[NFBMT] Holman Prize 2018

Fri Mar 9 17:01:44 UTC 2018

Holman Prize 2018 . This is what "blind ambition" really looks like

Holman Prize 2018Holman Prize 2018

Applications for the 2018 Holman Prize are now closed. Thank you for
supporting blind people worldwide.

Meet The 2018 Candidates

Visit our 2018 Candidates page to see who is eligible for $25,000 toward a
project of their dreams! Finalists will be announced this spring, with
winners announced in the summer.  

Who is James Holman?

James Holman (1786-1857) was a Victorian-era adventurer and author. The first
blind person to circumnavigate the globe, he holds the further distinction of
being the most prolific traveler in history, sighted or unsighted, prior to
the invention of modern transportation. A British naval lieutenant, Holman

lost his eyesight at the age of 25 to rheumatic illness, contracted while
serving in the War of 1812. Since the illness also left him in chronic pain,
an act of royal charity awarded him a pension and permanent residency in
Windsor Castle.

Expected to live as a cloistered invalid, Holman surprised the court by
instead relocating to Edinburgh, where he became the first blind person known
to attend medical school. In 1819 he began a lifelong pursuit of solitary
travel, venturing unaccompanied through much of Europe and publishing an
acclaimed

memoir of his experiences. He remained almost constantly traveling, always
solo, for the next four decades. When officials attempted to confine him to
Windsor Castle-on the grounds that he was officially disabled-Queen
Victoria's own physician prescribed freedom, testifying that Holman's
still-painful

condition responded best to "a continual change of scene and of climate," and
warning that inactivity would cause his death.

Holman traveled to all known continents. In Siberia he was accused of spying,
imprisoned and exiled as an enemy of the Tsar. In Africa he participated in
fighting the slave trade, helping to found what is now the nation of
Equatorial Guinea (where the Holman River was named in his honor). Often
greeted and celebrated simply as "the Blind Traveler," he published five
volumes of memoirs, and was famous enough upon his death in 1857 to warrant a
multi-page entry in the Encyclopedia Britannica. Yet Holman descended into a
posthumous obscurity; the Britannica entry disappeared, as did his
manuscripts and papers.

No comprehensive study of James Holman emerged until 2006, when Jason Roberts
published the award-winning biography A Sense of the World, subtitled How a
Blind Man Became History's Greatest Traveler.

Who picks the winners?

The Holman Prize Committee

Our inaugural panel of Holman Prize judges came together at LightHouse
headquarters in June 2017 to choose three winners from a pool of more than
200 ambitious and adventurous blind candidates. Encompassing a wide range of
expertise including astrophysics, psychology, accessible tech, national
politics, education and more, our international committee members - virtually
all of whom are themselves blind - embody the spirit of James Holman, our
finalists and the LightHouse

for the Blind's overarching mission.

The 2018 Holman Prize Committee will be announced later this year.

The 2017 Holman Prize Committee

Jennison Asuncion, Engineering Manager, LinkedIn

Bryan Bashin, CEO, LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired

Don Brown, CEO, Access Work Systems

Dr. Wendy David, Clinical Psychologist

Christopher Downey, RA, Architect

Chancey Fleet, Technology Educator, NY Public Library

John Heilbrunn, VP, Danish Association for the Blind

Dr. Joshua Miele, Scientist, Smith-Kettlewell Eye Institute

Dr. Brian Miller, U.S. Department of Education

Dr. Mona Minkara, Computational Chemist

Jason Roberts, Author, 'A Sense of the World'

Dr. Sharon Zell Sacks, Superintendent, CA School for the Blind

Dr. Zachary Shore, Historian

Debbie Stein, MSW, Author

Dr. Sheri Wells-Jensen, Professor, Bowling Green State University

Gary Wunder, Editor, Braille Monitor

The LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired in San Francisco is one of
the United States' preeminent blindness institutions and is responsible for
conceiving, designing and presenting The Holman Prize for Blind Ambition. The
Holman Prize was named after a man, but it is motivated by the work we do

with all kinds of people every day. The LightHouse supports jobseekers, and
challenges students and community members to set expectations high, breaking
old stereotypes of blindness.

The recent recipient of the most historic philanthropic bequest in the
history of blindness, the LightHouse has a mandate to take our mission beyond
our seven locations in Northern California. We see a past, present and future
where everyone is connected - and that includes those who identify as blind.

We live in the sighted world and participate the same way as our sighted
peers. The Holman Prize is not only about individual dreams, but raising the
collective ambition of the blind community to unprecedented heights.

Founded in 1902, San Francisco's LightHouse for the Blind and Visually
Impaired promotes the independence, equality and self-reliance of people who
are blind or have low vision. We offer blindness skills training and relevant
services such as access to employment, education, government, information,
recreation, transportation and the environment. We also pursue the
development of new technology, encourage innovation, and amplify the voices
of blind individuals

around the world.

With a beautiful, brand new high-rise headquarters in the heart of downtown
San Francisco, we pride ourselves on offering the cutting edge of all things
related to blindness. Whether you want to learn how to use your new iPhone,
make the perfect omelette, travel across the country or learn how to access

a half million books and newspapers, we've got a class and a trainer for you.
On any given day, you'll find students in SF training on accessible
technology, engaging in mentoring and community-oriented projects and
workshops, or getting out of the city to explore nature, go to conferences,
or just go have fun.

We make maps that you can read without your eyes, and we outfit world-class
museums to ensure that everyone can enjoy them. At our historic camp and
retreat in the rolling hills of Napa County, we offer science and math camps
for blind kids, teach accessible horseback riding and music instruction, and
host families and individuals of all ages and backgrounds. People come from
all parts of California - and dozens of countries around the world - to take
advantage of what the LightHouse has to offer.

In addition to San Francisco and Napa, we offer regular classes of varying
length and content in Eureka, San Rafael, and Berkeley. Each location has its
own personality and service offerings, and people come from all around the
state to take advantage of different curricula and instructors. When getting
to know our programs, we can work with you to customize your experience based
not only on where you live, but what you want to learn.

We also operate a large light manufacturing plant and mixed-use space in San
Leandro where blind and sighted employees work together in various for-profit
business ventures with an increasingly-expanded service base.

LightHouse for the Blind's mission is to promote the equality and
self-reliance of people who are blind or visually impaired through
rehabilitation training, employment placement,

Enchanted Hills Camp and other relevant services. The LightHouse launched the
Holman Prize in 2017 to raise awareness about blind achievement and reward

ambitious projects by blind individuals.

C 2018 LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired.