[MD-AtLarge] Braille Spectator - Summer 2026

[president at nfbmd.org]

Braille Spectator, Summer 2026

THE BRAILLE SPECTATOR, Summer 2026

A semi-annual publication of the National Federation of the Blind of
Maryland

 

Ronza Othman, Editor

 

Published on <https://nfbmd.org/>  www.nfbmd.org and on NFB Newsline by The
National Federation of the Blind of Maryland

 

Ronza Othman, President

 

Comments and questions should be sent to  <mailto:president at nfbmd.org>
president at nfbmd.org.

 

In this issue:

 

1.	Pilots of Progress: Sixty Years Strong, Soaring to New Horizons!
2.	Priorities and Possibilities in Annapolis
3.	Waymo's Future in Maryland Uncertain After Bill to Regulate
Driverless Vehicles Fails in Session
4.	Attorney General Brown Leads Amicus Brief Defending Program That
Helps Blind Vendors Get Contracts on Military Bases
5.	Profile of an NFBMD Leader: Heather Davis
6.	Applying the Science of Reading to Braille with Benefits for All
7.	Coffee with an NFB Staff Member: Celia Neale
8.	A Different Point of View
9.	Maryland Commission on Civil Rights Secures Landmark Fair Housing
Settlement from Housing Providers and Insurance Company who Discriminated
Against Tenant
10.	2026 Rachel Olivero Accessibility Innovation Award
11.	Tim Meagher: Leader, Mentor, and Friend!
12.	2026 Convention Awards
13.	Student Spotlight: Osolu Ozo-Onyali
14.	2026 NFB Resolutions
15.	Spectator Specs




 

Pilots of Progress: Sixty Years Strong, Soaring to New Horizons!

By Ronza Othman



[Editor's Note: Ronza Othman serves as president of the National Federation
of the Blind of Maryland (NFBMD).  Below is the presidential report she gave
at the NFBMD convention on February 16, 2026.]

Before we launch into sixty years of history and a year's worth of
victories, I need to confess something: I love a good metaphor.  And this
year, our convention theme gave me one I could not resist - Pilots of
Progress: Sixty Years Strong, Soaring to New Horizons.  So let me take you
with me on a literal journey.

A few months ago, I did something that has been quietly sitting on my
personal bucket list for a very long time.  I flew a plane.  I was actually
the pilot.  It was a tiny, two-seat, single-engine airplane belonging to my
brother-in-law, Jay.  And before anyone gets nervous on my behalf - yes, it
really was tiny - like micromachine tiny - or so it felt when I climbed into
it.  And yes, there really were only two seats, and no, there was absolutely
no space even for a cup holder.  

But before I tell you about my flight, I need to tell you about my sister,
Abbey.  Abbey is the sister I was closest to growing up.  She was my backup
mom.  When I was sick, she stayed home from school with me.  When chores
were assigned, hers were to clean the bathrooms and to take care of the kids
- my younger brother Abe and me - which, in case you're wondering, is a very
uneven division of labor.  She nicknamed us "Double Trouble."  She
entertained us.  She taught us.  She protected us.  And most importantly,
she believed in us.

Long before any of us had language for disability rights, or high
expectations, or the organized blind movement, Abbey already had a deeply
positive and empowering attitude about disability.  There has never been a
single thing I have wanted to do that Abbey didn't immediately believe I
would be great at.  Not one.  Abbey was an outstanding ally before the word
"ally" was widely understood.  Which is why it was just a little ironic that
Abbey was also the most nervous person in this entire story.

This early June Sunday afternoon, Jay casually mentioned that he was going
to take his plane out.  I have always wanted to fly with him.  I have always
wanted to try.  But I had never actually asked.  This time, I did.  I said,
"Can I come with you?"

Jay answered instantly. "Of course."

Now, here is the part I did not admit out loud right away.  As we were
getting ready to leave for the airfield, I very casually - in one of those
"I'm serious but pretending I'm not serious" voices - said to Jay, "So.do
you think I could fly the plane?"

And let me be very honest with you, flying a plane is one of those
things-like driving a car-that society has firmly placed in the category of
"things blind people cannot do."  Now, we in this movement know better.  Our
own President Mark Riccobono proved society wrong when he drove a car at the
Daytona 500.  But even knowing that, it honestly had never occurred to me
that a blind person could fly a plane.  Maybe someday.  Maybe when
technology advances.  Maybe years from now.  But not in 2025.

And it certainly had never occurred to me that I would be that blind pilot.
Still, I wanted it.  I didn't know how I'd do it.  I didn't know what it
would look like.  But I really wanted to fly.

So, I asked, fully expecting Jay to laugh, or gently explain aviation
regulations, or say something kind like, "Maybe someday."

Instead, without hesitation, Jay said, "Yeah.  Of course you can."  Just
like that.  No dramatic pause, no safety lecture, no follow-up questions.

And in that moment, I realized something: sometimes the biggest barrier is
not policy or technology.  It is what we quietly assume is impossible - even
for ourselves, and even when we know better.

Abbey's reaction, however, was also instant.  And let me be clear - this was
not philosophical concern.  This was not low expectations.  This was my big
sister doing exactly what big sisters have always done - running a full
internal safety audit involving tight spaces, small aircraft, spinning metal
parts, a busy airfield with no traffic rules, weather conditions, federal
aviation regulations, and everything else that could possibly go wrong when
her blind baby sister announces that she would like to climb into an
airplane and fly it.  

And honestly, I get it, because this is something many of us live in every
day.  We are often caught between the high expectations of the people who
love us best - and the very real anxiety they feel when we do something new
that they have not yet learned how to imagine us doing non-visually.

So, Jay and I drove out to the airfield, where his plane is stored in a
private individual hangar - more like a storage unit for airplanes - one of
many small hangars lined up next to each other.  And when we walked inside,
the plane was tucked into a narrow space between concrete walls and
neighboring aircraft - basically the aviation version of parallel parking.
Jay showed me how to open the hangar door and to do that quick shimmy to
control the door and make sure it doesn't simultaneously smack you in the
face when it swings up.

And then he said, very casually, "Go ahead and pull the plane out."  He
didn't say "watch me," or "stand aside and don't move."

He told me to just grab the plane from the nose and drag it while walking
backwards out of the hangar, that it was lighter than it looked.  It was
like pulling a really awkwardly shaped package.  

And then he stepped back while I pulled a plane out of a hangar.

Then Jay said something that made me much more nervous than when I was
moving an entire airplane.  "Go explore it.  Touch whatever you want."  I
froze, because now my brain was doing what our brains sometimes do. 

What if I touch the wrong thing?  What if I break something?  What if I
touch the engine?  Even with the plane completely off, I was fairly certain
that one careless hand movement might end aviation forever.

I'm the blind person who has been trained, by society, by subtle shaming, by
"don't touch," by "sibeesh," that exploration is risky, that my hands are a
liability, that my curiosity is inconvenient.  Even though I know better,
this is still sometimes where my brain defaults.

Jay said, very calmly, "You're not going to break it.  Just go for it."  So,
I did.  I traced the wing.  I followed the body of the plane.  I felt the
rivets.  I patted the nose.  I touched the flaps.  I swept the windshield.
I explored the engine housing.

No one rushed me.  No one corrected me.  No one hovered.  I was learning the
airplane at my pace and in my way.  And I realized in that moment how
different this felt from the way so many blind people are introduced to new
experiences - where the unspoken goal is to protect us from making mistakes
instead of trusting us to learn.  

This is what it looks like when blind people are trusted to fly their own
lives.

Then it was time to get in.  Jay told me I would need to step onto the wing.
He also told me something very important.  "There's a place on the wing you
can step-and a place you absolutely cannot."  He didn't move my foot.  He
didn't lift me.  He described the surface.  He explained where the support
was.  He told me what the unsafe part would feel like.  And then, again, he
stepped back.

I found the safe spot.  I shifted my weight.  I climbed up.  From what felt
very much like a window, I pretzeled my way into the cockpit of a very tiny
two-seat airplane.

And then came what I am convinced is the most complicated invention of the
modern era: the seatbelt in a two-seater plane.  It's not a seatbelt, it's
an argument, it's a puzzle, it's a negotiation between you and engineering.

We battled it out, and because I was determined to fly my own life, I won.

And that's when we learned a new detail in the universe: my headset didn't
work.  I could hear about half of what Jay said.  The rest was static and
silence and me guessing.  Now small airplanes are loud, because the engine
is literally less than a foot away from your ears.  So, we became a very
unconventional flight crew - a sighted pilot and a blind co-pilot -
communicating partly with words and partly without them at all, in a tiny
plane, with a headset that worked.in spirit.

But we figured it out, because when blind people don't have access, we don't
quit - we innovate.

We taxied, we took off, and fellow Federationists, we soared.

Then Jay leaned over and said very quietly, "Your turn."  He sat back while
I flew.  My hands found the yoke.  I kept the plane steady, aimed toward the
horizon.  

My job was simple - and not simple at all.  Keep the plane steady.  Follow
the horizon.  Fly my own life.

At points, Jay would cue me, because my headset only worked when it felt
like it; he guided me sometimes with words when I could hear them, and
sometimes by gently touching my arm and simulating the action he wanted me
to take with his hand - raise the nose, lower the nose, bank right, bank
left, hold it steady.  A blind co-pilot and a pilot who trusted her.  And I
did it.  I flew.  

We flew over Lake Michigan on a perfect June afternoon - clear blue sky, no
clouds, crystal water, exquisitely clear Chicago skyline, the kind of day
that feels like the world is briefly giving you a gift.  

And I need to tell you something honest: the world had been heavy; you know
the kind of heavy I mean.  The kind you carry in your chest, the kind that
follows you into your sleep, the kind you don't always talk about because
you're busy being competent.

But when we left the ground, it felt like I left that heaviness behind, not
because my problems disappeared.  But because altitude changes perspective,
and because sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is rise high enough
to remember: you are not trapped.  You have space.  You have sky.  You have
horizon.  And you can fly your own life.

A blind woman flew a plane over Lake Michigan, not because blindness
disappeared, but because blindness is not the barrier people think it is.  A
blind woman flew a plane because someone with the right philosophy gave her
what we all deserve: information, expectations, trust, room to learn.

And much too soon, but filled with joy, a sense of accomplishment, and
adrenaline that lingered for days, I turned us around and flew back to the
airfield.

Fellow Federationists, before we ever took off, before we ever flew over
Lake Michigan, before I ever touched the controls, Jay showed me exactly
what Abbey has shown me my entire life: that when blind people are given
real information, real expectations, and real room to learn, we do not need
to be protected from our lives.  We need to be trusted to live them.  We
need to be given the space to fly our own lives.

So now, before I move from this story into the story of our affiliate - our
year of work, our victories, our people - let me ask you something: how many
times have we been treated like passengers in our own lives?  How many times
have systems been built as though our hands don't belong on the controls?
And how many times have we, out of exhaustion, out of politeness, out of
wanting to keep the peace, let someone else fly for us?

Not today.  Not in this movement.  Not in this affiliate.  Because we are
the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland.  And this year, as we
celebrate sixty years strong, we are not sitting in the back of the plane.
We are not waiting to be invited into the cockpit.  We are not asking
permission to soar.  We are taking the controls.

We are the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland, and we trust blind
people to fly their own lives.  Because when we do, we soar.

Latonya Phipps Cross is the President of our Baltimore County Chapter, and
this past year, she found herself in a situation many people would
experience as a hard landing.  When her federal position was eliminated, she
had to pivot quickly.  She was hired by a federal contractor to process No
Surprises Act cases, and on her very first day, she discovered something
that would ground most of us before we ever left the runway: she could not
access the training platform she needed to do her job, and one of the core
case management systems was incompatible with her assistive technology.

Latonya did what Federationists do.  She didn't accept being sidelined.  She
asked for reasonable accommodations.  She explained what she needed to
perform the essential functions of her position.  And when her employer
resisted, Latonya did something else we do well - she called in her crew.

She asked me to serve as her advocate, and together, we worked with the
employer to identify solutions.  We explained, clearly and firmly, that
access is not an optional upgrade: it is basic equipment.  We gave them
practical options to resolve the inaccessibility, and when they ultimately
decided not to bring those systems up to standard quickly enough, they
reassigned Latonya to a different program that did not require those
inaccessible platforms.

But that was not the only barrier.  Latonya also requested the Aira visual
interpreting service, so she could use a trained human reader to support the
intensive drafting and review work her role required, especially when
formatting and accessibility remediation were part of the task.  The
employer initially denied the request with a familiar refrain: that they
"shouldn't have to pay two people to do the same job."  We educated them.
We reframed the issue the way it should have been framed from the beginning:
this was not two people doing the same job; it was one blind professional
doing her job with the tools she needed to do it efficiently and
competently.  And in the end, they agreed to provide Aira support.

Latonya's story is not about special treatment.  It is about equal access to
the cockpit.  It is about insisting on the right to work, to contribute, and
to advance - with high expectations and the right information.  It is a
clear example that when blind people are trusted - and equipped - to fly our
own lives, we don't just get airborne.  We gain altitude.

And while some of our victories happen in conference rooms and HR emails,
others begin with a quiet request for help from someone who is simply trying
to survive and rebuild.

