[Nfb-greeley] Fw: [Brl-monitor] The Braille Monitor, December 2018
Melissa R. Green
graduate56 at juno.com
Fri Jan 25 20:06:04 UTC 2019
Sincerely,
MelissaR. Green and Pj
----- Forwarded Message -----
From: buhrow at lothlorien.nfbcal.org (Brian Buhrow)
To: brl-monitor at nfbcal.org
Date: Sunday, December 2, 2018 11:16 pm
Subject: [Brl-monitor] The Braille Monitor, December 2018
>
>
> BRAILLE MONITOR
> Vol. 61, No. 11 December 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.
>
>
> Vol. 61, No. 11 December 2018
>
> Contents
>
> Illustration: Art of Leadership 2018
>
> Convention Bulletin 2019
>
> Authentically Blind on Stage and Screen: One Blind Actress Transforms
> Obstacles into Stepping Stones
> by Marilee Talkington
>
> You Help Make Dreams Come True
> by Patti Chang
>
> The Federation Center
> by Marc Maurer
>
> A Heartfelt Thank You
> by a BELL Parent
>
> Jury Duty as a Blind Student
> by Vejas Vasiliauskas
>
> Playing Your Hand: A Blind Songwriter Doing What It Takes to Live the Life
> He Wants
> by JP Williams
>
> Accessible Cardtronics ATMs
> by Valerie Yingling
>
> Social Security, SSI, and Medicare Facts for 2019
> by John Paré
>
> Helen Keller No More in Texas
> by Norma Crosby
>
> My History and My Desire to Serve
> by Sheri Koch
>
> Southwest Airlines Works Toward Inclusion for All
> by Peggy Chong
>
> When Readers Are Good
> by Ed Vaughan
>
> Advancing Opportunities for the World's 253 Million Blind and Partially
> Sighted People
> by Fredric Schroeder
>
> Driving Blind on the Information Superhighway-Review and Congratulations!
> by Amy Mason
>
> Mark Noble Dies
> by Daniel Frye
>
> The Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship Fund
> by Allen Harris
>
> Recipes
>
> Monitor Miniatures
>
>
> [PHOTO CAPTION: Five Art of Leadership students from Baltimore cut fruit
> while wearing sleepshades.
> [PHOTO CAPTION: Chris Danielsen coaxes students and a teacher with Art of
> Leadership up-stairs while using canes and wearing sleepshades.
> [PHOTO CAPTION: A big thumbs up from Art of Leadership students who have
> received tutorials on the Braillewriter from Ellen Ringlein.
> Art of Leadership 2018
>
> On October 21, 2018, nineteen tenth- and eleventh-grade students
> participating in the Art of Leadership program sponsored by Art with a
> Heart, a Baltimore nonprofit, visited the National Federation of the Blind
> Jernigan Institute to gain an understanding of the capacities of blind
> people to live the life they want and to learn about leadership in the
> process. Through the Art of Leadership program, students in the Baltimore
> area with diverse backgrounds develop leadership skills and engage in
> conversations across socioeconomic and cultural barriers.
> During their visit to the Jernigan Institute, the Art of Leadership
> students participated in four activities led by Jernigan Institute staff to
> introduce them to the skills used by blind people to complete daily living
> tasks. While under blindfolds, the students completed a short cane travel
> route on the fourth floor of the Jernigan Institute that included going up
> and down stairs. The students also learned about Braille and the way blind
> people use a computer and access current news through NFB-NEWSLINE®. The
> students also prepared a salad and baked cookies under blindfolds for the
> dinner that followed. During dinner, the students discussed the activities
> they had participated in and asked questions. In response to the question
> "What did you learn from this experience?" answers from the students
> included: "I shouldn't assume what a person is capable of"; "To accept
> myself and put myself in other peoples' shoes"; and "You don't have to be
> 'perfect' to be a leader." Clearly, the positive philosophy of the National
> Federation of the Blind has a powerful influence!
>
> Convention Bulletin 2019
> by John Berggren
>
> We are now in the season for office parties, Christmas shopping, and
> holiday cheer. While dreams of sugar plums may be dancing in your head,
> however, it's not too early to begin thinking about the warmer weather and
> the summer months. While July may seem on the distant horizon, it's time to
> plan for one of our most exciting events of the year. I'm talking, of
> course, about our 2019 National Convention. For the first time in our
> history, the largest annual gathering of the organized blind will be in Las
> Vegas, Nevada.
> We are excited to be hosting our convention at the beautiful Mandalay
> Bay Resort and Casino (3950 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, Nevada 89119). As
> is the case every year, we have once again arranged for exceptional room
> rates. Unlike in years past, the same enviable rate of $99 per night
> applies to singles and doubles as well as triples and quads. Hotel and
> sales taxes are 13.38 percent and 8.25 percent, respectively. The resort
> fee (normally $37 a night) will be waived for NFB convention attendees.
> However, fees for internet access, local and toll-free calls, and fitness
> center access may apply.
> To make reservations for the 2019 convention, you can call the hotel
> at 877-632-7800 after January 1. The hotel will take a deposit of the first
> night's room rate for each room and will require a credit card or a
> personal check. If you use a credit card, the deposit will be charged
> against your card immediately. If a reservation is cancelled before Friday,
> June 1, 2019, half of the deposit will be returned. Otherwise refunds will
> not be made.
> Situated at the beginning of the world-famous Las Vegas strip,
> Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino is a short trip from Las Vegas' McCarran
> International Airport. The hotel has more than two dozen restaurants for
> guests to enjoy. Among its features is an aquatic playground called
> Mandalay Bay Beach which has real sand, a wave pool, and a lazy river. The
> hotel is also home to an aquarium with more than 2,000 animals including
> sharks, green sea turtles, and a Komodo dragon. Plus, it offers top-notch
> entertainment including Michael Jackson ONE by Cirque du Soleil.
> The 2019 convention of the National Federation of the Blind will be a
> truly exciting and memorable event, with an unparalleled program and
> rededication to the goals and work of our movement. Make plans now to be a
> part of it. Preconvention seminars for parents of blind children and other
> groups and set-up of the exhibit hall will take place on Sunday, July 7,
> and adjournment will be Friday, July 12, following the banquet. Convention
> registration and registration packet pick-up will begin on Monday, July 8,
> and both Monday and Tuesday will be filled with meetings of divisions and
> committees, including the Tuesday morning's annual meeting, open to all, of
> the Board of Directors of the National Federation of the Blind. General
> convention sessions will begin on Wednesday, July 10, and continue through
> the banquet on Friday, July 12.
> Remember that as usual we need door prizes from state affiliates,
> local chapters, and individuals. Once again prizes should be small in size
> but large in value. Cash, of course, is always appropriate and welcome. As
> a general rule we ask that prizes of all kinds have a value of at least $25
> and not include alcohol. Drawings will occur steadily throughout the
> convention sessions, and you can anticipate a grand prize of truly
> impressive proportions to be drawn at the banquet. You may bring door
> prizes with you or send them ahead of time to Terri Rupp, 10587 Santerno
> Street, Las Vegas, Nevada 89141.
> The best collection of exhibits featuring new technology; meetings of
> our special interest groups, committees, and divisions; the most
> stimulating and provocative program items of any meeting of the blind in
> the world; the chance to renew friendships in our Federation family; and
> the unparalleled opportunity to be where the real action is and where
> decisions are being made-all of these mean you will not want to miss being
> a part of the 2019 National Convention. To assure yourself a room in the
> headquarters hotel at convention rates, make your reservations early. We
> plan to see you in Las Vegas in July.
> ----------
> [PHOTO CAPTION: Marilee Talkington]
> Authentically Blind on Stage and Screen: One Blind Actress Transforms
> Obstacles into Stepping Stones
> by Marilee Talkington
>
> From the Editor: The last speaker of the morning on Sunday, July 8,
> continued the performance theme. The presentation was as moving as anything
> I've witnessed, but the transcription is similarly the hardest I've ever
> participated in. We have tried to capture the spirit, enthusiasm, and poise
> of Marilee, but what she said and the way she said it isn't easily framed
> using the rules of written grammar. It is best experienced through audio,
> so let this presentation serve to push those who are reading this in
> Braille and in print to listen to these remarks as delivered. They can be
> heard at
> https://nfb.org/images/nfb/audio/2018_convention_highlights/july_8/am/06_aut
> hentcally_blind_on_stage_and_screen.mp3.
> Here is what Marilee Talkington said:
>
> [Alicia Key's "Girl on Fire" plays as she takes the stage]
> I love that; I get a theme song. Now, who decided to put me after JP
> Williams? Come on, that's the hardest act to follow; he's amazing! [cheers]
> My name is Marilee Talkington; I am a professional actor. I am so, so
> excited to be here because the ferocity in this room is stellar. When I
> walked in on July fourth, and the number of young people-[in a faux-old-
> person voice] the number of you young people, all you young people with
> canes-[in her normal voice] I was stunned by how many young people there
> are, and it inspired me so deeply because I don't remember having that kind
> of community when I was younger. I'm just so deeply honored to be here and
> privileged. Let's dive in.
> I think one of the things I wanted to talk about was transformation,
> this thing that I hear a lot of people talking about is how to turn
> obstacles into stepping stones. Just to give a little history: I was born
> with rod-cone dystrophy; I'm totally blind centrally. My mom has it-it's
> genetic. I have peripheral vision, and it's been degenerating over time.
> I'm light blind, which, lovely-these lights are shining right in my eyes-
> and I'm photophobic. So I'm light blind, and light causes me pain. For
> those of you who have rod-cone or cone-rod and don't have central vision,
> you know-you understand-that to see people, you look away from them.
> In fifth grade I got what I like to call "The Talk" from my mom. I
> have the same thing she does. I want to preface this by saying that I don't
> judge her for saying this, she was working with the strategies she had at
> the time and with the experience she had at the time. She said, "Now you
> have a couple choices-maybe one choice and a couple options. To see people,
> you need to look away from their face." Ok. "Or you can look at them and
> not see them. If you look away from their face to see what you need to see,
> the world that we live in will treat you differently." I was in fifth
> grade. "Or you can teach yourself to look people in the face, not see what
> you need to see, and move through the world." As a fifth grader I wanted to
> move through the world with as much ease as possible, so I chose option
> number two, and I trained myself to look people in the eyes; I still do.
> [applause]
> This can be confusing for many, many people. When they meet me, they
> assume that I am fully sighted, which is not the case. But what it has
> opened up for me is that I play mostly sighted characters on stage. Ninety-
> five percent of the characters that I play are sighted. [applause]
> Let's just jump forward. First, acting class: I took my first acting
> class at UC San Diego. I was studying psychology and mathematics at the
> time. My grade point average was so-so. I needed to raise it, and I was
> looking for classes that I could take to raise my grade point average. My
> friend said take an acting class, and I was like, "No way, no, not even
> close." I couldn't get in any other class, and I was like, "Fine, I'll take
> acting."
> So I took acting, and something happened. I started telling stories
> about other people, stepping into who they were, and it was the most
> incredible experience of my life, those first days in acting class. All of
> a sudden this enormous imagination of mine had a platform to play on. I'd
> always been good at voices and characters, but I'd never really had an
> avenue to walk down and express those things. All of a sudden I'm getting
> to live other people's lives. All of a sudden my life felt limitless. [her
> voice goes slightly higher, a bit more childish] And I started working with
> all these different characters, you know, and just like playing, [her voice
> goes deeper, sounding more masculine with a New York accent] and then just
> like doing something else, right? And we'd talk, and every single character-
> it's not just about voices. [Her voice stays deeper, but the accent shifts
> to more Russian] But then you take on these completely different
> experiences of life. [back to her normal voice] Right?
> So I realized that this is what I want to do, and I never thought in
> a million years that I couldn't do it because of my eyesight-never-never
> crossed my mind.
> I graduate UC San Diego, my grade point average lifted because of
> that acting class. I stop off in LA-that's a whole 'nother story; we won't
> go there right now-but I end up in San Francisco. I go to my first theater
> audition, and they had what's called cold sides there; it's a cold read. A
> cold read is when they have the script there, and you're supposed to read
> it-look it over in fifteen minutes-then you go up. Well, of course I can't
> read the script. I ask the director if there is a photocopy machine. This
> is back in the day; this was twenty years ago. There's no technology
> around, right? I'm like, is there a photocopy machine? He has no idea. So I
> go out searching for a photocopy machine, and it takes me two hours. I find
> a photocopy machine at a local business (I think it was a real estate
> place), and I said, "Can I use it?" They were kind enough to let me. I
> enlarged it as much as I could, and I eventually found my way back to the
> theater after two hours. The director was still there. I went in. The
> script still wasn't large enough, so it was pretty darn close to my face. I
> started reading, and the director said, "If you can't read this script, you
> don't belong on stage." He excused me from the audition.
> This is twenty years ago. I had no mentors. I had no one to talk to
> about this. There were no blind actors that I had ever seen or knew of. I
> know that a lot of you can relate to this feeling of isolation. This is one
> of those pivotal moments where I went home, and I was devastated. The
> question I asked myself: "Do you believe him? Do you believe that you do
> not belong on stage because you cannot read this?" And the answer that came
> back was a resounding, "No I do not believe him!" [applause]
> But what I did believe at that point was that I needed training.
> Everything is about training: training, training, training. Because in this
> business, the acting business, you have to be well-trained. You can dream
> to be an actor, but if you don't actually do the work, it's not going to
> happen.
> I went to school, and this is where I began to advocate for myself. I
> had to advocate for myself because I was the first blind, low-vision,
> disabled person to walk in to those acting classes.
> My first movement acting class was at a studio. It was an Alexander
> technique class, which is a movement class that is all about alignment. The
> teacher said, "I'm sorry, but I don't think this is going to be the right
> class for you. You really need to be able to see what I'm doing."
> And I said, "No, that's not right. I'm going to be in the class, and
> we're going to figure this out." I had to battle my way into these classes.
> I got into the class, and I ended up being the top student.
> I say to myself, "What is going on here, people? I have the drive. I
> have the willingness to go into the room, so you need to match that." But
> this happened over and over and over again. But it developed my muscle to
> self-advocate.
> I auditioned for grad school, because at this point I've taken
> probably ten or twelve studio classes-night classes-Shakespeare, voice,
> whatever-but I want to take it to the next level. I want to audition for
> grad school. I do that, and I don't get it-not because of my vision-I just
> don't get in. Grad school-the one I auditioned for-is one of the top in the
> country. It's extremely competitive. But I didn't give up. I trained more
> that next year, prepared myself even more, and I auditioned the next year,
> and I got in. I got in to ACT [American Conservatory Theater], and I was
> the first person with a disability to ever get in to that school. I believe
> I'm still the only person with a disability to go to that school, and at
> this point there are only two legally-blind actresses in the country with
> an MFA in acting. I'm one of them.
> I'm sure all of you have heard this before-I remember being taught at
> a very young age that you have to work twice as hard just to get to the
> baseline as everybody else, all the sighted people. I said, "I don't want
> to be at the baseline. I want to be great at what I am doing." So I'm
> working three times as hard, four times as hard, and I never took for
> granted for one moment when I was in grad school, not one moment.
> [applause] I had this experience I want to share. It's less about my vision
> physically and more about the vision for myself. We were doing this show
> called Master and Margarita, and it was directed by this wonderful [with
> accent] Eastern European director named Adria Guirgia. [back to her normal
> voice] The role that I was cast in was Abaddon, the Angel of Death, and the
> director said, "Okay, I want your big, red, curly hair everywhere."
