[NFBNJ] The Braille Monitor, April 2019
joe ruffalo
nfbnj1 at verizon.net
Tue Apr 9 03:29:18 UTC 2019
Greetings to all!
The Braille Monitor for April is a must read and all leaders and future
leaders should save for future use.
Warmly,
Joe
**
-----Original Message-----
From: brl-monitor-bounces at nfbcal.org [mailto:brl-monitor-bounces at nfbcal.org]
On Behalf Of Brian Buhrow
Sent: Friday, April 05, 2019 4:47 PM
To: brl-monitor at nfbcal.org
Subject: [Brl-monitor] The Braille Monitor, April 2019
BRAILLE MONITOR
Vol. 62, No. 4 April 2019
Gary Wunder, Editor
Distributed by email, in inkprint, in Braille, and on USB flash
drive, by the
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
Mark Riccobono, President
telephone: 410-659-9314
email address: nfb at nfb.org
website address: http://www.nfb.org
NFBnet.org: http://www.nfbnet.org
NFB-NEWSLINE. information: 866-504-7300
Like us on Facebook: Facebook.com/nationalfederationoftheblind
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Watch and share our videos: YouTube.com/NationsBlind
Letters to the President, address changes, subscription requests, and
orders for NFB literature should be sent to the national office. Articles
for the Monitor and letters to the editor may also be sent to the national
office or may be emailed to gwunder at nfb.org.
Monitor subscriptions cost the Federation about forty dollars per year.
Members are invited, and nonmembers are requested, to cover the
subscription cost. Donations should be made payable to National Federation
of the Blind and sent to:
National Federation of the Blind
200 East Wells Street at Jernigan Place
Baltimore, Maryland 21230-4998
THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND KNOWS THAT BLINDNESS IS NOT THE
CHARACTERISTIC THAT DEFINES YOU OR YOUR FUTURE. EVERY DAY WE RAISE THE
EXPECTATIONS OF BLIND PEOPLE, BECAUSE LOW EXPECTATIONS CREATE OBSTACLES
BETWEEN BLIND PEOPLE AND OUR DREAMS. YOU CAN LIVE THE LIFE YOU WANT;
BLINDNESS IS NOT WHAT HOLDS YOU BACK. THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
IS NOT AN ORGANIZATION SPEAKING FOR THE BLIND-IT IS THE BLIND SPEAKING FOR
OURSELVES.
ISSN 0006-8829
) 2019 by the National Federation of the Blind
Each issue is recorded on a thumb drive (also called a memory stick
or USB flash drive). You can read this audio edition using a computer or a
National Library Service digital player. The NLS machine has two slots-the
familiar book-cartridge slot just above the retractable carrying handle and
a second slot located on the right side near the headphone jack. This
smaller slot is used to play thumb drives. Remove the protective rubber pad
covering this slot and insert the thumb drive. It will insert only in one
position. If you encounter resistance, flip the drive over and try again.
(Note: If the cartridge slot is not empty when you insert the thumb drive,
the digital player will ignore the thumb drive.) Once the thumb drive is
inserted, the player buttons will function as usual for reading digital
materials. If you remove the thumb drive to use the player for cartridges,
when you insert it again, reading should resume at the point you stopped.
You can transfer the recording of each issue from the thumb drive to
your computer or preserve it on the thumb drive. However, because thumb
drives can be used hundreds of times, we would appreciate their return in
order to stretch our funding. Please use the return envelope enclosed with
the drive when you return the device.
[PHOTO/CAPTION: Mandalay Bay Resort]
Las Vegas Site of 2019 NFB Convention
The 2019 convention of the National Federation of the Blind will take
place July 7 to July 12, at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, 3950 South
Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, Nevada 89119. Make your room reservation as soon
as possible with the Mandalay Bay Resort staff only. Call 877-632-9001.
The 2019 room rate of $99 per night applies to singles and doubles as
well as triples and quads. Hotel and sales taxes are 13.38 percent and 8.25
percent, respectively. The resort fee (normally $37 a night) will be waived
for NFB convention attendees. However, fees for internet access, local and
toll-free calls, and fitness center access may apply. The hotel will take a
deposit of the first night's room rate for each room and will require a
credit card or a personal check. If you use a credit card, the deposit will
be charged against your card immediately. If a reservation is cancelled
before Friday, June 1, 2019, half of the deposit will be returned.
Otherwise refunds will not be made.
Rooms will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Reservations may be made before June 1, 2019, assuming that rooms are still
available. After that time the hotel will not hold our room block for the
convention. In other words, you should get your reservation in soon.
Among its features is an aquatic playground called Mandalay Bay Beach which
has real sand, a wave pool, and a lazy river. The hotel is also home to an
aquarium with more than 2,000 animals including sharks, green sea turtles,
and a Komodo dragon. Plus, it offers top-notch entertainment including
Michael Jackson ONE by Cirque du Soleil.
The schedule for the 2019 convention is:
Sunday, July 7 Seminar Day
Monday, July 8 Registration and Resolutions Day
Tuesday, July 9 Board Meeting and Division Day
Wednesday, July 10 Opening Session
Thursday, July 11 Business Session
Friday, July 12 Banquet Day and Adjournment
Vol. 62, No. 4 April
2019
Contents
Illustration: All Work and No Play Is Not What We're About
Membership in the National Federation of the Blind: Equality, Opportunity,
and Security through Collective Action
by Mark Riccobono
My Journey to Becoming a Member
by Jeannie Massay
Trying to Make a Difference
by Barbara Pierce
>From Member to Memorable: Rachel Olivero's Legacy of Love
by Mark Riccobono
Membership is a Beach: The Water is Nice, but the Sand is Good Too
by Stephanie Cascone
Dogs, Donuts, and Much, Much More
by Gary Wunder
Reflections on My Hook
by Barbara Loos
My Experience of Being a Member of the National Federation of the Blind
by Chris Walker
Finding My Place, Accepting the Challenge, and Helping Others as I Have
Been Helped
by Pam Allen
Why I am a Member!
by Everette Bacon
An Ongoing Commitment: Why I Joined and Why I Continue My Work in the
National Federation of the Blind
by Daniel Garcia
The Importance of Building Membership: My Commitment to NABS and the
Broader Federation Community are the Same
by Rilee Sloan
Why a Sighted Person Would Dedicate So Much of Her Energy to the National
Federation of the Blind
by Carlton Walker
The Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship Fund
by Allen Harris
Recipes
Monitor Miniatures
[PHOTO CAPTION: Members of the Alabama affiliate prepare food for
participants of the affiliate's first annual walkathon.]
[PHOTO CAPTION: Members of the Alabama affiliate enjoy a barbeque dinner
together after their first successful walkathon.]
[PHOTO CAPTION: Members of the Montgomery Chapter play bingo together.]
All Work and No Play Is Not What We're About
Articles in dozens of issues of the Braille Monitor have covered
activities undertaken by members of the National Federation of the Blind at
the local, state, and national level: meeting with legislators, protest
marches, lawsuits, meetings with school officials of varying levels, and
more. And while all of these are serious, necessary actions to bring about
the change crucial to allow blind Americans to live the lives they want,
they are only one facet of our organization.
Just as important to our success are the activities that are fun and
promote the bonds of family and friendship among Federationists, and
between Federation members and the community at large. Events like trivia
nights, walkathons, and car washes can raise funds for chapter and
affiliate activities and introduce the community at large to the NFB.
Volunteer opportunities like packaging food at food banks or blood drives
turn on its head the stereotype of the blind as receivers rather than
providers when it comes to charitable activities. Then there are the bingo
games, movie nights, or meals out together that promote the kinship among
Federation members. And let's not forget the bonding by Federationists that
takes place at a picnic with good food, games, and the conversations that
propel us from acquaintances to friends to family.
[PHOTO CAPTION: Mark Riccobono]
Membership in the National Federation of the Blind: Equality, Opportunity,
and Security through Collective Action
by Mark Riccobono
From the Editor: Our elected President assumes responsibility for an
incredible number of tasks, one of them overseeing our program to recruit,
grow, and nourish our membership. It is obvious that President Riccobono
sees this as a major priority, and here is what he says about his coming to
the organization and what we must do to ensure that others keep coming:
One of the most important titles I have been able to put next to my
name is member, National Federation of the Blind. I first became a member
in 1996, and I cannot imagine a day in my life when I will decide to no
longer be a member of this great organization. As I travel the country
talking to people about the work of our movement, certain predictable
questions come up including but not limited to: what does it mean to be a
member; how do I join; and what are the benefits of membership? More often
than not, I find that people have not joined because of misconceptions
about membership in our organized blind movement. I also find that the idea
of "membership" in an organization takes on different meanings depending on
your background and perspective. In this article I will attempt to share
with you what membership in the National Federation of the Blind means to
me and what I believe we, collectively, hope it means for each of our
present and future members. If you are not yet a member, this article is an
invitation to explore joining us and an opportunity to create understanding
about who we are and why we need you to be in our family. If you are
already a member, I hope this article speaks to your experience in our
movement and contributes to your growth as a leader. If you are not sure
whether you are or are not a member, I hope this clears things up and
encourages you to make your membership status definitive.
What Do We Mean by Membership?
It is important to begin with some organizational basics related to
membership. Let us start by talking about what membership in our
organization is not. I grew up in the 1980s when the Members Only brand
emerged in the United States. It was a cool thing to have something that
sported the name "Members Only," and we sought opportunities to create
social circles for ourselves that we considered "members only" regardless
of whether you owned any of the merchandise. For example, in elementary
school my friends and I had a Ghostbusters Club (based on the 1984 movie)
where we could easily limit the participants since there just were not many
characters in the movie. We created our own rules and expectations for
participation-sometimes driven by the movie but often with our own agreed-
upon alterations-and we had a good time. However, the goal was not to bring
other people into our club. In fact, we liked that it was a closed
membership. We were already friends and our "members only" club
strengthened our bond. This notion of membership is much different from
what I have found in the National Federation of the Blind over the past
twenty years. In our organization we believe in an open membership policy
where all are welcome to be considered for membership and, with only a few
exceptions, our meetings are open to non-members to observe even if they
cannot vote on matters of importance-only Federation members can determine
its policies and elect its leaders. While only members of the Federation
have certain rights and privileges within the organization, we hope to have
as many blind people as possible join with us in our mission to improve the
lives of all blind people.
Open membership means that we do not put significant qualifiers on
being a member of our organization. It is worth talking about the handful
of qualifiers we do have for membership. To begin, you have to want to
be a member, and you need to pay dues to a chapter, division, affiliate, or
the national organization. Our goal is not simply to sign people up for the
membership roll; we seek members who want to actively participate.
In general, another qualifier is that the majority of our members
have to be blind. On a nationwide basis better than 90 percent of our
members are. Thus, on a national basis, we do not need to worry about
sighted individuals joining and taking over our organization. However, at
the local level this sometimes becomes a problem when a small chapter
starts inviting many sighted people to be members. The constitution of the
National Federation of the Blind and every entity under the Federation
requires a majority of the membership be blind. By blind, we mean a
functional definition of blindness as Kenneth Jernigan so eloquently
described it decades ago in his speech "A Definition of Blindness." One
major exception to this policy is our National Organization of Parents of
Blind Children-one of our national special interest divisions-where a
majority of the members in that specific division need not be blind. In
fact, that division includes the vast majority of the Federation's sighted
members, but it is not the exclusive place where sighted people participate
actively as members. I list this as a membership qualifier because we are,
first and foremost, an organization of blind people, led by blind people,
and directed by blind people. While we are on the topic, you cannot be
elected to our national board of directors unless you are blind.
A final qualifier is that an individual must be prepared to uphold
the standards we expect from each other in this organization. The standards
of membership and for leaders of our organization are set by Federation
members themselves. They are articulated in our Code of Conduct
(https://www.nfb.org/about-us/history-and-governance/code-conduct).
Essentially, we come together through the common bond of blindness to serve
as a vehicle for collective action by the blind. We seek to treat each
other with dignity and respect, and we value an atmosphere free from
discrimination and harassment of any type. It is worth noting that those
seeking to be leaders of this organization have additional responsibilities
above those of everyday members. While all members of the organization are
asked to support the policies and programs of the Federation-see the
Federation pledge at the end of this article-leaders of the organization
are expected to implement the policies and programs. This means that
leaders need to take actions consistent with the organization's policies
and that leaders should not commit themselves to organizations that
actively work against the Federation.
In short, the membership of the National Federation of the Blind is
the class of individuals, a majority of whom are required to be blind, who
pay dues to the organization at the local, state, or national level
(joining at the local and/or state level gives you automatic membership in
the national organization).
The mechanics of qualifying to be a member of the National Federation
of the Blind are truly that easy. However, the process of understanding the
power of membership in this organization and coming to be an active
participant in the decision-making process of it often feels much more
daunting to new members. This is why we have recently initiated an
onboarding process for new members to welcome people into our organization
and assist with navigating the things that long-time members like me take
for granted today.
How Do you Become a Member?
In order to become a member of the National Federation of the Blind,
you have to join one of the parts of our organization. While there is not
one path to membership, keep in mind that where you join makes a difference
as to when you can actively vote on Federation matters. Here is a simple
breakdown.
Our organization operates at three levels: local, state, and
national.
Local: The local level of the Federation is typically represented by
a chapter-in my city I participate in the Greater Baltimore Chapter.
Chapters are typically geographically organized, and in larger communities
there are sometimes multiple chapters in order to facilitate local meetings
more effectively. Again, using Baltimore as an example, we have three local
chapters that meet in the Baltimore region comprising Baltimore City and
Baltimore County. Local chapters are generally not incorporated but serve
as a subordinate part of the state affiliate which is incorporated as a
501(c)(3) organization. Most chapters meet in person, but some state
affiliates have established at-large chapters which are meant to bring
together members who cannot, for one reason or another, meet in person
regularly. Additionally, state affiliates will frequently establish special
interest divisions which bring blind people together around a common topic.
These divisions are distinguished from chapters in a couple of ways.
Divisions bring people together around a topic area rather than organizing
geographically, and they typically have one major business meeting each
year as part of the affiliate convention-whereas most chapters meet every
month. Although it is not required, it works best when members of a
division also participate in a local chapter. Members of local chapters or
divisions are automatically made members of their state affiliate and the
national organization. Additionally, members of a state affiliate division
are often automatically made members of the corresponding national
division. Local division membership dues reflect inclusion of a small
amount-generally $2-for dues to the state affiliate and national
organization. Local chapters set their dues, and they are generally at $5
or $10 per year. The goal is to ensure that economic status is not a
barrier to membership, and the Federation does not use dues as a
fundraising activity.
