[Fopbc] {Disarmed} Fwd: NFB Imagineering Our Future: Meet Someone Unforgettable

[Lenora Marten]

 View this newsletter as HTML in your browser.
View last month’s newsletter.
Imagineering Our Future




     Issue 38 

September-October 2011    


In this issue:

Message from the Executive Director
What’s New
Education
Braille Initiative
Research
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,

It has been said that “You meet people who forget you. You forget people you meet. But sometimes you meet those people you can’t forget. Those are your ‘friends.’” For the average person, it is not very often that the person you meet is blind. Yet, we know that the best way to help people discard the misconceptions they have about blindness is to meet a blind person who is living life every day with the alternative techniques necessary to be successful. Even when a person does meet a person who is blind it is even less likely that enough time is spent together to become friends—unless of course the blind person is a family member, a co-worker, or a neighbor.

To help eliminate misconceptions about blindness and improve understanding of the truth about blindness, ten years ago the National Federation of the Blind established October as “Meet the Blind Month.” During October, NFB chapters are making an extra effort to get out into the community to teach people about blindness by meeting others at community outreach events. If you are receiving this message, it is likely that you are blind or that you already have friends or family who are blind. Consequently, I want to encourage you to participate in our 2011 Meet the Blind Month activities and be unforgettable.

Oftentimes, the fact that we are the first blind person someone has met makes us unforgettable. However, we know that blindness is not the sole characteristic that defines who we are. We should make ourselves unforgettable by actively shattering the misconceptions that people have about blindness and helping them to understand the truth about blindness. By spending time meeting people and creating new understanding, we change what it means to be blind and establish a better environment of opportunities for all blind people. Some believe trying to be unforgettable is a negative, self-centered way to live; I believe that at least in this instance it is entirely the opposite.

During Meet the Blind Month I will be working with my blind friends to figure out ways to have us be unforgettable, with the goal of teaching others the truth about blindness. In the process, I know we will have a lot of fun, we will get to know some people who are themselves unforgettable, and we will strengthen our friendships with each other.

Sincerely,


Mark A. Riccobono, Executive Director, NFB Jernigan Institute  





Featured NFB News






October is Meet the Blind Month
Meet the Blind Month is a nationwide campaign to increase awareness of and support for the National Federation of the Blind (NFB). During the entire month of October each year, affiliates and chapters throughout the country join forces to spread the message that the NFB is the voice of the nation’s blind and that blind people are the best resource for learning about vision loss, blindness, and rehabilitation. 

This year, as part of Meet the Blind Month, participants are challenged to organize innovative and creative events in their local communities. We welcome all chapters and affiliates to join in the challenge. For general information on Meet the Blind Month or more information on the challenge, please visit the Meet the Blind Month Web page, contact Melissa Kobelinski by e-mail, or phone Melissa at (410) 659-9314, extension 2423.
Make Your Bid for Excellence!  
The National Federation of the Blind Bid for Excellence national auction opens for bidding on Tuesday, November 1, 2011! We already have many exciting items for the auction including luxury accommodations in Cancun, Mexico, an opportunity to watch “Hardball with Chris Matthews” with a behind-the-scenes tour, and plenty of gift items just in time for the holidays.  

Excellence in Science




The Bid for Excellence is an exciting opportunity to raise funds to support the work of the NFB. The NFB provides programs, encouragement, and opportunities that help blind people all over the nation achieve excellence in their education, employment, and all aspects of their lives. You can help us make Bid for Excellence a success!  

Tell your friends!  The most important way you can help is by telling your friends, family, and acquaintances. Please tell everyone in your phone book and e-mail address book and everyone you come into contact with about Bid for Excellence, and encourage them to participate. Another easy way to get the word out is through your social media, like Facebook and Twitter. The more people who know about the auction, the better!  

