[Nfbk] {Disarmed} National Federation of the Blind Newsletter - Happy Meet the Blind Month
Nickie Pearl
njp at twc.com
Thu Oct 2 13:34:49 UTC 2014
Imagineering Our Future
Issue 68
October 2014
In this issue:
a.. Message from the President
b.. What's News at the NFB
c.. Braille Initiative
d.. Education
e.. Product and Access Technology Talk
f.. From the tenBroek Library
g.. Independence Market
h.. Advocacy
i.. AmazonSmile
j.. NFB Calendar
k.. Citation
Message from the President
Dear Friends:
Well over a decade ago, we declared October to be Meet the Blind Month. This marks an intensive time of programming in our local chapters to get people to know the truth about blindness and how blind people are living the lives they want. Despite our tremendous progress there is still work to be done.
The other day I was out walking in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor with two of my children, aged four and seven. As my cane was about to tap a pole—indicating to me that it was there so I could move around it—a person grabbed me from behind with a hand on each shoulder and said “stop” in a firm voice. I admit that when strangers grab me on the street my gut reaction is not politeness, but I have worked hard to give the same response to this incident every time it happens. I replied to the stranger firmly gripping my shoulders, “Please do not grab me.” The reaction was immediate and very negative. As the person proceeded down the street grumbling loudly about how rude and inconsiderate I was, I wondered what we need to do to change the perception of the average person in this type of encounter.
Hundreds of our chapters will be out in local communities helping to change the understanding of blindness by engaging members of the public in activities led by blind people. The most important activity we undertake in the National Federation of the Blind is raising the expectations for blind people and demonstrating that blindness is not the characteristic that defines us or our future. If you are receiving this newsletter it is because you already have some experience with the impact and importance of the Federation. I would invite you to participate in our local Meet the Blind Month activities by taking the opportunity to teach someone else about blindness. You might share some of the videos from our YouTube Channel, stories from our Kernel Book series, or simply share your own experience. I believe that we can continue to positively change the public misconceptions about blindness, but it is going to take the efforts of all of us.
Among our Meet the Blind Month activities, I do not think you will find any of our chapters going out and grabbing unsuspecting sighted strangers on the street—though it is fun to imagine what the reaction would be to such an activity. Of course, I recognize that there are still too many people who do not know enough about blindness to believe that blindness is not the characteristic that defines us. Therefore, it is logical to many that grabbing a blind person to keep them safe is a respectable thing to do. For that same reason, blind people grabbing sighted strangers would not be viewed as acceptable.
I hope that in my lifetime we get to a level of understanding where blind people have the same right to their own personal space as everyone else. For this year’s Meet the Blind Month, I plan to talk to as many people as I can about how they might feel if a blind person came and grabbed them on the street. This is fair warning to the next person that grabs me on the street—you may get more questions than you expected. The truth is that the best way for us to create understanding is to create dialogue. That is the goal of our efforts in October, and in a sense that is the goal of the National Federation of the Blind—the complete integration of the blind on terms of equality.
Sincerely,
Mark A. Riccobono, President
National Federation of the Blind
What's News at the NFB
KNFB Reader App Now Available
On September 18, K-NFB Reading Technology, Inc. released the highly anticipated KNFB Reader, a new app for the iPhone and other Apple iOS devices, which uses the phone’s camera and state-of-the-art optical character recognition (OCR) technology to give the blind instant access to the contents of print materials. KNFB Reader is now available in the iTunes store – visit our affiliate link below to purchase and download, and encourage others to purchase through our link – a percentage of proceeds will benefit the National Federation of the Blind!
October is Meet the Blind Month
Meet the Blind Month is our nationwide campaign to increase awareness of, and support for, the National Federation of the Blind. Throughout October, members of the National Federation of the Blind will concentrate our efforts on conducting outreach activities that will create opportunities for members of the general public to meet the blind of their communities, and to recognize that we are vital contributing members of society.