State: There is one state affiliate in each of the fifty states, the
District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Local chapters and divisions report
to their state affiliate which helps to coordinate the activities of the
organization. Each affiliate has an annual convention which serves as the
annual business meeting and determines the policy direction for the
affiliate. At the state level, the affiliate convention elects the board of
directors and establishes the local priorities. Through the charter of
affiliation with the national organization, the state affiliate work must
be consistent with the policies and programs of the national organization,
but otherwise there is significant discretion as to the implementation of
program activities.
National: The state affiliates come together to form the national
organization. According to the constitution of the National Federation of
the Blind, the annual national convention is the supreme authority of the
organization. The convention sets policy and elects the board of directors.
The constitution sets forth the duties of the President of the Federation,
who serves as the chief executive, and the duties of the board to manage
the organization between conventions. Members who attend the national
convention are invited to vote on policy matters with the exception of roll
call votes where each affiliate gets one vote. Each affiliate selects a
delegate to represent the affiliate at the convention and cast votes when
necessary. The delegate frequently is the individual who serves on the
organization's nominating committee-the one committee in the Federation
which is not appointed by the President. There are some members who only
join the national level, but it is not the general membership path.
Frequently people join the Federation as members of one of our national
divisions. That membership only grants membership in the division and the
national organization as a whole-it does not give you any membership rights
at the local and state level. However, national divisions are a common way
for people to come to know our organization. Frequently, this is an avenue
for getting people connected with our local chapters and state affiliates
where the real engagement in the work of the organization can happen.
Individuals can also join as at-large members of the national organization.
At-large members are typically people who wish to show their support
without plans to be actively involved. However, this can also be an avenue
for people to get to know us before they join at the local level. At-large
membership at the national level is extremely small, and it is not a
membership option we actively promote because it is much more effective if
people participate in the organization through our local affiliates. What
makes our organization strong is a powerful local network of organized and
engaged members.
What Does It Mean to Be a Member?
Membership in the National Federation of the Blind opens up
opportunities for service and for fellowship that I believe are
unparalleled. Being a member gives you a connection to thousands of other
members all over the country. In my experience, this means having thousands
of people who are prepared to support and assist you at every turn in your
journey as a blind person. That includes people who are newly blind and
struggling to learn what blindness means in their lives as well as people
like me who start to think we have it all figured out-until something new
comes along or a blind person breaks into a new area that we had not
considered previously. I find that every day I am learning something from
the powerful network of the Federation.
Being a member also gives you the power of collective action when
dealing with issues facing the blind in all aspects of life. This includes
at the individual level where if I run into a problem-like someone wanting
to take my children away because of my blindness-I know I can call upon my
friends in the Federation for help. Membership also gives me access to the
training and experts who can help me be a stronger self-advocate. So often
the discrimination and artificial barriers we face can be dealt with when
we are equipped with the knowledge and resources to understand the law and
the expectations that should flow from it. On a broader scale, being a
member gives us the power of individual effort collectively focused. In our
organization, we select our direction together, and we push toward that end
together. It makes our outcomes more effective and more likely to succeed.
Similarly, we uphold the value of not dividing ourselves-when we pick a
position, we all agree to push in that direction without fighting among
each other. Together we are able to make significant progress that we could
never accomplish alone.
This brings me to what membership is not. Membership is not giving up
our own individual perspectives and beliefs. Those who are not members of
our organization sometimes falsely say that we must be brainwashed. In
fact, the membership of the Federation is as diverse and opinionated as you
can find, and we continue to seek channels to strengthen our diversity.
Debates happen throughout the membership about policies to pursue, what our
shared philosophy about blindness means and how it applies today, and
whether or not a specific concern is within the area of interest to our
organization-blindness. Our diversity helps to make our decision-making
better. Once we agree by a vote to have a policy or elect a leader, we
support them until we vote in a different direction. To some degree, we are
constantly testing our policy positions, sometimes through actions in the
halls of power and sometimes on the streets of America where we face the
low expectations of society. Those who do not know us mistake unity for
lack of individuality. This is not the case.
It is worth saying that membership means supporting the will of the
majority. This sometimes means that your idea wins, it sometimes means that
someone else's idea wins, but it most often means that a combined idea is
the one we select and pursue. The membership moments I enjoy the most are
when we get a room full of blind people discussing a topic, and in the end
whatever action is decided upon cannot easily be credited to any one
individual. It is important to recognize that being part of an organization
like ours means that you will not, and should not, always get your way. We
are a team, and that means members have an obligation to work together.
>From my perspective, it is actually the joy of working together. In fact,
that is exactly why our membership medallions have the Braille contraction
of the word "together" embossed on them.
The original launch of the Members Only brand in the 1980s used the
tagline "When you put it on, something happens." This tagline applies
equally to membership in the National Federation of the Blind. I know that
when I started being a proud member of the Federation my confidence
completely changed. As a Federation member I walked more confidently
because I learned the techniques that blind people used to be successful,
and also because I knew that thousands of people had my back. Furthermore,
I wore the pride of knowing that I had their backs as well. Even more
importantly, through my active participation in the National Federation of
the Blind I got to know other members in a very personal way, and I came to
think of them as part of my Federation family. I now have family members
all over the country and not just family in name only. I know them, and I
know I can count on them. This is something you can really only understand
by coming to be a member of our organization and participating actively in
it. When you start wearing your membership in the National Federation of
the Blind-understanding it in your heart and your mind-things will happen
to change your life for the better. These are the benefits of membership
that are too priceless to value and too intangible to measure. If you make
the commitment to participate actively in our movement, you will begin to
discover the reasons that I am a lifelong member and wear this organization
proudly in my daily life.
There are lots of other things that membership means and benefits
that membership provides to us. I think it is more meaningful if you come
discover them for yourself, and by becoming a member you get to help decide
how we use our resources and what our priorities will be in the future.
Very selfishly, I hope you become a member because it will enhance my own
membership experience. I will have another person to work with, another
friend to lean on, and another blind person to steal nifty tips and tricks
from. I know from my experience that we are stronger together and that your
diversity will enhance and improve our organization. Once you join, please
share your ideas about how we can do what we do even better, including
articulating the meaning of membership and the benefits of our collective
action.
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Jeannie Massay]
My Journey to Becoming a Member
by Jeannie Massay
From the Editor: Jeannie is the chairman of our membership committee,
and the enthusiasm she brings to the task is infectious. Here is the story
of her finding the Federation and the role we have played in her life:
The National Federation of the Blind became a part of my life in a
lasting way in the summer of 2008. I had received help in attending my
first national convention. I didn't really know much about the Federation
but figured that I should check it out. Don't get me wrong; I had heard
plenty about the Federation, mostly negative. However, these comments were
primarily from people who had only misinformation, myths, and
misperceptions to talk about with me. As I was later to find out, they did
not truly know the Federation.
I was told that the leaders and members of the Federation were
unforgiving and had no tolerance for blind individuals who did not have
perfect Braille skills, perfect mobility and orientation skills, perfect
technology skills, and well, if you were not a perfect blind person, then
you did not belong in the Federation. I was not at the time nor am I today
a perfect blind person. There is no such thing. I had also heard that the
Federation did not like guide dogs and were rather intolerant of those who
chose a guide dog for orientation and mobility. Although I am not a guide
dog user, I thought that was horrible. I had also heard crazy rumors about
the national convention. Were any of these things true? I didn't know. What
I did know was that I do not take someone else's word about anyone or
anything. I like to find out for myself.
The week that I spent with close to 3,000 attendees at the 2008
convention in Dallas forever convinced me that the Federation was the place
for me to be. I met what seemed at the time to be all 3,000 people at the
convention. I had never been present with that many blind people-so many
blind people. Blind children, blind students, blind seniors, blind parents,
blind lawyers...well, you get the idea. The Federation has members from all
walks of life and from all states, but the thing I discovered we all had in
common was that we were blind, and it was not just okay, it was great! I
was welcomed with open arms to participate in whatever interested me. I
learned about new technology, took my first trip to the Exhibit Hall, and
heard Dr. Maurer bring down the gavel to call General Session to order for
the first time. I remember it like it was yesterday. Bang, bang, bang. The
yells and screams resounded throughout the convention hall. I still get
goose bumps when I think of the first time and always get them every
convention since.
I was thirty-seven when I began losing vision. I did not know a blind
person. I did not know anything about blindness. The reason that I came to
find the Federation was money. I had applied for a scholarship but did not
receive one at that time. The most valuable gift that I have received was
going to that first convention. That single event has continued to shape
the trajectory of my life ever since and will continue to do so until I am
no longer able to participate actively, if that day ever comes. What I
found in the Federation was a group of like-minded blind people who were
kind and loving, a bit tough when necessary but who stood up for the rights
of the blind to be an active, equal part of society. That is what caught my
interest. Many people and many causes have lent themselves to my continuing
active participation.
When I returned home from the 2008 National Convention, there was a
fire in my belly for the Federation. I knew that I couldn't keep it a
secret and needed to find every blind person that I could to tell them
about what I had found to be the truth of the NFB. A group of
Federationists met to form a second chapter in Oklahoma. We have continued
to grow ever since. This is not due to me alone. Many people in Oklahoma
and across the nation have had a hand in shaping the Oklahoma affiliate
into what it is today-a proud affiliate of the National Federation of the
Blind that is continually growing and seeks to spread the news that you can
live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back. We are
better, stronger, and louder as a means of collective action when we come
together and stay together.
The members supported and encouraged me throughout the earliest days
of blindness. They answered technology questions, helped me to find
accessible textbooks, and instilled in me their unwavering belief that I
could and would succeed at whatever it was that I wanted to do. It seems in
looking back that my friends in the Federation believed in me more than I
believed in myself.
As I continued growing with the Federation, my level of participation
grew as well. I found myself volunteering to take on projects and continued
to meet more and more people who wanted to change the world for the better.
In 2011 I became president of the Oklahoma affiliate and was elected to the
national board of directors in 2013. I now serve as treasurer and
membership committee chair.
My most important role then was the same as it is today-being a
member of the National Federation of the Blind. I am so glad to have found
out for myself what the Federation was all about. You should too!
The National Federation of the Blind welcomes all blind people,
parents of blind children, blind students, those losing vision, and more.
We are a family of members and friends who know that blindness is not the
characteristic that defines you or your future. You can live the life you
want.
We invite you to attend a chapter meeting, a state convention, our
national convention, or any number of events that we hold.
How does one become a member of the National Federation of the Blind?
The best way to become a member of the NFB is to attend a chapter or
division meeting in your local area. You can find your nearest chapter or
division meeting by reaching out to your state affiliate president.
Membership in a chapter or division will automatically grant you membership
in your state affiliate and the national organization. Go to
https://nfb.org/about-us/state-affiliates to find your state's affiliate
president and their contact information.
What are some of the benefits of being a member of the National
Federation of the Blind?
. Access to national and local resources and information
. The support of a powerful local, statewide, and national community
. Connections to blind mentors
. Access to training
. National and local NFB voting rights
. A subscription to our monthly e-newsletter
. A beautiful membership coin to carry with you as a reminder that you
are a part of something larger than yourself
Our new National Federation of the Blind Membership coin is made of
pewter and is about the size of a half-dollar. On the front side of the
coin is our logo which depicts six blind figures with long white canes
moving forward together. The other side of the coin has "National
Federation of the Blind" around the perimeter, the word "Member" in raised
letters, and the letters t, g, and r in Braille (which is the Braille
contraction for the word together) above that. Together as members of the
National Federation of the Blind there is nothing that we cannot
accomplish.
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Barbara Pierce]
Trying to Make a Difference
by Barbara Pierce
From the Editor: I am always uplifted when I get an article from
Barbara Pierce. I know from long experience that I will be inspired and
educated. I also know from experience that what she sends will be a piece I
can drop in without worrying much about editing. No article I write ever
frees me from wondering, "What will Barbara think of this? What mistake
would I not have made were I still reviewing every article with her?" Maybe
this is always the way it is between teacher and student, but here are
Barbara's thoughts on becoming a member:
I was twenty-nine before I was exposed to the philosophy of blindness
developed by the National Federation of the Blind. Until then I had had
virtually no contact with other blind people, and I am ashamed to say that
that suited me quite well. I was then called and handed a stack of
recordings of banquet speeches delivered by a man named Kenneth Jernigan.
It was a formidable stack of recorded disks, and I simply dumped them in a
corner and forgot about them. I forgot them until a January weekend when my
husband was out of town, and I was stranded at home with three small
children, including an infant with a cold, and no Talking Books to help me
keep my sanity.
In desperation I remembered the speeches and decided that reading
them while I walked the baby in a steamy kitchen would be more interesting
than listening to the radio. I don't recall which speech I read first. It
doesn't matter. It was like eating potato chips. As soon as I finished one,
I was reaching for the next record. The ideas I discovered that weekend
have now become so familiar to me that I can hardly separate them to
remember my first reactions. I can remember the staggering shock it was to
have Dr. Jernigan point out the magnitude of the discrimination that blind
people, even me, were still facing. This was 1974. Cities were burning, and
Jim Crow was not yet dead. Suddenly I was discovering that blind people
were being denied second-floor rentals because of the danger that they
would be trapped in a fire. They were having to bring a sighted person
along to travel with them when they wanted to buy a bus or train ticket.
Needless to say, these ideas turned my world upside down. I organized
a chapter in my county and became its president. I found and became friends
with blind people who lived near me. I naturally became active in the Ohio
affiliate. I went to my first national convention in 1975, and I met
amazing blind people from across the country. I observed truly effective
cane travel for the first time, and-more important-I observed what personal
confidence in managing the business of living looked like. My cane began to
grow as I abandoned the folding cane and found out how responsive and light
a straight fiberglass cane could be. I noticed that people with sighted
spouses continued to use their canes when they were walking together. My
husband and I tried it and discovered that we could safely walk side-by-
side because I was taking responsibility for finding curbs, rough places in
the sidewalk, and staircases. I realize now that word about me was
spreading through the convention, and people would stop by my chair to meet
me during hospitality in the evening-yes, back then convention evenings
were open enough that we had hospitality with a cash bar each evening. I
began meeting Federation leaders and talking about philosophy and NFB
activities. I returned home after that convention feeling that I had made
blind friends all across the country, people that I could turn to and get
advice from at any time, and I discovered that I had absorbed an entirely
new set of attitudes about blindness and what constituted independence.
These friends were not apologetic about blindness. They went where they
wanted to and did what they needed to, asking for information when they
needed it but completely comfortable with the accommodations they used to
get things done.
I read the Braille Monitor as soon as it came out each month. I was
soon elected to the governing body of the affiliate and was elected first
vice president a couple of years after that. I learned to write press
releases and do interviews for newspapers and radio and TV. And all the
time I was growing. I noticed that blind people whom I knew traveled
independently and retrieved their own suitcases from the luggage carousel.
I asked people how they did it, and I then tried it myself. To my delight
it was as easy as they told me it would be.
