[Fopbc] Fwd: NFB Imagineering Our Future: The sounds of change

Sat Oct 9 11:34:59 UTC 2010

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Imagineering Our Future
     Issue 27 
October 2010    

In this issue:

Message from the Executive Director 
What’s New 
Education 
Braille Initiative 
Advocacy 
Straight Talk About Vision Loss 
Product and Access Technology Talk 
>From the tenBroek Library 
Independence Market 
Parent Outreach 
Spotlight on the Imagination Fund 
NFB Calendar 
Citation 

Message from the Executive Director
Dear Friends,

Recently I was thinking about the sounds of change.  As I walked my son to preschool the other day, we discussed the changing of the seasons from summer to fall.  My son, Austin, was looking forward to the leaves falling so we could pile them up and jump into them.  I talked with him about the colors of the leaves changing but also about the sounds that are different, such as leaves blowing down the street and birds flying south.

Last month we hosted a group of energetic Federationists who are working on youth outreach programs in our affiliates. During that gathering, I also found myself thinking about the sounds of change. The lively discussions, passionate dreams, and exciting new ideas were heard (and felt) throughout the NFB Jernigan Institute. Thousands of people come to the NFB Jernigan Institute for seminars and meetings each year. The sounds of change are present in all of these gatherings. Those sounds are also present in the state and local gatherings of Federationistsespecially during this busy fall season, which features many affiliate conventions and local outreach events for Meet the Blind Month. If you want to hear hope, listen to the melody of collaboration, or accompany a song of discovery, then you need to be part of the National Federation of the Blind.

As you will find in this month’s issue, as the seasons change, the work of the Federation carries forward in new and dynamic ways. The sounds of change are a part of what we offer as well as a consistent rhythm of high expectations and positive attitudes. What makes the sound so beautiful is that it incorporates thousands of voices in a symphony that Dr. Jernigan described as “individual efforts collectively focused.” We hope to see you at one of our many Meet the Blind Month events, where we will be demonstrating the sounds of change through the hopes and dreams of the blind of America. 

Mark A. Riccobono, Executive Director, NFB Jernigan Institute 

Featured NFB News
Who’s Whozit? 

Meet the Blind Month Is Here!
October is Meet the Blind Month, our nationwide campaign to increase awareness of and support for the National Federation of the Blind (NFB). This person-to-person awareness campaign is designed to increase the understanding that the National Federation of the Blind is the country’s preeminent membership organization of blind people and that we, the NFB, are the recognized resource when it comes to vision loss, blindness, and rehabilitation.

This year we are launching a pilot program, Who’s Whozit, to bring our message to school-aged children. This initiative will serve to generate excitement around one of our organization’s most important effortspublic education. The primary focus in 2010 is to shatter common misconceptions about blindness, show how far the blind have come due to the efforts of the NFB, and focus attention on the work that needs to be done in order for the blind to obtain full integration into society on the basis of equality. 

Check out the Meet the Blind Month activities in your area or post your upcoming events on the Meet the Blind Month Web page. 

Education

NFB Youth Slam
It’s back:  The third NFB Youth Slam, a STEM academy for blind high school students ages 14-18, will be held in the summer of 2011. This exciting program provides blind youth with a unique opportunity to interact with blind peers and successful blind adult role models, while learning exciting new things and participating in challenging confidence-building experiences. 

Volunteers needed:  We are looking for enthusiastic, dynamic, positive adults (18 years of age and older) who are interested in serving as volunteers to help facilitate the NFB Youth Slam. We need individuals who are able to be mentors, marshals, assist with instructionyou name it. We couldn't do a program like this without the help of great volunteers. 

All those who are interested in attending or volunteering for this one-of-a-kind event should visit www.blindscience.org to submit an online application when registration opens this fall.   