> I said, "No, actually, if I'm the Angel of Death, I think I should be
> gender neutral. People shouldn't know if I'm male or female. I should be
> everything at all times."
> I had no language. I had no lines in the script. I wasn't actually
> written into the script. He said, "Okay, fine, you can be gender neutral
> whatever that means," because that was fifteen years ago; we didn't even
> know what that meant.
> I realized that he wasn't calling me to rehearsal. So I thought to
> myself, "If I'm the Angel of Death, where would I be?" I said, "I'd be
> everywhere!" So I started putting myself into all the scenes. I showed up
> to every rehearsal and put myself in every single scene. The director was
> like, [in accent] "This is brilliant! I had a brilliant idea. She's in
> every scene. I love it."
> We go to opening night, and the irony is that, if you ask anybody who
> saw the show, "Who's the character you remember?" The answer would be the
> Angel of Death.
> The director comes up to me afterwards and says, [in accent] "Just to
> let you know, I am taking credit for this." [laughter]
> I said, "Okay, that's fine, that's fine."
> But this whole thing really solidified for me-that moment, that
> particular moment-this nugget of wisdom: when the world doesn't have a
> vision for you, you must create a vision for yourself. [applause] That is
> something that I hold in my heart very deeply.
> Long story short: I moved to New York after grad school, and I don't
> get that fancy agent. I don't get all those auditions because acting is
> really, really competitive. It's so competitive. I go there thinking, "I've
> got this great degree; I'm going to do it." And it didn't happen.
> So what I did is I took my career in my own hands, and I started
> creating my own work, or I should say continued to create my own work
> because I was already creating my own work, much to the chagrin of my
> professors. I created my solo show Truce. I play twenty-two characters in
> that, half of which are blind. And I started creating other work, too-
> experiential work-that's what I like to call it-experiential work where I
> was writing and directing and acting using site-specific scripts-not just
> theaters but sites you walk through and experience. Because even me, an
> actor, when I'm an audience member in a theater, loses a lot of it. I can't
> see a lot of it. So I was creating theater that you could experience, that
> people could walk through, and really getting my confidence that way. I was
> not waiting for somebody to choose me; I was choosing myself. [applause]
> I was creating work, but I'll tell you moving to New York was tough,
> and I actually ended up having a nervous breakdown. I moved back to San
> Francisco to heal. I thought, "Oh my God, I failed. I went to New York, and
> I failed. I couldn't do it; I couldn't hack it. I'm not strong enough."
> I went back to San Francisco, and there was this little whisper of a
> voice that said, "No, no, this is exactly as it should be. You're on the
> right path. Have faith, have faith, have faith. Take time to heal." So I
> stayed with my grandmother, who gave me unconditional love, and I kept
> writing. I wrote a play, and I directed that. I started slowly building a
> community in the Bay area, and I was healed. I found this new strength
> after going through something really, really traumatic. Failing-failing-
> moving back, going through something really traumatic, taking the time to
> take care of myself, and then picking myself up and taking that next step
> forward because I knew-I knew-that I am an artist, that I am supposed to be
> an artist.
> I know that I'm preaching to the choir here: this game ain't easy.
> It's not easy, right? There's pain involved. There's failure involved. The
> mark of who we are is what happens after we fail. What do we do? We pick
> ourselves up and keep going.
> So I'm in the Bay area, and this is where the next level of advocacy
> started happening. I had to teach the Bay area community how to work with
> me and how to open their doors to more persons with disabilities. I made
> the agreement with myself: that "Marilee, you're going to go out and you're
> going to stay open and curious and engage in any and all conversations that
> come toward you. Because half your job is artist and half your job is
> advocate." I walk into that, and I walk into every room carrying both those
> banners. Sometimes I don't want to. Sometimes I just want to be an artist.
> I do, I really do. But I know that because I'm the first, I have to be an
> advocate. It's my responsibility to, because if I don't, no one will.
> So I'm getting into those rooms, and I'm getting cast, and my craft
> as an actor is getting more and more developed, and my craft as an advocate
> is getting more and more developed. I'm figuring out what I need and how to
> ask for it. That's a hard thing to do, because things can change,
> especially in my business. Not all theaters are the same. Not all directors
> are the same. I get new bosses every three months. I have to go into a new
> space, assess, and then communicate, and then negotiate. This is kind of a
> fun thing: I was in a show, and this was me accommodating for myself,
> because most of the time I'm figuring out for myself how to do things. I
> was in a show called Salomania, and it was about Salome. I played five
> different characters, one of which was a soldier boy. [speaking in a
> Cockney accent] A Cockney soldier boy who's a lovely little boy. [in her
> normal voice] The opening scene was five of us soldiers-I was the only
> woman, by the way-launched ourselves over a ten-foot ledge, with a rifle
> and a bayonet attached to it. The first time we rehearsed it the director
> said, "Everybody run, jump over this thing, and land on the ground safely."
> I'm like, okay, this is-um, all right. Because I'm that person that's like,
> "I will figure it out." You tell me I can't, I'll go off and figure out how
> to do it and come back, like, "Here you go." Because they're not going to
> know, God bless those sighted people, they're not going to know. So he
> throws all of us this blocking (blocking is staging)-I forgot to say, we're
> in full battle gear and gas masks. He says, "Okay, let's do it." And I
> couldn't do it. And he said, "Do we need to change the blocking?" And I
> said, "Just give me a sec, Mark."
> When I can't do things, the first thing that happens is I feel pain;
> I feel frustrated, I feel pain. I often shed a few tears to myself. Then I
> grit up. I turned around to him, and I said, "Do what you need to do; I'm
> going to talk to the stage manager, and I'm going to rehearse this after
> rehearsal is over."
> And that's what I did. I got the stage manager, and I went through
> and marked every single spot where my foot and my hand needed to go. I did
> it over and over and over and over. I did it dozens and dozens and dozens
> of times until it was complete muscle memory. I didn't need any eyesight at
> all-at all-at all.
> On opening night we're all running from backstage up on this ledge.
> And the guys come over, and I fly over, and my body is doing what I just
> trained it to do because I'd been rehearsing it literally hundreds of times
> after rehearsal, over and over again. I fly over. I land on the ground,
> bayonet in hand, and I realize: I did it. I just did this. And I didn't
> kill anybody! This is awesome!
> So that's just one little story-I realize I'm going over time. Two
> minutes Mark? Thank you. I want to jump fast fast-fast-fast-forward to this
> NCIS experience. [cheers] It was awesome, y'alls. It was awesome. Let me
> tell you this: going into the room, I took this job very seriously, not
> only as an actor but as an advocate, because I knew this was a big deal. I
> knew this was a huge deal for NCIS, for CBS, for me personally, and for the
> community. In the audition room, usually casting directors ask, "Do you
> have any questions?" I said, "No, do you?" I just opened up the
> conversation. After I got cast the executive director and the director
> called me and said, "This is so wonderful-you're going to be with us,
> wonderful-we-how do we-so we're going to be working-you're blind, so how-
> what, um? All right." This is what I said to them: "Don't worry, it's going
> to be great. You're going to love it." THEY wanted to know, though. They
> were scared. I wasn't; they were.
> That night I wrote a cheat sheet on how to work with me. A cheat
> sheet! I'd never done that before. I wrote down "This is my disability;
> this is how I see; this is how it manifests; these are the identifiers I
> like; you can call me blind, legally blind, partially-sighted, partially-
> blind; you cannot call me handicapped. I don't go by that. I was just
> laying it out: boom, boom, boom, boom. "Director: If you're giving me
> direction, I may not look at you, but I am listening. Also, if you could
> wear feathers, that would be great." So I'm throwing out a few jokes here
> and there.
> Well, it turns out that this little cheat sheet I sent them is
> circulated through the entire NCIS production team, through CBS-I booked
> another show while I was on CBS, flew to Toronto, that cheat sheet had made
> it all the way over to Toronto. "We love your cheat sheet; it's really
> great; we get you now."
> All this to say, and I know that you all understand this, that self-
> advocacy is so huge, especially when you are the first, second, third, and
> any number through the door. We have to speak up for ourselves. We have to
> carry a large vision for ourselves when the world doesn't have that vision
> for us.
> I want to leave you with one thing. This is a quote that I read and
> that I still read over and over and over again. It is by Marianne
> Williamson. Perhaps you have heard of this quote; I'm sure you have: "Our
> deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are
> powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most
> frightens us."
> We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented,
> fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?
> The intention I want to leave with you, the intention that I have for
> myself, and the intention that I have for all of you is: own your
> fabulousness. Own it. Own your absolute uniqueness, and own your power to
> be the magnificent creators of your destiny and dreams! Thank you.
> ----------
>
> [PHOTO/CAPTION: Peggy Chang]
> You Help Make Dreams Come True
> by Patti Chang
>
> From the Editor: What we do takes teamwork, spirit, commitment, and
> money. Of the four ingredients necessary for success, money is often the
> most overlooked, but without money, we simply don't have the tools to do
> what needs doing for blind people. In this article, Patti Chang explains
> how you can help. Here is what she says:
>
> Thanks to you, the National Federation of the Blind has a tremendous
> impact on the lives of blind people of all ages. We foster high
> expectations and mentor each other, teach children to read Braille, and
> provide crucial resources to parents of blind children. Nearly every day we
> receive notes from long-time Federationists and people new to our
> organization to share the impact that the NFB has had on their lives and
> their family. We hope that these stories-and your own experience-motivate
> you to give back to help us continue to share the gifts of confidence,
> literacy, education, independence, and so much more.
> We recently received this note from a mother whose daughter attends
> the NFB BELL Academy in Indiana:
>
> I am writing to you to express my thanks for what the NFB BELL
> Academy has done for my daughter, who became blind from retinoblastoma
> when she was just three years old. Having no previous experience with
> blindness, my husband and I had no clue on how to raise a blind child.
> We saw the potential in our daughter to be a happy and productive
> human being even without her eyesight, but would others see the same?
> Through the grace of God, we came in contact with the NFB and
> other blind adults who have become wonderful mentors and role models.
> These people have come alongside her and shown her that anything is
> possible if she only believes in herself. This past summer was her
> third year at the Indiana BELL Academy, something that she has grown
> to look forward to each year. Whether it be reading or writing
> Braille, beep ball, field trips, or crafts, she has enjoyed it all.
> The NFB Indiana BELL Academy has given our daughter the
> confidence to live as a blind child in a sighted world. It has given
> her the ability to attend school with her sighted peers, being the
> first blind child to do so in our school district. And, in my opinion,
> she has been a wonderful example of showing her friends and teachers
> exactly what a blind child is capable of. She is not afraid to
> try anything, and currently has straight A's in all of her school
> subjects.
> I truly believe that the NFB BELL Academy, along with her
> teachers and role models, has had a direct effect on her confidence
> and ability to succeed, not only in the classroom, but throughout
> life. As a parent, I can't wait to see what the future holds for her!
> Thank you again for the NFB BELL Academy and what it does for our
> blind children!
>
> Want to help more families like this one? You can make a difference.
> With a $50 donation, the National Federation of the Blind can send a
> long white cane-free of charge-to a blind person and give back mobility.
> With the same amount the Federation can provide early literacy materials to
> help parents and blind children start learning Braille together. With a
> larger donation we can train our BELL Academy teachers, show blind students
> that they can participate in science and engineering lessons, and so much
> more. Be a part of this future and everything the Federation does with
> love, hope, and determination.
> We can't change lives without you. Please help by making an end-of-
> year gift. It's easy to do.
> . You can give online at nfb.org/donate2018.
> . To mail your donation, simply make out your check to the National
> Federation of the Blind, and send it to 200 East Wells Street at
> Jernigan Place, Attention: Outreach, Baltimore, MD 21230.
> . Set up a Facebook fundraiser for the NFB. It's an easy way to share
> our message and expand our network of supports.
> We all know that the Federation affects blind people's lives every
> day. Please be a part of our movement with an end-of-year donation. It will
> be sincerely appreciated.
> Please feel free to reach out to Patti Chang at 410-659-9314, extension
> 2422 or pchang at nfb.org if you have any questions. Thank you so much in
> advance for again helping blind people live the lives we want.
> ----------
> [PHOTO CAPTION: Marc Maurer]
> The Federation Center
> by Marc Maurer
>
> From the Editor: When the Federation began writing and speaking about
> the capability of blind people to work and to live as responsible members
> in society, members of the rehabilitation community were skeptical. The
> professionals rather publicly said, "Let these Federation people try
> working in the field, and they'll soon see that their theories will
> inevitably collide with reality."
> So Dr. Kenneth Jernigan was sent to Iowa, one of the lowest ranked
> agencies then in the field of rehabilitation, and his job was to create a
> model agency for the blind based on the philosophy of the National
> Federation of the Blind. This he did, and when after two decades in Iowa he
> left what was then the Iowa Commission for the Blind, the Federation had to
> wrestle with the question of what role we would continue to play in
> rehabilitation. The reality of Iowa was there for all to see, but it wasn't
> enough to have reshaped one or two agencies. In order to remain real to the
> public and to the blind people who needed services, the Federation had to
> maintain a positive presence in the field. How we would do that began a
> debate that would last almost a decade. We would have to provide service
> while at the same time not being so tied to service that we ceased to be a
> consumer organization and the primary voice for blind people.
> In this article, Immediate Past President Maurer discusses the
> establishment of our NFB centers, their accomplishments, and what is
> required to be a Federation center. Here's what he says:
>
> A persistent question is what is required to constitute an NFB
> center. We have created three of these that are now about thirty years old.
> The first was in Ruston, Louisiana, where it continues to do business.
> Joanne Wilson, who was a student of Dr. Kenneth Jernigan, had urgently
> wanted the National Federation of the Blind to start one, and she hoped she
> could be a part of the inspiration for it and perhaps one of the teachers.
>
> In 1984 at the national convention an extensive discussion occurred
> regarding a proposal that we establish a school for the blind. Nobody was
> conducting educational programs of high quality for blind children, and the
> shift from schools for the blind to the public school educational setting
> had put blind students into places in which adequate materials and trained
> teachers were mostly not available. We could run a school, and the quality
> would be better than any other system could produce. However, the counter
> argument asserted that the special role of the Federation was that of
> serving as a check and balance to programs for the blind not the entity
> that runs them. We could not adequately challenge our own blunders. Thus,
> we should advise and supervise programs for the blind, not be programs for
> the blind. The final decision was that we would not create a school for the
> blind.
> This thought process prevailed as we approached the 1985 convention.
> We did not establish a national training center although Dr. Jernigan was
> sorely tempted by the idea. Consequently, Joanne Wilson created the
> Louisiana Center for the Blind. The creation of this center generated
> thoughts by members of the Federation in many other states that centers for
> the blind could be established in other places.
> Diane McGeorge decided to start the Colorado Center for the Blind.
> Colorado had a building which could house the training center. The building
> had previously been used for a program that collected discarded Braille
> books and sent them to programs for the blind in other parts of the world.
> However, a training center was urgently needed, and the imperative would
> put the building to a better use.