Some members will conduct creative Meet the Blind Month projects and programs. Others will staff blindness information tables at local venues and events. Still others will simply walk around in populated areas with brochures, a smile, and a handshake. And in every activity we participate in this month, our active and vibrant membership will be proof of our conviction that blind people can live the lives they want; blindness is not what holds us back.
Share the Love, Hope, and Determination of the National Federation of the Blind
Have you been looking for a tool that properly conveys the many benefits of joining the National Federation of the Blind? We recently filmed a powerful and inspirational video in which President Mark Riccobono introduces himself and his family, and shows how the National Federation of the Blind helps blind people to live the lives we want. Whether you’re just getting to know the Federation or want a way to introduce our organization to others, you will benefit from watching this video and sharing it with your family, friends, chapter and affiliate members, and members of your community, especially during Meet the Blind Month. Watch the video now on our YouTube channel.
NFB Applauds Historic Ruling on Access to Absentee Ballots
On September 4,Judge Richard D. Bennett of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland issued an historic ruling requiring the Maryland Board of Elections to make its online ballot-marking tool available to voters with disabilities in the November election. The ruling in National Federation of the Blind et al. vs. Linda H. Lamone et al. means that voters with disabilities will be able to mark absentee ballots online to print out and mail to the Board of Elections.
Braille Initiative
Braille Certification Training Program
Under a contract with the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress (NLS), the National Federation of the Blind administers the courses leading to NLS certification of braille transcribers and proofreaders. Successful completion of these rigorous courses requires a great deal of time and effort on the part of the students. We congratulate the following individuals who earned certification during the month of July 2014:
Literary Braille Transcribing
Idaho
Jesse Jaggers, Boise
Philip Turney, Boise
Indiana
Christopher Marlowe Goodbeer, Bloomington
Kansas
Patricia Wasinger, Wichita
New York
Sharon J. Hunter, Deansboro
North Carolina
Mohammad A. Al-Rbehat, Laurinburg
Mario A. Collins, Laurinburg
Vondell Gupton, Laurinburg
Eric C. Lynch, Laurinburg
Ohio
Michael Ivy, Grafton
Texas
Athena Charlene Burdick, Gatesville
Hope Lorraine Dziedzic, Gatesville
Yulianna Espinoza-Duran, Gatesville
Sonya Denise Norwood, Gatesville
Washington
Yvonne Marie Phillips, Longview
Elizabeth Kristen Pitts, Vancouver
Music Braille Transcribing
Washington
Pamela J. Lorenz, Gig Harbor
Education
NFB STEM2U Leadership Academy
From September 5 to 7, twenty-four blind high school students from across the country spent the weekend at the NFB Jernigan Institute strengthening their leadership and mentoring skills in preparation for the upcoming NFB STEM2U regional programs in Baltimore, Boston, and Columbus. These high school students, or apprentices, will work in teams of ten at their respective regional programs to help facilitators ensure that the twenty elementary school students at each program learn as much as possible about STEM and about growing up to be a successful blind person. Over the next several months, the three teams of apprentices will continue to collaborate and prepare for their work at the NFB STEM2U regional programs by utilizing various technologies to stay in touch from their homes across the country. A few tweets from the apprentices provide a glimpse into the experience from the students’ perspective.
Tweets
@KeniaFlores98: I have had such a great experience at the NFB Jernigan Institute, and I cannot wait to return in November and learn even more. #NCBYS #STEM
@SexxyPenguin: Up thinking about the important roles we will have with these children☺️@anillife @KeniaFlores98 @lillieboo323 @pulyperez1 @nlshaheen #NCBYS
@lillieboo323: #ncbys #stem was amazing. Too many people to name and thank. You all are amazing.
@shawnabraham21: I'm gonna miss everyone from #stem2u Only wish it could've lasted longer. #NCBYS #stem
@pulyperez1: This ended too soon… Going home now. going to miss everyone. Had so much fun learning about being leaders #NCBYS #STEM
Follow the NFB STEM2U action on Twitter by tuning into the #NCBYS hashtag.