Donate an Item!  Another way to help is by soliciting donated items or services for the auction or making a donation yourself. Popular auction items include travel packages; sporting, celebrity, and/or unique experience packages; and memorabilia and unique items. If you have collectables, art, gift baskets, vacation homes, or condos that you would like to donate, please let us know.  

Become a Sponsor!  Contact us to find out how you can take advantage of promotional and marketing opportunities for your business, or to pledge your individual support.

For more information, help in how to promote the auction, to donate an item or service, or to become a Bid for Excellence sponsor, contact Ann-Marie Laney at (410) 659-9314, extension 2371, or reach Ann-Marie by e-mail.  

Don’t forget to mark your calendars—bidding begins on November 1, 2011!  




Education






“The Right to Live in the World” Bulletin Board
The current accessible bulletin board on display in the Jernigan Institute Betsy Zaborowski Conference Room pays tribute to the legal scholarship of Dr. Jacobus tenBroek, the founding president of the National Federation of the Blind. The white letters of the board’s title, “The Right to… Live in the World,” pop off the black background. The title is divided into two segments: “The Right to…” left-justified across the top of the board, and “Live in the World” right-justified across the bottom. The board’s trim depicts a city skyline with craft foam cut-outs providing tactile representations of the buildings. Six white boxes are affixed to the board, three on the left side and three on the right. The boxes are classic cigar boxes with the flat lid swinging upward to reveal the contents. They are mounted with the closed lid of each box facing the observer. The words “The Right to…” appear in raised print and Braille on the outside of each box. When you open each lid, you find additional text, including a quotation outlining one of the rights Dr. tenBroek claimed for us as people who live in the world. Inside the boxes are tangible objects that represent the right described on the lid. A few of the box contents are lighthearted, illustrating for onlookers a bit of Dr. tenBroek’s sense of humor. 

The first box focuses on Dr. tenBroek’s fight for academic freedom. The second features an issue Dr. tenBroek began working on in the 1940s and one that the Federation is still working on today, the right to organize and earn a decent wage. The third discusses the right to due process in law, and it quotes Dr. tenBroek’s thoughts on the internment of Japanese Americans in relocation camps. The right to equal treatment regardless of race is the focus of the fourth box, including a quotation from Dr. tenBroek’s Law Review article, which was cited in the Brown v. Board of Education decision. The fifth box addresses the right to have a funny nickname. It provides the back-story on how Dr. tenBroek acquired the nickname “Chick.” The last box is the most lighthearted of them all. It features a quote from a letter Jacobus wrote to his parents while he was a student at the California School for the Blind. In the letter he talks about sitting around in his underwear on a Saturday morning. So the right to sit around in your underwear is the focus of box number six.

Centered near the top of the board is a picture of Dr. tenBroek superimposed on a tactile map of the world. To the left of the map is the following quotation from Dr. tenBroek’s Law Review article “The Right to Live in the World”: 
“The right of access to public accommodations and common carriers is a civil right. It is a basic right indispensable to participation in the community, a substantive right to which all are fully and equally entitled.” 
Below the map, a quotation explains to passersby that, in addition to rights, Dr. tenBroek believed all people had responsibilities. Cards in primary colors and shaped like four of the seven continents, print and Braille writing instruments, and push pins are available near the bottom of the board so that visitors can write out the responsibilities they think we have and then pin their cards somewhere on the board.

Hoby Wedler. Photo credit: RANDY PENCH / rpench at sacbee.com





2011 NFB Youth Slam Participants in the News
As usual with NFB youth programs, the NFB Youth Slam of summer 2011 continues to gather attention in the media well after its finish. 

Youth Slam mentor Hoby Wedler was featured in the Sacramento Bee article “Student Has No Trouble Visualizing a Doctorate in Chemistry,” about his experience pursuing graduate work in organic chemistry as a blind person. Hoby was awarded a cash prize and trip to Washington, D.C., by Learning Ally (formerly Recording for the Blind). 

