[Nfbk] {Spam?} FW: [Brl-monitor] The Braille Monitor, August/September 2013
Melanie Peskoe
melaniepeskoe at gmail.com
Sat Nov 2 11:25:33 UTC 2013
FYI
-----Original Message-----
From: brl-monitor-bounces at nfbcal.org [mailto:brl-monitor-bounces at nfbcal.org]
On Behalf Of Brian Buhrow
Sent: Thursday, October 31, 2013 3:53 AM
To: brl-monitor at lothlorien.nfbcal.org
Subject: [Brl-monitor] The Braille Monitor, August/September 2013
[Note from the e-mail distributor:
No, you do not need to adjust your e-mail program. The subject is correct.
Due to a distribution error, the August/September issue of the Braille
Monitor was delayed in arriving. We apologize for the out-of-order
delivery of this issue, but hope you'll enjoy this jam-packed issue full of
news of our 2013 convention anyway. -Brian]
BRAILLE MONITOR
Vol. 56, No. 8 August/September 2013
Gary Wunder, Editor
Distributed by email, in inkprint, in Braille, and on USB flash drive
(see reverse side) by
THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
Marc Maurer, 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
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 IS NOT AN ORGANIZATION
SPEAKING FOR THE BLIND--IT IS THE BLIND SPEAKING FOR THEMSELVES.
ISSN 0006-8829
) 2013 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 label enclosed with the
drive when you return the device.
Vol. 56, No. 8 August/September
2013
Contents
Illustration: Braille Book Fair
Convention Roundup
by Gary Wunder
Presidential Report 2013
by Marc Maurer
Awards Presented at the 2013 Convention of the National Federation of the
Blind
The 2013 Bolotin Awards
by James Gashel
Meet the 2013 National Federation of the Blind Scholarship Class
The Power of Belonging
by Marc Maurer
Themes in History and the National Federation of the Blind
by Raymond Kurzweil
Reinterpreting and Expanding "The Right to Live in the World"
by Adrienne Asch
Literacy for the Blind Without Borders: Ending the Book Famine
by Fredric K. Schroeder
Literacy Without Borders: The Road to Marrakesh
by Scott C. LaBarre
Perseverance, Progress, and Possibilities: The 2013 Convention Resolutions
by Sharon Maneki
The 2013 Resolutions of the National Federation of the Blind
Convention Miniatures
[PHOTO/CAPTION: Joey Niebrugge and her son Teague]
[PHOTO/CAPTION: Raveena and Bryan Alli]
[PHOTO/CAPTION: Taengkwa Sturgell]
[PHOTO/CAPTION: Alyssa Mendez]
Braille Book Fair
One of the highlights of the national convention for parents and
children alike is the Braille Book Fair. Each year the National
Organization of Parents of Blind Children and the National Association to
Promote the Use of Braille collect donations of gently used Braille books
of all genres and age levels. New (to them) books encourage young readers
to learn and use Braille, while donating books they've outgrown creates
room on the shelf to buy newer and more advanced works. Volunteers at the
fair will box up and ship your purchases home to you, so travel space is no
limit to how many new books you can find a home for.
Business is brisk as parents and children search for just the right
books. Joey Niebrugge and her son Teague debate choices in the first photo.
In the second photo, Bryan Alli and his daughter Raveena glance over a
find. There's quite a crowd at the Book Fair, as Taengkwa Sturgell from
Indiana can confirm. In the third photo, she's browsing a table as parents
reach for books all around her. The last photo is Alyssa Mendez from
Georgia, triumphantly carrying her three new books away.
The 2013 Convention Roundup
by Gary Wunder
I joined the National Federation of the Blind in 1972, but it was not
until 1977 that I was able to attend my first national convention. That
year we met in New Orleans, and I believe my roommates and I had to save
long and hard to pay the ten-dollar-a-day fee for our hotel room.
Those were exciting times for me: making my airplane reservation;
thinking how much fun it would be to fly; realizing I had never stayed in a
hotel for a week and looking forward to it with great anticipation;
planning to meet the president of the National Federation of the Blind,
Kenneth Jernigan; and shaking the hand that was attached to that voice who
told me there was no shame in being blind and that the blind could be
educated, articulate, and, when we needed to be, forceful.
Since 1977 I have missed two national conventions, one to care for an
ill loved one, and the other to fill my responsibilities as a project
manager when my employer decided to implement a financial accounting
package at the beginning of the fiscal year. Missing those two conventions
was very difficult for me, and I spent my days at home and at work tracking
what would be happening in Baltimore and in Dallas, respectively. I was
missing the meeting of the Resolutions Committee; President Maurer was
giving the Presidential Report; I was at home watching Thursday evening
television, but I should be in the banquet hall listening to the banquet
speech. Those experiences have helped me to appreciate national convention
in the same way that a person appreciates being pain-free after a migraine
or healing from a painful bone break. Still, the repetition of thirty-four
years does tend to dim what was exciting and make it routine and even a bit
burdensome. "I'm going to make my first airplane reservation" can easily
turn into "I have to book another flight." "I'm going to make a reservation
at a fancy hotel" can easily become "I'm not sure if my credit card can
afford it, but I better book a room before rooms in the main hotel are
gone."
This year something special happened to me that once again
transformed the mundane and routine into something extraordinary and almost
magical. After leaving my grandson at home for the 2012 convention, we
promised he could join us in Orlando in 2013. We would fly on an airplane,
go to a big hotel, meet lots of influential people, and perhaps set aside a
couple of days to do some touring in Orlando. When the spring came round
and July became more than a far-off promise, every week or so my grandson
would burst into the room and ask, "Are you excited, Grandpa?" Now Grandpa
isn't always too quick on the uptake, so the first time this happened I
asked, "Excited about what?" His reaction was typical of the eleven-year-
old who can't believe that a grandpa can get so old and still be so unaware
of the important things in the world. "Our trip to the convention," he
said. Then I got it: it isn't just the going that is wonderful but the
thinking, the planning, and the countdown to making the dream reality.
"Are you excited" became the $64,000 question around our house, but
if this had been the experience of only one grandpa, grandma, and grandson,
I wouldn't have used it to introduce our convention roundup. No, excitement
wasn't just in the mind of a little boy named Ethan Perry Sutton and his
grandparents; excitement was what I observed everywhere at the 2013
convention of the National Federation of the Blind in Orlando, and
excitement is what I have read in the many emails that have come from
convention attendees who want to share what they experienced this year.
This was the Federation's second visit to a Rosen property. In 2011
we stayed at the Rosen Shingle Creek, and this year we savored the
experience of staying at the Rosen Centre. Often the large facilities we
use are a uniquely challenging travel experience for me. Gone are the lower
ceilings, close walls, and ninety-degree turns that normally give lots of
clues in maintaining good orientation during indoor travel. By contrast,
the Rosen Centre was easily learned; we came armed with good written
instructions about the layout of the hotel, and within two days most of us
were going from point A to point B without the irritating exits and detours
we have come to expect.
The weekend of June 29 and 30 found the hotel lobby full of dogs,
canes, and happy shouts of "Hello, friend; good to see you. We'll have to
get together for a meal." But for all of the longtime convention goers who
crowded the lobby and elevators, a really exciting part of this year's
convention could be heard in the enthusiasm of those who were attending
their first national convention. At check-in time some of them were
overwhelmed: "I've never been around so many blind people. How in the world
am I going to find my way?" By the time convention got into full swing, it
was more common to hear "I've never been around so many blind people. This
is really cool. They just pick up their canes and go, and I can do it too."
Although the convention is officially in session for only three days,
anyone familiar with our work knows that it begins long before the fall of
the gavel on convention opening day. This year activities started on July 1
at 7:30 in the morning with the meeting of the Amateur Radio Division and
continued late into the night with the NFB's version of American Idol in
the form of karaoke night. In between there were meetings of blind
students, blind professionals in rehabilitation, parents of blind children,
a meeting of those seeking employment who attended an employment seminar, a
job fair, and a training session held by the largest online job service in
the world, Monster.com. The Jernigan Institute was busy with technology
training sessions, and many of the major vendors selling technology for the
blind hosted sessions devoted to training and to advertising the features
that would soon be found in their newest incarnations of products. The
problem for convention attendees was not "Can I find something of interest
to attend?" but "How can I decide what is of most interest to me, and can I
find people who attended the seminars I couldn't and get them to tell me
what was covered?"
As video presentations become more important in the classroom and as
television shows and movies become ever more visual, the need for
descriptive video becomes critically important. For this reason the Smith-
Kettlewell Video Description Research and Development Center and the
National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute have partnered to train
video describers. On Monday morning participants tested the system and
their skill in using it by recording their own descriptions of selected
videos from YouTube and other sources. Technology used to communicate with
the deaf-blind was demonstrated by the Jernigan Institute. Blind youngsters
could attend seminars on everything from learning appropriate social skills
to creating and reading raised line drawings. Pearson, one of the largest
educational publishers in the world, was present to invite students to test
its MyLab products. In this presentation students were encouraged to have a
hands-on experience in learning math, English, information technology, and
business courses.
Of course, by far the most active division of the National Federation
of the Blind on seminar day is the National Organization of Parents of
Blind Children. Readers of the May 2013 issue will remember the fourteen-
page agenda filled with activities for parents and children of all ages,
and those parents and children were very much in evidence in the halls and
meeting rooms of the 2013 convention.
But we know the convention isn't just about young people; our seniors
are the fastest-growing segment of the blind population, and part of our
job is to introduce them to the growing array of senior services available
to them and to show through example the coping strategies that work for us.
One of the most meaningful pieces of legislation passed thus far in
this century is the Help America Vote Act. Through technology usable by the
blind and sighted, the blind are able to cast a truly secret ballot.
Several machines are now used throughout the country, and several more are
under development. The Dominion Voting Hospitality Suite gave voters an
opportunity to see the ImageCast Evolution Tabulator, a precinct-level
optical scan ballot counter, which provides all voters an opportunity to
vote privately and independently. The company not only got valuable
advertising for its product but learned from the blind themselves exactly
what blind people like and do not like in an electronic voting machine.
Monday evening saw meetings of the National Association of Guide Dog
Users; the National Association of Blind Office Professionals; the Living
History Group, dedicated to recording, preserving, and appreciating the
Federation's history; and the Community Service Group, created to
demonstrate that blind people not only need help and support from our
communities but are active contributors to the places where we live and
work. Traditional meetings such as the White Cane and Affiliate Finance
Committee, the Rookie Roundup, and the first meeting of the scholarship
class of 2013 helped to round out our first day of convention activities.
For many this day started early and ended late-a practice that would
continue until the adjournment of the banquet on Saturday evening.
Activities began promptly at 9:00 AM on Tuesday morning with
convention registration and banquet ticket sales. At one time standing in
the registration line provided an opportunity to visit with old friends,
make new ones, and speculate about what would be found in the agenda handed
out at the end of the registration process. But the days of the
registration line are gone. Now registration and banquet ticket sales
involve walking up to a table, giving your name, being handed your
registration packet, and hearing "I hope you have a wonderful convention"
from a member of the cheery registration staff. The Independence Market,
formerly the Materials Center, opened promptly at nine, and so too did the
exhibit hall, where sponsor-level exhibitors had two hours to demonstrate
their products and services.
Our convention sponsors for 2013 were Accessibility Champions: Vanda
Pharmaceuticals and Deque Systems Inc.; Title Sponsor: Monster Worldwide;
Platinum Sponsors: UPS, HumanWare, Oracle, and Travelocity; Gold Sponsors:
Brown, Goldstein, and Levy, LLP; Google; Market Development Group Inc.;
Silver Sponsors: AT&T; Freedom Scientific; Pearson Higher Education; Bronze
Sponsors: Blackberry; C and P-Chris Park Design; IBM; VitalSource
Technologies; White Cane Sponsors: Courseload; En-Vision America; HIMS
Inc.; eBay Inc.; Sprint; MegaVoice; SSB Bart Group; and Learning Ally.
At 11:00 AM the convention hall opened to all exhibitors, including
NFB affiliates and divisions. Other meetings occurred throughout the day,
including the Blind Musicians Group, the Travel and Tourism Division, the
National Organization of Professionals in Blindness Education Division, the
Kenneth Jernigan Fund Committee, and of course the meeting of the
Resolutions Committee, chaired by our most capable Sharon Maneki. In
addition to these formal activities, one could attend a goalball workshop;
a self-defense workshop; a presentation and training session on "Books,
Music, and More," presented by K-NFB Reading Technologies; and a
presentation by Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc. discussing circadian rhythm and
sleep-wake disorders with expert Dr. Stephen Lockley, associate professor
of medicine, Division of Sleep Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital, at
the Harvard Medical School. The National Organization of Parents of Blind
Children held a style show, an opportunity for aspiring young models to
take a walk down the runway in their favorite outfits. The Division, in
conjunction with the Writers' Division, also sponsored "Writing Your Own
Script," a youth-track activity for young people ages eleven to eighteen.
Of course there was the much anticipated sixteenth annual mock trial,
sponsored by the National Association of Blind Lawyers, and, as we have
come to expect, it was a hit.
The evening session began with a meeting for affiliate presidents and
treasurers, and, as the night progressed, there were meetings of the
Kurzweil 1000 User Group; the National Association to Promote the Use of
Braille; the National Association of Blind Students; the Public Employees
Division; the NFB Krafters Division business meeting; a presentation by NFB-
NEWSLINE. entitled "Taking Mobile to a New Level"; and an innovative
presentation by our governmental affairs staff entitled "State and US
Capitol Hills and Bills." The National Association of Blind Veterans held
its meeting, as did the Library Services Committee, the Blind Parents
Group, and the Committee for the Promotion, Evaluation, and Advancement of
Technology. The Membership Committee held a seminar entitled "New
Generation: Solutions for Growing Our Affiliates and Chapters - Removing
Old Barriers." A special Paralympic panel presentation was held in which
former and current Paralympic and international blind athletes explained
how they persevered to get to the top, and a special gathering of the
Spanish Translation Committee was held to discuss how best to share the
benefits of the Federation with those who speak Spanish.
Wednesday morning activities began at 9:00 AM with the NFB board of
directors meeting, which was open to all. When the gavel fell, a tremendous
cheer erupted from the hall, and a roll call of the board found all members
present. Sam Gleese was in attendance even though his wife Vanessa had,
only the day before, been released from the intensive care unit of a
hospital in Mississippi. A moment of silence was observed in memory of
those no longer with us. Of the many who had died, those recognized by name
included Lev Williams of Tennessee; Hazel Staley of North Carolina; Buck
Saunders of West Virginia; Frank Lee of Alabama; Herman Gruber of North
Carolina; Robert Hunt of West Virginia; Bob Eschbach of Arizona, who was
formerly a resident of Ohio, a national board member, and the president of
the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio; and Joe Money of Indiana. The
silence in the hall was a testament to the work of these fine men and women
and the esteem in which they are held by those who, because of their
example, have taken up the task they considered so dear-to carve out a
better future for the blind of our nation and the world.
President Maurer took a moment to review information about convention
registration. As of the close of business on the prior evening, we had
visitors from thirteen other nations in attendance. There were seven from
the Bahamas, two from Barbados, eighteen from Canada, one from the Czech
Republic, one from India, four from Israel, ten from Kyrgyzstan, one from
Nigeria, three from Panama, one from Saudi Arabia, two from Trinidad, one
from Trinidad Tobago, and two from the United Kingdom. This means that at
the beginning of the board meeting we had fifty-three registrants from
other nations, and at the time of this meeting, 2,233 people were
registered.
The president reported that the board positions needing to be filled
at the convention were currently held by Parnell Diggs of South Carolina,
Sam Gleese of Mississippi, Ever Lee Hairston of California, Cathy Jackson
of Kentucky, Mika Pyyhkala of Massachusetts, and Joe Ruffalo of New Jersey.
Other members of the board who would not stand for election in 2013 were
Marc Maurer, president, from Maryland; Fred Schroeder, first vice
president, from Virginia; Ron Brown, second vice president, from Indiana;
James Gashel, secretary, from Colorado; Pam Allen, treasurer, from
Louisiana; and board members Amy Buresh from Nebraska; Patti Chang from
Illinois; Mike Freeman from Washington State; John Fritz from Wisconsin;
Carl Jacobsen from New York; and Alpidio Rolsn from Puerto Rico.
Mika Pyyhkala called for the floor to announce that he would not
accept nomination for another term on the board. Mika is widely known for
his pioneering work in bringing accessibility to cutting-edge technology,
and, though he will continue to be a strong advocate in this and other
arenas, he does not wish to continue the added responsibilities that come
from being a member of the board. President Maurer thanked Mika for his
service and especially his groundbreaking work in the area of helping to
make technology accessible. He concluded by saying, "It is a pleasure to
have you as a colleague and a friend."
[PHOTO CAPTION: Dan Hicks]
Dan Hicks, the president of the National Federation of the Blind of
Florida, was next invited to the podium for welcoming remarks to the board
of directors and the convention. Given that Orlando is a magical place,
boasting Disney's magical kingdom and the Orlando Magic basketball team,
President Hicks began his welcome with a magic trick. His was not a visual
trick or an auditory trick; instead, it was a magic trick of the mind, and
we were all invited to participate. Here were his magical instructions:
Think of a two-digit number. Add together the digits of your two-digit
number. Take the resulting number and subtract this number from the number
you started with. Take the two-digit number that results and add those two
digits together. If you still have a two-digit number, add those digits,
coming up with a one-digit number. NFB has three letters, so subtract three
from your number. Now pick the letter that corresponds to that number-if
your number is one, you would pick the letter a; if it is seven, you would
pick the letter g. Now think of a state that begins with that letter. Since
NFB has three letters, take the third letter of the state you are thinking
of, and then think of a city that starts with that letter. Congratulations,
folks: you have now arrived in Orlando, Florida. The success of this trick
was affirmed by laughter and applause, and with that Dan urged that we make
this the best ever convention of the National Federation of the Blind.
President Maurer announced that a newly organized group of blind
people has asked for admission to the National Federation of the Blind and
has submitted its constitution for approval. Having reviewed the
constitution, he recommended to the board of directors that it admit and
charter the National Federation of the Blind of Montana. The board
unanimously approved a motion to admit the newly formed group and to
charter it at the annual banquet on Saturday evening. The crowd, knowing of
our long struggle truly to incorporate the Montana Association for the
Blind, cheered enthusiastically when the motion was passed.
Anil Lewis has been appointed to chair our Imagination Fund
Committee. He began his presentation by suggesting that, if we were not on
the Preauthorized Contribution Plan, we should immediately go back to the
table and sign up; if we were already on the plan, we should go back to the
table and increase. He then emphasized to the group that the purpose of the
Imagination Fund is not to take money from our own pockets, as we do in the
Preauthorized Contribution Plan, but to solicit support from friends and
neighbors who care about us and therefore care about the things important
to us. When we think about the Imagination Fund, we often imagine the
things we want to do and why we should raise money to do them. Anil asked
us to think about the world without the Federation, what it would be like
for blind people, and with that thought uppermost in our minds, to go forth
and ask those with whom we have relationships to help us with this
important cause. We are building a team of imaginators, people who are not
afraid or ashamed to ask for donations to support our noble efforts. Let
people see, through our asking and our good works, that we are about
ensuring that blind children get to read Braille, that blind adults get
remunerative employment opportunities, and that the world is a better place
because blind people are in it and fully participating members of it. He
encourages everyone to contact him at <imaginationfund at nfb.org> or to call
him at our national headquarters.
Kevan Worley and Anil Lewis have been asked by President Maurer to
reestablish the Blind Industrial Workers of America Division of the
National Federation of the Blind. This group will be critical in helping us
repeal the laws that permit the payment of subminimum wages to blind
people.
Because of our commitment to Braille, the National Federation of the
Blind runs a program funded by the American Action Fund for Blind Children
and Adults dedicated to the creation and distribution of Braille books for
children. We distribute approximately 2,000 free books each month, and
anyone who knows a blind child who could benefit from a new book is
encouraged to contact Mrs. Patricia Maurer at the National Center for the
Blind.
President Maurer announced that the 2014 convention of the National
Federation of the Blind will be in Orlando. This will be true for the 2015,
2016, 2017, and 2018 conventions as well. We may be in different hotels,
and we may vary the dates of the convention, but they will be held on Rosen
properties, and we will enjoy the fine facilities they have to offer.
[PHOTO CAPTION: Cathy Jackson]
Cathy Jackson was introduced to present the Distinguished Educator of
Blind Children Award. The 2013 winner is a deserving teacher from the state
of Georgia, and the award presentation can be found elsewhere in this
issue.
Scott LaBarre took the floor to talk with the board and those
attending the meeting about the Preauthorized Contribution Program. While
for some time now we have had an annual giving rate that was at or above
$400,000, we came into the convention with annualized giving of
$398,450.16. Although this is above where we were last year at this time,
it does not represent the yearly high that we had in December of 2012, and
it is clear that we can do much better. Chairman LaBarre suggested that we
set ourselves the task of raising our annualized contribution to at least
$425,000 by the end of convention.
Sandy Halverson took the floor to talk about the Shares Unlimited in
the National Federation of the Blind (SUN) Fund. This is a savings account
or a rainy day fund to which we make contributions as a hedge against the
day when we may face a substantial financial crisis. If the time comes when
we are in desperate need of funds, we will spend the interest from this
program. If our circumstances are dire, we will then use the principal.
Currently we have over $1 million in the fund, and our hope is to get all
of the states to make contributions to ensure that we can weather any
financial adversity that comes our way.
[PHOTO CAPTION: David Ticchi]
Dr. David Ticchi, the chairman of the Blind Educator of the Year
Award Committee, was introduced for a presentation. He presented a much-
deserved award to a woman from Pennsylvania. His remarks and those of the
recipient appear elsewhere in this issue.
By long-standing policy, chapters, state affiliates, and divisions
share their good fortune with the national treasury. Anytime a bequest is
received, half of that bequest is granted to the national body. President
Maurer recognized Julie Deden and Scott LaBarre to make a presentation, and
they presented a check in the amount of $750,000 to support the work of our
national body. They were followed by Jennifer Dunnam, president of the
National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota. On behalf of her affiliate
she presented a check in the amount of $205,000.
Rena Smith, the president of the National Federation of the Blind of
Nevada, was introduced in recognition of previous contributions her
affiliate has made throughout the year. She surprised us with the
presentation of yet another check, this one in the amount of $50,000.
President Maurer concluded this part of the presentation by
acknowledging a check for slightly under $200,000 from the affiliate in
Connecticut. He thanked our state president, Beth Rival, and the audience
showed its appreciation with a round of applause.
Joanne Wilson addressed the group to discuss our newly created
Vehicle Donation Program. We accept cars, trucks, vans, boats, motorcycles,
airplanes, and anything else that has wheels and can be towed. Our job is
to make the public familiar with this program so that people will call our
donation center when they have a beloved vehicle that can do one more good
deed in its metallic life. Public donations can be taken by going to the
website <www.carshelpingtheblind.org> or by calling (855) 659-9314. For
their donation, donors are given a tax-deductible certificate and a letter
of appreciation, and the National Federation of the Blind receives about
$500 for each donated vehicle. If each of our states can generate ten
vehicle donations in the course of the year, this will make a significant
contribution to our effort to find new and creative means of raising money
for the organization.
In addition to starting our Vehicle Donation Program, we have also
made a commitment to go into the thrift store business. We will begin in
the eastern states, and, when these programs are successful, it is our
intention to branch out and cover every state in the country. We are
working with the organization GreenDrop, and this too can be a significant
source of income if we get out the word and let people know that we are
looking for clothing, household appliances, and other items of value that
they can no longer use.
[PHOTO CAPTION: Patti Chang]
Patti Chang came to the platform to introduce the scholarship class
of 2013. This class represents one of the best we have ever had, and their
remarks to the board of directors and the speech of the 2013 Jernigan
Scholarship winner are found elsewhere in this issue. So impressed was the
board of directors by the presentation of this class and in the success of
the scholarship program that it voted unanimously to continue it next year.
For the second year in a row the board meeting adjourned on time, and
the assembled prepared for an afternoon filled with division, committee,
and group meetings.
Nothing is a greater testament to the diversity of interests and
accomplishments of the blind than the division meetings held on board
meeting and division day. There are the meetings of the Sports and
Recreation Division, the Diabetes Action Network, the National Association
of Blind Lawyers, the NFB in Computer Science, the National Association of
the Blind in Communities of Faith, the Seniors in Charge program held by
the Seniors Division, the Public Relations Committee meeting, the National
Organization of Parents of Blind Children, the Performing Arts Division,
the National Association of Blind Educators, the National Association of
Blind Merchants, the National Association of Blind Rehabilitation
Professionals, the Human Services Division, the Writers' Division, the
Piano Technology Group, and the Cerebral Palsy and Blindness gathering. For
those who didn't find themselves in a division or committee meeting, there
was training to use the NFB-NEWSLINE. service; a session for Inspiring
Artists, Beginners to Professionals; and activities sponsored by the Sports
and Recreation Division, which included a self-defense workshop and a
fundraiser in which challengers could take on officers of the Sports and
Recreation Division board in arm wrestling, push-ups, or other challenging
activities.
Of course, as important as these activities were, many of the blind
children who attended were not particularly interested in the division
meetings that occupied the afternoon. They had their hearts set on the
Braille Book Fair cosponsored by the National Organization of Parents of
Blind Children and the National Association to Promote the Use of Braille.
In this program children can browse through a large number of donated
books, choose the ones they want, and then have those books sent to their
homes by volunteers who will box and ship them. This is a splendid activity
which allows gently used books to find new and loving homes, is a delight
to the fingers of young Braille readers, and furthers our goal of
increasing literacy through Braille.
As the evening progressed, there was a meeting of blind academics;
the National Association of Guide Dog Users; the Science and Engineering
Division; the Assistive Technology Trainers; the National Association of
Blind Automobile Enthusiasts; the Committee to Empower Underserved
Populations; and the Webmasters Group for chapter, affiliate, and division
webmasters' education and collaboration. If these items didn't pique the
interest of convention attendees, there was always the Daisy Book of the
Holy Bible seminar at which the King James Version of the complete Holy
Bible (narrated by Alexander Scourby) was demonstrated to be navigable down
to the verse using a Victor Reader Stream or similar Daisy book player. At
a party sponsored by Bookshare, members could connect with Bookshare staff,
meet other Bookshare members, and learn about the latest news and updates
available through the service. Music enthusiasts could attend the Music
Tech and You Workshop to learn about composing, recording, and mixing using
state-of-the-art technology. Teachers of blind children could learn about
the National Reading Media Assessment, a new chapter in the story of
literacy for the blind. "Self-Advocacy in Higher Education: Knowing Your
Rights and Getting It Done," provided a workshop for current or soon to be
college and postgraduate students, where they could learn about their legal
rights and how to employ effective strategies for self-advocacy in
obtaining accommodations, accessing instructional materials, and requesting
accommodations in high-stakes testing.
[PHOTO CAPTION: Four members of the Louisiana Center for the Blind perform
Golden Moments]
No convention would be complete without a first run play written by
Jerry Whittle and presented by the Louisiana Center for the Blind. This
year the play was entitled Golden Moments, and at the end of the play its
author and producer was surprised by a special party thrown in honor of his
retirement and that of his wife, Merilynn. It is doubtful that one could
find two finer Federationists in the country, and this recognition of their
service was well deserved.
When the gavel fell on the first official session of the seventy-
third convention of the National Federation of the Blind, the crowd
answered with a tumultuous roar. President Maurer began by giving us a bit
of history. He read from a document which began:
The Florida Federation of the Blind Preconvention Bulletin
June 16, 1960
We have set the stage for a wonderful and big twentieth anniversary
convention of the National Federation of the Blind to be held at the
Everglades Hotel, Biscayne Blvd., Miami, Florida, July 1 to 4. If you have
not made your reservations, please do so now. The rates at the Everglades
are as follows: singles, $5.50; doubles, $7.00; triples, $9.50.
This drew an envious cheer from the crowd and paved the way for Dan
Hicks to welcome us to Florida. He took the microphone to offer us yet
another magic trick, but, in the middle of his convoluted explanation, the
stage was filled by a cast of characters who unarguably know more about
magic than our esteemed state president. He was joined by Harry Potter, his
friends, and a host of dignitaries from the Hogwarts School of Magic, who
decided to attend the convention to learn something about the art of
fundraising, their school having fallen on financial hard times. In the
Harry Potter series, new students attending Hogwarts are assigned to their
dormitories by a magical piece of clothing known as a sorting hat. In the
Hogwarts ceremony, each new student approaches the hat, which calls out his
or her name and place of residence. In the ceremony conducted in Orlando,
however, students approached the hat to ask their proper role in the
organization, and each was told that it was to assist in fundraising so
that the Federation might continue to carry out its noble work. This
introduction was nothing if not unique, and its message couldn't have been
timelier.
[PHOTO CAPTION: Air Force Honor Guard enters with flags]
[PHOTO CAPTION: Honor Guard prepares to post the colors]
After the magical characters of Hogwarts went off to see other sights
in Orlando, the stage was taken by Dwight Sayer, who began the morning's
festivities to honor our nation's veterans. This commenced with a
presentation of the colors by the Air Force Honor Guard from Patrick Air
Force Base. When they reached the stage, the convention joined in the
Pledge of Allegiance on the 237th birthday of our nation and then joined
Father John Sheehan and Dr. Jessica Ewell as they led us in the singing of
the National Anthem.
[PHOTO CAPTION: Veterans stand to be recognized]
Those who served our country in the armed forces were invited to
introduce themselves with name, rank, branch of service, and state of
residence. The first four to introduce themselves were members of the
Veterans Initiative Program we created to assist in bringing them to this
convention. Thirty-eight veterans introduced themselves, and all were
greeted with an enthusiastic round of applause. The ceremony was concluded
in song. The medley performed is captured in the audio version of this
issue and may be found, along with other audio highlights of the
convention, at <https://nfb.org/national-convention-highlights#2013>.
President Maurer noted that he had applied to be a member of the United
States Armed Forces and was rejected on the basis of blindness. He affirmed
our commitment that one day this will change.
Diane McGeorge talked briefly about our Cyber Auction, which will
occur on the Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday following Thanksgiving. Each
affiliate is being asked to make a pledge to the Amazing Online Auction,
and it is needed by September 1. This project represents another effort to
reach out to the public and to gain the support we need to fund the
valuable work we do.
The chairman of the Jernigan Fund Committee, Allen Harris, explained
the role of the fund in raising scholarship money and expressed his pride
in our being able to help more than sixty Federationists attend the
convention this year.
The next item on the morning's agenda was the roll call of states.
Because illness prevented Joy Harris, president of the National Federation
of the Blind of Alabama, from joining us, Cindy Jones of Alabama answered
the roll call, asked that we all join in saying good morning to Joy as she
listened to the convention stream, and welcomed for the first time the
president of the Alabama school for the deaf and the blind, Dr. John
Mascia. Cindy concluded her remarks by chiding President Maurer on Notre
Dame's football loss to the Crimson Tide of Alabama. The president
emotionally opined that he had enjoyed the Notre Dame season up to that
point.
Arizona came to the microphone to announce that it had in its
delegation fifty-one first-timers to the national convention. This was the
largest number of first-timers recorded in the roll call, but clearly
evident in almost every report from the states was an impressive number of
newcomers to our annual convention.
When the roll call of states reached Colorado, President Scott
LaBarre recognized the Colorado Center for the Blind and said that it would
soon be celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary, a quarter of a century
that has witnessed positive change in the hundreds of students who have
passed through the Center's doors.
The president of the National Federation of the Blind of Georgia
boasted seventy-three Georgians at the convention, with twenty-two first-
time convention attendees, seven sets of parents of blind children, one
Braille Challenge winner, one teacher of blind students (an award winner
this year), two dogs, one goat, and a chicken. Though the Braille Monitor
seldom turns away from the dirty work of investigative journalism, we made
no attempt to confirm the nonhuman census provided by the gentleman from
Georgia.
President Michael Barber of Iowa explained how much teamwork can do
when the affiliate of his state helped secure $150,000 in excess of the
governor's budget request to support the programs of the Iowa Department
for the Blind.
The president of the National Federation of the Blind of Kentucky,
Cathy Jackson, announced that the prize the Kentucky affiliate would give
for the Amazing Online Auction would be four grandstand tickets to the
Kentucky Derby.
President Larry Posont of Michigan announced the death of Michigan's
longest-serving member of the Federation, Dorothy Eagle Scott. She had been
a member of the National Federation of the Blind since 1941 and was active
until several months before her death.
The convention erupted in cheers when Travis Moses, the president of
the newly-formed National Federation of the Blind of Montana, stood at the
microphone to deliver his report. The audience was again moved to
enthusiastic applause when Carl Jacobsen took the microphone as the
president of the National Federation of the Blind of New York. In January
of this year he went into the hospital with chest pain and found himself
the recipient of double bypass surgery. Not content simply to be a patient,
President Jacobsen put on his Federation hat and began talking to the
senior vice president of the hospital about how it could improve
accessibility for blind people. "He was in his three-piece suit, and I was
in one of those gowns that fasten from the back, but here we were, carrying
on the business of the Federation," he said. Carl concluded his report by
saying that, thanks to the generosity of Cheryl Echevaria, the New York
affiliate would be donating a trip with a value of at least $2,000 to our
upcoming Cyber Auction.
President James Brown of Tennessee came to the microphone to say
that, four days previous, a law was enacted in Tennessee to protect the
rights of blind parents against seizure of their children based on
blindness. The Tennessee affiliate is also being paid by the Department of
Children's Services to train all of their 2,300 workers so that they know
blind people are capable of being good parents.
The morning session concluded with President Maurer asking for a
shout-out from those who attended their first convention in the decade of
the 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, the first decade of the twenty-first
century, and finally, the most enthusiastic roar coming from those
attending their very first convention of the National Federation of the
Blind.
On Thursday afternoon the session began with the 2013 Presidential
Report. In just over one hour and three minutes our president managed to
discuss the programs of our Federation, the challenges we have faced, the
victories we have won, and the commitment we have to shaping a future that
holds greater opportunity for the blind of the nation and the world. He
concluded his report with these remarks: "We have programs, financial
resources, facilities, influential supporters, and technologies that we
have built or caused others to create. But the most important thing we have
is each other and the faith that we inspire in ourselves to use our
strength for a common purpose and a shared goal. We have promised that we
will believe in each other, and we always keep our promises. Our spirit
makes us what we are, and our combined energy comes from the spirit that
lives in the hearts of each of us. This spirit is unquenchable, and,
because it is, our future is assured. This is what you, my friends in the
Federation, have told me; this is what I have come to know in the depth of
my being from listening to you; and this is my report for 2013." President
Maurer's remarks will appear in full immediately following this report.
Traditionally everyone who follows President Maurer's report publicly
complains about their place on the agenda, saying that he is a hard if not
impossible act to follow. Of course they are correct. The Presidential
Report is one of the highlights of the convention. The convention hall is
uncharacteristically quiet, except when it erupts in applause for the
victories we have achieved or to affirm our resolve to meet the challenges
ahead.
This year the speaker who took the stage after President Maurer was
our own Dr. Adrienne Asch, director of the Center for Ethics and the Edward
and Robert Milstein Professor of Bioethics at Yeshiva University. Her topic
was "Reinterpreting and Expanding the Right to Live in the World." She
asked the convention to consider what we were prepared to do to see that
the prenatal testing that is now being offered will not be used to prevent
the birth of people who are blind, what we will do to see that blindness
does not figure prominently in the end-of-life care we receive, and how we
will make our voices heard as agencies at all levels of government consider
how medical care will be apportioned to United States citizens in the event
of a pandemic. Though the professor spoke at a time when many take the
opportunity to catch their breath, talk with a neighbor, or run some kind
of convention errand, her topic and presentation were so engaging that you
could've heard a pin drop in that large convention hall. Her remarks appear
in full elsewhere in this issue.
[PHOTO CAPTION: Mark Conway]
A major focus of the Federation has always been and will continue to
be employment. As President Maurer observed in his introduction of the next
presenter, in order to have equal opportunity for employment, one must find
a job. In the twenty-first century most job searches are conducted online,
and the day of sending out hundreds of paper risumis has long since passed.
Monster.com is the largest online job search company in the world, and to
speak with us on the topic of "Equal Access for the Blind to Job Searches
on the Internet" was Mark Conway, chief information officer, Monster
Worldwide. Mr. Conway said that "Monster pioneered the notion of helping
people get more out of work by showing them that there's a better job out
there. We started the business of digital recruiting in 1994, and today
we're the only online recruitment provider able to service customers on a
global basis. Monster has an unparalleled international reach, with a
presence in over forty countries in the world. And we enjoy the number one
and number two positions in the major markets of the world in which we
operate.... At Monster we don't just sell better jobs; we help people live
better lives, we inspire people to improve their lives. Because, in the
end, the better job is more than that: a better job is a better experience,
an experience that leads to better possibilities, better opportunities,
better relationships, and better perspectives. We have enhanced our mission
through our collaboration with the National Federation of the Blind.
Earlier this year in Boston we announced that, working together,
Monster.com would be the first job search and recruitment website to
provide blind jobseekers with full and equal access to all our products and
services. Let me focus on how we got there.
"Over the past year a team at Monster has been working closely with
the National Federation of the Blind to enhance our Monster.com website in
a way that will provide more opportunities for blind jobseekers to find
jobs. Although portions of our site were already accessible, we realized we
could do more. Therefore Monster went through the process of redesigning
and updating key pages and flows on the site to ensure accessibility to our
site for blind seekers.... These changes allowed blind jobseekers not only
to find great jobs but to engage with employers, to apply for jobs, and to
leverage the full benefit of Monster services." Not only has Monster.com
improved its site, but in conjunction with these enhancements Monster has
also focused on the education of the blind job seeker and developed an
accessibility center for its website. "To continue to enable people to find
better jobs, Monster has provided the National Federation of the Blind with
a five-year grant of free job postings on Monster to allow the national
organization to hire the best talent through Monster.com. In addition we
made a donation of $50,000 to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to support
programs to promote education and employment of blind persons and other
persons with disabilities. We look forward to continuing this critical work
with the National Federation of the Blind."
At the end of Mr. Conway's remarks, President Maurer said, "I was
distracted during part of your presentation, so I may have missed it. I
heard you talk about that gift you gave to Massachusetts, but I didn't hear
you say that you gave us $50,000 to be a Title Sponsor for this convention.
The idea is that we can build better things together than either of us can
do alone, and this is a great thing for us-we love it, and we're glad to
have you here."
As we have often noted in these pages, a significant problem for
blind people is that we are told to sit down and wait. Some of this we
reject, but some of it we take to heart. Like our sighted counterparts,
many of us spend too much time sitting and fail to get the exercise
critical to good health. To help address this issue, the next item
appearing on the afternoon agenda was "The Poetry of Motion, the Grace of
Movement, the Delight of Physical Expression: Blindness No Barrier." The
panel was moderated by Natalie Shaheen, director of education at the
National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute. Her remarks and a
summary of those made by her fellow panel members will be reprinted later
in the fall.
