[Massachusetts-NFB] Fwd: Urgent Advocacy Needed: Federal Braille Training Grants Eliminated

Jennifer Bose jen10514 at gmail.com
Wed Sep 17 12:43:34 UTC 2025 

What is the newest information? Any updates or changes to this situation or
new instructions from the National Office?

Jen

On Thu, Sep 11, 2025 at 8:33 PM stephen yerardi via Massachusetts-NFB <
massachusetts-nfb at nfbnet.org> wrote:

> You’re quite welcome for me, bringing it to the attention of the
> affiliate, and I’m glad that also you’re going to contact national, and
> find out what they had to say, I also just saw your other message saying
> that National office totally had the same full draft as did a ER, and it’s
> great to be backed up on it, I wasn’t saying that we should totally react
> to it. I was saying that I think it should’ve been noted how crucial this
> is. And I have known Sandy Smith For several years, being my teacher at
> Perkins School For The Blind, from 97 to 2004, who was a lead teacher on
> that program teaching other people to know Braille.
> Which she was an amazing instructor I owe her a lot of all easiest later
> of what knowledge I learned then.
> Again, I’m glad to see that the national office also Agreed that we should
> probably reach out.
> Everyone else have a good evening, and if I see anything like this ever
> again, of course I’m going to bring it to the attention.
> Stephen
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Sep 11, 2025, at 3:52 PM, Kyra Sweeney via Massachusetts-NFB <
> massachusetts-nfb at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>
> 
> Hi all,
>
> I want to thank Stephen for bringing this issue to our attention! It is
> certainly concerning, and  we should keep it on our radar. I agree with
> Justin that we should wait for instructions from our national office on how
> to proceed. I will email the listserv and post on Whatsapp if/when I
> receive communication from the national legislative team on how we should
> respond to this situation.
>
> Best,
> Kyra
>
> On Thu, Sep 11, 2025 at 3:35 PM Justin Salisbury via Massachusetts-NFB <
> massachusetts-nfb at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>
>> Hi all,
>>
>>
>>
>> I would recommend holding off on taking action based on what an outside
>> organization alone tells us to do. Our NFB national office may ask us to
>> take action, and I personally prefer to wait until our national office has
>> vetted an issue before I engage with it.
>>
>>
>>
>> In solidarity,
>>
>>
>>
>> Justin Salisbury
>>
>>
>>
>> Justin MH Salisbury, MEd, NOMC, NCRTB
>>
>> English Pronouns: He/Him/His
>>
>> Email: President at Alumni.ECU.edu
>>
>> ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Justin_Salisbury
>> <https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Justin_Salisbury&source=gmail-imap&ust=1727538746000000&usg=AOvVaw3uZJqqJkT2wSVxJDa9dD7W>
>>
>> LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-salisbury
>> <https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-salisbury&source=gmail-imap&ust=1727538746000000&usg=AOvVaw0XtyTG9WXXQ8TWe6UeU4Nz>
>>
>> ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-1786-2786
>>
>>
>>
>> “Until the lion learns how to write, every story will glorify the hunter.”
>>
>> Chinua Achebe
>>
>>
>>
>> *From:* Massachusetts-NFB <massachusetts-nfb-bounces at nfbnet.org> *On
>> Behalf Of *stephen yerardi via Massachusetts-NFB
>> *Sent:* Thursday, September 11, 2025 7:49 AM
>> *To:* massachusetts-nfb at nfbnet.org
>> *Cc:* stephen yerardi <spyerardi at gmail.com>
>> *Subject:* [Massachusetts-NFB] Fwd: Urgent Advocacy Needed: Federal
>> Braille Training Grants Eliminated
>>
>>
>>
>> Good morning all, I was going through email, and didn’t see this
>> yesterday, but I am seeing this today, bringing this attention to all of us.
>>
>> This is sickening and sad. Also, one is right in our state. It is
>> Massachusetts. And I know the woman who was doing this for a long time that
>> is Sandy Smith, she was my computer instructor at Perkins, from 1997, till
>> I’ve graduated in 2004.
>>
>> Definitely, they are saying this is call for advocacy and action.
>> Wondering what we can do on this one. I wondering if NFB national will put
>> out a press release or say something about it.
>>
>> I hope everyone is having a great day so far.
>>
>>
>>
>> Stephen Yerardi.
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>>
>> Begin forwarded message:
>>
>> *From:* Lee Sonnenberg <aer at aerbvi.org>
>> *Date:* September 10, 2025 at 9:59:23 AM EDT
>> *To:* spyerardi at gmail.com
>> *Subject:* *Urgent Advocacy Needed: Federal Braille Training Grants
>> Eliminated*
>> *Reply-To:* aer at aerbvi.org
>>
>> 
>>
>> [image: AER logo featuring light blue curve lines creating the shape of
>> the eye, lowercase aer in dark blue with a lightblue line underneath with
