From dsmithnfb at gmail.com Wed Dec 8 04:59:28 2010 From: dsmithnfb at gmail.com (Darian Smith) Date: Tue, 7 Dec 2010 20:59:28 -0800 Subject: [Mabs] Nabs Conference call: Dating and Relationships part 2! Message-ID: Seasons Greetings Fellow Students, It?s the most wonderful time of the year! ? Exams, gift shopping, and cold weather! Ok, well at least you have another nabs conference call to look forward to! For the Final nabs conference of 2010 we bring you?: Dating and Relationships? part 2 (the sequel? Yes, the sequel!) Here we will hear from a couple where both partners are blind, and a couple where both a blind and sighted person are present. This call, scheduled to take place Sunday, December 19th at 8p.m. EST, is sure to follow last year?s informative and lively nature. So bring your questions, Bring your stories, and most certainly bring yourselves! Who?: The membership committee (and guest speakers) of the national association of blind students What?: ?Dating and Relationships? part 2! When?: Sunday!!... December 19, 2010 at 8p.m. EST, 7p.m. CT, 6p.m. MT, 5p.m. PT. (ok, I think you get the idea). Where?: conference call!(712) 775-7100 Pass Code: 257963 How?: Call in? Duh! Why?: because you have questions about dating and relationships, and you missed last years call or, you just want in on this one too! ? This call is set to be recorded, so if for some strange reason you really want to miss out on this one, You?ll at least have the opportunity to gain some insights *smile*. We look forward to seeing you there! Warm regards and best holiday wishes, The Nabs membership committee. -- Darian Smith Skype: The_Blind_Truth Windows Live: Lightningrod2010 at live.com Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/goldengateace ?We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.? - Teilhard de Chardin From dsmithnfb at gmail.com Wed Dec 8 05:26:41 2010 From: dsmithnfb at gmail.com (Darian Smith) Date: Tue, 7 Dec 2010 21:26:41 -0800 Subject: [Mabs] Pennies for Pages: Going Strong and Still looking for your help. Message-ID: Dear NABS members, I am writing once again regarding NABS? 2nd annual Pennies for Pages fundraiser. We have received a great response so far, but we are still seeking readers and sponsors to take part in this exciting fundraising effort! This fundraiser is being run in conjunction with the Braille Readers are Learers contest, which starts on November 1 and runs through January 4, so there is still plenty of time to sign up. In fact, readers can sign up for the contest and start soliciting pledges up through the end of the contest on January 4. The idea is this. Students, or anybody else who is interested in helping to raise money for Braille literacy and our national and state student divisions, can sign up to participate in the Braille Readers are Leaders program and then solicit donations from friends, family, or anybody really, for Braille pages read throughout the duration of the contest. Of course, donations of fixed sums are also gratefully accepted. If you are already participating in either the K-12 or Adult Braille Readers are Leaders contests, you can simply register with NABS as a reader and find people to sponsor you for each page you read. To register as a reader with NABS, please fill the online form at: www.nabslink.org/pennies_for_pages/pennies_form.php Or contact Sean Whalen at smwhalenpsp at gmail.com or 608 332-4147. If you are not yet signed up for the contest, no worries! The reading contest runs from November 1, 2010 through January 4, 2011, and registration for Braille Readers are Leaders is open now, and will remain open throughout the duration of the contest. To register for either the K-12 or Adult Braille Readers are Leaders Contests, please go to www.nfb.org/bral . And, remember, once you have registered for the contest, sign up with NABS to participate in our Pennies for Pages fundraising effort! If, rather than registering as a reader, you would like to support NABS? efforts by sponsoring a reader, or making a fixed donation, please either register as a sponsor at: www.nabslink.org/pennies_for_pages/pennies_form.php or contact Sean Whalen at smwhalenpsp at gmail.com or 608 332-4147. Donations can be accepted in cash or as checks made out to the National Association of Blind Students and can be given to our Treasurer, Nijat Worley, either in person at Washington Seminar or sent, via postal mail, to: Nijat Worley 2905 East College Ave, Unit 106 Boulder, CO 80303 If you wish to participate or have any questions at all about the plan, please contact Sean Whalen at either 608-332-4147 or smwhalenpsp at gmail.com . I will be compiling the list of participants and would be happy to answer any questions which anybody might have. Any money we raise through Pennies for Pages will be shared, in equal portions, between NABS, the National Association to Promote the Use of Braille, and the state student divisions (or affiliates) in which the readers reside. NABS looks forward to working together to raise money for, and promote awareness of, Braille literacy! Sincerely, Sean Whalen -- Darian Smith Skype: The_Blind_Truth Windows Live: Lightningrod2010 at live.com Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/goldengateace ?We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.? - Teilhard de Chardin From GWunder at earthlink.net Wed Dec 8 15:57:50 2010 From: GWunder at earthlink.net (Gary Wunder) Date: Wed, 8 Dec 2010 09:57:50 -0600 Subject: [Mabs] LAW Program Message-ID: <0D5AD80D67BE4FF59C4C799DDE5796D1@GaryWunderPC> The National Federation of the Blind Announces the 2011 NFB Leadership and Advocacy in Washington, D.C., (LAW) Program ? ? Engaging the Voice of America's Blind Youth ? ? April 8-12, 2011 ? ? This four-day experience will provide blind and low-vision students in grades six to nine, or ages twelve to sixteen, with a unique opportunity to explore the inner workings of our country's government, its history, and its culture, while staying at the headquarters for the National Federation of the Blind in Baltimore, Maryland. In addition to learning about grassroots legislation efforts, how resolutions are passed, and how blindness legislation is created, participants will become familiar with advocacy work