[nfbmi-talk] {Disarmed} Fw: JI Newsletter - The Importance of Education

[Larry Posont]

From: Mark Riccobono 
Sent: Thursday, September 06, 2012 8:02 AM
To: Larry Posont 
Subject: JI Newsletter - The Importance of Education


       
            Imagineering Our Future
           
                  Issue 45
                 September 2012
                 



            In this issue:

                a.. Message from the Executive Director

                b.. What’s News at the NFB

                c.. Education

                d.. Advocacy

                e.. Product and Access Technology Talk

                f.. From the tenBroek Library

                g.. Independence Market

                h.. Spotlight on the Imagination Fund

                i.. NFB Calendar

                j.. Citation


            Message from the Executive Director
            Dear Friends,

            Education is a critical element to success. It is one of the most treasured gifts we can give children and adults. It is the area where the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) spends the most time and resources. Access to quality education is something I value, partially due to the fact that I have had difficulty getting good access to education and the skills required to succeed as a blind person. I am now viewing education from a new perspective—as the parent of a kindergartener. 


            School opened in the Baltimore City Public Schools on August 27.  My wife, Melissa, and I showed up with our son, Austin, for his first day of kindergarten. As he lined up with his class, I wondered what his education would be like and what things he would go on to do starting from this moment. For that matter, what about the other kids in his class—how would he benefit from them and vice versa? We spent the first fifteen minutes of class with Austin, his class, and the handful of other parents that were there for the first day send-off. The classroom had many of the elements that my kindergarten classroom contained, but it also included technology that had not even been imagined in the early 1980s.

            When I arrived at the NFB Jernigan Institute later that morning, I couldn’t help but think about the blind kindergarten students that might also be starting school this fall. The future is going to be better for them because of the work of the NFB. We are currently working with a variety of educational institutions and technology-product companies to ensure accessibility is built into the technological advances that are rapidly invading education. It breaks my heart to think that right now contracts are being signed to implement technologies that are going to systemically shut out those blind kindergarteners from access to information. All too often that is happening without complete knowledge by those signing the contracts. However, sometimes accessibility is cut out because it is falsely viewed as less important, something extra, or not easily achievable. This is extremely frustrating considering that we have a tremendous knowledge base about accessibility that we continue to offer to anyone willing to listen.

            My frustration was alleviated some when I reflected upon an interaction that happened in the kindergarten room that morning. One of the kids sitting at Austin’s table pointed to me and wondered out loud about my cane. Austin responded with a matter of fact, “He’s just blind.” Although I certainly hope it does not take the development of an entire generation of kids to turn the paradigm of accessibility, I am cheered up to know that change is coming, and I am proud that my son is part of the effort. I hope that we will be able to use our new status as parents to further educate administrators, educators, and policy-makers about the importance of building accessibility into technologies being used in education. Furthermore, I look forward to observing the results of Austin’s classmates growing up with the attitude that blindness is no big deal.

            I hope that you are utilizing your connections within the community to educate those around you about the importance of accessibility and the capacity of blind people. As students of all ages return to formal classrooms around the country, remember that each of us is presented with opportunities every day to teach the truth about blindness and change what it means to be blind.
             

            Warmest regards,
             
            Mark A. Riccobono, Executive Director
            NFB Jernigan Institute



            What's News at the NFB

            Informational Protests - Goodwill


            The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) led over ninety informational protests against Goodwill Industries on Saturday, August 25.  These protests, held in thirty-five states across the country, consisted of groups of two to fifty people.  The purpose of the protests was to promote public awareness of the unfair, discriminatory, and immoral practice of paying subminimum wages to many of its workers with disabilities.  Some of those workers are paid as little as $0.22 per hour, based on information uncovered through the Freedom of Information Act.  Members of the NFB were joined by people from ADAP, ASAN, People First, and other cross-disability organizations.  The NFB supports legislation, the Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act (H.R. 3086), which would eventually eliminate the provision that permits special certificate holders to pay their employees with disabilities subminimum wages.  Visit our Web site at www.nfb.org/fairwages for more information on this issue.
             

            State Conventions


            Fall is almost here, which means it’s time for the NFB fall state conventions! Conventions feature a variety of topics, including: blindness-related programming, deliberations on state and local policy matters, administration of internal organizational business, special exhibits of interest to members, and more. Each convention is unique, reflecting the traditions and customs of that state. Without exception, though, you can be sure that a state convention of the NFB promises to be the highlight of the affiliate’s year. This is a great time to get involved with your affiliate, meet people in your local area, and learn about exciting events occurring on a state and national level. See the NFB Calendar below for dates of the fall conventions, and plan to attend a convention near you!
             

            CFC and Workplace Giving


            Federal employees know that September 1 is the start of the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC).  Use code 11162--Blind Federation of America to donate to the NFB.  If you are not a federal employee, check with your employer to see if your organization participates in charitable giving by matching funds or by facilitating payroll deductions.  If you aren't able to donate through your workplace, you can do so through the NFB Web site. 
             

            Appalachian Trail Anniversary Celebration


            On August 11, 2012, seventeen members of the NFB of Maryland traveled to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, to participate in events at the 5th anniversary celebration of the completion of the Appalachian Trail (A.T.). Members marched in a parade, handed out information about the positive philosophy of the NFB, and even got in a little hiking on the A.T.

            The A.T. stretches approximately 2,180 miles from Georgia to Maine. It is part of the national park system and the world's longest hikers-only trail. Each year, 2-3 million visitors walk a portion of the trail and 1,800 to 2,000 people attempt to thru-hike. Only one in four who attempts a thru-hike is successful.  The A.T. is maintained by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy through its thirty-one local member organizations.

            The anniversary celebration was a weekend-long event of hiking, workshops, music, exhibits, and a parade. Through their participation in these events, the members of the NFB of Maryland were able to show what is possible when the positive philosophy of the NFB is combined with proper training in the alternative techniques of blindness.


             


            Education
            Braille Reading Pals Club


            It is not news that the National Federation of the Blind is passionately committed to Braille literacy. In fact, Braille literacy is the backbone of our education programs. It is our desire that even the youngest blind child has exposure to Braille literacy skills. One of our programs, the NFB Braille Reading Pals Club (BRPC), offers this early exposure. The NFB BRPC fosters positive attitudes about Braille for children and their families, and promotes a love of reading by encouraging parents to read daily with their blind or low-vision child. NFB BRPC is free for children up to the age of seven. When parents sign up their child for the program he or she will receive an annual free dual Braille-print book, a stuffed animal “reading pal,” a monthly electronic newsletter, and a quarterly activity page. The August activity page was a connect-the-dot tactile picture that connected Braille letter by Braille letter. Activities such as these provide children with the opportunity to learn Braille in both a fun and hands-on way.  Sign up on the Web site, www.nfb.org/braille-reading-pals-early-literacy-program. Again, this program is free and gives parents extra resources to start their blind child with a great foundation for literacy! For questions about the NFB BRPC, please contact Abby Bispo at 410-659-9314, extension 2312, or by e-mail at abispo at nfb.org.




            Early Explorers

            The NFB Jernigan Institute has two programs designed specifically for children up to the age of seven. One of these programs is NFB Early Explorers, a cane travel program designed to introduce young blind children and their families to the long white cane. Through the program, parents will receive the tools, support, and confidence needed to become their child’s first cane-travel teacher. We in the Federation know that providing children with an early start to independent movement and travel ensures that children will be more confident and curious travelers throughout life. Families participating in the program will receive an informational DVD and a free child-sized white cane. Participants of the NFB Early Explorers program also receive Travel Tales, a quarterly e-newsletter containing information about events at the NFB Jernigan Institute, as well as information and tips for parents.  The e-newsletter also includes a section entitled “Ask the Experts,” which gives parents the opportunity to write in and ask questions about cane travel, independent movement, and blindness in general. The most recent issue included ideas for activities that parents and children could do over the summer to keep cane skills sharp. 

            To learn more about NFB Early Explorers, or to register, please visit www.nfb.org/earlyexplorers, e-mail earlyexplorers at nfb.org, or contact Meleah Jensen by calling (410) 659-9314, extension 2418. Help us spread the word about the importance of early movement for young blind children by telling the parents and families you encounter about the NFB program!

            The NFB wishes to thank the CVS Caremark Charitable Trust for their financial support of the Early Explorers program.





            Advocacy
            As most are aware, there are elections in November, including one for the President of the United States.  Subscribers to NFB-NEWSLINE® will be able to receive election coverage through national and local newspapers.  Through their local channels they will also be able to access information about the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), and who they should contact if their voting location does not have an accessible voting machine.  

