[IL-Talk] Illinois Independent, Summer 2019

[Mary lou Grunwald]

Hi Debbie,
It says that the message cannot be displayed because errors are occurring. I wonder if it’s my system or the programs fault. In any event I am not able to read it.

Sent from my iPad

> On 19 Jul 2019, at 2:21 PM, Deborah Kent Stein via IL-Talk <il-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> ILLINOIS INDEPENDENT
> 
> Summer 2019
> 
> s
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> THE ILLINOIS INDEPENDENT
> 
> 
> 
> The Newsletter of the National Federation of the Blind of Illinois
> 
> Summer 2019
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Editors: Deborah Kent Stein and Robert Gardner
> 
> 
> Deborah:         773-203-1394   <mailto:Dkent5817 at att.net> Dkent5817 at att.net
> 
> Robert:            309-236-6606   <mailto:rgardner4 at gmail.com>
> rgardner4 at gmail.com
> 
> Formatting: Janna Mary Stein and Robert Gardner
> 
> NFB Newsline Edition: David Meyer 
> 
> Print Edition: Bill Reif 
> 
> Braille Edition: Horizons for the Blind
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND OF ILLINOIS (NFBI)
> 
> 
> 
> President: Denise R. Avant:   773-991-8050  <mailto:Davant1958 at gmail.com>
> Davant1958 at gmail.com
> 
> Website: www.nfbofillinois.org
> 
> Webmaster: Bryan Mackey
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> TABLE OF CONTENTS
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Carrying Out Our Mission, by Denise Avant                         
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Owning Our Future: The 2019 Midwest Student Seminar    
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Own Your Present, by Marilyn Green                                    
> 
> 
> 
> To Become a Nurse, by Lindsey Fritz                                    
> 
> 
> 
> The Next Big Step: How to Keep Your Job                           
> 
> and Thrive in the Workplace, by Yusef Dale
> 
> 
> 
> A Walk down the Runway, by Mary Lou Grunwald             
> 
> 
> 
> Going Back to Work, by Kira O’Bradovich                           
> 
> 
> 
> How I Became a Substitute Teacher, by Robert Hansen       
> 
> 
> 
> In Memoriam: Joe and Mary Monti                                        
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ***
> 
> 
> 
> 
> CARRYING OUT OUR MISSION
> 
> 
> by Denise Avant
> 
> 
> 
> The constitution of the National Federation of the Blind of Illinois states
> that we are not a social organization. As an organization of the blind, we
> are to formulate programs and work actively to promote the economic and
> social betterment of the blind. Certainly we can plan occasional social
> events and attend social outings. However, critical to our identity is our
> mission to advocate on behalf of blind people in Illinois. Whether you live
> in Springfield or Chicago, the Quad Cities, Belleville, or any other place
> in our state, you should engage in advocacy within your community. 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> REHABILITATION SERVICES
> 
> 
> One of our most important advocacy efforts is communicating with the
> Illinois Bureau of Blind Services (IBBS). Debbie Stein, David Meyer, and I
> have been talking to IBBS Chief John Gordon and Assistant Bureau Chief
> Ingrid Halvorsen about building quality rehabilitation services in Illinois.
> Many newly blinded adults and even some who have been blind for a number of
> years do not realize that their blindness need not hold them back. We
> continue to push for rehabilitation services at the Illinois Center for
> Rehabilitation and Education (often referred to as ICRE Wood) that raise the
> expectations of trainees. As blind people we need to be able to travel
> confidently and independently using the long white cane, to take care of our
> daily living needs, to use a computer effectively, and to read and write
> Braille. Members of our organization have spoken to the last two ICRE
> classes about our NFB philosophy and the programs we offer as an advocacy
> organization. 
> 
> 
> 
> The NFBI also has advocated for the right of blind people to seek advanced
> training in blindness skills at one of the NFB training centers in
> Louisiana, Colorado, or Minnesota. For a number of years, blind Illinoisians
> who wanted to attend one of these training centers were routinely turned
> down and sent to ICRE Wood instead. In the past two years, at least six
> people from Illinois have been able to attend the training centers in
> Colorado and Minnesota. 
> 
> 
> 
> To learn more about the state of rehabilitation services for the blind in
> Illinois, we invite Mr. Gordon and Ms. Halvorsen to our state convention
> each year. We also express any concerns we have about the services. At the
> 2019 convention we hope to have a counselor or perhaps Ms. Halvorsen
> available to sign people up for state rehabilitation services. Patti Chang,
> NFB outreach chair, has discussed with Mr. Gordon and Ms. Halvorsen the
> possibility of agency workers attending the employment seminar at the 2019
> national convention. 
> 
> 
> 
> The Bureau of Blind Services is looking to provide transitional services to
> youth between the ages of fourteen and twenty-two. Under the Workforce
> Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), IBBS is attempting to develop direct
> and/or support programs to assist blind youth in making the transition from
> high school to competitive integrated employment. The required transitional
> services to eligible students are as follows: 
> 
> (1)        Job exploration counseling 
> 
> (2)        Work-based learning experience 
> 
> (3)        Counseling on postsecondary education 
> 
> (4)        Workplace readiness training 
> 
> (5)        Instruction in self-advocacy. 
> 
> 
> 
> I would like to talk with Chief Gordon about having IBBS customers attend
> the employment seminar at the 2020 NFB national convention. This seminar
> meets the pre-employment criteria of WIOA. 
> 
> 
> 
> At last year’s face-to-face board meeting, the NFBI voted to participate in
> a career mentoring program if such a program is developed by IBBS. Many of
> us have had and still have successful careers, and we believe that we would
> make excellent mentors for blind students. Our board chose not to seek
> direct WIOA reimbursement for our Freedom Link program, winner of a 2017 Dr.
> Jacob Bolotin Award. However, we have talked to Mr. Gordon and Ms. Halvorsen
> about signing up Freedom Link students for pre-employment services under
> WIOA. We want to make sure that each of our eligible Freedom Link students
> has a IBBS counselor and can seek vocational rehabilitation services from
> IBBS upon graduation from high school. We have successfully received
> reimbursement for four students who attended the 2019 Midwest Student
> Seminar, as the state determined that we met the pre-employment services
> criteria. 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> INDEPENDENT TRAVEL
> 
> 
> Recently NFB members in Chicago have been working with the city regarding
> various initiatives and pilot programs centered around orientation and
> mobility. The city is in the process of installing audible traffic signals
> at several intersections throughout the city. Many companies make these
> signals, and we believe that some are effective while others are not. The
> National Federation of the Blind is not opposed to audible signals, but we
> want to ensure that they meet the needs of the blind community. The signals
> should be uniform throughout the city, they should be placed only at complex
> or noisy intersections, they should be activated on demand, and they should
> not cause unnecessary disruption to others. Steve Hastalis and Michal
> Nowicki have been representing the NFBI at meetings with the city to ensure
> that quality signals are installed in places where they are needed. Their
> advocacy is ongoing. 