> Joyce Scanlan also decided that a training center was needed in
> Minnesota. She thought that the center would be regarded as the blind
> center, so she decided to name it, Blindness: Learning in New Dimensions,
> BLIND Inc. These then became the NFB training centers. They had been
> created under the banner of the Federation and with the energy and
> commitment of Federation leaders-all of them women. Discussion at the
> national level of the Federation determined that for these centers to be
> approved by the Federation and to receive support from the Federation, they
> must have a formal relationship with the Federation as a whole. Thus, each
> of the centers signed agreements with the Federation in which they
> acknowledged that they are subordinate corporations to the Federation and
> that policy decisions of the Federation are binding upon them.
> All of this happened a long time ago, but the system of management
> remains in place. Further, the leadership of the Federation has been and
> continues to be a major factor in all of these centers. Beyond these
> observations, one more must be made. A director of state programs for the
> blind asked me once how we get the results that we do. I responded that I
> could explain but the director could not do it. I said, "Do you observe
> these people around you here this evening working the tasks for the
> gathering this weekend? (It was about six p.m.) The director responded,
> "Yes, but how do you get them to do it? I cannot get my staff to work after
> five o'clock." We do the work because we want to get it done, not because
> it is a job. We love the challenge and the people we serve. We are
> responsible to the people who make up the Federation. I who have served as
> President know that if I do not do the work that has been given to me,
> somebody else will take the position I have once had. However, the thought
> of being replaced is not worrisome as much as the thought of disappointing
> my colleagues and friends. The Federation centers thrive because we care
> about our colleagues, and we have great faith in them. The love we have for
> each other and for the challenge of the work keeps us sharp and focused.
> Part of the reason for our success is that we not only have tested
> methods of teaching, but we also accept the need to experiment with new
> techniques. Furthermore, we have a national and an international network of
> friends who have connections that give us opportunities that are not bound
> by state or national boundaries. Our village is bigger than any state
> government program can achieve without the national and international
> network that we have built.
> A good many programs have claimed to be Federation centers. Are they?
> These elements are required for becoming a Federation center. First, it is
> necessary to acknowledge that the governing body of the center is the
> convention of the National Federation of the Blind and that policy
> decisions of the Federation are binding upon such centers. It is necessary
> to acknowledge that the corporation running the center is a subordinate
> corporation to the Federation. It is necessary that Federation leaders are
> a part of the governing daily activities of the center. It is necessary
> that the spirit of adventure of the Federation be an integrated element of
> the center. It is necessary that love for the participants and love for the
> challenges of integrating the blind into society be a vital element of the
> centers. That a center adheres to the practices pioneered by the Federation
> is not sufficient for membership in this exclusive group. Structured
> Discovery is a good thing, but using this method of approach does not a
> Federation center make.
> More commentary could be made, but I believe this is adequate for
> determining whether a center is a Federation entity. Does the center accept
> that it is governed by the Federation? Can the Federation change its
> practices when it believes that they are not adequate? Can the Federation
> reorganize the center if it fails in the purpose the Federation believes it
> should follow? If the answer to any of these questions is no, the center is
> not a Federation center. Does this mean that the center in question is bad?
> No, of course not. The center must be judged on its merits. However, it is
> not a Federation center.
> ----------
> A Heartfelt Thank You
> by a BELL Parent
>
> From the Editor: What greater gift can we give someone than the
> ability to read and to write, those beautifully complimentary skills that
> allow people to learn and then to contribute to that learning through
> sharing. This is what we do with the BELL Program, and sometimes we are
> blessed to receive a note of thanks. In this issue you will find two, both
> deeply rooted in the heart and shared with passion and conviction. Enjoy
> this thank you from a parent in Maryland:
>
> My son attended the Baltimore BELL Academy this summer. It was his
> second experience with BELL Academy, having attended in Arlington last
> summer. We are so thankful for this opportunity, and we appreciate
> everything that the NFB has done for our son and for our family.
> Our relationship with the NFB began four years ago when our spunky
> now-kindergartener was still a baby. We lucked into attending the parents'
> day of the NFB national conference in Orlando, which was within close
> driving distance of our home at the time. Before he had learned to walk, we
> met teachers, lawyers, doctors, artists, all of whom were professional,
> successful, and blind. At one session, a fellow parent leaned forward and
> whispered to me, "Have you considered Braille?" When I shrugged (we had
> barely considered potty training at that age), she persisted, "How will he
> read his valedictorian speech if the spotlights are in his eyes?" We left
> the conference with a sense of peace about the future and a new
> understanding of what it means to be blind or visually impaired.
> When we got home, we told our son's TVI about our experience, and she
> was skeptical. We were told that the NFB was "radical." My family and I are
> not the radical type, so we watched closely, ready to bail at the first
> mention of anything over the top. Four years later, and I can say with
> conviction that we have yet to hear anything "radical" from the National
> Federation of the Blind. Indeed, the only thing controversial about them
> seems to be their unwavering confidence in the abilities of the blind and
> the commitment to high expectations. This confidence is backed by
> achievement and success, and we are so grateful that our family has had the
> opportunity to immerse our son in this confidence, firsthand.
> When our son began preschool, we started to better understand eye
> fatigue and other factors that make dual-media the most appropriate
> learning media for him. Unfortunately, our local public school district,
> which was failing and in the process of being taken over by the state, did
> not agree. Without assessments or data, the TVI in Montgomery, Alabama,
> told us that he would not teach our son Braille, that he "did not even like
> to teach Braille to anyone before the third grade," and that he "could not
> believe we would even ask for that when our son has so much vision." They
> would not listen to our experiences with eye fatigue and insisted that no
> child with low vision should be taught Braille. Unsure of where to turn, we
> contacted the NFB. They listened. Our NFB rep attended our next IEP
> meeting, advocated for our son, and advised us to request a functional
> vision assessment and learning media assessment. The TVI immediately
> contracted this assessment out to the state school for the blind (Which
> makes us wonder if he knew how to do this basic assessment himself, and if
> not, how much Braille did he know himself?). A professional came to our
> son's school, conducted a thorough evaluation, and when the report came
> back, it recommended dual media instruction in both print and Braille.
> Armed with real data, we were able to get Braille instruction written into
> our son's IEP, and though we have since moved from that district, he
> continues to get Braille instruction that will help him in the future. NFB
> reps have been there for us in our new district too, attending IEP meetings
> in person and via cross-country phone call in order to ensure that he gets
> the equal education that he deserves.
> Dual media is not an easy road though, and our son is beginning to
> learn that Braille is hard work. Luckily, he has been able to start his
> school career with two summers of BELL Academy. At school, he is the only
> kid in his grade who is learning Braille. BELL Academy immersed him in an
> environment where Braille is normal, and it has taught him that he should
> be proud of himself and his abilities. At BELL, he has been surrounded by
> blind professionals who are confident and capable. This confidence is
> contagious. We have seen our son's confidence soar as a result of BELL.
> This happens through planned activities like rock climbing at Arlington
> BELL or nonvisual challenges at Baltimore BELL, but more than that, it
> happens through all of the intangible little moments that are infused
> throughout the camp. I had a chance to overhear a few conversations that my
> son never told me about, conversations like "What do you say when someone
> asks you about your vision" or "What do you want to be when you grow up?"
> and the impact is inspiring. BELL gives our son something that we as fully
> sighted parents cannot give him: the opportunity to be led by and
> surrounded by blind individuals who are confident, capable role models.
> Achievement is not wished for at BELL; it is expected, and we have seen him
> rise to the occasion. Following BELL Academy, my son now orders his own
> food at restaurants, speaking in a loud, clear, confident voice. While many
> parents spent the night before kindergarten worrying about the future, we
> spent the evening at a ropes course challenge, watching our son take
> reasonable risks at an activity we once imagined might be impossible for
> him.
> To get to BELL Academy this year, we put our preschooler and toddler
> in the car in their pajamas at 6:00 AM. We drove from Virginia to
> Baltimore, a cross-DC trek that several times took three hours one way in
> the rain. "That's nuts," our family said.
> "That's necessary," we said, because we knew it was well worth it,
> and it was. Nowhere else can our son get this lifelong gift of confidence
> and skills. During his first two weeks at BELL last year, he blew through
> three of his annual IEP goals, and we had to have a new IEP meeting to
> raise expectations for the year. Before BELL, he got frustrated when
> pouring water. Now he does it with ease using the nonvisual skills he
> learned at BELL. Before BELL, he wasn't sure what to say when someone asked
> him about his vision. Last week, his swim coach told me that he had
> confidently and nonchalantly given the class a mini lesson about his
> diagnosis. This kind of confidence comes straight from the NFB. We have
> always tried to instill confidence in our son, but as fully sighted
> parents, we lack both the words and the experience necessary to really
> teach him the strategies he needs to be independent.
> Thank you for giving our family this gift. Thank you for the passion,
> hard work, and professionalism that goes into all of your efforts.
> We may not be the best at timely thank yous, but we appreciate all of
> you at the National Federation of the Blind on a daily basis. We are so
> grateful for your help and look forward to working with you for many years
> to come.
> ----------
> Jury Duty as a Blind Student
> by Vejas Vasiliauskas
>
> From the Editor: The name "Vejas Vasiliauskas" may be familiar to
> Monitor readers because Dr. Eric Vasiliauskas has worked closely with the
> National Federation of the Blind in getting tips and tricks for raising his
> two blind children and for giving back to the Federation by offering what
> he has experienced and learned through his own keen insights as a person
> with significant motivation, intellectual ability, and outstanding
> commitment. It is clear that he has imparted these stellar qualities to his
> children, and in this article Vejas offers some very mature, conscientious,
> and patriotic opinions about what it means to be an American citizen. Here
> is what he says:
>
> Every year, adults over eighteen who are registered to vote and have
> IDs are potential candidates for jury duty. When US citizens are chosen for
> this civic duty, the court system has no prior knowledge of an individual's
> disability. Therefore, when I received a jury duty summons at the end of
> April this year, I was both intrigued and enthusiastic to learn not only
> about the process of being a juror but also the accessibility of serving as
> a blind person.
> First there was the initial paperwork. Everything I needed to know-
> the week I was serving, my juror ID, and my PIN-were only available in
> print. I was fortunate that my parents were able to read me the
> information, but it is important to be aware of the fact that without a
> careful mail organization system, jury duty summonses can easily fall to
> the wayside along with other print envelopes.
> After registering, I began to investigate. I was rather surprised to
> find that in a day and age where we are fighting for equal expectations,
> there was very little information about being a blind juror. Few people on
> the National Association of Blind Students listserv had any serving
> experience, with one actually being sent home by the court due to the
> inability to analyze video evidence. I then called the assembly room at my
> courthouse to inform them that I was blind but still wanted to serve. Was
> there any disability support, and could anyone who worked there guide me to
> the various locations throughout the day? I was told no to both questions
> and was highly encouraged to have my physician sign me off for an excuse.
> To me, this was not an option; I wanted to experience jury service just
> like everyone else, at a time when I was off of school for the summer.
> Therefore, when I was told by the automated system to report in on
> Thursday, I was prepared. As an aside, I found the automated phone system
> to be very accessible. The instructions for how to confirm and report for
> service were very clearly stated. There is also an online portal that can
> be used instead. Unfortunately, I was unable to check its accessibility; by
> the time I signed in shortly after reporting, I was told I no longer had
> the ability to look through the portal's information.
> To prepare for my service, I imagined various scenarios in my mind
> and how I would work through them. For example, had I been told that a case
> required me to see video evidence, I would have asked if I could be
> switched to a case where the evidence was spoken. The fact that there would
> be nobody to guide me would not be a problem; I could simply initiate and
> ask to walk with the fellow jurors around me.
> After a security scan similar to the airport, we were told to go into
> the assembly room for our orientation. The orientation was not, as I had
> previously thought, a tour of the courthouse, but was an in-depth
> introduction of our responsibilities as jurors. We watched a video of
> segments of a case in a courtroom, which was described very well. The video
> also informed us that there are two types of cases: criminal, in which a
> defendant is accused of committing a crime, and civil, in which it is
> necessary to settle a dispute between two sides. In a criminal case, jurors
> are called by the last digits of their juror ID number, whereas in civil
> cases peoples' actual names are used. While every state's policy is likely
> to be somewhat different, California's jury service was for a one-day or
> one-trial period. This means that if jurors are never called in for the
> day, they can leave. However, if they get called in to a trial and do not
> get selected, they still have to go back to the assembly room in case they
> are called for another trial that day. On my day of service, we were told
> that there was only one case that day, but that it was still questionable
> whether it would go to trial.
> For the next three hours, the jurors were instructed to wait. The
> woman who gave our orientation told us that some romantic couples had
> actually met in jury duty. There were no couples to be had that day,
> though, and everyone kept themselves to themselves. However, I was able to
> see my history teacher from my previous semester in school, which was a
> huge coincidence.
> After a rather long lunch break, and just when we thought we could go
> home, it was decided that the case would go to trial after all. A list of
> randomly selected names, in no particular order, was read out, and mine was
> among one of the many names chosen.
> Once we were allowed to enter the courtroom, the judge explained that
> the jury selection period is about four hours, and because we started much
> later during the day we would probably have to return the following day. He
> informed us that the case was of a woman who threatened to assault some
> people with a knife. At that point, eighteen juror ID numbers were called
> to go up to the juror box to answer some basic questions, including where
> they were from, their families' careers, and whether or not people believed
> they could serve. After all eighteen answered, the judge spoke with the
> lawyers to determine who might be able to stay on the case. Those who were
> eliminated could go home, and a few more names were called for the same
> questioning. Because we ran out of time, the rest of the jurors, including
> myself and my history teacher, had to come back the next day.
> On Friday, rather than go to the assembly room again, we could go
> straight back for the case. At this point, both the prosecution and defense
> lawyers began to question the jurors even more intensely. The jurors were
> given hypothetical situations and asked how they would decide who was
> innocent and who was guilty. One example involved a custodian and a fifth-
> grade student. If the custodian attacked a student and the student hit him
> back as a direct result, this would be considered self-defense, but if the
> student's retaliation happened later, then that student would also be
> considered guilty.
> More names were eliminated. Five more juror IDs were chosen, and mine
> was one of them. The judge and lawyers explained that they had already
> chosen the original twelve jurors, and our numbers were being called so
> that we could potentially become alternates. Since I was called to the
> sixteenth seat in the juror box, I was referred to as "Juror Sixteen" from
> there on out. Coincidentally, my history teacher from the previous semester
> at school was juror seventeen. During my first questioning by the judge, I
> explained that I knew her because she taught me last semester, to which
> many people laughed. We both felt that the fact that we knew one another
> would not be a problem, and that neither of us would influence one another
> in the decision.
> The lawyers then asked more hypothetical situational questions. When it
> came time for the lawyers to select their alternates, I was not among one
> of the names chosen.
> Despite the fact that I could not serve on the case, I was very happy
> with my experience. After all, many potential jurors never get to
> experience being called for a case, with some never having to report at
> all. My fellow jurors were all very accommodating as long as I was able to
> articulate what I needed. I feel that I can quite confidently say that my
> reason for not being chosen had nothing to do with my blindness, as there
> were many, many other sighted people in the same situation.
> So, is jury duty for a blind person possible? Yes! By coming together
> and sharing our jury duty experiences, both past and future, we
> Federationists can work together to give each other guidance and discuss
> accommodation issues. However, as long as you have some method of being
> able to read your juror information, follow instructions, and can advocate
> for yourself, there should be few if any problems.
