[nfbmi-talk] {Disarmed} Fw: NFB Jernigan Institute Newsletter - December Tidings

Larry Posont president.nfb.mi at gmail.com
Tue Dec 3 00:09:33 UTC 2013




From: Mark Riccobono 
Sent: Monday, December 02, 2013 9:08 AM
To: Larry Posont 
Subject: NFB Jernigan Institute Newsletter - December Tidings


             Imagineering Our Future 
           
                  Issue 59 
                 December 2013 
                 

            In this issue:

              a.. Message from the Executive Director 
              b.. What's News at the NFB 
              c.. Education 
              d.. Braille Initiative 
              e.. Advocacy 
              f.. Product and Access Technology Talk 
              g.. From the tenBroek Library 
              h.. Independence Market 
              i.. NFB Calendar 
              j.. Citation

             

            Message from the Executive Director
            Dear Friends,

            At the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) we believe that blindness is not the characteristic that defines our future. Everyday our members dream of new ways to expand our participation in society, and in the process we have a lot of fun. During the past month, I had the opportunity to play a new sport invented by members of the NFB of Maryland. We might not actually be able to call it a “sport” yet, so let’s call it a new game in development. We have coined the term "blockey" for this new game.

                 
            As you might have guessed, blockey is blind hockey. Since we had an ice rink available to us, we thought we would do more than simply skate. We invented a beeping puck by routing a hole in the puck big enough to fit a beeper that is about the same diameter of a quarter. We got some cones to mark off our goal areas and a separate sound source for the goals. Rather than buy hockey sticks, we decided to use brooms (yes, this was a low-budget development project). Although some rules of this game needed to emerge as we went along, we had a great time in the first-ever blockey game played in Ocean City, Maryland, on November 8, 2013. I am proud to say my team won, although it is hard to say it was because of our dominating skill on the ice.

            Once again, members of the Federation innovated and dared to venture into new territory. In the process, we gathered some valuable data about what works, and we had a lot of fun—especially after the bumps and bruises heeled. While blockey is a new horizon of participation for the blind, there is still a lot of everyday life that we are shut out of simply because the systems are designed without considering nonvisual access for the blind.

            I am thankful that we have the NFB—now in its 74th year—to demonstrate to the world how the systems of our society can be built with the blind in mind. As we work to break down the artificial barriers in society we also create new avenues of participation. As your lakes freeze over and the ice rinks become active again, maybe an NFB blockey game will emerge in your community. Whatever you take on as the winter arrives, remember to dream big, have fun, and to be thankful for the tremendous progress we have made as a result of the National Federation of the Blind.

                 
            Sincerely,



            Mark A. Riccobono, Executive Director
            NFB Jernigan Institute

            P.S. When considering your end-of-year donations, please keep the NFB in mind.  Help support our programs by donating at www.nfb.org/make-gift.




            What's News at the NFB
            NFB Bid for Equality

            It is not too late!  How are you giving back this #GivingTuesday, December 3? View and bid on one of our must-have packages at www.biddingforgood.com/bid-for-equality. Your last chance to snag these great deals is tomorrow, December 3, at 11:59 p.m. Don’t miss your opportunity to make your bid for equality. 

            We want to thank all of the affiliates who dedicated their time to coordinate packages for our online auction. We have a total of thirty affiliates participating and fifty-two unique packages! 
            The future is in your bid. We appreciate your support!



            NFB Meet the Blind Month

            The results are in for this year’s Meet the Blind Month challenges! We want to thank each team for its hard work throughout October.  


            Challenge #1: The top five contributing teams were:
            1.    SHOWME (Missouri) 
            2.    NFBJAZZ (Louisiana) 
            3.    NJSTRONG (New Jersey) 
            4.    NFBMD (Maryland) 
            5.    NFBTX (Texas) 


            Challenge #2: Outreach was also successful. It is great to see that our members are actively engaging the local community and receiving such a positive response. The Challenge #2: Outreach’s winner is the North Central Chapter of Louisiana. During the month of October this chapter organized food and clothing drives, participated in a state-wide Girl Scout event, tail-gated at a Louisiana Tech football game, and read to pre-school students.  


            We can’t wait to see what is in store for next year!




            NFB 2014 Scholarship Program

            Are you a legally blind college student living in the United States or Puerto Rico? This annual program offers thirty scholarships worth from $3,000 to $12,000 to eligible students, from high school seniors beginning their freshman year of college in the fall semester of 2014, up through graduate students working on their PhD degrees.  These merit scholarships are based on academic excellence, community service, and leadership. In addition to the money, each winner will receive assistance to attend the July 2014 NFB National Convention in Orlando, Florida, providing an excellent opportunity for high-level networking with blind people active in many different professions and occupations.  Applications are accepted from November 1, 2013, through March 31, 2014. Go to www.nfb.org/scholarships for complete rules and requirements.  