> 
> 
> 
> Many cities, including Chicago, now permit the use of electric scooters for
> travel purposes. In Chicago ten vendors are participating in a pilot project
> that involves these electric scooters. A person uses a smartphone app to
> rent a scooter to ride from Point A to Point B. The app also can be used to
> report any complaints or problems regarding a scooter. These electric
> scooters make very little sound at all. The blind person must rely on the
> driver’s awareness that a blind person is crossing the path. 
> 
> 
> 
> The drivers of these scooters are not to ride or leave the scooters parked
> on sidewalks. But there is a difference between what should happen and what
> actually does happen. In many cities scooters are frequently ridden on
> sidewalks, and they often are left in front of homes, businesses, and
> restaurants. It appears that Chicago officials rolling out the pilot scooter
> project have not considered all of the ramifications that affect blind
> people. 
> 
> 
> 
> Recently, I wrote a letter to Karen Tamley, Commissioner of the Mayor’s
> Office for People with Disabilities. I set out our concerns and asked a
> number of questions. Commissioner Tamley has agreed to discuss our concerns
> in an upcoming telephone call. Officials from one of the scooter companies,
> Lime, have scheduled a conference call to discuss our concerns and to see
> what steps can be taken to provide accessible information to blind citizens.
> We need the app on smartphones to be fully accessible with Voiceover for IOS
> and Talk Back for Android so that blind persons can file complaints or rent
> scooters if desired. We need Braille and large print signage on these
> scooters so we can have the number and name of the company involved should a
> complaint need to be filed. The city suggested that a person employed by the
> city take our complaints, but there are a couple problems with this
> solution. How would the blind population know who to contact? And if a
> sighted person can complain directly to the scooter company, a blind person
> should be able to do the same. 
> 
> 
> 
> For the past eighteen months the city of Chicago has been considering
> providing the visual interpreting service, AIRA, free of charge to blind
> users at O’Hare Airport. A blind person would simply use an app on the
> smartphone to call an AIRA agent to get visual information while traveling
> at O’Hare. The AIRA agent provides visual information but does not make
> choices for the blind person. Cities such as Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and
> Boston have purchased a block of minutes that allows blind people to use
> AIRA free of charge in airports and subway stations. We are still waiting
> for Chicago city officials to provide blind travelers with AIRA access. 
> 
> 
> 
> Meanwhile, Karen Tamley has asked members of our organization and other
> stakeholders to test a service from Boni Loud Steps. This is an application
> to be used with WIFI on a smartphone to give blind people information about
> their surroundings. Little information is known about Boni or its
> application. But a check of Boni’s website suggests that the company has a
> misunderstanding about blind people and how we travel. For example, the
> company states, “Most venues are complicated for the visually impaired,
> overloaded information for sighted people is not accessible to the visually
> impaired in an indoor space.” The company invites visitors to click on a
> link that says, “See how our app arms individuals with confidence in complex
> areas.” Aside from being grammatically incorrect, the messaging seems to
> claim that the app will provide confidence to a blind traveler rather than
> simply be an aid. Some of our members will work with Boni to explore the app
> and learn about its possible advantages and disadvantages.
> 
> 
> 
> For as long as I can remember, I have heard that the National Federation of
> the Blind is not an organization speaking for the blind; it is an
> organization of blind people speaking for ourselves. I have come to
> appreciate why we are of the blind, rather than for the blind. We as blind
> people have the right and the responsibility to speak for and against issues
> that have an impact on our lives; to speak to local, state, and national
> officials about policies, programs, and legislation that affect us; and to
> make our own life choices. 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ***
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> OWNING OUR FUTURE:
> 
> 
> The 2019 Midwest Student Seminar
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On the weekend of March 15-17, 2019, the National Association of Blind
> Students (NABS) held its second annual Midwest Student Seminar. The seminar
> took place at the Holiday Inn O’Hare, and the NFB of Illinois was the host
> affiliate. 
> 
> 
> 
> The seminar brought together blind students from six midwestern
> states—Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa, and Indiana—for a
> weekend of learning, sharing, and fun. The seminar began with a dinner
> outing on Friday night that introduced the students to the CTA (Chicago
> Transit Authority) and the independence it offers to blind travelers. On
> Saturday and Sunday, the students heard presentations about transitioning to
> college, public speaking, interviewing for a job, and much more. On Saturday
> night participants were invited to take part in a talent show or try their
> hand at sculpting and drawing.
> 
> 
> 
> Many of the presentations at the seminar were of such high quality that we
> want to share them with a wider audience. The following three articles are
> based on presentations at the seminar: “Own Your Future,” by Marilyn Green;
> “To Become a Nurse,” by Lindsey Fritz; and “The Next Big Step,” by Yusef
> Dale.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ***
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> OWN YOUR PRESENT
> 
> 
> by Marilyn Green
> 
> 
> 
> Namaste. At the end of this talk I will tell you what that means, if you
> don’t know already. 
> 
> 
> 
> When I started looking for something to do for physical fitness, I went to
> the gym. I got tired of having to ask for help with the machines and trying
> to figure out where the buttons were. Then I talked to a friend who was in
> love with yoga. At that time I was stressed out at work, and I was reeling
> from the deaths of my parents. I said, “Okay, let me try this yoga thing.” 
> 
> 
> 
> The place where I practice is called Core Power Yoga. They have a lot of
> locations here in Chicago. They offer a seven-day free trial, because yoga
> can be expensive. So I said, “Okay, I’m going to do this,” and I tried it. 
> 
> 
> 
> It was heated yoga, and it’s hot! Our unheated class, as we call it, is at
> 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Our heated classes go up to 102 degrees, and add to
> that 20 percent humidity! Afterward I was literally sweating for an hour! It
> detoxifies everything!
> 
> 
> 
> After my first class I was so intimidated I waited about six months before I
> went back. When I finally went back, I got so involved I became a fixture. I
> was there three to five days a week. All the instructors knew me. Everyone
> there knew me. 
> 
> 
> 
> Then the instructors started talking to me about teacher training! I said,
> “You do realize that I’m blind, right?” and they said, “But your practice is
> so wonderful! You have such body awareness, much better than most people
> we’ve seen!” I was talking to instructors who had been teaching for years. I
> was like, “Hey, I do what feels good in my body.” 
> 
> 
> 
> I don’t have a stereotypical yoga body, mind you. I’m a curvy girl, and I’m
> not a twenty-something. I said, “What are you guys thinking?” I thought,
> they just want my money, right? They want me to pay thousands of dollars to
> do this training. So I said, “No, I’m not doing it. But I love being here. I
> love the community.” 
> 
> 
> 
> After a while I started to lose more vision. I was doing yoga a lot, trying
> to cope with everything, and I realized that these people really see me.
> They don’t see me as a blind person. They see me as a person, and they feel
> that I have something to offer. This was before my NFB days, and it was the
> first place where I felt I was accepted. They didn’t just see that I’m
> blind; they saw that I love doing yoga there. I could go there and talk to
> people about whatever, and they just listened. It was an awesome experience,
> and I believe in giving back. 
> 
> 
> 
> Recently online I found a Huffington Post article where people talked about
> the thirty-five quotes from Maya Angelou that changed their lives. One of
> those quotes speaks to me especially, for yoga and for NFB. “When you get,
> give; when you learn, teach.” So I decided to do the teacher training. 
> 
> 
> 
> The training was twelve hours a week for eight weeks of intensive learning,
> and it involved a lot of physical practice. I didn’t just have to learn it,
> I had to do it! I had to feel it in my body. It was the hardest thing! In my
> first classes, I found out that the girl who couldn’t see and needed all the
> verbal cues couldn’t give verbal cues herself! I’d say, “Okay, root your
> feet, move your legs . . . oh, just look at what I’m doing!” I didn’t have
> the language skills, so I worked on it. I worked really, really hard. By the
> end of my teacher training the feedback was, “Your verbal cues are on
> point!” That was the best thing they ever said to me. 
> 
> 
> 
> Then there was hands-on position adjustment. I said, “How do you expect me
> to adjust people when I can’t see them?” But we worked that out, too. I
> always had someone in my classes who could assist me with direction. I knew
> how to adjust, it was just the visual aspect of adjusting people that was a
> challenge sometimes. 
> 
> 
> 
> I did my two hundred hours of teacher training, and I graduated in 2016. I
> started teaching at a place in downtown Chicago called Second Sense. I enjoy
> it, and the students enjoy it, too. The staff say it’s one of their best
> attended classes. When I went back about eight weeks ago, I had nine
> students. Nine students is a big deal in that little board room that we use!
> We were staggering mats—and mind you, my students are blind, and the
> majority are over fifty. It’s a challenge for me a lot of times, and it’s a
> challenge for them, but we make it work. A lot of times I do the poses in my
> own body so I can feel what it feels like. 
> 
> 
> 
> So right now, because we’ve been sitting for an hour and some, I’d like you
> all to stand up and feel it in your body! Are you all with me? 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Stand tall! We are owning our futures this weekend, right? 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Root your heels in the floor beneath you. Sway from side to side, and begin
> to feel comfortable in your space. 
> 
> 
> 
> Hug your thighs together—squeeze tight! Melt your belly button toward your
> spine. 
> 
> 
> 
> Float both arms up over your head. Rotate your pinkies in toward one
> another. 
> 
> 
> 
> Find your drishti, which is Sanskrit for your point of focus and
> concentration. Breathe deep in through your nose and out through your mouth.
> Let your breath go. Deep inhale through your nose, even deeper exhale
> through your mouth. Inhale, exhale. 
> 
> 
> 
> Continue these breaths on your own, and in these few minutes that we have,
> find your space. Own your future. Own your present. Whatever it shall be,
> this moment, just breathe and take the time. 
> 
> 
> 
> That is the thing that I love about this practice—the time. Time for
> yourself, time to breathe, time to explore. We all know with NFB it’s about
> exploring, it’s about being curious, it’s about challenging yourself. Right
> now, if you’re still with me, this is your challenge. This is your moment,
> right here, right now. Own it. Be comfortable in it. Challenge yourself to
> be right here. 
> 
> 
> 
> Inhale, exhale. Inhale, reach your fingertips to the ceiling. Exhale, reach
> your arms wide like a cactus. Inhale, raise your arms to the ceiling;
> exhale, reach your heart center. Inhale, bring your thumbs to your third eye
> space between your eyebrows. Your space of all knowing, your space of
> ownership. Namaste.
> 
> 
> 
> Namaste in Sanskrit means, “I see you.” What yoga and NFB mean to me is to
> be seen. It’s not being seen as the blind girl or the curvy girl or the girl
> who can’t do a headstand. It’s being seen for who I am and what I am. So at
> this moment I say to you truly, Namaste. The light within me bows to the
> light within you. Namaste.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ***
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> TO BECOME A NURSE
> 
> 
> by Lindsey Fritz
> 
> 
> 
> I am from Madison, Wisconsin, and currently I am a fulltime nursing student
> at Madison Area Technical College. I’m completing the first semester of my
> program while working as a certified nursing assistant (CNA) at Belmont
> Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. 
> 
> 
> 
> I grew up in the Federation, and early on my family taught me that hard work
> was required if I was to become successful. I want to join the handful of
> blind people working in the nursing field. Right now I am thinking about
> specializing in trauma treatment or labor and delivery. 
> 
> 
> 
> My mother has been a paramedic for a long time, and she is my major
> inspiration for going into the medical field. One of my role models is Dr.
> Tim Cordes, a totally blind medical doctor who works in Madison, Wisconsin. 
> 
> 
> 
> Because of my boyfriend, Nathan, I’ve decided to take my education farther
> than obtaining my Registered Nursing (RN) license. Nathan is a Type I
> diabetic who was diagnosed much later than most. He lost a bunch of weight
> and got severely sick out of nowhere. Some people even thought he was on
> drugs, which was not the case. I am able to check his sugars and make sure
> he is getting the correct amount of insulin by using accessible meters and
> insulin pens. The pens click, and with every click the dial adds one unit of
> insulin. 
> 
> 
> 
> My classes include advanced anatomy-physiology and microbiology. I struggle
> with these classes because we use microscopes, and I am unable to see the
> slide and the arrows pointing to the parts of a cell that I need to
> identify. As an alternative technique I use my phone to take a picture
> through the microscope. I blow up the photo with my computer so I can see
> it. We also use tactile diagrams and models of cells so I can learn through
> touch how certain body mechanics work. 