Product and Access Technology Talk
The access technology team has been very busy as we move into the fall. On September 9, in collaboration with the Maryland Technology Assistance Program, we held our largest accessibility event to date. The Web Accessibility Training Day drew more than two hundred attendees, and hosted speakers from diverse backgrounds including Fortune 500 companies, government, and higher education. Our speakers addressed the importance and practicality of ensuring that web resources are accessible to all users, and highlighted both technical and policy decisions that can increase quality and ease of use of resources on the web for all users, whether or not they have a traditional disability. The event was conducted as part of the training initiative for the newly launched NFB Center of Excellence in Nonvisual Access to Education, Public Information, and Commerce. The Center of Excellence serves to share the considerable knowledge that the NFB and its partners have of web accessibility in order to bring about greater accessibility in government, education, and business; to promote best practices nationally; and to build Maryland’s status as leader in the field.
If you were unable to attend this year’s great Web Accessibility Training Day, we will be releasing speakers’ PowerPoint presentations as well as audio recordings of the sessions. Keep an eye on www.nfb.org for more details.
While the Web Accessibility Training Day excitement has come to a close, the access technology team is gearing up for another major educational event. Train the Trainer, planned for October 15-17, will focus on assisting access technology trainers, teachers, and others who assist blind users in choosing and learning new technology to hone their skills, and stay on top of the current trends in both mainstream and access technology. With sessions covering everything from notetakers to cloud productivity suites, it will be an event that trainers will find invaluable. Although spaces are filling quickly, a few seats are still available. If you, or a trainer you know, may benefit from the event, please visit https://nfb.org/training-the-trainers to learn more, and reserve a space before they are all gone.
From the tenBroek Library
Newel Perry Inducted into APH Hall of Fame
In May of 2014, Dr. Newel Perry (1873-1961) was inducted into the American Printing House for the Blind’s (APH) Hall of Fame. This high distinction is awarded to leaders and legends in the blindness field, and Dr. Perry’s admittance to this elite group has long been overdue. Fans of the history of the National Federation of the Blind may know him as the mentor of our founder, Dr. Jacobus tenBroek, but his impact on the American disability rights movement extends far beyond that.
Among his many accomplishments, Perry was the first blind graduate of the University of California at Berkeley (1896), earned a doctorate in mathematics at the University of Munich (1902), and successfully lobbied the New York state legislature to sign into law the first bill appropriating reader funds for blind college students (1906). In his capacity as a teacher at the California School for the Blind (1912-1947), he tutored the best and brightest students and is credited with preparing 78 graduates to find work in a variety of fields during a time period when most blind people were considered unemployable.
Perhaps most importantly, however, Dr. Perry founded the California Council of the Blind in 1934 and encouraged the young tenBroek to found the first national organization of the blind in 1940, giving blind people everywhere the power of collective action to advocate for their rights. Established to honor his memory in 1955, the NFB bestows the Newel Perry Award on individuals, sighted or blind, who have demonstrated courageous leadership and outstanding service in the blindness field by working in partnership with the National Federation of the Blind.
For more information on the life and work of Newel Perry, the APH has published an extensive biography at http://www.aph.org/hall/bios/perry.html. Also in 1961, tenBroek eulogized his mentor and life-long friend in a speech called “Newel Perry: Teacher of Youth and Leader of Men,” which is available at https://nfb.org/Images/nfb/Publications/speeches/NewellPerryTeacherOfYouthLeaderOfMen.html.
Independence Market
The NFB Independence Market is a resource for our members, their family and friends, and the general public. We distribute our literature, which conveys the powerful message that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you; you can live the life you want. Our members use our literature to share our positive philosophy of blindness with their communities.
October is Meet the Blind Month and many of our chapters around the country will be conducting various outreach activities to educate their communities about the abilities of blind people. The following are the most popular literature items our members use for such projects.
•What is the National Federation of the Blind? Brochure
This brochure gives some introductory information about the NFB.
•Do You Know a Blind Person? Brochure
This brochure lists various resources available to people who are experiencing severe vision loss.