            Odin Mobile Partnership


            The NFB is excited to announce that we have formed a partnership with Odin Mobile, a wireless provider that is 100 percent dedicated to providing cellular service to people who are blind and visually impaired.  This partnership will bring you additional choice as you look to fulfill your mobile communications needs.  


            Odin Mobile offers a variety of cellular phones, including basic mobile phones with built-in accessibility features that allow individuals who are blind to text message, access contacts, and perform other basic tasks, as well as smart phones, such as the Nexus 4 from Google, that offer the latest in Android accessibility.  With monthly airtime rates as low as $10 per month, Odin Mobile has plans to fit various budgets and needs. 


            Perhaps best of all, when you mention that you are an NFB member, you will receive a special 5 percent discount on Odin Mobile talk and text plans.  The NFB will receive a percentage of the revenue that Odin Mobile generates from NFB members, so you help the NFB as well.  Odin Mobile is committed to supporting NFB members and their mobile communications needs.  So the next time you need to buy a new cell phone, or subscribe to a new service provider, be sure to check out Odin Mobile at www.odinmobile.com, or call them at 855-217-9459.



            Holiday Shopping Ads on NFB-NEWSLINE 

            We are pleased to inform you that there are now holiday sales circulars from twelve chain stores on NFB-NEWSLINE on a temporary basis.  The ads from these stores, Albertsons, Best Buy, Giant Food, Home Depot, Kohls, Kroger, Publix, Sears, Staples, Toys R Us, Walgreens, and Wal-Mart, will be available until December 31.  Sale circulars for Target, which have been on NFB-NEWSLINE since July 2011, will continue to be offered.  

            To access the new holiday sales circulars on the telephone portion of NFB-NEWSLINE, go to the main menu to press the number five, which is labeled, “To read newspapers in a different state.” Next, press option five, which is now labeled, “Holiday Shopping Advertisements” and follow the prompts to select your favorite retailer. To register to NFB-NEWSLINE or to learn more about the service, please visit: www.nfbnewsline.org, or call us at 1-866-504-7300.

                 

            Education
            National Center for Blind Youth in Science Recently Funded by a Grant from the National Science Foundation

            The NFB recently received funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to develop, implement, and evaluate the National Center for Blind Youth in Science (NCBYS), a three-year, full-scale development project to increase informal learning opportunities for blind youth in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).The NFB will collaborate with six science centers from across the country and the affiliates in which those science centers reside to conduct two-day, multi-age, regional STEM programs for blind youth, parents of blind children, and teachers. Additionally, the NFB and museum personnel will collaborate to improve the accessibility of exhibits and programming at each of the museum sites so that blind patrons may be afforded the same learning opportunities as sighted patrons. We are excited about this opportunity to expand our work in informal STEM education to include the museum and science center settings. Talented professionals from across the country will come together to facilitate the programming that comprises the NCBYS initiative. Senior team members include: Mark Riccobono, principal investigator; Christine Reich, co-principal investigator; Natalie Shaheen, project director; Dr. Tiffany Wild, researcher; and Dr. Joe Heimlich, evaluator. It will undoubtedly be an exciting three years of growth in learning opportunities for the blind in STEM. To learn more about the project and to stay up-to-date, visit the project Web page and follow @NFBScience on Twitter.


            This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1322855. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.




            Letters from Santa

            Once again, Santa has enlisted the help of the elves at the NFB Jernigan Institute to send Braille letters to hundreds of blind boys and girls.  

            Between November 18 and December 19, parents can complete a request form for a Braille letter from Santa at https://nfb.org/santa-letters. The form can also be printed and faxed to (410) 685-2340.  In case Santa’s helpers at the NFB have questions, requests for letters must include the writer’s name, mailing address, telephone number, and e-mail address, and the child’s name, birthday, and gender. 


            The deadline for letter requests is December 19 to ensure that a return letter in Braille is received before Christmas.  The letters will be accompanied by a print copy.