> ----------
> [PHOTO CAPTION: JP Williams plays the guitar.]
> Playing Your Hand: A Blind Songwriter Doing What It Takes to Live the Life
> He Wants
> by JP Williams
>
> From the Editor: JP Williams is a singer songwriter and accessibility
> technology professional who now lives in Nashville, Tennessee. Many of us
> know of JP's work in helping to craft "Live the Life You Want" and other
> Federation songs. Here is the presentation that JP made on the morning of
> July 8, 2018:
>
> So, what's going on, people? How are you feeling? So if you believe
> you can live the life you want, let me hear from you. [applause]
> What an honor it is to speak this morning. President Riccobono, thank
> you for the invitation. I've been excited about this for a long time and
> preparing for it, and I'm going to talk about two things this morning that
> a lot of people have already touched on, but I'm gonna tell you my take on
> it due to my experience and the path that I've taken. That's expectation
> and collaboration, and to do that I'm going to back up and start from the
> beginning.
> I was born with limited vision-only in my left eye, none in my right-
> in Clarksville, Indiana. [cheers from Indiana] At the age of four,
> fortunately I was introduced to Braille. They knew my vision was fading,
> and I would become completely blind. So they introduced me to Braille, and
> at the age of six, myself and my family moved to Dallas, Texas. Around that
> time, after my second grade year, I was placed into resource classes
> because of my blindness. It was determined that I would just go on to
> receive a certificate of attendance. I have to show my age. I'm forty-two.
> This was the early 80s, and at that time that's where I landed. I had a
> single mom, and we didn't know at that time that you could live the life
> you want. We didn't know about the National Federation of the Blind. We
> didn't know all of those things.
> I'm fast forwarding. By the end of my junior year, I was sitting with
> my parents and talking about options and realizing, of course, that I
> didn't have the credits to go to college. We got together and developed a
> plan that I would attend the Tennessee School for the Blind for two years.
> There I got four years of credits, and went to college and graduated.
> [applause]
> So I have to say that I have empathy for the blind students, and I
> have empathy for the blind parents. I have to say thank God you are here,
> because now you have knowledge, and now you know the truth. [applause]
> After college I moved to Atlanta, Georgia (I moved around a lot).
> There I was teaching music and playing a lot of different types of
> corporate gigs and going on the road as an independent artist. In the midst
> of all that, Nashville, Tennessee, would not leave me alone. So I started
> taking a Greyhound bus to Nashville-from Atlanta to Nashville once a month.
> I call what I did intelligent ignorance because I had no idea what I was up
> against. But I did it anyway because I wanted to go and place myself in an
> environment where I could succeed or fail, and that's basically how you
> define an opportunity-if there is a chance of success, if there's a chance
> of failure. The bar is set very high in Nashville; it's the NFL for
> songwriters.
> I started taking that Greyhound bus and calling publishers, trying to
> set up co-writes, getting hotel rooms, and in the year 2006 I took the
> plunge. I said I've got to go because I would rather go and get my answer
> then spend the rest of my life wondering what if.
> I moved in, started a life, met my wife who's with me here today
> [applause], and she said a cool thing: she said, "This is a cane-vention."
> This is her first time here with me, so this is a cane-vention, baby.
> [applause]
> I met my wife and just began the messy road of the music business.
> Eventually I landed a publishing deal, so for the past seven years I've
> been paid to write songs. It's been amazing. When you get into
> expectations, through my experience in placing myself in an environment
> where the bar is set high, after that you start collaborating. I have to
> say that the National Federation of the Blind is one of the best places to
> collaborate. [applause] Think about how in 1940 if sixteen people hadn't
> gotten together to collaborate, to develop a constitution, to help blind
> people, we would not all be here today. They got together, and we are all
> here, and it's an amazing thing, and the collaboration continues.
> Figuratively this is a beautiful song that has been written and continues
> to be written.
> People ask me all the time, "What's it like as a blind person being a
> songwriter, a professional songwriter." People show up in the room (I call
> it creative dating). My publisher will set up co-writes with other
> songwriters at other publishing companies. They'll show up in the room, and
> a lot of times it's the first time you've ever met. Sometimes it goes well
> and you connect, and sometimes it's just, "Let's go to lunch." But one of
> the things that I have found, being the only blind person in the room, is
> that humor always goes a long way, not taking myself too seriously, but
> taking what I do seriously-that goes a long way. The idea is king. If it's
> a great idea, it doesn't matter who's blind or sighted in the room. You're
> all working toward a common goal: to write the best song, to create the
> best product. This is what happens at the NFB every day.
> As an example of collaboration, my wife is going to bring me my
> guitar [applause], and I'm going to play you a little ditty. I got together
> one day with a songwriter by the name of Bobby Cumberland, and Bobby's been
> in town a long time and is a very successful songwriter. We started talking
> about the roots of country music and how much it means to us. [JP begins to
> strum his guitar and play] So we got to talking about the roots of the
> music. We love the new stuff, but we hope that the roots of the genre are
> never forgotten. And that led us to start talking about the Grand Ole Opry.
> In the midst of that, we started thinking, what if the Grand Ole Opry was a
> person just sitting in a rocking chair telling you about his/her life? What
> would he/she say? This is what we came out with, and I was fortunate enough
> actually (this was another dream come true) to sing this on the Grand Ole
> Opry last year.
> [There is no way to replicate this performance in writing, so those
> wishing to hear the song should go to
> https://nfb.org/images/nfb/audio/2018_convention_highlights/july_8/am/05_pla
> ying_your_hand.mp3.]
> Another dream has come true recently. There are three things you
> always pray for when you land in Nashville: that you get a publishing deal,
> you get to sing on the Grand Ole Opry, and you hear a song that you've
> written or co-written on the radio. Well this song is number thirty-eight
> on the country charts right now. It was released by an artist named Jimmy
> Allen, it's climbing the charts right now, and I'm so grateful to be a part
> of it. I got together with Jimmy and another buddy of ours, Josh London,
> and we wrote this song. Fortunately he went and recorded it. It's called
> "Best Shot." [He plays the song]
> As I'm closing today, I'd like to leave you with a quote I heard
> recently that really spoke to me. That is, "Diversity is being invited to
> the party, and inclusion is being asked to dance." [applause] So let's all
> keep dancing. God bless you.
> ----------
> [PHOTO CAPTION: Valerie Yingling]
> Accessible Cardtronics ATMs
> by Valerie Yingling
>
> From the Editor: Valerie Yingling is our legal program coordinator,
> and she has been at this job for six years. No one can come away from the
> national convention without remembering the extension 2440 since this
> dedicated and highly effective staff member solicits lots of input on a
> variety of topics. It is always a pleasure to talk with her, and it is also
> a pleasure to read what she writes. Here it is:
>
> This past September, Cardtronics received certification confirming
> that its ATM fleet was in compliance with the strict accessibility
> standards of the 2014 settlement agreement between the National Federation
> of the Blind, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and Cardtronics. This is a
> noteworthy milestone, and one that nearly concludes years of legal action
> and the NFB demanding that Cardtronics ATMs be fully accessible to the
> blind.
>
> A Complex History
>
> It was in 2005 that NFB and the Commonwealth first brought action
> against Cardtronics, and in 2007 Cardtronics entered into a class-action
> settlement, agreeing to make nearly 30,000 ATMs accessible to the blind via
> voice guidance. This was a landmark agreement and one that helped set the
> standard for ATM accessibility nationwide. Unfortunately, Cardtronics was
> unsuccessful in implementing the agreement terms, a subsequent court-
> approved remediation plan, and an extension of terms to March 15, 2012,
> that included the court providing a Shakespearean warning to Cardtronics to
> beware the Ides of March.
> In August 2012, after further nonconformance, NFB and the
> Commonwealth requested court-supervised monitoring and enforcement. The
> court appointed a special master, and Cardtronics established a Center of
> Excellence to steer its accessibility efforts and provide industry-leading
> voice-guided user experience for Cardtronics-supported ATMs. At long last,
> these interventions proved successful. ATM voice-guidance scripts were
> developed with the assistance of NFB member and accessibility expert Ron
> Gardner, and Cardtronics installed the accessible software and scripts
> across its ATM fleet, numbering then close to 100,000 ATMs.
> Many of you were instrumental in the NFB's 2017-2018 Cardtronics ATM
> testing program. Members tested six hundred ATMs nationwide to assess that
> each included Braille instructions and labels, that voice guidance began
> when a customer inserted a headset into the headphone jack, that the user
> could complete a balance inquiry and cash withdrawal and receive a
> transaction summary via voice guidance, and other critical features. This
> was not an easy testing program, and its success relied on the commitment
> of over two hundred testers.
> The test results weren't perfect. Cardtronics took reports of
> inaccessibility seriously and investigated all failed tests. Missing
> Braille and inoperable machines were addressed swiftly. Substantiated
> issues were not related to the voice-guidance scripts themselves. One
> recurring problem involved testers' inability to sufficiently hear the
> voice guidance. We identified that if testers were using Apple headphones,
> they would likely need to insert the headphones only halfway into the
> headphone jack for best sound quality.
>
> Moving Forward
>
> We are currently in Phase II of our settlement agreement with
> Cardtronics. Over the next seven quarters, Cardtronics is required to
> complete one full accessibility inspection cycle of its ATM fleet and
> provide quarterly reports to NFB and the Commonwealth.
> Now that NFB has completed its ATM testing program and Cardtronics
> has received its certificate of conformance, there are specific
> troubleshooting and reporting actions that NFB members can take if they
> encounter an inaccessible ATM. We recommend the following for Cardtronics
> or otherwise-owned ATMs:
> If you cannot hear the voice guidance, first remove and reinsert your
> headphones. Basic headphones will work best; headphones with microphones
> may not work. If you are using Apple headphones, they may need to be
> inserted only halfway for best sound quality.
> If you experience difficulties with your PIN, card, or incorrect cash
> dispenses, you should contact your bank for resolution.
> All other barriers can be directed to the ATM's owner/servicer. All
> ATMs should have a number on them to call for mechanical difficulties,
> access, or suspicious activities. Unfortunately, the phone number might not
> be provided on the machine in Braille, and you may need to ask store
> personnel to identify the number.
> Cardtronics ATM complaints can be directed to 800-786-9666; please
> keep in mind that not all ATMs are owned or serviced by Cardtronics.
> As President Riccobono has stated, "We appreciate that the leadership
> team at Cardtronics recognizes that the blind deserve the same convenient
> access to cash and banking services that sighted people enjoy." Indeed,
> full and equal access to financial information and resources is critical to
> our members living the lives they want. Accessible ATMs remain a matter of
> priority for the NFB. We are pleased that it is a priority for Cardtronics
> as well.
> For additional information, or for copies of the settlement
> agreements and press releases, visit www.nfb.org/legal or contact Valerie
> Yingling, legal program coordinator, at vyingling at nfb.org or 410-659-9314,
> extension 2440.
> ----------
> [PHOTO CAPTION: John Paré]
> Social Security, SSI, and Medicare Facts for 2019
> by John Paré
>
> About this time each year we provide you with details regarding
> annual adjustments in the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI),
> Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and Medicare programs. In 2019
> approximately 67 million Americans will see a slight cost-of-living (COLA)
> increase (2.8 percent) in their benefit amounts. Thus, come January,
> monthly checks will be a few dollars higher.
> The 2019 amounts appear below along with some concepts which are
> always good to know about the Social Security and Medicare programs if you
> want to understand your rights. The COLA adjustment (if any) is based upon
> the consumer price index (CPI-W), which measures the inflationary rate
> against the wages earned by the approximately 173 million workers across
> the nation over the previous four quarters starting with the third quarter
> of the previous year. Okay, here are the numbers.
>
> Tax Rates
>
> FICA and Self-Employment Tax Rates: If you have a job, you know that
> you do not bring home everything you earn. 7.65 percent of your pay, for
> example, is deducted to cover your contribution to the Old Age, Survivors,
> and Disability Insurance (OASDI) Trust Fund and the Medicare Hospital
> Insurance (HI) Trust Fund. Specifically, 6.20 percent covers OASDI, and
> 1.45 percent is contributed to the HI Trust Fund. Additionally, your
> employer is required to match this 7.65 percent for a total of 15.30
> percent.
> For those who are self-employed, there is no "employer" to match the
> 7.65 percent. Thus, a self-employed individual pays the entire 15.30
> percent of her income. These numbers will not change in 2018 whether an
> individual is employed or self-employed. As of January 2013, individuals
> with earned income of more than $200,000 ($250,000 for married couples
> filing jointly) pay an additional 0.9 percent in Medicare taxes not
> including the above amounts.
>
> Maximum Taxable Earnings
>
> For the OASDI Trust Fund, there is a ceiling on taxable earnings,
> which was $128,400 per year in 2018 and will jump to $132,900 in 2019.
> Thus, for earnings above $132,900, there is no 6.20 percent deducted for
> OASDI. As for Medicare, there is no limit on taxable earnings for the HI
> Trust Fund.
>
> Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)
> Quarters of Coverage
>
> I always like to compare the OASDI Trust Fund to an insurance policy.
> You have to pay a premium to participate. Therefore, to qualify for
> Retirement, Survivors, or Disability Insurance benefits, an individual must
> pay a minimum amount of FICA taxes into the OASDI Trust Fund by earning a
> sufficient number of calendar quarters to become fully insured for Social
> Security benefits.
> In 2018 credit for one quarter of coverage was awarded for any
> individual who earned at least $1,320 during the year, which means that an
> individual would have needed to earn at least $5,280 to be credited with
> four quarters of coverage. In 2019 the amount increases to $1,360 for one
> calendar quarter or $5,440 to earn four quarters of coverage for the year.
> A maximum of four quarters can be awarded for any calendar year, and
> it makes no difference when the income is earned during that year.
> Basically, the taxes you pay into the OASDI and HI Trust Funds are your
> premiums to participate in the Social Security and Medicare programs.
> The total number of quarters required to be eligible for benefits
> depends on the individual's age. The older the individual, the more
> quarters are required. Furthermore, a higher average income during an
> individual's lifetime means a higher Social Security or SSDI check when
> benefits start. Remember the above quoted numbers for quarters of coverage
> to become fully insured are only minimum amounts.
>
> Trial Work Period (TWP)
>
> This concept is often misunderstood. The amount of earnings required
> to use a trial work month is based not upon the earnings limit for blind
> beneficiaries, but rather upon the national average wage index. In 2018 the
> amount required to use a TWP month was only $850, and this amount will
> increase to $880 in 2019.
> If you are self-employed, you can also use a trial work month if you
> work more than eighty hours in your business, and this limitation will not
> change unless expressly adjusted.
>
> Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA)
>
> The earnings limit for a blind beneficiary in 2018 was $1,970 per
> month and will rise to $2,040 in 2019. Remember this is not the TWP amount.
> This is to say that the TWP can be exhausted even if your income is well
> below $2,040 per month. See the above information about the TWP.
> In 2019 a blind SSDI beneficiary who earns $2,041 or more in a month
> (before taxes but after subtracting unincurred business expenses for the
> self-employed, subsidized income for the employed, and impairment-related
> work expenses) will be deemed to have exceeded SGA and will likely no
> longer be eligible for benefits.
