[Nfb-editors] NABS - The Student Slate Summer 2013

[Robert Leslie Newman]

THE STUDENT SLATE


 

 

 

 

 

 

Summer 2013

 

 

 

 

Edited by Karen Anderson, Cindy Bennett, Candice Chapman and Sean Whalen

 

 

 

 

Published by

 

 

The National Association of Blind Students

 

Sean Whalen, President




Contents


                                

Editor
<http://nabslink.org/drupal/sites/default/files/slate/Summer_2013_0.doc#_Toc
360317722> 's Introduction. 2

Convention 101
<http://nabslink.org/drupal/sites/default/files/slate/Summer_2013_0.doc#_Toc
360317723> . 4

My Experience as a National Scholarship Winner
<http://nabslink.org/drupal/sites/default/files/slate/Summer_2013_0.doc#_Toc
360317726>  6

Working for change
<http://nabslink.org/drupal/sites/default/files/slate/Summer_2013_0.doc#_Toc
360317727> . 9

Growing up in Turkey
<http://nabslink.org/drupal/sites/default/files/slate/Summer_2013_0.doc#_Toc
360317728> . 12

TABS and TPOBC Conference: Winning with Good First Impressions
<http://nabslink.org/drupal/sites/default/files/slate/Summer_2013_0.doc#_Toc
360317729> . 14

My Experiences at the NABS Leadership Seminar
<http://nabslink.org/drupal/sites/default/files/slate/Summer_2013_0.doc#_Toc
360317730>  15

One Philosophy, One Mission, One Movement
<http://nabslink.org/drupal/sites/default/files/slate/Summer_2013_0.doc#_Toc
360317731>  19

Experience the Magic
<http://nabslink.org/drupal/sites/default/files/slate/Summer_2013_0.doc#_Toc
360317732> . 21

 

 


Editor's Introduction


You've turned in your last paper, and are no longer dreaming of scantrons.
You've relearned the beauty and warmth of the summer sun and are free until
the fall.unless you are in summer school. So now to compliment your freezing
fruit smoothie, we bring you a poolside read that is sure to capture your
attention even though you are still decompressing from those things with
lots of pages. 

 

In our Convention 101 piece, we continue our tradition of letting you in on
all of the secrets to having a blast on a budget at the 2013 National
Convention. I mean, who can't pause Pandora for that! Scholarship winners
and enthusiasts alike will want to dodge the summer daydreams to read
aspiring accountant, tenBroek fellow Cody Bair's experience winning his
first NFB scholarship and the anticipation of his second. Recommit yourself
to the NFB's initiative to end the U.S.'s unfair, discriminatory, and
immoral practice of paying workers with disabilities subminimum wages when
you learn how NABS president, Sean Whalen, has worked for a couple types of
change in his lifetime. Celebrate the passage of the WIPO treaty to
facilitate access of printed materials for blind people in many countries by
reading New York's Nihal Erkan's experiences of growing up in Turkey and
having limited access to alternative materials. Next, get some summer
inspiration for your student division while reading our student spotlight on
Texas and Kia Yang, NABS Leadership Seminar attendee, and Anil Lewis, NABS
Leadership Seminar facilitators', chronicle on the impact of our recent NABS
leadership seminar. Finally, cool down with some cucumber water and learn
tips to cavalierly conquer those theme park monster travel challenges before
your vacation.

 

But before this sizzling slate begins, we want you to know what NABS has
going on at the national convention! Because the number 1 tenant of
Convention 101 for students is to rock out with NABS! First, we'll be
selling 60/40 raffle tickets all week. That's right, we're standing out from
all those 50/50's! you get more money if you win! Just $2 for one ticket and
$5 for three tickets. You'll want to get in on this one! So seek out NABS
members during the week to get tickets for you and everyone you know!

 

Get to know your fellow students with cool evening icebreakers at our NABS
Social on Monday, July 1 in W 204C, Convention Center, Level 2 from
9:00--11:00. Be the professor for once and ask the NABS board members who
will be on hand, any questions you've ever had about being a blind student,
NABS, and the NFB. And, you can make friends with us too.

 

Then join us for an exciting NABS Seminar and Business Meeting Tuesday, July
2 in Junior Ballroom F, Level 1. registration begins online right now! So

click this link <http://j.mp/nabs13> . 

If you've been to a NABS meeting before, you'll know that those that don't
preregister wait in a roller coaster-sized line, and trust me, you'll be
waiting in enough lines during your summer vacation, so avoid one! If you
preregister, you can show up starting at 6:00 P.M. to check in and to pay
your $5 annual dues. If you aren't able to preregister, we'll still let you
in, just plan to arrive early with your contact information and $5 to
register. Anyone who is through the registration line by 6:30 will receive a
double entry into our door prize drawing, so that's another reason to
preregister and show up early! We'll be playing summer hits while you mingle
before the meeting, so you won't be bored! The meeting starts promptly at
7:00, and like those summer flicks, our agenda will be one that you won't
want to miss!

 

Next, join us for our long-running annual Monte Carlo fundraiser Thursday,
July 4, from 8:00-11:30 in Salons 1 and 2, Level 2. This night of
competition will be better than any fireworks display around. Support NABS
by testing your luck at tons of popular casino games. This is also a great
opportunity to learn how to beat your friends and family before that summer
vacation that I keep bringing up. And did I forget to mention prizes? That's
right! The 3 people with the most chips at the end of the night are walking
out with cash! And just so you know, you'll be able to perfect your art of
cocktailing by visiting the cash bar between poker rounds. One more thing,
we love raising money for NABS, so invite your affiliate!

 

Finally, while you check out the latest in technology at the exhibit hall,
don't forget to stop by the NABS table! This is another great opportunity to
ask questions, or to send anyone who has any questions about NABS! We'll be
selling our super hip slate cases again and raffle tickets too!

