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<header>The National Association of Blind Students
A proud division of the National Federation of the Blind.
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<h1>March NABS Notes 2017, Jump to sections</h1>
<ul>
<li><a href="#quick1">The National Federation of the Blind Applauds Introduction of AIM HIGH Act</a></li>
<li><a href="#quick2">National Convention Preregistration</a></li>
<li><a href="#quick3">Social Security Forms</a></li>
<li><a href="#quick4">McGraw-Hill</a></li>
<li><a href="#quick5">NABS Cook Books</a></li>
<li><a href="#quick6">Seeking: Blind Mentors for 2017 LIFE Program</a></li>
<li><a href="#quick7">Pearson Announces Career Exploration Mentorship Program for Students</a></li>
<li><a href="#boardMinutes">NABS Board Meeting Minutes</a></li>
<!--li><a href="#committeeUpdates">NABS Committee Updates</a></li-->
<li><a href="#blog">This Months Blog Post</a></li>
<li><a href="#stateUpdates">Student division updates by state</a></li>
</ul>
<h2 id="quick1">The National Federation of the Blind Applauds Introduction of AIM HIGH Act</h2>
<p>
The National Federation of the Blind Applauds Introduction of AIM HIGH Act
Law Will Promote Equal Access to Higher Education for People with Disabilities
Baltimore, Maryland (March 29, 2017): Today, the National Federation of the Blind commends Congressman Phil Roe (R-TN) and Congressman Joe Courtney
(D-CT) for introducing the Accessible Instructional Materials in Higher Education Act of 2017, also known as the AIM HIGH Act (H.R. 1772). This act will promote instructional technology and content that are accessible to the blind and other students with print disabilities. Mark A. Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said:
"The National Federation of the Blind has worked for years toward the introduction of this much-needed legislation, which will give postsecondary
institutions guidance to help them meet their legal obligations to students with disabilities, and also bring more accessible instructional materials to
the higher education market. Blind students are adversely impacted daily by educational technologies that artificially limit students because they were
designed without accessibility in mind. As a past member of the Commission on Accessible Instructional Materials, whose work identified this crucial
need, and a father of three, including two daughters who are blind, I am pleased to see this goal come to fruition. We applaud Congressman Roe and
Congressman Courtney for their introduction of this legislation and urge their colleagues to join them in supporting its swift passage."
Congressman Roe said: "No student pursuing their education should be put at a disadvantage because they have a disability, and this bill simply
encourages higher education institutions to provide equal access to all instructional materials. With more students' coursework requiring digital
resources, it makes sense to encourage colleges and universities to make accessible material available to support all their students, including those
who have a disability. I thank Rep. Courtney for partnering with me on this important issue and I look forward to moving this bill through the
legislative process. I also thank all the stakeholders who have worked so hard to develop a common sense solution that can be supported on a
bipartisan basis."
"The goal of our bill is to ensure that no student is put at a disadvantage while pursuing a higher education degree because they have a disability,"
said Congressman Courtney. "With colleges and universities across the country converting to digital resources, we need to ensure that students
with disabilities have equal access to the tools and resources at the disposal of other students. I want to thank Rep. Roe for once again leading
this bipartisan effort with me, and I look forward to working with him to get this measure passed this Congress."
The AIM High Act will authorize a purpose-based commission comprised of persons with disabilities, developers, and manufacturers, as well as
representatives from institutions of higher education. This commission will develop voluntary accessibility guidelines for instructional materials used
in postsecondary educational programs. Additionally, the commission will be tasked with developing an annotated list of existing national and
international information technology standards as an additional resource for institutions of higher education and companies that service the higher
education market. Institutions of higher education that only use technology that conforms with the guidelines will be deemed in compliance with the
provisions of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and Titles II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act that pertain to the use of electronic
instructional materials, giving them a safe harbor protection from litigation. Colleges and universities will be permitted to use material that
does not conform with the guidelines as long as equal access laws are still honored. Conformity with the AIM High guidelines is only one path to
compliance; schools can pursue a different path, but will forfeit the safe harbor legal protection.
