[il-talk] FW: NFB Imagineering Our Future: Vision Free Design

[Syed Yousufuddin]

Date: Mon, 26 Jan 2009 11:07:20 -0600From: JerniganInstitute at nfb.orgTo: syedy2003 at hotmail.comSubject: NFB Imagineering Our Future: Vision Free Design


















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Imagineering Our Future







     Issue 9 
January 26, 2009      








Message from the Executive Director

As we have moved through the inauguration of the 44th President of the United States, I have been reflecting on the challenges and opportunities facing Americans who are blind.  As I stood with my wife Melissa at the inauguration on Tuesday, a number of things our new President said resonated with me.  This statement specifically hit home, ". . . there are some who question the scale of our ambitions—who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage."  Had the word "country" been replaced by "organization," "institute," or "movement," this could have easily been an excerpt from a speech delivered by Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind.  This made me reflect on how dynamic the spirit of the Federation is and how it is a reflection of the values and principles that make our country great.

Mark Riccobono (left) and Mike May of the Sendero Group (right) with Stevie Wonder.


While 2009 is still young, the NFB Jernigan Institute is already moving forward on new and imaginative means to achieve our common purpose of the full integration of the blind into society on terms of equality. One of the significant barriers faced by the blind today is the inaccessibility of products designed with interfaces that require vision.  Touch screens, sleek flat buttons, and other features that make operation nearly impossible for those who are blind seem to be very trendy in the industry, even if they are not the most functional means of usability to the end consumer.  Yet, our experience tells us that there are simple design features which can easily make products accessible to the blind and more usable for many other individuals.  Therefore, we began 2009 by partnering with the Sendero Group, LLC, and others to host a booth at the 2009 International Consumer Electronics Show under the heading of Stevie Wonder and Friends.  This effort was an extension of our consumer electronics initiative in order to promote “vision free” products.  Our presence at the 2009 CES has raised a considerable amount of awareness and will lead to many new opportunities in the future.Yet, there are many challenges we face.  Like others, the NFB feels the tightening of the economy.  Therefore, the necessity of your support in 2009 is as urgent as it has ever been.  As we move forward with great hope and high aspirations to expand the horizons for the blind in ways that no one has previously imagined, we need your pledge of support.  I am asking you to commit to a contribution, no matter how small.  Even better, I would love to have you join me and a thousand other members of the Federation out on the streets of Detroit for our 2009 March for Independence.  Even if you cannot be there in person, your participation as a virtual marcher can make a huge difference.  Please consider what you can do to help push us forward in 2009.  Visit our March for Independence site and learn about how you can join the blind of America in creating new opportunities.We do, in fact, have big plans for 2009.  Despite the challenges ahead, the blind of America are hopeful, imaginative, and ready to do their part.  The NFB Jernigan Institute is one example of that spirit and determination, and we hope that you will join us in our work during this new year.Mark A. Riccobono, Executive Director, NFB Jernigan Institute 

In this issue:



What's New

Education

Braille Initiative

Straight Talk About Vision Loss

Technology Talk

>From the Jacobus tenBroek Library

Independence Market

Parents of Blind Children

Spotlight on the Imagination Fund

Upcoming Events

Citation

Featured NFB News

For the second year, NFB is administering the Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award Program.  Cash awards are presented annually to individuals and organizations that have made outstanding contributions toward achieving the full integration of the blind into society on a basis of equality. A total of $50,000 will be distributed to the award recipients in the 2009 program. For eligibility requirements and all other Jacob Bolotin Award information, visit the Jacob Bolotin Award Web page.  Apply for yourself or nominate someone else online by the April 15, 2009, deadline.  Review the impressive list of 2008 awardees in this article about last year's Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award Program presentation.  

Education






January is National Mentoring Month, and we at the Jernigan Institute are celebrating by spotlighting mentoring pairs in our National Center for Mentoring Excellence program throughout the month. These stories will show how mentoring is impacting the lives of blind young people in our program. Blind adult role models are mentoring youth ages 16-26. Our preliminary research shows that when mentors spend time with the mentees, the mentees’ positive attitudes about their blindness increase. Through the mentoring relationship blind and low vision young adults develop lasting memories with their mentors.  Read Mentoring Reflections, where mentors and mentees share their positive experiences, and read our Mentoring Spotlight about the lives that are being changed. 