Recently, we met a blind young man who is a refugee.  We'll call him Joe.
Joe came to the United States to flee violence and persecution - violence
that was more intense because his blindness and lack of access to training
made him an easier target.  Joe received his green card and work
authorization, but the combination of blindness and a language barrier made
it difficult to find employment.  He wants to work.  He is ready to work.
But because he is not yet a U.S. citizen, he cannot easily access some of
the supports that would help him become employed and independent.  He is
caught in a vicious cycle: he needs resources to get stable, and stability
to access resources.

Joe found the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland, and now he is
not navigating alone.  We are helping him chart a course toward the support
and services green card holders are entitled to.  We are helping him build
the skills and connections that create lift: setting up NFB-NEWSLINE and
library services, connecting him to training and mentorship, and surrounding
him with the social support that turns isolation into community.  Because
Joe reached out, he is building a foundation - skills, resources,
relationships - that will help him rise.  That is what this movement does.
We help each other find the runway, generate lift, and take off.

And Joe and Latonya are not isolated stories.  They are part of a broader
pattern of growth and momentum across our affiliate.

According to our records, in the last year, the Maryland affiliate welcomed
roughly 80 new members to the Federation.  Every chapter and division
welcomed at least two new people.  What those new members found was not just
a meeting - they found a community that leads with dignity, raises
expectations, and refuses to leave anyone stranded on the tarmac.

Last year, we also worked to reorganize the National Harbor chapter, and
after considerable time and effort, I'm proud to share that the Greater
Prince George's County Chapter is thriving.  Ably led by Tajuan Farmer, this
chapter is gaining altitude - growing in engagement, visibility, and impact.

One example: the chapter is working with the county to establish an
assistive technology center at a local library, with space and equipment to
teach blind adults the technology skills that restore independence and open
doors.  This chapter looked at the gap in resources and training, and in
true NFB style, chose action over frustration.  If they won't - or can't -
teach us, we'll teach ourselves.

Because in Prince George's County and throughout Maryland, we don't wait for
clearance to move forward.  We take the controls, we build the runway, and
we fly our own lives.

Last year, we continued Maryland's proud tradition of hosting robust,
effective, and joyful NFB Braille Enrichment for Literacy and Learning
(BELL) Academies.  We held three programs: one in Baltimore, one in Southern
Maryland, and one on the Eastern Shore through our partnership with Blind
Industries and Services of Maryland (BISM).  Twenty-five students
participated.  Some of them are here this weekend, and you'll hear from them
tomorrow.

The NFB BELL Academy is the most important program we operate, because it
shapes more than literacy - it shapes identity.  It cultivates Braille
skills, independence, and a positive philosophy about blindness at the exact
moment when expectations are being formed.  It raises expectations in the
hearts of our children.  It raises expectations in their families.  And it
fills the gap created when systems fail to fully teach blind and low-vision
students the alternative techniques they will need to succeed as adults.

What NFB BELL does so brilliantly is demonstrate, through experience and
mentorship, that blind children possess no less dignity than anyone else.
Twenty years ago, when innovators here in Maryland gathered to confront
persistent low expectations and inadequate educational resources, they
coined a phrase that still guides us: "If they won't teach them, we'll teach
them ourselves."  That was Maryland deciding to take the controls.  That was
Maryland choosing to chart its own course.

In 2026, we will once again host NFB BELL Academies in Baltimore, Southern
Maryland, and the Eastern Shore.  And we intend to relaunch our NFB BELL
Academy to serve students in the Sligo Creek and Prince George's County
areas, adding NFB BELL Rockville as our fourth Maryland site.  Because when
it comes to our children, we do not wait for permission to invest in their
future - we build the runway ourselves.

And you can see the results all around this room.

Many of the young people here this weekend are BELL alumni.  Naudia Graham
and Derrick Day are now in their third year of college.  Meredith Day is
celebrating her 18th birthday today and preparing to attend the Colorado
Center for the Blind after graduating from high school.  Ryan Jenkins is
participating in our transition programming.  Oriana Riccobono is helping
with childcare and working with the Maryland Association of Blind Students.
So many other BELL alumni are here - leading in the student division,
serving in chapters, excelling in student government, working jobs, shaping
their futures.

They were tiny when we launched BELL.  Now they are stepping confidently
into leadership.  That is not accidental.  That is what happens when you
raise expectations early and consistently.  That is what happens when young
people are taught not to wait in the passenger seat of their own lives.

Our commitment to equitable education continued in 2025 with our annual
STEM2U Academy.  Few areas reveal society's low expectations more clearly
than science, technology, engineering, and math.  Too often, blind students
are subtly - or not so subtly - steered away from these fields.

STEM2U interrupts that narrative.  It gives blind students the opportunity
to experience science nonvisually, to conduct experiments, to problem-solve,
to explore technology hands-on.  It also educates parents - because raising
expectations is a family project.  We are deeply grateful to Erin Zobell for
leading STEM2U in 2025 and for returning in 2026.  When we expose our
students to STEM with confidence and competence, we are not asking whether
blind students belong in these fields - we are demonstrating that they do.

And education is only one arena where we insist on dignity.

In the last year, we completed our 2025 legislative advocacy before the
Maryland General Assembly and are now halfway through the 2026 session.  In
2025 alone, we testified - either orally, in writing, or both - on more than
160 bills.  Thus far in 2026, we have testified on over 100.  Sometimes we
are advancing good legislation.  Sometimes we are preventing harmful
legislation.  Either way, we are present.

Voting access remains a priority.  We worked on paperless ballot return for
absentee voting in 2025.  While that bill did not pass, we are optimistic
about a revised solution in 2026.  We are currently advocating for a
telephone-based voting system that would allow blind Marylanders to cast
ballots privately and independently.  For more than a decade, we have
returned year after year to address voting discrimination.  We have gone to
court.  We have educated lawmakers.  And yet we are still too often grounded
- forced to surrender privacy and independence when voting absentee.

But we are not done.  We will keep returning, because access to the ballot
privately and independently is not optional - it is a fundamental civil
right.

In 2026, we are also advocating for dignity in independent movement through
autonomous vehicle legislation.  As Category 4 and 5 autonomous vehicles
enter Maryland, we are working to ensure that blind people are not excluded
by outdated driver's license requirements.  The technology exists.  We are
entitled to use it.  Independence should not hinge on eyesight.

We continue to advocate for funding for the Center for Excellence in
Nonvisual Access (CENA), and I am pleased to report that this funding was
maintained in the governor's fiscal year 2027 budget submission, with
assurances from legislative leaders that they intend to protect it.

In 2025, we successfully advocated raising the property tax credit for blind
homeowners from $15,000 to $40,000.  Governor Moore signed the bill into law
in April, effective July 1, 2025.  We also worked to ensure that every
state-run veterans cemetery includes a Braille or tactile American flag -
legislation signed into law and now being implemented.

And in 2026, we are fighting to restore funding to the Independent Living
Older Blind (ILOB) program.  We are advocating for a $1.5 million budget
carve-out so seniors can receive the training and support necessary to age
in place, because dignity does not expire; independence does not retire.

Not every legislative effort is about passing new laws.  Sometimes it is
about stopping bad ones.

Last year, we defeated bills that would have broadly prohibited students
from using cell phones and other technology in school.  These proposals
misunderstood how blind and low-vision students access education.  For many
of our students, technology is not distraction - it is access.  It is how
they read the board, check assignments, navigate hallways, manage
medication, and participate fully.  Tying technology access to visible
disability exceptions would have forced students to disclose accommodations
publicly and invited stigma and bullying.  We made it clear that schools can
manage distraction without compromising dignity.  And those bills did not
pass.  We will always defend our right to access the tools that make
participation possible.

You may recall our accessible prescription label law.  The Maryland General
Assembly made it clear in 2023 that blind patients are entitled to receive
prescription information in Braille, large print, audio, or electronic
format at the same time as other patients and at no additional cost.  The
implementation timeline has been repeatedly delayed by the Board of
Pharmacists.  After multiple extensions and procedural stalls, the Board
voted in October 2025 to delay implementation yet again - until November
2026.

The delay is unacceptable.  It contradicts legislative intent and harms
blind patients.

We are actively working with legislative leadership to hold the Board
accountable.  We have asked that a portion of the Board's fiscal year 2027
budget be withheld until the regulations are implemented.  We will not allow
a unanimous law to be quietly ignored.

And accountability works.

Last year, we filed civil rights complaints against James Pharmacy after it
began charging blind patients for accessible prescription labels.  In summer
2025, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil
Rights found in our favor.  James Pharmacy agreed to reverse fees, cease
charging in the future, implement training, and follow a corrective action
plan.

That is what collective action looks like.

Adjustment to blindness training remains one of the most powerful tools we
have for building independence and confidence.  It is where individuals
learn the alternative techniques of blindness under high expectations.  It
is where skills and philosophy intersect. 

Adjustment to blindness training is, for us, pilot school - where we learn
how to not only fly our own lives, but also to teach others how to fly their
own lives.   Many of our members have attended and graduated from NFB
training centers, and now they are here in Maryland leading chapters,
running workshops, leading committees, and, yes, teaching at Blind
Industries and Services of Maryland.  These days, you often hear NFBMD and
BISM linked together, but we are different, and NFBMD will continue pushing
BISM to be the best it can be.  We're thrilled that BISM is continuing to
work toward structured discovery center certification, and we can't wait to
celebrate with BISM when they receive that certification.

 

Last year, Naudia Graham attended the Louisiana Center for the Blind.  This
fall, Isaiah Rao, Jonah Rao, and Meredith Day will all enroll at the
Colorado Center for the Blind after graduating from high school this June.
They are working to fly their own lives by spending six to nine months at
one of the best adjustment to blindness flight schools in the world.

Leadership, too, is something we cultivate intentionally.  This morning, we
held our first leadership development breakfast.  Leadership is not limited
to titles; it is a posture.  Sometimes it looks like steering a large
organization.  Sometimes it looks like handling one specific issue with
determination.

Take the issue of electric dockless scooters in Baltimore City.  President
Riccobono did not wait for someone else to address it.  He drafted a
resolution, worked with the chapter board, presented it, and engaged
directly with the City Council.  Because of that effort, we now have a
commitment from city leadership to work with us toward a solution.

Leadership is stepping forward when something needs to be done.

In the last year, we have also launched new initiatives because progress
requires new destinations.

We created a Food Insecurity Grant to assist individuals and families
impacted by federal furloughs, shutdowns, and changes to the
Randolph-Sheppard program.  With affiliate funds, member donations, and a
grant from the American Association of People with Disabilities, we have
assisted fourteen families so far.  As another partial shutdown unfolds, the
program remains open.

We launched a Winter Market, hosting over thirty local vendors and small
business owners.  It was not only a fundraiser - it was community building.
We added a silent auction to the Crab Feast and raised nearly enough to fund
an entire scholarship.

These initiatives reflect something deeper than programming.  They reflect
agency.  When circumstances shift, we respond.  When needs arise, we act.
When barriers appear, we organize.

We do not wait on the sidelines of our own future.  We build it.

And now, before I close, I want to return once more to my sister, Abbey.
Many of you know that Abbey is the principal of one of the largest high
schools in the state of Illinois.  In July of 2024, my family and I went
down to Orlando for a few days before our national convention to visit what
I refer to, very respectfully, as the two great institutions of higher
learning in my life: the House of Mouse and the Wizarding World of Harry
Potter.  My sisters stayed in Florida a few extra days, and I headed to
convention across town.

On the first night, I was sitting and talking with two of our Maryland
scholarship winners, Mercy Rao and Naudia Graham.  Mercy mentioned that she
had made a friend at convention, one of those instant connections, and asked
if her friend could sit with us during sessions and at the banquet.  Of
course, I said yes.

The next day, Mercy brought over a very quiet teenager.  She introduced
herself softly: "My name is Zoe."  And then she said something that stunned
me: "I think someone in your family, Dr. Othman, changed my life because of
blindness - in a good way."

Now, a side note: there are three Dr. Othmans in our family: my sister,
Rola, my sister, Abbey, and me.  Second side note: I'm the youngest of the
three, but I defended my dissertation first, so I'm the first Dr. Othman of
the siblings chronologically.  My law school required us to write and defend
dissertations, so my honorific is legitimate even though people in the U.S.
don't typically call JDs "doctor."  In Chicago, my friends and family do
call me Dr. Othman, and in the Arabic culture, everyone with a doctorate is
called "doctor" in our community, regardless of whether the degree was an
MD, PhD, EdD, PharmD, or JD.

I started sorting through all the possibilities.  Had I met Zoe before and
not remembered her?  What are the odds she had crossed paths with one of my
sisters somewhere?  Had she run into them somewhere in Orlando that week?
Was she mistaken?  Othman is a really common name in Arabic culture.  

"Is your sister Dr. Abbey Othman, the high school principal?"

And suddenly, the world got very small.

Zoe went on to tell me that she was a rising senior at Abbey's high school
and that Abbey was one of her biggest cheerleaders, that Abbey had high
expectations for her as a blind student - sometimes higher than Zoe's own.
She shared that Abbey pushed her out of her comfort zone, especially when
Zoe didn't quite believe in herself yet.  She said Abbey encouraged her to
apply to the Colorado Center for the Blind and to take on leadership - so
much so that Zoe became involved in student government.

Here I was, at an NFB convention, talking with our scholarship winners, and
standing in front of me was a blind student whose life had been shaped by
the very same high expectations, dignity, and belief that formed me.  My
sister Abbey was not just an ally for her baby sister, but also for the
blind everywhere.  