            Since 2003, the NFB Jernigan Institute has been the recipient of a HAVA grant from the Administration on Developmental Disabilities, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The purpose of the grant is to promote voting among the blind, improve the accessibility of voting machines, and provide training and technical assistance to the nation's protection and advocacy system.

            The NFB Jernigan Institute performed surveys of blind voters across the United States as a HAVA grant activity following the 2008 and 2010 elections. Both surveys indicated that, for blind voters, the greatest barrier to voting privately and independently is the untrained poll worker who does not know how to set up or operate the accessible voting machine. To combat the problem of the untrained poll worker, the NFB Jernigan Institute has developed The Blind Poll Worker Recruitment Flyer to help NFB affiliates and chapters recruit their members to serve as poll workers. Blind voters are excellent candidates to serve as poll workers because they have experience in the operation of accessible voting machines, and they have a vested interest in ensuring that the right to vote privately and independently is guaranteed to all voters at the polling place.

            To view and download The Blind Poll Worker Recruitment Flyer, the results of the 2008 blind voter survey, and other documents related to voting by the blind, please visit our Web site at http://nfb.org/hava-legislation. Information about accessible voting machines can be found at http://nfb.org/purchasing-voting-machine.

            A pre-election event, The National Forum on Disability Issues, will occur on September 28, in Columbus, Ohio.  This nonpartisan event will focus on the disability positions of each of the two major Presidential candidates.  The candidates for the Ohio seat in the U.S. Senate have also been invited.

            To register for the forum or to sign up to stream the event "live" via the Internet, go to the Web site http://www.nfdi.org/.



            Product and Access Technology Talk
            It’s almost fall again, and our access technology team has been busy working behind the scenes on improvements.  The new arrangements in the International Braille and Technology Center for the Blind are now almost complete, so we look forward to using the newer, faster computers and being able to show visitors our Braille production area.

            Another behind-the-scenes improvement is to our blog, which has been revamped to reinstate the RSS feed and allow full access to older posts. Speaking of the blog, we have some really fascinating posts. Our director of access technology wrote up her experiences with the brand-new Nexus 7 tablet, and there are some really exciting new developments. There’s also a review of the Braille Edge and Robobraille, as well as a pointer to a podcast guest starring one of our team members. You can find all that and more at http://nfb.org/at-blog.

            Finally, there is an ongoing service we provide that is worth highlighting--our Technology Answer Line. If you call the NFB and choose option 5, it will take you to an answering service where you can leave questions about access technology and be called back by one of our team members. You can also e-mail us at access at nfb.org. Whatever it is you want to ask us about access technology, we’ll get back to you!



            From the tenBroek Library
              Bust of Jacobus tenBroek   
                 
            Every day, Federationists take inspiration from the two most notable NFB presidents of the past--Jacobus tenBroek (1911-1968) and Kenneth Jernigan (1926-1998).  We’re pleased to say that the existence of the tenBroek Library has a lot to do with both the material and philosophical legacy of these two men.

            The library, of course, is named for Dr. tenBroek, and we often point out that the key research resource we own is the Jacobus tenBroek collection—the yards and yards of personal and professional papers that document the life and work of this great leader.

            Dr. Jernigan’s importance to the research library at the national center is the example he set at the Iowa Commission for the Blind.  During his twenty years at the helm of the first rehabilitation center to fully apply the techniques and philosophy of the NFB, Dr. Jernigan nurtured a great Braille library, as well as a major research library on blindness.

            By establishing a research library within the Jernigan Institute, the members and leaders of the NFB memorialized Kenneth Jernigan’s seriousness about scholarship and learning.  As those who have used our resources know, our growing collection of published materials (books and periodicals—in print, Braille, and electronic formats) serves the needs of researchers interested in subjects ranging from the depiction of blind people in children’s books to the history of blindness in Roman antiquity, and from Braille instruction manuals to the struggle for disability rights.  Your library—the library owned and controlled by the blind—covers the gamut of everything related to blindness (except the medical).

            The National Center began accumulating books even before the Jernigan Institute was established, but it was only in 2008 that the tenBroek Library adopted an official collection development policy.  Now, with more than seven thousand items listed in our catalog, THE BLIND CAT, we think it’s time to keep you informed about what we acquire and catalog.

            By clicking here you’ll get to our new recent acquisitions Web page.  Our first recent acquisitions list covers items cataloged during the first seven months of 2012.  We intend to create new lists each month and to post them here in the Imagineering Our Future e-newsletter.  The items are listed in Dewey Decimal call number order, so they generally follow an arrangement by subject.

            Start today.  Look over our list of newly cataloged items and see if there’s anything you’d like to read.  You can then go to THE BLIND CAT to find out if we have it in digital format.  If we don’t and you are not able to visit us in Baltimore, contact us at jtblibrary at nfb.org, and we’ll see what we can do about making the item available to you.



            Independence Market 
            It's that time of year again when new calendars appear in stores and malls.  The NFB Independence Market is also stocked with our selection of 2013 Braille and large-print calendars.  Here is the list of what we have available.,

            2013 American Action Fund Braille Calendar 
            This comb-bound, pocket-sized Braille calendar measures 6 x 6 1/2 inches. Each calendar page includes the days of the month and lists major holidays. A page for personal notes is in the back. This calendar is available free of charge.,

            2013 Large-Print Calendar
            This spiral-bound, large-print appointment calendar measures 8 1/2 x 11 inches with inside pockets. Each month is displayed on two facing pages and features two-inch blocks for each day of the month. The months are tabbed and include a section for monthly notes as well as a three-month calendar overview. The calendar costs $10.00 plus shipping and handling. 

            2013 Large Print Planner
            This organizer, designed with low-vision professionals in mind, features easy-to-read large print. The spiral-bound, 146-page planner with a black leatherette cover measures 8 1/2 x 11 inches. All calendar views are spread over two pages and include current and upcoming year-at-a-glance views as well as twelve monthly and fifty-three weekly views. Pages for names and addresses, notes, and personal information are also included.

            Products, including the items listed above, can be ordered from the NFB Independence Market online or by phone.  For more information contact us via e-mail at IndependenceMarket at nfb.org, or by phone at 410-659-9314, extension 2216. 



            Spotlight on the Imagination Fund
            We’re continuing our Text-to-Give campaign. Text BLIND to 85944 to make a $10 donation to the Imagination Fund.

            Donations to the Imagination Fund go toward supporting programs at the Jernigan Institute, as well as those in local affiliates. Additionally, these funds are used to provide substantial grants to various affiliates and divisions for special projects. Remember, this funding doesn’t happen by magic, although magic things happen when we fund our programs!



            NFB Calendar
            Upcoming Events

            Braille Symposium – September 27–30, 2012 

            The National Forum on Disability Issues– September 28, 2012

            Meet the Blind Month - October, 2012 



            State Conventions

            NFB of North Carolina State Convention - September 6-9, 2012

            NFB of Arizona State Convention - September 7-9, 2012

            NFB of Iowa State Convention - September 28-30, 2012

            NFB of Kentucky State Convention - September 28-30, 2012

            NFB of Hawaii State Convention - September 29-30, 2012

            NFB of Alaska State Convention - October 5-6, 2012

            NFB of Arkansas State Convention - October 5-7, 2012

            NFB of Illinois State Convention - October 5-7, 2012

            NFB of Nebraska State Convention - October 11-14, 2012

            NFB of California State Convention - October 18-21, 2012

            NFB of District of Columbia State Convention - October 19-21, 2012

            NFB of Indiana State Convention - October 19-21, 2012

            NFB of Michigan State Convention - October 19-21, 2012

            NFB of Washington State Convention - October 19-21, 2012

            NFB of Colorado State Convention - October 25-28, 2012

            NFB of Minnesota State Convention - October 26-28, 2012

            NFB of Oregon State Convention - October 26-28, 2012

            NFB of Maine State Convention - October 27, 2012

            NFB of Connecticut State Convention - November 2-4, 2012

            NFB of Georgia State Convention - November 2-4, 2012

            NFB of Kansas State Convention - November 9-11, 2012

            Montana Association for the Blind State Convention - November 2-4, 2012

            NFB of Nevada State Convention - November 2-4, 2012

            NFB of Ohio State Convention - November 2-4, 2012

            NFB of Pennsylvania State Convention - November 2-4, 2012

            NFB of Virginia State Convention - November 2-4, 2012

            NFB of Maryland State Convention - November 9-11, 2012

            NFB of New Jersey State Convention - November 9-11, 2012

            NFB of New York State Convention - November 9-11, 2012

            NFB of Texas State Convention - November 9-11, 2012

            NFB of Puerto Rico State Convention - November 11, 2012



            Citation
            Next in importance to freedom and justice is popular education, without which neither freedom nor justice can be maintained. --James A. Garfield, 20th President of the United States





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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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