for blind individuals and available resources for blind students and adults. Highlights of the program include: visits to historical sites in Washington, D.C., meetings with influential government leaders, presentations by prominent leaders from the largest blindness advocacy group in the country, a tour of the National Federation of the Blind national headquarters, and opportunities to interact with technology from the International Braille and Technology Center, the largest lab of Braille and speech products for the blind. ? ? Twenty-four students will be accepted for the LAW program. All accepted students must be accompanied by a parent/guardian, teacher, or blind/low-vision mentor from their home state. There will be a $250 fee per student/chaperone pair. Transportation, room, and board will be provided for students and chaperones. ? ? Apply now by going to < http://www.nfb.org/LAW Program>www.nfb.org/LAW Program. Applications are due by February 1, 2011. For more information, contact Treva Olivero, Education Program Specialist, at (410) 659-9314, extension 2295, or by e-mail at < mailto:teolivero at nfb.org>teolivero at nfb.org. ? ? ? From dandrews at visi.com Thu Dec 9 03:34:42 2010 From: dandrews at visi.com (David Andrews) Date: Wed, 08 Dec 2010 21:34:42 -0600 Subject: [Mabs] Fwd: Help Qwitter, improve accessibility! Message-ID: I am forwarding the message below and ask everyone to help out. I use Qwitter daily, and love it. It is an innovative piece of software that allows blind persons to use Twitter, and other services, on the basis of quality. Let's help reward some deserving young blind programmers. David Andrews >From: Q >To: dandrews at visi.com >Subject: Help Qwitter, improve accessibility! >Our world is rapidly changing. Technology is being integrated with >our daily lives as never before, and as blind individuals we know >better than most people the importance of having real access to this >technology. >I am a developer of a piece of accessible technology which you may >currently use, The Qwitter client, the most powerful and flexible >Twitter client for the blind. Qwitter, as a new breed of >application known as an accessibility layer, sits between you and a >remote web site's API, providing innovative access to modern web 2.0 >web sites such as Twitter and soon Facebook from anywhere on your >system at any time. > Why am I bugging you now? >About two months ago, Qwitter was entered into a contest being run >by a relatively-large web site devoted to social networking known as >Mashable. This is a prominent web site for the sighted, covering >many developments in the social networking space. With the help of >hundreds of blind Qwitter users, we have moved on to the final round >of voting, surpassing literally thousands of other applications. >You may be wondering why some relatively trivial social networking >application or contest is at all relevant to you. In this case, it >is my strong belief that what we as blind computer users need is >exposure to sighted developers to show them that we represent a >large, powerful market. What better way to do this than by spanking >them all in a contest? >Seriously, though, I believe that with your help, we can demonstrate >the efficacy of creating accessible software. Let us proudly >represent the size and power of the blind community and get the >message out there that we're more than ready for equal access to >these, and many other important technologies. >The process to vote only takes a second if you have either Twitter >or Facebook. All you need to do is click on the following address: >http://mashable.com/awards/votes?c=28&v=191 >At the bottom of the first list of links you'll find two graphical >links, one which reads Twitter Login2, and one that reads Facebook >login. Depending on which service you use, click the appropriate >link, sign in with your credentials, and allow the service to use >your account with the allow button. > Once you have logged in, you will go back to the original page, > but magically, two combo boxes will appear. Navigate to these and > verify that the top one is set to Best use of API and the second to > Qwitter client (they should be by default.) Then, just hit the vote button. >You are allowed to vote once a day, and I ask that you please >do. There are only seven days left, and with your help and >perseverance we can win this contest and show a large amount of >sighted developers that accessibility is more than worthwhile! >Thank you very much for your time and at tension, > Christopher Toth > @Mongoose_q on Twitter. From dsmithnfb at gmail.com Tue Dec 14 01:59:33 2010 From: dsmithnfb at gmail.com (Darian Smith) Date: Mon, 13 Dec 2010 17:59:33 -0800 Subject: [Mabs] Nabs Conference call: Dating and Relationships part 2! In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Seasons Greetings Fellow Students, It?s the most wonderful time of the year! ? Exams, gift shopping, and cold weather! Ok, well at least you have another nabs conference call to look forward to! For the Final nabs conference of 2010 we bring you?: Dating and Relationships? part 2 (the sequel? Yes, the sequel!) Here we will hear from a couple where both partners are blind, and a couple where both a blind and sighted person are present. This call, scheduled to take place Sunday, December 19th at 8p.m. EST, is sure to follow last year?s informative and lively nature. So bring your questions, Bring your stories, and most certainly bring yourselves! Who?: The membership committee (and guest speakers) of the national association of blind students> What?: ?Dating and Relationships? part 2! When?: Sunday!!... December 19, 2010 at 8p.m. EST, 7p.m. CT, 6p.m. MT, 5p.m. PT. (ok, I think you get the idea). Where?: conference call!