[Nfb-editors] 2011 The Nebraska Independent spring/summer issue

[Bridgit Pollpeter]

Dear List,

As promised, here is The Nebraska Independent.

It is 35 pages long with 18,766 words.

I am attaching it as well as pasting it into the email.  The attachment
will, of course, have all the formatting.

THE
	NEBRASKA 
	INDEPENDENT
The NFBN Affiliate Newsletter	Spring 2011

Editor:  Bridgit Kuenning Pollpeter
E-mail:  newsletter at ne.nfb.org

Production editor:  Ross Pollpeter
E-mail:  rpollpeter at hotmail.com

Web Distribution:  Mike Hansen
E-mail:  mhansen4 at gmail.com

NFBN Newsline Coordinator:  Jamie K. Forbis
E-mail:  jkforbis at hotmail.com

The Nebraska Independent is a bi-annual publication of the National
Federation of the Blind of Nebraska.  Please send questions, comments
and submissions to newsletter at ne.nfb.org.

All submissions should be sent as attachments in emails.  The editor and
Affiliate President have the right to cut and revise submissions.  The
President has the final authority on all Nebraska Independent
publications.
 
Contents

Letter from the President
Driving the Doubt Away:  Achieving the Impossible Dream, by President
Amy Buresh

A Page in the Chapter
Greetings from the GI Chapter, by Nancy Oltman
NFB-Newsline® Levels the Playing Field, by Jamie K. Forbis
2011 Omaha Chapter Board of Directors, by Bridgit Kuenning Pollpeter
Greetings from the Panhandle., by Karen Lemon

Technology Awareness
Growing Horizons:  What is Happening on the Technology Front, by Nancy
Coffman
Samsung Haven: Simple andAccessible, by Ross Pollpeter
Talking Thermostat, Screaming Customer, by Ross Pollpeter

Federation Spirit
Baseball Buddies, by Nancy Coffman
Moving On, by Karen Lemmon

Husker Round-Up
REFLECTIONS:  What Drew Me in and Hooked Me to the NFB, by Barbara Loos

Philosophical Foundations
Chapter Building with Philosophical Discussions, by Robert Leslie Newman
Science and Philosophy: Guided versus Discovery, by Dr. James S. Nyman
Educating the Education System, Part 2, by Bridgit Kuenning Pollpeter

Home of the Husker
Recipes
Artichoke Spinach Dip
Beer & Cheese Soup
Hawaiian Lava Chili

For Your Information
Puzzle it Out:  Connecting the Pieces of Success
2011 NABS Student Seminar Registration Form

>From the Editor’s Desk
Season of Change:  Where Does The Nebraska Independent Go From Here?, by
Bridgit Kuenning Pollpeter

 
Letter from the President

Driving the Doubt Away:  Achieving the Impossible Dream
By President Amy Buresh

Unsinkable ships sink, unbreakable walls break
Sometimes the things you think would never happen
Happen just like that unbendable steel bends
If the fury of the wind is unstoppable
I've learned to never underestimate the impossible
Songwriters: Miller, Lee Thomas; Lovelace, Kelley
Performed by Joe Nichols

If you ask the average sighted person to name one thing a blind person
can not do, they'd say drive a car.  Over all, the general public
perception of what is possible for blind people is tragically low.  If
you ask the average blind person their biggest frustration of daily
life, they  will often say the inability to drive a car.  Blind
Americans have the intellect and capacity to do extraordinary things if
provided the opportunity.  The National Federation of the Blind (NFB)
has been seeking these opportunities for years.
Leading the way in opportunity and innovation, for over 70 years, the
NFB has been shattering stereotypes and misconceptions about the
capabilities of the blind.  Saturday, Jan. 29, 2011, the foundation of
public misconception was shaken to its core when a blind man flawlessly
drove around the famed Daytona International Speedway.
Shane and I had a once in a lifetime opportunity to attend in person the
NFB Blind Driver Challenge™. Akin to the Wright brother’s first flight
or Neil Armstrong’s first steps on the moon-- history was made on the
Daytona Speedway.
Many were skeptical: but as we have done throughout our history, we in
the National Federation of the Blind will not stop until we prove to the
world and to each other that there is no mountain too high; no barrier
too strong and no miss-conception too hard to shatter.
If you were not able to attend in person or log online, here is a link
to listen to history being made. http://tinyurl.com/6gpqs6t.
Thanks to Blind Bargains, here is a link to the press conference
following the BDC. http://tinyurl.com/4my7cfb.
Watch Mark Riccobono drive the course at Daytona here
http://tinyurl.com/6xojht9.
This is only the beginning.
"Vision is not a requirement for success," said Dr. Marc Maurer,
president for the NFB.  "Capacity, imagination, and determination are
all that is needed, and blind people have all of these qualities.”
“In pursuit of the seemingly impossible dream, the first mile of the
journey is the most tenuous. The blind have completed that mile, the
roads to our dreams are open, and the only limitation is our failure to
stay in the driver’s seat until we reach our destinations,” said Mark
Riccobono, director for the Jernigan Institute.
And stay in the driver's seat we will remain here in Nebraska as we work
for passage of LB149 to insure quality Braille education by certified
teachers for our blind students.  Hands firmly on the wheel, we will
drive down the open road toward a bright future full of opportunity for
the blind of this state and the nation.
 
Page in the Chapter

Greetings from the GI Chapter
By Nancy Oltman

Things are slow going in central Nebraska, but we percevere as we seek
new members.  Actually, we just added one new member, Delilah Oleson.
We also had a Christmas party at a restaurant called Uncle Ed's, which
we all highly recommend.
January is time for electing our Board of Directors.  The roster will
look fairly familiar and is as follows: 
Nancy Oltman, president
Ardyce Earl, vice-president
Sibby Labeau, secretary-treasurer
Delilah Oleson, board member  
In July, we will have the privelige to host a state board meeting in GI.
We also look forward to working with the state board on new ways to
recruit GI chapter members.   
The GI Chapter often discusses NFB philosophy, and in January, we
discussed the importance of passing LB-149, and the importance of
Braille.  
For more information about the Grand Island Chapter, please contact
Nancy Oltman, the Grand Island chapter president,  at
noltman at inebraska.com.


NFB-Newsline® Levels the Playing Field
By Jamie K. Forbis

Awareness of current events is part of what makes a good citizen, a
successful employee or employer, and a valuable participant in community
life.  Without ready access to information, none of us can reach our
full potential. Until 1995, the nation's blind did not have ready access
to a fundamental source of such information, which can be found in the
daily newspaper.
NFB-NEWSLINE® is at last making it possible for blind individuals to
gain access to the information in newspapers at the same time as their
sighted colleagues, friends, and family members. A wealth of information
primarily found in newspapers, is now available to the blind on an equal
footing, making their participation in the community on the basis of
equality possible. 
. In addition to the hundreds of publications and TV listings available,
NFB-NEWSLINE® now offers subscribers the ability to independently access
job classifieds and apply for open positions.
With this groundbreaking job-listings feature, which was announced in
early December, blind and print-disabled people will be able to search
for job openings that match their education, skills, and interests.
Subscribers can easily search through hundreds of thousands of job
listings from all across the country.
With the addition of content from a national job classifieds provider,
NFB-NEWSLINE® subscribers can conduct searches for job openings in over
50 categories and if desired, can narrow the search to look for certain
keywords within the listings.
Subscribers can also request that a particular job listing be sent to
them via e-mail by pressing "pound nine" when hearing the listing; the
e-mail will contain the listing as well as a link that will provide a
Web page with the position's application form.
At this time, the job listings are only available on the phone, but all
other publications, TV listings and local information can be accessed
via the web. Subscribers can choose to peruse through the publications
online or transfer the information to a portable device.
Announced in late December, this is yet another way to level the playing
field for the blind.
Presenting the NFB-NEWSLINE® NLS DTB Downloader. This breakthrough
access method will allow subscribers to easily download their favorite
publications to the book cartridges used in the new Digital Talking Book
(DTB) players provided to patrons by NLS.
The new NLS Digital Talking Book player is now the standard player being
released by NLS and allows for unprecedented flexibility in the
book-reading experience.
With this new access method, subscribers download the content in a file
format called DAISY III directly to the cartridges that are inserted
into the new NLS digital talking-book player. 
NFB-NEWSLINE® has made several groundbreaking advances since 1995,
expanding the number and variety of publications and access methods.
Ready to explore these groundbreaking enhancements?  Simply go to
www.nfbnewslineonline.org and log in.
For more information on these two new features, or on any other aspects
of NFB-Newsline®, please don’t hesitate to contact the state
coordinator.  One feature at a time NFB-Newsline® is changing what it
means to be blind in Nebraska and across the country.
For more information about Newsline, please contact Jamie K. Forbis,
NFBN Newsline coordinator, at secretary at ne.nfb.org.


2011 Omaha Chapter Board of Directors 
By Bridgit Kuenning Pollpeter

Results for the 2011 Omaha Chapter Board of Directors:
President Robert Leslie Newman
First VP Bridgit Kuenning Pollpeter
Second VP Carol Jenkins
Secretary Sandy Alvarado
Treasurer Ross Pollpeter
Board Member Bob Burns
Board Member Debbie Jensen
Board Member Hank Vetter
Board Member Chad Weber
For more information about the Omaha Chapter, please contact Robert
Leslie Newman, Omaha Chapter president, at newmanrl at cox.net.