>
> Social Security Benefit Amounts
>
> In January of 2019 the average amount of SSDI benefits for a disabled
> worker is estimated to rise by about $34 to $1,234. Pursuant to the Social
> Security Act, a cost-of-living adjustment occurs automatically when there
> is an increase in inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index for
> Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). The CPI-W indicated an
> inflationary rate of 2.8 percent between the third quarter of 2017 and the
> third quarter of 2018. Thus, there is a corresponding COLA increase in 2019
> and an increase in monthly benefit amounts.
>
> Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
>
> The federal payment amount for individuals receiving SSI in 2018 was
> $750 and will increase to $771 in 2019, and the federal monthly payment
> amount of SSI received by couples will rise from $1,125 to $1,157.
>
> Student Earned Income Exclusion
>
> In 2018, the monthly amount was $1,820 and will increase to $1,870 in
> 2019. The annual amount was $7,350 and will be $7,550 in 2019. The asset
> limits under the SSI program will remain unchanged at $2,000 per individual
> and $3,000 per couple.
>
> ABLE Act
>
> Signed on December 19, 2014, the ABLE Act will have a significant
> impact on resource limits associated with the SSI and Medicaid programs for
> those who were blind or disabled by the age of twenty-six. Traditionally,
> SSI beneficiaries have been required to adhere to strict resource limits:
> such as a maximum of $2,000 in the bank for an individual receiving SSI
> benefits. Under the ABLE Act, however, the amount on deposit in an ABLE
> Account can be much higher.
> ABLE Account contributions must be designated specifically for
> purposes such as education, housing (with a cautionary warning to follow),
> employment training and support, assistive technology, health, prevention
> and wellness, financial management, legal fees, and funeral and burial
> expenses. The required implementing regulations are being enacted in most
> states. Check with your financial institution of choice for a status of
> ABLE Act regulations in a specific state.
> As to the warning about ABLE Account contributions for housing, it is
> important to note that SSI beneficiaries may still face the traditional
> $2,000 resource limit for ABLE Account funds designated for housing. Thus,
> SSI beneficiaries should consider the many other purposes not subject to
> the traditional resource limits when making ABLE Account contributions.
> Because there are also tax advantages associated with ABLE accounts, both
> SSDI and SSI beneficiaries should consult a financial advisor about
> establishing an ABLE Account.
>
> Medicare
>
> Medicare Deductibles and Coinsurance: Medicare Part A coverage
> provides hospital insurance to most Social Security beneficiaries. The
> coinsurance amount is the hospital charge to a Medicare beneficiary for any
> hospital stay. Medicare then pays the hospital charges above the
> beneficiary's coinsurance amount.
> The Part A hospital inpatient deductible was $1,340 in 2018 and
> increases to $1,364 in 2019. The coinsurance charged for hospital services
> within a benefit period of no longer than sixty days will remain at $0, as
> it has for the past several years. From the sixty-first day through the
> ninetieth day, the daily coinsurance amount was $335 per day in 2018 and
> will rise slightly to $341 in 2019. Each Medicare beneficiary has sixty
> lifetime reserve days that may be used after a ninety-day benefit period
> has ended. Once used, these reserve days are no longer available after any
> benefit period. The coinsurance amount paid during each reserve day used in
> 2018 was $670 and in 2019 will be $682.
> Part A of Medicare pays all covered charges for services in a skilled
> nursing facility for the first twenty days following a three-day in-
> hospital stay within a benefit period. From the twenty-first day through
> the one hundredth day in a benefit period, the Part A daily coinsurance
> amount for services received in a skilled nursing facility was $167.50 for
> 2018 and will rise just slightly to $170.50 in 2019.
> Most Social Security beneficiaries have no monthly premium charge for
> Medicare Part A coverage. Those who become ineligible for SSDI can continue
> to receive Medicare Part A coverage premium-free for at least ninety-three
> months after the end of a trial work period. After that time the individual
> may purchase Part A coverage. The premium rate for this coverage during
> 2018 was $422 monthly and increases to $437 in 2019.
> The annual deductible amount for Medicare Part B (medical insurance)
> in 2018 was $183 and will rise to $185 in 2019. The Medicare Part B monthly
> premium rate for 2018 was $134 per month and will rise to $135.50 in 2019.
> For those receiving Social Security benefits, this premium payment is
> deducted from your monthly benefit check. Individuals who remain eligible
> for Medicare but are not receiving Social Security benefits due to work
> activity must directly pay the Part B premium quarterly-one payment every
> three months. Like the Part A premiums mentioned above, Part B is also
> available for at least ninety-three months following the trial work period,
> assuming an individual wishes to have it and, when not receiving SSDI,
> continues to make quarterly premium payments.
> Programs That Help with Medicare Deductibles and Premiums: Low-income
> Medicare beneficiaries may qualify for assistance through four Medicare
> Savings Programs. We will discuss three of them here and leave the fourth
> one alone because (to qualify for it each year) you must already be on it,
> and you know who you are. Note: the amounts below may change in 2019. We
> begin with the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary program (QMB) and the
> Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary program (SLMB).
> To qualify for the QMB program in 2018, an individual's monthly
> income could not exceed $1,032, and a married couple's monthly income could
> not exceed $1,392. To qualify for the SLMB program in 2018, an individual's
> monthly income could not exceed $1,234, and a married couple's monthly
> income could not exceed $1,666.
> Both the QMB and SLMB programs are administered by the Centers for
> Medicare and Medicaid Services in conjunction with the states. The rules
> vary from state to state, but the following can be said: As of 2018,
> resources (such as bank accounts or stocks) could not exceed $7,560 for one
> person or $11,340 per couple.
> Under the QMB program, states are required to pay the Medicare Part A
> (Hospital Insurance) and Part B (Medical Insurance) premiums, deductibles,
> and coinsurance expenses for Medicare beneficiaries who meet the program's
> income and resource requirements. Under the SLMB program, states pay only
> the full Medicare Part B monthly premium. Eligibility for the SLMB program
> may be retroactive for up to three calendar months.
> The third program, known as the Qualified Disabled and Working
> Individuals (QDWI) Program, pays Part A premiums only and has resource
> limits of $4,000 for one person and $6,000 for a married couple. As to
> these programs, resources are generally things you own. However, not
> everything is counted. Examples of things that don't count include the
> house you live in, one car, a burial plot (or $1,500 put aside for burial
> expenses), and furniture.
> If you qualify for assistance under the QMB program, you will not
> have to pay the following: Medicare's hospital deductible amount, the daily
> coinsurance charges for extended hospital and skilled nursing facility
> stays; the Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) premium, the annual Part B
> deductible; and the coinsurance for services covered by Medicare Part B,
> depending on which doctor you go to (these services include doctor
> services, outpatient therapy, and durable medical equipment). If you
> qualify for assistance under the SLMB program, you will be responsible for
> the payment of all of the items listed above except for the monthly Part B
> premium, depending on your circumstances.
> If you think you qualify but you have not filed for Medicare Part A,
> contact Social Security to find out if you need to file an application.
> Further information about filing for Medicare is available from your local
> Social Security office or Social Security's toll-free number 800-772-1213.
> Remember that only your state can decide if you are eligible for help
> from the QMB or SLMB program and also that the income and resource levels
> listed here are general guidelines, with some states choosing greater
> amounts. Therefore, if you are elderly or disabled, have low income and
> very limited assets, and are a Medicare beneficiary, contact your state or
> local Medicaid office (referred to in some states as the Public Aid Office
> or the Public Assistance Office) to apply. For more information about
> either program, call the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
> on its toll-free number 800-633-4227, or visit Medicare.gov.
> ------
> [PHOTO CAPTION: Norma Crosby]
> [PHOTO CAPTION: Helen Keller]
> Helen Keller No More in Texas
> by Norma Crosby
>
> From the Editor: Norma Crosby is the dynamic president of the
> National Federation of the Blind of Texas. Her long and distinguished
> career in helping blind people was most recently exemplified in her work
> after hurricane Harvey, and many will remember that she was recognized,
> along with husband Glenn, with the Jacobus tenBroek Award in 2017. In
> response to a proposal being considered by the state of Texas to remove
> Helen Keller from the curriculum, Norma and a number of people from her
> state and throughout the nation have expressed their concern. In response,
> the board has delayed its decision until November, and there is some reason
> to believe the proposal will be amended. Here is what Norma said in an
> email which contains her letter to the head of the Texas Board of
> Education:
>
> Hello everyone. This morning I have sent a note to the chairwoman of
> the Texas State Board of Education regarding the board's recent decision to
> omit Helen Keller from the state's required curriculum for elementary
> school students. I wanted to share it with you. If others wish to contact
> the agency, I will share the appropriate contact information here.
>
> Donna Bahorich, Chairwoman
> Texas State Board of Education
> donna.bahorich at tea.texas.gov
>
> Here is the text of my letter.
>
> Dear Chairwoman Bahorich:
>
> I understand that the Texas SBOE is currently considering a final
> vote regarding the removal of Helen Keller from our state's mandated
> curriculum. As the president of an organization that works to ensure that
> blind Texans can live the lives we want, I believe it is critical for both
> disabled children and those who do not have a disability to learn that
> blind and deaf-blind people have the capacity to participate actively in
> society and to make a difference in everyday life.
> Helen Keller was such a person, and since disabled children have few
> role models to learn about in school, I believe it is critical that Helen
> Keller remain a part of what children are taught. In fact, I believe there
> is room to add other historically important figures who are blind to our
> curriculum.
> For example, Kenneth Jernigan led the oldest and largest organization
> of blind people in the world for many years, and he was a critical thinker
> regarding blindness. He understood intuitively that it was necessary for
> blind people to learn the nonvisual skills necessary to compete on terms of
> equality with their sighted peers. He believed that with proper training
> and opportunity, blind people can work and be contributing members of
> society. I agree with his assessment, and I believe Helen Keller did as
> well.
> We want blind and other disabled children to grow up with the
> attitude that they can and should work, own a home, raise children, and do
> all the other things their sighted peers do. We want sighted children to
> understand that blind people can do these things as well, and the inclusion
> of Helen Keller as a role model allows for a discussion of how blind and
> other disabled people can utilize the important skills necessary to
> accomplish our goals in life.
> I urge you to consider what I have said here as you make a final
> decision regarding this matter, and I hope you will work with our
> organization to make sure the curriculum you adopt includes an opportunity
> for all children to learn about the important accomplishments of people
> with disabilities. I look forward to a respectful dialogue regarding this
> issue, and I welcome your response at your earliest convenience.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Norma Crosby, President
> National Federation of the Blind of Texas
> ----------
> My History and My Desire to Serve
> by Sheri Koch
>
> From the Editor: one of the blessings of being involved in a growing
> and diverse organization is watching the change in leadership that occurs.
> Over the last few years we have had a record number of newly elected state
> presidents. They have a listserv that makes it easy for them to
> communicate, strategize, and get to know one another. Here is a recent post
> from that list that is particularly moving and instructive:
>
> Hello NFB Family,
>
> I see from watching the list that new affiliate presidents have been
> introducing themselves, so I will follow suit. I'm a wee bit late with
> this, having been elected back in September. I am a native West Virginian,
> and with the exception of a brief stint in western Florida, I've made my
> life here in the Mountain State. With a brief interruption for my senior
> year, I was educated at the West Virginia School for the Blind. I graduated
> from a large public high school in preparation for transitioning to college
> life. My undergraduate work was done in social work, and my master's degree
> is in rehabilitation counseling.
> For almost thirty years I worked for the West Virginia Division of
> Rehabilitation Services in their blindness programs, starting as a teacher
> of adult blind, moving on to being a specialty rehabilitation counselor for
> the blind, and finally serving as a program specialist of blind services.
> Happily, I've been retired for almost six years.
> My husband of thirty years and I live with our two lovely Feline-
> Americans here in the capitol city of Charleston. We spend time reading,
> keeping up with the news, traveling to far-away places such as Ireland,
> doing volunteer work with our local Lions Club, and of course, working for
> the National Federation of the Blind, an organization that I love dearly
> and which has changed my life.
> Until age fifty I refused to put a cane in my hand. Somehow, and this
> is still a mystery to me, I thought it much cooler to bumble around in my
> world rather than taking on the perceived indignity of the long white cane.
> I continue to marvel to this day about my crazy perceptions and just how
> wrong I was. As part of my professional duties, I was asked to attend NCSAB
> [National Council of State Agencies for the Blind], IL-OB [Independent
> Living Older Blind], and NFB meetings. It was at these meetings that I met
> wonderful blind people who used the long white cane with confidence and
> dignity. It wasn't long before I internalized the value and freedom of the
> cane. NFB changed my life, and I now live in my world with greater ease,
> confidence, and peace.
> Thank you NFB!!! I am forever grateful, and I will spend as many
> years that are left to me giving back to you! I eagerly await the time when
> I have the opportunity to meet each and every one of you.
> ----------
> [PHOTO CAPTION: Peggy Chong]
> Southwest Airlines Works Toward Inclusion for All
> by Peggy Chong
>
> From the Editor: Peggy Chong is probably best known for her series of
> articles that gained her the name, The Blind History Lady. Many of her
> beginning articles were first featured in these pages, and now she has a
> website which is https://theblindhistorylady.com.
> In addition to all of the work she does on history, she also is very
> involved in her local chapter and state affiliate. In this article she
> tells us about the outreach her chapter has done to Southwest Airlines and
> the positive response it has received. Here is what she says:
>
> The Braille Monitor for many years has printed articles regarding air
> travel and the blind. Most of them have expounded on our frustrations with
> the airlines and their staff. Last summer at our national convention we
> heard from Blane Workie from the office of Aviation Enforcement and
> Proceedings (see the October Braille Monitor,
> https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm18/bm1809/bm180908.htm). She
> told us that things are changing for the better for passengers with
> disabilities.
> Recently, the Albuquerque Chapter of the NFB of New Mexico hosted its
> annual White Cane Banquet as part of our Meet the Blind Month activities.
> Our speaker was Southwest Airlines Representative Dallas Thomas who spoke
> on the policies and practices of Southwest Airlines in regard to its blind
> customers. The presentation was received enthusiastically by the crowd. But
> there is much more to the story than just a speaker for our White Cane
> Banquet.
> In early June of 2018, Curtis and I were rushing to catch our
> Southwest flight at the Albuquerque airport. We approached the service
> counter and got checked in. We said we could not work the kiosks as they
> were not accessible. The ticket agent told us that yes, they were
> accessible, but she was not sure how they worked. The three of us went to
> one of the new kiosks and found the headphone jack. Curtis plugged in his
> headphones and started to explore. Unfortunately, as we had already checked
> in, we did not want to mess up our reservation by experimenting. Besides,
> we had to get to our gate. Before leaving the ticketing area we asked if
> there was someone we could call when we got back, who could tell us more.
> She gave us a name and phone number, and we were off.
> When we returned from our trip, I called the Southwest phone number
> and left a message that I would like to know more about the accessible
> kiosks and can we come and test one out. The message was passed on to John
> Johnston, ABQ Assistant Station Leader, Ground Operations. Mr. Johnston
> told me later that his first question to the staff member who gave him the
> message was, "Do we have one of those?" When his team member said that they
> did, but no one knows how it works, Mr. Johnston said that maybe they
> better figure out how it works!
> Next, he gave me a call to talk about the kiosks. Not long after our
> first contact, I asked if he would like to address our White Cane Banquet
> in the fall and promote the new kiosks. He said he would get back to me
> about speaking and when our members can come out and test the kiosks. I
> thought this would be the end of our communication.