(712) 775-7100 Pass Code: 257963 How?: Call in? Duh! Why?: because you have questions about dating and relationships, and you missed last years call or, you just want in on this one too! ? This call is set to be recorded, so if for some strange reason you really want to miss out on this one, You?ll at least have the opportunity to gain some insights *smile*. We look forward to seeing you there! Warm regards and best holiday wishes, The Nabs membership committee. -- Darian Smith Skype: The_Blind_Truth Windows Live: Lightningrod2010 at live.com Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/goldengateace ?We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.? - Teilhard de Chardin -- Darian Smith Skype: The_Blind_Truth Windows Live: Lightningrod2010 at live.com Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/goldengateace ?We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.? - Teilhard de Chardin From dsmithnfb at gmail.com Sun Dec 19 01:23:47 2010 From: dsmithnfb at gmail.com (Darian Smith) Date: Sat, 18 Dec 2010 17:23:47 -0800 Subject: [Mabs] Nabs Conference call: Dating and Relationships part 2! In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Seasons Greetings Fellow Students, It?s the most wonderful time of the year! ? Exams, gift shopping, and cold weather! Ok, well at least you have another nabs conference call to look forward to! For the Final nabs conference of 2010 we bring you?: Dating and Relationships? part 2 (the sequel? Yes, the sequel!) Here we will hear from a couple where both partners are blind, and a couple where both a blind and sighted person are present. This call, scheduled to take place Sunday, December 19th at 8p.m. EST, is sure to follow last year?s informative and lively nature. So bring your questions, Bring your stories, and most certainly bring yourselves! Who?: The membership committee (and guest speakers) of the national association of blind students What?: ?Dating and Relationships? part 2! When?: Sunday!!... December 19, 2010 at 8p.m. EST, 7p.m. CT, 6p.m. MT, 5p.m. PT. (ok, I think you get the idea). Where?: conference call!(712) 775-7100 Pass Code: 257963 How?: Call in? Duh! Why?: because you have questions about dating and relationships, and you missed last years call or, you just want in on this one too ? This call is set to be recorded, so if for some strange reason you > really want to miss out on this one, You?ll at least have the opportunity to gain some insights *smile*. We look forward to seeing you there! Warm regards and best holiday wishes, The Nabs membership committee. > -- > Darian Smith > Skype: The_Blind_Truth > Windows Live: Lightningrod2010 at live.com > Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/goldengateace > > > ?We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are > spiritual beings having a human experience.? - Teilhard de Chardin > -- Darian Smith Skype: The_Blind_Truth Windows Live: Lightningrod2010 at live.com Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/goldengateace ?We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.? - Teilhard de Chardin From nabs.president at gmail.com Sun Dec 19 03:25:57 2010 From: nabs.president at gmail.com (Arielle Silverman) Date: Sat, 18 Dec 2010 20:25:57 -0700 Subject: [Mabs] NABS December Bulletin! Message-ID: Once again, the bulletin is pasted below, with the minutes from our last board meeting attached for your convenience. National Association of Blind Students >From the Desk of the President December 18, 2010 In This Bulletin: 1. Washington Seminar 2011! 2. NFB 2011 Scholarship Program Now Open! 3. Sign Up for 2011 NFB Youth Slam! 4. State Division Announcements Washington Seminar 2011! The National Federation of the Blind will be gathering once again this winter in Washington, D.C. to meet with our national legislators and discuss our legislative priorities with them. As usual, just prior to our legislative visits, the National Association of Blind Students will be holding its annual winter meeting. This year, our NABS student meeting will be held on Monday, January 31, 2011 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Before our meeting, we will be having a breakfast meet-and-greet for students attending their first Washington Seminar. The Great Gathering-In meeting, where the entire NFB delegation assembles to discuss the upcoming legislative work, will happen on Monday just after the conclusion of the NABS meeting, and legislative appointments will be held Tuesday, February 1, through Thursday, February 3. We encourage all of you to join us for the NABS meeting, the legislative appointments, or both. To find out who else is going from your state or to inquire about funding to cover the cost of your trip, please contact your NFB state affiliate president. More details about the NABS student seminar will be available soon. If you have suggestions for specific topics you?d like to have discussed during the seminar, please send your suggestions to me at Nabs.president at gmail.com . 2. NFB 2011 Scholarship Program Now Open! Each year the National Federation of the Blind awards thirty scholarships to legally blind college and graduate students across the country. The scholarship includes a cash award ranging from $3000 to $12000, plus a free trip to the NFB national convention and often a piece of assistive technology such as a KNFB Reader Mobile. The scholarship application for 2011 is now on the Web at www.nfb.org/scholarships Applications are due by March 31, 2011. Already won a national NFB scholarship? You can apply again and potentially win a second scholarship, also known as a TenBroek fellowship. In addition, many NFB affiliates offer scholarships to blind students. You needn't be an active member of the NFB to win. Contact your NFB state president for details. You can find a list of state affiliates and their contact information at http://www.nfb.org/nfb/State_and_Local_Organizations.asp?SnID=54394983 Best of luck! 3. Sign Up for NFB 2011 Youth Slam! >From Mary Jo Hartle, director of education, National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute: We are pleased to announce the third biennial NFB Youth Slam. Whether or not science or technology is ?your thing,? there?s sure to be something for everyone. Learn the science behind building apps for your iPod, use cutting-edge equipment and technology to determine chemical reactions in chemistry labs, build robots, or learn how to use nonvisual techniques to perform a real dissection. We guarantee this summer program will be like no other you've ever been to before! One hundred and fifty blind and low vision students from all across the country will be selected to attend this five-day adventure, to be held in Baltimore, Maryland, that