[Nfb-greeley] Fw: [Brl-monitor] The Braille Monitor, June 2018
Melissa R. Green
graduate56 at juno.com
Sun Jun 3 19:05:09 UTC 2018
----- Forwarded Message -----
From: buhrow at lothlorien.nfbcal.org (Brian Buhrow)
To: brl-monitor at nfbcal.org
Date: 06/03/2018 11:48 am
Subject: [Brl-monitor] The Braille Monitor, June 2018
>
>
> BRAILLE MONITOR
> Vol. 61, No. 6 June 2018
> Gary Wunder, Editor
>
>
> Distributed by email, in inkprint, in Braille, and on USB flash
> drive, by the
> NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
>
> Mark Riccobono, President
>
> telephone: 410-659-9314
> email address: nfb at nfb.org
> website address: http://www.nfb.org
> NFBnet.org: http://www.nfbnet.org
> NFB-NEWSLINE® information: 866-504-7300
> Like us on Facebook: Facebook.com/nationalfederationoftheblind
> Follow us on Twitter: @NFB_Voice
> Watch and share our videos: YouTube.com/NationsBlind
>
>
> Letters to the President, address changes, subscription requests, and
> orders for NFB literature should be sent to the national office. Articles
> for the Monitor and letters to the editor may also be sent to the national
> office or may be emailed to gwunder at nfb.org.
>
>
> Monitor subscriptions cost the Federation about forty dollars per year.
> Members are invited, and nonmembers are requested, to cover the
> subscription cost. Donations should be made payable to National Federation
> of the Blind and sent to:
>
> National Federation of the Blind
> 200 East Wells Street at Jernigan Place
> Baltimore, Maryland 21230-4998
>
> THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND KNOWS THAT BLINDNESS IS NOT THE
> CHARACTERISTIC THAT DEFINES YOU OR YOUR FUTURE. EVERY DAY WE RAISE THE
> EXPECTATIONS OF BLIND PEOPLE, BECAUSE LOW EXPECTATIONS CREATE OBSTACLES
> BETWEEN BLIND PEOPLE AND OUR DREAMS. YOU CAN LIVE THE LIFE YOU WANT;
> BLINDNESS IS NOT WHAT HOLDS YOU BACK. THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
> IS NOT AN ORGANIZATION SPEAKING FOR THE BLIND-IT IS THE BLIND SPEAKING FOR
> OURSELVES.
> ISSN 0006-8829
> © 2018 by the National Federation of the Blind
> Each issue is recorded on a thumb drive (also called a memory stick
> or USB flash drive). You can read this audio edition using a computer or a
> National Library Service digital player. The NLS machine has two slots-the
> familiar book-cartridge slot just above the retractable carrying handle and
> a second slot located on the right side near the headphone jack. This
> smaller slot is used to play thumb drives. Remove the protective rubber pad
> covering this slot and insert the thumb drive. It will insert only in one
> position. If you encounter resistance, flip the drive over and try again.
> (Note: If the cartridge slot is not empty when you insert the thumb drive,
> the digital player will ignore the thumb drive.) Once the thumb drive is
> inserted, the player buttons will function as usual for reading digital
> materials. If you remove the thumb drive to use the player for cartridges,
> when you insert it again, reading should resume at the point you stopped.
> You can transfer the recording of each issue from the thumb drive to
> your computer or preserve it on the thumb drive. However, because thumb
> drives can be used hundreds of times, we would appreciate their return in
> order to stretch our funding. Please use the return envelope enclosed with
> the drive when you return the device.
>
> [PHOTO/CAPTION: The Rosen Shingle Creek Resort]
>
> Orlando Site of 2018 NFB Convention
>
> The 2018 convention of the National Federation of the Blind
> will take place in Orlando, Florida, July 3 to July 8, at the Rosen Shingle
> Creek Resort, 9939 Universal Boulevard, Orlando, Florida 32819-9357. Make
> your room reservation as soon as possible with the Shingle Creek staff
> only. Call 866-996-6338.
> The 2018 room rates are singles and doubles, $88; and for
> triples and quads $93. In addition to the room rates there will be a tax,
> which at present is 12.5 percent. No charge will be made for children under
> seventeen in the room with parents as long as no extra bed is requested.
> The hotel is accepting reservations now. A $100-per-room deposit is
> required to make a reservation. Fifty percent of the deposit will be
> refunded if notice is given to the hotel of a reservation cancellation
> before June 1, 2018. The other 50 percent is not refundable.
> Rooms will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
> Reservations may be made before June 1, 2018, assuming that rooms are still
> available. After that time the hotel will not hold our room block for the
> convention. In other words, you should get your reservation in soon.
> All Rosen Shingle Creek guestrooms feature amenities that
> include plush Creek Sleeper beds, 40" flat screen TVs, complimentary high-
> speed internet service, in-room safes, coffee makers, mini-fridges, and
> hair dryers. Guests can also enjoy a swimming pool, fitness center, and on-
> site spa. The Rosen Shingle Creek Resort has a number of dining options,
> including two award-winning restaurants, and twenty-four-hour-a-day room
> service.
>
> The schedule for the 2018 convention is:
>
> Tuesday, July 3 Seminar Day
> Wednesday, July 4 Registration and Resolutions Day
> Thursday, July 5 Board Meeting and Division Day
> Friday, July 6 Opening Session
> Saturday, July 7 Business Session
> Sunday, July 8 Banquet Day and Adjournment
>
> Vol. 61, No. 6 June
> 2018
>
> Contents
>
> Illustration: Chopped Challenge at the Colorado Center for the Blind
>
> It's the Economics, Stupid
> by Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette
>
> Convention 101: Answers to the Questions about the National Federation of
> the Blind National Convention
> by Candice Chapman
>
> Blind New Mexicans Can Now Vote with Accessible Absentee Ballots
> by Curtis Chong
>
> My First Day at the State Capitol
> by Rocky Hart
>
> If Only I Had Braille When . . .
> by Terri Rupp
>
> What Does Helen Keller's Legacy Mean to the Organized Blind Movement and
> the World Beyond?
> by Kane Brolin
>
> KNFB Reader V3.0 Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks
> by Joel Zimba
>
> Driving Blind on the Information Superhighway-Basic Interactions: The Fast
> Lane to Getting Stuff Done on the Web
> by Amy Mason
>
> Echo Cue
> by Kevan Worley
>
> Living the Movement: Ferret Federationists
> by Priscilla McKinley
>
> Seeing
> by Lauren McKinley
>
> Recipes
>
> Monitor Miniatures
>
> [PHOTO/CAPTION: His team under the pressure of the clock, Loren McDaniel
> focuses on coring and slicing apples
>
> [PHOTO/CAPTION: Left to right Tyler Cannon, Nick Isenberg, and Annette
> Wilson present their dish entitled Shipwreck, featuring a life raft of
> Cheeto-encrusted Texas toast manned by a fig floating above shoals of a
> stir-fry. Abdi Mumi on the opposing team is working behind them.
>
> [PHOTO/CAPTION: Presentation counts for a lot, so Tyler Cannon takes care
> as he fills bowls for the judges
>
> [PHOTO/CAPTION: Tad Stuckey runs beets, cauliflower and carrots through the
> food processor for a slaw.
>
> [PHOTO/CAPTION: Teammates Rebecca Jackson (left) and Ravi Hudson (right)
> empty a can into a bowl as they prepare their team's sweet potato waffles
>
> [PHOTO/CAPTION: The panel of judges Delfina Rodriguez (left) and Dishon
> Spears (right) lean in for private consultation with Maureen Nietfeld
> (center) on one class's creations
>
> Chopped Challenge at the Colorado Center for the Blind
>
> At our NFB training centers we push our blind students to go beyond
> what they imagined they could do. In a world where expectations of blind
> people are often low, the willingness to push beyond the known is what
> makes the difference between living the lives we want and just dreaming
> about them. Many new students come to training never having used a sharp
> kitchen knife or cooked on a hot stove, or maybe they have recently become
> blind and lack the technique and the confidence to do these common things
> nonvisually. Soon they're chopping and slicing, using a hot oven, and in
> fact "cooking with gas." As they graduate, having faced and completed the
> big requirements, cooking a well-planned meal for dozens, and finding their
> way back to the center after a drop in an unknown part of the city, they
> admit that they didn't think they'd ever be able to do these things. And
> yet they have. The not-so-secret formula is now part of them-they know how
> to push themselves beyond simply what they know to what they want to know
> and need to do. Our NFB training center graduates have succeeded in pushing
> themselves beyond their fears and low expectations, so their blindness can
> no longer hold them back.
> In April the Colorado Center for the Blind Home Management staff put
> a twist on challenge in the kitchen by staging a "Chopped" contest.
> Inspired by the popular TV show, four classes over two days were divided
> into two teams each and given a cart full of sometimes strange ingredients
> and two hours, forty-five minutes to brainstorm, prepare, and present their
> meal to the panel of expert judges-namely, their teachers. One competition,
> for example, had to create a meal out of figs, stew meat, hoisin sauce,
> Cheetos, Smarties, dill pickles, and Texas toast. While much of what is
> taught in the kitchen is about planning and preparing, this exercise is
> about dealing with the unexpected under extreme conditions and working with
> your teammates toward a positive-if not always spectacular-outcome. And
> what happens when the stew meat burns? We won't give away any secrets, but
> the broader answer is to problem-solve and press on to the end, because in
> order to live the lives we want, sometimes that's what it's going to take.
>
>
> [PHOTO SHOWCASE: Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette]
> It's the Economics, Stupid
> by Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette
>
> From the Editor: Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette was born and raised in Maine
> and now lives in Baltimore, Maryland, with his partner and two cats. He has
> a background in the mission-driven nonprofit sector and has been a member
> of the Government Affairs team of the National Federation of the Blind
> since May of 2017. Dylan is an avid fitness enthusiast, a political junkie,
> and loves following his favorite Boston sports team, especially the Red Sox
> and Celtics. He says he loves to write and would like to contribute more to
> the Braille Monitor. After reading his article I hope you will be as
> excited about this prospect as I am. Here is what he says:
>
> There are few things more infuriating than inconsistency in a logical
> argument. It is maddening when your opponent in a debate, especially an
> existentially important one, appears to be making an argument that you know
> to be false or, to be more charitable, that is confusing when considered
> alongside other things you know to be true.
> This state of confusion and irritation is where I have found myself
> ever since I joined the government affairs team here at the Jernigan
> Institute and began actively working on our opposition to H.R. 620, the
> "ADA Education and Reform Act of 2017." This bill, which was passed by the
> House of Representatives in February, represents an example of a broader
> push for a "notice and cure" provision within the Americans with
> Disabilities Act (ADA). For the purposes of this writing, I will refer to
> the broad "notice and cure" construct and not so much to H.R. 620
> specifically. Though everything said about notice and cure applies equally
> to H.R. 620.
> As a quick primer on notice and cure, it is first vital to know that
> it would fundamentally alter the way people with disabilities enforce their
> rights under the ADA. It requires that a person who has encountered an
> access barrier that violates his or her rights, typically his or her rights
> to equal access to places of public accommodation under Title III of the
> ADA, first provide written notice to the proprietor of the place of public
> accommodation in question and then permit that proprietor some specifically-
> defined amount of time to cure the problem. Hence, we have "notice and
> cure."
> As the ADA currently stands, a person who has encountered an access
> barrier that violates his or her rights under Title III of the ADA may
> pursue one of three immediate options: 1) They can seek a private
> resolution by negotiating directly with the proprietor; 2) They may file a
> complaint with the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the issue will be
> investigated; or 3) They may file a private lawsuit in order to seek
> redress of the violation. It is essential to point out that under the
> federal ADA a plaintiff may not seek money as a part of the lawsuit, only
> redress of the access barrier. There are, however, some states that have
> passed their own state-level versions of the ADA that do permit a person
> filing a lawsuit alleging a violation of the ADA to seek money as a part of
> the dispute.
> While there are many problems with a notice and cure framework, one
> of the most glaring ones is the negative effect it would have on proactive
> compliance with the ADA. It is often said by those of us who oppose notice
> and cure that it would produce a wait and see approach to compliance with
> the ADA, which is a slap in the face to the original intent of the law.
> Think of it this way-why would a business proactively comply with
> accessibility requirements under the ADA if they are not legally obligated
> to do so until they receive a notice from a person who has encountered an
> access barrier and thus have had her or his rights violated?
> And here is where the frustrating part of the argument comes into
> play. The groups actively promoting notice and cure and those who were
> largely responsible for H.R. 620 do not acknowledge the new reality that
> notice and cure will produce. They represent large and powerful sectors of
> the business community and were the key to successfully passing H.R. 620 in
> the House of Representatives. They lament the existence of "drive-by" and
> "serial" lawsuits as being prohibitively onerous on the business community.
> These types of unscrupulous legal activities do exist, though on a much
> smaller scale than the business community would have us believe. But
> supporters of H.R. 620 simply will not accept or affirm the undermining
> effect on the rights of people with disabilities that notice and cure would
> have. They often stress how much they admire the ADA and how most
> businesses genuinely want to comply and welcome customers with
> disabilities. But, according to these groups, it is just too difficult to
> know how to comply with the ADA, and it is only reasonable that all of the
> burden of education and enforcement should be placed on the backs of people
> with disabilities.
> The National Federation of the Blind, as readers will know, rejects
> the premise of notice and cure and the arguments that undergird it. Notice
> and cure unacceptably diminishes the civil rights of people with
> disabilities, and we stand ready to fight these efforts, armed with both
> moral and legal counter-arguments.
> One category of counter-argument that does not receive enough
> attention lies in the realm of economics. More specifically,
> microeconomics.
> A bit of personal background on me. I am an economics enthusiast and
> as such I studied and obtained a degree in economics during my
> undergraduate studies, and then I continued that focus on the study of
> economics in graduate school. As a result of this interest and this
> training, I tend to analyze problems and assess issues through the lens of
> economics and the principles associated with the discipline.
> There are two bedrock principles of microeconomics that can tell us a
> lot about why notice and cure will lead to an exacerbation of the problem
> of noncompliance with the ADA. Those two principles are rational choice
> theory and profit-maximization. I will briefly describe both ideas below
> and then demonstrate why they should deliver the finishing blow to any
> argument favoring a notice and cure provision that posits that it would not
> have a negative effect on ADA compliance.
> Rational Choice Theory: This is a key principle that lies at the core
> of much of the economics discipline. In short, rational choice theory
> asserts that people and firms are rational actors and as such, will pursue
> the rational economic decision in most instances. The "rational" thing to
> do is to make the decision that produces the most pleasure and the least
> displeasure. The term often used in this case is "utility," which is
> another way of capturing pleasure or satisfaction. So maximizing the
> utility we gain from any given decision is the goal of a rational actor,
> and that actor will therefore make the decision most likely to result in
> the highest level of utility for that individual.
> The theory further posits that if everyone pursues this rational
> course of action, the overall level of utility across a given society or
> economy will increase. Efficiency will also increase, according to this
> theory, as rational choices will produce the most efficient allocation of
> resources, and this will also produce a positive aggregate outcome.
> Profit-maximization: This is a concept connected to rational choice,
> but it relates more to decisions made by businesses. The basic idea here is
> that businesses will always seek to generate the highest possible level of
> income while simultaneously striving to minimize the costs of production.
> The cost of production is comprised of a variety of factors, called
> "inputs," that range from labor costs to the cost of raw materials to
> compliance costs, among others. The ultimate goal of the firm at the most
> basic level is to maximize profit, which is income minus costs.
> The merging of rational choice theory and profit-maximization means
> that in order to be the most efficient and successful business, rational
> choices about income and costs must be made in order to keep profits as
> high as possible. This is especially true if the business in question is a
> publicly traded company, answerable to shareholders. In this instance,
> businesses actually have a legal obligation (called the "fiduciary"
> obligation) to generate the highest possible profits and, in turn, the most
> shareholder value through higher share prices.
> We can now take these fundamental principles of microeconomics and
> apply them to our arguments against notice and cure. It is also important
> to note that businesses would likely agree with everything laid out above
> about rational choices and profit-maximization; we are not making wild or
> erroneous assumptions about the views and actions of the business
> community. These are widely held and generally agreed upon pillars of
> economics and business management practice.
> So here is the point: if businesses are rational, profit-maximizing
> actors with a responsibility to act in this way (especially if they are
> publicly traded companies), what possible incentive would any of them have
> to proactively and consistently comply with their obligations under the
> ADA? Remember that rational choice theory lays out the virtues of making
> self-interested decisions that produce the most personal gain possible.
> Remember that the profit-maximizing imperative of businesses shapes their
> production strategies and budget objectives.
> Businesses will always avoid expenses they do not have to incur in
> order to keep the margin between income and costs as large as possible. Or,
> in other words, in order to maximize profits. If it will cost a business x
> to install a wheelchair ramp or y to purchase an accessible point-of-sale
> (POS) machine, they will not do it unless they have to. If notice and cure
> becomes an enshrined part of the ADA and creates a wait and see
> environment, what reason would a rational, profit-maximizing firm have to
> ever install that ramp or buy that POS machine before receiving a notice
> letter from a person with a disability?
> The implications here are straightforward and alarming. Businesses
> exist to generate profits and complying with the ADA will, by definition,
> reduce by some degree the profit margin. If businesses are not required to
> comply with the ADA proactively, and if they do not have the incentive to
> do so out of a desire to avoid legal action, they never will comply
> proactively. It would be, in strictly economic terms, irrational for them
> to do so. And this is a key argument against notice and cure and one that
> we should be making more forcefully. If we can speak in their language and
> demonstrate that we know how business works and how economics work, we can
> better isolate and knock down their arguments in favor of notice and cure.
> In doing so, we can deliver the death blow to this effort and safeguard the
> civil rights of people with disabilities for the foreseeable future.
> ----------
> [PHOTO CAPTION: Candice Chapman]
> Convention 101: Answers to the Questions about
> the National Federation of the Blind National Convention
> by Candice Chapman
>
> From the Editor: Candice Chapman is a leader in the National
> Federation of the Blind of Mississippi. She is also a leader in our student
> division, a member of the scholarship committee, and an absolute joy to be
> around. Here is what she says for our first-timers:
>
> There are many ways to describe a National Federation of the Blind
> national convention. Convention is exciting, fun, and enlightening. It's an
> opportunity to reconnect with friends, meet new people, and network with a
> diverse group of professionals in a variety of fields. The things that
> convention can be in the midst of all the connection points and interesting
> meetings is stressful and overwhelming. I recall feeling the excitement and
> the stress during my first national convention. After attending nine
> conventions I've learned a few things that make the experience a pleasant
> one time and time again. It's my hope that by sharing a few tidbits with
> you, that you can plan well and have an altogether fun, exciting, and
> stress-free NFB national convention!