 

Now, by this time, we should have your preregistration info and your beach
bum mate should be able to open your iPhone calendar and learn about all of
the cool NABS events you are going to at convention.

 

Man! That was a demanding mid-summer homework assignment! Good thing that
you can now reunite with your beach towel and read this edition of The
Student Slate with the waves in the background.

 

 

 

 


Convention 101


The national convention is fast-approaching. You know by now. You have
glossed over that sentence a million times. Everyone is emailing about their
event, wanting you to volunteer, participate, pay another $5, and oh yeah,
buy a raffle ticket! How can you possibly do it! Well, the slate committee
is made up of a few conventioneers who have a touch of advice. So even
though the first sentence of this article is well overused, we hope that
you'll read on.

 


First, food!


 

Food is really important; we all need it. But, mealtimes are also an awesome
way for you to meet more people. So I recommend a balance of thrifty eating
in your room and finding options on the menu that won't break your bank.
Research grocery stores in the vicinity of the hotel and carve out some time
to visit one of these stores before your week begins. If you plan ahead far
enough, you may even have some time to coupon. Each year, my friends and I
make a grocery list and only a couple of us venture to the store. This makes
the shopping experience easier, and forces us to get organized ahead of
time. There are tons of food items that do not need to be refrigerated. You
can pack your purse with granola bars, and tantalize the less forward
thinking conventioneers with trail mix. You can outsmart the hotel and eat
continental breakfasts. And no need to sacrifice your diet; many fruits do
not need to be refrigerated. I recommend bringing a water bottle and
refilling it; hotels will really get you on impulse on-the-go food and drink
items. (If it's in your room, it probably costs a lot of money to consume
it!) The hotel room coffee pot can become quite versatile, providing
steaming water for any oatmeal/Easy Mac delicacy. You can buy sandwich
fixings at the store. If your room does not have a refrigerator, you can
purchase a Styrofoam cooler and refill it with ice. You can also pick up
some cheap cleaning supplies to stay sanitary.

 

But you should meet people. Although peer pressure is a real thing, you
don't have to have a steak dinner each night. If you haven't tried salads or
vegetarian options, convention is a great time to explore! Often, meatless
options are cheaper. Investigate the menus before you leave; the Slate
committee is so awesome, that we've provided a link to the page where you
can download the Rosen Center restaurant menus right here.
<https://nfb.org/national-convention>  If you do want to splurge, consider
splitting the filet with a friend, or portion your meals so that you can
save some for the next day. Typically, appetizers are quite filling yet
slightly cheaper than entrees. Although you will not have much time, explore
options outside the hotel. Often, there are cheaper options in the vicinity,
and if you split a cab with a ton of friends or walk, the inconvenience and
travel costs are minimal. Although most hotels don't offer specials and
happy hours, get over your nervousness about being the poorest person at the
table and ask! I can't tell you about a time when I have stepped up and
someone got mad at me. Usually they thank me for asking. Many restaurants
outside the hotel might have specials, so that's another reason to practice
your structure discovery. Although more difficult to budget when out, be
sure to include some opportunities. Convention is an excellent time to
network.

 

You will constantly be stopped by this division and that to buy raffle
tickets, and before you know it, you'll be broke! When you're putting agenda
items into your calendar, compute the cost of registration fees ahead of
time and ask yourself how much you can spend on raffles. Keep this money
separate, and do not buy more raffle tickets and exhibit hall finds than the
money in this budget! Deciding on this ahead of time can help you make
better decisions about which new piece of technology you really want and
which raffles to invest in. and just in case you were pondering, the NABS
raffle is a good investment for everyone!

 

Although this article is being published after the hotel reservation
deadline, there are a few things you can do to minimize the impact of having
3 roommates. If you are now feeling like you should have found roommates,
the hotel might be willing to change your reservation if you find some. Even
if you lose some of your deposit, it might be cheaper overall. Furthermore,
there are always procrastinators, so if you want another roommate to save
money, you can probably find one. Rooming with people should always be done
with caution, but it can also be a great experience. You shouldn't spend a
lot of time in your room anyway, so finding a new best friend to room with
shouldn't be at the top of your list. When rooming with a lot of people,
talking ahead of time about your schedules can be helpful to allow everyone
to respect each other. If your roommates know that you have to get up early
ahead of time, they will probably be courteous versus asking them to stop
socializing right that second. Also, collaborating with your roommates about
food will further help you to save money; bulk amounts of food always cost
less. So get those iMessages going! Finally, keeping your things organized
will minimize your stress and make your packing up on little sleep an easier
chore.

 


Ok, I got this budgeting and organizing stuff, but what is a convention?


 

A convention is an event in which people with a similar cause come together.
Every discipline and interest group that I can think of has a convention.
Each year, the NFB holds a national convention where members from all 52
state and territorial affiliates gather. This gives that national
organization an opportunity to share new developments, presenters to inform
us on what's new and happening in the blind community, to see new
blindness-related products and services, and oh yeah, to make lifelong
lasting friendships and to get no sleep. The NFB convention always occurs
during the week of the 4th of July, and about three thousand people attend.
We hold conventions in giant hotel labyrinths with many meeting rooms. This
will be a fun travel challenge. Although it won't make perfect sense, read
and reread the hotel description at the end of the convention agenda. I
remember reading the layout of the first convention hotel that I visited and
not understanding it. But as I explored the hotel, bits and pieces of that
description came back to me and helped me to orient myself more quickly. I
recommend spending some time the first day just getting lost in the hotel.