Participants in the NFB of TX CHANGE Mentoring Program volunteer at a local food bank.



You can also celebrate by taking the time to personally thank a mentor who has made a difference in your life! Would you like to enter into a mentoring relationship? Connect to a network of knowledge and opportunity through NFB-LINK, the National Federation of the Blind’s Internet-based mentoring program. NFB-LINK helps individuals find blind mentors who can answer questions on a wide variety of topics including career choices, being a blind parent or a parent of a blind child, student issues, and the pursuit of hobbies from sky-diving to knitting. Through NFB-LINK, blind men and women share knowledge and life experience, living the reality that it is respectable to be blind. To find out how to join NFB-LINK as a mentor or mentee, e-mail Jessica Bachicha or call her at (410) 659-9314, extension 2529.  
National Federation of the Blind Youth Slam 2009
Have you ever wanted to build a green house?  Are you interested in learning about forensics?  Or do you have an interest in journalism?  The possibilities are plentiful at the NFB Youth Slam!  Two hundred blind and low vision students from all across the country will gather at the University of Maryland, College Park, for this five-day adventure that will engage, inspire, and encourage the next generation of blind youth to consider careers falsely believed to be impossible for the blind.  Don't miss out on this amazing opportunity!  Apply to be a mentor or student participant today!  Explore. Discover. Evolve.

Braille Initiative
On January 4, the NFB observed the two hundredth anniversary of Louis Braille's birth with numerous commemorative events, but that's just the start.  We announced that the NFB-Braille Commemorative Coin will be released for sale from the U.S. Mint on March 26, 2009.  Revenue from this coin will provide matching funds in our campaign to end the Braille literacy crisis in this country.   



Throughout 2009 the NFB will provide a series of programs to promote and strengthen Braille literacy across the country. We are pleased to announce that one such initiative, NFBShareBraille.org, is now ready to meet all of your Braille book needs.  This site was developed to facilitate the exchange of Braille books through a community-run library. NFB ShareBraille will help connect those who want Braille with those who want to give Braille away, thus increasing the life of Braille materials. Need Braille books? Have Braille books you no longer use? Wonder how to build your Braille book library? Want to help get more books into the hands of blind children?  Experience the NFB ShareBraille revolution!  We send out a special thanks to our friends at the Wal-Mart Foundation for helping us make NFBShareBraille.org possible.Dr. Abraham Nemeth, professor emeritus of mathematics at the University of Detroit Mercy and inventor of the Nemeth Braille Code for Mathematics and Scientific Notation, is the newest National Ambassador for Braille Literacy for the Braille Readers are Leaders literacy campaign.  We hope that you will join us in our Braille literacy efforts.  Visit Braille.org; watch our Braille literacy video, Braille: Unlocking the Code; join the mailing list to receive e-mailed updates on the campaign and become more aware; purchase the NFB-Braille Commemorative Coin when sales begin in March 2009; stay connected to the Braille literacy campaign updates via Twitter updates. In all of these ways, you can help to make literacy a reality for all blind Americans. 

Straight Talk About Vision Loss 

The Straight Talk About Vision Loss team presents Episode 23, an on-site report from the Las Vegas International Consumer Electronics Show.  In an upcoming Episode 22 (now in production), Jessica Bachicha discusses NFB's Braille music educational video. 


Product and Access Technology Talk


Photo: Tim Page of Sony Europe visits Anne Taylor in the Vision Free CES booth.


Earlier this month the NFB partnered with Sendero Group to promote greater access to consumer electronics for blind users at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The Vision Free booth showcased a range of mainstream devices with good nonvisual usability, such as a Panasonic microwave with tactile buttons, a voice response clock from Moshi, the first accessible digital radio for the blind developed by NPR Labs, and the Olympus DS-61 digital recorder. The Vision Free exhibitors also disseminated materials about best practices in making consumer electronics accessible to the blind. On Thursday, January 8, the team hosted a press conference with Stevie Wonder and the Wonder Vision Awards, which highlighted some of the companies doing good work in making more consumer electronics available to blind users. At both events, Stevie Wonder discussed some of his expectations, wishes, and dreams for consumer electronics. Among the stacks of news stories resulting from these two events, those from Reuters, AFP, EE Times, and Popular Science were some of the most prominent. In TV and radio, the two most high profile stories were the interview Jernigan Institute Executive Director Mark Riccobono gave to Dave Graveline for his "Into Tomorrow" show and the BBC Click feature, which will be aired on January 29 on BBC1, BBC News Channel, and BBC Breakfast. It was not only the press that gave a keen ear to the issue of access to consumer electronics for blind users; manufacturers, distributors, engineers, designers, and investors alike stopped by the booth to find out more, a first step in helping build better electronics for everyone.While some of the Access Technology team was out at CES in Las Vegas, the rest of the team was still diligently reviewing new electronics and software in Baltimore. The long-awaited new Technology Resource List has gone live, and the Access Technology Blog has dealt with a range of new products: Humanware’s DeafBlind Communicator; Walking Hotspot; and in the field of GPS the Trekker Breeze, Wayfinder Access, and Mobile Geo. On a different but very relevant topic, the surprising results of the survey the NFB conducted following the recent presidential elections also appeared on the blog. 