[PHOTO CAPTION: Gilles Pepin]
The final item of the afternoon session was entitled "The Newest
Digital Book Player with Added Connectivity and Other Revolutionary
Technology," and was presented by the chief executive officer of HumanWare,
Gilles Pepin. He discussed the newest incarnation of the Victor Reader
Stream, which is smaller, lighter, and louder than its predecessor and
includes the ability to communicate wirelessly. This means that no longer
must one connect the unit to a computer in order to download books, music,
and other information of interest. Through an agreement with the National
Federation of the Blind, the new Stream will allow information from NFB-
NEWSLINE. to be directly downloaded to the player so that the blind person
who owns one of these devices can wake and find his or her newspaper ready
to read. With the new Stream, readers will have access to 327 national and
local newspapers and forty magazines without a computer or telephone. The
device will also provide access to books from the National Library Service,
Bookshare, and (thanks to the efforts of Curtis Chong in his capacity as
the head of the National Federation of the Blind in Computer Science) the
Audible service will be accessible as well. Not content with providing
reading material, updates will soon be provided allowing access to stock
quotes, weather forecasts, podcasts, Internet radio, and other music
services.
Of course HumanWare is not interested in audio only; its strong
commitment to Braille is demonstrated by its extensive line of Braille
products. As Mr. Pepin says, "As you know, HumanWare is all about Braille
and its future. In the last twenty-five years we have been committed to
Braille literacy. We've always had a complete line of state-of-the-art
products, including our very popular BrailleNote and Brailliant flagship
products. We are great believers that Braille is the only path towards
literacy for our children. We know that Braille readers are the leaders in
this community, but in the recent past Braille has been losing ground.
Education budgets have been cut; the number of available teachers of
Braille is decreasing; there is often an unfortunate belief that more
affordable mainstream solutions based on speech are enough for our
children, but they are not. These and other reasons are contributing to the
decline in Braille literacy, and we must fight back! . . . At HumanWare we
believe our contribution should be focused on three critical elements: we
want to make Braille more affordable, more portable, and more connectable
to this digital world. . . together with NFB and others, we will increase
the use of Braille worldwide, and Braille literacy will prevail."
Mr. Pepin concluded by discussing the soon-to-be-announced Prodigi, a
device that will bring the world of closed-circuit television technology
into the twenty-first century and give those with low vision a simple,
affordable, portable device. This will allow a blind person to hear the
contents of a document spoken aloud, view it on the screen, or wirelessly
download it for later review.
At the conclusion of the afternoon session, plenty of activities
awaited the spirited and energetic crowd. There was an opportunity to
record a professionally mixed and edited demo of one's favorite song; an
open house sponsored by the Colorado Center for the Blind; a chance to
visit the exhibit hall; and a meeting of the Employment Committee to learn
about resources to help with career planning, job seeking, and getting that
first job. Those interested in homeschooling their children could learn all
about it from instructor Heather Field, those wanting to learn about the
basics of the Individualized Education Plan could be schooled by Carlton
Walker, and parents wanting to know more about the legal process could also
benefit from her knowledge as a lawyer and first-class advocate. Those
wanting to learn how to work with their state and local boards of elections
to eliminate barriers that prevent blind and visually impaired voters from
casting private and independent ballots could attend a seminar, and those
wanting to know about the contribution of the National Federation of the
Blind in researching and developing new technology could attend a meeting
sponsored by the Research and Development Committee. Finally, those
interested in a little less work and a bit more play could attend the
annual Monte Carlo Night sponsored by the National Association of Blind
Students.
However people chose to spend the evening, they managed to find their
way back the next morning to the grand ballroom for the 9:00 AM fall of the
gavel. The morning session began with a financial report delivered by
President Maurer. In last year's report he told us that there had been a
significant alteration in our income and that changes would have to be
made. This year we find that our expenses still exceed our income by some
$700,000. We have initiated a number of new fundraising activities, which
were discussed earlier in this article, and we continue to look for ways to
cut expenses while preserving and expanding our programs. There is reason
to believe that our balance sheet for 2013 will be better at the end of the
year than it now appears, but it is absolutely essential that we continue
to look for ways to fund this movement.
The convention next turned its attention to elections and filling the
terms expiring at the end of the convention. The Nominating Committee
report recommended Parnell Diggs; Sam Gleese; Ever Lee Hairston; Cathy
Jackson; Jeannie Massay, president of the NFB of Oklahoma; and Joe Ruffalo.
The Convention accepted the report of the Nominating Committee, President
Maurer conducted the election, and each member nominated by the committee
was elected.
In introducing the next presentation, President Maurer said: "We now
take up an item that we were thinking of doing tomorrow, but we are
fortunate to be able to do it today. This is being presented by a teacher
of blind students from Hamilton, Mississippi. This is a story worth
knowing, a spirit worth feeling; this is a teacher in the movement who
believed in blind children-and not only believed in blind children, but she
taught the legislature to share her faith. It is my great good fortune to
welcome for her presentation Casey Robertson."
[PHOTO CAPTION: Casey Robertson]
Here is how Casey began her remarks: "Good morning, Federation family
and friends. I am here this morning, and if you would look at your agenda,
you might see that you were supposed to hear about surviving potential
disaster. Well I think my story goes right along with that, because, if we
do not change the way students in our country are taught, we are headed for
disaster." With these attention-getting remarks, Casey went on to deliver a
stellar presentation that will appear in a future issue of this magazine.
[PHOTO CAPTION: Daniel Webster]
"Supporting the Blind of America in Congress" was next presented by
the Honorable Daniel Webster, United States House of Representatives, from
the Tenth Congressional District of Florida. Congressman Webster
congratulated us on the work we do, stressed the value of not-for-profit
organizations such as ours, and talked about the greatest obstacle he finds
in Congress today-finding common ground, developing trust, listening, and
uniting to take action. He said one of his first acts after being elected
in 2010 was to call three of his fellow Congressman of the opposite party
to ask that they sit with him at the State of the Union speech. The first
to return his call was Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida. Through this
encounter he learned about an annual softball game between women in
Congress and members of the press. He was asked to coach the congressional
team, accepted the challenge, and helped his team to a late-inning five to
four victory. After his team's triumph, while walking to catch the Metro
for a ride home, he began to think about how special that night was and how
the unity among conservatives, moderates, liberals, Republicans, Democrats,
men, and women turned out to be more important than their differences. His
hope was that he could do something to try to instill this spirit into the
United States Congress, and to this end he has established bipartisan
dinners, which continue to grow in popularity and have, as their most
important dinner activity, sharing experiences, stories, victories, and
defeats, in the hope that the result will be relationships based on trust
and the creation of an environment where people who share significant
differences can still come together for the common good.
At the conclusion of the Congressman's remarks, President Maurer
said, "Thank you for that profound message, and I appreciate the profound
observations about needing to listen. I have a question for you, however.
In 1938 the Fair Labor Standards Act was adopted. In 1938 it included a
provision that said that employers did not have to pay disabled Americans
the minimum wage. It still says that. We have caused a bill to be
introduced in Congress-this is H.R. 831-and we are looking for people to
help us get rid of this legalized discrimination against blind Americans.
We'd like to ask you to do it with us."
Congressman Webster said, "Thank you for that question, and another
shout out to our Florida friends: they have been in my office, they've
explained this to me, and, as a matter of fact, they pointed out to me
people I would've never have imagined would be a part of that conspiracy. I
was shocked. I support your bill; I think that people should get just
compensation for what they do, and I look forward to working with you in an
even more substantive way in bringing this to the floor and making it
happen."
President Maurer concluded the presentation by saying: "I said to
Anil Lewis, when I asked him to go down and work on this in the Congress,
to find people in Congress who have courage. I think we have one with us!"
"The Electronic Brailler of Tomorrow Here Today: Distance Learning
and Braille Production in One Device" was next presented by David
Pillischer, the president of Electronic Brailler LLC, and Peter Sullivan,
vice president of software development for Duxbury Systems Inc. For all of
the advancement we have seen in reading and writing Braille with notetakers
and refreshable Braille displays, relatively little progress has been made
in modernizing the traditional Braillewriter, which, by printing on paper,
can make possible the reading and writing of multiple lines of Braille and
thus enable its use in mathematics and in other arenas where understanding
the layout of rows and columns is required. The electronic Brailler which
has been produced provides the functionality of the traditional Perkins
Braillewriter, along with the state-of-the-art technology to store what is
written, to translate and back translate the information entered into it,
and to produce Braille so quietly that it can be used in the classroom
without interrupting the work of other students. Its ability to use the
Internet means that a student can work with a teacher who is not physically
present but can provide instruction, review the work, and even send
material to be transcribed for the student.
Following these remarks, President Maurer said: "Distance education
is vastly needed in this arena because there aren't enough teachers in this
area, and the teaching is always interrupted by something. This is a great
thing, I look forward to it, and, David, it's been great having you here."
Many of Mr. Pillischer's remarks will appear in an upcoming issue.
[PHOTO CAPTION: Preety Kumar]
Our next program item was entitled "Equal Access to Digital
Information: Tools that Help in Getting it Done." To make this presentation
we welcomed an Accessibility Champion for the 2013 convention and a
longtime sponsor, the chief executive officer of Deque Systems, Preety
Kumar. This company and its founder are dedicated to access for the blind
and have developed an interface called Amaze, which is capable of providing
quality access to Facebook for users of screen-reading technology, no
matter the screen reader one chooses. For this program the company has won
the Computer World Innovation Award, significant recognition by a
mainstream newspaper which holds a preeminent position in the world of
computing technology. Preety asked for our help in letting the world know
that the Americans with Disabilities Act applies to technology and that the
higher-paying jobs in today's world all revolve around it.
[PHOTO CAPTION: Robert Repella]
The Friday afternoon session of the convention began promptly at 2
PM, and after a generous door prize President Maurer introduced Robert
Repella, chief commercial officer and senior vice president of Vanda
Pharmaceuticals Inc. to discuss the topic "Exploring Pharmaceuticals in
Partnership with the Blind." For some time now Vanda Pharmaceuticals has
been exploring the relationship between the ability to differentiate
between light and dark and the sleep patterns of blind people. They have
been seeking volunteers to participate in testing to determine whether its
new drug, Tasimelteon, is effective in treating sleep disturbances that
appear to occur in the blind. Having successfully completed these tests,
the manufacturer hopes to receive approval for its drug in six to ten
months, and Mr. Repella expressed his appreciation for the help of the
National Federation of the Blind in researching the issue, in helping to
solicit volunteers, and in publicizing the results of the studies. His hope
is that, when we next meet in Orlando, Vanda will be close to announcing
something for the market to help with the sleep disturbances that have been
observed.
[PHOTO CAPTION: Greg Harper]
"Ending Legalized Discrimination in Wage Payments for Disabled
Americans" was the next item on the agenda, and it was presented by the
Honorable Greg Harper, United States House of Representatives from the
Third Congressional District of Mississippi. Congressman Harper is the lead
sponsor of H.R. 831 in the United States House, and his remarks will appear
in full in a later issue. Though what he has to say is impressive in
written form, the audio presentation has much to recommend it. These
remarks and many other audio highlights can be found at
<https://nfb.org/national-convention-highlights#2013>.
When I was a young lad in high school and the fall would bring the
convention issue of this magazine, one of the highlights for me was always
the presentation made by Jim Gashel, the Washington Report, delivered in
his capacity as the head of our Washington Office. This is now known as the
Advocacy and Policy Report and is currently presented by four articulate
warriors who take our message to Capitol Hill each day. They are John Pari,
Anil Lewis, Lauren McLarney, and Jesse Hartle. Their report will appear in
the October issue. At the end of their presentation, President Maurer said:
"As you can tell, we have a very good and very effective team working to
get our legislation adopted. It is especially good and especially effective
because we have members in every state prepared to do what is needed to get
the work done. We are the most effective nonprofit in the nation because we
have the team we do and because we have you!"
The remainder of the afternoon was spent in reading and discussing
the resolutions that set the policy of the National Federation of the Blind
in this and future years. Twenty-four resolutions were brought to the
floor; twenty-three of them were passed. A full report from the chairman of
the Resolutions Committee and the texts of the resolutions that passed can
be found elsewhere in this issue.
When the gavel fell on the last morning of the 2013 convention, 2,429
Federationists were registered. Although our numbers have sometimes been
higher, one would be hard pressed to find a more enthusiastic crowd than
the one filling the hall and anxiously waiting for the first presentation
of the morning.
"Braille Enrichment for Literacy and Learning (BELL): Changing
Educational Expectations for the Blind of America" was moderated by Mark
Riccobono, executive director of the National Federation of the Blind
Jernigan Institute. He was joined by Sandy Halverson, president of the
National Association to Promote the Use of Braille and the lead coordinator
of the Virginia BELL Programs; Kayleigh Joyner, a junior at Stephen F.
Austin State University; and Raveena Alli, a second grader at Springdale
Park Elementary School. These presentations were excellent, no summation
could do them justice, and therefore they will appear in their entirety
sometime in the fall.
Before the days of digital deployment in the classroom, the biggest
challenge for blind people in school was in getting their books on time and
insuring that their instructors provided appropriate verbal feedback when
drawing on the chalkboard. But now school is a different place, and much of
what came from the textbook, the chalkboard, and the lecture is now gotten
through what are known as "learning management systems." They offer
tremendous resources for today's students, but, as with other technology,
they can present real barriers to blind people when our needs are not taken
into consideration in the design and implementation of these systems.
[PHOTO CAPTION: Dennis Kavelman]
"Accessible Education That Works: a Commitment from Desire2Learn" was
presented by Dennis Kavelman, the chief operating officer of this
innovative company. The creative force behind Desire2Learn was John Baker,
a student at the University of Waterloo, who believed that sitting through
lectures and hearing what he was supposed to have read in textbooks was a
waste of time. Instead, he envisioned an environment where reading and
lectures would be done before class time, allowing time with the professor
to be spent in asking questions and going beyond the written and oral
material. A hot topic and a current theme in education today is
individualized learning, and this is greatly enhanced by software that can
watch a student learn, periodically check her understanding, and reinforce
those ideas which her answers indicate she does not fully comprehend.
Mr. Kavelman described his company's evolution in developing a
product usable by the blind this way: "Our deep commitment and
understanding didn't happen overnight. Back in 2006, like many companies in
our space, we didn't really appreciate how certain coding decisions had
inadvertently created barriers for persons with disabilities. We thought we
were doing pretty well because we had added alt text to our images. A local
accessibility consultant showed us how nonvisual access users need much
more than alt text. She showed us how screen access software works,
attempted a number of common tasks in the system, and really struggled in
some areas. At the end of the day people had a deeper appreciation for what
a good screen-access experience looked like and resolved to do better.
Since then we have been working really closely with people with
disabilities to refine our software. These interactions have completely
changed our approach to designing and delivering products. We don't just
think about `Does this have the right markup?' We go much further to ask
whether our products are designed to recognize the uniqueness and dignity
of our users ...We are proud to have found a partner in the NFB that is
deeply committed to these principles ... Desire2Learn is proud to be the
only learning management system to have multiple nonvisual accessibility
certifications from the NFB. We began working with the Access Technology
Team at the NFB Jernigan Institute back in 2010. They have reviewed the
nonvisual experience of our learning management system based on common use
cases for students and instructors such as taking quizzes, grading, and
creating activities within the system. They focus on the user experience,
which sets a very rigorous standard." Again, in the words of the company's
founder, "Accessibility is an organization-wide mandate and is a critical
element in all of our R&D efforts. We are committed to ensuring that we are
the industry leader in this very important field."
[PHOTO CAPTION: Anil Lewis]
"Valuing the Talent of Disabled American Workers: Ending Subminimum
Wage Payments" was the title of our next presentation delivered by a panel
moderated by Anil Lewis, director of advocacy and policy for the National
Federation of the Blind; Sheila Leigland, a former worker at Goodwill
Industries, who was being paid less than the federal minimum wage; Serena
Lowe, senior policy advisor, Office of Disability Employment Policy for the
United States Department of Labor; and Allison Wohl, executive director,
the Collaboration to Promote Self-Determination. Anil asked us to recognize
that for many in the world an active, thriving, and productive group of
blind people runs contrary to what they believe. The idea that we could
travel independently to a new city, organize this convention, formulate
policy, and then see to its implementation just isn't something they
consider possible. He noted that one of our greatest challenges is to
recognize that we sometimes get so lost in our success that we miss the
fact that there is still a fight to fight.
[PHOTO CAPTION: Sheila Leigland]
Sheila Leigland hails from Montana, where she formerly worked for
Goodwill Industries. After taking time off for surgery, she was informed by
the management of Goodwill's sheltered workshop that she could return to
the facility, but her pay would be reduced to $2.71 an hour, the rate paid
to all new disabled employees of Goodwill Industries. When she calculated
the cost of her transportation to and from work, she decided it made no
economic sense to go back. Sheila made it clear that, while Jim Gibbons,
the CEO of Goodwill, may say it is all about informed choice, for her and a
large majority of the labor force in the United States, it's about money.
Not only is it about money, but it's about dignity: the dignity that is
eroded when one enters an environment where she is told she is not
productive on the line where clothes are sorted; dignity that is eroded
when she is told that, despite her college education, she doesn't qualify
to be a telephone receptionist or for any other job that might harness her
God-given talents; and dignity that is eroded when the very people who tell
her she is not productive are themselves blind and make their living by
making public pronouncements suggesting they are worthy of the hundreds of
thousands of dollars they receive in compensation, while labeling as
unproductive those who provide the direct labor that makes those salaries
possible.
[PHOTO CAPTION: Allison Wohl]
Speaking on behalf of the Collaboration to Promote Self-Determination
(CPSD), Allison Wohl reminded us that "Subminimum wage on its face is a
problem because it places a lesser value on the work of citizens with
disabilities. There is a clear relationship between disability and poverty.
For ten years in a row people with disabilities have experienced the
highest levels of poverty in the United States. Three-hundred thousand
Americans with disabilities are in sheltered workshops, in segregated
workplaces, doing piecework for pennies a day in some cases. Between
500,000 and 600,000 people with disabilities are in nonwork settings, and,
because of the many restrictions around receiving SSI and Medicaid, they
are not allowed to earn, they are not allowed to save. Yet, the United
States government spends about $400 million a year on disability payments
with an additional 71 billion from the states. What does that money go to?
Forty-one percent of it goes to cash payments, which is otherwise known as
welfare or income support. Fifty-five percent goes to Medicaid, and less
than 1 percent of those dollars is spent on training, education, and
employment. What would happen if we turn that model around and that money
and the incentives to providers would be on real work at real wages in
competitive environments with nondisabled workers like everybody else? This
is what we're here to do....
"I loved the Rock Center piece, and thank you to NFB for working so
hard to get that piece aired. What Mr. Gibbons talked about was that it was
okay to pay these folks less because it was part of their program, and to
me that was one of the most hideous things he said. What he meant was that
we should not pay people with disabilities more than subminimum wages
because they are on welfare. That is an outdated paradigm, and it needs to
change! ...CPSD's long-term goal is not just employment but economic self-
sufficiency. We recognize that there will always be some dependence on
public support, but we need to move from this model of cyclical dependency
to self-sufficiency. Economic self-sufficiency starts with schools placing
high expectations on students with disabilities and preparing them for a
life of work, not segregated nonwork. We cannot force another generation
into poverty, and our loved ones with disabilities will never get out of
poverty under this outdated model of dependence. Laws have not kept pace
with what we know about Americans with disabilities, and our system must be
modernized. Seeing the repeal of 14(c) (which allows organizations to pay
their workers with disabilities less than the federal minimum wage) and a
phase-out of sheltered workshops are both obvious and powerful first steps
in creating a system of economic self-sufficiency for Americans with
disabilities."
[PHOTO CAPTION: Serena Lowe]
Serena Lowe was the next member of the panel to take the microphone.
She began by reiterating the position articulated by Anil Lewis earlier in
the day when he defined the battle to eliminate subminimum wages as the
great civil rights issue of our day for people with disabilities. She went
on to say, "No matter who you are or where you're from, work is about some
very basic things: it's about dignity, it's about respect, it's about
economic stability. You can't have that if you're being paid subminimum
wages. Whether or not you believe in the nation's minimum wage, the reality
is that we have it, it's law, and it should be for everyone-no exceptions,
no ifs, no ands, no buts. Americans with disabilities are no different from
Americans without disabilities when it comes to our collective view of the
American dream of wanting to pursue work, to generate an income, to earn a
livable wage, to be a productive citizen in society, to contribute as
taxpayers-these are all important to all of us."
She went on to note that several myths permeate society that are used
to justify the payment of subminimum wages for citizens with disabilities.
One is that disabled persons cannot be productive, another that employers
would not hire them unless they were able to do so at less than the minimum
wage. Another myth is that it is more costly for the employer to hire
someone with a disability, though fourteen years of research has proven
this to be a fallacy. The last myth that continues to dog our progress
holds that the debate over sheltered workshop employment revolves around
informed choice, the assumption being that people choose to hold jobs,
knowing they will be paid below the national minimum wage. In reality there
is no informed choice; the choice about what workers in the workshops are
paid is being made by the managers of the workshops who benefit from the
low wages they pay. Furthermore, as Ms. Lowe reminds us, "Informed choice
is not limitless. If you are using public dollars, they should help you to
be as economically self-sufficient as possible, not stick you somewhere
where you're not being valued, you're not playing to your strengths, and
you're being cyclically dependent. That's not what publicly financed
supports are about! ... It's very important that I make something clear for
you: government is a myriad of contradictions, and the Department of Labor
is no exception. Right upstairs, four floors above us, is the Wage and Hour
Division, and, as part of their many enforcement roles, they are required
to enforce section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act. The reality is
that this is the law. Just because it's the law doesn't make it right. So
the Office of Disability Employment Policy says that employment, as we
define it, means work paid directly by employers at the greater of minimum
or prevailing wages, with commensurate benefits, occurring in a typical
work setting where the employee has the opportunity to interact
continuously with coworkers, both with and without disabilities, has the
opportunity for advancement and mobility, and is engaged preferably full-
time. That's integrated employment; that's what we support. We need NFB's
help to make sure that the laws reflect that evolution in our psyche as
Americans. Without your help, 14(c) still stands; it is still federal law.
There's nothing I can do about that, there's nothing Wage and Hour can do
about that-it is federal law, and that is why the work you are doing is so
critically important."
When the panel concluded, President Maurer addressed those assembled
with these remarks: "Last November I went to Montana; I sat down in a room
and started talking with my buddies about how to build an affiliate of the
Federation. And there were the Leiglands, and they were working for
subminimum wages. Now a lot of people who deal with workshops have said,
`Yeah, there aren't many blind people being paid subminimum wages; why do
you care; it's just a couple of them, just a few.' I don't care if there's
only one: one is too many! So I called Anil and I said, `Get hold of these
guys. They've got to be on the front lines. They are the example we need.'
And he and Jesse and John got hold of NBC, and pretty soon they are in our
building taking film, and you know what happened next. I admire John and
Jesse and especially the leader of this particular task, Anil Lewis. We're
going to get it done."
"Literacy for the Blind without Borders," was the title of the next
presentation, and its presenters were Frederic K. Schroeder, research
professor, Interwork Institute, San Diego State University Research
Foundation, and the first vice president of the National Federation of the
Blind; and Scott LaBarre, Esq., LaBarre Law Offices, and president of the
National Federation of the Blind of Colorado. Their efforts to secure the
passage of a treaty allowing the cross-border sharing of books energized
the crowd, and what they said appears later in this issue.
[PHOTO CAPTION: Lesley-Anne Alexander]
The morning session ended with a presentation entitled "Creating
Opportunity for the Blind of the United Kingdom, Building Partnerships with
Like-Minded Blindness Organizations Around the World," and its presenter
was Lesley-Anne Alexander, chief executive officer of the Royal National
Institute of Blind People (RNIB). She began her remarks by saying,
"Colleagues from the UK who have been to the convention before me have
always come back and described the convention as awesome, and they clearly
weren't lying to me. I think this is perhaps the most amazing gathering of
blind and sighted people I have ever had the honor to stand in front of."
Ms. Alexander explained the role of the RNIB, noting that in America we
make more of a distinction than they do in Britain between consumer
organizations and service providers. The RNIB is both, but it is slowly
moving from service delivery to what it calls campaigning, our word for the
concept being "advocacy." One of the goals of the Institute is to change
the perception about blind and partially sighted people so that government
and other decision-makers absolutely understand that we have a right to
things, rather than being seen simply as the recipients of the good works
of others.
In closing, Ms. Alexander said, "It is genuinely an honor to be in
this room with all of you, who display such fantastic and significant
leadership in your own way. But it is also an honor to be in this room with
some of the greatest leaders in the world of blindness. It's invidious to
single out individuals, but I simply can't leave this platform without
publicly thanking some of your great leaders. I'd like to thank Fred
Schroeder; I'd like to thank Scott LaBarre; I'd like to thank George
Kerscher; I'd like to thank James Gashel; but most of all I'd like to thank
one of the bravest and perhaps most fearsome leaders of all, your own Dr.
Marc Maurer."
[PHOTO CAPTION: Jan R. Frye]
To kick off the afternoon session, we took up the topic "A
Partnership with the Organized Blind Movement: Creating Employment
Opportunities in the Department of Veterans Affairs," presented by Jan R.
Frye, deputy assistant secretary in the Office of Acquisition and Logistics
for the Department of Veterans Affairs. Mr. Frye came to know about the
employment challenges faced by the blind when he met James Omvig, and,
through knowing Jim and learning about our organization, Mr. Frye has
concluded that blind people represent a significantly under-used pool of
talent for his department and for the federal government. Not being content
simply to make the observation, he has decided to do something about this.
He says, "I started a three-tier plan. First, I hired blind persons to work
on my personal staff. About three weeks ago Meleah Jensen and Evelyn Valdez
began their work in the heart of Washington, DC.... And they are here
today." One of the things Mr. Frye has learned, much to his surprise and
annoyance, is that his office is not totally Section 508 compliant. Some of
the equipment that should be accessible is not, and even the new telephone
system that has just been installed creates problems he is committed to see
his department address.
"The next step in this three-tiered program is to hire blind persons
as part of our Warriors to Workforce program. This is a program we set up
eighteen months ago-we already had an intern program, but I wanted to be
able to bring wounded warriors in and train them to be contracting
officers." Mr. Frye went on to say that the piece that is now missing
involves recruiting and training blind veterans, and this he hopes to do in
six to eight months. "My vision is to start training the blind to become
government acquisition professionals in the VA, but I have a broader
vision, and that is to take this spark in the VA and light lamps of
understanding across the federal government. Blind people are capable, and
they must be hired....We will not pigeonhole blind employees in positions
defined strictly for blind people. Blind employees will be mainstreamed,
and never will they be marginalized!...I'm largely ignorant about the
issues blind people face in employment discrimination, but I know they
exist. I simply have an idea and a modest plan for action; I aspire to
learn quickly; I need your help. I want to take this small spark we're
kindling and turn it into a thousand points of understanding across the
federal government." Mr. Frye invites anyone who wishes to talk with him
about improving the hiring of blind people in the federal government to
write to him at<janfrye at va.gov>.
The next person to come to the podium was the recently elected
president from New Hampshire, Cassandra McKinney. The title of her
presentation was "The Blind at Work in an Unusual and Demanding
Profession." Cassandra is a funeral director and embalmer, and her remarks
will appear in an upcoming issue.
[PHOTO CAPTION: Roberta Shaffer]
With all of the technology for reading books and all of the
publishers seeking to make their materials more accessible, the National
Library Service of the Library of Congress is still the source that most
blind people turn to to meet a majority of their pleasure reading needs. In
2012 Ms. Roberta Shaffer, the associate librarian for library services,
came to tell us about the library's plans for the future. This year her
topic was "Access for All: the Library of Congress in the Twenty-First
Century." Ms. Shaffer said that the federal government has made many cuts
this year, but this has not stopped the Library of Congress from working to
meet its essential goals. She said there were three new programs she wanted
to discuss. The first is a program to bring readers into the library so
that the staff of the National Library Service will have a better pipeline
to its consumers. The second initiative is to reach out to other libraries
and services to make more materials available for readers. There is a myth
that the Library of Congress has everything, but the truth is that a goal
of the library must be to achieve greater collaboration so that what they
don't have they can help their consumers find. This commitment to
collaboration also involves going beyond books, film, and recorded sound.
Library services must expand to include social media and big data, and
these cannot be excluded simply because they are difficult to catalog and
control.
The third initiative of the Library is to digitize more material
without falling into the trap of choosing quantity over quality. The
Library of Congress still wants to be the gold standard for library service
in the nation, and, though it expects to produce much more material through
greater digitization, the result will not be a reduction in the quality we
have come to expect. The work that the library is doing with publishers
has, as its primary goal, bringing books to its readers as
contemporaneously as they are brought to other communities.
Making NLS books available on platforms other than those specifically
created for the program remains a priority, and the plan is to have
software that will run on the iOS platform available before the end of 2013
and on the Android operating system in the winter of 2015.
Ms. Shaffer concluded by asking for our help in advertising the
services of the National Library Service because she believes that far more
blind and physically disabled people qualify for the service than are using
it now.
[PHOTO CAPTION: Peter Chapman]
When the NFB envisioned developing a reading machine we could hold in
our hand or place in our pocket, we asked for the help of Ray Kurzweil in
developing it and jointly created a company called K-NFB Reading
Technologies. This company created the first handheld reading machine, then
the first reading machine to work on a cell phone. It then created Blio, a
piece of software that would run on many electronic devices and allow for
the retrieval and reading of books. K-NFB Reading Technologies has now
merged with eMusic to create a new company called Media Arc. The president
of the newly-merged company is Peter Chapman, and his topic was "The
Cutting Edge: Accessible Technology that Provides Greater Opportunity Than
Ever Before in History." Mr. Chapman began by reminding us that K-NFB
Reading Technologies is special in that it combines the engineering and
technical expertise of Raymond Kurzweil with the strong consumer voice and
technical advocacy of the National Federation of the Blind, together making
an unprecedented commitment to accessibility. "As part of our mission we
are focused on creating products to meet the needs of people who are blind
and others with reading disabilities. We also encourage other companies to
make their products accessible too. As an example, last year we intervened
in a large sale of Amazon Kindles to the government. We did so because the
Kindle device does not provide accessibility. Our intervention, combined
with the complaints of the NFB, stopped the sale. Actions like these are
putting pressure on these large companies to meet their legal and moral
obligations to the blind.
"Very soon blind people should have access to digitized collections
of eighty-four of the world's finest and most complete academic research
libraries. In the future, because of the copyright laws, you might actually
need to hire a blind person to do research, because you guys will be the
only ones who have access to all this content.... With the partnerships
being developed by Media Arc the blind should soon have access to twenty-
eight million pieces of digital content: more digital content than Amazon.
Every one of these will be totally accessible to blind and sighted people."
Media Arc will soon have more movies and television shows than Hulu and
Netflix combined. "Our goal in working with the NFB is to make `The Library
Song' a thing of the past."
Jim Gashel followed Peter Chapman to the microphone to demonstrate
some of the accessibility features found on the Google Nexus 7. This is one
of Google's offerings in the handheld tablet market, and Jim was able to
demonstrate its ability to read, download books, play news stories, and
even listen to music. All of this was done using a touchscreen and was
fully accessible.
[PHOTO CAPTION: Ray Kurzweil]
Following Jim was a man who has been coming to our conventions for
almost four decades. His topic was "An Alternative Method of Thought:
Adding Power to the Human Mind," and no one will be surprised when I say
that the presenter was Ray Kurzweil. In the last year Ray has taken a
position as the director of engineering for Google Inc. In this new role he
has the ability to do tremendous things to encourage accessibility and can
expand on his interest in the human brain by figuring out how to replicate
its extreme power and flexibility in the hardware of today's machines.
Ray has been thinking about how the human mind works for more than
fifty years. He began by writing a paper at the age of fourteen that was so
well received that it won him national recognition and a chance to meet
President Lyndon Johnson. The theory he advanced at age fourteen was that
the human brain was comprised of a series of pattern recognizers, which
gave human beings, and to a lesser extent other mammals, the ability to
learn how to learn. The theory he advanced then was based entirely on his
observations about how he thought and the behavior he saw in others. The
theory he articulates in his latest book is much the same as his original
one, but now he has the benefit of science and the ability to watch the
brain in action to substantiate his earlier speculation.
As powerful as the brain is, there are a number of things it does not
do well. It cannot perform calculations as fast or accurately as a
computer; its memory is much less reliable than the memory in a cellular
phone or other handheld device. The computer is already being used as a
brain extender, letting us tap into information from thousands of
databases, while harnessing the power of hundreds of computers to meet our
information needs. As we use computers to supplement our minds, it will be
important that blind people be involved in the process of ensuring that we
have access to the technology that allows this to happen.
As a final thought, Ray noted that "It's true that you are what you
eat, but it's even more true that you are what you think, so be careful who
you hang out with-I think if you hang out with other Federationists, you'll
be doing very well."
For a long time now we have had a solid working relationship with the
Association of American Publishers. As far back as 1996 we collaborated on
and won the passage of the Chafee Amendment, which allows books and other
printed materials to be transcribed into formats blind people can read
without first securing the permission of the publisher. Since then there
have been a number of equally significant victories, and, through our
collaboration with the Association of American Publishers, we have been
able to work together in ways that benefit both the publishing industry and
the blind. This year Thomas H. Allen, the president and CEO of the
Association brought us a presentation entitled "A Collaboration That
Enhances Opportunity: the Association of American Publishers and the
National Federation of the Blind Change Possibilities for Literacy." Mr.
Allen's remarks will appear in a future issue.
The next person to come to the microphone is no stranger to the
National Federation of the Blind. She is Eve Hill, and we first came to
know her through our work with Brown, Goldstein, and Levy. Ms. Hill is now
the deputy assistant attorney general in the Civil Rights Division, United
States Department of Justice, and the presentation she made to the
convention was "A Commitment to Equality of Opportunity: a Report from the
Department of Justice." Her remarks will be reprinted later in the fall.
Our closing item of business for the afternoon was the presentation
of the Dr. Jacob Bolotin awards. James Gashel is the chairman of this
committee, and this presentation appears elsewhere in this issue.
On Saturday evening the banquet of the National Federation of the
Blind was held, with Dr. Fred Schroeder acting as master of ceremonies.
After the invocation and the drawing of some generous door prizes, Scott
LaBarre was called to the microphone to discuss the Preauthorized
Contribution Plan and the progress we made during the week in helping to
support our movement. Scott said, "We came into the convention with an
annualized pledge of $398,450.16. We're leaving this convention at
$431,810.16. This is by far the largest single increase in PAC at the
convention ever. Let's hear it for the largest single increase!"
Several drawings were next held by our divisions. Then HumanWare gave
away four Victor Reader Streams, the Jernigan Fund conducted its two annual
drawings, and Jessica Ewell led the banquet crowd in singing happy birthday
to newly reelected board member Joe Ruffalo.
Following an introduction of the head table, Fred Schroeder
introduced President Maurer to deliver the banquet speech with these words:
"At this time in our banquet we hear from our national president. It is a
time of reflection; it is a time of inspiration; it is a time to chart the
future of this organization and to lay out the challenges that lie ahead.
It is a time we all look forward to because it reminds us of the meaning of
the National Federation of the Blind. To present this year's banquet
address I present to you the president of the National Federation of the
Blind, Dr. Marc Maurer."
In his annual address President Maurer discussed the nature of power,
whether it is finite or can be expanded by the creativity of the mind and
the creation of goods and services heretofore unknown. If it is finite, the
blind will have to fight hard to extract our share; if it is expandable,
then the possibility exists that, through our own motivation, creativity,
and hard work, we can gain some of it and be respected for the people we
are rather than being categorized socially and economically by the physical
sense we lack. President Maurer's remarks appear in full later in this
issue.
Ray Kurzweil came to the podium, and, following on the president's
discussion of power and history, he offered three great themes that our
country stands for. His remarks will appear in a future issue.
President Maurer returned to the podium and asked that Travis Moses,
the president of the newly formed National Federation of the Blind of
Montana, join him on the podium. Since the 1970s we have undertaken to have
all of our affiliates incorporate the name of the National Federation of
the Blind as their own. For several decades the Montana Association for the
Blind refused to do this and regarded itself as only marginally involved
with the National Federation of the Blind. When it became obvious that the
former group would never come to see itself as a united part of the
Federation, the National Federation of the Blind of Montana was created
and, by presentation of this charter, was officially accepted as our
affiliate in Montana.
Patti Chang came to the stage to announce the awards presented to the
2013 class. In addition to a scholarship award, each of the thirty winners
received a $1,000 check and plaque from Ray Kurzweil; a Google Nexus 7
tablet which is fully accessible to the blind with the Blio e-book reader
from K-NFB Reading Technology Inc.; and a $1,000 cash award from Google.
A full report of the scholarship presentation is found elsewhere in this
issue.
The chairman of the Jacobus tenBroek Award Committee came to the
stage and introduced the winner for 2013. This presentation appears
elsewhere in this issue.
Dr. Schroeder invited Mr. Gashel to the podium for a joint
presentation, the first of its kind. Their purpose was to present the first
ever Federationists' Federationist Award, and this presentation is also
found elsewhere in this issue.
The president of our host affiliate brought the sorting hat from
Hogwarts to the podium, and, to prove that it was magical, he revealed that
it held $2,000, which would be our final door prize of the evening. With
the winning of that door prize by one happy woman from Michigan, the
president took the gavel, asked for one more victorious roar from the
assembled, and declared the convention adjourned.
Sometimes a convention is remembered for its sequence and how it
falls in the year of an important Federation anniversary. At other times it
is remembered for celebrating the passage of significant legislation, the
implementation of important regulations, or even our development of some
new and important piece of technology. These, however, are not the truly
important milestones we use in measuring the progress brought about by the
National Federation of the Blind. The real changes we celebrate are the
ones we bring about in the hearts and minds of the blind and the sighted.
We celebrate when we teach a blind person who believes that a significant
obstacle in his life stands between him and the fulfillment of a life goal
that there are ways to surmount that obstacle. Sometimes what is needed is
the encouragement to remove the obstacle, sometimes the courage to climb
over it, and sometimes the wisdom to figure out a way to go around it.
In the movie Lincoln, which debuted in 2012, the president says, "A
compass, I learned when I was surveying-it'll point you True North from
where you're standing, but it's got no advice about the swamps and deserts
and chasms that you'll encounter along the way. If, in pursuit of your
destination, you plunge ahead, heedless of obstacles, and achieve nothing
more than to sink in a swamp-What's the use of knowing True North?"
Indeed the Federation is a compass, and it points to True Equality
for the blind. But, even as it holds out the possibility of and works for
true equality of opportunity, it embraces the value of thinking
strategically, listens to the goals and aspirations of its members, and
helps us figure out both where we are and the journey we must take to get
to where we want to be. This was the promise offered to the excited first-
timers who entered the doors of the Rosen Centre Hotel, and this is the
promise all of us who stood and made our pledge to the flag of the United
States of America and the flag of the National Federation of the Blind
proudly affirmed.
----------
[PHOTO/CAPTION: Marc Maurer]
Presidential Report 2013
An Address Delivered by
Marc Maurer
National Federation of the Blind
Orlando, Florida
July 4, 2013
This year our progress has been astonishingly good, even though there have
been a number of challenges. We continue to be the most forceful leader in
matters dealing with blindness in the United States, and we are joining
with others in lands beyond our borders to create a climate of opportunity
for the blind.
