[Nfb-editors] Pennsylvania Newsletter- "the Blind Activist"
Robert Leslie Newman
newmanrl at cox.net
Mon Mar 7 23:06:11 UTC 2011
Here is the most current issue of the "The Blind Activist" that I could
find. It is 27 pages at, 10,224 words in length.
The Blind Activist
Keeping the Keystone State Informed
Published by:
The National Federation of the Blind of Pennsylvania
42 S. 15th St., Suite 222
Philadelphia PA 19102
Spring/Summer 2009
Please send all letters to the President, news items to the editor,
comments,
subscription requests, address changes, and articles to the State Office
or call (215) 988-0888.
There are costs associated with publishing THE BLIND ACTIVIST.
Members are invited, and non-members requested to cover the subscription
cost. Tax deductible donations should be made payable to
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND OF PA
and sent to:
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND OF PA
42 South 15th Street, Suite 222
Philadelphia, PA 19102
The National Federation of the Blind is NOT
An Organization Speaking for the Blind-
it IS the Blind Speaking for Themselves
Table of Contents
Presidential Address by James Antonacci...............1
Washington Seminar by Lynn Heitz..................6
Inspirational Deaf-Bild Teacher by Frank Eltman...........13
Summer Sensations at St. Lucy's by Lynn Heitz............15
A Child's Story by Christopher Nusbaum................15
Growing up with Independence by Fredrick Schroeder.........16
Things to Ponder.........................21
Mythbusters about Braille.....................22
What is the Louis Braille Bicentennial Coin................23
Membership Application......................25
Presidential Address Convention 2008
By James Antonacci
In case you haven't heard, the Philadelphia Phillies won the World Series
this year. When this is said, most people think only of the requirement
that they had to win four out of seven games against their opponents from
the other league. Those more knowledgeable will go on to say that they had
to win four out of seven games against another team in the same league in
order to win the league pennant. But there was another step. Prior to the
league championship series, the team must first win three of five games in a
divisional series before they can play for the pennant. Now, one would
think this is a tall order, but there was a great deal of preparation that
preceded this step. In order to be one of the teams playing in the
divisional series, a team must have won more games in a 162 game season
within its division or have won more games than any of the other teams who
did not win a division title. For those who think that was the start of the
process, another look must be taken. There is always a spring training
season, where all of the players practice for the long season ahead and
where they are all evaluated as to their individual strengths and
weaknesses. So, now we believe that we can begin in February in order to
win in October. Not so fast. Each player has practiced on his own skills
since he was a boy. The time it takes for one of these players to perform
as a functional member of the team is probably equivalent to the time it
takes to earn an advanced college degree. Each movement must have been
practiced over and over again until it becomes second nature. Then there is
the theory of the game. If a ball is caught, what do you do with it? Do
you throw it to a particular base? If so, to which one do you throw it?
Or, do you just hold it? Each of these options may be correct depending on
the circumstances at that time. Most players began their training as young
children having a catch with anyone who would participate. Movement through
tee ball, sandlot games, little league, and college teams is common. So,
one would think that once the skill set is achieved, the person is ready to
play in the big leagues. Not so fast. Each player must first prove himself
to be capable of contributing to the team effort. Remember, there are only
30 teams in professional baseball and each has only 25 players on the
roster. That means there are only 750 players considered to be the most
capable to play professionally. Before taking their places on a major
league roster, all players were scouted and evaluated to determine if they
could produce at the highest level. Also, each player must be capable of
working together with others as a single unit so that a winning outcome can
be produced. Furthermore, there is the support staff of the team. An army
of people is employed as scouts, coaches, managers, lawyers, publicists,
ticket sellers, hot dog vendors, and a host of others I have failed to
mention.
There are many similar examples of needing skills, practicing
those skills, and being able to work on a team in today's society. It is
said that it takes over 100 people to keep one fighter plane ready and
flying from an aircraft carrier. If you try, you will doubtless be able to
cite many more examples.
Many of you will say that you were aware of most of what has
already been said. So, what effect does that have on us? Those of us from
the Philadelphia area may have found it mildly interesting to trace the run
to the World Series, but others might not have been as interested. Well, I
feel that how we deal with blindness is quite similar to a World Series win.
However, if we are to succeed, as the Phillies did, we may use them as a
model to achieve our own personal success. First we must learn how to
catch. When we ask ourselves who taught us to catch, we find that it was
not a baseball professional but our own family and friends. If we needed
equipment, we did not wait until we hired a professional baseball trainer to
buy a baseball glove and learn how to catch. Usually it was our dad or an
older brother who tossed the ball and told us to put the glove in front of
it. Now a professional baseball player or coach would tell you that there
is a specific way to catch so that you can be ready to throw the ball
quickly, but that lesson waits until we have become comfortable with the
glove and the movements such that we rarely miss the ball. So, why is it
that many travel instructors insist that blind children not be given a cane
until they are much older or that it would be the worst thing in the world
to have a blind person show a child how to use one? So, just as our parents
are our first teachers when it comes to baseball, they must be the first
teachers where it comes to blindness. Similarly, the overhand arm movement
used to throw a baseball is not intuitive, but we seem to be able to learn
it at an early age. So again, parents should not shy away from sitting with
their blind child and allowing them to touch a book with Braille on its
pages just as they allow the sighted child to sit and look at the letters on
a printed page. Neither is aware of the concept of the written language,
but eventually, both will learn how to comprehend the symbols that make up
that language.
So the skill set has been introduced and practice has begun.
When the ball should have been caught but instead has been missed, we do not
send an aide or a coach to retrieve it for the player but we expect the
player to get it and try harder next time. So, why do schools feel that an
aide or teacher should intervene every time a mistake is made by a blind
child? These actions prevent the blind child from ever learning how to
recover from a mistake. As they grow, we enroll our children in little
league baseball or other such sports. There are sports opportunities
available to disabled children, but to continue our parallel, do we
encourage them to interact with other blind children so they can learn from
each other, or more importantly, so they can learn the effectiveness of
teamwork and collective action. In other words, do we encourage them to
become part of an organization such as the National Federation of the Blind?