>From the tenBroek Library







Happy New Year from the Jacobus tenBroek Library! Federationists can look forward to lots of exciting news from the tenBroek Library during 2009.  President Maurer recently approved a strategic plan for the Library, and we have the go-ahead to build a collection on blindness that will soon serve both blind and sighted researchers as no other library on blindness can.  The software for the new Library catalog has been installed on a server in the tenBroek Library and library staff members are currently being trained in its use.  The catalog should be “live” in time for Convention, where we expect to demonstrate many of its features including its nonvisual accessibility.


Independence Market

Blind people often need to struggle to use electronic devices and home appliances.  These are often not accessible to blind consumers because they give no audible feedback, require extensive programming through inaccessible on-screen menus, or use a touch screen rather than any knobs or buttons discernable by touch.  Blind consumers may want to consult the Accessible Home Showcase list of devices usable by the blind, developed by the NFB Jernigan Institute's Access Technology team, before making a purchase.Some of these devices can be made more accessible. For example, many microwaves can be made more usable if either Braille labels or raised markings are affixed to the frequently used controls on the touch panel. The Independence Market sells some items which would assist with the marking of these devices to make them more user-friendly.The Independence Market has transparent self-adhesive labeling materials and various devices which can be used to emboss Braille on these materials. Two types of 8-1/2-by-11-inch transparent sheets are available: one is thinner and has tractor feed edges, so it can be run through a Braille embosser; the other is made of heavier plastic; and both can also be written on with either a slate or a Braillewriter.  Transparent, self-adhesive, 1/2-inch-wide vinyl labeling tape is available in a 12-foot roll.  A label writer, a label-tape attachment for the Braillewriter, or various slates with labeling-tape slots can be employed to emboss Braille on this tape, and these items can also be purchased from the Independence Market.The Independence Market also carries marking aids which are of use to both the Braille reader and non-Braille reader alike, such as stick-on plastic bumps of various sizes and orange tactile marking paint.    Please e-mail the Independence Market or call (410) 659-9314, extension 2421, for more information.

Parents of Blind Children
The following call for articles comes from Barbara Cheadle, the editor of Future Reflections magazine:

In keeping with the two hundredth birthday of Louis Braille and the NFB's nationwide Braille literacy campaign, the first issue of 2009 will be a special issue in celebration of Braille.  I am eager to review original articles, ideas for articles, leads on writers for articles, and previously published articles. The deadline for submitting material is February 16, 2009.Please e-mail material to me.  You can call me with questions, tips, or suggestions at the NFB office number in Baltimore, Maryland, between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time): (410) 659-9314, extension 2360.

Thanks!  I'm looking forward to getting lots of good materials and ideas.
See the article about cell phone accessibility for blind children in the fall 2008 issue of Future Reflections.

Spotlight on the Imagination Fund





The Imagination Fund provides support for the outreach efforts of local Federation chapters and affiliates throughout the United States as well as the research, technology, and education programs and initiatives of the NFB Jernigan Institute. In this space, we will spotlight projects funded by donations to the Imagination Fund. Imagination, collaboration, and many hours of hard work was a winning combination that allowed us to share the National Federation of the Blind and our message with families from across Missouri. Learn more about how the Imagination Fund helped change what it means to be blind in Missouri.