> Nope, each Friday he called and gave me an update. Mr. Johnston took
> our request seriously and contacted the national Southwest Airlines
> headquarters in Texas to learn how the kiosks worked, if there were
> instructions on those things, and who would be the best speaker. Dallas
> Thomas was assigned to come to Albuquerque and present to our group.
> Dallas Thomas did know about the accessibility initiatives of
> Southwest, but not the specifics. He too did not know exactly how the
> kiosks worked, but he would get back to me. I asked if we could get from
> him step-by-step instructions for operating the kiosks at the airport. He
> said he would get them to us when he had them.
> Mr. Thomas participated in many meetings at the Department of
> Transportation on accessibility including the DOT's Access Advisory
> Committee where he represented Southwest Airlines. At several of those
> meetings, he had a chance to discuss accessibility issues with our own
> Parnell Diggs to better understand what blind passengers experienced when
> traveling and what we wanted. Thomas said that Southwest wants to not just
> meet the standards set by the Department of Transportation, rather it wants
> to reach for a goal of total inclusion and take the necessary time to
> actively work toward that goal.
> My reasons for asking for the step-by-step guide were of course to
> understand how the kiosks worked, but more importantly, to find out if
> Southwest understood how they worked. Did a blind person have input on the
> design of the kiosks? Had a blind person even test driven one of them
> before implementation? The next ten weeks proved to be most enlightening
> for me.
> Dallas Thomas not only got me the step-by-step instructions, but he
> also made sure they worked. When Mr. Thomas went to get the instructions,
> there were none. When instructions were created and he got a copy, he went
> to the testing center where they put up three test kiosks and walked
> through the instructions himself. I bet he never spent so much time
> preparing for a speaking engagement before.
> His presentation on October 20 before seventy-two registrants for our
> White Cane Banquet shed further light on why Dallas was willing to find out
> how the accessibility functions worked before our event. He told us that in
> testing the nonvisual access, the techies turn off the screen. When they
> test, they are truly using nonvisual access that you and I would use. What
> a concept! It is so simple and common sense, yet very few designers today
> think of doing such a simple and time-saving step before implementation.
> Dallas explained that Southwest wants inclusion for all, no matter if
> one is a customer or employee. No matter if we are blind, deaf, or just an
> infrequent flyer. When Southwest began to replace outdated equipment and
> software, it knew it had a big job ahead. But Southwest wanted to do it
> right the first time and not add on to an old and outdated product. This
> meant that the kiosks that had to be accessible had to communicate with the
> reservations information that blind customer service reservations operators
> would use as well as the software for the rest of the company. Dallas said
> that they took longer than they had hoped, but, as they roll out each new
> component of their new systems, they have been coming on with very minor
> hiccups and with no or little disruption to operations and customer
> contacts. Dallas also told us that from this point on, all new kiosks at
> Southwest will be accessible and that all kiosks operated by Southwest will
> operate the same. We will not have to know if this model has this feature
> or not. Everything will be standard. He received much applause for these
> comments.
> The in-flight entertainment component was also discussed. Many of us
> know that on Southwest there are no seatback entertainment options. But,
> did you know that Southwest has an accessible entertainment option? Yes, on
> the device of your choice-I used my iPhone, but you can use your android
> device as well. After turning on airplane mode, I went to settings, Wi-Fi,
> and looked for the Southwest network. Not being a big techie expert, it
> took a couple of tries to figure it out, but I did. The in-flight
> entertainment killed time, but I think I will still bring my Victor Reader
> Stream.
> Dallas explained that it is much easier for every passenger to access
> entertainment on the device they are most familiar with rather than
> spending too much of your trip fighting with a new device. Designing a
> seatback system that would need to be updated (both hardware and software)
> each time new devices become popular could prove to be more expensive. The
> audience agreed with his comments. I guess many of us had experienced the
> frustration of trying to relax with in-flight entertainment options on an
> unfamiliar seatback device.
> Another revealing comment on the philosophy of Southwest as a company
> came from Mr. Thomas during his presentation when he discussed a Southwest
> senior reservations manager who lost his vision a few years ago. Nothing in
> Mr. Thomas's comments indicated that Southwest thought the man should
> retire early. On the contrary, he spoke about it as if it was natural that
> the blinded employee would have to make a few changes in how he carried out
> his duties and continue on with the company in the same position. As head
> of reservations, the now-blinded Southwest manager is in charge of the
> reservations call centers where several blind people are employed and using
> speech and Braille output equipment that is compatible with Southwest's new
> software. Since the rollout of its new software, according to Mr. Thomas,
> more blind reservations agents have been hired by Southwest.
> Although not everything is perfect, Southwest has been open and
> willing to talk to us about its kiosks and how they work, as well as open
> to suggestions. Members and guests attending the White Cane Banquet left
> with a warm feeling toward Southwest and an eagerness to try the new
> kiosks. Does that mean that we will never have a bad trip? Probably not,
> but at least many of us now feel that if it happens on Southwest, our
> troubles will not be a result of inaccessibility or indifference on the
> part of the company.
> ----------
> [PHOTO CAPTION: Ed Vaughan]
> When Readers Are Good
> by Ed Vaughan
>
> From the Editor: Dr. C. Edwin Vaughan is professor emeritus at the
> University of Missouri in Columbia. He lives in California with his wife
> Joanne, but he still manages to write from time to time when he feels that
> an issue can benefit from his insight and observations. Here is what he has
> to say in the ongoing debate about the value of human readers and
> technology:
>
> In the February 2018 Braille Monitor Sabre Ewing writes about the
> inadequacies of using human readers for accessible technology. From Ms.
> Ewing's perspective when blind people use readers they create diminished
> access by "distorting cause and effect relationships in virtual
> environments." Using readers also promotes "dependence and distortion
> throughout the data analysis process." "Allowing a human reader to control
> software for a blind student will hinder that person's learning... Equal
> access also means both blind and sighted students should have the same
> independence and ease of use. We must therefore demand that, when a school
> cannot reasonably switch to accessible software, it must provide
> alternative instructional materials to blind students that do not require
> the use of a human reader."
> Admittedly Ms. Ewing is focused on a fairly narrow range of blind
> people using screen reader technology. However, I am writing this to remind
> us all that there are many different reasons for accessing different
> material in various ways. For at least eighty years many blind people have
> pursued careers in higher education, which frequently involves working in
> research universities. This means a lighter teaching load to provide time
> for creating new knowledge that can be shared with others through peer-
> reviewed publications. To be competitive in this environment, a blind
> person must be efficient in finding ways to access many different sources
> of information.
> For example, on several occasions I have conducted research in
> archival sources. There is almost no way this could be done without a
> reader. However with a well-trained, experienced reader, one can scan
> through much material without bogging down in unimportant details.
> As another example I sometimes encounter an article citing twenty or
> more sources, listed in support of the author's argument. At times I have
> wondered if the author was correctly using the many citations. In one case
> I reviewed seventeen articles in old and obscure printed journals and found
> that most of them had been misquoted and did not support the author's
> argument. A well-trained reader can facilitate what might otherwise be in
> this instance a very lengthy process (Vaughan & Schroeder 2019).
> In a research setting, speed is important. A good reader is more
> effective than five less able readers. This is the case in many fields such
> as history, political science, anthropology, and literature-to mention only
> a few. Any strategy that you find effective should be used until you find a
> better one.
> Ms. Ewing mentions the cost of using readers. At my research
> university I could employ readers using research grants and other
> departmental resources such as work-study students. I also paid readers
> myself. Was this costly? My work probably cost no more than other
> colleagues who required various kinds of specialized equipment for their
> research. Also I have used volunteer readers for many decades.
> For example, I have had the same volunteer for fourteen years. Not
> only is he good, but we have become good friends.
> I am a great fan of various new technologies. My only concern is
> that, in our zeal to master one approach, we may overlook many different
> ways to live the life we want to live.
> ----------
> [PHOTO CAPTION: Fredric Schroeder]
> Advancing Opportunities for the World's 253 Million Blind and Partially
> Sighted People
> by Fredric Schroeder
> August 15, 2018
>
> From the Editor: Fredric Schroeder is a person who continues to
> astound me with the things he thinks and writes. When he speaks at one of
> our conventions, you can hear a pin drop. He always manages to incorporate
> interesting pieces from literature, science, or history and make it
> relevant to today's experiences for people who are blind. He has long done
> this for the National Federation of the Blind, but now he is prominent on
> the world stage as the president of the World Blind Union. Here is an
> address he delivered on August 15, 2018:
>
> The introduction to a 1902 translation of The Iliad contains the
> following words by Theodore Alois Buckley: "... we must set aside old
> notions and embrace fresh ones; and, as we learn, we must be daily
> unlearning something which it has cost us no small labor and anxiety to
> acquire." (Theodore Alois Buckley, introduction to The Iliad of Homer,
> trans. Alexander Pope (New York: A. L. Burt, 1902)). These poignant words
> remind us that the struggle for progress is a struggle against our own
> human nature-the struggle to abandon the security and comfort of the
> familiar and step with hope and faith into the unknown. While nearly
> everything commonly believed about Homer has been drawn from his poems,
> little is truly known about him or even whether he existed at all.
> Homer is assumed to have been blind, based on Demodokos, a blind poet
> found in The Odyssey. While blind poets were common in the ancient world,
> concluding that Homer was himself blind based on a reference to a blind
> poet in one of his works is at best tenuous. Yet, Homer remains an enduring
> testament to the ability of blind people to find a place in society-a
> testament to the ability of blind people, for all of recorded time, to work
> and contribute to the welfare of their communities, however difficult and
> limited the opportunities were then and however difficult and limited they
> remain nearly three millennia later.
> Was Homer blind? Who knows? But what is known is that there were
> blind poets in Homer's day, and the idea of a blind poet authoring one of
> the world's most poignant and enduring works would not have been surprising
> in Homer's time, and it is not surprising now. We know that blind people
> are a cross-section of society-some exceptional and others less so. Some
> ambitious while others not. Some are determined and others are timid. Yet
> opportunities then and opportunities now remain the exception for the
> blind, and that is why we have the World Blind Union.
> The World Blind Union (WBU) advocates on behalf of the world's
> estimated 253 million blind and partially sighted children and adults, but
> what do we advocate for? Blind people want what everyone wants: we want to
> live a productive life; we want to work and marry and raise a family. We
> want to live life in all its richness, with all its joys and opportunities,
> and we want to live with dignity. So, what stops us?
> For the most part, opportunities for blind people are limited by low
> expectations, that is, by socially constructed barriers to full inclusion.
> For all of recorded time, blind people have been presumed to be helpless,
> in need of care. Nevertheless, blind people have shown over and over again
> that, given the chance, they can live productive, fulfilling lives.
> Can blind children learn? Of course, but they need access to school
> books in Braille, and they need teachers who can teach them and who believe
> in their ability. Most of all, blind children need society to put aside its
> preconceptions and recognize that the age-old beliefs about blind people
> are false and must be replaced.
> In the area of education, the WBU led the effort to establish an
> international treaty that would allow books and other materials produced in
> special formats for the blind to be shared between and among participating
> countries. The treaty, known as the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access
> to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired or
> Otherwise Print Disabled (www.wipo.int/treaties/en/ip/marrakesh/), has now
> been ratified by forty countries, greatly expanding the availability of
> accessible materials for blind people living in those countries.
> In our modern age, it is anticipated that the majority of accessible
> materials will be shared electronically. Accordingly, the WBU led an effort
> to develop a powerful new technology that makes Braille compact, portable,
> and affordable. At one time books for the blind were limited to specially-
> produced Braille and large print and later, audio recordings. Today, more
> and more materials are downloaded electronically and are read by means of
> what is known as refreshable Braille. Refreshable Braille devices display
> Braille characters with pins that rise and fall, but until recently,
> refreshable Braille devices were prohibitively expensive-typically over
> $5,000. In response, the WBU led an effort to develop the Orbit Reader, a
> refreshable Braille device costing under $500, one tenth the cost of
> previous devices.
> Can blind adults work? Of course, but they need access to training
> and special technology that enables them to read computer screens and
> perform other work-related tasks. Most of all, blind adults need society to
> put aside its preconceptions and recognize that the age-old beliefs about
> blind people are false and must be replaced.
> In the area of employment, the WBU helped develop and is now
> advocating the ratification of an international treaty, the UN Convention
> on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, that calls on countries to
> adopt a wide range of civil rights protections banning discrimination
> against blind people in employment. In addition to advocating for legal
> protections, the WBU has developed online resources (Project Aspiro) that
> provide information about the types of work blind people are doing and the
> training and tools that make high quality employment possible.
> Can blind people travel safely and independently? Of course, but they
> face barriers brought about by changes to the environment that were made
> without considering the impact on blind people. Most of all, blind people
> need society to put aside its preconceptions and recognize that the age-old
> beliefs about blind people are false and must be replaced.
> For example, new electric and hybrid cars are increasingly common.
> Cars traveling on electric power are essentially silent, meaning they
> present a danger to pedestrians, especially blind pedestrians who rely on
> sound to judge when it is safe to cross a road. As a result, the WBU is
> working with the UN to develop a worldwide standard that would require
> manufacturers to equip electric and hybrid cars with a sound device that
> will alert pedestrians, including blind pedestrians, to the presence of
> very quiet cars.
> Whether it is education, employment, or community life, blind people
> have the ability to live as do others. Sometimes what is needed is new
> technology or special training, but what is always needed is an
> understanding that blind people can participate in the full range of
> activities others enjoy. In Buckley's introductory words to The Iliad, "To
> be content with what we at present know, is, for the most part, to shut our
> ears against conviction; since, from the very gradual character of our
> education, we must continually forget, and emancipate ourselves from,
> knowledge previously acquired." (Theodore Alois Buckley, introduction to
> The Iliad of Homer, trans. Alexander Pope (New York: A. L. Burt, 1902)).
> Blindness need not isolate blind people, but low expectations can and often
> do.
> We ask only the opportunity, the fair opportunity, to live as you
> live; to learn and to work; to dream and plan; to hope and aspire; to live
> normal lives free from the assumptions of the past. Said another way, we
> ask your understanding; we ask your friendship. For, as Homer, in his epic
> poem The Odyssey, reminds us, "...a friend with an understanding heart is
> worth no less than a brother." (Homer. The Odyssey of Homer (VIII. 585-
> 586), trans. George Herbert Palmer (Boston: Houghton Mifflin and Company,
> 1894)).
> ----------
> Driving Blind on the Information Superhighway-Review and Congratulations!
> by Amy Mason
>
> From the Editor: It is fitting in this end-of-year issue that we
> close the first session of our class about using the internet with various
> screen readers and web browsers. Amy Mason has put a lot of work into this
> class, and this will wrap things up until next year. Amy now works at San
> Francisco LightHouse for the Blind, but she promises to keep on writing and
> teaching in these pages. Here is her summary of what all of us have learned
> so far:
>
> Hey Class, I should have gotten this message to you before the summer
> break, but you did it. You have completed the first module of Driving Blind
> on the Information Superhighway.
> Congratulations are in order. You have already learned the
> fundamentals of web-browsing and gotten your hands on many of the tools you
> are going to need to explore on your own. So today's class is a celebration
> of where we have been, what we have learned, and what we are looking
> forward to in the coming months.
>
> Where We Have Been
>
> I want to focus on this first, because I believe firmly in the
> saying, "practice makes perfect." I also believe that practice is a lot
> less painful if we have our resources and tools at our elbow where we can
> reference them again in case we need a booster in either confidence or
> command structure. I know I can't keep all this nonsense in my head. I
> can't think of a single day I use a computer that I don't reference a
> keyboard help document at least once. Therefore, we'll use this as a guide
> to where you can find further information in the rest of the series.
> Especially relevant links from each piece will also be noted in a resources
> section at the end of this article so that you can get at them easily.
> It's been a wild ride so far. Our first lesson together "The New and
> Improved Rules of the Road" in the January 2018 Braille Monitor was our
> foundational lesson. In it we discussed a brief history of the internet and
> our access to it. We also looked at common terms we were going to learn
> about in future articles and the true meaning of accessibility. We also
> learned that we have the power to help ourselves increase the odds that we
> will be able to use the web simply by learning to be flexible in the tools
> we employ and the strategies we use.
> In February we began discussing some of those tools, "Browsers-
> Choosing the Right Vehicle for the Journey." We compared and contrasted the
> strengths and weaknesses of different options and discussed which would
> work best for different users depending on the combination of screen reader
> and operating system they were using. This article may or may not have
> included a sing-a-long.
> I believe that it is important to note that there is an update that
> should be made to the information found in the browser article. In the
> original piece, I mentioned that there had been a change to how Firefox was
> rendering information it passed to a screen reader, and at the time I
> recommended that most users should stick with the Extended Release version
> of the software. As of the time of this writing, many, many months later,
> that advice has changed. Of course, it couldn't be a change to make things
> simpler; it had to get more complicated (sigh). So here's the story with
> Firefox: If you are using JAWS 2018 and updated in June or later, you
> should now use the standard version of Firefox. (Sadly, this is going to
> require you to uninstall the Extended version.) If you are using NVDA 18.1
> or newer, you can also try the new version of Firefox, though it may or may
> not work quite as well as the most recent versions of JAWS. If you are
> running an older version of either screen reader, switch to Chrome as your
> primary browser until further notice. The changes in Firefox are
> fundamental and require major upgrade work for the screen readers, so older
> versions will not be supported on the recent release. Unfortunately, the
> Extended version is also now updating into problematic territory for older
> screen readers, so we really are stuck in this upgrade or leave scenario.
> It's a pity, but there is little we can do about it. Unfortunately,
> sometimes we get a lemon of a car, and we can only put so much work in
> before we have to move on. Although Firefox itself isn't a lemon, it is
> wholly incompatible with older screen readers, so those combinations become
> lemon-like very quickly.
> Long story short-if Firefox has stopped working for you, switch to
> Chrome for now. You will be much happier.
> Our third article, "Screen Readers: The Interface Between Us and the
> Road," published in the April Braille Monitor compares and contrasts the
> major desktop screen readers and provides a wealth of information on their
> quirks, foibles, and further learning resources. Nothing new and notable to
> report here, so we will let the original article speak for itself, and you
> can peruse the resources below if you want to be reminded of any of the
> items that were linked in the original.
> In May we finally got our motors running and headed on the highway.
> In "Hitting the Road, and Finding Your Way" we discussed the basics of
> finding your way around the web by typing the web address of the site you
> want to visit, using a search engine, or browsing from one link to the
> next. We also covered the basic reading and navigating of web pages. We
> discussed the ability to move by element (heading, link, graphic, etc.),
> the art of skimming, reading it all, and using the Find command. In this
> article I encouraged you to start exploring sites that are primarily geared
> toward reading and gathering information as an opportunity to practice
> these different techniques and to decide which works best for you. It was a
> lovely day for a drive, and from what I have heard, some of you are still
> out there exploring. I'm thrilled to hear it and just want to caution you
> to stop for gas, food, and rest at least once in a while.
> The fifth article in the series, and the final one offered in the
> first semester of class is "Basic Interactions: The Fast Lane to Getting
> Stuff Done on the Web" which you can read in the June 2018 Braille Monitor.
> In this lesson we discussed all the exciting elements that allow you to do
> things and enter information on webpages. We covered forms, tables,
> buttons, checkboxes, and radio buttons. We made a literal trip to the
> Expedia website to practice booking flights, and a metaphorical trip to
> both a hotel and the mall. Finally, at the end of our whirlwind tour, I
> offered you a few more websites that we can expect to work in mostly
> predictable ways so you could keep practicing.
>
> What Now?
>
> Now, keep practicing. Keep pushing yourself, and keep exploring. You
> have your license, and in a very real way that is enough to get started.
> Everything we discussed in the past is still true. You will still encounter
> problems, but the more you practice, the more you will find your own ways
> around them and the more confident you will be when you sign up for the
> second semester of Driving Blind on the Information Superhighway. You still
> have all of the class notes from the first semester at your disposal, so
> take the time to review anything that you aren't quite comfortable with
> yet, and keep spreading your wings. Help each other along with homework and
> extracurricular activities. You'll be back in the classroom sooner than you
> think.
>
> Sneak Preview
>
> Second Verse, Same as the First, a Little Bit Louder, and a Little Bit
> Worse
>
> In the upcoming semester, we are going to cover more advanced web-
> browsing topics. These will include:
> Detours and Mechanics 101: We are going to discuss what you might do
> when the highway doesn't quite provide you with the smooth and enjoyable
> ride you expect. Common strategies for working around inaccessible
> components and some of the most common errors in web design that cause
> blind drivers the biggest headaches will be discussed.
> Defensive Driving-Protecting Your Car and Yourself: This lesson will
> cover some of the scummier and scammier things you'll find on the internet
> and give you some good general strategies for protecting your computer,
> your personal data, and yourself from the car-jacking hooligans you may
> encounter while browsing.
> It's Dangerous to Go Alone (or at Least Really Annoying), Take This!:
> Remember how we talked about the ways you can customize your browser? Good.
> In this article we are going to discuss some browser extensions you might
> wish to employ, their advantages, disadvantages, and how you can install
> them if you so desire.
> A Day at the Carnival-Everyone Deserves a Treat Now and Again: My co-
> instructor Karen Anderson and I are going to take you out to enjoy a day at
> the social media carnival. Learn about the short but intense Twitter-Go-
> Round, or perhaps you are more interested in the Facebook Funhouse. If you
> prefer, we can also take a tour of the contests and educational content on
> offer in LinkedIn Pavillion.
> (Please Note-your professor is a member of the internet generation.
> All class names, structure, and order are subject to change without notice.
> We will cover the above topics, but as you may have caught from reviewing
> the first semester's material, this series has morphed a number of times
> from the humble single article it was intended to be more than a year ago,
> and I cannot promise that the syllabus for next semester is going to
> resemble the above list in any meaningful way except that we are going to
> continue talking about web-browsing as a screen reader user using
> questionable humor and lots of car and driving metaphors.)
> *Pomp and Circumstance begins to play. Students throw mortar boards
> in the air. Suddenly, the music changes, and we climb in our cars and rev
> our engines with Tom Cochrane's "Life is a Highway" blaring in the
> background.*
> Class Dismissed! See you next semester!
>
> Resources
>
> Abandon hope all ye who enter here in the audio edition of the
> publication. Also, to the narrator, I am truly sorry. This section contains
> a lot of links in order to keep them together for ease of reference, and
> sadly, that is probably not going to be particularly enjoyable for the
> folks who are reading or narrating the human-read edition of the Braille
> Monitor.
>
> Driving Blind on the Information Superhighway-The New and Improved Rules of
> the Road
> Article:
> https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm18/bm1801/bm180109.htm
>
> Driving Blind on the Information Superhighway Browsers-Choosing the Right
> Vehicle for the Journey
> Article:
> https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm18/bm1802/bm180205.htm
> Download the latest Firefox: https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new/
> Download the latest Chrome: https://www.google.com/chrome/
>
> Driving Blind on the Information Superhighway-Screen Readers: The Interface
> between Us and the Road
> Article:
> https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm18/bm1804/bm180416.htm
> Chrome Vox Article:
> https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/fr/fr36/3/fr360308.htm
> WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey:
> https://webaim.org/projects/screenreadersurvey7/
> JAWS developer: www.freedomscientific.com
> Surf's UP! Surfing the Web with JAWS and MAGic:
> http://www.freedomscientific.com/Training/Surfs-Up/_Surfs_Up_Start_Here.htm
> NVDA developer: www.nvaccess.org
> NVDA Audio Tutorials:
> http://accessibilitycentral.net/nvda%20audio%20tutorials.html
> NVAcess Official Help Site: https://nvaccess.org/get-help/
> AppleVis: www.applevis.com.
>
> Driving Blind on the Information Superhighway: Basic Navigation-Hitting the
> Road, and Finding Your Way
> Article:
> https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm18/bm1805/bm180512.htm
> Google Search Engine: www.google.com
> Bing Search Engine: www.Bing.com
> National Federation of the Blind Homepage: https://nfb.org
> Wikipedia, The World's Online Encyclopedia: www.wikipedia.org
> NFB-NEWSLINE Online: www.nfbnewslineonline.org.
> YouTube: www.youtube.com
> YouDescribe: www.youdescribe.org
> Target: www.target.com
> Expedia: www.expedia.com
> Facebook: www.facebook.com
> Twitter: www.twitter.com
> "42+ Text-Editing Keyboard Shortcuts That Work Almost Anywhere- " How-To
> Geek: https://www.howtogeek.com/ 115664/42-text-editing-keyboard-shortcuts-
> that-work-almost-everywhere/
>
> Driving Blind on the Information Superhighway-Basic Interactions: The Fast
> Lane to Getting Stuff Done on the Web
> Article:
> https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm18/bm1806/bm180609.htm
> Bookshare: www.bookshare.org
> NLS Bard: https://nlsbard.loc.gov/login//NLS-
> Free White Cane Form: https://nfb.org/free-cane-program
> ----------
> Mark Noble Dies
> by Daniel Frye
>
> From the Editor: Mark Noble was the president of the National
> Federation of the Blind of Oklahoma from 1983 to 1985. I remember him as a
> fun-loving and humorous fellow but with a very warm and serious side. I
> also remember that he assumed affiliate leadership when Oklahoma really
> needed him, and the fact that we have a thriving affiliate there is in no
> small part due to his work.
> Here are the memories of a dear friend who is no stranger to these
> pages. Thank you to Dan for these remembrances:
>
> A world without Mark Noble feels impossible and absurd today. Our
> dear friend, partner, mentor, colleague, and activist is no longer among
> us, and we're all keenly aware of the void created by his absence. It will
> be our obligation to comfort and care for one another as we remember,
> mourn, and celebrate the fact that Mark Noble made an impression on all of
> us and the world.
> When I was ten years old, living in Georgetown, Texas, my mother was
> killed in an automobile accident. Through networks and contacts that remain
> vague to me, Mark was found while working on his graduate studies in social
> work, and he agreed to act as my "big brother." Both of us blind, and Mark
> with newly acquired counseling skills, my father and others rightly
> concluded that Mark could intervene and play a part in my life that would
> make the transition for our entire family easier to handle. As a result of
> his generous gesture of time and talent, I managed to navigate the grieving
> process, come to understand my potential as a blind person, and more
> effectively integrate into the world. This initial mentorship developed
> into the foundation for a flourishing friendship that has spanned our
> lifetime.
> Mostly, Mark would simply visit our family home, and we'd talk about
> school, what I wanted to become as I grew up, and how I felt about living
> without my mother. Mark managed to offer comfort and care without overtly
> seeming to do anything other than being an older influence.
> In these early years, I took my first Greyhound visit alone from
> Georgetown to Austin, confident that I'd be fine because Mark would be at
> the station to meet me. But this brief journey was what gave me the
> understanding that I could travel alone. While he lived in Oklahoma, he
> invited me to visit him for a week or so in the summer, and he treated me
> to a week of humor and hospitality.
> As I matured and prepared to enter law school after college, we found
> ourselves sharing a more adult relationship in the same city, Seattle. As
> adults, I was then able to reciprocate and offer to Mark guidance and
> counsel in his life. We shared evenings discussing politics, history, and
> public policy. We worked together in the civil rights movement of the blind
> as members and leaders alike in the National Federation of the Blind. In
> time, we became colleagues for a while at the Social Security
> Administration.
> When I was lonely, Mark was there; when he needed an ear, mine was
> open. In the absence of biological family on my part, Mark became my
> beloved and valued older brother, and I hope that I was able to offer him
> similar solace once I reached maturity.
> In addition to our consequential relationship, Mark was a man of
> animated principle. He participated in local, state, and national civic
> life. He contributed as a leader to the deliberations of the National
> Federation of the Blind, serving as president of the National Federation of
> the Blind of Oklahoma and as a member of the board of directors of the
> National Federation of the Blind of Washington. His efforts, generally and
> on behalf of the blind community, resulted in true reform.
> Mark was loyal-to his spouses, his son, his friends, and his family.
> Mark was funny, witty, and generally optimistic. Mark was a voracious
> reader. Mark was a man who drew comfort and wisdom from his Jewish faith.
> Mark lit up a room with his potent personality. Mark was an astute follower
> of the news and the events of the world; he did what he was able to do to
> make his part of the world a better place. Mark loved and encouraged us
> all.
> With tongue firmly planted in cheek, Mark always told me to "send
> money." Here's my metaphorical checkbook, my friend. I am but one person in
> the world to whom you gave yourself, and I'm so incredibly grateful and
> fortunate to have known and loved you.
> Mark, as you know, I'm a Unitarian, and I don't really know what
> happens after we die. But here's hoping that you're happy, healthy, and
> surrounded by all the things in life that brought you comfort and joy. And
> if you simply cease to exist, know that you made a dynamic difference for
> me, your friends, family, and the world.
>
> ----------
> [PHOTO CAPTION: Allen Harris]
> The Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship Fund
> by Allen Harris
>
> >From the Editor: Allen Harris is the chairman of the Kenneth Jernigan Fund
> Committee and was one of the people who came up with the idea of honoring
> our former president and longtime leader by establishing a program to
> promote attendance at the national convention, where so much inspiration
> and learning occur. Here is Allen's announcement about the 2019 Kenneth
> Jernigan Convention Scholarship Fund Program:
>
> Have you always wanted to attend an NFB annual convention but have
> not done so because of the lack of funds? The Kenneth Jernigan Convention
> Scholarship Fund invites you to make an application for a scholarship
> grant. Perhaps this July you too can be in the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las
> Vegas, Nevada, enjoying the many pleasures and learning opportunities at
> the largest and most important yearly convention of blind people in the
> world.
> The three biggest ticket items you need to cover when attending an
> NFB national convention are the roundtrip transportation, the hotel room
> for a week, and the food (which tends to be higher priced than at home). We
> attempt to award additional funds to families, but, whether a family or an
> individual is granted a scholarship, this fund can only help; it won't pay
> all the costs. Last year most of the sixty grants were in the range of $400
> to $500 per individual.
> We recommend that you find an NFB member as your personal convention
> mentor, someone who has been to many national conventions and is able to
> share money-saving tips with you and tips on navigating the extensive
> agenda in the big hotel. Your mentor will help you get the most out of the
> amazing experience that is convention week.
>
> Who is eligible?
>
> Active NFB members, blind or sighted, who have not yet attended an
> NFB national convention because of lack of funding are eligible to apply.
