[Lpobc] {Disarmed} FW: National Federation of the Blind Newsletter - Continuing High Expectations for Students
Eric Guillory
eguillory at louisianacenter.org
Fri Sep 4 19:44:53 UTC 2015
Wishing everyone a happy and safe Labor Day!
NFB: Live the Life You Want!
From: Pamela Allen
Sent: Friday, September 4, 2015 11:21 AM
Subject: FW: National Federation of the Blind Newsletter - Continuing High Expectations for Students
Can we tweet this out?
Pamela Allen
Executive Director
Louisiana Center for the Blind
800-234-4166
www.Louisianacenter.org<http://www.Louisianacenter.org>
“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity. An optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” – Winston Churchill
From: Mark Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind [mailto:IOF at nfb.org]
Sent: Friday, September 4, 2015 10:52 AM
To: Pamela Allen <pallen at louisianacenter.org>
Subject: National Federation of the Blind Newsletter - Continuing High Expectations for Students
[National Federation of the Blind logo with tagline: Live the life you want.]
Imagineering Our Future
Issue 78
September 2015
In this issue:
* Message from the President
* What's News at the NFB
* Education
* Braille Certification Training Program
* From the tenBroek Library
* Independence Market
* Advocacy
* Access Technology
* NFB Calendar
* Citation
Message from the President
Dear Friends:
I have been thinking about those back-to-school jitters I used to get when the new school year came around. What teachers would I have, who would be in my classes, and, more importantly, what obstacles would I face as a blind student? I am feeling those back-to-school jitters again, but for different reasons.
Last week, the National Federation of the Blind was prepared to protest a contract that threated to create new digital learning tools that would be inaccessible to blind students in the New York City schools. At the last minute, the school district postponed the vote on the proposed contract with Amazon Digital Services, and we are continuing to talk with the district about the key aspects needed to ensure equal access for blind students.
Multimillion-dollar technology projects like the one in New York City are being adopted by school districts and universities every month, and rarely is accessibility a requirement from the beginning. The failure of accessibility to be built into the design of educational technologies leaves blind students shut out of real opportunities to compete in the twenty-first century. I do not know about you, but the notion that thousands of blind students are going back to school and they are going to encounter inaccessible technologies gives me the jitters.
While our most recent temporary victory in the New York City schools gives us hope, we must keep the pressure on. We know there are significant barriers in the classroom today, and we must work to ensure that there are fewer barriers next time the back-to-schoo period l rolls around. I need your help. Please do your part to spread the word about our work and to encourage educational institutions to require accessibility in their contracts.
[Oriana Riccobono at school]
As I get my own children back to school, I feel grateful that we have the National Federation of the Blind and our thousands of members across the country working to ensure that back-to-school is a time of hope and exploration rather than a time of disappointment and limitation. Let us go build a future full of opportunity.
Warmest regards,
[Graphic: Signature of Mark Riccobono]
Mark A. Riccobono, President
National Federation of the Blind
What's News at the NFB
Introduction of Legislation to Integrate Workers with Disabilities
We applaud the introduction of the Transitioning to Integrated and Meaningful Employment (TIME) Act (S. 2001) by Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH). Senator Ayotte introduced this legislation to repeal Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act, in order to incentivize the transitioning of workers with disabilities into integrated, meaningful employment, and to phase out the discriminatory practice of paying workers with disabilities pennies per hour. Read the full press release at https://nfb.org/national-federation-blind-applauds-introduction-legislation-integrate-workers-disabilities<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4403&qid=938395>.
Government Guidance on the Rights of Parents with Disabilities Released
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office for Civil Rights Administration for Children and Families, and the United States Department of Justice (DOJ), Civil Rights Division, Disability Rights Section recently released a new technical assistance document, "Protecting the Rights of Parents and Prospective Parents with Disabilities<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4404&qid=938395>."
Scholarship Winners Announced
The winners of the 2015 NFB scholarships, which were awarded at our recent national convention in Orlando, Florida, are listed in the press release that can be found at https://nfb.org/national-federation-blind-recognizes-thirty-outstanding-blind-students<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4405&qid=938395>. Two of the scholarships were due to a generous financial gift provided by Oracle.
Education
Embrace Your Engineering Quotient (EQ)
In approximately 75 percent of developing countries around the world, people rely on irrigation projects to survive, and in order to survive these countries rely on the distribution of water, but it's a huge problem since water can only be transported economically for no more than a few hundred kilometers. As such, there is a risk of food shortage as a result of water shortages. Many irrigation projects are performing poorly with respect to water distribution. This causes the heads of agencies of developing countries, usually engineers, to lead these irrigation projects. Often, the engineer must be aware of non-technical and technical factors such as the social structures of farmers, economic constraints at local and national levels, and issues affecting the environment.
Last month, nineteen students from across the country participated in the first EQ program, and they were tasked with solving this real-world problem. The program was held at the headquarters of the National Federation of the Blind. The students collaborated in teams and demonstrated mastery of the engineering design processes, as well as engineering concepts such as prototyping, design viability, and data collection and analysis. The students designed and built life-sized boats out of PVC pipes, plywood, duct tape, and a tarp. They also built water filtration systems from recyclable materials to filter dirty water into purified water. Through this project, each team illustrated their skills and adaptability as if they were in a developing country working on an irrigation project. At the end of the week the students tested their boats at Hammerman Beach in Middle River, Maryland. They collected water and used their filtration systems to purify it, just like they would if they had to collect water from a river and purify it for crops. Through this program students were able to utilize engineering, technical, and problem-solving skills to understand that the quality of life can be improved through engineering.
The NFB EQ program is a week-long advanced engineering design program for high school students. NFB EQ is an extension of the National Federation of the Blind’s National Center for Blind Youth in Science (NCBYS) initiative. NFB EQ expands on the exciting and innovative work conducted by the NFB in the area of informal STEM education through previous NCBYS programs such as the NFB Youth Slam, NFB Project Innovation, and NFB STEM-X.
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1322855. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
Braille Certification Training Program
Under a contract with the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress (NLS), the National Federation of the Blind administers the courses leading to NLS certification of Braille transcribers and proofreaders. Successful completion of these rigorous courses requires a great deal of time and effort on the part of the students. We congratulate the following individuals who earned certification during the months from May 2015 and June 2015:
Literary Braille Transcribing
Arizona
David Ryan Pyles, Gilbert
California
Michael Joseph Heller, Arroyo Grande
Colorado
Cindy Angela Summey, Indian Hills
Florida
Christiane Gallet Head, Jacksonville
Georgia
James Leslie Shindorf, Atlanta
Idaho
Michael Rowe Russo, Boise
Kansas
Julie Ann Marston, Mayetta
Kentucky
Joseph Jones, Lexington
Richard Mann, Lexington
Jeffrey Nickel, Lexington
Massachusetts
Nicole Elizabeth Dreier, Franklin
Minnesota
Amy Renae Neils, Mankato
Karla R. O'Gorman, St. Peter
Missouri
Joseph Todd Elam, Jefferson City
Juane T. Kennell, Jefferson City
Nevada
Carol Darlene Link, Las Vegas
Alexander George Loukas, Las Vegas
Daniel Xavier Spencer, Las Vegas
New Mexico
Sheila Diane Flores, Silver City
New York
Caterina Sanchez, Bronx
North Carolina
Michael J. Billings, Laurinburg
Laura Smith Buttram, Youngsville
Jshehaun O. Jones, Laurinburg
Vickie R. London, Elizabethtown
Brandon C. Stephens, Laurinburg
Ohio
Rhonda Head, Cleveland
Floyd Tate, Grafton
Oregon
Douglas Wayne Bannick, Forest Grove
Texas
Gerald (Jerry) Dwaine Martin, Houston
Debbra Lynn Pattison, Houston
Literary Braille Proofreading
North Carolina
Hope D. Clontz, Charlotte
Ohio
Brenda (Kathy) Kathleen McKinsey, Lakewood
Donald T. Sumser, Grafton
Pennsylvania
Sandy D. Marsiglia, Harrisburg
Mathematics (Nemeth) Braille Transcribing
Georgia
Edward Wayne Ferguson, Macon
Michigan
Gerald Lee Stewart, Jackson
Nebraska
Mark G. Wagner, Lincoln
From the tenBroek Library
Are You Interested in Conducting Research at the tenBroek Library?
We are pleased to welcome all researchers interested in the many aspects of blindness, with the exception of its treatment and prevention. Our collections focus on the organized blind movement, the education of blind children, disability law and policy, the history of attitudes toward blind people, and literary works by blind authors. We work hard to preserve the history of blind people in a variety of ways, including collecting NFB literature, maintaining the Federation's archives, and building our collections of archival papers and published works. We also document the life experiences of blind people in the United States in interviews collected through our Oral History program.
Our collections are open for use by all and the holdings of the tenBroek Library can be accessed in three ways:
* The Blind Cat<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4419&qid=938395>: our online public access catalog (OPAC) where researchers can search our collection of published materials. The scope of our published materials extends to all facets of blindness, except the medical treatment or prevention of blindness, includes print, talking book, Braille, and digital formats.
* The Cane Tip<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4420&qid=938395>: our online finding aid database describes the manuscript and archival collections held by the Library, including the Personal and Professional papers of NFB founder Jacobus tenBroek, the papers of past NFB president Kenneth Jernigan, and the NFB Institutional Archives, as well as several smaller collections.
* Email: send your reference questions to jtblibrary at nfb.org<mailto:jtblibrary at nfb.org> and we’ll contact you to discuss your project!
To learn more about the holdings of the Jacobus tenBroek Library, please visit the Blind Cat, the Cane Tip, or contact us by email at jtblibrary at nfb.org<mailto:jtblibrary at nfb.org> to schedule a visit!
Independence Market
The NFB Independence Market is the conduit through which we distribute our empowering literature to our members and the general public. We also operate a blindness products store focusing mostly on low-tech items. This time we want to share information about the remaining new items introduced at the seventy-fifth anniversary convention in July.
One of the popular items this year was our new Tactile Turn-a-Cube Puzzle. This puzzle cube measures approximately 2 1/2 inches on each side. The nine squares on each side are marked with distinct colors and raised shapes. Use your ingenuity and rotate sections of the cube to match up the identical squares for each side. Treat this item gently so you can enjoy your puzzle cube for a long time to come.
Many of our long-time customers may be glad to hear that we now have a new luggage locator as part of our inventory. It certainly was a hit at convention. You use the remote to locate an object up to sixty feet away; the receiver will beep and flash. It includes a cable strap with a screw-type clasp for each unit, so that the receiver can easily be attached to luggage and the remote to a key ring. Now it should be a breeze to locate your suitcase on the airport baggage carousel.
Since we have sold out of the little NFB travel clock, we decided to offer a new small travel clock. The compact, Atomic Talking Travel Clock uses a radio signal to set itself and to reset itself again during daylight saving time. This feature works in eastern, central, mountain, and Pacific time zones. The clock can also be set manually. A clear, British female voice announces time and date and speaks during all aspects of set-up. The unit features an alarm and optional hourly announcement from 8:00 a.m. through 10:00 p.m. inclusively. It also has a high/low volume control as well as a key-lock switch, which disables most of the buttons. Now you have another new way to keep track of the time.
Since the spring, we have had a handy accessory for our cooking thermometer: a pot clip. Use this clip to attach your cooking thermometer to the side of a pot to monitor the temperature of liquids. It now just has become much easier to make candy. Thermometer sold separately.
We have added another type of stick-on bump to our lineup of tactile marking aids. A variety of stick-on bumps makes it easier to mark different household appliances and electronic devices. Our new translucent square stick-on bumps resemble a cut-off pyramid. They measure 5/16 inch at the base and are 1/4 inch tall.
We also have a new talking kitchen and multipurpose scale (Vox-2). This scale can weigh items up to eleven pounds (five thousand grams) on its five-inch, square, stainless steel weighing platform with 0.1 ounce (one gram) precision. It also features a tare function, which allows the user to zero out the weight already on the scale. In addition, it speaks in four languages (English, Spanish, French, and German).
Finally, we have added two magnifiers to our permanent inventory. These dual lens, folding pocket magnifiers feature 4x-8x and 5x-10x magnification, respectively. Use one lens for the lower magnification and both lenses together to double the magnification. The protective case also functions as the handle. These handy magnifiers provide some flexibility in magnification and are small enough to fit into a pocket or purse.
For more information about the products and literature available from the NFB Independence Market, please visit us online<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4406&qid=938395> or contact us via email at independencemarket at nfb.org<mailto:independencemarket at nfb.org> or by phone at (410) 659-9314, extension 2216.
Advocacy
Seeking Department of Defense Employees Who Use Health IT
In light of Cerner, Corp. being awarded a $4.3 billion contract with the Department of Defense (DoD) to modernize the agency’s healthcare management system, the NFB is seeking feedback from members who work at DoD. If you, or someone you know, is employed at DoD and use Health IT or electronic health records as a function of your job, the NFB needs to hear from you. If you are seeking employment with the DoD in a career field that will use Health IT or EHRs, the NFB needs to hear from you also. Please contact Valerie Yingling, paralegal, at (410) 659-9314, extension 2440.
Seeking Cerner Users
The NFB is investigating the general accessibility of Cerner’s EHR system. If you have experience using Cerner’s EHR system as either an employee or patient, please contact Valerie Yingling, paralegal, at (410) 659-9314, extension 2440, as soon as possible.
Access Technology
The National Federation of the Blind Web Accessibility Training Day, co-hosted with the Maryland Technology Assistance Program, is ramping up. The registration is now live at https://nfb.org/web-accessibility-day<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4409&qid=938395> and the list of scheduled sessions will be posted shortly. For our fourth iteration of this event, we have full-day technical and policy tracks covering a broad range of topics, including testing web accessibility, the tools available from the Web Accessibility Initiative for developing to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, accessibility in education, bringing accessibility into your organizational culture, and much more. We look forward to seeing you there!
NFB Calendar
Upcoming Events
October 2-4, 2015: NFB STEM2U Leadership Academy
November 4, 2015: Web Accessibility Training Day<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4409&qid=938395>
November 5-7, 2015: NFB STEM2U Arizona
March 3-5, 2016: NFB STEM2U San Francisco
May 19-21, 2016: NFB STEM2U Minneapolis
June 19-25, 2016: NFB EQ (first iteration)
July 31-August 6, 2016: NFB EQ (second iteration)
August 2016: WBU-ICEVI General Assembly
2015 Fall State Conventions
September 9-11: NFB of Arizona<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4411&qid=938395>
September 17-20: NFB of North Carolina<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4412&qid=938395>
September 19: NFB of North Dakota<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4413&qid=938395>
September 17-20: NFB of West Virginia<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4414&qid=938395>
September 24-26: NFB of Kentucky<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4415&qid=938395>
September 25-27: NFB of Iowa<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4416&qid=938395>
September 25-26: NFB of Wyoming<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4417&qid=938395>
October 2-4: NFB of Arkansas
October 10: NFB of Alaska<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4422&qid=938395>
October 10-11: NFB of Hawaii<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4423&qid=938395>
October 10-12: NFB of Georgia<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4424&qid=938395>
October 9-11: NFB of Minnesota<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4425&qid=938395>
October 9-11: NFB of Montana<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4426&qid=938395>
October 15-18: NFB of District of Columbia<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4442&qid=938395>
October 17: NFB of Vermont<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4428&qid=938395>
October 23-25: NFB of Oregon<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4429&qid=938395>
October 23-24: NFB of Rhode Island<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4430&qid=938395>
October 29-November 1: NFB of California<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4431&qid=938395>
October 29-31: NFB of Colorado<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4432&qid=938395>
October 30-31: NFB of Delaware<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4433&qid=938395>
October 30-November 1: NFB of Illinois<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4434&qid=938395>
October 30-November 1: NFB of Indiana<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4435&qid=938395>
October 31: NFB of Maine<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4436&qid=938395>
October 30-November 1: NFB of Nebraska<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4437&qid=938395>
October 30-November 1: NFB of Nevada<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4438&qid=938395>
October 30-November 1: NFB of New York<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4439&qid=938395>
October 30-November 1: NFB of Virginia<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4440&qid=938395>
October 30-November 1: NFB of Washington<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4441&qid=938395>
Citation
From the time of the beginning of the National Federation of the Blind, we have been seeking equality of opportunity. Many have believed that we, who are a minority, must gain equality by obtaining it from somebody else—by demanding that we be given this right by sighted people who are in possession of our equality and have been denying it to us. However, if justice incorporates the notion of love, we cannot get it solely by insisting that it be ours—though this may be a necessary element. Nobody gets love by demanding it. It comes to those who behave in such a way that they can interact with others in a loving spirit. It comes to those who are willing to give it to others.
-- Marc Maurer. "The Intersection of Law and Love<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4421&qid=938395>." 2012 NFB National Convention, Dallas, Texas, July 5, 2012.
Thank you for reading the NFB’s Imagineering Our Future.
Help make a significant difference in the lives of blind people across the country.
[Better Business Bureau Accredited Charity Logo] [Combined Federal Campaign Approved Charity Logo] [Charity Watch Top Rated Logo] [GuideStar Exchange Gold Participant Logo]
Make a Gift Today<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4049&qid=692780>
Back to Top
[Two girls attending Youth Slam smile widely.]
Make a
Gift Today<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4050&qid=692780>
To donate a vehicle to the NFB, call toll-free
(855) 659-9314
or visit our
vehicle donation<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4051&qid=692780>
page.
To donate clothing or household items to the NFB,
visit
www.nfbpickup.org/<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4052&qid=692780>
or call toll-free
(888) 610-4632
to schedule a pickup or to find drop locations.
[Photo: Father and Child]
If this issue was forwarded to you and you would like to subscribe, please email JerniganInstitute at nfb.org.<mailto:JerniganInstitute at nfb.org.>
[Two people use thier canes as they walk down the sidewalk.]
Please check with your company to see if it offers a matching program that will match your gift.
[A man uses alternative technologies to read a restaurant menu.]
Interesting links:
Archive of Straight Talk About Vision Loss videos<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4053&qid=692780>
National Center for Blind Youth in Science<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4054&qid=692780>
Access Technology Tips<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4055&qid=692780>
TeachBlindStudents.org<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4056&qid=692780>
[A young blind boy examines the leaves on a tree.]
Blogs:
Access Technology<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4057&qid=692780>
Voice of the Nation's Blind<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4058&qid=692780>
[A blind girl reads Braille to her older sister.]
Support the National Federation of the Blind through the Imagination Fund.<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4059&qid=692780>
National Federation of the Blind
200 East Wells Street
at Jernigan Place
Baltimore, MD 21230
United States
410 659-9314
Unsubscribe from this mailing<https://nfb.org/civicrm/mailing/unsubscribe?reset=1&jid=1655&qid=938395&h=6946addebd537a4d> or unsubscribe from all future mailings<https://nfb.org/civicrm/mailing/optout?reset=1&jid=1655&qid=938395&h=6946addebd537a4d>.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/lpobc_nfbnet.org/attachments/20150904/f89cb4fe/attachment.html>
More information about the LPOBC
mailing list