NFB Upcoming Events
January 4, 2009 Louis Braille's 200th Birthday and kickoff of NFB-Braille Commemorative Coin and Literacy Campaign. February 8, 2009, 4:00 p.m. Deadline to enter drawing for K-NFB Reader Mobile. To qualify, register to participate in the third annual March for Independence. Drawing will be held during Washington Seminar at the Great Gathering-In meeting; you need not be present to win, but you do need to be registered to win!February 8, 2009, 5:00 p.m. Washington Seminar Great Gathering-In meeting.February 8-11, 2009 Washington Seminar, Holiday Inn Capitol, 550 C Street SW, Washington, D.C.  Read the 2009 legislative agenda and fact sheets on Enhancing Pedestrian Safety, A Technology Bill of Rights for the Blind, and Removing the Earnings Penalty before you go. March 1, 2009 Student and Mentor and Volunteer applications due for the 2009 NFB Youth Slam. March 7, 2009 National Center for Mentoring Excellence Career Fair for Ohio and Texas mentors and mentees.March 14, 2009 National Center for Mentoring Excellence Career Fair for Georgia and Utah mentors and mentees.March 26, 2009 U.S. Mint begins sales of the Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver DollarMarch 26, 2009 Hotel reservation deadline for Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium.  March 31, 2009  Deadline to apply for thirty NFB scholarships ranging from $3,000 to $12,000 to be awarded at National Convention in July.  Get more information or fill out an application online.  

April 4, 2009 The Cane Event: Celebrating Braille Readers are Leaders, Members Hall, NFB headquarters, Baltimore.  



Break out your top hat and be a part of the Cane Event, Celebrating Braille Readers are Leaders, at the NFB Jernigan Institute.  Please join us the evening of Saturday, April 4, for entertainment, food, and silent and live auctions. Support the Jernigan Institute and have fun. Visit thecaneevent.org for details on sponsorship opportunities, auction donations, and ticket sales.   
April 15, 2009 Jacob Bolotin Awards online application and nomination deadline.April 17, 2009 Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium. Register online. View the agenda.  May 8-9, 2009 Early Childhood Conference, open to parents of blind children ages birth to seven who live in the Mid-Atlantic region. Part of NFB Jernigan Institute's Early Childhood Education initiative.
July 3-8, 2009  NFB 2009 National Convention, Marriott at the Renaissance Center, Detroit, Michigan.  For reservations write directly to the Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center, 100 Renaissance Center, Detroit, Michigan 48243, or call 1-800-266-9432.
July 6, 2009 Motor City March for Independence, A Walk for Opportunity, Detroit, Michigan. Register to participate in the third annual March in Detroit.  Hear an audio report on last year's Dallas March.
July 26-August 1, 2009 NFB Youth Slam: A STEM Leadership Academy, University of Maryland, College Park.  View a video about this exciting event! 


Citation

I am reminded of the Luddites of England, who flourished from 1811 to 1816. Named, it is said, after Ned Ludd, who had smashed some frames used in industrial processes, the Luddites objected to the establishment of factories using labor-saving devices because industrial processes took jobs away from factory workers. The protests took tangible form with the Luddites breaking industrial machinery to prevent its use.As part of my effort in creating the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute, I spent some time recently examining kitchen appliances—stovetops, ovens, microwaves, dishwashers, and refrigerators. At one time or another all of these devices have been easily usable by the blind. However, the control mechanisms now being installed in these appliances are almost universally built with touch-screen technology. Much of the time they are interactive. Pressing the right spot on a touch panel illuminates a menu that offers choices available through touching other spots on the screen. Quite often the menu appears only for a few seconds. The operator of the appliance must be swift and sure in the touching. Without speed and accuracy in touching the right selections, the appliance will not work at all.Needless to say, the blind, who cannot see the proper spots to touch and who cannot read the menu selections, cannot set the temperature on the oven, cook on the stove, set the temperature in the refrigerator, or set the amount of cooking time for the microwave. I have sometimes been tempted to take my palm and rub it over the entire touch screen just to see what would happen. When the inaccessibility has been monumental, when the day has been long, when the unwillingness of others to comprehend the need for the blind to be a part of society has been overwhelming, blind people sometimes have an appreciation for Ned Ludd. Smashing the stove or the refrigerator won't make it work, but at least there would be a recognizable protest.—Dr. Marc Maurer, "The Topography of Technology, Blindness, and the Luddite," an address delivered at the first Jernigan Institute Technology Training Conference, April 2004 
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: 
Voice of the Diabetic
Future Reflections
Braille Monitor











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