Greetings from the Panhandle.
By Karen Lemon

2011 Officers of the NFBN Panhandle Chapter:
Karen Lemmon, president
Chad Bell, vice-President
Jeremy Fifield, secretary 
Kim richards, treasurer
Carolyn Schaefer, board Member
Whew, the year seemed to fly by, and now I am two days away from
Bridgitt’s deadline, and I must get this written. We had the election of
officers, and as you can see from the list above, our team is the same.
Beyond this, we have many members who have ‘specialized’ in their
services to the chapter. I can speak for all of the board when I say, we
are proud of the work our chapter has done in the past year, and are
excited that we are growing. With each new member, we add new ideas ,
new talents and new life to our commitments.
We have many projects ahead of us, and if one stands out amongst the
others, it is our commitment to stress the importance of braille and
classroom independence for our students in the K-12 systems. Chadron
State College is allowing us to work with the education, social work and
psychology students with a class titled Resources for the Blind
Individual.  I have been hired as the adjunct for the class, and Kim
Richards is the assistant. We have accumulated resources, classroom
speakers and assembled a curriculum which will not only give our future
teachers the tools they will need, but also let them experience what
being blind in a classroom feels’ like .  We will also offer a community
braille class, lasting 10-weeks, and introduce uncontracted Braille and
the use of the Slate and Stylus. 
On Jan. 29, our members will tape the Daytona race because we have a
activity. Our chapter is supporting the RSVP program, and will have a
booth at their Soup and Pie supper. Our booth will allow us to explain
what the NFB is, advertise our Braille community Class and sell orders
for smoked meat. Our cook, who happens to be my son, Jerry, is one of
our members. He built a smoker, and smoked meat has become sort of a
trademark of our Chapter. If any of you out there want to buy some
smoked meat from us, let one of our chapter members know. We are SMOKIN’
just before St. Patrick’s Day, before Easter and again before May 8 (CSC
Graduation Day). 
We plan to hold the simultaneous state Walk for Independence in Chadron
this year on Saturday, April 16, 2011. We haven’t planned the route yet,
but I can assure you it will be fun, and we will have some good food at
the end. Stay tuned for more information.
On Labor Day weekend last year, we had a great time on our first camping
trip at Box Butte Reservoir. We plan to make this excursion an annual
one.  We circled our wagons (campers, vans, tents etc.) on Friday and
stayed through Sunday. Each night, the country band, Rusty Wire, tuned
up their guitars and fiddles and played from seven  until, well, until
they quit. Our chapter sold pulled-pork sandwiches, potato salad, beans
and chips along with ice-tea and water  between six  and eight.  It was
a lot of fun, and we hope to get more participants next Labor Day.
The members of the Rusty Wire band, have been so supportive of the
NPCNFB. They have become part of our family. When they aren’t away for a
gig, they are always willing to play for our activities. We hope to
organize a Spring Fling on the CSC campus. Plans are in the making with
the Psychology club to have the band play, and our members serve
concessions during an outdoor concert on campus. We will have some
‘testimonials’ from some of our members.  The Social Work department
will host a panel of disabled individuals who will answer questions
brought to them by students and the community.  We hope to schedule the
concert on the Friday before this event and the Walk for Independence.
We will post the date of all activities as they become scheduled.
Scheduling with the college, I have found, is not an easy task. . We
hope our efforts educate our community about blindness as well as bring
in a few bucks for our chapter.
In this brand new year, we wish success in all ventures for all of our
friends in the various chapters of the NFBN. We plan to have a busy
year. We will keep you informed of our activity through out the course
of the year. for now though, I must go BECAUSE I have to pack-- I am
going Skiing for the 32-annual Ski for Light in Deadwood, S Dak..
For more information about the Pan-Handle Chapter, please contact Karen
Lemon, Pan-Handle Chapter president, at email: klemmon at bbcwb.net.


 
Technology Awareness

Growing Horizons:  What is Happening on the Technology Front
By Nancy Coffman

As a blind person and a technology specialist, I am always on the
lookout for main-stream technology that works for blind people.  Does it
work as advertised? What will it do that we need? It has been fun to see
some mainstream products evolve into accessibility for blind users.

Apple Products
Apple is currently a leader in accessible mainstream technology.  By
building the Voiceover screen-reader into their products so blind people
can use them straight out of the box, they have raised the bar in the
information technology industry.
The International Braille and Technology center presented a seminar
during the pre-convention program on using the Apple Macintosh, the iPod
Touch, iPhone and the iPad.  One of the best features of Voiceover is
its readiness to work effectively with Braille displays.  The iPhone,
iPod and iPad all come ready to use with Voiceover.  The program is very
easy to start on a Macintosh, and I am sure, as I will learn, it isn't
hard to start on the other devices either.
The Apple products use a different operating system so there is a
learning curve.  People who master them seem to enjoy using them.

Mobile Technology
Mobile technology was a hit again this year.  Mobile Speak is a very
popular screen-reader for mobile phones as is Talks.  One of the
considerations to keep in mind when you are choosing a screen-reader is
what operating system you will be using it on and what carrier provides
the best service in your area.
Symbion phones only work with certain carriers.
Windows Mobile comes on most smart phones and has advantages and
disadvantages.
Oratio for the Blackberry is another possibility, but will the
Blackberry be worth the cost for you to maintain? Can you perform the
functions you need with something less expensive? How much do you want
to spend on accessible cell phone technology?
For many of us who make calls, take calls and enter contacts on our
phones, the off-the-shelf phones with some accessibility features built
in fill the bill nicely at an affordable price.
LG and Samsung both have phones with "driving mode" and talking caller
id.  Samsung now even has a simple phone with a mode that will read
everything.  Although setting them up can be tricky, some of these
phones will even read your text messages.
Keep in mind that anything that gets called a "smart phone" will require
a plan for smart phones.  Mine includes Internet access I never thought
I would use.  I use it regularly, and I also check email on it.
One feature that makes Mobile Speak worth maintaining for me, is being
able to check appointments without carrying a larger note taker.
The KNFB Reader may well make the lack of choice for carriers on the
Nokia phones worth it for some.  KNFB Reader boasts reading in several
languages and continues to be updated and improved.
The iPhone is the new kid on the block.  It is another option that
limits your choice of carriers (at the time of this writing) but it is
accessible out of the box.  Voiceover is built in and it has many
applications that are accessible including features that will allow use
of multiple alarms and various alert sounds.
More carriers are slated to offer the iPhone so if you don't have to
purchase a phone right now, it might be worth looking at the iPhone no
matter who your carrier needs to be.

Screen-reading Technology
The screen-reader companies continue to keep up with each other.  Window
Eyes now has scripting capabilities.  JAWS boasts "research it.”  SYSTEM
Access carries a nice trump card, because each time you use it, the
program receives any updates available free of charge.  System Access
also works from a USB storage device such as a thumb drive without
requiring an administrative account.  This is helpful for people who use
public computers extensively.
Serotek has developed a version of System Access that works well with
Netbooks.  The price is right, and having a screen-reader that is
specially designed for netbooks to use less memory and processing power,
is an option worth considering, especially if you have chosen a Netbook
for your note-taking device.
The screen-readers from Dolphin haven't been widely used in Nebraska but
they are another option that can run from a "Dolphin Pen.”  Dolphin
maintains 3 products, Hal screen-reader, Lunar screen magnifier and
Supernova, which is an alternative that allows for Braille, speech and
large print.

Magnification Technology
On the magnification front, MagIc by Freedom Scientific works well in
dual monitor mode.  It will allow 2 applications to be magnified at
once, each on a different screen.  ZOOMText will also work in dual
monitor mode, but will only magnify 1 application at a time.  You can
magnify the same thing onto 2 screens, but not 2 different things on its
own screen.

Reading Technology
Technology for reading continues to evolve.  Eye-pal now runs under
Windows 7.  A competing option is Open Book with the Pearl camera.
The pearl, like the Eye-Pal, is on a stand and takes the picture very
quickly.  You can batch scan for recognition later or read as you scan.
Settings have been set up for several "work-flows" so you can customize
how OpenBook works for the document you are scanning.
The OpenBook software also provides a “camera view” mode that might be
useful for some needing video magnification for short uses.  I am
enjoying comparing it with the Eye-Pal.
Kurzweil 1000 is the other competitor in the text recognition arena.  It
provides many of the same options.  It also has a pronunciation
dictionary for users to learn to pronounce new words.

Notetakers
Note takers were a big must-see this year.  The BrailleNote has gone
from the mPower to the Apex, a thinner, lighter version with built-in
wireless.  It boasts improved responsiveness too.
As I write this article, I check what I have written on the display of
my BrailleNote.  I correct errors in spelling, grammar and tone.  I find
it much easier when I am able to write using Braille rather than a
speech synthesizer.
Other note taking options were just as prominent.
The BrailleSense from GW Micro is another small, durable, versatile unit
with a lot to offer.  It features scroll keys on either side of the
Braille display rather than thumb keys in the front of the unit or
rollers on either side of the display.  The front of the BrailleSense
has controls for the media player, separating them from the functions of
the rest of the unit.
Another note-taking option worth considering is a Braille bluetooth
input/output device that allows you to use your mobile phone as a note
taker.  I have not had that capability yet, but am looking forward to
trying it.  The American Printing House for the Blind has such a device.
The Refresh-A-Braille, Braille Connect and EasyLink are 12-35ll displays
that may be an option worth considering.
The Focus 40 Blue will work with many mobile devices.
Easy Link is still available from VisionQue and some Braille note taking
devices will also communicate with your phone or portable Apple product.
Alva produces Braille displays with input and output capabilities in
several sizes.

Electronic Books
Electronic books are also becoming a common subject of conversation at
conventions.
This year, a service that is just being started, was featured-- it is
called BLIO.  BLIO books will be fully accessible.  On screen, they will
look like a print book.  The library is already growing, and you can
check out their web site at:  www.blio.com.
Recordings for the Blind and Dyslexic and the Library of Congress both
have sites for downloading books in audio format to a player of your
choice.
I found it interesting to learn that the Victor Readers that use compact
discs will be phased out.  Recordings for the Blind and Dyslexic have
realized that this transition may be inconvenient for some, so they are
selling an accessory for the Victor Reader Stream.  If you purchase your
stream soon, the CD adapter will come with it.  This is a good
alternative if you have a slow Internet connection or don't want to deal
with the intricacies of downloading files to a computer.
I am also a frequent user of BookShare.  BookShare is consumer-driven
and is growing every day.  Colleges and publishers are contributing
books.  These contributions are excellent quality and often very
current.  I have downloaded computer books, good humor and other helpful
books from, www.bookshare.org, since its inception.
On the mainstream front, Apple's portable products, and many of the
portable DAISY players, will play books from, www.audible.com, and
overdrive books from your local library's website.

Newsline
NFB Newsline (R) has more papers and magazines each year.  New options
for taking advantage of its vast variety of content have also been
developed.
One way to use Newsline is called Pottable News.  This service creates
files that can be played on your portable Daisy player when you are not
near your phone.
Newsline can email articles of interest to the email box you register
when signing up for NFB-NEWSLINE ® R Online.  I enjoy the website and
use several of its features, sometimes using Mobile Speak and the
Internet connection on my smart phone.
If technology is one of your passions, Mac World and PC World are now
available on Newsline.  Other specialized magazines are also available
including Diabetes Self-management.
National Braille Press
Another way to get information about technology has been the National
Braille Press.  They have updated their books on the accessible iPod,
Google It and Windows 7 Explained.  I am always happy to receive news
from National Braille Press because I can usually find something that
they must have transcribed or written just for me.

Diabetic Technology
Diabetics were not left out of the technology frenzy.  A meter is out
that I had not heard of from Advanced Diabetic Solutions.  This meter
will let you know if you don't have enough blood on the strip.  There
are less buttons on the unit than on the Prodigy Voice.  I did not have
much time to explore it, and I never saw others operate it, but I spoke
briefly with the nurse practitioner that was running the table.
They offer a service including delivery of the strips and lancets.  The
lancets are designed to be self-contained and do not have an exposed
needle after they are used.  They are designed for a single use.
Exhibitor information can be downloaded from,
http://www.nfb.org/nfb/National_Convention_Exhibitors.asp?SnID= 2,
complete with web sites and the goods and services each vender sells.
You can also track the access technology blog on the, www.nfb.org,
website for current information on the latest advances.
Your local NFB chapter members and the Nebraska Commission for the Blind
and Visually Impaired staff, are also resources you can access for
further information and opinions.


Samsung Haven: Simple and Accessible
By Ross Pollpeter

Through word of mouth, my wife and I had learned about the Samsung
Haven, a cellular phone offered through Verizon Wireless.  It was
boasted to be a completely accessible phone without the need to purchase
screen-reading software.
According to our friend, Sandy Alvarado, who had gotten the Haven
herself, she was able to access the menus, change the settings, add,
edit and delete contacts, and send text messages.  My wife acquired a
Haven through an upgrade on our Verizon account, and I obtained an used
model.
The Haven could never be classified as a fancy, high-tech phone.  This
is a perfect phone for Grandma.  It lacks a camera, it’s limited on
available ringtones, and it cannot be connected to a computer or the
Verizon network to download additional features.  It is what it is, a
tool to communicate to people while on the move.
However, it does have a accessibility feature that can be activated in
the settings menu.  With the “Full Read Out” setting activated, we can
do everything that Mrs. Alvarado had said.  We have nearly unlimited
access to all menus and features available on this simple phone.
The speech is rather slow when compared to most screen-reading software
on computers, and there is a slight delay when scrolling through menu
options.
When composing a text message or adding a contact, there is no quick way
to read and edit the text you have entered.  You must go character by
character, but at least now we can send and receive text messages
independently.
When it comes to cost, this is one of the least expensive phones you can
find on the market.  As I stated earlier, this phone does not have the
bells and whistles.  If you simply need a cell phone that can make phone
calls, then this model is all you need.
Sometimes I wish I could do more with this phone, but I have to weigh
fancy features versus accessibility and cost.  I choose accessibility.
Although, now that my wife has the ability to text, she now has a new
way to bother me at work.


Talking Thermostat, Screaming Customer
By Ross Pollpeter

 Living in the Midwest, one can understand what it’s like to have
dueling weather systems competing to be the dominant climate.  Cold air
and warm air battle back and forth over the Jet Stream boundary, and it
seems as though our apartment is right in the middle.
Being half of an independent blind couple, it is frustrating to not have
an accessible way to adjust the temperature in your own home.  We
decided to take measures to correct that situation.
After the 2009 NFBN State Convention and consulting with our fellow
members, we decided to investigate purchasing an accessible talking
thermostat for our apartment.  We felt that it would be a good
investment, and we could move it to future homes.
At the time, we researched the VIP Talking Thermostat and the Kelvin
Talking Thermostat.  Being the money-pincher that I am, which, by the
way,  is a particularly good trait for a chapter’s treasurer, I chose
the Kelvin since it was rather less expensive than the VIP model.
At the time, Independent Living Aids sold the Kelvin Talking Thermostat
at a retail price of $129.99.  I bought the same model from Amazon.com
through an outside vendor for $99.99.  A good financial decision, but in
the end, it became a bad decision.
As of today, you can purchase this thermostat for a clearance price of
$59.99.
The Kelvin Talking Thermostat arrived, and during a Nebraska football
game, we installed it in our apartment.  My father-in-law, who has work
experience installing thermostats, assisted.  It was a work of
technological, climatic art.
We could adjust the temperature, set up programs for different times of
weekdays and weekends, and control the unit using voice commands.
Winter came, and it seemed like our freedom to check and adjust our
apartment’s temperature was a blessing.  However, we did begin to notice
some bugs with the unit.  My wife and I had to disable the voice command
feature since the microphone was so sensitive that our dog could
activate the thermostat with her unceasing barking.  At times, the
programs we would set would have changed or deactivate.
Early the next Spring is when we had the first major breakdown.  We lost
our electricity one night, and we believe it must have blown a circuit
in the thermostat.  After that, it never worked as well.
Often the clock would need to be reset, but then the thermostat would
not always allow us to reset it.  The programs were constantly being
erased.  Many times we would hit the temperature button and receive an
inaccurate reading, which would then affect how long the system would
continue to run.
For example, the thermostat would say it was 70 º, the thermostat was
set to 72º, but it was actually 76º in the apartment.  Often we found
ourselves in a sauna in the cold months and a icebox in the summer.
Even more frustrating than wrestling with the talking
waste-of-wall-space was dealing with the company’s technical support.
Independent Living Aids has one Technical Support Representative for
their company, and he works an 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. shift, Monday
through Friday, essentially the same work hours that I have.  I called
the Technical Support hotline frequently over a six-month period, but
spoke with Steve only about four times.
It was clear he was not sure of what measures to take to correct the
problem, and unfortunately, I bought the thermostat through an outside
vendor and not through Independent Living Aids.  They had no record of
the date of purchase and thus could not honor the one-year warranty.
Finally, the second major breakdown occurred this last November.  One
morning I woke up, but the thermostat did not.  It had died while we
slept, and I hoped it suffered greatly.
Now, we have reinstalled the inaccessible thermostat and no longer have
an independent method of controlling the temperature of our home.
However, this most recent winter, we have survived by keeping the
thermostat at a constant temperature and thus keeping our tempers cool.
We toyed with the idea of trying another accessible thermostat model,
but for now we will keep things constant.
The device itself, when working, was a great product, but I can not say
the same for Independent Living Aids customer service.
The voicemail, which is what my wife and I did most our talking on,
states that all phone calls will be returned within a 24-hour time
period.  Apparently 24-hours translates to never in their book.
After six-months of no resolution including a call back, we gave the
fight up.
While I recommend the product, I am not at all impressed with the
technical support the company alleges to have.

 
Federation Spirit

Baseball Buddies
By Nancy Coffman

I have been a member of the Lincoln West Optimist Club for the past 14
years.  I have spent five of those years on the Club board as a board
member, President Elect, President and Past President.  Optimist
membership has been a rewarding experience and has given me a variety of
opportunities to share my time and talent with the youth of our
community.
One informal mentoring opportunity has been Challenger Baseball.
Challenger Baseball is a program offered six  Saturdays each summer for
disabled youth.  Any physical or developmental disability makes a child
eligible to play.
Each week, buddies are assigned to work one-on-one with the kids.  We
usually have eight teams playing.  They are broken up by age without
regard for skill or any other factors.  I participate as a buddy.  As
one of the few people on the field with a visible disability, I also try
to serve as a mentor for the kids on the field and there families.
Being a buddy sounds easy enough.  Sometimes it is-- other times it
challenges me.
Many of our families find themselves in difficult circumstances.
Sometimes you find a youth that is totally disinterested in the game.
Some players have such severe disabilities that the buddy participates
more than they do, especially when they are small.  It is rewarding to
see some of them grow into it.
Once in a while, a child will be somewhat overzealous about the game and
make it difficult for other kids to get a real chance to play.
Through the years playing Challenger baseball, I have had the privilege
of knowing three  blind youth.  Two  of them were deaf-blind.
One of them is very young, and I am happy to have met his parents now
while he is small and still has the chance to grow up with high
expectations of himself.
The first child I worked with was a junior-high-aged boy.  His
grandmother told me that he was deaf-blind the first time I worked with
him.  It was helpful to know what to expect and what I needed to do to
make the experience worthwhile for him.
Since none of our baseballs make any noise and he would not be able to
hear them if they did, I knew that one of my duties was to see that he
had baseballs to throw.  Since I do not know sign language, we figured
out a communication scheme.  Soon, Jeremy knew that if I let go of his
hand, I would soon be back with a ball for him to throw to the infield.
We built a relationship on trust.
I also enjoyed the relationship I developed with his grandmother.  I
work for the Nebraska Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired so
I was able to introduce her to our transition counselor.
The agency has been advocating for him in the schools.
His family and the interpreters he works with also have been active in
the National Federation of the Blind.
His grandmother has been involved with other parents of blind children
and has learned a great deal about what she can expect from Jeremy.
Jeremy is a neat kid and has come a long way since I met him at the
ballpark.  I am glad that he and his family have met members of the NFB
and learned the truth about blindness.
Emily was also deaf-blind.  I did not know that at the time.
She had enough vision that she desperately tried to read my lips.  I had
no idea why she stayed so close to me and seemed to stare at me
throughout the entire game.  SHE seemed totally oblivious to what other
people around her were doing and was not very interested in throwing
baseballs, running, or interacting with other kids in the dugout.
My contact with Emily, and her family, has been minimal since the game
we played together.  I hope she finds the National Federation of the
Blind.  I hope she is given the opportunity to grow up with high
expectations of herself and faith in her abilities as a blind person.
John is a precocious child and seems to be getting some good blindness
skills.  I was able to meet his father and introduce myself.  I also
told him about the NFB and the services the Commission for the Blind and
Visually Impaired can offer him.
It is a pleasure to know that his father thinks he is a smart kid with a
lot to offer the world.  I am looking forward to working with John and
his family again this summer.
I hope my presence as an Optimist and a volunteer within the community
helps them to develop high aspirations for John.
Jeremy's grandmother shared many stories with me over the years about
her experience with the school district.  She told of equipment that was
not working properly and a curriculum that did not meet his needs.
Braille was not emphasized and neither was his independence.  The system
didn't seem interested in meeting Jeremy's needs.
Emily also seemed, from what I could tell, to be experiencing the same
circumstances.
My hope is that as John progresses through the school system, his
parents will have had enough contact with me and other competent blind
adults to make good decisions about his education and ask for help from
both the NFB and the agency when it is appropriate.
So many Federationists are pulling for them and willing to help. It is
so important that they learn the truth about blindness.
During my first summer as a Challenger Baseball buddy, I questioned my
own ability to be an asset to the Optimist team on the field but
baseball skills aren't all the Optimists want.
They want the kids to experience a non-competitive game of baseball
where everyone can win.  They also are giving the youth and there
parents an opportunity for support from Optimist members and each other.
It seems like parents of blind children see my white cane and know that
I am there for them and there families.  I have never been singled out
as "the buddy for blind kids.”
Since I have NFB convention and some other obligations in the summer, I
am not always assigned a permanent buddy.  I have played with several
kids each year.  I have felt more successful with some than with others,
but I am happy to represent the blind community out on the baseball
field and demonstrate that we are giving, enthusiastic members of our
community.
Both Optimist clubs and the NFB recognize the importance of educating
and serving our youth.  Writing this article renews my sense of urgency
for opening doors for our blind youth to participate on terms of
equality with their sighted peers.
School children are growing up side-by-side with blind students.  I
think the NFB plays a vital role by advocating for blind children to
have the kind of education that will allow them to participate in the
world, not only as learners and players, but as buddies, guides and
mentors.
Since my humble beginnings on the baseball diamond, other Federationists
have occasionally joined me in Optimist activities. I believe we each
can pass our Federation along in our own lives. I look forward with joy
to positive changes and new chances to teach the truth about blindness.