Involvement in this organization and with the NFB of Pennsylvania makes it
possible for each of us to withstand the long season where we must win more
games than we lose. This is that time of life when we secure our post
secondary training just as if we were in spring training. We then move on
to the season, doing our jobs, paying our bills, and just trying to get
ahead. Sometimes we are the heroes of the game and sometimes we need the
others on the team to help prop us up when things are not going so well.
This is another reason why we need to be a part of the NFB. With small
efforts from each of us, the outcomes are magnified by our numbers and thus,
we can make a positive difference in many lives.
For example, Sylvia Abernathy filed a suit due to injuries
sustained in an accident. The insurance company maintained that blind
persons didn't do much so they didn't have to offer much of a settlement.
After a video interview between her attorney and me that illustrated
Sylvia's fully active life style, and that of NFB members, the company made
a quick and appropriate settlement.
A young man called one day and asked how he might get the
Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency to send him accessible
statements about his loans. We went over their responsibilities under the
Americans With Disabilities Act and he then proceeded to explain what
accommodations were needed. Even after PHEAA had first refused to grant any
accommodation, I was pleased to hear back that they have now supplied all
information requested about his current loans in Braille. As you can see,
it sure helps to be a member of a great team.
Then there was the situation with Henry Mitchell. He was told
by his landlord that HUD had made him ineligible for further benefits
because of his failure to sign a review. The fact that they lost the first
one after it had been returned to them and that they did not send the second
one with any readable instructions asking him to sign and return it was of
no consequence to them. After discussing the problem with management and
with an elected official, HUD realized that it was necessary to make some
accommodation for Mr. Mitchell and they agreed to pay any previous charges.
Put another one into the win column.
Then there were the situations with Josh Kennedy and Juliet
Warren. Josh had finally resolved to himself and to his family that he
would secure real blindness skills training that would make him a competent
and capable blind person. He investigated his options and chose the
Colorado Center for the Blind. Juliet had been used to an active life style
and wanted to continue her life so she decided to get training at BLIND,
Inc. Both of these persons were given unusual reasons as to why the
rehabilitation agency could not send them for the needed training. After
some direct as well as indirect advocacy by the NFB of Pennsylvania, I am
happy to report that Juliet is currently a student at BLIND, Inc. and is
with us today. Josh is at the Colorado Center and reports that after just
three months, he has independently crossed streets much larger than anything
in his hometown of Reading, and he can't wait to get back and actively
pursue his future. Isn't it great to win a double header?
Last year I met with a young lady who was wrestling with being
able to accept that her vision was so poor that she was legally blind. She
was connected with her rehabilitation service but they had refused to help
her to attend school or to provide needed visual aids. Although she is
still fighting to have them pay for all of her needs, she has begun to
receive aids that have made a great improvement in being able to do her
school work.
Then there is the call I received from Lacy Urbin. She
indicated that she was a blind, young mother of a premature child. The
child, although premature, was healthy and doing well. However, she became
disturbed when the doctors and nurses seemed to question her ability to care
for and make decisions her child. Her sister knew about the NFB and found
us on line. So, she called as a result of our web page. I then learned
that Lacy lived in San Antonio, Texas. I referred her to officials of the
NFB of Texas, but we did have time to discuss how she could deal with the
medical professionals from a position of strength. She became confident and
empowered and at her next meeting with the hospital staff, she calmly
explained that she was the child's mother and that she would decide what was
in her child's best interest, and if she felt that the hospital staff could
not treat her with the respect and dignity she deserved, she would have the
child moved to another facility. She could not wait to call back and report
that the staff's tone had changed remarkably and that she would always know
that the NFB helped her in her time of need. This is obviously a win in
interleague play.
Finess Sumpter called one day to report that some government
benefits she was receiving were to be reduced due to a stipend received
during some training over the summer. Luckily, we had an NFB member who was
interning at Community Legal Services in Philadelphia. He took on the case
and won a quick and decisive decision. Chalk up a win for the bullpen.
We became involved in helping our libraries for the blind secure
increases in funding. Although the increase received was minimal, the
libraries were happy as they became aware of so many other programs that had
suffered funding cuts. In that light, this was also a success. This one
might have been called a pitcher's battle with good defense.
The crowning achievement for the year had to be the first ever
day camp run in conjunction with the Saint Lucy Day School. During those
two weeks, children learned from competent blind adults for what might be
the first time ever here in Pennsylvania. We found the fit with the staff
there to be a good one and I feel that we were able to help each other
overcome weaknesses and support each other's strengths. We look forward to
a continued association with them. It is really great to get good relief
pitching when you need it.
So, have we made the playoffs yet? I am not sure because there
is so much more to do, but what I do know is that if we are to continue to
win we must do it as a team. We must support each other at conventions,
legislative meetings, protests against horrible movies, and all of the
injustices we incur. By working as an effective team, we will continue to
win the battles. I believe that we can continue to improve our funding, and
thus, we will be able to make more opportunities available to our members.
I am willing to put the needs of the NFB team before my own needs, and in
that manner we will make things better for all blind persons. This is my
promise and this is my report to you. Thank you.
------
Remember the National Federation of the Blind of Pennsylvania in your will;
you can do so by employing the following language: "I give, devise, and
bequeath unto the National Federation of the Blind of Pennsylvania, 42 South
15th Street, Suite 222, Philadelphia, PA 19102, a Pennsylvania nonprofit
corporation, the sum of $___(or "__ percent of my net estate" or "The
following stocks and bonds:") to be used for its worthy purposes on behalf
of blind persons."
Have you been asked to contribute to the United Way or a similar payroll
deduction plan? If so, please remember the National Federation of the Blind
of Pennsylvania by designating us as the charity to which your donations
should be applied. Also, many employers have donation matching programs. If
you need any documentation of our eligibility under section 501(c(3),
contact us at the state office.