 

At convention, you'll hear a lot about resolutions, and don't worry. I was
in the organization a few years before I got the nerve to ask someone what
those are. Resolutions are positions the NFB takes on certain issues. The
NFB and state affiliates have resolution committees which review submitted
resolutions at their respective conventions. Resolutions can be written by
anyone, even you! A resolution takes form in describing a current situation
such as a website not being accessible, or another organization making a
positive statement about blindness. The second part of the resolution
explains the "resolve" of the NFB; it states our position. For example, we
would probably not be too happy about an inaccessible website yet ecstatic
about positive attitudes about blindness. After the committee decides which
resolutions to approve, they are brought to the convention floor for voting.
The convention, as in, you and I, can then vote on whether we want the NFB
to pass the resolutions and pursue the policies contained therein.
Resolutions that are passed are acted upon over the following year by the
staff at our national headquarters. This may manifest in letters sent or
potential legislation. Resolutions are your opportunity to contribute to the
policy-making and direction of the NFB. So you should definitely attend the
Resolution Committee meeting and general session to make your voice heard!

 

Before you navigate the hotel with 3,000 of your newest friends, remember
that convention should be a dynamic experience. You should learn about new
technologies, programs, and strides that blind people have made. You should
make new friends. You should mentor others, and you should be mentored. This
multi-faceted experience will require much of your attention, so any
planning ahead that you can do will serve you well in the long run.

 

 


My Experience as a National Scholarship Winner


 

by Cody Bair

 

>From the Editor: Cody Bair is a senior studying accounting at the University
of Northern Colorado, and is minoring in economics. He received his first
NFB scholarship in 2012 and will attend the 2013 national convention as a
tenBroek fellow. Aside for perfecting his art of winning consecutive NFB
scholarships, he serves on the NABS Membership Committee, is the treasurer
for the Colorado Association of Blind Students, and is the president of the
NFB of Colorado Greeley Chapter.

 

Although I had been an active member of the NFB since May of 2011, had
previously attended a national convention and was beginning to take on
leadership roles in my state student division and local chapter, my
commitment to and understanding of the significance of the activities
conducted by the National Federation of the Blind was greatly enhanced as a
result of being selected as a 2012 National scholarship recipient. My
journey as a national scholarship winner began one night during finals week
when I received a phone call from scholarship committee member, Sharon
Maneki, who began the conversation by asking numerous questions such as are
you legally blind, are you able to attend the NFB national convention?, etc.
As I apprehensively weighted and answered all of her questions, eventually
she announced that I had been selected as one of the thirty scholarship
recipients.

 

Although I was very excited to have been selected and the news somehow made
finals week seem not so bad after all, I expected convention to be similar
to the convention I attended the previous year. Thus I was looking forward
to reconnecting with old friends, browsing the exhibit hall and learning as
much as I possibly could about the latest and greatest adaptive technology.
However, convention surpassed my expectations by a long shot.

 

Throughout all six days of the convention I was astonished at how much time
some of the most prominent leaders of the federation were willing to invest
in us as scholarship winners. One example of their commitment to the
scholarship program is that each scholarship winner was assigned a mentor
for each day of the convention. Mentors were members of the scholarship
committee, who were all successfully employed blind adults and were active
leaders in the Federation. Even though our mentors were often very busy with
various other aspects of the convention, they committed a great deal of time
to engaging in conversation with us about the Federation and explaining the
federation philosophy and why we support the policies we do.

 

Although I learned more than I could have ever imagined about what it means
to be a leader in the Federation, the most important thing I learned was
referring to the NFB's policies, chapters, divisions, etc.  As "Us" or "we",
or "our" instead of with terms such as "them", or "they". In referring to
programs, divisions, and chapters with such language it reminds us that we
are one entity instead of a collection of separate affiliates, chapters, and
divisions. In addition to gaining understanding of the importance in taking
ownership in the federations programs, my mentors also suggested numerous
techniques for recruiting new members and effectively spreading our
philosophy to the public.

 

As a result of the exceptional mentoring I was rewarded, I came back to
Colorado with a changed and improved perspective of what it meant to be a
leader in the NFB. Having an ability to look at the federation as a whole
encouraged me more to participate actively in all of its programs and
reconnect chapter and student division events back to the NFB instead of
participating only in events that were a part of my local chapter or state
student division.  As a result of the improvements that were made in my
ability as a leader in the NFB because of my mentorship at the last National
Convention, I decided to reapply for a 2013 scholarship. This time when I
received the news I was extremely excited due to the fact that not only will
I receive financial support that will play a crucial role in me attaining my
career aspirations but I will receive another week of exceptional
mentorship. I am positive that I will learn more at this year's convention
than I could ever imagine learning and it will exceed my greatest
expectations.

 

 

 


Working for change


 

by Sean Whalen

 

>From the editor: Sean Whalen currently serves as President of the National
Association of Blind Students. He has interned for Congress, worked as a
policy advocate and served in several volunteer capacities. This September,
he will be enrolling at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard and
pursuing a joint degree in law and public policy. Here he offers his
impressions of a summer he spent working at a sheltered workshop for the
blind for less than minimum wage:

 

It was the summer after my junior year as an undergraduate at the University
of Wisconsin-Madison and I was on the hunt for a summer job to make some
cash, maybe gain some experience, and stop myself from wasting three months
of my life sleeping until noon. Being a philosophy major, and finding
precious few listings for assistant philosophers or temporary thinkers
(apparently philosophizing is a decidedly solitary pursuit) I found myself
resorting to more mundane avenues of low-skill employment. 

 

Unfortunately, being blind, I had to face two significant barriers in my
quest for employment over that summer. The first was the fact that a sizable
portion of low-skill jobs are, while not impossible, certainly more
difficult for a blind person to perform efficiently. Being interested in
working for only three months, it would be a tough sell to convince an
employer to bring me in, give me time to develop techniques that would allow
me to do the job, and provide whatever accommodations (a talking cash
register, for example) I would need to perform my duties. The second is the
general perceptions of blind people, and people with disabilities more
generally, among the public at large. Even today, as blind individuals have
distinguished themselves in nearly every professional field, the default
assumption about the blind that largely prevails in society is that we are
incapable of doing most kinds of work. People are generally surprised to see
me out and walking around, let alone wearing a tie that matches my shirt.
When the bar is set this low, it isn't hard to impress folks, but it sure is
difficult to get them to believe that a blind person has anything to offer
in an employment context. This fact became painfully clear to me as I
interviewed for several jobs for which I was qualified, only to be turned
away. What was most discouraging was that the entire tone of an interaction
with a potential employer would change as soon as they realized that I am
blind. In one instance, I had a great interview over the phone and was asked
to come in to fill out some paperwork, a formality, before starting in a
position making calls soliciting financial contributions for charitable
organizations. However, once the supervisor saw that I am blind, the
"formality" became an application process and he wasn't sure if they would
be looking to fill the position. I didn't get the job, and it was the end of
May. Time was running out.

 

Finally, I decided to apply to work in a sheltered workshop in Milwaukee
where many blind individuals are employed doing light assembly and other
work. I had shied away from taking this road because I wanted to get a job
by competing with everybody else, and I wanted to do something that was a
bit more interesting than assembling widgets for eight hours a day. But when
push came to shove, I took the opportunity to go work at a non-profit called
Wiscraft for the summer. I needed to make some cash, and I didn't want
another three month hole in my resume, so I moved to the Milwaukee area and
got set to work. I didn't expect to learn a whole lot over those three
months, but I certainly did. I learned that the current system in which our
society segregates the blind or otherwise disabled in menial employment
under the guise of training and providing opportunity is flawed. And I
learned how it feels to be paid less than the federal minimum wage and have
it be legal in virtue of the fact that I am blind.

 

Over my summer at Wiscraft I performed several jobs, from cutting hosing for
water softeners, to packaging retail goods, to assembling mufflers for lawn
mowers. The work, while not terribly exciting, was work that needed to be
done, and I was happy to do it. However, early on I began to see things that
bothered me immensely. The first thing I noticed was the way I was paid.
Rather than an hourly wage, earnings were determined by the number of units
of output on any particular job I was working. This, in and of itself, is
not unfair or abnormal for the type of work that was being done. However,
what was extremely unfair is the fact that only disabled employees were paid
in this way. The "able bodied" employees were paid an hourly wage. I recall
working alongside a guy who was actually producing fewer units per hour than
I was, but who was being paid $8.00 hourly. I, on the other hand, was
struggling to produce enough to just hit the minimum wage of $5.15 per hour.
And, frequently, I was not able to do that. My average hourly wage was often
between $4.000 and $5.00, and sometimes lower. Why should I be paid less to
produce more than my nondisabled counterpart? Clearly, I should not. This
absurd policy of offering hourly wages to employees without disabilities
while paying those of us who were blind based on output could not be any
more clear in communicating the presumptive superiority of the sighted over
the blind. It made me feel devalued, and it made me angry.

 

Policies related to compensation were not the only indicators of the true
beliefs about the capabilities of the blind held by the management of the
workshop. Blind workers were required to enlist sighted assistance to
perform many tasks that could have easily been handled or made accessible to
the blind employees. When a labeling machine needed to be replenished with
labels, when an input for a job needed to b restocked, or whenever anything
stopped functioning correctly, blind employees were expected to wait for
somebody with vision to help. On one occasion I asked why it was that I
could not restock the hosing I was cutting myself. Being paid per unit,
clearly working quickly was too my advantage, and I had no interest in
waiting around, earning nothing, while I waited for somebody with more sight
to restock my work station. I was told that since I could not see which
hosing was which color, I couldn't do it myself. I did point out that each
colored hose was of a different size and that, even if they were not
distinguishable by touch things could be arranged in a certain order so that
I would know which was which. Without any explanation as to why my
observations were not correct, I was told to wait for somebody to help me.
This was part of an overarching theme at the workshop. The more sight one
had, the more responsibility and, frankly, respect was afforded. All of the
employees earning nice livings working in the front office were sighted.
And, in the warehouse, managers were either sighted, or had sufficient
vision to make the sighted management comfortable with their handling some
level of responsibility.

 

For those three months, I worked alongside many educated blind individuals
who had been Shepparded into sheltered employment despite having plenty of
intelligence and skills to succeed in a competitive integrated setting. My
experience that summer definitively demonstrated to me that the common
understanding that these workshops are there to provide employment for those
who could succeed nowhere else is absolutely false. It also exposed to me
the myth that sheltered workshops are in the business of providing training
and upward mobility. In my experience neither could be further from the
truth.

 

The CEOs and boards of the non-profit entities that purport to serve the
disabled would have us believe that they are providing a service to the
community, offering the disabled both opportunities and a way to contribute
economically to society. I believe that what they are primarily doing is
providing largely non-disabled management with very lucrative job
opportunities. These workshops, under federal law, are eligible to receive
non-competitive contracts with the government to provide goods and services.
They also raise money as charitable organizations working toward the
betterment of the lives of the disabled. Still, they will not acknowledge
the basic dignity of their employees, refusing to endorse the idea that the
federal minimum wage should apply equally to each and every American. The
system plays on the sympathies of the public and our elected officials,
allowing us all to feel like something is being done, but does nothing to
address the real problems at the core of the widespread unemployment of the
blind and otherwise disabled.