Moving On
By Karen Lemmon

To avoid the thought of you all thinking that I am prehistoric, I won’t
give the year that I took a college class titled Death and Dying. some
of you may remember in 1969, a book by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, entitled
On Death and Dying, which introduced a process for handling grief and
tragedy.
My class was taught by a young lady named Dr. Margaret Crouse who is now
the Dean of Education at Chadron State College. Having been assigned a
member of The Crisis Team at the school I was teaching at, I had to take
this class.  The crisis team was developed to prepare for potential
emotions caused by tragedy that may affect students and teachers.
Dr. Crouse did an amazing job during the class. She had us in mourning
within the first week of class after we viewed media clips and listened
to stories dealing with tragic events.  It was odd feeling so sad even
though nothing had happened to me. It was all the creative work of a
very clever teacher. Following the first week, she brought us out of
mourning by going through the five stages of grief, which had been
developed by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross. 
Then I was told I was going blind-- A condition called Stargardts.  My
first reaction was, “this must be a mistake; I will go to a different
doctor.”. There it was, Stage 1, Denial.
After my husband hauled me all over the Panhandle and even into South
Dakota seeking a different opinion, I became angry. Stupid Doctors, I
thought.  Of course I was angry-- I knew the doctors were right, but it
seemed appropriate to direct Stage 2 (Anger) at them.
Then I prayed a lot, and I found myself yet following the pattern as if
someone had died. I was bargaining. “Just let my eyes work until I can
retire.”  When that didn’t work, and color disappeared, and I couldn’t
see the screen in my computer graphics class, and the spaces in my grade
book, and worse, the faces of my students, I gave up. I did not sign the
contract offered me for the following year. I didn’t do anything. I
thought, why bother? There was Stage 4, I had hit the bottom; I was
depressed.
Finally, in the darkness appeared a little light. My mother had a friend
who was getting help from the Nebraska Commission for the Blind and
Visually Impaired. “Why don’t you call them,” she said. I didn’t want to
as I was still having trouble coming out of that stage 4. So my mother
called them. There in was my salvation.
The Nebraska Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired (NCBVI) took
me to my first convention of the National Federation of the Blind of
Nebraska (NFBN). Actually that was a real eye-opener. I saw people
laughing and talking about their professions and they were blind.
Everyone was nicely dressed, and I wondered how they could match their
clothing. If I could learn that, I could quit buying black-and-white
clothes.
I had a lot of time to think and study blindness during that convention
because I didn’t know how to become involved in conversation with blind
people. They couldn’t see me so it wasn’t like they could reach out and
include me-- they didn’t know I was there. I had a room, but no
roommate, so I rarely spoke that weekend. The NCBVI counselors were
there checking in on me now and again, but other than that, I had very
little contact with anyone. While I was there, I was pretty lonely, but
when I got home, I could not stop talking about the experience.
those few days of getting lost in the hotel, sleeping in a bed that was
just a goal-post short of a football field, and not knowing anyone, was
the best thing that could have happened to me. I had no reason to think
about anything but what I was observing. I was going to learn to be
blind, and that was a appealing challenge to me.
JAWS was one of the best things I have ever learned. With JAWS, I was
able to research blindness, and was eventually hired by the Nebraska
Game and Parks as the researcher at Fort Robinson. Some of my job duties
include writing tours, researching breeding stocks of the military
equestrians used at the Fort Robinson Remount Depot and studying the
paths of Indians and Soldiers. It was, and is, great fun. The blindness
thing wasn’t controlling me anymore.
Several State Conventions of the NFBN went by, and I learned more and
more at each one. I figured out that it was a team thing. It wasn’t hard
to sit down next to someone and say “Hi.” I have made lots of friends
since that very first convention, and every year, I jump at the chance
to get involved and do things with my new friends.
I have found there is a lot to be done. I felt especially privileged
when Mrs. Patricia Mauer called me one day and asked if I would like to
come to Baltimore and attend a leadership seminar led by Dr. Mark Mauer.
I thought maybe she had the wrong number. Attending that seminar was
another life changing event for me.
I met some wonderful people from all over the country and was able to
see our NFB headquarters. Dr. and Mrs. Mauer were wonderful hosts for
this event. One highlight of this experience in Baltimore was learning
how personable the Mauer’s were. I came  home revived and ready for
work. I wanted to get things done, but didn’t know exactly how to start.
I tried the legislative route. I did not feel blindness was condusive to
the requirements stipulated for teaching art and computer graphics, but
I did not think there was a valid reason why I couldn’t teach in a
different capacity.  Nebraska laws, at the time, were restrictive, and I
hoped to bring some change to these laws.  I was not even able to
substitute teach since I would lose my Disability benefits.
With the help of Carlos Servan, Dr. Pearl Vansant, Senator Kathy
Campbell and others, we changed that stupid law. LB 449 states that
anyone on Disability through the State of Nebraska, can work in their
original profession as long as they do not exceed 15 hours per week, and
will not lose their Disability benefits. When this bill had successfully
jumped through legislative hoops, and was signed by the Governor in
April of 2008, I realized that it is possible through team efforts to
make a positive difference. 
My next step was to find a local team, in the form of a chapter,  to
work with. Years before, there had been a Panhandle chapter, but it
dissolved. At the time, we lacked many current forms of communication,
and transportation in a vast area like ours can be challenging at best.
Finally, we found 14 interested individuals who, relying on
tele-conferencing, decided to reform a Panhandle Chapter. Our membership
has increased to 18, and by the time you read this, we will have hooked
the two waiting on the line. Not all of us our as physically active as
we would like to be, but we support one another, and we make sure each
due-paying member receives every bit of news and information.
We are working on some pretty neat things. We continue to work with the
education department, headed by Dr. Margaret Crouse (sound familiar?) ,
at Chadron State College, to stress the importance of Braille literacy.
Our hope is to prepare future teachers for potential blind students who
should have the right to use Braille and remain a part of the regular
classroom environment.  We are pulling our resources, practicing our
Braille and gathering information as we will begin a Braille class in
January.
As we move the college in the right direction, we are positioning our
influence in areas of the school.  I have been hired to be a part of the
Chadron State College faculty. The class is required to have at least 12
students to remain on the schedule, but the CSC bookstore has already
ordered 15 Beginnings  braille books, slate and stylus (not sure how to
make that plural) and a dozen blindfolds for in classroom work. For
those who do not wish to matriculate into a college class, we will
jointly offer a non-credited 10-week community Braille class.  I find a
lot of personal satisfaction in beginning this project at the
grass-roots level.  If we can get teachers on board with Braille, who
knows, maybe one day Braille will be a much more viable option in other
areas of life.
Oh yeah, and that blind thing?? My grieving has long since passed and
pretty much been forgotten. I think I have had more opportunities as a
blind person than I ever had as a sighted person. Blindness is a bit of
an inconvenience at times, but I am working on it.


Chapter Building with Philosophical Discussions
NFB philosophy is one of our greatest gifts and assets
By Robert Leslie Newman

“These meetings are boring; I don’t get anything out of them,” or, “This
chapter is okay, we have our events; I’m not sure what I’d change,” or,
“I don’t understand; nor do I think I agree with why we are taking this
action.”
We have all been there, heard fellow chapter members voice these
concerns.
Comments like these are warning flags of a need for chapter building, a
time for a chapter tune-up. For the astute leader, negative talk and
lack of inspiration is an opportunity; for these comments are waning
embers of the human spirit, awaiting a spark of purpose, a worthwhile
goal.
Members are asking for a clearly defined and heartfelt reason to come to
a meeting and to be a Federationist. Fortunately, A well-spring of
reason can easily be found, starting with the NFB’s underlying
philosophical foundation, extending on through all that we do.
And so, as stated in this article’s subtitle – “NFB philosophy is one of
our greatest gifts and assets,” I will present the why and how to make
use of philosophical discussions to get at the reasons someone would
want to be a member, with the outcome being the creation of a happier
and more effective chapter.
The Why:, Discussion is one of the best interactive learning tools for
use in a group setting. This is a group activity, wherein all
participants are applying critical thinking, and sharing opinions on the
same topic, striving for consensus.
The topic could range from pure NFB philosophy of what we stand for, to
discussion of current NFB activities, and the “why” of them.
The result is a better informed and cohesive group, with both new and
established members gaining from the exchange, for it quickens the
understanding and acceptance of our beliefs and promotes a genuine and
lasting commitment to the Federation’s work.
What Is NFB Philosophy:  Let us start at our organization’s foundation,
the reason for our existence, our basic NFB philosophy, and how it can
and must guide what we do.
“The real problem of blindness is not the loss of eyesight. The real
problem is the misunderstanding and lack of information that exists. If
a blind person has proper training and opportunity, blindness can be
reduced to a physical nuisance,” according to the NFB’s website.
This blazens the homepage of the website for all to see.
We within the NFB speak of “changing what it means to be blind.” What
better reason could there be for the work of a chapter or the feeling
within a member, then to have the opportunity to get at and make a
difference in “the real problem” of blindness?
What better feeling is there, then the satisfaction of knowing you have
helped change what people know and feel about blindness, by having
helped to clear up the “misunderstanding” and the “lack of information”
that exists about the truth of blindness?
The Makeup and Purpose of a Local Chapter: The next order of business is
to dissect and examine the makeup and purpose of a local chapter in
order to find and underscore our place in the larger scheme of the work
of the Federation.
1.	Structurally speaking, a local chapter is the grassroots
connection, the local representative of the nationwide organization of
the National Federation of the Blind; with a middle connection point, an
alliance to the affiliate of the state in which it resides.
2.	A local chapter’s purpose for being, is to bring forth to the
community the ideals, business, or philosophy of the NFB, which breaks
down into two major arenas:
a.	the chapter’s first order of business is to care for their
membership, by building a sense of community and purpose. This is
accomplished by providing direct life-changing knowledge, experiences,
and support (Changing what it means to be blind, begins within the
change-agent.).
b.	For the community at large, to reach out and educate all to the
truth about blindness as we know it, effectively “changing what it means
to be blind.” This goal is accomplished through spreading NFB philosophy
by our writings, presentations, and our programs; working with the
business community to increase employment of the blind; working with
educators to enhance the education of the blind; working with lawmakers
effecting positive change to legislation; seeking out and ministering to
the blind population and their families; and more. 
In short, the local chapters are the community’s “face of the
Federation,” our force on-the-ground in our effort to change what it
means to be blind.
And so for this group of individuals to be as effective as necessary,
the process of banding and bonding is the most single critical element
in the makeup of a local chapter; chapter building then at its “hearts
and mind level” is working at earning each individual member’s
commitment, enticing a collective cooperation, providing the membership
with the tools to work with, and creating a group sense of purpose.
Chapter Building, Hearts and Minds: Before we go any further, I will
point out, that there are three phases involved in the development of an
effective chapter, with the element of philosophy playing an integral
role within each.
Yet let there be no mistake, I am saying that winning over the hearts
and minds of the membership is the first order of business. And so, the
first phase is what this article is all about, the development and
nurturing of a strong philosophical foundation within each member and
the membership at large.
However, there is more to all of this if you want to get past being able
to only “Talk the Talk” of being a Federationist. In order to reach the
“Walk the Walk” level of Federationism, where the actual local community
work takes place, the chapter also needs to work through phases two and
three, using their philosophical foundation as a template (or truth) to
judge by and as a directional compass to guide the way to moving events
in the correct direction.
Phase two is all about “information gathering,” recognizing where the
myths and problems are within the community.
Phase three is “problem-solving,” or the ability to figure out and
implement needed actions.
Though these last two phases are important, they are procedural in
nature and are unique to each chapter’s community situation and this
writing will not delve into them.
Phase #1- Developing the Basic Philosophy: First, look at the makeup of
your chapter.
I am sure that you will find that in terms of mastery of “the truth of
blindness,” there will be a mix of members, those who are newbie’s and
those who both know our philosophy and embody it.
There will be individuals who are blind, parents of blind children,
other family members, professionals within the field of blindness, and
friends.
And so, to figure out what topics to discuss, or to discover what the
philosophical needs of your membership are, the first approach is to ask
them.
Second, and this is by no means of less importance, is the assessment
and choice by the leadership; by observation of an individual member’s
needs, or awareness of trends coming up within the community and/or the
larger NFB organization.
Once the awareness in the value of using philosophical discussions takes
hold, then next is the task to find the “where” to locate materials to
aid in developing a discussion.
Where to Find Materials to Aid with the Discussion: As stated above, we
truly are fortunate to have the resources at our disposal that we do.
Check out our publications and the massive amount of literature that we
have written and accumulated over the decades of our organization’s
history.
For example, to locate current events go to the NFB’s leading
publication, The Braille Monitor.
Or, if looking for issues more pointed toward blind children and the
parenting of a blind child, try Future Reflections, the newsletter of
the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children.
For basic philosophy, our all-time “golden oldies,” pull out past
banquet speeches by Dr. tenBroek, Dr. Jernigan, and Dr. Maurer.
For a mix of subjects, search through the articles of personal
experience by blind people that we collected and put into book form in
The Kernel Book series.
And never forget you can use the wealth of information which is
continually added to our organization’s Internet Website, www.nfb.org.
You can also seek out writings by NFB members who have made a special
effort to create and distribute blindness-related materials for the
purpose of educating the world about blindness as we know it.
I offer my material on my THOUGHT PROVOKER Website at
www.thoughtprovoker.info for consideration. I recommend specifically my
new “Chapter Building” series which consists of ready-to-go lesson plans
on a variety of philosophical topics for discussion.
In closing, I again stress and encourage the use of philosophical
discussion as one of the best methods for chapter building. Our
philosophy is the drumbeat by which we march, and with it we build up
our membership, draw in those who need us, and, in step, together we all
work at changing what it means to be blind.

 
HUSKER ROUND-UP

REFLECTIONS:  What Drew Me in and Hooked Me to the NFB
By Barbara Loos

If we look carefully at what motivates us, we'll often discover a
pattern in what draws us in, hooks us, and compels us to act.  For me,
from the time I was a small child, I have been deeply influenced by
literature.  I've always loved to read and have often figured out how I
feel about things by writing about them.  I vividly remember what hooked
me on the National Federation of the Blind, even though it happened more
than three dozen years ago.  I invite you to join me on a brief walk
down Memory Lane, close to where it intersects with Action Avenue.
As early as 1941, one year after its founding, there was an affiliate of
the National Federation of the Blind in Nebraska.  There was even a
National Convention in Omaha in 1955.  The former predates me and the
latter would have found me to be a child of four, about to get my
education at the school for the blind, where the Federation ranked among
the unpopular.  So it wasn't until 1971, when Mary Ellen Anderson (now
Jernigan) and Arlene Gashel (now Hill) came to Nebraska as part of  a
team to reorganize the affiliate, that I had my first brief encounter
with the organization.  That January, although my sister, Laurie, and I,
both of us blind and students at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln,
met with them, we neither attended the organizing meeting nor joined the
movement.  We did agree, though, to receive the Braille Monitor, the
Federation’s monthly magazine.
Our initial response to the Monitor was heavily influenced by the
approach at the school for the blind, where Federationists were said to
be pushy "pie in the sky" radicals with respect to expectations for the
blind who would do anything to get their way.  We derisively dubbed the
publication the “Jernigan Journal,” because it was replete with articles
and editorial comments by Kenneth Jernigan, who was, at the time, the
Federation's President.
Typically, I read, ridiculed, and rejected the Monitor out of hand.  I
did so, that is, until the September 1974 issue.  That one included the
Convention banquet speech entitled Blindness:  Is Literature Against Us?
Upon reading that speech, I found myself quietly, almost guiltily
slipping it into a shelf reserved for things to ponder.  And ponder it I
did.
I was fascinated by his opening statement, “History, we are told, is the
record of what human beings have done; literature the record of what
they have thought.”  But what caught and held my attention were his
comments concerning the future of the blind as seen through literature:

If we turn to the future, the answer is that the future-in literature as
in life-is not predetermined but self-determined. As we shape our lives,
singly and collectively, so will we shape our literature. Blindness will
be a tragedy only if we see ourselves as authors see us. The contents of
the page, in the last analysis, reflect the conscience of the age. The
structure of literature is but a hall of mirrors, giving us back (in
images slightly larger or smaller than life) exactly what we put in. The
challenge for us is to help our age raise its consciousness and reform
its conscience. We must rid our fiction of fantasy and imbue it with
fact. Then we shall have a literature to match reality, and a popular
image of blindness to match the truth, and our image of ourselves.
Poetry is the song of the spirit and the language of the soul. In the
drama of our struggle to be free-in the story of our movement and the
fight to rid the blind of old custodialism and man's ancient fear of the
dark-there are epics which cry to be written, and songs which ask to be
sung. The poets and novelists can write the words, but we must create
the music.
We stand at a critical time in the history of the blind. If we falter or
turn back, the tragedy of blindness will be great, indeed. But, of
course, we will not falter, and we will not turn back. Instead, we will
go forward with joy in our hearts and a song of gladness on our lips.
The future is ours, and the novelists and the poets will record it.
Come! Join me on the barricades, and we will make it come true!
That didn't feel like "my way or the highway" to me.  It felt like
choice!  And literature as "the song of the spirit and the language of
the soul" certainly resonated with me and I sure did want to go forward
with that joy in my heart and song of gladness on my lips.  I even
longed to be one of those creating the music.  Was it really "pie in the
sky"?  I determined to find out.
In December of that year, I was offered an opportunity, as part of my
job at the Nebraska Rehabilitation Services for the Visually Impaired
(now the Nebraska Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired), to go
to another agency for the blind to see how it operated and bring back
possible suggestions for the fledgling Orientation and Adjustment Center
we were in the process of creating.  That was a no-brainer for me.  I
wanted to meet the author of that literature speech and see if the
agency he directed, the Iowa Commission for the Blind, was as good as
the rumor mill claimed.  I came away from that experience not only
believing that it was, but doing all I could to ensure that the Center
we built here emulated that one.
On Louis Braille's 202nd birthday, January 4, 2011, I purchased a
booklet from National Braille Press by D. Croft.  Entitled Monday
Morning Quotations, it contains 52 leaves, each of which offers words of
wisdom.  The first quote on the second leaf, attributed to Bertrand
Russell, aptly summarizes what I learned at the Iowa Commission:  "Even
when all the experts agree, they still may well be mistaken."  The
second quote on that page, penned by William Safire,  succinctly
comments on the growing connection with reality I was experiencing:
"Never assume the obvious is true."  Things, indeed, aren't always what
they appear to be.
Once I began to engage with those who both truly believed that it is
respectable to be blind and that the average blind person, given proper
training and opportunity,  could do the average job in the average place
of business as well as his/her sighted colleague, life began to unfold
for me in most fascinating ways.  As my expectations for myself and
those blind folks I was teaching rose, so, too, did our confidence.  And
with confidence came competence.  Ken Hakuta's quotation on the first
leaf of the aforementioned booklet conveys, to some degree, how things
next began to play out:  "People will try to tell you that all the great
opportunities have been snapped up.  In reality, the world changes every
second, blowing new opportunities in all directions, including yours.”
In January 1975, about a month after my trip to Iowa, I joined the
Lincoln Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of Nebraska.
The following month, I was elected its president.  Before the year was
out, I had attended both my first State and National Conventions, a
leadership seminar in Des Moines, and a demonstration against the
National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and
Visually Handicapped (NAC) in Little Rock.  Since then, I have held
numerous positions, both elected and appointed, within the movement.
Many of the opportunities which have blown my way have involved
literature.  One of the first was a request from Mr. Regler,
Superintendent of the school for the blind, who asked my sister (who had
also joined the NFB) and me to write a song for the school's centennial
celebration.  He told us that the theme was a quote from its blind
founder, Samuel Bacon, "Not just a living, but a life".  Pleased to so
soon have a chance to be part of writing a song which had, in fact,
asked to be sung, I fleshed out that quote for the chorus and wrote a
couple verses, then handed it off to Laurie to write the literal music.
It was truly awesome to hear blind youth proclaiming that message of
equal expectation and to have it adopted as the school song, knowing
that the National Federation of the Blind, the organization that had
been maligned there, had had a hand in it through my sister and me.  Our
mom, who had discussed our change of perspective with Mr. Regler at some
point, mentioned that his response to her had been that if we raise
children to think independently, we shouldn't be surprised when they do.
With increased involvement in the Federation, I found myself writing
letters, delivering testimony to Legislators, drafting resolutions,
writing reports, and generally immersing myself in the business of
contributing to the voice of our nation's blind.  In 1990, when the NFB
celebrated its half-century mark, I received the awesome privilege of
being one of two Federationists to represent the 1970's on a panel of
ten, two from each decade, at our National Convention in Dallas.  A
video of that session, items from chapters, divisions, and state
affiliates as well as other selected materials were placed in a time
capsule to be examined in 2040.  That panel discussion is available in
an article entitled THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND:  FIVE DECADES
OF PROGRESS.  In December of 1998, exactly 24 years after I had first
met and questioned him, I received the sad but unparalleled honor of
paying tribute to Dr. Jernigan at his memorial service in Baltimore with
remarks entitled Making It Count.  Two years later, I was thrilled to be
invited to deliver a speech, Employment Creation, at the Fifth General
Assembly of the World Blind Union in Melbourne, Australia.  The
following year found me speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony for the
building we now call the Jernigan Institute, those comments appearing in
an article entitled A New Day Dawning: The NFB Breaks Ground for the
National Research and Training Institute for the Blind.  (A precious
side note is that I got to stand beside a seven-year-old blind boy as we
used giant scissors to cut the ribbon for the Institute's grand opening
in 2004.)  When I served as the first Chairman of the newly-established
Nebraska Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired (NCBVI) Board of
Commissioners from 2000 through 2007, I was mindful of setting
precedents for future Commissioners as we wrote formative documents and
as I delivered annual reports to State Conventions as NFBN's designee on
the Board.
Over the years, I have attempted to meet the challenge Dr. Jernigan
spoke of "to help our age raise its consciousness and reform its
conscience" about blindness through both presentations and vignettes.  A
partial list includes my introduction to the Federation (“The Missing
Piece”), grieving (“A Vinegar and Oil Federationist”), alternative
techniques (“Fueling the Fire”), teaching and networking (“The Cribbage
Game”), Braille (“A Morsel to Chew On”), parenting (“A Lesson From
Marsha”), mentoring (“United We Stand”), living our philosophy in the
world at large (“For Laura”), giving back to society (“Feeding Our
Future”), influencing blind youngsters (“Laying the Groundwork for
Independence”), experiencing Convention through streaming (“Dancing in
the Rain”), and unusual blindness-related experiences (“A Boa in My
Brailler and Barring the Chaos Factor”).  Interestingly, not only have
these and other writings of mine appeared in our NFBN newsletter, the
Federation's Kernel Books and Future Reflections, but also they have
found their way into the Braille Monitor, that publication that I once
found so unnerving.  I now find it to be both a treasure trove and a
lifeline and I hope you do, too.
Whether serving as state president, treasurer, board member, committee
appointee, or, my personal favorite, rank and file member of this
organization, literature of some kind is always influencing my approach.
As I was writing this article, for instance, I received an observation
in an e-mail message by Bob Perks which I think sums up well how the
Federation can turn around your life, whatever your initial hook may be.
He wasn't talking about blindness, but I think it applies.  He said, "I
used to say, 'I'll believe it when I see it.' Now it's, 'I'll see it
when I believe it!'"  The first part of that statement is, of course, a
slight rewrite of that old, untrustworthy  stereotype "seeing is
believing".  The second part could be restated in a phrase I have often
heard my husband say which I liked so well I used it for the title of
another of my writings about mentoring, "Attitude is everything."  The
former sets a trap, while the latter sets you free.  And that, really,
is what the National Federation of the Blind has done for me.  It has
set me free and it can do the same for you.
I think our stroll down Memory Lane has taken us right up to that
intersection I mentioned earlier, the one with Action Avenue.  Yes, the
submission deadline is just around that corner.  I hope I'll find you
there, too, either on the pages of this publication or responding to
your hook in another place along the Avenue, changing what it means to
be blind in positive ways.