Similarly, sixteen-year-old Youth Slam student Tommy Brown’s aspirations to become an engineer were the topic of “Franklin Regional Junior in 5-day Science Program for Visually Impaired Youth” in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Tommy gives this advice to other blind students: “You can do anything. If there’s something you want to do, go for it.”
NFB of D.C. Convention
On October 7, the NFB of the District of Columbia will host a day-long student seminar in conjunction with their annual state convention, and NFB Jernigan Institute education team member Meleah Jensen will be there to lend support. Some noteworthy agenda items include team-building exercises and hands-on technology demonstrations. In addition, students will have the opportunity to take a “Risk” by diving into discussions about blindness through a variety of games. 
Keeping Up with NFB Programs
 Are you interested in keeping up to date with Youth Programs? Do you want to know what happened at the Youth Slam? Check out Whozit’s page on Facebook. There you can find updates on activities and a gallery of Youth Slam pictures. And, there’s a new Twitter account where you can direct all questions you may have about blindness or the NFB: @AskNFB! 





Braille Initiative
Braille Readers Are Leaders Contest
It’s time to register for the 2011-2012 Braille Readers Are Leaders contest. Registration for the K-12 and adult contests opens October 1, 2011. For the past 29 years this contest has encouraged children in grades K-12 to be proud of their ability to read Braille and to continually work to improve their skills. This will be the third year the adults have joined in the fun of the Braille Readers Are Leaders contest. 

The reading period starts November 1, 2011. Start gathering your reading material now so you can hit the books hard on November 1 and start the contest strong. Registration will remain open through the end of the contest, January 4, 2012. Visit www.nfb.org/bral to register today. If you have questions about the contest, please e-mail Braille Readers Are Leaders or call (410) 659-9314, extension 2312. 
NFB ShareBraille
Thinking about entering the 2011-2012 Braille Readers Are Leaders contest? You should! When you do, check out the NFB ShareBraille Web site to find a plethora of books you could read throughout the contest. NFB ShareBraille is an online community for sharing Braille materials. Belonging to the community and sharing books is totally free! The community offers a wide variety of Braille books, a perfect source of materials while you prepare for contest domination, and for keeping you engaged in reading during the contest and afterward. 
BELL
After participating in the Braille Enrichment for Literacy and Learning (BELL) program the last two years, Texas has expanded on the program. The NFB of Texas hosted the first BELL Reunion the weekend of September 17. During the reunion, BELL kids were able to socialize and catch up, but more than that, they participated in a full day of activities. From 10:00 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. kids worked on Braille, cane travel, and blindness skills. Great job Texas! What a fun way to keep in touch with the BELL kids and keep them learning all year long.
 

Research
Digital Technology and Accessibility in Schools Questionnaire
The NFB is seeking information about accessibility barriers in the digital technology used by all students, teachers, and administrators in K-12 schools, universities, and colleges in the United States. 

We encourage students, teachers, administrators, and parents of blind students to complete this questionnaire so that the NFB can learn more about educational technology that is either helping or hindering the learning process for blind students. If you are a parent of a blind student who is unable to complete the questionnaire on his/her own, please complete the questionnaire on behalf of your child and include your name and contact information. The NFB will not voluntarily release your identifying information or responses without your permission. 

If you have questions about completing this form, please contact Clara Van Gerven by e-mail or by phone at (410) 659-9314, extension 2410.




Advocacy

Jeff Bezos introduces Kindle Fire. Photo credit: AP





A message from Dr. Maurer Condemning Lack of Access to the New Kindle Fire
Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, made these comments on the release of Amazon’s new Kindle Fire, which cannot be used by people who are blind: 
Blind Americans have repeatedly asked Amazon to include accessibility for the blind in its Kindle product line. The feasibility of including accessibility in similar products has been demonstrated. The Department of Education and the Department of Justice have made it clear that Kindle devices cannot be purchased by educational institutions, libraries, and other entities covered by this country’s disability laws unless the devices are fully accessible. Despite all this, Amazon has released a brand new Kindle device, the Kindle Fire, which cannot be used by people who are blind. 

Enough! We condemn this latest action by Amazon and reiterate that we will not tolerate technological discrimination. The National Federation of the Blind seeks nothing less than equal access to all technology for blind people. It is one of the most critical civil rights issues facing blind Americans in the twenty-first century, and we will do everything in our power to see that this right is secured.  
        —NFB press release
A Chicago Sun-Times article reviewing the Kindle Fire release, “Amazon Kindle Fire Explodes onto Tablet Scene,” bemoans that “Alas, Amazon has ‘nothing to announce’ about the Fire’s accessibility features, beyond the Kindle’s existing text-to-speech reading feature.”  Kindle has uploaded to YouTube video of the entire press conference introducing the Kindle Fire.
NFB Urges Maryland Libraries to Purchase Accessible E-readers
The National Federation of the Blind, the nation’s leading advocate for accessible technology, sent letters urging the Enoch Pratt Free Library and the Howard County Library System in Maryland to purchase e-book readers that can be used by the blind. The libraries are currently lending Barnes & Noble’s NOOK device to patrons, but this device—unlike some other e-book readers and platforms—cannot be used by the blind or others who cannot read print. E-readers can be made accessible through text-to-speech technology and/or the ability to output content to external Braille displays, but the NOOK does not have any of these features.

Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: “E-books and the devices with which to read them present a historic opportunity for blind readers to have access to the same books at the same time as sighted readers, but only if publishers and manufacturers design their products in a way that allows access by blind and print-disabled readers. It is disturbing that institutions committed to free access to information for everyone would purchase e-readers that cannot be used by all of their patrons when technology that would serve everyone, including those who are blind or print-disabled, is readily available. We hope that our Maryland libraries will honor their legal and moral obligation to provide equal access to their blind patrons and send a clear message to publishers and technology vendors that access to information and literature is critical for all Americans, not just those who can read print.”
 

Straight Talk About Vision Loss

Tom Foreman, CNN Correspondent, in BDC vehicle driver's seat





In the closing act of the 2011 NFB Youth Slam talent contest, Barby Elliott turned NFB philosophy into music. Our thanks go out to Mika Pyyhkala for this recording of Barby’s original composition, “Strive.”

In this video “High-Tech Car for Blind Drivers,” Tom Foreman reports on the Blind Driver Challenge® for “Anderson Cooper’s 360” news show on CNN.

Coming soon:  ABC's Juju Chang drives the Blind Driver Challenge® car at the NFB headquarters. 




Product and Access Technology Talk
News from the Access Technology Team
This September was the second time the NFB hosted the Web Accessibility Training Day with the Maryland Technology Assistance Program. The event was a great success—seats were fully booked. The day was jam-packed with sessions helpful to anyone with an interest in Web accessibility. Speakers covered both policy and technical angles in breakout sessions, so attendees with various responsibilities and interests could get their questions answered. The attendees came from a wide range of sectors, with government, education, and business being especially well represented. Participants also got an excellent opportunity to meet others in the field and to explore business solutions for accessibility issues during the exhibit hours.  For those who were not able to attend, you can download the materials for each session. 

In other news, the team has been busy writing up some exciting finds—improvements to Ninite and UpdateFlash.org and Google apps are all current topics on the blog, and more posts are in the works. 

As fall sets in, we are also gearing up for the next conference. Accessing Higher Ground in Colorado targets accessibility in higher education, which makes for a very interesting (and interested) audience. The team will make presentations on November 17 and 18 on “Tactile Graphics” and “Promoting Nonvisual Accessibility through Task-based, First-hand Testing,” with Desire2Learn. 






eBay is Recruiting
 The Reuters news service published the following entry on August 25, 2011, on its small business blog: 

eBay is recruiting an unlikely group of new entrepreneurs into its selling ranks–the visually impaired.

Blind citizens have staggeringly high rates of unemployment, with some 70 percent of working-age, legally blind adults out of work, according to the National Federation of the Blind.

So the online marketplace, in partnership with NFB, began recruiting test sellers in the blind community late last year. In February, it began a pilot program with 15 blind entrepreneurs. In total, they have sold more than 2,100 items, including everything from packing tape to clothing and makeup.

“We have a commitment to making our pages accessible,” said Jonas Klink, senior product manager of accessibility for San Jose, California-based eBay. The company was also the title sponsor at NFB’s national convention in July.

“These 15 pilot program participants have been selling above and beyond even the majority of our sighted community,” said Klink, adding that word has spread through the blind community. “A number have become top-rated sellers.”

The blind sellers use enhanced tools such as screen access software that verbalizes content on the Internet, which has primarily been designed for sighted participants.

“When you look at the Web as a whole, you’re looking at a very visual medium,” Klink said. “Designing for the visually impaired is in some cases harder because you don’t have the luxury of well-known graphics.”

At the NFB convention, some 300 people signed up for the next phase of eBay’s commitment to work with visually impaired sellers, he said.  
Technology and Print Disabilities
The American University radio station WAMU's broadcast of “The Kojo Nnamdi Show” on September 7 was about reading using access technology. Guests were Jim Fruchterman and George Kerscher. Hear the “Technology and Print Accessibility” program or read a full transcript.
 

From the tenBroek Library








Second Sight of the Parthenon Frieze
The tenBroek Library does not usually acquire books simply because they are in an accessible format. Most of our books in fact are ink-print (and not necessarily large type). This is because most books on blindness—just like most books on any subject—are ink-print and have never been published in an accessible format.

We are gradually dealing with the inaccessibility of the ink-print-only books through our digitization program. And we’ll also do on-demand digitization for a fee. For example, a researcher recently visited and spent some time with a librarian reviewing a number of ink-print items that were of potential interest. He left us with a request to digitize almost a hundred pages. We were happy to do that and send the digitized material to him as e-mail attachments (along with a bill).

But this is not what this month’s “From the tenBroek Library” is really about.

Our subject this month is an accessible book we recently acquired. It is not about blindness, but it merits a place in our library because of the care that was taken to make it accessible both visually and tactilely. It’s a beautiful book called Second Sight of the Parthenon Frieze, published by the British Museum in collaboration with an Italian publisher of fine books. Here’s a paragraph from the introduction to the book:
“This book forms part of the Tiresias project, which includes a permanent exhibition in the British Museum’s Parthenon Galleries. Tiresias is the blind seer of Greek myth who was blinded by Hera but compensated by Zeus with the power of second sight. The purpose of both the book and the exhibition is to provide ‘second sight’ of the Parthenon frieze for sighted and visually impaired people alike.”








The frieze, which the British took (some say “stole”) from Greece two hundred years ago—along with statues and other antiquities—shows people, animals, wheeled vehicles, and other objects in a procession honoring Athena, the patron goddess of ancient Athens. This book reproduces the frieze in an inventive way that allows both blind and sighted people to appreciate its beauty without being in London, where it can be directly viewed. Again, from the introduction:
“Most pages of this book are divided into three bands. The top band shows the frieze modified for the partially sighted. Over this is a transparent layer of tactile images, in which the frieze is further adapted for the blind user. This simplified version is calculated to convey the most important elements. The second band of the page features a selection of figures that have been isolated so as to make them more easily understood, while the third band shows a bird’s-eye view of the procession. This plan offers an opportunity for both visually impaired and sighted readers to understand the procession better than ever possible before.”








The book provides tactile maps of ancient Athens showing the route of the procession, a plan view of the Parthenon, and elevation views of each side of the Parthenon. There is also a visual-tactile “lexicon” that defines each image in the procession.