By 1981 I was ready to go back to work. My youngest child was eight,
and I thought that I might be ready to put all this Federation philosophy
to work for myself. I returned home from the 1981 National Convention to be
met in the jetway of my plane by my two girls shouting that I had been
offered a job at the college. That is when the panic set in. I had been
fearlessly saying that the average blind person could do the average job in
the average place of work and do it as well as his sighted neighbor. I even
believed it-until I had to think about juggling three children, a thirteen-
room house, entertaining students for my husband, and holding down a
fulltime job in the college Alumni Office. Could I really do it all? I
turned to my Federation friends. They were mostly working, and they seemed
to be convinced that I could do it. I took a deep breath and, trusting the
members of the NFB, accepted the job.
Within three years I was president of the affiliate, and then I
really was busy. But I had discovered that my blind friends had been right.
There were enough hours in a day for me to get everything done. As
president I did not travel around the state as much as I should have done,
but I found lots of hours for NFB work. By 1988 Dr. Jernigan was urging me
to leave Oberlin College and come to work for him, learning to edit the
Braille Monitor. By this time my son was in college and the girls were in
high school. Those next twenty years flew by because I was so busy. I
pretty much dedicated all of my free time to Federation work, what with
acting as national rep at other state conventions and trying to take a
stand for good rehabilitation here in Ohio.
Before I quite knew where I was, I was facing retirement from the
Monitor, and I had put in twenty-four years as president of the Ohio
affiliate. That also seemed long enough, so I began seeking successors for
these two jobs and looking around for other work to do in the organization.
I served for a couple of terms as president of the Ohio Association
to Promote the Use of Braille, but it became clear that the Ohio Senior
Division needed leadership. So I have stepped in to see what I can do to
meet this need. I now live in a retirement community, so I see firsthand
the growing population of seniors losing vision. This is a hard group to
serve because these people don't want to learn new techniques for doing the
things they always did using vision. Rehabilitation funding is scarce for
teaching them to travel using the long white cane, and they are terrified
to go out into the community trusting that insubstantial wand to tell them
where they are going. But the need for information and friendship is acute.
I talk on the phone to seniors and their family members about ways of
coping with vision loss. The division now conducts monthly calls for anyone
losing vision regardless of age. I am trying to work with Departments on
Aging to teach their staffs to work constructively with blind seniors. It
is slow going, but it is very necessary work.
I urge all chapters to reach out to seniors losing vision. These
people can benefit from getting to know their blind neighbors and other
blind seniors. We have much work to do with seniors losing vision. I am not
worried that I will run out of things to do to keep myself busy.
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Rachel Olivero, September 22, 1982 - February 3, 2019]
From Member to Memorable: Rachel Olivero's Legacy of Love
by Mark A. Riccobono
From the Editor: One of the most challenging pieces to write is a
final goodbye to those we love, admire, revere, and respect. When we take
on this task, we give our mortal best, and no matter how hard we try, we
are never satisfied that we have drawn the real picture of the human life
that so thrilled us, spoke to our hearts, and made us feel uniquely blessed
by a special friend and loved one. What follows is an article about just
such a special person. It is a reflection of her keen mind, her inquiring
spirit, her heart that extended itself in the service of others, and the
heart of the man who has tried to put it all down for us. Here is President
Riccobono's tribute to a person whose loss we mourn and whose soul we were
glad to have among us:
This article is about one of us, but in so many ways it is about all
of us who are proud to be members of the National Federation of the Blind.
In sharing her story, it is my hope that you get a sense of the beautiful
person who touched so many members of the National Federation of the Blind.
It is a difficult task because there really is not enough space to write
the words that can capture who she was to us and how she contributed to our
movement-not to mention her contributions beyond the Federation family. I
certainly cannot capture my twenty years of knowing her and growing
together in this organization. This is why I say this article is also about
all of us.
The members of this organization have a bond of faith that we share
from generation to generation. We receive the gift that previous
generations of the Federation have given to us, and we have the joy of
securing it and passing it to a future generation and, if we are lucky,
observing what we do together with that gift. When you come to understand
what membership in this movement really means, you understand the bond that
we share with each other and the opportunities that come from sharing in
the advancement of blind people. This also means a real sadness when we
lose one of our Federation family, especially someone who was only thirty-
six years old. Let this article be a tribute but also a legacy that urges
each of us to dig a little deeper in our hearts and dedicate ourselves more
firmly to that bond of faith for all of the wonderful things that happen
when we work together to turn dreams into reality.
Rachel Amelia Olivero was born on September 22, 1982, and by all
accounts her personality and talents began emerging as soon as she began to
walk and talk. It did not really matter that she was blind because she had
a natural way of getting the information she wanted, and she always had a
sense of what she wanted.
I first observed Rachel when she testified at a hearing at the
Wisconsin School for the Visually Handicapped in 1999. I had been elected
president of the National Federation of the Blind of Wisconsin about six
months earlier, and improving the educational services for blind children
was a top priority for our affiliate. I joined the National Federation of
the Blind three years earlier, and the members of the Federation blessed me
with an understanding of the truth about blindness-that it was not a
tragedy-and they also blessed me with a network of resources and people
that were there for me at every step in my journey. I was still really
figuring it out for myself, but I knew the difference in my life between
before the Federation and after it, and I wanted every blind student in
Wisconsin to have the gift I had been given. When I listened to Rachel
testify to the panel of state legislators and public representatives, I was
impressed with her poise, but I recognized myself in what she said. She was
settling for lower expectations, she was fooling herself that she had it
all figured out, and she was faking it the rest of the way. I knew it
because I had lived it, and I wanted to help.
I was fortunate that a year later I landed in a position where I
could share the gift of the Federation with Rachel and all of the other
students at the school because I was hired to direct the Wisconsin Center
for the Blind and Visually Impaired, which included the residential school.
Rachel knew what she wanted, and it was clear when I showed up that she
wanted to contribute to the technology infrastructure of the school. She
also wanted to know how I did what I did as a blind person. A natural
mentoring relationship formed, and my wife Melissa and I began to answer
her questions about how we did things and the advocacy work of the
Federation.
Melissa and I found that inviting students into our home was a good
way to provide mentoring without having it feel like teaching. We had a
number of opportunities to do this, and Rachel was often part of the crowd.
One time that sticks out is when I attempted to teach a couple of students
how to cook over a charcoal fire. The cooking was not the only part of the
teaching experience because you had to prepare something to cook. I taught
the students how to form hamburger patties out of raw meat. I then left
them to form them in whatever way they wanted. The cooking went very well,
but Rachel had prepared very spherical hamburgers. I think they were
probably the best grilled meatballs I have ever had, and we often laughed
about the experience. It did not take long before she was passing on the
ideas and techniques that we shared with her in true Federation fashion,
although I do not think she ever was eager to teach someone how to make
hamburgers.
Rachel became a part-time employee at the school for the blind,
providing technology support. She often knew the technology better than the
full-time staff, and she was persistent in finding answers to questions she
could not answer. She knew that I was eager to increase our technology
infrastructure, so she frequently shared new product announcements or ideas
about things we could do. It was always fun to consider the future, and I
always learned from her in these conversations. Once in a while I would
know about something before she would, and I always delighted when I could
find a technology nugget to pass on to her, even if it was a rare occasion.
Somewhere in this back and forth mentoring there began to emerge a mutual
admiration and friendship.
Rachel decided to join the Federation near the time of our national
convention in Philadelphia. This was a good opportunity for me to help her
to understand how to be an independent traveler. She was interested in the
idea that we were going to travel through the airport without assistance,
but then I informed her we were also going to do so under sleepshades. I
had received training at the Colorado Center for the Blind, and I
understood the power of having confidence in your heart and your mind that
vision is not a requirement for success. I wanted her to recognize that she
was over-relying on an unreliable sense-her eyesight. When Rachel was
internalizing a conversation, she would stop talking and really sit with an
idea in her own mind. I had many more opportunities to fly with Rachel, but
our flight to that national convention was the quietest trip we ever took
together. Rachel completely absorbed the experience of traveling the
airport under sleepshades, and she carried the spirit of structured
discovery through the rest of the convention. Although she never received
formal training at an NFB training center, she committed herself to
improving her own skills on a daily basis and stretching herself to try new
things. She later started mentoring others with what she had learned.
Rachel quickly began to apply her talents to the building of the
National Federation of the Blind. She urged our affiliate to buy its own
sound equipment for conventions, researched the appropriate equipment at an
affordable price, and volunteered to manage sound at our events. She was
not interested in being the only one that could use the equipment, so she
looked for members who were interested in learning how to help with the
sound and shared her expertise with them.
Rachel was a great advocate for our legislative initiatives by always
bringing a unique perspective to whatever the issue was that we were
tackling. She quickly emerged as a leader in our affiliate and was elected
to our board where she provided valuable insights and always volunteered to
do what was needed, often before the need was identified.
Her love for technology and gadgets was known by anyone who spent
about ten minutes with her. She always had an interesting device before the
rest of us did, and this meant that I, too, was interested in having
gadgets-even if I did not seek them out as aggressively as she did. Her
gadgets were handy. There was the time we drove from Janesville, Wisconsin,
to Minneapolis, Minnesota, to take a contingent of Federationists to a
protest that our Minnesota affiliate was holding in front of a state
agency. It was a long trip, especially since we went up and back in one
day. However, the tunes that Rachel's new music device provided from the
back of the van gave us all the entertainment and laughs we needed to make
the time fly past.
It was in that same year that Rachel and I invented a new holiday. We
got together on the day after Christmas and spent some time at a mall on
the south side of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Each of us found a new gadget to
purchase, although today I do not remember what thing we thought was
missing from our Christmas cheer that we just had to have. Rachel was a
very giving person, and I often encouraged her to make sure she was looking
out for herself-for that matter she did the same for me. After securing our
new stuff, we decided that our technology trek should become an annual
tradition to be celebrated every December 26. We christened the holiday New
Gadget Day. If it was convenient, we celebrated this holiday together by
going out to get gadgets. Over the years we were generally not together on
New Gadget Day, so we would exchange the customary greetings of the day-
Happy New Gadget Day-followed by a discussion of what new gadget was on our
list. One or both of us did not always make a purchase on the holiday but
simply used the day to plan a gadget purchase. With the rise of internet
shopping, going out was less important. Yet, we maintained the tradition
mostly among ourselves and a small handful of loved ones who came across
our strange celebration. Now I am opening up the holiday to the entire
Federation so that it does not get lost. The important lesson that I took
from Rachel related to this day was that giving generously is important,
but you have to allow a little space to give to yourself in order to
effectively contribute to others.
Rachel began making her own mark on the Federation at our national
convention in 2002 when she was a national scholarship winner. She did not
take the money and run. She found her places to contribute at the
convention. She became central to the Amateur Radio Division and could
often be found at the table for distributing listening devices or helping
with important marshalling assignments. With certainty, most Federationists
were kindly yet firmly marshalled into the right elevator queue before
banquet by Rachel.
After Melissa and I moved to Baltimore, Rachel often showed up and
stayed at our house. It was always like having a member of the family come
to visit, and it unfailingly resulted in creating new memories and laughing
about the adventures we had in the past. Rachel moved to Baltimore in 2007
to be an access technology specialist at the NFB Jernigan Institute, and
she stayed with us while she searched for an apartment. Her stay overlapped
with our son Austin's first birthday. Rachel was always afraid she was
going to break one of our children, but she loved them as strongly as any
member of our family, and she was an important part of their village of
support. However, not everything she did to help worked out. She offered to
use her camcorder to capture Austin's first birthday. As blind parents, we
love reliving the memory of that occasion, but apparently sighted viewers
of the tape get tired of looking at the walls of our living and dining
rooms. Knowing Rachel, after that experience she went off and figured out
how to effectively shoot video as a blind person, and I would not be
surprised if she taught her techniques to others.
While we are on the topic, we thought she was finally getting
comfortable with children when our daughter Oriana was born. Rachel really
enjoyed holding baby Oriana, but we figured out it was mostly because
Rachel was telling her about their joint quest to take over the world
together. It was a classic example of Rachel's sense of humor and her
snarky attitude all wrapped up into one. So far Oriana has not revealed
what the evil plans were and, for our sake, I am hoping she has forgotten
them, although I am sure Rachel's love will continue to be a strong memory
in her heart.
In 2012 Rachel moved to Nebraska and began working on accessibility
for Humana. We were sad that she was not nearby, but she always made sure
we kept in touch. When I was elected President of the National Federation
of the Blind, Rachel was one of the first people who came to the stage
after the banquet to say she had my back. I held her to that when I called
her a few months later and told her that we very much needed her in
Baltimore to help direct our internal technology efforts at our national
headquarters. This is when my relationship with Rachel, which had moved
from mentor to friend, advanced from friend to partner. Rachel and I
anticipated each other's moves and what might be needed. Whether it was
playing cards against another pair of opponents at lunch or meeting with
executives at Google or Amazon, Rachel and I shared the joy of working
together to advance the work of the Federation. She was much sharper at
multi-tasking than I was, so she would often complete action items that
came up during a meeting while we were still heavily in discussion, and she
never missed a beat in the conversation. As President I could count on her
wise counsel and dedication to seeing the job through to the end. As a
friend, I could count on her sharing the truth with me-those things I
wanted to hear and those I needed to hear from a friend-and I knew that I
could give her the same feedback because we trusted each other.
Her move back to Baltimore at the beginning of 2015 marked an
important event in the circle of mentoring within the Federation and for
Rachel personally. For our movement, her return to Baltimore was essential
to the transition we experienced in the office of the president. I was
getting on-the-job training in how to lead this tremendous organization,
and I knew that accelerating our technology infrastructure was critical to
what we hope to achieve. Executive Director for Operations John Berggren,
who had overseen our technology efforts, had many new things on his plate
in addition to technology, and we needed to build a core of internal
managers at our national office for the next generation of our work. Rachel
stepped into that, bringing a tremendous amount of skill and a deep
understanding of the heartbeat of our organization. More importantly, she
was willing to challenge herself to tackle the big job in front of us.
Having her voice in the mix of planning new initiatives for our
organization was critical to the things we have done over the past four
years.
Even as her responsibilities at the national office increased, she
found time to provide mentoring to the next generation. One of her final
weekends was spent with our NFB of Maryland mentoring program.
Like all leaders of the Federation, Rachel shaped us, and she was
shaped by us. When she left Baltimore the first time, she said the last
thing she wanted to do was management. Partly she came back because she
knew she could push herself further, and the Federation was where she
wanted to devote her energy and imagination. It was the Federation that
taught her how to go beyond where she perceived her limits to be. Like so
many of us, Rachel thought she knew who she was, but she had suffered under
low expectations for so long that it took time and experience for her to
really find herself and exhibit the confidence to live the life she wanted.
She found that confidence and that direction during the last four years.
More importantly, when she found it, she shared it with others in the
Federation. She spent countless hours reaching out to people, encouraging
them, passing on what she had learned from the Federation philosophy, and
loving them into the Federation family. In the process, she continued to
grow from every experience she had in teaching others, and in the same way,
I grew from being blessed by the opportunity to mentor her, become her
friend, and eventually her partner in raising expectations and building our
movement.
Even more powerfully, Rachel had an impact in the broader software
developer and accessibility communities, and I doubt she ever really knew
how deep it was. When news of her death spread to the Drupal open source
community, they immediately began compiling an article about Rachel's
impact on accessibility and improving the overall Drupal platform. Dozens
of notes have come to us about feedback she had provided that fixed bugs in
mobile applications, improved major processes for managing accessibility in
corporations, and everything in between. In providing all of this feedback,
she always shared the message that she was one blind person and that if
developers really wanted to understand equal access for the blind, they
needed to work with the National Federation of the Blind, where they could
meet thousands of blind people. In many ways, Rachel was allowed to find
her own voice because of her membership in the National Federation of the
Blind.
We have only explored a fraction of who Rachel was to us as a
movement and to me as her mentor, friend, and colleague for the past twenty
years. Rachel became who she was through the personal relationships and
dedicated service she provided to the organization. She, like our strongest
long-term members, opened her heart to our movement and shared herself with
others. The members of the Federation have benefited from that, whether
they knew Rachel personally or through people she mentored or through the
systems she helped us build. It is humbling to me that I could play a small
role in her journey to being able to live the life she wanted. Then again,
I am humbled that members of the Federation have done and continue to do
the same for me. I stick with the Federation because I know that I am not
done learning and that the real changes in my life come from the continued
effort to share the gift of the Federation with others.
Rachel Olivero is one of the people I think of when I hear the
question of what it means to be a member of the National Federation of the
Blind. In closing I must relay one of our shared moments that always makes
me smile. My first national convention as President was 2015, and I decided
that we should attempt to set a Guinness World Record for the largest
umbrella mosaic ever. I was on stage during the morning of the record
attempt. Rachel was in her element providing logistical support, especially
helping people who needed medical attention. This was often how Rachel and
I worked together-I was on stage, and she was making things happen behind
the scenes. At the peak moment, I did the countdown, and 2,480 umbrellas
opened in unison-setting the world record and making us all officially
amazing according the Guinness tagline. Except Rachel did not raise an
umbrella. She had been helping someone who was dealing with a medical
issue, and she was near the ambulance when the countdown started. This was
outside of the qualified area, and there was no time for her to get into
the mosaic. I only learned what happened after the convention, and I was
sad that she had not been included in this historic event. Rachel wasn't;
she was proud that she did what was needed for the team. Some of us were
designated as officially amazing that day, but in the hearts of those who
knew Rachel, she already had that title. She was not amazing because she
was blind, but rather she was amazing because she did not let blindness
stand between her and her dreams. She wore the title of "Member, National
Federation of the Blind" with pride and confidence and did so in a way that
was authentic to her own personality. She shared everything she had with as
many people as she could find. I believe that Rachel gave all that she
could in the time she was with us, and very few of us can make that claim.
When asked who Rachel Olivero was, what comes to mind is that she was
everything that makes membership in the National Federation of the Blind
meaningful.
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Stephanie Cascone]
Membership is a Beach: The Water is Nice, but the Sand is Good Too
by Stephanie Cascone
From the Editor: Stephanie is one of the latest additions to our
national staff in her capacity as the director of communications and
marketing. She is the parent of a blind child, and her talent and
enthusiasm are a joy to behold. Here is what she says about finding one's
own level of participation in the Federation:
As soon as we get to any beach, my wife Lisa runs right into the
water. I'm always surprised if she even gives herself enough time to drop
off her belongings before heading in, because she can't wait to be swimming
in the sea-the cool water on her skin and the hot sun on her face. It's
amazing at how different we are. Me? I prefer to relax on the beach with a
book in my hand and feet in the sand.
What does this have to do with being a member?
Sometimes members are like my wife at the beach-all in right away.
They become a member, volunteer for committees, and engage with the waves
of endless opportunities. Engage. Lead. Repeat. We need those members, but
not all members are the same. However, all members are valuable. Some
members prefer staying on the sand.
What about those members who prefer to hang back or maybe just get
their feet wet? They're needed, too. I have been one of those members. On
social media, they call people like us the lurkers. We are a large volume
of any audience who observe what's going on but don't actively participate
much. We've been to a few meetings or maybe volunteered for an event or
two. Or, we simply watch from a distance either on social media or through
the available publications.
Don't count us out or forget about us. We believe in the mission;
that's most likely why we joined. We also have potential to participate
more.
I am a parent of a blind child. Sometimes I want to be more active as
a member while other times I would rather not. My son is similar; it's
probably safe to say that he gets a lot of his personality from me. I've
encouraged him to be involved in the community, whether it's our local
community or the blind community, but being engaged can feel difficult at
any age. A few years ago we joined the National Federation of the Blind but
started off simply lurking. Eventually, I helped at a couple of local
events and attended some family connections. Most importantly, I began
getting to know other members. I've started to become more involved-slowly
making my way into the water. The water is nice.
Be the member that you are comfortable with being. All members are
needed to help build the Federation and reach our goals to raise
expectations. I asked my fourteen-year-old son why he thought membership is
important. He said, "If you ever wanted to change the world, being a member
allows you to do that." His wisdom is clear and simple: when you are a
member, you are making yourself be part of the mission-no matter how big or
small your splash is.
Dive into the water or stand with your feet in the sand. Let's change
the world together.
----------
Leave a Legacy
For more than seventy-five years the National Federation of the Blind
has worked to transform the dreams of hundreds of thousands of blind people
into reality, and with your support we will continue to do so for decades
to come. We sincerely hope you will plan to be a part of our enduring
movement by adding the National Federation of the Blind as a partial
beneficiary in your will. A gift to the National Federation of the Blind in
your will is more than just a charitable, tax-deductible donation. It is a
way to join in the work to help blind people live the lives they want that
leaves a lasting imprint on the lives of thousands of blind children and
adults.
With your help, the NFB will continue to:
. Give blind children the gift of literacy through Braille;
. Promote the independent travel of the blind by providing free, long
white canes to blind people in need;
. Develop dynamic educational projects and programs that show blind
youth that science and math are within their reach;
. Deliver hundreds of accessible newspapers and magazines to provide
blind people the essential information necessary to be actively
involved in their communities;
. Offer aids and appliances that help seniors losing vision maintain
their independence; and
. Fund scholarship programs so that blind people can achieve their
dreams.
Plan to Leave a Legacy
Creating a will gives you the final say in what happens to your
possessions and is the only way to be sure that your remaining assets are
distributed according to your passions and beliefs. Many people fear
creating a will or believe it's not necessary until they are much older.
Others think that it's expensive and confusing. However, it is one of the
most important things you will do, and with new online legal programs it is
easier and cheaper than ever before. If you do decide to create or revise
your will, consider the National Federation of the Blind as a partial
beneficiary. Visit www.nfb.org/planned-giving or call 410-659-9314,
extension 2422, for more information. Together with love, hope,
determination, and your support, we will continue to transform dreams into
reality.
Invest in Opportunity
The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the
characteristic that defines you or your future. You can live the life you
want; blindness is not what holds you back. A donation to the National
Federation of the Blind allows you to invest in a movement that removes the
fear from blindness. Your investment is your vote of confidence in the
value and capacity of blind people and reflects the high expectations we
have for all blind Americans, combating the low expectations that create
obstacles between blind people and our dreams.
In 2018 the NFB:
. Distributed over seven thousand canes to blind people across the
United States, empowering them to travel safely and independently
throughout their communities.
. Hosted forty-eight NFB BELL Academy programs, which served more than
three hundred and fifty blind students throughout the United States.
. Provided over one hundred thousand dollars in scholarships to blind
students, making a post-secondary education affordable and attainable.
. Delivered audio newspaper and magazine services to 118,900
subscribers, providing free access to over four hundred local,
national, and international publications.
. In the third year of the program, over three hundred fifty Braille-
writing slates and styluses were given free of charge to blind users.
Just imagine what we'll do next year, and, with your help, what can
be accomplished for years to come. Below are just a few of the many
diverse, tax-deductible ways you can lend your support to the National
Federation of the Blind.
Vehicle Donation Program
The NFB now accepts donated vehicles, including cars, trucks, boats,
motorcycles, or recreational vehicles. Just call 855-659-9314 toll-free,
and a representative can make arrangements to pick up your donation-it
doesn't have to be working. We can also answer any questions you have.
General Donation
General donations help support the ongoing programs of the NFB and
the work to help blind people live the lives they want. Donate online with
a credit card or through the mail with check or money order. Visit
www.nfb.org/make-gift for more information.
Bequests
Even if you can't afford a gift right now, including the National
Federation of the Blind in your will enables you to contribute by
expressing your commitment to the organization and promises support for
future generations of blind people across the country. Visit
www.nfb.org/planned-giving or call 410-659-9314, extension 2422, for more
information.
Pre-Authorized Contribution
Through the Pre-Authorized Contribution (PAC) program, supporters
sustain the efforts of the National Federation of the Blind by making
recurring monthly donations by direct withdraw of funds from a checking
account or a charge to a credit card. To enroll, visit www.nfb.org/make-
gift, and complete the Pre-Authorized Contribution form, and return it to
the address listed on the form.
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[PHOTO CAPTION: Gary Wunder]
Dogs, Donuts, and Much, Much More
by Gary Wunder
As I try to figure out ways to recruit new members to the National
Federation of the Blind, I work hard to remember what it was like before I
knew about and came to love this organization. While it was clear that I
was as blind as one could get, my family and I thought that being a blind
kid was very different from being a blind man. As sad as it is, I have to
admit that I was afraid of becoming a blind man and had been assured that I
would not. Science would save me from that fate. We firmly believed that,
by the time I was of driving age, I'd be driving. Before I finished high
school, I would be reading the newspaper. Just around the corner I would be
able to see the faces of my mother and father, my brothers and sister. But
for me the real excitement was going to be that I could see things that I
could not detect through my ears, my fingers, or my other working senses.
So in my early years blind men and women were the other, the
different, the people who were not like me. I would thrive as the
exceptional blind child, but I would never be that blind man walking out on
the street with a stick.
Of course, as the years ticked by and I was still blind, I began to
have my doubts. So too did my family. We all began to prepare for the
reality that, not only was I blind, but I would likely have to navigate my
adult life as a blind man. Could I live on my own? Could I travel safely
without someone's arm? Could I get a job, and, if so, what in the world
might it be? My grandma thought I could be a preacher, my cousin a lawyer,
and my dad was certain I could be a musician. The tape recorder ruled out
musician, the lack of what people referred to as "the calling" ruled out
being a preacher, and learning that Perry Mason's work life as a lawyer was
television fiction and that he did more than work one hour a week for
twenty-six weeks a year tainted my image of how wonderful it would be to
adopt his profession.
When leaving home was not a distant possibility but something that
was a little over a year away, I decided to look into what a guide dog
might do for me. This required reaching out to blind adults, and it was the
blind people with this information who loved me into the Federation. Their
only agenda was listening to my interminable questions. When we shared
experiences, I talked, and they listened. Only after it was clear that they
cared about me did they ever so gently try to mold me, convince me that
there were others like me, and help me to see a future I had not considered
before. They introduced me to a successful blind vendor, an office supply
salesman, a teacher, a law student, an accountant, the owner of an
insurance agency, the proprietor of a hardware store-and all of this within
Missouri and Kansas. They said there were lots of folks doing even more,
and all of them were available to help me on my journey to independence and
employment. I could come to know them through this organization they called
the National Federation of the Blind.
The people who recruited me knew that, if they moved too quickly,
they would push me away, but, if they put caring about me uppermost, they
might just draw me in. I was offered help before I was asked to help. They
proved how much they cared about me, and I wanted to return that care in
any way I could.
Part of demonstrating caring on my part was being tolerant when they
kept talking about this National Federation of the Blind. Part of caring
meant going to some meetings because they wanted me to and not because I
had some particular feeling of commitment to the organization's goals.
Last, coming to the meetings had something to do with dogs and donuts: the
guide dogs I wanted to see and the donuts I was glad to eat.
I was sixteen when I came to my first meeting of the organization,
and fighting discrimination, injustice, and unfair treatment against the
blind were not a part of my agenda. It wasn't that I came without a
conscience; I simply didn't know such mistreatment existed. At sixteen I
was still under the protection of my mother and father and had never really
had to face significant problems as a blind person. When I first began
hearing about the unequal treatment of blind people, I am ashamed to admit
that I wanted to blame the victims. That was easier than changing my view
of the world. No agency had ever tried to bully me or narrowly restrict my
options, and I was confident that, if they did, I'd just persuade them
differently-me, the man with the silver tongue. Not surprisingly it wasn't
until I became a victim of some discrimination, some arbitrary treatment by
powerful people and some choices that were given to me as "take it or leave
it. I have all the power and you have none," that I began to look with more
compassion and understanding at those who alleged discrimination based on
blindness.
The closer I came to graduation, the more the fear of growing up
challenged the desire to do it. When you fear that despite your best
efforts you will grow up to be a disappointment to those who respect hard
work and success, and then you find a group that says, "We have lived
through those fears and will show you how to push beyond them," the world
comes alive in a very new way. Narrow channels for staying afloat become
wide rivers of opportunity.
Joining with an organized group of blind people meant rejecting some
things I had heard and believed about myself and others who were blind. In
my elementary school my parents were warned that they should be cautious
about letting me associate too much with other blind folks. This could too
easily lead to an unhealthy reliance on having only blind friends and not
mixing with people who could see. When I mentioned to a blind friend that I
was going to attend an NFB meeting, he became angry and said, "Now Gary, I
really thought you were smarter than that." I was confused and told him so.
"I can't believe that you would want to go and be a part of those Jernigan
jumpers," he said.
"What is a Jernigan jumper," I asked, and "For that matter, what is a
Jernigan?"
He said, "Kenneth Jernigan is the president of the National
Federation of the Blind, and when he says 'jump,' people don't ask why.
They ask, 'How high, sir?' Now if you want to join an organization of the
blind, you ought to join the one that I'm a part of. My God: going to a
meeting of the Federation: I really thought you were smarter than that."
These Federation people who had been nice to me had never said
anything bad about the organization to which he belonged, and in fact they
demonstrated the utmost regard for him as a man who had been quite
successful in working a difficult job in private industry. If I had any
doubts about going, he gave me the critical push by calling into question
my brains, my good sense, and the character of people I had come to care
about. There is a lesson in this when we are tempted to talk about other
organizations of the blind. It is far better to speak about what we do than
to characterize what they do. Presume that people will have the brains to
find the organization that is best for them, and, if they are on the fence,
encourage them to look. Last, my friend who questioned my brains never once
told me he was a member of another organization until he challenged me
about going to a Federation meeting. As much as I am sure that the
Federation philosophy is just the right fit for me, I have the niggling
sense that, had he asked, I might have chosen a different path. How many of
us have friends who don't know we are members of the NFB?