Perhaps the most famous blind person from China is Chen Guangcheng, a man
who was imprisoned for challenging the repressive patterns of government in
his own country. He came to the United States seeking asylum and an
education in law. With the help of the State Department and others, he has
been studying law in New York.
I was invited to visit with him along with Dan Goldstein, who has served as
counsel for the Federation for more than a quarter of a century, and Dan's
partner Andy Levy, who is himself disabled. During the meeting, we talked
about the philosophy of the National Federation of the Blind, the methods
we use for challenging the status quo, the techniques we employ for
changing the law to recognize human rights for blind people, technology
that offers access to information for the blind, and the urgent need in our
country as well as others for self-organization by the blind. Freedom is
gained not because somebody else gives it to us. Freedom is gained because
we demand that it be our own. This was the spirit of the meeting that took
place not quite a year ago in New York City with the blind Chinese
dissident, Chen Guangcheng.
The Google Books Project, which began almost ten years ago, seeks to create
digitized versions of books. It is estimated that more than ten million
books have been digitized. The library collections from many universities
have been scanned. The digital versions of books from this effort are being
maintained by Google, but digital copies along with the print editions have
been returned to the universities. Many of the universities have placed
digital versions of their books into an entity named the HathiTrust, which
is charged by the universities with the task of managing this collection.
The Authors Guild sued Google and the HathiTrust demanding that the
digitized books be destroyed. However, the potential value of this
collection was great enough that we felt an urgent need to protect it. The
National Federation of the Blind intervened in the lawsuit as a defendant
to assert the right of blind people to equal access to this information.
Last October the federal district court in New York issued a decision in
our favor. Although this decision is currently on appeal in the 2nd Circuit
(an appeal in which we are defending our opinion vigorously), current law
states that blind students and professors at the universities holding this
material have a right to equal access to the information. Furthermore,
those holding material may distribute it to other blind people in the
United States without violating copyright. Both we and the HathiTrust want
all blind Americans to have equal access to this collection of material. We
believe that we can create a mechanism to distribute the books. Blio, the
accessible book reader, manages digital content very well. When we complete
the plans for this joint project, every blind student in the United States,
every blind professor in the United States, and every other blind person in
the United States will have full access to an academic library containing
the books and reference materials of the finest academic and research
institutions in the world.
We may also be able to obtain books from sources around the world other
than the Google Books project. We have been collaborating with others to
promote a treaty proposed in the World Intellectual Property Organization
(WIPO), a part of the United Nations, that would authorize the distribution
of books in specialized formats to the blind and print disabled across
country borders. A full report of our work with WIPO will occur later
during this convention, but it is worthy of note that we have met with many
individuals to urge support for this treaty. The president of the Motion
Picture Association of America, Senator Christopher Dodd, has crafted a
joint statement with us in support of the treaty. This joint statement has
been circulated widely, and it has generated substantial support for our
cause. Fred Schroeder and Scott LaBarre have been managing this part of our
effort, and they will appear on the agenda later this week.
With respect to books from some other sources, we have been less
successful. A number of years ago we indicated to senior personnel at
Amazon that incorporating voice output in the Kindle would enhance its
usability for everybody and would offer auditory reading for the blind.
Amazon took our advice in part. It created a text-to-speech program in the
Kindle, but it neglected to make the controls operable by blind people.
When we urged that changes be made, Amazon first promised, then complained,
then stopped responding in any way. When Amazon introduced the Kindle onto
college campuses, we filed complaints and stopped it. When Amazon made a
deal with the State Department to sell the government thirty-five thousand
Kindles, we filed a complaint and stopped it. Amazon has now established a
digital book distribution system for grade school and high school. This
distribution system cuts blind students out of education. Our protests to
Amazon have met with complete silence. Amazon officials think that if they
will just ignore us long enough, we will go away.
On December 12, 2012, we held an informational picket regarding the
distribution of inaccessible Kindle e-books. We held it outside of Amazon
headquarters in Seattle, Washington. Stories about our protest appeared in
Education Week, the Seattle Times, and on Seattle television stations.
Amazon remains uncommunicative, but apparently it got at least part of the
message. In April 2013 I received a letter from a lawyer for Amazon telling
me that Amazon's practices do not violate nondiscrimination law and that
Amazon is in the process of fixing the problems. Shortly thereafter, Amazon
released an application that runs on a number of Apple products that
incorporates some accessibility for blind and print disabled people.
However, the Kindle remains inaccessible, and Amazon's program to
distribute the Kindle in public schools continues. Amazon may not believe
us when we say these things, but we hereby make them a promise. We will
find a way to challenge the discrimination-we will find a way to guarantee
that blind kids in school have the same opportunity to get the same book
that other people get at the same time and at the same cost.
We have also initiated talks with Barnes and Noble, and they seem to
be somewhat productive. Last year we filed complaints against the
Sacramento Public Library and the Free Library of Philadelphia. They were
distributing books on inaccessible NOOKs to their patrons. We resolved both
of those complaints with commitments from the libraries to phase out their
inaccessible e-book reading machines and to replace them with reading
machines that everybody can use. Because of these complaints and other
efforts by the Federation, Barnes & Noble has begun working on
accessibility for the blind. NOOK Books are accessible on at least one
Apple application. We will be working with officials of Barnes & Noble in
the upcoming months to expand accessibility of their products.
Google has several million books. At one time senior personnel of the
Google Books Project responded positively to demands from the National
Federation of the Blind that these books be usable by blind people.
However, the Google page to get at the books no longer has accessibility
built into it. Furthermore, a number of other Google applications remain
inaccessible to the blind. Google Docs is inaccessible, Google Calendar is
inaccessible, elements of Gmail are inaccessible, and now Google is
planning to release a product for elementary and secondary school called
Google Play, which remains inaccessible.
Last year the state of Colorado announced that it would be fully
implementing Google Apps for Government to handle the vast majority of the
information technology tasks performed by state employees. Google Apps for
Government is not fully accessible. We wrote to Colorado Governor
Hickenlooper. I am happy to report that Google Apps for Government has not
been fully implemented, and blind employees of the state of Colorado are
still able to perform their jobs independently. But it was a close shave,
and in many other places Google is being used to create barriers for the
blind to employment, to education, and to full participation in other
activities of life. Will we be obliged because of Google to sue every state
government, every school district, and every university? If Google achieves
accessibility in a product, is there any assurance that the product will
remain accessible?
We have been talking with Google officials for more than two years. Last
fall we welcomed a Google engineer at the National Federation of the Blind
Jernigan Institute for more than a week of collaboration. Last December Ray
Kurzweil became a senior Google employee with the title director of
engineering. The people at Google tell us that accessibility for the blind
is a priority for Google. They tell us that they create interesting
products and release them to the public even though they know their
products are not perfect. They tell us that when they find bugs, they fix
them.
Ray Kurzweil is enormously committed to the accessibility of products for
blind people, and I believe that he will have a positive influence at
Google. However, I believe that Google must change its policy regarding
accessibility, and I call upon the company to do so. Inaccessibility for
blind people of products created by Google is not a bug; it is a systemic
failure. The promises to incorporate accessibility for the blind into
Google products must be kept. We have exercised considerable patience with
Google, but patience can run out. We cannot permit Google to take our jobs,
take our opportunities for an equal education, and take our participation
in other activities in society. I think the new team of experts at Google
will do better than the ones that we have met with in the past, but the
time for action is right now.
In 2003 we initiated a project with Ray Kurzweil to build what has become
the K-NFB Reader Mobile. The company we founded together later created a
reading program to serve not just the blind but all populations. This
technology, the Blio, is an accessible digital reading system consisting of
software running on many platforms that provides books in print, in
auditory form, in Braille on a refreshable Braille display, or in all these
forms. In March the K-NFB Reading Technology company merged with eMusic to
form a digital content provider called Media Arc. The objective of Media
Arc is to distribute books, music, magazines, and perhaps other digital
content such as applications or movies to individuals throughout the world.
Already this company has hundreds of thousands of books and millions of
tracks of music for sale. Accessibility of the content and the distribution
process is a commitment of this company, and it will remain one. Ray
Kurzweil is chairman of the board, and Jim Gashel is the person with the
responsibility for testing accessibility of all products at Media Arc. I
serve as a member of the board of directors.
Our influence in matters involving disability has been recognized not only
in the United States but in other nations as well. I was invited to deliver
an address at an Al-Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University conference
entitled the "First International Conference on Technology for Helping
People with Special Needs" in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The topic was
technology that helps disabled people. Although tools are useful, the
people who use them are more important than the tools themselves.
Consequently, my inability to build technology did not inhibit the
presentation significantly. If the people who use the tools will make
dramatic contributions to a society, it is important to assure that those
people have the best tools. Blind people are participants in our society,
and we expect our tools to be top notch. This is the message delivered at
Imam University.
Once again this year the National Federation of the Blind participated in
the quadrennial convention of the World Blind Union. Held in Bangkok,
Thailand, this meeting elected one of our own, Fred Schroeder, to serve as
first vice president of the world organization. Dr. Schroeder, who has
served as the highest government official in the United States dealing with
rehabilitation of disabled people, had already been representing the
National Federation of the Blind (and sometimes the World Blind Union) in
international negotiations. Dr. Schroeder brings the spirit of independence
that we know in the National Federation of the Blind to blind people around
the world.
The National Federation of the Blind successfully fought for the passage of
the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act, which was signed into law by
President Obama on January 4, 2011. On January 15, 2013, the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued its proposed regulations to
implement this law, which requires that new vehicle technologies, such as
hybrid and electric engines, will be audibly detectable by pedestrians. We
have been working closely with the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers to
support the proposed regulations. The manufacturers are resisting the
proposal that the emission of sound remain active while a vehicle is
stationary and that the sound continue until a vehicle reaches a speed of
eighteen miles an hour. We believe that these regulations will remain in
substantially the form they currently exist when they are finally adopted.
The significance of these regulations is enhanced because they will serve
as a model for similar regulations adopted worldwide when the United
Nations creates a world standard governing vehicle sound to protect
pedestrians. Fred Schroeder and John Pari are serving as our primary
negotiators in Geneva and other parts of the world.
Several years ago, while I was planning the national convention, I asked
several of my colleagues to tell me who was providing leadership in
education of blind students in the United States. My question met a
profound silence. Although many dramatically-committed well-educated
teachers can be found, school districts where systematic top-quality
education of blind students occurs are not numerous. Consequently, the
National Federation of the Blind began to address topics in the area of
education for the blind. We have created many programs and stimulated a lot
of education since that conversation took place.
In July 2012, the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute
hosted a new program, NFB Project Innovation. The program served twenty
junior innovators from grades 3-6 and ten senior innovators from high
school. Each of the thirty students designed a science project to answer a
question intriguing to the student. As a result, at NFB Project Innovation
we had thirty unique scientific inquiries taking place. It's not often that
blind students get to tell the teachers what they are going to learn on a
given day, and it's not often that blind students get to teach others. Both
things happened at our program, and the students left knowing not only that
they can do science but that they have the ability to teach others to know
that they (and people like them) can also do science.
Our BELL program, Braille Enrichment for Literacy and Learning, began
in Maryland six years ago as a project of the National Federation of the
Blind of Maryland. It has now expanded to nineteen states. We noticed that
Braille is sometimes hard to get and Braille instruction is even more
difficult to find than Braille. After years of demanding that the
educational system give blind children Braille, we decided to undertake
programs of our own. Some Braille instructors in public schools believe
that learning the Braille code should require a desultory teaching schedule
of two years or longer. We are not limited by the disadvantages of low
expectations that some of these teachers have. We know that Braille can be
learned much more quickly than some of them believe possible, and we also
know that reading it can be a lot of fun. As we have said more than once,
if the schools will not teach our children, we will do it ourselves, and we
will do it in Braille.
Integrating Print and Braille: A Recipe for Literacy is a free electronic
book for parents and teachers. Edited by Sharon Maneki, it shares practical
wisdom about techniques and strategies for teaching and learning print and
Braille together to achieve literacy. Two examples of chapter topics are
"Enhancing Vision Through Touch" and "Creating the Dual Media Integration
Plan." We give these books away. You can get a downloadable version on our
website.
In September of 2012, blind people, university faculty, teachers, and
others interested in Braille instruction gathered for the NFB Braille
Symposium to discuss the most innovative work being done to provide high-
quality Braille instruction to blind children and adults. One of the
presentations, delivered by Emily Wharton, an instructor at BLIND Inc., of
Minneapolis, Minnesota, indicated extraordinary success in teaching Braille
by combining Braille itself with additional instruction in technology. The
techniques developed for classes directed by Emily Wharton have won an
award from National Braille Press. Braille is, of course, a tactile form of
reading. Other presentations during the symposium indicated that it can be
incorporated into tactile instruction with three-dimensional printing.
Instruction in science, in geography, or in other classes that require
illustrations can be enhanced by Braille, by modified tactile forms that
incorporate Braille, or by three-dimensional structures that stimulate
learning in connection with Braille. As the medium of tactile instruction
expands, methods for creating additional symbol sets that can be
incorporated into Braille are needed. This also was a subtext for the
Braille Symposium.
In April of 2013 the Federation hosted its first-ever tactile graphics
conference. With thirty-four sessions and 120 participants from fourteen
countries, the conference covered expanding education through tactile
learning. Numerous methods for creating high-quality graphic presentations
were described from three-dimensional printing systems to the creation of
artifacts with milling machines. How do blind people appreciate shadows,
the difference in perceived shades of color, and perspective-the change in
the perceived size of an object with distance? All of these elements are
important in appreciating visual illustration, and tactile graphics must
find a way to reflect this knowledge. All of this was part of our tactile
graphics conference. We are using what we learned in this conference to
create models of claws from the dinosaur Tyrannosaurus Rex that we will be
using in science classes later this summer.
Congressman Gregg Harper, who will be with us later during this convention,
introduced the Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act of 2013, HR
831, on February 27, 2013. This legislation, once enacted, will immediately
discontinue the issuance of new special "subminimum" wage certificates;
phase out the use of existing certificates over a three-year period; and
repeal Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act, the legal provision
that authorizes subminimum wages for disabled Americans. The special wage
certificate is a document issued by the Department of Labor authorizing a
particular employer to pay disabled Americans wages below the federally-
guaranteed minimum. We have made significant progress toward the passage of
this legislation. More than three dozen members of Congress have
cosponsored it. Over fifty organizations of people with disabilities
support the passage of this legislation. A number of employers that
formerly paid subminimum wages to workers with disabilities have also
indicated their support.
Goodwill Industries is one of the largest entities that pays disabled
workers less than the minimum wage. We conducted protests against this
unconscionable practice in front of ninety-two Goodwill thrift stores
across the country, and we called upon the public to boycott Goodwill
Industries. We distributed press releases about our support for the fair
wages bill to the media. We distributed press releases about the unfair
working conditions at Goodwill to the media. We distributed press releases
about our public protests regarding the unconscionable wage practices at
Goodwill to the media. Reporters at NBC read them. NBC's Rock Center
interviewed me, other Federationists, and dozens of other people for a
major story about subminimum wage payments at Goodwill in the United
States. A major nationwide news story, which was also carried by numerous
NBC affiliates on the nightly news, appeared on Rock Center Friday, June
21, 2013. NBC reported that workers at Goodwill are receiving as little as
22 cents an hour.
The Goodwill CEO, who was also interviewed, offered the opinion of Goodwill
that wages are not the important part of employment for workers with
disabilities. He said, "It's typically not about their livelihood. It's
about their fulfillment. It's about being a part of something, and it's
probably a small part of their overall program."
At 22 cents an hour, it must be admitted that this assessment is correct.
It is a small part of whatever program these disabled workers have. A full
year's employment at this rate comes to $457.60. A story released by NBC
that is associated with the broadcast reveals that the most recent public
statistics indicate that the CEO received annual compensation of $729,000.
This particular CEO is a blind person, but of course, wages are not the
important part of employment of disabled workers.
We prepared a digital news release for a satellite tour to be presented in
conjunction with the NBC story. Now it is up to us to ensure that each
member of Congress is aware of this unfair, discriminatory, and
unconscionable practice, so that they vote to pass the Fair Wages for
Workers with Disabilities Act.
The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions is preparing
to introduce legislation to reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act, which
includes the reauthorization of the Rehabilitation Act. Proposed new
Section 511 of this act delineates the mechanism required for
rehabilitation counselors to shove their clients into subminimum wage jobs.
The last time this legislation was proposed, members of the committee
refused to discuss Section 511 with us. Because they would not discuss it
with us, we conducted protests at the district offices of Senate Committee
members to express our vehement opposition to the language in Section 511.
As I was preparing for our 2013 convention, this bill was again being
circulated with precisely the same language included in it. This outrageous
proposal was unfair the last time, and it is just as unfair today. We are
not prepared to tolerate added legal authority to discriminate against
disabled Americans. We will stand in the streets if we must; we will block
the corridors of power if no other way exists to get this message across;
we will talk if we can, but we will fight if no other avenue exists for us
to challenge a declaration in law that disabled Americans are a subclass
with subnormal rights--not entitled to the same protection available to
everybody else.
The United States military currently operates a program known as Space
Available, which allows military personnel to fly on military aircraft if
there is room. Although retired military personnel are entitled to fly on
these planes, individuals who became disabled in the service but were
mustered out without being eligible for retirement cannot. The National
Federation of the Blind has proposed legislation to permit men and women
disabled in the service to gain access to the program. The House of
Representatives has adopted our proposal, and fourteen Senators are co-
sponsoring it. We expect this legislation, which has been incorporated
within the National Defense Authorization Act, to reach the desk of the
president of the United States within the next few weeks.
In September of 2012, Federation leaders met at our headquarters to discuss
education reform. One of the action items that came from this meeting was
ensuring that e-books, digital libraries, websites, and other electronic
instructional materials would become fully accessible to blind students.
Working with the Association of American Publishers, we drafted the
Technology, Education, and Accessibility in College and Higher Education
(TEACH) Act. We have reason to believe that sponsors of this legislation
will introduce it in the House of Representatives within the next few
weeks. The president of the Association of American Publishers will be with
us at this convention to talk about the work we are doing together to
increase opportunities for the blind and print disabled.
On April 18, 2013, we welcomed to the Jernigan Institute 176 participants
for the sixth Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium. Over ninety
academic, government, corporate, and advocacy organizations were
represented. The keynote speaker, Rebecca Bond, chief of the United States
Department of Justice, Disability Rights Section, indicated that equal
opportunity for disabled Americans is a commitment of the Department of
Justice. In interpreting the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Supreme
Court has stated that segregation is evidence of discrimination. The
decision of the court had been applied to housing, but presentations at the
Symposium indicated that it also applies to sheltered employment. Another
important topic presented by Dan Goldstein, counsel for the National
Federation of the Blind, and Arlene Mayerson, directing attorney at
Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund, concerned websites as places of
public accommodation. Places of public accommodation may not be constructed
in a fashion that will discriminate against disabled individuals. The first
case to address the topic was brought by the National Federation of the
Blind against the Target Corporation. As you know, that lawsuit was
successful. All of this represents the work we are doing with our Law
Symposium to expand recognition of civil rights for disabled Americans.
This year we reached an historical agreement with Monster to make its
website, phone apps, and mobile apps accessible. We were assisted in our
negotiations by the attorney general of the state of Massachusetts, who is
most understanding of the need for equal access to information. However, I
want to be clear that when the problem was brought to the attention of
Monster, officials at the company wanted very much to find ways of solving
the problems we had identified. You will hear the details about this
agreement from Monster itself, the title sponsor of this year's convention.
Last year I reported to you about our victory for Hank Miller. Preventing
him from receiving instruction in Braille denied him a free and appropriate
public education. The school district is responsible for its bias against
Braille, but officials in the district were aided and abetted in their
unlawful behavior by officials of the New Jersey Commission for the Blind.
I am glad to say that we who funded the Hank Miller case will be reimbursed
for our lawyer costs and expert witness fees. The first check for $175,000
arrived earlier this year, and the total will be $300,000.
Travis Moses serves as president of the Montana affiliate of the National
Federation of the Blind. He was also a student at the University of
Montana, where he faced numerous instances of discrimination because he did
not have equal access to information. His textbooks and the learning
management software used at the university were both inaccessible. Because
he was not able to succeed at the university with these barriers as
obstacles, Travis Moses came to us for help, and we secured an agreement
with the University. He will have equal access to technology, access to
digital content in all of his classes, access to course management
software, reimbursement for expenses he paid for matriculation while the
University was inaccessible to him, and a new advisor-one without a built-
in bias against the blind. The National Federation of the Blind will
receive 100 percent of the fees spent on behalf of Travis Moses. However,
this is not the complete report. The University of Montana has recognized
that it must be accessible to blind students. It is cooperating to complete
a broad-scale agreement that addresses the systemic problems of
inaccessible technology on campus. George Kerscher, a blind Montanan and
member of the Federation, who was unable to get his texts at the University
of Montana in 1988, has been hired by the University to offer guidance on
how to remove technology barriers in Montana.
We were surprised to learn after last year's convention that a company
called Courseload, working with others, was conducting a pilot program of
completely inaccessible textbooks on college campuses. The surprise came
when we learned that Courseload claimed to be working with us and that
officials of the company believed a pilot program is exempt from the law.
We explained to Courseload, to its partners, and to the field of education
that we had not been working with Courseload and that we did not believe
pilot programs are exempt. Although Courseload did not seem impressed by
our explanations, its partners understood what we were saying. Courseload
has been replaced with a vendor whose books are accessible to the blind.
Getting a job, getting out of college and into graduate school, getting out
of graduate school and into employment, all require testing. Last year, I
reported to you about our lawsuits involving the bar exam. We won, the
applicants were permitted to take the exams, and we received dramatic
payments for our attorney's fees and costs. The National Conference of Bar
Examiners has recently announced that it will no longer oppose the practice
of blind persons' using screen readers to take its tests.
However, there are other tests. Pearson VUE provides many of them. Over the
last two years, we have received a number of complaints that Pearson VUE's
software did not allow blind applicants easily to take its tests. Each one
of those complaints has been resolved successfully. We have been working
with Pearson VUE to remove all of the barriers in their exams.
Today most job tests are administered online, and most are offered by two
companies, Kenexa, now owned by IBM, and Taleo, now owned by Oracle. Both
offer inaccessible tests. We have filed a complaint with the Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission for Eric Patterson against an employment
agency using Kenexa's inaccessible tests, and we will be filing more of
them this summer.
Kathy Roskos is a totally blind Florida student pursuing a bachelor's
degree in psychology at Argosy University. She planned to take several
standardized college-level examinations to test out of certain classes.
When she applied to take the first examination, she was told that the exam
is not offered in Braille and that she could only choose between a human
reader and large print. Keep in mind that she is totally blind. She took
the first exam with a reader and managed to pass. The second exam contained
complex equations and charts, which the sighted reader, who had less
education than Ms. Roskos, could not read. Because the information in the
testing documents was unavailable to her, Ms. Roskos failed. We have
assisted with negotiations with the College Board, which offers the
examinations. They have agreed to provide all of the examinations to Ms.
Roskos in Braille. They have also cooperated with us to improve the
accommodations process for blind test takers for all of the tests they
offer.
Many cities are now requiring that taxi cabs have touchscreens in the back
seat so that passengers (at least passengers who can see) can pay for their
rides. Some cities prohibit drivers from taking cash or credit cards from
passengers. The blind passenger who enters a taxicab with cash and credit
cards to pay for the trip arrives at a destination. The passenger cannot
use the technology installed in the cab, and the driver is prohibited from
taking the cash or managing the transaction using the credit card of the
passenger. One of the largest developers of taxi touchscreen technology is
CMT, which has worked with us to build an accessible solution. However,
VeriFone, another developer of this technology, has refused to do so.
Last summer, the District of Columbia awarded a contract to VeriFone to
install its passenger service units in every single taxi cab in the
District of Columbia, some 6,500 vehicles. The contract VeriFone signed
with the District stated that it would make the units accessible to the
blind. However, VeriFone had no plans to achieve accessibility, and its
machines failed the accessibility test. Consequently, we fought the
implementation of this VeriFone contract. In November of 2012, the DC
Contract Appeals Board threw out the VeriFone contract and ordered the
District to seek another bid.
VeriFone has been installing thousands of inaccessible touch screen units
in taxicabs in Boston. We have filed a complaint with the Massachusetts
Commission Against Discrimination. Mika Pyyhkala is one of the
complainants. He will be a star witness on the side of effective
accessibility.
Kenneth Agni was a student at the State University of New York-Westchester
Community College, where he was pursuing his bachelor's degree. He enrolled
in an anatomy and physiology class, which included a lab that required use
of a microscope. Mr. Agni requested as an accommodation a sighted lab
assistant to describe the visual information displayed in the microscope.
The college not only denied his request but told Mr. Agni that because he
could not see the specimens in the microscope, he could not fulfill the
course requirements. Officials at the college withdrew him from the class,
without discussion and without his consent. Mr. Agni filed a complaint with
the United States Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights. The
Office for Civil Rights agreed with the college. Blind students, they said,
cannot study science because they are blind. When we heard this much, we
became a part of the case. We filed an appeal. It is obvious that the
Office for Civil Rights is wrong. The thousands of blind people practicing
in scientific disciplines all over America demonstrate this. It is hard to
imagine how the Office for Civil Rights could come to this conclusion. Did
they not ask any questions about the other blind scientists working in our
country? We will produce the evidence that we have the ability to be a part
of this intellectual community, and we expect to win.
We continue to give free white canes to blind people in the United States-
30,065 of them since the program began, and 7,226 in the last year. Many of
the people who have received their canes came to our headquarters to get
them. More than 3,500 visitors arrived at our Jernigan Institute during the
last year.
We continue to maintain the International Braille and Technology Center for
the Blind, in which we have added fifty-eight new products during the past
year. The overhaul of this center is now complete, with all sixteen testing
computers being replaced and the Brailling area refurbished. Our technology
experts made dozens of presentations to entities as diverse as the
Interactive Learning Forum sponsored by Tata Motors; the EDUCAUSE Learning
Initiative Annual Meeting; the California State University, Northridge,
CSUN Conference; and the M-Enabling Summit.
Our bulletin board, NFBnet.org, hosts 172 public listservs and 35 websites
for divisions, chapters, and affiliates of the Federation. We manage
approximately twenty-five thousand e-mails a day. Our discussion lists now
live in the "cloud." Topics covered on our lists include classic cars,
blind public employees, guide dogs, blind musicians, origami for blind
people, blind student matters, and quiet cars.
During the last year we have had a diminution in the amount of our
fundraising, which has required reconsideration of our programs, our
management, and our fund generation projects. We are doing things
differently from the way we did a year ago, but we are pursuing the same
goals that we had in the past with the same vigor and the same spirit. We
have also initiated new programs to attempt to address the revenue
shortfall. Some of these are internal, including a committee of our staff
members seeking to find ways to generate funds. Some of them are external.
Car donations are being accepted by the Federation through an initiative
recommended by our Colorado affiliate leadership and managed by Joanne
Wilson. Although many people accept automobiles in their fundraising
programs, we have the significant advantage that our chapter members cover
the nation. Through our own friends and acquaintances, we can stimulate the
donation of automobiles and other vehicles to support our work.
Another effort recently undertaken is our collaboration with a company
named GreenDrop that solicits donations for 2nd Ave Value Stores. Currently
being conducted in seven states and the District of Columbia, this program
is also being supervised by Joanne Wilson.
More than seven decades ago a handful of blind people brought our
Federation into being. At the beginning it was tiny, and although many
plans were proposed, the resources to put them into effect did not exist.
Our organization advanced primarily on hope and such meager contributions
as those who participated in it could afford to make. Today the difference
is startling. We have hundreds of programs and the capacity to create more
of them.
When I come to the convention, I know that we must find a way to cause
greater opportunity to come to individual blind people than has been true
for us in the past, but I also know that we will do it. We have programs,
financial resources, facilities, influential supporters, and technologies
that we have built or caused others to create. But the most important thing
we have is each other and the faith that we inspire in ourselves to use our
strength for a common purpose and a shared goal. We have promised that we
will believe in each other, and we always keep our promises. Our spirit
makes us what we are, and our combined energy comes from the spirit that
lives in the hearts of each of us. This spirit is unquenchable, and because
it is, our future is assured. This is what you, my friends in the
Federation, have told me; this is what I have come to know in the depth of
my being from listening to you; and this is my report for 2013.
----------
Awards Presented at the 2013 Convention of the National Federation of the
Blind
From the Editor: In the National Federation of the Blind we present
awards only as often as they are deserved. This year two were presented
during the annual meeting of the NFB board of directors, and two more were
presented during the banquet. In addition the Bolotin Awards were again
presented, and a complete report of those presentations appears elsewhere
in this issue. Here are the reports of the educator awards, the tenBroek
Award, and a special award made to Patricia Maurer:
Distinguished Educator of Blind Children Award
presented by Cathy Jackson
[PHOTO CAPTION: Jackie Mushington-Anderson]
Good morning, fellow Federationists. If our winner will come to the
stage, I would like to present this award.
This is my fourth year as the chair of the Distinguished Educator of
Blind Children Award Committee, and I am just as excited and thrilled as I
was in 2010. I can tell you the selection process does not get any easier-
just ask Laura Bostick, Mary Willows, and Mark Riccobono. We certainly know
firsthand the quality of teachers that we have. We gather all of the
background information that gives us insight into the candidates'
employment history and educational background, and we read all these
letters of support from coworkers and others who know about their field-
they know firsthand what good teachers they are for our students. We read
the personal essay that the teacher must submit. Then we reread all of the
letters of support, the background information, and the essays. Then we go
over the note cards that have been covered with yellow highlighters, and we
select our winner.
I think my favorite part of the application process is reviewing the
personal essay. We get to know the teachers as people, and this is a very
important connection we need to make in order to arrive at our selection.
This year's recipient of the Distinguished Educator Award says: "My
decision to teach blind students is personal." She talks about the many
experiences that molded her into the teacher that she is. She credits both
the negative and the positive in helping her become the teacher that she is
today. Our winner is blind. Her daughter is also blind. She's had a
lifetime to learn about this thing called blindness, beginning as an infant
in Jamaica.
Our winner is a teacher in the resource room at Russell Elementary
School in Cobb County, Georgia. You've got to be more than a teacher to get
this award. Our winner was the force behind the NFB of Maryland's first
developing the Braille Enrichment for Literacy and Learning Program, and
the Maryland affiliate president, Melissa Riccobono, says, "She makes
herself available to attend IEP meetings, where she can lend her expertise
and make my job as an advocate easier." I know you're sitting there saying,
"Well, I thought teachers of the blind were supposed to attend IEP
meetings." Well, she's attending IEP meetings for students that are not in
her classroom. She is helping other students who might be struggling to
achieve their goals, making sure that they have Braille and other tools
they can use to become productive students.
Garrick Scott, president of the Georgia affiliate, says, "She has
come in and opened up her heart to the Georgia affiliate, with her family
following her lead." So, on that happy note, I am proud to present the
Distinguished Educator of Blind Children Award to Jackie Mushington-
Anderson. And along with this beautiful plaque that she's holding comes a
thousand dollar check.
Now I want to read the inscription on the plaque; it says:
The National Federation of
the Blind honors
Jackie Mushington-Anderson
Distinguished Educator of Blind Children
For your skills in teaching
Braille and
Other alternative techniques of blindness,
For graciously devoting extra
time to meet
The needs of your students,
and for empowering
Your students to perform
beyond their expectations.
You champion our movement.
You strengthen our hopes.
You share our dreams.
July 3, 2013
I'd like to introduce you to Jackie Mushington-Anderson and let her
say a few words to you.
Wow. Good morning, fellow Federationists. It is a privilege and honor
to stand before you to accept this award. When I've been asked about my
reaction when I received the call notifying me of this award, I have said
that I was stunned and honored because I've been in this organization and
have observed the many education leaders who have accepted this award and
have seen and have experienced their teaching and their leadership. I am
humbled to be put into such a category, so thank you very much.
----------
The Blind Educator of the Year Award
presented by David Ticchi
[PHOTO CAPTION: Harriet Go]
Thank you, President Maurer. Good morning, everyone. I want to begin
by saying that it is a pleasure and a privilege to serve as chair of this
committee, and I want to begin by thanking members of the committee:
William Henderson of Massachusetts, Sheila Koenig and Judy Sanders of
Minnesota, and Ramona Walhof of Idaho.
This award was established by the National Organization of Blind
Educators to pay tribute to an outstanding blind teacher for his or her
classroom performance, community service, and commitment to the National
Federation of the Blind. In 1991 this became a national award because of
the importance and impact of good teaching on students, faculty, community,
and in fact all blind Americans. It's presented in the spirit of the
educators who founded and nurtured our movement, educators like Dr.
tenBroek, Dr. Jernigan, Dr. Maurer, and many others who have generously
given of their time to help our movement do the necessary civil rights and
advocacy work that we do. That is the nature of the award.
The award is presented annually, assuming that we find a suitable
recipient, and it's not an easy search, as Cathy Jackson mentioned in her
presentation. It's not easy to select someone for this award, but this year
we believe we have found a meritorious candidate. The winner of this year's
award is Harriet Go of Pennsylvania. Harriet, please come forward.
I'll tell you a little something about Harriet, and I had to do some
undercover reconnaissance work with her state president, Jim Antonacci, to
get some background while keeping the secret from her and her family and
friends. I hope we were successful in that endeavor. Harriet is a 1996
graduate of the St. Lucy's school in Philadelphia, where she developed
terrific Braille and O&M skills. She went on to the Philadelphia public
school system and graduated from Philadelphia Central High School, which is
one of the more prestigious schools in the Philadelphia school system. From
high school she went on to Temple University, majoring in education and
special education in 2004. As part of that program she did student teaching
despite some challenges. She subsequently got a job and is employed at the
Richmond Elementary School in Philadelphia, working as a teacher in the
resource room. She has responsibility for IEPs and administrative duties as
well as teaching. While working full time, she is also earning her master's
at Walden University. As you can see, she has a very strong work ethic.
Here are a few things about Harriet's involvement with the NFB: she
is a member of the Keystone Chapter in Pennsylvania and is active in the
state affiliate. She has also been active in the BELL Program and in the
Youth Slam program. She attends state and national conventions and has
received state scholarships and two national scholarships, which makes her
a tenBroek Fellow.
Now, before I present the plaque, I want to tell you what it says:
BLIND EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR
NATIONAL FEDERATION
OF THE BLIND
PRESENTED TO
HARRIET GO
IN RECOGNITION OF
OUTSTANDING ACCOMPLISHMENTS
IN THE TEACHING PROFESSION.
YOU ENHANCE THE PRESENT
YOU INSPIRE YOUR COLLEAGUES
YOU BUILD THE FUTURE
JULY 3, 2013
I just handed Harriet the plaque, and next I'm going to hand her an
envelope containing a check for $1,000, and, Harriet, here's the
microphone. Please say a few words.
Thank you, Dr. Ticchi. Thank you to the Blind Educator of the Year
Award Committee. Thank you, Dr. Maurer, and thank you especially to my
National Federation of the Blind family. I was so surprised to hear my name
being called, and I am truly humbled and honored and blessed to receive
this award. I started with the Federation about 2002, and I didn't know
what I was getting myself into, but I'm glad I stayed. I want especially to
thank the members of the National Federation of the Blind of Pennsylvania
because you guys believed in me from the very beginning, and I could not
have done what I've done and continue to do what I'm doing if it wasn't for
your support. Thank you very much, and thank you to the National Federation
of the Blind for this very special award. Thank you, everybody.
----------
The Jacobus tenBroek Award
presented by Ramona Walhof
[PHOTO CAPTION: Art Schreiber]
Tonight it is my pleasure to present the Jacobus tenBroek Award to a
man whose accomplishments are unsurpassed. Yet most of you will be
surprised to learn of some of them.
Our beloved founder, Jacobus tenBroek, stood for excellence in his
employment for decades as professor at the University of California at
Berkeley, in his writing of five books and hundreds of articles, and in his
leadership of the NFB. He was our founder, our president, and our principal
leader for more than a quarter of a century. We have named this award for
him both to honor our founder and to honor those who receive it. Tonight
will be the thirtieth time we have presented the tenBroek Award. Our
honoree has been a leader since he joined the Federation thirty years ago.
Previous honorees have lived in eighteen states, but tonight we have chosen
a man from a new state. He has been president of the affiliate in his state
and head of the commission for the blind there, as well. He has chaired the
commission's administrative board, and he has directed the programs on a
daily basis. But, like Dr. tenBroek, this gentleman has had another
outstanding career, both before and after blindness, one you will enjoy
knowing more about.
Art Schreiber, will you please come to the platform? Art Schreiber
grew up on a farm in Ohio, received a bachelor's degree from Westminster
College in Wilmington, Pennsylvania, and continued to do graduate work at
Kent State University. Later he participated in a seminar for broadcasters
at Harvard University.
He began his career in journalism in the 1950s and was soon traveling
with and reporting on famous people. He traveled with the John F. Kennedy
for President campaign and reported on Kennedy's election and his funeral.
Art Schreiber reported on the Lyndon B. Johnson White House and on Martin
Luther King Jr.'s activities as he led the civil rights movement,
especially in the South during the 1960s. Perhaps the most memorable
reporting Schreiber did was with the Beatles on their first tour of the
United States. He spent many evenings playing Monopoly with John Lennon and
George Harrison. He traveled to foreign countries and reported as he went.
In 1972 Art was one of the founders of Commuter Computer in Los
Angeles and later became its CEO. It is the nation's largest ride-sharing
organization and was one of the first partnerships in the nation between
the public and private sectors.
From 1960 until 1991 Art was vice president and general manager of a
group of radio stations in New York, Philadelphia, Minneapolis/St. Paul,
Los Angeles, and Albuquerque. He moved to New Mexico in 1982 to manage
station KOB AM and FM, and soon afterward he lost his vision. Art Schreiber
credits the National Federation of the Blind with turning his life around
after he became blind.
He took some time for rehabilitation then returned to managing station
KOB. When the New Mexico Commission for the Blind was created in 1986, Art
Schreiber was appointed by the governor to serve on its board. He retired
as manager of KOB in the early 1990s so that he could run for mayor of
Albuquerque. Since he did not actually become mayor, he accepted a position
as director of the New Mexico Commission for the Blind and directed it for
two years. In this capacity he was innovative and strong. Among many other
things he established one of the first digital newspaper-reading systems
for the blind. During the twenty-first century, although he was past the
ordinary retirement age, Art continued to host a radio talk show until
2011.
Art has served on numerous boards and received many awards. Notable
among these are: in 2009 he received the Lovola Burgess Lifetime Leadership
Award from the New Mexico Conference on Aging. He was chosen New Mexico
Broadcaster of the Year by the New Mexico Broadcasters Association in 1990.
He received the DuPont Award presented by the Columbia School of
Journalism; the National Gold Medallion for Humanitarianism Award from the
American Lung Association. He served on the Board for Albuquerque Economic
Development; the Better Business Bureau; the Coalition for Children; Crime
Stoppers of Albuquerque; Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce; Natural
History Museum Board; New Mexico Chapter of the American Lung Association;
New Mexico Health Net; Samaritan Counseling Center, where he was president
as well as board member. Art has served on the Southwest Neuro-
Rehabilitation Institute board from 1998 to the present. He was United Way
of Albuquerque communication chair in 1992.