>
> Packing for Convention
> I've often been told that the best place to start is the beginning,
> so the beginning it is. Before you can come to national convention, you
> have to pack. The right clothes are an absolutely essential part of a
> stress-free convention. When considering what to fill your suitcase with,
> keep a couple of things in mind. First things first: our national
> convention is held in Orlando, Florida, this year. It's very hot and often
> rainy in Orlando, so you want to pack clothing that will ensure your
> comfort in hot and rainy weather. Keep that in mind. The second point here
> is that our national convention is a professional conference. I'd recommend
> finding a balance between business and business casual for most days. The
> exception to this will be on our banquet night. This is a formal banquet
> which means formal attire is most appropriate. Let's be clear, I'm not
> saying it's a requirement to go out and buy a fancy ball gown or rent a
> tuxedo. I would, however, recommend wearing whatever you consider to be a
> level above your business casual wear.
> Just to summarize, for the week of convention, save your flip-flops
> and tank tops for your down time, and plan for your slacks and button downs
> during meeting times. One last thing to mention on your convention wardrobe
> planning: the hotel is very large, and you'll be doing quite a bit of
> walking. Make sure your footwear is good for keeping your feet comfortable
> Clothing aside, you'll also want to pay attention to a few details
> regarding your belongings. You'll want to make sure that you've marked your
> luggage in such a way that you are able to locate it at baggage claim. Feel
> free to use whatever method works for you. Whether it be some sort of
> ribbon, bandana, colorful tape, or a keychain, the important thing is that
> you can identify your belongings when the time comes. In the same vein,
> you'll want to have some sort of identifying features you can use to
> identify any technology or other accessories that belong to you.
>
> Arrival at the Convention
> You've crossed the hurdle of packing for convention; congratulations.
> Now you need to get there. Once you make it to the hotel, you'll want to do
> a few things. If you're a guide dog user, you'll want to locate the relief
> areas. In the next section of this article, you will find good sources of
> information. Relief area information can be found there. While we're
> talking about guide dogs, it's probably a good idea to direct you to the
> National Association of Guide Dog Users. They will have all sorts of good
> information that will help to make sure that your guide dog has a stress-
> free convention as well.
> Another thing that you will need to do after you settle in at the
> hotel will be to register. You will be able to find registration details in
> your convention agenda. One of the things you'll receive when you register
> is a banquet ticket. Make sure to hang onto this ticket because you will
> need to exchange it for the ticket you will use on banquet night. The
> banquet exchange will open after general session begins. Be sure to listen
> for the announcement during the sessions so you won't miss it. When they
> make the announcement, the entire process will be explained.
>
> Good sources of information
> Now that you're all packed and on your way to convention, you'll want
> to know where to get good information. One of the first places to find it
> is the information table. On the days prior to general session, you can
> find the information table in the hotel lobby. Once general session begins,
> the information table will migrate to the designated registration area
> (you'll be able to find details for registration in your convention
> agenda). It's been my experience that there's not a whole lot they don't
> know at the information table, and if they don't know, they can certainly
> tell you how to find out. No matter its location, the information table is
> one of the best sources you will have. Another place for good information
> is the presidential suite. The presidential suite will have all sorts of
> information that you might need for convention such as the location of your
> state caucus. Aside from useful information, the presidential suite is also
> a good place to meet Federation leaders, grab a snack, or just take a
> breather. Keep in mind that even though the presidential suite is home to
> the President, he is not always there. You can schedule a meeting with him
> by calling the Presidential Suite or stopping by and doing so in person.
> Expect that the meeting will likely last only a few minutes. The President
> is very busy during the convention, so please be understanding if you don't
> get a chance to have a one-on-one meeting with him.
> Other locations to get good information are the hospitality suite,
> which is sponsored by the host committee for the convention and the
> convention arrangements suite. The locations of all three of these will be
> found in the preface information in the convention agenda. A final source
> for good information is your state affiliate. If by chance you don't come
> to convention knowing how to get in touch with yours, there's a few ways to
> do so. You can find affiliate contact information in the presidential
> suite. Additionally, once general sessions begin, you can find your
> affiliate designated by a large sign. The sign is labeled in both print and
> Braille.
>
> Managing Convention Agenda, Exhibit Hall and Independence Market
> Alright, you've packed well, know where to get good information, so
> now what's next? In the early days of the convention you'll have a chance
> to register, explore the exhibit hall, and the independence market. When
> you register, you'll get a hard copy of the convention agenda. The agenda
> can be overwhelming because there are a lot of things going on all at once.
> Here's where things can get overwhelming; here is also where I'll tell you
> a few things that I hope will help you not feel overwhelmed by this big
> document.
> Remember that the agenda will be available online prior to
> convention. Having it before arriving is hugely helpful because it allows
> you to familiarize yourself with what will be going on all week. Going
> through the agenda beforehand also gives you a chance to decide what you're
> interested in doing and prioritize. There's absolutely no way that you'll
> be able to do and go to everything. Making priorities before arriving will
> help to minimize stress. Tackling the exhibit hall and independence market
> can also be a stressful experience. I would suggest handling it the same
> way you would handle the agenda: check out what's available online before
> convention and then prioritize.
> One note about the independence market: Don't make the mistake of
> waiting until the market is about to close; the last day it is open can be
> very busy, so go as early as you can.
>
> Tips on Avoiding the Crowds
> You can expect to have to deal with crowds at our national
> convention; everyone's excited to be there, so be prepared for some shout
> outs from old friends meeting up. Here's a few ways that you can avoid the
> crowds if bumping shoulders with fellow Federationists isn't your cup of
> tea. Two places that you'll find lots of crowding are in the hallways
> between events and in the elevators and their waiting areas. One way to
> avoid the crowding in both places is to leave more than ten minutes before
> the event you're attending begins. Most people will be heading out around
> this time. Leaving early also affords you the opportunity to take alternate
> routes to the meeting area. One of those alternate routes could be the
> stairs or perhaps following the same route to the meeting area except
> taking an outdoor path instead of inside. As you can imagine, this option
> is not always a popular one in the heat, so you are guaranteed a far less
> crowded commute. Similarly, the stairs are a less popular option than the
> elevators.
>
> Meeting Room Etiquette
> Let's talk just for a minute about etiquette in meetings. I'll
> reiterate that the national convention is a professional conference.
> Remember when in a meeting to silence your cell phones, and if you have to
> take or make a call, step out of the room until it is concluded. Another
> thing to note about the hotel is that smoking is not allowed. This includes
> e-cigarettes. A good rule of thumb for meetings is to give the respect to
> the speakers and fellow audience members that you would like to have in
> their place.
>
> Social Interactions
> You're likely to meet lots of friendly people who may invite you to
> hang out in a variety of settings. No matter what the setting, it's
> important to exercise caution. Don't leave beverages that you may have
> unattended, and if you find yourself in a setting where there is perhaps an
> "unofficial bartender," it is probably a good idea to express even more
> caution and even consider obtaining your own beverage that you can verify
> is safe. It's important that we all are responsible for our beverages and
> behavior. The expectation at our convention is that we will treat each
> other with civility, kindness, and respect. One other note about etiquette
> in the bar, outside of not leaving your drink unattended, is to remember to
> tip your server. Keep in mind that standard manners and conventions dictate
> 20 percent. Tips often are the major source of income for wait staff
> whether in a bar or restaurant.
>
> Bits and Pieces
> Here are a few final thoughts that will help to prepare you for your
> national convention experience. Be sure to practice self-care. Taking care
> of yourself during this busy week will go a long way in helping reduce
> stress. If you're feeling overwhelmed, take a break. Be sure to eat. I know
> that seems like a no-brainer, but neglecting to have a decent meal is
> something that happens to the best of us. Wait times can be rather lengthy,
> so make sure to have snacks just in case you can't get a meal right away.
> It's also very important to stay hydrated. Like I said earlier, it's hot in
> Orlando. Be sure to drink plenty of water around the clock.
> It is my sincere hope that the information offered in this article is
> helpful to you. Pack well, travel safe, and we'll see you in Orlando!
> ----------
> [PHOTO/CAPTION: Curtis Chong uses his computer to access the website for
> voting in New Mexico.]
>
> Blind New Mexicans Can Now Vote with Accessible Absentee Ballots
> by Curtis Chong
>
> From the Editor: Curtis Chong has been a strong advocate in the many
> states in which he has lived. He is best known for his work with technical
> issues, having for a long time served as the president of the National
> Federation of the Blind in Computer Science. He now works in the state of
> New Mexico as the manager of assistive technology at the New Mexico
> Commission for the Blind, where he continues to push for nonvisual access
> in education, recreation, and employment.
> Here is what he has to say about the march of the blind to gain a
> completely secret voting experience, in this case using an absentee ballot:
>
>
> Whenever blind Americans participate in a local, state, or federal
> election, we have been able to use voting machines at the polls which (if
> not as helpful as we might like) afford us the opportunity to mark our
> ballots in secret without anyone having to know whom we have voted for. But
> if we want to vote using a printed absentee ballot, those of us who do not
> see well enough to fill out a printed form must necessarily rely on the
> help of someone else to mark the ballot, meaning that our ballot is no
> longer truly secret.
> In the fall of 2014, blind voters in the state of Maryland, for the
> first time in history, were able to cast a truly secret absentee ballot
> through the use of a fully-accessible online ballot marking system. They
> logged on to a secure website using the access technology of their choice,
> marked the ballot using an accessible web form, downloaded the
> appropriately marked ballot to their computers, printed the ballot, and
> mailed it in. This significant achievement, which would not have occurred
> without the hard work of the National Federation of the Blind, clearly
> proved that technology could be used to make the absentee ballot fully
> accessible to blind voters.
> Members of the National Federation of the Blind of New Mexico were
> inspired by this exciting development in Maryland, and so, at the
> organization's 2015 convention, the membership unanimously adopted a
> resolution which declared that the time had come for the printed absentee
> ballot to be accessible to the blind of New Mexico and for the state of New
> Mexico to have an accessible online ballot marking tool of its own. This
> was only the beginning of a long, three-year process-a process which has
> resulted in an accessible online ballot marking system which is having its
> debut for the June 2018 primary election.
> Three things happened to make all of this possible: First, the state
> of Maryland was willing to give its source code away for free, meaning that
> software could be deployed in New Mexico without the costly effort of
> writing an entirely new system.
> Secondly, the blind of New Mexico had two champions in the state
> legislature. They were Representative Tomás Salazar and Senator Daniel Ivey-
> Soto, both of whom cosponsored the necessary enabling legislation and
> worked energetically on our behalf.
> Last but not least, we found an incredible ally in the person of
> Maggie Toulouse Oliver, New Mexico's Secretary of State, who testified
> publicly and enthusiastically in support of the legislation that would give
> us the accessible online ballot marking system and who inspired her office
> to work closely with the organized blind to ensure a smooth implementation.
> Here is how the voting process works. Voters visit a Voter
> Information Portal website and request an absentee ballot. Three pieces of
> information are requested: the voter's state identification number, Social
> Security number, and date of birth. If the voter is already registered and
> has verified that the correct mailing address is stored in the system, an
> absentee ballot can then be requested. Blind voters request the ballot that
> is accessible to the blind and check the box which certifies the following:
> "I hereby state under penalty of perjury that the following is true and
> correct:
> "I am an individual who is blind or visually impaired, and my
> blindness or visual impairment prevents me from being able to independently
> complete a standard absentee ballot;
> "I understand and agree that this statement is made under penalty of
> perjury pursuant to federal law. I further understand and agree that this
> statement is also covered by New Mexico law which makes perjury a fourth
> degree felony."
> Once the application has been verified and approved, the county clerk
> mails a packet of two envelopes to the blind voter. A smaller envelope is
> meant to hold the ballot, and the larger envelope contains the smaller
> ballot envelope and a signed and dated voter certificate. While the blind
> voter might need some help to sign and date the voter certificate, there is
> no need for anyone to see the printed ballot before it is inserted into its
> own envelope. Once the envelopes reach the county clerk's office, the
> ballot (in its sealed envelope) is immediately separated from the voter
> certificate. Thus, no one thereafter will know who marked the ballot in the
> first place.
> All of this does require the blind voter to have a working email
> address, a computer, and a printer. Moreover, the blind voter must be
> reasonably proficient with navigating through web pages and filling out
> online forms. While there are those who might complain about this, the
> reality is that in today's technologically-oriented world, these are the
> basic essentials for any online activity. The important thing to keep in
> mind here is that through our own organization, the National Federation of
> the Blind, we have proven that the printed absentee ballot can be made
> nonvisually accessible and our right to a secret ballot thus maintained.
> ----------
> [PHOTO CAPTION: Rocky Hart]
> My First Day at the Capitol
> by Rocky Hart
>
> From the Editor: Rocky Hart is a freshman at the Minnesota State
> Academy for the Blind. He is also a member of the National Federation of
> the Blind of Minnesota. Rocky is a reflective and articulate young man who
> writes with excitement, wisdom, and conciseness beyond his years. Here is
> what he has to say about his first visit to the Minnesota state capitol:
>
> Earlier this year I had the great honor and privilege of attending
> the National Federation of the Blind Washington Seminar in Washington, DC,
> where I had the opportunity to advocate for every blind person in America.
> I met with four members of Congress to discuss issues affecting blind
> people and had a wonderful time. Nearly a month later, I was invited to our
> affiliate's "Day at the Capitol." When I received this invitation, the big
> day was only a week away, and as much as I wanted to attend, I was
> concerned that I could not arrange for transportation and supervision in a
> timely manner. Fortunately, just the opposite happened. One of the staff
> from MSAB (Minnesota State Academy for the Blind) agreed to transport me,
> and all I needed to do was read our fact sheets, make appointments with my
> state legislators, and get prepared for the adventure I was about to have.
> When I arrived at the capitol, I was pared up with Steve Jacobson,
> the vice president of our affiliate, who was also one of my team members in
> Washington, and we would attend our appointments together. We had four
> scheduled appointments, all with members of the Minnesota House of
> Representatives. The priorities we were focused on were the protection of
> the rights of blind parents, funding a study to establish a program at the
> University of Minnesota to license teachers of the blind/visually impaired,
> and maintaining and creating accessible voting machines to insure
> blind/visually-impaired people could cast a secret ballot.
> Our first appointment of the day was with one of the representatives
> from the Twin Cities area, though I cannot remember how to pronounce his
> name. He seemed very interested in what we were proposing. In regard to the
> issue of teachers of the blind/visually impaired, he said he was willing to
> write a bill if we could not find any other author.
> In my opinion our second appointment ended up being by far the best
> appointment of the day. We met with Republican Representative Ron Kresha,
> who represents the Ninth Congressional District in Minnesota, located
> geographically very close to the district in which I reside. He also serves
> on the educational finance committee, the same group I testified before
> when advocating for budgetary requests for MSAB. For that reason we began
> our meeting by discussing the TVI issue. He not only pledged to support us;
> he offered to draft a bill for us once we provided him with the appropriate
> language. Of course we said yes. He asked me specifically to testify before
> the committee once the bill was drafted, and I said I would. He also agreed
> to support us on our other legislative priorities.
> Our third appointment was with Rita Moran, a Democrat from the
> educational finance committee, who is also supporting us in our work. Our
> fourth and final appointment of the day was with one of my own local
> representatives: John Poston, a Republican who also coincidently serves on
> the educational finance committee. He agreed to support and co-sponsor any
> bill we wish to draft regarding the issue of teachers of the blind/visually
> impaired, as well as the issues concerning the rights of blind parents and
> accessible voting machines. I took photos with both Ron Kresha and John
> Poston. I left the capitol knowing my effectiveness in advocating for the
> blind of Minnesota payed off and generated huge success, and I was more
> assured than ever that our state legislators are behind us.
> Over the course of four months I have attended the NFB of Minnesota
> state convention resolutions meeting, the 2018 Washington Seminar, and now
> the Day at the Capitol. I do not take these opportunities for granted, nor
> do I take credit for them. I thank God for all of these privileges. Though
> what we are advocating for are our rights to live up to our fullest
> potential, I view advocating in and of itself as both a great honor,
> privilege, and an obligation. We are privileged with the opportunity to go
> to our local, state, and national legislators to advocate for our rights,
> yet we must do this if we are to live up to our fullest potential. As
> members of the National Federation of the Blind know better than anyone,
> there are still many misconceptions and superstitions among the sighted
> population about how we simply go about our daily lives. After all, we
> can't...right? We in the NFB know the truth: we can live the lives we want.
> That is what we need to demonstrate to our sighted counterparts and elected
> officials. I have done just that through my advocacy at the legislature. In
> addition to education, advocacy, and optimism, one of the most important
> attributes we must have as blind people is faith. Once we advocate, we
> should then be optimistic and faithful that we will get what we so
> rightfully deserve. This is what I have done through all of my legislative
> work, and it is what I will continue to do for many more years to come!
> ----------
> [PHOTO CAPTION: Terri and Marley Rupp]
> If Only I Had Braille When...
> by Terri Rupp
>
> From the Editor: Terri Rupp is the mother of two children, one of
> whom is blind. She serves as the president of the National Federation of
> the Blind of Nevada, and this article is taken from a blog she composed
> several years ago. It is as relevant now as it was when it was written:
>
>
> If only I had Braille when...I was a child learning how to read.
>
> If only I had Braille when...my classes took turns reading out loud, and I
> was skipped over because I couldn't even read the large print books that
> the schools provided me.
>
> If only I had Braille when...the waiter handed me the menu when I sat down
> with my friends at a restaurant.
>
> If only I had Braille when...my kids asked me to read the signs on the
> trails where we were hiking.
>
> If only I had Braille when...my son had a 102-degree fever, and I had a
> brand-new box of medicine and didn't know the correct dosage to give him.
>
> If only I had Braille when...I was reading the directions on the box of
> blueberry muffin mix.
>
> If only I had Braille when...I wanted to read a nutrition label on a
> granola bar wrapper.
>
> If only I had Braille when...my kids find a new book and want me to read it
> to them.
>
> If only I had been offered Braille as a child instead of fighting to learn
> it as an adult.
>
> If only Braille was as common as print.
>
> If only all blind or visually impaired children were taught Braille so they
> wouldn't have to struggle to read as adults.
>
> Braille is something that I am very passionate about. Tonight as I
> was reading my children their bedtime stories, I started thinking, "If only
> I had Braille when..."
> Did you know that only 10 percent of blind or visually impaired
> children are taught Braille? Did you know that as a child I struggled to
> read large print, fell behind in school, and worked twice as hard as my
> peers to keep up? Did you know that I didn't fully become literate until
> the age of twenty-three when I finally learned Braille? What if only 10
> percent of sighted children were taught how to read?
> I have to admit that I haven't thought about these things quite as
> much in the last few years. However, now I am teaching my own daughter how
> to read and write, and now I am personally transcribing many of the books
> that are on their bookshelves into Braille so that I can read to them
> because it is faster than waiting for new Braille/print books.
> As a child I used to wish that I could be either completely sighted or
> completely blind so that I wouldn't have to be stuck in the middle, always
> having to explain my so-called disability. Now all I wish for is for more
> Braille: More Braille for blind children learning how to read; More Braille
> for blind adults all over the world; More Braille. More Braille. More
> Braille.
> ----------
> What Does Helen Keller's Legacy Mean to the Organized Blind Movement and
> the World Beyond?
> by Kane Brolin
>
> From the Editor: It is almost a sure bet that everyone who reads this
> will know the name Helen Keller. I was so fascinated with the book The
> Miracle Worker that I actually stayed up most of the night reading it in
> Braille. Regardless what we may say about blindness, most of us found Helen
> Keller's story inspirational, and those of us who saw the movie marveled at
> the way Patty Duke played the role.
>
> For all the prominence that Helen Keller has had, we really know
> little about her life after becoming a civilized human being. We know that
> she traveled and met some famous people, but how did she feel about family,
> who were her friends, and what were her political views as she lived
> through World War I, World War II, and observed not only America but other
> countries?
>
>
> Kane Brolin begins to open the door for us by showing that there was
> more to Helen Keller than the miracle girl who was transformed from wild
> child to civilized dinner guest and speaker. He also hints at the box we
> can be put into when people believe they know us and demand that we act as
> expected. Here is what he says:
>
>
> "Read the dictionary and you will find that a miracle is defined as
> some great and wonderful quality that can be brought to pass. ... How then,
> can one go about expecting miracles and causing miracles to happen? The
> number 1 thing is to have a tremendous faith, a deep faith, a faith that is
> so positively strong that it rises above doubt. ... if you train yourself
> to have faith in depth, it will release an astonishing power in your life
> to produce miracles. ... The great people of the world are miracle makers."
> These quotations, reproduced in Guideposts Magazine, are attributed
> to Dr. Norman Vincent Peale. For more than fifty years, Peale served as
> pastor of Marble Collegiate Church in New York City and was legendary in
> his promotion of "the power of positive thinking" to a worldwide audience.
> Given Dr. Peale's lifelong fascination with what it takes to produce
> miracles, it is perhaps not surprising that he openly counted himself a
> champion of another American dignitary whom many people think of as a
> walking miracle: Helen Adams Keller. In the foreword to Ms. Keller's book
> My Religion, Norman Vincent Peale wrote: "If a worldwide poll were to be
> taken to determine the most outstanding woman of our generation, note that
> the top selection would be Helen Keller. The work she has done for the
> blind and other handicapped people throughout the world is enormous, and
> many a person with or without handicaps has been inspired by Helen Keller's
> books."
> Growing up totally blind but having been educated in an integrated
> public school system, I knew virtually nothing about the impact of the
> organized blind movement. Even though I grew up in Iowa at a time when Dr.
> Kenneth Jernigan was at the height of his influence in that state, I was
> blissfully unaware of how much struggle the National Federation of the
> Blind was engaged in right then to further the equality, opportunity, and
> security of the blind. But I had heard of Helen Keller. Pretty much
> everybody among my sighted classmates had, too. But the Helen Keller we
> thought we knew was at best a cartoon character. There was the image of the
> "wild animal" that no one could control at age six, who had no idea how to
> communicate or eat with utensils. A terrifying image of this primal child
> is reproduced in the preface to Helen Keller's famous autobiography My
> Life, written when she was just twenty-three years of age: "Once, in a
> likely fit of jealous rage, Helen overturned the cradle of her younger
> sister Mildred. Had Kate Keller not caught the baby before she crashed to
> the floor, one can only imagine what might have happened to the child.
> There was nothing anyone could do to reach Helen. She tyrannized the
> household, but no one had the stomach to discipline her even when she
> smashed dishes and lamps. People observing Helen thought her a 'monster,'
> not least when she plunged her hands into their dinner plates."[1]
> Then a "miracle" transpired. But Helen Keller never was viewed as the
> producer of that life-changing miracle; instead, the "miracle worker" was
> Johanna Mansfield Sullivan, better known as Anne: a young woman from the
> Boston area whom Helen's mother Katherine brought down to the Keller estate
> in Alabama to tame her blind-deaf-mute "wild beast." Through painstaking,
> patient work and seemingly endless creativity and faith, it worked. Through
> the process of finger-spelling, then Braille, the young Helen finally
> learned to communicate using the written word. Eventually, she learned to
> speak. And the rest is history-except that most of that history has never
> become known in the mainstream.
> Helen Keller became one of the most well-known American celebrities
> of the twentieth century. She even learned how to speak in public, though
> she had no memory of ever hearing speech. Yet as we grew up, I and my
> schoolmates tended to have in our minds a limited picture of this woman.
> She had become a pin-up poster representing the deafblind as a whole-a
> remarkable freak, but a freak nonetheless. Sometimes in that era before the
> onset of political correctness, she was even reduced to a category of
> jokes.
>
> Q: How did Helen Keller burn her left ear?
> A: She answered the iron.
>
> Q: How did Helen Keller burn her right ear?
> A: They called back.
>
> Q: Did you hear about the new Helen Keller doll?
> A: You wind her up and she bumps into the furniture.
>
> In hindsight, this display of so-called humor at the expense of a
> disabled person seems shocking. But what about the more benign
> representations of Helen Keller that were meant to seem so inspiring? Some
> of her more famous quotations are found online. They feel all the more
> inspiring, because many rely on visual imagery, even though Helen Keller
> did not have eyesight: "I would rather walk with a friend in the dark, than
> alone in the light." "Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a
> shadow."[2] But to dismiss Keller as a type of long-suffering saint held
> prisoner by multiple disabilities, who rose above the world because she
> could not fully take part in it does perhaps as much to marginalize and to
> stereotype Helen Keller as the cruel jokes her legend inspired. The result
> is that most of us go through our lives recognizing Helen Keller's name but
> knowing very little about the complex, politically aware, and quite
> unsubmissive human being she truly was-the human being that most of her own
> colleagues seem never to have acknowledged.
> Helen Keller was never a member of the National Federation of the
> Blind. Whether she ever corresponded with or met Dr. Jacobus tenBroek, Dr.
> Kenneth Jernigan, or any other prominent Federationists of the 1940s and
> 1950s is not something I have ever been able to determine. Yet June 27,
> 2018, marked the 138th anniversary of Helen Keller's birth, and June 1,
> 2018, marked the fiftieth anniversary of her death. I believe it is only
> fitting that we, who prove over and over again that it is respectable to be
> blind, should explore the legacy of this larger-than-life deafblind
> American to figure out what affect she truly had on twentieth-century
> American culture.
> In the induction ceremony one goes through when officially becoming
> an active member of a Lions Club, it is not uncommon to hear the inductee's
> sponsor read a passage about Helen Keller. While attending the Lions Clubs
> International Convention of 1925, she challenged the world's Lions "to
> become knights for the blind in the crusade against darkness."[3] But what
> kind of darkness was she crusading against, anyway? Did Keller simply wish
> for Lions around the world to raise enough money to produce the medical
> miracle of "curing blindness"? I propose she was talking about something
> much more subtle but much more expansive.
> The America in which Helen Keller grew up was very different from the
> America of 2018. Occupational safety, environmental protection, and even
> the non-toxicity of foods and medicines that we put into our bodies were
> thought by many not to be worthy of guarantee or protection. In the United
> Kingdom and the United States alike, it was not uncommon for children as
> young as seven years old to work more than twelve hours a day in factories
> and even in mines.[4] The landmark seventy-fifth anniversary e-book
> commemorating the National Federation of the Blind, Building The Lives We
> Want, makes it clear how oppressive many of the institutions were which
> housed and employed the blind during the late 1800s and early 1900s. But
> Helen Keller during this time identified and spoke out against much more
> than the deplorable conditions faced by people with disabilities or by the
> poor in general. She dared to blame the leading men who designed and
> bankrolled our capitalistic system for promoting conditions that led to
> people becoming blind in the first place.
> She noticed that the leading causes of disability in the United
> States were largely attributable to industrial and workplace accidents and
> diseases, frequently caused by an employer's greed and reluctance to
> prioritize workers' safety lest it diminish profits. She found that other
> social factors contributed, too, such as the prevalence of poverty, unequal
> access to medicine, overcrowded and unsanitary slums, and an officially
> imposed societal ignorance regarding matters of reproductive and sexual
> health. She discovered that, once disabled, such individuals constituted a
> class who "as a rule are poor," cast aside and forgotten. They were thrown
> into institutions, mired in poverty and unemployment, cut off from
> educational opportunities, and segregated and marginalized at every turn.
> There was not a single census in any state or city of the country that even
> kept track of the numbers and needs of the disabled population. They simply
> did not exist as far as the powers-that-be were concerned. "Step by step,"
> Keller recounted in 1912, "my investigation of blindness led me into the
> industrial world."[5]
> Keller's heart for the oppressed extended far beyond the disabled
> population. Although Caucasian, she donated money to the National
> Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)-then a young and
> controversial civil rights organization that focused on opposition to
> lynching and job and housing discrimination against African Americans-and
> wrote for its magazine. At an antiwar rally in January 1916 (prior to the
> United States' entrance into World War I) sponsored by the Women's Peace
> Party at New York's Carnegie Hall, Keller said, "Congress is not preparing
> to defend the people of the United States. It is planning to protect the
> capital of American speculators and investors. Incidentally this
> preparation will benefit the manufacturers of munitions and war machines.
> Strike against war, for without you no battles can be fought! Strike
> against manufacturing shrapnel and gas bombs and all other tools of murder!
> Strike against preparedness that means death and misery to millions of
> human beings! Be not dumb, obedient slaves in an army of destruction! Be
> heroes in an army of construction!"[6]
> Bothered by what she was repeatedly reading about the conditions
> underlying oppressed subpopulations and the mass poverty that surrounded
> them, Keller increasingly turned for answers to the work of such
> influential Leftist political and economic philosophers as Karl Marx, H.G.
> Wells, William Morris, and Eugene Debs. As a result, she joined the
> American Socialist Party in 1908. Later, as she became dissatisfied with
> the ineffectiveness of the Socialists to affect the kind of change she
> thought necessary, Helen Keller "became a steadfast proponent of the
> efforts of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), which advocated for
> the organization of an explicitly revolutionary labor movement. ... Before
> long, Keller was counting among her closest friends, colleagues, and
> acquaintances nearly every major figure in the radical, socialist, and
> anarchist movements. This included such diverse personalities as John Reed,
> Emma Goldman, Eugene Debs, Langston Hughes, Upton Sinclair, Clarence
> Darrow, Anna Strunsky, William "Big Bill" Haywood, Robert La Follette, Ella
> Reeve Bloor, James Weldon Johnson, Fred Warren, and countless others of
> lesser fame."[7] In 1913, Keller published the book Out of the Dark:
> Essays, Letters, and Addresses on Physical and Social Vision, which
> synthesized her political ideals. And she never gave up her vision. It is
> said that for decades afterward, Helen Keller continued recommending that
> book to people who were asking her about her political inclinations. As of
> this writing, oddly enough, Out of the Dark was not available from
> Bookshare, Learning Ally, or NLS BARD, nor as an accessible e-book. A
> classic reprint was issued in 2017, however, and it is visible in a search
> of Google Books.[8]
> Helen Keller was a woman who refused to let others place her into a
> neat ideological box. She railed against industrial abuses and war
> machines, yet the famous people with whom she corresponded included steel
> magnate Andrew Carnegie; automotive giant Henry Ford; AT&T founder
> Alexander Graham Bell; and Woodrow Wilson, the US president who entered the
> United States into World War I.[9] Some of the risks Keller took, when
> proclaiming her personal beliefs on various matters, placed her at odds
> with those who normally were her brothers and sisters in arms. While not
> true across the board, it is appropriate to say that Karl Marx and many who
> followed his lead during the Progressive Era in which Helen Keller lived
> rejected religion out of principle. Marx had written: "The abolition of
> religion as the illusory happiness of the people is the demand for their
> real happiness. To call on them to give up their illusions about their
> condition is to call on them to give up a condition that requires
> illusions. ... The criticism of religion disillusions man, so that he will
> think, act, and fashion his reality like a man who has discarded his
> illusions and regained his senses, so that he will move around himself as
> his own true Sun. Religion is only the illusory Sun which revolves around
> man as long as he does not revolve around himself."[10]
> Yet Helen Keller insisted on not only sticking to her religious faith
> but on sharing that faith with others very publicly. Out of all the Braille
> volumes Helen Keller possessed, she said the Bible was the most frequently
> read: "I have read and reread it until in many parts the pages have faded
> out-I mean, my fingers have rubbed off the dots, and I must supply whole
> verses from memory, especially the Psalms, the Prophets, and the
> Gospels."[11] But her publisher Doubleday mostly wanted a steady stream of
> books similar to My Life, focusing on Helen's blindness and deafness-those
> elements of her life that fascinated the commercial reading public. My
> Religion, written around 1927 and long after she had self-identified as a
> political Leftist, was not a commercial success for Keller, and she could
> not find anyone to help her compile her many thoughts on this subject into
> an orderly work that felt natural to read. "A project so religious in
> nature had little appeal for Keller's editorial assistant at Doubleday, and
> even less for Anne Sullivan Macy."[12] Yet Helen Keller was a passionate
> follower of the teachings of the eighteenth-century Swedish Christian
> mystic Emanuel Swedenborg, also known as an inventor and a scientist.
> Swedenborg was a type of charismatic believer who claimed he had received
> personal scientific and spiritual revelations from Scripture but also from
> angels through various dreams and out-of-body experiences. Inspired by him,
> Helen Keller came to believe in the universal salvation of all souls and to
> identify herself with Humanism and with Christianity at the same time,
> decades before such mixing of New Thought and Bible-centered theology was
> considered acceptable in the Church at large.[13] Keller's diverse
> collection of professed beliefs likely tended to alienate her from both
> some of her friends on the political Left and from more conservative
> adherents to established or orthodox Christianity as well.
> Having said all this, a huge question remains to be answered: What is
> the greatest miracle manifested through Helen Keller's life? Is it that
> Helen, the daughter of a proud Confederate officer who had owned slaves and
> who clearly believed black people to be subhuman,[14] evolved to become a
> champion of the oppressed and a supporter of the NAACP? Perhaps it is that
> even in early adolescence, she had compassion for those worse off than she,
> even though she could not hear, see, or speak. Maybe it is because those
> closest to Helen, even when she was a little girl, insisted on showing her
> the whole of the world as much as possible. In a letter written when she
> was not quite fifteen years old, from New York City, Helen wrote to her
> mother Kate: "We went to the 'Five Points,' a place in this city which was
> once dreadfully dirty and poor; but which has been greatly improved, and to
> the 'Tombs,' the New York prison. We went into the court-house which was
> .... very gloomy; with tremendous stone pillars. I was never so near a
> prison before, and I felt strangely and sad in the silent court-room."[15]
> One year before that, when she had to spend the Christmas season in the
> North at her school instead of with her family in Alabama, she had written
> to an adult friend: "Sometimes it seems almost as if it is wrong to feel so
> glad and happy when one knows there are so many of God's little ones
> friendless, and even cold and hungry, but if we are to let their
> misfortunes banish the gladness from our heart they would not be any
> happier, so I am sure it is right to be as happy as we can, and do whatever
> we may ... to make those around us happy and look forward hopefully to the
> beautiful time when Christmas shall bring to everyone joy untouched with
> sorrow."[16]
> Maybe the greatest miracle displayed through Helen Keller's life is
> her extreme empathy: that she so freely, and apparently without bitterness,
> referred to life using descriptors laced with visual and aural references,
> even though she could neither see nor hear. Shortly after her seventeenth
> birthday, she wrote to her mother: "What is so beautiful as the gleam of a
> golden moon the bosom of a quiet lake? It draws one irresistibly into the
> Land of Dreams, and the spirit in ecstasy drinks 'repose from cool cisterns
> of the night.'"[17] Even more remarkable is an open letter, written many
> years later, in which Keller talks about the joy she experienced after
> having "heard" a symphony orchestra broadcast on the radio: "I do not mean
> to say that I 'heard' the music in the sense that other people heard it;
> and I do not know whether I can make you understand how it was possible for
> me to derive pleasure from the symphony. ... Last night, when the family
> was listening to your wonderful rendering of the immortal symphony[18]
> someone suggested that I put my hand on the receiver and see if I could get
> any of the vibrations. He unscrewed the cap, and I lightly touched the
> sensitive diaphragm. What was my amazement to discover that I could feel,
> not only the vibration, but also the impassioned rhythm, the throb and the
> urge of the music! The intertwined and interwingling [sic.] vibrations from
> different instruments enchanted me. I could actually distinguish the
> cornets, the roil of the drums, deeptoned violas and violins singing in
> exquisite unison. How the lovely speech of the violins flowed and plowed
> over the deepest tones of the other instruments! When the human voices
> leaped up thrilling from the surge of harmony, I recognized them instantly
> as voices. I felt the chorus grow more exultant, more ecstatic, upcurving
> swift and flamelike, until my heart almost stood still. The women's voices
> seemed an embodiment of all the angelic voices rushing in a harmonious
> flood of beautiful and inspiring sound. The great chorous [sic.] throbbed
> against my fingers with poignant pause and flow. Then all the instruments
> and voices together burst forth-an ocean of heavenly vibration-and died
> away like winds when the atom is spent, ending in a delicate shower of
> sweet notes."[19]
> But this passage, beautifully written though it is and sincerely
> inspired as it might be, brings to my mind a more troubling question: How
> did Helen Keller really feel about the dignity and empowerment of the blind
> or deaf, or about the characteristics of blindness and deafness themselves?
> Would she have been in accord with the National Federation of the Blind if
> she were alive today? Or was she more about smothering her disabilities
> under a cascade of normal-sounding visual and aural imagery? A little-known
> fact about Helen's life is that Anne Sullivan, her beloved teacher and
> lifelong companion, was functionally blind in her own right; but Keller did
> all she could to hide this fact from the world-perhaps to help Ms. Sullivan
> maintain her position and income. In a private correspondence, she
> admitted: "I need not tell you that my dear teacher is ever at my side,
> ready to encourage and help me in my work. The only drawback to our
> complete happiness is her eyes. They trouble her constantly, and I cannot
> help worrying about them."[20]
> It is easy to find on the internet these days many citations of
> praise for Helen Keller as a humanitarian, an agent of social change, a
> tireless advocate for the rights of women and African-Americans, a voice
> for the downtrodden. But how would she feel about self-advocacy?
> For more than four decades of her life, Helen Keller represented the
> American Foundation for the Blind, an organization consisting mostly of
> sighted professionals dedicated to working for the blind but whose agenda
> historically has not been directed by blind people and whose leadership
> historically did not include blind people. The AFB and the connections she
> made through the world of blindness and deafness professionals certainly
> gave Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan Macy a lot of resources to work with.