Washington Seminar 2009
By Lynn Heitz
This year's Washington Seminar began with the Great Gathering In on Sunday
evening February 8th. Seventeen members of the NFB of PA gathered in
Washington DC this year to visit the nineteen members of Congress and 2
Senators and discuss issues relevant to the blind of Pennsylvania. All but
one member of Congress was willing to either meet with us personally or
assign a Legislative Assistant to listen and discuss our issues.
Unfortunately, Jason Altmire, Congressional Representative from the Beaver
County and a small portion of Allegheny County, did not feel as though
issues that would improve the lives of blind persons in his district were
important. Mr. Altmire was the only Congressman whose office would not
grant us an appointment.
The three issues discussed at this year's Washington Seminar are printed
below in their entirety. We invite anyone who was not able to attend
Washington Seminar to read these issues and contact the local office of
their Congressional Representative and further discuss their importance.
ENHANCING PEDESTRIAN SAFETY: ENSURING THE BLIND CAN CONTINUE TO TRAVEL
SAFELY AND INDEPENDENTLY
Purpose: To require hybrid, electric, and other vehicles to emit a minimum
level of sound to alert blind and other pedestrians of their presence.
Background: Until recently independent travel for the blind has been a
relatively simple matter, once a blind person has been trained in travel
techniques and has learned to use a white cane or travel with a guide dog.
Blind people listen to the sounds of automobile engines to determine the
direction, speed, and pattern of traffic. Sounds from traffic tell blind
pedestrians how many vehicles are near them and how fast they are moving,
whether the vehicles are accelerating or decelerating, and whether the
vehicles are traveling toward, away from, or parallel to them. With all of
this information, blind people can accurately determine when it is safe to
advance into an intersection or across a driveway or parking lot. The
information obtained from listening to traffic sounds allows blind people to
travel with complete confidence and without assistance. Studies have shown
that sighted pedestrians also use this information when traveling.
Over the past few years, however, vehicles that are completely
silent in certain modes of operation have come on the market, and many more
silent vehicles are expected in the near future. These vehicles are
designed to have many benefits, including improved fuel efficiency and
reduced emissions, but they do not need to be silent in order to achieve
these intended benefits. An unintended consequence of these vehicles as
they are currently designed is that they will reduce the independence of
blind Americans and endanger the lives, not only of blind people, but also
of small children, seniors, cyclists, and runners.
Currently the most popular of these vehicles is the
gasoline-electric hybrid, which alternates between running on a gasoline
engine and on battery power (although a few electric automobiles are already
on America's roads and new all-electric models are planned). The blind of
America do not oppose the proliferation of vehicles intended to reduce
damage to the environment, but for safety these vehicles must meet a minimum
sound standard.
On April 9, 2008, Congressmen Ed Towns and Cliff Stearns
introduced H.R. 5734 (the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2008). This
legislation sought to solve the problem of silent cars by authorizing a
two-year study to determine the best method for allowing blind individuals
to recognize the presence of silent cars, and by requiring that, two years
after the study was completed, all new vehicles sold in the United States
must comply with the solution determined by the study. In the 110th
Congress, eighty-eight members of the House cosponsored this legislation.
Need for Congressional Action: For several years the National Federation of
the Blind has been concerned about the proliferation of silent vehicles.
Recently automobile manufacturers have acknowledged the problems posed to
blind pedestrians by silent vehicle technology and have begun to work with
the National Federation of the Blind to seek solutions. However, federal
regulators have indicated that, in the absence of statistics on injuries or
deaths caused by hybrid vehicles, nothing can be done. Congress must
therefore direct the Department of Transportation to take action. It is
crucial that this problem be addressed before the inevitable avalanche of
tragedies involving blind people, small children, seniors, cyclists,
runners, and newly blinded veterans shocks the nation.
Proposed Legislation: Congressmen Towns and Stearns have reintroduced the
Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act to direct the Secretary of Transportation
to conduct a study and establish a motor vehicle safety standard that
provides a means of alerting blind and other pedestrians of motor vehicle
operation, based on appropriate scientific research and consultation with
blind Americans and other affected groups. This national motor vehicle
safety standard must have the following characteristics:
. In all phases of operation (including times when the vehicle is at
a full stop) vehicles shall be required to emit an omni-directional sound
with similar spectral characteristics to those of a modern internal
combustion engine.
. The sound should vary in a way that is consistent with the sound of
vehicles with combustion engines to indicate whether the vehicle is idling,
maintaining a constant speed, accelerating, or decelerating.
The standard need not prescribe the apparatus, technology, or
method to be used by vehicle manufacturers to achieve the required minimum
sound level. This approach will encourage manufacturers to use innovative
and cost-effective techniques to achieve the minimum sound standard.
The addition of components to emit a minimum sound discernible
by blind and other pedestrians will not negatively affect environmental
benefits of gasoline-electric hybrids and other automobiles running on
alternate power sources, and the emitted sound need not be loud enough to
contribute to noise pollution. Automobiles that operate in complete
silence, however, endanger the safety of all of us; silent operation should
be viewed as a design flaw comparable to the lack of seat belts or air bags.
Requested Action: Please support blind Americans by cosponsoring the
Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act to authorize the U.S. Department of
Transportation to establish and promulgate regulations specifying a minimum
sound standard for all new automobiles sold in the United States. In the
House of Representatives, members can be added by contacting Emily Khoury in
Congressman Towns's office, or James Thomas in Congressman Stearns's office.
In the Senate members can support independence for blind Americans by
sponsoring companion legislation.
A TECHNOLOGY BILL OF RIGHTS FOR THE BLIND
Purpose: To create a Technology Bill of Rights for the Blind that mandates
consumer electronics, home appliances, and office equipment to provide user
interfaces that are accessible through nonvisual means.
Background: In recent years rapid advances in microchip and digital
technology have led to increasingly complex user interfaces for everyday
products like consumer electronics, home appliances, and office equipment.
Many new devices in these categories require user interaction with visual
displays, on-screen menus, touch screens, and other user interfaces that are
inaccessible to individuals who are blind or have low vision. No longer are
settings on the television, home stereo system, or dishwasher controlled by
knobs, switches, and buttons that can be readily identified and whose
settings can be easily discerned, with or without the addition of tactile
markings by the user. Moreover, the use of inaccessible interfaces on
office equipment such as copiers and fax machines makes these devices
unusable by the blind and therefore a potential threat to a blind person's
existing job or a barrier to obtaining new employment.
This growing threat to the independence and productivity of
blind people is unnecessary since digital devices can function without
inaccessible interfaces. Today text-to-speech technology is inexpensive and
more nearly ubiquitous than it has ever been; it is used in everything from
automated telephone systems to the weather forecasting service broadcast by
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Indeed, a few
manufacturers have incorporated this technology into their products to
create talking menus or to articulate what is on the display; there is no
reason why other manufacturers cannot do so as well. And text-to-speech
technology is not the only mechanism by which consumer electronics, home
appliances, and office equipment can be made accessible to blind people.
Need for Legislation: Currently there are no enforceable mandates for
manufacturers of consumer electronics, home appliances, or office equipment
to make their devices accessible and no accessibility standards to provide
guidance to manufacturers on how to avoid creating barriers to access by the
blind. Congress should therefore enact a Technology Bill of Rights for the
Blind, which clearly establishes that manufacturers must create accessible
user interfaces for their products, provide a means for enforcement, and
establish standards that will provide meaningful benchmarks that
manufacturers can use to make their products accessible.
Congress need not mandate a single, one-size-fits-all solution
for all consumer technology. Rather any such legislation should mandate
regulations that set meaningful accessibility standards, while at the same
time allowing manufacturers to select from a menu of potential solutions
that, singly or in combination, will allow blind users to operate the
technology easily and successfully. This will not only give manufacturers
the freedom and flexibility they desire, but encourage innovations that make
consumer technology more usable for everyone.
Proposed Legislation: Congress should enact a Technology Bill of Rights for
the Blind that:
. Mandates that all consumer electronics, home appliances, and office
equipment be designed so that blind people are able to access the same
functions as sighted people by nonvisual means and with substantially
equivalent ease of use; and
. Creates a commission to establish standards for nonvisual
accessibility of electronic devices intended for use in the home or office.
Such a commission should represent all stakeholders, including organizations
of the blind; manufacturers of consumer electronics, home appliances, and
office equipment or associations representing such manufacturers; and
experts on universal design, electronic engineering, and related fields.
This commission should have enforcement powers or be housed within a
government agency having such powers (e.g., U.S. Department of Commerce),
and should be authorized to reexamine and rewrite standards periodically, as
consumer electronic technology continues to evolve.
Requested Action: Please support blind Americans by introducing legislation
to create a Technology Bill of Rights for the Blind (or by cosponsoring once
legislation has been introduced) so that blind people will be able to
participate fully in all aspects of American society. Increased access
leads to increased independence, increased employment, and increased tax
revenue.
REMOVING THE EARNINGS PENALTY: A COMMON SENSE WORK INCENTIVE FOR BLIND
SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFICIARIES
Purpose: To promote and facilitate the transition by blind Americans from
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) beneficiaries to income-earning,
taxpaying, productive members of the American workforce.
Background: The unemployment rate for working-age blind people is over 70
percent. Part of the reason for this disproportionately high statistic is
the myths and misconceptions about the true capacities of blind people.
These erroneous perceptions are manifested when employers refuse to hire the
blind.
In addition, governmental programs intended to help blind people
meet their basic economic needs, especially the SSDI program, have had the
unintended consequence of creating an incentive for blind people to remain
unemployed or underemployed despite their desire to work. Low societal
expectations result in low representation of the blind in the workforce.
This low representation of the blind reinforces low societal expectations-it
is a vicious circle that perpetuates systemic employment discrimination
against the blind.
Despite the efforts of the National Federation of the Blind,
blindness still has profound social and economic consequences. Governmental
programs should encourage blind people to reach their full employment
potential; they should not encourage economic dependence.
Existing Law: Title II of the Social Security Act provides that disability
benefits paid to blind beneficiaries are eliminated if the beneficiary
exceeds a monthly earnings limit. This earnings limit is in effect a
penalty imposed on blind Americans when they work. This penalty imposed by
the SSDI program means that, if a blind person earns just $1 over $1,640
(the monthly limit in 2009 following a Trial Work Period), all benefits are
lost.
Section 216(i)(1)(B) of the Social Security Act defines
blindness as a disability based on objective measurement of acuity and
visual field, as opposed to the subjective criterion of inability to perform
Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA). For blind people, doing work valued at
the SGA earnings limit terminates benefits but does not terminate
disability. Only blind people not working or those with work earnings below
an annually adjusted statutory earnings limit receive benefits.
Need for Legislation: When a blind person enters the workforce, there is no
guarantee that wages earned will replace SSDI benefits after taxes are paid
and work expenses are deducted. For example, Jane worked as a customer
service representative with an annual income of $35,000 until she became
blind from diabetic retinopathy. Jane meets the criteria for SSDI benefits,
which provide income of $1,060 a month (or $12,720 a year) tax-free while
she is not working. Jane wants additional income to meet her financial
needs. After an adjustment period and blindness skills training, she finds
employment as a part-time representative making $10 an hour for 35 hours a
week. Jane grosses $350 a week for an average of $1,517 a month. Using a
conservative 25 percent withholding tax, Jane nets $1,137.50 from her work,
combined with her $1,060 disability benefit, for a net total of $2,197.50 a
month. If Jane should have the opportunity to work full time (40 hours),
her weekly salary would go up to $400 a week for a monthly average of
$1,733. This amount is over the 2009 earnings limit, so Jane loses all of
her disability benefits. Using the same 25 percent tax level, Jane nets
only $1,300 a month-working an extra five hours a week has cost Jane $897.50
net income (over $10,500 a year). This example illustrates the work
disincentive contained in current law.
A gradual reduction of $1 in benefits for every $3 earned over
the earnings limit would remove the earnings penalty and provide a financial
incentive to work. The benefit amount paid to an individual will gradually
decrease, while the individual's contribution to the Social Security trust
fund increases over time. Under this approach, as Jane earns more, she pays
more into the trust fund, and her dependence on benefits decreases.
Monthly earnings evaluations are unnecessarily complicated for
both the beneficiaries and the Social Security Administration. Since the
medical prognosis for blind people rarely changes, and because blindness is
objectively measurable, blind people should be subject to an annual earnings
test with the limit equal to the twelve times applicable monthly SGA amount.
Under current law blind workers frequently pay for items and
services related to their disabilities that are necessary for them to work,
and they are permitted to subtract these Impairment Related Work Expenses
(IRWE) from monthly earnings when determining monthly income. Properly
crediting IRWE poses a serious challenge to the SSDI program and creates a
lack of predictability for the blind person trying to determine whether
benefits will be available. To address both issues, Congress should permit
SSDI recipients to claim the same amount used when determining an income
subsidy under the Medicare prescription drug program, currently 16.3
percent.
Congress should enact legislation to:
Provide that earnings of blind SSDI beneficiaries in excess of the annual
earnings limit result in a gradual benefit reduction of $1 for each $3
earned over the limit;
. Establish an annual earnings test for blind SSDI beneficiaries; and
. Establish one standard IRWE deduction for blind SSDI beneficiaries
equal to the amount presently applicable for this deduction when determining
an appropriate income subsidy under the Medicare prescription drug program
or 16.3 percent of earnings, whichever is greater.
Requested Action: Please support blind Americans by cosponsoring
legislation that provides a common sense work incentive for blind Social
Security beneficiaries.
------
Inspirational deaf-blind teacher, poet retires
By FRANK ELTMAN
Associated Press Writer The Associated Press
PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y.
His memories of Helen Keller are vivid, if not entirely favorable: She had
big hands, a forceful personality, and not much of a sense of humor. But
none of that kept Bob Smithdas from working with Keller, icon of the deaf
and blind, to persuade Congress to create and fund the Helen Keller National
Center in the 1960s. At the Sands Point facility, people who are deaf and
blind as is Smithdas are taught a range of life skills from communicating to
cooking so they can live wherever they want to.
Smithdas, 83, retired Friday as the center's director of community
education, a post that capped a 65-year-career as an inspiration and an
instigator for improvements in the way deaf and blind people lead their
lives.
There have been two giant role models for the deaf-blind person over the
last century: Helen Keller and Bob Smithdas," said Carl Augusto, president
and CEO of the American Foundation for the Blind.
In honor of his retirement, Smithdas has been cited in a congressional
resolution sponsored by Rep. Gary Ackerman. In addition, Pittsburgh Mayor
Luke Ravenstahl has declared Friday "Robert Smithdas Day" in honor of the
western Pennsylvania native.
Smithdas was the first deaf-blind man to receive a college degree,
graduating from St. John's University 50 years after Keller got her
bachelor's from Radcliffe. He was the first deaf-blind person to earn a
master's degree (NYU, 1953). He has four honorary degrees from universities
around the country.
In 1965, he was named "Handicapped American of the Year" by the President's
Committee on Employment of People Who Are Disabled. A decade later, he
married Michelle Craig, who also is deaf and blind; she works as an
instructor at the Keller Center.
I feel that what I was doing was creating a pathway for other deaf-blind
people to follow," he said during an interview at a diner near his Port
Washington home. An interpreter used hand-in-hand signals to communicate
with him.
Smithdas lost his nearly all his hearing and sight when he was about 4 after
contracting cerebrospinal meningitis. The language he had learned up to then
deteriorated, and he was taught Tadoma, a method of communication in which
the deaf-blind person places his thumb on the speaker's lips and his fingers
along the jawline to understand what is being said.
It led to an unhappy encounters with Keller.
I had heard that Helen could speak and I wanted to feel her speak, so I
reached out to put my hands on her face, hoping that she would speak to me
that way," Smithdas recalls. But to my surprise she slapped my hand away. I
wasn't amused. I thought it was a crude gesture.
Smithdas began writing poems as a youngster and has published two
collections, "City of the Heart" (1966) and "Shared Beauty" (1983). The
Poetry Society of America named him Poet of the Year for 1960-61.
He has also written an autobiography, "Life at My Fingertips. I was a
model, a representative of the deaf-blind community," he says. Even if I
didn't know it.
Smithdas said he and others had been arguing for a decade for a place like
the Keller Center, but it took a rubella outbreak in 1963 and 1964, which
produced thousands of deaf-blind babies, to get the center opened.
Joseph McNulty, executive director of the Keller Center, remembers meeting a
mother who was touring the facility.
She came out of Bob's office crying. She told me that when her daughter was
born, and she learned she was deaf-blind, reading Bob's life story kept her
sane. She said, 'Finally meeting him brought me to tears.'
Journalist Barbara Walters, who spoke at Smithdas' retirement luncheon
Friday, said Smithdas was remarkable.
Truly, the most memorable person I had ever met was Robert Smithdas," she
said. I remember going to Bob's house, and he cooked me a meal. I was amazed
he was able to do this and didn't burn his hands.
-----
Summer Sensations at St. Lucy's
By Lynn Heitz
Once again the NFB of PA will be partnering with the St. Lucy Day School for
Children with Visual Impairments to hold a two-week summer day camp for
blind children ages 8 to 16 years. This year we have added more fun and
games and field trips to double the camps excitement for the campers and the
mentors alike. The camp will be held at St. Lucy's beginning Monday: July
13 through Friday: July 24 from 8:30am to 2:30pm. The cost per week per
child is $50 and transportation may be available. For more information,
please call Lynn Heitz at 215 988 0888 or e-mail to camp at nfbp.org.
-----
A Child's Story
By Christopher Nusbaum
Hi, I'm Christopher Nusbaum, and I'm going to tell you a little about what
Braille means to me. It means a lot! One of the most important things to
me about Braille is the enjoyment it gives me. I've said before that when I
do everyday things in life, things that my sighted peers do, I forget that
I'm blind.
One of those things in life is reading. My class just read part of "The
Cricket in Times Square," and while I was reading it, although I was reading
it with my fingers instead of my eyes, I enjoyed it as much as they did.
Braille gives me and all other blind children the meaningful and important
ability to keep up with their sighted peers. Another important thing to me
is without Braille, I would be illiterate. Braille gives me the opportunity
to go to school with my sighted peers and learn right along with them.
In short, Braille equals independence!
GROWING UP WITH INDEPENDENCE:
THE BLIND CHILD'S USE OF THE WHITE CANE
By Fredric K. Schroeder
>From the Editor: Fred Schroeder is a graduate of San Francisco State
University and holds California credentials in special education and
orientation and mobility. He recently received his Ph.D. in educational
administration. Following graduation from college, he was employed as a
mobility instructor by the Nebraska Services for the Blind in Lincoln. In
the early 1980's he began teaching blind children in the Albuquerque public
schools, where he introduced the use of the long white cane to children of
all ages. His talents were quickly recognized by the superintendent, and he
was promoted, being asked to coordinate the programs for all children with
low-incidence disabilities in the Albuquerque schools. When the New Mexico
Commission for the Blind was established by the state legislature in the
mid-eighties, Fred Schroeder was hired as Director of the Commission, a
position he held until the summer of 1994, when he was appointed by
President Clinton as Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services
Administration.
Dr. Schroeder has steadily championed the Federation's philosophy of early,
consistent cane use by blind children in his dealings with educators of the
blind. He delivered the following address to the 1980 fall convention of the
National Federation of the Blind of California. The text was printed in the
Spring- Summer, 1986, edition of the Blind Educator, the publication of the
National Association of Blind Educators, and reprinted in the Spring-Summer,
1991, edition of the Blind Citizen, a publication of the National Federation
of the Blind of California. The subject is as timely today as it was when
the speech was first delivered. One could wish that fifteen years had seen a
greater change in the professional outlook on this subject than has
occurred. Yet, we have come a long way. Here is Dr. Schroeder's
1980 speech:
My topic today is blind children growing up with independence through the
use of the white cane. As is often the case, the debate on this matter stems
from two divergent philosophies. On the one hand the National Federation of
the Blind believes that blind children are simply normal children who happen
to be blind. The other is the view of the majority of the established
special education system, which holds that blind children are faced with a
myriad of problems which, by their nature and severity, require professional
intervention.
Undoubtedly each philosophy has evolved in significant part out of the
vested interests of the respective groups. The National Federation of the
Blind has a strong interest in furthering its goals of security, equality,
and opportunity, which are integrally tied to the organization's basic
assumption of the normality of blind people. The established special
education system, on the other hand, has a vested interest in maintaining
the concept of the blind as a population with a wide range of specialized
needs since this concept is integrally tied to the very existence of the
profession.
Let us begin with a discussion of infancy. Sighted infants are typically
encouraged to explore their environment. Parents, siblings, and other
relatives are continually providing stimulation which helps the infant
become an active participant in the world. I believe that blind children
deserve the same opportunity to develop experientially. When a blind child
begins to walk, he or she should be provided with a lightweight, flexible
cane to be used in the exploration of the environment--to seek out familiar
toys and places of interest. The cane has long been recognized as a symbol
of independence for the blind. Its use focuses the parents' attention on the
development of the child's independence while alleviating many of the
parents' concerns about safety.
I am not, of course, advocating instructing a neonate in the formal
two-point touch technique with an arc going precisely one inch to either
side of the body and rising no more than one and a half inches at its
highest point. I do advocate the truth of the principle that a blind child,
provided with the necessary tools, will seek out new experiences and begin
to explore the world. This will do more to develop space and body concepts
than any other activity.
As the child grows, he or she will naturally move to outdoor play. At this
point the cane should be an old and trusted companion. Many members of the
orientation and mobility profession argue that, using a cane at this age, a
child will develop a variety of bad habits, which will interfere with the
eventual development of good cane skills. They say that the child should
first be instructed in pre-cane skills. But what are these pre-cane skills?
I suggest that trailing walls and protective-arm techniques have very little
to do with eventual effective use of the cane. If one is sincerely
interested in providing experiences which will eventually result in good
cane technique, then one should provide the very young blind child with a
cane.
When a six-year-old first grader begins learning to read and write, it is
with an extensive background in pre-reading and pre- writing skills. This
background is directly related to the final task. A two-year-old is not
typically able to read but is encouraged to sit on the parent's lap and
follow along while a story is being read. Similarly, this same two-year-old
is not yet able to write but is, of course, encouraged to play with crayons.
No one worries about the development of bad habits while the child
experiments with a variety of ways of grasping crayons.
Rather educators understand that the child's early play is helping to
develop the fine motor control necessary for eventual writing. Why then do
so many orientation and mobility professionals object to young blind
children's using canes in an informal manner in order to develop the fine
motor control necessary for effective cane travel?
These professionals go on to argue that the development of compensatory
skills is seriously impeded by the young child's use of a cane. Their claim
is that the child who becomes dependent on a cane will not learn to use his
or her hearing effectively. As an alternative they suggest the
aforementioned pre-cane techniques. One of these is the upper-hand and
forearm technique, which positions the hand and arm in front of the blind
child in order to protect the head and face. While offering some limited
protection, the technique definitely muffles the child's hearing, while, on
the other hand, the tap of the cane provides an excellent sound source,
which I believe enhances the child's ability to interpret sounds in the
environment.