will engage, inspire, and encourage the next generation of blind youth to consider careers falsely believed to be impossible for the blind. While staying on a college campus, students will be mentored by blind role models during fun and challenging activities designed to build confidence and increase science literacy. Participants will also have the opportunity to attend workshops on topics such as leadership, career preparation, and blindness. In addition, students and mentors will take part in a variety of social events throughout the week. Come to the NFB Youth Slam and meet other blind and low vision students from all over the United States! Interested students who will be age fourteen at the time of the program, and are starting high school (ninth grade) in the fall of 2011 or are currently in high school (including those graduating in the spring of 2011) should complete an application online. Students need not have a strong interest in science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) in order to participate, enjoy, and benefit from this extraordinary experience. If you are interested in attending the NFB Youth Slam, either as a student participant, or as an adult volunteer, visit www.blindscience.org to complete an online application. Applications are due by March 1, 2011. If you have any questions about the NFB Youth Slam, please visit the Web site or contact Mary Jo Hartle, Director of Education, NFB Jernigan Institute, (410) 659-9314, extension 2407, or e-mail YouthSlam at nfb.org. Join us as we continue to make history at what promises to be the best NFB Youth slam yet! Mary Jo T. Hartle State Division Announcements: >From New York: I just thought I would shoot you a blurb concerning the tremendous strides NYABS has been making. Since the division was reinstated a little over a year ago the student division has grown in leaps and bounds. Membership has increased greatly, and several local chapters are in the process of being established. We are also planning on having our first Student Seminar in the upcoming year. Best, and thanks, Kate Carroll >From Virginia: Hi, My name is Brittany savage and I was just elected presidant of Vabs at our state convention in November. I just wanted to give you a little blerb about what we did and our new board members for the newsletter. During the Virginia 2010 convention elections were held for the positions of the board for the student division. Chelsie Cooke was elected board member. Brittany Crone was elected Secritary. Kierra Davis was elected treasurer. Christopher O'Mealy was elected vice presidant, and Brittany Savage was elected presidant. While at the state convention we held a student track in which 22 middle, high, and college students partisipated. On Friday night we had a student hospitality meeting where we played ice-breaker games, socialized, and had pizza. On Saturday morning we held two sessions for the students, one was a mobility training seminar and the other was a "This is what I wish I could tell my parents". This was where we had the students tell us what they wished that they could tell their parents about being independant , and we took what they said and during the parents luncheon someone told them what their children said without saying which child said what. On Saturday afternoon we took the entire group to the D.C. metro where Bridget Dority gave them an O&M lesson on the metro system. We had a metro bus come and let the students have an hour exploring the bus and seeing what they don't get to see on a usual day. I am very proud of the student track this year and want to thank everyone again who put it together. On 10/5/10, Arielle Silverman wrote: > National Association of Blind Students > From the Desk of the President > October 5, 2010 > > 1. NABS Reps are Here for You! > 2. This Month's Conference Call: Science and More! > 3. NABS Kicks off Pennies for Pages Fund-Raiser! > 4. Announcement from Virginia! > 5. Minutes from Last NABS Board Meeting! > > NABS Reps are Here for You! > Are you hoping to organize a new student division at your state > convention this year? Is your division looking for new ideas or > planning a change of leadership? Are you looking for advice from > someone who is experienced in organizing and leading student > divisions? The NABS board are here to help! Our NABS officers travel > across the country each year attending many of our NFB state > conventions and helping your state divisions connect with the national > NABS. If you would like to have a NABS board representative come to > your next state convention, student seminar, or other event, you can > request a NABS rep by going to our website, > www.nabslink.org > and filling out the online form. Also, check out the "About Us" page > of our website to find out which NABS board member is assigned to your > state. > > This Month?s Conference Calls: Science and More! > **This month we will be having two conference calls: one for blind > students and one for their parents! Below is information about the > student call; information about the parent call will be sent out in a > separate message. > > Attention All Students! > Ever been curious about what majors and specializations blind > individuals have had in the past? Have you ever felt like learning > about fields such as Science, Technology, Engineering and Math- > (STEM), are ?too difficult?? Do alternative techniques a blind person > may use in such fields just baffle you? > If any of the above apply to you- > Please attend the Membership phone call, presented by the Membership > Committee of the National Association of Blind Students. We are going > to cover concerns, techniques, and generalized information about how > blind students can participate on equal terms with their sighted > peers, even when focusing on STEM fields. > Date: Sunday, October 17, 2010 > When: 7 pm EST # > Where: NABS conference line- (712)775-7100 Code: 257963#. > Why: TO learn and network with other blind students who wish to > pursuer careers, or just get to know about opportunities in the STEM > fields for the blind. > We will discuss items such as the NASA Excel program, Youth Slam, the > Junior Science Academy, etc? We are open to all types of technique > questions, resource question, to be answered by the guest speaker and > the committee. Hope to see you there! > Sincerely, > Membership Committee > National Association of Blind Students > 3. NABS Kicks off Pennies for Pages 2010-2011! > Sean Whalen, second vice-president of NABS, writes: > Greetings to all members and friends of NABS, > > I am writing to announce and solicit your participation in an exciting > fundraising effort that the National Association of Blind Students is > currently undertaking. The fundraiser is our second annual Pennies for > Pages, and is being run in conjunction with the NFB?s Braille Readers > are Leaders contest. We believe that this fundraiser has a lot of > potential. However, in order to realize this potential, we need help > from all of you! > > The idea is this. Students, or anybody else who is interested in > helping to raise money for Braille literacy and our national and state > student divisions, can sign up to participate in the Braille Readers > are Leaders program and then solicit donations from friends, family, > or anybody really, for Braille pages read throughout the duration of > the contest. Of course, donations of fixed sums are also gratefully > accepted. > > If you are already participating in either the K-12 or Adult Braille > Readers are Leaders contests, you can simply register with NABS as a > reader and find people to sponsor you for each page you read. To > register as a reader with NABS, please fill the online form at: > www.nabslink.org/pennies_for_pages/pennies_form.php > Or contact Sean Whalen at smwhalenpsp at gmail.com or 608 332-4147. > > If you are not yet signed up for the contest, no worries! The reading > contest runs from November 1, 2010 through January 4, 2011, and > registration for Braille Readers are Leaders is open now, and will > remain open throughout the duration of the contest. To register for > either the K-12 or Adult Braille Readers are Leaders Contests, please > go to www.nfb.org/bral. And, remember, once you have registered for > the contest, sign up with NABS to participate in our Pennies for Pages > fundraising effort! > > If, rather than registering as a reader, you would like to support > NABS? efforts by sponsoring a reader, or making a fixed donation, > please either register as a sponsor at: > www.nabslink.org/pennies_for_pages/pennies_form.php > or contact Sean Whalen at smwhalenpsp at gmail.com or 608 332-4147. > > Donations can be accepted in cash or as checks made out to the > National Association of Blind Students and can be given to our > Treasurer, Nijat Worley, either in person at Washington Seminar or > sent, via postal mail, to: > > Nijat Worley > 2905 East College Ave, Unit 106 > Boulder, CO 80303 > > If you wish to participate or have any questions at all about the > plan, please contact Sean Whalen at either 608-332-4147 or > smwhalenpsp at gmail.com. I will be compiling the list of participants > and would be happy to answer any questions which anybody might have. > > Any money we raise through Pennies for Pages will be shared, in equal > portions, between NABS, the National Association to Promote the Use of > Braille, and the state student divisions (or affiliates) in which the > readers reside. > > NABS looks forward to working together to raise money for, and promote > awareness of, Braille literacy! > > Sincerely, > > Sean Whalen > > > 4. Announcement from Virginia: > Accessible technology is helpful, but it can be hard to learn how > students use it in the classroom. Orientation and mobility training is > useful, but many students aren't sure how to apply their skills to new > surroundings...especially a busy mass-transit system like that in the > greater Washington, DC area. And working to get electronic textbooks > can make the already burdensome life a student even more hectic. Well > at this year's NFB of Virginia convention, students will gain hands-on > experience, access to successful students, and directly applicable > strategies for all of these situations. Our convention will be held > November 12-14 at the Marriott Fairview Park in Falls Church, in > Northern Virginia just outside Washington, DC. We welcome all students > -- from junior high through graduate school -- to learn with us. We > will have a set of activities that parallel the state convention, so > students will get the most of the general sessions and specific > student-focused activities. For details and to register, please > contact Student Division President Corbb O'Connor at corbbo at gmail.com > or (202) 684-6130. If finances are tough for you and your family, > please let us know. We will work with you to make the convention > experience possible. We look forward to seeing you in Falls Church! > 5. Minutes from Last NABS Board Meeting: > The NABS board meets by monthly teleconference to discuss and plan > upcoming NABS programs and activities. In order to let you be better > informed about what we are doing, we decided to start attaching the > minutes from each board meeting to the following month?s bulletin, > beginning with October. The minutes are attached to this email. If > you have any questions or suggestions for items that you?d like us to > discuss in future meetings, feel free to write to me directly at > Nabs.president at gmail.com > > > On 10/2/10, Darian Smith wrote: >> Greetings Nabsters >> The Nabs board is busily making plans to aquire auction items for >> this January?s Washington seminar, and is seeking assistance from >> you! >> If you know of any contacts, or just want to help out with gathering >> contacts and items, you are welcome to join us on an organizing >> conference call tomorrow. >> Date: 10/3/10 >> Time:5:30 p.m. EST >> Where: Conference call (712) 775-7100 passcode?257963 >> >> >> -- >> Darian Smith >> Skype: The_Blind_Truth >> Windows Live: Lightningrod2010 at live.com >> Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/goldengateace >> >> >> ?We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are >> spiritual beings having a human experience.? - Teilhard de Chardin >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Fabs mailing list >> Fabs at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/fabs_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> Fabs: >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/fabs_nfbnet.org/nabs.president%40gmail.com >> > > > -- > Arielle Silverman > President, National Association of Blind Students > Phone: 602-502-2255 > Email: > nabs.president at gmail.com > Website: > www.nabslink.org > -- Arielle Silverman President, National Association of Blind Students Phone: 602-502-2255 Email: nabs.president at gmail.com Website: www.nabslink.org From nabs.president at gmail.com Sun Dec 19 03:46:12 2010 From: nabs.president at gmail.com (Arielle Silverman) Date: Sat, 18 Dec 2010 20:46:12 -0700 Subject: [Mabs] NABS December Bulletin! In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Oops-I forgot the minutes. Here they are attached. Arielle On 12/18/10, Arielle Silverman wrote: > Once again, the bulletin is pasted below, with the minutes from our > last board meeting attached for your convenience. > > National Association of Blind Students > From the Desk of the President > December 18, 2010 > In This Bulletin: > 1. Washington Seminar 2011! > 2. NFB 2011 Scholarship Program Now Open! > 3. Sign Up for 2011 NFB Youth Slam! > 4. State Division Announcements > Washington Seminar 2011! > The National Federation of the Blind will be gathering once again > this winter in Washington, D.C. to meet with our national legislators > and discuss our legislative priorities with them. As usual, just prior > to our legislative visits, the National Association of Blind Students > will be holding its annual winter meeting. This year, our NABS student > meeting will be held on Monday, January 31, 2011 from 9:00 a.m. to > 3:30 p.m. Before our meeting, we will be having a breakfast > meet-and-greet for students attending their first Washington Seminar. > > The Great Gathering-In meeting, where the entire NFB delegation > assembles to discuss the upcoming legislative work, will happen on > Monday just after the conclusion of the NABS meeting, and legislative > appointments will be held Tuesday, February 1, through Thursday, > February 3. > > We encourage all of you to join us for the NABS meeting, the > legislative appointments, or both. To find out who else is going from > your state or to inquire about funding to cover the cost of your trip, > please contact your NFB state affiliate president. > > More details about the NABS student seminar will be available soon. If > you have suggestions for specific topics you?d like to have discussed > during the seminar, please send your suggestions to me at > Nabs.president at gmail.com > . > > 2. NFB 2011 Scholarship Program Now Open! > Each year the National Federation of the Blind awards thirty > scholarships to legally blind college and graduate students across the > country. The scholarship includes a cash award ranging from $3000 to > $12000, plus a free trip to the NFB national convention and often a > piece of assistive technology such as a KNFB Reader Mobile. The > scholarship application for 2011 is now on the Web at > www.nfb.org/scholarships > Applications are due by March 31, 2011. > Already won a national NFB scholarship? You can apply again and > potentially win a second scholarship, also known as a TenBroek > fellowship. > In addition, many NFB affiliates offer scholarships to blind students. > You needn't be an active member of the NFB to win. Contact your NFB > state president for details. You can find a list of state affiliates > and their contact information at > http://www.nfb.org/nfb/State_and_Local_Organizations.asp?SnID=54394983 > Best of luck! > > 3. Sign Up for NFB 2011 Youth Slam! > From Mary Jo Hartle, director of education, National Federation of the > Blind Jernigan Institute: > We are pleased to announce the third biennial NFB Youth Slam. Whether > or not science or technology is ?your thing,? there?s sure to be > something for everyone. Learn the science behind building apps for > your iPod, use cutting-edge equipment and technology to determine > chemical reactions in chemistry labs, build robots, or learn how to > use nonvisual techniques to perform a real dissection. We guarantee > this summer program will be like no other you've ever been to before! > > > > One hundred and fifty blind and low vision students from all across > the country will be selected to attend this five-day adventure, to be > held in "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Baltimore, Maryland, > that will engage, inspire, and encourage the next generation of blind > youth to consider careers falsely believed to be impossible for the > blind. > > > > While staying on a college campus, students will be mentored by blind > role models during fun and challenging activities designed to build > confidence and increase science literacy. Participants will also have > the opportunity to attend workshops on topics such as leadership, > career preparation, and blindness. In addition, students and mentors > will take part in a variety of social events throughout the week. > Come to the NFB Youth Slam and meet other blind and low vision > students from all over the United States! > > > > Interested students who will be age fourteen at the time of the > program, and are starting high school (ninth grade) in the fall of > 2011 or are currently in high school (including those graduating in > the spring of 2011) should complete an application online. Students > need not have a strong interest in science, technology, engineering, > or math (STEM) in order to participate, enjoy, and benefit from this > extraordinary experience. > > > > If you are interested in attending the NFB Youth Slam, either as a > student participant, or as an adult volunteer, visit > www.blindscience.org to complete an online application. Applications > are due by March 1, 2011. > > > > If you have any questions about the NFB Youth Slam, please visit the > Web site or contact Mary Jo Hartle, Director of Education, NFB > Jernigan Institute, > > (410) 659-9314, extension 2407, or e-mail YouthSlam at nfb.org. > > > > Join us as we continue to make history at what promises to be the best > NFB Youth slam yet! > > > > Mary Jo T. Hartle > > State Division Announcements: > From New York: > I just thought I would shoot you a blurb concerning the tremendous strides > NYABS