The AIM High Act is a collaborative legislative initiative of the National Federation of the Blind, the American Council on Education, the Association
of American Publishers, EducauseR, and the Software and Information Industry Association.
We need our universities to take action, now! The time is critical.
Don't deny, AIM-HEA!
Please contact me with any questions.
For equal access to education,
Kathryn C. Webster
President | National Association of Blind Students
<br><br></p>
<h2 id="quick2">National Convention Preregistration</h2>
<p>
Preregistration is now open. When purchased online by May 31st, the preregistration fee for convention is $25 ($30 on-site) and the cost of a banquet ticket is $60 ($65 on-site).
To preregister, please follow this link:
<br><br><a href="https://convention.nfb.org/">National Convention Preregistration</a>
<br><br></p>
<h2 id="quick3">Social Security Forms</h2>
<p>
The NFB is seeking members who currently receive social security benefits and would like Social Security forms to be accessible and available online, so that blind individuals can privately and independently complete these forms. We are particularly interested in hearing from members who are iOS users. Please contact Valerie Yingling at: <br><br><a href="mailto:vyingling@nfb.org">Here</a><br> to discuss how you can help NFB push the Social Security Administration towards accessibility.
<br><br></p>
<h2 id="quick4">McGraw-Hill</h2>
<p>
The NFB is investigating the accessibility of McGraw-Hill products and platforms, including ALEKS, Connect, and SmartBook. If you have encountered access barriers with McGraw-Hill products or platforms, please contact Valerie Yingling at: <br><br><a href="mailto:vyingling@nfb.org">Here</a>
<br><br></p>
<h2 id="quick5">NABS Cook Books</h2>
<p>
Greetings NABS,
NABS is selling accessible cook books to help raise funds so we can help sponsor students to attend our national convention. Please consider purchasing one of your own and contact friends and family to get one into their hands as well. This cookbook is a diverse collection of recipes submitted by blind students from across the country. It is divided into three sections which are appetizers, entrees, and of course desserts! Each section contains a multicultural influence from Asian, Middle Eastern, Mexican, Italian, and down home American comfort food. At the front of the book it also has helpful non visual cooking tips and where to find non visual kitchen gadgets. We are able to print these in braille, large print, and regular print. All varieties are sold for $15.
<br><br>
If you would like to purchase one of your own please follow this link to the order form. Thank you and lets continue to build a federation.<br><br>
<a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdkhzrqVB9WFrHWcTeeC0o95SH5DgOC82NT8BUZKs872AyfsA/viewform?c=0&w=1">Cook Book Order Form</a>
<br><br></p>
<h2 id="quick6">Seeking: Blind Mentors for 2017 LIFE Program</h2>
<p>
Are you ready to be an agent of change with the blind and vision impaired youth of Virginia?
The Virginia Rehabilitation Center for the Blind and Vision Impaired (VRCBVI) is seeking three blind college students or young professionals to be mentors for our 2017 Learning Independence, Feeling Empowered (LIFE) Program. Mentors will work alongside our instructional staff in areas which may include (but are not limited to): Braille, Cooking Skills, Access Technology, and College 101, as well as during after-hours confidence building activities. If you are enthusiastic about giving back to the next generation of blind and vision impaired youth and you want to have fun while working, then being a mentor in the 2017 LIFE Program is the place for you. We highly encourage mentors to be available June 12 through August 11, 2017. The 2017 LIFE Program will take place on the campus of VRCBVI in Richmond, Virginia.
LIFE is a five week residential summer program for high school-aged blind and vision impaired youth who want to learn the skills of blindness, participate in a college preparation or career exploration program, develop a positive attitude about blindness, and have fun while getting to know their blind peers.