After attending several meetings, I decided to join, and that meant
asking for admission. My request became a part of the agenda, I was
introduced by those who knew me, I was given a chance to say hello, and
then I was voted in unanimously. There followed a number of welcoming
comments by people I knew as chapter leaders and by rank-and-file members I
could not identify. All of them were clearly happy to see that I had
joined, and I have to admit that I was impressed by the ceremony that
officially tagged me as a member of this organization.
Finding the Federation began a paradigm shift in my life. What are
the jobs I can do as a blind person soon turned into what are the few jobs
I cannot do. Instead of fearing that I would have to be exceptional to get
any kind of job at all, I began to hear and believe that the average blind
person could do the average job in the average place of business and could
do it as well as his sighted neighbor. If these people were as truthful as
they were loving, they were offering a world very different from the one I
thought I was about to walk into as I came closer to being an adult.
"We have some good news for you," they said. "If you don't have the
talent or the desire, you don't have to become a musician, but neither do
you have to face the music of deprivation, disappointment, and despair you
say you fear. You may think that your life is about to change for the worse
because you don't have everything figured out, but you don't have to fear
growing up. There are those who will tell you that because you are blind
you are less capable, have fewer opportunities, and must choose among the
small number of jobs fit for the blind. But don't you believe it!"
Sometimes we make a judgment about whether people are interacting
with us in a welcoming or off-putting way. Often it is a matter of
perception and perspective. In my own case this usually means making the
decision about whether to be open or defensive. When Federation members
suggested that I should be doing better academically than I was, my first
reaction was that the organization was off-putting. But when I listened to
their message with the love they had amply demonstrated for me, I knew that
they were not offering a criticism but a promise of things that could be.
The choice would be mine about whether or not to embrace the opportunity to
live a full life as a normal human being or a full life as defined within
the small box of what I thought blind people could do. When I could get
beyond the idea that my little box was being attacked and realized that it
was being opened so that I could experience a greater sense of the world, I
knew that any off-putting feelings came from my defensiveness and not their
love.
Sometimes I talk with people who say, "Before I join the NFB, I have
to decide how important it is to me. You see, I'm really an all-or-nothing
kind of person. When I commit to something, I go all the way."
On the surface this sounds reasonable and even admirable. But at
least in my life it doesn't stand up to the test of the way I really
function. I am a supporter of public radio. I am saddened by world hunger
and contribute to foundations that are fighting it. I care about equality
of opportunity and a better chance for people of all races, so I contribute
to education funds and civil rights organizations. I care about chronic
illnesses and give to research for their cure and care for those afflicted,
and I even donate so that caretakers can have a time to recharge. I don't
believe I am letting any of these causes down because I do not give my all
to them. I give greater time to my family than anything else. My job and my
Federation involvement are a big part of my identity and thus get a big
part of me. But I don't count myself out as a force for good in dealing
with other issues affecting my community, my country, and even the world. I
think the truth is that we all operate with many priorities and that each
is brought to the forefront as the situation demands.
Not everyone needs to put the amount of time that President Riccobono
does into the organization. Some are leaders, and some of us play different
but important roles. The fact that we divide our loyalties, our energy, and
our financial resources among many different interests should not determine
whether or not we are Federationists. What I give this week will be very
different next week if I have a family crisis, if there is a need in my
community, or if a friend falls on hard times and needs much more from me
than usual. Being a Federation member does not mean that the organization
automatically gets a certain part of me or that my effort won't vary. I am
an active member, but I also try to live a life that is balanced: work and
play, listening to music and enjoying silence, listening to and taking part
in good conversations, being involved in all that is going on around me but
then taking time for quiet time and meditation. The NFB wouldn't have it
any other way for me and for all of those we seek to help become integrated
into the mainstream of our world.
Another reason I was given not to join the NFB was that they were
interested only in the super blind. The term "super blind" was never quite
defined, but I gathered from snippets of conversation that these people
were those who were extremely bright, were employed in tremendously well-
paying jobs, enjoyed fantastic travel skills, were excellent cooks, and
could read Braille at hundreds of words per minute, some of them rivaling
the print speed readers who were alleged to read more than 1,200 words a
minute. I wondered if the warm invitation I had been receiving would be
retracted when I was found to be lacking in so many areas. To this day my
cane travel skills are pretty good: I manage to avoid head-on collisions
with poles, find the stairs and make my way up when they go up and down
when they go down; but my orientation is a different matter altogether.
Sometimes I can walk into a restaurant, exchange pleasantries with the
hostess, be guided to my seat, interact with my dinner companions, enjoy my
meal, pay the bill, and then realize I have absolutely no idea which way is
out. It has to be the opposite of the way I came in, but I somehow don't
have that information. My sense of level is atrocious. If you hand me a cup
of coffee, the first thing I would do is say thank you; the second thing I
would do is take a drink from the cup to determine its fullness and then
decide an acceptable sense of level. This is a fine technique for me, but I
suspect that not many people will be asking me to bring coffee to their
table if holding it level means I take the first sip. I can read Braille
all right, but I would lose out to both the hare and the tortoise in any
slate-writing contest. I have been blessed with a good job for most of my
life, but I won't be leaving much to my children, the thing of most value
being my advice to work hard and try to get along with others. No, the
Federation has not demanded that I become a super blind person. They have
instead encouraged me to be honest with myself-to push when my skills can
be improved and to accept with gratitude those innate talents I got when
placed upon this earth.
Do we admire and reward people who are outstanding in their field? Of
course we do. Do we use their experience to motivate others and to change
the public's perception of our limits? Most certainly we do. But do we who
are rank-and-file members have to meet this high bar? We do not, and we are
loved and nurtured just the same. We are the examples who speak eloquently
to members of the National Federation of the Blind being a cross section of
the population.
Now comes the something really special that makes me glad to be a
member. Blind people are quite frequently the recipients of help, sometimes
needed, sometimes thrust upon us. But our Federation helped me see that I
too have something to give-what a chance to turn the tables and to be a
helper, a mover, and a shaker. In my time as a member, I have seen the
passage of the Model White Cane Law; the right to vote by bringing a person
of one's choice to the polls; a massive expansion of the Randolph-Sheppard
program to include cafeterias; a change in the insurance laws of many
states so that blind people can buy life and health insurance; the Air
Carrier Access Act, which clarified that we could keep our canes with us
while flying; the Americans with Disabilities Act; the Help America Vote
Act; the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act; the Space Available Act; and
now the Marrakesh Treaty. Some of these changes have benefited me directly,
but all have benefited me indirectly because I had some small part to play
in bringing about something good in the world that did not exist before we
willed it into being.
Before I became a part of an organization of the blind, I encountered
a number of organizations for the blind. The difference is significant.
Organizations for the blind invited me onto their luxury cruise ship and
almost demanded to do everything for me. But the National Federation of the
Blind invited me into one of their canoes, gave me an oar, and asked me to
dip it in the water, move the canoe forward, and help determine its
direction along with the rest of our fleet. When taken together, we make up
an impressive armada fighting for change, but we are nothing without each
canoe. We are not just the blind speaking for the blind; we are the blind
acting in concert to make real the dream of life, liberty, and the pursuit
of happiness for a segment of the population which historically has not
enjoyed these fruits but has endured existence, restrictions on our freedom
and activity, and the denial of many opportunities others have all-too-
often taken for granted.
When we tackled quiet cars that put at risk our freedom to travel,
Debbie Kent Stein wrote something that is deeply meaningful. She said:
As blind people we contend with a host of barriers and concerns.
There are inaccessible websites and kiosks, and there are standardized
tests with a visual bias. Setbacks and inequities are rooted in a long
history of ignorance, prejudice, and discrimination. Furthermore,
along with the rest of the world, we face more threats and dangers
than we can count, from the fraying ozone layer to the constant menace
of war. Before the enormousness of the world's ills I often feel
overwhelmed and helpless. Our success in tackling the issue of quiet
cars seems a featherweight in the balance. Yet the passage of the
Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act stands as proof that we as
individuals have the ability to make a difference. When we commit
ourselves to a cause and win the commitment of others, we harness the
power of collective action. When we stand together, we can change the
world.
What a fitting observation she makes about why we have the
Federation.
I am thankful that I know what it's like to be enriched by finding a
cause larger than myself, to tap into the expertise that collective action
allows, and to speak with the amplification that the Federation provides. I
share this with the hope that others will join and benefit in their own
special way. I urgently want people to become a part of us so that their
dreams and their views will come to constitute this wonderful force we call
the National Federation of the Blind.
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[PHOTO CAPTION: Barbara Loos]
Reflections on My Hook
by Barbara Loos
From the Editor: This issue focuses on membership-what it is, why it
is worth being a member, and just how it is that some of us were invited
and have been blessed by participating. When I mentioned that we were
dedicating an issue to this subject, one of my favorite authors asked if I
would consider something she had written. When she asked, I knew it was
going to be a wonderful day, and it is a pleasure to run this. She provides
enough biographical information that I will not do it here. I hope you
enjoy her experience as much as I do:
If we look carefully at what motivates us, we'll often discover a
pattern in what draws us in, hooks us, and compels us to act. For me, from
the time I was a small child, I have been deeply influenced by literature.
I've always loved to read and have often figured out how I feel about
things by writing about them. I vividly remember what hooked me on the
National Federation of the Blind, even though it happened over forty years
ago. I invite you to join me on a brief walk down Memory Lane, close to
where it intersects with Action Avenue.
As early as 1941, one year after its founding, there was an affiliate
of the National Federation of the Blind in Nebraska. There was even a
National Convention in Omaha in 1955. The former predates me and the latter
would have found me to be a child of four, about to get my education at the
school for the blind, where the Federation ranked among the unpopular. So
it wasn't until 1971, when Mary Ellen Anderson (now Jernigan) and Arlene
Gashel (later Hill) came to Nebraska as part of a team to reorganize the
affiliate, that I had my first brief encounter with the organization. That
January, although my sister, Laurie, and I, both of us blind and students
at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, met with them, we neither attended
the organizing meeting nor joined the movement. We did agree, though, to
receive the Braille Monitor, the Federation's monthly magazine.
Our initial response to the Monitor was heavily influenced by the
approach at the school for the blind, where Federationists were said to be
pushy "pie in the sky" radicals with respect to expectations for the blind
who would do anything to get their way. We derisively dubbed the
publication the "Jernigan Journal," because it was replete with articles
and editorial comments by Kenneth Jernigan, who was, at the time, the
Federation's President.
Typically, I read, ridiculed, and rejected the Monitor out of hand. I
did so, that is, until the September 1974 issue. That one included the
convention banquet speech entitled "Blindness: Is Literature Against Us?"
Upon reading that speech, I found myself quietly, almost guiltily slipping
it into a shelf reserved for things to ponder. And ponder it I did.
I was fascinated by his opening statement: "History, we are told, is
the record of what human beings have done; literature the record of what
they have thought." But what caught and held my attention were his comments
concerning the future of the blind as seen through literature:
If we turn to the future, the answer is that the future-in
literature as in life-is not predetermined but self-determined. As we
shape our lives, singly and collectively, so will we shape our
literature. Blindness will be a tragedy only if we see ourselves as
authors see us. The contents of the page, in the last analysis,
reflect the conscience of the age. The structure of literature is but
a hall of mirrors, giving us back (in images slightly larger or
smaller than life) exactly what we put in. The challenge for us is to
help our age raise its consciousness and reform its conscience. We
must rid our fiction of fantasy and imbue it with fact. Then we shall
have a literature to match reality, and a popular image of blindness
to match the truth, and our image of ourselves.
Poetry is the song of the spirit and the language of the soul.
In the drama of our struggle to be free-in the story of our movement
and the fight to rid the blind of old custodialism and man's ancient
fear of the dark-there are epics which cry to be written, and songs
which ask to be sung. The poets and novelists can write the words, but
we must create the music.
We stand at a critical time in the history of the blind. If we
falter or turn back, the tragedy of blindness will be great, indeed.
But, of course, we will not falter, and we will not turn back.
Instead, we will go forward with joy in our hearts and a song of
gladness on our lips. The future is ours, and the novelists and the
poets will record it. Come! Join me on the barricades, and we will
make it come true!
That didn't feel like "my way or the highway" to me. It felt like
choice! And literature as "the song of the spirit and the language of the
soul" certainly resonated with me, and I sure did want to go forward with
that joy in my heart and song of gladness on my lips. I even longed to be
one of those creating the music. Was it really "pie in the sky"? I
determined to find out.
In December of that year, I was offered an opportunity, as part of my
job at the Nebraska Rehabilitation Services for the Visually Impaired (now
the Nebraska Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired), to go to
another agency for the blind to see how it operated and bring back possible
suggestions for the fledgling Orientation and Adjustment Center we were in
the process of creating. That was a no-brainer for me. I wanted to meet the
author of that literature speech and see if the agency he directed, the
Iowa Commission for the Blind, was as good as the rumor mill claimed. I
came away from that experience not only believing that it was, but doing
all I could to ensure that the center we built here emulated that one.
On Louis Braille's 202nd birthday, January 4, 2011, I purchased a
booklet from National Braille Press by D. Croft. Entitled "Monday Morning
Quotations," it contains fifty-two leaves, each of which offers words of
wisdom. The first quote on the second leaf, attributed to Bertrand Russell,
aptly summarizes what I learned at the Iowa Commission: "Even when all the
experts agree, they still may well be mistaken." The second quote on that
page, penned by William Safire, succinctly comments on the growing
connection with reality I was experiencing: "Never assume the obvious is
true." Things, indeed, aren't always what they appear to be.
Once I began to engage with those who both truly believed that it is
respectable to be blind and that the average blind person, given proper
training and opportunity, could do the average job in the average place of
business as well as his/her sighted colleague, life began to unfold for me
in most fascinating ways. As my expectations for myself and those blind
folks I was teaching rose, so, too, did our confidence. And with confidence
came competence. Ken Hakuta's quotation on the first leaf of the
aforementioned booklet conveys, to some degree, how things next began to
play out: "People will try to tell you that all the great opportunities
have been snapped up. In reality, the world changes every second, blowing
new opportunities in all directions, including yours."
In January 1975, about a month after my trip to Iowa, I joined the
Lincoln Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of Nebraska. The
following month, I was elected its president. Before the year was out, I
had attended both my first state and national conventions, a leadership
seminar in Des Moines, and a demonstration against the National
Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually
Handicapped (NAC) in Little Rock. Since then, I have held numerous
positions, both elected and appointed, within the movement.