Thank you: The National Federation of the Blind offers our deepest appreciation to all those who supported our efforts over the last two months to secure a grant in the Pepsi Refresh project. Out of over 450 organizations competing for the $250,000 prize, the NFB reached as high as 15th place. However, we were unable to break into the top twoa necessary position to receive funding for the 2011 NFB Youth Slam program.  While our Pepsi project has done well enough to roll over into the October competition, we will be focusing our energies on other efforts, including our grassroots Meet the Blind Month programs and our new Text2Give campaign, which will support our Imagination Fund and the programs it benefits, such as the NFB Youth Slam.  More information about this effort can be found in the Spotlight on the Imagination Fund section of this newsletter.  Again, we wholeheartedly thank you for your enthusiastic support and commitment as we continue to build a future full of opportunities. 

NLCSD Doctoral Fellowship

Applications for the second and final cohort of the National Leadership Consortium in Sensory Disabilities (NLCSD) are now being accepted.  This is a four-year doctoral fellowship for students in participating consortium universities.  Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, the consortium consists of twenty-five universities with doctoral programs that have an emphasis in one or more of the three sensory impairment areas: blind/visually impaired, deaf/hard of hearing, and deafblindness.  Applications will be accepted until December 31, 2010.  The cohort will begin their studies in the Fall of 2011.  More information about the application process can be obtained on the NLCSD Web site.   

The NFB is deeply concerned that we have strong leaders in order to continue our work to improve the education of blind children and the programs to train teachers to work with those children.  We encourage those interested in providing leadership in this area to consider applying. 

Braille Initiative

Braille Certification Training Program
The National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute is nearing the end of our fourth year of working under contract with the Library of Congress, National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, to administer the courses leading to certification for Braille transcribers and proofreaders. During the past four years, approximately nine hundred students have successfully completed the Braille Certification Courses and earned their certification from the Library of Congress. In addition, we have revised the manual for the literary transcribing course, added a new Associate Music Transcriber certification, and updated other requirements and processes to keep the courses running efficiently and to maintain the high standards of the Library of Congress certification. Further updates are ongoing as we continue to strive to increase the quality and quantity of Braille produced in this country.

Braille Readers Are Leaders Contest
The National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute, the National Association to Promote the Use of Braille (NAPUB), and the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children are pleased to announce that registration for the twenty-eighth annual Braille Readers Are Leaders Contest began October 1.  The contest encourages children in grades K-12 to be proud of their ability to read Braille and to continually work to improve their skills.  

In addition, the NFB Jernigan Institute and NAPUB are offering a Braille Readers Are Leaders Contest for adults again this year. This contest promotes the use of Braille in recreational reading among blind adults as a means to maintain and improve their skills. Adults with various levels of experience reading Braille are welcome to join in the fun.

Braille Reading Pals Club
COMING SOON!  We’re getting ready for a new year in the Braille Reading Pals Club, an early literacy program that encourages parents to read daily with their blind child (ages infant to seven). Registration opens November 1, with the new club year beginning in January.  

Advocacy

(Baltimore Sun photo by Kenneth K. Lam / September 24, 2010) 

A Baltimore Sun article was among the media reports that eBay, the world’s largest online marketplace, has partnered with the National Federation of the Blind to create more opportunities for blind Americans to gain employment in e-commerce.  With 70 percent of blind Americans either unemployed or underemployed, job creation is critical to tackle the employment challenges facing the blind.

eBay.com now includes enhanced features for users to buy, bid, and sell using the keyboard alone, as well as improved ways to navigate content using assistive technologies, such as screen access software. The blind are now empowered to start businesses and connect with eBay’s 92 million users and shop from 200 million live listings.

The NFB and eBay will also provide additional tools and support to the blind community to enable their success on eBay, such as providing seed funding for promising blind entrepreneurs, recruiting members of the blind community to become eBay Trainers to educate other blind individuals in selling on eBay, and creating an NFB e-commerce store on the eBay platform.  Those interested in receiving information about the NFB eBay entrepreneurs program should e-mail their contact information to the Jernigan Institute.  

For more details, see the NFB and eBay Jobs Development Partnership Agreement and joint press release. 

Straight Talk About Vision Loss

This month, Straight Talk About Vision Loss brings you Episode 33, an interview with Gary Wunder, the new editor of the lead publication of the NFB, the Braille Monitor.  Eleven issues of the Monitor are published each year (August and September are combined into one issue and cover our annual national convention), and it has been the voice of the nation’s blind since 1957. The Monitor offers a positive philosophy about blindness to both blind readers and the public at large, and it covers the events and activities of the NFB and addresses issues such as social concerns of the blind, employment, education, legislation, rehabilitation, and products and technology used by the blind. 

We take this opportunity to bring you a message from the Monitor’s editor:

Last January we did some pruning of the Monitor list by asking that people receiving the publication contact us to affirm they still wanted the magazine. Though we tried to make the process easy and avoid dropping active readers from the list, it is apparent that a considerable number of Federationists have been removed and are not sure how to resubscribe. In my own state this has included board members, chapter presidents, and rank and file members. 

I am asking that you take personal responsibility to see that our flagship publication is being received by those who want and can benefit from it.  Please talk with your chapters and affiliate members about how to subscribe and, if necessary, help them get on the list. Seeing that members get the information we carry is too important to be left to chance. If you have problems getting people subscribed, you may e-mail me at gwunder at nfb.org or call at (573) 874-1774.

Information is the lifeblood of our organization. Please help me see that it gets to all who want and can benefit from it. 

Subscriptions are available in large print (14-point), in Braille, on 2- or 4-track cassette, or via e-mail.  To subscribe to large print (14-point), Braille, 2- or 4-track cassette, or to change your mailing address, please contact the NFB by mail (at the address given below); phone (410) 659-9314, ext. 2344; or e-mail, and indicate which format you would like to receive.  To receive the Monitor electronically, sign up online.  

Braille Monitor subscribers in the U.S. are invited to help cover the subscription cost ($25) when possible.  However, subscriptions mailed to foreign countries are invoiced at $75 USD per year, and Canadian subscriptions are invoiced at $35 per year. Checks should be made payable to the “National Federation of the Blind” and sent to the NFB, attention Braille Monitor, 200 East Wells Street at Jernigan Place, Baltimore, Maryland 21230.

Product and Access Technology Talk
As the cooler weather sets in, the Access Technology team has been opening boxesour favorite task. We have been testing out the new Kindle, and trying out JAWS 12. Another open box for the International Braille and Technology Center is Freedom Scientific’s Pearl camera, to go with their update of the OpenBook software for scanning and recognizing print. All of these have been written up for the blogand the preliminary testing has yielded some pretty interesting results.

>From the manufacturer side, the Access Technology tips now include instructions on how to use the BrailleNote Apex as a Braille display, and on how to use the Function Key for the new Olympus DM-4 digital recorder.

On Monday, September 13, the Access Technology team played host to election technology developers at a seminar devoted to nonvisual access to voting technology. Representatives from Dominion Voting, Election Systems & Software, Hart Intercivic, and Everyone Counts were welcomed to the seminar by NFB President Marc Maurer. NFB members Steve Booth of Baltimore, Maryland, Dan Burke of Missoula, Montana, Michael Kasey of Fredericksburg, Virginia, and Jan Wright of Indianapolis, Indiana, shared their voting experience with seminar attendees. The AT team shared their experience in an exchange of ideas about accessibility design and demonstrated the state of the art in touch-screen accessibility. The seminar also included a discussion about the lack of poll worker training on accessible voting machines, lead by Lou Ann Blake, manager of the Institute’s Help America Vote Act (HAVA) grant from the United States Department of Health and Human Services. Information on federal guidelines and certification testing was provided by Ron Gardner, member of the United States Access Board and president of the NFB of Utah, and Dr. Sharon Laskowski of the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Finally, the team participated in Pearson Publishing’s Accessibility & Innovation Conference on September 28. The presentation covered editorial, instructional design, and usability aspects of Web accessibility and eBook accessibility. The event targets decision makers and process owners at Pearson, one of the largest publishers of textbooks in the world.  

>From the tenBroek Library
The tenBroek family 

Last winter we heard from Judge Michael Marcus of the Multnomah County (Oregon) Circuit Court. At the time he was receiving chemotherapy for brain cancer and he had good reason to believe that he wouldn't live too long. To make things right in this world he felt that he had to fulfill a promise he had made to Hazel tenBroek in 1968.

In 1968, Judge Marcus was a law student and earlier, while an undergraduate, he had been a student of Dr. tenBroek’s. Marcus had remained close with the tenBroeks and was a favored protégé of the blind constitutional scholar at the time of the professor’s death. It was natural, then, for Mrs. tenBroek to offer Marcus the set of United States Supreme Court Reports that had occupied a place of honor in a bookcase in the tenBroek home. Marcus promised Hazel that he would make good use of the books, but unfortunately he let them languish, and they eventually ended up in the basement of his home in Portland.

Dr. tenBroek’s Supreme Court Reports 

Judge Marcus contacted the tenBroek Library, telling us he’d gladly pay to ship the books to Baltimore. He wanted the books permanently connected to his mentor’s memory. We could hardly refuse. These were the very books that Hazel and other sighted readers had read aloud as Jacobus tenBroek digested the meaning of the Supreme Court decisions for citation in his scholarly writings. Although everything in these books is now available to lawyers and scholars through online services such as Westlaw, the books themselves should remain dear to Federationists and to all who are better off as a result of Jacobus tenBroek’s life and work. Here they sit, in an honored place on the tenBroek Library shelves. We’re pleased to say that Judge Marcus is still with us and that he is satisfied knowing that the books are here, in the home of America’s organized blind. 

Independence Market

It is not too early to order your 2011 Braille or large print calendar from the NFB Independence Market.  We have the following calendars available.

2011 American Action Fund Braille Calendar   This comb-bound, pocket-sized Braille calendar measures 6 x 6 1/2 inches. Each calendar page includes the days of the month and lists major holidays. A page for personal notes is in the back. This calendar is available free of charge.

2011 Large Print Calendar   This spiral-bound, large print appointment calendar measures 8 1/2 x 11 inches with inside pockets. Each month is displayed on two facing pages and features 2-inch blocks for each day of the month. The months are tabbed and include a section for monthly notes as well as a three-month calendar overview. The calendar costs $10.00 plus shipping and handling.

These items can be ordered online from the Independence Market. Please contact staff with any questions via e-mail or by phone at 410-659-9314, extension 2216, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

Parent Outreach

Let Go and Empower Blind Youth
Some who have read previous issues of this newsletter or made visits to the NFB Jernigan Institute have seen our dynamic accessible bulletin board. The goal of this board is to help promote the mission and work of the NFB and to highlight specific programs and philosophies related to blindness. Our bulletin board also helps model for teachers how regular classroom and school bulletin boards can be made engaging for blind students easily and creatively. This quarter’s display illustrates a parent encouraging her blind child to go after the career of his choice. 

This bulletin board features a scene from the lives of Linda LEGO and her blind son Luke. In the bottom right-hand corner a short story gives viewers background information about the LEGO family and sets the scene.

Linda LEGO loves her son Luke LEGO. Like all parents, she wants to protect him from all things bad. She used to worry constantly about how her blind son could navigate the world. Then one day Captain Whozit paid her a visit. 

Captain Whozit told Linda LEGO, “With the proper training and opportunities blindness can be reduced to the level of a mere nuisance.” He also told her about the skills Luke needs to have to be successful. Now, having taken Captain Whozit’s words to heart, Linda knows it’s okay to LEt GO!

The title of this displayLEt GO, Empowercan be found in the top left-hand corner in print and in Braille. In print, the words “LEt GO” are oriented vertically along the left border and the word “Empower” branches off of the “e” in “let” and continues horizontally beneath the top border producing a crossword puzzle effect. Large three-dimensional figures of Linda (approximately three feet tall) and Luke (approximately two feet tall) pop off the deep green background. Luke is dressed in a white collared shirt, blue jeans, and red sneakers. An authentic NFB children’s cane rests on his shoulder. Luke’s clothes are adorned with the characteristics of a successful blind child: problem solver, socially appropriate, cane traveler, determined, confident, independent, active, technology-literate, and Braille reader. Linda is wearing a red dress that features the characteristics a parent needs to raise a successful blind child: good listener, creative, loving, strong, good sense of humor, persevering, dedicated, assertive, and investigative. Word bubbles show the conversation between mom and son. 

Luke says, “I want to be a fireman, but Jimmy says I can't do it because I’m blind.” 

Linda replies, “You need to LEt GO of those negative attitudes! You can do whatever you want. We'll find out if any other blind people are firefighters and how they do their job.”

Continuing the theme all the way to the edge of the bulletin board, the border is made of real LEGO building bricks. Visitors are invited to interact with the display and reposition the LEGO pieces! 

Youth Coordinator Leadership Seminar
On September 24-26, 2010, the NFB Jernigan Institute hosted a youth coordinator conference to help foster development of more programs for blind youth across the country. Thirty-three youth coordinators, selected by their NFB state affiliate president from twenty-seven states, participated in the event. The youth coordinators worked in groups to plan hypothetical programs for blind youth emphasizing areas of Braille, transition, blindness philosophy and skills, and STEM subjects. The groups shared their ideas with each other at the end of the evening, and their programs were evaluated by blind youth. The goal of this seminar is for coordinators to take the ideas shared at this conference back to their state affiliates and apply what they learned in their own youth outreach efforts.

Leading the Way Program
In the NFB 2001 Everest Expedition, the NFB sponsored blind athlete Erik Weihenmayer in his record-breaking summit of Mt. Everest, the tallest peak in the world.  The Jernigan Institute has been asked to pass along a notice of this travel program for students of all abilities, developed by the nonprofit Global Explorers in partnership with Erik:  

Do you know an exceptional student who would benefit from a unique travel and leadership program?

The Global Explorers Leading the Way program brings together blind and sighted youth ages 14-21 for a once-in-a-lifetime adventure combining leadership, science, culture, and service.  The program aims to achieve the following: 
Provide unparalleled leadership skills by learning about and practicing No Barriers Leadership. 
Develop confidence, independence, self-awareness, and curiosity about the world in participants. 
Promote peer relationships among youth of different backgrounds and abilities. 
Equip participants with the tools they need to step up and make a difference in the world. 
Prepare participants to act on the passions they discover. 
Spread messages of hope by breaking down barriers between those with and without disabilities. 

Our summer 2011 Leading the Way destination is one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World–the majestic Grand Canyon!  Nominate a student online by the Monday, November 15, deadline.  For more information, please e-mail Laura or call (877) 627-1425.

Spotlight on the Imagination Fund 

Easy Way to Support the Race for Independence Campaign 
As of October 1, 2010, the Imagination Fund has a new tool to help raise funds for the innovative and vital programs it supports. It is called Text2Give, and it is a program where members and others are invited to text a gift of $10 to the Imagination Fund. The task is simple. Just text the keyword “Blind” to 85944 and help us raise $1 million for the programs of the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute.  (Messaging and data rates may apply. A one-time gift of $10 will be charged to your phone.)

For more information on the Race for Independence Campaign, please visit www.raceforindependence.org. 

Proceeds from the Imagination Fund build programs of the National Federation of the Blind at the national, state, and local levels.

NFB Calendar

October 2010  Meet the Blind Month, a nationwide campaign conducted by chapters throughout the country every October.  Activities that spread the NFB’s message in local communities are listed by state in the Meet the Blind Month events page. 

October 1, 2010   Braille Readers Are Leaders Contest registration begins

The Fall Convention Season  The yearly meetings of the NFB’s state affiliates cluster in the fall and the spring. The list of states that will meet in convention assembled in October is impressive:  Alaska, District of Columbia, Georgia, Arkansas, Hawaii, California, Delaware, Indiana, Maryland, New York, Rhode Island, Texas, Washington, Colorado, Michigan, and Nebraska.  To look up when the NFB of (insert your favorite state) meets or for more information, see the State Conventions page on the NFB’s Web site.   

November 1, 2010  Braille Reading Pals club registration begins

November 1, 2010   Braille Readers Are Leaders Contest reading period begins

November 1, 2010    Application becomes available for 2011 NFB Scholarship Program

January 4, 2011  Louis Braille’s birthday

January 31-February 3, 2011   NFB 2011 Washington Seminar 

March 31, 2011  Deadline to apply to win one of thirty 2011 NFB Scholarships

July 2011  The 71st Annual NFB National Convention, Orlando, Florida

Citation
Whereas the National Federation of the Blind, the Nation’s oldest and largest organization of blind people and a leading advocate for Braille literacy in the United States, has launched a national “Braille Readers are Leaders” campaign to promote awareness of the importance of Braille and to increase the availability of competent Braille instruction and of Braille reading materials in this country:  Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives

(1) supports the importance of Braille and the role that Braille plays in the lives of blind people;
(2) recognizes the 70th anniversary of the National Federation of the Blind; and
(3) supports the efforts of the National Federation of the Blind and other organizations to promote Braille literacy.

       H. Res. 1034: Expressing support for the importance of Braille in the lives of blind people, passed in the U.S. House of Representatives, 111th Congress, June 23, 2010.

Back to Top 

Thank you for reading the NFB Jernigan Institute’s Imagineering Our Future.

Support the Jernigan Institute through the Imagination Fund

Interesting links: 
Archive of Straight Talk about Vision Loss videos

National Center for Blind Youth in Science

Access Technology Tips

Blogs:
Access Technology

Voice of the Nation’s Blind

Publication archives: 
Future Reflections

Braille Monitor

Visit us at nfb.org 

Jernigan Institute, National Federation of the Blind
200 East Wells Street at Jernigan Place, Baltimore, MD 21230
(410) 659-9314      Fax (410) 659-5129      E-mail JerniganInstitute at nfb.org
Visit us at www.nfb.org

The National Federation of the Blind meets the rigorous Standards for Charity Accountability set forth by the BBB Wise Giving Alliance and is Top-Rated by the American Institute of Philanthropy. 

Forward this newsletter.
If this issue was forwarded to you and you’d like to subscribe, please e-mail JerniganInstitute at nfb.org.

Mark A. Riccobono, Executive Director, NFB Jernigan Institute 

Featured NFB News
Who’s Whozit? 

Meet the Blind Month Is Here!
October is Meet the Blind Month, our nationwide campaign to increase awareness of and support for the National Federation of the Blind (NFB). This person-to-person awareness campaign is designed to increase the understanding that the National Federation of the Blind is the country’s preeminent membership organization of blind people and that we, the NFB, are the recognized resource when it comes to vision loss, blindness, and rehabilitation.

This year we are launching a pilot program, Who’s Whozit, to bring our message to school-aged children. This initiative will serve to generate excitement around one of our organization’s most important effortspublic education. The primary focus in 2010 is to shatter common misconceptions about blindness, show how far the blind have come due to the efforts of the NFB, and focus attention on the work that needs to be done in order for the blind to obtain full integration into society on the basis of equality. 

Check out the Meet the Blind Month activities in your area or post your upcoming events on the Meet the Blind Month Web page. 

Education

NFB Youth Slam
It’s back:  The third NFB Youth Slam, a STEM academy for blind high school students ages 14-18, will be held in the summer of 2011. This exciting program provides blind youth with a unique opportunity to interact with blind peers and successful blind adult role models, while learning exciting new things and participating in challenging confidence-building experiences. 

Volunteers needed:  We are looking for enthusiastic, dynamic, positive adults (18 years of age and older) who are interested in serving as volunteers to help facilitate the NFB Youth Slam. We need individuals who are able to be mentors, marshals, assist with instructionyou name it. We couldn't do a program like this without the help of great volunteers. 

All those who are interested in attending or volunteering for this one-of-a-kind event should visit www.blindscience.org to submit an online application when registration opens this fall.   

Thank you: The National Federation of the Blind offers our deepest appreciation to all those who supported our efforts over the last two months to secure a grant in the Pepsi Refresh project. Out of over 450 organizations competing for the $250,000 prize, the NFB reached as high as 15th place. However, we were unable to break into the top twoa necessary position to receive funding for the 2011 NFB Youth Slam program.  While our Pepsi project has done well enough to roll over into the October competition, we will be focusing our energies on other efforts, including our grassroots Meet the Blind Month programs and our new Text2Give campaign, which will support our Imagination Fund and the programs it benefits, such as the NFB Youth Slam.  More information about this effort can be found in the Spotlight on the Imagination Fund section of this newsletter.  Again, we wholeheartedly thank you for your enthusiastic support and commitment as we continue to build a future full of opportunities. 

NLCSD Doctoral Fellowship

Applications for the second and final cohort of the National Leadership Consortium in Sensory Disabilities (NLCSD) are now being accepted.  This is a four-year doctoral fellowship for students in participating consortium universities.  Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, the consortium consists of twenty-five universities with doctoral programs that have an emphasis in one or more of the three sensory impairment areas: blind/visually impaired, deaf/hard of hearing, and deafblindness.  Applications will be accepted until December 31, 2010.  The cohort will begin their studies in the Fall of 2011.  More information about the application process can be obtained on the NLCSD Web site.   

The NFB is deeply concerned that we have strong leaders in order to continue our work to improve the education of blind children and the programs to train teachers to work with those children.  We encourage those interested in providing leadership in this area to consider applying. 

Braille Initiative

Braille Certification Training Program
The National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute is nearing the end of our fourth year of working under contract with the Library of Congress, National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, to administer the courses leading to certification for Braille transcribers and proofreaders. During the past four years, approximately nine hundred students have successfully completed the Braille Certification Courses and earned their certification from the Library of Congress. In addition, we have revised the manual for the literary transcribing course, added a new Associate Music Transcriber certification, and updated other requirements and processes to keep the courses running efficiently and to maintain the high standards of the Library of Congress certification. Further updates are ongoing as we continue to strive to increase the quality and quantity of Braille produced in this country.

Braille Readers Are Leaders Contest
The National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute, the National Association to Promote the Use of Braille (NAPUB), and the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children are pleased to announce that registration for the twenty-eighth annual Braille Readers Are Leaders Contest began October 1.  The contest encourages children in grades K-12 to be proud of their ability to read Braille and to continually work to improve their skills.  

In addition, the NFB Jernigan Institute and NAPUB are offering a Braille Readers Are Leaders Contest for adults again this year. This contest promotes the use of Braille in recreational reading among blind adults as a means to maintain and improve their skills. Adults with various levels of experience reading Braille are welcome to join in the fun.

Braille Reading Pals Club
COMING SOON!  We’re getting ready for a new year in the Braille Reading Pals Club, an early literacy program that encourages parents to read daily with their blind child (ages infant to seven). Registration opens November 1, with the new club year beginning in January.  

Advocacy

(Baltimore Sun photo by Kenneth K. Lam / September 24, 2010) 

A Baltimore Sun article was among the media reports that eBay, the world’s largest online marketplace, has partnered with the National Federation of the Blind to create more opportunities for blind Americans to gain employment in e-commerce.  With 70 percent of blind Americans either unemployed or underemployed, job creation is critical to tackle the employment challenges facing the blind.

eBay.com now includes enhanced features for users to buy, bid, and sell using the keyboard alone, as well as improved ways to navigate content using assistive technologies, such as screen access software. The blind are now empowered to start businesses and connect with eBay’s 92 million users and shop from 200 million live listings.

The NFB and eBay will also provide additional tools and support to the blind community to enable their success on eBay, such as providing seed funding for promising blind entrepreneurs, recruiting members of the blind community to become eBay Trainers to educate other blind individuals in selling on eBay, and creating an NFB e-commerce store on the eBay platform.  Those interested in receiving information about the NFB eBay entrepreneurs program should e-mail their contact information to the Jernigan Institute.  

For more details, see the NFB and eBay Jobs Development Partnership Agreement and joint press release. 

Straight Talk About Vision Loss