 

Right now, the government, as well as the charitable gifts of many private
citizens, subsidize the salaries of the managers and leadership of sheltered
workshops for the disabled, while untold numbers of capable persons with
disabilities languish in this broken system. The federal minimum wage should
be mandated of all workshops. Yes, this might mean subsidizing the wages of
some individuals who truly lack the capacity to produce at a level
corresponding with the minimum wage. But I ask, if we are going to subsidize
something, why not the wages of the most vulnerable? Workshops should also
be required to promote disabled employees into management positions and
provide meaningful training so that those who are able can meet their true
potential and contribute economically. Finally, opportunities to access
contracts set aside for non-profits that employ individuals with
disabilities should also be made available to businesses that are owned by
persons with disabilities. I know I speak for many when I say that we don't
want handouts, we want opportunities. Let's push Congress to bring the blind
and disabled to equality under the law by applying the minimum wage to all
disabled workers, and then fight to expand meaningful training, employment,
and entrepreneurial opportunities for all disabled Americans.

 

 


Growing up in Turkey


 

by Nihal Erkan

 

>From the editor: Nihal Erkan is finishing her masters in developmental
psychology at LaGuardia Community College, but has completed most of her
education in Turkey. She serves as the vice president of the New York
Association of Blind Students and is a board member in the New York City
local chapter of the NFB of New York. Here are some of her experiences
growing up in another country.

 

I have lived in the United States since 2005 before which, I lived in Turkey
where I was born. I wanted to learn about new cultures, so curiosity led me
to move to a different country.

 

As the second child after my four year-old brother, I was born in 1983. When
my parents hugged me for the first time, life became spring again for them.
However, my mother realized something was wrong with her beautiful baby's
vision in my third week on this planet. she then took me to a doctor, but
the news did not sound good to her.  He said that I had congenital glaucoma.

 

She got shocked, yet she knew that she should accept it and use her
abilities to teach me everything by finding different ways. After she
understood that she had to bear my blindness, we began walking a new path. I
learned everything as other children. While I was discovering, she never
limited my surroundings. For instance, I played on the street, yet my mom
just watched me, but she never said that I could not be around my friends. I
ran with them, we jumped a rope together, and climbed the trees. Of course
she was scared, but there was not much that she could do. To be independent,
I had to live in the environment.

 

As I grew up, I became aware of new skills. One of the first independence
lessons my mother taught me occurred when I was five. I asked my mom to buy
strawberries from the bazaar for me. Her response was that if I could carry
them those fruits would be mine. So, I did. Another day, I fell over our
dining table and hurt myself. Because my lip was bleeding, I was afraid to
tell my mom. When she saw that I was injured, instead of getting angry, she
took me to the hospital. That incident left me with two stiches on my face,
yet it helped me learn to be more careful than I had been. After that, my
mom was a little bit extra cautious, but I did not recognize her concerns
and did everything that I did before.

 

Also, treating me differently was not an option to her. In my mother's
opinion, I was a normal child and no one could say that her daughter was
blind. When one of her aunts asked why she let me cook in the kitchen, My
mom replied that she would not be with   me all the time in my life. That is
the biggest reason she allowed me to explore by myself. Even though I
spilled something or broke her favorite cup, nothing mattered to her. The
only importance was that I should be able to do my own chores.

 

When I left home, I never had difficulty because my hero handed me the
fishing gear and taught fishing instead of feeding me what she fetched.
Doing laundry, cleaning my house, or shopping for my dresses became easier.
I definitely had some problems, but with the skills that my mother gave me,
I learned to solve my problems by using different ways. When I was very
young, I always thought the most difficult challenge would be to shop for
myself. When I asked my mom about it, As she always did, she found a
solution for me. The first time, she took me to a store and showed me each
isle. The next shopping day, she came with me but just watched. When I
grabbed something that I liked, I asked her what color it was and what size
it said on the tag as I do in a store right now.  Unlike before, workers in
the stores answer my questions by replacing my mom.

 

 

 

When I was in college, I did not have many accessible materials to use for
my courses. Unlike the U.S., I was not able to get my books from a library
because it was at least one hundred miles away. It was the only place that I
could get any books. If I asked them to send them by mail, the books had to
be returned within two weeks. Therefore, I had to send the cassettes back
without having a chance to read them. To be prepared for my exams, I
collected all class notes from my friends, and one of them volunteered to
audio record them reading the pages for me. After my third year, a second
Library opened, and it was closer. The most exciting part of the new library
opening was the fact that I got to keep any books that I requested.

 

Then, people began awakening.   New libraries were founded. Furthermore, one
of the universities started an electronic library.  Getting the sources I
needed became easier. Even though I did not have a computer and screen
reader, the college library provided an installed system to visually
impaired people. 

 

Nowadays, my beautiful country is on a fast track and caught up with the
U.S. In other words, all students can find accommodations for most of their
needs much more quickly than in my time. There is still no Daisy format for
materials for example, yet new generations do not struggle as I did.

 

 


TABS and TPOBC Conference: Winning with Good First Impressions


 

by Harley Fetterman

 

>From the Editor: This article, written by Texas Association of Blind
Student's (TABS) member Harley Fetterman, was taken from the TABS
newsletter, Keeping TABS. In the article Harley talks about the recent Texas
Association of Blind Students and Texas Parents of Blind Children Joint
Student Seminar. Harley is a high school Freshman and a very active member
of TABS. 

 

What could possibly unite a doctoral candidate in organic chemistry, a NASA
mathematician, a journalist, a fashion show, a panel of college-students,
and an NFB National Representative? All of these people spoke about
succeeding based on first impressions at the TABS and TPOBC conference.
Even though we are blind, we live in a sighted world, where appearance and
perceived capabilities define first impressions.  We must make those first
impressions work towards our success.  Although there were many equally
informative speakers, I chose this group to summarize what we learned at the
conference.

 

At 1:00 p.m.  Saturday, 9 students lined up for the fashion show.  The show
was to demonstrate what to wear to different job situations.  Sighted people
get strong first impressions from things such as clothing.

 

Hoby Wedler is a chemist getting his doctorate.  Even though chemistry is
very visual, he has succeeded because he exudes an air of intelligence.
This first impression will carry him far.

 

Robert Sheldon is now over a team of programmers working for NASA.  To get
to where he is now, he concentrated on learning everything he could.  When
asked about how he got his doctorate, he said, "I was just too stupid to be
scared." Because he exudes so much confidence, he was able to become a NASA
mathematician.

 

Liz Campbell is a journalist with the Fort Worth Texas Star-Telegram
newspaper.  Her first impression was that she would not be hired by the big
papers because none of her friends had been hired.  However, one of her
professors said, "You are not your friends." Because her professor gave her
this encouragement, she gained confidence in herself and gained a job with
her current employer.

 

In an exclusive interview with one of the parents that attended the
afternoon session of the TPOBC conference, (my mom,) I learned about a
college student panel, in which each student talked about how hard it was to
accept that they were blind.  However, as Britney Culp explained, once we
accept our own blindness, other people will be more accepting of it as well.
This confidence and dignity that acceptance has given to each of these
students will lead them to succeed as individuals in a visually oriented
world.

 

Anil Lewis closed the night with a speech about being successful in job
searches.  One of his key messages was if you do not act helpless, people
will not treat you like you are helpless.  One example from his speech about
first impressions was when he went in for an interview, appearing sighted.
By pretending to be sighted, the interview focused on the skills that he
could bring to the job, rather than the fact that he was blind.  This first
impression got him the job on the spot.  Ironically enough, just before
being hired, the woman told him the company wanted somebody with a
disability, after which he whipped out his cane.

 

First impressions are very powerful, as illustrated by all of the above
individuals.  All of these people have come to be successful and will
continue to succeed because they demonstrated that they brought
responsibility, confidence, and intelligence to the situation.  A good first
impression is the key to starting any successful relationship.  Therefore,
always put your best foot forward, and the chances of succeeding at the task
will go up exponentially.

 

 


My Experiences at the NABS Leadership Seminar


 

By Kia Yang

 

>From the editor: Kia Yang was Massachusetts' representative at the NABS
Leadership Seminar held in Baltimore in June, 2013. Here is what she has to
say about her experience.

 

When my state president asked me to attend the student leadership seminar
held at the headquarters of the national Federation of the Blind, I was
excited and nervous at the same time.  I wasn't sure what to expect, or
whether or not I would be able to contribute anything since I have just
newly joined the NFB as well as being newly elected as MassABS' vice
president.  Leadership seminars are always inspiring and helpful, but I did
not expect this particular seminar to be as inspiring and informational as
it turned out to be.

 

I did not know anyone who was attending the leadership seminar and had no
clue what we would focus on.  I knew it was hosted by NABS and the National
Center for the Blind, but I wasn't sure if we would be focusing on
strengthening our leadership within ourselves, or within groups.  As it
turned out, we ended up focusing on both ourselves as individual leaders as
well as being able to lead within our own student divisions.  

 

When I got to the center, I was shy and very nervous.  I didn't know how to
strike up a conversation, what I would even say, or how to assert myself.
It already seemed like everyone knew everyone else.  However, I began
talking to the Florida student division's president, and immediately felt at
ease.  We started talking about our own divisions and how to improve,
recruit, and fundraise for them.  I bombarded him with questions, and he
shared his experiences and how their division dealt with such issues.  He
gave me ample ideas of what I could do, how I could begin to jumpstart
MassABS from off the ground.  Throughout the weekend, I would ask questions,
or others would ask questions of other student leaders and speakers, and
answers were provided that I found helpful to bring back and utilize within
my own student division.  Throughout this weekend, we met, brainstormed, and
networked.  At the beginning of the seminar, I had no clue about the
resources that were available to NABS leaders and their own divisions, but
after attending this seminar, I am more knowledgeable of what resources I
can use for Mass ABS.

 

Each session had a purpose, and I always took something away from it.
However, the most helpful ones to me were the breakout sessions where we
discussed things such as fundraising for your division, how to plan a
student seminar, and speaking to Dr. Maurer in a smaller setting.  Besides
learning how to move your student division forward, we learned about the
philosophy of the National Federation of the Blind.  This is important
especially being new; it helped reiterate things that I wasn't as clear on.
It is important to know the philosophy of a group that you want to join, and
move forward with.  It was very inspiring and empowering to listen to
speakers such as Dr. Maurer, Mark Ricabono, Anil Lewis, and Joanne Wilson.  

 

I could go on and on and point out the many ways I've benefited from this
weekend, but that would take too long.  All of these things I have mentioned
above are very important, but for me personally, the most important thing
that I learned is that I am not alone.  There are always NABS leaders that I
can now contact and call if I get stuck. Previously, I felt disconnected
from NABS, but after attending this seminar, I feel that as NABS, we all are
striving for the same achievements, even if we have our own divisions to
take care of.  It is reassuring to know that as frustrating as it may be
sometimes, I have people that I can always contact for advice.  I feel that
the support network of NABS is very important for each student division.  I
hope that this seminar will occur again for future NABS leaders because it
was a great source of help to me.   

 




One Philosophy, One Mission, One Movement


 

By Anil Lewis

 

>From the editor: Anil Lewis is the Director of Advocacy and Policy at the
NFB Jernigan Institute. He was instrumental in planning and leading the NABS
Leadership Seminar held in June, 2013 in Baltimore. Here is what he has to
say about the dynamic gathering.

 

Recently I had the honor of participating in the National Association of
blind Students (NABS) Leadership Seminar held at the National Federation of
the Blind Jernigan Institute (NFBJI).  The theme of the seminar was "One
Philosophy, One Mission, and One Movement." About 35 blind students from
across the country came to learn more about the NFB philosophy, to share
best practices for building student divisions, and to understand how the
work they do positively affects the national organization and the lives of
all blind people. . 

 

The purpose of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) is to serve as a
vehicle for collective action by the blind of the nation, to function as a
mechanism through which the blind and interested sighted persons can come
together in local, state, and national meetings to plan and carry out
programs, to improve the quality of life for the blind, to provide a means
of collective action for parents of blind children, to promote the
vocational, cultural, and social advancement of the blind, to achieve the
integration of the blind into society on a basis of equality with the
sighted, and to take any other action which will improve the overall
condition and standard of living of the blind.  To fulfill this purpose, the
NFB consists of a host of committees, groups, and divisions, and NABS is an
essential division of the NFB.

 

NABS purpose is to promote the recognition and integration of blind students
as equal participants in school, to encourage students who are blind to seek
the necessary credentials to achieve their professional goals in order to
compete on an equal basis with our sighted peers, to serve as the vehicle
for collective action for blind students for security, equality, and
opportunity in academia, and to participate as an integral part of the
National Federation of the Blind in its various activities. 

 

Our overall goals for the seminar were to provide the students with the
foundational tools that will assist them in building their respective
student divisions, to strengthen the personal and professional relationships
between our National office staff and members of our national Association of
Blind Students, and to add additional fuel to the passion and commitment of
our student division members as members of the NFB,. In true Federation
seminar fashion, we had a world wind weekend of activities that kept us busy
from early in the morning to late in the evening.  The following is the
"Reader's Digest" version of our seminar activities. 

 

The Federation philosophy is the root at the foundation of our Federation
family tree that supports and nourishes us all.  However, it is easy for us
to get so caught up in the work we do for the Federation that we lose sight
of how what we do is dependent on the growth and stability of the whole
organization.  That is why we started the seminar with a discussion about
The Philosophy that Underpins the Work We Do, and there is no better
facilitator of this discussion than our National President, Dr. marc Maurer.
This was one of the many times the attendees had the opportunity to interact
with Dr. Maurer.  These opportunities were stated to be the highlight of the
seminar by most, and they felt more vested in the organization as a result.
Strengthening these bonds is key to our success.  It is the collective
action of our members that makes the NFB such a dynamic systems change
organization.  

 

Later, Dr. Maurer was joined by Mark Riccobono, Executive director of the
NFBJI, Mehgan Sidhu, NFB General Council, and myself, Anil Lewis, Director
of Advocacy and Policy, to offer the students their "marching orders." We
offered them suggestions of concrete things students can do to further the
work of the National Federation of the Blind.  The students were engaged and
eagerly expressed a host of skills they possess to actively participate in
the movement.  One of the many innovative ways students are building the
Federation was explained by Tony Olivero, Nebraska Association of Blind
Students,  with his presentation on the NABS Database.  Tony was joined by
John Berggren, Executive Director of Operations for the NFB, who described
how the NABS Database would complement, and be complimented, by the Unified
Database being developed at our national office.  Mr. Olivero also gave a
great presentation on the use of social media to spread our positive message
about blindness.

We all had an opportunity to dissect a portion of Dr. Maurer's 2012 banquet
speech, "The Intersection of Law and Love," to better understand his process
of writing it, and to acquire a deeper understanding and appreciation of the
meaning of it.  This exercise provided more time to discuss philosophy and
for the attendees and Dr. Maurer to get to know each other better.  

 

Taking time to reflect on the past and plan the future, Sean Whalen, NABS
President, offered a Call to Action describing the many successes of the
national and local student divisions, along with the challenges that the
student divisions face for the future.  There were a host of other
presentations including:

 

.         Running a Successful Youth Track / Student Seminar by Karen
Anderson, NABS First Vice President. 

.         Find, Connect and Engage: How to Snag a Member, for Good, by Mary
Fernandez 

.         Fundraising Tips and Tricks, by Corina Selinas

.         Philosophy, Perspectives, and Presentation, by Joanne Wilson,
Director of Affiliate Development for the NFB, Cindy Bennett, NABS
Secretary, And Darian Smith, NABS Second Vice President.

.         student Leader success stories from Rose Sloan, Illinois
Association of Blind Students, Candice Chapman, NABS Board Member, and Zach
Brubaker, Pennsylvania Association of Blind Students.  

 

There were presentations on taking it to the next level thru active
participation in our affiliates by Melissa Riccobono, President NFB of
Maryland, Justin Salisbury, NABS Board member,, and Gabe Cazares, NABS Board
member.  This was complemented by a presentation from Mark Riccobono on "The
Leadership Transition" And I enjoyed the back and forth Discussion during my
presentation on "What is Leadership? Why Does it Matter?"  Moreover, there
were committee meetings held on Fundraising, Membership, Student Slate, and
the NABS Web site.

 

With all of the activity, we needed a lot of fuel.  WE grilled burgers and
hotdogs on the grill one night, and there was food and more food throughout
the weekend.  Of course, there were cookies and more cookies.  Once the
seminar was over, many of the attendees took advantage of the opportunity to
affirm their commitment by serving as volunteers for our first annual Dot
Dash 8K Run fund raiser. 

 

The end of the seminar was the true beginning for some of the attendees, and
one of the many helpful milestones for most.   I believe we all left with a
better understanding that there is one philosophy that it is respectable to
be blind, there is one mission, to change what it means to be blind, and
there is only one movement, the National Federation of the Blind.  To that
end, we all pledged to participate actively in the efforts of the National
Federation of the Blind to achieve equality, opportunity, and security for
the blind, to support the programs and policies of the Federation, and to
abide by its constitution.

