[NFB_of_Georgia] {Disarmed} Fwd: National Federation of the Blind Newsletter - Raising Expectations Rain or Shine

[Stancil Tootle]

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Mark Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind " <IOF at nfb.org>
Date: October 13, 2015 at 12:23:32 PM EDT
To: <stootle at juno.com>
Subject: National Federation of the Blind Newsletter - Raising Expectations  Rain or Shine
Reply-To: "Mark Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind " <IOF at nfb.org>


Imagineering Our Future

  Issue 79

October 2015   

In this issue:

Message from the President
What's News at the NFB
Braille Certification Training Program
From the tenBroek Library
Independence Market
Advocacy
Access Technology
NFB Calendar
Citation


Message from the President

Dear Friends:

As I sit at my desk with rain hitting the windows, I find myself wondering about the way expectations shape our thinking. I recently hung an umbrella in my office in the open position. Many expect that this brings bad luck, but since it is the umbrella I held up in our Guinness World Record on July 8, I expect it to further the spirit of hope and determination that characterizes our organization.

October, in addition to being rainy, is Meet the Blind Month in the National Federation of the Blind. Members of our local chapters will be going out in the community to change expectations by breaking down the myths of blindness. Sometimes it will be by doing things and going places where many people would not expect blind people to be participating. Other times it will be by sitting down and having an open conversation about the truth about blindness. Hopefully, in the process we will learn of blind people who have not yet come know the philosophy and work of the Federation and the difference it can make in their lives.

Many times information is a powerful driver of expectations. When I was in college I was part of Walt Disney World’s college program. One day, I went with a friend to MGM Studios and we came across a lamppost with an umbrella. This was a small tribute to the movie, Singing in the Rain. Noting this as a perfect photo opportunity, I stepped under the umbrella only to have water unexpectedly come raining down on me from under the umbrella. It made a pretty good photo but not the one I expected. Armed with this new information that reset my expectations, I set up many of my friends for photos during later visits. I imagine that what we tell some people about blindness can be as surprising as a sudden shower under an umbrella, but I have come to find that resetting expectations is one of the most refreshing and challenging things to do.

I hope to visit with you soon at one of our Meet the Blind Month events. For now, I am going to avoid the “rain” by thinking up new ways to raise expectations for the blind, because low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams.

Live the life you want,



Mark A. Riccobono, President
National Federation of the Blind



What's News at the NFB

KNFB Reader App

When you decide to purchase the KNFB Reader app for iOS, if you haven’t done so already, please use this special link to access the App Store. If you do, the National Federation of the Blind will receive a percentage of the purchase price. 

Rhythm of the Movement

The just-released CD, The Rhythm of the Movement: The 75th Anniversary in Song, is now available from the NFB Independent Market or via download at http://nfb.org/rhythm. Detailed information is in the Independence Market article below.

Seattle Public Schools Settlement

A settlement was reached between Noel Nightingale, the blind mother of a Seattle Public Schools (SPS) student, and the board of directors of SPS. The landmark agreement will ensure the accessibility of all of SPS’s programs, services, and activities to blind students, faculty, and parents. Learn more about the agreement at https://nfb.org/national-federation-blind-applauds-landmark-agreement-seattle-public-schools.

AbilityOne Program Reform

Seven leading organizations comprised of Americans with disabilities have announced that they are calling for reform of the AbilityOne Program and set forth seven principles for overhaul of the program, which affects hundreds of thousands of American workers with disabilities. The announcement was made by the National Federation of the Blind, TASH, the National Council for Independent Living (NCIL), the National Disability Rights Network (NDRN), the Association of People Supporting Employment First (APSE), the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN), and the United Spinal Association. To see the list of reforms, follow this link, https://nfb.org/leading-organizations-americans-disabilities-call-reform-abilityone-program. 

TIME Act Update

Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) has signed on as co-sponsor of the Transitioning to Integrated and Meaningful Employment (TIME) Act (S.2001). Bennet is the first to co-sponsor the legislation that was introduced by Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) in August. The full announcement can be found at https://nfb.org/national-federation-blind-applauds-senator-michael-bennett-senator-supports-legislation-integrate.

 

Braille Certification Training Program

Under a contract with the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress (NLS), the National Federation of the Blind administers the courses leading to NLS certification of Braille transcribers and proofreaders. Successful completion of these rigorous courses requires a great deal of time and effort on the part of the students. We congratulate the following individuals who earned certification during the months from May 2015 and June 2015:

Literary Braille Transcribing

Arizona

Charles Lael Parrish, Phoenix

California

Andrea Nicole Sacca, Agua Dulce 
Wayne Dexter Stuart, Camarillo

Georgia

Janice Elaine Gray, Hawkinsville 
Jeremiah Wallace Reynolds, Macon 
Enedina Velez, Rome

Missouri

Terry Jo Wyatt, Springfield

Nebraska

Elizabeth Rae Nirenberg, Omaha

New York

Charlotte Jane Pestke, Hilton 
Darlene Y. Soper, Spencerport 
Agatha Marie Zicari, Spencerport

North Carolina

George E. Clowers, Laurinburg 
Prentice A. Goode, Laurinburg 
Roy D. Hudson, Laurinburg 
Rayshaun L. Staley, Laurinburg

Ohio

Sean O’Donnel, Cincinnati 
Christina Lynn Reed, Cleveland

Tennessee

Kathryn Sheriff Segers, Hermitage

Washington

Rosemary Estrada Martinez, Yakima

Wisconsin

Kay L. Prusynski, Madison

 

Mathematics (Nemeth) Braille Transcribing

California

Samuel Martinez, Represa

Georgia

David Shawn Greiner, Augusta

Michigan

David L. Ellis, Jackson


Music Braille Transcribing

Iowa

Michael Tim Rinehart, Newton

Texas

 Jessica Lin-Neeld Moreland, Gatesville

 

From the tenBroek Library

The Value of Braille in Archival Collections

The National Federation of the Blind and the Jacobus tenBroek Library were recently granted the opportunity to speak about the importance of Braille with a brand new audience. NFB archivist Anna Kresmer presented a professional poster titled “The Value of Braille in Archival Collections” at Archives 2015, the annual conference of the Society of American Archivists in Cleveland, Ohio. Braille is an essential tool for success for blind people; however, few archives in the United States accept, or make fully available to researchers, collection materials that exist only in Braille. This is often due to misconceptions on the part of archives staff about how Braille is used by blind people, the types of materials produced in Braille, the relevance of their contents to other researchers, and the assumption that the archivist must be able to read Braille to care for it.

Our presenter sought to address these issues by debunking some of the common myths about Braille, by highlighting the research value of archival Braille materials preserved at the tenBroek Library, and by providing easy resources to help archivists make their Braille materials available to researchers by connecting with Braille readers near them. A resource webpage was created to accompany the poster, which can be found at https://nfb.org/resources-value-braille-archival-collections. 
The poster was on display at the Cleveland Convention Center from August 19 to 22, and we are pleased to report that the presentation was well received by conference attendees, most of whom had very little previous experience with Braille. Anna Kresmer was on hand to discuss the issues with viewers and found that while this was a new concept for many professionals, the archival community was not only welcoming but excited about the prospect of unlocking hidden collections by empowering a population often excluded from both archival vaults and reading rooms. The tenBroek Library looks forward to future opportunities to educate the archival profession and the public at large about both the value of Braille and of the National Federation of the Blind.



Independence Market

Last year the National Federation of the Blind engaged in an extensive effort to update our brand to strengthen our ability to effectively communicate our empowering philosophy on living with blindness. We want to share the message that we know 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.

As a result, you may have seen new language on our website and other communications. Our brochures are also undergoing an update to better reflect our brand. Our main organizational brochure, What is the National Federation of the Blind?, is the first brochure to be completed. Many have eagerly been awaiting its arrival and we are excited to announce that the print version is now on our shelves. The Braille version is coming soon. But if you cannot wait to hold the new brochure in your hand, you can review the contents online.

Many of us were inspired by our seventy-fifth anniversary convention this past July. And those who were there will remember the exciting musical presentation on the last morning of the convention. Now you can relive that excitement and get your NFB batteries recharged by obtaining the just-released CD, The Rhythm of the Movement: The 75th Anniversary in Song, which contains the stirring conclusion to President Riccobono’s banquet speech and such songs as “Live the Life You Want,” “Braille Is Beautiful,” “Accessible Technology,” “Convention Time,” and more. The fourteen song tracks are a mixture of studio and live recordings. The CD is available for purchase from the NFB Independence Market for $12.00 plus shipping and handling. The music, either the entire album or individual songs, can also be downloaded directly to your device from http://nfb.org/rhythm. 

