[Nfb-editors] Arizona's January newsletter from the President

[Robert Leslie Newman]

January 4, 2013 

 

Hello, fellow Federationists, 

 

Happy New Year! 

 

Our NFB of Arizona at - large chapter meeting will take place by
teleconference on Monday, January 14, at 7:00 pm.  If you wish to share your
experiences and mentor new members, you can participate by calling the
teleconference number  (218) 844-3388 And using the Pin number 6322  plus
the # sign 

 

*From Donald Porterfield, Arizona Legislative director - Washington Seminar:

Just a reminder, the Washington Seminar will take place in Washington, DC
from February 4 - 7, 2013.  During this time we will meet with our
congressmen to talk about matters of concern to the blind.  The NFBA has set
aside some funds to provide some assistance in covering travel expenses.  If
you have any questions, please contact Donald Porterfield at 520-850-2180 or
donaldpfield at gmail.com.

 

Arizona Legislative Update:

The Arizona legislative session will start on January 14, 2014.  This year
the NFBA will actively engage the Arizona House and Senate to address
matters of concern to the blind in Arizona.  While the following list is not
a complete list of issues affecting the blind, some of the issues we will
address with the legislature are:

.               Budgeting issues for the Rehabilitation Services
Administration -

protecting the dollars allocated to Vocational Rehabilitation and
Independent Living.

.               Working to keep the order of selection open in Vocational

Rehabilitation so blind Arizona residents can continue to receive VR
services.

.               Strengthening laws and regulation to insure all forms of

instructional materials used in Arizona schools is accessible and provided
in a timely manner.

 

 

* Available now from the NLS library for the blind - 

 

American Medical Association handbook of first aid and emergency care DB

56181

 

Step-by-step family guide for dealing with injuries, illnesses, and medical
emergencies, including instructions for administering CPR and first aid, and
treating sports injuries. Also offers advice on how to safeguard one's home
and plan ahead. 2000.

 

 

* From our national office - 

.               2013 NFB Writing Contest is Now Open

the annual youth and adult writing contests sponsored by the Writers
Division of the NFB are now open for submissions! The closing date is April
1st. 

 

Adult contests, poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and stories for youth are open
to all entrants eighteen years and over. 

 

The Youth Writing Contest, poetry and fiction, are to promote Braille
literacy and excellence in creative writing. Entries will be judged on
creativity and quality of Braille. The age groups for these authors is
divided into grade levels: Elementary, Middle and High School. 

 

Prizes for contest winners range up to $100 for adult categories and up to

$30 for youth categories. 

 

All contest winners will be announced at the Writers Division business
meeting during the NFB national convention to be held in Orlando, Florida,
the first week of July, 2013. In addition, shortly after convention, a list
of winners will appear on the Writers Division Website,
www.nfb-writers-division. net. First, second, and third place winners in
each category will be considered for publication in the Writers Division
magazine, Slate & Style.

For additional contest details and submission guidelines, go to the Writers
Division Website, www.nfb-writers-division.net

 

 

* From the Winter edition of the NFB magazine for parents and teachers,
Future Reflections - 

 

 

Roots and Wings

by Kayleigh Joiner

>From the Editor: Kayleigh Joiner is a longtime Federationist and an active
member of the National Association of Blind Students (NABS). She won an NFB
National Scholarship in 2010.

The writer Dennis Wheatley once said, "The greatest gifts you can give your
children are the roots of responsibility and the wings of independence." My
childhood education revolved around me using my residual vision. My TVI
determined that I was a visual learner. I used large-print textbooks and
magnification devices from third grade all the way through high school.

Because of this I spent countless hours every evening doing homework,
homework, and more homework! No one ever considered teaching me Braille to
help speed things up.  Doing all my work visually was very painful and
fatiguing. My neck hurt and my eyes ached. I was given books on CD, but that
didn't help speed things up much either.

In seventh grade I decided that I was done with the pain and strain of
reading visually, and that I would teach myself Braille. While my mother
began the long journey of fighting with my school district for Braille
instruction, I enrolled in distance education classes with the Hadley School
for the Blind. I didn't get Braille services from the district until I was a
senior in high school.

I worked hard and was able to finish all my other schoolwork in addition to
my courses with Hadley. When I informed my TVI that I was teaching myself
Braille, she criticized me, saying, "Why would you want to do that? We can
always teach you later on." This was my first step in learning that I had to
be my own advocate, that only I know what works for me.

My family always held high expectations for me. My mother wouldn't let me
use my blindness as a reason not to do something. I was responsible for
chores around the house. I participated in gymnastics, Girl Scouts, and a
children's performing choir when I was young. As I got older, I took part in
school clubs and organizations such as Student Council, National Honor
Society, and the Environmental Club. In ninth grade I earned a spot on my
high school swim team.  Even though it was hard on my mom, she sent me to
various out-of-town camps, beginning at the age of six. The camps were
important to me because they helped foster my independence and coping skills
around being away from home.