 

 


Experience the Magic


 

by Pam and Roland Allen

 

>From the editor: You probably already know about the countless theme parks
located in Orlando and may have even planned a trip to one during your
convention visit. Or, you may wonder how a blind person navigates these busy
attractions. Pam and Roland Allen are longtime Federationists and theme park
extraordinaires who have some excellent tips for navigating these parks as a
blind person. So read on, and get inspired to experience more than the
convention during your trip to Orlando!

 

This year, thousands of Federationists will be flocking to Orlando for our
73rd annual convention.  Whether you are attending your first NFB convention
or you are a veteran, you know there is nothing more empowering and
inspiring.  People from all over the world will come to learn about and to
share the positive message of the National Federation of the Blind, to see
the power of collective action, and to witness how lives are transformed and
the future is made brighter for all blind people.

 

Many of you may be planning to spend time in Orlando before or after the
convention to enjoy the incredible attractions.  One of our favorite places
to visit is Disney World.  It truly is "magical" regardless of your age! It
is also a travel adventure whether you are blind or sighted and a great
place to use your skills! Here are a few things we hope will be helpful as
you navigate the "happiest place on earth."

 

We have been to Disney World more than ten times.  Although a couple of the
trips were enjoyed with our friends or family, the vast majority of the
visits have been just the two of us.  Thus, we have navigated several of the
Disney hotels and all of the Disney theme parks and Downtown Disney as blind
travelers.  We find it most convenient to stay on Disney property at a
Disney hotel since free transportation is plentiful.  However, we have
stayed offsite.  Just be sure to take possible transportation costs into
account when deciding your budget and also add in the time needed to shuttle
between your hotel and the various parks.

 

There are countless articles, books, and websites specializing in "all
things Disney" from where to stay to how to schedule your visit to deciding
on the best places to eat.  We encourage you to do your research about the
various parks, restaurants, and attractions ahead of time so that you have
an idea of what attractions are at which parks.  Disneyworld.com
<https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/>  has a thorough listing of all
restaurants, menus, shows, and rides arranged by park.  Knowing ahead of
time the "must do" activities for you will help make your experience even
more memorable! We will warn you right now that you will always leave Disney
wanting to come back for more.  Since we will be in Orlando for the next
several years, you will have the opportunity multiple times!

 

Disney World provides a variety of ways for blind guests to access
information at the parks.  Our first stop is Guest Relations.  Animal
Kingdom, the Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, and Hollywood Studios all have Guest
Relations' offices located relatively close to the park entrance.  At Guest
Relations, you can secure the information most helpful to you.  We have used
the Braille guide book as well as the audio receivers provided by Disney.
These materials require a deposit which is refunded when you return the
materials.  You may also want to ask a Disney cast member where the tactile
map is of each park.

 

The Braille guide book provides a description of the layout of the park as
well as offering detailed information about rides, shows, and restaurants.
The audio receivers are designed to provide detailed information and
descriptions of your surroundings as well as extensive descriptions about
many of the live shows and performances.  When you pass an attraction, the
receiver will alert you.  Our friends, Jesse and Mary Jo Hartle who are also
Disney fanatics like us, utilized the receivers at a performance of THE Lion
KING and enjoyed vivid descriptions of the action and costumes.  The
receivers have a strap for carrying.  We usually bring a backpack or bag to
carry the Braille guide book.  (When you enter the parks, all bags are
searched so be prepared.) We would also ask someone at Guest Relations about
the schedule for the shows and live entertainment so we could plan
accordingly.  There are numerous apps that are specific to Disney, but we
have not used them since we did not have iPhones last time we were visiting.

 

Many people have asked us about using canes in the parks.  This is where
using the "pencil grip" is a definite must since the parks are extremely
crowded.  We have taken our straight canes on several rides or have walked
with them to the ride and then given them to a cast member to hold while
riding if necessary.   Our canes were always ready and waiting as soon as
the ride stopped so there was no problem at all.  We found our straight
canes to be more durable in a crowded park.  I lost a couple telescopic
canes when they were stepped on by accident.  Cast members were happy to
answer questions if we had any and did not insist upon "over helping" us.
We have not traveled at Disney with a guide dog, but the National
Association of Guide Dog Users is an outstanding resource for tips.

 

When traveling around the parks, there are literally thousands of people to
ask directions when needed.  In fact, the majority of guests are constantly
stopping cast members or visiting a store to ask for information.

 

Many of you have heard about FastPass which allows guests to get a specific
window of time during which to come back and experience specific
attractions.  FastPass is a great feature because it saves time waiting in
line.  There are FastPass ticket machines by many of the more popular
attractions.  You insert your Disney pass/ticket in the machine, and it
prints out a ticket with your designated time slot.  Again, there are always
people around to read the time to you.  We have been told that it is also
possible to preorder FastPasses for up to four attractions in a park so
check with a Disney cast member about that possibility.

 

A few of the restaurants had Braille menus; most did not.  We looked at many
of the menus online ahead of our visit, but servers were always more than
happy to read the full menu to us even at counter service restaurants.

 

To be honest with you, most of the tips we have shared are not specific to
blindness.  As we say in the NFB, blindness is merely a characteristic.
With proper training, a positive attitude, and opportunity, it can be
reduced to the level of a nuisance.  Don't be intimidated.  It is a great
time to use and expand your travel skills and a wonderful way to educate the
public while enjoying an incredible place.  Our blindness did not impact our
visit to the Disney parks.  Of course, we used Braille and audio materials
to gain information and had to ask where the end of the line was or where
the FastPass machines were located.  Be prepared to wait in long lines but
make it fun! Disney is an experience of a lifetime! Take time to experience
the magic!

 

 

 

 

Robert Leslie Newman

Personal Website-

Adjustment To Blindness And Visual impairment

http//www.thoughtprovoker.info

NFB Writers' Division, president

http://writers.nfb.org 

Chair of the NFB Communications Committee   

Nebraska Senior Division, Vice President