has been making. Since the division was reinstated a little over > a year ago the student division has grown in leaps and bounds. > Membership has > increased greatly, and several local chapters are in the process of being > established. We are also planning on having our first Student Seminar in > the > upcoming year. > > Best, and thanks, > > Kate Carroll > > From Virginia: > Hi, > My name is Brittany savage and I was just elected presidant of Vabs at > our state convention in November. I just wanted to give you a little > blerb about what we did and our new board members for the newsletter. > > During the Virginia 2010 convention elections were held for the > positions of the board for the student division. Chelsie Cooke was > elected board member. Brittany Crone was elected Secritary. Kierra > Davis was elected treasurer. Christopher O'Mealy was elected vice > presidant, and Brittany Savage was elected presidant. While at the > state convention we held a student track in which 22 middle, high, and > college students partisipated. On Friday night we had a student > hospitality meeting where we played ice-breaker games, socialized, and > had pizza. On Saturday morning we held two sessions for the students, > one was a mobility training seminar and the other was a "This is what > I wish I could tell my parents". This was where we had the students > tell us what they wished that they could tell their parents about > being independant , and we took what they said and during the parents > luncheon someone told them what their children said without saying > which child said what. On Saturday afternoon we took the entire group > to the D.C. metro where Bridget Dority gave them an O&M lesson on the > metro system. We had a metro bus come and let the students have an > hour exploring the bus and seeing what they don't get to see on a > usual day. I am very proud of the student track this year and want to > thank everyone again who put it together. > > > > On 10/5/10, Arielle Silverman wrote: >> National Association of Blind Students >> From the Desk of the President >> October 5, 2010 >> >> 1. NABS Reps are Here for You! >> 2. This Month's Conference Call: Science and More! >> 3. NABS Kicks off Pennies for Pages Fund-Raiser! >> 4. Announcement from Virginia! >> 5. Minutes from Last NABS Board Meeting! >> >> NABS Reps are Here for You! >> Are you hoping to organize a new student division at your state >> convention this year? Is your division looking for new ideas or >> planning a change of leadership? Are you looking for advice from >> someone who is experienced in organizing and leading student >> divisions? The NABS board are here to help! Our NABS officers travel >> across the country each year attending many of our NFB state >> conventions and helping your state divisions connect with the national >> NABS. If you would like to have a NABS board representative come to >> your next state convention, student seminar, or other event, you can >> request a NABS rep by going to our website, >> www.nabslink.org >> and filling out the online form. Also, check out the "About Us" page >> of our website to find out which NABS board member is assigned to your >> state. >> >> This Month?s Conference Calls: Science and More! >> **This month we will be having two conference calls: one for blind >> students and one for their parents! Below is information about the >> student call; information about the parent call will be sent out in a >> separate message. >> >> Attention All Students! >> Ever been curious about what majors and specializations blind >> individuals have had in the past? Have you ever felt like learning >> about fields such as Science, Technology, Engineering and Math- >> (STEM), are ?too difficult?? Do alternative techniques a blind person >> may use in such fields just baffle you? >> If any of the above apply to you- >> Please attend the Membership phone call, presented by the Membership >> Committee of the National Association of Blind Students. We are going >> to cover concerns, techniques, and generalized information about how >> blind students can participate on equal terms with their sighted >> peers, even when focusing on STEM fields. >> Date: Sunday, October 17, 2010 >> When: 7 pm EST # >> Where: NABS conference line- (712)775-7100 Code: 257963#. >> Why: TO learn and network with other blind students who wish to >> pursuer careers, or just get to know about opportunities in the STEM >> fields for the blind. >> We will discuss items such as the NASA Excel program, Youth Slam, the >> Junior Science Academy, etc? We are open to all types of technique >> questions, resource question, to be answered by the guest speaker and >> the committee. Hope to see you there! >> Sincerely, >> Membership Committee >> National Association of Blind Students >> 3. NABS Kicks off Pennies for Pages 2010-2011! >> Sean Whalen, second vice-president of NABS, writes: >> Greetings to all members and friends of NABS, >> >> I am writing to announce and solicit your participation in an exciting >> fundraising effort that the National Association of Blind Students is >> currently undertaking. The fundraiser is our second annual Pennies for >> Pages, and is being run in conjunction with the NFB?s Braille Readers >> are Leaders contest. We believe that this fundraiser has a lot of >> potential. However, in order to realize this potential, we need help >> from all of you! >> >> The idea is this. Students, or anybody else who is interested in >> helping to raise money for Braille literacy and our national and state >> student divisions, can sign up to participate in the Braille Readers >> are Leaders program and then solicit donations from friends, family, >> or anybody really, for Braille pages read throughout the duration of >> the contest. Of course, donations of fixed sums are also gratefully >> accepted. >> >> If you are already participating in either the K-12 or Adult Braille >> Readers are Leaders contests, you can simply register with NABS as a >> reader and find people to sponsor you for each page you read. To >> register as a reader with NABS, please fill the online form at: >> www.nabslink.org/pennies_for_pages/pennies_form.php >> Or contact Sean Whalen at smwhalenpsp at gmail.com or 608 332-4147. >> >> If you are not yet signed up for the contest, no worries! The reading >> contest runs from November 1, 2010 through January 4, 2011, and >> registration for Braille Readers are Leaders is open now, and will >> remain open throughout the duration of the contest. To register for >> either the K-12 or Adult Braille Readers are Leaders Contests, please >> go to www.nfb.org/bral. And, remember, once you have registered for >> the contest, sign up with NABS to participate in our Pennies for Pages >> fundraising effort! >> >> If, rather than registering as a reader, you would like to support >> NABS? efforts by sponsoring a reader, or making a fixed donation, >> please either register as a sponsor at: >> www.nabslink.org/pennies_for_pages/pennies_form.php >> or contact Sean Whalen at smwhalenpsp at gmail.com or 608 332-4147. >> >> Donations can be accepted in cash or as checks made out to the >> National Association of Blind Students and can be given to our >> Treasurer, Nijat Worley, either in person at Washington Seminar or >> sent, via postal mail, to: >> >> Nijat Worley >> 2905 East College Ave, Unit 106 >> Boulder, CO 80303 >> >> If you wish to participate or have any questions at all about the >> plan, please contact Sean Whalen at either 608-332-4147 or >> smwhalenpsp at gmail.com. I will be compiling the list of participants >> and would be happy to answer any questions which anybody might have. >> >> Any money we raise through Pennies for Pages will be shared, in equal >> portions, between NABS, the National Association to Promote the Use of >> Braille, and the state student divisions (or affiliates) in which the >> readers reside. >> >> NABS looks forward to working together to raise money for, and promote >> awareness of, Braille literacy! >> >> Sincerely, >> >> Sean Whalen >> >> >> 4. Announcement from Virginia: >> Accessible technology is helpful, but it can be hard to learn how >> students use it in the classroom. Orientation and mobility training is >> useful, but many students aren't sure how to apply their skills to new >> surroundings...especially a busy mass-transit system like that in the >> greater Washington, DC area. And working to get electronic textbooks >> can make the already burdensome life a student even more hectic. Well >> at this year's NFB of Virginia convention, students will gain hands-on >> experience, access to successful students, and directly applicable >> strategies for all of these situations. Our convention will be held >> November 12-14 at the Marriott Fairview Park in Falls Church, in >> Northern Virginia just outside Washington, DC. We welcome all students >> -- from junior high through graduate school -- to learn with us. We >> will have a set of activities that parallel the state convention, so >> students will get the most of the general sessions and specific >> student-focused activities. For details and to register, please >> contact Student Division President Corbb O'Connor at corbbo at gmail.com >> or (202) 684-6130. If finances are tough for you and your family, >> please let us know. We will work with you to make the convention >> experience possible. We look forward to seeing you in Falls Church! >> 5. Minutes from Last NABS Board Meeting: >> The NABS board meets by monthly teleconference to discuss and plan >> upcoming NABS programs and activities. In order to let you be better >> informed about what we are doing, we decided to start attaching the >> minutes from each board meeting to the following month?s bulletin, >> beginning with October. The minutes are attached to this email. If >> you have any questions or suggestions for items that you?d like us to >> discuss in future meetings, feel free to write to me directly at >> Nabs.president at gmail.com >> >> >> On 10/2/10, Darian Smith wrote: >>> Greetings Nabsters >>> The Nabs board is busily making plans to aquire auction items for >>> this January?s Washington seminar, and is seeking assistance from >>> you! >>> If you know of any contacts, or just want to help out with gathering >>> contacts and items, you are welcome to join us on an organizing >>> conference call tomorrow. >>> Date: 10/3/10 >>> Time:5:30 p.m. EST >>> Where: Conference call (712) 775-7100 passcode?257963 >>> >>> >>> -- >>> Darian Smith >>> Skype: The_Blind_Truth >>> Windows Live: Lightningrod2010 at live.com >>> Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/goldengateace >>> >>> >>> ?We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are >>> spiritual beings having a human experience.? - Teilhard de Chardin >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Fabs mailing list >>> Fabs at nfbnet.org >>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/fabs_nfbnet.org >>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >>> Fabs: >>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/fabs_nfbnet.org/nabs.president%40gmail.com >>> >> >> >> -- >> Arielle Silverman >> President, National Association of Blind Students >> Phone: 602-502-2255 >> Email: >> nabs.president at gmail.com >> Website: >> www.nabslink.org >> > > > -- > Arielle Silverman > President, National Association of Blind Students > Phone: 602-502-2255 > Email: > nabs.president at gmail.com > Website: > www.nabslink.org > -- Arielle Silverman President, National Association of Blind Students Phone: 602-502-2255 Email: nabs.president at gmail.com Website: www.nabslink.org -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Minutes 11-27-10.docx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document Size: 14716 bytes Desc: not available URL: From nabs.president at gmail.com Tue Dec 21 18:28:55 2010 From: nabs.president at gmail.com (Arielle Silverman) Date: Tue, 21 Dec 2010 11:28:55 -0700 Subject: [Mabs] NABS Winter 2010 Student Slate! Message-ID: Hello all! Please find attached another inspiring issue of the NABS quarterly publication, the Student Slate. Once again, special thanks to our Slate editorial committee, chaired by Karen Anderson, Domonique Lawless, and Sean Whalen, for assembling our newsletter. Happy holidays, and enjoy, Arielle -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Student Slate Winter 2010.doc Type: application/msword Size: 88576 bytes Desc: not available URL: