[Massachusetts-NFB] Fwd: [Nfbnet-members-list] Announcing Tactile Art Teach-In 2025 - Applications are open for community educators and learners!

Thu Apr 16 21:49:26 UTC 2026

I’m planning to apply as one of the learners! I’d love to talk to you more about this.

Masha

From: Massachusetts-NFB <massachusetts-nfb-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Minh Ha via Massachusetts-NFB
Sent: Wednesday, April 15, 2026 10:06 AM
To: massachusetts-nfb at nfbnet.org
Cc: Minh Ha <minh.ha927 at gmail.com>; Massachusetts Mailing List <massachusetts-nfb at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [Massachusetts-NFB] Fwd: [Nfbnet-members-list] Announcing Tactile Art Teach-In 2025 - Applications are open for community educators and learners!

Thanks for sharing, Stephanie. If anyone has questions about this event, please feel free to send me an email. I am part of the teaching team and would love to see some Massachusetts representation. 

Minh 

Sent from my iPhone

On Apr 15, 2026, at 5:34 AM, Stephanie Paoli via Massachusetts-NFB <massachusetts-nfb at nfbnet.org <mailto:massachusetts-nfb at nfbnet.org> > wrote:

Good morning Federation family,

I hope this email finds each one of you well. I wanted to share the below information with all of you. This is a wonderful opportunity for everyone who likes art.

Thank you and have a wonderful Wednesday!

Respectfully,

Stephanie Barrera Valdes

Coordinator, NFB BELL Academy of Massachusetts <https://nfbma.org/bell-academy> 

President, Massachusetts Parents of Blind Children <https://nfbma.org/chapters-divisions/massachusetts-parents-blind-children> 

IEP Advocate, National Federation Of The Blind

781-839-0628

stephanie.p.valdes at gmail.com <mailto:stephanie.p.valdes at gmail.com>  

Begin forwarded message:

From: Chancey Fleet via NFBNet-Members-List <nfbnet-members-list at nfbnet.org <mailto:nfbnet-members-list at nfbnet.org> >
Date: April 14, 2026 at 10:33:07 PM EDT
To: nfbnet-members-list at nfbnet.org <mailto:nfbnet-members-list at nfbnet.org> 
Subject: [Nfbnet-members-list] Announcing Tactile Art Teach-In 2025 - Applications are open for community educators and learners!
Reply-To: Chancey Fleet <chancey.fleet at gmail.com <mailto:chancey.fleet at gmail.com> >

Tactile Art Teach-in 

Blind people can draw and understand images and graphics, but many of us rarely get the chance. Drawing opens up a world of spatial communication, self-expression, and new ways of thinking.

Whether you’re sketching the layout of an intersection, making a floor plan, graphing an equation or making art, drawing helps you explore concepts and explain your thoughts in a way words cannot.

Our Tactile Art Teach-in offers two ways to participate. No prior experience is required for either track. 

COMMUNITY EDUCATORS

If you want to learn about nonvisual drawing so you can teach others, this track is for you. Teachers, professionals in blindness education, and informal educators, like NFB Braille Enrichment for Literacy and Learning® Academy volunteers and volunteers who lead other interactive activities, should apply to this track.

You’ll spend two days learning the basics of nonvisual drawing techniques, as well as trying out other forms of tactile art including sculpture, map making, and Lego building. You will also learn how to put on tactile art events in your community.

On our third and final day, you’ll introduce nonvisual drawing activities to community members, with guidance from our team of experienced facilitators.

LEARNERS

If you’re curious about nonvisual drawing but aren’t sure you’d ever want to teach it, this track is for you. Join us on June 14 to learn about tactile drawing and help build our community educators’ confidence as they explore nonvisual drawing concepts with you.

WHAT WE’LL COVER

You can expect both tracks of the teach-in to be highly interactive. You’ll use a Sensational Blackboard and various craft materials to explore fundamental concepts like line quality, scale, orthographic projection, single-point perspective, obscuration, and more.

Sound complicated? Don’t worry - everything we do is hands-on and approachable without prior experience.

WHEN, WHERE, AND HOW

Community educators will join us on June 12-14 from 10 AM to 4 PM.

Learners will join us on June 14 from 10 AM to 4 PM.

The workshop is free and lunch will be provided. You are responsible for getting yourself to the teach-in and attending all hours you signed up for.

All activities will take place at the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute in Baltimore, Maryland. Sleeping rooms are potentially available on a first come basis. Anyone staying at the Jernigan Institute should be prepared to share a room 

YOUR HOSTS

This teach-in is sponsored by the American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults, hosted by the National Federation of the Blind, and facilitated by a teaching team that has conducted similar events at the New York Public Library.

Our lead educator is renowned tactile artist and teacher Ann Cunningham, and our lead organizer is an American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults board member and tactile literacy advocate, Chancey Fleet. Eighty percent of your facilitators will be blind, and one hundred percent will understand, use, and center nonvisual techniques.

HOW TO APPLY

Please register your interest using the form below. We will accept applicants on a rolling basis and will close registration when we have a full class admitted, so we recommend applying promptly.

If you have questions, please email chancey.fleet at gmail.com <mailto:chancey.fleet at gmail.com>  or call/text 347-632-8383.

 <https://actionfundorg/form/tactile-art> Tactile Art Teach-In | American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults

 <https://actionfund.org/form/tactile-art> actionfundorg

 <https://actionfund.org/form/tactile-art> 

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