>> the text: Association for Education & Rehabilitation of the Blind &
>> Visually Impaired]
>> <http://clicks.memberclicks-mail.net/ls/click?upn=u001.zQMtDyzPkxw9dikwotiInngMXfx-2BuCFdy4Zx8aSE9r-2Ft0vy1eIV2uHSRYUh86OLZKuErB2tAp7BhxRRTC0d0gwyP4oQXlspNT3Fz5-2BI24Wq3Sq1rLOkCbgO2yR1OZlUaLhCB_9ON6S9DZGjJ3pdfwlbZQ8KB4oHxi2hb9A43dUjmt6ByJ7ZEa9ZaRYIPYmwsC6D-2BXG-2BDnk32PMctpZaJVSYUrmzN6PFPsZbD3l39uSocuKM0-2B7x0HFs1vXKYVbYCPcI60WUueoJK3AcrT3Uc13ivNMbAj8X3Z7K3Uev8vxvlOa23mPvBKi3E2mXUHvedD0r36wiJEdANtOuzHaBmQd9Sc65uSEHqd1UyU2MwM2YGW8mBYYAxEGQpas14lJ3Ry0bL90w6QIZE77-2FoGlaprjHDgggkitpOhvCZVL4zsDVjDOFQX1FmuEMafT6bxVIYF5GWs>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Dear AER members and allies,
>>
>>
>>
>> We need your help.
>>
>>
>>
>> On September 5, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education issued
>> non-continuation notices to all three national Braille Training Grants
>> under the 235E Demonstration Program: Braille Training. This means that for
>> the first time in decades, there will be no federal support for developing
>> specialized braille training resources in the United States.
>>
>>
>>
>> The three programs that have been eliminated are:
>>
>>    - *California State University, Los Angeles* – focused on braille and
>>    technology training
>>    - *University of Massachusetts at Boston* – focused on professional
>>    development across the lifespan
>>    - *University of South Carolina Upstate* – focused on preparing new
>>    teachers and service providers
>>
>> This decision impacts the entire field:
>>
>>    - No new training resources for Teachers of Students with Visual
>>    Impairments (TVIs) to provide braille literacy to their students.
>>    - No additional training for Vision Rehabilitation Therapists (VRTs)
>>    to serve adults.
>>    - No professional development or technology innovation to address the
>>    braille literacy crisis across the lifespan.
>>
>> *Why This Requires Your Voice*
>> Each of the three universities is pursuing its own appeal through their
>> institutional channels. At the same time, AER is opening a fourth front,
>> mobilizing our membership to apply direct political pressure. Unlike the
>> DeafBlind campaign, this effort is more nuanced and requires personal
>> outreach. The Department’s decision to terminate an entire braille program
>> category cannot go unchallenged.
>>
>>
>>
>> It is also important to note: all the programs that received
>> non-continuation notices this cycle were related to sensory impairments.
>> This is a targeted and disproportionate impact on children and adults who
>> are blind, DeafBlind, or low vision.
>>
>>
>>
>> *Action Steps*
>>
>>    1. Call your U.S. Senators’ offices, especially if you live in West
>>    Virginia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, or
>>    Texas.
>>       - Ask to speak with a senior staffer in the state or district
>>       office.
>>       - Stress that this is not a budget issue. It is a policy choice
>>       that wipes out all federal braille training programs nationwide.
>>    2. Frame your message with these points:
>>       - Braille is literacy. Without it, students and adults lose access
>>       to education, employment, and independence.
>>       - Eliminating these grants means there will be no national support
>>       for specialized braille training for TVIs or VRTs.
>>       - This decision harms one of the most underserved disability
>>       groups, those with sensory impairments.
>>       - Some projects had a strong 6-year track record of success and
>>       impact.
>>       - The effect is national, not local, and every state benefits from
>>       the professionals trained in these programs.
>>    3. Share this request with your networks. AER is working alongside
>>    our sister organizations to elevate this issue.
>>
>>
>>
>> *Why Calls Matter*
>> Emails are too easily ignored. Calls to state offices of U.S. Senators
>> carry weight. Especially when they come from constituents. We must ensure
>> that Senators, particularly Republicans in the targeted states, intervene
>> directly with the Department of Education.
>>
>>
>>
>> AER stands with the California State University, Los Angeles, the
>> University of Massachusetts Boston, and the University of South Carolina
>> Upstate. Eliminating these grants is unacceptable. Together, we must make
>> clear that braille literacy is a national priority.
>>
>>
>>
>> With urgency and appreciation,
>> Lee Sonnenberg, MA
>> Executive Director
>> Association for Education & Rehabilitation of the Blind & Visually
>> Impaired
>>
>>
>>
>> *Please email aer at aerbvi.org <aer at aerbvi.org> to update your email or to
>> unsubscribe from advocacy specific emails.*
>>
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