[NFBMI-Talk] Take the Census | U.S. Census Bureau

[Kane Brolin]

https://2020census.gov/?cid=20002:%2Bcensus:sem.ga:p:dm:en:&utm_source=sem.ga&utm_medium=p&utm_campaign=dm:en&utm_content=20002&utm_term=%2Bcensus

Just one more message this afternoon, about something that all of us
can do--perhaps without any help from a sighted person that would have
to be beside you physically:  We can do our part to complete the 2020
U.S. Census, even while stuck at home in hopeful avoidance of the
novel coronavirus.

Census results affect planning and funding for healthcare—including
programs such as Medicaid, Medicare Part B, State Children’s Health
Insurance, and the prevention and treatment of substance abuse.

Census results affect planning and funding for education—including
programs such as Head Start, Pell Grants, school lunches, rural
education, adult education,
and grants for preschool special education.

Census results affect planning and funding for
infrastructure—including programs for highway planning and
construction, Section 8 housing, federal transit, community
development, and rural water and waste disposal systems.

It will be quite some time before a census worker knocks on your door
to ask a question in-person.  But you can satisfy this federal
requirement and give info about your household over the phone at
(844)330-2020 or through filling out an online form, which will open
up if you click on the link at the top of this message. .

I have been following this issue online and have found that most blind
people who try the online method are finding it to be accessible.
Except that you start by typing a 12-digit number into the form that
has been generated uniquely for you; that number appears, or will soon
appear, in a printed piece of paper you get in the mail.  If you are
able to deploy a scanning solution with optical character recognition
such as what you find with the KNFB Mobile Reader, or if you use an
older, PC-based solution such as Kurzweil 1000 or OpenBook, you might
be able to find even that special 12-digit code on your own.  If not,
it's a great mini-task for which you could employ an agent from Aira
or a friendly volunteer at Be My Eyes.

Those of us who are blind are no strangers to hardship.  I hope
everyone within the range of these words gets through this COVID-19
season with relatively little damage.  I look forward to hearing
stories of how we in the blind community have used our resourcefulness
to keep enjoying life and keep being productive in the midst of this
shared challenge.  We as the blind are used to raising expectations,
to overcoming obstacles, and to carving out a path when none seemed
possible.

Warmest regards,

Kane Brolin
President, Michiana Chapter
National Federation of the Blind of Indiana
(574)386-8868 (mobile)