> 
> 
> 
> Madison College has a great disability resource office; I work with Kevin
> Carini, who has helped me get the specialized technology I need. For
> example, in my organic chemistry class last semester, I needed to know how
> much chemical I was adding to a beaker or flask. I was not able to feel or
> see the lines on the beaker. Kevin ordered me some large-print chemistry
> equipment, extra large petri dishes for culturing microorganisms, and gloves
> that would not be affected by some of the harsh chemicals we used. In my
> anatomy and physiology classes our instructor is a medical doctor. This is
> nice because I’m not only learning about the body and how it works, but I’m
> also learning how to relate my knowledge to the medical field. 
> 
> 
> 
> My education plans include obtaining my Registered Nurse license and
> eventually moving on to get my Nurse Practitioner license. I will have to go
> to graduate school to get my master’s degree. 
> 
> 
> 
> In the fall of 2017 I obtained my Certified Nursing Assistant certification,
> which is required in order to become a registered nurse in the state of
> Wisconsin. The CNA course was accelerated, and it only took three weeks. I
> spent two weeks in class and one week in clinicals. In clinicals I worked
> from 0700 to 1700 hours every day. This may sound strange until I explain
> that we use 24-hour time in the medical field to avoid confusion, especially
> when it comes to giving medications. So I worked from 7 AM to 5 PM every
> weekday. 
> 
> 
> 
> After I completed the class and my clinical work I had to take a written
> state exam and a skills exam. For the skills exam I had to perform some
> tasks on a mannequin in front of two board certified representatives from
> Pearson Vue. Pearson Vue is the state board that certifies nursing
> assistants in Wisconsin. To take the written exam I had the option for
> listening to a recording of the questions, and I was able to mark my answers
> on the paper. 
> 
> 
> 
> I learned along the way that I had to find my own methods of completing
> certain nursing tasks. One skill that challenged me was vitals, or taking
> the patient’s vital signs. I am not able to use our standard medical
> thermometers or blood pressure cuffs because they do not speak and the print
> is far too small for me, even with my magnifier. Therefore I use my own
> equipment, which I leave at work on the nurse’s carts. I have a talking
> automatic blood pressure cuff, and I use a pulse oximeter that tells me the
> patient’s O 2 intake, also known as oxygen intake. When I use a stethoscope
> I place my hand on the patient’s shoulders to count the respirations,
> because I am unable to see the chest or shoulders rising and falling as
> sighted CNA and nursing students do. 
> 
> 
> 
> My biggest challenge as a CNA does not pertain to my blindness at all. My
> biggest challenge is my height. I know—laugh it up! Well . . . it is funny.
> Many of the beds in the facility where I work don’t go low enough for me to
> reach the patient easily. This is an issue, since I stand only 4 feet 10
> inches tall. 
> 
> 
> 
> When I walked into my interview for my job as a certified nursing assistant
> with my long white cane, the first thing the Director of Nursing said to me
> was, “Oh, you’re blind.” What kind of statement is that? She asked me some
> questions pertaining to my training, and she checked my credentials. At
> first she was very timid toward me and didn’t seem very interested. I knew
> that I had lost her interest in hiring me. Then I started telling her about
> the adaptations I use for assisting residents with certain tasks. Her face
> just lit up! She seemed astonished that someone like me, with my blindness,
> was able to obtain my certification on the first try for both exams. 
> 
> 
> 
> Then she offered me less money than CNAs in the Madison area earn on
> average. I told her I could go somewhere else, and that I had other places
> interested in me. I thanked her for her time, and I got up to leave. As I
> turned toward the door she said, “Hold on.” That’s when she gave me a better
> offer, and I was hired on the spot. 
> 
> 
> 
> All of my residents except in the dementia unit know me, and they know I do
> things a little differently than the other CNAs. They see me with my cane,
> and they know not to be afraid of me. They know that I am more than capable
> of assisting them in anything they need. When you’re working as a CNA, trust
> is a big deal. 
> 
> 
> 
> At first some residents were uneasy about allowing me to assist them. This
> was understandable, and I needed to respect it. That uneasiness is an
> unfortunate response in society. That’s where establishing trust comes into
> play. 
> 
> 
> 
> Having some simple conversations with people, calling them by name, and
> asking how their families are doing usually does the trick. It took about
> two weeks for my residents to get to know me and for them to start trusting
> me to care for them. Now I’m no different from any other CNA. I can come
> into their rooms, we greet each other, and I assist them with what they
> need. 
> 
> 
> 
> Blind people have entered many professions, but the medical field has hardly
> been touched. I plan on changing that. I want to pave the way for more blind
> students to enter the world of medicine. 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ***
> 
> 
> 
> THE NEXT BIG STEP: 
> 
> How to Keep Your Job and Thrive in the Workplace
> 
> by Yusef Dale
> 
> 
> 
> At this seminar you’ve heard quite a bit about interviewing and getting
> hired for your first job. only This morning I’d like to talk about what
> happens next. Once you get that job, you have to do some key things in order
> to retain that employment and to advance. 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> REPUTATION: THE GUIDING PRINCIPLE
> 
> 
> It may surprise you, but when it comes to keeping a job and advancing in the
> workplace, the guiding principle is reputation. 
> 
> 
> 
> What do I mean by reputation? Reputation is part of the human condition in
> almost every institution. People talk. As a blind person, you’re going to be
> scrutinized more carefully than most, and people are going to talk about you
> more than they talk about other people. You have to be prepared for that
> reality. 
> 
> 
> 
> Reputation has its own momentum, and that momentum is exponential. When you
> start on the job, you need to get your reputation rolling in the right
> direction. To build that favorable momentum you have to be excellent at what
> you do, and you have to be excellent early! 
> 
> 
> 
> Let me assure you that being excellent does not mean you have to be perfect.
> There’s no such thing as perfection! Excellence, though, does mean striving
> for perfection and striving for it sincerely, with everything you have.
> 
> 
> 
> In the workplace reputation is key for everyone, whether you’re blind or
> sighted. But when you are blind, people will attribute any mistake you make
> to your blindness. And guess what—you cannot undo your blindness! You are
> going to have to take your reputation seriously in the beginning and be
> excellent. 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> NO SHORTCUTS!
> 
> 
> What steps do you need to take in order to be excellent? The first thing I
> want to say is no shortcuts! No shortcuts! I cannot tell you how important
> this is! 
> 
> 
> 
> I work at the US Attorney’s office in Chicago. It’s a very prestigious
> office, one of the top litigation offices in the country, maybe just behind
> the Southern District of New York. Pat Fitzgerald was the US attorney when I
> started, and he is legendary. When he was working in New York he prosecuted
> some of the biggest bomb terrorism cases. When I came to the US attorney’s
> office, I knew right away that I was going to be scrutinized. I said to
> myself, “Yusef, no shortcuts!” 
> 
> 
> 
> The first thing you have to do to implement the no-shortcuts strategy is
> read, read, read! When you start a job you’re going to undergo a training
> program for new employees. You’re going to go to lectures, you’re going to
> take notes, and you’re going to get a vast amount of written material.
> Inevitably you’ll be tempted not to read it all. You might think: I’ll go to
> the lectures, and I’ll take notes on everything the trainers talk about.
> I’ll learn that way. 
> 
> 
> 
> Don’t do that! Read everything, and make sure you understand it all. If you
> don’t understand something, ask questions of someone whose trust you have
> gained so that they don’t judge you. 
> 
> 
> 
> Once you start with the substance of your job, you’re going to get what we
> call “go-by’s.” Everything has a go-by. For instance, in my office somebody
> has prosecuted a multi-defendant gang case, and they all pled out. What does
> the plea agreement look like? What does the cooperation agreement look like?
> If I’m flipping one person against another, what does that look like? Give
> me a document I can go by. 
> 
> 
> 
> Go-by’s are part of what everyone does, but sometimes you’re tempted not to
> read those documents all the way through. You might think: This paragraph is
> in every plea agreement—I don’t have to understand it. I’ll just put it in. 
> 
> 
> 
> Don’t do that! Read and make sure you understand every statute. Don’t fall
> to the temptation of not reading everything and not understanding
> everything. Remember that your reputation is everything, and if it gets
> rolling in the wrong direction, you’re done. 
> 
> 
> 
> As blind people we cannot afford the leeway of taking shortcuts. Question
> everything. Research everything. Make sure you know that everything in your
> document is right! Be excellent!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ASK THE RIGHT QUESTION 
> 
> 
> The next thing I want to tell you is to ask the right question, and ask it
> in the right way. Everyone has questions starting out in a new job. But
> everything applies to us disproportionately as blind people, so what we ask
> and how we ask it is very important. 
> 
> 
> 
> What does it mean to ask the right question in the right way? No one
> respects a person who comes into their office and says, “Hey, what’s the
> answer to this?” When you ask a question in the workplace, particularly if
> you’re blind, you need to demonstrate that you have context for your
> question. You need to show that you have tried to answer the question before
> you go into your colleague’s office. 
> 
> 
> 
> Soon after I started at the US Attorney’s office, I dropped by the office of
> Lisa, one of my coworkers. I said, “I’m having an issue with understanding
> the safety-valve proffer. I’ve read Guidelines Section 5K1.1. I’ve read the
> statute that applies. Here’s what the statute says, and the seminal case
> says this. Here’s what I don’t understand.” I didn’t just walk in and ask
> Lisa a question. I made sure she knew I had tried hard to get the answer. I
> showed her that I was thinking and that I’m not lazy. 
> 
> 
> 
> I cannot tell you how important it is to ask the right question in the right
> way. Guess what’s going to happen? The next time Lisa talks to one of her
> buddies, she’ll say, “Wow! That new hire who’s blind, he came into my office
> with a question, and you could tell he had read and researched before he
> asked me.” Because we’re blind, people are not going to expect that from us.
> There’s a lot of depth to the ignorance out there in the work world. They
> will assume the worst unless you ask the right question in the right way.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> BE INTENTIONAL
> 
> 
> Be intentional about demonstrating your work ethic. Make sure people know
> you’re willing to work long hours. When I first got to the US Attorney’s
> office, I worked seven days a week a lot of the time. I worked till seven,
> eight, or nine every night, and people knew it. You can’t be phony about it.
> Don’t send a 10 PM email if you don’t have to send a 10 PM email! People
> will see through that! But if you have to send an email at 10 or 11 PM, send
> it! You want people to know you have a strong work ethic, that you’re
> willing to work long hours, and you’re willing to work hard. 
> 
> 
> 
> As a blind person coming into a new job, you have to deal with one huge
> issue that other people aren’t dealing with. You have to learn to do your
> job without sight. That’s an additional challenge that requires some extra
> work. Don’t be ashamed to let people know you work hard. They’re going to
> tell their friends, “Hey, I see him here on the weekends! I see him here
> late at night!” They respect you for that, and your reputation gets rolling
> in the right direction. 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> NO EXCUSES!
> 
> 
> My next point is really a big one. Don’t allow others to make excuses for
> you! I know you folks in here are not going to make excuses for yourselves.
> You’ve achieved a certain amount of success, and you’re used to not making
> excuses for yourselves—at least you should be! 
> 
> 
> 
> But a sneaky thing happens in the work world. People will try to make
> excuses for you. It can be very subtle, and you might not notice at first.
> Your boss might come to your office say, “You’re doing great work here. But
> we’ve got these mortgage fraud cases, and they have a gigantic document
> load. We’ll give you some other cases instead. You’ll be doing the same
> amount of work as everyone else. We’re just not going to assign you these
> document-heavy cases.” 
> 
> 
> 
> When that happens, the answer is no! Never let people make excuses for you
> and tell you what you cannot do. They may sound like they’re complimenting
> you, but they’re setting you up for failure. They’re saying to themselves,
> “There are certain things I can’t ask that employee to do.” I don’t want to
> sound melodramatic, but that is going to doom you to failure. 
> 
> 
> 
> Once I got a lecture about this issue from someone I really liked and
> respected. So when that assignment came up I said, “I can do mortgage fraud
> cases. I’ve got this.” And when you do the mortgage case and do it well,
> your reputation gets rolling! It’s cooking now! It’s cooking! So never let
> anyone make excuses for you!
> 
> 
> 
> Here’s another example that was important in my career. I was handling a
> case with a really great prosecutor. She clerked for a Supreme Court
> justice. I always strive for excellence, but this time I understood I’d be
> measured by an especially tall yardstick. Whatever this prosecutor said
> about me—and she would say something, because that’s human nature!—whatever
> she said, I needed it to be good!
> 
> 
> 
> The case was a more or less straightforward bank robbery, but a lot of
> surveillance video was involved. Dealing with video is one of the biggest
> challenges for a blind person in this profession. You have to figure out how
> to explain it to a jury. She said, nicely, “I’ll handle this main FBI agent,
> because there’s this video. But we’ll still question the same number of
> witnesses.” 
> 
> 
> 
> I said no. Once I knew she thought I’d have trouble with the FBI agent, I
> insisted that I take that witness. I was really direct with her because I
> liked and trusted her. I said, “If I don’t do this, you’ll have doubts about
> whether I can do it. It’s important that you not have those doubts.” 
> 
> 
> 
> I went out to the bank like we always do. I looked at the terrain. I had an
> assistant explain to me what was in the video, exactly what time things were
> happening. I went over and over it in my head. I went back to the bank. I
> walked the terrain again to make sure I understood it, and I put that FBI
> witness on the stand. It came out fine, and that’s the point. The prosecutor
> was ready to make an excuse for me. But once I knew she thought I couldn’t
> deal with the video, I insisted that I do it.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> WRITE IT RIGHT!
> 
> 
> The last thing I want to talk about is proofreading your written work. If
> something goes wrong, you will not get the benefit of the doubt. I know,
> because I’ve been there. I know other blind professionals who’ve gone
> through it. When you’re writing something in an email, be very, very careful
> about your grammar and your spelling! Make sure you have automatic
> spell-check turned on before you send an email. If you know you confuse
> certain words in your head, make sure you don’t confuse them when you send
> out emails or when you turn in written product. 
> 
> 
> 
> All day I write, write, write! People think lawyers spend all their time in
> court. But mostly I write. I write motions and sentencing memos. I write a
> prosecution memo at the beginning. I draft the indictment. Frankly, writing
> is not one of my gifts. I’ve become a good writer, but I had to work on it.
> For instance, I know the difference between except and accept, but when I’m
> typing like crazy at my computer, for some unknown reason I’ll write except
> when I mean accept, like to accept an agreement. I’ve got to double-check it
> every time. 
> 
> 
> 
> Listen, you might make a mistake. I’ve made one or two! But if your
> reputation gets rolling in the right way, people know you’re a person who
> works hard. Then you’ll get the benefit of the doubt. 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> HUMAN ASSISTANTS
> 
> 
> Now I want to talk quickly about working with a human assistant, such as a
> reader or a driver. In the law business we have secretaries. The duties of
> my assistant sometimes extend a little beyond the usual, but it’s not a big
> deal. 
> 
> 
> 
> One thing an assistant can do for you is proofread your documents for
> formatting, because weird things happen sometimes when you’re typing. One
> time I had two pages that were all in italics. I had no idea how it
> happened! When your document goes to the court or to your supervisor, you
> want it to be impeccable. 
> 
> 
> 
> Make sure your assistant knows his or her role. Your assistant’s job is not
> to think for you. Your assistant’s job is to serve as your eyes. Carefully
> and delicately make sure your assistant understands that. In the work world
> people will sometimes try to give your assistant credit for the work you do.
> It’s shocking, but it’s something we all live with as blind people. When you
> refer to your assistant in your workplace, make sure people understand his
> or her role. I might say casually, “She sees well, and that’s all I really
> need.” 
> 
> 
> 
> These are the things I think are really important about retaining employment
> once you have it. Get your reputation going, be excellent, no shortcuts,
> make sure you’re doing things the right way, ask the right questions. I want
> to end with a story that speaks to these points. 
> 
> 
> 
> I got to the US Attorney’s office in 2007. I had previously worked for the
> Social Security Administration. I went to the US Attorney’s office on what
> they call a detail. The Social Security Administration sends over an
> attorney to prosecute criminal fraud against Social Security. So you’re
> sitting in the US Attorney’s office, but you still work for Social Security.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Anybody who goes to the US Attorney’s office from Social Security wants to
> stay there. It’s a very prestigious office. You’ll never have another job
> like it! I knew that once I worked for Pat Fitzgerald I could say that for
> the rest of my career! So I went there with the attitude that I was going to
> be excellent. 
> 
> 
> 
> One of my first trials was a complicated bank fraud case. The defendant was
> accused of embezzling money from a bank where she worked and shuffling funds
> among various accounts. Then she orchestrated a bank robbery to try to cover
> up the theft! I was on that trial, and I actually put the bank witness on
> the stand. It was hugely complicated! There were rows and rows of debits and
> credits, numbers all over the place! I had to explain it during my direct
> testimony, and then I had to explain it at closing. My closing argument was
> not as good as I would have liked it to be, but I had those numbers down
> pat! I was able to explain everything to the jury. I showed them where those
> debits went and how this woman set up the bank robbery so she could pretend
> the money had been stolen. 
> 
> 
> 
> The judge in that case was a former prosecutor from our office. She saw all
> the work I’d done. I didn’t take any shortcuts. She saw that.
> 
> 
> 
> At the end of my two years, when my detail was nearly over, I wrote Pat
> Fitzgerald a letter. I said I wanted to stay on and become an assistant
> United States attorney. Pat Fitzgerald said, “You’ve done good work here.
> Let me go back and do my due diligence, and I’ll let you know the decision
> of the office.” 
> 
> 
> 
> Later he came back and said, “We’d like to have you stay on. You’re an
> addition to the office.” Then I went next-door to Lisa. I said, “Wow! I’ve
> got some good news! I’m actually staying on!” And she said, “I know. I’m on
> the hiring committee.” So all that time I was working and asking questions,
> she was assessing me. And, because the judge on that bank embezzlement trial
> was a former prosecutor in the office, and because she randomly happened to
> be assigned to a few of my cases, it would not have been unusual for her to
> share her impressions with the office. I feel pretty certain that, if she
> did so, she had favorable things to say. 
> 
> 
> 
> That’s the point of the story. You never know who you’re talking to. It’s
> important to remember that. Be excellent, and get your reputation going in
> the right way. It will lead you to success in the workplace. 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ***
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> WALKING THE RUNWAY
> 
> 
> by Mary Lou Grunwald
> 
> 
> 
> I enjoy shopping, and one of my favorite stores is Talbot’s out at the Old
> Orchard Shopping Mall. Going out there is a good travel experience. I take a
> couple of buses to get there, and I have the chance to do quite a bit of
> walking.
> 
> 
> 
> I really like the clothing selection at Talbot’s, and as a vendor myself I
> appreciate that they know how to display their merchandise. Sometimes they
> ask customers to model outfits in the store, and I overheard the salespeople
> talking about it. I went to a couple of their fashion shows to find out what
> was involved, and I thought, Hey, I could do this! I’d always thought I’d
> like to do some modeling, and this might be my chance.
> 
> 
> 
> First I laid some groundwork. I’d visit the store wearing really nice
> outfits to get the salespeople’s attention. Finally I got up my courage and
> told one of the stylists that I would like to model clothes in the store.