Art taught at Muskingum College in Ohio and the University of Southern
California and lectured at the University of Oklahoma. At age eighty-five
he is cutting back. He is still second vice president of the NFB Senior
Division and chairman of the New Mexico State Rehabilitation Advisory
Committee and continues to serve on the board of the New Mexico Commission
for the Blind.
How could we find a more outstanding leader to honor tonight? Art
Schreiber (or Uncle Arthur as he is often known), we give you the highest
honor we can give a member of the NFB tonight, with respect and with love.
Here is the text of the plaque presented:
JACOBUS TENBROEK AWARD
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
PRESENTED TO
ARTHUR SCHREIBER
FOR YOUR DEDICATION, SACRIFICE,
AND COMMITMENT
ON BEHALF OF THE BLIND
OF THIS NATION.
YOUR CONTRIBUTION IS MEASURED
NOT IN STEPS BUT IN MILES,
NOT BY INDIVIDUAL EXPERIENCES
BUT BY YOUR IMPACT
ON THE LIVES OF THE BLIND
OF THE NATION.
WHENEVER WE HAVE ASKED,
YOU HAVE ANSWERED.
WE CALL YOU OUR COLLEAGUE WITH RESPECT.
WE CALL YOU OUR FRIEND WITH LOVE.
JULY 6, 2013
Art Schreiber: Thank you very much. I have had many, many honors, but
this is the finest and the most loved that I have ever received. And I
offer great thanks to the man who first told me to get in touch with Fred
Schroeder, and that is David Ticchi of Massachusetts. I got in touch with
Fred, and the rest-thank goodness to him and his family and Sue Benbow-they
got me into the National Federation of the Blind. It truly has changed my
life. I say to all of you: I am grateful, I am honored. Dr. Maurer, I am so
proud to be a member of the National Federation of the Blind. Thank you
all.
----------
The Federationist's Federationist Award
[PHOTO CAPTION: The First Federationist's Federationist Award]
[PHOTO CAPTION: Patricia Maurer]
Fred Schroeder: Mr. Gashel and I would like to make a unique
presentation. It is an award that has never been given before. We
considered long and hard what to call this award, and finally we said it's
the Federationist's Federationist Award. It is an award that is given in
recognition of an individual who lives Federationism each and every day, an
individual who encourages others, who inspires others, who is gentle and
patient with others, an individual who through act and deed embodies the
very best of what we are. The recipient of this award is many things. She
is a mom with two beautiful adult children. She is the voice of
encouragement that people hear when they call our National Center
desperately seeking information and hope. She is the director of reference
for the Jacobus tenBroek Library. She has been a full-time volunteer for
the National Federation of the Blind for over twenty-five years. She is our
own Patricia Maurer. [applause]
Jim Gashel: Fred and I have collaborated in introducing this
Federationist's Federationist Award. I want to say a few things about Mrs.
Maurer. I've known Patricia Maurer-Ms. Maurer-I've known you since 1968.
Pat Maurer: I was a child.
Jim Gashel: Yes, a mere child. I was a child then, too, almost. And
you know, if somebody were to ask me what it means to be a Federationist,
the definition I would give would begin with two words: Patricia Maurer. I
mean that. We elected Dr. Maurer to be our president in 1986. He went into
this job with his eyes wide open; he knew Dr. Jernigan and what demands
were placed upon the president of the National Federation of the Blind. It
is a sacred trust, and, if you're the president of the National Federation
of the Blind, you agree to give up a major portion of your life to serve
us.
Now Mrs. Maurer didn't necessarily sign up for that, and we didn't
elect her. But in 1987 she left the career she had in education and
rehabilitation and became a full-time volunteer, standing by Dr. Maurer's
side day after day after day and serving us, and she had a family to raise
too. Together the Maurers have raised a wonderful family. Not just their
own family, but our whole Federation family. So, I don't know, I'm only the
secretary of the National Federation of the Blind, so I don't know if I
have the power to propound motions or anything like that. But I would just
say to you, that, were I able to do that-I know we designate Mrs. Maurer as
the first lady of the National Federation of the Blind-but I'm going to
suggest that we designate Mrs. Maurer as the first Federationist of the
National Federation of the Blind, and here is Fred Schroeder to present the
Federationist's Federationist Award to the First Federationist.
Fred Schroeder: What we have-and I'm going to unveil it right now-it
is a book made of glass. It is an open book, and it has an inscription on
both sides of the page in print and in Braille. The right-hand page reads
as follows: "Presented to Patricia Maurer in loving appreciation for your
steadfast dedication and tireless efforts on behalf of the blind. July 6,
2013." The left-hand side of the page, also in print and Braille, has the
Whozit logo and the following quote from Maya Angelou; it says this:
"People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but
people will never forget how you made them feel." Mrs. Maurer, here you
are.
Pat Maurer: I am not the one in the Maurer family who makes the
speeches. So I will simply say I am very deeply touched and honored to
receive this award. I appreciate all of you and what you do to make the
Federation what it is. So next week or maybe the week after, if you give me
a call, I'll be over there on the other end of the phone. I love you all
very much, and I thank you very much.
----------
The 2013 Bolotin Awards
From the Editor: Late Saturday afternoon, July 6, Jim Gashel, NFB
secretary and chairman of the Bolotin Awards selection committee, came to
the platform to present the 2013 Bolotin Awards. Here is that presentation:
Thank you, Dr. Maurer, thank you, fellow Federationists, and thank you
again for the high honor of being able to present the Dr. Jacob Bolotin
award this year on behalf of the National Federation of the Blind, the
Santa Barbara Foundation, and the Alfred and Rosalind Perlman Trust.
A biography about Dr. Bolotin has been published by Blue Point Books.
It's called The Jacob Bolotin Story, and it's available from our
Independence Market. The most important thing for you to know about Jacob
Bolotin is that he was born in 1888 and he died in 1924. Although he had a
few short years of life, his accomplishments were many. He started off
selling brushes and even kitchen matches door to door. Then he went to
medical school, he practiced medicine, and he even taught medicine in
Chicago. And you know what? He did all that before there was the
Rehabilitation Act. There was no ADA; there was no Section 504; there was
no Eve Hill; there was no NFB. We honor his memory today because he blazed
a trail for us. That's why we're here and why we honor Jacob Bolotin.
Funds to support these awards are provided from a bequest to the Santa
Barbara Foundation and the National Federation of the Blind from Rosalind
Perlman, Jacob Bolotin's niece. This year we are awarding $50,000 to these
winners. Each award includes a cash award (which I will specify), but it
also includes a plaque. I'm going to read the plaque; here is the text on
the plaque. It says:
Presented to [name of the recipient]
National Federation of the Blind and the Santa Barbara Foundation
July 2013
A medallion is suspended above the plaque, and the medallion is a
special commemorative award. The text on the obverse side reads, "The Dr.
Jacob Bolotin Award." Then the logo of the National Federation of the Blind
appears, and immediately below that logo are these words, "Celebrating
Achievement, Creating Opportunity." On the reverse side of the medallion
appear these words: "Dr. Jacob Bolotin, 1888 to 1924," then reads,
"Celebrating His Life /The Alfred and Rosalind Perlman Trust."
Now for the 2013 Jacob Bolotin Awards. For our first recipient,
representing blind individuals of excellence, we recognize James Kubel with
an award of $5,000. According to the National Eye Institute, 4.1 million
people aged forty and over are affected by diabetic retinopathy, so this is
a significant population. Insulin pumps are needed by this population. But,
if you look at the totality of all of the insulin pumps on the market
today, none of them, not a single one, is fully accessible to blind people,
which means that, if you use insulin and you use an insulin pump, somebody
else has to help you do it. Enter James Kubel and the PumpMate. This is an
audible remote control that enables a blind diabetic to administer insulin
successfully using Medtronic insulin pumps, and to do it without sighted
assistance. When you think of blind people who look at a problem and say,
"I can solve it," when you think of creative engineering and people who say
"yes," when everybody else is telling you just to give up, think of the
PumpMate and its inventor, James Kubel. Here is James Kubel to accept his
Jacob Bolotin Award.
[PHOTO CAPTION: James Kubel]
James Kubel: Well, thank you very much. I'd like to thank the NFB; I'd
like to thank my associate, Phil Brooks, who worked with me; and I'd like
to thank my wife for standing behind me while I fought and fought and
fought to get this product on the market. I will continue to fight until I
do get it there.
Jim Gashel: I want to thank you for being so short and concise. Now,
for our second recipient, this year we have chosen to recognize two
organizations for their partnership to improve opportunities for blind
youth. These organizations are the National Federation of the Blind of Utah
and the Utah Department of Workforce Services, recognized jointly for their
groundbreaking Project STRIVE. Let's hear it for the National Federation of
the Blind of Utah and for the Utah Workforce Department. [applause]
The $10,000 cash award will be made to the National Federation of the
Blind of Utah, but this joint award goes with our deepest thanks and
appreciation for the leadership and financial participation of the Utah
Department of Workforce Services. Project STRIVE is a mentoring program
that links up blind people age thirteen to twenty-six with blind adults
experienced in such things as orientation and mobility, things like
Braille, things like jobs and managing homes and so forth. In other words,
we teach each other how to live lives of success. When you think of
reaching out to pave the way for blind youth, when you think of investing
in our future, and when you think of public-private partnerships that
really work to put blind people to work, think of Project STRIVE and its
partners: the NFB of Utah and the Utah Department of Workforce Services.
Here to accept this joint award is Adam Rushforth, director of Project
STRIVE and Jeff Lanword, deputy director of Workforce Services. Gentlemen,
you can take about thirty seconds.
[PHOTO CAPTION: Adam Rushforth]
Adam Rushforth: Thank you. As he said, this is a collaborative effort
between Workforce Services and the NFB of Utah. We've been doing this for
several years now, and I want to spend a second just giving a special
thanks to our Project STRIVE participants, many of whom are here today, as
well as our instructors: Cheralyn Creer, Barbie Elliott, Brook Sexton, Mike
Harvey, Tara Briggs, and many, many others. Thank you.
[PHOTO CAPTION: Jeff Lanword]
Jeff Lanword: Thank you very much for this award; thank you for the
recognition. At the Department of Workforce Services in Utah, we have a lot
of projects and a lot of funding we put out there. Once in a while there
comes one that you know can unleash incredible potential: this is it. So
thank you very much for the recognition.
Jim Gashel: Gentlemen, thank you very much. Now, for our third
recipient, this year we have also chosen to recognize a partnership of a
prominent state agency and an affiliate of the National Federation of the
Blind. These organizations are the NFB of Texas and the Texas Workforce
Commission, recognized jointly for working to create and conduct Project
CHANGE. Although the cash award of $10,000 will go to the NFB of Texas,
this joint recognition expresses our deep appreciation and thanks to the
encouragement, leadership, and financial support provided by the Texas
Workforce Commission. In 2010 Larry Temple, the executive director of the
Texas Workforce Commission, came to our convention in Dallas, and a year
later Project CHANGE was created. I won't say any more. You all had a part
in this by helping to create the understanding that blind people know best
how to solve our problems and address our needs. Larry Temple is a
believer, and the Texas Workforce Commission and the governor of Texas have
helped to back the project. It's again a mentoring project, linking up
blind youth ages fourteen to twenty-four with blind adults (doesn't specify
what ages for the blind adults) to work in fields such as science,
technology, engineering, math, education, rehabilitation, mass media
communications, jobs in food service, and more. When you think of believing
in blind people and creating opportunities for success, when you think of
tearing down barriers and opening doors to the future, and when you think
about government agencies believing in blind people and understanding that
we know best how to meet our needs, think of Project CHANGE and the
partnership between the NFB of Texas and the Texas Workforce Commission.
Here to accept the award are Kimberly Flores, president of the NFB of
Texas, and Larry Temple, executive director of the Texas Workforce
Commission. Kimberly.
[PHOTO CAPTION: Kimberly Flores]
Kimberly Flores: Opportunity is missed by many because it shows up
wearing overalls and looks like work. Larry Temple is an expert in overalls
of all shapes and sizes, and he loves the style of the National Federation
of the Blind. Without him Project CHANGE would not have been possible. This
has been a wonderful learning opportunity, we've been blessed and honored,
and we are truly humbled by this recognition. Thank you so much. I would
like to thank Norma Crosby for her tireless effort writing and revising
this grant for us and for her love and support. I want to thank Richie
[Kim's husband] for his leadership, and I want to thank Emily Gibbs for her
support as well. Thank you to all of our participants who have been in
attendance throughout the convention as well. Here is Larry Temple.
[PHOTO CAPTION: Larry Temple]
Larry Temple: Thank you very much. Actually, I didn't have much
choice; I got outnumbered last year. Ron Gardner, Kimberly, Richie, Kristin
Cox from out in Utah-they called and said, "This is a great project, and we
need to work on it." I do want to thank Kristin for introducing me to this
organization, and I'm proud to be here. Come on back to Texas!
Jim Gashel: Dr. Maurer says we may do that. For our fourth recipient
we turn to a corporation of excellence with leadership on behalf of the
blind, and we recognize Desire2Learn with an award of $10,000. This morning
we heard all about its technology. For those of us who grew up in the
1960s, the 1970s, or maybe a decade or two beyond, we used to communicate
with our teachers by passing hardcopy paper back and forth. But today they
don't do that in education. So we learned today that you communicate over
the network, and you use systems that are called LMS systems. LMS systems
are the means in education for teachers and the like to register students,
to monitor their progress, to issue grades, etc. So no longer do we get to
rush to the bulletin board to check our grades. We have to get onto
Desire2Learn and hope it's accessible. In this case it is, although most of
these systems are not accessible, and I've actually said that most of them
should get a grade of F. Desire2Learn is about the only one of the group
that really gets a grade of A-and not just once, but consistently. In fact,
Desire2Learn has won for the last several years the NFB's gold
certification for accessibility of LMS systems. Anne Taylor says it's a
model of accessibility, and I believe it is. Here to accept the award is
Dennis Kavelman, but I want to say first, that, when you think of modern
accessible technology used in education, when you think of equal
opportunity to compete and to learn, and when you think of a core company
value having accessibility in that value, think of Desire2Learn. Here to
accept the award is Dennis Kavelman, chief operating officer, Desire2Learn.
Dennis Kavelman: Actually, the real person who is going to accept the
award is Karen Hedrick, who really led the efforts at Desire2Learn, and
here she is.
[PHOTO CAPTION: Karen Hedrick]
Karen Hedrick: Okay, I guess the Student Division knew I was here the
whole time, but now you all know I'm not just in the video. I just wanted
to say it's been seven years of hard work, working with developers who have
great passion for this and are extremely motivated. I wish they could all
be here to just breathe in the awesomeness that is in this convention. We
are going to keep it going, and we're going to make sure that it stays
accessible for all blind users. So that includes blind students, blind
instructors, and blind administrators. Thank you so much for this.
Jim Gashel: Thank you, Karen, and thank you, Desire2Learn. Now,
finally, our fifth recipient, representing blind individuals with
imagination, innovation, and just plain good sense--we recognize Emily
Wharton with our highest award this year, an award of $15,000. Now literacy
is, I would say, the most fundamental building block of success. Literacy
for blind people means competence in reading and writing Braille. Aside
from having literacy skills in Braille, no other factor has more impact on
whether or not a person will succeed. Emily Wharton understands this.
It's one thing to learn Braille as a child and use it every day in
school. But it's a challenge of a different magnitude to learn Braille as
an adult and then try to make it relevant and useful as a tool in your
daily life. Most of us understand this, and we just give up. But Emily
Wharton decided to do something about it. Emily is a communications
instructor at BLIND, Incorporated, in Minneapolis. So she's had a firsthand
opportunity to observe her students there. And Emily observed what she came
to recognize among those students as a poor "Braillitude." She decided to
help them get a good Braillitude, and she created Code Master. Code Master
follows the techniques used in teaching sighted people to read, that is, to
recognize not just characters but words, whole words. She has people
reading within weeks of having the opportunity to learn the Braille code.
Not only that, but she incorporates the use of technology into the process,
emphasizing the use of Braille displays. More than that, she is making
Braille relevant to blind adults, and they are learning to use it right
away. When you think of innovative problem-solving, when you think of first-
class training, and when you think of literacy education for all-no excuses
for being a blind adult, we can learn Braille too-think of the Code Master
System, and think of Emily Wharton, its inventor. Here to accept the award
is Emily Wharton.
[PHOTO CAPTION: Emily Wharton]
Emily Wharton: Thank you so much to the Bolotin Committee, to my
Federation family, to Dr. Maurer for challenging us to think about ways of
innovating Braille, to all the people along the way who've been helpful
with this: Peggy Elliott; Shawn Mayo; Dr. Bell; everybody at BLIND,
Incorporated: Sharon, Ryan, Helen, and Chris. If you want more information
about what we're doing, it'll be on our website shortly:
<www.blindinc.org>. Thank you all so much.
Jim Gashel: Thank you, Emily, and thanks to all of our award winners.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is the Dr. Jacob Bolotin Awards class of 2013. I
want to thank Mary Ellen Jernigan and Ron Brown for helping me out in
reviewing all these applications and for their intelligent evaluation. Mr.
President, this concludes my report on the Jacob Bolotin Awards for 2013,
and I thank all of you for listening.
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: The 2013 scholarship winners (left to right):
Back Row: Fredrick Hardyway, Al Elia, Mark Colasurdo, Chopper Johnson, Alex
Loch, Conrad Austen, Brooke Lovell, Matthew Yeater
Middle Row: Kristin Fleschner, Tasha Hubbard, Jeri Siquerios-Ramirez, Tyler
Kavanaugh, Disa Muse, Mona Minkara, Steven Phelps, Cody Bair, Kathryn
Webster, Julie McGinnity
Front Row: Heather Rasmussen, Stephanie DeLuca, Molly Faerber, Danielle
Burton, Angela Dehart, Kaitlin Shelton, Ivy Wanta, Mi So Kwak, Stephanie
Zundel, Treva Olivero]
Meet the 2013 National Federation of the Blind Scholarship Class
From the Editor: With every passing year we recognize the increasing
value of the National Federation of the Blind's scholarship program to our
national organization. Members of previous scholarship classes stream back
to take part in convention activities and assume responsibility, doing
anything that they can see needs to be done, including serving as mentors
during the following year for the members of the current scholarship class.
Each July everyone looks forward to meeting the new scholarship class and
to hearing what its members are doing now and planning to do in the future.
On Saturday evening, July 6, toward the close of the banquet, Patti
Chang, chairperson of the scholarship committee, came to the podium to
present the year's winners and announce which scholarships they had been
awarded. This year each winner shook hands with President Maurer and Ray
Kurzweil before they took their places across the back of the platform. In
addition to the NFB scholarship, each of the thirty winners received a
$1,000 check and plaque from Ray Kurzweil; a Google Nexus 7 tablet for
access to the Blio ebook reader from K-NFB Reading Technology, Inc.; and a
$1,000 cash award from Google. This package of gifts added over $2,000 of
value to every scholarship award.
The final award was the Kenneth Jernigan Scholarship of $12,000,
presented to Jeri Siqueiros-Ramirez, who then spoke briefly to the
audience. Her remarks appear later in this article.
But earlier in the week, at the meeting of the NFB board of
directors, the thirty 2013 NFB scholarship winners, including five tenBroek
Fellows, who were receiving a second NFB scholarship, came to the
microphone to speak directly to the Federation. Following is what they said
about themselves. The speakers were introduced by Patti, who announced
their home and school states after their names.
Conrad Austen, Maryland, Maryland: Good morning, Federation family. I
want to take this time to thank each and every one of you for fighting for
ever-increasing opportunities for me and thousands upon thousands of other
blind students to succeed. I'm a senior at St. Mary's College of Maryland
studying history, and I plan on getting a doctorate in history and becoming
a professor researching and teaching disability history. I look forward to
meeting as many of you as possible, and until then I hope you continue to
have a wonderful convention. Thank you.
Patti Chang: When students win more than one of our scholarships,
they are dubbed "tenBroek Fellows." The first of five this year is
Cody Bair, Colorado, Colorado: Good morning, it's a pleasure to stand
in front of you today as a tenBroek Fellow. I'm a student at the University
of Northern Colorado, and I'll be a senior in the fall. I'm majoring in
accounting, and it's my career goal to obtain my CPA and practice in tax.
This summer I'm working an internship for EKS&H [Ehrhardt, Keefe, Seiner, &
Hottman], which is a large accounting firm in Colorado. I'm specializing in
real estate and partnership tax. This is my third convention, and I have
the pleasure of serving as the president of the Greeley Chapter of the
National Federation of the Blind of Colorado, the treasurer of the Colorado
Association of Blind Students, and as of last night a board member of NABS.
It is my goal this convention to develop as a stronger leader because I
know that, while as a Federation we have accomplished a lot, we still have
a lot more to accomplish, and I'm committed to working and putting in
tireless hours until what we want to accomplish is accomplished. Thank you.
Danielle Burton, Kentucky, Kentucky: Good morning, everyone. I am a
freshman this fall, and I am going to major in elementary and special
education with an emphasis in moderate to severe disabilities. I plan to
teach students who are blind and visually impaired. I chose to do this
because I want students to have more opportunities, and I want them to have
some things I did not have as a student myself. I appreciate the
opportunity to be here today and this week, and I hope to meet everybody.
Thank you very much.
Mark Colasurdo, New Jersey, New York: Hello, everyone. My name is
Mark Colasurdo, and it is an honor to be here as a scholarship winner. I
want to thank the committee for this wonderful opportunity. I first came to
the NFB in 2009 during the Youth Slam event and have been a student and
mentor at various other STEM events since. I am currently the vice
president of the New Jersey Association of Blind Students. In the fall I
will be a junior at Cornell University, studying bioengineering. This
summer I am doing a research internship up there funded by the National
Science Foundation, where I am doing original research studying tissue
engineering. In the future I hope to be a PhD scholar and research
scientist in the field of biomedical engineering and to continue to
participate actively in the National Federation of the Blind. Thank you.
Angela Dehart, Kentucky, Kentucky: Good morning, fellow
Federationists. Thank you, scholarship committee and board of directors. It
is an honor to be here this week. This fall I will be a senior in a program
leading to dual certification in elementary and special education, with an
emphasis in teaching students who have moderate to severe disabilities. My
career goal is to teach students who have autism. Teaching is my passion.
It is my job to educate, encourage, and inspire my students. My philosophy
of teaching is the same as my philosophy of blindness. If there is one
thing I want my students to learn from me, it is that their disability need
not limit them, and anything is possible with enough dedication and
perseverance. Thank you all.
Stephanie DeLuca, Tennessee, Tennessee: Good morning, everyone, I am
honored to be here as a tenBroek Fellow this year. I am currently the
president of the Tennessee Association of Blind Students. I am also hoping
to defend my doctorate next spring, and with that doctorate I'd like to
pursue a career in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)
policy or STEM education policy because I believe very passionately and
strongly that everyone, including the blind and visually impaired who are
often ignored, have the right to a quality education, and that is how we
can move up in the world. So I am looking forward to learning from all of
you and learning to be a trailblazer and a leader. Thank you.
Al Elia, Massachusetts, Massachusetts: Hello, everyone. Thank you to
the committee, and thank you to all of you for supporting this organization
that can therefore support this wonderful class that I'm honored to be a
part of. I have to confess that I took for granted for many years the
rights that I have as a blind person. Then, in the late 2000s, I discovered
the NFB and how much I owe to this organization for all the rights that
I've had my whole life. And I realized that we're still doing that work,
especially Massachusetts. You know, I think a lot of people here probably
have iPhones-yes? That's the NFB and Massachusetts. And the ATM machines
that we all use that talk to us now? That's the NFB and Massachusetts. So I
decided that, after fifteen years out of school and working as a software
developer, I was going to go to law school. So that's what I'm doing now,
and I hope to continue to do that sort of work, fighting in Massachusetts
along with the NFB to increase our rights going forward. Thank you very
much.
Molly Faerber, Rhode Island, Rhode Island: Good morning, everyone.
Thank you to the members of the scholarship committee and the members of
this class for giving me my first national convention. It's been
astonishing so far. I'm currently a grad student at Brown University in the
department of literary arts, concentrating in fiction writing. In the fall
or in this upcoming academic year I'll be teaching two fiction-writing
classes at Brown, and I'll also have the chance to teach a group of blind
high school students a writing workshop as well. I'm going to steal
something that Julie said last night that I think was really great. She
said that blind people deserve to be on the stage as much as sighted people
do, and I completely agree. I believe that the opinions, the experiences,
and the perceptions of the world that blind people have deserve to be
written, published, and read by everyone, and I am dedicated to doing
everything in my power to make that happen, especially after only these few
days of convention. Thank you very much.
Kristin Fleschner, Massachusetts, Massachusetts: Good morning,
everyone. I'm so honored and privileged to be here. I'm a third-year law
student at Harvard Law School. I've been extremely privileged to have a lot
of rich educational and cultural experiences along the way. I did my
undergraduate education at Vanderbilt University, where I received a
bachelor of arts and a bachelor of science. Vanderbilt then sent me to
Africa, where I researched violence against women and traveled to over
eighteen countries. When I returned, I had the opportunity to work for the
former speaker of the US House of Representatives, and since that time I've
been a federal government employee. In that capacity I've had the
opportunity to testify before Congress and brief some of our most senior
policy members. But along the way I lost my vision, and I had a lot of self-
doubt. The morning that I actually received my admittance letter to Harvard
Law School, I wasn't sure I was making the right decision, and I wasn't
sure I should even be going to law school. I actually happened to make one
of my first trips to the NFB in Baltimore that day to do a training session
that Scott LaBarre was putting on for blind lawyers, and I left that
meeting after spending a few hours with about forty blind lawyers wondering
if I shouldn't get only my JD at Harvard but whether I should also get my
PhD. I think that this is what this organization has the capacity to do, so
I'm here this week to learn from all of you and the rest of the scholarship
team here, and I look forward to meeting the rest of you this week.
Juna Gjata, Massachusetts, Massachusetts: Hello, everyone. My name is
Juna Gjata. I am seventeen years old and will be attending Harvard as a
freshman this fall. I have the privilege of being here for the first time
this year, and it's so exciting. Over the past four years I've interned at
a law firm and an investment agency and as a research assistant, and they
have only reaffirmed in my mind that I want to be a concert pianist in the
future. I have been attending a conservatory for eight years now and have
had the honor of playing with six different orchestras and playing Carnegie
Hall and Symphony Hall, so my dream is to be a pianist without a day job-
sorry Papi.
Fredrick Hardyway, Kansas, Washington: Good morning, everyone. Thank
you for this opportunity; this has been wonderful. This is my first
convention, and I'm just so amazed. I'm going to Washington State and
getting my doctorate in world history with a primary emphasis in African
history. My goal is to become a professor. I guess I found out among the
scholarship winners that I'm the eldest, so thank you for the opportunity.
Tasha Hubbard, Virginia, Virginia: Hello, Federationists. I am a
student at Liberty University getting my masters in professional counseling
and life coaching. With that I will be counseling people who have gone
through traumatic experiences that left them disabled. My goal is to give
them back their hope for life and to teach them that their life isn't over
now that they're disabled. I am also the president of the Peninsula Chapter
in Virginia. I am the coordinator for the Peninsula BELL Program. I am on
the McDonald Fellowship Committee, and I will be running for a position in
the Human Services Division later on today. My theme here is giving back.
Chopper Johnson, South Carolina, South Carolina: Hi, folks, it's good
to hear a little bit of South Carolina in the house. After starting my
undergraduate in the early 90s, I'm finally getting around to graduating
with a double degree in secondary education and history in May from the
College of Charleston. This is thanks to the scholarship committee. This is
my first NFB national convention; it's been a long couple of days already;
I look forward to a long couple of more. So that's me.
Tyler Kavanaugh, Kansas, New York: Good morning. Thank you,
scholarship committee, board of directors, Mr. President, Madame Chair. It
is a great honor for me to be here this morning. I'm going to be a
sophomore at the Rochester Institute of Technology, studying software
engineering. This is my first national convention, and I hope to become
even more involved in the Federation because I only really got kind of
involved with it at the state convention in New York last November.
Mi So Kwak, California, California: First of all, I am so honored and
humbled to be here today. Throughout my life I have been blessed with
incredible mentors and experiences: teachers in Korea who always encouraged
me to think bigger, a high school teacher who opened my mind to chemistry,
a guidance counselor who gave me an opportunity to speak to a local Cub
Scout pack about blindness, band directors who gave me wonderful
opportunities such as being a section leader for marching band performing
in a concert as a member of Southern California Ambassadors of Music, and
marching in the Tournament of Roses Parade as a member of Bands of America
Honor Band, and finally many of my NFB mentors whom I have met throughout
this week. This fall I'll be a freshman attending the University of
California, Los Angeles, and am considering a double major in music history
and communication, and a minor in education. Although I'm not sure about
the specifics of my career, I would like to become a teacher who could open
students' minds and strengthen their self-belief, just like my teachers
have done for me. Thank you.
Domonique Lawless, Louisiana, Louisiana: Good morning. I am very
honored to be here as a tenBroek Fellow. I'm from Nashville, Tennessee,
currently living in Ruston, Louisiana, where I am attending Louisiana Tech,
finishing my master's degree in teaching blind students orientation and
mobility. I've been in the National Federation of the Blind for thirteen
years. In 2005 I founded the Tennessee Association of Blind Students and
had the opportunity to serve as its president from 2005 to 2011. I also
served on the state board for the Tennessee affiliate as well as served on
the National Association of Blind Students board from 2007 to 2012.
Although I hold no current board positions, I love working behind the
scenes in various education programs, like the BELL Program in Louisiana
and soon the BELL Program in Virginia. I look forward to doing anything I
can to help the Federation, and I'm looking forward to the rest of
convention.
Alex Loch, Minnesota, Minnesota: Hi, everyone. My name is Alex Loch.
I'm a third-year grad student at the College of St. Scholastica earning a
doctorate in physical therapy. I will own my own practice-a physical
therapy clinic-one day. I live in Duluth, Minnesota, and we're in the
process of getting a chapter started in Duluth; so any tips are welcome. In
Minnesota we have these things called "Ole and Lena jokes," so I'm going to
tell you one: Sven was walking down the street, and he noticed his buddy
Ole standing by the jewelry store. He said, "Hey, Ole, Vhat you doing?"
Ole said, "Oh, it's Lena's birthday, and she asked for something with
a lot of diamonds."
Sven said, "Yah? Vell, vat'd you get her?"
Ole said, "Vell, I got her a deck of cards."
Thank you all so much; have a lovely convention.
Brooke Lovell, Utah, Utah: Hello, everyone, I'm so thankful to be
here today. I'm an incoming freshman at Brigham Young University, and I
will be majoring in psychology. I plan to become a marriage and family
counselor. This summer I'm interning at a counseling office in Salt Lake
City, and I absolutely love it. I have been involved with the NFB for
coming up on three years now. I had the opportunity to attend Washington
Seminar, and that was right after I became involved with the NFB. Then I
was on the founding board of our local chapter and served as the secretary
there for two years. I am currently treasurer of our student division, and
I have had the opportunity to serve as a junior mentor at the BELL Program
and in Project STRIVE in our state. I'm so thankful for all these awesome
opportunities that I've had to give back, because I have received so much
from the NFB and from my mentors and from you my Federation family. I hope
you all have a very happy day. Thank you.
Julie McGinnity, Missouri, Missouri: Hi, everyone. First of all I
would like to thank Patti Chang and the rest of the scholarship committee
for giving me this opportunity once again. I'm having a great time. I would
also like to thank Lorraine Rovig for all the work she's doing; it can't be
easy to be with us all the time. I was recently told that I could only be a
blind character in an opera because I'm blind, and all the sighted people
are supposed to play the sighted characters. Yeah, unfortunately this is
something that we face every day. Many of us in this room have faced this
attitude, and for my part I would like to become an accomplished performer
and be a professor of voice. I would like to teach all kinds of students
performance techniques. I would also like to advocate for blind performers
because that attitude is wrong, and we need to fix it, guys. Thank you.
Mona Minkara, Florida, Florida: Hi, everyone. I'm actually originally
from Boston; I moved down here for graduate school. I am a third-year at
the University of Florida, part of the Quantum Theory Project. I am
studying computational chemistry. I graduated with my undergraduate degree
from Wellesley College in 2009 with a double major in chemistry and Middle
Eastern studies. Then I was really fortunate to get a Howard Hughes Medical
Institution grant to do a year of pure research, and I decided this is what
I want to do with the rest of my life-I love it. Unfortunately, growing up
I wasn't really involved with the NFB or anything involved with blind
associations. I was not taught Braille, and I did not have enough vision to
read large print. I've done everything auditorily, but, coming here, I've
decided I'm going to learn Braille. Actually, Julie McGinnity-who just
spoke-she just showed me the alphabet; I was able to read a couple of
sentences on her BrailleNote, so I'm really excited to see where that takes
me. Thank you.
Disa Muse, Oklahoma, Oklahoma: Thank you. My associate's and
bachelor's were in areas of law, and I honestly just had a mild plan of
being a paralegal. But, as I was going through school during the last two
years, I've faced more battles than I've ever faced in my life. It was the
first time I'd gone to college blind. I battled one professor one semester.
I thought, "Good, that'll never happen again." No, next semester, major
battle, semester-long. Then voc rehab, and, by the end I said, "Do you know
what: they don't seem to understand, I'm part of the NFB, and I don't take
no for an answer." I'm now dedicating my life to that type of service for
others. Thank you.
Treva Olivero, Louisiana, Louisiana: Hello, everyone, thank you. I am
very honored and blessed and humbled to have this opportunity. This is my
tenth convention. In the past I haven't been able to go to school to get a
scholarship, but currently I am attending the Louisiana Tech master's
program for teaching blind students. I'm very excited, and what sparked an
interest in teaching was my experience with the Louisiana and the Maryland
BELL programs and also the Braille Rocks Program in Maryland. I'd like to
thank my mentors from the NFB of Indiana and the NFB of Maryland for all
their support. Thank you so much for believing in me and giving me this
opportunity so that I can go and teach future Federationists.
Steven Phelps, Utah, Utah: Good morning, fellow Federationists. I am
a member of the Utah affiliate, and within that affiliate I am the
president of the Utah Valley Chapter. I am in my final year of study at the
University of Utah. I am working on two master's degrees, one in social
work and the other in public administration. I'm also working on a graduate
certificate in disability studies. With this combination of degrees and a
certificate, I will be able to provide relief and initiate necessary
changes for people with disabilities through advocacy, legislation, policy
efforts, and administrative leadership. I believe that I can make a
difference in people's lives, and this belief has been furthered during
recent national conventions, Washington Seminar, and activities within the
Utah affiliate. I am committed to furthering the mission of the National
Federation of the Blind and its programs and affiliates. Thank you.
Heather Rasmussen, Tennessee, Washington, DC: Hi. I've been in the
NFB for several years, about six, I think. I owe a lot to this
organization. I went to the Colorado Center for the Blind in 2009-2010. It
was a truly life-changing experience. That being said, I've never been able
to come to a national convention before, and I'm really truly grateful to
be here; it's amazing. I have a bit of a different background; I grew up on
a goat farm-yes, a goat farm-in Tennessee. I am now at American University
in Washington, DC; I'm majoring in international studies with a focus in
conflict resolution because it's really hard to get anything done in terms
of development if you're being shot at. I'm minoring in Spanish because
it's awesome and criminal justice because I have a passion for US prison
reform. Coming from an under-served population-being blind-I feel empathy
with that population because they're very neglected in this country. For
the last year I studied abroad in the University of Ireland in Galway, and
I love dogs.
Kaitlin Shelton, Ohio, Ohio: Hello, and good morning, everyone. This
fall I will be a sophomore at the University of Dayton, where I am majoring
in music therapy with a minor in psychology. I have yet to decide what
specific population I want to work with, but I'm considering concentrating
in work with teens with all sorts of disabilities; substance abuse and
recovery; medical patients; or music therapy in a pediatric hospital. I've
had a couple volunteer internships, including one at the Cincinnati
Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired, and I hope to get more in
order to sort of figure out my niche and see where I want to go. I'm pretty
active on campus. I do several activities, including volunteer
organizations, two fraternities, marching band, and a bunch of musical
ensembles. As far as the Federation goes, I am active in the Ohio
Association of Blind Students, where I currently serve as secretary, and
the Community Service Group, and I hope to become more involved as the week
goes on. This is my first convention, and I'm really excited and honored to
be here. I'm really thankful for this opportunity, so thank you to everyone
who's made this possible, as well as everyone here for working for a better
future for blind people. Thank you.
Jeri Siqueiros-Ramirez, California, California: Good morning, fellow
Federationists. First off, I am very blessed. I feel very blessed to be
part of the scholarship class this year, and it is with great humility that
I say thank you to each and every one of you, as well as the scholarship
committee. I am a graduate student at Cal State University, San Bernardino.
I am earning a master's degree in rehab counseling. I currently work as a
service coordinator at the department of rehab in California. Rehab is very
near and dear to my heart. But I am more than that. I am also a mother, a
wife, and a Federationist. I have the privilege of working in the great
state of California next to some seasoned mentors. I serve as treasurer of
our student division and vice president of our diabetes division, and I am
president of the Southwest Riverside County Chapter. But my privilege
extends beyond the California borders. I get to work alongside all of you,
and I get to be part of the difference we are going to make in this world.
Again, I thank you, and I look forward to meeting more of you. Everybody
have a great convention. Thank you.
Ivy Wanta, New York, Connecticut: Hi, everyone. I'm so grateful to be
here as a scholarship winner. I'm starting at Yale University this fall,
hoping to major in physics and planning to have a future in alternate
energy sources. I'm also incredibly involved in theater. Throughout my high
school career I acted in, directed, or wrote seventeen different plays and
musicals. This is my first convention, and I really do feel like this
scholarship has given me the gift of the NFB, and I can't wait to take that
gift home and get involved in my state affiliate. Thank you so much.
Kathryn Webster, Connecticut, North Carolina: Good morning, my new
Federation family. This is my first national convention, and my name is
Kathryn Webster. I am originally from Florida, live in Connecticut, and
will be starting my freshman year of undergraduate at Wake Forest
University in Winston-Salem. I plan on pursuing a double major in
mathematical business and economics with a minor in health and human
services, hopefully. My career goal right now is to be an actuarial
scientist and a motivational speaker. I am new to the Federation-fairly new-
but I am looking forward to this week, and I am loving it. And I just
wanted to give a shout-out to Justin Salisbury because he convinced me to
highly consider going to the LCB, and he has definitely been a great mentor
throughout this whole process. I can't wait to keep on being a
Federationist and getting involved. Thank you.
Matthew Yeater, Indiana, Indiana: Good morning, Federationists. I,
too, would like to say thank you so much to the scholarship committee for
your hard work and dedication, and the board of directors. On behalf of all
of us, all of you affiliate leaders, without you guys we wouldn't be where
we are, so thank you very much. I graduated from Indiana Bible College last
year and am a first-year grad student at Associated Mennonite Biblical
Seminary. I've been part of the Federation for five years, recruited by Ron
Brown. My first convention was part of the College Leadership Program four
years ago, so this is my fourth convention. The leadership seminar changed
my life, really. I went back home with a new perspective and an open
understanding. During my senior year of college I started the National
Federation of the Blind of Michiana, a newly formed chapter. I serve on the
building committee where we're celebrating that just last week we got a
building donated to us--office space--so we're really looking forward to
that. We have a couple of grant writers-one of whom works with the
International Rotary--he's a gifts manager, his major is corporate
sponsorship-so we're excited for the new developments. Thank you guys for
all that you do for us.