Ideally mentoring candidates will:
· Possess excellent blindness skills specifically the ability to travel independently using a long white cane or dog guide while communicating with and monitoring a group of high school age students
· Be available from June 12, 2017 to August 11, 2017
· Be able to work 40 hours a week, including evenings and weekends
· Be able to communicate effectively with co-workers and supervisor
· Possess maturity, patience, and the ability to work as part of a team
· Enjoy teaching and have an enthusiastic sense of adventure
· Reside in the dorm apartments on the VRCBVI campus
· Pass a background check
Rate of pay: $10.00 an hour plus room and board
To learn more or to apply, please contact <strong>Greg Chittum</strong><br>
by email at <a href="mailto:greg.chittum@dbvi.virginia.gov">Here</a><br>
, by phone at <strong>(804) 371-3204</strong><br>
or by mail at <strong>401 Azalea Avenue, Richmond, VA 23227</strong><br>
To apply please provide the following five items:
1. Print copy of Commonwealth of Virginia Application for Employment by going
<a href="https://virginiajobs.peopleadmin.com/">Here</a><br><br>
to login or create an account, then proceed to <a href="https://virginiajobs.peopleadmin.com/postings/9275>Click here</a><br><br>
if you want to create and save your application but not apply to a job.” After completing your application, go to print view where you can email the application or send a hard copy
Cover Letter
3. Resume
4. Three professional references
5. 500 word essay explaining why you would be the best candidate for the position and the role mentoring has played in your success
<strong>All applications must be complete and received by not later than April 14, 2017.</strong>
<br><br></p>
<h2 id="quick7">Pearson Announces Career Exploration Mentorship Program for Students</h2>
<p>
Collaboration with National Federation of the Blind brings decades of experience preparing blind and low vision students for career success
Today Pearson, in collaboration with the National Federation of the Blind (NFB), announced the launch of a new career exploration mentorship program for college students and recent graduates who have disabilities. The program will begin as a pilot, combining the NFB’s expertise in mentoring and advocating for career opportunities for blind and low-vision students and Pearson’s commitment to providing mentorship to a wide range of students with disabilities. The program will provide participants with access to guidance, advice, and support from experienced professionals working in a variety of legal-related positions at Pearson.
Blind, low vision and students with disabilities often face low expectations or unnecessary roadblocks when identifying and pursuing career paths. This can result in a ‘channeling’ into jobs that they are not passionate about or that limit their true potential. Participants in this three-month pilot program will be paired with a mentor who has been specifically trained on how to guide and advise blind or disabled students who may be unfamiliar with the opportunities and preparation necessary to succeed in corporate environments. Mentors work in a variety of functions on the Pearson legal team and will help students access a breadth of resources – from meetings with senior leaders to advice on preparing and tackling education and career goals to building a resume and identifying interesting internships and jobs.
“I am excited and proud at the level of enthusiasm we have seen in Pearson’s legal department as we have prepared to announce this program. Our goal is simple, yet incredibly important: to help guide young professionals who are disabled to find the career opportunities that match their passions,” said Bjarne Tellmann, general counsel for Pearson. “With the experience and partnership of the NFB, we want to open the door to careers that many young, disabled people didn’t know existed or were accessible to them, and support them as they take the next step in their professional lives.”
“For over seventy-five years, the National Federation of the Blind has fostered mentoring relationships in order to raise the expectations of the blind and to help them achieve their dreams and live the lives they want. Partnering with Pearson is a natural outgrowth of this important work, allowing aspiring blind professionals to establish mentoring relationships with their peers and obtain career guidance that will increase the odds of success. We look forward to working with Pearson to build this program and get more blind people on the pathway to the board rooms of major corporations around the world,” said Mark Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind.
Students can begin applying for the pilot program immediately by e-mailing Elizabeth Delfs at
<a href="mailto:elizabeth.delfs@pearsoned.com">Here</a><br>
Pearson and the NFB hope to continue and expand the program past the pilot
<br><br></p>
<h2 id="boardMinutes">NABS Board Meeting Minutes</h2>
<p>
<strong> Board Meeting Minutes March, 2017</strong><br><br>
<strong>Meeting called to order at: 9:02 P.M.</strong>
<br><br>
Members Present:.
<br>
<ul>
<li>Kathryn Webster (President)</li>
<li>Bre Brown (1st Vice President)</li>
<li>Syed Rizvi (2nd Vice President)</li>
<li>Cody Bearslee (Treasurer)</li>
<li>Michael Ausbun (Secretary)</li>
<li>Vee Gaspa (Board Member 1)</li>
<li>Tarik Williams (Board Member 2)</li>
<li>Chris Nusbaum (Board member 3)</li>
<li>Bryan Duarte (Board Member 4)</li>
</ul>
<br><br>
<h4> Treasurer’s Report:</h4>
<p>
<strong>Checking account balance: $3588.98</strong>
<br><br></p>
<h4>Current work</h4>
<p>
<strong>President webster:</strong>
<br>
Our fundraising efforts are steadily bringing in money.
<br>
<!--strong>Vice president Brown:</strong-->
<strong>Vice President Risvi:</strong><br>
The outreach committee will be having its first call this month. Everything is moving along smoothly.
<br>
<!--strong>Treasurer Beardsly:</strong-->
<strong>Secretary Michael</strong><br>
The legislative priorities are moving through the processes necessary to become legislation. The committee will be hosting a series of calls directed to ensuring every state understands what is required when meeting with a University president or a member of a state deligation.
<br>
<!--strong>Board Member Vee</strong-->
<!--strong>Board member Williams:</strong-->
<!--strong>Board member Nussbaum:</strong-->
<!--strong>Board member Duarte:</strong-->
<h4>Upcoming NABS Rep. assignments:</h4>
<ul>
<li>Syed to Nebraska</li>
<li>Bre, Michael, Tarik, and Chris to Louisiana</li>
<li>Bre and Syed to Oklahoma</li>
<li>Vee to Wisconsin</li>
<li>Kathryn to Minnesota, Utah, and Illinois</li>
<li>Williams to Missouri</li>
<li>Bryan to New Mexico</li>
</ul>
<br><br>
<strong>Old Business:</strong><br>
Cook Books: A cookbook order form has been created. The braille production is starting to hit its stride, and orders are being met.
Membership call for March: The membership call for march will be a fitness related call. This should bring in a lot of folks.
Promoting National Scholarship Program: The National Scholarship deadline is Friday, March 31. Promote, premote, premote!
<br><br>
<h4>New Business</h4><br>
<ul>
<li>Nominating Committee: This year, the National Association of Blind Students will have a nominating committee. These members, three state presidents and three board members will be responsible for meeting and determining who ought to serve the national Association of Blind Students.</li>
<li>Constitutional Revision Committee: our constitution needs some updating, in order to be in alinement with the national constitution. This committee will be chaired by President Webster, and folks wil be asked to help her with this project.</li>
<li>Host Committee for National Convention: for the first time, the National Association of Blind Students will be serving on the Host committee, we need all hands on deck to ensure this will be a fantastic convention.</li>
<li>50th Anniversary Planning Committee: This committee will be responcible for ensuring that the fiftieth aniversey of NABS is celibrated in style. Lots of hep is needed, please reach out to Shannon Canton for more information!</li>
<li>Mentorship Program: Every year we have a mentorship program at the National Convention. We need to start thinking about how this project will be designed to ensure the greatest degree of success.</li>
</ul>
<br><br>
<!--h4>State updates:</h4-->
<!--h4>Committee objectives:</h4-->
<strong>Meeting adjourned at: 10:05 P.M.
.</strong>
</p><br><br>
<!--h2 id="committeeUpdates">NABS Committee Updates</h2-->
<!--h3>Communications committee</h3>
<p>
<ul>
<li>We did not hold a communications committee meeting in December</li>
<li>We still need blog post writers who are willing to share their blindness related testimony. Please reach out to Bryan if you are willing to write for the NABS blog. <a href="mailto:bjduarte@asu.edu">bjduarte@asu.edu</a></li>
</p>
<h3>Fundraising Committee</h3>
<p>
The fundraising committee is coming out of the holiday gates running! We are continuing to prepare for the NABS café at Washington Seminar. This year NABS café will be on Monday January 30th from 8:30pm until midnight. We are selling wristbands now for $5 and the price in Washington D.C. will be $7 so don’t delay get your NABS café wristband today! The fundraising committee is also selling the first ever NABS cookbook which was compiled by our fellow blind students from around the country. If you would like to pre-order a NABS cookbook please get in contact with any member of the NABS board or NABS fundraising committee. The price is $15 and it contains over 40 mouth-watering recipes. Lastly the tentative meeting times for the fundraising committee meetings in January are the 8th and 22nd both at 8pm central time.
</p>
<h3>Legislative Committee</h3>
<p>
<ul>
<li>The George Washington University officially passed a resolution in support of AIM-HEA.</li>
<li>The Nevada System of Higher Education Chancellor is conducting researching into the parameters of AIM-HEA, in order to determine what support he can offer.
</li>
<li>Our last call well attended, but we still need more testimonials from students. If you have a story to tell about accessibility or inaccessibility in the classroom, send the story to the legislative committee or the president of the National Association of Blind Students.</li>
</ul>
</p>
<h3>Membership Committee</h3>
<p>
<ol>
<li>We recapped our November membership call about our national
scholarship program.
</li>
<li>We began discussing a future project about gathering training center stories.</li>
<li>Our January membership call will be about Washington seminar.</li>
<li>Our next membership committee call will be January 8th.</li>
</ol-->
<br><br></p>
<h2 id="blog">March Blog Post</h2>
<p>
Greetings NABS,
Attached is a link to this months blog post. It comes from Ana Martinez a current student at Louisiana Center for the Blind. In this article Ana shares with you her experience applying her skills learned at LCB to live the life she wants while participating in the festivities of Mardi Gras. Join with me in reading this story of taking the skills developed at one of our training centers, applying those skills, and ultimately being successful in living the life she wants!
If you have any questions please contact Bryan at: <br><a href="mailto:bjduarte@asu.edu">Email Bryan</a><br>
<a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__nabslink.org_content_nabs-2Dblog-2Dmarch-2Dana-2Dmartinez-2Dmardi-2Dgras&d=DQIGaQ&c=AGbYxfJbXK67KfXyGqyv2Ejiz41FqQuZFk4A-1IxfAU&r=5dCABYJ5CxvQOBhyYB2Rbvx93pYuHZ0o8bUuY2oCLno&m=SbWR0z66RHUYn95hkRyaEXYDMNR3qap-SqO6D2FU2W0&s=wa1rPUSZcy6FIwFXSKIn0txkhURRgIy-d7eGnEY3tVM&e=">Read Blog Here</a>
<br><br></p>
<h2 id="stateUpdates">Student division updates by state</h2>
<h3>Arizona</h3>
<p>
Greetings from Arizona students,
During the month of March we organized our board into committees and each committee is now apart of the respective state committee. In this way we plan to work closely with the affiliate to greater target our new members as well as making sure that the work we are doing is the same between students and affiliate members. We have also been working on planning new fundraising events as well as fun outreach and engagement socials. We are excited about what is to come in Arizona and will continue to build this federation with you.
<br><br></p>
<h3>Alabama</h3>
<p>
Hello NABS I bring you greetings from AABS as the newly elected president. I will like to introduce our newly elected board for the 17-18 year. Jessica Williams’s president, Grace Anderson vice president, Tamika Williams’s advisor, Lesly Dixon treasure, Anna Walsh secretary, Anthony Craig board member. As the year thrush into gear after a dynamic weekend of information, knowledge, and exciting fun at our state convention in Huntsville. Thumbs up to our NABS rep Vee Gaspa to a job well done at the student technology seminar demonstrating the KNFB reader and the blue tooth keyboard. AABS now have plans to kick into gear with wonderful ideas for the future with state wide fundraisers, state wide college campus seminars for recruitment, and a state scholarship that is available now on our state website. As the summer approaches we look forward to seeing You all at the national convention.
