[Nfbmt] National Federation of the Blind Newsletter - A High Five for the Federation, Family, and Furthering our Movement

Wed Jun 1 21:56:10 UTC 2016

Read this exciting newsletter and contemplate what momentous times we live
in, and how you can become involved in making history.  Joy 

From: Mark Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind 

Sent: Wednesday, June 01, 2016 1:08 PM
Subject: National Federation of the Blind Newsletter - A High Five for the
Federation, Family, and Furthering our Movement

Imagineering Our Future

Issue 87 

June 2016   

In this issue:
Message from the President <> 
What's News at the NFB <> 
Braille Certification Training Program <> 
>From the tenBroek Library <> 
Independence Market <> 
Advocacy <> 
Access Technology <> 
NFB Calendar <> 
Citation <> 

Message from the President

Dear Friends:

I have held many titles but without a doubt the most important one is "Dad."
As Father's Day approaches, I need your help to protect the rights of other
blind fathers (and mothers) and to ensure that future blind parents have
access to quality resources that will help them and those around them know
that blindness is not the characteristic that defines their ability to be a
great parent.

I am calling on you today to give a high five to blind parents for Father's
Day. By making a contribution of $5 (or some multiple of $5), you can help
the National Federation of the Blind strengthen and broaden our initiative
for blind parents. Last month we launched the first phase of blindparents.org
<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=5430&qid=1285491>
--our online resource center for connecting, empowering, and protecting blind
parents in fulfilling their dream of living up to the title of mom, dad,
grandmother, or grandfather. The more high fives we get on this Father's Day,
themore blind parents or prospective parents we can connect, empower, and
protect.

Every day we come across blind people who are preparing to be parents but who
have never met a blind parent. Unfortunately, these same individuals are
often surrounded by sighted friends and family who question how they will
effectively serve as caregiver. These questions are frequently rooted in
misconceptions about blindness and low expectations. Unless we get these
blind parents connected with other blind parents like my wife Melissa and me,
the questions begin to add doubt and fear to the general concern that every
new parent faces. Through the National Federation of the Blind, we offer a
meaningful personal mentoring connection that helps answer the questions.

All new parents have questions, but there have not been adequate resources
for blind people to discover and share the techniques, tools, strategies, and
tips that blind people use to effectively parent without vision. Through the
National Federation of the Blind, we are building out the resources to
empower blind parents to know and share the techniques and information that
they need to be outstanding caregivers. What product is best for gaining
access to a child's temperature? What techniques do blind people use to
monitor their children? How do blind parents deal with transportation and
managing the daily schedule of after-school activities, homework, school
meetings,etc.? These questions and others are ones that successful blind
parents already have answers to, and through our work we will create new
means of sharing this knowledge base, continuing to build it with new ideas,
and empowering blind parents to utilize it in their day-to-day parenting.

Some may be surprised  that every week we learn of more blind people who have
had the custody of their child threatened by social workers, counselors,
neighbors, and even other family members who have low expectations and no
experience with the nonvisual techniques that blind people use to be
effective parents. Often times children are separated from their parent who
is blind and the misunderstanding about the capacity of blind people is the
primary reason. The characteristic of blindness should not be used to rip
these families apart and we can do something about this discriminatory
behavior. Through the National Federation of the Blind, we provide legal
advocacy,assistance, and training to protect blind parents in cases where
blindness is being used to unfairly divide parents from their children. We
also undertake advocacy to eliminate state laws that permit blindness to be
used to demonstrate inability to parent. Likewise, we are proactively
developing resources and training to reach more social workers, family court
personnel, hospital staff, families, and others to break down the
misconceptions and strengthen understanding about the capacity of the blind
to be great parents.

If you believe in our comprehensive strategy to connect, empower, and protect
blind parents, then I need a high five from you. In fact, the more high fives
the better. You cannot put a price on love; and our blind parents initiative
is protecting the bonds of love between blind parents and their children.

Please join with me by giving us a high five on our donation page. Also help
us spread the word about our blindparents.org
<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=5430&qid=1285491>
webpage. To get involved in our blind parents initiative, please send an
email to parenting at nfb.org.