 
PHILOSOPHICAL FOUNDATIONS

Science and Philosophy: Guided Versus Discovery
By Dr. James S. Nyman

Editor’s note:  This article has been previously published in The
Braille Monitor, and we have obtained permission to publish it in The
Nebraska Independent.

Introductory: This essay explores the distinctive differences between
two approaches to providing training to blind persons. Both approaches
are familiar to education theorists and each has its adherents. Elements
of both are involved in actual practice, but can be distinguished.
The guided model is underpinned by an academic education that claims
scientific status in university programs.
Cane travel instruction (generally called, " orientation and mobility)
most fully exhibits the characteristics explored below, but other areas
of blindness skill training are related.
A more philosophically based approach emphasizes the role of the blind
person as a learner.
While each approach has its friends and its critics, neither can claim
exclusive triumph in the field of blindness rehabilitation.

Out of the night
In 1875, the British poet William Ernest Henley composed a poem titled
Invictus. In the poem, whose title is Latin for "unconquered", he gives
voice to the despair he feels over a medical episode in his life.
He had had his left leg amputated below the knee and was threatened with
a similar fate for his right leg. He captures the essence of his
reaction to this drastic event in the opening lines of Invictus:
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole. 
By the end of his struggle, in the concluding lines he declares victory
over his despair in these defiant words: "I am the master of my fate; I
am the captain of my soul. “
Even though he found himself, "in the fell clutch of circumstance...",
the spirit that freed him is that he has, "not winced or cried aloud..."
And his "...head is bloody but unbowed." 
Henley portrays the dark and frightening world he sees before him as he
confronts his disability, but blindness is often portrayed in even
darker colors. In his poem, he voices The admiration he feels for his
own brave defiance of an unkind fate. Those who are blind will recognize
a similar admiration that society heaps on us for the courageous way we
are believed to deal with this dreadful condition.
It is difficult to see how this admiration could rescue us from that
fell clutch of circumstance. However much courage and defiance may ease
the impact of blindness, it is, at best, only the first step back to
normal life. It does little to help the transition. The true path lies
in persistent effort, guided by philosophy. 

No preaching, please
What is this philosophy and how does it guide our return.
To begin with, it is easier to say what philosophy cannot do. Preaching
the truth to the newly blinded can ring very hollow at this stage.
Perhaps I can illustrate this point with a story that, I think may be a
true story. I first heard it from a former president of the American
Council of the Blind--and that should be a sufficient guarantee of its
truth. Here’s the story:
Once upon a time, a long time ago, in a far away place, a rhinoceros and
a butterfly fell madly in love. They found, unfortunately, that they
could not express this love in the ordinary way.
After some discussion, it was decided that rhinoceros should consult
with that well-known philosopher, Wise Old Owl.
After waking Wise Old Owl from his nap, rhinoceros said, "Wise Old Owl,
butterfly and I have fallen madly in love, but find we cannot consummate
our love. What can we do?”
"The solution" said Wise Old Owl, "is very simple: you must become a
butterfly.”
"But," moaned Rhinoceros, "how can I do that?”
"I haven’t the slightest idea," said Wise Old Owl, "I only propose the
solution: it’s up to you to implement it." 
Mr. Henley, and the rest of us, I suspect, would find the butterfly
solution difficult, if not impossible, to implement.
Perhaps more helpful are remarks I recall hearing Kenneth Jernigan,
former president of the National Federation of the Blind, make on a
number of occasions:
"It is said that philosophy bakes no bread, but, without philosophy, no
bread gets baked.”
So, how do we become bakers?

More than courage
We should not, to begin with, disparage courage. We will often find it
necessary to encourage the blind individual to initiate even modest
steps toward an understanding of blindness; a chore that, we hope, may
not prove as difficult as becoming a butterfly.
The first step may be recognition that blindness does not occur to each
person in the same way. Differences of age, sex, culture, family,
education, economic situation, personality and visual status impact the
range of responses. A butterfly solution rarely works.
A more modest step, based on a firm conviction, that blindness can be
managed by practical steps that can be learned, will suggest itself.
The key concept here is "can be learned".
This concept immediately places the emphasis on the blind individual as
a learner and casts the counselor in the role Of the trainer.

The science model
Medical science has a well documented claim to successful intervention
in cases of physiological problems. Surgery can remove an offending
growth or a bodily part to effect a cure. In these cases, the patient
need only submit to the procedure; often under anesthetic control.
This is a tempting model for the counselor who has been educated in
behavioral and other human sciences. Those who are educated in the
psychology of blindness, have generally regarded their intervention as
the decisive factor in returning the individual to a semblance of normal
existence. This orientation governs their practice.
The loss of sight is thought to present the professional with a set of
known limitations stemming from diminished visual functioning. It is
believed that their scientific knowledge equips the specialist with the
diagnostic tools needed to devise a rehabilitation plan for the client.
Knowledge of training techniques and technological devices provides the
instructor with the necessary tools to effect specific compensations for
the particular functional limitation.
Training, based on the science model, is devised and controlled by the
professional. The blind individual is expected only to be responsive,
carefully guided by the instructor. who will correct or reinforce
behavior by extrinsic feedback as the process continues.
Thus, confronted with a client who is blind, the counselor need only
take charge of the individual’s behavior and with patience and skill,
effect the equivalent of a cure.
The expertise of the training counselor, may also extend to devising
modifications to the individual’s domestic environment or more generally
in the wider world. Each modification is designed to enable the
individual with known visual limitations to live in the world.
Accountability for performance on this model parallels that of the
medical profession.
The health care industry has been criticized in recent years because
their method of accountability has been based more on procedures than on
outcomes.
Medical services, in the form of sophisticated diagnostic tests, can be
readily documented.
In a similar manner, the services provided by the specialist in the
field of blindness and the results obtained are recorded in the case
file. Accountability is assured by reference to the record, maintained
by the Provider.
Thus, even the evidence of effectiveness is under the control of the
professional.
When we adopt the commonplace distinction between "guided" and
"discovery" learning, the roles of the instructor and the blind
individual become clear.
On the guided model, the instructor, academically educated in a science
of blindness, designs and delivers training.  The student learns it
either well or poorly and the instructor measures success by some
appropriate test, scoring the student on a scale of achievement.
While it may have been experimentally shown that "guided" instruction
can be more effective for initial training and testing for  specific
technical skills, performance based on the guided model tends to be
limited to those specific skills.
The skills  are liable to degrade unless reinforced by regular practice.
It is not necessary for the student to know the science behind the
training; only to execute  the acquired skills to a prescribed standard.

The philosophy model
The characterization of the science model presented above almost
certainly does not describe the practice of any given professional in
the field. Some features are deliberately exaggerated in order to
emphasize Certain tendencies. Nevertheless, control of the process
through expertise is a standard feature of academic Education.
When the training is deemed successful, how does the counselor
relinquish control and transfer it to the blind individual? In practice,
the locus of control may have gradually shifted to the increasingly
competent individual. But, relinquishing control by case closure, when
training has been completed is to end the process where it should have
begun.
A more  philosophical approach would be to initiate steps to center
control in the blind individual. How can this be done?
It was stated earlier that preaching the well-known verities is much
like proposing a butterfly solution. As, for example, when we declare
that, "With proper training and opportunity, blindness can be reduced to
a mere physical nuisance." However valid this assertion may be, it is
more like the conclusion of a philosophical argument than the starting
point of an inquiry.
In this essay, we treat philosophy as an activity of encountering the
world.  The encounter occurs when the nonvisual senses are actively
engaged in exploring the world and reason is employed to solve problems
that confront us.
Philosophy  is not a set of doctrines that can be proved by argument but
must meet the test of experience. That experience is not merely passive
reception of impressions but active exploration of the world as we
pursue our goals and activities.
Those who possess normal, or near normal, vision from infancy learn to
rely on visual feedback as they live and move in the world. This
intrinsic feedback forms part of a complex interaction with their
surroundings.
In the ordinary course of maturing, guidance is frequently sought from
others by the curious child.
By contrast, individuals who are blind from childhood or become blind
later in life typically acquire some alternative nonvisual methods for
interacting with the world. This will vary,  depending on the initiative
of the blind person and the quality of guidance from others.
Methods for actively gathering limited auditory, kinesthetic and tactile
information can be readily learned by the enterprising individual. . For
the rest, the individual who has been blind from childhood or who has
been sheltered and protected from the reality of blindness is likely to
rely on vital knowledge of the environment communicated by others from
their visual standpoint.
As a result, information, gathered and interpreted by those others,
becomes the basis of their interaction with the world. When the
counselor reinforces this reliance, the control of environmental
knowledge remains with those others.
A counselor who understands this danger will soon introduce the blind
individual to more systematic non-visual techniques for obtaining and
processing information about  the environment.
Most of this knowledge is derived from reflection, by generations of
blind persons on their shared experience in developing  alternative
techniques for  accessing relevant information. This is the foundation
of the  philosophical   approach, known as "structured discovery
learning".
It is the theoretical basis of an approach  that  guides the practice of
those who are committed to this philosophy of teaching. Its core belief
is that persons who learn how to independently access and process
information about the world will retain the ability longer and apply it
over a wider range of situations.
Accessing information by sensory means is, however,  only the beginning
of a process that leads on to  interacting with the world. The
information must be interpreted in order to guide behavior.
While a person who gains their knowledge of the world visually may
appear to respond naturally and automatically, in reality, some mental
activity has occurred between reception and response.
In the case of blind persons, this process must be learned by conscious
attention until it has the same habitual status as that involving visual
contact with the world.
Learning the most efficient methods of reasoning on tactile, auditory,
kinesthetic, vestibular--and, in a limited way, even olfactory and
gustatory-- sensory input requires a systematic effort.
Effectiveness can be improved by conscious attention to the methods of
reasoning. It is this reasoning activity that constitutes the
philosophical approach.
The method that is called, "structured discovery learning" starts by
putting the learner in charge of acquiring information about the
situation that the instructor has initiated.
The student, is expected to make discoveries through the sensory
information that has been consciously gathered.  Conclusions, based on
reasoning about the acquired information will enable the individual to
identify the nature of the problem that is confronted.
Memory of past encounters with the world and general knowledge of
physical environments enables the person to make decisions on the best
way to solve the problem that the situation has posed.
Reflection on the experience of solving problems that have been
deliberately constructed or confronted in the course of activity can
lead to useful generalizations.
This process of generalization from the solving of practical problems
can be enhanced by the counselor or other blind persons by means of a
well designed strategy of follow-up.
This should always begin with the student asked to identify how the
information has been discovered. Solving the problem may be guided, step
by step, by others, but must never be decreed by the instructor on the
basis of extrinsic feedback.
On the other hand, intrinsic feedback, generated by active probing
leaves the student in control of the process. Conscious attention to the
methods of problem solving and decision-making is the key to the
development of the cognitive tools that are essential for coming to know
and act in the world.
Confidence in these tools and reliance on intrinsic feedback is the core
of this  philosophy of blindness. In the end, it is this philosophy that
helps us  bake the bread that nourishes our conviction that blindness
can , indeed, be reduced to a mere physical nuisance.