> It gave them the means to travel to several continents, to rub shoulders
> with dignitaries, to enjoy an audience with presidents, prime ministers,
> and religious leaders. What impact did the limiting philosophy of the
> Foundation leave on Helen Keller the activist? It is hard to believe that a
> deafblind-mute young woman so empathic as to grieve for the plight of
> prisoners at age thirteen would not ever envision the blind or the deaf
> reaching a point where we could control our own destiny. How much did she
> know, and what did she really think about the National Federation of the
> Blind? As I try to answer this question for myself, I find no ready
> answers. And I am not the only one expressing reservations about what Helen
> Keller's legacy means for disabled Americans of 2018. Haben Girma, an
> African-American deafblind woman honored as a Champion of Change at
> President Barack Obama's White House in 2013 said: "Helen Keller, while
> inspirational, offers very little guidance for a DeafBlind woman in the
> twenty-first century."[21]
> Bottom line: For me, the legacy of Helen Adams Keller, as with many
> other things, is up to interpretation. I can read the writings she left
> behind, but I cannot place words in her mouth. Can I judge her statements
> or her affiliations of eighty years ago by the yardstick of today? Of
> course, I can; but it's doubtful that this would be a productive use of my
> energy or a meaningful testimony to the world. What I choose to take from
> her legacy is that Helen Keller probably gives the most inspiration to
> seeing and hearing people, who might not ever have known an educated,
> capable, well-traveled blind or deafblind person before they read or heard
> about Helen. She might not be a champion of the organized blind as we stand
> today, but she is a great conversation starter. While she was never a
> member of the National Federation of the Blind, there is no question that I
> and others in our movement can build on what she did, taking self-
> empowerment to a new level. It is worth remembering that in a speech
> delivered in 1973, Dr. Kenneth Jernigan, a titan in the Federation,
> expressed a word of praise for Helen Keller:
> I have said nothing at all about the best known of history's
> blind celebrities-Homer, Milton, and Helen Keller. There is good
> reason for that omission. Not only are those resounding names well
> enough known already but they have come to represent-each in its own
> sentimentalized, storybook form-not the abilities and possibilities of
> people who are blind but the exact opposite. Supposedly these giants
> are the exceptions that prove the rule-the rule, that is, that the
> blind are incompetent. Each celebrated case is explained away to keep
> the stereotype intact... Helen Keller, they say, was the peculiarly
> gifted and just plain lucky beneficiary of a lot of money and a
> "miracle worker" (her tutor and companion, Anne Sullivan). ... Don't
> you believe it! These justly famous cases of accomplishment are not
> mysterious, unexplainable exceptions-they are only remarkable. ... As
> for Helen Keller, her life demonstrates dramatically what great
> resources of character and will and intellect may live in a human
> being beyond the faculties of sight and sound.[22]
> Ms. Keller, you did not live to enter into the Promised Land of full
> equality or opportunity for the blind, for the deaf, or even for women. But
> your struggle, which the world witnessed and wondered at nearly forty years
> before the formation of the National Federation of the Blind, was a hopeful
> and perhaps a necessary step on the journey toward the hope of that promise-
> a flame that burns brightly in our own day. Thank you. May you rest in
> peace.
> ----------
> Leave a Legacy
> For more than seventy-five years the National Federation of the Blind
> has worked to transform the dreams of hundreds of thousands of blind people
> into reality, and with your support we will continue to do so for decades
> to come. We sincerely hope you will plan to be a part of our enduring
> movement by adding the National Federation of the Blind as a partial
> beneficiary in your will. A gift to the National Federation of the Blind in
> your will is more than just a charitable, tax-deductible donation. It is a
> way to join in the work to help blind people live the lives they want that
> leaves a lasting imprint on the lives of thousands of blind children and
> adults.
>
> With your help, the NFB will continue to:
> . Give blind children the gift of literacy through Braille;
> . Promote the independent travel of the blind by providing free, long
> white canes to blind people in need;
> . Develop dynamic educational projects and programs that show blind
> youth that science and math are within their reach;
> . Deliver hundreds of accessible newspapers and magazines to provide
> blind people the essential information necessary to be actively
> involved in their communities;
> . Offer aids and appliances that help seniors losing vision maintain
> their independence; and
> . Fund scholarship programs so that blind people can achieve their
> dreams.
>
> Plan to Leave a Legacy
> Creating a will gives you the final say in what happens to your
> possessions and is the only way to be sure that your remaining assets are
> distributed according to your passions and beliefs. Many people fear
> creating a will or believe it's not necessary until they are much older.
> Others think that it's expensive and confusing. However, it is one of the
> most important things you will do, and with new online legal programs it is
> easier and cheaper than ever before. If you do decide to create or revise
> your will, consider the National Federation of the Blind as a partial
> beneficiary. Visit <www.nfb.org/planned-giving> or call (410) 659-9314,
> extension 2422, for more information. Together with love, hope,
> determination, and your support, we will continue to transform dreams into
> reality.
>
> Invest in Opportunity
> The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the
> characteristic that defines you or your future. You can live the life you
> want; blindness is not what holds you back. A donation to the National
> Federation of the Blind allows you to invest in a movement that removes the
> fear from blindness. Your investment is your vote of confidence in the
> value and capacity of blind people and reflects the high expectations we
> have for all blind Americans, combating the low expectations that create
> obstacles between blind people and our dreams.
>
> In 2016 the NFB:
> . Distributed over seven thousand canes to blind people across the
> United States, empowering them to travel safely and independently
> throughout their communities.
> . Hosted forty-five NFB BELL Academy programs, which served more than
> three hundred and twenty-five blind students throughout the United
> States.
> . Provided over one hundred thousand dollars in scholarships to blind
> students, making a post-secondary education affordable and attainable.
> . Delivered audio newspaper and magazine services to 115,491
> subscribers, providing free access to over four hundred local,
> national, and international publications.
> . In the third year of the program, over three hundred fifty Braille-
> writing slates and styluses were given free of charge to blind users.
>
> Just imagine what we'll do next year, and, with your help, what can
> be accomplished for years to come. Below are just a few of the many
> diverse, tax-deductible ways you can lend your support to the National
> Federation of the Blind.
>
>
>
> Vehicle Donation Program
> The NFB now accepts donated vehicles, including cars, trucks, boats,
> motorcycles, or recreational vehicles. Just call (855) 659-9314 toll-free,
> and a representative can make arrangements to pick up your donation-it
> doesn't have to be working. We can also answer any questions you have.
>
>
>
> General Donation
> General donations help support the ongoing programs of the NFB and
> the work to help blind people live the lives they want. Donate online with
> a credit card or through the mail with check or money order. Visit
> <www.nfb.org/make-gift> for more information.
>
>
>
> Bequests
> Even if you can't afford a gift right now, including the National
> Federation of the Blind in your will enables you to contribute by
> expressing your commitment to the organization and promises support for
> future generations of blind people across the country. Visit
> <www.nfb.org/planned-giving> or call (410) 659-9314, extension 2422, for
> more information.
>
>
>
> Pre-Authorized Contribution
> Through the Pre-Authorized Contribution (PAC) program, supporters
> sustain the efforts of the National Federation of the Blind by making
> recurring monthly donations by direct withdraw of funds from a checking
> account or a charge to a credit card. To enroll, visit <www.nfb.org/make-
> gift>, and complete the Pre-Authorized Contribution form, and return it to
> the address listed on the form.
> ----------
> [PHOTO CAPTION: Joel Zimba]
> KNFB Reader V3.0 Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks
> by Joel Zimba
>
> From the Editor: Joel Zimba has been the person primarily responsible
> for providing answers to callers about the KNFB Reader, and his work has
> also allowed him to be very involved in the direction of the product and
> its testing. A new version is in the offing, and here is what Joel has to
> say about it:
>
> My favorite iPhone model was the iPhone 5. I sold mine quite some time
> ago for a respectable sum, which I used for an upgrade. I recall it feeling
> great in my hand. Now clothing is changing to meet the demands of our
> larger devices, and there is not a beveled edge to be seen.
> My iPhone 5 was the first device on which I ran KNFB Reader, when it
> was first released in 2014. I bought the app the day it landed in the App
> Store and spent hours that evening learning how to take a decent picture. I
> remember sorting out piles of Christmas packages left by UPS in the main
> entry to my Charles Village row home, which has been converted into six
> flats. I had very little furniture at the time, so I got lots of practice
> kneeling on my floor to recognize pictures. It is still my preferred
> method; I don't show that trick during demonstrations.
> KNFB Reader ran quite well on an iPhone 5. It worked even better on an
> iPhone 6S and then an 8. All this time, the app itself changed very little.
> The operating system on which it was first designed did. In fact, it
> changed dramatically, so much so that some of the fundamental technology
> used to keep the app running has gone away. We saw this eventuality coming
> back in 2016 and started planning.
> Software design is not really like building a bridge or baking a cake
> or playing music or making love or gardening. It is building something far
> more imaginary. It is unfortunately like using cobwebs to hold soap bubbles
> against their will in a thunderstorm orchestrated by demented imps. Keep in
> mind that everyone helping in the process is using semaphore and smoke
> signals to communicate. If it were easy, it wouldn't be fun.
> The above description does not make any of the actual challenges in
> bringing about the latest iteration of KNFB Reader obvious. The messy
> details would ruin your breakfast, but suffice it to say that no part could
> be easily changed without a profound and unforeseen catastrophe appearing
> where least expected. In that sense, it is much like all of the
> aforementioned analogous activities from which I strive to distance myself.
> There was nothing to do but write down the lessons learned and start over.
> That, gentle reader, is what we have done. If you already have the
> update, as I am sure many of you do, you will see that KNFB Reader has
> departed from the familiar linear or path-based method of taking a picture
> and recognizing text. We have transitioned to a more discrete appearance
> which reflects the modular design hidden within. The separate tabs of the
> interface group similar features together-the thinking, of course, being
> that camera functions really are not anything like document management.
> Hence each aspect of KNFB Reader can grow and change well into the future.
> Once a less interdependent framework exists, any number of more
> powerful features and improvements can be added. This is where an engineer
> might forget to keep the actual working of things dead simple. Complexity
> is the hobgoblin when software evolves. You will also note that, while the
> look may have changed, the core functionality of KNFB Reader remains the
> same. Taking a picture will still quickly and accurately read a document.
> In many significant ways, this product remains unmatched.
> Remember that an app is one size fits all. This is the lesson of three
> years of tech support phone calls and email messages. It is no exaggeration
> to say that KNFB Reader is used by those from ages seven to ninety-seven. I
> have worked with students, from those who need a multisensory model of
> reading books to those wanting to read printed books in Braille. We make
> this possible through a rich and highly customizable feature set. If I were
> to turn off all of the nonvisual accessibility features of KNFB Reader,
> like the Field of View Report option and the Tilt Guidance tool, and then
> activate a cropping and aligning tool which helps to create an excellent
> rendering of the original document on which a highlight can move along with
> the text being read aloud, you might think it was an entirely new app,
> especially when the recognized document goes into full-screen mode, making
> all of the controls slip out of sight for a more focused reading
> experience.
> Those of us in the National Federation of the Blind were determined to
> expand the power of KNFB Reader beyond our long-standing user base of the
> blind. Our vision is of a tool which meets the needs of those with reading
> needs not necessarily determined by level of vision. Still, our app would
> have to be fully accessible, reflecting our belief that universal design
> benefits everyone. And that is the challenge we presented to our
> development partners, Sensotec NV.
> Sensotec has considerable experience developing products for those
> with dyslexia and other learning disabilities. They understand this
> similar, not-quite-parallel group. Our needs often intersect in that text
> converted into machine readable form can be represented in ways which
> benefit both groups. Yet, the actual requirements at times seemed
> antagonistic to our goal of a more universally usable app. And so the horse-
> trading, the gnashing of teeth, and late nights began. At times it seemed
> as though we were moving further from our goal. There was even bloodshed: a
> paper cut from a testing document. And in the end, we had an app.
> This is not to say that KNFB Reader has moved on from its roots. If
> anything, we have worked to make sure that all that you could do before is
> now even easier. Reading documents from the cloud for instance is now as
> simple as moving to the Files tab and browsing the entire structure of your
> GoogleDrive, OneDrive, or DropBox account. This is largely possible because
> this technology has matured since KNFB Reader was launched. Even the way
> documents are stored in your device has changed. As mobile devices have
> moved closer to their desktop cousins, the features we expect, like nested
> folders and endless combinations of file types, have become possible. You
> will see this reflected in KNFB Reader.
> Now is not the time for lengthy descriptions of how to use every
> changed or added feature of KNFB Reader. There will be articles, podcasts,
> hate mail, and even YouTube videos comparing and contrasting every change.
> All the above contributed to my current understanding of what our customers
> wanted. Please do not think all your needs will be met. The second most
> famous quote of P. T. Barnum, "Always leave them wanting more," applies to
> software design as much as it does to Braille Monitor articles.
> I close by saying I am proud of KNFB Reader 3.0. Everyone who
> contributed to the project is proud. All of you should be proud of your
> participation as well, whether through using the app or through building
> the movement that sparked an idea over forty years ago culminating in this
> powerful tool for independence we know today.
> ----------
> [PHOTO CAPTION: Amy Mason]
> Driving Blind on the Information Superhighway-Basic Interactions: The Fast
> Lane to Getting Stuff Done on the Web
> by Amy Mason
>
> From the Editor: This is the fifth in an ongoing series to help blind
> people learn to use the web or to increase their proficiency and ease of
> use. We regret that a keystroke listed in the last article is incorrect. To
> display the elements list using NVDA, the keystroke is NVDA+F7. That
> correction being noted, Amy presents to us another in this fantastic series
> to take the mystery out of browsing the web and getting us to the place
> where it is not burdensome but enjoyable. Here is what she says:
>
> Greetings once again. How were your first cruising experiences? It's
> been a lovely few days for driving, so I hope you've been getting out and
> exploring the open road. Today we are going to add another layer of skills
> to those you have already learned, and we will be focusing on using
> interactive elements. These are the items on a webpage that allow you to
> actually do things on a website instead of just read and navigate around.
> They are useful for changing settings and options, filling out forms, and
> providing information. Your ability to use these tools will be crucial to
> your success on the web, whether you are ordering groceries on Peapod,
> commenting on the latest scandal in Washington, DC, or turning in an
> assignment to your professor on Blackboard.
>
> Browsing with the Screen Reader: A Couple of Quick Reminders
>
> Screen readers are an interface that sit between the user and the
> operating system/applications they are using. Remember from our earlier
> lesson that the screen reader is like your dashboard, and you interact with
> it to work with the webpages and applications you are using. This we
> compared to the road. You aren't touching the road directly when you are
> driving a car, but instead your car is interacting with it because of the
> commands you give it. However, not all of the commands and informational
> panels you have on your car's dashboard affect your involvement with the
> road directly. Sure, when you use a steering wheel, you move the wheels of
> the vehicle on the pavement, and you control your speed with the brake and
> accelerator. But there are many controls that give you information and
> don't change things. Your speedometer tells you how fast you are going, but
> it does not actually allow you to interact with the road. Instead, it gives
> you information about your interaction passively. Your car may tell you
> what direction you are travelling, the temperature outside, and the state
> of its engine. All of this information is useful and often necessary to be
> able to operate a vehicle on the highway but is not actually affecting your
> interaction directly.
> Likewise, your screen reader also contains controls that allow you to
> interact directly with the web or applications and others that provide
> information only. On the internet, non-interactive controls are usually not
> able to be touched by a user, so text, headings, graphics, and other static
> information would be out of reach if the screen reader didn't have commands
> for allowing you to review and move among them. When you use these
> commands, you are not able to change anything. Instead, you are just
> reading and moving through elements visible on the screen.
> The internet is a bit of a tricky place because it contains many
> elements that are static and cannot be changed. But many others that must
> be interacted with directly are there, so screen readers have been designed
> to run in a few different modes: read-only, read-and-interact, and heavy-
> interaction. Each screen reader has its own terminology for the different
> modes, so they are described below:
>
> Read-Only
> In JAWS this is known as the Virtual PC Cursor, VoiceOver calls it
> Quick Nav Mode, and NVDA calls it Browse Mode. No matter what you call it,
> these are the modes in which you are able to use the different letters on
> the keyboard to jump between elements like headings, links, graphics, and
> others. This is the mode in which you can read text without changing things
> and can review the info on a page with your arrow keys. In older browsing
> and screen-reading situations, these modes were pretty solidly separated
> from those in which the user could interact with items on the page, going
> so far as requiring the user to activate any interactive controls before
> they could use them. The traditional behavior of JAWS with Forms Mode prior
> to the introduction of automatic and semi-automatic forms mode falls into
> this category. Quick Nav is not the default behavior for VoiceOver and
> therefore is pretty strict about its use of this read-only review mode. But
> today JAWS and NVDA are a little more fluid about moving between this
> virtual mode and the one in which the user can interact most directly,
> usually when you arrow onto an interactive control.
>
> Read and Interact
> By default, this hybrid situation is one in which a user is able to
> tab between elements and have the screen reader activate them or arrow
> between them and only interact when they are focused explicitly. It is in
> many ways the actual default behavior for JAWS and VoiceOver today. NVDA's
> "browse mode" pretty fluidly switches into focus mode when an interactive
> element is encountered but seems to stay slightly more purely separated
> than either the JAWS or VoiceOver behaviors since it is still necessary to
> tab to any links the user wishes to reach.
>
> Interaction-Only Mode
> This is traditionally called "forms mode" in JAWS and "focus mode" in
> NVDA, and it's where you do things to interactive elements. You are using
> the website pretty directly, and the screen reader, other than reading you
> the information it programmatically gathers from the site, sits back and
> lets you interact in a manner very similar to that which a sighted keyboard
> user would employ. Tab, arrows, keypresses, and the use of Space, Enter,
> and Escape are directly (or nearly directly) handled by the browser.
> There is another interactive mode known as "applications mode" which
> is being used on complex websites more each day. Normally you choose when
> to switch between reading and interacting, but in applications mode this is
> chosen for you by the website. To initiate this mode, a developer includes
> a special signal for your screen reader using ARIA to say that this section
> of the website should be treated more like an application (like MS Word, or
> iTunes) and less like a document. In this mode the section of the website
> that is seen as an application is interacted with directly, just like when
> you are using forms or focus mode to move between smaller elements. We
> won't see much of that in our explorations today, but it's important to be
> aware of applications mode because it changes everything about the way you
> use the web, and frankly your chances that a developer used it correctly
> and on the right elements are not great today. Knowing it exists and that
> you have a way to force your screen reader to try switching cursors or
> modes (JAWS key + Z for JAWS, NVDA Key + Space for NVDA, and toggle Quick
> Nav on and off for VoiceOver) will be important in our future lessons where
> we discuss how things sometimes go wrong on the web.
>
> A Note about My Teaching Philosophy and How It Affects You
>
> While we are discussing things that can go wrong on the web, I feel
> it is important to point out that today's lesson is based around proper,
> accessible, accepted patterns of behavior for interactive elements. I've
> chosen the examples I'm using today for the overall consistency of what you
> will experience. These websites are designed to work the way these elements
> should work with screen readers, and where they do not, I do my best to lay
> out how the interaction normally should go. Not every website is so well
> behaved, and we will be covering what to do when things break in future
> articles. For now, just keep in mind that for every rule I give you, there
> may be an exception.