Many of the opportunities which have blown my way have involved
literature. One of the first was a request from Mr. Regler, superintendent
of the Nebraska school for the blind, who asked my sister (who had also
joined the NFB) and me to write a song for the school's centennial
celebration. He told us that the theme was a quote from its blind founder,
Samuel Bacon, "Not just a living, but a life." Pleased to so soon have a
chance to be part of writing a song which had, in fact, asked to be sung, I
fleshed out that quote for the chorus and wrote a couple verses, then
handed it off to Laurie to write the literal music. It was truly awesome to
hear blind youth proclaiming that message of equal expectation and to have
it adopted as the school song, knowing that the National Federation of the
Blind, the organization that had been maligned there, had had a hand in it
through my sister and me. Our mom, who had discussed our change of
perspective with Mr. Regler at some point, mentioned that his response to
her had been that if we raise children to think independently, we shouldn't
be surprised when they do.
With increased involvement in the Federation, I found myself writing
letters, delivering testimony to legislators, drafting resolutions, writing
reports, and generally immersing myself in the business of contributing to
the voice of our nation's blind. In 1990, when the NFB celebrated its half-
century mark, I received the awesome privilege of being one of two
Federationists to represent the 1970s on a panel of ten, two from each
decade, at our National Convention in Dallas. A video of that session,
items from chapters, divisions, and state affiliates as well as other
selected materials were placed in a time capsule to be examined in 2040.
That panel discussion is available in an article entitled "The National
Federation of the Blind: Five Decades of Progress." In December of 1998,
exactly twenty-four years after I had first met and questioned him, I
received the sad but unparalleled honor of paying tribute to Dr. Jernigan
at his memorial service in Baltimore with remarks entitled "Making It
Count." Two years later, I was thrilled to be invited to deliver a speech,
"Employment Creation," at the Fifth General Assembly of the World Blind
Union in Melbourne, Australia. The following year found me speaking at the
groundbreaking ceremony for the building we now call the Jernigan
Institute, those comments appearing in an article entitled "A New Day
Dawning: The NFB Breaks Ground for the National Research and Training
Institute for the Blind." (A precious side note is that I got to stand
beside a seven-year-old blind boy as we used giant scissors to cut the
ribbon for the Institute's grand opening in 2004.) When I served as the
first chairman of the newly-established Nebraska Commission for the Blind
and Visually Impaired (NCBVI) board of commissioners from 2000 through
2007, I was mindful of setting precedents for future commissioners as we
wrote formative documents and as I delivered annual reports to state
conventions as NFBN's designee on the board.
Over the years, I have attempted to meet the challenge Dr. Jernigan
spoke of "to help our age raise its consciousness and reform its
conscience" about blindness through both presentations and vignettes. A
partial list includes my introduction to the Federation (The Missing
Piece), grieving (A Vinegar and Oil Federationist), alternative techniques
(Fueling the Fire), teaching and networking (The Cribbage Game), Braille (A
Morsel to Chew On), parenting (A Lesson From Marsha), mentoring (United We
Stand), living our philosophy in the world at large (For Laura), giving
back to society (Feeding Our Future), influencing blind youngsters (Laying
the Groundwork for Independence), experiencing convention through streaming
(Dancing in the Rain), going outside the comfort zone (Corky Canvas) and
unusual blindness-related experiences (A Boa in My Brailler and Barring the
Chaos Factor). Interestingly, not only have these and other writings of
mine appeared in our NFBN newsletter, the Federation's Kernel Books and
Future Reflections, but they also have found their way into the Braille
Monitor, that publication that I once found so unnerving. I now find it to
be both a treasure trove and a lifeline, and I hope you do, too.
Whether serving as state president, treasurer, board member,
committee appointee, or, my personal favorite, rank and file member of this
organization, literature of some kind is always influencing my approach. As
I was writing this article, for instance, I received an observation in an
email message by Bob Perks which I think sums up well how the Federation
can turn around your life, whatever your initial hook may be. He wasn't
talking about blindness, but I think it applies. He said, "I used to say,
'I'll believe it when I see it.' Now it's, 'I'll see it when I believe
it!'" The first part of that statement is, of course, a slight rewrite of
that old, untrustworthy stereotype "seeing is believing." The second part
could be restated in a phrase I have often heard my husband say which I
liked so well I used it for the title of another of my writings about
mentoring, "Attitude is everything." The former sets a trap, while the
latter sets you free. And that, really, is what the National Federation of
the Blind has done for me. It has set me free, and it can do the same for
you.
I think our stroll down memory lane has taken us right up to that
intersection I mentioned earlier, the one with Action Avenue. Yes, a
submission deadline is just around that corner. I hope I'll find you there,
too, either on the pages of this publication or responding to your hook in
another place along the avenue, living the life you want and changing what
it means to be blind in positive ways.
----------
My Experience of Being a Member of the National Federation of the Blind
by Chris Walker
From the Editor: Chris Walker is an active member in our Virginia
affiliate. He comes to the Federation at a later date than some of our
contributors, having gone blind in late 2009. A little research by talking
with his fellow Virginians tells us he is the chapter president in
Winchester, and in a very admiring voice one member said, "The thing I love
about Chris is that he is such a nice guy." I admire people who are so kind
that they rate the title "nice," and I can't wait to meet him. Here is what
he writes:
To help explain my motivation and commitment to the NFB, I would like
to provide some of my personal background. During the last two months of
2009 I went from being a sighted person to being completely blind from
Acute Retinal Necrosis (ARN). In December 2009, when I was discharged from
the hospital after going blind at age forty-four, I was given a normal,
supportive, walking cane and sent on my way into a sighted world with no
information on what to do next. During the next six months I received blind
services in Las Vegas, developed orientation and mobility skills, and began
to learn the blindness skills needed to become an independent person.
My partner and I decided to move back to Northern Virginia to be
closer to our families. Shortly after the move my partner passed away
suddenly. I knew from that point that I needed to be independent and self-
supporting. I also knew that once I got my life back together, I wanted to
be able to be there for the next person who lost his/her vision.
I began the next phase of gaining my independence by moving from my
family's home in Warrenton to the city of Winchester, Virginia, where I
rented a room from a recent acquaintance. Once settled, I began looking for
an organization that would be able to guide me through this new life. I
tried to find local organizations around Winchester that could help assist
me on this journey. One day as I walked around town with my friends, we met
a blind couple who suggested I visit the National Federation of the Blind
website. I went home and joined the NFB that night. As I learned more about
the NFB, I found the Virginia affiliate's at-large group and attended
several of that group's monthly conference calls. I later discovered there
was a local Winchester chapter of the NFB, and I have been an active member
of the chapter since joining in 2015. While attending my second chapter
meeting, I expressed a desire to set up an information booth at a local
community's Fourth of July celebration. I was immediately nominated and
elected as the outreach chair for the Winchester Chapter of the NFB. After
joining the local chapter I realized that being a member of the NFB was
what you made it. The more I put into the organization the more I got back.
In the summer of 2015, I listened to the NFB national convention
through the internet and social media simulcasts. That fall I attended my
first state affiliate convention and was asked to join the Virginia
affiliate's Leadership Fellows Program, which gave me the opportunity to
begin learning about the different operational areas of the national
organization and the state affiliate. The next year I attended my first NFB
national convention and was inspired by the thousands of attendees not
letting blindness be their defining characteristic.
As an active member of the NFB, I have been provided with many
opportunities to become involved at the local and state levels of the
organization. The NFB has helped me to grow personally and professionally.
I have been involved with all sorts of fun recreational events from
climbing a thirty-foot rock climbing wall to judging a chili cook-off
event. I have also attended fun learning events like "Connecting the Dots,
the Federation Philosophy." The NFB has also provided me with opportunities
to become a more confident public speaker by inviting me to be a guest
speaker at other Virginia chapter meetings and by encouraging me to speak
to the Lions Club, Kiwanis Club, and other local service organizations.
I have learned the importance of advocating for the rights of the
blind by contacting the local voter registrar about issues that the members
of the Winchester chapter were experiencing while trying to vote. Through
my efforts the training for the local poll workers changed from "telling a
visually impaired person to have someone help them vote" to the poll
workers being trained on how to use the ADA-compliant voting devices and
how to instruct people on the procedures for voting with the device. I was
also invited to the poll worker training sessions to describe my
experiences and to discuss proper etiquette when working with the
blind/visually impaired.
I am not saying that being a member of the NFB has always been a walk
in the park-it's just like life: there are ups, and there are downs. But I
have found, when I focus on my natural gifts-which have a special place in
my heart-there are many more ups than downs. My natural gift is
volunteering to provide outreach to the blind/visually impaired who have
not found the support of the National Federation of the Blind.
I have been very involved with social media, and I am a member of
many blind/visually impaired discussion groups and chat rooms. Through my
social media presence I have stayed on top of what's going on at the
national, state, and local levels across the United States. By being part
of the heartbeat of the National Federation of the Blind, we can encourage
and challenge each other to serve in many different capacities, to give
back to others, and to serve in our local community. We can all help to
console, empathize, support, and educate people about our experiences with
being blind and how the NFB has helped us to embody the axiom, "You can
live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back. The National
Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the characteristic that
defines you or your future. Every day we raise the expectations of blind
people, because low expectations create obstacles between blind people and
our dreams."
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[PHOTO CAPTION: Pam Allen]
Finding My Place, Accepting the Challenge, and Helping Others as I have
Been Helped
by Pamela Allen
From the Editor: If Federationists were to describe Pam Allen, these
would be the words they would use: kind, humble, intelligent, genuine,
friendly, and caring. What is so wonderful about this person is that with
all of these positive attributes, she is not full of herself. She cares
deeply about paying back those who have created the opportunities she has
taken advantage of and is equally committed to paying it forward so that
others have even greater opportunities. Here is what she has to say about
what brought her to the Federation, what keeps her, and her intense desire
to see that others benefit both from the programs and activities of the
organization and from the blessing that comes through giving back and
bettering the lives of others:
As I grab my keys and my purse, I reflect upon my day. I am grateful
that the conference call that just ended was productive and that we were
able to make some positive suggestions to the teachers trying to establish
an IEP that will give the student strong blindness skills. I think about
the senior who stopped by to inquire about techniques for maintaining
independence though her vision was decreasing. I am energized by the
prospect of the passage of the legislation my colleague and I met earlier
to discuss which will protect the rights of blind parents. I close the
door behind me and head to my local chapter meeting. As we recite the NFB
pledge together, I think about how "participating actively in the National
Federation of the Blind" has made such a positive difference in my life.
I have been blind since I was about two years old. I was incredibly
blessed to have parents, siblings, teachers, and friends who did not see
blindness as a limitation. They held high expectations for me and taught
me that I could achieve the dreams and goals I set for myself. As I
transitioned from childhood to adulthood, I began to have questions that my
sighted friends and family members could not answer fully. I began
searching for successful blind mentors who could give me advice and share
their experiences about living independently and excelling in various
careers. I was not interested in interacting with people who were content
to be passive and limited by the stereotypes about the inadequacies of
blind people. Rather, I was determined to find people who were not afraid
to challenge the negative misconceptions about blindness so prevalent in
society. While in college, I attended a seminar for blind college students
sponsored by the NFB of Ohio and the Student Division of the NFB. While
there, I met competent and confident blind people who challenged and
inspired me. I also learned about scholarships for blind students and
about an internship opportunity at the Louisiana Center for the Blind, one
of our three NFB training centers. Prior to my senior year of college, I
had the distinct honor of winning a national scholarship from the NFB. As
part of my award, I attended my first national convention in New Orleans
and immediately knew I wanted to be part of this dynamic Federation
family. I realized how many of the opportunities I had been afforded were
a direct result of the systemic change brought about by the work of the
National Federation of the Blind. Little did I know how much my life would
be forever changed.
During the years since that first convention, I have had the true
honor and privilege of being mentored and guided by so many incredible role
models. I have benefited directly from the life-changing training approach
which was developed by Dr. Jernigan and is now carried out at the Louisiana
Center for the Blind of which I am a graduate and at our sister centers in
Minnesota and Colorado. My involvement has allowed me to travel to
numerous conventions and presentations around the country where I can share
with and learn from others who are committed to working together to help
blind people live the lives they want! I have witnessed the extraordinary
transformation that occurs when a person realizes and internalizes the
belief that blindness does not have to be a barrier to success! I have also
been blessed to have met my incredible husband, Roland, whose support and
dedication to our work serve as a catalyst for such positive growth.
As the chapter meeting continues, I am motivated by listening to
President Riccobono's remarks on the Presidential Release as I dream about
the possibilities! I think about the members gathered at the meeting where
representing so many different backgrounds and experiences are joined
together by the common belief that blindness is not a tragedy and that we
have the power and imagination to create positive change! From our
youngest members who happen to be daughters of blind parents to our oldest
member who lost her vision later in life, we are all committed to
supporting each other and helping one another gain the tools and the
confidence needed to accomplish our goals. I reflect on a report given
about a recent yard sale held by our chapter where members not only raised
funds but equally importantly, showed themselves and the public that blind
people can organize and execute a successful event! As our meeting adjourns
and members begin to head out to dinner together, I am moved by the
expression of love I witness as one offers some pointers on cane travel to
someone who is still unsure and just beginning the journey toward
independence.
As we swap stories and laugh together over dinner, I think about the
thousands of Federationists meeting in chapters around our country. Our
philosophy and core values of collective action, courage, respect, full
participation, democracy, and love are demonstrated in large and small ways
through the work we do together. I am grateful for the foundation our
philosophy provides as we work on conquering our individual fears about
blindness and as we implement policies and programs that will bring about
the needed societal change. I am encouraged by the risks we will take to
redefine blindness.
Just as I know it has for so many others, my involvement in the NFB has
enabled me to be part of and an active leader in the most powerful
organization of blind people in the world, one that has opened doors of
opportunity and given hope to so many! From my first convention to the
present, I have found so many ways to give and serve.
In the beginning, I believe I benefited more than I gave, but with
time and nurturing, I was able to find ways to share. I continue to take
and give, to be a learner and mentor, and to be challenged never to settle
or lower my expectations. Even when the battle seems daunting or the goal
hard to attain, I draw strength from our collective experiences and from
the knowledge that there is still so much more to do together! Like an
orchestra that combines so many different instruments to perform a
symphony, we all have a place in this organization to utilize our talents
and knowledge to create something that is more powerful and beautiful than
we could have imagined.
One of the things I love most about the Federation is that we have so
much to offer-something to share, a mentor to meet, a way to grow-whether
you have recently joined or have been a member for decades. The Federation
is comprised of blind people from diverse backgrounds and different life
experiences who know the power of working together to shatter
misconceptions about blindness.
Being a member of the National Federation of the Blind will challenge
you as it has and continues to challenge me. It will shape your ideas and
attitudes about blindness and will push you out of your comfort zone. You
will find hope and will increase your belief in what is possible.