I recently spoke with an orientation and mobility specialist who has an
additional year of training in the use of electronic travel aids. She
advised that, instead of a cane, a pathsounder should be used with blind
children. The pathsounder is a device which beeps when an object is directly
in front of the user. She explained that, using this device, a young blind
child would be able to walk freely and without fear. Further, the child's
ability to interpret environmental sounds would be developed through the
feedback provided by this device.
It does not seem to me, however, that the pathsounder can offer the blind
child any information not readily accessible through the cane, which enables
him or her besides to walk freely and without fear. In addition, the cane
can be used to provide the child with feedback concerning the location of an
opening or an obstacle. The information gathered through the use of a cane
will certainly enable the child to learn to interpret sounds in the
environment. The difference is that the cane is a natural extension of the
arm and hand and, therefore, requires little in the way of sophisticated
interpretation. If the cane touches a solid object, it takes very little
abstract reasoning to understand that there is something ahead. But what is
there in a beep which would imply to a child that there is something
blocking his or her path? The only plausible reason why professionals like
this woman would advocate the use of a pathsounder in place of a cane is
that the pathsounder requires training and, therefore, the intervention of
the professional. As a result, parents are made to feel that their
children's special needs are so complex that they are inadequate to
participate in their child's development.
When the blind child reaches elementary school, the use of the cane should
naturally extend to the playground. At this time the child will take part in
exciting new activities such as jumping rope, climbing on monkey bars, and
swinging on swings. This is also the time when a child needs to learn how
to find a good place to keep his or her cane. When the child is finished
playing, he or she should be able to recover the cane independently. This is
no different from the responsibilities normally assumed by other children of
the same age. Sighted children are expected to be responsible for their
belongings. In other words, a blind child should be responsible for his or
her possessions, as are his or her sighted peers.
As the blind child reaches junior high school, he or she should be able to
take for granted the ability to travel independently. Unfortunately, this is
about the age at which many orientation and mobility specialists believe
cane travel instruction should begin. The child is generally provided with
some basic instruction which is not designed to develop travel skills
overall, but rather to solve the immediate problem of getting from class to
class. Rarely does the child evolve beyond the stage of traveling memorized
routes. The age-old stereotype of the blind person's being on a memorized
path is one of which the orientation and mobility profession has been unable
to rid itself.
The regrettable truth is that most members of the orientation and mobility
profession do not fully believe in a blind person's ability to travel safely
with a white cane. Otherwise, why would the profession insist upon using
new electronic travel aids as an adjunct to the cane or, in some cases, as a
substitute for it? One orientation and mobility specialist from the Midwest
typically instructs her junior high and high school students in the use of
the laser cane. During a lengthy discussion she was unable to explain what
practical advantage the laser cane had over an ordinary cane. Her only
concrete reason for encouraging the use of the laser cane was that it could
be used as an icebreaker in social situations.
In other words, for the sake of social contact, the blind child should be
willing to make a spectacle of him- or herself. It is clear that this woman
does not believe in the ability of blind children to initiate the process of
making friends. Her comment implies that the blind child must use flashy
electronic gadgets in order to be interesting or attractive. In addition, I
question the effectiveness of the laser cane, particularly in the Midwest,
since it will not operate in temperatures below thirty degrees. It is
further limited by being inoperable during rain or snow. The manufacturer
explains that in these situations the cane can be turned off and used as an
effective long cane. One has to wonder, if the cane can be effective with
the electronics shut off, why the cane's beeps and vibrations were needed in
the first place.
We have come full circle, returning once again to my original point. When I
speak of growing up with independence, I mean just that--true independence.
When many members of the orientation and mobility profession speak of
independence, the term carries with it the unspoken qualification, "as
independent as a blind person can reasonably be expected to be."
The orientation and mobility profession's pervasively custodial attitudes
are shown all too clearly in an article entitled, "The Electronic Car
Controversy," which appeared in the Summer, 1980, edition of News and Views,
the publication of the American Association of Workers for the Blind (now
the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually
Impaired). The article reads in part as follows:
The Northeastern Region Interest Group IX has become concerned
with electric cars as a potential barrier to independent travel for visually
impaired people. With the exception of the noise produced by the friction of
the tires against the pavement while the car is moving, electric cars are
completely silent. . . .
Although [the article continues] the problem of inaudible cars may
well affect a number of populations (older pedestrians, the hearing
impaired, and children) the Northeastern Chapter Interest Group IX feels
that a number of issues that impact specifically on visually impaired
travelers must be addressed on a national level.
Implications for both street crossings procedure and safety as
well as parking lot and gas station negotiation are many. Considerations
also exist in terms of training procedures for traffic alignment and
environmental analysis. . . . One company has gone so far as to include a
notation in their owner's manual and on a label in the car, alerting drivers
to safety factors for vision- and hearing-impaired pedestrians.
Beyond this, [the article continues] manufacturers have offered to
provide the public with sensors which could be worn on a lapel and operate
as a "go-no-go" device, emitting some sort of signal when an electric
vehicle comes within range of the sensor. Our objections to this are: first,
a very small percentage of the general populations could effectively use
such a high-technology device, and secondly, the burden of responsibility
for safety in traffic should rest on the driver and not on the visually
impaired traveler. . . .
This is what the article says, and it is interesting to note that the
orientation and mobility profession does not consider it to be within the
blind traveler's capabilities to protect him- or herself from the threat of
electric cars. They argue that an electronic sensor, which beeps when an
electric car is near, is too complicated a device to be of practical benefit
to the blind. What a revealing comment, clearly highlighting the
profession's attitude about the blind as both defenseless and witless!
Instead, they would ask the blind to trust their safety to the driver,
secure in the knowledge that on the dashboard of the electric car is a
statement cautioning the driver about the possible presence of blind
pedestrians.
It will take a long time to change society's views of blindness
and, for that matter, the views of the orientation and mobility profession.
It is clear, however, that a change must come. Those of us who have grown up
as blind children understand the negative impact which these attitudes have
had on our lives.