> She looked startled at first, but then she thought about it, and she said,
> “Well, you’re an active boomer, and that’s the image we want to promote.
> Let’s think about it.” 
> 
> 
> 
> About a month later the stylist gave me a call. We talked for a little
> while, and she asked, “Do you really think you can do this?” I knew that was
> a blindness-related question, even though she didn’t ask it directly. I told
> her I had attended some of their fashion shows, and I was sure there
> wouldn’t be any problem. She said I seem to shop in the store a lot, and I
> commented that my credit card isn’t too happy about that!
> 
> 
> 
> At first when I considered the idea of modeling, I was just thinking about
> myself. But as I talked to the stylist, I realized this could be a chance to
> educate people about blindness and maybe open up opportunities for other
> people. I told the stylist I wanted to use my long white cane as I walked
> down the runway.
> 
> 
> 
> She really hesitated about that. She wanted to give it a lot of thought.
> Actually I was pretty sure I could walk down the runway without my cane. The
> lighting was good, and I was pretty sure I could maneuver just using my
> residual vision. But my cane is part of who I am. It’s because of my cane
> that I can travel out to places like Old Orchard. So I felt that it was
> important for me to use my cane in the show. 
> 
> 
> 
> We left the decision up in the air. Finally they called me back and said I
> could use my cane as long as I didn’t stick it out too far. They didn’t want
> me to distract from the merchandise! I reassured them about that, and they
> said they would schedule me to model.
> 
> 
> 
> You never know how these things are going to go, so I didn’t tell many
> people what I was going to do. I thought I better just keep it quiet till I
> knew how it turned out. 
> 
> 
> 
> I modeled two outfits in the spring show in April. One was business casual,
> and the other one was a sporty boomer-on-the-go outfit. The next day someone
> from the store called to tell me they had received several calls from
> customers who said they enjoyed seeing me. They said they really liked the
> way I presented the merchandise, and they appreciated that I smiled and
> seemed to be having a good time. I was thrilled! The callers didn’t even
> mention that I’m blind! 
> 
> 
> 
> After the spring show I told our state president, Denise Avant, what I had
> done, and she was very excited. She encouraged me to share my experience
> with our community. This really is an example of following a dream I’ve had
> for a long time. I want all blind people, especially our young people, to
> realize the possibility of doing things they might not believe they can do.
> Modeling, dancing, acting—all of those things are possible for us, just as
> they are for anybody else. You’ve always got to be open to new things. You
> never can predict what’s going to happen in life!
> 
> 
> 
> I’m going to model in another show at Talbot’s in the fall. This time I plan
> to let everybody know ahead of time. I hope lots of my friends in the NFB
> will come to see me and cheer me on! We can live the lives we want! 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ***
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> GOING BACK TO WORK
> 
> 
> by Kira O’Bradovich
> 
> 
> 
> I moved back to Chicago in the summer of 2018. I was back in the Humboldt
> Park neighborhood, and my former roommate lived just around the corner. But
> it may as well have been a different world. After two-and-a-half years
> living at home with my parents in Omaha and working part-time between eye
> surgeries and recoveries, I was ready for independence and, I hoped, for
> full-time employment. 
> 
> 
> 
> A child of the lost generation, I was fully prepared to take whatever
> position I could find. However, now that I had a visual impairment, applying
> for positions was a brand-new experience. At the beginning I stuck to the
> nonprofit sector. My rationale was twofold. My education and past work
> experience were primarily in this sector, and I hoped that those in the
> nonprofit world would be more receptive than others and more understanding
> of the accommodations I might need. In addition, I focused on positions that
> required less experience and education than I actually had. I assumed that
> employers would believe I needed a less challenging position, and I set my
> sights low, hoping to improve my chance of being hired. 
> 
> 
> 
> As the months passed and dozens of applications proved fruitless, I went
> through the arduous process of navigating the Social Security system. I
> decided it was time to reach out to others in my situation. Finding the
> Chicago Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind and attending
> young-adult support group meetings at Blind Services Association gave me
> more than a social and therapeutic resource. My concept of what my
> disability meant for my future expanded. I met blind people who lived
> incredibly full, completely normal lives, and through them I found hope and
> confidence. I realized that my own ableism kept me from recognizing that I
> was still the same person I’d always been. 
> 
> 
> 
> I decided I could and should apply for positions that I actually wanted. I
> began to seek challenging jobs that fit or even exceeded my education and
> skill set. Thanks to my former roommate, I learned about an opening with a
> federal government bureau here in Chicago. I discovered that, if I were
> hired, under federal law I could not be fired based upon my disability, and
> I could expect reasonable accommodations to be made—at least in theory.
> Equipped with this knowledge, I felt far more confident when I received a
> call for a phone interview. That interview led to my current position. 
> 
> 
> 
> Of course, being hired was only half the battle. When I arrived on my first
> day, I discovered that I was the only person in my department who did not
> own a car. In fact, I was the only person who was unable to drive. My
> position required frequent travel to conduct meetings on behalf of my
> bureau. However, since the travel would be in Chicago and the nearby
> suburbs, I was confident that I could use public transit to get where I
> needed to go. My coordinator was not so sure. He could not conceive that any
> amount of accessibility would allow me to meet the demands of the position.
> Fortunately, his superior and others within the office were willing to work
> around my transit limitations. As I began to prove my usefulness and my
> abilities on the job, my coordinator started to recognize his error. 
> 
> 
> 
> The largest battle I fought was outside my direct office, and it involved
> obtaining reasonable accommodations with technology. The first step was
> simple. I filled out a form and was contacted almost immediately by a
> wonderful specialist. She explained what she had to have from me to prove my
> needs, and she told me what they could offer. After sending her a document
> containing my diagnosis, I was approved for accommodations. 
> 
> 
> 
> From that point on, the specialist had to work with a company to establish
> my need for specific aids that would make my position accessible. This
> became an ongoing issue. For instance, I’d been issued a projector for
> meetings, and the assumption was made that I could use it as a substitute
> for the larger monitor I needed in order to see the tiny laptop screen. As
> one sighted employee explained, their understanding of blindness was, “the
> letters just need to be really, really big.” Supervisors kept telling me
> that the installation of Zoomtext on a government laptop was too complicated
> for security reasons. This was of course untrue, because people all over the
> United States work for the government using Zoomtext and many other programs
> on their computers. The reasonable accommodations specialist, fully aware of
> this fact, worked diligently on my behalf for the next four months until
> Zoomtext was finally installed and my large monitor arrived. 