Sincerely,

Image removed by sender. Graphic: Signature of Mark Riccobono

Mark A. Riccobono, President
National Federation of the Blind

What's News at the NFB

Thank You to our 2016 National Convention Elite and Platinum Sponsors

Elite:
Vanda Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Platinum:
Cardtronics, Inc.
Delta Air Lines
Google, Inc.
Oracle
Target
UPS
VFO (Freedom Scientific/Optelec)

Delay on Internet Regulations by DOJ

The National Federation of the Blind, the nation's leading advocate for equal
access by the blind to information and technology, condemned the announcement
by the United States Department of Justice
<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=5431&qid=1285491>
(DOJ) that it will further delay issuing regulations under Title II of the
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and instead seek further comments from
the public on what those regulations should contain. Details can be found at
https://nfb.org/national-federation-blind-condemns-delay-web-accessibility-re
gulations
<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=5432&qid=1285491>
.

Uber Settlement

In an unprecedented settlement, Uber has agreed to take affirmative steps to
prevent discrimination against blind riders who use guide dogs in its
transportation network across the United States. Read our full press release
at
https://nfb.org/groundbreaking-settlement-end-discrimination-against-blind-ub
er-riders-who-use-guide-dogs
<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=5433&qid=1285491>
.

Image removed by sender. Graphic: section divider

Braille Certification Training Program

Contest for Braille Readers

The Onkyo Braille essay contest is administered by the National Federation of
the Blind for the North America/Caribbean Region of the World Blind Union.
Essays must be written in Braille and in English or their author's native
language and must be completely original. Entries should be no fewer than
eight hundred words and no more than one thousand words.

The contest is divided into two groups of competitors--one junior group, aged
twenty-five and under; and one senior group, aged twenty-six and above.
Prizes range from $500 to $2,000. All essays must be received by June 30,
2016. Visit http://www.nfb.org/onkyo-braille-essay-contest
<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=5446&qid=1285491>
for more information and an application.

Image removed by sender. Graphic: section divider

>From the tenBroek Library

The month of June is always busy at the NFB Jernigan Institute as our staff
works hard to get everything ready for our annual national convention,
typically held the first week of July. Since 1940, the size and shape of the
national convention has changed greatly; yet looking at the early convention
records housed in the papers of our founder, Dr. Jacobus tenBroek, it is easy
to see that largest annual gathering of blind people in America still remains
true to its roots. It is, and has always been, a time for members to come
together both to conduct the serious business of the organization and to
strengthen the bonds of the Federation family through networking, the sharing
ofcommon goals, and exciting adventures. A prime example of this can be found
in the convention agenda for 1952:

     TENNESSEE ASSOCIATION FOR THE BLIND

OUTLINE OF PROGRAM of the NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND to be held in
NASHVILLE at the ANDREW JACKSON HOTEL SATURDAY, July 12 through TUESDAY JULY
15.

(Note: This is the first time for the National Federation of the Blind to
hold its annual convention, not only in Tennessee but in the South. This year
the National Federation will hold a Bowling Meet for the Blind. This will be
the first time that the Federation has sponsored such an event.)

PROGRAM

SATURDAY MORNING, July 12: Registration in the lobby of the Andrew Jackson
Hotel; 

1. Atomic Research - A Job for the Blind, Dr. Bradley Burson; 

2. How Safe are the Blind? Mr. Smith Shumway; 

3. Public Welfare Principles, Mr. George Card.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON: 

A Living Pension for the Blind. [panel presentation]

(On Saturday Night many of the delegates will visit the Grand Ole Opry, where
a block of tickets has already been reserved.)

SUNDAY MORNING, July 13: 

Rehabilitation, Employment and Vending Stand Programs. [presentations]

SUNDAY AFTERNOON: 

Discriminatory Exclusion of the Blind from Trades and Professions. [panel
presentation]

SUNDAY EVENING, July 13: The climax of the entire convention will come on
Sunday, July 13, with a reception for guests and delegates, followed by a
banquet.

Kenneth Jernigan, President of the Tennessee Association of the Blind will
serve as toastmaster at the banquet. Governor Gordon Browning will introduce
the principal speaker of the evening, Dr. Jacobus tenBroek, President of the
National Federation of the Blind. Some three hundred people are expected to
attend the reception and banquet. Besides Governor Browning, Mayor West of
Nashville, several of Tennessee's Congressmen, and Representatives of several
Civic Groups will be present. At the banquet, Western and Northern delegates
who are visiting the South for the first time will be treated to two Southern
specialities, fried chicken and chess pie.

