[Nfbc-info] Fw: NFB Imagineering Our Future: Racing toward Independence
Mary Willows
mwillows at sbcglobal.net
Thu Feb 4 05:31:12 UTC 2010
Hi All:
This is a great issue. Enjoy reading it.
----- Original Message -----
From: Mark Riccobono
To: mwillows at sbcglobal.net
Sent: Saturday, January 30, 2010 2:23 PM
Subject: NFB Imagineering Our Future: Racing toward Independence
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Imagineering Our Future
Issue 19
January 30, 2010
In this issue:
a.. Message from the Executive Director
b.. What's New
c.. Education
d.. Braille Initiative
e.. Advocacy
f.. Straight Talk About Vision Loss
g.. Technology Talk
h.. From the Jacobus tenBroek Library
i.. Independence Market
j.. Parent Outreach
k.. Spotlight on the Imagination Fund
l.. NFB Calendar
m.. Citation
Message from the Executive Director
Dear friends,
Imagine . . . six years ago nearly to this day we opened the doors for the first time to the NFB Jernigan Institute. At that time, we had not yet built a handheld reading machine, e-books were still largely speculated about, blind children did not have robust opportunities in science, the prospects for Braille literacy were bleak, the idea of a blind drivable vehicle was just beginning to spark imaginations, and we were still dreaming about a research library to tell the story of the blind throughout the ages.
Bestselling author James Patterson with Mark Riccobono and Karen Zakhnini at CES
Today we have a dynamic reading machine that runs on a cell phone, we are winning the battle for accessible e-books, and new products are emerging with off-the-shelf accessibility (with the coming release of Blio by KNFB Reading Technology), model educational programs now exist to spark innovation for blind students in science and math classes, we have mounted a campaign to double the number of Braille readers and have sparked new programs and research in Braille (including a national competency test), blind students in our NFB Youth Slam have driven the first vehicle using a prototype interface empowering the blind to make driving decisions, and we have the Jacobus tenBroek Research Library on Blindness with a soon-to-be-launched online public access catalog. And this is just a small sliver of how the world is different six years into the work of our revolution.
Over the past three years we have talked about our marching toward independence. It has become clear that we are now racing . . . The rate of change, of our progress, is accelerating, and our work becomes more dynamic daily. And we started six years ago with only two essential elements: imagination and our faith in each other. Of course, the work started long before January 2004; it started at the founding of the NFB in 1940 and has continued to build ever since-taking on new forms and new challenges but staying consistent in its mission and direction, racing for independence.
As you will see in this month's selections, 2010 has started off with plenty of activity, and there are many great things to come. Take a moment to reflect on the great progress we have made and recommit yourself to continue with us as we race for independence.
Mark A. Riccobono, Executive Director, NFB Jernigan Institute
Featured NFB News
Research in the Rockies Summit Call for Papers deadline extended to February 1
Those with demonstrated interest in Braille reading and writing are encouraged to respond to this call for papers for the first international seminar devoted entirely to Braille. "Research in the Rockies," co-sponsored by the National Center for Severe and Sensory Disabilities (NCSSD), the Bresnahan-Halstead Center on Disabilities, and the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) Jernigan Institute, will be held June 10-12, 2010, in Denver, Colorado, at the Denver Marriott City Center. This conference will explore current and emerging research that pertains to Braille reading and writing from a wide range of disciplines. The organizers have extended the deadline to submit your presentation abstract online until midnight, February 1, 2010.
Abstracts for proposals of research papers, panels, or posters are invited from: cognitive scientists, linguists, educators, rehabilitation specialists, neurologists, sociologists and experimental psychologists, researchers in haptic and tactile perception, demographers, occupational therapists, and others.
For more information please contact Dr. Judith Chwalow.
Education
NFB LAW program application deadline is February 1
The National Federation of the Blind 2010 NFB Leadership and Advocacy in Washington (LAW) Program: Engaging the Voice of America's Blind Youth will be held April 16-20, 2010, in D.C. and Baltimore.
This four-day experience for youth grades 6-9 or ages 12-16 will provide blind and low vision students with a unique opportunity to explore the inner workings of our country's government, its history, and its culture while staying at the national headquarters of the National Federation of the Blind in Baltimore, Maryland. In addition to learning about grassroots legislation efforts, how resolutions are passed, and how blindness-related legislation is brought about, participants will learn more about advocacy work for blind individuals and available resources for blind students and adults.
Highlights of the program include: Visits to historical sites in Washington, D.C., presentations by influential government and blindness advocacy group leaders, and tours of the National Federation of the Blind's national headquarters and International Braille and Technology Center for the Blind.
There will be a $250 fee for accepted students. All other expenses including transportation, room, and board will be provided. All accepted students must be accompanied by a parent/guardian, teacher, or blind/low vision mentor from their home state. No more than twenty-five participants from across the country will be accepted.