> That's the bad news, but please don't let it scare you off. Think of
> our lessons here like when you first learned cane travel, cooking, or any
> other skill. I've always likened these lessons in my mind to when I learned
> cane travel. I first learned to hold the cane, then how to swing it
> properly. I learned in flat, simple environments. Once I mastered the
> techniques, my travel instructor took me out to face weird street
> crossings, construction, and drops. Soon I was planning my own routes.
> Early cane users would be very lost, scared, and frustrated if they were
> confronted with a major construction site on their first day, but veterans
> will usually be fine. Well-skilled travelers probably won't enjoy dealing
> with messes, but they have a lot of experience and tools to help them
> confront those challenges successfully. It is my goal to build up your web
> skills so that you have that same ability to problem-solve in your virtual
> travels as effectively as you can in the physical world.
>
> Traveling Through a Real-World Web Workflow
>
> As I am writing this, spring is in the air, and preparations are
> ramping up for national convention. When this article is released, it will
> likely be June, and many of us will be making our travel plans to attend.
> This got me thinking: cruising is fun, but when people get in their cars to
> drive, they are usually driving for a purpose. In keeping with the theme of
> going places and traveling, I came up with the theme for this month's
> article and hatched what I believe is a truly delightful plan. Even if you
> read this article months or years after its printing, I believe that this
> plan will be of benefit to you, my loyal readers. Today's topic involves
> taking a tour of interactive elements with the screen reader. The mastery
> of these skills will allow you to put your hard-earned internet driving
> education to work. In fact, if you will forgive the pun, I believe that
> with the skills we will practice today, your internet usage will really
> "take off."
> So, with no further air-headed jokes, I shall now reveal today's
> itinerary: we are going to go through the process of booking a flight on
> the Expedia (www.expedia.com) website and stop just after we've discussed
> each of the major interactive element types. Here's my reasoning: I know
> that the page is full of the most common interactive elements you are going
> to see on the internet, so we will spend less time wandering between
> examples and more on a coherent process than in last month's article.
> Expedia sports quite an accessible page. I will not promise that each
> step is simple, but it is very accessible, so it will give you a nice
> overview without having to teach or muddle through a lot of exceptions to
> the rules of expected behavior on the road. You've done a lot of work to
> get this far, and I know that the first time that I booked my own travel
> online, it felt like a real accomplishment. I hope that for some of you
> this will provide that same boost I experienced.
> I've had the privilege to partner with several of the developers from
> Expedia as they have worked to improve its accessibility, and I want to
> show off how well they've done. So grab your keys-um... keyboards-and let's
> cruise on over to www.expedia.com. Remember that from here on, I am using
> and describing my experiences with NVDA and Chrome. I'll let you know of
> any oddities I am aware of for other browser and screen reader combos, but,
> as in the last article, my ability to explain everything is greatly
> outstripped by the options available. I would recommend consulting your
> documentation to find how to accomplish the same goals with your vehicle of
> choice.
>
> The Expedia Landing Page or Home Page
> Every site has a home page or landing page. It acts as the reception
> area or lobby of the site. Like a hotel lobby, it gives you paths to access
> other parts of the property and usually includes advertisements,
> assistance, and major services of that site. You may hear the terms home,
> homepage, or landing page used interchangeably. You may occasionally find
> any of these terms being offered as links on websites you are browsing, and
> if you activate them, they will return you to the entry point for the site.
> Upon first opening the Expedia site, you are greeted with the page
> title, "Expedia Travel: Search hotels, cheap flights, car rentals, and
> vacations." A well-built page will provide a similar title when it first
> loads. After all, how do you know what business you are visiting if there
> isn't a clear sign above the door? Feel free to take a few minutes to
> explore the page that comes up. Use the skills you have learned so far to
> see what information is provided and what you can do here. When you are
> finished exploring, meet me back at the "Skip to Main Content" link on the
> top of the page. Remember that you can quickly move to the top of a page
> with the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Home on Windows, and Command+Up Arrow on
> the Mac.
>
> Skip Navigation Links
> From here we are going to activate the "Skip to Main Content" link to
> save ourselves from having to navigate the rest of the stuff above the
> portion of the page we want. Skip links don't always work, but this one is
> handled well, and it never hurts to try them if you know there is content
> you want to bypass. I'd guess they work about 50 to 60 percent of the time,
> so it doesn't hurt to give them a shot, but unless you know the page is
> well coded, I wouldn't plan to rely on them. To continue our hotel
> metaphor, the skip link is a lot like the bellhop. A good one will save you
> a lot of time; one that is not so good might just muddle things for you
> when you don't really need or want the help.
> In this case the Skip to Main link moves us to a location labeled as
> "Beginning of Main Content," which is precisely where we want to be. If you
> arrow down, you will probably find an advertising link followed by a list
> with our first interactive elements-eight buttons.
>
> Buttons
> Good news! You already know how to use buttons. Buttons are used just
> like links. You can tab to them and press either Space or Enter to activate
> them. So why, you might be asking, are there both buttons and links if they
> both behave the same?
> The answer is they aren't really meant to behave the same. It just
> sort of happens sometimes because of the way some pages are designed. In
> very broad and general strokes, links take you somewhere, and buttons are
> supposed to do something. A button might be placed at the end of a form to
> allow you to submit it. Alternatively, you might find one to clear your
> answers and let you begin again. By contrast a link would take you to a
> different page.
> In our hotel, you will be taking the hallways (links) to go from the
> lobby (homepage) to your room. On the way, you will call the elevator with
> a button. The buttons here are doing things, while the links take you
> places. Even when you press the elevator button to go somewhere, you are
> doing so by making something happen first. Sometimes buttons won't change
> where you are at all; they will just set a process in motion, like if you
> call the front desk to ask for extra towels.
> You will likely find situations in which links and buttons have been
> interchanged without much thought for the way each of them is meant to be
> used because a designer feels that the button or link would provide a
> better visual appearance to the website. The important thing to remember
> overall though is that you can interact with both elements in more or less
> the same way. If you are expecting a button or link and don't find one,
> it's worth looking for the alternate option instead. Keeping with our
> analogy, if you can't call the elevator, there's always the stairs.
> The other thing to know about buttons that makes them different from
> links is that they have different states than links do. A link as you
> remember may be a "same-page link," "visited," or "unvisited." A button, on
> the other hand, will let you know if it is "pressed," "selected,"
> "disabled," or may not have a specific state at all. Disabled buttons can't
> be pressed right now, possibly because the form they are tied to is not
> filled out properly or for other reasons you may need to investigate on the
> page. A selected button on the other hand is often found when you have a
> group of buttons you can choose from, and only one of those buttons can be
> activated at a time, sharing some similarities with "radio buttons," which
> we will look at later in this article.
> In the case of this Expedia page, however, the list of eight buttons
> lets us choose which type of travel product we are looking for. They
> include the flights tab, hotel tab, and bundles tab buttons. When I loaded
> the page, it reported that the "bundles" were selected. Since we are
> searching for flights today, tab to the flights button and activate it. Now
> if you tab and shift tab through the group of buttons, you will see that
> the bundles tab no longer reads as selected but that the flights button
> does.
> Simple as it sounds, we've now completed the button tutorial for
> today's class, so tab or arrow to the next place where we get a new element
> type.
>
> Radio Buttons-There Can Be Only One!
> Excuse me, I appear to have been channeling Highlander for a moment
> there, though the heading of this section is, in fact, accurate. Radio
> buttons are a group of elements which require you to make a choice. As soon
> as you have chosen one, any other you may have selected is automatically
> unselected. They get their name from the buttons you used to find on car
> and home stereos which would pop back out as soon as a different button was
> chosen. You may have seen this behavior in the old National Library Service
> tape player controls.
> If you would prefer to follow our theme of travel today, you can
> imagine the radio buttons as a strip mall containing multiple sit-down
> restaurants, sushi next to Mexican next to a steak house. When you drive to
> the strip mall, you are going to one location, but you have to choose which
> cuisine you actually want. As soon as you have chosen one, you have chosen
> against the others. In the same way, when you enter a properly built group
> of radio buttons, you will find it is preceded by a question (the mini-
> mall) and that each button is connected to an answer for that question (the
> three restaurants). In our example today on the Expedia site, our question
> is "Flight type?" It also advises us that the option you choose will change
> the rest of the page below the set of radio buttons.
> The answers you can choose are "Roundtrip," "Oneway," or "Multi-
> city." Today, we are going to choose Roundtrip. If you are using JAWS or
> NVDA, you can tab into the group of radio buttons from the buttons above
> it, and you ought to hear the question and the first answer, Roundtrip.
> Pretend for just a minute that you want to select a multi-city flight. If
> this is what you wished to do, you would not tab at this juncture. The
> buttons above are each completely separate items. Other than changing the
> selection the user wishes to make, they have nothing to do with one
> another. This is not how the radio buttons work. Instead, they function as
> individual parts of a whole. This means that when you tab from the first
> radio button in a group, the computer thinks you are done with the whole
> group and skips your other options. It is for this reason that when you
> encounter a group of radio buttons, you will enter and exit the group with
> the Tab key but actually make your selection with the Up and Down Arrow
> keys. It may be necessary to select one with the space bar. This will
> depend on the group of radio buttons and what they are coded to do when you
> first give them focus.
> Feel free to practice selecting different radio buttons, then tabbing
> below them to see how the form below changes. When you are comfortable with
> the way this works, choose "Roundtrip" and tab into our next element.
>
> Edit Fields, Text Boxes, and Editable Combo Boxes
> Here we come upon one of the easier element classes to use but one of
> the hardest to describe. These are difficult because they all have
> approximately the same purpose, but each one is slightly different. It's a
> bit like clothes shopping at the mall. All the stores sell clothes, but you
> will find different sizes, different purposes, different rules, and all of
> them come with their own unique names (The Gap, Kohl's, Victoria's Secret,
> and Nordstrom all sell clothes.) That being said, at the end of the day in
> their myriad uniqueness, all of these elements share the majority of these
> basic traits. A text field, no matter how your screen reader identifies it,
> still contains text, or at least it will when you are done entering it.
> Basic interactions should be fairly straightforward. Tab or arrow into the
> field, listen for any formatting requirements, enter the text that is
> expected, and tab out again at the end. Your cursor should move at this
> point into the next element in the tab order.
> And that's it. Everything else is just a little up to chance. Here's
> a list of some of the things you are likely to come across when you are
> moving through edit/text boxes/fields/areas/combo boxes.
>
> Required: This box must be filled in to the satisfaction of the site, or
> you are not going to be able to move forward in the process.
>
> Protected: Usually these are password fields, and you may hear synonyms for
> "protected," but it will come to the same thing. The text you enter in this
> box is almost immediately obscured to both sighted and blind users. If you
> attempt to review the text in this box, you will hear bullets, stars,
> asterisk, or dots instead of the characters you originally typed.
>
> Editable combo box or has autocomplete: These boxes will offer suggestions
> in a list below the box which you can choose from based upon what you have
> already typed. This is the same type of box you encountered during the
> Google Search exercise in the last article.
>
> Email/phone/date boxes: The newest forms of web design allow a developer to
> tell the browser what types of information they are expecting in an edit
> box so that smart phones and other devices with software keyboards can pull
> up keyboards which include necessary symbols for filling out these boxes.
> Other than changing your keyboard, these will work more or less like any
> other box.
>
> Text areas or multi-line areas: These are big text fields, which are
> intended for holding more than a single value. They might be used for
> social media postings, essay answers, comment sections, product reviews, or
> anywhere else that the user is expected to write more than a couple of
> words. These boxes may be a little harder to extract your cursor from since
> the Tab key and Enter may be keys you would use when entering text in them.
> In these cases, you should be able to "escape" with the use of the Escape
> key (clever, isn't it?).
>
> With that basic overview out of the way, let's turn our attention
> back to the project at hand and look at the edit fields for where you are
> flying from and where you are flying to. Both of them read exactly the same
> except for how they are labeled, so let's unpack what's here: As we have
> discussed before, your screen reader may use slightly different terminology
> with some of these items, but the meanings will be the same: "Flying
> From/Flying to: edit, has autocomplete, required, city or airport." (Well,
> that is quite the mouthful.)
>
> Flying from (or flying to): This is the label of the form; essentially,
> this is the information they want you to put in the field.
>
> Edit: This is the type of element we are dealing with. In this case "edit"
> means "please type in me."
>
> Has autocomplete: This means that once you have started typing you can
> switch to arrowing up and down a list of suggestions provided by the site
> and choose one of those. This can be extremely helpful when you are trying
> to fly to Albuquerque, for example, and have no idea how to spell it.
> Incidentally, I had no idea how to spell it. If it were not for Word's
> spell checker, I'd have had a very embarrassing example on my hands.
>
> Required: Exactly what it says on the package. This information is required
> in order to complete this form and start the process of looking for a
> flight. If you don't fill this out, you will not be able to go on, and the
> website will throw errors your way.
>
> City or airport: This is a hint the developers added to this field to tell
> you what sorts of information the field will accept.
>
> You will regularly hear other hints on edit fields which might tell
> you what format a field expects an answer in or what types of info are
> accepted. Common ones include:
>
> Format mm/dd/yyyy: when entering a date, use digits for the month, day,
> year, with slashes in between (example 01/01/2019).
>
> Must include a letter, a number, and a special character: usually found
> when creating a password and occasionally a username for websites. This
> info tells you that your entry has to have letters (sometimes mixed between
> upper and lower case), numbers, and punctuation or other special symbols.
> We will talk about good password hygiene in another lesson.
>
> Digits only: simple, they want the answer without spaces or other
> punctuation. You will find this most often with phone numbers or credit
> card numbers.
>
> Now that we know what everything means, give filling out these boxes
> a try. Enter the nearest city to you with an airport in the first box, and
> when you get partway through, you should hear something like "five options
> are available use your arrow keys to select from the list." It may not be
> precisely this, but something similar will likely be read. Because of the
> complex wizardry being done by the website and your screen reader, it is
> possible that you will not hear this message. I did not while preparing
> this example. But you were given a heads up when the page mentioned an
> "autocomplete," so feel free to arrow down and see what options are
> available. When you have finished choosing or typing (both options work),
> tab and you will be placed in the "clear field" button that appeared upon
> your completion of this edit box. Tab once more and you will be in the
> "flying to" field. Rinse and Repeat.
> Note: the clear field buttons are a nice addition created by Expedia
> that are not on most edit fields. If you need to clear other edit boxes,
> make sure your cursor is in them and that you are in your screen reader's
> interaction mode. Press Control-A for Windows or Command-A for Mac to
> select all, and then press Delete or just start typing. Your system should
> overwrite whatever was in the field with the new information you are
> entering.
>
> Tables... and more!
> Now we reach the most complicated element on the whole page, possibly
> in the whole process. Don't worry, you can handle it. It is in fact quite
> accessible, just involved. In fact we are going to deal with it in a few
> parts because it includes both an edit box and a table. Yup, you heard that
> right-edit boxes and tables-in the same element. Not to worry, Expedia has
> provided some nice explanations of how to handle this complex element, and
> it gives us a chance to talk about tables today as well. We will walk
> through it together now.
>
> Departing Expanded: Enter a date or choose one from the table below
> This is the section of the element that is an edit field again. It
> doesn't quite tell you that by calling itself an edit field, but it gives
> you the instructions to "enter the date" you want. Expanded tells us that
> this element has more going on and that it is open right now for you to
> explore. This element tells us that there is a table below, so we can infer
> this is the other piece of this element that is "expanded." If you still
> want to practice edit fields, go ahead and type the date you want to fly
> out in your imaginary trip planning and press Tab. Either way, do me a
> favor and press Tab.
>
> Close the date picker or proceed to select a date button
> Once again, it's a button. You know how to use buttons, but let's
> look at your options in a little more detail. "Activate this button to
> close the date picker." If you do this, when you next tab, you will enter
> the "returning calendar/edit box combo element." If you don't activate this
> button you can tab to continue into the picker itself.
> Finally, because the picker is governed by being open or closed
> (expanded or collapsed), you can choose to press Escape to close it. Escape
> in this scenario has the same function as the "close" button above so that
> when you tab, you will move to the next field and not into the calendar.
> When you encounter expanded elements, or open lists, or generally want to
> leave an interactive element, the Escape key will be your friend. It will
> perform this function for most interactive elements and tends to do so
> without erasing your work. So, remember it is always a tool you can use
> when you need to step out of something gracefully or if you feel stuck.
> Since we have looked at edit fields before and you are already old
> pros at buttons, let's take the opportunity presented by the date
> picker/calendar widget and learn a little more about tables.
> Don't close the date picker. Instead, tab from that button into the
> next element available. It should read "next month button." If you were to
> activate it, the date picker would move the visually available calendars
> ahead by a month and should announce what months are shown.
> You can safely tab from this button as well and will find yourself in
> the first date button that is available. For instance, as I am writing this
> portion of the article, it's May 2, 2018. When I tabbed onto the calendar,
> I reached the button for today, May 2nd. Once again, there is a load of
> material here to unpack, so let's break down the information we are getting
> from the website: "May 2018 table with 6 rows and 7 columns, row 2
> Wednesday column 4, 2 button."
> We have another compound element here. This is both a table and a
> button as you can see from the text above. We understand its function as a
> button, so for now we will just set that aside. Suffice it to say, you
> could tab to each button on this calendar until you reach the one you want,
> but that is not the fastest or most efficient way for you to use this
> control.
> Tables sometimes get read oddly. This table is no exception. Since I
> jumped into the table already in progress as it were, I was given my cell
> coordinates, the name of the table, the cell contents, and what context
> could be gleaned all at once. Normally, when you enter a non-interactive
> table, you will get similar information upon first entering, but you will
> likely start at the cell at row 1 and column 1. This table breaks down in
> the following ways:
> . May 2018 table-this is the name of the table in question; it tells you
> what the table is about.
> . Table with 6 rows and 8 columns-these are the dimensions of the table;
> it is a grid that is six rows tall and seven columns across.
> . Row 2 Wednesday column 4-these are your cell coordinates. Since this
> is the first point at which you entered the table, it contains
> appropriate labels for the headers of the table (the overarching label
> for the column "Wednesday" was also read to give you context).
> . 2 button-this is the value of the actual table cell you are reading.
>
> With JAWS and NVDA, you can move through this table by pressing
> Ctrl+Alt+Arrows in the direction you wish to move on the table. If you want
> to move to May 10 for example (using my calendar, obviously your results
> will differ), you would hold the Alt and Ctrl keys and press down once and
> right once. When you reach the button you want to activate, you then could
> activate it the normal way.
> Tables, in their most basic form, are just grids; you can navigate
> them very effectively with your screen reader's table reading commands.
> Each option has many more ways to navigate tables, so I am going to refer
> you back to your documentation for a more complete discussion of this
> subject. (If it helps, you can think of tables as very large parking lots.