> 
> 
> 
> As in so many scenarios, those of us with disabilities must be constant
> advocates for ourselves and for others. I know that many have gone before me
> into these battles to find employment and gain accessibility in the
> workplace. My hope remains that these firsts for my organization will become
> steps on a more accessible and inclusive path for those who will follow. A
> number of pieces had to fall into place to create this opportunity for me,
> and it took no small effort for me to have my accommodations needs met.
> However, I believe that living with disabilities endows us with a level of
> self-confidence and resourcefulness that can serve to strengthen our search
> for productive and meaningful employment.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ***
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> HOW I BECAME A SUBSTITUTE TEACHER
> 
> 
> by Robert Hansen
> 
> 
> 
> I had never considered anything like substitute teaching before. As a matter
> of fact, I did not even know it was a possibility for me. I had heard of
> people substituting, but I was unsure how the hiring process worked. I
> thought I would need an actual teaching degree. Once I filled out the
> paperwork and followed the procedures, the wheels were set in motion.
> 
> 
> 
> I had been struggling for a few years to find my niche in life after
> finishing a long overdue bachelor’s degree. I earned my degree from
> Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU) in their Non-Traditional Degree
> Program. They serve older students who have years of work and life
> experience. I did all of the coursework in the social sciences, which led me
> to think I would get involved in social justice movements and change the
> world. However, I became tired of this and moved on. 
> 
> 
> 
> At Northeastern I built up a number of years working in student media at the
> student-run radio station, and I thought I could pursue a career in
> broadcasting. After submitting a number of résumés and auditions and getting
> rejections, I decided to move on. I gave up for a couple of years and did
> nothing for a while. 
> 
> 
> 
> My woman friend had been working for the Evanston Public Schools, first as a
> lunchroom/playground supervisor and then as a teacher’s assistant. She
> mentioned to me that she spoke with a couple of substitute teachers who
> worked full-time up there. She directed me to the website with the forms to
> fill out so I could get a license from the State of Illinois to become a
> sub. 
> 
> 
> 
> At first I was hesitant and did not believe her. I thought she was kidding
> me. It could not be that easy! But I found myself going to the website and
> filling out the online application. I paid the necessary application fees
> and submitted a copy of my official transcript from NEIU. Within three days
> I had been approved for a license! 
> 
> 
> 
> The next step was to register my license with a district. I wanted the
> district that paid the best per day. I also wanted to be able to get to
> places easily, so I chose the Chicago Public Schools.
> 
> 
> 
> A big factor in my success with the job is using a number of blindness and
> low-vision techniques. I often work in several different schools within a
> week, and I do not have time to familiarize myself with each location in
> advance. Everything I do is on the fly. It has to be that way. I ask
> questions of people who work at each location. First I ask where the main
> office is. I swipe in each morning and swipe out each time I leave for the
> day. The time clock is not accessible. My welcome packet contained diagrams
> and descriptions of the time clock and its functions. 
> 
> 
> 
> Someone from the main office often shows me where the room I will be working
> in is located. I am sure they do this for other subs as well, and I don’t
> mind their help at all. It’s a little like boarding an airplane; I
> familiarize myself with the features of the room where I will be working,
> including rosters and emergency folders. Arriving ahead of time allows me to
> look over the lesson plans for the day. I use the KNFB Reader and other apps
> as well as a portable CCTV. I have to move quickly, because when the bell
> rings, it’s show time! 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ***
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> IN MEMORIAM
> 
> 
> Joseph and Mary Monti
> 
> 
> 
> 
> In June 2019 the NFB of Illinois lost two longstanding members, Joseph and
> Mary Monti. Joe Monti died on June 8 at the age of eighty-one. Mary Monti,
> age seventy-six, died on June 16. Joe and Mary had been married for
> fifty-seven years.
> 
> 
> 
> Joe Monti earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Physics at the Illinois Institute of
> Technology and a Master’s in Education at DePaul University. For thirty-four
> years he taught high school science and math at the LaSalle Institute in
> Chicago, where he also coached the chess team.
> 
> 
> 
> In his late teens Joe began to experience vision loss due to retinitis
> pigmentosa. He became an active member of the NFB Chicago Chapter in the
> 1990s. He served on the boards of the Chicago Chapter and the Illinois
> affiliate. For several years Joe coordinated a successful NFBI fundraiser
> through the Manna Gift Certificates program. He also organized the Wonton o’
> Fun, an annual Chinese dinner fundraiser, for the Chicago Chapter.
> 
> 
> 
> Mary M. Monti trained in ballet and danced professionally with the Illinois
> Ballet Company in the late 1950s and early 1960s. She taught dance in
> Evanston and opened her own dance studio in Cicero in the early 1970s. After
> the death of the Monti’s’ young daughter, Amy, Mary returned to school to
> become a nurse. She worked as a pediatric nurse for more than twenty years
> at Loretto Hospital, the University of Illinois Pediatrics Clinic, and La
> Rabida Children’s Hospital, all in Chicago. 
> 
> 
> 
> The Monti’s loved to attend operas and orchestra concerts, and Joe was an
> accomplished pianist. Joe and Mary were active members of St. Christopher’s
> Church in Oak Park and later of St. Michael’s in Berwyn. They had three
> children: Joseph, David, and Amy (deceased). 
> 
> 
> 
> Due to their numerous health problems, Joe and Mary were unable to be active
> in the chapter and affiliate during recent years. But news of their passing
> brought forth a flood of memories and condolences from their Federation
> family. “This has been quite a shock!” wrote Pat Olson. “I always enjoyed
> when Mary helped with the Significant Others group at state conventions.”
> Mary Grunwald wrote, “Joe and Mary were very special people. They
> contributed much to our affiliate, and they will both be missed.” Eileen
> Truschke added, “Mary was a definite asset to the Chicago Chapter. We always
> could count on her to lend a helping hand.”
> 
> 
> 
> “The last time we saw the Monti’s, they came to an Oktoberfest fundraiser,”
> recalled Patti Chang. “They both were happy to be there, even though Mary
> was on oxygen at the time. I will always remember Mary’s efficiency and
> Joe’s sense of humor. Joe was very committed to helping mentor our young
> people. We will all miss them both!”
> 
> 
> 
> A double funeral for Joe and Mary Monti was held on June 20, and they were
> buried in Oak Park. The family requests that donations be made to Lurie
> Children’s Hospital of Chicago (luriechildrens.org), Southern Poverty Law
> Center ( <http://www.splcenter.org> www.splcenter.org), the Chicago
> Lighthouse for the Blind (chicagolighthouse.org/donate), or the National
> Federation of the Blind (nfb.org).
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ---
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