Apply online by February 1, 2010, or contact Mary Jo T. Hartle to learn more about this exciting new program.
Braille Initiative
Throughout the fall, the NFB collected testimony in blind people's own voices about the power of Braille Literacy. As part of our Braille Initiative honoring the two hundredth anniversary of Louis Braille's birth, we decided to compile a book to present to President Barack Obama. In it we could share our hopes and dreams and tell him about the struggles we have faced in becoming literate and the success that has come from our knowing Braille. These personal stories demonstrate to President Obama how Braille gives us independence and makes us free. The time has come to present our Letters to President Obama! In conjunction with NFB's Washington Seminar in D.C., the U.S. Secretary of Education will accept a hard copy of just some of the most poignant stories sent in by past and present students of Braille, parents or teachers who have seen the positive effect Braille can have on children, and individuals who were denied Braille instruction and still struggle with illiteracy.
Of course the NFB's efforts to end the Braille literacy crisis in America continue, even though the U.S. Mint has removed the 2009 Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar from sale. Only a few of these first U.S. coins to feature readable, tactile Braille remain for purchase from the NFB Independence Market. The sale of these coins in 2009 provided much-needed funding for critical education programs for the blind. If you got your Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar, thank you so much for showing your dedication to Braille literacy. If you'd like to do more, consider making a matching gift to the "Braille Readers are Leaders" campaign.
Advocacy
Once a year NFB delegates visit Washington to inform Congress about issues of importance to the blind. Whether or not you will be among the five hundred Washington Seminar delegates who will keep House and Senate appointments the first week of February, you can download and read the Legislative Agenda of Blind Americans: Priorities for the 111th Congress, Second Session here. There are also fact sheets on the three main issues: Enhancing Pedestrian Safety: Ensuring the Blind Can Continue to Travel Safely and Independently, A Technology Bill of Rights for the Blind, and Removing the Earnings Penalty: A Common Sense Work Incentive for Blind Social Security Beneficiaries.
Recent NFB press releases indicate that events are in motion on these issues:
a.. On January 27, Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) introduced the Technology Bill of Rights for the Blind (H.R. 4533), which will mandate that all consumer electronics, home appliances, kiosks, and electronic office technology provide user interfaces that are accessible to the blind.
b.. On January 28, Senator John McCain (R-AZ) and Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT) introduced the Blind Persons Return to Work Act of 2010 (S. 2962), which will allow blind Americans to transition more easily from Social Security beneficiaries to income-earning, productive members of the workforce. Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), a program meant to provide disabled Americans with financial support, actually discourages blind people from seeking employment by placing a limit on how much money they can earn. This bipartisan bill replaces the monthly earnings limit with a gradual phase-out, allowing blind beneficiaries to systematically replace benefits with earned income.
Straight Talk About Vision Loss
We invite followers of the Straight Talk About Vision Loss series to view this sneak preview of the NFB's Race for Independence video.
"One of the primary initiatives of the NFB Jernigan Institute is improving access to technology for the blind. With the Race for Independence, we focus our efforts on bringing public attention to the need for full and equal access for blind Americans to modern technology, in everything from home appliances to automobiles. During 2010, we will be showing the world just how easy it is to create nonvisual interfaces by developing an interface that can be installed in a car. Needless to say, this is not a race in the traditional sense. We are not content with merely traveling by foot--our imagination is putting us in the driver's seat as we speed toward our goal of first-class citizenship at an ever-increasing pace!," the Imagination Fund Chairman explains.
The NFB has issued the Blind Driver Challenge. If you want to get your hands on this innovative technology, be a part of the NFB Race for Independence.
Why can't a blind person drive a car?
Product and Access Technology Talk
January is always an interesting month in technology. The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas never fails to yield some interesting new discoveries, and this year was no exception-have a look at the Access Technology Blog for more on this year's discoveries. On that same blog, readers can also vote for which session they want to see on the Access Technology Day at the National Convention in Dallas this summer.
Mark Riccobono holding RCA accessible remote at CES booth
On January 12, the AT team presented as part of a webinar on Web accessibility hosted by Deque Systems and aimed at the financial sector. Over forty-four major financial institutions participated in the webinar.
The Access Technology team has also confirmed its presentations at the 25th Annual International Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference, hosted by the California State University Northridge (CSUN) in San Diego. With a record number of sessions, the AT team looks forward to a very busy March. For the first time, the team has been invited to host one pre-conference workshop on March 22, dealing with eBook accessibility. On March 25, the team will be presenting three further sessions on Cell Phones and Mobile Devices, Optical Character Recognition: Flatbed Scanner vs. Camera-Based Solutions, and Nonvisual Accessibility in Blackboard Learn.
National Federation of the Blind Commends Apple for Including VoiceOver on iPad
Baltimore, Maryland (January 28, 2010): The National Federation of the Blind, the nation's leading consumer organization of blind persons, today commended Apple Inc. for including its VoiceOver application on its latest device, the iPad, which was unveiled yesterday. VoiceOver is a screen access application that uses text-to-speech technology in conjunction with the device's touch-screen interface so that blind people can independently operate the device. VoiceOver is also integrated into Apple's Mac operating system and is included on the iPhone 3GS and recent models of the iPod Touch.
--Excerpted from NFB press release
From the tenBroek Library
Help Blind America Vote
TenBroek Library staff members are working with the Access Technology team on the NFB Nonvisual Election Technology Project. This work has been funded for the sixth year under the Administration on Developmental Disabilities Help America Vote Act (HAVA) grant program. The project is intended to promote the full participation of blind Americans in the electoral process through the identification, evaluation, and elimination of barriers to voting.
Under this grant, the NFB will provide consultation on nonvisual access to voting technology developers and election officials, and we will develop accessible materials for registering blind Americans to vote. We are planning a nonvisual election technology seminar to provide election technology developers an opportunity to meet with access technology specialists and discuss the needs of blind voters. We are also continuing to update the existing online poll worker training curriculum (developed under prior HAVA grants) to provide election officials with materials to educate poll workers about the needs of blind voters and how nonvisual election technology works. Finally, we are hard at work on a voter registration and education program consisting of materials in accessible formats that can be utilized by local NFB chapters to promote voter registration and voting among the blind in their communities.
Get more information on the Help America Vote Act and view the free materials developed under our HAVA grants to promote the full participation of blind Americans in the electoral process on the HAVA Web page.
Documenting the life and work of Jacobus tenBroek
During his lifetime, Jacobus tenBroek filled more than thirty file cabinets with his correspondence and other papers. Today, as the core collection of the Jacobus tenBroek Library, the tenBroek papers are a significant source of information about the early history of the blind civil rights movement as well as other social and political movements in which tenBroek participated.
In 2005, library staff members began creating a folder-by-folder inventory of the contents of these file cabinets. This process accelerated in May 2009, when the NFB Jernigan Institute won a grant from the U.S. National Archives for basic processing of the tenBroek papers. Grant funds have been used to hire a project archivist who is working with other library staff members to finish processing this valuable collection. As of the end of 2009, library staff have completed the preliminary inventory and assigned file folders to series and subseries.
Independence Market
The NFB Independence Market, housed in the Jernigan Institute, features blindness-related literature, resources, and products helpful to those who are blind or experiencing vision loss and to their friends and families. The blindness-related products that we carry (such as canes, talking watches and clocks, print and Braille writing aids, magnifiers, and medical devices) enable the user to perform everyday tasks more independently. Greater independence empowers blind people to live more productive and fulfilling lives. Online orders for our products can be placed through our e-commerce site.
Our extensive free literature collection includes how-to materials, inspirational and thoughtful speeches and articles, and stories on all aspects of blindness-all from the perspective of the blind person. Parents of blind children, blind students, blind job seekers, blind parents, and seniors new to severe vision loss will find literature that addresses their specific needs. Taken separately, each piece of literature or story may reveal one person's experience or thoughts as a blind person. Taken as a whole, a unifying thread throughout the literature conveys the truth that the real problem of blindness is not the loss of eyesight. Rather, the real problem is the misunderstanding and lack of information that exist. If a blind person has proper training and opportunity, blindness can be reduced to a physical nuisance. Collectively the literature tells the story of the organized blind's efforts to promote equality for all people in all aspects of life. This literature is available in alternative formats including Braille, cassette and print, or read NFB literature electronically through our Web site.
Our 2009-2010 Independence Market Catalog, available in print or Braille, lists the literature and blindness-related products available through our Independence Market. Now our catalog is also available on 2-track cassette and DAISY or MP3 audio CD. To order a catalog in any of these formats, send an e-mail to the Independence Market or download DAISY and MP3 audio versions.
Parent Outreach
Future Reflections is a magazine for parents and educators of blind children published in partnership with the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children. In the fall issue, Volume 28 Number 3, there are several articles contributed by the Jernigan Institute, including "Cell Phone Accessibility for Your Blind Child" by a Jernigan Institute access technology specialist and the Feature Article, "NFB Youth Slam: What I Wish I Had Learned as a Teen."
Coming soon--the winter issue of Future Reflections. Watch for it on the Future Reflections Web page or hear about it in this space.
Spotlight on the Imagination Fund
Let's race! As we begin 2010, the Imagination Fund campaign has a new look and new chairman. Parnell Diggs, member of the board of directors of the National Federation of the Blind and president of our South Carolina affiliate, assumed the chairman's duties as of January 1, 2010. We are also kicking off the biggest Imagination Fund campaign yet with the start of the Race for Independence. Visit the Web site for more information about the campaign, or e-mail us. Don't miss out on this historic and innovative initiative. We are increasing the pace as we move toward first class citizenship status in society. Sign up to be an Imaginator today!
The Imagination Fund provides support for the outreach efforts of local Federation chapters and affiliates throughout the United States as well as the research, technology, and education programs and initiatives of the NFB Jernigan Institute. The Imagination Fund was established January 2004 with the Grand Opening of our NFB research and training institute.
NFB Calendar
Now Open: Room reservations for 2010 National Convention. Write directly to the Hilton Anatole Hotel, 2201 Stemmons Freeway, Dallas, Texas 75207, or call (214) 761-7500. Pre-registration for convention will begin on March 1.
Now Open: Nominations for the 2010 Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award Program. Please visit the Application Information and Materials page to submit a nomination or letter of recommendation.
February 1, 2010 Call for papers deadline for "Research in the Rockies" Braille reading and writing summit. Submit your abstract online before midnight. Contact Judy Chwalow for details.
February 1, 2010 Applications due for NFB Leadership and Advocacy in Washington (LAW) Program, for blind students in grades 6-9, National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute and Washington, D.C. Apply online now.
February 1-4, 2010 NFB 2010 Washington Seminar, Holiday Inn Capitol, 550 C Street, S.W., Washington, D.C.
March 1, 2010 Pre-registration begins for 2010 National Convention. Monitor the NFB Web site for details.
March 31, 2010 Deadline to apply to win a 2010 NFB Scholarship, thirty awards ranging from $3,000 to $12,000, plus a trip to the 2010 National Convention, for blind postsecondary scholars.
March 31, 2010 Final day to submit nominations online for the 2010 Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award Program.
April 15-16, 2010 2010 Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium, National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute.
April 16-20, 2010 NFB Leadership and Advocacy in Washington (LAW) Program, for blind students in grades 6-9, National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute and Washington, D.C.
May 1, 2010 The Cane Event, National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute.
Join us for our annual fundraiser, The Cane Event, on May 1, 2010! The evening will feature casino games, live entertainment, heavy hors d'oeuvres, drinks, dancing, and more! The proceeds from the event benefit our Imagination Fund, which supports programs at the NFB Jernigan Institute and in our state affiliates.
Current sponsors include Brown, Goldstein, and Levy, LLP, and IBM. For more information or to become a sponsor of The Cane Event, visit us on the Web or contact Karen Zakhnini at (410) 659-9314, ext. 2297. Support us as we empower the blind across the country!
July 3-8, 2010 NFB National Convention, Hilton Anatole Hotel, Dallas, Texas.
Thank you to HumanWare and UPS, who have become the first sponsors for the 2010 NFB National Convention! The convention is the annual meeting of the NFB and is the largest gathering of the blind in the country, drawing approximately three thousand blind people from all across the United States. We are currently looking for sponsors and planning for our exhibit hall-one of the highlights of our convention. Join us as we continue to provide innovative programming and advocate for the rights of the blind!
Become a convention sponsor or exhibitor online or contact Karen Zakhnini at (410) 659-9314, ext. 2297.
July 28-August 1 and August 4-8, 2010 2010 NFB Junior Science Academy, A STEM program for blind children in grades 3-6 offered by the NFBJI's National Center for Blind Youth in Science (NCBYS). See a video about the 2009 NFB Youth Slam science academy for high school students.
Coming Summer 2011-NFB National Convention in Orlando, Florida!
Citation
Blio e-reader
Amid a crowd of promising new electronic readers at CES, this one stood out. This software application, built in part by futurist-inventor Ray Kurzweil, turns almost any laptop, netbook or smartphone into an image-rich, full-color electronic reader. Blio uses publishers' original PDF files to preserve the exact format of books and magazines while supporting interactive multimedia, including video and Web links. It will launch with an online store featuring more than 1.2 million titles. Best of all: It's free.
Price: Did we mention it's free?
Available: Late February
Why it's cool: Blio also has a read-aloud feature and will translate to or from English. It looked impressive in a demo at CES.
--CNN, "10 cool new toys from CES," January 11, 2010
--CNBC, exclusive video of Ray Kurzweil unveiling the Blio at CES, January 6, 2010.
Back to Top
Thank you for reading the NFB Jernigan Institute's Imagineering Our Future.
Support the Jernigan Institute through the Imagination Fund
Interesting links:
Archive of Straight Talk about Vision Loss videos
National Center for Blind Youth in Science
Access Technology Tips
Blogs:
Access Technology
Voice of the Nation's Blind
Publication archives:
Voice of the Diabetic
Future Reflections
Braille Monitor
Visit us at nfb.org
Jernigan Institute, National Federation of the Blind
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