> You can use lots of different methods for finding your car, including just
> walking up and down the aisles, but it will be a lot faster if you know you
> are in the fifth row from the front of the store and in the second column
> of cars.
>
> Fast Forward
>
> After the two calendar widgets, we find another fancy compound
> element. This item calls itself a list with one item and a button and asks
> about the number of travelers. It is currently collapsed. If you hit enter,
> it is expanded, and you will find buttons for setting the number of adults,
> children, and infants who will be flying. Everything in this element is
> familiar, as it is meaningfully a bunch of buttons, so I will leave it to
> you to play with. Let me know if you have questions.
> Next we find a button for advanced options. It is also collapsed.
> Please activate it, since we will look at our last two element types in the
> advanced options below this button.
>
> Checkboxes-For when you just can't decide and you want to have it all
> Well, with all the traveling we've done, I'm hungry again. It's been
> a while since our radio button lunch. I have good news though. We've just
> arrived at a checkbox food court in the mall.
> Checkboxes behave the same way as radio buttons with one major
> difference: you can choose more than one. When they are grouped under a
> single question (food court), you can choose multiple items under that
> question (McDonald's fries, a shake from Dairy Queen, and a burger from
> Wendy's).
> Sadly, this is not how our checkboxes are set up on this page on
> Expedia. Instead, each is under its own question and only offers a single
> option. "Non-Stop" and "Refundable Flight" followed by the checkbox and
> label associated with each. This is slightly disappointing as an example,
> but remember that essentially you can treat these the same as radio buttons
> when they are grouped together. Select all the ones you want by activating
> them with the spacebar. When multiple checkboxes are under a single
> question, once again you can arrow among them, choosing as many as you
> like.
>
> List boxes/spinners/combo boxes
> Our final stop on the tour today is at boxes that can be expanded or
> collapsed and used to select a value from a list of options. They are pre-
> populated with values, and you can arrow through the choices until you find
> the one you want. Depending on how they are coded, it may be necessary to
> open them first by pressing Alt+Down Arrow, or you may be able to just
> press Up and Down Arrows without opening them first. The best practice is
> to try opening them, but the way they are coded varies, and unfortunately
> this makes them some of the least reliable elements for keyboard users. On
> Expedia you can use them expanded or collapsed. Try both ways.
> Following these elements (which let you choose the class of your
> flight and any preferred airlines), all that is left are a few extra
> checkboxes and the submit button.
> Congratulations, you have now searched for a flight on Expedia!
>
> Homework
>
> With that, we've completed our tour of interactive elements for now.
> Of course, you will benefit from spending a bit more time, so... you knew
> this was coming. Your homework is to finish your flight booking up to the
> point where you would actually activate the purchase button. (I would
> recommend not activating that button unless you really want to go on the
> trip you created, though if you have somewhere to be... go for it!)
> This assignment will give you ample opportunity to practice
> everything you've learned so far in what is a friendly environment. As you
> are working, remember a few things we learned today and through the course
> thus far:
> You can use the Escape key to back out of fields and move back into
> the more "read only" screen reader interactions you may be used to on the
> web right now. Escape will also collapse elements that are opened and that
> you wish to get out of the way.
> As you have seen throughout this article, there are often multiple
> ways to complete any task. Be flexible, and try multiple options when your
> first choice doesn't work. You will find that with practice, you will build
> a toolbox of your preferred interaction models, but you will also grow more
> accustomed to your backup strategies and make great strides just because
> you are flexible.
> Pay attention to the clues being provided by the website. "Required"
> notifications, information on what should be in an edit box, instructions
> on how to complete a task, and the type of element you are interacting with
> can all give you massively important information on how to interact with
> the page in the most efficient way.
> Remember to use headings and other navigational elements to your
> advantage as well. You don't need to read everything on a page, just the
> stuff that is relevant to you.
> Be patient with yourself. If this is new, it can be frustrating, but
> if you come at it with a sense of curiosity and pay attention to the clues
> provided, you should have the tools you need to complete this task, no
> problem.
> Of course, as usual, please direct any feedback on this article or
> any questions you have on further training resources or technology tools to
> access at nfb.org, or feel free to get in touch with me directly and let me
> know how I can assist you further in increasing your driving skills.
>
> For Further Practice
>
> My dear students, I know that you are champing at the bit to continue
> your journey on the information superhighway, and I wouldn't dare leave you
> without more places to practice your skill with forms and interactive
> controls. As such, allow me to recommend spending time with some of the
> following:
>
> . www.target.com-shopping in your pajamas can be such a liberating
> feeling.
> . www.bookshare.org or https://nlsbard.loc.gov/login//NLS-because
> knowledge is power, and between these sites you have many books
> available to bring you that knowledge. All you have to do is search
> for them.
> . If a convention or another major NFB event is upcoming, try completing
> your registration online, or maybe order a free white cane.
>
> The options are endless. Sadly, not all of them are as accessible as
> those recommended above... but that is a topic for our next meeting. Good
> work on today's assignment. I'll see you next month. Class dismissed!
> ----------
> [PHOTO CAPTION: Kevan Worley reads Braille on a display.]
> Echo Cue
> by Kevan Worley
>
> >From the Editor: This article is reprinted with permission from The Extra
> Mile Newsletter from Achilles Pikes Peak. Educating others is a part of our
> job, and in this article Kevan attempts to describe the benefits of echo
> location to some who have never heard of it or are either skeptical or
> oversold on what it can do. Here is what he says:
>
> Hello, hello, ooo, ooo. Achilles, Achilles, eeesss, eeesss. Well,
> there is the echo; "echo: noun 1. a repetition of sound produced by the
> reflection of sound waves from wall, mountain, or other obstructing
> surface." That is from Dictionary.com.
> And, here is what it says about cue: "cue: noun... 2. anything that
> excites to action; stimulus. 3. a hint; intimation; guiding suggestion. ...
> 5. a sensory signal used to identify experiences, facilitate memory,
> organize responses. verb (used with object), cued, cuing... 7. to provide
> with a cue or indication; give a cue to; prompt."
> Since I was a child, I have relied on echo cueing as a significant
> tool for independent travel. But I have sometimes been amazed at how often
> the newly blind or folks who can see ask me how it is that I can discern
> that we are passing a tree or a wall or a fence or a building. When space
> is filled with an object of sufficient size and density, the object will
> reflect ambient sounds which can then be heard if one is paying attention.
> By the same token, if there is no object to fill that space you will hear
> openness, the lack of an echo coming back. If I am walking down a narrow
> hallway, I will hear walls on both sides. These walls might reflect the
> sounds of my shoes walking, cane tapping, guide dog harness jingling, or
> whistling the Achilles theme song. Do we have a theme song? Good! I was
> afraid that we did. If I walk out of the narrow hallway into a large
> cavernous room, the echo will be vastly changed. This will give me a cue
> about where I am and which way I might wish to go.
> There have been some very fanciful news clips and articles about
> blind kids who could ride bikes at considerable speeds drawing much of
> their information and directing actions from echo cues. There have also
> been stories about blind kids who can actually hear an echo from a ball
> lying in the middle of a field. I have no reason to believe that these
> incidents are not true. Although I do not remember having that kind of
> specificity when I was a kid, before fifty years of rock-n-roll took a toll
> on my hearing. When I was a kid, my hearing was better; I was shorter,
> closer to the ground, and I could actually hear curbs and bushes. Echoes
> are extraordinarily helpful in providing information in order to cue the
> blind person. But I recently talked to a professional who teaches
> orientation and mobility. She told me she had never heard of echo cueing.
> Echo cueing has as much value as the long white cane, mapping skills, a
> willingness to explore one's environment without trepidation, the guide
> dog, and the acceptance from your fellow human beings as you meander forth
> on the trail.
> Forward, always forward 'til next time.
> ----------
> [PHOTO CAPTION: Priscilla McKinley]
> Living the Movement: Ferret Federationists
> by Priscilla McKinley
>
> From the Editor: This article first appeared in the March 2000 issue
> of the Braille Monitor. We are reprinting it here because it clearly
> illuminates the power of one person to change her perspective on life and
> the importance to those of us who are Federationists to live an example
> that makes this positive change seem possible and infinitely worthwhile.
> Here is how it was introduced when it first appeared eighteen years ago:
> At this year's Mid-Winter Conference of the National Association of
> Blind Students, two students were invited to speak about their notions of
> what it means to live the movement. The first to address the audience was
> Priscilla McKinley, President of the Old Capitol Chapter of the NFB of
> Iowa, a member of the affiliate's board of directors, and a graduate
> student at the University of Iowa. Priscilla has also twice won NFB
> scholarships. This is what she said:
>
> Good morning, Federationists, or perhaps I should say, "ferret-like
> Federationists." Yes, you heard me right: ferret-like Federationists. The
> other day, while sitting in my office thinking about my life as a blind
> person, I was continually reminded that my ferret was in the room asleep in
> her hammock hanging from the ceiling of her cage-the sound of her breathing
> very soft but noticeable. And then I thought of it, the perfect metaphor
> for this speech, my pet ferret Chloe.
> A few months ago I had a dream in which I had a mink, a ferret, a
> mongoose, and a goat. When I woke the next day and asked my husband Brian
> if I could get one of those, he rejected the mink, mongoose, and goat, but
> finally agreed on the ferret. Two days later I had a pet ferret, and my
> obsession began.
> Do any of you in this room have a ferret? Well I can tell you a few
> things about them. Ferrets are adorable little animals with long bodies
> that seem to change form with each movement. They have triangular heads
> with pointy little noses. They're related to weasels, badgers, otters,
> minks, and even skunks. But unlike those animals, ferrets have been
> domesticated for centuries because they were originally used to ferret out
> rabbits for hunters in England and later rats on farms in this country.
> Spending most of their time in dark tunnels, most ferrets have very
> poor eyesight. They don't see well in the bright light, and they don't see
> color at all. Many are totally blind. Yet according to my ferret book,
> blind ferrets get around better than their sighted counterparts. Studies
> show that the blind ferrets use their other senses and are actually more
> aware of their surroundings. In fact, with their keen sense of direction,
> ferrets have often been used to wire planes and other equipment.
> So what does this have to do with my life as a blind person, with
> your lives as blind people? Well, since spending about ten hours a day with
> Chloe, whose cage is in my office, I know that ferrets have two modes of
> operating: lethargic and lively, off and on. First there is mode one, in
> which the ferret sleeps between fourteen and sixteen hours a day, often
> climbing out of her hammock only to get a drink or piece of food. Sometimes
> too lazy to get out of her hammock, she will hang over the edge, stretching
> her long body to snatch up a raisin or a fruit treat.
> When I lost my sight due to complications of diabetes, I was much
> like a ferret in the off-mode, extremely passive. I was content in my
> situation, letting others take care of me, letting others determine my
> fate. At first, suffering from depression, I wanted to sleep sixteen to
> eighteen hours a day. When my mother compared my blindness to the deaths of
> my sister and father, I thought she was right. I believed that my blindness
> was a tragedy, a death. When I decided to go back to school, my rehab
> counselor told me that maybe I could get a job at Goodwill-a good job in
> the office, not a job sorting clothes. I actually considered this for a
> while, but then I told my rehab counselor that instead I wanted to go back
> to school.
> When I thought classes like science and foreign language might be too
> hard for me, a blind person, I requested waivers for those classes. When I
> was accepted into grad school and decided to apply for a job as a graduate
> instructor, one professor told me that perhaps I should teach a
> correspondence course, where I wouldn't have to deal with students. Another
> professor told me that I should apply for a job in the writing lab, where I
> wouldn't have to worry about an entire class, but would be working one-on-
> one.
> When I registered for a practicum in that writing lab and asked the
> instructor when we'd be working with our students, she said, "We won't have
> to worry about students. I don't know how they would react to having a
> blind teacher." So, what did I do? I went home and cried. I snuggled up
> under my blankets on my bed, just as my little ferret snuggles up under her
> blankets in her hammock.
> Even though I eventually had my own writing lab students and secured
> a position as a graduate instructor, I lacked self-confidence and a
> positive attitude about blindness. I remained in mode one-the off-mode.
> Then in 1996 I attended my first convention of the National Federation of
> the Blind in Anaheim, California. For the first time in my life as a blind
> person I wasn't the minority, and I started scratching at the door of my
> cage, anxious to move into mode two-the on-mode. Just as my little ferret
> does the weasel joy dance, hopping and skipping and jumping, moving
> independently across my office floor, I observed Barbara Pierce, one of my
> mentors, flying across the floors of the Hilton, hurrying to get to her
> public relations meetings. Just as my little ferret extends her pointy nose
> to ferret out every nook and cranny of my house, I observed Peggy Elliott
> extending her seven- or eight-foot-long cane, eager to explore uncharted
> territory.
> Just as my little ferret takes on my two sighted spaniels, chasing
> them through the house, often tugging on their tails, I observed Dr.
> Jernigan, Dr. Maurer, and the other leaders in the NFB taking on the big
> dogs in the world, not at all intimidated by their size.
> When I returned home after the convention, I knew that I could never
> go back to my cage. I had tasted the freedom and the positive attitude
> about blindness the NFB offers blind individuals. Unlike ferrets, which
> spend their lives in those two modes, we as blind people can choose the
> mode in which we want to live our lives. We can choose to live in mode one,
> content to be locked in our cages, letting others determine what we can and
> cannot do. Or with the love and support of the National Federation of the
> Blind, we can live our lives in mode two, taking on the big dogs, exploring
> new ground, doing the weasel joy dance for all of the world to see.
> ----------
> [PHOTO CAPTION: Lauren Merryfield]
> Seeing
> by Lauren L. Merryfield
>
> From the Editor: Lauren Merryfield lives in Eugene, Oregon, with her
> two cats, Toby and Laynie. She is a frequent contributor to our Federation
> literature, and in this article she shares her concern that people
> frequently fail to tell us about things because they find them boring and
> hastily conclude we will as well. Here is what she says:
>
> The dictionary, thesaurus, and our culture define "seeing" as: 1. to
> perceive with the eyes; look at-the sense or power of sight; vision. 2:
> considering. 3: going out with someone. 4: meaning/vision. 5: the clarity
> of focus. 6: be careful or certain to do something; make certain of
> something. 7: to follow with the eyes. To follow. 8: discern, perceive,
> glimpse. 9: note, spot, notice, mark. 10: (I would add) to regard,
> feel/touch, watch, to get to know/become familiar with, to spend time with,
> and so on. Though the books filled with definitions focus on eyesight and
> the "power" of physical sight, remember that those books were written by
> sighted, light-dependent people.
> One day when a man brought a de-scented skunk to our school, I
> immediately said "I want to see it," as sighted staff were ooohing and
> aaahing over the cute little animal. I meant that I wanted to touch it, to
> become familiar with what a skunk is shaped like and its size. I had heard
> skunks referred to as polecats and, cat person that I am, I wanted to know
> if the "cat" part of that term meant there was some resemblance to felines.
>
> In third grade, some of us from the school for the blind were taken
> to a museum. We were allowed to touch some pottery and statues. I enjoyed
> it so much that several years later I was eager to attend a museum again.
> Imagine my disappointment when I was not allowed past ropes and told that I
> could not touch anything due to oil in my fingers. Subsequently, I learned
> that this was the norm at museums, so I stopped going. I felt cut off when
> I wasn't allowed to "see" the items there. In some cases I had pieces
> described to me very well; however, it still was not the same as seeing for
> myself.
> One day, when my mother and I were going home after she had picked me
> up from the university, I asked her what a particular house we always
> passed every day looked like. She became frustrated with me, stating that
> she hadn't ever really noticed.
> When my daughter was young, two people chased her and her dad and me
> out of a grocery store, yelling for us to stop. According to them, our
> daughter had shoplifted. I said I did not think she had; that we were
> examining items in the store, and she was showing her dad and me some
> items, which meant that the three of us were picking up items off the
> shelves and feeling them. This did not mean that anyone had shoplifted.
> Before I could object, they rammed their hands into her coat pockets
> gruffly saying, "Let me see what you have in your pockets."
> They not only assumed that she had shoplifted, they further assumed
> that because her father and I were both blind, that we did not see it
> happen. I felt like they were invading our daughter's privacy and ours.
> People were standing around, you guessed it, looking to see what was going
> on and what would happen.
> Since our daughter only had tissues and the candy we had just bought
> her in her pockets, we were allowed to leave-and leave we did. We never
> went back to that store, even though they had the best doughnuts in town.
> When I visited my first cat show, out of both curiosity and chagrin,
> I sat in the audience hearing meows and listening to the presentations. No
> one would allow me to "see" the kitties, as in touch them. They were afraid
> of germs. They feared that the cats would be distracted. I left the show
> disappointed and even more concerned that showing cats might be more cruel
> than not. And I never even heard anyone talking to their trained cats or
> referring to them as "kitties." I felt sad and cut off from the cats I had
> so wanted to "see." It was not that blindness itself was causing me to be
> cut off. It was the behavior of the people there who were refusing to allow
> me to "see" the cats that brought about the disconnect.
> After joining the Cat Writers' Association (yes, there really is such
> a thing), we were given press passes to attend the cat show near our
> convention site. So my husband and I attended. At first I heard the meows
> and the occasional "cat out!" over the sound system. But before I knew it,
> people began to bring their kitties to me or invite me over to the table
> where their cat was resting. They, contrary to my first experience, felt
> that my "seeing" their cats would help socialize them. They also seemed to
> realize that if I didn't get to touch the cats, I would be unnecessarily
> detached from them and lacking information about them beyond their meows. I
> got to see cats with full coats, cats with short or long fur, cats with
> slinky or stout bodies, cats with long, thin, thick, short or no tails-this
> is beginning to sound like Dr. Seuss-a Bengal cat, a Devon Rex cat with
> almost no hair, a Russian blue, a Scottish fold with differently-placed
> ears, kittens, "cattens," and cats. And, yes, I heard some of the people
> owned by these cats refer to them as "kitty."
> Quite often at Christmas gatherings, wedding and baby showers, and
> other events, people quickly rip open their gifts, exclaiming over them,
> and I have no idea what they unwrapped. I usually ask, which annoys some
> people, as if they are saying "It's none of your business." I think it is.
> If everyone else in the room sees what so-and-so got, why is it their
> business but not mine? I have even suggested that we pass items around,
> like my family used to do, with someone always saying that would take too
> long.
> Someone I know becomes impatient with me, like she wants to say "Why
> do you need to feel it anyway? Why is it so important that you see it?" She
> has stated that I am too curious and snoopy, especially when I am in other
> peoples' homes or out in the public. When I visited her recently, she
> became quite annoyed when I started touching items on the small table next
> to where I was sitting. One of the items was a personal piece of paper that
> I could not even read, so why the fuss? For one thing, I wanted to figure
> out where to put my drink, and, for another, I was, yes, I was curious
> about what all was on the table. She did not understand that she could see
> everything on that table just by looking over in that direction taking it
> all in with her eyes, but that was not considered "too curious" or
> "snoopy," or other negative terms or connotations. In other words, it is
> all right for sighted people to look around, notice something, take in what
> is there, but when a blind person wants to touch things, that is somehow
> not okay.