>
> How do I apply for funding assistance?
>
> 1. You write a letter giving your contact information and your local NFB
> information, the specific amount you are requesting, and then explain
> why this is a good investment for the NFB. The points to cover are
> listed below.
> 2. You contact your state president in person or by phone to request his
> or her help in obtaining funding. Be sure to tell the president when
> to expect your request letter by email, and mention the deadline.
> 3. You (or a friend) send your letter by email to your state president.
> He or she must add a president's recommendation and then email both
> letters directly to the Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship Fund
> Committee. Your president must forward the two letters no later than
> April 15, 2019.
>
> Your letter to Chairperson Allen Harris must cover these points:
>
> . Your full name and all your telephone numbers-label them-cell phone,
> home, office, other person (if any);
> . Your mailing address and, if you have one, your email address;
> . Your state affiliate and state president; your chapter and chapter
> president, if you attend a chapter;
> . Your personal convention mentor, and provide that person's phone
> numbers;
> . Your specific request, and explain how much money you need from this
> fund to make this trip possible for you. We suggest you consult with
> other members to make a rough budget for yourself.
>
> The body of your letter should answer these questions:
>
> How do you currently participate in the Federation? Why do you want
> to attend a national convention? What would you receive; what can you share
> or give? You can include in your letter to the committee any special
> circumstances you hope they will take into consideration.
>
> When will I be notified that I am a winner?
>
> If you are chosen to receive this scholarship, you will receive a
> letter with convention details that should answer most of your questions.
> The committee makes every effort to notify scholarship winners by May 15,
> but you must do several things before that to be prepared to attend if you
> are chosen:
> 1. Make your own hotel reservation. If something prevents you from
> attending, you can cancel the reservation. (Yes, you may arrange for
> roommates to reduce the cost.)
> 2. Register online for the entire convention, including the banquet, by
> May 31.
> 3. Find someone in your chapter or affiliate who has been to many
> conventions and can answer your questions as a friend and advisor.
> 4. If you do not hear from the committee by May 15, then you did not win
> a grant this year.
>
> How will I receive my convention scholarship?
>
> At convention you will be given a debit card or credit card loaded
> with the amount of your award. The times and locations to pick up your card
> will be listed in the letter we send you. The committee is not able to
> provide funds before the convention, so work with your chapter and state
> affiliate to assist you by obtaining an agreement to advance funds if you
> win a scholarship and to pay your treasury back after you receive your
> debit or credit card.
> What if I have more questions? For additional information email the
> chairman, Allen Harris, at kjscholarships at nfb.org or call his Baltimore,
> Maryland, office at 410-659-9314, extension 2415.
>
> Above all, please use this opportunity to attend your first
> convention on the national level and join several thousand active
> Federationists in the most important meeting of the blind in the world. We
> hope to see you in Las Vegas.
> ----------
> Recipes
>
> Recipes this month came from the National Federation of the Blind of
> Michigan.
>
> [PHOTO CAPTION: Paulette Powell]
> Dill Pickle Soup
> by Paulette Powell
>
> Paulette Powell is the wife of NFB of Michigan President Michael Powell.
>
> Ingredients:
> 5-1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth (low sodium)
> 1-3/4 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut in medium cubes
> 2 cups shredded carrots
> 1 cup shredded dill pickles (Vlasic Kosher Dills work great)
> 1/2 cup unsalted butter (one whole stick)
> 1 cup all-purpose flour
> 1 cup sour cream
> 1/4 cup water
> 2 cups dill pickle juice*
> 1-1/2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
> 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
> 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
> 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
> 1/2 teaspoon fresh dill weed
>
> Method: In large pot, combine broth, potatoes, carrots and butter.
> Bring to boil and cook until the potatoes are tender. Add pickles and
> continue to boil. In medium bowl, stir together flour, sour cream and one
> cup of broth, use a mixer and mix until completely smooth. Vigorously
> whisk sour cream mixture (one cup at a time) into soup. (This will also
> break up some of your potatoes which is okay. You might see some initial
> little balls of flour form, but between the whisking and boiling all will
> disappear. Don't panic.)
> Add pickle juice, Old Bay, salt (*see below) pepper and cayenne. Cook
> five more minutes and remove from heat. Serve immediately
> *All pickle juice is not created equal. Some are saltier than others.
> Taste the soup after adding the pickle juice and add salt then. Enjoy.
> ----------
> Pulled Pork, Chicken, or Beef
> by Paulette Powell
>
> Ingredients:
> 1 2-pound pork loin roast (cut the string off), or
> 2 double boneless chicken breasts (3 pounds), or
> 1 2-pound beef roast, any kind
> 1 medium white onion chopped
> 2 cloves garlic chopped
> 1 small can of diced green chilies (how much heat is up to you)
> Chef Paul Prudhomme MAGIC Barbecue Seasoning
> Salt and pepper to taste
> Your favorite BBQ Sauce (optional)
>
> Method: Coat meat with barbeque seasoning and sprinkle with salt and
> pepper. Put meat in bottom of Crock-Pot, set on low. Cover with chopped
> onion, garlic and green chilies. Do not add any liquid. Cook in Crock-Pot
> for eight hours on low, do not peek. After eight hours, take meat out of
> pot, place on cookie sheet, pull meat apart with two forks, drain liquid
> from pot into strainer (discard liquid), return onions and chilies to pot.
> Mix meat and everything together with your favorite BBQ sauce. Use your
> favorite bread or buns, or this is also good in a soft corn tortilla. Top
> with your favorite coleslaw, optional. Enjoy!
> ----------
> Texas Caviar
> by Paulette Powell
>
> Dressing Ingredients:
> 1 teaspoon salt
> 1/2 teaspoon pepper
> 1 tablespoon water
> 3/4 cup cider vinegar
> 1/4 cup oil (vegetable or canola)
> 1 cup sugar
> 1 can pinto beans and/or black beans
> 1 can black eyed peas
> 1 can white corn (can use a can of mixed yellow and white corn)
> 1 cup celery, chopped
> 1 small jar pimentos (will find where condiments are)
> 1 cup green pepper, chopped
> 1 small red onion, chopped.
>
> Method: Bring salt, pepper, water, vinegar, oil, and sugar to a boil,
> then let cool. Drain (I also rinse) the beans and mix with rest of solid
> ingredients. Pour cooled dressing over the veggies. Marinate for twenty-
> four hours. Put into serving bowl using a slotted spoon to drain off extra
> dressing. Serve with Frito Scoops. The recipe says to make it up twenty-
> four hours in advance. This recipe makes a lot, so be prepared for
> leftovers.
> ----------
> Quinoa Lasagna
> by Sabrina Simmons
>
> Sabrina Simmons is a mother of one and an assistive technology
> trainer. Currently she is serving as the Detroit Chapter president and as a
> member of the state board of the NFB of Michigan affiliate.
>
>
> Ingredients:
> 2 cups water
> 1 cup quinoa (pronounced keen wah)
> 2 tablespoons canola or olive oil
> 1 cup chopped onion
> 1 cup sliced mushrooms
> 2 cloves garlic, minced
> 2 cups tomato sauce or prepared pasta sauce
> 2 cups no-salt-added, low-fat cottage cheese
> 1 large egg, beaten
> 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
> 1 tablespoon fresh basil or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
> 1 teaspoon dried oregano
> 2 cups sliced zucchini squash
> 2 cups fresh spinach with stems removed or use baby spinach
> 1-1/2 cups part-skim mozzarella cheese, grated
>
> Method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and coat a nine-by-thirteen-inch
> pan with nonstick cooking spray. Combine quinoa and water in a sauce pan
> and bring to a boil. Turn down to simmer, cover and cook for fifteen
> minutes or until quinoa is tender. Fluff with a fork and place quinoa in
> the bottom of prepared pan or dish. In a saucepan over medium heat cook
> onion, garlic, and mushrooms until tender. Add garlic and sauce and mix
> until well blended. In separate bowl, mix cottage cheese, egg, parmesan
> cheese, oregano and basil. Spread 1/3 of the sauce over the quinoa. Then
> layer with all of the zucchini. Add a layer of all the cottage cheese
> mixture. Add half of the remaining sauce. Add all the spinach. Finish with
> remaining sauce and sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the top. Note: if there
> is not enough sauce, omit the second layer and use it on the top layer.
> Bake until hot and cheese is bubbling and slightly brown around the edges,
> this should take thirty-five to forty-minutes. Let stand ten minutes before
> serving.
> ----------
> Sour Cream Pound Cake
> by Sabrina Simmons
>
> Ingredients:
> 3 cups of cake flour
> 3 cups of sugar
> 3 sticks of butter
> 5 large eggs
> 3/4 cup of sour cream
> 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder
> 1/4 teaspoon salt, optional
>
> Method: Combine sugar and butter in a bowl until mixed well. Mix in
> the sour cream. Add one cup of flour sifted with baking powder and salt.
> Add the last two cups of flour alternating with the eggs until mixed well.
> Grease a ten-cup Bundt cake pan. Pour batter into pan. This is a cold
> oven cake, do not preheat the oven. Place pan into the cold oven, bake at
> 350 degrees for one hour and twenty minutes. Stick a knife in the center of
> the cake to make sure it is done. Let cool in pan for fifteen minutes and
> serve as desired.
> ----------
> Monitor Miniatures
>
> News from the Federation Family
>
> Elected:
> The following officers and board members were elected at the annual
> Treasure State Convention of the National Federation of the Blind of
> Montana on September 22, 2018: president, Jim Marks; first vice president,
> Joy Breslauer; second vice president, Sheila Leigland; secretary, Robert
> Jaquiss; treasurer, Ted Robbins; board members Jeff Haworth and Jim
> Aldrich.
>
> Elected:
> The following officers were elected at the October meeting of the
> National Federation of the Blind of Montana Electric City Chapter (in Great
> Falls): president, Sheila Leigland; first vice president, Bruce Breslauer;
> and secretary-treasurer, Joy Breslauer.
>
> Elected:
> The following people were elected to two-year terms at our recent
> convention of the NFB of Washington: president, Marci Carpenter; first vice
> president, Kris Colcock; second vice president, Doug Trimble; secretary,
> Ben Prows; treasurer, Corey Grandstaff; board position one, Mike Forzano;
> board position two, Buna Dahal. Congratulations to all of those elected to
> advance our work together.
>
> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
> Walmart Sued by Blind Maryland Residents over Self-Service Checkout Kiosks
> National Federation of the Blind and Its Maryland Affiliate Also Plaintiffs
>
> When Cynthia Morales and her boyfriend Linwood Boyd, who are both
> blind, made a routine trip to a Walmart in Owings Mills in late July of
> 2017, they didn't expect to have to get the police involved.
> But that was the result of a chain of events that began with Ms.
> Morales trying to use one of the self-service checkout kiosks that Walmart
> makes available to shoppers as an alternative to waiting in line for a
> cashier. Although the kiosks do issue some spoken prompts, those prompts
> don't provide enough information for a blind person to use the machines
> independently. Ultimately, Ms. Morales asked for help from a Walmart
> employee, who completed the checkout transaction but also, unbeknownst to
> Ms. Morales and Mr. Boyd, requested forty dollars in cash back, which the
> employee pocketed. Because no audio prompt gave Ms. Morales the total of
> her transaction, she didn't realize anything was wrong until the machine
> audibly prompted the user to take the money. Ms. Morales and Mr. Boyd then
> had a bystander outside the store read them the receipt; at that point,
> they realized they had been charged an additional forty dollars. The money
> was ultimately returned, but Ms. Morales and Mr. Boyd decided to do their
> regular shopping at a Walmart Supercenter in Randallstown from then on.
> Now they, together with Melissa Sheeder-another blind Marylander; the
> National Federation of the Blind (NFB); and the National Federation of the
> Blind of Maryland (NFB-MD) are suing Walmart under the Americans with
> Disabilities Act. The suit asks the Maryland federal district court to
> order the giant retailer to make its self-service checkout kiosks fully
> accessible to blind shoppers.
> Similar devices, such as ATMs, Amtrak ticket kiosks, and airline
> check-in kiosks, as well as some point-of-sale terminals like those in the
> back of many taxicabs, can be used independently by blind people. Usually
> voice prompts are spoken through headphones, and blind users respond with
> tactile keypads or accessible touch screens. The NFB has offered to work
> with Walmart to make its kiosks accessible, but Walmart has declined the
> offer.
> "What happened to Cindy Morales is an extreme example of what can
> occur when companies like Walmart deploy inaccessible self-checkout or
> point-of-sale technology," said Mark Riccobono, President of the National
> Federation of the Blind. "The real problem is that Walmart has decided to
> treat blind customers differently from sighted customers. Walmart's refusal
> to deploy readily available technology to give blind shoppers the same
> choice sighted shoppers have-whether to check ourselves out or visit a
> cashier-makes us second-class customers. That is unlawful and
> unacceptable."
> The plaintiffs are represented by Eve L. Hill, Jessica P. Weber, and
> Chelsea J. Crawford of the Baltimore law firm Brown, Goldstein & Levy, LLP.
>
> 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.
>
> National Braille Press Touch of Genius Award Seeking Nominations:
> The National Braille Press's Touch of Genius Prize for Innovation is
> now accepting entries! Please help us spread the word.
> The Touch of Genius Prize was developed to inspire entrepreneurs,
> educators, or inventors to continue the promotion of Braille and tactile
> literacy for blind and deafblind people worldwide. This prize can be
> granted for innovative and accessible computer software, Android
> applications, iOS applications, or tactile hardware that promotes Braille
> and/or tactile literacy. NBP encourages all applicants to think outside
> the box to what can be used to help improve the lives of blind people.
> The winner of this prize will receive up to $20,000, which will help
> them to continue to innovate in the fields of technology and education for
> blind people. Frank Gibney and the Gibney Family Foundation helped fund and
> establish this award in 2007, inspiring people to go beyond what was
> thought possible.
> The deadline to apply is January 11, 2019. Full application details
> and more information can be found at
> http://www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/technology/tog/tog_prize. All questions can be
> directed to mailto:geniusprize at nbp.org.
>
> Learn Your Favorite Musical Instrument Completely by Ear:
> MusicForTheBlind.com has over 1,200 song lessons and over a dozen
> beginner courses for piano, guitar, banjo, bass, saxophone, and more! These
> lessons use no print, no video, and no Braille. These lessons are
> completely all-audio.
> See all of the great music resources we have at
> www.MusicForTheBlind.com and sign up for our newsletter to receive coupons
> and discounts on our easy-to-use music lessons designed just for those with
> visual impairments.
>
> Monitor Mart
>
> The notices in this section have been edited for clarity, but we can
> pass along only the information we were given. We are not responsible for
> the accuracy of the statements made or the quality of the products for
> sale.
>
> For Sale:
> We have a BrailleNote Apex 32-cell with the following features:
> original box; carrying case; power cord and charger; V9.5 of KeySoft loaded
> (latest available); optional software Nemeth Tutorial enabled; optional
> software Oxford Concise Dictionary and Thesaurus (US Edition) enabled; and
> recently serviced, tested and tuned by HumanWare. Asking $1,000, contact
> Sheryl Pickering at 830-743-7655.
> ----------
> 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.
>
> _______________________________________________
> Brl-monitor mailing list
> Brl-monitor at nfbcal.org
> https://nfbcal.org/mailman/listinfo.cgi/brl-monitor
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