Each of you probably has an Abbey in your life, a quiet presence who
believes in your abilities as blind people, who probably throughout your
life has been the lift beneath your plane when you didn't have the strength
or confidence to fly your own life.  And yet, every so often, you and your
Abbey might share an experience that feels initially like a conflict between
their usual high expectations for you and hesitation due to your blindness.


Don't get me wrong - there are plenty of people out there with low
expectations for the blind. But our true allies, like my Abbey and yours,
just sometimes need a minute to think through a new experience that they
haven't yet imagined how a blind person would do non-visually.  Sometimes it
feels like low expectations when they hesitate, but really, it's processing.
Sometimes they are nervous not because of the blindness, but because the
thought of their baby sister strapping into a metal can with no training, no
experience, and no fear and then hurtling into the sky is just terrifying. 

We, as blind people, should and do fly our own lives.  But we need allies in
support roles to serve as our ground crew, air traffic controllers, and
flight instructors.  Who is your Abbey?  Maybe it was your mom or dad, or
your sister or brother, or your neighbor or friend or coworker, or your
Teacher of Blind Students, or your vocational rehabilitation counselor, or
your librarian, or your training center instructor.  Maybe it was your first
blind mentor, or your sighted high school principal, or your pilot
brother-in-law.  

This is what it looks like when expectations ripple outward.  This is what
it looks like when leadership multiplies.  This is what it looks like when
blind people are trusted to grow into the lives we want.  This is what it
looks like when we fly our own lives.

Third side note: I called Abbey, right then and there, and Zoe and Abbey
chatted like old friends - I think they may have even gotten together that
week.  From a high school in the suburbs of Chicago to the spaces in our
convention hotel, we fly our own lives, and in NFB, we soar.

So, as we close this presidential report, I borrow the words of our national
president, Mark Riccobono, from the 2025 banquet address, "Creativity,
Persistence, and Hope: Reclaiming Our Stories."

 

Fellow Federationists, our movement advances because blind people and our
allies make a commitment to our truth, a truth that evolves as we test the
limits and raise expectations generation after generation, a commitment that
requires us to show up, make sacrifices, listen to and teach each other, and
speak up through personal stories.

 

Through the bond of faith we share together in this movement, our story will
change the world.  Every day we struggle against persistent low
expectations, but we do so with hope and our truth that it is respectable to
be blind.  But equality in society is not yet ours.  We deserve a world
where every heart and mind know the truth of our story.  The only way we can
get to that future is together - through the courage, determination, and
creativity of a diverse, shared movement.

 

This is the commitment we make to each other.  This is the love, hope, and
determination felt in our movement.  This is the bond of faith that fuels
our hope for our tomorrows.  Let us show that we belong in the world - and
that we make it better.

Fellow Federationists, we in the National Federation of the Blind of
Maryland have demonstrated over the last 60 years, that when we fly our own
lives, we soar!  Here's to another 60 years of progress, strength, and
soaring to new horizons!

 

 




 

Priorities and Possibilities in Annapolis

By Sharon Maneki



[Editor's Note: Sharon Maneki serves on the NFBMD State Legislation
Committee and has been a leader in our legislative advocacy work for
decades.  Below is Sharon's round-up of our 2026 legislative efforts.]

 

The 2026 session of the Maryland General Assembly was a difficult one for
the blind of Maryland.  The problems that we tried to solve were complex and
the legislature was facing a $1.4 billion deficit in the budget, which meant
they were unable to approve new programs.  The legislature had to cut
existing programs to meet their balanced budget responsibilities.  These
difficulties made the last session of the term very difficult compared to
other ends of terms.  Usually, the legislature tries to make everyone happy
in the last session of the term, but because of the budget problems, they
were unable to do so during this session. 

 

The NFB of Maryland had four priorities.  We were able to accomplish two of
them.  The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), Division of
Rehabilitation Services (DORS), Office of Blindness and Vision Services
(OBVS) faced a critical funding shortage for its program that serves seniors
- the Independent Living for Older Blind (ILOB) program.  We wanted the
Maryland General Assembly to convince the MSDE to use $1.5 million of its
funds for the ILOB program.  There were no federal funds available, and
state funds were used for the general vocational rehabilitation program, not
for blind seniors.  We were successful because MSDE decided to appropriate
$600,000 for this invaluable program.  Blind people who were left sitting at
home waiting for services will now have some opportunities for adjustment to
blindness training, and they will be able to maintain their independence and
participate in community life.  We regret that MSDE did not appropriate more
money; however, some money is better than none.  We made a good start in
bringing this issue to the attention of the legislature, and I am sure that
we will have to continue this practice in the future. 

 

Many thanks to the governor and the General Assembly for making it possible
to achieve the NFB of Maryland's second priority.  The Maryland General
Assembly was asked to maintain the $250,000 appropriation for the Nonvisual
Accessibility Initiative (NVAI) in the Governor's Budget to support the
Center of Excellence in Nonvisual Accessibility (CENA) to Education, Public
Information, and Commerce.  They did protect the money so that the Maryland
Department of Disabilities (MDOD) and CENA can continue their public-private
partnership and provide information about best practices and developing
innovative techniques for achieving nonvisual access.

 

Unfortunately, our other two priorities, the use of autonomous vehicles in
Maryland and the creation of accessible absentee voting methods for people
with disabilities, did not make it to the finish line this year.  The
possibilities for both these programs will be a reality in the future
because they will dramatically improve the lives of blind citizens in
Maryland.  Below is a summary of the hearings that took place in Annapolis.
They are a good exploration of the possibilities for blind people when these
two priorities are finally enacted. 

 

Autonomous Vehicle Legislation

 

Though the autonomous vehicle legislation did not pass, it will undoubtedly
become Maryland law in the future.  Many thanks to Senator Sara Love for
sponsoring SB909 and Senators Brooks, Ferguson, Gile, King, Waldstreicher,
and Zucker for co-sponsoring in the Senate. 

 

Here is how Maryland Matters reported on the hearing for SB909 Fully
Autonomous Vehicles that took place on March 4, 2026 in the Senate Judicial
Proceedings Committee: 

 

Lots of questions, but little pushback at Senate hearing on bill to allow
driverless cars

By Rhiannon Evans

 

Waymo executives see an opportunity.  Teamsters see a threat.  Ronza Othman
just sees a chance to get a ride without being discriminated against.

 

"Just yesterday, I was late to work because a rideshare driver refused to
take me," said Othman, the president of the National Federation of the Blind
of Maryland.  "He said, quote, 'It's not worth the money,' since he could
get more rides in the time it would take for him to help me."

 

Othman's comments came during a Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee
hearing Wednesday on Senate Bill 909, Sen. Sara Love's (D-Montgomery) bill
to allow "fully autonomous vehicles" - or driverless cars - to operate in
Maryland.

 

Autonomous vehicles would provide freedom of movement to those who are
unable to drive, a safer alternative to human drivers and an opportunity for
existing companies to grow around an emerging technology, Love testified
during the nearly two hours of hearing on her bill.

 

SB 909 and a companion bill, House Bill 1295, sponsored by Del. Natalie
Ziegler (D-Howard and Montgomery), would allow driverless cars to operate in
the state as long as certain technical standards and specifications are met.
Senators peppered the witnesses with technical questions about driverless
cars but did not seem to be opposed to the idea.

 

Othman said autonomous vehicles would be a "true game changer for people
with disabilities."

 

John Seng, founder and chair of Safe Roads Maryland, a nonprofit focused on
improving road safety in Maryland, testified that driverless services like
Waymo remove the most dangerous part of driving: the human element.  Waymos
can't "drive inebriated, chew edibles, drive distracted or speed," Seng
said.

 

But where Seng sees a positive in removing the human element, drivers see a
concern.  Thomas Doyle, the state program director for the International
Brotherhood of Teamsters, testified that there are thousands of Teamsters
within the state who drive professionally for a living.

"These Teamsters, and all professional drivers are relevant stakeholders
whose concerns need to be heard when we are examining this bill," Doyle
said.  "Do we really believe that the technology's there?"

 

In addition to technological concerns, Doyle noted that the bill would allow
"fleet technicians" - humans in a driverless car who can take over remotely
if needed - who are not licensed drivers in Maryland and may be unfamiliar
with our roads and rules.

 

But Ethan Teicher, a spokesperson for autonomous driving technology company
Waymo, said autonomous vehicles are often safer than human drivers.

 

"The data shows that the [Waymo] technology is involved in 90% fewer serious
injuries or worse crashes compared to human drivers," said Teicher, who
showed off one of the company's cars outside the State House earlier
Wednesday.

 

Waymo currently operates fully autonomous cars in 10 major U.S. cities,
including Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston, and Atlanta.  The
company is looking to expand into Baltimore, Teicher said.

 

Waymo already has about a dozen cars in the city, driven by professional
drivers to acquaint the technology with the city.  It is not offering rides
to passengers in Baltimore yet, Teicher said.

 

If the bills are passed, the company would slowly phase out the professional
drivers in Baltimore.  It would start by using the autonomous technology
with professional drivers behind the wheel, and as safety benchmarks are
met, the cars could move toward operating without a driver behind the wheel,
Teicher said.

 

When asked about the impacts of autonomous vehicles on rideshare drivers,
Teicher said "there's going to be some kind of transition," as to what
rideshare jobs would look like in the future.

 

As autonomous vehicle services expand, he said, Waymo will need a team of
professionals to support its fleet, such as staff to aid with technology
updates, fleet

technicians to work on the cars, and construction and skilled trade workers
to build necessary infrastructure like charging facilities and depots.  

 

"Certainly, we want to partner with the state to make sure those
opportunities stay local and get in the hands of people who need them,"
Teicher said.

 

Despite the concerns about jobs, Seng believes the bills will only serve to
increase roadway safety.

 

"No technology or law is a panacea; it's one size fits all.  Increasing road
safety means decreasing fatalities, injuries, and crashes," Seng said." 

Many thanks to Delegate Natalie Ziegler for sponsoring the House version of
the autonomous vehicle bill, HB 1295, and the following delegates who
co-sponsored it: Allen, Arentz, Boyce, Feldmark, Fennell, Forbes, Hill,
Hornberger, S. Johnson, Kaufman, Metzgar, T. Morgan, Pruski, Shetty, Smith,
Spiegel, and Wu. 

 

Chris Danielsen, President of the Greater Baltimore Chapter of the NFBMD,
offered the following testimony in favor of this bill on March 5, 2026, to
the House Environment and Transportation Committee:

 

My name is Chris Danielsen, and I serve as president of the Greater
Baltimore Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland.  I am
here today to express our strong support for HB 1295, which would allow the
deployment of autonomous vehicles in Baltimore.

 

For blind people, transportation is not simply a matter of convenience - it
is a fundamental issue of independence and equality.  While Baltimore has
public bus service, many blind individuals cannot always reach bus stops due
to additional disabilities, severe weather, or frankly, because of the
deplorable condition of sidewalks and pedestrian infrastructure in the city.
Paratransit services, such as MTA Mobility, require reservations in advance
or limit how many rides we can take in a day and where we can travel.  While
ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft are available and useful, they come
with a risk of discrimination.  Guide dog users frequently experience
outright denial of service, and even blind individuals using white canes
sometimes find ourselves refused a ride.

 

Autonomous vehicles (AVs) offer a transformative alternative.  Unlike human
drivers, AVs do not discriminate.  They also don't text or talk on the phone
while they drive, play music too loud, set the temperature in the car either
to Polar Vortex or Sahara Desert, or ask us forty-seven questions about
blindness that we've probably already had to answer forty-seven other times
that day.  We are instead in complete control of the situation, including
the temperature and whether we hear our favorite music genre or just have a
nice, peaceful, quiet ride.  They're on the road whenever we need them,
including if we have a midnight emergency, be it an actual medical issue or
just a really strong late-night craving for tater tots.  They incorporate
accessibility features that make them usable by blind people.  For example,
they can play a sound so we can easily locate them, and they don't get
impatient and drive off if we take a few minutes to do so.  They can even
give us turn-by-turn walking directions to our destination if they aren't
able to park right in front of it.  Don't get me wrong; we don't hate
people.  We love human drivers and will often still use them.  But just like
you, we want to have a choice of whether we take a trip with a friend, a
stranger, or just a quiet one by ourselves.  AVs aren't perfect, of course,
but their safety record is impressive.  And without looking up statistics, I
can guarantee you that one hundred percent of traffic accidents that will
take place in Maryland today involve human drivers.

The deployment of AVs in Baltimore will significantly expand transportation
choices for blind residents, allowing us to participate more fully in
employment, education, and community life.  And if they don't meet our
expectations, the National Federation of the Blind Center for Excellence in
Nonvisual Accessibility is right here in Baltimore to use our expertise and
relationships with the AV companies to fix any problems we encounter.

We urge the committee to support HB 1295 and help advance transportation
equity in Maryland.  Thank you for your time and consideration.  I am happy
to answer any questions.

 

These bills will definitely be back next year.  This year, the Senate and
House were worried about the loss of employment for rideshare drivers, which
has not been the case in cities like San Francisco and Phoenix where
autonomous vehicles are available. 

 

Accessible Absentee Voting

 

We have been working on voting problems for decades.  This year, we took a
two-pronged approach, tackling absentee voting for state and federal
elections with one approach and for municipal and local elections with a
different approach.  Both approaches aim to make the absentee ballot return
process accessible for people with print disabilities. 

 

With regard to state and federal elections, as readers know, citizens may
receive and fill out their ballots using a computer.  There is no electronic
means for returning your ballot, which leads to a lack of privacy and ballot
secrecy.  This year, we came up with an innovative solution to these
problems: the creation of a telephone absentee ballot voting system. 

 

Many thanks to Senator Benjamin Brooks for sponsoring SB901 and Senators Lam
and Muse for co-sponsoring this bill in the Senate.  Many thanks also to
Delegate Jen Terrasa for sponsoring and Delegates Lehman, Amprey, Boyce,
Buckel, Feldmark, Fennell, Guyton, Hill, A. Johnson, Moreno, Ruth,
Schindler, Turner, Wu, and Ziegler for co-sponsoring this bill in the House.

 

The automated phone system would work as follows:

 

1.	A Maryland voter who is blind or otherwise print disabled would
request a telephone ballot from the State Board of Elections (SBE) and
attest to having a print disability such as blindness.

 

2.	SBE would verify the voter's eligibility to vote and work with the
voter to establish credentials to access the telephone ballot.

 

3.	When the voting window opens, the blind or print disabled voter
would call the designated phone number and authenticate themselves.  The
automated system would pull up the voter's ballot and walk them through each
contest, reading candidate names and allowing the voter to make their
choices by selecting the corresponding candidate/option number on a
touch-tone phone.  

 

4.	Once all contests have been read/voted, the system will reread the
voter's selections to confirm that it captured the correct choices.  

 

5.	The system would take a voice print (or other method acceptable to
SBE) to verify the voter's certification in lieu of signature.

 

6.	The ballot would be stored in an air-gapped and otherwise
non-internet connected database, the ballot printed and transcribed to a
scannable ballot in the same way as all other absentee ballots.

 

7.	The transcribed ballot would then be canvassed like all other
ballots.

 

Because the telephone voting method does not use the internet to transmit
the ballot, there are no internet security concerns.  Essentially, the
burden of printing the ballot would be shifted from voters with disabilities
who cannot independently and privately handle paper, to the boards of
election.  It will resolve the lack of security that these voters face due
to the number of hands and eyes to which their ballots are exposed during
the printing, signature and certification, and submission process.  Maryland
cannot stand by and wait for others to create technology solutions while
simple, long-standing, and reliable low-tech solutions can be leveraged.

 

These bills did not pass this year because the legislature felt they needed
more information.  There was no way to determine what the cost of such a
telephone system would be.  This is a good solution to the problem of
electronic ballot return.  I am sure that we will discuss it again next
year. 

 

Here is what Cheryl Fogle-Hatch had to say about these important bills: 

 

I am here to ask for your support for SB0901.  This is a bill that will
establish a telephone system for disabled voters to return their absentee
ballot.  I believe that as a blind voter, I should have the same options to
vote as all other voters.  I also deserve the same right to a secret ballot
and to be able to vote independently just as other voters do.  

 

I am an accessibility consultant for museums.  I must travel to conferences
and to different museums as part of my consulting business.  That means that
I am often on the road at election time.  My job is very important to me,
and I should not have to sacrifice my job in order to vote in person.  It is
important for me to be able to use an absentee ballot effectively and with
all the benefits that any other voter has.  Currently, I need assistance in
printing the ballot to be sure it prints correctly and to be sure I am
signing it in the correct place.  That does not allow me the same
opportunity to cast a secret ballot like other voters.  

 

This legislation will provide me with the same opportunities to pursue my
career and still be able to exercise my rights to participate fully and
equally in the democratic process.  

 

Please vote in favor of SB0901.  Give us this opportunity to vote secretly
and without any sighted assistance.

 

Here is Yasmin Reyazuddin's testimony:

 

I came from India to this country in 1990 and became a citizen of the US in
1996.  I have never missed an opportunity to vote since I became eligible in
1996.  I am a resident of Rockville and District 17.  I have lived at my
current location since 2011. 

 

Every time the elections came around, my father would drive me to the
polling place, and I was able to use the ballot marking device (BMD) to cast
my vote.  My father passed away in December.  Now I have no means to get to
the polling place.  I do not have reliable transportation.  The buses only
run for three hours in the morning and three hours in the evening, with no
time during the middle of the day.  Taxis will not take me half a mile to
the nearby school, as they want a long-distance fare.  Metro Access, the
paratransit system for Montgomery County and surrounding areas, would
require me to wait to return home for at least two hours.  Voting doesn't
take nearly as long and would, therefore, leave me in the polling place
until the vehicle comes back for me.  It's unreasonable for both me and the
polling place to wait for that length of time, with me in the way while
voting takes place.

 

This legislation will give me another tool in my toolbox.  A telephone
voting system is the best opportunity for me to participate in the
democratic process and be able to cast my vote.

 

Please vote in favor of HB1027.  Give us this opportunity to vote secretly
and without any sighted assistance.

 

With regard to municipal elections, we advocated for a bill that would
provide local and municipal governments with the ability, if they chose, to
use an accessible, end-to-end encrypted mobile application in their local
elections.  We are grateful to HB1066 lead sponsor Delegate Lehman and
co-sponsors Delegates Kerr, Taveras, and Terrasa for their support in the
House.  We are also grateful to SB727 lead sponsor Senator Lewis Young and
co-sponsor Senator Brooks in the Senate. 

 

These bills would have authorized a municipality to conduct a municipal
election through a qualified electronic transmission system.  A qualified
electronic transmission system is defined in the bill as any secure
electronic system of voting, which would include mobile voting. 

 

Janice Samuel offered the following testimony: 

 

HB1066 is a good bill.  It permits the use of an electronic transmission
system to cast a ballot only in a municipal election.  Municipal elections
are important because they have the most impact on day-to-day life for
voters.

 

I am legally blind and would not be able to see the print on a paper ballot.
For me, being able to utilize an electronic transmission system enables me
to vote privately, independently, and with secrecy.  The seven examples
listed in the bill for security and verification give a voter who uses it
assurance while casting their ballot.

 

Please vote yes on HB1066 because it will allow for greater voter
participation in the democratic process.

 

Departures

 

Congratulations and best wishes to our many friends in the Senate and House
of Delegates who will be retiring in January 2027!  We are particularly
grateful to Senators Beidel, Benson, Ellis, Simonaire, and West for their
many years of support.  We are also grateful to Delegates Cullison, A.
Jones, Terrasa, and Williams for their sustained work on behalf of the blind
of Maryland.   

 

We wish the remaining delegates and senators good luck in their elections.
We look forward to working with you in the 2027 session of the legislature
to make full integration of the blind into society a reality.  As this
session demonstrated, we have many possibilities to reach this goal.

 

Stay tuned: the next issue of The Braille Spectator will include an article
on other bills of interest that we supported. 

 




Waymo's Future in Maryland Uncertain After Bill to Regulate Driverless
Vehicles Fails in Session

 

By Breanna Ross

Published by WBAL TV on April 15, 2026

Available at:
<https://www.wbaltv.com/article/waymo-future-maryland-uncertain-bill-regulat
e-driverless-fails/71030101>
https://www.wbaltv.com/article/waymo-future-maryland-uncertain-bill-regulate
-driverless-fails/71030101

[Editor's Note: The Maryland General Assembly's failure to pass legislation
to authorize autonomous vehicles on the state's roads in the 2026
legislative session attracted a great deal of attention from the press and
considerable criticism from disability advocates.  Below is one article that
reported on this issue.]



BALTIMORE - The future of Waymo and other self-driving cars in Maryland is
uncertain after a bill failed to pass during the legislative session.

 

The bill would have regulated driverless vehicles and allowed Waymo to move
forward with their self-driving ride-hailing service in the state.

 

Waymo vehicles have been navigating Baltimore streets for the past few
months, including Boston Street in Canton, as part of their efforts to
familiarize themselves with the area.

 

Despite the legislative setback, a spokesperson with Waymo said the company
remains committed to its Baltimore plans.

 

In a statement, the spokesperson said: "We'll continue laying the groundwork
for our operations in Baltimore while we explore every available avenue to
gain the regulatory confidence needed to invest millions of dollars in the
jobs and infrastructure required to support our Baltimore operations.  We
want to bring our technology to the state of Maryland, and we've heard from
people across the state who want access to the safety and accessibility
benefits of our ride-hailing service."

 

Ronza Othman, president of the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland,
expressed her frustration over the bill's failure.

 

"For us, it would have been a true game changer in terms of being able to
move about our communities safely and independently," Othman said.

 

Othman, who is blind, described the challenges she faces with traditional
rideshare services.

 

"We have drivers of rideshares who deny us, who will pull up and see us and
decide they are not going to take us.  Sometimes they are very direct about
it.  Sometimes they are not," Othman said. "So, to have the ability to get
to where we need to go quickly without having to be denied a ride, without
having a human and the inherent biases that humans have, would have been and
will be when this bill ultimately does get passed, an absolute game changer
in terms of our independence.  And being able to get jobs and keep jobs and
get to doctors' appointments and dialysis and everything from independent
employment to health and safety to just socialization."

 

Baltimore County Delegate Nick Allen, D-District 8, is one of the
co-sponsors of House Bill 1295, which did not make it past the Environment
and Transportation Committee.  

 

"I think with anything like this, whether it's in my committee, there's
always a lot of issues when it comes to newer technology, or new issues that
come along with technology.  Honestly, it takes a few tries in the General
Assembly for my colleagues and I to collectively kind of wrap our minds
around it to understand possible future implications of it and have these
discussions with the different groups that are impacted," Allen said.

 

The bill faced opposition from groups concerned about potential job losses.

 

"I also know that there are a lot of concerns from a lot of the unions,
people who represent some of the ride-sharing companies - even the taxicab
drivers.  Teamsters I know had some concerns," Allen said.

 

Othman said the bill's failure is a setback.

 

"We just feel utterly devastated and betrayed," Othman said.

 

Still, Othman said it is not the end of the road for Waymo's Baltimore
operation.

 

"We are not going anywhere, and we are going to fight until it's here,"
Othman said.  "This is a disability equity and civil rights issue, and no
civil rights movement ever ended because the General Assembly or the
legislature initially said no or refused to act.  We will keep educating
them.  We will keep working with the community partners.  We will keep
working with the industry.  We will keep working with drivers and others
until we get across the finish line, because it's going to be a win for
everybody in the state of Maryland."

 

Allen said he anticipates the bill will be revisited in the next legislative
session.

 

 




 

Attorney General Brown Leads Amicus Brief Defending Program That Helps Blind
Vendors Get Contracts on Military Bases

 

By William J. Ford

Published by Maryland Matters on April 25, 2026

Available at:
<https://marylandmatters.org/2026/04/25/maryland-joins-lawsuit-against-epa-f
or-failing-to-follow-rules-on-airborne-fine-particulate-matter/>
https://marylandmatters.org/2026/04/25/maryland-joins-lawsuit-against-epa-fo
r-failing-to-follow-rules-on-airborne-fine-particulate-matter/

[Editor's Note: At the state convention in February, Melba Taylor, president
of the Maryland Association of Blind Merchants, described the lawsuit
against the U.S. Department of Education and Linda McMahon for their efforts
to dismantle the Randolph-Sheppard program.  The plaintiffs in this suit are
the National Federation of the Blind, the National Association of Blind
Merchants, and Melba Taylor et al.  Here is an excerpt from an article
Maryland Matters published on the role of Attorney General Brown and 16
other states throughout the country who are supporting this lawsuit.  We
have not included the first part of the article, which covered a lawsuit
against the Environmental Protection Agency, as it was not directly related
to blindness.]



Meanwhile, Brown's office is leading on the filing of an amicus brief Friday
in U.S. District Court in Maryland that supports a lawsuit against the U.S.
Department of Education and its secretary, Linda McMahon, over the
department's waiver of the Randolph-Sheppard Act as it applies to the Army.
The Education Department oversees the 1936 Randolph-Sheppard Vending
Facility program, which gives priority to blind vendors for contracts to
operate food service and vending facilities on military bases.

 

In December, the department published a notice in the Federal Register that
the Randolph-Sheppard program on army installations "adversely affects the
interests of the United States."

 

In Maryland, the program is administered by the Business Enterprise Program
for the Blind within the state Department of Education's Division of
Rehabilitation Services.

 

According to the brief, the Business Enterprise Program operates at 60
locations with 47 licensed blind vendors.  The program has contracts at two
dining halls at Fort Meade.

 

"This program exists to give blind Marylanders the tools, training, and
access to build thriving businesses.  Dismantling it doesn't just close
doors; it tears down the whole doorway," Brown said.  "We will not stand by
while the federal government attempts to strip those opportunities away."

 

Maryland is joined by attorneys general from California, Colorado,
Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota,
Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Virginia, and the
District of Columbia.


Profile of an NFBMD Leader: Heather Davis

By Ronza Othman

 

[Editor's note: Most of us know the names of our affiliate's leaders, and we
associate them with the projects and events they have led.  However, we
don't always know how they came to be leaders in our organization.  We are
continuing a series that profiles our affiliate's leaders so our members can
get to know them better on a personal level.  This leader profile features
Heather Davis, member of the NFBMD board of directors, president of the
Eastern Shore Chapter, and co-chair of the NFBMD Deaf-Blind Committee, among
many other roles.]

 

Heather Davis (nee Guy) knew she was deaf when she got her first hearing aid
at the age of four.  She didn't know that Usher syndrome, which caused her
deafness, would also result in her blindness until she was fifteen when she
learned she had retinitis pigmentosa (RP).  Still, she did not identify as a
blind person until decades later.  Now, she is the president of the National
Federation of the Blind of Maryland (NFBMD) Eastern Shore Chapter, co-chair
of the NFBMD Deaf-Blind Committee, and one of the newest board members of
NFBMD.

 

Heather graduated from high school, earned her medical coding certificate,
and worked in that field.  She gave birth to her son, James, when she was
twenty.  She had her daughter, Jasmine, nearly a decade later. 

 

Heather started losing vision slowly in her late teens and early twenties,
primarily with her night vision going first.  She drove a car with her young
son, James, strapped into his car seat in the back until she was 25, when
she lost enough vision to no longer feel safe behind the wheel.  She
continued working in the medical coding field, initially by enlarging
documents, and eventually, using magnification technology.  Though Heather
tried to sign up for services with DORS, they had trouble understanding that
her challenges were due to her vision loss and not her deafness.  She
initially gave up on DORS providing her with support.  Heather quit her job
when Jasmine was born, not only to be a stay-at-home mom with Jasmine,
James, and her two stepchildren, but also because she could no longer read
the materials she needed to code.

 

Heather and her family took a vacation to Busch Gardens when James was about
eleven.  Heather noticed that James was not keeping up with the family as
they moved from attraction to attraction.  She asked him what was wrong, and
he said, "Mommy, I can't see you."  It turned out that James also had RP and
was losing vision.

 

Somehow, Sharon Maneki learned about James and Heather, and she invited them
to the NFB of Maryland state convention, which was taking place on the
Eastern Shore that year.  Heather quickly got involved, initially focusing
on the activities of the Maryland Organization of Parents of Blind Children
(MDPOBC), where she became a board member.  In that role, she worked with
others to ensure that her child - and Maryland blind children in general -
would have access to Braille instruction and travel skills.

 

At that same state convention, Heather's mother, Lynn Dunaway, met Sue
Schaffer, who at that time headed up the DORS Office on Blindness and Vision
Services.  Lynn advocated for her daughter to receive DORS services, just
like Heather advocated for her son to receive special education services.
Heather received training from Blind Industries and Services of Maryland
(BISM), working with LJ Bowen two days per week for nearly a year.  Because
Jasmine and James were so young, Heather was unable to attend the
residential training program at BISM, but she was able to receive tailored
training that incorporated techniques that would work for a deaf-blind
individual.

 

After Shirley Riffle retired from BISM in 2017, Heather was hired to support
BISM's training programs on the Eastern Shore.  Heather teaches blind and
low-vision students on the Eastern Shore adjustment to blindness skills,
including Braille, technology, independent living skills, and orientation
and mobility.  She is one of the primary forces behind the NFB BELL Academy
on the Eastern Shore.  

 

Heather has also held a number of other roles at BISM in addition to her
work as a rehabilitation teacher.  She managed BISM's youth program for a
year after Melissa Lomax left.  During the COVID-19 pandemic when BISM
suspended its training programs, Heather worked on the manufacturing floor,
including learning to string, fold, and pack jackets for shipping.  She was
assigned to train other blind individuals how to do this work, and new blind
associates on the Eastern Shore typically work with Heather for on-the-job
training.  Heather was also assigned to go to the BISM Raleigh plant to
teach associates sewing, cutting, and how to use the new time system.  

 

Along this journey, Heather increased her involvement in the NFB.  She
served as president of the Eastern Shore Chapter in 2019 for one year.  She
had to step away from the position for a year due to other family
priorities, but she returned to the role in 2021.  She joined the affiliate
board in 2026.  She also joined Janice Toothman as the co-chair of the
Deaf-Blind Division in 2023.

 

Heather married Lindsay Davis (LD) in 2025.  LD works as a wastewater
operator for Perdue Farms.  Heather's son, James, is currently in graduate
school at Salisbury University, working towards his Master of Social Work
degree after earning his BA in Social Work from UMBC.  Jasmine is in high
school and is an avid dancer and barrel racer.  Heather and her family own a
thoroughbred horse, Cash, with whom Jasmine races.  Heather and her family
are often busy at Jasmine's races between April and November.

 

In her spare time, Heather enjoys going to concerts.  Her favorite music
genres are 1980s soft rock and country.  She is an avid knitter and loves to
read.  She enjoys romances and mysteries, but she'll read just about
anything.

 

Heather brings quiet dignity to everything she does, including her
Federation work.  She is not the loudest person in the room, but she is
often the one who cuts to the heart of the issue and makes the most sense.
She shared that like every other deaf-blind person, she struggles in large
spaces or in big crowds, but her philosophy is "don't get stuck and just
figure it out."  This is also her philosophy on life and what she tries to
impart to other blind and deaf-blind people - just don't get stuck, and you
can figure it out.

 

 

Applying the Science of Reading to Braille with Benefits for All

By Erin Zobell

 

[Editor's Note: Erin Zobell is NFBMD's State BELL Academy Coordinator, Youth
Programs Coordinator, STEM2U Teacher/Coordinator, and an active member of
the At-Large Chapter of NFBMD.  She is also a Teacher of Blind Students
(TBS).  Erin wrote the below article, which was published in Volume 45, No.
2 of Future Reflections, the magazine published by the National Organization
of Parents of Blind Children.  The Future Reflections editor's note
introduced the article as follows: "Prior to becoming a teacher of blind
students, Erin Zobell was certified as a classroom literacy teacher.  While
obtaining her graduate certificate to be a Teacher of Blind Students, she
was also completing a Master's in Reading Education.  Her extensive
knowledge of teaching print literacy drives her to want to find better ways
to teach Braille literacy."]

 

In the world of literacy, there is a major focus on the Science of Reading.
In the late 1990s, the U.S. Congress created a task force to comb through
the existing research and find out which research-based strategies were most
effective for teaching children to read.  As the National Reading Panel
worked to carry out its mission, it categorized five areas necessary for
reading instruction: phonological awareness (including phonemic awareness),
phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension.

Since the 2000 publication of the National Reading Panel's report,
continuing research has been conducted.  Now, when referencing the Science
of Reading, people are referring to the whole body of evidence-based
instructional strategies that support reading, usually with one of the five
areas in mind.

I am a reading teacher.  (Just ask the six books crammed into my backpack
while I write this article.)  I started as a certified reading teacher with
a specific company.  Life being life led me to a new state that required
further reading courses.  With only a few more classes, I gained my master's
degree as a reading specialist.



While I was working on my master's, life stepped in again.  I found myself
gaining a graduate certificate to become a Teacher of Blind Students.  I
discovered a stark dichotomy between what the Science of Reading was saying
and the way blind children were being taught to read Braille.  I asked
myself, "If this method works for teaching print, why don't we use it for
teaching Braille as well?"

 

The Science of Reading

According to the Science of Reading, these are some methods that work for
teaching print readers.  I will suggest how teachers can adapt these ideas
when teaching Braille.

 

Phonological Awareness

This set of skills includes recognizing words that rhyme and words that
start with the same letter.  It also includes phonemic awareness, which
requires students to hear and identify individual sounds within a word.  For
instance, the word cat, when spoken aloud, has three sounds or phonemes:
/k/, /a/, and /t/, rather than one continuous sound.  With this skill, kids
can not only identify phonemes, but also add, subtract, or substitute
phonemes.

 

Activities

 

1.	Nursery Rhymes - Phonological Awareness Skill

 

2.	Rhyming Poetry - Phonological Awareness Skill

 

3.	Pig Latin - Moving the first sound of a word (if it is a consonant
sound) to the end of the word and adding a long /a/ sound.  If the word
begins with a vowel sound, simply add the long /a/ sound to the end of the
word.  Itay akesmay imay idskay aughlay.

 

4.	Sound Pompoms - You will need several pompoms of different sizes or
several objects with different textures.  I have the student put out three
pompoms.  Through each round, a sound is assigned to a pompom.  I tell the
student, "If this one represents sit, show me bit."  (If I need to break
apart the word into the phonemes, I will).  The student then touches each
object in the row, assigning the phoneme from the current word.  The student
needs to replace the object that represents the phoneme that was changed
with a different object, not one of the three that started in the row for
this round.  For the next round, I start with "bit," as that was the last
word, and change one phoneme.  It's good to work on real and nonsense
syllables here.

Strong phonemic awareness skills have a positive correlation with learning
to read.  However, it is important to note that struggles with phonemic
awareness do not mean someone cannot learn to read eventually.  Some
elements of phonemic awareness are early literacy skills and do not require
the ability to read any print or Braille.

Phonics

Phonics is the skill of putting letters together to make words.  In the
early stages of learning to read English, learners discover that c-a-t
spells cat.  When they get into more complex multisyllabic words, they
understand that the suffix tion sounds like "shun."

Phonics needs to be taught "explicitly and systematically" (National Reading
Panel, 2-89).  This means we teach graphemes (the spellings for sounds) in
an order that makes sense.  For example, in kindergarten or first grade, we
teach that c-h says ch, as in chair.  Later, we teach the far less common sh
sound of c-h, as in chef.  Eventually, to be an effective reader, students
need to know both, as well as the c-h that says k, as in character.  But
students do not need to know these variations when they are first learning
to read.

While there are a number of print phonics reading programs, there are not
many phonics options for Braille.  A phonics program geared for print will
not lead to a knowledge of Grade 2 UEB Braille due to the additional rules
in the Braille code.  The Natural Order of Contractions (
<https://naturalorderofcontractions.com/>
https://naturalorderofcontractions.com/) is a great program that seeks to
build the knowledge of the code once the basic alphabet is mastered.

It is important to make sure students are not taught only Grade 1 Braille.
Most Braille books and public signage use contracted Braille.  Students also
need to learn uncontracted Braille in order to master spelling so they can
type on a computer.

Though students need explicit instruction, that instruction does not have to
be boring.  The following activities were meant to help build knowledge of
contracted Braille.

 

Activities

1.	Contraction Go Fish or Memory - Explicitly teach the child a
contraction.  If teaching the contraction for and, let the student feel the
word on the page.  Ask the student to tell you what they feel.  Talk about
the cell, and tell the student it stands for the letters a n d.  Have the
student think of words that might use the sign and write them in Braille.
Explicitly teach several signs before you play the game.

Make sure there are contracted and uncontracted cards for each sign you are
working on.  For Go Fish, the students ask each other for either the
contracted or the uncontracted letters.  For Memory, the kids turn over the
cards.

This activity can be done with short form.

2.	Make a sentence - Writing adds a dimension to reading that can be
challenging.  By providing the words pre-Braille, the students focus on
decoding (reading) the words.  Give the students words that use contractions
and short form words they have been taught.  Have them make their own
sentences.  For an added level of difficulty, have the students type each
sentence.  (When they type, they need to know how to spell out words that
contain contractions.)

Vocabulary

To have a vocabulary is to know the meaning of words.  Many times, a word
may mean more than one thing.  A child needs to know that the word cat means
something, that it is not just noise when it is spoken.  As a child grows,
we expect them to know that cat could mean a house cat, but it also could
mean the whole feline family, including tigers and lions.  (Where I live, if
someone says they see a cat, they could be talking about a giant piece of
Caterpillar farm equipment!) 

Sighted children learn a great deal visually from seeing the world.
Children who are blind need more explicit instruction.  They may need more
explanation or realia (real-life objects) to help them understand concepts.




Strategies here are the same as those for a sighted child.  The difference
is that sometimes blind students need a little more support when learning a
word. 

 

Activities

 

1.	Pre-teach vocabulary a student needs to know.

 

2.	Provide repeated exposure to the words.  Circle back to words
learned earlier.

 

3.	Have students write their own definitions to the words to anchor
their learning. 

 

4.	Give examples and non-examples. 

 

5.	Read to your child.  One of the best ways to build vocabulary is to
read with your child.

 

 

Fluency

Fluency is the ability to read with "speed, accuracy, and proper expression"
(National Reading Panel, 3-1).  While expression is important for fluency,
speed is often an area for concern when it comes to reading Braille.  As
print readers are learning to read, there are standards for how many words
per minute a student should be reading.  A similar word per minute scale
does not exist for blind students.  This lack becomes worrisome as children
grow.  They need to read words fast enough to hold them in their short-term
memory and draw meaning from what they are reading.  If a child's reading
rate is too slow, the child may forget words from the beginning of the text
by the time they reach the end.  

 

Activities

1.	Read and Re-read - Record the student's speed and accuracy and
celebrate the growth.  By re-reading, a student builds what I call "instant
recall words."  Instant recall words are words that a student knows
automatically when they come across them.  This activity exposes the child
to the words on the page.  Remember that they need to be exposed to a word
many times before it becomes an "instant recall" word.
2.	Word list - Make games or silly sentences with words from word
lists, such as the Fry Word List, which focuses on the most frequently
occurring words.  The more instant recall words a student has in their
memory, the more words per minute they can read.

 

3.	Word sorts based on patterns - Perhaps you are going to have word
sorts with dot 5 contractions to see different words using those patterns.
The kids can sort the words in whatever way makes sense to them.  This game
is great to help children focus on using the ending contractions as well.

Comprehension

The whole goal of every other part of reading is to comprehend.  We can read
the words, read them fluently, and know the vocabulary.  But if we don't
understand what we read, it does us no good.  Strategies for both print and
Braille readers include:

1.	Answering questions about a text - What was the character's name?
What did she want?

 

2.	Imagining a text - Describe in your own words what you think is
going on.

 

3.	Summarization - Ask the child to tell you what happened.

 

4.	Ask questions about a text

 

Like any skill, reading gets better with practice.  Find something that
interests the reader and let them read.  Let them re-read.  Let them find a
love of reading.  If they can find a love of reading, learning to read
becomes easier.  If your child is not yet of the age to read independently,
you can still get Braille under their fingertips.  It is okay for them to
make up the words - sighted children do the same thing.



Read to your child.  Build the love of reading into daily life.

 

 

Reference

National Reading Panel (2000).  Teaching children to read: An evidence-based
approach.  National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
and US Department of Education.
<https://www.nichd.nih.gov/sites/default/files/publications/pubs/nrp/Documen
ts/report.pdf>
https://www.nichd.nih.gov/sites/default/files/publications/pubs/nrp/Document
s/report.pdf

 

 

 




 

Coffee with an NFB Staff Member: Celia Neale

[Editor's Note: NFBMD is a proud state affiliate of the National Federation
of the Blind.  In Maryland, we're particularly fortunate to be the home
affiliate of our national organization's headquarters, as well as the
affiliate where many staff members of our headquarters hold membership.  Our
national staff work hard to offer national programming and implement
operations for the NFB, and like all our sister affiliates, we benefit from
that work.  But in Maryland, we share a unique relationship with the NFB
national center due to our proximity and because the staff of the NFB are
often among the affiliate's volunteers.  We will spotlight a different
member of the staff in each edition of this magazine, and so we bring you:
Coffee with Celia Neale, Logistics Staff.]

Q: What is your role on the NFB staff?

A: I work as a Hospitality Assistant on the NFB logistics staff.  My job is
to prepare food for guests and visitors to the NFB and get ready for big
meetings and conferences by setting up and breaking down Members Hall, and
cleaning the building, including the sleeping rooms and all the spaces, from
top to bottom.

 

Q: How long have you worked for NFB? 

 

A: I started working for the NFB in 2017.

 

Q: Tell us about your educational and/or work background. 

 

A: I graduated from the School of Midwifery in the Philippines in 1979.  I
worked as a midwife and in hospital nurseries in Manila until 1981, when I
moved to Hong Kong.  I worked there from 1981 to 1996.  I moved to the
United States after I married my husband, working at Saint Agnes Hospital in
the Dietary Department from 1998 until 2016.  Then I came to the NFB.

 

Q: Tell us about your family to the extent you are comfortable sharing. 

 

A: I met and married my husband, James Nicholas Neale Jr. in 1992, when we
were both working in Hong Kong.  James was originally from St. Mary's
County, and he sponsored me to come to the United States.  I moved to the
U.S. on March 20, 1996.  James died in 2015 from a heart attack.  I do not
have any other family in the United States.

 

I had four sisters and three brothers, all of whom lived in Manila.  My dad
passed away in 1998, and my mom passed away from COVID in 2023.  One of my
brothers and one of my sisters also passed away from COVID within a few days
of my mother's death.  I lost my baby sister in 2025, and within the last
couple of months, my last brother and my last sister both passed away.  I'm
the only one still alive, but I have nieces and nephews in Manila, and we
talk every day. 

Q: What is your favorite beverage? 

 

A: Pineapple juice.

 

Q: What is your favorite food? 

 

A: I love fresh vegetables - any kind of fresh vegetable.

 

Q: What is your favorite vacation destination? 

 

A: I like to go to Ocean City and Bethany Beach.  A friend sometimes takes
us to where she has a house, and I love watching the sunrise and sunset and
collecting shells.

 

Q: What is your favorite quote? 

 

A: I don't have a favorite quote, but I like reading Shakespeare and books
about what's going on in the world.

 

Q: What is your favorite way to spend free time? 

 

A: I like going to church and helping my friend with her catering business.
I'm happiest when I'm cooking.

 

Q: What motivates you? 

 

A: I enjoy talking to my nieces and nephews.  They're twelve hours ahead, so
I start those conversations at about 3:00 AM every day, and it's a good way
to start the day.

 

Q: If you could pick which actor played you in the movie about your life,
who would it be? 

 

A: This is a hard one because I don't really watch movies or too much TV
other than the morning news.  All of the actors I can think of from the
Philippines are already dead.

 

Q: What is your favorite part about your job? 

 

A: Preparing food for the guests and visitors in the kitchen.

 

Q: What is your least favorite part about your job? 

 

A: Cleaning the bedrooms, especially the toilets.

 

Q: What is one really memorable experience you've had during your time with
NFB? 

A: Not that long ago, I had an accident in the kitchen and banged my ear on
the door.  I had to get 21 stiches.

 

Q: If you could give the membership one piece of advice, what would it be?

 

A: Be open-minded when talking to people who don't know blind people,
because those people don't know that blind people can do everything and live
the lives they want until someone blind shows them.

 

 




 

A Different Point of View

By Will Hendrick

 

[Editor's Note: Will Hendrick is a member of the NFBMD Greater Baltimore
Chapter Board of Directors, the NFBMD Central Maryland Chapter Board of
Directors, and the Blind Veterans Committee.  Will wrote the following to
share his perspective on a poetry competition in which he participated.]

 

I am fifty-two.  I have been writing poetry since high school, when I was
still sighted.  Back then, I felt that no one could perform my poetry better
than me because I knew exactly what I meant when I wrote the words.  Okay,
back to present day.  

 

On Saturday, September 6, 2025, I participated in the Baltimore Veterans'
Creative Arts Festival at the Maryland State Fair.  I entered the festival
in the categories Creative Writing and Dramatic Performance.  The
performance that I was evaluated on was recorded on July 29, 2025.  This is
because the recordings are forwarded to the national judges if you place
first or second.  

 

The VA describes the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival as follows:

 

Nationwide, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical facilities use the
creative arts to help veterans with their rehabilitation goals.  This annual
competition recognizes the progress and recovery made through that therapy
and raises the visibility of the creative achievements of our nation's
veterans.

 

Across the country each year, veterans enrolled at VA health care facilities
compete in a local creative arts competition.  In the local creative arts
competition, top winning entries advance to a national judging process, and
first, second and third place entries are determined at the national level.
First-place winning veterans are invited to attend the National Veterans
Creative Arts Festival hosted by a different VA facility each year

 

While rehearsing for my performance, I asked myself how good I could be.  I
am competitive; I want to win.  In addition, I thought about all the
teachers and mentors I have had in my life.  I thought about how thankful I
am for their presence in my life.  This includes teachers from my high
school, college, the U. S. Army, chiropractic college, all the hospitals
that I worked for, 500-hour yoga teacher training, and holistic psychology
school.  

 

Moreover, I had another thought: since I lost my vision, I have had multiple
non-sighted mentors and teachers.  These teachers are equal to, if not more
significant to me than my previous teachers because of the loss of vision.
Their guidance was more critical to me.  

 

So, then I was thinking, if one of my non-sighted teachers attended the fair
to support my performance, they wouldn't be able to see all my hand gestures
that I use to accentuate the poem.  And it truly means a lot to me that my
non-sighted teachers feel what I am saying and the true intention of my
poem.  Therefore, I rehearsed and rehearsed over and over.  And I was
thinking to myself, "I want to be so good that my non-sighted teachers can
see me.  I want to be so good that they can imagine the sight of me
performing the poem and the exact meaning of my words."  

 

Some of my non-sighted mentors showed me so much selfless dedication each
and every time I called on them for help.  I was driven to give the
performance of my life!  

 

When preparing for my live performance on September 6, I considered typing
my poem in Braille so that I could read it.  But I wanted to perform the
poem, not just read it.  Therefore, I had to memorize the poem.  This
required more practice, and indeed, I did practice.  

 

The hardest part was staying ready.  The Creative Arts Festival started at
noon, but the veterans were required to be at Loch Raven VA Medical Center
by 9 AM to board the free shuttle transporting us to the Maryland State
Fairgrounds in Timonium.  So, at 9 AM, I was ready to perform.  

 

The Veterans' Showcase did not begin until noon, and I was not called to
perform until about 1:30 PM.  I got a little stale trying to keep all of
those words in my head and the energy that I wanted to convey bottled up all
that time.  

 

Once I got started, the feelings started to come back.  The audience seemed
to connect with my words, which made a tremendous difference.  

 

To get to the point, I came in first place for Dramatic Performance,
Non-rhyming Poetry and second place for Creative Writing.  

 

The video I recorded in July is what I was actually judged on, and that
performance will be forwarded to the national judges.  I will be notified in
January if I am selected to perform at the national festival, which takes
place in June 2026.  

 

What's interesting is that although winning did matter to me, what was more
important to me was my non-sighted mentors being able to enjoy and
appreciate my live performance.  

 

The last time I won anything was in high school, when I won a dance contest
at a party given to my senior class by the radio station WPGC.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maryland Commission on Civil Rights Secures Landmark Fair Housing Settlement
from Housing Providers and Insurance Company who Discriminated Against
Tenant

Press Release: Maryland Commission on Civil Rights

April 23, 2026

 

[Editor's Note: In the following press release, the Maryland Commission on
Civil Rights explains its recent victory for fair housing.  This case is
relevant to the blind community because the complainant was a disabled
person with a service animal.]



In April 2026, the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights (MCCR) secured a
landmark fair housing settlement - one that breaks new ground for Maryland
and sends a clear message: discrimination, in any form, will not be
tolerated.  This case, a matter of first impression before Maryland courts,
challenged not only housing providers in Dorchester County, but also the
role of the insurance industry in enabling barriers to equal housing
opportunity.

 

As we recognize Fair Housing Month, MCCR does more than commemorate - we
confront.  This case is a stark reminder that the fight for fair housing is
far from over.

 

The Complainant, Ms. T. Gibson, a Maryland resident living with a
disability, sought a basic and lawful accommodation: the ability to live
with her assistance animals to manage her disability-related symptoms.  She
did everything right - secured housing, paid her rent and deposit, and
followed the process.  Yet on the very day she was to move in, she was
denied entry into what was to be her new home - not because of her need, but
because of the breed of her assistance animals.

 

Mr. and Mrs. Swann, the housing providers and Respondents in this case,
pointed to a restrictive insurance policy with Windsor-Mount Joy Mutual
Insurance Company, the additional Respondent, as justification, claiming
their coverage would be canceled if they honored her rights.  Rather than
engage in the interactive process required by law, they shut the door -
forcing the Complainant out and leaving her without housing for nearly a
year.

 

Let's be clear: policies do not excuse discrimination.  Systems do not
absolve responsibility.  And business convenience will never outweigh civil
rights.

 

While experiencing homelessness, the Complainant filed a complaint with the
United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which was
forwarded to MCCR for investigation in June 2020.  Following both a thorough
investigation and numerous failed attempts to resolve this matter
administratively between 2020 and 2023, MCCR found Probable Cause to believe
that both the housing providers and the insurance company violated the
Maryland Fair Housing Act.  MCCR issued its written Probable Cause finding
on August 23, 2023, and continued to attempt conciliation between the
parties.  In January 2025, the Respondents elected to move this matter to
court.

 

MCCR's Office of General Counsel took decisive legal action - suing both the
housing providers and the insurance company in the Circuit Court for
Dorchester County.  The Swanns settled first after this case was filed.
However, Windsor-Mount Joy Mutual Insurance Company attempted to avoid
accountability through a Motion to Dismiss - but MCCR pushed back and won.

 

MCCR argued that when an insurance policy effectively blocks access to
housing, it is not neutral - it is discriminatory in impact and unlawful in
effect.  The Court agreed, denying the Motion to Dismiss and affirming that
insurers, too, can be held accountable when their policies make housing
unavailable.  This proved to be the final motivation needed to secure a
settlement from the insurance company.

 

This ruling sends a powerful signal: entities cannot hide behind policy
language to justify exclusion. It is also more than a legal victory - it is
a declaration.  The definition of "housing provider" must be interpreted
broadly to include any individual or entity whose actions, policies, or
practices deny Marylanders equal access to housing.

 

The case ultimately resulted in a $45,000 settlement, and mandates fair
housing training for both the housing providers and the insurance company's
employees.  But the true impact goes beyond dollars - it reinforces that
fairness in housing is not optional, negotiable, or conditional.

 

This case makes one thing unmistakably clear," said Executive Director
Cleveland L. Horton II.  "You cannot outsource discrimination to an
insurance policy and expect to escape accountability. When systems,
policies, or practices deny someone equal access to housing, we will
challenge them - forcefully and without hesitation.  Fair housing is not a
suggestion - it is the law, and at its core, it is about human dignity.  At
MCCR, we will continue to stand on that principle and fight to ensure that
no Marylander is pushed out, locked out, or left behind."

 

MCCR remains unwavering in its mission: to challenge injustice, dismantle
systemic barriers, and ensure that every Marylander - regardless of
disability or circumstance - has a fair and equal opportunity to call a
place home.

 

 

 




 

2026 Rachel Olivero Accessibility Innovation Award

By Ronza Othman

 

[Editor's Note: In 2019, NFBMD established the Rachel Olivero Accessibility
Innovation Award in honor of a leader in the affiliate who had sadly passed
away that year.  Rachel Olivero modeled creativity, innovation, and tenacity
in technology access.  This award is given periodically to individuals who
make significant contributions to technology accessibility.  President Ronza
Othman gave the following presentation at the 2026 Annual Convention of the
National Federation of the Blind of Maryland banquet in February.]

