[Nfb-editors] New Newsletter- DC Affiliate --- THE CAPITOL STEPS

[Robert Leslie Newman]

THE CAPITOL STEPS 

SUMMER/FALL 2013

 

Eric and Laura Smith, Co-editors

 

Published by and distributed by e-mail request

The National Federation of the Blind of the District of Columbia

www.nfbdc.org

 

Shawn Callaway, DC Affiliate President

P.O. Box 29141, Washington, DC 20017-2808

(202) 352-1511

 

E-mail subscription requests, articles and Letters to the Editor for 

The Capitol Steps should be emailed to NFBDC1 at gmail.com. The editorial staff
reserves the right to edit all articles for space and/or clarity
considerations.

 

Please Note: The deadline for the next issue is December 10, 2013.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table of Contents

1. Message From Our President

2. National Convention A Big Success

3. Two Steps Forward, One Step Back On The Legislative Front

4. NFB Partners With South African Embassy

5. Members in the News

6. “Save the Date”

7. Descriptive Videos and Movies

8.  Just for You

 

1.      Message from Our President

Dear Federationists,

As I conclude my first term as the President of the NFB- DC, I want to thank
you for your 

continuous hard work and dedication in helping change what it means to be
blind. In July, an 

enthusiastic delegation of DC Federationists attended the national
convention in Orlando, 

gaining inspiration until the convention next year.

The DC affiliate and its chapters had an active summer! First, I want to
commend Jackie Patrick 

and the members of the Capitol East chapter for the outstanding wine tasting
event held in 

June. Everyone in attendance enjoyed tasting wines and cheeses from around
the world. We 

were honored to have former NFB-DC President John Halverson and his lovely
wife Sandy in 

attendance. 

Secondly, I want to thank the Federationists involved in our new partnership
with the South 

African Embassy. The meet-and-greet was awesome!  Libra Robinson of the
Greater 

Washington, DC chapter participated in a community service project at the
Capitol Food Bank 

with several South African Diplomats preparing and packaging food items for
people who are in 

need.  Also, Capitol East Chapter President, Margaret Williams, board member
Eric Smith, Libra 

Robinson, and National Harbor Chapter President, Michelle Clark conducted a
panel discussion 

on blindness at the South African embassy. During this discussion, staff
members from the 

embassy were engaged and asked questions about the blind community. 

Lastly, I want to thank Jackie Kelley and her committee members for hosting
a wonderful 

crab feast at the Columbia Lodge #85. Everyone enjoyed the crabs, fried fish
and several other 

delicious food items. 

We’re looking forward to having a great state convention in October. Hope
you all can join us!

Cordially yours,                           

Shawn Callaway, President

 

2.      National Convention A Big Success

Reports are just in from the more than 30 affiliate attendees of the NFB
National Convention in Orlando and everyone had a great time. The Amtrak
Silver Star got us to the convention and home again in style.
Congratulations—this is the largest DC group in recent years!  Our attendees
included first-timers as well as old friends, students, seniors and family
members.

First- timer Libra Robinson said the convention was not at all like she
expected, it was so much more. She called it “an uplifting experience” that
really made you feel like “you were part of a movement”. She especially
appreciated the hotel staff that didn’t “grab you by the arm or speak
loudly.” All in all, she felt a part of “a big family” and is already saving
to go again next year.

The convention boasted accommodations at the Rosen Centre Hotel as well as
an overflow hotel because of the location’s popularity with more than 2400
in attendance. Those who could not attend this year will have another
opportunity next year at the same wonderful location!

This year’s convention featured a wide range of enthusiastic speakers which
included The Honorable Greg Harper who is spearheading our efforts in
Congress to get rid of sub-minimum wages for people with disabilities to
Raymond Kurzweil, the visionary inventor of the Kurzweil Reading Machine and
the K-NFB Reader. As is the custom, Dr. Marc Maurer closed the convention
with an inspiring keynote address at the annual banquet. During the
convention, attendees had many opportunities to visit the bustling exhibit
hall with nearly 100 exhibitors representing access technology companies,
guide dog schools, government agencies, religious organizations, NFB
affiliates and divisions and many others. More details from this year’s
convention will be available soon on NFB.org. 

3.      Two Steps Forward, One Step Back On The Legislative Front

 

There’s good news and bad news on the legislative front. Our Disabled Vets
and Minimum 

 

Wage Bills continue to make progress, but there’s another proposed change
looming that 

 

threatens to make it easier for Rehab to place disabled people in low-wage
jobs. Here are the 

 

details. DC Federationists, as well as those from around the nation met with
state senators and 

 

representatives to promote our legislative priorities earlier this year.

 

§  NFB Bill To Aid Disabled Vets Passes House, Moves to Senate;  Norton
Co-sponsors

Our “Equal Access to Air Travel for Service-Disabled Veterans” Bill passed
the U.S. House of Representatives in June, and it happened with
Congresswoman Eleanor H. Norton’s support.

The details: 100 percent service-disabled veterans (including blind) who
were discharged before retirement were inadvertently left out of the Space
Available Program that allows active and retired members of the military to
travel on military aircraft on a space available basis. If enacted, our
bill, with additional support from Disabled American Veterans and the
National Association of Blind Veterans, would correct this oversight.

Our efforts were rewarded as Congresswoman Norton signed on in May as one of
169 co-sponsors (40% of the House) of HR 164.  Building on that broad
bi-partisan support, we were able to get our bill added to a larger piece of
legislation—the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). In mid-June, the
House passed the entire NDAA.

Bottom line: we’re part way there, but there’s still more to do. Thanks to a
lot of hard work from Federationists here and across the country, we got the
bill through the House; now the action moves to the Senate. There, we
already have 17 co-sponsors for our Bill S-346. If we can garner wide
support in the Senate, we can expect passage on this important issue.

 

§  Minimum Wage Bill Draws Attention

Slowly, but surely, our proposed legislation to end the decades-old practice
of paying many workers with disabilities less than the federal minimum wage
is gaining support and attracting attention from the news media.

The Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act (HR 831) now has 39
co-sponsors in the House of Representatives, including Congresswoman Norton.
In fact, we are proud to say that she was one of the 11 original co-sponsors
of this legislation. The author of this bill, Congressman Greg Harper of
Mississippi, has done more than just introduce the bill in Congress; he
actually attended our recent national convention in Orlando and actively
participated in two important panel discussions.

NBC Television’s “Rock Center” promoted our cause in a lengthy report in May
detailing wage practices at Goodwill Industries. The broadcast featured
interviews with a number of sheltered shop workers who were unhappy with
Goodwill Industries.  It also spotlighted our legislation to guarantee that
workers with disabilities are paid at least the federal minimum wage.

If you missed the program, you can read a transcript of this report on our
national website,  <http://www.nfb.org/> www.nfb.org. If you’d rather watch
the show, there is also a link to the online video. And while you’re
visiting the website, we would encourage you to sign the online petition
supporting the Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act. The direct link
is  <https://nfb.org/civicrm/petition/sign?sid=1&reset=1>
https://nfb.org/civicrm/petition/sign?sid=1&reset=1 

On a sour note, however, a Senate committee has adopted an amendment to the
Rehabilitation Act that would, for the first time, allow state
rehabilitation agencies to place people with disabilities in jobs that pay
less than the minimum wage. The committee also signed off on a potentially
harmful provision that would transfer the federal Rehabilitation Services
Administration from the Department of Education to the Department of Labor.
Further details are on the NFB website at
https://nfb.org/national-federation-blind-workforce-investment-act-sabotages
-rehabilitation-act 

Fellow Federationists across the country are now contacting their senators
and working hard to 

kill off these two harmful changes on the Senate floor. We’ll keep you
posted. 

 

     4. NFB Partners With South African Embassy

DC area members of the National Federation of the Blind have begun forging a
partnership 

by helping staff members from the South African Embassy learn more about 

blindness. 

