrived in Spain I contacted ONCE asking them if they would 
assist me. After signing some forms and providing copies of my passport and 
other necessary documentation to the ONCE office I was shown landmarks that 
could be used while navigating the central section of the city. If I wanted 
to go somewhere new, I asked my host family for directions if it was within 
walking distance and when I got lost I remembered the advice I had received 
the previous summer. I stopped, calmed down, and asked someone for 
directions. My curiosity seemed to have no bounds. Almost every time I 
walked somewhere I would get lost, but that didn't stop me. I was determined 
to go where I wanted to go and do what I needed and wanted to do. When going 
into a store, I asked for assistance finding what I needed. The more I spoke 
up, the more comfortable I became speaking and thinking in Spanish. As my 
confidence and commitment to advocating for myself grew, so did my 
curiosity.

In April during a week off from school I decided to take a trip to Morocco 
with Discover Sevilla, a local travel agency for tourists that organizes 
group excursions. I was nervous because at the time I didn't know anyone who 
was going, but I knew this would be the chance of a lifetime. For six days, 
we drove across Morocco stopping in Rabat, Fez, and other cities to explore 
and spend the day. The culmination of this trip was riding camels through 
the Sahara and sleeping under the stars in an oasis. I was more than a 
little excited, but one of our tour guides had some reservations about my 
riding a camel because of my blindness. "Oh we'll just have you ride in the 
car," he said. "I think that would be easier and safer for you." I laughed 
to myself and thought, "Have you ever met me? This girl doesn't limit 
herself because of society's misconceptions or because another option might 
be easier.” I insisted that I would be fine and that something could happen 
to any other member of our group as well. Part of the reason I wanted to 
come on this trip was to ride a camel through the desert and that was what I 
planned on doing. Eventually, he gave in and I spent the next two hours 
getting pelted by sand as our caravans made their way to where we would be 
spending the night. After arriving at the oasis a bunch of us decided that 
it would be fun to climb a giant sand dune and do some sand boarding. After 
all, what else is there to do in the desert? It was a hard climb, but with a 
little determination and encouragement from a new friend, eventually, I made 
it to the top. It felt incredible. At that moment as I looked over the edge, 
covered in sand and sweat, I realized just how far I had come since leaving 
the US.

But this was far from the end of my journey abroad; during the 2011 – 2012 
school year I returned to Spain to work as an assistant English teacher in 
an elementary school in Palma de Mallorca. Although working with 
fully-sighted children seemed to be challenging and frustrating at times, it 
allowed me to exercise my creativity. I tried to complement and reinforce 
what they were learning from their classroom teachers with fun and engaging 
activities such as playing games or incorporating popular songs into their 
lessons. Not only was I helping children to improve their English, but I was 
also serving a very different and perhaps more significant purpose: that of 
a role model and a representative of The National Federation of the Blind, 
an organization that has helped me overcome my own negative attitudes and 
misconceptions surrounding blindness. I would not have had the courage to 
study abroad or return to Spain two years later if it hadn't been for the 
valuable encouragement and support I received from my NFB family. The most 
important lesson I have learned from my involvement with the NFB has been 
that my blindness is a small part of who I am, just like my eye or hair 
color; it does not define me or limit my dreams of an independent, happy and 
fulfilling life. As blind people, we must be our own advocates and work 
together to break down negative attitudes and assumptions imposed on us by 
the sighted society in which we live.

Remember, you are the best and most important advocate you have. You know 
yourself better than anyone else. There will be obstacles as you walk 
through the narrow streets of life, there will be giant sand dunes and you 
may fall on your way up, but keep going, keep climbing and you will reach 
the top.

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