Educating the Education System, Part 2
By Bridgit Kuenning Pollpeter

Editor’s Note:  This was originally written for an English class three
years ago.  Some of the information may be a bit dated, but the
sentiments and arguments are current.  The paper has been split in two
parts with the first half appearing in the previous Nebraska Independent
issue.  The bibliography will not be published though the in-text
citations will remain.  Should you wish to view the bibliography, please
email the editor.

Mainstreaming sounds good in theory but there are key elements that need
to be in place before a student could even begin to think about
assimilating into the regular classroom.
The two most important skills that any blind person must know and be
efficient with are Braille and white cane travel.  Asking a blind
individual to not learn Braille is the same as asking a sighted
individual to not learn how to read and write print.  Without cane
travel, the blind are not able to be independent about mobility and
would need to rely solely on what is known as a sighted guide.
Using a sighted guide is good for certain situations, such as a loud and
crowded event where audio cues are difficult to hear or even
non-existent, but there will not always be a person able to assist with
travel and the white cane allows one to move about at their will.
Clearly these skills are important and would be necessary for a student
to know in order to function in a regular classroom at a competitive
level.
Here opponents of mainstreaming do raise a viable argument, because many
blind children are not learning these skills and public schools are not
equipped for teaching them.
Steven Rothstein makes the point in his article, “Opportunities for the
Blind,” that, “many schools do not have the resources to teach the
blind, and many do not feel that it is necessary to include blindness
training into the curriculum.”
This is unfortunate because essentially the education system is holding
back blind students from the classroom when they have just as much
potential as their sighted peers.
Fred Schroeder, who is a former president of the National Federation of
the Blind, believes that if public schools would allow more itinerant
teachers there would be a brighter future for mainstreaming,
(Schroeder).
According to the National Federation of the Blind, only one percent of
the American population is blind, so it makes sense that skills such as
Braille are not commonly known.  Itinerant, or traveling, instructors
would help to teach these skills to children who do not learn them
before entering school.
The best scenario, however, would be for children to receive this
training prior to attending school.  Again, this is the same as children
learning to read and write print.
This is a problem because it creates the need for special education with
blind students and could impede the mainstreaming process, as Schroeder
believes.  On the other hand, by placing these students in regular
classrooms with no specialized training would be equally detrimental to
the process (Schroeder).
This is a very real concern that will take educators along with parents
and those within the blind community working together to identify the
needs and find resolutions.
With the involvement of all parties, a student can have the best
education plan set for them.  For visually impaired students this action
of networking will help them to find the balance between receiving the
proper skills as well as the proper school placement.  This way a blind
student can have that success in the regular classroom.
In the article “The Inclusionary Express,” it is proposed that educators
need to assess students on an individual basis (Bickford).
Bickford believes that mainstreaming can work, but there are those who
benefit from supplemental instruction:
Unfortunately, we frequently see that students are placed in special
education programs, not by identified need, but by political and
economic considerations.  Since this may be the case, school
organizations often see the special education program as an add-on
mandated by law rather than an integral part of the entire curriculum
(Bickford).
As can be seen, inclusion is not the answer for most blind children.
The need for individualized assessment is integral to the mainstreaming
process.
“We know that the only way to address the educational needs of children
with visual impairments is on an individual basis.  We must determine
the capability for academic learning in a regular classroom and must
identify the disability-specific needs of each child.  Only then can we
make a decision about placement,” (Hatlen).
Unfortunately, many blind children are not receiving the proper training
necessary for functioning in the regular classroom environment, which is
not conducive to the inclusion plan.
Shannon is a fourth-grade student who is blind and has an itinerant
assistant.  Rather than working with Shannon, the assistant works for
her (Krebs).  Shannon can not Braille her own lessons and she needs
assistance to travel anywhere.
Although there is no reason for Shannon not to know these basic skills,
it puts forth the argument that inclusion for all blind children is not
the best plan of action.  Any child, regardless of a disability, must
have a basic knowledge of any skills and methods that allow for success
before entering the academic world.
Any blind child is just as likely to succeed in school, but these
children need to use the tools available to them for basic functioning.
As many do not learn these tools, or do not have proper training, there
appears to be a need for a plan that includes supplemental instruction.
Mainstreaming works best in this scenario as long as the necessary
skills are being taught.
Students need to be viewed on an individual bases though.  There are
those who function and succeed in the regular classroom, and they
deserve the right to be there as these children are proving that they
have the proper and necessary skills.
There are many state and private organizations in place to teach blind
skills to children and adults.  These organizations are geared towards
assisting blind people to mainstream into society.
Nearly every state has a government agency for the blind that, among
other operations, instructs in the teaching of blind skills.  These
agencies can provide the proper training necessary for students to
succeed in the educational environment.
There are also many special groups and events to help blind children and
adolescence function in school such as Youth Slam, an annual blind camp
that offers science tracts such as physics and astronomy.  Youth not
only learn skills, but are given the tools for classroom experience.
Most states also have summer camps for blind and visually impaired
children specifically oriented towards learning skills such as white
cane travel, Braille and screen reading technology for computers as well
as daily skills like cooking and cleaning.
These programs, if utilized, can provide the training and experience for
students to not only function, but to succeed in school.
Students who worked with these existing programs would have no problem
attending regular classes.  Schools need to make a habit of utilizing
these resources as well.
Many times it is ignorance that places blind students into special
education classes, and if schools had help with addressing the concern
and implementing a plan of action, then those students may avoid the
unnecessary placement in special education.
Megen Johnson was a Transition Specialist with the Iowa Department for
the Blind, facilitating the learning of skills as well as positive
attitudes towards blindness for students and educators.
Johnson was a viable resource for teachers and school administrators and
provided specific training for students as well as implementing
educational goals and assisting students along with educators in problem
solving to achieve set goals.
“By using resources and people who are well versed in blind and visually
impaired skills, along with positive attitudes, a student can assimilate
very well into regular classrooms,” says Johnson.
The only problem with this solution is that far too many state agencies
do not have a progressive or positive attitude towards blindness, which
could impede the mainstreaming process as well.  Regardless, most of
these agencies, at the very least, do know how to instruct in blind
skills, which is important for the blind student to be a part of the
educational environment.
Through these programs, students would be working on the skills that
would make success in the regular classroom possible.
The biggest obstacle for any blind child, or adult, is dealing with
negative attitudes and stereotypes.  Often, individuals do not realize
that their attitudes and comments are offensive or degrading, but this
is an obstacle that the blind meet on a daily basis.
The concern of educators and the public alike is the safety of a blind
student in the “real world.”  Out of sheer ignorance, and this term is
used in its most basic definition, most cannot comprehend how a blind
person will handle everyday situations.
As a blind individual myself, I am often asked such questions as, “How
do you cross a street,” “How do you go up and down stairs,” and, “How do
you not run into objects?”  As a grown adult, I have been doing these
activities for years now.
I, along with other blind individuals, do all the same daily activities
as everyone else; we just may do them differently.  If one allows a
disability to become an obstacle, then it will be.
Many schools fear for the safety of blind and visually impaired
students.  Parents often have a difficult time convincing schools that
their blind child has very few limitations, or does not require special
care, and school officials may think that someone needs to watch over
the child constantly, or they unnecessarily restrict blind students from
participating in activities such as Physical Education (Newberry).
The truth is that most of society’s population fear blindness and
believe it to be the most debilitating physical disability.  Blindness
is not truly a physical disability, but it is merely a sensory
disability, providing fewer limitations than many believe.
Some find these views towards society’s perceptions extreme, but this is
an excerpt from a textbook that is used in public schools today:
The blind, the deaf, the dumb, the crippled, and the insane and the
feeble-minded are sometime known collectively as the defective-people
who are lacking some normal faculty or power.  Such people need to be
placed in some special institution in order to receive proper attention.
Many blind, deaf, and crippled people can do a considerable amount of
work.  The blind have remarkable talent in piano tuning, weaving, wicker
work and the like.  The deaf and dumb are still less handicap because
they can engage in anything that does not require taking or giving
orders by voice (Newberry).
These are views and perceptions that must be broken in order for the
blind to be accepted as equal counterparts in society.  This is
especially important for students who are blind and visually impaired.
“Life as a blind person need not be any more frustrating or stressful
than life with eyesight, as long as blind and visually impaired children
are taught skills and are given the tools they need to accomplish task
with independence and with success,” (Castellano).
With a positive attitude and a clear understanding of one’s abilities,
blind students can assimilate and accomplish educational goals within a
regular classroom environment.
Picture a child’s first day of school.
The eager anticipation, eyes wide with curiosity.  They are wearing new
shoes and are carrying their new backpack full of paper and pencils.
They are ready to join the world of academia that they have heard so
much about from siblings or parents or friends.
As they approach the doors of the building, clutching a lunchbox to
their chest, they are full of an anxious energy.
Soon they are wearing a crest fallen expression as they are told that
they, “Will not be participating with the other children.  It would not
be safe-- they will keep the other children from learning, and they will
never be able to keep the pace.”
This reflection is real for many blind students.  It is automatically
determined , by those who are not blind, that a regular classroom
environment will be too difficult for blind students.
Far too many in society refuse to think outside of the box because of
fear of the unknown.  This does not have to be the case when it comes to
mainstreaming blind students.  If educators would look for the answers
to questions such as the plausibility of blind children learning in the
regular classroom, and what types of tools a blind child needs, then
mainstreaming can and should work.
Blind children need to learn fundamental skills just like any other
child, like reading, writing and mobility, but once these skills are
attained a blind student can and will learn as well as excel in a
regular classroom.
For far too long now, society has been in the dark about blindness.
Education is a basic right afforded to all, including those who have
disabilities, and blindness is not a reason to hold a child back from
their full potential.
Most the time, what holds a blind student back is not the blindness, but
the perceptions that others have about blindness.  If educators, parents
and those in the blind community would work together, a solution could
be found for mainstreaming blind students into regular classrooms.
Part of the solution lies with parents.  Parents need to speak up and
play a major role in the education of their children.
There also needs to be more education about blindness.  Only when the
world realizes that blindness is not a debilitating and limiting
disability, will concepts like mainstreaming truly work.
There must be a starting point though.  Children and human beings in
general, are all the same.  Some have different colors of skin, some
have different accents and some may be blind, but all humans have
capability and potential.  Barriers can be removed, but one must have
the courage and know-how to break the obstacle.
This is not a brave statement, but rather a fact.
The campaign for mainstreaming blind students is still an uphill climb,
with each hill appearing steeper than the one before.  There has been
success, and there has been failure, but there will continue to be
success.
It is essential that blind children learn the necessary and positive
skills as soon as possible.  Without the skills, they will have no
chance of competing, let alone functioning in the world.
Blind students have just as much potential to grow and learn in the
regular classroom once they are provided with proper blind skills
including Braille, white cane travel and a positive attitude.  After
all, this is the key to any child’s education.
No child should fall between the cracks, and everyone has a right to
equal opportunity.
The blind have made their own opportunities—forcing the world to
recognize their potential.  Seeking a better future, blind students will
fulfill goals, working alongside, not behind, their sighted peers.
 
HOME OF THE HUSKER

Recipes

Artichoke Spinach Dip
Submitted by Audra Kramer

Yield:  12 servings
1 14-oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and finely chopped
1 10-oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1½ cups (6 oz shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
Paprika, to taste (optional)

Directions:
1.	Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Press the excess moisture
from the spinach.
2.	Combine the artichokes, spinach, 1¼ cups of Parmesan cheese, 1¼
cups of Monterey Jack cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, and
garlic in a bowl and mix well.
3.	Spoon the artichoke mixture into a 1½-quart baking dish.
Sprinkle the remaining Monterey Jack and Parmesan cheeses on top, and
then sprinkle with paprika, if desired. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve warm
with tortilla or pita chips, crackers or vegetables.


Beer & Cheese Soup
Submitted by Bridgit Kuenning Pollpeter

Yield:  4 servings
3 cups milk 
1/3 cup flour 
1 12-oz. bottle Amber beer (ex. Dos Equis or Michelob Amber Bock)
1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 
10 oz. Gouda cheese, grated,  (about 3 1/2 cups) Note: You may
substitute with cheese preference.
5 tbsp. butter 
2 carrots, finely chopped 
2 leeks,` white and light green parts only, finely chopped 
Salt & pepper 
Croutons, for garnish

Directions:
1.	In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the
carrots and leeks, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until
soft, 10 minutes.  Add the flour and cook, stirring often, for 2
minutes.
2.	Slowly pour in the milk, whisking constantly. Increase the heat
to medium-high, add the beer and mustard and bring the soup to a boil,
whisking constantly. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, whisking, until
creamy and thickened, about 10 minutes.
3.	Remove the pan from the heat. Whisk in the cheese 1 handful at a
time until combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top with the
croutons.


Hawaiian Lava Chili
Submitted by Ross Pollpeter

Note: I have no exact measurements for this recipe.  Each time I make
this chili, I use different ingredients or I prepare it slightly
different.  The results are always the same, an awesome chili.  The
interesting aspect of this recipe, if prepared correctly,  is that
Hawaiian Lava Chili has an unique combination of face-melting spice and
tongue-tickling sweetness.

2 lb. ground pork (sub beef or turkey, if desired)
1 large can tomato sauce
1 can chili beans
1 can kidney beans
1 large can Bush’s Baked Beans
1 medium-size yellow onion, diced
1 jar sliced jalapeños, or banana peppers
1 14-oz. can Dole pineapple chunks, not drained
Chili Powder to taste
Crushed red pepper to taste
And the secret ingredient, love.

Directions:
1.	Brown the ground pork with the onions in a large skillet.  Drain
the grease if you would like to be healthy, or just pour it all into the
crock pot and be a man about it!.
2.	As I said before, there are no exact measurements.  Add the
baked eans, chili beans, and kidney beans.  Pour the appropriate amount
of the tomato sauce into the mixture, depending on how thick you want
your Hawaiian Lava Chili.  The less sauce you add, the thicker the
chili.  Add crushed red pepper chili powder, and sliced peppers
according to your taste and ability to withstand liquid hot magma in
your mouth.  
3.	Cook the chili in the crock pot on high until it is boiling, and
then reduce heat to low and allow to simmer for at least an hour.
4.	Pour in the pineapple chunks and the pineapple juice into the
chili just before serving.  Don’t forget the love.  Stir and serve. 

 
For Your Information

Puzzle it Out:  Connecting the Pieces of Success

The Nebraska Association of Blind Students (NABS) will hold its annual
workshop March 26-28.
The workshop is geared towards an environment where blind students can
socialize and network with their peers, as well as learn the tools and
methods that help you achieve success including the latest technology.

Where:		Double Tree Guest Suites, 7270 Cedar St., Omaha, Neb,.
When:		Friday, March 26, 6 p.m. to Sunday, March 28, 11 a.m.
Price:		$20 for the entire weekend.
Why:	Learn to put the puzzle pieces together as you have the
opportunity to network with your peers along with learning the skills
and confidence to succeed in school and life.

Please view the attached flyer and registration form if you are
interested, or visit, http://www.ne.nfb.org.
The NABS workshop is an opportunity for blind students to build upon
their strengths, and learn the tools, methods and positive mindsets that
allow for bright futures.

Schedule:
Friday:  There will be a dinner followed by an interactive discussion on
what it means to be blind to you.
Saturday:  The workshop begins with sessions like, “Learn How to Use
Your Disability Services Office,” “Long White Cane or Guide Dog?  What
Works for You,” and a technology fair where you will have the chance to
get your hands on the latest accessible technology.
The tech fair will include products like I-Phones, netbook laptops,
I-Pads, Victor Reader Streams and more.
Saturday evening:  Conclude with a banquet and guest speaker, and later,
a fun activity you can take back to your school or dorm.
Sunday:  Give you the opportunity to socialize along with reflect as a
group on what has been helpful with the workshop.

For more information, or questions about registration, contact Karen
Anderson, president of NABS, kea.anderson at gmail.com.
 
Puzzle it Out!
Connecting the Pieces of Success

March 25-27, 2011

Please fill out this form for each participant/family and mail to:
	Karen Anderson
	5535 R. ST. 
	Lincoln, NE  68504
Or you can download this form by going to:
www.ne.nfb.org
and email it to:
kea.anderson at gmail.com

Date_____________				Number of Participants
to Register___________

1. Name__________________		Type of Participant (Please
write one) _____________________
Elementary/Middle School Student  * High School/College Student * Parent
* Teacher * Sibling
(For Students and Siblings) Year in School________  

2. Name__________________		Type of Participant (Please
write one) _____________________
Elementary/Middle School Student  * High School/College Student * Parent
* Teacher * Sibling
(For Students and Siblings) Year in School________  

3.  Name__________________		Type of Participant (Please
write one) _____________________
Elementary/Middle School Student  * High School/College Student * Parent
* Teacher * Sibling
(For Students and Siblings) Year in School________  

(Add other participants as necessary on another sheet of paper, or if
submitting electronically add as many slots as needed here.)

Contact information
	Home Phone _________________________
	Cell Phone ___________________________
	Address Line 1 ________________________
Address line 2_________________________
City____________________
State____________________
Postal Code _______________________________________________________
Email Address _______________________________________________

Is the student a client of the Nebraska Commission of the Blind and
Visually Impaired? _______


Will you be requesting assistance with transportation to the seminar?
____________________ __



 
>From the Editor’s Desk

Season of Change:
Where Does The Nebraska Independent Go From Here?
by Bridgit Kuenning Pollpeter

What is a newsletter?  Presumably, it is a compilation of sources that
attempt to inform a group on specific events and goals revolving around
an organization.
As an affiliate of the Federation, its members engage in activities
geared towards furthering the foundation of the organization.  An
affiliate is instrumental in trickling down information and directives
from the National office. So that members state-wide stay current.
Many NFB publications are used to disseminate similar news arriving from
National as well as other affiliates.  Newsletters were meant to remind
as well as encourage and garner membership.
In today’s age of instant information, and adaptive technology keeping
toe-to-toe with the world at large, we no longer require official
documents listing events and activities, or stating causes and
initiatives.  With email, websites, social network sites, meetings and
even Newsline, we have eliminated the need for publications that
strictly inform.
So where does a newsletter go from here?  That must be decided by the
governing body of each affiliate, but I offer my advice.
As individuals, we bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to the
table.  Our newsletter has the opportunity to function as a creative
entity beyond an informational tool.  We can bring our experiences to
the public at large to develop a resource that not only educates, but
makes us think.
The Federation prides itself on a unique philosophy defying the world to
hold us back.  It is a collective defined by the core mission of
instilling independence and confidence in any blind person willing to
accept their own capabilities.
This idea of independence for the blind is one of the most difficult
concepts to instill however.  Born out of fear, societal perceptions and
sheer stubbornness, many refuse to believe true independence can be
claimed by the blind.  Federationist know better though.
How do we fuse this philosophy into the mindsets of the masses?  One way
to express our ideas is through a written form.  Language has power, and
when words are written down, they have the ability to gain immortality.
In any given era, movements were brought to life by artisans.  It has
always been artist, performers, musicians and writers who first adopted
ideals and then presented them to the world through creative means.
This, I believe, can be our future too.
We may not all be Ginsberg, or Hemingway, or Hunter S. Thompson, or Toni
Morrison, but we all possess opinions and thoughts.  We need not be
novelist or poets to entreat society—blind and sighted alike—to ponder
the question of perception.
We can build a newsletter that focuses on the heart of the Federation
expressed through our individual experiences and opinions.  Our call to
action must be persuasive, not just informative.  Why should we care
about stats and programs and legislative issues?  When we begin to place
personal stories alongside these facts, though, people begin to take
notice.
Each of us has a unique story, and I encourage you to find freedom in
the written form.  You can bring meaning to The Nebraska Independent
through sharing what blindness is to you, and what the Federation stands
for in your life.  We all have something to say—I have met many of you.
Now share those thoughts with your fellow Nebraskan Federationist.
Change can and must happen for survival.  Maybe it is time our voices
were heard outside the courtroom and the picket lines and Wal-mart meet
and greets; and maybe our written expression must find a creative thread
to weave among the threadbare tapestries of the organization.
Everything has its place and season, and perhaps we are entering a new
season.  We must truly think outside the box and construct new lines of
communication.
This newsletter now hangs in the balance.  It is not the work of one,
but many that allow The Nebraska Independent to thrive.  Through our
state-distributed emails and Newsline alone, we receive the various bits
of information necessary.  From legislative bills, to convention info,
to celebrations and lamentations, we no longer require a newsletter for
this soul purpose.  We can change and grow, and our newsletter along
with us, or we can allow this publication to fade into the past with
other relics.  It is up to you.
The Federation has existed for 70 years, and it has seen many changes.
We must walk through the fire at times in order to continue the refining
process, but we must also learn to search for new resources before old
ones no longer exist.
Our newsletter must look to redefine itself as we strive to further our
goals.  Without support in the form of written contributions, this
chapter will close with a definite slam.  And without focusing on a new
vision, we can not keep readers engaged.  You hold the power to keep The
Nebraska Independent fresh and alive—what will you choose?


For the next issue of The Nebraska Independent, the deadline will be
Sunday, Aug. 7.  Do not forget that all submissions should be Microsoft
Word or Rich Text Format (RTF) documents attached to an email.  Please
do not paste your articles into the body of an email.  The focus of the
next issue will be on challenges you or your chapter have encountered
and how you dealt with those challenges.  Please direct any questions or
comments to Bridgit Kuenning Pollpeter, editor for The Nebraska
Independent, newsletter at ne.nfb.org.  For more information about the
National Federation of the Blind and the Nebraska Affiliate, please
visit http://www.nfb.org/ and http://www.ne.nfb.org/.
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