•Braille Alphabet Cards
These cards show a tactile and visual representation of the Braille alphabet, provide a short sample text for reading practice, and give some information about the NFB.
•Kernel Books
These little paperback books contain stories written by our members, in which they share their everyday experiences with blindness.
Of course the fall is also the season for ordering new calendars for the coming year. The Independence Market distributes the American Action Fund Braille Calendars, which are available free of charge. We also sell several large-print calendars. The 2015 Spiral Bound Appointment Calendar is now available for ordering. We hope to have the 2015 large-print planners and wall calendars available later in October.
For more information about any of the above items or about the other literature and products available from the NFB Independence Market, please contact us via email at independencemarket at nfb.org, or by phone at (410) 659-9314, extension 2216.
Advocacy
Securing Accessible Practice Exams
In order to compete in high-stakes testing on an equal footing with sighted peers, it is critical that blind individuals have full access to practice exams, in addition to necessary test-day accommodations. Too often, practice exams that are compatible with screen access software are difficult, if not impossible, to obtain. Rather than studying, blind test takers may be forced to spend months advocating for accessible practice tests. The problem is compounded by the fact that sometimes practice exams are sold by the testing entity itself, and other times are sold by separate publishing companies. Practice exams in question include those needed to prepare for professional licensure tests, admission to graduate school, advanced educational placement tests, and others.
The NFB is committed to advocating for accessible practice exams for blind individuals. To do this, we need your help. If you have experienced difficulty obtaining an accessible practice exam, please contact Valerie Yingling at (410) 659-9314, extension 2440, with the following information:
1.. Name of practice exam and high-stakes test with which it coordinates
2.. Publisher of the practice exam
3.. Format sought (electronic screen-reader-compatible format, Braille, or other)
4.. Date requested
5.. Outcome of request
National Federation of the Blind and AmazonSmile
With the holiday season fast approaching, the National Federation of the Blind is pleased to announce that your online shopping can now benefit the blind through AmazonSmile! When you shop at http://smile.amazon.com/ch/02-0259978, a portion of the money you spend will be donated to the National Federation of the Blind to fund programs that help the blind live the lives they want.
NFB Calendar
Upcoming Events
NFB Access Technology Train the Trainers - October 15-17, 2014
NFB STEM2U at Port Discovery, Baltimore, MD – November 6-8, 2014
Start of the NFB's Seventy-fifth year – November 16, 2014
State Conventions
Alaska – October 3-5, 2014
Arkansas – October 3-5, 2014
Washington – October 3-5, 2014
District of Columbia – October 8-12, 2014
California – October 9-12, 2014
Nebraska – October 9-12, 2014
Georgia – October 10-12, 2014
Michigan – October 10-12, 2014
Montana – October 10-12, 2014
Iowa – October 17-19, 2014
Indiana – October 17-19, 2014
Rhode Island – October 17-18, 2014
Vermont – October 24-26, 2014
Citation
Although the belief system of the past may hold that there is nothing essential to learn about what blindness is or how to deal with it, this time-worn understanding of the capacity of the blind is no longer uncontested. We human beings ordinarily observe only that which we already know, and we learn only when 90 percent of what is presented is familiar. But this is not all. Learning cannot occur unless there is a teacher with the wisdom and the capacity to dream of the other 10 percent. Those in the school systems, in the governmental and private agencies for the blind, and in the public at large can work with us to accelerate the achievement of independence for the blind, and increasingly this is precisely what has been occurring. But they cannot provide the inspiration and the dream—that must come from us. We will learn what we must, imagine a time when we have eradicated the misconceptions about the blind, provide an alternative explanation which is more complete than the misguided theories of the long ago, and teach the public about our basic normality. This is our goal, our mission, and our right.
--Marc Maurer. "The Mysterious Ten Percent." 1992 NFB National Convention, Charlotte, North Carolina, July 3, 1992.
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Interesting links:
Archive of Straight Talk About Vision Loss videos
National Center for Blind Youth in Science
Access Technology Tips
TeachBlindStudents.org
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Voice of the Nation's Blind
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