               

            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 NFB 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 September 2013:

            Literary Braille Transcribing
            Alabama
               Jessica Blaine Chapa, Talladega 


            California
               Charlene C. Chong, Alameda


            Colorado
               Denise L. Brendle, Littleton


            Florida
               Virginia Schreitmueller, Niceville

            Idaho
               Donald Larison, Boise


            Indiana
               Demond Barnes, Bunker Hill


            Iowa
               Dusty Lee Robinson, Burlington


            Kentucky
               Geneva Mae Brown, Louisville 
               Vicki-Lou Monroe, Louisville 
               Yvonne Roseanna Wells, Louisville 
               Yan Zhang, Louisville 


            New Jersey
               Joseph Frank Mangano, Saddle Brook


            New York
               Mary Ann Knapp, Brockport


            North Carolina
               Eric D. Butler, Laurinburg


            Ohio
               Cecil Benjamin Brown, Grafton


            Washington  
               Teri Lee Johnson, Vancouver
               

            Mathematics (Nemeth) Braille Transcribing
            Texas
               Beth Suzanne Landers, Gatesville


            Music Braille Transcribing
            Montana
               Marjorie B. Holt, Havre 


             

            Advocacy
            Technology, Education, and Accessibility in College and Higher Education Act Introduced in Congress

            The NFB applauds Congressman Tom Petri (R-WI) for introducing the Technology, Education, and Accessibility in College and Higher Education (TEACH) Act (H.R. 3505). The TEACH Act, which is the result of collaboration between the NFB and the Association of American Publishers (AAP), the leading trade association of the U.S. publishing industry, and has been endorsed by ten other organizations of and for people with disabilities, will create accessibility guidelines for electronic instructional materials and related information technologies used by institutions of higher education.  

            For more information, please read the joint press release from the NFB and the AAP.



            Provide Feedback Regarding Your Travel Experience

            The NFB is committed to removing barriers and promoting equality for blind travelers. In light of the Department of Transportation’s recent and insufficient application of the Air Carrier Access Act to self-service kiosks and airline Web sites, the need for advocacy amid the travel industry is increasingly apparent.  

            Member feedback regarding individual travel experiences is central to this effort.  The NFB, therefore, encourages all members to complete a brief online travel survey at www.nfb.org/TravelSurvey.  Your feedback provides the NFB with essential accessibility data that help drive collective advocacy efforts and guide the engagement of travel industry leaders.  


            In order to provide a truly accurate picture of accessibility at travel centers across the nation, we ask that members complete the survey each time they travel.   Please take time to share your travel experiences, both positive and negative via the survey.  

            Please contact Valerie Yingling, paralegal at the NFB, at vyingling at nfb.org, or 410-659-9314, extension 2440, for additional information.




            Product and Access Technology Talk
            At the Accessing Higher Ground conference in Colorado, Anne Taylor’s co-presentation with Yury Borukhovich from eText at illinois, "eText - An Accessible, Interactive, Multimedia-capable, Electronic Course Content Delivery Platform," was well received by both the in-person and online audiences. Accessibility in education continues to be a focus in the team’s work to ensure that blind users are not left behind as technology changes.


            In December, we will be hosting a seminar for manufacturers of voting machines here at the NFB Jernigan Institute in Baltimore. The seminar will focus on the needs of deaf-blind users voting with personal devices. As voting systems change, it is important to keep underserved groups such as the deaf-blind in the picture, as their right to a private ballot has often proved hard to exercise due to technological barriers.

            In blog news, there is a new post on HumanWare’s Prodigi talking digital magnifier. This magnifier, which we didn’t get to review for the previous survey of talking magnifiers, is a unique addition to the lineup, and well worth exploring.



            From the tenBroek Library

            This month we are pleased to announce the latest addition to the expansive audio resources freely available on the NFB’s Web site [insert link]: the Kernel Books series. Published by the NFB from 1991 to 2006, these thirty small (yet mighty) books are filled with stories of the everyday experiences of blind people—written by the blind themselves. Initially the brainchild of Former NFB President Kenneth Jernigan (1926-1998), the Kernel Books were an attempt to present, to the sighted public, an inside view of what it is really like to be blind--from the perspective of those who understand it best. 

            In the introduction to the very first Kernel book, 1991’s What Color is the Sun, Dr. Jernigan explained the intention behind these innovative books:  

            The persons who appear in the pages of the book are people that I know friends, former students, colleagues in the National Federation of the Blind. Mostly they tell their own stories, stories of ordinary men and women who think about last night's dinner, today's taxes, and tomorrow's hopes and dreams. These are people I think you would like to know…When you have finished reading these personal accounts and reminiscences I hope you will have a better picture of what it is like to be blind and how blind people feel. Mostly we feel just about the same way you do.


            Originally available in print, Braille, and audio cassette recording, these books were a simple and effective way to change the public’s attitudes and perceptions about the day-to-day lives of blind people and about blindness in general. Despite the discontinuation of the series with 2006’s Freedom, they continue to be an excellent resource for both blind and sighted individuals, as well as for those currently losing their vision. 