<br><br></p>
<!--h3>California</h3-->
<p>
</p>
<!--h3>Colorado</h3-->
<p>
</p>
<!--h3>DC</h3-->
<p>
</p>
<!--h3>Delaware</h3-->
<p>
</p>
<!--h3>Hawaii</h3-->
<p>
</p>
<!--h3>Illinois</h3-->
<p>
<br><br></p>
<!--h3>Iowa</h3-->
<p>
</p>
<!--h3>Kansas</h3-->
<p>
<br><br></p>
<!--h3>Louisiana</h3-->
<p>
<br><br></p>
<!--h3>Maryland</h3-->
<p>
</p>
<h3>Massachusetts</h3>
<p>
MASSABS has been hard at work building membership and continuing to grow as a division. The student sessions throughout the state convention held from February 24-26 were both successful and informative for students old and new. Elections were held during the student business meeting. After convention, the newly elected board held a successful and constructive board call with the affiliate President in attendance to recap develop new ideas and goals moving forward. The student board will be reaching out to new students who attended convention, and are also working to plan their spring social which will be held in April. Congratulations to the 2017 MASSABS board: President Precious Perez, Vice President Tyler Littlefield, Secretary Kristina Vu, Treasurer Meaghan Roper, and Board Member Stephanie Valdes.
All the best,
<br><br></p>
<!--h3>Nevada</h3-->
<p>
</p>
<h3>New Jersey</h3>
<p>
NJABS is currently working to put together a seminar at the College of New Jersey for April 22, and this seminar will be about all aspects of wellness such as, physical, mental, and social. We are excited to be doing our second seminar at TCNJ, and it will no doubt be a great event!
<br><br></p>
<!--h3>North Carolina</h3-->
<p>
</p>
<h3>Ohio</h3>
<p>
Ohio Association of Blind Students is working on increasing membership
and participation. Our state president and scholarship committee are
helping a lot with this. OABS attended Cincinnati Braille Challenge in
March to support and recruit young students to the division. On March
call, we had Barbara Pierce as our guest speaker to talk about the
characteristics of successful student divisions. This was very
motivational. We are also working on fundraising activities. Our
podcast series is continuing. The new podcast will be released very
soon. Stay in touch with us
<br><br></p>
<!--h3Oregon>Oregons</h3Oregon-->
<p>
</p>
<h3>Pennsylvania</h3>
<p>
Hello Fellow Federationist!!
Here in Pennsylvania we have been working hard to put together a student seminar with the outstanding States of New Jersey, Virginia, and Maryland! We're also finalizing our ideas for future t-shirt sales (please follow us on Twitter @PABSnfb to vote on our options and let us know which one you like best). And continuing to randomly reward our conference call participants with various gift cards for their attendance. If you are a student from Pennsylvania or just interested in seeing what PABS is up to, please join our calls every second Sunday at 7:30 pm ]'est) by calling 641:715:0700; access code: 616934
<br><br></p>
<!--h3>Texas</h3-->
<p>
<br><br></p>
<!--h3>Virginia</h3-->
<p>
</p>
<h3>Wisconsin</h3>
<p>
Greetings from Wisconsin!
The Wisconsin Association of Blinds had a bake sale last month. We did well with that. This weekend, we will be having a student recruitment event in Kendall,Wisconsin. It will be held at the house of our state president, John Fritz. We will be doing some confidence building and Team building skills. As well as talking about NFB Philosophy. It should a fun time. Our state convention will be April 7th-9th in Pewaukee,WI. We will put on a scavenger hunt for the little ones as well as a mini student seminar for high school and college students and a talent show that friday night. We will be holding elections at our student luncheon on saturday. Vee Gaspa will be coming as our NABS rep. We are so excited and ready for our convention.
<br><br></p>
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