> Too often it is assumed by some sighted and even some blind people
> that not physically seeing something means that we cannot function on our
> own. Some people will not understand that my long white cane is a tool to
> help me find out what is in my environment. They assume I cannot cook
> because you have to see to cook, which is not true. The senses of touch,
> smell, and especially taste can make a blind person a very good cook, even
> if that person is not me. If I cannot see, how did I raise my daughter? How
> do I get to the store? How do I get my groceries? How do I ..., how do I
> ...., how do I ..., all assuming that one has to use physical sight to
> perform these life tasks.
> When the Broadway version of Cats the musical came to town, my
> husband and I attended. Because we were not familiar with the T. S. Elliott
> poetry, the song lyrics, or the actions onstage, we were really at a loss
> to what was going on during the show. All I really remember was that the
> lady sitting in front of me had a fur coat draped over the back of her
> seat, and I was relieved to know that it was not made of cats.
> The other day a friend and I spent some time at a cat shelter because
> I had recently lost my Maryah of fourteen years, and I was considering an
> adoption. On our way home I asked her what color the last two kitties were-
> the two I was most interested in. She said she could not remember, that
> they just looked like regular everyday cats.
> Now that it is commonplace to use PowerPoint slides, display song
> lyrics on the screen at churches, and other projections, once again I often
> feel unnecessarily cut off. The other day, I asked someone at church what
> the words were to a given song. She said she did not know unless she saw
> them on the screen. I thought about all of the songs and hymns I had
> memorized over my lifetime, and I decided that for me that was preferable
> to depending on a screen. I wondered how many times people reading from a
> screen really understood what they were singing about and whether the hymn
> really became a part of them.
> Quite often when I go to the movies, I am the only one laughing. Some
> people are so immersed in watching that they miss the conversational aspect
> of the movie. They, of course, upon seeing me, assume that I am going to
> miss out on the whole movie, like, why am I even there? They have a point,
> to a point. However, with Descriptive Narration, when the devices are
> available and in working condition, I am able to "see" the movie as well as
> the next person.
> Not long ago one of my friends here where I now live visited my
> apartment. I asked him what was on the screen of my laptop. I was curious
> about the background picture that was presented behind a sales pitch. I
> assumed it was probably the beach, a beautiful building, flowers, or
> something exotic. He just said "Oh, it doesn't matter. It's boring."
> I said "Wait a minute! You think it is boring, but I want to know what
> it is. I might not think it is boring, or I might, but I want to decide for
> myself."
> He informed me that it was just a picture of men and women in suits
> carrying briefcases and one guy holding up a bright, shiny brochure. He
> apparently decided that I wasn't missing anything.
> To conclude, sighted people do not always see what is there. Blind
> people are not cut off due to blindness, but sometimes are unnecessarily
> cut off by the attitudes around them to what is available to be seen.
> Now let me finish with what our physical education coach used to say:
> "I see, said the blind man, as he picked up his hammer and saw."
> ----------
> Recipes
>
> Recipes this month come from the National Federation of the Blind of
> Louisiana.
>
> [PHOTO CAPTION: Jewel Ardoin]
> Peach-Glazed Pork Tenderloin
> by Jewel Ardoin
>
> Jewel Ardoin serves as vice president for the North Central Chapter
> of the NFBL. She is also a technology specialist at the Louisiana Center
> for the Blind where she loves working with students. Ruston is known for
> its delicious peaches. Jewel won first place in the 2015 Peach Festival
> cooking contest with the recipes below. Enjoy!
>
>
> Ingredients:
> Two 1.5-pound pork tenderloins
> Seasoning rub
> Peach glaze
>
> Ingredients for seasoning rub:
> 1/2 teaspoon thyme
> 1/2 teaspoon oregano
> 1 teaspoon garlic powder
> 3 similar-sized bay leaves, ground to powder (approximately 1/4 teaspoon)
> 1 teaspoon salt
> 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
> 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
> 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
>
> Method: Place pork tenderloins in thirteen-by-nine-inch baking dish.
> Combine all ingredients for seasoning rub in a bowl. Rub seasoning on pork
> tenderloins. Cover and place in refrigerator for two hours or overnight.
> Uncover and bake in a preheated 375-degree oven for one hour or until the
> internal temperature reads 150 degrees. Pour peach glaze (see recipe below)
> over tenderloins and bake for another twenty to thirty minutes. The final
> temperature should be no less than 160 degrees.
>
> Peach Glaze:
>
> Ingredients:
> 8 to 10 ripe peaches, peeled and chopped
> 1/4 cup peach brandy
> 1/4 cup butter, melted
> 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
>
> Method: Put peaches and brandy in a blender. Melt butter in a bowl,
> add brown sugar, and mix. Pour butter mixture into blender with peaches and
> brandy; blend until liquid forms. Pour peach liquid into sauce pan. Cook
> over medium low heat, stirring often, until liquid turns into a glaze that
> will stick to the spoon.
>
>
> Fresh Peach Salsa
> by Jewel Ardoin
>
> Ingredients:
> 10 peaches
> 1 sweet mini red pepper,
> 1 sweet mini yellow pepper
> 1 sweet mini orange pepper
> 1 large fresh jalapeño pepper
> 1/2 small red onion, chopped
> 1 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced
> 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
> 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped fine
> 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
> 1/2 teaspoon salt
> 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
> 1/4 teaspoon cumin
>
> Method: Peel and chop peaches. Remove seeds from all peppers and chop
> into small pieces. For a spicier salsa, leave some or all seeds from
> jalapeño pepper. Combine peaches, peppers, and remaining ingredients in a
> bowl. Place in an air-tight container in refrigerator for up to three days.
> ----------
> Pecan Rice
> by Jewel Ardoin
>
> Ingredients:
> 4 tablespoons butter, divided
> 1 cup pecans, broken into small pieces
> 1 onion, chopped
> 3 cups cooked jasmin rice (cooked in chicken broth, butter, and salt)
> Salt and pepper to taste
>
> Method: In a skillet, roast pecans in two tablespoons butter. Remove
> and set aside. Add remaining butter to the skillet and sauté onions. When
> onions are done, sauté rice in skillet with onions, and then stir in
> roasted pecans. Note: fresh garlic is also good in this recipe.
> ----------
>
> [PHOTO CAPTION: The Guillory family]
>
> Shrimp and Grits
>
>
> by Krystal Guillory
>
>
>
>
> Eric and Krystal Guillory, along with their beautiful children,
> Austin and Brilyn, are an integral part of our NFB of Louisiana family and
> are always ready to serve wherever needed. Eric is director of youth
> services at Louisiana Center for the Blind, first vice president of the
> affiliate, and president of the Professionals in Blindness Education
> Division. Krystal is our BELL Academy coordinator extraordinaire and
> treasurer for the affiliate. She is a teacher of blind students in Lincoln
> Parish. She is also known for her wonderful cooking!
>
>
>
> Ingredients:
> Note: Fresh ingredients produce the best flavor, but you can supplement as
> you see fit.
> 4 cups water
> Salt and pepper (or we love Cajun spices, but that's optional).
> 1 cup stone-ground grits
> 3 tablespoons butter
> 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
> 1 pound shrimp, peeled and de-veined
> 6 slices bacon, chopped
> 4 teaspoons lemon juice
> 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
> 1 cup thinly sliced scallions
> 1 large clove garlic, minced
>
> Method: Bring water to a boil. Add salt and pepper (optional Cajun
> seasoning). Add grits and cook until water is absorbed, about twenty to
> twenty-five minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter and cheese. Rinse
> shrimp and pat dry. Fry the bacon in a large skillet until browned; drain
> well. In reserved grease, add shrimp. Cook until they turn pink (four to
> five minutes)-turning (or stirring) occasionally. Add lemon juice, chopped
> bacon, parsley, scallions and garlic. Sauté for three minutes. Spoon grits
> into a serving bowl. Add shrimp mixture and mix well. Serve immediately.
> ----------
>
> Easy Guacamole
>
>
> by Krystal Guillory
>
>
> Ingredients:
> 3 avocados
> Salt to taste
> Pico de gallo (Recipe follows. You can make this or buy pre-made. We
> usually buy pre-made.)
> Lime juice
> * Cajun or spicy seasoning if you want to add an extra kick (optional)
> * Guacamole mix packet (Optional-some people like to add for some extra
> flavors. You can usually find this with the dry salad mix packets in the
> grocery store.)
> Tortilla chips, for serving
>
> Method: Halve the avocados lengthwise and remove the pits. Use a
> spoon to scrape the "meat" out onto a large plate. Next, sprinkle on some
> salt and other seasonings to taste (optional Cajun or guacamole seasoning
> mix). Mash away with a fork until you get the avocado to the consistency
> you want. Next, add a generous helping of Pico de gallo. Fold together.
> Lastly, squeeze the juice of half of a lime over the top. Give it one last
> stir. (Always test the guacamole with tortilla chips so you'll get a more
> accurate gauge of the salt content.)
>
> Pico de Gallo Ingredients:
> 3 yellow or red onions
> 12 roma tomatoes (slightly underripe is fine)
> 2 cups fresh cilantro leaves
> 2 to 3 jalapeños
> 1 lime
> Salt
>
> Method: Dice up equal quantities of onion and tomato. Roughly chop
> the cilantro. Now, slice one or two jalapeños in half. With a spoon, scrape
> out the seeds. (If you like things spicy, leave in some of the white
> membranes.) Dice the jalapeños very finely; you want a hint of heat and
> jalapeño flavor, but you don't want to cause any fires. Now dump the four
> ingredients into a bowl. Slice the lime in half and squeeze the juice from
> half a lime into the bowl. Sprinkle with salt, and stir together until
> combined. Be sure to taste the Pico de Gallo and adjust the seasonings,
> adding salt or more diced jalapeño if needed.
> ----------
> [PHOTO CAPTION: Kristen Sims]
> Plum Jam
> by Kristen Sims
>
> A dedicated teacher, Kristen Sims always finds ways to empower her
> students by sharing the tools and positive philosophy of blindness needed
> for success. She is the treasurer for the Greater Ouachita Chapter of the
> NFB of Louisiana as well as our state secretary.
>
> Ingredients:
> 4 pounds of plums (I use over-ripe black and red plums) diced should be
> about 6 cups
> 1/2 cup water
> 1/2 teaspoon butter (to reduce foaming)
> 8 cups sugar (1/2 this amount if using reduced sugar pectin)
>
> Method: Clean and sterilize jars, bands, and lids. Leave lids in hot
> water until ready to use. Put a cup of ice water with a metal spoon in it
> nearby. Bring diced fruit and water to a rolling boil. Reduce heat and
> simmer five minutes to break down fruit. Then add pectin, butter, and sugar
> and bring back to a boil. Boil at least one minute then check for setting
> by quickly scooping a small amount with your cold spoon. If it sticks to
> the spoon without running off, it will set. The amount of set you want
> depends on you!
> Quickly ladle into prepared jars wiping the edges carefully. Then
> finger-tighten lids and bands. Place in a canner or large pot with water
> covering lids by one to two inches to process in boiling water for ten
> minutes.
> ----------
> [PHOTO CAPTION: Alison and Nicholas Tarver]
> Oregano Rice
> by Alison Tarver
>
> Alison Tarver is the president of the Louisiana Parents of Blind
> Children who believes passionately in our mission. She works diligently to
> reach families around our state. Her son, Nicholas, has been an important
> part of our BELL Academy for the past several summers and was also a
> finalist in the recent nationwide Braille reading contest sponsored by the
> NFB of Illinois.
>
> Ingredients:
> 1/2 stick of butter/margarine
> 1 onion
> 1 cup raw rice (uncooked)
> 1 can beef broth
> 3/4 cup water
> 1 teaspoon salt
> 1 teaspoon oregano powder
> 1/2 teaspoon red pepper
> 1 pound ground beef (optional)
>
> Method: Cook onion, rice, and butter on medium flame for five
> minutes, stirring constantly. Do not brown. Add all other ingredients and
> put into a casserole dish. Cover tightly and bake for forty-five minutes to
> one hour at 350 degrees (until rice is done).
> ----------
> Tea Cakes
> by Alison Tarver
>
> Ingredients:
> 1 cup margarine, softened
> 1-1/2 cups sugar
> 2 eggs
> 1 tablespoon vanilla
> 3 cups all-purpose flour
> 1 teaspoon baking powder
> 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
>
> Method: Using an electric mixer, cream margarine, sugar, and eggs
> together until
> smooth. Stir in vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda,
> blending well. Drop dough by teaspoonful on ungreased baking sheet. Bake at
> 350 degrees for ten to twelve minutes. Makes thirty-six.
> ----------
> Taco Soup
> by Alison Tarver
>
> Ingredients:
> 2 cans whole corn
> 2 cans tomato sauce (this adjusts thickness)
> 2 cans hominy
> 2 cans ranch-style beans (with jalapeño peppers if you desire or use 1 can
> of each to regulate heat)
> 1 package taco seasoning (add more to suit your taste)
> 1 pound ground beef
>
> Method: May be cut in half for smaller amount. Brown the ground beef;
> mix everything together; cook for twenty to thirty minutes in a covered
> container (remove cover several times, sniff aroma, this gets your taste
> buds excited.) When you just can't wait any longer, serve over
> chips/crackers (crumble if you like.) For atmosphere, play soft Tijuana
> Brass music, lower lights. (If just for two, wear low-cut blouse with
> swirly skirt. If for the whole gang, wear regular attire.) Enjoy!
>
> ----------
> [PHOTO CAPTION: Sophie Trist]
> Coco's Cornbread Dressing
> by Sophie Trist
>
> Sophie Trist was a 2017 recipient of a national NFB scholarship as
> well as the 2018 winner of the Jerry Whittle Memorial Scholarship from our
> affiliate. She serves as the president of the Louisiana Association of
> Blind Students and is a proud graduate of the Louisiana Center for the
> Blind. She has also served as a junior mentor for our BELL Academy. She is
> currently attending Loyola University where she is involved in a wide
> variety of activities. This is what she says about this recipe, "If heaven
> had a taste, it would taste like my grandmother's cornbread dressing, the
> staple of every Thanksgiving meal I can remember. You so much as mention
> this cornbread dressing in front of me, and I will start drooling like an
> overexcited puppy. With its rich blend of flavors, this is the ultimate
> crowd-pleaser."
>
> Ingredients for cornbread:
> 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
> 3/4 cup flour
> 1-1/2 tsp salt
> 3 tablespoons baking powder
> 1 tablespoon sugar
> 3 tablespoons oil
> 3 eggs
> 3 cups milk
>
> Method: Mix all ingredients together. Pour into greased eleven-inch
> ovenproof dish. Bake at 425 for thirty minutes.
>
> Ingredients for meat mixture:
> 2 pounds lean ground beef
> 2 onions, chopped
> 1 green bell pepper, chopped
> 3 cloves garlic, chopped
> 1 cup chopped celery
> Salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper
> 1 14-1/2 ounce can beef broth
> 2 10-3/4 ounce cans cream of mushroom soup
> 1 teaspoon Kitchen Bouquet (in the spice aisle)
> 1/4 cup chopped parsley
> 1/4 cup chopped green onion
> 3 eggs, lightly beaten
>
> Method: In a large skillet, brown beef. Drain off fat. Add onions,
> bell pepper, garlic, and celery. Season to taste with salt, black pepper,
> and cayenne pepper. This should be relatively spicy because you will be
> mixing it with cornbread. Add beef broth and cook slowly, about forty-five
> minutes, covered. Add cream of mushroom soup, Kitchen Bouquet, parsley, and
> green onions. Crumble cornbread and add it to the meat mixture. Check
> seasoning. Stir in the lightly beaten eggs. Spoon into baking dish coated
> with non-stick spray. Bake at 350 for thirty to forty-five minutes or until
> bubbly. Serves twelve to fourteen. Warning: Do not prepare this recipe
> unless you are prepared to set aside several hours after its consumption
> for a food coma. I promise it will be worth it.
> ----------
> Miss Neita's Peanut Butter Balls
> by Neita Ghrigsby
>
> This recipe was submitted by Neita Ghrigsby, office manager at the
> Louisiana Center for the Blind. Known by everyone as "Miss Neita," she
> began working at the center on December 2, 1985, and has thoroughly enjoyed
> her time at the center watching the students learn new skills and become
> independent. "Couldn't think of any other place I'd rather be other than
> right here at the center these past thirty-two years making lifelong
> friends along the way whom I see at national conventions and being involved
> with our students each day as they push themselves and gain new skills to
> help them live a more productive life. What an absolutely wonderful journey
> this has been, and I look forward to having even more time doing what I
> love to do."
>
> Ingredients:
> 1-1/4 cups Karo syrup
> 1-1/4 cups sugar
> 1 12-ounce jar crunchy peanut butter (If the 12-ounce size is not
> available, go up to the next size and use almost all of that size.)
> 1 teaspoon vanilla
> 5 cups Rice Krispies cereal
>
> Method: Heat sugar and Karo syrup until sugar dissolves, about two to
> three minutes. Don't cook much longer because the peanut butter balls will
> be hard after they are made up. Remove from stove and add peanut butter,
> stirring well. Add vanilla and stir a couple of more times. Pour this
> mixture over the Rice Krispies (I usually put these in a large bowl to give
> you plenty of room to stir). You will need to quickly stir this all
> together-mixture will become very thick and hard to stir. Take a stick of
> margarine/butter and butter both hands well and begin making balls from
> this mixture. You will probably need to butter your hands several times
> until you get it all made up into balls. Lay on flat surface, not touching,
> until dry and set, and then store in an airtight container. Depending on
> how many you eat while you are making them, this recipe should make around
> sixty peanut butter balls.
> ----------
> Monitor Miniatures
>
> News from the Federation Family
>
> Resolutions for Convention:
> Here is a message from Sharon Maneki, who chairs the NFB Resolutions
> Committee:
> Do you think we should change a government policy, take a stand
> concerning an agency for the blind, or create new regulations? If you do,
> consider writing a resolution. At the 2018 National Convention the
> resolutions committee meeting will be held on Wednesday, July 4. The
> committee will debate and discuss resolutions on a wide variety of
> subjects. If passed by the convention, these resolutions will become the
> policy statements of the organization.
> To ensure that your resolution will be considered by the committee,
> please send it to President Riccobono or to me by June 19, two weeks before
> the committee meeting. If you send a resolution to me by email and do not
> receive a response acknowledging your email in two or three days, please
> call or send it again. If you miss the deadline, you must get three members
> of the committee to sponsor your resolution and then get it to the chairman
> before the meeting begins. I will be pleased to accept resolutions by
> email, nfbmd at earthlink.net; or snail mail, 9013 Nelson Way, Columbia, MD
> 21045.
>
>
> Braille Book Fair Needs Volunteers:
> The Braille Book Fair has become one of the highlights of the
> convention for many teachers, parents, blind kids, blind parents, and adult
> beginning Braille readers. But the event could not take place without the
> help of many dedicated, talented volunteers. And that's where you come in.