Stephanie Zundel, New Jersey, Tennessee: Good morning, my Federation
family. I am so thankful, blessed, and honored to have been awarded one of
the NFB's scholarships. I will be attending Vanderbilt University in the
fall as a freshman. I will be double majoring in speech pathology and
psychology. I have also just decided to minor in something that has to do
with animals, since I absolutely love animals. I attended the Youth Slam in
2011, and I also just graduated from the LEAD Program, which is led by Joe
Ruffalo and Jerilyn Higgins. I just have one quick story to share on why I
absolutely love the NFB and why it is such a great organization. This year
I was in an AP government class. All the students in this class belong to a
national e-Congress, which is a website where students from all over the
country create their own laws. These laws are sent to other classrooms
across the country, where they either pass or fail. I made a law about how
I think there should be a way that blind people can distinguish between
money, other than using money readers. It is fine if people disagree with
my ideas, but the way these people failed was unbelievable. They told me
that blind people never go to stores without a sighted companion. This is
why I do boxing--because of my anger--and also why I joined the NFB. The
NFB is here to fight for our equality because we know that blind people can
accomplish everything that sighted people can. Thank you.
There you have the 2013 scholarship class. On Saturday evening, July
6, toward the close of the banquet, Patti Chang presented this year's
scholarships. Then Jeri Siqueiros-Ramirez, winner of the Kenneth Jernigan
Scholarship, came to the podium to speak a few words. This is what she
said:
[PHOTO CAPTION: Jeri Siqueiros-Ramirez]
I'm trying to catch my breath right now and stand at the same time,
so excuse the shaking in my voice, please. Good evening, my Federation
family. Words can never express the thanks or even the feelings I have
right now. In 2007 I sat on the side of the road-devastated--realizing that
I was blind. My car was parked; I had called my brother for a ride because
I had almost hit a car. In 2009 I had the opportunity, the blessing, to
attend my first national convention in Detroit. I partook in our walk, in
our March for Independence. I left that convention changing the word
"devastation" to "determination"--to dare to dream. It is with great
humility that I stand here before you this evening, again truly thanking
each and every one of you. I may not know you personally, but we are
working together, and that is all I need to know. Thank you, my Federation
family. It is my privilege to walk with you as we go to Washington each
year and as we walk the streets and show society what it means to work
together in changing what it means to be blind. Thank you.
Following is the complete list of 2013 scholarship winners and the
awards they received:
. $3,000 NFB Awards: Conrad Austen, Cody Bair, Danielle Burton, Mark
Colasurdo, Albert "Al" Elia, Juna Gjata, Fredrick Hardyway, Natasha
Hubbard, Tyler Kavanaugh, Mi So Kwak, Domonique Lawless, Alex Loch,
Disa Muse, Steven J. Phelps, Heather Rasmussen, Kaitlin Shelton, Ivy
Wanta, Matthew Yeater, and Stephanie Zundel
. $3,000 Charles and Melva T. Owen Scholarship: Treva Olivero
. $3,000 E.U. and Gene Parker Scholarship: Angela Dehart
. $3,000 The Oracle Scholarship for Excellence in Computer Science:
Stephanie DeLuca
. $5,000 Charles and Melva T. Owen Scholarships: Mona Minkara and
Kathryn Webster
. $5,000 Larry Streeter Memorial Scholarship: Chopper Johnson
. $5,000 The Mimi and Marvin Sandler Scholarship: Molly Faerber
. $7,000 NFB Scholarships: Brooke Lowell and Julie Ann McGinnity
. $10,000 Charles and Melva T. Owen Scholarship: Kristin Fleschner
. $12,000 Kenneth Jernigan Scholarship (funded by the American Action
Fund for Blind Children and Adults): Jeri Siqueiros-Ramirez.
----------
The Power of Belonging
An Address Delivered by
Marc Maurer
at the Banquet of the Annual Convention
of the National Federation of the Blind
Orlando, Florida
July 6, 2013
One misunderstanding about the nature of power is that this commodity
is finite, limited in quantity, and shared only by the fortunate few. To
get power, it is (according to some) necessary to seize it from the hands
of others.
An example of this form of thinking may be observed by contemplating
the seats in Congress. There are only 535 of them. Anybody who wants to
exercise power from one of these seats must compete with others to get it-
often seizing the opportunity from somebody else who already has it. From
this form of thought comes the concept that a society consists of people
who are constantly at war with one another to get for themselves the
limited resources that will never be adequate for all.
In 1851 the English philosopher Herbert Spencer said:
Pervading all nature we may see at work a stern discipline, which is a
little cruel that it may be very kind. That state of universal warfare
maintained throughout the lower creation, to the great perplexity of
many worthy people, is at bottom the most merciful provision which the
circumstances admit of. The poverty of the incapable, the distresses
that come upon the imprudent, the starvation of the idle, and those
shoulderings aside of the weak by the strong, which leave so many "in
shallows and in miseries," are the decrees of a large, farseeing
benevolence. It seems hard that an unskillfulness which with all its
efforts he cannot overcome, should entail hunger upon the artisan. It
seems hard that a laborer incapacitated by sickness from competing
with his stronger fellows, should have to bear the resulting
privations. It seems hard that widows and orphans should be left to
struggle for life or death. Nevertheless, when regarded not
separately, but in connection with the interests of universal
humanity, these harsh fatalities are seen to be full of the highest
beneficence-the same beneficence which brings to early graves the
children of diseased parents, and singles out the low-spirited, the
intemperate, and the debilitated as the victims of an epidemic.
It must be conceded that Spencer spoke his mind without trying to
sugarcoat the message. I suspect that he would apply some of his terms to
members of the National Federation of the Blind-the incapable, the weak,
the low-spirited, the debilitated, the victims. As misleading and as
annoying as these characterizations may be, they are a distraction from a
more important observation. Spencer misunderstood at least one aspect of
the fundamental nature of power itself and the character of the people who
possess it. His assertion that power is limited is not only false but also
an invitation for tyrannical misapplication of power by the uninformed, if
not the deliberate manipulation of power against disadvantaged individuals
by insidious scoundrels. These scoundrels gain economic, political, or
personal advantages from a putative position of benevolent superiority. Our
benevolent superiors (self-appointed, self-governing, self-important, self-
willed) have determined that a wage structure in our country that offers to
pay us less than the federally-guaranteed minimum wage available to
everybody else has been established for our own good. They plan to maintain
this structure because in their superior, benevolent wisdom they tell us
that they know better than we do what our lives should be and what
compensation is fair for us to get for the labor they extract from us. They
tell us that our lives have been improved through this system of government-
authorized discrimination, while they collect their six- and seven-figure
compensation packages.
Such arguments from our benevolent superiors remind me of a statement
made by Abraham Lincoln in 1865. He said:
I have always thought that all men should be free; but if any should
be slaves, it should be first those who desire it for themselves, and
secondly those who desire it for others. Whenever I hear anyone
arguing for slavery, I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him
personally.
So said Abraham Lincoln almost 150 years ago, and I believe the
principles he espoused should work equally well today. Those managers who
want to pay wages to workers that are below the federally-guaranteed
minimum should receive compensation similar to that which they pay the
workers. If this kind of wage structure is good for blind workers, is it
not equally good for management? Let us not keep all of the good for
ourselves; let us share it with them.
However, Herbert Spencer and the managers of workshops who exploit the
blind have misunderstood the nature of power itself. If power is not always
a finite, limited commodity, if it can be expanded by ingenuity and
industry, if its limits are imposed only by the breadth of human
imagination and the determination to put that imagination to work, power
itself is expandable; and it becomes available to those who seek to know
it.
Inventive individuals in our own time have established companies that
create technology which manages information. Some of these companies have
become enormously popular and fabulously wealthy. Those who constructed
them have dramatic amounts of economic power and sometimes a substantial
portion of political power as well. Some of these entrepreneurs undoubtedly
possess greater power than some elected officials. They took their power
from nobody. The ingenuity and energy they put to work expanded the sum of
the power available within our society.
In 1958 John Kenneth Galbraith wrote:
People are the common denominator of progress. So . . . no improvement
is possible with unimproved people, and advance is certain when people
are liberated and educated.
How many people can be improved, and to what degree? Galbraith does
not say, but he offers the mechanism for advancement with two concepts,
liberty and education. Through reflection upon such thoughts and
observation of the activities of others, it seems evident to me that
freedom creates power. My freedom, properly exercised, adds to yours-and
yours to mine. Furthermore, we develop our own freedom partly through
personal choice and partly through imitation of others who exemplify the
characteristics that signify freedom. In developing our own freedom, we
simultaneously instill in ourselves an added measure of power.
We in the National Federation of the Blind have long ago expressed the
aspiration that we may participate fully in our society on terms of
equality with others and that misunderstanding has kept us from doing so.
We have felt that we are on the edge of society attempting to gain full
participation. But this is only part of the pattern. Those who have created
the systems of exclusion have erected barriers to our participation that
make it virtually impossible or impractical for us to invite them to be
fully a part of the society in which we live. We have not easily been able
to gain access to the power that they possess, but they have not been able
to gain access to the power that we possess. Often they do not know it
exists. They have not understood that our equal participation enhances the
fullness of their lives.
One element of the misunderstanding about blindness is that we live in
a sighted society. Although many sighted people live in our society, it is
more accurate to say that the society in which we live belongs to all of
us, and we belong to it. Because we belong in this society, we expect to be
welcomed within it. Because others belong to this society, we expect to
welcome them. We do not accept exclusion from any element of our culture.
We belong within the political, economic, legal, educational, and
scientific arenas. We belong in all elements of our society of every kind
and description. We have helped to make it what it is, and it belongs to
us. We cannot be (and we will not be) extracted from it. We give this
society richness, depth, and a level of experience and understanding that
cannot be had without us. Some may try to shoulder us aside into low-grade,
shabby lives, but this is not enough. We own our freedom; we have power;
and we know what to do with it. Our society belongs to us; we will not be
shut out; we belong!
A persistent rumor exists that blind people are fundamentally
different from sighted people, less capable than sighted people, and
affected by blindness in ways beyond just the inability to see. This
assertion of incapacity is bolstered by some blind people who want to use
the characteristics of blindness that they perceive in themselves to shock,
amuse, or excuse bizarre behavior.
On May 18, 2012, This American Life, a program distributed by Public
Radio International, featured a presentation by Ryan Knighton, a blind
author living in Canada. Knighton declared that the experience of being
blind places a blind person in "a completely different physical reality."
In an extensive segment, lasting more than fourteen minutes, Knighton
described his experiences-among them being in unfamiliar hotel rooms.
Here is some of what was said. Note the use of slightly salacious
language to attempt to make the description humorous:
And so I walk into the room and I find the bed. And then to the left
of the bed, I feel along and I find this nightstand, which is where I
expect the phone to be. And so I feel up the nightstand and there's no
phone. Fine.
So I reach across the bed to the other side and find the other
nightstand. And I feel that one up, and there's no phone. . . .
And so I turn to where I think there might be a table, and poof!
There's a coffee table. So I grope this coffee table for a while and
there's no phone on it. . . .
So I'm left to my last blind guy resort, which is I go back to the
beginning. Back to the bed and I find the wall. And I start Marcel
Marceauing the walls. I'm wiping them up and down.
And I round the fourth corner and I get to the bathroom, and I go past
the bathroom and there's nothing. And I feel behind me again and the
bed is back behind me again. So I've circled this room . . . .
So I circle the room two more times this way, wiping it down. And I
check the coffee table again. I check the desk again. And I just
figure, forget it. I'll just go to bed and try again tomorrow. . . .
[I interrupt Knighton's description to tell you that the report indicates
that the next morning, Knighton is awakened by the sound of a ringing
telephone.]
And the phone [Knighton continues] is on a coffee table. Now I know I
felt that thing up to an illicit degree. I mauled that coffee table,
and there was nothing on that table last night.
And so I answer the phone and it's my wife. And she says, why didn't
you call me last night? And I said, well there was no phone. But there
is now. . . .
And so we talk. And then I hang up the phone, and I go to get back
into bed, and there's now a wall there. . . .
And I'm totally disoriented at this point. Like it's funny, and it's
also sort of terrifying. Because I know the bed was there, and now
there's a wall.
And I keep touching the wall, thinking maybe this time it'll go away.
And I go to the left, and there's another wall now. And I'm a grown
man, and I'm lost in a hotel room. . . .
This is part of the description of the experience of a blind man
carried on This American Life, and I wonder is this an accurate portrayal
of the American life that you experience? Do your beds turn into walls? Do
you keep touching the walls hoping they'll go away?
An occasional disorientation in a strange location is part of life.
Most people (maybe all people) have experienced disorientation. Even Mark
Twain wrote about it-being disoriented in a hotel room-in his book A Tramp
Abroad. However, Knighton's description is nothing short of bizarre, and he
attributes it to his blindness. This American Life put the description on
the air. Knighton, of course, may have whatever opinions suit his
convenience, but for a major media outlet to portray his opinions as
reality when they are based in something quite different is the height of
irresponsibility.
Why is this man's story worth reporting? Why do millions need to know
that a blind man in a hotel room could not find the phone? Why is this
depiction of incapacity worth wasting one minute of anybody's time? Do the
officials who put this program together want to make fun of the blind? Is
making fun of blind people good journalism? Can respect for blind Americans
exist when bigotry is permitted to masquerade as journalism?
However, Knighton and his so-called friends who work for the media are
not the only ones who portray the blind. We have a very personal interest
in publicity about us, and we will tell the story as it truly is. We are a
part of this society, and we expect to be welcomed within it, not made the
butt of somebody else's so-called humor.
Very few blind journalists work for Public Radio International. Maybe
we should demand that we get an equal opportunity to write the stories,
host the programs, and report the reality as we know it to be. Blind people
do face problems, and they should be reported. Have the officials at This
American Life taken note of the books we cannot read because they're
presented in an inaccessible format? Have they noticed the two-class system
that guarantees minimum wage for some yet leaves us out? Have they any idea
that many of the problems faced by the blind are part of a classical
struggle for equal rights and equal opportunity? We deserve respect, but we
also deserve more than that-we deserve equal time. Public Radio
International must stop its practice of excluding us. We must be welcomed
as part of the journalism community. We are not there yet, but we are
coming. We own our freedom; we have power; and we know what to do with it.
Our society belongs to us; we will not be shut out; we belong!
Another argument that occurs frequently about what happens to people
who become blind is that the abilities we possess are enhanced by
blindness. Among these can be found assertions that blind people hear
better, exercise the sense of smell more acutely, and appreciate the world
more effectively by touch than sighted people do. Perhaps we should advance
the argument that blind people are more effective as wine tasters than the
sighted. It is fair to say that some blind people have become quite adept
in this arena.
These arguments can become complex because blind people often do hear
or feel what others miss. However, I suspect that the evidence will show
that the added abilities in hearing or touch are attributable to training
and practice rather than enhanced capacity. However, it may be that
practice offers enhancement in sensitivity.
The capacity to hear or sense objects in the path of a blind person
has been called "facial vision." A blind person can "feel" an object in
space by appreciating its approach through pressure exerted upon the skin
of the face.
Is it possible to hear space? Undoubtedly. A person who steps into a
closet knows by the sound that it is small. The sound of a cathedral is
noticeably and dramatically different. I have observed blind people walking
down the street identifying parking meters and light poles as they pass
them without ever touching these objects. I have done some of this myself.
For me this takes quite a bit of concentration, and it is often unreliable.
A cane in my hand tells me of objects in my path with much more certainty
than the alteration in sound pattern or the change in air pressure.
However, all three methods of identifying objects are effective to some
degree, and other methods for doing so may exist.
It comes as no surprise to me that a recent study conducted at the
University of Southampton and the University of Cyprus concluded that blind
people can sometimes identify the distance to objects through echolocation.
What did come as a surprise to me is that reports about this in the press
carried statements that suggest that the National Federation of the Blind
opposes research in this arena. We do not oppose competent research about
blind people. We do oppose incompetent assertions about alterations in our
being based upon false assumptions. Can I as a totally blind person hear
the difference between a wall and an open door? Much of the time I can.
When I am seeking to find my coffee cup, can I hear where it is on the
table or which direction the handle is pointing? I have never been able to
establish sufficient capacity to hear my cup. I am not saying that no blind
person can manage this feat, but I am saying that it is outside my
experience. I am also saying that additional research competently conducted
in alternative methods of knowing the world in which we live is an
advantage.
Furthermore, much of the foolishness that masquerades as science about
the blind occurs because sighted people without experience imagine what
blindness entails and design research without ever including the personal
experience of blind people. Research about the blind is best performed with
blind people helping to design and conduct it. However, competent research
would necessarily require a certain standard of excellence. Picking only
one blind person (say, for example, a blind guy who makes his living by
telling others about how terrified he was in a hotel room because the bed
had suddenly disappeared) will not do.
In August 2012 the online magazine of the American Society of Cataract
& Refractive Surgery, EyeWorld, published an article entitled
"Ophthalmology's bright future . . . No kidding." [This is the actual title
of the article, including the "no kidding" part. I have not been
editorializing.] The article describes a conference of medical
professionals that focused upon regeneration of sight. To indicate the
importance of the topic under discussion, the author of the article
included a definition of absolute blindness. He said:
Absolute blindness-what J. Lawton Smith once referred to as not being
able to see an atomic flash in a coal mine-is not a disability.
Absolute blindness is life in the eternal darkness of death . . .
This definition gives the flavor of the report in this
ophthalmological journal. However, in addition to comparing blindness to
death, the author provides additional detail about just how debilitating
blindness is. He tells us:
The demands of life, both primitive and modern, necessitate that
vision keeps us informed, safe, productive, reproductive, and alive.
According to this author, writing from a scientific perspective less
than a year ago, we who are blind are not informed, safe, productive, or
even, in any meaningful sense, alive. He even claims to know that something
in our blindness has inhibited our reproductive faculty. I believe there is
adequate medical evidence to disprove the claims here presented. It seems
fair to say that this doctor has permitted prejudice to become a part of
his thought process about blindness. In ophthalmology there are virtually
no blind people. We must find a way to become an element of the medical
profession in which eye diseases are studied and treated. It is not only in
other areas of scientific endeavor where we belong. Those of us who find
the subject of greatest interest must also be welcomed as part of the field
of ophthalmology. Our participation will add to the perspective of the
profession. This, too, is a segment of society where we belong.
One observation from this author is accurate and worthwhile. Blindness
[he tells us] is a topic best entrusted to the National Federation of the
Blind.
A book entitled Recent Advances in Reliability and Quality in Design,
published in 2008, contains Chapter 22, "Quality in Design: User-oriented
Design of Public Toilets for Visually Impaired People." In the book it is
revealed that thoughts about the need for special design in public toilets
for the visually impaired were generated at the 2005 World Toilet Summit
held in Belfast. The World Toilet Summit is an event conducted by the World
Toilet Organization, a nonprofit established in 2001 with its headquarters
in Singapore. It may have been thought that an entire chapter of a book on
design would be adequate to address completely the topic of publicly-
available toilets for the blind. However, we now learn of a project in
design from Hong Kong Polytechnic University entitled "BrailleWise aircraft
toilet." A news organization called PhysOrg, owned by Omicron Technologies
of Great Britain, distributed a description of the project along with the
report that the design for aircraft toilets for the blind has already won
awards in China, Germany, and the United States.
What's wrong with the toilets we have on airplanes now? What design
features will offer improvement? The report from PhysOrg tells us. The
professor who led the design team says:
Using the toilet in public places is not that straight-forward for the
visually impaired. Finding their way around in unfamiliar territory is
a big challenge for them. That's why they would usually avoid using
public toilets by not eating and drinking. But it is not healthy.
The press release associated with the professor's argument tells us:
With good bearings, one can move around freely and independently with
greater confidence without relying on a guide.
A guide in an airplane bathroom, what a concept. The design of
BrailleWise, this new product, consists of tactile markings that offer
raised lines at a waist-high position in the bathroom. The person seeking
information permits the fingers to travel along the raised line to locate
arrows that point to the toilet, the sink, or the flushing mechanism.
Apparently Braille is incorporated in the design to tell what each
indicated item is. I admit that I like Braille a great deal, and I am
pleased to have it incorporated into the design of anything. But I find it
hard to fathom why a professor would believe that locating the toilet in an
airplane bathroom is hard. The toilet takes up most of the space. The
flushing mechanism is installed in different locations from one design to
another. If a standard location for it were selected, it would be simpler
to find, but even this feature has not escaped my notice so far.
Adding Braille signage to a publicly-used space is a valuable
addition. Telling the airlines, the public, engineers in a school of
design, and the World Toilet Organization that blind people cannot manage
to get around in an airplane bathroom is not. Perhaps the designers of new
technology should undertake to solve problems that we actually have, not
the ones they believe we have or think they would have if they were blind.
On March 18, 2013, the Wall Street Journal published an article on the
Internet entitled "When It Comes to Hiring, Blind Workers Face Bias." The
article reported that a study conducted by NIB (formerly National
Industries for the Blind) asked four hundred human resources and hiring
managers about hiring practices and opinions regarding blind employees.
Although the title of the article suggested that bias exists against blind
employees, much of the article restated the opinions of these human
resource and hiring managers. It said in part:
When it comes to hiring blind employees, many employers remain
skeptical.
Bosses often assume blind workers cost more and produce less . . .
They also believe blind workers are more prone to workplace accidents
and less reliable than other workers. . . .
. Among hiring managers, most respondents (54 percent) felt there
were few jobs at their company that blind employees could perform,
and 45 percent said accommodating such workers would require
"considerable expense."
. Forty-two percent of hiring managers believe blind employees need
someone to assist them on the job; 34 percent said blind workers
are more likely to have work-related accidents.
. One-quarter of respondents said blind employees are "more
sensitive" than other employees; the same percentage said they were
"more difficult to supervise."
. Twenty-three percent of hiring managers said blind employees are
not as productive as their colleagues, and 19 percent believe these
employees have a higher absentee rate . . .
Such is part of the language from this Wall Street Journal article,
and although the stated purpose is to demonstrate bias, if the assertions
of these hiring managers are correct (and nowhere in the article is a
systematic refutation of such statements), the article leaves a different
impression. Few jobs can be done by blind employees, says the article.
Accommodations are expensive and very often required, somebody is essential
to assist the blind person to do the work, blind workers are more accident-
prone and more difficult to supervise, and besides they're not as
productive or as reliable as their sighted colleagues, and they have a
higher absentee rate. What sensible hiring manager would want one? The
Journal did urge people to believe that insurance rates are not
automatically increased by hiring blind people and that sometimes blind
workers are more loyal than their counterparts. The article also contains a
statement by NIB's president asserting that very few jobs exist that cannot
be performed by a blind employee.
If an employer with no (or even very limited) experience with blind
employees reads this article, I suspect that the response will not be
outrage at prejudice and false statement but a sympathetic understanding of
the unfortunate hiring managers who are faced with the challenge of dealing
with a class of people who they believe cannot perform the work that the
companies are trying to get done. Is it reasonable to suppose that four
hundred hiring managers are wrong? This impression comes from an article
intended to show unfairness and bias.
The president of NIB said the findings were a "terrible surprise." But
NIB permits the agencies that get contracts through NIB to pay their
workers less than the federal minimum wage. This continues to be done even
though NIB has adopted a policy that urges support for payment of at least
the federal minimum wage. The 70 percent unemployment rate often associated
with blind employees in the United States may not be attributed to only one
factor, but prejudice against blind workers practiced within entities that
serve the blind is certainly one element that contributes to the dramatic
rate of unemployment for blind people.
In the United States we have a legal system that presumes a person is
innocent of crime unless proven guilty. Our civil structure is somewhat
more complex, but it presumes that all who seek retribution before the
courts are treated in the same way and that a court will order money to be
paid or action to be taken if those before the court can prove they deserve
it. In using this system, our laws and judges have not always abided by
these legal principles. The possession of a single characteristic has
sometimes permitted prejudicial classification of individuals. Race
classification is probably the most notorious example, but prejudice based
upon gender, national origin, sexual orientation, and disability have been
sufficiently widespread that they are addressed in the laws of the nation.
It is a violation of the law today to classify a human being for certain
purposes based upon blindness without additional information. The laws that
have existed in many states declaring that no blind person may serve on a
jury may be challenged because the possession of this single characteristic
is insufficient to establish the unsuitability of a person for jury
service.
In the case of employment, the principles of the law for covered
entities declare that an employee may not be denied employment on the basis
of disability (including blindness) if that person appears to possess
characteristics indicating that the person has the bona fide occupational
qualifications to do the work. Even if the person does possess these
qualifications, if the employer can demonstrate that permitting that person
to work would create a safety threat to that person or to others in the
workplace, the employer may deny employment. However, possession of the
qualifications to do the work is sufficient to require the potential
employer to demonstrate by evidence that the danger exists. The assertion
of danger alone is not enough. There must be evidence showing that
something really is dangerous, not just a claim that somebody is worried
that it could be. Well over 90 percent of employment cases brought on
behalf of disabled workers are lost. Consequently, any lawyer who brings an
employment case faces an enormous challenge. The statistics are
sufficiently dismal that very few lawyers bring the cases.
In 2011 the National Federation of the Blind brought a case of
discrimination on behalf of a blind employee, Frank Hohn, who had been
fired by his employer, Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railways, because they
said he was blind, and his blindness created a danger in the workplace.
Scott LaBarre, a blind lawyer from Colorado who is a leader of the National
Federation of the Blind, did the legal work. After a trial that lasted
seven days, the case was lost. In the court of appeals, the case was lost
once again.
The evidence in the case showed that Frank Hohn had been working for
Burlington Northern doing machinist repairs on locomotives for seven years.
He had an excellent safety record on the job. He did his work well and in a
timely manner. However, although the trial court refused to admit this
piece of evidence, Frank Hohn did disagree with a supervisor about safety.
The safety he had in mind was that involving a locomotive upon which he had
worked. He thought it was unsafe to be used in commerce, and he said so. He
was ordered to put the locomotive into service, and when he filed a
complaint about this order, the company discovered that he was blind and
fired him.
No evidence came out at trial that his safety record was poor, that he
had been injured on the job, that anybody else had been injured on the job
because of him, or that his performance had created the likelihood of
injury on the job. However, three doctors who had never observed this
employee doing his work testified that it is unsafe for a blind person to
do it, and the jury believed the doctors. When it came to the court of
appeals, the judge who wrote the opinion said, "A reasonable jury could
find that Hohn's vision impairments precluded him not only from performing
the essential functions safely, but from performing them at all." Blindness
alone can be cited, according to this court, as a valid challenge to
employment-at least employment working to repair locomotives.
It is fair to presume that the judges who heard this case know
relatively little about repairing locomotives, less about blindness, and
nothing at all about how blind people repair locomotives. The same is
undoubtedly true of the jury. The members of the jury know about doctors,
and much of the time they trust them. However, although the doctors know
something about diseases of the eye, they know nothing about blindness and
the talents of blind people. This is not their area of knowledge and
expertise. The conduct of the judge at trial was prejudicial and
reprehensible. The judge should have excluded the testimony of the doctors.
They did not observe Frank Hohn, and they had no basis for testifying about
his work. They are not experts who can offer qualified opinions about
employment of the blind. Their expertise is in some other area. Admission
of their testimony was prejudicial and not in accordance with an accurate
interpretation of the law. The judge should have known this and should have
taken action to prevent the error. The judges in the court of appeals
should also have known this and reversed the decision of the lower court.
The conclusion is inescapable-the decision in the trial court rested not on
evidence but on prejudice.
If this prejudicial standard of practice is followed, all the
employers need to do to win their cases is hire a few of the white coats,
and they know they have a fair chance with the jury. All that counsel for
the plaintiff needs to do is change the prejudicial thinking in the minds
of the judge, the jury, and the witnesses for the defense based upon
thousands of years of misunderstanding. The challenge is an enormous one,
but it must be accepted. Lawyers hate to lose. We in the National
Federation of the Blind hate to lose. Employees who have a livelihood at
stake hate to lose. But we are not prepared to give up without a fight. We
must find a method to bring this prejudice clearly to the public mind and
to the minds of judges who decide the cases we bring. If we determine that
we will never challenge the discrimination, it will continue unabated. If
we let the judges exercise their prejudices without challenge, they will
continue to have them. A case involving a blind employee is, for many
judges, a once-in-a-lifetime experience. If we refuse to increase this
number for the judges, they will never come to have the depth of experience
that gives them adequate background to make decisions without prejudice.
We must get the judicial branch of government to know that we exist,
that we have rights under the law, and that we have talent that demands to
be expressed. The Law School Admissions Council has tried to keep us out of
law school, but we are in the process of defeating this prejudice. Precious
few of us have ever been called to sit on the bench in court, but this must
change. Sometimes we will lose even when we should not, but we cannot let
fear of loss prevent us from joining battle. We must accept the challenge
to defeat the prejudices that lie buried deep in the minds of the judges.
Beyond all of this, some of us must become judges ourselves because this
also is a part of the society where we belong.
Not all cases involving employment and disability are lost. A case in
Iowa was brought against Henry's Turkey Service by the Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission for thirty-two disabled workers. The evidence at
trial showed that the employees were held in a dormitory owned by the
employer, that they were picked up by the employer's vehicle each day and
transported to the workplace, that they were returned to the barracks each
night, that they were prevented from determining to live anywhere except in
the employer's barracks, that at least one of them was handcuffed to his
bed at night, that they were disciplined by being required for no purpose
to carry heavy weights, that they were required to march around a pole
while being kicked and beaten by their supervisor, and that they were paid
an average of 41 cents an hour. The testimony indicated that the abuse and
neglect of these disabled workers and others lasted for four decades.
However, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission can only claim damages
for a period of two years.
On May 1, 2013, a verdict was returned for these employees awarding
them $240 million. At the time the verdict was announced, news reports
indicated that it is the largest verdict on behalf of disabled workers ever
granted. However, the government has reported that it is able to seek
enforcement of this judgment for only $1.6 million, less than 1 percent of
the jury verdict.
The response of members of Congress to this outrageous case has been
to draft a provision incorporated within a proposed reauthorization of the
Rehabilitation Act to specify how rehabilitation agencies must proceed when
they are placing individuals in subminimum wage employment. Some members of
Congress think that adding additional government regulations will protect
workers from the subminimum wage abuse. Senator Tom Harkin (who is himself
from the state of Iowa, and who has knowledge of the facts in this case)
has refused to support a proposal to eliminate subminimum wage
authorization from American law. Senator Harkin favors the approach that we
should take things slowly and that we should add additional governmental
regulation that might be used to protect workers from exploitation.
However, the Department of Labor had known about the abuses in the Iowa
case for fifteen years and had cited Henry's Turkey Service for violations
of fair wage provisions. No fines were imposed; no penalties assessed; no
orders to alter conditions for the workers were presented. The Department
of Labor was apparently unable to change this abuse.
Our response to the plan of members of Congress to add subminimum wage
provisions to the Rehabilitation Act is a very forceful demand that
additional legal authorization for subminimum wages not be permitted and
that the current authorization in law be removed. What we say to the shop
managers, to the Department of Labor, and to the members of Congress is
stop the exploitation, stop the exploitation now, stop the exploitation 100
percent of the time in 100 percent of the jobs! Beyond that, create
penalties for those who persist in seeking to pay subminimum wages. It is
worthy of note that the Constitution of the United States was amended in
1865 to declare that involuntary servitude may not be tolerated in the
United States.
Power is not a limited commodity, or if it is, the limit is a long way
off. Knowledge and liberty combined with energy increase it. One element of
this knowledge is the realization that we possess power, and that we can
get more of it. We belong in our society, and it belongs to us. Part of
this belonging demands that the power within our society, at least in part,
also belongs to us. We must claim our property. We must take control over
what is ours. We must resist those who want us to accept their formulation
that low-grade, shabby lives are good enough for us.
This American Life does not believe in our power and declares that we
are befuddled fools suitable for the amusement of others. But we reject
this warped perspective. The Wall Street Journal, even when it is trying to
help, does not believe we have power. It records statistics that challenge
our capacity to be productive in the workplace. However, our productive
capacity is prodigious, and we can demonstrate it. Burlington Northern
denies that we have power and diminishes its productive workforce through
prejudice even though we have demonstrated capacity in the machine shop.
Then, there are the toilet designers and the ophthalmologists. They, too,
cannot imagine our capacity to exercise power. The ophthalmologists are not
sure that we are even alive.
If the civil rights struggle to bring equality of opportunity to the
blind and otherwise disabled were not as exciting as it is, the summation
of these presentations would be downright disheartening. However, the laws
to protect our interests are better than they have ever been even though
much remains to be accomplished. These laws improve when we exercise power
to make them improve. The number of foolish presentations about us by the
press is smaller than was true in past decades, and we are regularly
challenging those who assert that we are inferior. The educational
opportunities for us are greater today than in former times, and the amount
of information we can obtain is expanding at an astonishing rate. We have
taken a hand in developing the tools that cause this expansion to occur.
Misunderstanding about us and denial of opportunity remain elements of our
lives, but the countervailing currents which bring genuine understanding
and goodwill are also increasingly evident.
The misunderstandings about what we are signal a direction for us to
take, and they create a challenge that we willingly accept. We belong
within our society even though many members of it have not yet recognized
that we belong. We also belong to each other-to our families and to the
members of our Federation. This belonging adds to our strength and
increases our power. Our talent, our power, is within our hands, and our
tomorrows do not belong to the ill-informed. Rather, they belong to us.
Gaining the recognition that must be ours will require all that is best
within us, but we have the strength we need. With the determination
inherent in our power, nothing can stop us. We own our freedom. We will
achieve equality; we will win our independence. Our plans have been
developed; our decisions have been made; our declarations have been
proclaimed. We have the power, and we will make the joy of our future come
true!
----------
Themes in History and the National Federation of the Blind
by Raymond Kurzweil
From the Editor: Ray Kurzweil is more than an inventor, more than a
scientist, more than the inventor of the first reading machine for the
blind. To be sure, he is all of these, but to the National Federation of
the Blind he is family, one of us, and he sees the people who make up our
movement as more than a market. He understands our struggles, understands
and embraces our philosophical underpinnings, and often helps to put them
into a broader context-what is happening in the world, where is our place
in the big changes occurring in it, to what extent do we drive that change,
and how are we likely to benefit from it.
Because he is part of our family, certain benefits and drawbacks come
from his position in it. He isn't the president, so he doesn't give the
banquet speech; he is a good speaker, however, and his ability to
synthesize what the president has said and to add his own insightful
remarks means he often follows the president to the podium. Here is what he
said after the 2013 banquet speech:
Because Dr. Maurer is more than a hard act to follow-really an
impossible act to follow-I've learned to listen carefully to what he has
said for my own sake and also in trying to offer thoughts at this time. Dr.
Maurer talked about equality, and he framed it in the history of our
country. So I'd like to offer some reflections on three great themes that
our country stands for.
The first is summed up by the statement, "All men are created equal."
Now Thomas Jefferson wrote that in the Declaration of Independence almost
two-hundred and fifty years ago. The statement was far from perfect at the
time. We notice in the statement itself the reference to "men," and you
know that sometimes people today use the word "men" to refer to people, but
that was not the case in this document. Women did not have the vote, and
they lacked many other rights. Even more salient, many men and women were
slaves, hardly equal. Thomas Jefferson had some himself. Treatment and
attitude towards the blind and towards people with other disabilities
reflected thousands of years of prejudice and were far worse than they are
today. But the country was devoted to this ideal; it came to symbolize the
nation. Gradually we've moved towards this ideal, and we're still not
there. But we had a great civil war which emancipated the slaves. We had
the suffrage movement, which gave women the vote. We had the feminist
movement, which gave many other rights to women. We had the civil rights
movement, which, as I mentioned earlier today, I had a very small part in
as a high school kid going to the South to participate in marches that have
provided or have attempted to provide, and made great progress in
providing, equal rights to African-Americans and to other ethnic groups. We
see a movement today to provide equal rights to people regardless of sexual
orientation. And there's been a great movement to provide equal rights to
those with disabilities-equal access to opportunity, equal access to
information. Information is opportunity.
As Lao Tzu said, "Information is power." And the National Federation
of the Blind has been in the leadership, not only for those with visual
impairment, but for those with other disabilities. Jim Gashel, for example,
wrote many key provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The fight
for equal rights for those with disabilities has been one of the great
battles for achieving equal rights for all Americans. It's not finished-
none of these movements are finished. But great progress has been made, and
I've been very honored and proud to be part of it for these past forty
years.
The second theme is the great frontier. It started as a geographic
frontier as the nation moved west, but it quickly became a symbol for
pioneering new ideas of all kinds: the light bulb, the airplane, the
Internet. And the National Federation of the Blind has been in the
forefront of this theme as well by fostering liberty; education;
employment; and, as has just been mentioned, technological advancement.
Take for example the idea of cars that don't require a sighted driver.
Google has been experimenting with this of late, but the National
Federation of the Blind thought of it and worked on this and pioneered this
many years earlier.
Finally, the third theme is inclusion. This is a nation of immigrants.
We understand the world's people because they're all here. That's, I think,
the main reason why America is as influential as it is, why our music and
our popular culture influence the world the way they do. The theme is that
everyone has something to contribute, and the NFB certainly embodies that
idea at its very core. It has therefore been a great honor for me to be
involved with and a friend of the National Federation of the Blind for
these past forty years and to have known and to work with you. It has
inspiring leaders, Dr. Jernigan and Dr. Maurer. You are all part of a great
movement, a movement that is at the core of these three great themes of the
American Dream. Thank you very much.
----------
Reinterpreting and Expanding "The Right to Live in the World"
by Adrienne Asch
[PHOTO CAPTION: Adrienne Asch]
From the Editor: Dr. Adrienne Asch is the director of the Center for
Ethics at Yeshiva University and the Edward and Robin Milstein Professor of
Bioethics. These are her titles and the positions she holds, but much more
demands to be said about her. She has been a member of the National
Federation of the Blind since the early 70s, and she has lived our message
and spread it to audiences who can be reached only by someone with her
accomplishments and credentials. We strive for integration and seek to take
our message to places where it is seldom heard and to places where it can
be discussed with those who don't agree with it. Adrienne has tirelessly
done this, and the result is that Federation ideas and beliefs are topics
for discussion throughout the world.
But her role goes far beyond being a spokesman for our cause because
her journey into ethical discussions also gives her a message to bring to
us. This is what she did in her convention presentation on the afternoon of
July 4, 2013. Here is what she said:
It is a tremendous honor, privilege, and responsibility to be here
with you today, following a stirring description of all that the NFB has
worked for over this past year. I know that every year I have been
distressed by the problems our members face and moved by the struggles NFB
takes on every day to change what it means to be blind that I wind up
making my way to the back of the room to the PAC and SUN tables to increase
my pledges. This year will be no exception, and I'll understand if some of
you are doing that now and not necessarily paying undivided attention to
what I'm going to be talking about today.
When our founding president wrote his justly famous article "The
Right to Live in the World," he was talking about the right to move about
in the world, the right to be employed in that world, the right to have an
ordinary place in the common life of the community and nation.
But what I'm talking about today is yet one more arena in which
individuals within our organization and our organization as a whole may
become more involved. As medical science learns about how to extend life
after injury and illness or learns how to detect someone's future amount of
illness or disability, we will confront ever more moments when assumptions
about what blindness means for a person's future, for her or his "quality
of life" will be used to decide whether that person should continue to
"live in the world."
In the past forty years a host of questions have emerged for
individuals, families, medical professionals, and the larger society. Here
are some examples: parents of premature infants must decide whether or not
their infants should enroll in a study to determine the appropriate level
of oxygen the infant should receive to try preventing blindness caused by
retinopathy of prematurity. How should the researchers describe the
consequences of blindness or vision loss to these parents? Or, imagine that
you, sometime later in your life, having been blind for many years, acquire
some other set of disabling conditions as the result of a car accident or a
stroke. Should you continue to receive life-sustaining treatment, or should
blindness, when combined with the new disabilities, justify having family
or doctors provide less treatment or different treatment than would be
provided to a person with sight who sustained the same new illness or
injury?
Suppose a person who has been deaf his whole life learns that he will
become blind within the next few years. He decides to go to Oregon,
Washington, or Montana-where it is legal for physicians to aid a person in
dying-with the request that physicians give him medications that will end
his life so that he doesn't have to live for years as a person who is both
deaf and blind.
To take just two more situations that people already face:
prospective parents, eagerly anticipating the birth of their first child,
learn through genetic testing that the child-to-be is very likely to have
an inherited condition called retinitis pigmentosa. Should the parents
continue the pregnancy, knowing their future child will probably be blind,
or should they decide to end the pregnancy? What information will help them
make a good decision?
As I said, these are questions that have come up over the past
several decades. President Maurer discussed some of them during his 2003
banquet speech. Just this past April Gary Wunder wrote an editorial in the
Braille Monitor suggesting that this might become a new arena for NFB
discussion and action.
It was during the early 1980s that I first discovered these
bioethical questions. I had been investigating discrimination cases for the
New York State Division for Human Rights for ten years. I had been a member
of the NFB for fourteen years when I went to my first bioethics meeting at
the Bar Association of the City of New York. The topic being discussed was
whether parents and doctors should be allowed to withhold life-saving
treatment from a baby born with spina bifida or Down syndrome. The
treatment would lessen, but not cure, the disabilities; without the
treatment the baby would probably die. There were four experts speaking:
two urging that the baby receive treatment over parental objection; two
supporting the right of parents to make what was a life-and-death decision
for their newborn child. During the question-and-answer session, I stood up
and said something very close to these words: "These talks have been very
thoughtful and careful. But none of the speakers here is either a person
with a disability or a person who is the family member of someone with a
disability. The perspective of people with firsthand knowledge of
disability is absent from this conversation. It shouldn't be." I didn't
have firsthand knowledge of Down syndrome or spina bifida, but I did have
firsthand knowledge of one disability, blindness; and I did have years of
political, professional, and NFB experience that insisted that the voices
of those affected by decisions had to be present when such decisions are
made.
Now I have to say that these few sentences, sentences that sound
pretty obvious and commonsensical to us, made a frighteningly big
impression on many of the people in the room. The next thing I knew,
someone came over to me and said: "How do I get in touch with you? I need
to invite you to a conference." One of the speakers urged me to contact the
Hastings Center, the premiere bioethics think-tank in the country at that
time, to join their project on decision-making for "imperiled" newborns. I
did join the project and go to the conference. Soon I was going to more and
more bioethics conferences. At those conferences I was listening to people
who considered themselves "experts" say things like: "If you're paralyzed
and can't run through the woods, it's worse for you and others than if you
can run through the woods." "It is a tragedy to have a disease like
muscular dystrophy."
My question: "Have you ever met or spoken to anyone who has muscular
dystrophy?"
"No, but I know that it has to be terrible."
"You consider yourself a scholar," I said. "You believe in making
arguments with evidence. Where are you getting your evidence about muscular
dystrophy?"
A few years later Dan Brock, a philosopher who writes about
bioethical issues and whose ideas Dr. Maurer discussed in his 2003 banquet
address, wrote the following:
The controversy concerns genetic diseases that result in serious
disabilities but that still leave the persons who have them with valuable
lives well worth living (Brock, 2005, 70-71).... My concern is with the
middle category of genetic diseases and disabilities that most people would
consider serious, but neither devastating nor minor. As examples of serious
disabilities, I shall use blindness and serious mental impairment or
retardation, though recognizing that some would judge blindness to be
sufficiently minor to not warrant reproductive testing (71).... For
example, if a person has been blind from birth, she may never fully
understand the experiences she is missing from not being sighted.
Nevertheless, there will be valuable human activities requiring sight that
will not be possible for her, or that will be more difficult and less
successful without sight, such as visual experiences and the pleasures or
work or recreational activities requiring sight, and the potential loss or
limitation of those activities in her life may be reason enough to attempt
to prevent her disability when that is possible (72).
Now here's an interesting thing about the field of bioethics. The
first philosophers, lawyers, doctors, and clergy who got involved in
bioethics wanted to foster the rights of patients going through the medical
system and dealing with the often patronizing attitudes of doctors. Very
similar to our views in the NFB, bioethicists espouse views like "patient
choice" and "self-determination" and "autonomy." They argue that no medical
procedures should be done without receiving "informed consent" from a
patient. So here's a little story about the collision of NFB philosophy and
bioethics when it comes to informed consent. In 1993 I was attending a
bioethics conference known as Bioethics Summercamp. At this four-day
conference 120 bioethicists got together for discussions of emerging
issues; leisurely meals; drinks by the pool; conversation; hiking; and, in
this instance, whitewater rafting. About eighty of us signed up to go
whitewater rafting. Now I want you to picture this scene: eighty men and
women between the ages of mid-thirties to seventies. Philosophy professors
aren't known for their athletic prowess. Most of us had never done
whitewater rafting; most of us were both curious and a little nervous about
what awaited us. How rough were the rapids? What were the chances of
falling out of the raft? Would the raft topple everyone? Riding over to the
rafting, we all read and signed the informed consent, assuring the rafting
company that we knew rafting had its dangers, that we knew we might sustain
injury in an accident, that we knew water was wet, and rafts might capsize.
I read and signed the same informed consent as all my bioethics colleagues,
and all of us carefully read over and criticized every word in and all the
words out of the informed consent document. We discussed how we, as
experts, would rewrite it. And then we got to the rafts and the
professionals from the company who were going in every raft with the six
aging professors. A doctor--a psychiatrist--took it upon himself to speak
to the person leading our raft to call attention to the fact that I was
blind, a fact that should have been obvious from the presence of my cane.
"You can't paddle the raft," he said to me. "You have to sit in the
middle." I ignored these admonitions as much as I could, doing some
paddling, but all I got for it was the displeasure of my colleagues, who
accused me of going in the raft to prove a point, not because I was
interested in having a new experience.
The next year we had another whitewater rafting session, and a
colleague rushed over to me upon seeing me arrive to say: "Adrienne, you
can't go in the raft! Alta fell in yesterday."
My reply: "Are you telling everyone else not to go in the raft?"
So much for autonomy, self-determination, informed consent, and the
acceptability of taking risks! In all too much of the bioethics
establishment, they know better than we do about how bad our lives are and
how much we don't understand the ordinary hazards of life-whether it's
cooking on a stove, crossing the street, or riding in a raft.
So we have a lot of work to do, and here's some of what I think NFB
members, who are experts in what it means to live as a blind person, can do
to educate the world of bioethics about blindness. There are medical
schools throughout the country, one in nearly every state. NFB members
could reach out to medical schools to offer to speak with medical students,
residents, and doctors-not just in ophthalmology but in any field-about
what it means and doesn't mean to be blind. Every hospital has some kind of
ethics committee, where difficult cases get discussed. These ethics
committees need community members, people who are not medical professionals
but people who bring dedication and commitment to getting the views of the
public into ethical deliberations. People who are blind or who have other
disabilities have often been excluded from these deliberations; they have
not been considered part of "the public." But of course, we are, and our
voice needs to be heard. Similarly, a great array of genetic conditions can
now be detected in embryos and fetuses. When people who are thinking of
becoming parents learn that a potential child might have a genetic
condition that would result in blindness, these people deserve to get
information, not only about the medical facts of retinitis pigmentosa,
Leber's congenital amaurosis, retinoblastoma, or some other condition. They
need to know how children, adults, and their families live their lives on a
daily basis. What are the resources available to children and their
families? Can parents expect that their potentially blind child will have a
life that will include school, friends, love, work, and life as a parent?
For just the same reasons that the Federation works hard with the NOPBC,
the Federation and NOPBC need to work so that genetic counselors and
doctors can give prospective parents of blind children the opportunity to
learn from experts in blindness what might be in store for them and their
children.
Let me conclude by challenging us with some questions that are just
starting to get bioethical discussion. These are questions that could
provide us with plenty of opportunity for reflection and conversation.
Resource allocation in an emergency is a big topic in bioethics these
days. Different states, professional societies, and the federal government
are trying to decide who will get ventilators in a serious flu pandemic
when there are not enough ventilators for everyone. Various allocation
schemes have been discussed: only people above or below a certain age will
get them, knowing that the very young and the very old might die without
them; only people with dependents will get them, so that children will not
lose parents, aging parents will not lose children who are caring for them,
people will not lose their spouses; only people with a certain estimated
quality of life before and after the ventilator use will get them; and
people whose quality of life is considered lower for some reason will not
get them. Again, that might be blind people, because blindness is
considered a deterrent to a life of quality. Conversely, blind people, as
those "worse off" should get ventilators first because they deserve
compensation. Do we want to get priority for ventilators by claiming we've
been "worse off" all the rest of our lives? Is that a price we want to pay
for the privilege of staying alive?
As people who believe it is respectable to be blind, legitimate to be
blind, we may believe that blindness should not disqualify people from the
right to live in the world. But suppose genes could be modified before
birth or visual implants could be given after birth or during a life to
preserve or restore sight? Is blindness a characteristic that is incidental
or central to anyone's self-definition? How should we help parents
contemplating sight-restoration techniques for their children or people
contemplating sight-restoration for themselves?
I don't know how we as individuals or we as an organization will
choose to answer these questions. I do know that, just as we've worked to
change laws and practices in education, rehabilitation, technology,
employment, and child custody, we must take our place in the bioethics
debates now and in the future. Although some of these questions may
challenge us deeply to think about what it means to be blind, we are up to
that task. Reread Dr. tenBroek's historic article with these questions in
mind. Go back to Dr. Maurer's 2003 banquet speech; reread Gary Wunder's
editorial in the April, 2013 Braille Monitor. They can guide us as we go
into this new intellectual and practical territory. And, as someone who's
been doing this work for about thirty years, often feeling as though I'm
alone on the barricades, I'd like your company. Thank you.
Reference
Brock, D. W. (2003). "Preventing Genetically Transmitted Disability
While Respecting Persons with Disability." in Quality of Life and Human
Difference, edited by David Wasserman, Jerome Bickenbach, and Robert
Wachbroit. (New York: Cambridge University Press), 67-100.
----------
Literacy for the Blind without Borders
Ending the Book Famine
by Fredric K. Schroeder
From the Editor: Dr. Fred Schroeder is first vice president of the
National Federation of the Blind and the first vice president of the World
Blind Union. Following is the speech he delivered on July 6, at the NFB
convention. This is what he said:
I am pleased and proud to tell you that we have an international book
treaty for the blind. On Thursday, June 27, 2013, a diplomatic conference
of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) adopted a treaty
entitled the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for
Persons Who are Blind, Visually Impaired, or Otherwise Print Disabled.
The treaty contains two major provisions. First it calls on nations to
amend their copyright laws to make it easier to produce more books for the
blind. As you know, for many years United States law has allowed books to
be produced in Braille and other accessible formats without first having to
obtain the permission of the copyright holder. This authority, known as the
Chafee Amendment, has been the law for the past seventeen years, and it has
worked well--very well--and the United States is not the only nation that
has a copyright exception for the blind.
Today fifty-seven nations around the world have copyright laws similar
to our Chafee Amendment. The book treaty for the blind will expand this
authority. As each WIPO member nation ratifies the book treaty for the
blind, it agrees to change its national copyright law to permit books to be
produced in accessible formats without having to seek the prior permission
of the copyright holder. This will greatly increase the production of
accessible works around the world. But producing more books is only the
first step in ending what many have called the book famine. The second
major provision contained in the treaty is the authority for nations to
share accessible books across national borders.
Before the book treaty for the blind, countries could not share books
with blind people living in other countries. That meant that, if a popular
book were published such as a new Harry Potter book, the United States had
to record it for the use of its blind citizens and only its citizens, and
every other English-speaking country that wanted the book had to record it
over again-the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and so on.
You may be surprised to learn that no fewer than sixty nations around the
world have English as their official language-sixty countries, all
recording Harry Potter books over and over again. And that is just Harry
Potter. Think of 50 Shades of Gray. Now, that's a lot of embarrassed
narrators. Not only did books have to be recorded over and over again in
every English-speaking country, they also had to be produced in Braille,
large print, and any other accessible format. What a waste. But all that
will now change as a result of the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to
Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired, or Otherwise
Print Disabled.
This has been a long process. For many years the National Federation
of the Blind, together with the World Blind Union (WBU) and its member
organizations, has been working with WIPO on the book treaty for the blind.
There have been many heroes along the way, not the least of whom is our own
Scott LaBarre. Scott's command of the highly technical provisions of the
treaty together with his ability to articulate our position clearly and
convincingly was critical throughout the treaty negotiations. In addition
there are a number of individuals from the international community who
stand out as deserving of public recognition and thanks.
First is Chris Friend from the United Kingdom. Chris, who chaired the WBU's
Right-to-Read Campaign until his recent retirement, was an early leader in
the treaty effort. Other important leaders included Dan Pescod, also from
the United Kingdom, who is the vice chair of the Right-to-Read Campaign;
Francisco Martmnez Calvo from the National Organization of the Spanish
Blind (ONCE); and Pablo Lecuona from Argentina. And then there is Maryanne
Diamond of Australia. During the time Maryanne served as the president of
the WBU, she made the book treaty for the blind an international priority
and mobilized the blind of the world behind the effort. These individuals
together with many others worked hard, and as a result of their efforts we
now have an international treaty that does not just allow but encourages
the production and cross-border sharing of accessible books.
It was always our intent that the book treaty for the blind respect
the right holder's intellectual property. Our goal was neither to
strengthen nor to weaken international copyright law. Nevertheless many
right holders, including some patent right holders who produce no books at
all, believed the treaty posed a threat to international intellectual
property law. As a result they sought to include a number of provisions
that would strengthen the protections of right holders. The problem was
that these provisions would have made the book treaty for the blind so
cumbersome and bureaucratic that it would have been entirely unworkable.
Fortunately the right holders did not prevail, and we have a book treaty
for the blind that achieves all that we could have hoped for.
After the diplomatic conference adopted the book treaty for the blind,
each of WIPO's 186 member nations was invited to sign the treaty as an
expression of the country's intent to seek its formal ratification. Thus
far the support of the world community has been overwhelming. On the last
day of the diplomatic conference, 51 WIPO member states (countries) signed
the book treaty for the blind.
But why do blind people and others with print disabilities need a
special treaty at all? Is it simply to cheer our otherwise desolate lives?
Is it to give us a few more novels and magazines to help pass our lonely
days? Or is there a more serious purpose? Of course there is. According to
the World Health Organization, there are 285 million blind and low-vision
people in the world, and of these 90 percent live in developing countries
(World Health Organization Media Centre. (June 2012) Visual impairment and
blindness. Fact Sheet No. 282. Retrieved from
<http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs282/en/>).
The most optimistic estimates project that today blind people have
access to no more than 5 percent of books and other published works, and
that is in the industrialized world. For the 90 percent of blind people
living in developing nations, access to the written word is less than 1
percent. (World Blind Union, Right to Read Committee. (2011). Right-to-Read
Campaign - fall 2011 update: Will the EU and USA join the rest of the world
and finally agree [to] a binding book treaty for blind people this
November? Retrieved from
<http://www.worldblindunion.org/English/resources/Pages/General-
Documents.aspx>)
You can imagine the impact this has on education. We do not know the
number of blind children in the world who have access to a good education--
particularly the 90 percent living in developing nations. The United
Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) does
not report data disaggregated by disability type; nevertheless UNESCO
reports that in developing countries 98 percent of children with
disabilities do not attend school-98 percent! And, according to UNESCO, in
developing nations 99 percent of girls with disabilities are illiterate
(Global Partnership on Children with Disabilities Education Task Force.
(2012). Background Note for the Global Partnership on Children with
Disabilities Task Force on the Global Partnership for Education (GPE).
Retrieved from
<http://www.unicef.org/disabilities/files/Education_Background_Note_for_GPcw
d_12.08.27.pdf>.
What a waste of human potential. Access to literacy is not something
that blind people should have to request-not a gift doled out according to
the benevolence of others. It is a civil and human right, and it must be
treated as a right.
It is time to demand that we be taken seriously. As long as society
believes that blind children cannot learn, accessible books remain an act
of charity. As long as society believes that blind adults cannot work,
nothing beyond kindness justifies the production of books in Braille and
other special formats. As long as society believes that blind seniors are
doomed to live out their lives in institutions or in the care of their
families, accessible books are nothing more than a palliative to ease their
suffering.
But blind children can learn, and blind adults can work, and blind
seniors can continue to live full, active, productive lives. But, to do so,
we must have the same opportunities as others, and that means we must have
access to the written word-not just to a few of the books available to
others but full and equal access.
The Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for
Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired, or Otherwise Print Disabled is a
monumental step toward full and equal opportunity, but it is only a step.
Now we must work on its implementation. We must put our full and concerted
effort into urging the president and the United States Senate to ratify the
treaty and to do so without delay. Blind children cannot wait; blind adults
cannot wait; blind seniors cannot wait; justice cannot wait. We, the
National Federation of the Blind, we the collective voice of the nation's
blind, we who believe in blind people, will wait no longer. The treaty must
be ratified.
As we have done throughout our seventy-three-year history, we will
continue to press for equality-for full and equal access until the day
comes when all blind people are able to live as others, able to learn and
work as others, able to live as fully integrated, productive, active
members of society. That is what we have always done, and that is what we
will continue to do. It is who and what we are; we are the National
Federation of the Blind.
----------
Literacy without Borders
The Road to Marrakesh
by Scott C. LaBarre
From the Editor: Scott LaBarre is president of the NFB of Colorado
and the National Association of Blind Lawyers. He practices disability law
in Denver, and for four years now he has been working with others around
the world to make it possible for blind people to reach across national
borders to read accessible books. One of the most exciting presentations at
this year's convention was heard on July 6 when Scott reported on events
that occurred just before the convention in Marrakesh, Morocco. This is
what he said:
When I lost my vision due to a childhood virus at age ten, my life
radically changed. I had always loved to read. When I first lost my sight,
I thought that all the books had been cruelly yanked from my hands. Slowly
I realized that, by using Braille and audio books, I could restore some
access, but it was incredibly limited and slow.
What I did not know at the time was that, even though we live in one
of the richest nations on earth, less than five percent of published works
are available to us in accessible formats. And, as you have heard, that
figure drops to less than one percent in the developing nations of our
world. That is why the adoption of the Marrakesh Treaty is such an historic
landmark victory in our right-to-read campaign. It will not only change the
lives of those blind people living in developing nations but will also help
us right here in America. Soon, not only will we have access to what all
the other English-speaking countries are producing in accessible formats
throughout the world, but we will also be able to put our hands on hundreds
of thousands of books and more publications in foreign languages. This
capacity would have been very helpful to me while I was attending St.
John's University in Minnesota. Originally I had planned on a double major
in government and Spanish. Ultimately I dropped that Spanish major
precisely because I could not get access to Spanish novels and other
materials.
The road to Marrakesh has been long and at times arduous. I suppose
that the first reason for this difficult journey is that any process
involving the United Nations brings with it frustrating procedures and
related eccentricities. For example, matters are rarely decided on up-or-
down votes but rather through consensus. I recall one meeting in Geneva
where it took almost two whole business days to adopt the agenda for the
meeting just because a handful of nations was resisting the order of items.
I also fondly remember that the United States introduced a proposal
entitled a "Non-paper," which was handed out in hard copy and contained
eleven pages of print. I felt it. It had weight and substance, and yet it
was a non-paper.
The road has also been tough because this treaty represents the first
time ever that an international instrument exclusively addressed exceptions
and limitations to copyright law. Previously any international agreement
granted exceptions and limitations only as part of a much broader scheme to
protect the intellectual property rights of creators and other rights
holders. As a result, you can imagine that rights holders of all kinds and
sizes expressed great concern and fear about adopting a binding
international instrument that did not set out to enlarge their rights but
arguably to contract them. These rights holders were not so much afraid of
market erosion from the blind, because we represent such a tiny percentage
of the world's population; rather they feared that this was the proverbial
camel's nose getting under the tent. Well, my friends, on the desert plains
of Marrakesh, we were able to accommodate that camel's nose, and it did not
tip over the tent.
Originally the world's largest corporations and associations either
expressly opposed the treaty or offered alternative language that would
have made the treaty unusable and ineffective. These entities included, but
were not limited to, Exxon Mobile, GE, Caterpillar, Adobe, IBM, Association
of American Publishers, International Publishers Association, the Motion
Picture Association of America, and many, many others. Additionally, very
influential blocs of nations like the European Union and the United States
were essentially blocking our efforts. How in the world could a group of
blind people fight such large corporations and strong nations? You know
how. It was the hope and belief we had in ourselves, our unshakable faith
in the capacity of the blind. No amount of money and power could hold us
down. By the end either we had to find a way to get these corporations,
nations, and associations to work with us, or we had to render them silent.
We did so because of the power we possess, the power of collective action,
the power of the National Federation of the Blind.
Although efforts have been made on and off for nearly thirty years to
help end the book famine for the blind, this treaty campaign began in
earnest during 2008 when the Federation met with the World Blind Union and
Knowledge Ecology International in Washington, DC. You will be pleased to
know that our very own James Gashel helped write the first draft of the
proposed treaty text. When Dr. Maurer first asked me to work on this matter
in 2009, I appeared at a hearing before the Register of Copyright at the
Library of Congress where the US government wanted to collect the opinions
of US blindness organizations about this treaty proposal. At first the
United States government and the European Union attempted to convince us
that we really didn't want or need a binding international treaty. We
should first pursue a "soft law," joint recommendation, and then, some day
way off in the future, seek a binding international accord. They tried to
tell us that our problems would be solved more quickly that way and that
treaties were difficult if not impossible to achieve. I don't believe that
these governments meant to insult us, but, when you think about it, their
message was incredibly insulting and demeaning. Their message was that the
blind can wait. Our problems are second-class problems and deserve second-
class treatment.
Are we willing to wait? Will we be denied first-class citizenship? The
NFB adopted a resolution in 2010 calling upon the US government to work
hard towards the adoption of binding international norms, in other words, a
treaty. Our work and our perseverance ultimately led to the United States
changing its position and supporting the convening of a diplomatic
conference to conclude a treaty. This did not happen out of thin air. It
happened because of the National Federation of the Blind and our
unwillingness, our refusal to be treated as second-class citizens!
As Dr. tenBroek, Dr. Jernigan, and Dr. Maurer have taught us, freedom
for the blind is not granted out of charity and bestowed upon us. We must
demand it and then earn it. We must lead the effort to emerge from the
chains of second-class status to the unlimited liberty of first-class
citizenship. If adoption of this treaty was to become a reality, it was
incumbent upon us to lead the way, and lead the way we did.
Leadership requires creativity and the ability to think out of the
box. As we headed towards Marrakesh, rights holders were doing their best
to protect their own turf. Highly paid lawyers and lobbyists were
bombarding the Obama Administration with letters and phone calls urging
either outright US opposition to the treaty or the introduction of language
into the text that would greatly limit its effectiveness. We knew we had to
find ways to push back. That is why we called upon all of you to sign
petitions and contact various legislators. That is why we ran messages on
our giant 12 by 40 NFB electronic billboard calling upon Exxon and GE to
stop blocking books for the blind, a billboard seen by tens of thousands of
drivers each day as they headed down I-95. That is why we joined with
Bookshare and worked with Stevie Wonder and his management team to get
Stevie involved in these talks. Stevie is recognized as an ambassador of
peace by the United Nations and originally appeared before the World
Intellectual Property Organization's (WIPO) General Assembly in 2010 to
call for adoption of this treaty. That is why we asked many of you to
record videos explaining your personal stories about why we desperately
needed access to more books. That is why we issued a joint statement with
the Motion Picture Association of America calling upon international
negotiators to get back to basics and get a meaningful treaty adopted.
As we started our travels to Marrakesh, thirty-seven distinct issues
remained unresolved, without consensus, in the treaty text. To give you
some perspective, at a diplomatic conference in Beijing, China, last year
to conclude work on a treaty for audio visual performers, there was only
one unresolved matter as the negotiators started that conference. As the
Marrakesh Conference began, new, unresolved issues emerged, and it appeared
that we were headed backward and that the conference would fail. At one
plenary session of the Conference, Mustafa Kalfi, Minister of
Communications for the Kingdom of Morocco, who had been elected as
president of the diplomatic conference, delivered an impassioned speech
urging the negotiators to get busy making decisions and to stop dreaming up
new issues and controversies. He threatened to close all the airports and
means of transportation out of Morocco until a strong treaty emerged.
Stevie Wonder chimed in with a video message that he would come and perform
for the delegates only if a strong, meaningful treaty were adopted. Of
course the WBU and Federation added our voices to this chorus and urged the
negotiators not to let the blind of the world down.
Late in the evening of Tuesday, June 25, we heard the words that we
had all been hoping and waiting to hear. One of the negotiators from Brazil
stepped out of a closed room where a small group of key negotiators had
been deliberating and said, "You have a treaty." The hallway erupted in
cheers, and joy surged in our hearts. Believe it or not, my Federation
friends, even I was left speechless. Words could not express the scope of
what we had accomplished. The Marrakesh treaty represents the first time
that a binding international accord exclusively addresses the issues faced
by the blind. We changed the world! Although my body was there in
Marrakesh, Morocco, my heart was home, home here with my Federation family.
Credit for this historic accomplishment belongs to many: with the WBU
and its member organizations who advocated zealously with great effect;
with the US government delegation who worked with us effectively and
tirelessly; and with many rights holders like the Motion Picture
Association of America and the Association of American Publishers, who
stepped up ultimately and did the right thing. But let there be no mistake.
The Federation exercised leadership at critical moments, and we changed the
world. This could not have happened without all of you. Without your love
and support, your collective action through a willingness to sign
petitions, make calls, and do whatever it took, Fred Schroeder and I could
not have achieved success in Marrakesh. We are only two individuals, and we
do not possess nearly enough power or persuasion to change the world as we
have for the blind. As Dr. Jernigan said, "We change what it means to be
blind through individual actions collectively focused." Similarly, Helen
Keller said that "The world is not moved only by the mighty shoves of the
heroes, but also by the aggregate of the tiny pushes of each honest
worker." It is only fitting that the delegates to WIPO officially adopted
this treaty on June 27, Helen Keller's birthday.
On Monday, June 24, the WBU held a press conference in front of the
Palais des Congres, where the conference took place, and our very own Fred
Schroeder spoke eloquently about the urgent need to end the book famine and
to end it now. In front of Fred and the other speakers stood a pile of 200
books, 198 of which were wrapped in chains and secured with a padlock, the
two unchained books representing, of course, the one percent of published
works to which we actually have access.
The adoption of the Marrakesh Treaty represents the unlocking of the
padlock. However, the chains are still there. Our freedom is still
imprisoned. We must celebrate this great victory, but we must not rest. The
book famine still exists, and our hearts and minds are starved for the
information we need. Information is power, and we must never stop acquiring
more of it. We cannot rest until every child, like Raveena Alli from
Atlanta, who spoke so powerfully this morning about the importance of
literacy, has access to all the books and information available. We must
now redouble our efforts and get President Obama to sign the treaty and our
United States Senate to ratify it. This will not be easy, but difficulty
has never deterred us. We know how to cast off the chains and assume our
rightful place in society. No power on Earth will bind us and keep us down.
We will be free, my brothers and sisters, we will be free!
----------
Perseverance, Progress, and Possibilities: The 2013 Convention Resolutions
by Sharon Maneki
From the Editor: Sharon Maneki is the longtime chair of the
Resolutions Committee, and her annual performance leaves no doubt why.
Here, introducing and explaining the twenty-four resolutions presented to
the 2013 Convention of the National Federation of the Blind, is Sharon's
article.
Since our national convention was held in Orlando, Florida, a place
that revolves around Walt Disney Enterprises, a comparison of Walt Disney's
philosophy and NFB philosophy as represented by its resolutions is in
order. Some lessons from Disney movies are: don't be afraid to take a
stand; dream big and have goals; work hard and always persevere no matter
the challenge. In the 1994 film, The Lion King, a young lion named Simba is
blamed for his father's death and leaves his homeland. Simba eventually
agrees to fight for his kingdom, taking a stand for what he believes. Simba
battles Scar, his evil uncle, and learns his father's death was Scar's
fault, not his own. Simba prevails and takes his father's place as rightful
king of his homeland. The 2009 movie, The Princess and the Frog, is also a
good illustration of these lessons. A young girl named Tiana loves to cook
and dreams of owning and operating her own restaurant. Although there are
many twists and turns in the plot, Tiana fulfills her dreams through hard
work and perseverance.
Resolutions of the National Federation of the Blind represent our
dreams and goals for blind people and our willingness to take a stand.
Resolutions also demonstrate our perseverance and hard work. Let us examine
the twenty-three resolutions passed by the Convention to see how they
illustrate our dreams and the possibilities for blind people and our
perseverance and progress in reaching our goals.
Unlike Disney movies, there is nothing magical about the creation and
passage of NFB resolutions. Resolutions are created by careful thought
about how to solve problems or expand opportunities. Debate is one of the
highlights of the resolutions process. During the Resolutions Committee
meeting on July 2, debate was lively and intense. Marsha Dyer, committee
secretary, and I were kept on our toes, reading and rereading parts of
resolutions so that the committee could determine precisely what the
resolution stated or should state. As committee chairman I welcome
committee discussion because it is most important to make sure that policy
statements of the Federation are clear. Debate continued on the afternoon
of July 5, as the Convention considered each resolution. The voice votes
were so close that we needed to have two roll call votes to determine the
outcome. In one of these roll call votes the Convention defeated Resolution
2013-03. The Transportation Security Administration operates a Pre( program
that allows qualified pre-screened airline travelers, who are considered to
be a low security risk, to move through security check points more easily.
In this resolution we urge the Transportation Security Administration to
expand its criteria to permit qualified deaf-blind travelers to be accepted
into this program. While the Convention was sympathetic to the added
communication barriers that deaf-blind people face, the majority felt that
deaf-blind people should use existing channels to gain acceptance into the
program. Janice Toothman, secretary of the Deaf-Blind Division, sponsored
this resolution.
Disney artists pride themselves on their animation skills and their
ability to create just the right image. In the National Federation of the
Blind, we strive to create a positive image that emphasizes the
capabilities of blind people. With so many forms of communication and
social media, this is a daunting task. Resolution 2013-22, regarding the
portrayal of blindness, illustrates this point. The website eHow.com claims
to bring together professionals to offer "expert" advice. However, as
explained in the resolution, eHow.com demonstrates "its archaic and
negative attitudes about blindness by featuring articles with titles such
as `How to Feed a Visually Impaired Person' and `How to Set a Table for
Blind People.'" Doris Willoughby was the primary sponsor of this
resolution. In 1990 Doris received the Distinguished Educator of Blind
Children Award. She is a renowned author of such classics as the Handbook
for Itinerant and Resource Teachers of Blind and Visually Impaired
Students.
Of the twenty-three resolutions passed by the Convention, Resolution
2013-23 is the best example of dreaming of possibilities for blind people.
The NFB negotiators for the Marrakesh Treaty, Fred Schroeder, who also
serves as first vice president of the NFB and president of the NFB of
Virginia, and Scott LaBarre, who serves as president of the National
Association of Blind Lawyers and as president of the Colorado affiliate,
proposed this resolution. The resolution reads in part: "We salute the
international community of nations, the World Blind Union, and intellectual
property rights holders for coming together and securing an international
treaty that will dramatically open the flow of information to the world's
blind."
The National Federation of the Blind began working on this issue with
the World Blind Union in 2008. We passed two earlier resolutions, one in
2010 and the other in 2011. This demonstrates our perseverance and hard
work. Our dream of the possibility that the worldwide book famine faced by
blind people could be reduced through the cross-border exchange of
accessible texts is now a reality.
Since its inception the National Federation of the Blind has been
making the dream of independence a reality for blind people. We persist in
our dreams and find new expressions of them each year. Among the
resolutions passed this year, Resolution 2013-13 is the best example of our
quest for independence. Service Support Providers enable deaf-blind people
to participate in all aspects of community life by facilitating
communication and by providing environmental and situational information.
Only half of the states have some type of Service Support Provider program.
In this resolution we strongly urge the US Department of Health and Human
Services and the US Congress to immediately take all necessary steps to
establish a national Service Support Provider program so that deaf-blind
people can maintain independence. Janice Toothman, a member of the board of
directors of the Sligo Creek chapter of the Maryland affiliate, proposed
this resolution on behalf of the Deaf-Blind Division.
Taking a stand is nothing new in Disney movies and certainly is
nothing new for the NFB. A new problem that came to our attention this year
was addressed in Resolution 2013-01, proposed by Dwight Sayer, president of
the National Association of Blind Veterans and first vice president of the
Florida affiliate. Veterans who have a 100 percent service-connected
disability are not allowed to participate in the Space Available program
because they did not have enough time in the military to reach retiree
status. Congressman Bilirakis of Florida introduced H.R. 164, and Senator
Tester of Montana introduced S. 346 to correct this exclusionary policy.
The language of H.R. 164 was included in the fiscal year 2014 National
Defense Authorization Act. In Resolution 2013-01 we call upon both houses
of Congress to work diligently in conference committee in order to pass the
Fiscal Year 2014 National Defense Authorization Act with the language from
Congressman Bilirakis and Senator Tester's bills.
Newcomers to the Federation may be surprised at some of our
resolutions. Who would expect that the NFB must protect the rights of blind
parents to raise their own children? Who would expect that agencies that
exist to serve blind and other people with disabilities must be called to
task because of their detrimental actions? Several of our resolutions
describe these insidious types of discrimination.
Mark Riccobono, executive director of the Jernigan Institute, and
Melissa Riccobono, president of the Maryland affiliate, sponsored
Resolution 2013-09. Their sponsorship was most appropriate given that they
have three children. Despite many years of education and advocacy and the
passage of state laws that make it illegal for courts to consider
disability in custody and adoption cases, children are still being unjustly
removed from their parents' custody, and potential parents are being
refused the right to adopt children solely because they are blind. In this
resolution we "call upon members of the United States Congress and federal
agencies to work closely with the National Federation of the Blind to take
immediate and appropriate action to secure through legislation and
regulation the right of blind Americans to be parents."
Actions at Guide Dogs for the Blind caused the Convention to pass
Resolution 2013-24. In it we "call upon the corporate board of Guide Dogs
for the Blind to require that a minimum of 51 percent of its directors be
consumers and immediately establish stronger linkage between Guide Dogs for
the Blind consumers and the corporate board." Michael Hingson, first vice
president of the National Association of Guide Dog Users and a longtime
leader in the Federation, proposed this resolution.
One of the most egregious practices by some agencies who serve people
with disabilities is continuing to pay disabled workers subminimum wages.
In Resolution 2013-02 we "condemn and deplore the actions of all employers
that take advantage of the unfair, discriminatory, immoral provision found
in Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act." Michelle McManus,
president of the Happy Valley chapter of the NFB of Pennsylvania,
introduced this resolution. Michelle also worked to make sure that her
Congressman cosponsored H.R. 831, the Fair Wages for Workers with
Disabilities Act of 2013.
Although we have a long way to go to achieve victory in eliminating
payment of subminimum wages to workers with disabilities, we are making
progress. Anil Lewis, director of advocacy and policy for the National
Federation of the Blind, sponsored Resolution 2013-15. In this resolution
we commend the Washington State Labor Council AFL-CIO for adopting a strong
resolution supporting the Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act.
Given our commitment to access to employment, access to education,
and access to information, it is no surprise that these subjects frequently
appear in NFB resolutions. Resolution 2013-20 will help to expand
entrepreneurial opportunities for people with disabilities. Kevan Worley,
executive director of the National Association of Blind Merchants, was the
main sponsor of this resolution. In it we urge Congress to pass legislation
that creates an entrepreneurial component to the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act.
The Convention passed six resolutions concerning access to education.
Two of these deal specifically with Braille instruction, while the
remaining resolutions deal with access to educational technologies.
Resolutions 2013-05 and 2013-18 cover Braille instruction. Sandy
Halverson, president of the National Association to Promote the Use of
Braille and a leader in the NFB of Virginia, introduced 2013-05, regarding
literary Braille certification for professionals working with the blind.
"We urge the US Department of Education, all state departments of
education, all school districts, and all public and private agencies that
work with the blind to adopt the National Certification in Literary Braille
test as the gold standard for all those who are hired to teach Braille
reading and writing, in order to provide equality, consistency, and
protection to all consumers, assuring that they are receiving training by
instructors who have demonstrated a consistent standard of Braille
competency."
Richie Flores, an educator who directs Youth Services for the NFB of
Texas and was a national scholarship winner in 2004, sponsored Resolution
2013-18. On June 19, 2013, the US Department of Education sent a letter to
state education agencies to reinforce the importance of the Braille
provisions in IDEA, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. In
this resolution we not only commend the US Department of Education for its
action to combat the Braille literacy crisis, but also call on the
Department to take further steps to provide training and technical
assistance to educational entities to ensure quality Braille instruction
for all blind and visually impaired students.
The use of graphics is becoming more and more important at all levels
of education. Dr. Al Maneki, a longtime leader in the NFB of Maryland and
treasurer of the Science and Engineering Division, proposed Resolution 2013-
08. Now that more tools are available to create tactile graphics, students
at all levels of education should be instructed in their use. This
resolution encourages the development of tactile fluency skills, not only
for students in educational institutions, but also for students in
rehabilitation training centers.
The Convention passed three resolutions concerning education
technology. In Resolution 2013-06 we urge Congress to enact legislation
that will "put a stop to the separate approach to education that is
continually and unnecessarily perpetuated by inaccessible educational
technology." Jordan Richardson, president of the Minnesota Association of
Blind Students, introduced this resolution.
In the remaining two resolutions we commend the good work of some
higher education institutions and chastise others for their recalcitrance.
Dr. Cary Supalo, who has been an NFB leader in every state where he has
lived and who won two national scholarships, one in 1994 and the other in
2001, was the sponsor of Resolution 2013-11, which praises the University
of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. This university "delivers classroom
content through eText, an accessible and interactive platform of its own
making that provides textbooks and other materials to all students in the
same manner and at the same time."
Kyle Shachmut, president of the NFB of Massachusetts and winner of
national scholarships in 2009 and 2011, introduced Resolution 2013-04. The
resolution states in part that all schools must "commit from the top levels
of administration to procure, offer, and deploy only accessible educational
technology and digital information...."
In February 2013 the National Parent Teacher Association announced
that it had selected Amazon as the exclusive sponsor of its Family Reading
Experience program. Mary Fernandez, who won a national scholarship in 2010
and has been an NFB leader in New Jersey, Georgia, and now Maryland,
sponsored Resolution 2013-17. In this resolution we "condemn and deplore
the actions of the National PTA for knowingly encouraging the use of a
product that is inaccessible to blind students, ignoring the National
Federation of the Blind's admonition that its program is discriminatory,
and disregarding the right of blind students to equal access in the
classroom."
The Convention passed seven resolutions concerning access to
information. The refrain "When will they ever learn?" in the 1960s anti-war
folk song "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" expresses the sentiment in
many of these resolutions. From its first release in 2006, the Sony Reader
system has been inaccessible to the blind. In Resolution 2013-19 we "demand
that Sony move urgently and decisively to provide access to its e-readers
and e-books." Ben Dallin, president of the Nevada Association of Blind
Students, sponsored this resolution.
The Convention passed two resolutions about Microsoft. Curtis Chong,
president of the NFB in Computer Science, proposed Resolution 2013-07. As
each new version of Microsoft Office has been released, the number of
keystrokes needed to perform some tasks has increased. We express our
frustration and disappointment over this trend. The resolution states that
"we call upon the Microsoft Corporation to move quickly to develop
initiatives, approaches, and strategies that will enable keyboard-only
users to use its software with the same productivity and efficiency as
traditional mouse users."
The second Microsoft resolution was proposed by Bryce Samuelson,
president of the Rochester chapter of the NFB of Minnesota. In Resolution
2013-21 we urge Microsoft "to make accessibility a priority in all aspects
of its Windows 8 operating system and all future operating systems."
In Resolution 2013-12 we "urge Apple to expand accessibility fully to
its productivity suite, iWork, and specifically to Pages, Numbers, and
Keynote, so that blind students and professionals everywhere can make full
use of all aspects of the Apple line of products." iWork is used on Mac
computers. Everette Bacon, president of the Utah affiliate, sponsored this
resolution.
Resolutions about eBooks and eReaders have become expected subjects
at NFB conventions. The first resolution about Amazon was passed in 2009.
This year, as usual, we have resolutions about Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and
Google. Although the resolutions urge these companies to improve
accessibility, they also recognize some progress. This is testimony to the
effectiveness of our persistence. Nikki Jackson, a member of the board of
directors of the NFB of Georgia, introduced Resolution 2013-10. In it we
commend Amazon for the improvements that it has made to its Kindle app for
iOS. We also urge Amazon to broaden the ways in which blind consumers can
access Kindle books.
In Resolution 2013-14, we commend Barnes & Noble for beginning to
provide some access to its Nook iOS app and demand that it finish the job
by providing full access. We also urge Barnes & Noble to provide access to
all of its products. Gabe Cazares, president of the Texas Association of
Blind Students, sponsored this resolution.
Dee Jones, president of the Vermont affiliate, introduced Resolution
2013-16. In this resolution we commend Google for making some accessibility
improvements. The resolution also resolves that: "this organization affirm
its demand that Google make a serious, identifiable commitment to
accessibility that includes deadlines for accessibility in all of its
services and a commitment to avoid the future release of inaccessible
services to its blind users."
This article is merely an introductory discussion of the resolutions
considered by the Convention. By longstanding tradition the complete text
of each resolution that was passed is reprinted below. These resolutions
outline the possibilities that we seek and are the catalyst to make our
dreams a reality. Readers should study the text of each resolution to
understand fully our policy on these subjects.
----------
National Federation of the Blind Resolutions for 2013
Resolution 2013-01
Regarding Space Available Travel for 100 Percent Service-Disabled Veterans
WHEREAS, the Space Available program, operated by the Air Mobile
Command, allows members of the active military, family members of active
military, members of the reserve military, emergency workers, and retirees
to fly on military aircraft if space is available; and
WHEREAS, this program does not include servicemen and servicewomen who
have become disabled while serving in the military because they do not have
enough time in the service to have retiree status; and
WHEREAS, many of these brave individuals would have reached retiree
status if they had not become disabled during service to their country; and
WHEREAS, the National Association of Blind Veterans, a division of the
National Federation of the Blind, believes that 100 percent service-
connected disabled veterans should be allowed to participate in the Space
Available program; and
WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind worked to have
legislation introduced by Congressman Bilirakis of Florida in the United
States House of Representatives, H.R. 164, and by Senator Tester of Montana
in the United States Senate, S. 346, to correct this exclusionary policy;
and
WHEREAS, the Space Available program was authorized by the United
States Congress in the Fiscal Year 2013 National Defense Authorization Act;
and
WHEREAS, on June 11, 2013, Congressman Bilirakis submitted H.R. 164, a
bill supported by 169 cosponsors, as an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2014
National Defense Authorization Act; and
WHEREAS, on June 12, 2013, the Rules Committee voted to allow H.R. 164
to move to the floor for consideration as an amendment to the National
Defense Authorization Act; and
WHEREAS, on June 13, 2013, the United States House of Representatives
voted to accept Congressman Bilirakis's amendment, thereby including the
bill language of H.R. 164 in the Fiscal Year 2014 National Defense
Authorization Act; and
WHEREAS, on June 14, 2013, the United States House of Representatives
passed the Fiscal Year 2014 National Defense Authorization Act, H.R. 1960;
and
WHEREAS, the United States Senate is currently working on its version
of the National Defense Authorization Act; and
WHEREAS, Senator Tester's bill, S. 346, has received support from
fifteen cosponsors: Now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention
assembled this fifth day of July, 2013, in the city of Orlando, Florida,
that this organization call upon the United States Senate to include
Senator Tester's bill, S. 346, in its version of the National Defense
Authorization Act, to allow 100 percent service-connected disabled veterans
to participate in the Space Available program; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Federation of the Blind call
upon both houses of Congress to work diligently in conference committee in
order to pass the Fiscal Year 2014 National Defense Authorization Act; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Federation of the Blind
commend Representative Bilirakis and Senator Tester for their leadership in
support of blind and other disabled veterans.
----------
Resolution 2013-02
Regarding Ending Subminimum Wage Payments to Workers with Disabilities
WHEREAS, Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA),
founded on the erroneous belief that people with disabilities lack the
capacity for competitive, integrated employment, currently permits
approximately 3,000 employers to obtain Special Wage Certificates allowing
them to pay over 400,000 workers with disabilities wages that are less than
the federal minimum wage, herein referred to as "subminimum wages," some as
low as 3 cents per hour; and
WHEREAS, employers who pay subminimum wages to people with
disabilities, arguing that the Special Wage Certificate is an essential
tool for employing workers with disabilities, threaten that an increase in
employee wages would require them to terminate their workers with
disabilities, but these same employers have enough revenue to pay their
executives six-figure salaries and pay professional lobbyists to advocate
for the perpetuation of this discriminatory provision; and
WHEREAS, other employers of people with disabilities operating in
similarly situated industries, working with comparable populations of
employees with disabilities, are able to maintain successful businesses
without the use of the Special Wage Certificates, proving the assertions
and threats of subminimum wage employers to be false; and
WHEREAS, Goodwill Industries admits that 101 (almost two-thirds) of
its 165 affiliates pay their workers with disabilities the federal minimum
wage or higher, while the remaining sixty-four affiliates take advantage of
the Special Wage Certificates to pay their workers with disabilities
immorally subminimum wages, illustrating the hypocritical and unjustifiable
position of employers who pay subminimum wages to their disabled workers;
and
WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind is joined by our Fair
Wage partners-over fifty other national and local organizations of and for
people with disabilities-in our effort to support the policies and programs
that work to end the payment of subminimum wages to workers with
disabilities and aggressively to oppose the development and implementation
of policies that would perpetuate the use of this discriminatory provision;
and
WHEREAS, Congressman Gregg Harper has introduced the Fair Wages for
Workers with Disabilities Act of 2013, HR 831, which, when enacted, will
immediately stop the issuance of new Special Wage Certificates, responsibly
phase out the use of the Special Wage Certificates over a three-year
period, and finally repeal Section 14(c) of the FLSA; and
WHEREAS, despite substantial research validating the benefits of new,
innovative strategies to train and employ workers with disabilities at
competitive wages and demonstrating the waste and harm caused by subminimum-
wage employment, preliminary Workforce Investment Act (WIA) reauthorization
discussions propose language in Section 511 of the Rehabilitation Act that
links Section 14(c) of the FLSA to the Rehabilitation Act and allows the
obsolete practices of employers who pay subminimum wages to be considered
viable training and job-placement-service providers for people with
disabilities: Now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention
assembled this fifth day of July, 2013, in the city of Orlando, Florida,
that we condemn and deplore the actions of all employers that take
advantage of the unfair, discriminatory, immoral provision found in Section
14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA); and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we continue to encourage the public to
discontinue donating to, shopping at, or partnering with Goodwill or other
subminimum-wage employers, until they discontinue their use of the Special
Wage Certificates and pay every employee at least the federal minimum wage;
and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we commend all of our Fair Wage Partners,
Congressman Gregg Harper, and all cosponsors of the Fair Wages for Workers
with Disabilities Act of 2013, HR 831, for their courage and support of our
efforts to repeal Section 14(c) of the FLSA and that we call on all other
members of the US House of Representatives to exercise the same courage by
supporting the passage of HR 831; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we call on the members of the US Senate to
refuse to integrate subminimum wage language in the reauthorization of the
Workforce Investment Act that perpetuates the use of Section 14(c) of the
FLSA and to work toward the introduction and passage of legislation to end
the payment of subminimum wages to workers with disabilities.
----------
Resolution 2013-03 was defeated.
Resolution 2013-04
Regarding Educational Institutions' Commitments to Accessible Technology
WHEREAS, access to information is critical to education, career
advancement, independence, and living a well-informed personal and
professional life; and
WHEREAS, in the past decade the shift from print to digital
information in educational institutions has been transformative; and
WHEREAS, digital technology and information have become an essential
and integral part of education today; and
WHEREAS, unlike print, digital information is inherently accessible to
the blind, and accessibility is particularly easy to achieve when
considered in the design phase of the technology; and
WHEREAS, the shift from print to digital information and technology in
education should therefore provide blind students with equal access to
information and inclusion in education; and
WHEREAS, instead, the proliferation of inaccessible educational
technologies and their adoption and use by our nation's educational
institutions have largely locked out the blind from receiving an equal
education; and
WHEREAS, the civil rights offices of the United States Department of
Justice and the United States Department of Education issued a Dear
Colleague letter dated June 29, 2010, reminding higher education
institutions of their legal obligation to procure and deploy accessible
educational technology; and
WHEREAS, despite this clear message from the Departments of Education
and Justice, the vast majority of educational institutions continue to
ignore their obligations to procure and deploy accessible educational
technology; and
WHEREAS, to ensure that they meet their obligations and provide equal
opportunities for blind students, educational institutions must commit to
accessibility from the top rather than delegating accessibility to a single
and usually powerless low-level administrative office or position; and
WHEREAS, several institutions of higher education have become pioneers
and role models in committing to accessibility and taking steps from the
top levels of administration to ensure that campus-wide digital educational
technology and information will be accessible to their blind students and
faculty; and
WHEREAS, these institutions include the California State University,
Pennsylvania State University, and George Mason University: Now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention
assembled this fifth day of July, 2013, in the city of Orlando, Florida,
that this organization commend these schools for their leadership in
recognizing the critical importance of accessible educational technology
and digital information and for taking concrete steps to ensure that blind
students have equal access to education compared to their sighted peers;
and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Federation of the Blind
condemn and deplore the actions of those educational institutions that
continue to violate the law by ignoring their obligation to procure and
deploy accessible educational technology, thereby excluding blind students
from equality in education; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization call upon all schools to
commit from the top levels of administration to procure, offer, and deploy
only accessible educational technology and digital information and
encourage schools to work with the National Federation of the Blind to
ensure that all blind students have equal access to educational technology
and information.
---------
Resolution 2013-05
Regarding Literary Braille Certification for Professionals Working with the
Blind
WHEREAS, research repeatedly indicates that blind people who use
Braille every day are far more likely to be successful in community life
and to find high-paid employment, making an average of $11,000 more per
year than employed blind people who do not use Braille; and
WHEREAS, according to a 2011 survey conducted by the Institute on
Blindness at Louisiana Tech University, only 37 percent of working-age
blind adults nationwide are currently employed full time; and
WHEREAS, this dismal employment statistic is unlikely to improve
because too many blind and visually impaired students exit their school
systems without literacy skills, since only 10 percent of today's blind
students under age twenty-two receive instruction in Braille as their
primary reading medium; and
WHEREAS, professionals employed by school districts or public or
private rehabilitation agencies charged with the responsibility of teaching
the reading and writing skills associated with the Braille code to either
children or adults do not currently have to meet a national standard to
certify that they themselves can read and write Braille; and
WHEREAS, each university professional preparatory program establishes
its own arbitrary requirements for meeting levels of Braille proficiency,
and, while some programs are rigorous, others are lax in their expectations
of student Braille competency; and
WHEREAS, standards even within specific university professional
preparatory programs fluctuate depending upon the capabilities of the
individual teaching Braille courses, which results in graduates having a
wide range of Braille skill levels; and
WHEREAS, the National Blindness Professional Certification Board
currently administers the National Certification in Literary Braille (NCLB)
test, a five-year renewable certification; and
WHEREAS, the NCLB test is the only examination specifically designed
to evaluate those who teach Braille reading and writing, and it has been
independently validated by a third party to measure the competency of the
test takers; and
WHEREAS, valid national standards are the only consistent means of
assuring employers, school administrators, colleagues, consumers, families,
and other professionals that blindness professionals possess appropriate
Braille knowledge and skills; and
WHEREAS, under the leadership of the National Federation of the Blind,
a group of organizations including the American Council of the Blind, the
American Foundation for the Blind, the Association for Education and
Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired, the Blinded Veterans
Association, the Canadian Council of the Blind, the Canadian National
Institute for the Blind, and the National Library Service for the Blind and
Physically Handicapped came together and eventually developed the NCLB
test: Now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention
assembled this fifth day of July, 2013, in the city of Orlando, Florida,
that this organization strongly urge all university programs that prepare
professionals to work with the blind to adopt the NCLB test as the exit
criterion or comprehensive exam for all teachers of the blind and visually
impaired; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we urge the US Department of Education,
all state departments of education, all school districts, and all public
and private agencies that work with the blind to adopt the NCLB test as the
gold standard for all those who are hired to teach Braille reading and
writing, in order to provide equality, consistency, and protection to all
consumers, assuring that they are receiving training by instructors who
have demonstrated a consistent standard of Braille competency; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization urge that all blindness
organizations that were involved in the creation of the NCLB test
vigorously promote it as a necessary certification for all professionals
working with blind children or adults in the reading and writing of the
Braille code.
----------
Resolution 2013-06
Regarding the Technology, Education and Accessibility in College and Higher
Education Act
WHEREAS, the integration of technology in the educational sphere has
fundamentally altered the teaching and learning processes, allowing
curricular content once available only in textbooks and during lectures to
be disseminated through electronic books, web content, digital library
databases, advanced software, and mobile applications; and
WHEREAS, this intersection of technology and education creates
opportunity to expand the circle of participation by print-disabled
students and allows universal access to mainstream educational products for
all students; and
WHEREAS, in the 2008 reauthorization of the Higher Education
Opportunity Act, Congress authorized a commission, the Advisory Committee
on Accessible Instructional Materials for Students with Disabilities in
Postsecondary Education (AIM Commission), to look at the status of
accessible educational technology in postsecondary education; and
WHEREAS, in 2011 the AIM Commission published its report, finding that
manufacturers have failed to embrace accessibility solutions for their
products; institutions have failed to minimize the impact of inaccessible
technology on their disabled students; and, because of this proliferation
of inaccessible materials, blind and other print-disabled students
experience a variety of challenges including blocked access to enrollment
and educational opportunities; and
WHEREAS, in the five years between the AIM Commission's authorization
and the issuance of its report, technology has evolved rapidly, creating
more and more innovative solutions for accessibility and full
participation; and
WHEREAS, the Commission's findings show that manufacturers and
institutions of higher education have completely failed to take advantage
of this opportunity and are perpetuating the separate-but-equal approach to
education; and
WHEREAS, this missed opportunity and widespread inaccessibility in the
educational sphere have put huge, unnecessary burdens on blind and other
print-disabled students, a fact illustrated by the findings of the AIM
Commission report; and
WHEREAS, in a 2010 Dear Colleague letter addressed to all presidents
of institutions of higher education, the US Department of Education and the
US Department of Justice asserted that equal access to technology in the
classroom is a civil right guaranteed by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation
Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act; and
WHEREAS, the condition of inaccessible technology in college
classrooms has not improved since the 2010 Dear Colleague letter or the
publishing of the AIM Commission Report in 2011, demonstrating that more
action must be taken in order to remedy this problem; and
WHEREAS, technology exists to make digital instructional materials and
their delivery systems fully accessible, but most postsecondary
institutions are claiming that technology is too expensive, while
manufacturers are saying there is no demand for it; and
WHEREAS, the AIM Commission report recommends correcting this problem
with the development of accessibility guidelines for instructional
materials, which would provide guidance to manufacturers and serve as
requirements for postsecondary institutions, ensuring that all products
would be fully accessible to blind and print-disabled students; and
WHEREAS, in response to this recommendation the National Federation of
the Blind has drafted model legislation called the Technology, Education
and Accessibility in College and Higher Education Act (TEACH), which calls
on the US Access Board to develop accessibility guidelines for
instructional materials used in postsecondary education and then requires
the Department of Justice to establish those guidelines as enforceable
standards under the Americans with Disabilities Act regulations; and
WHEREAS, the model language of TEACH has been endorsed by the American
Association of People with Disabilities, the National Association of the
Deaf, the National Council on Independent Living, the Association of
American Publishers, and seven other organizations; and
WHEREAS, senior members of the House Education and Workforce Committee
and Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee have shown
significant interest in the bill but have yet to commit fully to being
sponsors or introducing the bill: Now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention
assembled this fifth day of July, 2013, in the city of Orlando, Florida,
that this organization strongly urge the United States House of
Representatives and the United States Senate to introduce and pass the
Technology, Education and Accessibility in College and Higher Education Act
to protect the civil rights of blind and print-disabled students fully and
to put a stop to the separate approach to education that is continually and
unnecessarily perpetuated by inaccessible educational technology.
----------
Resolution 2013-07
Regarding Declining Productivity for Blind Users of Microsoft Office
WHEREAS, for more than a decade the Microsoft Office suite of software
has been an essential productivity tool for blind users of the Windows
operating system who perform tasks such as word processing, e-mail,
spreadsheet creation and editing, and database management; and
WHEREAS, in many employment settings, blind and sighted employees
alike are required to use Microsoft Office programs to perform their work;
and
WHEREAS, blind users of the Windows operating system who rely on
screen access technology for independent access to the computer use the
keyboard to tell computer programs what to do; and
WHEREAS, as each new version of Microsoft Office has been released,
the number of keystrokes needed to perform some tasks has increased, as
illustrated by the following examples:
1. With the release of Outlook 2007, the minimum number of
keystrokes required to insert a signature or an attachment went
from two to three.
2. In Microsoft Word 2013, the latest version to be released, it is
no longer possible to press shortcut keys such as ALT+A or ALT+I
to act upon a word that has been flagged by the spell checker;
instead, the user must tab repeatedly until the appropriate
button has obtained focus and then press the Enter key.
3. In Microsoft Word 2013 the traditional Open and Save As dialogs
can be found only by drilling down through another dialog or by
using different, less-well-known keystrokes; and
WHEREAS, considered individually, each task that requires an
additional keystroke may not seem significant, but, taken together, all of
these tasks result in an overall productivity drain for one who uses
keyboard shortcuts instead of the mouse; and
WHEREAS, while the Microsoft Corporation conducts extensive market
research and studies to maximize the ability of traditional mouse users to
be productive using its software, it has historically done nothing to
develop more efficient approaches and strategies to improve the speed and
efficiency of keyboard-only users of its programs; and
WHEREAS, the Microsoft Corporation, a self-proclaimed supporter of
accessibility for people with disabilities for more than two decades,
should have developed enough familiarity with the blind community and the
screen-access technology used by the blind to understand the importance of
the keyboard and the critical need to ensure maximum productivity for
keyboard-only users; and
WHEREAS, as important as it is to determine what a specific object on
the screen is (i.e., accessibility), it is arguably more important for a
blind person to be able to use technology at a level of efficiency that is
equal to if not greater than that enjoyed by sighted computer users: Now,
therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention
assembled this fifth day of July, 2013, in the city of Orlando, Florida,
that this organization express its strong frustration and disappointment
with the Microsoft Corporation for releasing versions of its software that
reduce the productivity of keyboard-only users; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we call upon the Microsoft Corporation to
move quickly to develop initiatives, approaches, and strategies that will
enable keyboard-only users to use its software with the same productivity
and efficiency as traditional mouse users; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization urge the Microsoft
Corporation, in furtherance of this effort, to work with the National
Federation of the Blind, an organization that has established a wealth of
knowledge and experience in this area that is deeply rooted in practical
experience.
----------
Resolution 2013-08
Regarding Tactile Fluency
WHEREAS, it is commonplace for sighted students to acquire both
literacy and drawing skills through a gradual progression of improvement,
beginning at the earliest possible age, resulting in adults who have
developed proficiency in literacy and graphics; and
WHEREAS, in the blind population, not only is insufficient attention
given to Braille instruction, but virtually no attention is given to
exploring our environment by touch and representing our tactile
observations in a tactile medium; and
WHEREAS, competence in tactile graphics refers collectively to the
techniques of drawing raised lines, circles, and other curves; developing
the ability to feel and interpret a tactile image efficiently; developing
an understanding of three-dimensional objects drawn in two dimensions; and,
finally, appreciating inherently visual ideas of perspective and scale; and
WHEREAS, the combination of proficiencies in Braille and tactile
graphics is expressed by the term tactile fluency; and
WHEREAS, the historic lack of emphasis on tactile graphics was due
partly to the general unavailability of simple devices on which tactile
images could be drawn, edited, transmitted, and reproduced; and
WHEREAS, the ability of blind people to read Braille and to create and
interpret tactile graphic images is highly relevant in modern society; and
WHEREAS, the widespread belief that blind people are innately less
able to construct and interpret graphic images is a misconception resulting
from the lack of opportunities to develop a facility with graphics, and not
due to the mere lack of eyesight; and
WHEREAS, E.A.S.Y., LLC, has recently released products for sale that
will facilitate the creating, editing, digitizing, transmitting, and
multiple reproduction of graphic images by blind people; and
WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind was influential in the
formation of E.A.S.Y., LLC, and the development of its products: Now,
therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention
assembled this fifth day of July, 2013, in the city of Orlando, Florida,
that this organization urge colleges and universities to revamp their
curricula for teachers of blind students to require them to demonstrate
competencies in both Braille and the graphic aspects of tactile fluency;
and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we urge the instruction in tactile fluency
for all blind children to begin at the earliest possible age; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization urge rehabilitation
agencies serving the blind to provide their counselors with a thorough
appreciation of the need for tactile fluency and up-to-date information
about the latest tactile fluency devices and techniques; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we continue to work with E.A.S.Y., LLC,
other private companies, and interested parties in the development of more
advanced tactile fluency tools.
----------
Resolution 2013-09
Regarding a National Right to Parent
WHEREAS, more than four million Americans with disabilities, including
Americans who are blind, are parents; and
WHEREAS, this number will unquestionably increase as more people with
disabilities exercise a broader range of lifestyle options as a result of
social integration and civil rights; and
WHEREAS, no research exists to support the proposition that children
of parents who are blind or who have other disabilities are in more danger
of being injured, mistreated, or neglected than children of parents without
disabilities; and
WHEREAS, despite the lack of support for the proposition that parents
with disabilities cannot raise children safely and competently and despite
the fact that the Americans with Disabilities Act has been the law of the
land for over two decades, parents with disabilities are the only distinct
community of Americans who must struggle to retain custody of their
children; and
WHEREAS, research validates the experience of parents with
disabilities by demonstrating extremely high rates of reported
discrimination and removal of children from the home; and
WHEREAS, the legal system is not protecting the rights of parents with
disabilities and their children, since two-thirds of dependency statutes
allow the court to reach the determination that a parent is unfit (a
determination necessary to terminate parental rights) on the basis of the
parent's disability; and
WHEREAS, since 1940 the National Federation of the Blind has provided
leadership in educating both blind and sighted people about the nonvisual
techniques that blind parents use to manage their households and provide
appropriate care for their children; and
WHEREAS, the NFB has vigorously protected the rights of blind parents
in the face of a variety of discriminatory practices; and
WHEREAS, despite this education and advocacy and the passage of state
laws that make it illegal for courts to consider disability in custody and
adoption cases, children are still being unjustly removed from their
parents' custody, and potential parents are being refused the right to
adopt children solely because they are blind; and
WHEREAS, on September 27, 2012, the National Council on Disability
(NCD) transmitted a report to the president entitled Rocking the Cradle:
Ensuring the Rights of Parents with Disabilities and Their Children; and
WHEREAS, this report further confirms that the child welfare system is
ill equipped to support parents with disabilities and their families,
resulting in disproportionately high rates of involvement with child
welfare services and devastatingly high rates of parents with disabilities
losing their parental rights; and
WHEREAS, the NCD report calls on the United States Congress and
federal agencies to take immediate and strong action to secure the right of
disabled Americans to be parents: Now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention
assembled this fifth day of July, 2013, in the city of Orlando, Florida,
that this organization call upon members of the United States Congress and
federal agencies to work closely with the National Federation of the Blind
to take immediate and appropriate action to secure through legislation and
regulation the right of blind Americans to be parents.
----------
Resolution 2013-10
Regarding Accessibility of Amazon Products
WHEREAS, in its release of May 1 of this year, Amazon made its Kindle
app for iOS significantly more accessible to VoiceOver so that its large
repository of books is now available to blind consumers who use the iPhone,
iPad, or iPod Touch; and
WHEREAS, further improvements to the Kindle app for iOS have been
implemented since that release, including some improvements to Braille
navigation and the table of contents; and
WHEREAS, the current version of the app still contains many barriers
to use, especially in professional and educational settings, presenting
problems with functions such as text selection and not offering either
speech or Braille access to the endnotes and footnotes; and
WHEREAS, the Kindle hardware remains inaccessible in its current
generation as it has been in previous generations, and Kindle apps for
Windows and Apple computers remain largely or completely inaccessible,
excluding users who do not use Apple products or who wish to use a computer
or dedicated device; and
WHEREAS, many of the Kindle devices, such as the Kindle Keyboard and
the Kindle Fire, contain text-to-speech capability and could be made more
accessible without requiring hardware changes simply by maximizing the
availability and functionality of the present text-to-speech capability:
Now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention
assembled this fifth day of July, 2013, in the city of Orlando, Florida,
that this organization commend Amazon for the improvements the company has
made to its Kindle app for iOS and urge Amazon to improve this app and to
broaden the ways in which blind consumers can access their Kindle books,
including on computers and Kindle devices.
----------
Resolution 2013-11
Regarding the University of Illinois eText System
WHEREAS, full and timely access to textbooks is a necessary
precondition to the success of a student in higher education; and
WHEREAS, the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana delivers
classroom content through eText, an accessible and interactive platform of
its own making that provides textbooks and other materials to all students
in the same manner and at the same time; and
WHEREAS, eText offers not only accessible text, but also other tools
needed for academic success, such as note-taking, highlighting,
bookmarking, and glossaries; and
WHEREAS, students can customize the book display in eText in a variety
of ways-such as choosing margin widths, fonts, and display colors-depending
on their preferred method of access and their environment; and
WHEREAS, math equations in eText materials are displayed in text-based
MathML, which can be rendered by text-to-speech applications without
further intervention, and in Braille where supported-a very welcome feature
that even many mostly accessible platforms struggle to implement; and
WHEREAS, eText can be used on a mobile or desktop device with an
HTML5-
compliant browser, giving all students a way to use this platform when and
how they choose: Now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention
assembled this fifth day of July, 2013, in the city of Orlando, Florida,
that this organization highly commend the eText Group, part of CITES
(Campus Information Technologies and Educational Services) at the
University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, for leading the way in higher
education by showing other institutions and learning management systems the
full power of a flexible, interactive, and well-supported platform that is
accessible to the blind and geared to a variety of learning styles and
abilities.
----------
Resolution 2013-12
Regarding the iWork Suite from Apple
WHEREAS, Apple has a proven and much respected track record in
creating groundbreaking, built-in accessibility for its operating systems
(both Mac OS and iOS), for use in devices such as the iPod and iPhone and
the lineup of MacBooks and iMacs; and
WHEREAS, the accessibility features Apple has implemented have
convinced many blind consumers to switch to Apple over the various kinds of
personal computers (PCs) for their computing and mobile needs; and
WHEREAS, the core productivity software provided for the Mac in its
iWork suite, which consists of Pages, a word processor; Numbers, a
spreadsheet; and Keynote, a slide presentation tool, poses significant
accessibility challenges, including inconsistent reporting of column and
row headers in Numbers and unreliable review of formatting in Pages on both
the Mac OS and iOS platforms; and
WHEREAS, the iWork suite is central to consumers' ability to employ
their Macs in professional and educational settings, and the current
versions make such use very difficult and inefficient: Now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention
assembled this fifth day of July, 2013, in the city of Orlando, Florida,
that this organization urge Apple to expand accessibility fully to its
productivity suite, iWork, and specifically to Pages, Numbers, and Keynote,
so that blind students and professionals everywhere can make full use of
all aspects of the Apple line of products.
----------
Resolution 2013-13
Regarding Support Service Provider Programs for Deaf-Blind People
WHEREAS, deaf-blind people rely on Support Service Providers (SSP's)
to reduce reliance on family members and friends by facilitating
communications and by providing environmental and situational information
so that they can participate in all aspects of community life; and
WHEREAS, the SSP's are not responsible for providing personal care or
serving as the interpreters required by law at legal and medical
appointments, i.e., must serve only as facilitators, not decision makers;
and
WHEREAS, it is estimated that there are 45,000 to 70,000 deaf-blind
people in the US, a statistic that will rise because people are living
longer and will experience sensory losses as part of the aging process,
necessitating the need for more SSP's; and
WHEREAS, according to a 2012 survey by the Helen Keller National
Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults, only ten states have state-wide
programs to provide SSP's, and only fourteen states and the District of
Columbia have smaller, regional SSP programs, and the remaining states have
no SSP programs at all; and
WHEREAS, in addition to the lack of availability of SSP's in many
states, the level of service in states with some programs fluctuates
because the state or region determines who are eligible for the service and
how many hours they receive; and
WHEREAS, since some SSP programs such as those in Louisiana,
Connecticut, and Washington State, are under the jurisdiction of an office
or department for the deaf, these programs frequently discriminate against
deaf-blind people by requiring them to communicate by using American Sign
Language, which is more visual, rather than the communication method of
their choice such as oral English, English Sign Language, or tactile sign
language; and
WHEREAS, since SSP's are vital to the independence of all deaf-blind
Americans, the federal government should implement a national program that
will eliminate discriminatory practices and provide a higher level and
greater uniformity of service: Now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED, by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention
on this fifth day of July, 2013, in the city of Orlando, Florida, that this
organization strongly urge the US Department of Health and Human Services
and the US Congress to immediately take all necessary steps to establish a
national SSP program so that deaf-blind individuals can maintain
independence and become productive citizens.
----------
Resolution 2013-14
Regarding Barnes & Noble NOOK Study and NOOK Devices
WHEREAS, with the release on November 26, 2012, of Barnes & Noble's
NOOK app, it became usable with VoiceOver on iOS, opening the library of
NOOK Books to blind consumers for the first time; and
WHEREAS, the current version of the application does not provide
access to textbooks, and the textbook platform that Barnes & Noble uses,
NOOK Study, is PC and Mac only and provides no Braille support and no
capacity for fine-grained navigation, highlighting, or taking notes (though
all of these features are available to sighted users), making the product
useless to blind students; and
WHEREAS, NOOK Study allows the publisher to disable the use of
text-to-
speech for its textbooks; and
WHEREAS, the NOOK readers, such as the NOOK HD and the NOOK HD+,
remain inaccessible in their current versions and in all preceding
versions, although text-to-speech is built into the underlying operating
system, Android; and
WHEREAS, significantly greater access could be provided to the NOOK
reader by using the accessibility features offered in Android, such as the
ability to use text-to-speech in every area of the device: Now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention
assembled this fifth day of July, 2013, in the city of Orlando, Florida,
that this organization commend Barnes & Noble for the improvements to its
NOOK app for iOS and demand that it deepen the accessibility features in
the NOOK for iOS app so that all features available to the sighted are
available to the blind and that it provide access to hardware readers and
the NOOK Study app for Mac and PC.
----------
Resolution 2013-15
Regarding the Washington State Labor Council's Advocacy for Securing Fair
Wages for Workers with Disabilities
WHEREAS, the Washington State Labor Council, the Washington branch of
the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations
(AFL-CIO), unanimously adopted a resolution supporting the passage of the
Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act of 2011, a landmark piece of
disability civil rights legislation that unfortunately did not pass before
the end of the 112th congressional session; and
WHEREAS, the resolution recognized that "the labor movement must
reflect the full diversity of the labor force, supporting the full and
equal participation of workers with disabilities"; and
WHEREAS, the resolution describes the discriminatory nature of Section
14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which allows employers to pay
workers with disabilities subminimum wages, and further states that "the
ability to legally pay subminimum wages to any worker threatens the wage
security of all workers, and the only method of ensuring that this
regulation is not abused to the detriment of workers with disabilities is
to repeal Section 14(c) of the FLSA and to revoke every special wage
certificate granted under that provision"; and
WHEREAS, the Washington State Labor Council and its affiliates
resolved to call upon the United States Congress to pass H.R. 3086, the
Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act of 2011, "which phases out
Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act and revokes the certificates
issued under that provision so that workers with disabilities are
guaranteed the same workforce protections afforded nondisabled employees";
and
WHEREAS, Congressman Gregg Harper has introduced the Fair Wages for
Workers with Disabilities Act of 2013, H.R. 831, in the 113th Congress,
which has the same language and prescribes the same remedy as H.R. 3086 of
the 112th Congress: Now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention
assembled this fifth day of July, 2013, in the city of Orlando, Florida,
that this organization commend the actions of the Washington State Labor
Council, AFL-CIO, and its affiliates for adopting such a strong resolution
supporting the passage of the Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act
of 2011, H.R. 3086, and respectfully request that they continue their
support of the current legislation, the Fair Wages for Workers with
Disabilities Act of 2013, H.R. 831; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we support the efforts of the Washington
State Labor Council, AFL-CIO, to advance its resolution to the AFL-CIO for
consideration at its national convention.
----------
Resolution 2013-16
Regarding Inaccessibility of Google Services
WHEREAS, Google is one of the leading technology companies in the
United States and the world; and
WHEREAS, it offers many digital and electronic services, including a
suite of cloud-based applications known as "Google Apps," which replaces
traditional desktop functions such as e-mail, collaborative word
processing, spreadsheets, and calendars and which is available free or at
low cost to businesses, educational institutions, and government entities;
and
WHEREAS, Google Apps for Education is widely used by educational
institutions, serving over twenty-five million students in two hundred
countries across the globe, seventy-four of the top hundred universities in
the United States, and many large public school systems; and
WHEREAS, Google Apps for Government is currently used by forty-five
out of fifty state governments and numerous federal agencies and local
governments as the primary application suite for government employees; and
WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind has for several years
insisted that Google make Google Apps fully accessible to the blind; and
WHEREAS, in response to the National Federation of the Blind's
demands, Google has met with our organization on several occasions; and
WHEREAS, in 2012 Google's accessibility team met with the National
Federation of the Blind's access technology team to address the
inaccessibility of Google Apps and services, an effort that resulted in
some improvements to the accessibility of Google Apps; and
WHEREAS, despite these efforts many of the Google Apps services
continue to pose significant accessibility barriers, particularly when used
outside of Google's proprietary devices; and
WHEREAS, as more and more governments and educational institutions
adopt Google Apps, the number of blind students and employees who
experience significant barriers to their education and employment will
increase; and
WHEREAS, Google is further expanding inaccessible technology in
education with its launch of Google Play for Education, which will enable K-
12 schools to offer students educational apps, many of which are completely
inaccessible; and
WHEREAS, after many years of effort and demands by the National
Federation of the Blind, many Google technologies continue to be
inaccessible, and the accessibility of other Google services is
inconsistent; and
WHEREAS, after many years of effort and demands by the National
Federation of the Blind, Google has failed to exhibit an identifiable, top-
down commitment to accessibility across its products and services; and
WHEREAS, Google has repeatedly failed to provide a comprehensive plan
for accessibility or offer timelines, deadlines, or details regarding its
commitment to accessibility: Now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention
assembled this fifth day of July, 2013, in the city of Orlando, Florida,
that this organization commend Google for the efforts its accessibility
team has made to improve the accessibility of Google Apps, while standing
firm in our resolve to hold the company accountable for its failure to
commit to a demonstrated policy of accessibility; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization reaffirm its demand that
Google make a serious, identifiable commitment to accessibility that
includes deadlines for accessibility in all of its services and a
commitment to avoid the future release of inaccessible services to its
blind users; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization caution all schools and
governments that Google Apps have known accessibility barriers that exclude
blind people and that, until Google removes these barriers, adoption of
Google Apps is a violation of the law.
----------
Resolution 2013-17
Regarding the Parent Teacher Association's Promotion of Amazon Kindles in
its Family Reading Program
WHEREAS, in February 2013 the National Parent Teacher Association
(National PTA) announced that it had selected Amazon as the exclusive
sponsor of its family reading program, the Family Reading Experience, which
allows local PTAs to apply to the national organization for donations of
Kindle devices to be used at home or in local schools; and
WHEREAS, despite repeated efforts to urge Amazon to do the right
thing, most Amazon Kindles are completely inaccessible, and the only Kindle
that offers text-to-speech capability is not fully accessible to the blind
and other print-disabled users; and
WHEREAS, on March 11, 2013, the National Federation of the Blind sent
a letter to Betsy Landers and Eric Hargis, respectively president and
executive director of the National PTA, informing them that Amazon Kindles
are inaccessible and that their proposal unnecessarily excludes students
with print disabilities from benefiting from the Family Reading Experience
program's goals, relegating them to second-class status; and
WHEREAS, the March letter also warned the National PTA that the use of
inaccessible Kindle devices in public school classrooms is a violation of
blind and print-disabled students' rights to equal access under Section 504
of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act; and
WHEREAS, the National PTA did not respond to the NFB's letter with an
acknowledgement of receipt, official correspondence responding to our
letter, or change in policy regarding its partnership with Amazon; and
WHEREAS, the National PTA informally and indirectly responded to the
NFB letter in an article in Special Ed Connection., by downplaying the role
of the Kindle in the program, claiming that it was not a requirement of the
program; and
WHEREAS, this statement in no way addresses the discrimination brought
to light in the NFB letter nor shows any cooperation or effort by the
National PTA in making accessibility a priority in its partnerships: Now,
therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention
assembled this fifth day of July, 2013, in the city of Orlando, Florida,
that we condemn and deplore the actions of the National PTA for knowingly
encouraging the use of a product that is inaccessible to blind students,
ignoring the National Federation of the Blind's admonition that its program
is discriminatory, and disregarding the right of blind students to equal
access in the classroom.
----------
Resolution 2013-18
Regarding the Department of Education's Letter on Braille Instruction
WHEREAS, Section 614(d) of Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA) requires that, in order to provide a free and
appropriate public education to disabled students, school districts in each
state develop an individualized education program (IEP) for each disabled
student; and
WHEREAS, an IEP is a written agreement outlining that child's levels
of academic achievement and his or her annual academic and functional
goals, an agreement developed by a team of the student's parents, regular
education teachers, teachers of blind students, special education teachers,
and representatives of the local educational agency; and
WHEREAS, the law specifically instructs the IEP team to consider
special factors for blind students, specifically that a blind child receive
instruction in Braille; and
WHEREAS, this means that all blind children will receive Braille
instruction as part of their IEP by default, and Braille instruction should
be removed or not included in the IEP only if an evaluation of the child's
reading and writing skills, needs, and appropriate reading and writing
media indicates that Braille is not appropriate; and
WHEREAS, the regulations issued by the Department of Education
implementing this statute specifically repeat the IDEA statutory language
regarding Braille instruction, reinforcing the intent that Braille
instruction be provided to blind students by default; and
WHEREAS, despite the law and regulations, the overwhelming majority of
blind students in the K-12 educational system are not receiving any
instruction in Braille, and very few receive adequate instruction in
Braille, resulting in less than 10 percent of all blind children being
fluent Braille readers; and
WHEREAS, some members of the IEP team reject the idea of Braille
instruction for a variety of inappropriate reasons, including the lack of a
qualified educator to teach Braille in the district or a bias against
Braille based on myths about stigma and effectiveness; and
WHEREAS, even though 90 percent of blind students are not learning
Braille, 85 percent of employed blind people know the code, demonstrating a
direct correlation between learning to read and write Braille and attaining
and retaining employment; and
WHEREAS, after advocacy and urging from the National Federation of the
Blind, twenty-six members of the United States Senate recognized this
crisis and widespread violation of the law by sending a letter to the
Department of Education, urging it to take action; and
WHEREAS, the Department of Education agreed that action was needed and
wrote a letter to states clarifying their legal obligations under the IDEA
to provide Braille instruction by default to all blind students; and
WHEREAS, on June 19, 2013, the Department of Education issued the
letter, signed by Michael Yudin, acting assistant secretary for special
education and rehabilitative services, and Melody Musgrove, director of the
Office of Special Education Programs, reminding states of the background
and statutory provisions of the IDEA that require Braille instruction for
blind and visually impaired students; and
WHEREAS, the letter clarifies that the only reason blind students
should not receive Braille is if the IEP team determines it is
inappropriate based on results from an evaluation of the child's current
and future reading and writing needs; and
WHEREAS, the letter further clarifies that "factors, such as shortages
of trained personnel to provide Braille instruction; the availability of
alternative reading media (including large print materials, recorded
materials, or computers with speech output); or the amount of time needed
to provide a child with sufficient and regular instruction to attain
proficiency in Braille, may not be used to deny Braille instruction to a
child": Now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention
assembled this fifth day of July, 2013, in the city of Orlando, Florida,
that this organization commend the Department of Education for taking
action to combat the Braille literacy crisis and providing affirmative
leadership to local education agencies through its June 19 Dear Colleague
Letter regarding Braille instruction; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we call on the Department of Education to
take further steps to provide training, professional development, and
technical assistance to local education agencies, teacher preparation
programs, administrators, and teachers to ensure that educational systems
are adequately prepared to implement Braille instruction appropriately; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we call on state education agencies to
take action to ensure that adequate professional development, technical
assistance, and resources are available to local education agencies in
properly implementing services outlined in the recent Dear Colleague letter
on Braille; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization invite educators to call
on members of the Federation to assist in disputes about Braille, serve as
Braille mentors to young Braille readers, support training and professional
development efforts, and otherwise be partners in resolving systemic issues
related to educating blind children adequately in reading and writing
Braille.
----------
Resolution 2013-19
Regarding Nonvisual Access to the Sony Reader
WHEREAS, from its first release in 2006, the Sony Reader System has
been inaccessible; and
WHEREAS, Sony has released seven versions of its reader, yet the
current Sony Reader still has no accessibility features whatsoever, and
Sony has made no attempt to correct the situation; and
WHEREAS, even with the need for continued improvement on most
platforms, usable books are now available from most major digital
booksellers, including Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble NOOK, Apple iBooks,
Blio, and others; and
WHEREAS, blind people deserve access to the same books at the same
time and at the same price as sighted users and deserve a way of reading
and navigating these books along with full access to the other features
available on the Sony Reader: Now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention
assembled this fifth day of July, 2013, in the city of Orlando, Florida,
that this organization condemn and deplore Sony's ongoing discrimination
against the blind because the company has knowingly and purposely developed
and launched models of the Sony Reader that are completely inaccessible,
despite its awareness of solutions; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization demand that Sony move
urgently and decisively to provide access to its e-readers and e-books.
----------
Resolution 2013-20
Regarding Support for Legislation to Create Entrepreneurial Opportunities
for People with Disabilities
WHEREAS, chronic unemployment or underemployment is a serious problem
among the disabled, denying people with disabilities the opportunity to
earn a living and live independent lives; and
WHEREAS, creating entrepreneurial opportunities for people with
disabilities is one way to help reduce unemployment and underemployment for
them; and
WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind believes that blind
people and others with disabilities are capable of owning and managing
successful businesses; and
WHEREAS, except for the Randolph-Sheppard Program, not a single
government program exists specifically to encourage entrepreneurship by
people with disabilities; and
WHEREAS, opportunities within the Randolph-Sheppard Program continue
to decline because of the downsizing of government, noncompliance by
federal entities, and complacency of some state-licensing agencies; and
WHEREAS, there is no requirement for the federal government or those
who contract with it to subcontract with companies owned by people with
disabilities; and
WHEREAS, there are requirements that federal agencies contract with
businesses owned by other disadvantaged groups such as minorities, women,
or other groups; and
WHEREAS, the Javits-Wagner-O'Day (JWOD) Act created what is today
referred to as the "AbilityOne Program," which requires the federal
government to award contracts on a priority basis to nonprofit
organizations that employ people with disabilities; and
WHEREAS, the JWOD Program was created in 1938 but has changed very
little in the seventy-five years since its enactment; and
WHEREAS, this program has no entrepreneurial component; and
WHEREAS, the JWOD Program offers the perfect vehicle by which the
federal government could set aside contracts to be awarded to companies
owned by people with disabilities, including businesses owned by blind
people; and
WHEREAS, adding an entrepreneurial component to the JWOD Program would
demonstrate a belief in the ability of people with disabilities to do more
than work as hourly workers, in some cases earning less than the federal
minimum wage; and
WHEREAS, such a change in the JWOD Program would be welcomed by many
organizations of and for people with disabilities; and
WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind has developed draft
legislation that would require that a minimum percentage of new contracts
awarded by AbilityOne be awarded to companies owned by people with
disabilities; and
WHEREAS, this draft legislation specifies that any federal contract
related to food service shall be awarded to a state-licensing agency or to
a company owned by a blind person; and
WHEREAS, such legislation would create new entrepreneurial
opportunities for blind people and prevent the loss of gainful employment
that results when state-licensing agencies fail to act on options in the
law to provide employment for blind business owners: Now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention
assembled this fifth day of July, 2013, in the city of Orlando, Florida,
that this organization urge Congress to pass legislation that creates an
entrepreneurial component to the JWOD Program; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization call upon other
organizations of and for people with disabilities to join with us to work
for the enactment of this important legislation.
----------
Resolution 2013-21
Regarding Access to the Windows Operating System by Microsoft
WHEREAS, in today's technology-based society, a computer is no longer
a luxury but a necessity; and
WHEREAS, blind people have the same right as their sighted peers to
access vast types and amounts of information using computers; and
WHEREAS, the Windows 8 operating system by Microsoft uses UI
Automation, which limits nonvisual access by blind users because they must
wait many months for updates to their screen-reader programs before they
can use the new operating system; and
WHEREAS, immediate access by blind people to operating systems is
achievable as demonstrated by other operating systems such as the Mac OS,
which provides nonvisual access through embedded accessibility technologies
such as VoiceOver: Now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention
assembled this fifth day of July, 2013, in the city of Orlando, Florida,
that this organization urge Microsoft to make accessibility a priority in
all aspects of its Windows 8 operating system and all future operating
systems; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization strongly urge Microsoft
to ensure that nonvisual access is incorporated into the design of its
operating systems during the conception phase rather than addressed after
the product is released to the public.
----------
Resolution 2013-22
Regarding the Portrayal of Blindness on eHow.com
WHEREAS, in today's society more and more people rely on the Internet
as a major source of information for many subjects, including blindness;
and
WHEREAS, eHow.com, a website now owned by Demand Media, a content and
social media company, claims to be a "one-stop resource for life's
challenges" where "professionals in every field come together to offer
expert advice"; and
WHEREAS, to cite one instance of unacceptable material contained
there, the article entitled "Activities & Daily Living Skills for Blind
People" by Sara Janis, contains a powerful statement of NFB philosophy
about the real problem of blindness by "Dr. Jacobus," but also contains
nonsense such as "You can no longer make a mental map of how to get where
you need to be and the mobility of getting there. Having furniture
rearranged for clear paths and then practicing navigating those pathways
helps"; and
WHEREAS, a review of Ms. Janis's professional qualifications reveals
no prior experience or training in blindness other than what she may have
culled from random website searches, a clear violation of eHow's claim of
providing "expert advice"; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Janis's article further demonstrates unprofessional
authorship by failing to provide links to additional resources; and
WHEREAS, eHow further demonstrates archaic and negative attitudes
about blindness by featuring articles with titles such as "How to Feed a
Visually Impaired Person" and "How to Set a Table for Blind People"; and
WHEREAS, this negative portrayal of blindness on the Internet is
extremely damaging to newly blind people and their families, who have no
way of knowing how to evaluate the accuracy of the information contained on
this website; and
WHEREAS, Demand Media, the parent company of eHow, exercises
considerable influence on the so-called experts it selects to write eHow's
articles but is inconsistent in providing links for complaints or
corrections to its articles: Now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention
assembled this fifth day of July, 2013, in the city of Orlando, Florida,
that this organization urge Demand Media to take immediate steps to promote
modern, positive attitudes and accurate information about blindness on its
eHow.com website; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we urge Demand Media to work with the
National Federation of the Blind to remove objectionable articles on
blindness from eHow.com and to develop a new set of articles that provide
blind consumers with truly valuable information and the general public with
a positive view of blindness; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that, should our call for the presentation of
more accurate and positive information go unheeded by eHow, this
organization contact the operators of the world's major search engines to
urge that they emphasize other sources of information about blindness and
lower the ranking given to eHow.com.
----------
Resolution 2013-23
Regarding the Adoption of the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to
Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired, or Otherwise
Print Disabled
WHEREAS, the right to access information through reading is a
fundamental human right; and
WHEREAS, the blind have long been significantly denied the right to
read as reflected by the fact that less than 5 percent of published works
are available in accessible formats in the United States and less than 1
percent throughout the vast majority of the world, creating a book famine
for the blind; and
WHEREAS, it has been necessary to establish exceptions and limitations
to copyright law because permission by rights holders to reproduce
published works in accessible formats has traditionally been denied or has
taken far too long to acquire; and
WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind led an effort in 1996 to
pass the Chafee Amendment, which allows US authorized entities to reproduce
copyrighted materials in accessible formats; and
WHEREAS, only one-third of the world's nations have exceptions and
limitations to copyright law like those in Chafee, and it has been unlawful
to exchange accessible format copies of works across international borders;
and
WHEREAS, on and off for nearly thirty years, the World Blind Union
(WBU) has called for worldwide exceptions and limitations for the blind;
and
WHEREAS, most recently, in 2008, the NFB worked with the WBU to draft
a treaty proposal that would create exceptions and limitations in copyright
law throughout the world and allow for the cross-border exchange of
accessible format copies; and
WHEREAS, the WBU secured the countries of Brazil, Ecuador, and
Paraguay to table this treaty proposal in 2009 before the World
Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), an agency of the United Nations;
and
WHEREAS, the NFB has worked tirelessly with the WBU to get this treaty
proposal adopted in the face of stiff opposition from intellectual property
rights holders and many nations; and
WHEREAS, the WBU and the NFB scored a major victory in December of
2012 when WIPO's General Assembly called for the convening of a diplomatic
conference in Marrakesh, Morocco, to conclude and adopt an international
treaty; and
WHEREAS, WIPO did in fact convene a diplomatic conference from June 17
through 28, 2013, at which the international community on June 27 formally
adopted the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for
Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired, or Otherwise Print Disabled; and
WHEREAS, this is the first international instrument exclusively
addressing the needs and issues faced by the blind; and
WHEREAS, the Marrakesh Treaty represents a major step forward in
ending the book famine faced by the blind: now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention
assembled this fifth day of July, 2013, in the city of Orlando, Florida,
that we salute the international community of nations, the World Blind
Union, and intellectual property rights holders for coming together and
securing an international treaty that will dramatically open the flow of
information to the world's blind; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we express our gratitude to the other
members of the WBU, the United States government delegation to Marrakesh,
and certain rights holders like the Motion Picture Association of America
for working closely with the NFB to achieve this important victory; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we call upon President Obama to sign and
the United States Senate to ratify this treaty without delay.
----------
Resolution 2013-24
Urging the Corporate Board of Guide Dogs for the Blind to Instate
Appropriate Leadership
WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind was formed by the blind
of the United States to represent blind Americans in order to secure
equality, security, and opportunity for all blind people in the United
States, including ensuring their full and active participation in agencies
and organizations serving the blind; and
WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind is the largest
organization of the blind in the United States; and
WHEREAS, the NFB is concerned when agencies and organizations
purporting to serve the blind systematically exclude blind stakeholders
from true involvement and participation; and
WHEREAS, Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) has recently taken actions
that negatively affect its blind consumers; and
WHEREAS, GDB asserts that it has always been about relationships,
1. Matching just the right guide dog with the right person for safe,
independent travel;
2. Building relationships with graduates in the field while providing
excellent and comprehensive follow-up services;
3. Creating opportunities for relationships between handlers and their
guides and puppy raisers and fostering appreciation of contributions of
money and service; and
WHEREAS, its current leadership has unjustly laid off many highly
respected employees whose considerable expertise and experience have
provided outstanding graduate services and who deserve credit for making
GDB the fine organization it is today; and
WHEREAS, the number of field area managers has been cut from twelve to
six, dramatically increasing the number of graduates assigned to each,
creating fewer opportunities for relationship-building with unconvincing
assurances that a call center staffed by six can adequately handle the
highly individualized needs of over 2,000 working teams; and
WHEREAS, the reorganization plan will decrease the time field
representatives can spend with individuals in their regions because of the
layoffs and early retirement of highly respected professionals who have
played major roles in creating and setting high industry standards; and
WHEREAS, in the past positive staff/consumer relations have made Guide
Dogs for the Blind a safe place, where clients have been able to trust that
their best interests and individual needs would be respected and receive
prompt attention; and
WHEREAS, the current management's recent actions represent an
unwelcome return to the paternalistic decision-making that the blind had
hoped was behind us; and
WHEREAS, it is time for consumers' points of view to be more
powerfully represented, heard, and acted upon; and
WHEREAS, GDB's current leadership has demonstrated its lack of
awareness of the organization's unique corporate culture by failing to
address serious consumer concerns while continuing to assert that all is
well; and
WHEREAS, by enacting unpopular and sweeping changes before analyzing
the results of a recent graduate survey, current leadership clearly
indicates its lack of understanding of and concern for the consumer point
of view; and
WHEREAS, the leadership of GDB has removed blind employees from jobs
they had held for more than ten years and performed well, moving them to a
new backroom call center rather than allowing them to function in jobs for
which they were trained while serving as visible positive role models for
the blind and the general public, an act that calls into question the value
GDB leadership places on blind employees; and
WHEREAS, GDB's mission is not being fulfilled when current senior
management:
1. Suddenly lays off excellent employees who for many represent the voice
and face of GDB;
2. Reduces the number of graduate support field managers from twelve to
six;
3. Creates a new customer call center that is expected to provide the
same personalized graduate support previously accomplished by the
twelve outside field support staff;
4. Fails to recognize the high importance of having blind people employed
in all areas of the organization including jobs that keep them in
meaningful positions interacting with tourists and other visitors to
the campus; and
WHEREAS, only the board of Guide Dogs for the Blind can remedy the
leadership problems that threaten the future integrity of GDB: Now,
therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED, by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention
assembled this fifth day of July, 2013, in the city of Orlando, Florida,
that this organization condemn and deplore the actions of the current
leadership of Guide Dogs for the Blind; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this organization call upon the corporate
board of Guide Dogs for the Blind to take the necessary actions to put in
place qualified, appropriate leadership to restore the trust which has been
deeply eroded by unjustified layoffs and devastating cuts to consumer
support services; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization call upon Guide Dogs for
the Blind not only to return its relocated blind employees to the jobs they
were performing until they were moved to the backroom call center but also
to increase the number of blind employees throughout every department at
GDB; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this organization call upon the corporate
board of Guide Dogs for the Blind to require that a minimum of 51 percent
of its directors be consumers and immediately establish stronger linkage
between GDB consumers and the corporate board.
----------
Convention Miniatures
2013 Division Election Results:
The following divisions have notified us of the results of elections
conducted during the 2013 national convention:
The National Association of Blind Veterans
Elected at this year's convention were president, Dwight Sayer (FL);
first vice president, Gene Huggins (SC); second vice president, Larry Ball
(FL); secretary, Patty Sayer (FL); treasurer, Allen Bornstein (FL); and
board members, Debi Black (AZ), Clinton Grimsley (AL), Nancy Hester (FL),
Brad Loos (NE), Cory Keith (GA), and national chaplain and board member,
Father John Sheehan (NY).
----------
The Human Services Division
The following officers and board members were elected: president,
Merry C. Schoch (FL); first vice president, David Stayer (NY); second vice
president, Amalia Veliz (AZ); secretary, Nicole Yarmolkevich (IL);
treasurer, JD Townsend (FL); and board members, Tyrone Bratcher (MD), and
Denise Shaible (CA).
----------
Writers' Division
The following people were elected: president, Robert Leslie Newman
(NE); first vice president, Chelsea Cook (VA); second vice president, Eve
Sanchez (AZ); secretary, Katie Colton (UT); treasurer, Bonnie Newman (NE);
and board members, Myrna Badgerow (LA), Kim Valco (VA), Antonio Guimaraes
(RI), Thomas Taylor (CA), and Lori Stayer (NY).
----------
The Travel and Tourism Division
The division elected the following officers: president, Cheryl
Echevarria (NY); and new board member, Tracie Inman (FL). All other
officers remain the same.
----------
The National Association of Guide Dog Users
Elections were held for the offices of vice president, treasurer, and
one board position. The NAGDU board of directors is now as follows:
president, Marion Gwizdala (FL); vice president, Michael Hingson (CA);
secretary, Sherrill O'Brien (FL); treasurer, Toni Whaley (PA); and board
members, Margo Downey (NY), Julie McGinnity (MO), and Tina Thomas (CA).
---------
National Association of Blind Lawyers
The following individuals are all elected to fill two-year terms
expiring at convention in 2015: president, Scott LaBarre (CO); first vice
president, Ronza Othman (MD); second vice president, Timothy Elder (MD);
secretary, Ray Wayne (NY); treasurer, Larry Povinelli (AL); and board
members, Patti Chang (IL), Parnell Diggs (SC), Noel Nightingale (WA), Randy
Farber (TX), Anthony Thomas (IL), and Denise Avant (IL).
----------
NFB Krafters Division
This year two new board members were elected: Lisamaria Martinez (CA)
and Theresa Taylor (MN).
----------
The National Organization of Parents of Blind Children
The NOPBC proudly announces the members of its 2013-2014 board:
president, Carlton Anne Cook Walker (PA); first vice president, Andrea
Beasley (WI); second vice president, Kim Cunningham (TX); secretary, Pamela
Gebert (AK); treasurer, Pat Renfranz (UT); president Emerita, Barbara
Cheadle (MD); and board members, Jean Benning (MN), Laura Bostick (LA),
Denise Colton (UT), Bill Cucco (NJ), Rosina Foster (MO), Teresa Graham
(MD), Stephanie Kieszak-Holloway (GA), Belinda Martinez (NV), Holly Miller
(NJ), and Sandra Oliver (TX).
----------
The National Federation of the Blind in Communities of Faith
The division held elections, and the following officers were elected
by acclamation: president, Tom Anderson (CO); vice president, Rehnee Aikens
(TX); secretary, Linda Mentink (NE); and treasurer, Sam Gleese (MS).
----------
National Organization of Parents of Blind Children:
This year the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children
(NOPBC) celebrates thirty years of service to families. The continuing hard
work and dedication of past and present board members allow the NOPBC to
support parents in helping their children change what it means to be blind.
At the NOPBC annual meeting on July 3, 2013, a new board was elected.
The NOPBC thanks outgoing board members Jim Beyer, Wingfield Bouchard,
Amber Hall, Dave Hammel, Zina Lewis, and Trudy Pickrel and welcomes six new
members and our returning members to the board.
----------
Report from the Blind Parents Group:
Debbie Stein reports that the meeting of the Blind Parents Group heard
from Bookshare, explaining how parents can access Bookshare titles to read
with their children. Representatives from the One-Touch Self Defense
program invited parents to learn more during convention and beyond. The
bulk of the meeting consisted of a discussion of strengths and challenges
that blindness may bring to the parenting experience. Angela Frederick, a
doctoral candidate who is conducting research on parents with disabilities,
was there to listen and learn. Several parents spoke candidly of painful
experiences involving child protective services that were generally
triggered by a report from a neighbor or total stranger. Participants were
thrilled by the NFB's resolution to pursue passage of legislation
prohibiting discrimination based on blindness that is carried out by social
service agencies and in custody disputes.
----------
Report from the National Association of Blind Veterans:
The group set up its table and banners in the exhibit hall, including
a nine-foot banner over the table that was "superb and made it very
impressive," according to Mrs. Jernigan. On Tuesday night, July 2, at 7:00
PM, the division held its business meeting with many presenters as well as
the bi-annual elections. The meeting closed with presentations by vendors
providing prosthetics and equipment to the VA.
During exhibit hall hours the division sold NABV license plates; the
2013 patriotic pin, a gold shield with red, white, and blue drapes on
either side and the words "One Nation Under God" in the center of the pin.
The NABV 50/50 raffle netted $1600. The drawing took place Saturday, July
6, at noon. Harold Wilson of Baltimore was the winner of $825.
Congratulations, Harold. On Thursday, July 4, was the celebration of
freedom with the United States Air Force providing the color guard from
Patrick Air Force Base. A big thank you goes to the men from Patrick Air
Force Base for a job well done. Father John Sheehan and Dr. Jessica Ewell
provided our musical celebration. There were veterans from one side of the
stage to the other and wrapped around the end of the stage. All veterans
were presented with a red, white, and blue ribbon to attach to their
convention badges. In the center of the ribbon the word "Veteran" was
inscribed. The vets introduced themselves and announced their branch of
service. The division presented President Maurer and Mrs. Maurer with 2013
patriotic pins, and the celebration closed with a reminder that freedom
isn't free. President Sayer reminded everyone that, while remembering the
men and women of the armed forces, we must remember their families as well
because they wait, watch, wonder, and pray that their loved ones will come
home safe and sound.
----------
Report of the Job Seeker Seminar, Job Fair, and Employment Committee:
Dick Davis, chairman of the NFB Employment Committee, provided the
following report:
I'd like to thank everyone who participated in this year's Job Seeker
Seminar and Job Fair at the NFB convention. Approximately eighty-five
people attended the Job Fair. This was back-to-basics year, so we worked
with attendees on knowing the fundamentals of career preparation and job-
seeking skills. Many thanks to Employment Committee member Robert Leslie
Newman for coordinating the Job Seeker Seminar. I would also like to thank
committee members Bethel Murphy, Brenda Mosby, Dave Hyde, David Ticchi,
Fatos Floyd, and volunteer Susan Clark for their work. For the first time
we had a breakout session, which seemed to go very well, so that will no
doubt be a feature of future seminars. The breakout presenters and
attendees felt the time spent was worthwhile. One of the attendees set up a
LinkedIn account for himself and discovered that it has a reference letter
feature, so he immediately asked me to do one for him. To be honest, I had
not known about that feature. Since a number of employers check LinkedIn
before hiring a person, having letters of reference on it seems like a
great idea. The one-hour walk-through of the newly accessible Monster.com
by Ilya Shubik was also well received.
Well over two hundred attended the Job Seeker Seminar, where fourteen
employers were present. The room was mobbed for the first two hours of the
Job Fair, and one employer even ran out of business cards and brochures and
had to borrow a pen because her's ran out of ink. Every employer brought
away stacks of risumis. Fourteen employers were present: Benetech;
Cleveland Sight Center Call Center; Hadley School for the Blind; Industries
for the Blind, Inc.; Minnesota State Services for the Blind; National
Statler Center/Olmstead Center for Sight; New Mexico Commission for the
Blind; all three NFB training centers--BLIND, Inc., the Colorado Center for
the Blind, and the Louisiana Center for the Blind; Perkins School for the
Blind; the Piano Technology Group; SSB BART Group; the US Coast Guard;
Virginia Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired; and World Services
for the Blind. Many thanks to Suzanne Turner, committee member and Job Fair
coordinator, and the people from the Cleveland Sight Center, who held
practice sessions for those needing to polish their interviewing skills.
Based on the huge response from job seekers and employers in this first
year, I think we will need to double the size of the room next year to
accommodate the crowd.
I am sorry to report that the file we created of job fair attendees
became corrupted and was unusable. We intended to get feedback from all the
attendees through a follow-up survey, but that is now impossible, so I am
asking people who went to the Job Fair to give me feedback by emailing me
at <ddavis at blindinc.org>. We will still be able to send feedback forms to
the employers, because we have all their contact information.
The Employment Committee meeting had around thirty attendees. This
year it was more loosely structured than in the past, but we had
presentations from Mississippi State University, the Cleveland Sight
Center, Minnesota State Services for the Blind, Robert Leslie Newman of the
Writers' Division on "Where the Blind Work," Clovernook, and other
organizations and individuals. Jobseekers wanted to talk about what they
could bring to an employer. I think I have mentioned everyone, but, if I
did not, please accept my apologies.
All in all it was a great convention for NFB jobseekers. If anyone has
suggestions for how we can do things even better next year, please send
them to me at <ddavis at blindinc.org>.
----------
The National Association of Blind Automobile Enthusiasts Division:
The division had many small trucks and cars donated to it. According
to Division President Dave Hutchins, the highlight of the division's
activities this year was the sale of small cars for $5 each or four for
$15. The division conducted its annual seminar and business meeting, with
two speakers each from the Model A Club and the T-Bird Club. Having sold
out of the complete inventory of model cars, the division will have a new
inventory next year.
----------
Report of the Cash and Caring Committee Meeting at Convention:
Ramona Walhof reported as follows on the work of the cash and caring
committee at convention: The meeting had more than fifty people, I am sure.
There was standing room only for a while, and I collected more than fifty
cards with names and email addresses. Parnell Diggs, Scott LaBarre, Richie
Flores, and Joanne Wilson gave talks, and of course we did not have enough
time for discussion. We challenged states to establish a fundraiser with a
goal of raising at least $5,000 by the third year or expand an existing
effort by $5,000. Quite a number of people took this challenge. We talked
about the importance of sharing income with the national treasury, and I
think virtually everyone accepted that as a major need.
We will make a network of the names and emails of those who attended
to provide a means of sharing experiences, successes, and suggestions. We
will send the toolkit that we first distributed at Washington Seminar to
everyone who came to this seminar, and we will continue to add information
to it. We heard examples of events that raised $5,000 or more, talk about
making state conventions into means of raising funds from nonmembers as
well as members, and a list of the ways the NFB helps every blind person in
the country. Hopefully, the next two additions to the toolkit will be
Parnell's description of how the Columbia Chapter raises $24,000 with a
chicken dinner and a contribution from Scott LaBarre on estate planning.
----------
2013 NFB Communications Committee Meeting Highlights:
The focus of this year's agenda was how to disseminate our message and
news in changing times efficiently and affordably to membership and beyond.
Each affiliate and division was asked to present and address what
affiliates and divisions are doing now, why, and how. The majority present
expressed problems and needs and were given useful suggestions by NFB
colleagues. Concerns included lack of funding to produce multiple formats--
many giving up audio recordings and several eliminating print hardcopies.
All use email, most post a website version, a few still offer audio, and a
Braille edition was available in half the 22 affiliate newsletters. Placing
state communications on NEWSLINE is yet to be fully used by affiliates with
the service available. New communications yet to be embraced more fully are
Facebook and Twitter.
This committee is looking for additional members. If interested in the
committee's work, contact chairman Robert Leslie Newman.
----------
The National Federation of the Blind in Communities of Faith:
The NFB in Communities of Faith held its meeting on Wednesday, July 3.
We first listened to presentations from those who produce Christian
material for the blind. Craig Leeds from Braille Bibles International and
Darrel Templeton, president of Megavoice, spoke about the availability of
Bibles on NLS cartridges and a player using solar energy. The King James
and the New Living translations of the Bible are available on cartridges.
There are five translations available using the solar energy player. These
players cost $35. Father John Sheehan from Xavier Society for the Blind
assured us that his organization could produce Christian materials in
Braille, which could be kept by the user. He indicated that this is cheaper
than maintaining a library.
We also heard from Keith Elliot, director of field services for
Christian Record Services for the Blind, and from Mike Smith from the
International Christian Braille Mission. A representative from Bookshare
described its work in making books available for blind people. A
substantial collection of Christian literature is now available through
Bookshare.
Plans are in the works to organize Communities of Faith divisions in
various states. Devotions were held on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday
mornings one hour before the opening of the morning session of the NFB
convention. We had lively music, excellent solos, and messages presented by
Sam Gleese, Mike Smith, and Tom Anderson.
----------
Report of the Human Services Division:
The meeting of the Human Services Division was held on Wednesday, July
3. During the meeting Mike Truelock, a blind massage therapist, conducted
chair massages as a fundraiser for the division. The board of directors and
members are very grateful for Mike's hard work during our meeting as well
as at our table in the exhibit hall. Thank you, Mike.
The division had several informative presentations:
."Thoughts on Genetic Counseling as a Blind Person," presented by Ronit
Mazone, genetic counselor at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center
."The Journey to Private Practice," presented by Merry Schoch, division
board member
."The Human Services Professionals of Tomorrow," a presentation from
members of our 2013 NFB scholarship class
The business meeting resulted in an amendment to the division's
constitution regarding membership dues. Elections were then conducted.
Our members range from interested high school students to seasoned
professionals in such varied careers as psychotherapist, occupational
therapist, life coach, speech/language therapist, massage therapist, and
music therapist, to name a few. Anyone in a career track that leads to
being a professional in the human services field is welcome to join our
membership. Just write a check payable to NFB - Human Services Division and
mail it to the treasurer, JD Townsend, 1598 Riverside Drive, Holly Hill, FL
32117.
----------
Tidbits from the Krafters Korner:
The division celebrated its fifth year, and we are excited about the
number of telephone classes that are expanding to include a variety of
crafts. Classes range from knitting and jewelry making to many types of
beading.
Another great event at the convention was our craft sale, held on
Monday, July 1, from noon to 6:00. Quite a few people wandered through and
purchased handmade items. We also had some free make-and-take items such as
a pony-bead butterfly and an origami box. Krafter Korner had volunteers
helping anyone who wanted to try a hand at making these items. We had
visitors ranging from young children to seasoned crafters. It was a great
time to meet new friends and catch up with old ones. It was also a great
opportunity for parents of blind children to understand their youngsters'
potential.
----------
NAGDU at National Convention:
The National Association of Guide Dog Users, Inc. (NAGDU) is a strong
and proud division of the National Federation of the Blind. We hold our
annual meetings each year over two days during the NFB convention. On
Monday, July 1, after our packed room of convention delegates introduced
themselves, we accepted our treasurer's and secretary's reports. We then
read, discussed, and passed a resolution concerning Guide Dogs for the
Blind. You can read this resolution elsewhere in this issue.
Access to zoos with our guide dogs is an ongoing concern for NAGDU
and its members. With a wide diversity of policies among zoos in the United
States, NAGDU contends that many of these policies are not compliant with
the ADA. In keeping with the adage, "It is better to educate than to
litigate," we invited top officials who are in a position to help us make
changes to address our membership. Among these were Mark Jones, manager of
domestic services for guests with disabilities for Walt Disney Parks &
Resorts; Steve Olson, vice president of federal relations for the
Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA); and Mark Trieglaff of ACT Services,
who serves as an accessibility consultant to AZA. Each panelist discussed
how the organizations they represent can affect policies to comply with
their obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act and some of the
challenges zoos face with service animals on their premises. The discussion
was productive and laid the foundation for future collaboration with the
organizations represented.
On Wednesday, July 3, our meeting reconvened with committee reports,
including updates on the NAGDU Information & Advocacy Hotline; our social
networking efforts; enhancing our website; and a report on our advocacy
efforts over the past year.
Each of the chief executive officers of the guide dog training
programs in the United States was personally invited to attend our meeting
with the express purpose of providing their comments on the Guide Dog
Users' Bill of Rights we passed during our 2011 annual meeting. We
attempted to solicit these comments during our 2012 meeting; however, all
the training programs avoided this request. This year we advised the
training programs that the only comments we would permit were those
concerning the Bill of Rights. Some of these reports were in-depth, while
others could be charitably described as dismissive, evasive, and
nonsubstantive. Nonetheless, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
demonstrated that we are actively shifting the paradigm in the guide dog
movement in the United States and around the world. Transcriptions of the
training program comments, along with commentary from the NAGDU board will
be made available on our blog, which you can view at
<http://harnessup.wordpress.com>.
----------
Eleventh Anniversary Meeting of the NFB Travel and Tourism Division:
The division started as a group to discuss why blind people should
travel for leisure to places like Ireland or Walt Disney World or take a
cruise. The division has advocated for the rights of blind people who want
to cruise without sighted companions or work in the travel industry as a
travel professional or an outside business development manager.
We reviewed the division's history. Ms. Stephanie Nelson founded the
division. In 2001 she talked with President Maurer about having a travel
division, and in 2002 Doug Johnson of California was elected as the first
division president. Don Gillmore of Illinois also served as president, and
now Cheryl Echevarria from New York has been president since 2011. The
other officers are currently vice president, Maurice Shackelford (GA);
secretary, Margo Downey (NY); treasurer, Milton Taylor (UT); and board
members, Jemal Powell (IL) and Amy Baron (MN).
Secretary Margo Downey told the division about problems she and others
had with Southwest Airlines while flying to convention. The flight
attendants and gate agents in Buffalo, New York, did not understand the Air
Carrier Access Act and FAA regulations and tried to require passengers with
guide dogs to sit in bulkhead seats. This has been an issue with Southwest
Airlines for some time now. There is an Air Carrier Access Hotline. The
phone number is (800) 778-4838. Anyone can file a complaint with the
federal Department of Transportation by going to its website at
<http://www.dot.gov/airconsumer>. There is a link giving information about
filing a complaint. The only reason a passenger can legally be required to
sit in a certain seat or certain type of seat is to prevent something from
blocking the aisle or exits. This is an FAA regulation.
Steve Olsen from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums urged us to let
his organization know of any concerns we have while visiting zoos or
aquariums. The AZA has been around since 1929 and began accrediting in the
late 1970s. AZA now has 221 members. President Cheryl Echevarria urged
people to let her or Marion Gwizdala, president of the National Association
of Guide Dog Users, know about any zoo problems. Mr. Olsen's association is
willing to work with us to ensure enjoyable and problem-free visits to
zoos, aquariums, and related venues.
The new Travel and Tourism website is <www.nfbtravel.org>. Starting in
September we will hold a monthly teleconference call for members, people
thinking about becoming members, and anyone else interested in travel.
Please make sure you register on the nfbnet.org and sign up for the travel
and tourism talk list, to keep up with information.
Jessica Snyder from the NFB of New York described her trip to China.
In the 1990s China began to develop more comprehensive accessibility laws.
About 60 million people are considered disabled. China does have services
for blind children with mainstreaming and special classes. Elderly and
disabled citizens have a right to material assistance from the state and
society. Jessica had no problems as a blind person traveling in the
country.
Rob Nevin from U-R-Able, a company in Canada, spoke. It is concerned
about the underemployment and unemployment of blind people and seeks to
make employment more accessible. Along with JAWS its product makes using
software easier and more efficient with fewer steps. People can use this
accessibility software in call centers. Lawyers can use it, and so can many
other people. A person can use JAWS, a refreshable Braille display, and the
Alt software for work acceleration. Blind people can outperform sighted
people using this threefold approach and have even more chances to get the
jobs we want. The Alt software uses something called "beaming." It takes
the user from where she/he is to the end destination in a single step. Mr.
Nevin demonstrated the software for us.
Margo Downey presented a report on the Travel and Tourism working tour
of Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom. We used the way-finding and
description devices and were updated on Disney's accessibility features.
Disney cast members asked for our feedback in an effort to continue to
improve accessibility for all.
Mark Jones, manager for domestic services for guests with disabilities
at Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, presented to the group. There are over
130,000 cast members (employees) at Disney properties and on Disney cruise
ships. Sixty thousand cast members work at Walt Disney World. Blind people
are employed at Disney. He told us about the way-finding devices that
audibly update you as you walk through the parks and then describe
attractions. He also mentioned that the service dog relief areas are now
inside the parks and that any open grassy area can be used by service
animals in the parks. Mr. Jones welcomes suggestions, problems, and
compliments.
----------
Announcement about the United Blind Industrial Workers of America:
Thomas Stivers writes as follows: It is my honor to have been elected
as the chairman of the steering committee for the newly reconstituted
United Blind Industrial Workers of America. We will work together to
eliminate all subminimum wage payments on the basis of disability, ensure
equal opportunities for advancement for all blind workers, provide adequate
training to blind workers in sheltered employment who are seeking
mainstream jobs, and defend the rights of blind workers who are abused by
those who claim to be their protectors.
As of now the UBIWA is in its earliest stages, and we are looking for
members to give of their time, talent, and eventually treasure to make this
developing division of the Federation one of our strongest. Join the
mailing list by sending a blank message to
<workers-subscribe at ubiwa.org> or visit our website at
<http://www.ubiwa.org> to keep up with developments as they occur.
On behalf of the committee I offer thanks to the merchants division,
the Federation as a whole, Blind Industries and Services of Maryland, and
the lawyers division for their generous contributions, which will make this
organization possible.
----------
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.
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