 

One vital person who is indelibly part of the fabric that comprises the rich
history of the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland was Rachel
Olivero.  Rachel changed the landscape of how we do what we do through her
innovative spirit.  For Rachel, no job was too big, and no ask was
unreasonable.  For Rachel, even the mundane and monotonous work was a
challenge because she came up with innovative ways to do it better, faster,
more easily.

 

Rachel joined the Maryland affiliate in 2007 after having grown up in the
Wisconsin affiliate and then moving to the Indiana affiliate.  She moved to
Maryland when she joined the Access Technology Team at the National Center.
Though she left for Nebraska for a few years, she continued to support
Maryland even during that time.  She returned home to us in 2015.  

 

Sadly, we lost Rachel very unexpectedly in 2019 to complications from
pneumonia.  She was 36.  

 

Her legacy lives on in Maryland, though, and she will indelibly be part of
our story.  She built our website and led the effort to modernize it.  She
built our Connections database, which has more than 9,000 unique contacts,
and she led the effort to keep it operational.  In fact, I think she was the
only person who truly understood it.  She built our Convention Registration
platform.  She built our Crab Feast, Spring Concert, and any other online
registration system we have.  

 

She often went along with Sharon, Melissa, or me to IEPs so she could tell
the school districts what the best technology was for that particular
student's needs.  She worked with employers and members to figure out what
software worked with other software so that our members could work
independently.  

 

And if there wasn't a solution out there for a particular challenge, she
built one.

 

She also worked to find solutions for deaf-blind members to engage with the
hearing public on terms of equality.  She spent considerable time on
emergency management and preparedness, focusing on physical accessibility
and equal access to information.

 

Rachel's life mission was to advance accessibility.  She poured her heart
and soul into doing this, and she was very successful.

 

Rachel was particularly notable for her huge backpack.  You could count on
her to have a number of radios (she was an emergency preparedness guru and a
ham radio operator).  And if you ever needed anything fixed, tightened,
loosened, cut, or broken, Rachel would whip out her handy multi-tool and
take care of it for you.

 

Rachel loved to be entertained, and she shared the wealth.  She built her
own program to capture audio-described contents from TV shows and movies
that aired on live TV, and then she made sure that each of her friends had
the shows they wanted.  Thanks to Rachel, I was able to enjoy Grey's
Anatomy, Scandal, The West Wing, The Good Wife, Call the Midwife, and The
Simpsons, all of which were the audio-described versions.

 

In 2019, the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland established the
Rachel Olivero Accessibility Innovation Award.  We give out this award only
when we feel that someone has demonstrated the virtues that are reflective
of Rachel's.  

 

This year is one such year.

 

The recipient of the 2026 Rachel Olivero Accessibility Innovation Award is
someone who has dedicated their career to ensuring the blind experience a
more accessible world.  This person has used their considerable talents to
advance accessibility in the arts, including through the provision of audio
description, promoting the use of Braille and large print programs, and
helping to train volunteers to provide disability access related services at
theaters and other performing arts venues throughout Maryland.  This
individual has done all this work as a volunteer.

 

The recipient of the 2026 Rachel Olivero Accessibility Innovation Award is
Ralph Welsh.  

 

I'll read the inscription on the plaque.

 

National Federation of the Blind of Maryland

Rachel Olivero Accessibility Innovation Award

Presented to Ralph Welsh

For your dedication to equal access, for your creativity in spreading
knowledge to the blind, and for your leadership in eliminating accessibility
barriers.  

You enhance the present, you build the future.

February 14, 2026

 

And in Maryland tradition, the recipient of this award also receives, in
addition to this plaque, a multi-tool, which was one of Rachel Olivero's
favorite things.  

 

 




 

Tim Meagher: Leader, Mentor, and Friend!

By Mark Riccobono

 

[Editor's Note: Tim Meagher is a vital member of the NFBMD in numerous ways.
Tim was the long-time treasurer of the Eastern Shore Chapter, a consistent
volunteer at the Eastern Shore NFB BELL Academy, and a mentor to many on the
Eastern Shore and throughout Maryland.  The National Federation of the Blind
of Maryland awarded Tim our highest honor, the Kenneth Jernigan Award, at
the NFBMD state convention on February 14, 2026.  Below is what President
Riccobono, a member of the NFBMD Kenneth Jernigan Award Committee, shared
with the convention in presenting the award.  Tim's remarks when accepting
the award are also included below.]

 

Mark Riccobono:

 

In the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland, our highest honor that
we can bestow is our Kenneth Jernigan Award.  And oftentimes, Mary Ellen
Jernigan would be here to give this award.  She's not here this evening.
So, Mrs. Jernigan, if you're out there, we send warm greetings to you and
many blessings. 

 

We're honored that Mrs. Jernigan continues to be an active part of our
affiliate and we send our best wishes to Mrs. Jernigan.  She's currently
battling cancer.  And so, we want to continue to keep her in our thoughts
and prayers.  But she continues to give both real and inspirational
leadership to our movement and to our affiliate.

 

So, Dr. Jernigan was, of course, a member of this affiliate, having moved
our headquarters to Baltimore in 1978, and establishing the National Center
officially in 1979.  This award is given to someone who exemplifies the many
dynamic leadership qualities that Dr. Jernigan had, and especially that
quality of service and commitment to the blind of Maryland and, by
extension, the nation.  Kenneth Jernigan is known for many things.  You've
probably experienced his big ideas, his big actions through his writings,
the history of the organized blind movement.  But if you talk to people like
Tom Bickford, who got training from Dr. Jernigan way back in the 50s, this
is pretty cool.  The history part of this affiliate is that the real impact
of the man in his service was the personal influence that he had in those
personal interactions.  And the real love and support that he showed in the
relationships that he developed with blind people all over this nation.  And
our recipient of this award this year exhibits a lot of those qualities. 

 

Our recipient has a degree in public relations.  So, he's probably a good
communicator.  Our recipient has exercised a great deal of influence on the
local political scene to improve the lives of blind people.  Certainly,
something that Dr. Jernigan did everywhere he lived.  He has served as chair
of the Wicomico Disability Advisory Committee.  He did that for many, many
years.  And he served as a volunteer in the NFB Bell Academy, in Salisbury
to be specific.  And he served there for a long time as a key volunteer and
mentor.  In his mentorship, he has played many roles.  But one role that he
took particularly seriously was being a blind role model for other young
boys, especially.  And the note I have here: I don't know why it says he's
well known for this, but he's well known for teaching them non-visual ways
of attending to their hygiene.  Particularly important for young men.  He
served as a treasurer of our Eastern Shore chapter for many, many years.
And he is refreshingly direct.  You always know where he stands.  Another
quality that Dr. Jernigan had.  He was also kind and generous.  Also,
qualities of Kenneth Jernigan.  He's a true friend, leader in the blind
community.  And so, I would ask our 2026 Kenneth Jernigan Award recipient to
come forward. 

 

This is Tim Meagher. 

 

I'll read the text of the plaque.  It's a heavy piece of hardware.  It says
on the plaque, in Braille: 

 

National Federation of the Blind of Maryland

Kenneth Jernigan Award 

Presented to Tim Meagher

In appreciation for your many years of outstanding service.

Whenever we have asked, you have answered. 

We call you our colleague with respect. 

We call you our friend with love. 

February 14, 2026.

 

Tim, congratulations! 

 

Tim Meagher:

 

Thank you!  Wow!  Thank you!  Wow! 

 

Well, what a behind-the-scenes conspiracy this is! 

 

So, well, Madam President, Mr. President, I guess the first thing to say is:
I'm a native son of the Eastern Shore, so, wow, here in Ocean City, really?
Welcome to the Eastern Shore, everybody! 

 

So, quite a privilege for me.  Like our affiliate president, my background
is in human resources management.  And I was working in human resources
management in 1990 when the ADA was passed.  And at that time, I was in
charge of implementing that for the company that I worked for, which was a
healthcare company.  And then here I am.  I wasn't disabled then; I wasn't
blind then.  And here I am living the benefit of what that act put in place.
And it has been an honor for me to continue that level of advocacy;
regardless of employment now, I don't need employment in order to do it. 

 

I'm not standing here today by myself.  My chapter knows I'm never
speechless.  But I share this award with the mighty and strong members of
the Eastern Shore Chapter.  They know, they know, truly, personally, that
without their kindness, their love, their continued support, I literally
would not be standing here in front of you today.  And we all have our
challenges.  And I am so grateful that I know that I have the backing of a
chapter, of a state affiliate, of a national organization.  It's so amazing.
I got one on one shoulder and one on the other. 

 

That's unbelievable.  What a gift.  That's all I can say. 

And the kids, the kids.  Those original BELL Academy kids who are now
teenagers, all teenagers, and participate in the BISM Team Challenge Week.
They are such an amazing group of young people, and they inspire me every
day.  They keep me going every day as well. 

 

I hope you've had an incredible convention.  I will say this to you.  I wish
each of you much peace, much peace in your heart, much peace in your family.
As you leave tomorrow from the Eastern Shore, I wish you safe travels home.
And on this Valentine's Day, I leave you with this: love who you have, while
you have them. 

 

Thank you very much.  Thank you very much.  Thank you. 




 

2026 Convention Awards

By Ronza Othman

 

[Editor's Note: Each year, NFBMD grants a number of awards to various
individuals who promote and advance the civil rights of blind people.  Some
of those awards recognize Federationists who have worked diligently to gain
independence, and other awards recognize our partners and supporters.  Below
is a summary of the awards that were given at the 2026 NFBMD Annual
Convention in February.]  

 

Several awards were presented at the 2026 NFBMD Annual Convention:  

 

Juliann Hirst received the Distinguished Educator of Blind Children Award at
our convention banquet.  Juliann is a Teacher of Blind Students for the
Montgomery County Public School District.  Juliann was nominated for this
award by Kylie Quave and Matias Herrera.

 

We presented the Jennifer Baker Award during the NFBMD banquet.  Jennifer
Baker learned to read and write Braille despite her multiple disabilities.
With this award, we recognize other students who have overcome their
struggles to learn to read and write Braille and gain confidence in the
skills of blindness.  Matias Herrera, a third grader, received this
prestigious award.  Matias, in addition to blindness, has other
disabilities.  Matias participated in the NFB BELL Academy in Baltimore for
several years.

 

Will Hendrick, a board member of the Central Maryland Chapter and Greater
Baltimore Chapter, received the Anna Cable Award.  This award is given in
honor of Anna Cable, who lost her vision later in life.  Anna lived to be
108 years old, learned to travel independently, and learned to read and
write Braille.  Will Hendrick received this award because of his tremendous
enthusiasm for life and persistence in not only gaining the blindness skills
to live the life he wants but also making sure that others in Maryland gain
the skills of independence and a positive attitude towards blindness.  Will,
a veteran, is a great example of Anna's spirit because of his determination
to live independently and participate in all aspects of community life.

 

President Ronza Othman presented the Rachel Olivero Accessibility Innovation
Award to Ralph Welsh.  You can read more about this award elsewhere in this
issue.

 

NFBMD awarded the Kenneth Jernigan Award, our highest honor, to Tim Meagher.
You can read more about this award elsewhere in this issue.

 

Start thinking about who should receive these awards at the 2027 state
convention, to be held February 11-14, 2027!

 




 

Student Spotlight: Osolu Ozo-Onyali

[Editor's Note: Osolu (Soso) Ozo-Onyali is a member of the Maryland
Association of Blind Students Board of Directors, a member of the National
Association of Blind Students Board of Directors, a member of the NFBMD TLC
Chapter, and a member of the NFBMD Crab Feast Committee.  Soso is a 2026 NFB
National Scholarship finalist.  She is a rising senior at the University of
Delaware, double majoring in psychology and criminal justice, with a minor
in disability studies.  Soso plans to become a clinical forensic
psychologist, working in the criminal justice system.  Below is Soso's
scholarship application essay, which will introduce Soso in her own words.]

 

The day I fell down an entire flight of stairs, I learned two things.
First, Nigerian steps are built like they are preparing for a natural
disaster.  Second, denial is a powerful force.  I did not see the drop,
missed the first step completely, and tumbled all the way down.  The stairs
had sharp edges, no carpet, and absolutely no sympathy.  When I finally
landed, my first thought was not that I should start using my cane.  My
first thought was that I needed to learn how to fall more quietly.  So, I
recruited my siblings for what we called the "falling game."  The goal was
simple.  I wanted to hit the ground in a way that sounded less like a
collapsing bookshelf.  I was convinced that if I could fall more gracefully,
maybe even in a ladylike manner, no one would notice that I could not see
the stairs in the first place.  Looking back, it was a dramatic way of
avoiding the truth.  Something had to change, and it was not my landing
technique.

 

Growing up in Nigeria, I loved watching Nat Geo Wild.  My favorite animal
was the chameleon, not because of its colors, but because of its ability to
blend in.  I wanted that.  In classrooms where everything was in print, I
blended in by pretending I understood the lessons.  I blended in by relying
on classmates to whisper notes into my ear.  I blended in by shrinking
myself so no one would notice how much I was struggling.  I thought
invisibility was survival.