All the text in the book is in Braille as well as ink-print. Accompanying the book is a five-hour spoken commentary on three cassettes. We plan to digitize the audio and make it available to library users on CDs.

Whether you’re blind or sighted, this book can only be experienced in person. It is another reason to visit Baltimore (unless a library near you also has a copy).

 

Independence Market
The ending of summer heralds the beginning of the school year. Blind students of all ages may find some of the following items available from the National Federation of the Blind Independence Market of use in their academic studies and extracurricular activities. We have grouped items into two broad categories: personal management and study aids; however there is some overlap, so you'll want to look through both sections.  
Personal Management

Using a white cane gives a blind person independence in moving around his/her home and school environment. The Independence Market sells a variety of white canes.
An accessible watch and/or clock are useful tools that assist students to get to class on time. The Independence Market sells a variety of Braille and talking watches and clocks. Braille watches allow the wearer to check the time unobtrusively, which is especially useful in class or in church. Talking watches have the advantage of having an alarm.  
Accessible locks help to keep books and other materials secure when using a locker at school or at the gym.
Most students have several devices that use batteries. A battery tester is a must for anyone needing to distinguish discharged batteries from new ones.  
We also carry a small selection of handheld magnifiers, ranging from 5X to 14X.  

Study Aids

A calculator or abacus is helpful when doing basic math functions.  
Here are some tools for listening to books and recording classes. The new digital recorders like the Olympus DM-420 offer some definite advantages. The feature-filled Victor Reader Stream gives blind students access to textbooks like never before.  
Every student needs to take notes in class. We have some tools you may find helpful, including 20/20 pens, dark lined writing paper, writing guides, slates and styluses, and Braille paper. It is always good to be armed with a slate as a backup, just in case some of the fancy technology fails.  
We also carry supplies for making Braille labels. Braille labels are great for getting organized.  

For more information or to place an order for products, please contact the NFB Independence Market via e-mail or by phone at (410) 659-9314, extension 2216, Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. eastern time.
 

Parent Outreach

Kendra





The Summer 2011 issue of Future Reflections, Volume 30 Number 3, is out. Future Reflections is the NFB's quarterly magazine for parents and teachers of blind children. Read it for the newest content on Learning, Making Friends, Advocacy, Transitions, Technology, and more. To whet your interest, here's the beginning of the first article in the Learning section: 

“Dad, Where’s the Plunger?”
by Richard Holloway

>From the Editor: It is often said that 80 percent of all learning is visual. For a totally blind child, however, 100 percent of learning occurs nonvisually. Given plenty of opportunities for hands-on exploration, a blind child can acquire most of the information about the world that sighted children possess. In this article, Richard Holloway describes how he helped his blind daughter, Kendra, fill in some important information gaps.

“Dad, do we have a plunger?” my daughter asked one afternoon. “Where's the plunger?”

I was a little concerned. Why would my eight-year-old daughter possibly need a plunger, after all? This just couldn't be good!

“I want to know what a plunger feels like!” she explained.

Wow! I had done it again. I pride myself on describing the visual world to my blind daughter, but there it was—another little hole in her understanding. Did we have a plunger? Sure. Was I going to let her explore it with her hands? Well, no, that didn't seem the best plan. You might find ours to be as well-washed as any slightly used plunger anywhere, but I'm not going to put it into a child's hands for tactile exploration. “I'm sorry,” I said, “we don't have a plunger that you can touch. It isn't clean enough. But what if I take you to the store and let you explore a new, clean plunger?”

Kendra was delighted with the idea. That's how I came to take her on her first Home Depot expedition. . . . 
This article is continued in Future Reflections online.




Spotlight on the Imagination Fund 
One of the purposes of the Imagination Fund is to support the innovative, informative, and inspiring programs of the affiliates and divisions of the National Federation of the Blind through Imagination Fund grants. 