I was involved in my school choir starting in sixth grade and continued all
the way up through high school. Believe it or not, some of the most valuable
lessons I learned were due to my being a choir member. In my senior year I
auditioned and won a place in my school musical. My choir director didn't
want to bother finding someone to help me learn the choreography, so it was
up to me to solve the problem on my own. One of the girls who was in the
musical was also on the drill team. I contacted her and discovered that she
was willing to teach me the choreography one-on-one. The musical was a great
success. I sang and danced for six fun-filled nights. I hope I showed the
rest of the cast and crew that blind people can perform just like everyone
else.

During high school I went to Disney World with my choir. Prior to the trip,
I told my mom that I wanted to go on my own, without her chaperoning as she
had done on previous trips. I juggled the airport with the rest of the
group. I was just one of the crowd of kids.

In high school I ran for secretary of my choir. I learned about writing a
speech and explained to my peers why they should vote for me. I also ran for
a position with the Spanish Honor Society. Although I didn't get elected in
either case, running for office was a great experience. I encourage all
families to urge their kids to take leadership positions within their
schools.

In 2007 I attended the first NFB Youth Slam, a week-long science,
technology, engineering, and math program for blind high school students in
Baltimore, Maryland. This was the first time I flew on my own. At first I
was quite nervous, but once I arrived in Baltimore and met the Youth Slam
representatives, I felt much more at ease. I was part of the computer
science track, where, among other things, we learned to program chatbots
that could tell us the weather in a particular city. Attending Youth Slam
allowed me to experience traveling on a college campus, eating in a dining
hall, and living in a dorm. It showed me that blind people can participate
in STEM subjects and careers.

Between my sophomore and junior years of high school, my mom and I were
wondering how I would take chemistry in the fall. At the national convention
we met Dr. Cary Supalo. At the time he was working on his doctorate at Penn
State. 

He came to my school and trained me, my TVI, and my chemistry teacher on how
to use various probes to collect data through a computer running the screen
reader JAWS. Cary stressed to me the importance of reading the lab
procedures prior to class. By reading the procedures ahead of time, I could
better understand what was going to happen in the lab.  Thus I could ask my
fellow lab partners the appropriate questions while the lab was in progress.

If it weren't for finding Cary at the convention, my experience with
chemistry would have been very different.

In the summer of 2009, I attended the Earn and Learn high school program at
the Colorado Center for the Blind. This eight-week program focused on
Braille, cane travel, computer technology, and home management. During my
eight weeks of training I learned all of the Braille contractions and got my
first exposure to JAWS. In July we had the opportunity to hold part-time
jobs, and I received my first paycheck. Apart from our core classes, we also
got to participate in whitewater rafting and rock-climbing, activities that
helped build self-confidence.

This was my first time to learn alternative techniques with the use of
sleepshades. At the beginning of the program I struggled to navigate my
surroundings. As the weeks went on, my confidence grew.

The week following my high school graduation, I moved to Ruston, Louisiana,
where I spent six more months in intensive blindness training at the
Louisiana Center for the Blind. Upon graduation I was able to cook a meal
for forty people and travel out of town independently, and I had doubled my
Braille reading speed.

This training, combined with all of my other trainings, prepared me to be
successful in college and beyond. College life is so much fun with all the
independence that it brings. I am currently working toward a degree in
elementary education. It is my goal to get my master's degree and to become
a teacher of blind students and an orientation and mobility instructor. As
part of my education degree plan in college, I was required to take one
semester of a foreign language. One of my options was American Sign
Language, or ASL. I wanted to take this class to prepare myself in case I
come in contact with a deafblind student. I emailed my professor before we
started the semester to let her know that I am a blind student who would be
taking her class.

Naturally she was

concerned, since ASL is a visual language. I had already planned to have an
interpreter in the class with me. I would place my hands on hers to feel
what she was signing. I also met with a one-on-one tutor outside class one
hour a week. My tutor was deaf. We used a combination of ASL and computer to
communicate with one another. I would turn on my screen reader and type what
I wanted to say to her, and she would type her response back. We found a
solution to what others thought would be a problem.

Blind students have to have good problem-solving skills. Chances are good
that things aren't always going to run as smoothly as we would like them to!

Being able to advocate for oneself is also important. In college it's the
student's responsibility to obtain books and talk with professors about
their needs.

The NFB has taught me to believe in myself. It has also given me
opportunities to hold leadership roles. I am grateful for my NFB family and
all it has taught me. I hope you all take advantage of this week and
everything you can learn.

 

### 

 

Thanks, and if you have news or topics for the next message, please call or
email me. 

 

Bob Kresmer

Toll free 888 899-6322

krezguy at cox.net 

 

 

 

 

Robert Leslie Newman

Personal Website-

Adjustment To Blindness And Visual impairment

http//www.thoughtprovoker.info

NFB Writers' Division, president

http://www.nfb-writers-division.net 

Chair of the NFB Communications Committee