On July 18, DC Federationists joined South African Embassy staffers at a
meet-and-greet 

reception at Shiloh Baptist Church in Washington, DC . The occasion was to
celebrate Mandela 

Day, the 95th birthday of South African civil rights activist and freedom
fighter Nelson Mandela. 

It was especially fitting because the goal of Mandela Day is to inspire
people to “take action to 

help change the world for the better ”. Mandela’s foundation called on
people around the 

world to donate 67 minutes of their time, a minute for each year he spent
serving his 

community, his country and the world to honor him that day. The following
week, 

Federationists were invited to the South African Embassy, temporarily housed
in DC’s Intelsat 

Building, to conduct a panel discussion on blindness, working with blind
people and our march 

to freedom through the organized blind movement. To begin the panel
discussion, we were 

especially honored by a welcoming address from His Excellency Ebrahim
Rasool, South Africa’s 

ambassador to the United States. Our panel discussion was especially topical
since a blind 

South African has recently joined the Embassy staff.  On August 20, NFB
First Vice -President 

Fred Schroeder and DC Federationists met with South African Embassy staffers
to begin 

planning for future events.

 

5.      Members in the News 

CHARLIE DAVIS--We sadly report the passing of Charlie Davis, 75, a longtime
Federationist and prominent member of the NFB Blind Merchants Association
and local vendor on June 18, 2013. He operated vending locations at a number
of DC sites for more than 40 years—including the Treasury Department, Ronald
Reagan Building and the Labor Department. Charlie was an avid bowler and
many of you know him from his participation in local and national bowling
tournaments. He was a member of both the DC and Maryland Blind Bowlers. He
will be missed.

LIBRA ROBINSON is a new member of the Greater DC Chapter and head of the
Greater DC Chapter Community Services Committee. She was awarded a Jernigan
Scholarship to assist with her attendance at the National Convention in
Orlando.

OLIVER WASHINGTON was appointed June 7, 2013 to the DC Mayor’s Commission
for People with Disabilities Advisory Board for a two year term. Relay your
concerns about disability issues by calling him at (202) 450-1600.

6.       “Save the Date”

 

Mark your calendar for the following upcoming events—

 

Atlantic City bus trip on September 7, 2013 from 8 am to 6 pm.  This is a
fundraiser for the 

 

Capitol East Chapter and the cost is $50. Call Livita Patrick to sign up at
(202) 905-4511.

The next chapter meetings will be: 

• Capital East Chapter, Sept 12, 5:00-8:00 p.m., Plymouth Sr. Center, 5233
N. Capitol St. NE

• Greater DC Chapter, Sept. 14, 1:00-3:00 p.m., 3rd Dist. Police Station,
1620 V Street NW

 

NFB STATE CONVENTION—

The NFB-DC State Convention will be held October 17 to October 20, 2013 at
the Holiday Inn 

Capitol, at 550 C Street SW, Washington DC 20024. The national
representative will be Sam 

Gleese, president of our Mississippi affiliate. The children’s luncheon and
workshop will take 

place on Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and we will be honored to have
Assistant Secretary 

of Labor Cathy Martinez as our featured speaker. There will also be a
special luncheon and 

workshop for senior citizens on Friday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The Friday evening program from 7-10 p.m. will feature snacks, music and a
(not-so-

silent) auction. The Saturday program will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and
include interesting 

speakers and a luncheon with Mr. Gleese delivering the keynote address.

We welcome members from other affiliates, so if you are in the DC area in
mid-October, come 

join us! The convention cost is $50 which includes the Friday night program
and Saturday 

luncheon. The youth and senior events are extra. If you would like to stay
at the hotel, please 

contact them directly at (202) 479-4000.

We also are offering a souvenir program. If you are interested in running an
advertisement for 

your business, we have a full page for $100, a half-page for $50 and a
quarter-page for $25. 

Also, individuals and businesses can support our convention by becoming
sponsors. You 

will be acknowledged in the souvenir program based on contributions: $10-25
silver; $26-50 

gold and $51 and more platinum. Checks should be made out to NFB-DC
Affiliate. Donations are 

tax-deductible and will be used to support the convention and its many
activities. Send your ads 

and/or donation by September 15, 2013 to: NFB-DC Affiliate, C/O Mr. Robert
Ashe, P.O. Box 

29141, Washington, DC,  20017-2808. If you have questions, please call
Nettie Briscoe 

at (202)277-4029.

 

7.	Descriptive Movies and Videos

Movies and videos with an additional audio description track have been
around in one form or another for a long time. Finally, a growing number of
movies are being released complete with audio description and more theaters
are adding the equipment to offer this option. At least two DC
theaters—Regal Gallery Place Stadium 14 and AMC Mazza Gallery—and several
suburban theaters regularly show audio-described movies.

This spring for the first time, after several unsuccessful past attempts
(once theater personnel wanted to hand Eric the closed-captioned device for
the deaf), your editors finally succeeded in going to an audio-described
movie at a commercial movie theater. We saw “The Great Gatsby” at Regal
Gallery Place Stadium 14, and there’s no doubt about it, listening to audio
description definitely made this movie a lot more accessible. There’s a good
deal of fast-paced action, and I’m sure that without the description, Eric
would have, at a number of points, had a hard time knowing what was going
on.

Unfortunately, high sound levels sometimes overrode the description, and
likely, there may not have been enough gaps to seamlessly shoehorn in the
audio track. But it was still worthwhile, and we are looking forward to
doing it again.

A month ago, we went to see “The Heat”, an action/comedy and spoke with
Andre Smith, the manager at Regal Gallery Place, about the process. He said
that they have been offering this enhancement for the past year and people
have generally been pleased with it. They are able to accommodate blind
individuals and groups of about 10 people, but groups should call ahead.
They just received the equipment to audio describe 3-D movies so watch for
that.

What has been your experience going to movies with audio description? Should
we be working harder to encourage other theaters to install the equipment
and then show audio-described movies? Share your thoughts with us.  

 

8.      Just for You

FREE Computers--NFB DC Computer Referral Program is a new local program to
provide refurbished computers and accessories to persons with a disability
or who are low income. For more information and an application form, members
may contact Libra Robinson at  <mailto:leelibra342 at gmail.com>
leelibra342 at gmail.com  This is a Community Outreach project.

The NFB National Writer’s Division offers a writing critique service for a
$10 fee.  They are willing to evaluate:

· your short story (max of 3,000 words)
· the first chapter (or first 20 pages) of your novel 
· your poem (up to 3 poems, 36 lines max per poem)
· your children’s story (max of 3,000 words)
· your memoir (first 20 pages max)
· your nonfiction article (first 20 pages max)

You can submit your work by e-mail as an attachment in MS Word format,
double spaced please. For more information contact Robert Leslie Newman,
President, NFB Writers’ Division

at  <mailto:newmanrl at cox.net> newmanrl at cox.net.
Free White Cane—If you’ve never tried an NFB cane, here’s a great
opportunity to give one a test drive, and it won’t cost you a cent. The NFB
is offering a free long white cane to any blind person who wants one. You
need not be a current NFB member. These are straight, light-weight,
fiberglass canes and are available in lengths from 25 to 63 inches. Whether
you decide to use it instead of your existing cane    or just use it some of
the time, a new NFB cane is a great option. You can request one online or
from the NFB National Office.  For details, visit
<https://nfb.org/free-cane-program> https://nfb.org/free-cane-program.

FREE NEWSPAPERS ON THE PHONE--NFB sponsors a free digitized national
newspaper-reading service available for persons who are unable to physically
read the newspaper called NFB-NEWSLINE. It features many newspapers and
magazines, not just local ones. Please contact Ms. Kathy Gosslin at (202)
442-4365 or e-mail nfb.newsline at dc.gov. 

 

 

 

 

 

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