And if you were disappointed that you missed your opportunity to order your personalized GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ certificate of participation in the NFB’s record-breaking umbrella mosaic at convention this summer, the deadline for ordering one from the Independence Market has been extended through November to mid-December. We are making the certificates available through the Independence Market, because the Guinness World Record website ordering process is not fully accessible. The certificates cost $25.00 plus shipping and handling. So don’t delay any longer to order yours. And wouldn't it make a nice holiday gift for someone who was there?

To order the above items, please call the Independence Market at (410) 659-9314, extension 2216. For more information about other products and literature available through the NFB Independence Market or to request a catalog you may also visit us online or contact us by email at independencemarket at nfb.org. 


Advocacy

Lululemon Class Notice 

In April of 2015, the National Federation of the Blind learned of a pending class action settlement between David New et al. and Lululemon USA Inc., which resolved claims pertaining to inaccessible touchscreen payment systems. The settlement proposed to unfairly waive the rights of blind customers without due process or compensation. To protect the rights of blind people, the NFB objected to the fairness of the proposed class settlement. Our objections were heard and the settlement has since been amended so that it does not waive our rights without due process. As part of the amended proposed settlement, the NFB has agreed to post the class action notice. Please see the notice at https://nfb.org/blog/vonb-blog/lululemon-class-notice.



Access Technology

The Access Technology Team will be busy this month, and we’ve been working hard on, among other things, the Web Accessibility Training Day. The National Federation of the Blind Center of Excellence in Nonvisual Access to Commerce, Public Information, and Education (CENA) and the Maryland Technology Assistance Program will be hosting the fourth Web Accessibility Training Day on November 4, 2015. As we celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, this event will look at some of the work that still remains to be done in creating equal access.

Join us for sessions on the following topics and many more:

Web accessibility testing
Changing organization culture to foster accessibility
Accessibility in education
The Section 508 refresh
Whether you are a developer looking to polish your accessibility skills, an accessibility professional looking for the latest developments in web accessibility, or a manager wondering how to work accessibility into your process, there will be topics to interest you, as well as exhibitors to help you find custom solutions to any barriers you may be facing.



NFB Calendar

Upcoming Events

November 4, 2015: Web Accessibility Training Day

November 5-7, 2015: NFB STEM2U Arizona

March 3-5, 2016: NFB STEM2U San Francisco

May 17-20, 2016: BLAST, Chicago

May 19-21, 2016: NFB STEM2U Minneapolis

June 19-25, 2016: NFB EQ (first iteration)

July 31-August 6, 2016: NFB EQ (second iteration)

August 2016: WBU-ICEVI General Assembly 

 

2015 Fall State Conventions

October 2-4: NFB of Arkansas

October 10: NFB of Alaska

October 10-11: NFB of Hawaii

October 10-12: NFB of Georgia

October 9-11: NFB of Minnesota

October 9-11: NFB of Montana

October 15-18: NFB of District of Columbia

October 23-25: NFB of Oregon

October 23-24: NFB of Rhode Island

October 29-November 1: NFB of California

October 29-31: NFB of Colorado

October 30-31: NFB of Delaware

October 30-November 1: NFB of Illinois

October 30-November 1: NFB of Indiana

October 31: NFB of Maine

October 30-November 1: NFB of Nebraska

October 30-November 1: NFB of Nevada

October 30-November 1: NFB of New York

October 30-November 1: NFB of Virginia

October 30-November 1: NFB of Washington

November 6-8: NFB of Connecticut

November 6-8: NFB of Michigan

November 5-8: NFB of New Jersey

November 7: NFB of Puerto Rico

November 7: NFB of Vermont

November 13-15: NFB of Maryland

November 13-15: NFB of Pennsylvania

November 13-15: NFB of Texas

November 20-22: NFB of Kansas

November 19-22: NFB of Ohio

  

Citation

>From the dawn of history blind men and women have worked and hoped and waited, but only in recent years (only with the coming of the National Federation of the Blind) has our dream approached reality. And now the waiting is over. Yes, we have waited—oh, God, how we have waited!—but never again! No more! In this generation our time has finally come—for we are determined at long last to live the truth of what we are, and not what others think we are or try to make us become or believe. 

-- Dr. Kenneth Jernigan. “The Pattern of Freedom.” 1985 NFB National Convention, Louisville, Kentucky, July 4, 1985.

  

Thank you for reading the NFB’s Imagineering Our Future.

Help make a significant difference in the lives of blind people across the country.


              
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Interesting links:

Archive of Straight Talk About Vision Loss videos

National Center for Blind Youth in Science

Access Technology Tips

TeachBlindStudents.org

 


 

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Access Technology

Voice of the Nation's Blind

 


 

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