After we get home from dinner, I sit in front of my computer
preparing for a seminar class the following day with students at the
center, many of whom are learning about the National Federation of the
Blind for the first time. We will be discussing President Riccobono's 2016
speech, "The Understanding of Fear and the Power of Progress," delivered at
the annual convention banquet. One of my favorite passages from the speech
is:
My brothers and my sisters, we are the masters of our own future. The
power to make change and to cultivate hope is within each of us. We
bond together in the National Federation of the Blind to face the
uncertainty of the future, to challenge ourselves to expand the
horizons, and to take ownership of living the lives we want.
Society's fears of blindness will not stop us. Facing our own fears
will make us stronger. And the power of our unwavering love, hope, and
determination will lead us through uncertainty to new heights. Let us
break down the conditioned fears of others. Let us challenge ourselves
to conquer the fears that stand in our way. Let us overwhelm fear
with our unstoppable engine of hope.
I am grateful for the small part my active participation contributes
to accomplish these goals, and I am thankful for each member's tireless
commitment to creating a world free from fear and full of opportunity. We
need you! Together, let's go build the National Federation of the Blind!
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Everette Bacon]
Why I am a Member!
by Everette Bacon
From the Editor: Everette Bacon is a member of the national board of
directors and serves as the president of the National Federation of the
Blind of Utah. He is energetic, hardworking, and ever so approachable. It
is always a pleasure when he submits an article for the Braille Monitor,
and I am sure that you will enjoy his latest contribution. Here is what he
says:
I am blind. I have always been blind. When I was a child all the way
up until I became a young man, I never wanted to admit this fact. I knew
plenty of blind people, I even came from a family with hereditary
blindness. I was told, and I came to believe, that my partial sight was
different and that I was not ever going to be like "those" blind people!
Boy, was I wrong!
I came to know the Federation because of a bad job experience. In
1997 I became the lead store manager of a Blockbuster Video store in
Irving, Texas. I love movies and pop culture, and this job was fun and
rewarding. I was able to move from lower performing stores to the third
highest revenue Blockbuster store in the greater Houston area. I received
awards, promotions, and in 2002, I had trained ten other store managers in
Houston and surrounding areas of Texas. All the while, my vision was slowly
decreasing. It became more difficult to perform my responsibilities, and I
knew that I needed to do something about it. I was aware that there was
assistive technology such as video magnifiers and software like ZoomText
available, and I thought if I went to my human resources manager at
Blockbuster, I could request and receive these accommodations. In January
of 2003, I made a formal request for accommodations, and a little over a
month later, I was called into the regional director's office and was
informed that I was being terminated for fraudulent inventory practices. I
was never given any physical proof of this; I was only told that there was
evidence. The ironic thing is that in October of 2002 I had just received
an award for the top inventory control store for that fiscal year. Needless
to say, I was devastated. My wife and family were furious! I did not know
where to turn, and I really did not know what I was going to do. My wife,
who happened to be in medical school at the time, drafted an email that was
titled "Blind man discriminated against by Blockbuster Video!" This was
shared with all of our contacts, and my mom had forwarded it to a listserv
that just so happened to include the email address of Scott LaBarre. For
those of you who do not know, Scott LaBarre is an attorney who does
significant legal work for the National Federation of the Blind. Scott was
able to reach out to me and became my attorney. He also told me that the
NFB was very interested in my case and that if need be, they would also
provide assistance to me. I did not know about the NFB. I did not know any
members of the Federation. I had never heard of Dr. Kenneth Jernigan, Dr.
Jacobus tenBroek, Dr. Marc Maurer, or anyone else. I knew nothing of the
significant work the Federation has done on behalf of blind people. Scott
told me the NFB only asked one thing in return for its representation and
assistance: that I check out their website and maybe attend a chapter
meeting. I was really impressed by Scott and the generosity of the
Federation, and I promised I would look into the NFB.
By early 2004 my wife was accepted into a medical residency program
in Utah. We moved to Utah in the spring of 2004, and I reached out to NFB
of Utah president Ron Gardner. I received a call from a local chapter
member by the name of Milt Taylor, and I attended my first chapter meeting
in Salt Lake City. There I was welcomed by members such as Nick
Schmittroth, Tai Tomasi, Dave Sarle, and so many others. What I found in
that local chapter meeting and in the Utah affiliate was people just like
me! Some were completely blind, some had partial vision, but they all had
something in common that I did not have: they were proud of their
blindness. They were motivated to make changes that would affect them
directly and many other blind people as well. They were living the life
they wanted, and blindness did not hold them back.
I kept attending monthly chapter meetings, and Nick and I became
close friends. Nick showed me how to use a cane with confidence, and later
that year I was hired by the Utah Division of Services for the Blind. I
officially joined the chapter that summer, and in 2005 I was elected to the
chapter board of directors. In 2006 I was elected to be treasurer of the
chapter. I also attended my first national convention in Dallas, Texas. The
convention was a wonderful experience, and I am proud to say that I have
only missed one convention since 2006.
Unfortunately, my good friend Nick passed away in 2006, and I was
elected to serve as the Salt Lake City chapter president. I have gone on to
become the Utah affiliate president and am currently honored to serve on
the national board of directors.
I am a member of the National Federation of the Blind because I found
a community of people who are just like me. They have hopes and dreams,
they want careers, and they want families. They want and are not afraid to
do whatever it takes to achieve these things-and oh, by the way, they also
happen to be blind! I am proud to be blind, and I am proud to be a member
of the National Federation of the Blind.
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[PHOTO CAPTION: Daniel Garcia]
An Ongoing Commitment: Why I Joined and Why I Continue My Work in the
National Federation of the Blind
by Daniel Garcia
From the Editor: Daniel Garcia is a bright young professional who has
decided to give some of his intelligence, enthusiasm, and energy to our
organization. After studying the history of blind people and looking at the
needs that confront us, he came to the decision that in recognition of
those who worked before him, he would give back. To help those who would
come after, he would pay it forward. Here is what he has to say:
The first time I came in contact with members of the National
Federation of the Blind was in November of 2011. At the time I was
receiving skills of blindness training at the Training Center for the Blind
in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The actual training center was undergoing a $5
million renovation at the time, so the training was being held at what was
then the Clarion Inn. By pure coincidence, the National Federation of the
Blind of Michigan had its 2011 Convention at the same hotel that year. On
Friday evening, many training center students and I walked around the
exhibit hall. I talked with a few members of the Western Wayne County and
Ann Arbor chapters who encouraged me to attend their chapter meetings once
I graduated from the center. Little did I know at the time that this would
foretell the journey that I would embark upon a mere three years later.
Once I finished my training, I went home and decided to learn as much
as I could about the history of the blind. I came upon a book titled
Walking Alone and Marching Together. This book is enormous not only in
size, but also in the profound way that it changed my thinking about
blindness. While reading the pages of this monumental book, I started to
get acquainted with the core philosophy of the National Federation of the
Blind: that it is respectable to be blind, that with the proper training
and opportunity blindness can be reduced to the level of a nuisance, that
blindness is merely a characteristic, and that the real problem of
blindness is not blindness itself but people's negative reactions to it.
In 2013 I decided to go to World Services for the Blind in Little
Rock, Arkansas, for training to become a collections representative at the
Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Though I was not an NFB member at the time,
I started reading the Braille Monitor, and I decided that whatever city I
ended up working in, I would join the NFB. In March of 2014 I started
working for the IRS in Kansas City, Missouri. In August of that same year I
joined the Kansas City Chapter of the NFB. In 2015 I was asked to serve on
the state affiliate board of directors; I was elected to fill a partial one-
year term when another board member was elected to the position of
corresponding secretary. In 2016 I was asked to serve as my chapter's first
vice president.
I have been privileged to be a part of many NFB of Missouri events.
In February of 2016 I attended my first Jefferson City Seminar, the NFB of
Missouri's equivalent to the Washington Seminar. Though I was a novice, I
was still expected to do the work and to get around the Capitol building by
myself. On the second day of Jefferson City Seminar, another NFB newcomer
and I were paired up and assigned to visit the offices of various state
legislators. The fact that two beginners were entrusted with such a huge
responsibility was nothing short of empowering. In October of 2016, the NFB
of Missouri had an employment seminar in St Louis, and I was asked to give
a presentation. Since I am part of the lucky 30 percent of working-age
blind people who have a job, I thought it important that I do whatever I
could to try to put a dent in the unemployment rate of the blind. In 2017,
I started to chair the NFB of Missouri's Public Relations Committee. Our
committee has had moderate success in promoting the goals and programs of
our state affiliate.
I was elected chapter president and started serving in this capacity
in January of 2018. It is certainly not an easy job, but I do have a great
chapter board who help me run the chapter. At the state convention in
Jefferson City in 2018, I introduced a resolution about the AV START Act
which was passed by the convention. I also gave a fifteen-minute speech
about the AV START Act and the coming age of the fully autonomous vehicle.
As I write this, the chapter is experiencing explosive growth in
membership. In fact, we had a chapter membership seminar in February of
2019 to introduce to the NFB the nine members who joined our chapter since
October of 2018. This increase in membership is due to the work of the
state membership committee and the work of chapter members telling our
story and asking blind and sighted people to join our ranks.
Looking ahead, I am very excited about the Strategic Plan for 2019
through 2021 that was recently launched by our national body. I am
particularly enthusiastic about the NFB's goal of developing leadership as
well as the opportunity to enhance our advocacy skills. Though doing the
work of the Federation can at times be exhausting, I am committed to
becoming a more effective leader and advocate for the blind. I dream of a
world, hopefully in the not-so-distant future, where all blind people can
own and operate a voice-activated fully autonomous vehicle.
We all need to work collectively to define what we need, demonstrate
that need to the public, and then make sure that it is translated into
products and services that make everyone's life better. The autonomous
vehicle is the most obvious example of something that will both transform
our lives while at the same time making society safer and more productive.
If history has taught me anything it is that freedom is not achieved
easily. Freedom is not something that is merely granted to us just for the
asking; we have to continually fight for it.
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[PHOTO CAPTION: Rilee Sloan]
The Importance of Building Membership: My Commitment to NABS and the
Broader Federation Community are the Same
by Rilee Sloan
From the Editor: Sometimes people joining our organization think they
are joining only one division, but to most the reality quickly emerges that
without all of us, none of our groups, committees, or divisions can have
any substantial unity or strength. Rilee has been quick to recognize this,
and through his actions and words demonstrates that the health of the body
isn't maintained or improved by concentrating on a single organ. Here is
what he says about building a bridge between seemingly different interest
groups to form one active and vibrant organization committed to helping
everyone who is blind:
After winning one of the National Federation of the Blind's national
scholarships last year, it came as no surprise when I announced that I
would be using the scholarship funds to pursue a degree in history and
political science. My love for history has always been apparent among my
chapter members. When I attended my first meeting of the NFB, I immediately
professed my appreciation for the history of the organization and the
legacy of Dr. Jacobus tenBroek. I had read countless speeches by Dr.
tenBroek, as well as other historic leaders within the NFB. At my first
meeting, I was excited to pursue my dream of advocating among other devoted
Federationists. My knowledge of the organization's history offered
tremendous advantages, among them a strong feeling of insight and passion.
However, it also created a problem of its own.
In my glorification of the origins of the organization and its
leaders, I overlooked the most important issue of all: grassroots
organizing. Without members we can't discern needs, dreams, and
aspirations. Without grassroots members we can't begin to bring them about.
After getting more involved in the National Federation of the Blind
and other organizations, I discovered the power of grassroots movements.
The greatest source of this wisdom was discovered at the NFB's 2018
National Convention. Here I was surrounded by thousands of other
Federationists. My fellow Federationists have always inspired me, but it
was at this gathering where they profoundly altered my perspective toward
grassroots organizing. I met hundreds of Federationists, all from different
backgrounds and walks of life. Almost every single person I met discovered
the National Federation of the Blind through their local chapter. I
realized that one of the most significant contributions I could make to the
work of the organization was to promote my local chapter and expand its
membership.
This idea was enhanced further by my involvement in the ACLU's Smart
Justice Campaign and the National Association of Blind Students (NABS).
While serving as an intern at the ACLU's Smart Justice Campaign, I worked
directly in grassroots organizing. Among other things, I met with local
organizations, promoted events, and organized teams of volunteers. Soon
after the 2018 National Convention, I got more involved in the National
Association of Blind Students. This strengthened the connection I had begun
to form between grassroots organizing and the National Federation of the
Blind. While serving as the co-chair and secretary of the NABS legislative
advocacy committee, I reached out to local chapters to get more students
involved in legislative advocacy. By working with the NABS Legislative
Advocacy Committee, I learned that the NFB's influence is predominantly
strengthened by the size of our local chapters, as well as the passion of
its members.
As a student, it is especially critical that I understand the
importance of grassroots organizing at all levels. NABS has long served as
a tool to attract new, diverse members to the state and national
organization. In his speech, "The History of the National Association of
Blind Students," Michael Baillif, past president of NABS, said, "We need
students to be reaching out to other students in a way that only you can."
Without a full understanding of NABS' role in membership recruitment, my
leadership skills are inhibited within the National Association of Blind
Students and the National Federation of the Blind. I must be aware of the
effect of grassroots organizing and membership recruitment. This awareness
will undoubtedly help me promote the success of the NFB and its student
division.
In addition to NABS' role in membership recruitment, it has strong
origins as a grassroots organization. It was founded by a small group of
students at the Federation's 1967 National Convention. Since then, NABS has
experienced tremendous growth. It has become one of the largest and most
active divisions of the National Federation of the Blind. Without the early
leaders of NABS and the place that grassroots organizing played in their
priorities, the organization never would have formed into what it is today.
As members of the National Federation of the Blind, you can support
the NFB's grassroots efforts and its goal to recruit new members in a
variety of ways. First, you should promote collaboration and interaction
among your current members. You know that one member of your chapter who
always seems too shy to introduce themselves? Go ask him or her to join you
for a cup of coffee. Maintain excitement among your members, attract new
members, and organize social meetings in your community. The chapter in
Austin, Texas, has already begun organizing social events for its members.
In an interview with Syed Rizvi, a member of the Austin chapter and the
vice president of NABS, Rizvi said, "The Austin chapter has monthly
meetings like all chapters, but what they add to that is a social after
every meeting where they go out for lunch in the city." In addition to
this, the Austin chapter has reached out to other organizations to expand
membership and promote awareness for the organization. When asked about the
impact of this form of outreach, he said, "It's all very informative. It
creates a social network of blind people you can relate to." There are
numerous opportunities to expand membership in your local chapter. Many
chapters like the one in Austin have taken action to reach out to their
communities and attract new members. Public outreach may seem intimidating,
but it's necessary for the cause. Your fellow Federationists will be more
than happy to give you tips and assist you in your efforts, and they will
in turn be inspired by them.
Grassroots organizing and membership recruitment are critical for the
success of the National Federation of the Blind. Without public outreach,
our organization cannot gain the resources and membership it needs to
effectively help blind people achieve their fullest potential. Again,
quoting from my interview with Syed, he said, "All of the most successful
social movements have always been successful through their social network.