            Text versions of the complete Kernel Books series are available online through the NFB Web site and the original print booklets are also available for free through the Independence Market while supplies last. However, the NFB stopped producing the audio cassette copies several years ago and for a time it was feared that many of these audio versions had been lost forever. But thanks to the forethought of a dedicated member, the Jacobus tenBroek Library came into possession of a complete set of the audio Kernel Books earlier this year. And now by popular demand from Federationists across the country, we are pleased to announce that the first five audio books have been successfully digitized and are available for streaming and download on the NFB Web site.

            To listen to some of these fascinating and illuminating stories, please visit https://nfb.org/kernel-books today. Be sure to check back often as we add new audio titles in the coming months. And just to whet your appetite, here are links to a small selection of stories from What Color is the Sun and 1992’s The Freedom Bell:

            "Being Blind (My True Story)"
            "One Small Step at a Time"
            "What Color is the Sun"
            "Hamburgers and the Practice of Law"

             

            Independence Market
            In the NFB Independence Market, we are also excited about the effort to digitize the audio versions of the Kernel books, as described in this month's news from the Jacobus tenBroek Library.  Many of our members order copies of our Kernel books from the Independence Market to use as part of their chapter's public education efforts.  Twenty-eight of the thirty published titles are still available in print and a smaller number are available in Braille.  Our members also have been asking for digitized versions of the audio to share with other blind individuals in their communities.  We are sure that our growing digitized audio collection of Kernel Book stories will become a valuable resource to our chapters to build membership.  The text of all the Kernel book titles is also available online, and in the not-too-distant future, so will all of the audio.

            In addition to NFB literature, the Independence Market is also a source for purchasing a variety of blindness products. In our product list you will find many items useful to enhancing the independence of the user.  Keep us in mind as you shop for those on your holiday gift list who are blind or losing vision.

            We also have items that may appeal to some of the sighted individuals on your holiday shopping list.  Perhaps they might be interested in a print copy of our 50th Anniversary Cookbook. This 404-page book is packed with recipes offered by our members, each of which was originally printed in our flagship publication, the Braille Monitor.  You will find dishes from breakfast casseroles to beverages, dips, relishes, soups, salads, meats, seafood, vegetables, to breads, cakes, pies, cookies, and other desserts.  Doesn't this list make you hungry? The book also includes many diabetic-friendly recipes.  

            You might also have someone on your gift list that would enjoy receiving a Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar.  This coin was issued by the United States mint in 2009 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of the inventor of the most successful reading and writing system for the blind, Louis Braille.  Blind people around the world value the Braille system, which has given many of us an effective tool to enhance our independence.  


            For more information about products and NFB literature available through the Independence Market, please contact us by e-mail, or call us at 410-659-9314, extension 2216.  We will be glad to assist you with your holiday shopping needs.  


             

            NFB Calendar
            Upcoming Events

            Washington Seminar – Great Gathering-In – January 27, 2014

            Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium, "Disability Rights in the 21st Century: Creative Solutions for Achieving the Right to Live in the World" – April 24-25, 2014

            Start of the NFB's 75th year – November 16, 2014

             

            Citation
             We have known isolation and poverty, but we have sometimes found ways to reach beyond them.  We have encountered closed minds, but we have often found ways to open them.  Many of us have felt despair, but our friends in the movement have shown us a future filled with promise.  I have traveled the country, and I have met with members of the National Federation of the Blind.  We have often said that we have capacity, and I am convinced that sometimes we do not know just how much.  My experience with Federation members gives me enormous confidence.  I am absolutely certain that the equality we seek must and will be ours.  Nothing can keep us from it.  Our heritage demands it; our experience requires it; our lives proclaim it.  Nothing, nothing on earth can keep this dream from coming true.  The risks are monumental, but we will take them together.  Of such strength is made the future for us all; of such spirit is fashioned the National Federation of the Blind.

            --Marc Maurer. "Opportunity, Danger, and the Balance of Risk." Banquet speech, 2011 NFB National Convention, Orlando, Florida, July 8, 2011.

             

            Thank you for reading the NFB Jernigan Institute’s Imagineering Our Future.
            Help make a significant difference in the lives of blind people across the country.

                 
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      Interesting links:

      Archive of Straight Talk About Vision Loss videos

      National Center for Blind Youth in Science

      Access Technology Tips

      TeachBlindStudents.org



           





      Blogs: 
      Access Technology

      Voice of the Nation's Blind







           





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