Sean Whalen and Kimberly Flores, former NABS board member and current president of the NFB of Texas




The National Association of Blind Students (NABS) applied for and was awarded an Imagination Fund grant to send NABS board member representatives to NFB affiliate conventions and state student events. The funds helped NABS to assist in division building, increase cohesion between state and national student divisions, and develop the leadership skills of future leaders of the NFB.  

Overall, NABS fulfilled eighteen requests for representatives. According to Sean Whalen, current president of NABS, representatives are extremely beneficial to affiliates and students alike, “from helping to launch a student division in West Virginia, to keeping already strong state divisions, like Georgia, abreast of, and involved in, the work we are doing on a national level, to speaking to conventions, students, and parents at large in nearly twenty states, NABS was able to make significant progress.”  

The benefits of the program include strengthening relationships, mentoring, and leadership development. Sean Whalen describes a few of the outcomes of the program: “Each of us who has traveled as part of the program has been told by NFB leaders, students, or parents of blind students that our presentations, conversations, and encouragement throughout the course of an event have added valuable perspective, provided useful information, or, sometimes, even changed people’s outlooks on blindness.”

To learn more about how the National Association of Blind Students is changing what it means to be blind, visit the NABS Web site.

To help support worthwhile programs of the National Federation of the Blind, become an Imaginator and join the Race for Independence today!


 

NFB Calendar
The Fall Convention Season   The yearly meetings of NFB’s state affiliates cluster in the fall and spring. The following states meet in September and October: Arizona, North Carolina, Montana, New York, Kentucky, Georgia, Alaska, D.C., Illinois, Minnesota, Rhode Island, California, Arkansas, Indiana, Hawaii, Nebraska, Kansas, Washington, Maine, Iowa, and Maryland! To look up when other state annual meetings occur, see the state conventions page on the NFB’s Web site.


October 2011   Meet the Blind Month, a campaign conducted by NFB chapters throughout the country. We challenge you to participate in innovative and unique meet-and-greet events in your local community this year. For information, contact Melissa Kobelinski. 


October 7-8, 2011   Computer Science Academy, presented by the NFB and the Rochester Institute of Technology at the NFB Jernigan Institute.


November 1, 2011   National Federation of the Blind Bid for Excellence national auction begins. For more information, help in how to promote the auction, to donate an item or service, or to become a Bid for Excellence sponsor, contact Ann-Marie Laney at (410) 659-9314, extension 2371, or by e-mail.  


February 6-9, 2012   NFB Washington Seminar, Holiday Inn Capitol, 550 C Street, S.W., Washington, D.C.




Citation
Activities began on Sunday morning, July 3, when parents, rehabilitation professionals, technology enthusiasts, job seekers, and artists gathered to begin their work. President Maurer addressed the rehab professionals and emphasized how crucial their work is in making the dream of full participation real in the lives of blind people. He visited with the children and tried to convince a young girl named Jessica that her unsuccessful struggles to read print probably meant that she should be concentrating on Braille. “Sighted people should use the techniques of the sighted, and blind people should use the techniques of the blind,” he argued. The exchange was spirited, and it was evident just how much this little girl had been taught that the only path to praise would come through what she could see. A young man named Drake wanted to know how a blind man could invent a time machine. The president seemed a bit surprised by the question so early in the morning but opined that, if a time machine could be made, he was certain that a blind person would be as likely to come up with it as a sighted person. Lindsey asked what he had done in his time as president, and for a moment he was uncharacteristically silent as he considered how to address the many challenges that have characterized his presidency in a way this little girl and the rest of his young audience could understand.
 
  —“The 2011 Convention Roundup,” Gary Wunder, Braille Monitor, August-September 2011
 
 
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

TeachBlind Students.org



 










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.





 
former NABS board member and current president of the NFB of Texas 




Unsubscribe from receiving email, or change your email preferences.

nonprofit software
 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/fopbc_nfbnet.org/attachments/20111002/20120483/attachment.html>