We have experienced the heartache of being left behind and the degradation
of being taken along by brothers and sisters, who became unwilling
caretakers. The tragedy is not that of blindness, but rather the ease with
which we and society sold ourselves short. Blindness did not isolate us, but
our inability to travel as freely as others did. To participate in society
was to be at society's mercy--to accept gratefully the opportunity to be
brought along, even if not included.
No professional pride or theoretical dogma should be allowed to isolate and
degrade blind children in the future. No one has the right to rob another of
his or her self-respect by imposing arbitrary limitations. We must claim for
the blind children of today and those of tomorrow the right to grow up with
dignity and to experience life to the full.
------
Things to Ponder...
When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long
at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us.
Helen Keller
The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to
reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.
Eleanor Roosevelt
Life is like a ten speed bicycle. Most of us have gears we never use.
Charles Schulz
MYTHBUSTERS ABOUT BRAILLE
The Urgent Need for Change
"The more you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn,
the more places you'll go!"
-----Dr. Seuss
Learning to read is for every child an exciting time. The excitement is no
less for those who are blind. Teaching Braille to children and newly
blinded adults will open the door to literacy and unlimited opportunities.
Although there is a very positive correlation between employment of the
blind and Braille literacy (approximately 85 percent of blind people who
know Braille are gainfully employed), only 12 percent of blind children in
the nation are learning to read and write Braille. Society would never
accept a 12 percent literacy rate among sighted children; it should likewise
not be acceptable for the blind.
But why then do we not teach Braille to our blind children? Let's look at
some of the myths and misconceptions about Braille that stand in our way.
MYTH #1: Braille is hard to learn. For a child, learning to read is
learning to read, whether it is done in print or in Braille. With proper
instruction in Braille, blind children master reading and writing in Braille
in the same time that sighted children master print. As for adults,
learning to read and write Braille can be done in six months or less with
proper instruction.
MYTH #2: Braille is slow and inefficient. When effective Braille
instruction is provided, Braille is read at hundreds of words a minute and
is used as fluently as print in all aspects of daily life.
MYTH #3: All blind people have the opportunity to learn Braille. Blind
individuals with some degree of usable vision (the majority of people
experiencing significant vision loss are not totally blind) are more often
encouraged to read print (because it is "normal") and are thus discouraged
from learning Braille. The misconception that print is "normal" and Braille
is "inferior" means that thousands of blind individuals are taught to
believe that it is better to read print at all costs and that Braille is a
last resort. The truth is that Braille is a tool for independence, and it
offers equality and flexibility. Furthermore, many blind people who have
some vision master both print and Braille and use them interchangeably
depending on what is more functional (e.g., giving a speech using Braille
notes). The more tools in the toolbox the better!
MYTH #4: Braille is on the way out with the coming of the digital age and
the greater availability of audio material. Let's face it, "listening" does
not equal literacy. Literacy is the ability to read and to write and to do
the two interactively. Children who learn exclusively by listening do not
learn about proper spelling, punctuation, and syntax. As for technology,
the irony is that technological advances have made Braille easier to produce
and consequently more widely available than at any other time in the history
of the code. Not to mention, the act of quietly holding a book in your
hands and reading for the pleasure of reading is a gift. Independent
reading is true independence of the mind. Braille is the only thing
equivalent to print for the blind.
When it comes to Braille, it is best to get the facts from the people that
know. The National Federation of the Blind (NFB), the nation's largest
membership organization of blind people, has long been the leading champion
of Braille literacy for the blind, as well as the advocate for innovative
programs to empower the blind. The President of the United States and the
U.S. Congress have recognized the critical role the NFB plays in creating
new opportunities for the blind by passing Public Law 109-247: The Louis
Braille Bicentennial-Braille Literacy Commemorative Coin Act. The NFB
Braille Commemorative Coin and the literacy campaign help fund an
unparalleled opportunity to make literacy a reality for every blind person.
Join us as a champion for Braille literacy and shatter the myths that limit
the dreams of the blind.
-----
What is the
Louis Braille Bicentennial-Braille
Literacy Commemorative Coin?
For decades, the National Federation of the Blind (NFB)-the country's oldest
and largest organization of blind persons-has been the leading champion for
Braille literacy. With the passing of Public Law 109-247: The Louis
Braille Bicentennial-Braille Literacy Commemorative Coin Act, the President
of the United States and the U.S. Congress have recognized the critical role
Braille plays in the independence, freedom, and success of the blind and the
central role the NFB plays in improving literacy among the blind.
With the 200th anniversary of the birth of Louis Braille, creator of the
primary system of reading and writing used by people who are blind, there is
no more fitting time to recognize the history, achievements, and mission of
the National Federation of the Blind.
The launch of the NFB Braille Commemorative Coin by the U.S. Mint in 2009
will present a great opportunity to tell the story of innovation and service
for our blind citizens. It will enable the NFB to present this story
powerfully and effectively through its Braille Literacy Campaign. The
campaign will promote how vital Braille is to our blind citizens, young and
old alike.
Literacy is the key to opening the minds of our young people. Independent
reading is true independence of the mind. The act of quietly holding a book
in your hands and reading for the pleasure of reading is a gift of
immeasurable importance. However, we have a body of individuals in this
country for whom the possibility of independence is simply a fingertip away;
but due to misunderstandings about Braille and the opportunities it unlocks,
that independence is denied, and the result is illiteracy and unemployment.
You might be shocked to learn that today, in America, only 10 percent of
blind children are learning Braille! Yet, studies show that of the blind
people who are employed, better than 80 percent of them read and write
Braille fluently.
Braille = literacy = employment = full participation in society and enjoying
the rights of responsibilities of citizenship.
Please join us as we bring exposure to the literacy crisis for
the blind in this country and create new opportunities for all of our
citizens to take full advantage of the American dream. Let's not leave
these people behind!
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND OF PENNSYLVANIA
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The National Federation of the Blind of Pennsylvania
42 S. 15th St., Suite 222
Philadelphia, PA 19102
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Address: _______________________________________________________
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Comments
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President, Omaha Chapter NFB
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