> As a past worker, or simply interested supporter of the Braille Book Fair,
> I hope you can either volunteer or give me the contact information for
> someone that you recommend. You do not need to work the entire afternoon or
> evening, but I do ask that you try to work an entire shift.
> We especially need for people who help customers to come BEFORE we
> open the doors at 5:00 p.m. and to commit to staying until at least 6:30
> p.m. Book lovers are great for this shift, as you will assist visitors in
> book decisions/selections. Thanks so much for taking time to consider this
> request, and I look forward to hearing from you soon!
> In your email to volunteer, please provide the following information:
>
> YES...I can work the following shift(s): 8:00-10:00; 10:00-12:00; 1:00-
> 3:00; 3:00-5:00; 5:00-7:00; 7:00-9:00
> _________________________________________.
> My cell phone number that I will have at convention is _______________.
> I live in (state) __________.
> Braille skills (including if you read by touch or by sight as a sighted
> person) _____________.
> Note: If you are a parent of a blind child under the age 18 (or still
> in high school or below), we know that you will want to attend the NOPBC
> Annual Meeting which takes place just before the BBF, but we would welcome
> you to work either during the event or on the clean-up shift after the
> event.
> If you can help, please contact Sandra Oliver, NOPBC Board Member
> at (713) 825-4573 or Sandra.Oliver at ey.com
>
> Braille Book Fair 2018:
> Calling all Braille readers, teachers, and parents! It's that time
> again: Time to sort through all those boxes of Braille books and donate
> those gently used but no longer needed Braille books to the 2018 Braille
> Book Fair sponsored by the National Organization of Parents of Blind
> Children. Our primary goal is to get more Braille books into the hands of
> children, youth, and beginning adult readers.
> Needed items: print/Braille story books (aka Twin Vision), books in
> good condition, and leisure reading (fiction or nonfiction) books
> Children are so hungry for their very own books that every year,
> despite generous donations of books, most of our books for young children
> are gone in less than an hour. So, begin your search through the boxes in
> your basement and spare room and get those books shipped to: 2018 Braille
> Book Fair, National Federation of the Blind, 200 East Wells Street at
> Jernigan Place, Baltimore, MD 21230.
> Please note that you are shipping the books FREE MATTER FOR THE
> BLIND; you do not need to pay shipping cost for Braille items. Hand write,
> stamp, or affix a label to the upper right-hand corner of the box stating:
> FREE MATTER FOR THE BLIND. Take your package(s) to your local post office.
>
> Happy Birthday NFB Krafters Division:
> Join the Krafters Division and enjoy unlimited access to classes and
> chats throughout the year. Membership is $20 and runs now through July
> 2019. One full year of fun crafts to learn. See our website at
> www.krafterskorner.org for information on signing up.
> We are ten years strong. We are looking forward to meeting everyone
> at national convention this year. We are still trying to finalize our Craft
> Sale. Stay tuned for the date(s) and times.
>
> New at Convention-NFB Krafters Division Marketplace:
> Are you a crafter, artist, or designer? We are looking for you! The
> NFB Krafters Division is proud to announce the opening of the NFB Krafters
> Division Marketplace. The Krafters Division Marketplace will offer you a
> great opportunity to showcase and sell your one-of-a-kind, handmade items
> to your Federation family. We anticipate this year's marketplace to be
> especially exciting. The marketplace will take place July 3 between noon
> and 6:00 p.m. Table space is limited, so please contact Joyce Kane for
> availability and reservations either by phone at (203) 378-8928 or by email
> at blindhands at aol.com. For more information about our division, please
> visit our website at www.krafterskorner.org
>
> Join the Community Service Division Annual Community Service Project:
> READY! SET! SERVE!
> Recipe for Love
> Ingredients
> 2 Hearts Full of Love
> 2 Heaping Cups of Kindness
> 2 Armfuls of Gentleness
> 2 Cups of Friendship
> 2 Cups of Joy
> 2 Big Hearts Full of Forgiveness
> 1 Lifetime of Togetherness
> 2 Minds Full of Tenderness
> Method
> Stir daily with Happiness, Humor, and Patience.
> Serve with Warmth and Compassion, Respect and Loyalty.
>
> The shocking truth about community service, you'll love it! Please
> come join the Community Service Division in our annual Community Service
> Project on July 3, 2018. We will provide meals for approximately 150
> homeless individuals at the Coalition for the Homeless in Orlando, Florida,
> 639 W. Central Blvd. We will leave the hotel at 9:00 a.m. and return at
> 2:00 p.m. The Coalition gives people hope, just as we do in the Federation.
> It's a family affair, so gather your chapters, divisions, and/or
> friends to step up to the plate. We are the home team of the Federation.
> and we will knock this service project out of the park! Teamwork makes the
> dream work, and we as members of the Federation transform dreams into
> reality.
> If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me.
>
> Much love,
> Jeanetta Price
> Email: jmaprice at yahoo.com
> Cell: 409-344-1005
>
> The National Association of Guide Dog Users Meets at the 2018 National
> Convention:
> The National Association of Guide Dog Users (NAGDU), a strong and
> proud division of the National Federation of the Blind, is excited to offer
> the most dynamic, informative events in the nation for guide dog users at
> our national convention in Orlando. Thanks to the generous support of our
> sponsors: Accessible360, On the Go by Julie Johnson, Ruffwear, Texas
> Association of Guide Dog Users, and Veterinarian Emergency Clinics of
> Central Florida, NAGDU is offering some incredible programs for our
> members.
> Tuesday, July 3, 1:00 to 10:00 p.m.: Seminar
> 1:00 to 1:45 p.m. - Registration. Registration is free and required to be
> eligible for door prizes!
> 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. - Is My Dog in Crisis? Lori Tilley, DVM, Veterinary
> Emergency Clinic of Central Florida, a board certified emergency
> veterinarian, will share how to assess if your dog's health issue is an
> emergency needing immediate attention. She will also give us tips on how to
> avoid a trip to the emergency clinic, as well as maintaining wellness,
> preventive care, grooming tips, and first aid.
> 3:45 to 5:00 p.m. - Advocacy and Access: Everyone has a Part to Play
> Calling Out Counterfeit Service Animals: The myth, the image, and the law
> Facilitator: Marion Gwizdala, president, National Association of Guide Dog
> Users. With the growing challenge of untrained dogs in public and the
> problems they create for legitimate guide and service dogs, we must be the
> voice of reason. Join us as we mobilize our division to solve the problem.
> This interactive program is a must for all guide dog users, those wishing
> to become better advocates for guide dog users and other disabled
> individuals, and public and private entities wanting to know their rights.
> 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. - Dinner break
> 6:00 to 6:45 p.m. - Registration. Registration is free and required to be
> eligible for door prizes!
> 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. - Living the Guide Dog User Life you want!
> Part 1: Is It Time? The struggle of letting go. Facilitator: Merry C.
> Schoch, LCSW. The retirement or passing of our guide dogs is a very
> challenging time and one we will all eventually experience. A licensed
> clinical social worker and guide dog user helps us through the process of
> retirement and loss.
> Part 2: Harness Up: The process of getting a guide dog and beyond:
> Various guide dog training programs and consumers. If you are interested in
> getting a guide dog, want to find out how they really work, get to know
> what is involved in the application and training process, and learn about
> the Guide Dog User Lifestyle, this session is for you! Guide dog training
> programs will share information about their programs, and guide dog users
> will help you understand what is required when you come home.
> Part 3: Guide Dog Show and Tail: Guide dog users share their favorite
> gear, grooming tools, and toys. If you have a favorite item to share, bring
> it with you for others to learn about! Some of them will be yours to take
> home for you and your dog to enjoy!
>
> Thursday, July 5, 6:00 - 10:00 p.m.: Annual Meeting
> 6:00 to 6:45 p.m. - Registration. Registration is free and required to be
> eligible for door prizes.
> Membership dues of $5.00 are required for those who are not members of an
> affiliate division to be eligible to speak on the floor, make and vote on
> motions, and hold office.
> 7:00 p.m. - Call to Order. Join NAGDU for the most exciting and important
> meeting of guide dog users in the United States. Here are some of the
> highlights you will experience: "Supporting the NFB's national ridesharing
> testing initiative" presented by Valerie Yingling; "Learn about our
> advocacy with Delta Airlines" presented by Christine Bouchard, Delta
> Airlines; "Learn how to comment on new regulations for the Air Carrier
> Access Act" presented by John Paré, executive director for advocacy &
> policy; "Download and tour the newest version of the NAGDU Mobile App for
> iOS & Android" presented by Raul Gallegos; Elect our 2018 to 2020
> leadership; and energizing reports from our affiliate divisions.
> As you see, the NAGDU events are filled with substance-the place to be
> if you are an active guide dog user and advocate. Plan to join us and
> enhance your knowledge and understanding. The NAGDU seminar and annual
> meeting are held in conjunction with the convention of the National
> Federation of the Blind.
> If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch
> with us by email to info at nagdu.org. We will see you in Orlando!
>
> In Brief
>
> Notices and information in this section may be of interest to Monitor
> readers. We are not responsible for the accuracy of the information; we
> have edited only for space and clarity.
>
> Register Now for Contemporary Issues in Rehabilitation and Education for
> the Blind Seventeenth Annual Rehabilitation and Orientation and Mobility
> Conference:
> Come and join us! Once again, this year's conference will be action-
> packed with a variety of new speakers, topics, and hands-on events. It will
> be held on Tuesday, July 3 from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
>
> Schedule:
> 7:30 - 8:30 AM-Registration
> 8:30 AM-Conference Begins
> 2:00 - 5:00 PM-Interactive Breakout Sessions
> 5:00 - 7:00 PM-NBPCB Awards Reception
>
> To register go to:
> https://nbpcb.org/members/login.php?r=/members/er.php?eid=355. The
> registration fee includes the NBPCB Awards Reception. Before June 15 the
> registration fee is $85 for professionals, $75 for students. After June 15
> the fee is $100 for both students and professionals. Those certified
> through the NBPCB may register using their username and password. All other
> participants should register as a guest.
> For questions or special arrangements, contact Edward Bell at (318)
> 257-4554, or ebell at latech.edu.
> Sponsors: National Blindness Professional Certification Board
> (NBPCB), Professional Development & Research Institute on Blindness
> (PDRIB), Louisiana Tech University, and the National Organization of
> Professionals in Blindness Education.
>
> Medicare Information to Become Accessible to Blind Beneficiaries:
> In a release dated April 25, 2018, a settlement between the National
> Federation of the Blind and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
> was announced. The Monitor is reprinting that release here:
> The National Federation of the Blind and three blind individuals have
> reached a settlement agreement with the Department of Health and Human
> Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The settlement
> resolves the allegation brought forth in a 2016 lawsuit that CMS
> discriminated against blind and low-vision beneficiaries by failing to
> provide meaningful and equal access to Medicare information.
> The agreement requires that CMS set up processes so that
> beneficiaries can make a single request to receive all communications and
> notices from Medicare in an accessible format, such as large print,
> Braille, audio, or electronic data. Additional terms include that CMS will:
>
> . Provide accessible, fillable forms for beneficiaries on Medicare.gov.
> . Issue accessibility best practices to Medicare Health and Drug Plans.
> . Implement a policy that extends the time in which a beneficiary must
> answer time-sensitive communications by the number of days it takes
> CMS to process the beneficiary's accessible format request.
> . Develop a plan to promote the availability of accessible materials to
> Medicare beneficiaries.
>
> CMS has already begun implementing critical procedural changes that
> include training employees on compliance with Section 504 of the
> Rehabilitation Act of 1973, implementing testing requirements to ensure
> that information posted on Medicare.gov is accessible, providing CMS's most
> popular publications in accessible e-book formats at Medicare.gov, and
> establishing a Customer Accessibility Resource Staff to coordinate and
> support CMS's accessible Medicare communications. The agreement prohibits
> CMS from changing any of these new practices in ways that would result in
> less effective access to Medicare information for blind individuals.
> "Thousands of blind and low-vision people depend on Medicare benefits
> and must be able to apply for, understand, and manage those benefits
> independently," said Mark Riccobono, President of the National Federation
> of the Blind. "This agreement will ensure that blind Medicare beneficiaries
> have equal access to critical and often time-sensitive information about
> their individual benefits and this vital program."
> "The Medicare benefits a person receives are only as good as the
> access they have to them," said Silvia Yee, senior staff attorney for the
> Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund. "Without equal access to vital
> Medicare information, blind people not only face greater difficulty getting
> their health care needs met, they also run a higher risk of losing services
> and supports altogether when they can't properly access details about
> Medicare plan benefits, review services provided, or confirm how much those
> services will cost. DREDF applauds this necessary step forward by CMS in
> providing Americans who are blind --including thousands of aging low-vision
> Medicare beneficiaries--access to necessary information that non-disabled
> people get to take for granted."
> The plaintiffs were represented by Brown, Goldstein & Levy LLP and
> the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF).
>
> Unified English Braille Pocket Reference Books Now Available:
> Now available for sale: pocket reference books of the Unified English
> Braille literary code. This book is three inches by five inches and easily
> fits in a pocket, purse, or backpack. We have an interpoint Braille version
> for those who read Braille tactually. The small size makes it manageable
> for both adults and little ones. We also have an ink version that consists
> of print and simulated Braille, perfect for parents, friends, and teachers.
> These books are great for those just learning the Braille code for the
> first time or for those refreshing their Braille knowledge. Each copy is
> $10, with all profits benefiting blind children's literacy programs. To
> order either version of our Whittle books, please visit www.nbpcb.org.
>
> Seedlings offers 100 titles in UEB for older kids:
> Seedlings Braille Books for Children, which offers one of the largest
> selections available of books in Unified English Braille, now offers 100
> titles in contracted UEB for older kids.
> Thirteen titles were added in February and March, bringing the total to
> 100. They are:
> . A Gift of Magic
> . A to Z Mysteries: The Bald Bandit
> . Bailey School Kids 1: Vampires Don't Wear Polka Dots
> . Bailey School Kids 20: Wizards Don't Need Computers (a new title not
> previously available from Seedlings!)
> . Bunnicula
> . Dog to the Rescue II
> . Give Me a Sign, Helen Keller
> . Goosebumps 13: Piano Lessons Can Be Murder
> . Julie of the Wolves
> . Little House Friends, a Little House Chapter Book
> . Pioneer Sisters, a Little House Chapter Book
> . The Blind Outlaw
> . The War I Finally Won (a new title not previously available from
> Seedlings!)
> See all 100 titles at http://www.seedlings.org/browse.php?cat=12.
> Seedlings continues to add new titles regularly, so check back often.
> Seedlings' nearly 300 print-and-Braille board books for babies and
> toddlers and beginning readers are already in UEB. Order at
> http://www.seedlings.org/order.php.
> ----------
> NFB Pledge
> I pledge 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 policies and programs of the Federation; and to
> abide by its constitution.
>
>
>
> -----------------------
> [1] See the relevant excerpt of this work, republished online at
> https://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/CHILD-OF-THE-SILENT-NIGHT-Helen-
> Keller
> [2] Taken from Fifty Famous Helen Keller Quotes:
> http://www.quoteambition.com/famous-helen-keller-quotes/
> [3] See http://www.lionsclubs.org/EN/who-we-are/mission-and-history/helen-
> keller.php
> [4] See A History Of Child Labor, an article found online at
> https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/articles/teaching-content/history-child-
> labor/
> [5] Taken from "The Politics of Helen Keller," International Socialist
> Review: https://isreview.org/issue/96/politics-helen-keller
> [6] Quote republished in Helen Keller, feminist, radical socialist, anti-
> racist activist and civil libertarian:
> https://boingboing.net/2015/04/20/helen-keller-feminist-radica.html
> [7] "The Politics of Helen Keller," International Socialist Review, as
> cited above.
> [8]
> https://books.google.com/books?id=eizDswEACAAJ&dq=out+of+the+dark+keller&hl=
> en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi5t6q-wdHaAhUL0lMKHUyjBugQ6AEIKTAA
> [9] Helen Keller: Selected Writings, edited by Kim E. Nielsen p. 3
> [10] Karl Marx, quoted from "Critique of Hegel's Philosophy of Right."
> [11] "Helen Keller's Love Of Reading," republished in AFB Blog, American
> Foundation for the Blind: https://www.afb.org/blog/afb-blog/helen-kellers-
> love-of-reading/12
> [12] Taken from the preface to Light In My Darkness, a revision of the
> earlier work My Religion, edited by Ray Silverman and published in 1994.
> [13] "Helen Keller, Emanuel Swedenborg, And Universalism": a blog entry
> found at https://etb-history-theology.blogspot.com/2012/03/helen-keller-
> emanuel-swedenborg-and.html
> [14] Taken from a synopsis of Helen Keller, A Life by Dorothy Herrmann, and
> published online by The New York Times:
> https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/first/h/herrmann-
> keller.html?scp=67&sq=hair%2520color&st=cse
> [15] "Letter from Helen Keller, New York, Wright-Humason School, to Kate
> Keller," republished in Selected Writings, pp. 12-13.
> [16] "Letter from Helen Keller to John Hitz," [presumably] written December
> 21, 1893, reprinted in Selected Writings, p. 11.
> [17] "Letter From Helen Keller, Wrentham, Massachusetts, To Kate Keller
> July 9, 1997" republished in Selected Writings, p. 15.
> [18] Possibly Symphony No. 9 by Ludwig von Beethoven.
> [19] "Transcription For A Letter Written By Helen Keller To The New York
> Symphony Orchestra, Printed In 'The Oracle,'" March 2, 1924. Republished
> online at
> https://helenkeller.localarchives.net/HelenKellerArchive?a=p&p=helenkellerdo
> cumentdisplay&d=A-HK02-B223-F08-004.1.1&e=-------en-20--1--txt-
> txIN%7ctxTA%7ctxCO%7ctxTY%7ctxSE%7ctxSS%7ctxBO%7ctxFO%7ctxIT%7ctxLA%7ctxBR%7
> ctxPF%7ctxPT%7ctxPR%7ctxPO%7ctxSU%7ctxDS%7ctxSI%7ctxRA%7ctxSP%7ctxAN%7ctxPV%
> 7ctxTR%7ctxFI-instruments+and+voices------3-7-6-5-3--------------0-1And.
> [20] "Letter From Helen Keller To Alexander Graham Bell," dated March 9,
> 1900, and republished in Select Writings, p. 22.
> [21] "After Helen Keller: Empowering Students with Disabilities," published
> online at https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2013/02/27/after-helen-
> keller-empowering-students-disabilities.
> [22] Taken from the Banquet Address at the Annual Convention of the
> National Federation of the Blind in New York City, in July, 1973.
> https://nfb.org/Images/nfb/Publications/convent/banque73.htm
>
> _______________________________________________
> Brl-monitor mailing list
> Brl-monitor at nfbcal.org
> https://nfbcal.org/mailman/listinfo.cgi/brl-monitor
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