 

When my family immigrated to the United States, everything changed.  For the
first time, I had access to Braille, mobility training, and teachers who
believed I could be independent.  I learned Braille, learned to navigate
unfamiliar places, and learned to speak up when I needed something.  Slowly,
I realized that blending in was not the same as belonging.  I began to
understand that independence was not about pretending I did not need help.
It was about knowing when to ask for it.

 

It took years, along with a guide dog who had more confidence than I did, to
understand that I did not come to this country to disappear.  I came to take
up space.  My guide dog certainly took that mission literally.  He walks
like he owns every hallway, every sidewalk, and every classroom we enter.  I
used to think he was overconfident.  Now I think he was simply waiting for
me to catch up.

 

Today, I am an honors student at the University of Delaware, double majoring
in criminal justice and psychology, with a minor in disability studies.  I
no longer try to be a chameleon.  Instead, I have learned to lead.  I have
planned seminars, led committees, given speeches, and organized fundraisers,
such as the recent National Association of Blind Students auction.  These
experiences taught me that leadership is not glamorous.  It is problem
solving, patience, and stepping up when no one else does.  It is also
knowing how to bring people together, even when they all have different
ideas of what "simple" means.

 

My passion for disability justice extends beyond blindness.  As I learned
more about the criminal justice system, I saw how often people with
disabilities are misunderstood or punished for behaviors rooted in unmet
needs.  I recognized pieces of my younger self in those stories.  I want to
help someone before their unmet needs turn into a criminal record.  That
recognition shaped my purpose.  I plan to pursue a Psy.D in clinical
psychology, with a forensic specialization.  I want to work with individuals
in or entering the criminal justice or corrections system who have
disabilities and are not receiving the support they need.  My blindness is
not a barrier to this work.  It is part of the reason I am called to it.

 

I no longer fear standing out.  I walk forward with purpose, guided by my
experiences, a swaggering dog, my community, and the belief that visibility
is power.  The National Federation of the Blind has been central to my
growth, and receiving a national scholarship would allow me to continue
becoming the kind of leader, advocate, and professional who ensures that no
one is left behind simply because they were unseen.




 

2026 NFBMD Resolutions

 

[Editor's Note: The convention is the supreme authority of this
organization, and perhaps its most important function is to set the policy
of the Federation.  Below are the three resolutions that the convention of
the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland adopted on February 13 and
15, 2026.  NFBMD is actively working on these matters.]

 

Resolution 2026-01

Demanding Adequate Funding for the Independent Living for Older Blind (ILOB)
Program

WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland is the
transformative membership and advocacy organization of blind Marylanders,
speaking with a collective voice to promote independence, opportunity, and
equality for blind and low-vision Marylanders; and

WHEREAS, the Independent Living for Older Blind (ILOB) program, administered
by the Maryland Division of Rehabilitation Services (DORS) through the
Office of Blindness and Vision Services (OBVS), provides essential
non-medical adjustment-to-blindness services for blind and low-vision
individuals age fifty-five and older, enabling them to continue living
independently in their homes and communities; and

WHEREAS, ILOB services include, but are not limited to, independent living
skills training, orientation and mobility instruction, assistive technology
training, and the provision of access technology and other high-tech and
low-tech equipment necessary for safe and effective daily living; and

WHEREAS, federal funding for ILOB has been frozen for many years, has failed
to keep pace with inflation and rising technology costs, and is proposed for
elimination entirely in the FY 2026 federal budget; and

WHEREAS, the Maryland Division of Rehabilitation Services has historically
supplemented stagnant federal ILOB funds with Social Security Cost
Reimbursement (SS-CR) funds but has diverted those funds away from ILOB to
support the general vocational rehabilitation program, resulting in a severe
and ongoing reduction of ILOB services; and

WHEREAS, Medicaid, Medicare, and other federal programs do not cover ILOB
services or equipment because they are not considered medical in nature,
leaving DORS as the sole entity capable of ensuring the continuation of
these critical services; and

WHEREAS, current ILOB funding is so inadequate that DORS is unable to
provide instruction or equipment to any clients at all, despite hundreds of
open and active cases, leaving blind and low-vision seniors without the
training and tools they need to remain independent; and

WHEREAS, DORS has acknowledged that at least $1.5 million annually is
required to clear the existing backlog of cases and to provide sufficient
staffing, training, and equipment to meet the needs of ILOB consumers: Now,
therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland in
Convention assembled this thirteenth day of February 2026, in the city of
Ocean City, Maryland, that this organization demand that the Maryland
Division of Rehabilitation Services allocate no less than $1.5 million
annually to fully fund the Independent Living for Older Blind (ILOB)
program; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this funding must be dedicated specifically to
ILOB services, including staffing, instruction, access technology, and
adaptive equipment, and must not be diverted for other purposes; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland
call upon DORS to take immediate administrative and budgetary action to
restore and sustain full ILOB services without delay; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this resolution be transmitted to the
Superintendent of the Maryland Department of Education, the Director of the
Maryland Division of Rehabilitation Services, and other appropriate state
officials, and that the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland
continue to hold DORS accountable until blind and low-vision seniors in
Maryland receive the services to which they are entitled.

Resolution 2026-02

Regarding State Legislation to Permit Accessible Return of By-Mail Ballots

WHEREAS, the ability to cast a secret ballot independently is a cornerstone
of our democracy that enables citizens to vote their conscience without
fear; and

WHEREAS, Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that
voters with print disabilities must be provided an opportunity to mark and
return their by-mail ballot privately and independently that is equal to the
opportunity provided to voters without disabilities; and

WHEREAS, Section 9-308.1 of the Code of Maryland permits an accessible
online ballot-marking tool that allows blind users with access to a
computer, smartphone, or similar device to mark a by-mail ballot privately
and independently, but Maryland law does not permit ballots marked with this
tool to be returned privately and independently in an accessible manner; and

WHEREAS, the requirement to print out a by-mail ballot after marking it
privately and independently with Maryland's accessible online ballot-marking
tool is a barrier that prevents some blind voters from using the online
ballot-marking tool because they need the assistance of a sighted person to
1) confirm that the ballot printed correctly, 2) show them where to sign the
ballot oath, and 3) address an envelope to their local board of elections;
and

WHEREAS, voters who do not have a computer or smartphone cannot currently
avail themselves of any option to mark and return a by-mail ballot privately
and independently; and

WHEREAS, the lack of accessible ballot return is also a barrier for many
blind voters because they do not own a printer and therefore need to have
someone else print their ballot or use a public printer, compromising their
right to privacy and independence; and

WHEREAS, the ability to mark and return a by-mail ballot accessibly,
including but not limited to the ability to do so via a touch-tone
telephone, would ensure that the entire process of voting by mail would be
accessible to voters with print disabilities, and would further ensure that
their ballots would be received at the elections office in time to be
counted: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland in
Convention assembled this fifteenth day of February 2026, in the city of
Ocean City, Maryland, that this organization demand that the Maryland
General Assembly pass legislation during the 2026 legislative session
requiring the Maryland Board of Elections to implement a system for the
accessible marking and return of by-mail ballots via telephone, with robust
secrecy and data protection features, for the blind and voters with print
disabilities, such system to be in place by the 2028 primary elections and
further authorizing mobile voting in municipal elections for municipalities
who choose to pilot this method of voting.

Resolution 2026-03

Regarding Discriminatory Driver's License Requirements for Employment

WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland is committed to
the full integration of blind people into society, including equal access to
employment based on ability rather than misconception or stereotype; and

WHEREAS, blind and low-vision individuals are generally unable to obtain
driver's licenses and instead routinely and successfully use a wide variety
of alternative transportation options, including public transportation,
rideshare services, paratransit, walking, and other lawful means of travel;
and

WHEREAS, many employers, including units of state and local government,
continue to require possession of a valid driver's license for positions
that do not involve driving as an essential function of the job; and

WHEREAS, even in cases where travel is deemed an essential function of the
job, the employee does not necessarily need to drive their own vehicle in
order to travel, and the state can instead hire or contract with a driver or
reimburse for other modes of transportation mentioned above as needed; and

WHEREAS, requiring a driver's license for jobs that do not involve driving
operates as an arbitrary and unnecessary screening device that
disproportionately and unlawfully excludes qualified blind applicants; and

WHEREAS, many employers, including the Maryland Department of
Transportation, the City of Baltimore, and numerous state and local
entities, ask job applicants to provide a valid driver's license number for
all positions they advertise by default, even though the majority of
vacancies do not have a travel requirement as part of the essential
functions of the position; and

WHEREAS, requesting driver's license information on all job applications by
default may result in employers screening out qualified blind and low-vision
applicants and may cause blind and low-vision candidates not to apply due to
the mistaken belief that such positions require driving as an essential
function of the job; and 

WHEREAS, such requirements violate the Americans with Disabilities Act, the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and Maryland law, all of which prohibit
employment discrimination and require that qualification standards do not
screen out or exclude people with disabilities and that job requirements be
consistent with business necessity; and

WHEREAS, the continued use of non-job-related driver's license requirements
by state, county, and municipal agencies undermines Maryland's stated
commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and equal opportunity in public
employment: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland in
Convention assembled this fifteenth day of February 2026, in the city of
Ocean City, Maryland, that this organization demand that all Maryland state,
county, and municipal agencies and instrumentalities immediately cease
requiring possession of a driver's license for any job in which driving, as
opposed to travel, is not an essential function; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland
demand that state, county, and municipal agencies and governments review and
revise job applications, classifications, postings, and qualification
standards to ensure that driver's license requirements are included only
where actual operation of a motor vehicle by the applicant or employee is an
essential duty of the position; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we call upon appropriate state officials and
enforcement bodies, including the Office of the Maryland Attorney General
and the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights, to take proactive steps to
investigate, deter, and remedy discrimination based on driver's license
requirements that unlawfully exclude qualified blind and low-vision job
applicants; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we urge these enforcement agencies to issue
guidance, pursue compliance reviews, and take enforcement action where
necessary to ensure that Maryland government employers at all levels adhere
to nondiscrimination laws and principles. 

 




 

Spectator Specs

Graduations

 

Meredith Day graduated from Westminster High School.  She will be attending
the Colorado Center for the Blind this fall.  Once she graduates, she is
likely to attend McDaniel College to earn her degree in teaching.

 

Isaiah Rao graduated from Atholton High School.  He plans to attend the
Colorado Center for the Blind this fall.  After completing adjustment to
blindness training, he plans to attend Regent University in Virginia, where
he will enroll in the 3+3 program.  Isaiah plans to earn a BA in government
and then attend law school.

 

Jonah Rao graduated from Atholton High School as well.  He also plans to
attend the Colorado Center for the Blind this fall.  He will attend Regent
University in Virginia in the fall of 2027, where he plans to study
cybersecurity.

 

Congratulations and best wishes to all!

 

Births

 

Garret Mooney and Brittany Bomboy welcomed Baby Madeline Grace Mooney on
March 22, 2026.  Madeline came in at 10 pounds and one ounce.  Though she
initially had some medical challenges, she is now doing well.  Garret serves
as the president of the Maryland Organization of Parents of Blind Children
and on the Board of Directors of the NFB of Maryland.  Brittany serves on
the board of the Maryland Organization of Parents of Blind Children,
previously served as our NFB BELL Coordinator, and coordinates our childcare
programs for affiliate events such as our convention.  Mom, Dad, Big Sister
Braylie (11), and Big Brother Matthew (2) are excited to welcome their new
sister and to introduce her to the Federation.

 

New Jobs and Promotions

 

In the fall of 2025, Latonya Phipps joined Commence as an Arbitrator.  In
this role, Latonya reviews and adjudicates No Surprises Act cases as a
federal contractor.

 

In March 2026, Ronza Othman joined the City of Baltimore Department of
Public Works to serve as Deputy General Counsel.  In that capacity, she
provides city leadership advice and counsel and represents the Department of
Public Works in legal proceedings related to infrastructure; water;
wastewater; solid waste; human resources and employment; contracting and
procurement; governmental affairs and legislation; and operations.

 

In May 2026, Toni March was promoted to the position of Department of
Rehabilitation Services (DORS) Senior Executive Director for Planning,
Operations, and Field Services.  In this role, she supports all of DORS and
serves as the principal advisor and operations manager to the Assistant
Superintendent for Rehabilitation Services.  She also serves as the Director
of Field Services.  This is the position previously occupied by Jody Boone.
Toni has served in her role as OBVS Director for more than a decade after
having been a vocational rehabilitation counselor and serving in various
other roles in OBVS.  

 

In June 2026, Tandra Hunter-Payne, who for over a decade, served as OBVS
Assistant Director, was promoted to the position of Director.  Tandra brings
a wealth of knowledge and experience to this role, including leadership
roles in OBVS and serving as a counselor for many years.  

 

Congratulations to all!

 

Awards

 

Ashley Biggs was named as a 2026 Library Journal Mover and Shaker.  Ashley
is one of only 50 other librarians from across the country to receive this
award.  Ashley has served as the Marketing and Outreach Librarian at the
Maryland Library for the Blind and Print Disabled since 2017.  Each year,
she creates and implements innovative programs and activities to get both
adults and children excited about reading.  Congratulations, Ashley!

 

 

 

 

Ronza Othman, President

National Federation of the Blind of Maryland

443-426-4110

Pronouns: she, her, hers

 

Need to meet with me?   <https://calendly.com/president-nfbmd/30min> Please
use this link to schedule through Calendly.

 

The National Federation of the Blind of Maryland knows that blindness is not
the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the
expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles
between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want;
blindness is not what holds you back.

 

 

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