Constantly working on building that social network will lead to an
organization's success."
Through my own experiences in the National Federation of the Blind, I
have learned the tremendous value of grassroots organizing. Only through
our membership can we gain the resources we need to help blind people live
the lives they want. As a student leader, I recognize that the efficacy of
grassroots organizing can predict the success or failure of an
organization. Fortunately, there are many ways to demonstrate grassroots
organizing and expand membership. The National Federation of the Blind is
counting on you to help us grow.
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Carlton Walker]
Why a Sighted Person Would Dedicate So Much of Her Energy to the
National Federation of the Blind
by Carlton Walker
From the Editor: Carlton Walker is one of the most inspirational
people I know. Yes, I know the word inspirational is too often used to
describe blind people, whether we're making a bed or climbing Mount
Everest. Carlton isn't blind, but I find her inspirational because she
knows how to take when she needs and then to give back what she has taken
when she can. It doesn't matter whether you say she is giving back or
giving it forward. What is important is that she doesn't take it for
granted when she is helped and doesn't just assume it is her due. She takes
the time to say thank you and then sets to work doing something that shows
that in her mind thank you is not a phrase but a chance to act. Here is
what she says about being a member of the National Federation of the Blind:
Gary Wunder, a wonderful friend and the stalwart editor of the Braille
Monitor, asked me to write an article about membership in the National
Federation of the Blind. In other words, "Why am I a Federationist?" What a
terrific question, and one I love to answer!
Growing up, I did not think much about blindness. I didn't know any
blind people; I'd never even seen a blind person in real life. In fact,
until 2004, I would have laughed if anyone had told me that I would be a
proud, committed, and unwavering member of the National Federation of the
Blind-that I would be a Federationist. Back then, I could not have imagined
how or why any organization could become an essential part of my life.
In 2001, my husband and I were thrilled to welcome a wonderful little
person we named Anna Catherine into our lives. Her first two years of life
were filled with surgeries and hospitalizations, but she grew into a
healthy and happy toddler. Then, doctors told us she was "legally blind."
We didn't really understand what that meant. In fact, at that time we did
not even consider Anna Catherine-blind.
As she got older, we understood that her lack of good vision was
affecting her. We knew that she got close to the television, a toy, or
anything she wanted to see. We knew that she had to get within just a few
inches of very-enlarged print to make it out. We knew that our little four-
year-old wouldn't walk outside without holding an adult's hand. Anna
Catherine was not as independent as her peers, and we knew that something
had to change.
After many phone calls and dead ends, I found information about a
conference called Beginnings and Blueprints at a place in Baltimore named
the National Center for the Blind. While we still didn't consider our
daughter blind, after work on Thursday, May 5, 2005, we packed up the
minivan and Anna Catherine and headed down to Baltimore. We thought we
would learn how Anna Catherine could "maximize" her remaining vision; at
that time, we truly believed that Anna Catherine's success was directly
tied to her amount of residual vision. However, we weren't at the national
center very long before we found out how wrong we were.
We learned so very much in such a short time. We heard from and
talked with several blind adults who proceeded to blow our previous
misconceptions out of the water. We met blind adults with and without
functional vision, but we couldn't tell the difference. What we did notice
was that everyone at the conference, blind and sighted, were professional,
knowledgeable, and in control of the conference. They were not separated by
physical attributes; they were united in a common purpose to educate the
conference attendees, teachers, and parents about blindness.
We returned home and tried to put some of what we learned into
practice. Unfortunately, we lived too far away to go back to Baltimore
easily. Moreover, the blind women and men we met in Baltimore were
accomplished people, including past NFB president Marc Maurer; Mark
Riccobono, the current president of the National Federation of the Blind;
Dr. Betsy Zaborowski; Carla McQuillan; Chris Danielsen; Brigid Doherty; and
Heather Field. They had talent, jobs, and busy lives. (These folks are
heavy-hitters; just Google these names and you'll see.) While they
encouraged us to reach out anytime, we didn't feel like we could bother
them. Who were we that they would take the time and energy necessary to re-
teach us and support us from a distance?
Luckily, the members of this organization don't always wait to be
asked. These fabulous people stayed in touch. They asked about Anna
Catherine, and they kept providing me information and tools to support her.
In 2006 we attended the National Federation of the Blind annual convention
in Dallas, Texas. Wow! Not only did I meet talented blind adults wanting to
help Anna Catherine and our family, I met sighted parents of blind children
who were members of the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children
(NOPBC). I learned that the NOPBC is a proud division of the National
Federation of the Blind (NFB). I learned that members of the NOPBC are
members of the NFB-even if they are sighted--and that many remain NFB
members long after their children reach adulthood. I learned that the
NOPBC's strength comes directly from the NFB-because it is the NFB that
provides the guidance, support, and love needed to allow a blind child
(with or without residual vision) to build the skills, confidence, and
fortitude necessary to grow into the independent adult that child has a
right to become.
When we left Dallas, I was exhausted, but I was invigorated as well.
At the airport I noticed that something seemed off. It took me a few
seconds to identify the problem: no canes. Over the course of the week in
Dallas, the steady and confident tapping of thousands of long white canes
became a part of me, and I missed it. That sound represented, to my mind,
the beating of a heart of the amazing organization called the National
Federation of the Blind. Before the trip, I wanted to start getting more
involved with the organization. When I arrived home, I knew that I needed
to become a member of the Federation. I no longer viewed the NFB as an
"organization." I knew that it was and is a family, and I knew that this
family would welcome me with open arms.
We did become members, and we did start attending NFB events on the
state and national level. In 2007 we attended the NFB convention in
Atlanta, and our state affiliate president, Jim Antonacci, invited Anna
Catherine to carry the Pennsylvania banner in the March for Independence.
In 2008 Harriet Go, a member of our state affiliate, took time out of her
convention experience to teach Anna Catherine how to safely and confidently
use an escalator-a task at which neither my husband nor I had succeeded for
more than a year. At the same convention we ran into Dr. Abraham Nemeth
(inventor of the Nemeth Code-Braille math) at the hotel elevators. I
timidly introduced myself and Anna Catherine to him. He greeted us warmly
and was so pleased to hear that Anna Catherine loved math that he began
quizzing her and was delighted with her (correct) answers. This giant of a
man treated two strangers like family-because we were. We were all members
of the Federation Family.
The only other organization in which I have felt a connection so
strong that I call it a family is church. As much as I do love my church
family, I must honestly share that those relationships took more time to
develop-even though I am with members of my church far more regularly than
I am with members of the NFB. This is not an indictment of any church; it
is simply the truth. Becoming involved with the NFB will provide you great
information and tools. Becoming a member of the NFB will change your life
and your child's life for the better.
Before I joined the NFB, I could never have imagined how wholly and
completely fellow members help and support one another. When others freely
give of themselves to you, you want to give back and to pay it forward. It
really is a feeling you have to experience to fully comprehend. These lines
from Tim McGraw's 2016 award-winning song, "Humble and Kind" display the
ethos of Federationists and may encourage you to become a member of the
National Federation of the Blind:
"Don't take for granted the love this life gives you
When you get where you're goin'
Don't forget turn back around
Help the next one in line
Always stay humble and kind"
Please come to meet us. Please share with us your struggles, your
pain, and your needs. Please let us share our knowledge, our hearts, and
ourselves. We welcome you to join us as members of the National Federation
of the Blind.
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Allen Harris]
The Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship Fund
by Allen Harris
From the Editor: Allen Harris is the chairman of the Kenneth Jernigan
Fund Committee and was one of the people who came up with the idea of
honoring our former president and longtime leader by establishing a program
to promote attendance at the national convention, where so much inspiration
and learning occur. Here is Allen's announcement about the 2019 Kenneth
Jernigan Convention Scholarship Fund Program:
Have you always wanted to attend an NFB annual convention but have
not done so because of the lack of funds? The Kenneth Jernigan Convention
Scholarship Fund invites you to make an application for a scholarship
grant. Perhaps this July you too can be in the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las
Vegas, Nevada, enjoying the many pleasures and learning opportunities at
the largest and most important yearly convention of blind people in the
world.
The three biggest ticket items you need to cover when attending an
NFB national convention are the roundtrip transportation, the hotel room
for a week, and the food (which tends to be higher priced than at home). We
attempt to award additional funds to families, but, whether a family or an
individual is granted a scholarship, this fund can only help; it won't pay
all the costs. Last year most of the sixty grants were in the range of $400
to $500 per individual.
We recommend that you find an NFB member as your personal convention
mentor, someone who has been to many national conventions and is able to
share money-saving tips with you and tips on navigating the extensive
agenda in the big hotel. Your mentor will help you get the most out of the
amazing experience that is convention week.
Who is eligible?
Active NFB members, blind or sighted, who have not yet attended an
NFB national convention because of lack of funding are eligible to apply.
How do I apply for funding assistance?
1. You write a letter giving your contact information and your local NFB
information, the specific amount you are requesting, and then explain
why this is a good investment for the NFB. The points to cover are
listed below.
2. You contact your state president in person or by phone to request his
or her help in obtaining funding. Be sure to tell the president when
to expect your request letter by email, and mention the deadline.
3. You (or a friend) send your letter by email to your state president.
He or she must add a president's recommendation and then email both
letters directly to the Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship Fund
Committee. Your president must forward the two letters no later than
April 15, 2019.
Your letter to Chairperson Allen Harris must cover these points:
. Your full name and all your telephone numbers-label them-cell phone,
home, office, other person (if any);
. Your mailing address and, if you have one, your email address;
. Your state affiliate and state president; your chapter and chapter
president, if you attend a chapter;
. Your personal convention mentor, and provide that person's phone
numbers;
. Your specific request, and explain how much money you need from this
fund to make this trip possible for you. We suggest you consult with
other members to make a rough budget for yourself.
The body of your letter should answer these questions:
How do you currently participate in the Federation? Why do you want
to attend a national convention? What would you receive; what can you share
or give? You can include in your letter to the committee any special
circumstances you hope they will take into consideration.
When will I be notified that I am a winner?
If you are chosen to receive this scholarship, you will receive a
letter with convention details that should answer most of your questions.
The committee makes every effort to notify scholarship winners by May 15,
but you must do several things before that to be prepared to attend if you
are chosen:
1. Make your own hotel reservation. If something prevents you from
attending, you can cancel the reservation. (Yes, you may arrange for
roommates to reduce the cost.)
2. Register online for the entire convention, including the banquet, by
May 31.
3. Find someone in your chapter or affiliate who has been to many
conventions and can answer your questions as a friend and advisor.
4. If you do not hear from the committee by May 15, then you did not win
a grant this year.
How will I receive my convention scholarship?
At convention you will be given a debit card or credit card loaded
with the amount of your award. The times and locations to pick up your card
will be listed in the letter we send you. The committee is not able to
provide funds before the convention, so work with your chapter and state
affiliate to assist you by obtaining an agreement to advance funds if you
win a scholarship and to pay your treasury back after you receive your
debit or credit card.
What if I have more questions? For additional information email the
chairman, Allen Harris, at kjscholarships at nfb.org or call his Baltimore,
Maryland, office at 410-659-9314, extension 2415.
Above all, please use this opportunity to attend your first
convention on the national level and join several thousand active
Federationists in the most important meeting of the blind in the world. We
hope to see you in Las Vegas.
----------
Recipes
Recipes this month were provided by the National Federation of the
Blind of Montana.
[PHOTO CAPTION: Robert Jaquiss]
Keto and Diabetic Friendly Pumpkin Bread
by Robert Jaquiss
Robert Jaquiss lives in Missoula, Montana, and serves as the
secretary of the National Federation of the Blind of Montana.
Ingredients:
3-1/2 cups blanched almond flour
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1-1/2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking soda
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
10 large eggs
1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
3/4 cup Swerve or Splenda
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup of optional mix-ins: chopped pecans or walnuts
Method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place rack in center of the
oven. Grease two eight-by-four-inch loaf pans or use two silicone loaf
pans. Combine the pumpkin, eggs, Swerve, and vanilla in an electric mixer.
Add the dry ingredients one at a time; mix well. Divide the batter between
the two loaf pans and smooth the top of the batter. Bake for forty-three to
forty-six minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf
comes out clean. Remove from oven and set aside to cool for about thirty
minutes on rack. Store in resealable plastic bags in refrigerator for up to
five days; the bread can also be frozen. Note: Almond flour should be
refrigerated in a sealed bag. I found the best price for almond flour at
Costco.
----------
Classic Shortbread
by Karen James
Karen says, "This is a quick and easy sweet treat!" She is a longtime
Federationist and the wife of Rik James, president of the At-Large Chapter
of the NFB of Montana.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup softened butter
1/3 cup confectioners sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
Method: Cream butter, add sugar, then vanilla. Work in flour using a
fork or clean hands. Press dough into a greased round cake pan and prick
surface of dough with a fork. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bake shortbread
for thirty minutes. Let shortbread cool in pan for ten minutes. Flip pan,
removing shortbread onto flat surface. Cut shortbread into eight pie-shaped
pieces.
----------
Mile High Biscuits
by Karen James
Ingredients:
3 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon cream of tarter
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk
Method: Combine dry ingredients and cut in butter with a pastry
blender. Combine egg and milk. Add to dry ingredients and stir until
moistened. Knead ten times. Roll out dough one inch thick, cut with 2-1/2
inch cutter. Place on an ungreased baking sheet and bake in oven at 425
degrees for twelve to fifteen minutes.
----------
Cowboy Coffee
by Karen James
Ingredient:
Ground coffee (amount determined by number of cups of coffee desired)
Method: Fill coffee pot full of fresh water. Bring to a boil. Remove
from stove and stir in ground coffee, allowing 1/2 cup per six cups of
water. Stir and return to heat briefly. Pull off heat source and allow
grounds to settle to bottom of pot. Strain into cups.
----------
Monitor Miniatures
News from the Federation Family
Lauren Merryfield Publishes an Audiobook:
Jesus Makes the Difference: A Collection of Stories for Young People
is now in audiobook format at iTunes and audible.com. Lauren's book setting
is a fictional account of a school for the blind at which some students
come to realize that their difficult situations can be made better and at
times easier with the help of Jesus. There are serious moments and some
humor throughout the book.
Because she enjoyed writing about these characters so much, a sequel
is nearly finished for publication.
NFB of Denver Elects Officers and Board Members:
In its January 19 meeting, the NFB of Denver Chapter elected the
following: president, Dan Burke; first vice president, Vicki Sayler; second
vice president, Dishon Spears; treasurer, Brittany Savage; secretary, Kyra
Sweeney; and board members John Batron, Brett Boyer and Showe Trella.
----------
NFB Pledge
I pledge to participate actively in the efforts of the National
Federation of the Blind to achieve equality, opportunity, and security for
the blind; to support the policies and programs of the Federation; and to
abide by its constitution.
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