MONDAY MORNING, July 14: Executive director's report.

MONDAY AFTERNOON: On Monday afternoon the Tennessee Association of the Blind
will conduct the convention delegates and their guests on a tour through
Nashville and some of the surrounding area. Among those places visited will
be the Parthenon, the Hermitage, and the new school for the blind at
Donelson. Lunch and dinner will be served on the tour.

MONDAY EVENING: A bowling meet will be held on Monday evening. Blind people
from several states are expected to compete for honors.

TUESDAY MORNING: Legislative program.

TUESDAY AFTERNOON: White Cane report, treasurer's report, election of
officers and selection of a Convention city for 1953.

For more information on the timing and activities of the 2016 NFB National
Convention, please visit the convention webpage
<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=5434&qid=1285491>
today!

Independence Market

Last fall we shared with our readers that the National Federation of the
Blind is starting to update our brochures to reflect our new branding. At
that time we had just completed our main brochure, " What is the National
Federation of the Blind
<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=5437&qid=1285491>
." If you wish to know what text the brochure contains before handing out
hard copies in print or in Braille, you may review the brochure text online.
The Braille version
<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=5447&qid=1285491>
may also be downloaded as a BRF file and embossed on demand.

We are excited to announce that we just completed the revision of the
National Organization of Parents of Blind Children brochure
<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=5439&qid=1285491>
. You may review this one online as well. Print and Braille copies of the
National Federation of the Blind brochure and print copies of the National
Organization of Parents of Blind Children brochure may be ordered from the
Independence Market.

At this time the staff of the NFB Independence Market are busily gearing up
for our national convention, which will be held this year in Orlando,
Florida, at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort from June 30 through July 5. In
preparation for the convention we are adding new items to our stock and are
updating our catalog. At the convention itself almost all of our sales
products and much of our free literature will be available in the exhibit
hall. Convention attendees will have a chance to examine demo items of all
our products, including the new ones.

Many volunteers will help staff our store at convention to assist with
demonstrating products to our customers and processing the resulting
purchases. If you would like to volunteer for a shift in the Independence
Market, please contact Patricia Maurer at our national office by phone at
410-659-9314, extension 2272, or email her at pmaurer at nfb.org. Thank you in
advance to all of you who are helping out in some capacity. We would not be
able to run the Independence Market at convention without you.

We hope to see many of you in Orlando. If you are not able to join us at our
convention, check out the Independence Market online
<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=5440&qid=1285491>
or contact us via email <mailto:independencemarket at nfb.org>  or by phone at
410-659-9314, extension 2216, for a catalog. Please note that we will not be
able to process any online or telephone orders while we are away at
convention.

Advocacy

Help Advocate for Accessible State and Local Government Websites - Your
Stories are Needed by July 15

The need for access to public websites continues to be an area of critical
importance to the NFB. Though the courts have increasingly identified that
websites fall within the intent and scope of the Americans with Disabilities
Act, and cannot be vehicles of discrimination and exclusion against blind
citizens, the federal government has yet to confirm regulations that would
require websites to be accessible to individuals with disabilities. The NFB's
advocacy for such regulations cannot stop until websites are accessible.

In May, the U.S. Department of Justice published its Supplemental Advance
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking titled Nondiscrimination on the Basis of
Disability; Accessibility of Web Information and Services of State and Local
Government Entities (SANPRM) in the Federal Register. In response to the new
SANPRM, the NFB is gathering comments and stories from members to highlight
the importance of access to state and local government websites. We need your
stories, both positive and negative, regarding the importance of accessible
state and local government websites-websites for voter registration, applying
for a state or local government job, appealing a property taxassessment,
renewing a library book, requesting food stamps, registering for a class at
your local state or community college, or any other state or local government
service. Visit www.nfb.org/TitleIISANPRM
<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=5441&qid=1285491>
for steps on how you can help the NFB advocate for accessible websites,
and/or contact Kyle Walls at 410-659-9314, extension 2223, or kwalls at nfb.org.
We will be gathering member stories through July 15. 

Access Technology

In the aftermath of the deluge of new technology that was CSUN, the access
technology team has been catching up on a few things. We've also been writing
things up (the team wrote three blog posts for Global Accessibility Awareness
Day (GAAD), covering the latest accessibility improvements on Android, the
new B2G notetaker, and accessible browser choices. In other GAAD news, we
also presented to accessibility champions and other interested staff at
Expedia on web accessibility.

For those of you who live near Baltimore, you may be interested to learn that
we've announced the next two accessibility boutiques. The topic for the June
boutique is converting printed text to digital text: optical character
recognition in the office and on the go. That will take place on June 23,
8:00-10:00 a.m. The July boutique on July 25, 3:00-5:00 p.m. will be on
accessible websites, made accessibly-an introduction to Wordpress. If you are
interested in attending either or both of these boutiques, RSVP to
cvangerven at nfb.org; space is limited. The event will be held at the
NationalFederation of the Blind Jernigan Institute at:

200 East Wells Street
at Jernigan Place
Baltimore, MD 21230

NFB Calendar

Upcoming Events

May 23-August 26, 2016: NFB BELL Academy held at forty-six sites throughout
the nation. More information at https://nfb.org/bell-academy
<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=5442&qid=1285491>
.

June 19-25: NFB EQ (first iteration)

June 30-July 5: National Federation of the Blind Convention, Rosen Shingle
Creek, Orlando, Florida, https://nfb.org/convention
<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=5434&qid=1285491> 

July 31-August 6: NFB EQ (second iteration)

August 18-25: WBU-ICEVI General Assembly, Rosen Centre Hotel, Orlando,
Florida, www.wbu-icevi2016.org
<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=5443&qid=1285491>

Citation

Our own National Federation has blazed the trail and shown the way. We have
demonstrated what blind men and women can do in freedom and in concert,
through independence and interdependence. We have proved, in the fires of
battle, our right to organize, to speak for ourselves, and to be heard.

- Dr. Jacobus tenBroek. " The Parliament of Man... The Federation of the
World
<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=5444&qid=1285491>
" 1964 NFB National Convention, Phoenix, Arizona, July 2, 1964. 

Thank you for reading the NFB's Imagineering Our Future.

Help make a significant difference in the lives of blind people across the
country.

Image removed by sender. Better Business Bureau Accredited Charity Logo
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sender. GuideStar Exchange Gold Participant Logo

<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4049&qid=69278
0> Make a Gift Today

Back to Top <> 

 <http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=5445&qid=1285491>
Image removed by sender. Image of a hand holding a cell phone with the KNFB
Reader logo

Image removed by sender. Two girls attending Youth Slam smile widely.

<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4050&qid=69278
0> Make a
Gift Today

To donate a vehicle to the NFB, call toll-free
(855) 659-9314
or visit our 

<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4051&qid=69278
0> vehicle donation
page.

To donate clothing or household items to the NFB, 
visit 

<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4052&qid=69278
0> www.nfbpickup.org/ 
or call toll-free 
(888) 610-4632
to schedule a pickup or to find drop locations.

Image removed by sender. Photo: Father and Child

If this issue was forwarded to you and you would like to subscribe, please
email  <mailto:JerniganInstitute at nfb.org.> JerniganInstitute at nfb.org. 

Image removed by sender. Two people use their canes as they walk down the
sidewalk.

Please check with your company to see if it offers a matching program that
will match your gift.

Image removed by sender. A man uses alternative technologies to read a
restaurant menu.

Interesting links:

Archive of Straight Talk About Vision Loss videos
<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4053&qid=69278
0> 

National Center for Blind Youth in Science
<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4054&qid=69278
0> 

Access Technology Tips
<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4055&qid=69278
0> 

TeachBlindStudents.org
<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4056&qid=69278
0> 

Image removed by sender. A young blind boy examines the leaves on a tree.

Blogs:

Access Technology
<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4057&qid=69278
0> 

Voice of the Nation's Blind
<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4058&qid=69278
0> 

Image removed by sender. A blind girl reads Braille to her older sister.

Support the National Federation of the Blind through the Imagination Fund
<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4059&qid=69278
0>
<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4059&qid=69278
0> .

National Federation of the Blind
200 East Wells Street
at Jernigan Place
Baltimore, MD 21230
United States
(410) 659-9314
<https://nfb.org/civicrm/mailing/unsubscribe?reset=1&jid=2842&qid=1285491&h=2
08c2996678b91d6> 

Unsubscribe from this mailing or unsubscribe from all future mailings
<https://nfb.org/civicrm/mailing/optout?reset=1&jid=2842&qid=1285491&h=208c29
96678b91d6> . 

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